The guys pulled up at the studio and were greeted by Chris and Joey. They all got out of the car and Lance went straight up to Joey and said, “dude I totally forgot to tell Nikki that we were going to be around. Tomorrow is the fourth of July and I am sure she is going to be wandering around and I don’t want her to bump into JC right now. She’ll freak. JC thinks he saw her over on Mango.”
“Whoa are you serious?”
“As a heart attack. Did you tell Justin or Chris that she was here?”
“No I told you I wouldn’t.”
“Well J was practically trying to convince C that Nikki might be in LA.”
“Yikes. Well go call her then. Let her know what’s up.”
“Can I use your cell? My battery is kaput.”
“Yeah, here,” Joey said as he handed Lance the phone.
“What are the two of you whispering about?” Chris yelled.
“What we’re gonna do to you if you screw up today!” Joey yelled back.
“Lance I swear to God if you have more of that blue shit I’m gonna make you pay this time!”
Lance broke into laugher at the rememberance of that whole situtation. “No blue dye this time buddy!” Lance joked back. “Guys, I’ll meet you in the room in a minute. I gotta call Stacey and tell her to tell mom something for me.”
“Okay, make it fast please,” JC said. “We gotta finish this song in a little while. Then it’s off to make plans for FIREWORKS!”
“Be right there,” Lance said as he turned into a different hallway and then went in a room where no one was. He dialed Nikki’s cell number and waited for her to answer. After about four rings he heard the phone click on but there was no answer. “Nikki?”
A second later she answered, “hello. Are you still there?”
“Yeah I’m here. What happened.”
Nikki laughed, “Lance! Hey, sorry. I dropped the phone.”
Lance too chuckled. “How are you?”
“I’m alright. You?”
“Pretty good. Where are you? It’s loud.”
“Oh, I’m just doing a little shopping. I’m over on Mango Street, downtown. Where are you?”
“Not that far from you actually. We’re all here.”
Nikki gulped. “All of you?” she stammered.
“Yup, ALL of us. JC thought he saw you... well, it looks like he did! He said it was over on 8th and Mango.”
“Oh my Heavens. What did he say?! I didn’t even see him. Oh my God,” she said with a worried tone.
“He said that it was a girl that looked just like you. Said that she was behind a counter looking at stuff.”
“Thank the Lord that I was indeed BEHIND that counter. Shit, what am I supposed to do. Lock myself in my house so he doesn’t see me again?”
“He thinks that you are in New York with Ariel.”
“Why?”
“Because no one told him you were HERE. Duh!”
“Eek, uhm...” she started. “Well how long are y’all here?”
“They are all leaving day after tomorrow, but I’ll be here through the 10th.”
“Why?”
“They booked me for some conference thing here. The others have to do some stuff back in Orlando.”
“Well aren’t I lucky that you get stuck with so much LA stuff,” she giggled.
“Yeah, well hey. I gotta go. I just wanted to let you know that we are here. We’re all going to be staying at the La Grand Mesmo. JC has been going all out. He’s gonna blow up the damn hotel if he buys anymore fireworks to set off up on the roof.”
Nikki couldn’t help but laugh. “I suppose Justin is playing a large part of that too.”
“Of course!”
“Well thanks for the call. Maybe we can get together after the others leave.”
“I’d like that. Talk to you soon. And remember, keep a look out for Chasez.”
“Will do. Thanks, bye Lance.”
“Bye,” he said and then got up and rushed to the recording room before JC had a fit for him taking so long.
“Everything squared away?” Joey said from across the room.
“A OK,” Lance replied and then put on the headphones.
“JC I swear you are gonna set something on fire!” Joey yelled from across the rooftop.
“I am not!” JC yelled back. “Have ye no faith in me?!”
“Not when it comes to excitement due to you!”
“Hey now, I’m here!” Justin yelled over the load crackling of fireworks going off in the distance.”
“Oh and that makes things a whole lot better!” Chris joined in.
“Will you all cool it already?” JC yelled. “This is going to be awesome!”
Lance sat on the side rim of the roof and watched as JC toyed with all the firworks and high maintenance explosives. “He’s gonna blow something up,” Lance mumbled to Joey.
“How come we know that and he doesn’t?” Joey laughed.
Lance laughed back. “Cuz he’s as hard headed as Justin is!”
“Did I hear my name?” Justin asked.
“MOVE!” JC yelled when Justin stepped back.
“Oh shit!” Justin yelled.
“BRO YOU’RE ON FIRE!” Chris laughed uncontrollably.
“Well don’t just stand there Jesus!” Joey yelled.
“Oh my God I’m gonna die!” Justin screamed like a girl. “JC what the hell did you do?!” he yelled as his pant leg had sparks of fire flaming off of it.
“I told you to move!”
Lance went over with a wet towel and started hitting Justin’s leg with it until finally the flames went out. All of this happened in a matter of seconds! “I told you you would set something on fire!” Lance said.
“No I did!” Joey said. “You said he would blow something up!” and with that said they all turned to hear a loud BOOM and see things flying.
“SHIT!” JC yelled.
“JC I friggin’ told you that you don’t leave hairspray around fireworks. Don’t you read labels. ‘HIGHLY FLAMMABLE!’ Man!”
“Shut up Joey! I sure didn’t see you moving the bottle!”
Chris on the other hand stood off to the side after they saved poor Justin’s leg from burning off. “You couldn’t made me one legged!” he heard Justin yell to JC. Chris pulled out the small crackers and lit them up. It sendt beautiful arrays of colors into the air in different streaks of design.
JC looked up and said, “wow. Now that’s what I’m talking about!”
All around them were fireworks going off. Off in the distance people were giving shows with bright protruding colors and loud ranges of cracklings. The sky wasn’t only black, but it was gold, blue, green, red, yellow, orange, and purple as well. Lance grabbed the sparklers and lit a few up and then handed them to the guys. They were like little kids. Fascinated by anything that flickered and wanted to see more. Each of them set off a fair amount of fireworks, the ones that weren’t considered as dangerous when in the hands of a certain Justin or JC. All in all, the night ended great, with an amazing memory of a colorful sky.
On the night of July 8th Nikki screamed and clutched onto the bed sheets as she was wheeled down a hall. She breathed fast and deep. “Hurry..... up!” she yelled within a couple of different breaths. Her knees were bent and she sat up with her back arched. “My God!”
“Miss Taylor, it’s okay. It’ll be over soon.”
“My name... is... Nikki!” she screamed. “Call... me Nikki!”
“Okay Nikki,” Dr. Morris said as he tried to calm her some. They wheeled Nikki’s bed through a set of double doors and then parked it against the wall. Dr. Morris took his place as the end of the bed and checked Nikki’s diameter. “Nikki you are really close. Where is the father? Is he coming? Did the nurse call him yet?”
“Not.... coming... not here.”
“Well this baby is coming with or without him,” he said as he saw that the baby had already crowned. “I can see the head.”
She yelled in pain and pushed every time the doctor would let her. “I have to push! Get.... it out now!”
“Not yet Nikki. Breathe deep for me,” he said as he moved the baby’s head around a little. The baby was slightly angled and the doctor needed to fix it before Nikki pushed again.
A nurse stood by Nikki’s side and held her hand while Nikki screamed. Nikki’s fingers clenched around the nurse’s hand tightly. “Please,” she yelled.
“Okay Nikki, give me a push.” Nikki pushed and then relaxed. “One more and you can see your beautiful child,” he said as he gripped under the baby’s neck.
“Arrrgggghhh!!!” she screamed as she gave one last push. Within seconds she heard the cry of a baby... her baby.
“Congratulations Miss Taylor. Nikki, I mean. It’s a healthy, beautiful, baby girl,” he said as he held the baby up for Nikki to see.
Nikki took the baby into her arms and looked at her. She was so beautiful. She had a very thin layer of brown hair and the fairest of skin, which would definitely bronze up as she got older. She touched her face and told her how beautiful she was. The nurse told her that she needed to take her for a few minutes so that they could clean her up and run her vitals. Nikki let go of her baby and watched her leave the room.
About ten minutes later Nikki was resting in her room at the hospital and the nurse walked in with the baby. “Well Miss Taylor, have you thought of a name yet for miss beautiful?” she asked as she carried the baby to Nikki and placed her within her embrace.
“Courtney Michelle,” she said.
“Taylor?” Nikki tilted her head down and looked at baby Courtney and then nodded to the nurse. “Well Courtney Michelle Taylor, I’ll see you in a little bit,” she said as she rubbed a finger over the baby’s arm. “I’ll be back in a few minutes to take the baby for a little while so that you can get some rest.”
“Alright,” she said. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” the nurse said back and then walked out of the room.
Nikki looked down and stroked the side of Courtney’s face. Slowly her eyes fluttered open. Tears filled Nikki’s eyes as she looked into the eyes of her child. She licked her lips and whispered near Courtney’s face, “my beautiful, you have your father’s eyes.” Courtney’s deep blue eyes shinned and then closed again, and Nikki’s heart sank.
A little while later the nurse showed back up and told Nikki that she should get some rest now. She would be able to check out of the hospital in the morning, but she needed to be all rested first. The nurse took the baby and Nikki asked, “do you have a phone I can use?”
The nurse moved the curtain over and said, “sure. Here you go,” and she handed her the phone that was in the room. “You have to dial 9 to get out.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“No problem. Buzz if you need anything.”
“Will do,” she said and then dialed a phone number very familiar to her.
The phone rang a couple times and then a woman’s voice answered it. “Hello,” she said in a soft innocent voice.
“Hey, is Lance there?” Nikki said almost afraid that she had dialed the wrong number.
“May I tell him who is calling?”
“Nikki,” she said.
“Oh well hello Nikki. This is Brook.”
“Oh, hi. I’m sorry, did I interrupt anything?”
“No, Lance was just working on some papers for an interview and his cell was in the room I was in. Let me get him for you.”
“Thanks,” Nikki said as she ran her fingers over her belly and then played with the cord on the telephone.
“Hello,” Lance said a minute later.
“Lance,” Nikki started.
“Nikki hey! Are you alright?”
“It’s a girl Lance.”
“Oh my God. She’s, you’ve, it’s...” he said in a complete stuttering manner.
Nikki couldn’t resist the giggle. “Yes, and she is as beautiful and healthy as can be.”
“Oh wow. I’ll be there in a minute!” he exclaimed.
“Lance drive like a sane person, and bring Brook if you can. I’d like to meet her, just don‘t ya know...”
“I do, and I will. Are you at Bellaray Hospital?”
“Yes, on the 5th floor.”
“Okay. See you soon! Wow, congratulations,” he said and then hung up. “Brook, baby, we’re going to the hospital!”
“What? Why?”
“Nikki had a baby!”
“Nikki’s pregnant?!” she said in a confused yet excited tone.
“Not anymore!”
Brook rummaged through her purse to find her keys and just continued to shake her head. “My goodness, the things I miss out on! How did I not know this?”
“No one does sweetie. Don’t push the issue with her, it’s a little rough on her.”
“I thought she used to date JC. Does he know that she already...”
“Used to my love, and no. Keep it that way alright babe. Please.”
“Okay okay,” she said as she trotted down the path with Lance until they got to her car.
“I’m driving.”
“No I am,” she said. “You’re as hyper as if it were you’re own child!” Lance’s eyes stood still and he just gazed at her with one raised eye brow.
“Lance I am going to laugh when you fall flat on your face!” Brook yelled as she ran through the parking lot behind Lance.
Lance turned his head and kept running. “Come on Brook!”
“I’m coming, I’m coming.”
The two of them made it to the back entrance at hospital and went to the closest elevator. Lance punched ’5’ and tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the elevator to reach his destination. When the doors finally opened he grabbed Brook’s hand and dragged her down the hallway. They looked at the signs and followed the arrows to the area that they knew Nikki would be. As they rounded the last corner Lance and Brook bumped into someone.
“Watch it,” the nurse said. When she looked up to see who it was she surprisingly said, “Lance? ... Brook?”
“Ann?” they both replied back in unison.
“Oh my God, what are you doing here? And in such a rush.”
“My fr, our friend,” he corrected himself, “just had a baby. What are you doing here?”
“Uhm, I work here,” she said sarcastically.
“Well duh,” Lance said. “What are you doing in LA? I thought you moved to Virginia.”
“I did, for a couple weeks, then I came here.”
“Does...” Lance started to say.
“No, Joey doesn’t know I’m here. He’s probably still mad at me as it is.”
“You left him high and dry,” Brook said.
“I know. But when I... no, there is no excuse. I know I left, and I regret it now. Joey and I had something really special.”
“Of which you screwed up,” Lance blurted out. Brook hit him in the arm. “Wha?” he then said.
“Look I know. I just really would like to talk to him again. Maybe you could give him my new number, and see if he’ll call me?”
“Sure whatever,” Lance said. “Look, I am looking for a Nikki Taylor.”
“Nikki Taylor? Is that your friend?”
“Yes why? Is everything okay?” Lance said as he got all panicky.
“She’s fine, and Courtney is beautiful. I was with her when she had her. Here, she’s in this room. Follow me,” she said and walked them down the long hallway. “So how do you know her? She hasn’t called up a father for the child or anything you know.”
“She’s like my best friend, and I know. No questions alright? I’m not on an interview, I’m here to see a friend.”
“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to poke my nose where it doesn’t belong.”
“He knows,” Brook said. “He’s been spookish since Nikki called. It’s weird.”
Lance peeked his head into the room in which Ann lead them to and saw Nikki laying on the bed with her eyes closed. “Pssst,” he whispered loudly.
Nikki’s eyes shot open, “Lance!”