"Are you here again?" Taylor laughed as AJ walked in the clinic door. Since Alexa had finally given in to the concept of dating him, he seemed to spend nearly as much time there as Taylor did. As much as she picked on him for being there, Taylor loved that Alexa and AJ were seeing each other regularly. She got to boast that she got them together, and she got to see a Backstreet Boy on a regular basis. "Don't you have a job?"

"Don't you love me Taylor? I came here just to see you."

Taylor's laughter could be heard down the hall, as Alexa rounded the corner. "Oh ya, sure ya did. You gotta bring Nick with you sometime, dude. I wouldn't make such a big deal out of you showing your face around here all the time if I got something out of this deal."

"I'll remember to bring a peace offering next time," AJ laughed. "You wouldn't like him much anyway, he's just a big baby." He wrapped an arm around Alexa as she joined him. "Hey doc."

"Hi, you picking on Taylor?"

Taylor smirked, as AJ tried to look innocent. "Why are you blaming me? I get blamed for everything."

"It's because you're a freak, y'know." Taylor picked up a couple of charts and headed toward an exam room, before he could argue.

AJ and Alexa went to Alexa's office. As soon as Alexa shut the door, AJ spun her around to face him, and their lips met.

"This is so unprofessional," Alexa said as they broke apart.

"Who's gonna know?" AJ leaned towards her again, but Alexa leaned back, her eyes narrowed, a suspicious look on her face.

"What did you do to your hair?"

There was a flash of guilt in his eyes. "Why do you think I did something to my hair?"

Alexa pulled at the wool hat covering his head. "You're hiding it. What'd you do?" Alexa watched AJ reach up and take off the hat. "Aw, what'd you do that for?" She reached up to touch the short, blonde hair he now had.

"I know, I know, you like it natural. It'll grow back, believe me. It has before. But we got some stuff coming up, and people expect me to do stuff." He ran his own hand over his hair. "Besides, I was bored."

Alexa rolled her eyes and sighed. "I suppose I'll get used to it. Don't have much choice, do I?" She stood on her toes to kiss him. "Love ya anyway, though. Hair or no hair." She paused. "But don't you dare shave it off." She shook her finger at him.

"Not in my immediate plans." A glare from Alexa, made him continue, "Okay, I won't shave it off." She didn't notice the fingers he had crossed behind his back. He just couldn't make any promises about what he'd do with his hair.

"Good. Now what was that about stuff you got coming up?" This was the part of dating him that she'd been dreading. He had to work, and work meant going away.

"Some shows and stuff. I'm gonna be gone for about a week." He took a deep breath. "Leaving tonight."

"Tonight?" Her voice squeaked, betraying her surprise. "Not much notice."

"I know, it sucks." He didn't bother mentioning he'd known for a couple of weeks. He just hadn't wanted to tell her, afraid that she'd use it as another excuse that they shouldn't see each other. It had been going well, until now. "I'll call you every day I'm gone."

Alexa sighed, "That's the best option I got, huh?"

"Unless you want to quit being a doctor to be my full-time groupie."

"Hmmm." Alexa pretended to consider it. "Nah, I don't think so." She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder. "I'll miss you."

"Me too, baby."

She pulled back to look at him, "You'll miss you too?" Alexa giggled.

"And you call me a freak."

"Are you here again?" Taylor laughed as AJ walked in the clinic door. Since Alexa had finally given in to the concept of dating him, he seemed to spend nearly as much time there as Taylor did. As much as she picked on him for being there, Taylor loved that Alexa and AJ were seeing each other regularly. She got to boast that she got them together, and she got to see a Backstreet Boy on a regular basis. "Don't you have a job?"

"Don't you love me Taylor? I came here just to see you."

Taylor's laughter could be heard down the hall, as Alexa rounded the corner. "Oh ya, sure ya did. You gotta bring Nick with you sometime, dude. I wouldn't make such a big deal out of you showing your face around here all the time if I got something out of this deal."

"I'll remember to bring a peace offering next time," AJ laughed. "You wouldn't like him much anyway, he's just a big baby." He wrapped an arm around Alexa as she joined him. "Hey doc."

"Hi, you picking on Taylor?"

Taylor smirked, as AJ tried to look innocent. "Why are you blaming me? I get blamed for everything."

"It's because you're a freak, y'know." Taylor picked up a couple of charts and headed toward an exam room, before he could argue.

AJ and Alexa went to Alexa's office. As soon as Alexa shut the door, AJ spun her around to face him, and their lips met.

"This is so unprofessional," Alexa said as they broke apart.

"Who's gonna know?" AJ leaned towards her again, but Alexa leaned back, her eyes narrowed, a suspicious look on her face.

"What did you do to your hair?"

There was a flash of guilt in his eyes. "Why do you think I did something to my hair?"

Alexa pulled at the wool hat covering his head. "You're hiding it. What'd you do?" Alexa watched AJ reach up and take off the hat. "Aw, what'd you do that for?" She reached up to touch the short, blonde hair he now had.

"I know, I know, you like it natural. It'll grow back, believe me. It has before. But we got some stuff coming up, and people expect me to do stuff." He ran his own hand over his hair. "Besides, I was bored."

Alexa rolled her eyes and sighed. "I suppose I'll get used to it. Don't have much choice, do I?" She stood on her toes to kiss him. "Love ya anyway, though. Hair or no hair." She paused. "But don't you dare shave it off." She shook her finger at him.

"Not in my immediate plans." A glare from Alexa, made him continue, "Okay, I won't shave it off." She didn't notice the fingers he had crossed behind his back. He just couldn't make any promises about what he'd do with his hair.

"Good. Now what was that about stuff you got coming up?" This was the part of dating him that she'd been dreading. He had to work, and work meant going away.

"Some shows and stuff. I'm gonna be gone for about a week." He took a deep breath. "Leaving tonight."

"Tonight?" Her voice squeaked, betraying her surprise. "Not much notice."

"I know, it sucks." He didn't bother mentioning he'd known for a couple of weeks. He just hadn't wanted to tell her, afraid that she'd use it as another excuse that they shouldn't see each other. It had been going well, until now. "I'll call you every day I'm gone."

Alexa sighed, "That's the best option I got, huh?"

"Unless you want to quit being a doctor to be my full-time groupie."

"Hmmm." Alexa pretended to consider it. "Nah, I don't think so." She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder. "I'll miss you."

"Me too, baby."

She pulled back to look at him, "You'll miss you too?" Alexa giggled.

"And you call me a freak."

Alexa was half-asleep, watching television from the sofa when the phone rang. She glanced at the clock and muted the television, wondering who was calling her at that time. She'd already talked to AJ several hours before, when he'd called, just like he had every day since he'd left. It was actually going better than she'd expected. He told her everything they were doing, and she asked lots of questions, trying to understand the kind of life he had. Once in a while she heard the other guys in the background, hassling him about always being on the phone.

She rubbed her hand over her eyes sleepily and then picked up the phone. "Hello," She stifled a yawn.

"�Lexa baby. Damn, it's good to hear your voice."

"AJ?" Alexa was confused, "You just talked to me a couple hours ago."

"Was it that long?" She heard the clink of ice in a glass. "I miss you so much, baby."

"I miss you too," This wasn't the AJ she knew. Something was strange. She heard the sound of the glass again, and realization hit her. "AJ, are you drinking?"

It took a second for him to answer, "Just a little."

"A little?" Sounded to her like he'd had a little more than a little.

AJ chuckled, "a little JD, a little tequila, a little of this, a little of that..." He cackled, thinking he was funny. Alexa wasn't laughing. "�Lexa, baby. It was a joke. It was funny."

"Sorry." Alexa didn't know what to say. She was used to being able to talk to AJ, even laugh, but this was not normal. She hadn't met this side of him before. And she didn't particularly like it at all.

"What's wrong, Alexa?"

She was stunned how quickly he changed mood. Now he was suddenly serious. "Nothing's wrong with me. You however, are drunk." She sighed, not sure why she was trying to continue the conversation.

"Yes, I am." He sounded proud of it, which annoyed Alexa even further. He mumbled, half into the phone, "Fuck off, Nick."

"What's going on?" She could hear more mumbling, and then it sounded like he shoved somebody. "AJ?"

"Ya, baby?" He was obviously distracted.

"What's going on?" She repeated herself.

"Nothin'" There was another pause, this time while he took another drink. "I love you, Alexa."

"That's nice for you." She didn't feel like going along on the mushy love trip right then.

"Aw, c'mon, �Lexa. You know you love me."

"Not like this I don't."

That seemed to stop him for a minute. "Well, baby." He spoke very slowly, "you know I can always find someone who does."

Without another word, Alexa hung up the phone. She stared at it, willing it to ring again. She closed her eyes tight, and reopened them, still staring at the phone, until she realized that it wasn't going to happen.

Alexa was half-asleep, watching television from the sofa when the phone rang. She glanced at the clock and muted the television, wondering who was calling her at that time. She'd already talked to AJ several hours before, when he'd called, just like he had every day since he'd left. It was actually going better than she'd expected. He told her everything they were doing, and she asked lots of questions, trying to understand the kind of life he had. Once in a while she heard the other guys in the background, hassling him about always being on the phone.

She rubbed her hand over her eyes sleepily and then picked up the phone. "Hello," She stifled a yawn.

"�Lexa baby. Damn, it's good to hear your voice."

"AJ?" Alexa was confused, "You just talked to me a couple hours ago."

"Was it that long?" She heard the clink of ice in a glass. "I miss you so much, baby."

"I miss you too," This wasn't the AJ she knew. Something was strange. She heard the sound of the glass again, and realization hit her. "AJ, are you drinking?"

It took a second for him to answer, "Just a little."

"A little?" Sounded to her like he'd had a little more than a little.

AJ chuckled, "a little JD, a little tequila, a little of this, a little of that..." He cackled, thinking he was funny. Alexa wasn't laughing. "�Lexa, baby. It was a joke. It was funny."

"Sorry." Alexa didn't know what to say. She was used to being able to talk to AJ, even laugh, but this was not normal. She hadn't met this side of him before. And she didn't particularly like it at all.

"What's wrong, Alexa?"

She was stunned how quickly he changed mood. Now he was suddenly serious. "Nothing's wrong with me. You however, are drunk." She sighed, not sure why she was trying to continue the conversation.

"Yes, I am." He sounded proud of it, which annoyed Alexa even further. He mumbled, half into the phone, "Fuck off, Nick."

"What's going on?" She could hear more mumbling, and then it sounded like he shoved somebody. "AJ?"

"Ya, baby?" He was obviously distracted.

"What's going on?" She repeated herself.

"Nothin'" There was another pause, this time while he took another drink. "I love you, Alexa."

"That's nice for you." She didn't feel like going along on the mushy love trip right then.

"Aw, c'mon, �Lexa. You know you love me."

"Not like this I don't."

That seemed to stop him for a minute. "Well, baby." He spoke very slowly, "you know I can always find someone who does."

Without another word, Alexa hung up the phone. She stared at it, willing it to ring again. She closed her eyes tight, and reopened them, still staring at the phone, until she realized that it wasn't going to happen.

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