The hot water coursed over Jessica's body as she finished up her shower. Ever since the guys had left to go on tour, it seemed like her only comfort was the water. That, or her daughter. That girl was enough to brighten up anyone's day. It was finally November. As soon as she stepped out of the warm curtain of steam the temperature change hit her. It was refreshing though, because the chillier the weather got, the closer she was to having a certain someone back in her life. Jessica wrapped a towel around herself and stood in front of the mirror. She wiped it with her hand and looked at the face before her. For once in a long time, she looked genuinely happy.

"Just one more week," she stated triumphantly to herself. She had good reason to feel triumphant. As far as her work goes, Jessica is a secretary for a law firm. She had been able to move all of her work home and did it all from the comfort of her PC. When big cases were brought in, she might go down to the office for a couple of hours but it was never more than that any more. Kayci, after two months of preschool was asked to skip into the first grade. She did this willingly without any kind of pushing from her mother. Sanya, who had been studying law since college, was hired at the same firm Jessica worked for. She had already won 3 out of 4 cases, and had worked out numerous settlements. All things were going well, for all of them.

The guys had been having a great tour so far and were wrapping it up very soon. Jessica had gone out to visit them 3 times with Kayci. Sanya only got to come once because of her work but that didn't slow down her relationship with Brian. He enjoyed the idea of his girlfriend being a "career girl", who had a life of her own, but they still made time for each other through their busy schedules. As far as Nick and Jessica go, things couldn't have been better. Kayci became easily attached to him and shocked her mother one day when she brought home a picture from school, of the 3 of them as a family. What scared Jessica more, was how much she had become attached to him.

"Hello, this is J.R. speaking, how may I help you?"

"Geeze don't you sound all professional," the voice smirked.

"Don't start with me, Nickolas Gene," Jessica ran her fingers through her wet hair.

"One week," they both said out loud knowing what the other was thinking.

"I miss ya, Babe," he confessed softly.

"I miss you too, Hun," she said in a sappy voice and sat up shaking her head and her wet hair. She muttered into the phone. "Damnit, now I'm all wet."

Nick raised his eyebrows. "Oh, you are?"

"Yeah, it's everywhere. I'm gonna need someone to help me clean all this up."

Nick gulped. "Uh-I-I, Jess, yo-you-y..."

"Nick, why are you stuttering?" Jessica asked as she looked around the room. All the water had sprayed on the walls and pictures and little things sitting around. "Can you hold on? I have to go get another towel. I got water everywhere," then she looked at her hand. "Nevermind, I'm on the cordless," she shrugged and went into the bathroom.

Nick was silent. He thought she meant something completely different. He sighed into the phone and secretly wished she had meant it the other way. Every time Jessica came out to visit him while he was on tour they would always end up in the same bed at night, but nothing ever happened. He wanted something to happen, but was always scared that it wasn't what she wanted. He had no idea how hard it was for her not to turn around in his arms and tell him to take her, but she was scared too. Basically, they were both clue less idiots who had no idea that the other felt the exact same way.

"Are you ok? You seem all quiet on me all of a sudden," Jessica said and Nick shook his head to clear the image of Jessica he was having at that moment. It wasn't a very "clean" image to say the least.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry."

"No need to be," Jessica shrugged as she wiped a picture frame. The picture was of herself and Nick when she visited him in Chicago in October. The guys were taping a show for Oprah and Jessica got to come out and meet her and just hang with the guys for a couple days. (I know the guys really haven't done her show yet but for the sake of MY story, they have. Any complaints? Don't come to me with them. this next segment is not as confusing as you think. It's going back and forth from place to place as each is having, relatively, the same conversation.)

The rest of their conversation went on like any other one they had ever had and by the time Jess had gotten off the phone with Nick, Sanya was already home and had picked up Kayci from school.

"Hey, guys," Nick said coming through the adjoining door into Brian's hotel room. All of the guys were in there.

"Hey, Jess. Kayci is in her room coloring," Sanya said to Jessica as she came down the steps grinning. "How's Nick?"

"She's perfect. I can't believe I get to see her in a week," Nick said and fell back onto Brian's bed.

Sanya laughed at her friend sprawled out across the couch. "You've got it bad girl."

"I do not," Jessica retaliated.

"You do too," Howie said back. "You're grinning like an idiot."

"You've got it all wrong. I'm just happy that the tour's ending."

"And then you'll get to see her again, and that's why you're grinning like an idiot," Kevin added.

"Yeah, I'm happy I'll get to see him again," Jessica sighed. "I miss him like crazy.... but that doesn't mean I've got it bad for him," she said and looked at Sanya.

"You can't hide it, Nick," Brian laughed. "You're way too obvious."

"Am not," Nick pouted.

"Don't even try to lie. What are you thinking about right now?" Sanya prodded into Jessica's mind.

"I'm thinking about how amazing her laugh is, and how her eyes light up when she smiles. And how-"

"he always knows what I'm thinking without even asking. And how-"

"soft her lips are. And how-"

"much I just want to hold him and-"

"do other.... things."

Jessica sighed and leaned back on the couch.

"You're in love with her," AJ concluded slowly. "Answer me this, how was the first time you slept together?"

"Sanya!?" Jessica threw a pillow at her.

"What?! I was just asking."

"Well, FYI. We haven't slept together," Nick said proudly.

Sanya looked at Jessica like she was crazy.

"You don't understand. This is a good thing," Nick explained though he wasn't so sure himself.

"Why and How?" AJ relaxed into his chair.

"We were together for like a month when he was here and nothing happened. Now we are apart and I want him more and more everyday. And I know when he was here he wanted to and every time I visited he wanted to.... but we just never did."

"It shows how much she respects me as a person. I'm not 'Nick Carter the prize' and-"

"it proves he didn't just want me 'cause he thought I would be an easy lay."

"And I respect her way too much to just expect that," Nick finished, happy with himself.

"How?" AJ asked.

"How what?"

"How have you stayed together for this long without sleeping with each other. I mean.... damn the girl is fine. I wouldn't have resisted her the first time we were alone."

"Brian and I didn't last out two weeks."

Brian commented out loud without knowing it and blushed.

"Brian!?" the whole room questioned.

(the back and forth convo is over now, did'ya get it? got it? good! read on!)

"What?" Sanya laughed.

"Girl... what about all that 'I'm going to wait till I'm married' crap?" Jessica mocked her.

"Well..." Sanya said and couldn't control her laughter. "I found the right person so what's the problem? Just cause you're not getting any doesn't mean I can't."

Jess looked at Sanya with wide eyes and threw a pillow at her. "Ya lil' Hoochie!"

"Whatever! You're the one who was making out in an amusement park!" Sanya giggled and threw the pillow back at her and grabbed another one off of the couch.

"Oh! I see how this is gonna be... WAR!!" Jessica yelled and she and Sanya had an all out pillow fight.

"If the house isn't on fire you better have a damn good reason for coming in here and waking me up like this," she muttered, not even opening her eyes.

"Don't tell me you don't remember what today is?" Jessica got off of her friend and walked to the door and flicked on the lights. Sanya looked at her with an expressionless face waiting for an answer. "Brian's home, Nick's home, we can go see them today, in concert...." Jessica didn't need to say anymore. Sanya had already ran out of bed and into her bathroom to start to get ready. She chuckled and walked down a door to Kayci's room to wake her up.

"Cici-hun you gotta get up and get ready for school now, baby cakes," Jess whispered in her daughters ear.

The little girl sat up and stretched her arms. "Ok, mommy. I'm up, She yawned and got out of the bed. "What to wear? What to wear?" she mumbled as she walked to the closet. "Mommy, should I wear a dress today?" she asked and had no idea that she was going to see 'her boyz' as she affectionately called them, again today.

"Nah, you should wear... a pair of jeans, your light blue Nike's, and your yellow and light blue FuBu jersey," Jessica smiled at her daughters thuggish outfit.

"That's the stuff Uncle Alex bought me.... Ok!" she giggled and went down the hall to start a tub of water for herself. Out of all the guys besides Nick, Jess kept in contact with AJ the most. She just shook her head and wondered.

"When did my daughter age from 4 to 25?" she spoke out loud to no one and went to the bathroom to check on her. She was standing on her stool in front of the mirror brushing her teeth while the water ran. "Don't miss any."

"Iwon'tmommy," she said with a mouth full of toothpaste so you could barely make it out to be english.

Now all that was left to do was wait. After Kayci was done in the bathroom, changed, and on the bus heading for school, Jessica went and got herself ready. She called her job and told them she was going to be out for a while and that Sanya was with her and they agreed to let them go after Jessica finished typing up a new case. She and Sanya left the apartment and drove over to the Orlando Arena where the concert was being held in her new Toyota Rav4. It was already 5 minutes to 12, so they were just in time to catch everyone on a lunch break. They pulled into the parking lot and around to the back where the buses were. Jessica parked relatively close and then they nervously got out. They went to the back door and everyone knew them, so they were quickly ushered in. After walking down a hallway for what seemed like forever, they ended up in front of the dressing rooms. They arrived at Brian's door first. Jessica gave her friend a quick hug and walked on to Nick's door. She waited before knocking to see Sanya knock. Brian came out of the door looking like he just woke up but then focused on Sanya and almost screamed, but she put a finger up to his lips and pointed down at Jessica, who was watching them. He waved at her and then picked up Sanya and carried her into his dressing room over his shoulder. Jessica stifled a giggle and the turned back to look at the door in front of her. She breathed deeply and then slowly lifted her hand to knock. Just as she was about to, the door flew open and she was looking straight into the eyes of the person who meant more to her than she could ever know.

Nick had to blink to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He looked down at the vision in front of him. Jessica was wearing a short black skirt and a matching black tube top. She had a light blue men's dress shirt tied around her waist and Nick knew it was his. He stepped back and just kept staring.

"Jessica?" he almost asked, not even above a whisper.

She nodded, and Nick noticed how her long hair sat perfectly on her shoulders slightly curled, and it bobbed when she moved her head. Nick slowly moved forward and then suddenly scooped her up into his arms in a hug. Jessica clung to him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder since he had lifted her off the ground. After a few more moments he swung her around and she laughed as he put her back down. Nick held her face in his hands and brought her lips to his own in a sweet and tender kiss. He backed away from her face staring intently into her eyes.

"I missed you so much," she said and her eyes darted to the floor. She bit her lip to keep herself from crying, she was so happy.

Nick kissed her forehead and held her body close to his own. "I missed you too.... I was just about to go out and get some lunch. You wanna join me?" he asked taking both of her hands into his own and kissing her lightly on the lips.

"Sure," Jessica replied, much happier than she seemed before. "My treat."

"But Jess-" she cut him off by kissing him.

"No buts or I'll have yours," she said brushing her lips against his in a teasing way.

"I'd rather you did," he said and kissed her again forcefully with a meaning behind the kiss. "We don't have to go to lunch, ya know," he said lingering on her lips.

Jessica pushed him away playfully. "C'mon ya big lug. If you don't eat, and then pass out on stage, I'll feel responsible," she said even though food wasn't what she was hungry for either.

Nick sighed and ran back into his room real quick dragging Jessica with him.

"What are you doing?" she laughed hoping he wasn't going to let her leave.

Nick dug into a bag and then pulled out a baseball cap. "I can't go without a hat," he said and put it on. "I was just going to go to the cafeteria, but now that you're here I wanna go out. So there's nobody watching us."

"Oh," Jessica said and followed him back out of his dressing room, holding his hand. "What do you wanna eat?" she asked after they told someone they were leaving and would be back shortly. They were walking through the back parking lot to her car.

"You," he thought to himself, but said something else. "It doesn't matter just as long as I'm with you," he gripped her hand tighter and pulled her close. He kissed her neck softly, knowing fully that it was her 'spot'. Jessica squealed and pushed him away playfully again and ran to the drivers side of her car, and got in.

Nick laughed and got into the passengers side. She was already buckled and had the car running, ready to go. "I got you so horny now, didn't I?" he asked with a smirk on his face as they traveled down the road.

Jessica glanced at him quickly, astonished by two things. One, he actually asked her, and Two, he could tell. "I am not," she lied and looked into his eyes.

"You're lying," Nick noticed something different in her eyes but shrugged it off. He laughed and looked at her blushing face as the wind blew through her hair. He wanted her so bad, but he was going to enjoy making fun of her like this.

She couldn't be taken for a fool that easily, so Jessica used her secret weapon. She pouted and stuck her bottom lip out some. Nick couldn't take that, and had to look away. Jessica smiled to herself when she saw him turn out of the corner of her eye. She knew that he couldn't resist that look and it made her laugh.

"What's so funny?" Nick asked, turning back to her face. She was smiling devilishly. He found that to be extremely sexy too and had to look away again.

"You are too," she laughed again.

"I'm what?" he asked even though he knew.

"You're a total horn ball," Jess giggled and pulled into a parking lot for a Pizza Parlor. She parked and took off her seat belt. Nick still hadn't said anything. She glanced at him and leaned over towards him and kissed right below his ear on his neck. She could feel him tremble under her touch. Jessica whispered in his ear while nipping at it. "My place is a few minutes from here, ya know. We can go back there if ya wanna," she offered.

Nick could feel her breaths on his neck and it was driving him crazy. "Well, what the hell are we here for?" he finally said and Jessica turned his head so he had to look at her. She bit her bottom lip and then kissed him. She was going to pull away, but Nick held onto her, and wouldn't let her go so quickly. When he did let her go and she felt very lightheaded. She slumped back into her seat and buckled her seat belt again. Nick smirked at her inability to focus and took one of her hands into his own. She looked at their intertwined fingers and smiled. She started up the car and they were out of there.

Around 3 minutes later, they pulled up into Jessica's driveway. They got out of the car and the two of them walked into the empty house. Jessica sat her keys on the counter and felt a pair of arms go around her waist. Nick nuzzled his face against her neck and then nibbled at it lightly. Jessica felt a shiver run up and down her back and she turned around in his arms. Nick leaned in to kiss her but she shook her head no and walked upstairs. He watched the way her body swayed as she did so, and followed her willingly into her room.

"I have to tell you something..." she paused to breathe. "...and you have to promise not to laugh."

Nick tilted her head up and kissed her forehead. "That was your first time since Kayci was born?"

Jessica looked at him with wondering eyes. "How'd you know?"

Nick shrugged. "I figured," he simply said as he twirled her hair on his finger. Then he whispered softly. "But you could have fooled me."

She smiled and nuzzled against his chest. "I have to get you back to the Arena. They are probably wondering where the hell you are."

"I know," he said and rubbed her back. "But what if I don't wanna?"

Jessica sat up a little and Nick turned to lay on his back. "I won't make you," she smiled before kissing him. They started to get into it when the phone rang.

"Don't get that," Nick laughed and pulled Jessica back into the kiss. She broke away laughing.

"It might be my job," she said and had to reach over his body to get to the phone. "Hello this is J.R. speaking. How may I help you?"

"Jess, why the hell are you home?"

"Oh, hi to you too, Sanya," Jessica giggled as Nick licked the chest that was in his face. She slapped his shoulder to get him to stop.

"What's so funny?" Sanya asked.

"Nothing, except Nick. He's funny looking," she replied and when she did Nick bit her and she screamed.

"Why are you screaming?"

"Oh, he's... trying to tickle me," Jessica lied and then changed the subject. "So what's up?"

"Nothing really, except your boyfriend needs to be back here in about 15 minutes," Sanya said with a sarcastic undertone.

"All right, we'll be right there," Jessica said, ready to hang up and kick Nick's ass.

"What are you doing over there anyway?" Sanya wondered.

"I was just showing Nick... the pictures that Kayci drew. Not much."

"Ok, we'll I better be seeing you in 10," Sanya knew something was up.

"Yeah, sure. Bye."

"Bye," Sanya said and hung up her cell.

Jessica put the phone back in its cradle and sat on Nick's stomach and hit him.

"You little-" she said but he interrupted her and grabbed her wrists.

"What pictures?" Nick asked, his blue eyes sparkling.

"Nothing," Jessica lied and got up off of him and wrapped the sheet around herself. She began looking for her clothes while Nick put his back on. Jessica was slipping on her Nike's when Nick came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He was fully clothed and rested his head on her shoulder.

"You're lying."

"What makes you say that?" Jessica asked and made the fatal mistake of looking into his eyes.

"Whenever you lie, you're eyes have these flecks of dark green in your eyes that light up," he had noticed this from the first time she had ever lied to him, and that was in the car a little earlier.

"No, they don't," she lied again.

"They just did it again," he smirked and pulled her close to his body. "Now, what pictures?"

Jessica sighed and led Nick into Kayci's room. "These pictures," she said and pointed to the wall.

Nick walked closer to it and looked at the pictures. Some were of a little girl. Some had a little girl with 1 or 2 women. Some had a little girl and 5 guys. Then there were pictures of 1 of the women with 1 of the 5 guys. He figured out quickly who each of the people were. Nick finally let his gaze rest on the picture in the middle. It was of the couple and they were standing on either side of the little girl, holding her hands. Nick reached out and touched the picture.

Jessica began to cry silently. "I don't know how to tell her that we aren't....., and that...., but..." her voice drifted off and Nick turned around and held Jessica as she cried.

"It's ok. Shhh," he tried to calm her.

"But it's not ok," Jessica pulled away and went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. She patted her face dry with a towel and then sat down on the toilet seat.

"Let her think that. I don't mind," Nick almost whispered as he held her hand. "One day it might come true, ya never know," he smiled and held her face in one of his hands. Jessica's crying subsided and she looked at him and smiled.

"Maybe," she said and kissed Nick's lips softly. "Now, I really do have to get you back."

"I know. Let's go," he stood up and reached for her hands. He helped her up and she pulled him back in the bathroom. Jessica picked up her keys on the way out and they were off, back to the venue.

Back to Kayci and The Sunshine Band