He grinned and turned down her street. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay a while?"

"That sounds nice and all but I know you have tour rehearsals. I doubt the guys would excuse you from them."

"It was worth a try." He put the car in park. "Don't move. I'm gonna get your bag and then help you out."

"Chris I'm fine I can walk."

He gave her a look then got out and walked around to the passenger side. With her bag in his hand they walked slowly to the door. She unlocked the deadbolt and let the door swing inwards.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed. The whole front room was full of flowers, balloons, and other things. A giggle escaped her throat. "Chris? What is all this?"

"These are all your get well gifts. A couple are from the girls, then the guys sent some things over." He cleared his throat. "I kinda filled in the rest."

Her eyes grew large. "I can't believe this! Thank you so much!" She threw her arms around his neck.

He rubbed his hands down her back, creating a weird feeling in his stomach. When she finally withdrew from the embrace he was beside himself, lost in the feelings that were no longer friendly.

"Hello! Earth to Chris." Adrianne waved her hand back and forth trying to get his attention.

He shook his head realizing her must have looked like an idiot. "Sorry I went all spacy on you. I'm a little tired."

Adrianne glanced around the living room. "Well that's understandable. You did a great job, thank you so much." His stomach did a flip flop when she smiled at him. The corners of her mouth wrinkled as bright green eyes stared at him through bruised skin. "CHRIS! Are you sure you're ok? You keep zonking out on me."

Chris laughed nervously. "Call me if you need anything. Ok?"

"Don't I always?"

"Just making sure." He hugged her again, then left confused over his new feelings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marie felt like a different person after talking with Adrianne the day before. She had kept her past hidden from everyone. JC was fixing them both a drink when Marie gathered up the courage to tell him.

"C, can we talk?"

He spun around to face a very different Marie. Tears stained her face. "Sweetheart? Come here." He wrapped his thin arms around her.

"I'm so sorry. I was such a bitch to everyone. I don't even know why you took me back."

"Don't say things like that. Now take a deep breath and tell me whats wrong."

"There is something I've been keeping from you." Her eyes wandered from his face and down to her hands.

"Marie......" He brought her chin up with his index finger. "What is going on with you?"

"When I was a little girl my father abused my mother."

JCs' eyes widened in shock.

"She just left one day. I was only twelve. So my dad became violent towards me."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I was just so ashamed. When I found out about Adrianne from Johnny jealousy took over."

"I'm so glad you told me sweety." He hugged her and kissed her forehead.

"Wait there is more. When I went home three years ago..........he hit me again. He hit me and I was so bitter that I brought it home with me." She broke into sobs and snuggled deeper into JCs' arms.

"I love you Marie. Don't even doubt that." He raised her left hand and kissed the sparkling gold ring. "We are getting married and honesty is so important."

"I love you too C. Just one more thing I want to ask you though."

"What's that?"

"How are we going to convince Chris and Adrianne they need each other?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heather, Dee, and Kelly stopped by Adriannes' house to check on her the same time Chris did. Rehearsals were set to begin and he was spending every moment he could there before he left.

Kelly hugged Adrianne when she walked in the door followed by Heather, Dee, then Chris.

"How are you girl? It's been a while." Dee said taking a seat.

"I'm getting along better and better each day, considering. But besides that, how are you holding up Dee?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~*Flashback*~
A phone rang somewhere in Adriannes' dream. "Man." She moaned turning over and grabbed for her cell phone. "Everytime I have the Brad Pitt dream. Everytime. Hello?"

"Adrianne, its J. I'm sorry to call so early but Dee's grandmother passed this morning."

"J, thats awful! How is Dee doing??"

"She's pretty upset but you know the doctor warned us."

"Yeah, I can't believe it. I can't imagine how she feels to lose her last connection to her parents. I was just with Dee visiting her two weeks ago."

"Well Dee made all the arrangments for the funeral herself. She says she has it covered."

"Listen J, tell her I'll be down as soon as I can get dressed."

"Ok, thanks Adrianne."

-------------------------------------

"Addy! A, over here!" Chris called from the back of a stretch limo.

As she got closer Justin stepped out followed by Dee. Adrianne hugged her and wiped the tears from her own eyes. "It was a beautiful service. I am so sorry about everything."

Dee smiled. "Shes moved on to a better place. Shes with my mom and dad now." Her face turned upward as she blew a kiss towards the sky. I wanted to tell you I'm leaving for Europe in two days."

"Really? Thats great!"

"I've always wanted to go back so here is my chance."

Adrianne hugged Dee. "Take care of yourself hun. Keep in touch."

"I will, I promise."
~*End Flashback*~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm good. I've seen so many differents places."

"Lucky you." Heather said eyeing the way Chris was sneaking glances at Adrianne.

Kelly noticed the looks as well. She stood and stretched her limbs. "Guys I hate to cut this short but I've gotta run."

"Oh, ok then. I'll walk you out."

All four girls walked to the front door, embracing once again.

"You girls are coming to my first reall fashion show for FuMan right?"

Heather crossed the area where her heart was. "Scouts honor."

The others laughed goofily while getting into Kellys' car. She waited until the car rounded the corner before closing the door and joining Chris on the couch.

"No offense Chris but you should be tired of seeing me by now."

"Actually I am but you always pay for dinner." He grinned as she smacked his arm.

"Tonight its your turn. Pizza night." She wiggled her eyebrows back and forth.

He bowed his head and moped all the way to the telephone.

Thirty minutes later Adrianne and Chris were munching on pizza in the living room floor.

"Can I ask a question A?"

"Shoot."

"Bang..........Did you mom and dad ever get along?"

She furrowed her eyebrows, thinking hard about the question. Taking a bite of pizza she finally answered. "You know there was a story my mom used to tell me."

Chris set his slice down. "Can you tell me? Peese?

"Ok ok. I'll tell. My mom was twenty one when she met daddy. Two years later they were engaged. Things went so fast between them and my mom always doubted how much love daddy actually had for her."

Chris was listening intently.

"One day daddy came home with a little white box. He handed it to mom and got down on his knees. He said that the present in the box represented how mom made him feel." Adrianne stopped and smiled over at Chris.

"What? Why did you stop?"

"This is silly Chris."

"No its not. It's sweet. Come on finish...."

"All right, so my mom opens the box and there is this little hamster peeking back out at her."

"A hamster....weird."

"Chris!" She whined.

"Sorry, go on." He leaned back taking the story in.

"My dad kissed my mom and tells her she makes him feel all fuzzy inside. Fuzzy like the poor little hamster in that box. My mom sure got a kick out of it. She told me that was the day daddy completely stole her heart." Adriann giggled. "Thats it."

Chris looked on from the other side of the pizza box. "Wow, that was uh...very original."

"Consider yourself lucky. I don't tell just anyone my goofy family stories."

Chris grabbed at his chest. "Be still my heart."

Adrianne threw a pillow at his face. There was an awkward silence between the two.

"Are you really honestly happy Adrianne?"

She gave him a weird look. "I'm really happy right now. Mark was a bad spot in my life. He isn't going to bring me down."

"I'm glad to hear that. You're a great person and I'd hate to see that change."

"Jeez Chris, stop getting all mushy on me."

His face turned three shades of red. "Sorry about that. Is there any other stories you can tell me?"

Adrianne thought back trying to remember the good times. Her mind went off track as she remembered her first Christmas knowing Chris.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~*Flashback*~
"This is so stupid Chris!" She pouted from her spot on the ice.

"It is not. Everyone from Pennsylvania should know how to ice skate." He tried to pull her around the rink with him.

"I'm gonna fall and bust my ass. Besides I live in Florida now." As she swung her arms out her foot slipped and she hit the ice.

All Chris saw was her long red hair following her down. He laughed so hard he almost fell himself.

"Stop laughing you butt munch! Get your hiney over here and help me up!"

Chris skated over and took Adriannes' outstretched hand. He helped her over to the benches and started to remove his skates. "I still can't believe no one ever taught you to ice skate. If I can help you quit smoking this should be a breeze."

"Well my parents weren't exactly involved in my life, which is why I started smokin in the first place." She patted Chris on the knee. "Thank you for trying."
~*End Flashback*~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey Chris?"

He looked up from his cold pizza. "Yeah?"

"Can you believe we've been friends for so long? I mean we sure started off on the wrong foot."

He laughed thinking back to the day he picked her up at the airport. "You've been a firecracker since the first day."

Adrianne scowled at Chris. "Are you referring to my hair color? If so your butt is gonna get it."

"Chill out, I wasn't talking about your hair." He leaned back against the couch, starting to stand. "I've gotta get going. I hope you enjoyed your free pizza."

Adrianne poked him in his stomach. "Get out of here goofy."

He half smiled and walked slowly to his car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few days later all of the guys were in Louisiana finishing up the rehearsals for their new tour. They were working twelve hour days and found it hard to keep in touch with the people at home. JC waited until the end of the last run through of the show to talk to Chris. He caught up with him on his way to his room.

"Chris! Hey man wait up!"

He turned and stopped, room key still in his hand. "What is it C? I'm kinda tired and I have to call Addy."

"I need to talk to you for a second."

"Well come in and let me change first."

JC followed the shorter man into the dark room. He changed his clothes and joined JC in the main room.

"I have such a huge favor to ask you. Marie and I have made some decisions on the wedding party."

"Really? Thats good." Chris sipped his soda. He leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes.

"The thing is I want you and Adrianne in the wedding. I've already asked the other guys and they agreed."

"Wow I'd be glad to. Thanks for asking me." He smiled and sipped away with his eyes still shut.

"Well now that thats over with I can ask you when you're going to ask Adrianne out."

Chris sat straight up, spitting soda out in the process. "To the wedding you mean? Shouldn't Marie do that?"

JC chuckled at his friends reaction. "No, on a real date. You two need to drop the 'we are friends' facade." He grinned at Chris' even larger eyes.

"C, we ARE just friends. I do care for her but.....but......I love her so much." He sighed and fell back against the sofa.

"It's nice to hear you admit it Chris." JC patted his friend on the back. "Now all you have to do is tell her."