"We're back," Jessica said upon entering Brian's dressing room with Nick right behind her, holding her hand. "Sorry, I made him kinda late," she apologized and looked at Nick knowingly. He squeezed her hand sat down on the floor in front of Brian, pulling Jessica into his lap.

"What did we miss?" Nick asked while kissing Jessica's shoulder. She leaned back against his chest, holding onto both of his hands and wrapping them around her stomach.

"Not much, we have a sound check in about 5 minutes," Brian said without glancing up from the video game he and Sanya were playing. He was purposely letting her win, again.

"Actually, it's now," Kevin said popping his head in the door. "C'mon you guys."

Jessica reluctantly got up and held out her hands for Nick. "Are you gonna come out front and watch us?" he asked her while not letting go of her hands. She stood on her tip toes to reach his lips with her own.

"Nope. I have a little girl to pick up. Sanya can stay, if she wants to."

Brian looked at Sanya, begging her to stay with his eyes. But she shook her head no. "I'm gonna come with you, Jess," she decided and Brian pouted. Sanya, who was about 6 inches shorter than Brian, stood on her tip toes to kiss him too. "You'll be fine without me for an hour."

"But I'll miss you," he whined like a 5 year old.

"Oh, c'mon," Sanya rolled her eyes. "Even Kayci whines better than that," she teased and kissed his cheek before walking out the door with him. "I love you," she turned around and yelled it down the hall.

"I love you, too," Brian yelled back and watched her walk off before turning in the opposite direction to get to the stage.

"And they think we're immature for our age," Jessica shrugged and kissed Nick's lips lightly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she placed hers behind his neck. "Bye, Babe," she said in a fake, sexual voice.

Nick laughed and kissed her neck and breathed on it heavily. "C-ya, Sexy."

Jessica laughed and kissed his lips a final time. Then she kissed her two fingers and pressed them to his lips. Nick held onto her hand and kissed her fingers himself. She shook her head, and pulled her hand away. She lightly tapped his cheek with her hand before running off to catch Sanya, who was probably already out to the car.

"What happened when?" Jessica asked back, trying to avoid the obvious question.

"Hello?! You were gone forever. Then I called your cell and no one picked up, and then I called the house and you were there," Sanya ticked off the clues on her fingers. "So? What were you doing? And I KNOW you were NOT looking at pictures."

Jessica just blushed as she kept her focus on the road. "Oopsie. I was in such a rush I left my cell in my car. Do you really wanna know?"

"Yes! Did ya hop on the good foot and do the bad thing?" Sanya quoted Austin Powers.

"Maybe," Jessica smirked and Sanya squealed. "Oh, but you don't know the half of it girl," she tried to keep calm while driving. "I just can't explain how many emotions I went through today. I don't think I could handle going through any more."

"So, have you said it?"

"Said, what?"

Sanya sighed. "You know, those 3 little words?"

Jess shrugged. "Not yet."

"Well, do you?"

"With all my heart. More than words can say. I don't think it is possible to be so lovesick, as I am over Nick."

"Yes it is. He's the exact same way over you. So, what's holding ya back?"

"I don't know," Jessica slid her sunglasses off her eyes after she parked the car. "I'll be right back with my little munch kin."

"Ok, hurry up. I wanna get back before the sound check is over," Sanya called over her shoulder.

"I will," Jessica said back as she walked in the school and into the office. She waited for the secretary to turn around before greeting her. "Hi, I'm Jessica Robinson. I'm here to pick up my daughter Kayci," she stated.

"Kayci Robinson?"

"Yes," Jessica confirmed.

"I'm sorry she's not here right now. Didn't you get the message?"

Worry clouded over Jessica's features. "What message? Where's my daughter?"

The secretary paused. "Kayci was admitted into the hospital around 1 o'clock. We called your office and they said to try your cell phone..." the secretary drifted off as she saw the look of horror cross Jessica's face.

"Mercy Children's Hospital. She-" the secretary would have continued but Jessica had already flown out the door. She got to Sanya's side of the car in a fit of tears.

"Jess, what's wrong?" Sanya got out of the car and Jessica passed her the keys.

"Drive. Now. Mercy Children's Hospital," she sobbed and hopped in the passenger side. Sanya didn't ask any more questions and jumped in the driver's seat and took off down the road.

"The doctors say some kids were bullying her and one pushed her down. She hit her head on a desk and was knocked out. She's fine now but she lost some blood and they are giving her pain killers through her IV now. After she wakes up you can take her home," Sanya explained holding on to her best friend in a hug. "She's gonna be ok, Jess. It's not that serious," she comforted as the doctors left.

"It's my fault. When this happened, do you know where I was?" Jessica gasped. "I was off fooling around. I wasn't even here for my baby. What kind of mother am I?" she broke down and Sanya held onto Jessica because her body went limp. When her crying subsided, she looked at the small girl, who looked extra little in the hospital bed. "I'm gonna stay here," she sniffed. "But I need you to go back and tell the guys what's going on."

"It's not your fault. I don't think I should leave you alone."

"Yes, it is. I should have had my phone with me. I could have been here for her, but I want you to go. Nick will wonder where I am," Jessica held onto Kayci's tiny hand. "That kid that picked on her is gonna die if I ever see him."

Sanya handed Jessica her cell phone that she had brought from the car. "I'm gonna go then. I'll call in a little bit to see if she wakes up."

"All right," she hugged her best friend. "C-ya."

"I'll be back later," Sanya said quietly as she exited the room.

Jessica pulled a chair over to Kayci's bedside and sat down in it. She watched her chest rise and fall as she breathed. Jessica put her head down on the bed and listened to the beeping of the heart monitor. It reassured her, that everything was going to be all right. Slowly, she drifted off into a quiet slumber.

"I'm so sorry," the voice said softly.

"Nick, it's not your fault."

"Jessica," he stated in protest and then whispered. "You were with me when all of this happened," he felt extremely guilty.

"I left my stupid phone in the car. It has nothing to do with you or what happened."

"I'd take it all back if I could. I kept you from being with your own daughter."

"Nick... Don't ok. Just don't apologize. It's not your fault," she looked at Kayci's face and noticed the smile that played across her lips and her eyes.

"Mommy, I wanna talk to Nickers too," she said. Jessica's eyes widened and her face brightened tremendously.

"Oh, Cici-hun. How are ya feeling?" Jessica forgot about the phone in her hand as she touched her little girls face.

"I'm ok. My head hurts a little. Can I talk to Nick now?" she asked sweetly. Jessica couldn't refuse. She would give the world to this child if she could. "Hewwo?"

Nick had heard the exchange between them and immediately felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Hi-ya Kay. How are ya feeling?"

"I'm ok. Can I tell you something?"

"Anything," he said in complete honesty.

"I wish you were my daddy. Today at school, we were talking about our daddies and I don't know my daddy, so when Ms. Summers got to me, I didn't know what to say. Then Bobby, the boy next to me, told me that I was weird cause I didn't know. So I told him that I kinda have a daddy and that it was you. But he called me a liar and then he pushed me down... I don't remember anything after that. But I wish you were my daddy so I could tell everyone," she said happily. Nick listened on the other side and almost had a heart attack. He had to sit down. The guys all looked at him like he was crazy, but he just sat there expressionless. Jessica had turned away from Kayci while she talked so she wouldn't see her cry. She listened to it all, feeling even more responsible for her daughter's lack of a father on her part. Nick was silent for a little bit. "Are you mad at me?" Kayci asked and her face dropped as if she was ready to cry herself.

"No. Not at all. You wanna know a secret Kayci? You have to promise me you won't tell your mom too."

"I promise," she said.

"I wish I was your daddy, sometimes. That would mean I was married to your mommy."

"Do ya love her?" Kayci asked very loudly and Jessica wiped her eyes and turned back around curious.

"Yeah, I do," Nick confessed to her.

Kayci giggled excitedly. "And I can't tell her?"

"Nope. You promised. Besides, I wanna tell her myself."

"Ok, then. I'm gonna give my mommy the phone again so I can take a nap, cause I'm tired."

"You're gonna leave me?" Nick pretended to sniff, loudly.

"You're silly. Here's mommy. Bye Nickers!" she laughed and passed the phone to Jessica. She tucked in Kayci and kissed her forehead.

"What did you two talk about?" Jessica said, as if she didn't know.

"That Bobby kid is gonna die," Nick said a little too seriously. "If he was about 14 years older I would beat him to a bloody pulp."

"Nick," she scolded, then sighed. "Not before I tear him apart limb for limb. I got dibs on him."

"Damnit, there won't be anything left," he laughed. "I'll be there soon I have to go to this meet and greet and then I'm on my way."

"You don't have to do that. They're releasing her soon."

"Already?" he asked surprised.

"Yeah. They said she could go home after she wakes up," Jessica explained. "I'm gonna go and tell someone she's awake, so could you send Sanya to pick us up please?"

"Sure. I miss you."

"I miss you too. I'll call you when I get home and I've put her to bed."

"All right," he agreed. There was a slight pause when neither of them knew what to say. "I'm gonna let you go then."

"Ok," Jessica sighed. "Bye, Babe," she said at a loss for words.

"C-ya, Sexy," he replied and they both hung up.

"Now to get you out of here," Jessica stood up and went to find Kayci's doctor. The sooner they got home, the better.

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