Justin turned white, looked at Cat, and when she nudged, collapsed to the floor.
Chris started laughing; Cat walked over to him. Lance, JC, and Joey stood just inside the room, confused.
"Why did he faint?" Joey asked.
Cat nudged Justin with her foot. Nothing happened. "I'm going to go get a nurse."
Joey looked around. Chris was laughing, Liz and Lex looked so happy, they were glowing, and Lance and JC looked just as confused as him. "Well?"
Liz looked at him. Cat's pregnant."
Not expecting that, Joey didn't comprehend what was said for a full minute. Then he blinked.
"She's what?" he exclaimed at last.
"Pregnant."
"Oh my God, another pregnant woman," he groaned, his head dropping in his hands.
Liz and Lex glared at him. "Very funny, Joey."
JC glanced at Justin. "did he faint when she told him?"
"She didn't tell him; he heard me tell Chris why Liz said she'd kill Justin," Lex explained.
Lance and JC started laughing. Joey raised his head. "Why did Liz threaten to kill Justin?" he asked, curious.
"Because of Cat's family history - her mother nearly died. And if Cat dies, I'll kill Justin for getting her pregnant," Liz explained.
Justin sat up as Cat and a nurse came in the room. "He fainted," Cat told the nurse, pointing to Justin.
Justin dropped his head in his hands. "I did not faint; I collapsed." The nurse walked over to him, checked his pulse, eyes, and head, and told Cat, "He's fine. He just needs plenty of fluids." The nurse turned to Liz. "Mrs. Kirkpatrick, you're free to go; your children are coming."
At that moment, another nurse walked in carrying the babies. She handed one to Chris, the other to Liz. They left the hospital.
They were in Florida until September. Then touring started again.
Cat's pregnancy was terrible. Late in April, she collapsed during one of her classes, because of lack of food. Justin was at the studio with the other guys, when Liz called and told him she'd been taken to the hospital; he freaked.
"I'll be right there. Don't let them do anything. Promise me," he demanded.
"I won't let them do anything. She's my best friend; like I'd let them hurt her."
They hung up then and Justin ran from the room. He was at his car when he realized he'd forgotten his keys. He burst back in the studio. Chris stood in front of him, holding his keys.
"Forget something?" he asked, amused. They didn't know what'd happened. "Why did you leave in such a rush?"
"Cat's in the hospital. Give me my keys," he demanded, when Chris pocketed them.
"Hell no. You're not driving." Chris walked to the door leading to the room where everyone had gathered. "Justin and I are going to the hospital," he told the others.
The guys looked at each other and ran into the room. Justin was pacing and on the verge of pulling his hair out.
"Why? What's wrong?" Lance asked.
"Cat's in the hospital," Chris replied.
Justin buried his head in his hands. "I should have said I didn't want kids. If she wasn't pregnant, she'd still be okay," he moaned, nearly in tears.
Chris put his hand on Justin's shoulder. "You don't know why she's in the hospital. It might not be serious. She's probably okay."
Justin lifted his head. "And she could be on the verge of death." Thinking that did him in. He started crying. "What if he dies? I can't live without her."
Chris lead him out to his car. Lance and the others were following.
Justin had gotten ahold of himself by the time they reached the hospital. Walking into her room, he expected to see her unconscious or broken and bleeding; what he saw instead made his heart weak. She was okay.
Cat was sitting on the bed, her arms folded across her chest, glaring at Liz and Lex. "No, I'm not staying. You never answered my question. Did you call Justin?'
"Yes, they did."
Cat looked at Justin, standing in the doorway, then back at her friends. "I told you not to."
Liz started to speak; Justin interrupted her. "I'm glad they did. What happened?"
"Cat collapsed during one of her classes; lack of food and the morning sickness made her weak, the doctor said," Lex explained. the others had come in and heard her explanation.
"The doctor wants her to stay here, but Cat wants to go home," Liz told him, glaring at Cat.
Justin looked at Cat. "You're staying here! There is no way in hell I'd let you come home!"
"I'm going home; I don't care what anyone says."
"No, you're..." Justin began; Liz interrupted him. "She can go home; me and Lex will move in though. And that'll mean Chris and Lance will have to come. And we don't want JC and Joey to feel left out, so we'd bring them, too."
"Hell no. I'm not staying in a house with the six of you, especially when you're all on this overprotective thing like you are now."
"You spend nearly half your time on a bus or in a hotel with us, so why don't you want to stay with us?" JC asked.
"Because I spend so much time with you guys."
"Well, you either stay here or stay in a house with us," Liz said.
Cat glanced around the room. She wouldn't be able to do anything, even write. If she stayed in the hospital, she'd be able to write.
"I'll stay in the hospital. But the minute the doctor says I can leave, I'm leaving."
Liz smiled and looked around. They'd gotten Cat to stay in the hospital.When they started touring again, everyone worried. About the children and Cat. Brian and Bethany were seven months old and Destiny and Alex were nearly six months. Cat was six months pregnant.
But Liz, Lex, and Cat didn't want to be left at home; they talked the guys into letting them come along.It was the last concert they were doing in 2007, in December. They had the rest of December- from the 15 to the the middle of January- off.
Cat, Liz, and Lex were backstage, in the Green Room. Liz and Lex were sitting on sofas; Cat was walking around.
Her back had been hurting all day and earlier that afternoon her water had broken. But she didn't tell anyone. They'd get worried and make her go to the hospital. She didn't want to go until it was necessary. Suddenly a contraction hit. It happened so suddenly, it doubled her over. She groaned.
Liz and Lex rushed over to her. "Did your water break?" Liz asked, kneeling beside her.
Cat shook her head. "It broke earlier. This was just a contraction."
"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Lex asked, running over to the door and calling for Steve.
"Because you guys would have made me go to the hospital and I didn't want to. And the guys would've canceled the concert; I definitely didn't want that."
"Fans might kill you?" Liz supplied.
"Yep." They started laughing. Another contraction hit. Cat squeezed Liz's hand.
Steve came in. "What's wrong?" he asked, rushing over to Cat. She was still kneeling on the floor.
"She's in labor," Lex told him.
"I'll have a couple of the bodyguards take you three to the hospital. The guys and I will follow in a few minutes."
"No." Cat struggled to stand up. "You tell them and I don't leave. I'll have the baby right here!"
Steve looked at her. The look in her eyes said she was serious. "Okay, I won't tell them until after the concert." He walked to the door and called in some bodyguards. "Take the to the hospital," he told them. "We'll be in the after the concert."
"Okay, boss," Lonnie said. They left
Ten minutes later, the guys walked in the Green Room. It was intermission.
"Where are the women?" Chris asked. Steve was still in the room.
"At the hospital."
"Why? Is Cat in labor?" Justin asked.
Steve nodded.
"When did they leave? Why didn't you tell me?" His eyes got huge. "Is she okay?" Please say yes, he thought. Please, please, please.
"They left ten minutes ago. Yes, she's okay; well, as okay as a women in labor can be. And I didn't tell you earlier because Cat threatened to have the baby here. She wants you to finish the concert."
"How can I? My wife's in labor."
"You will," Lance said, "unless you want to face your wife pissed."
Justin groaned.
The guys got to the hospital at 11:30 that night. Lex and Liz were watching Cat. She was in enormous pain.
Her labor lasted 30 hours; Justin had been kicked out of the room by the doctors twice, he was so worried. He was in the room during the last ten hours of labor, so he saw the birth of his daughter, Alexandria Jade Timberlake. Lex and Liz had left only once, to check on their children; they'd been left with grandparents. The guys had come and gone through out the day and a half she was in labor.
Waiting for Cat to awaken, Justin watched his daughter. She'd been born with a full head of her mother's dark brown hair and his blue eyes. She was perfect.
He walked in Cat's room and sat on the bed. Cat smiled. He picked up her hand.
"Have you seen her?" she asked.
"Yes, and she's the most beautiful baby in the world."
"The most beautiful baby? Not the most beautiful person?" Cat asked, her eyes glowing with light.
"No." He leaned down. Just before their lips met, he whispered, "You hold that title, darling." He kissed her.
THEN END.........
Love & War Index