"So have you thought of any names?" AJ asked as he placed his glass of soda on the table. Everyone was sitting around the large patio table on the back porch of Lari's home. All of them equal stuffed from all the food that had been served. Brian had just returned from laying a sleeping Sierra down in the guest room.

     Lari gave a glance over to Nick and then looked back at AJ, "Well I haven't really decided yet, to be honest. I have been so consumed in recording the new album that I never really had a chance." She answered, while picking at the food on her plate. "I don't know I guess there are a few that I like but, I would have to dicuss it with Nick."

     Reaching for her hand under the table, Nick gave her a smile of encouragment, "I am sure whatever you want to name them is fine."

     "Well, I was thinking of Logan and Koda for boys. For girls I had, Cheyenne and Madelynn, picked. I haven't figured out middle names, but I think that I might leave those up to Nick."

     "So what is going to happen with the two of you," asked Kevin waving his finger at Lari and Nick. "Are you guys going to get together, not to mention what to tell the media when it finally gets out?"

     Trish tossed her fork back onto her plate, took a quick look at her watch. "A little over an hour. That's what it took for Kevin to pull this into the shitter." She said.

     Pulling out a peice of paper Kara looked over it, "Ah! I said an hour and a half! I win. 50 bucks people," She said snapping her fingers, as Howie, Brian, AJ, and Trish all groaned while digging for their wallets and handing her the money. Kevin sent a death look to each one of them, Kara looked back at him with a smile, "What? It was just a little bet."

     "Go to hell." Kevin muttered, which caused everyone to burst out laughing. "Now come on, guys be serious for one damn minute. We all know how this media stuff works. It doesn't matter what the truth is behind closed doors with them, it's what they make up on their own and since there is going to be NO way to hide Lari and Nick's children from the world peremently, we have to figure out this. Stuff like a press conference or not, how to handle questions that we all are going to be asked. Even what the babies' last names are going to be." Kevin said, making eye contact with everyone at the table. "We need to be prepared to handle management too, when this goes public."

     Lari knew that Kevin was right, even if he was the  overbearing father that she never really had. "Guys, he is right we do need to figure this out."

     Kara looked over at AJ, "Ever since this pregnancy she had become so serious. I almost miss the bad-ass at times." she said.

     "Well, what last name do you want them to have?" Nick asked her with a hopeful voice.

     "Well, I would prefer them to have yours if that is okay with you. But then we would have to figure out how to handle the press and everything with questions about our relationship. Oh god... the tabloids are going to have a field day with this." the realization that her babies were going to be in the new by the sharks in the media made her once again fearful, and sent her into a fit of tears.

    LeighAnn quickly jumped out of her seat and ran over to Lari. She carefully wrapped her arms around her shoulders and let the younger woman cry on her shoulder. "Shhh, it's okay Lari."

     Brian couldn't help but notice lost expression on Nick's face, "Hormones, pregnancy tends to make the emotional hormones a little harder to control." He said, trying to offer some information.

     Nick nodded as he motioned for Leighann to let him hold Lari, who was still sobbing heavily. "Lari-doll, baby, I promise that I will not let anything happen to the babies. I swear that I will protect you 3 from all that, as much as I can."

     "I- I know, it's just. This- this is what I was afraid of in the first place. I don't want to deal with the media. They are going to up root everything, then speculations about you and me. And once they figure out the timing, they will bring back up the whole Arie, situation, I just don't think that I can go through all this again this close to the birth. I don't want you all to have to go through that," Lari managed to say between sobs.

     The whole table grew silent while her words sunk in. This was going to affect all of them, and she was right, the media would probably take one look at them and see a buffet of things that they could use to sell their mags. Leaning over, AJ asked Kara, "How did your record label execs and managment take the whole situation?"

     "Oh they went through the roof naturally. But our manager made sure that they couldn't mess with our contract, or put us on the back burner. Suzie has pretty much moved heaven and hell themselves to make sure that Lari's wish to keep this as much out of the media as possible," Kara replied, refurring to Fallen Angel's manager and publisist, Susan Davids. "The only reason that she isn't her for a change is becuase Lari pretty much told her to take a vacation before she buried her in the backyard."

     "Ahh, I see." He smiled.

     Kevin rolled his eyes, "Come on people, we need to figure this all out."

     "Actually, I think it best that Lari and Nick first talk alone. Considering these are their children first, they need time to figure out what they want and need to make this work. Then when they are ready they can come to us and we can help them fit the peices together." Trish interuppted, "And don't you dare give me that look, Richardson! It might work on the Backstreet family, but it won't work on me and you damn well know that."

     Everyone at the table stared at the scene unfolding in front of them. Trish was sitting straight up in her chair staring down Kevin who looked like steam was about to burst from his ears and daggers from his eyes. The two of them never got along and were constantly butting heads ever since day one of the tour, the year before. Kevin had always been the 'head' of the Backstreet family and when the girls joined the tour, he automaticaly decided to extend that 'protection' over to them. Without realizing it, he had stepped into Trish's territory, from then on the two always were found bitching about one thing or another.

     "Knock it the hell off you two this minute! The last thing Lari needs is more stress because you two can't fuckin' stop playing the 'who has the bigger dick' game! Can you please fuckin' pretend to get along for the derration of the guys' time out here?" Kara yelled at them in such a manner that it took Trish and Kev by suprise. They gave Kara a quick side glance the muttered apologize and leaned back into their chairs. "Good, now I agree with Trish, it is up to Nick and Lari first then we can help. Got that?" Everyone nodded.

     "Okay, well onto a happier topic for a moment," LeighAnn suggested, "So have you started getting things ready for the babies?"

     "That's the understatement of the year, she starting buy things from day one," groaned Trish.

     Lari, who had finally calmed down, scrunched her nose at Trish and sat back up in her own chair, "Actually, she's right, I went a lil over board. I have gotten, their nurseries completely done, cribs, dressers, changing tables, gliders, that kind of stuff. I put it all together before I even got to 5 months along. I also bought a double stroller, 2 traveler systems-"

     "What's a traveler system?" Nick asked.

     "A traveler system is a matching stroller with infant car seat," Howie said as-a-matter-a-factly, recieving quite suprised looked from everyone, "Hey, I have neices and nephews, remember?"

     Lari let out a light laugh as the mood lightened, "Yea, I also set up 2 bassinets in my bedroom, and 2 deluxe playpens set up in the den downstair. Stuff like that."

     "Wow, sounds like you have everything." Brian said, pretty impressed with how organized Lari was.

     "What about clothing?" Nick asked.

     "I have enough outfits for the first 2 weeks that are pretty neutral, I figured that I would by their clothing after wards, since I don't want to know the sexes. Unless you want to find out.." Lari added while looking up at Nick.

     "If you don't want to know, I am fine with not knowing as well." Nick said giving her hand a light squeze.

     AJ looked over at Kara and smiled, "Hey you wanna go for a walk?" He asked with a sly grin that sent chills down her spin.

     "Yeah, let's go," Kara stood up, pulling Alex along after her as they headed away from the house to check out the whole compound.