Jane woke up not remembering having fallen asleep but there she was realizing that they weren't watching The Christmas Carol instead it was The Grinch. She had slept through the end of the first movie and through the beginning of the third. Looking around she noted that almost everyone with the exception of Nick and Paul were asleep and that it was midnight.

"Honey," she whispered into Bob's ear, gently running her hands over his stomach and then his face. "Sweetheart, wake up."

Nick turned his head when he thought he heard whispering form somewhere about him. Not wanting to wake Justin up, who was resting his head and his shoulder Nick carefully looked behind him and smiled as he saw his mom was wide awake. Carefully Nick lifted his right shoulder so that Justin's head would roll to the back of the couch, instead. He then went about cradling his brother in his arms and gently got up. "I'm taking him upstairs," he whispered out to his mom as he carried Aaron to his room and placed him in bed. Soon his dad walked in carrying Angel in his arms and then placed her in her bed.

They both made their way back down and noticed that Harold had already gotten up and left the apartment but as Bob was carrying Leslie to her room Harold had returned. "It's all ready," he whispered to Denise's fiance. Then the both of them carried their sleeping wives to the Littrell's apartment before Harold returned to wake up his eldest son. Nick had somehow managed to carry BJ over to the elevator shaft up to her room and put her gently down in her bed. By the time he returned downstairs he noticed that Lynne and Paul weren't there anymore so he assumed that they had gone to their guestroom. The only ones left now were Justin, Brian, and AJ.

His dad came back downstairs. "Should we wake them up or...?" He questioned standing next to his son watching the three teens sleeping. He then grabbed the remote control and turned off the TV and stopped the DVD player.

"They look so peaceful," Nick whispered back with a shrug. "And they don't look like they would weigh a ton."

Bob chuckled as he shook his head. "Alright, I'll get Brian. He's staying with you?"

Nick shook his head. "The guest room," he said and smiled at his dad. "With Justin. I'll get AJ."

With that they both carefully carried AJ and Justin, Nick with AJ over to his room and his dad with Brian over to the guest room. Once they got them in bed they met out in the hall. "I'll get Justin," Nick said.

"Alright son," Bob said giving him a kiss on the forehead. "Sweet dreams."

"You too dad," Nick said walking down the stairs before stopping. "Oh dad... Merry Christmas."

Bob turned around and smiled big. "Merry Christmas, Nickolas," he said before retreating into his room.

Nick walked downstairs and smiled to himself as he saw Justin still in his sitting position, sleeping like a baby. 'So cute,' he thought to himself as he knelt down on his knee beside Justin. He rested his right arm on the couch behind Justin's head while the other hand reached up to gently run over Justin's face. Taking a deep breath he let his left hook under Justin's knees while the other one went around his waist. He began to get up slowly and Justin's body snuggled up to him. Nick smiled to himself when Justin's face nuzzled into his neck causing him to giggle 'cause of the ticklish feeling. Justin sure as hell was a very deep sleeper but Nick felt happy that even in his deepest sleep he seemed to know his touch.

Once he reached to the guest room he tip-toed his way in and placed Justin in his bed. He then covered him with the sheets before taking a seat on the edge of the bed watching Justin sleep. Leaning down he gave a soft kiss to Justin's lips, smiling to himself. "Sweet dreams, baby," he whispered before kissing him on the lips again. "Merry Christmas." With that he got up and walked over to Brian's bed and pulled the sheets over him and then proceeded to tuck him in. "Merry Christmas, Rok," he whispered as he kissed his forehead. "Good night."

Walking back into his room Nick was surprised to see AJ sitting up in his bed looking at the door. "Hey," Nick said. "I thought you'd be sleeping."

"Hey," AJ replied in a sleep filled voice, obvious he'd just woken up. "Yah but I had to go pee."

Nick nodded his head as he crawled into bed beside AJ and got comfortable. He then realized that AJ was still seated. "You're not tired?" He questioned.

AJ nodded and then shook his head before settling for a shrug and a sigh.

"Okay?" Nick said as he too sat up facing AJ. "Whacha thinkin' about?"

AJ looked down at his hands that were in his lap as he shrugged again. The truth was he did know what he was thinking about and it was making him sad and depressed. He was thinking about the past. There were only a hand ful of times that he and Nick have had sleepovers, Nick had been the closest he'd ever had to having a real brother. But he'd never told Nick that, hell, he'd never told anyone that.

Sure, AJ didn't like Brian for pretty much the same reasons Brian didn't like him except for the whole bad influence thing. When Brian came into the picture, he was this perfect boy from the south with a really happy family. He was smart, clean-cut, nerver uttered a curse unless it was in the bible like 'ass,' atheletic, perfered the light side, and very good at doing funny voices. AJ was someone who came from a broken family, from a rough neighborhood in downtown Brooklyn, the one that mouthed off, the one that goofed off, cursed a lot, barely ever attended church, and liked the dark side.

It was just the other day when he was at a party that a friend of a friend was throwing that he was surprised to see Paris there without... Nick. When he asked around he had been shocked when he heard of what Paris and that boyfriend she had cheated on Nick with had done. Guilt had washed all over him. Ever since then he'd been a bit shy around Nick, he couldn't even look into Nick's eyes without wanting to cry. Yes, cry. When it came right down to it, beneath the aloof personality, beneath the bad boy persona, AJ McLean was a sensitive, loving, and caring human being that, too, had a fair share of problems that he has to deal with.

Nick frowned. "Look at me," he said, knowing that the only way to know what AJ was feeling was by looking into his eyes. That's why AJ always chose to wear glasses that were tinted in color so that no one would be able to read his eyes. Those were his weakness.

AJ sighed as he reluctantly turned his head and looked at Nick's forehead. "What?"

Nick put on a bored expression on his face as he reached out and focused AJ's face so that he had no choice but to look him in the eye. "Don't you dare close your eyes," he said in a firm voice. "Now, what's all this about?"

"I'm sorry," AJ said, looking directly into Nick's eyes. He knew Nick would be able to pick out just what he was sorry about. "I'm so sorry about everything. I didn't know. I-"

"Shhhh," Nick said shaking his head. He knew. AJ was blaming himself, he felt guilty. "No, AJ... just don't. You couldn't have possibly known anything about the way she was going to act..."

"I know but still..." AJ said. "*I'm* the one that introduced you to her and *I'm* the one that told you to give it a shot when you asked me if you should date her 'cause you were having second doubts. It was-"

"It was my choice in the end," Nick said cutting AJ's off. "In the end, it was all me. I made the choice to date her. I made that choice, Age. It was all me. Not you. Not Brian. No one but me."

"I heard a lot of things about that happened that day at her place," AJ said in a soft voice looking at Nick's face carefully. "I don't know what to beleive."

"Gimme a minute," Nick said with a sigh as he got up off the bed and headed into the bathroom.

AJ was confused when Nick left but then he soon heard the shower running. So he figured Nick wanted to take a shower to clear his mind and get ready for bed since he had been the only one that hadn't done it before with everyone else. He sat up straighter five minutes later when the water turned off and Nick walking out a few minutes after that. "Nick wh..." His words trailed off as he took in a freshly showered Nick... without a shirt on though he had his boxers and sweats on. It was hard not to notice the almost faded bruises that were decorated on his pale body and on his pale face. He had no idea how long he'd been staring at Nick. He had no idea just when he founf himself lost in his thoughts. He especially had no idea that he had started crying, the tears just running down his cheeks with a mind of their own. He didn't realize any of that until he felt something on his cheek and when he blinked Nick was sitting right in front of him, his wifebeater back on, rubbing the tears away.

"This is what happened," Nick said and began to tell AJ exactly everything that had happened from the phone call at Justin's house to her persistant phone calls and messages a few days after. And by the time he was finished AJ had pulled his knees close to his chest, his arms hugging them, as he cried into them. The whole time Nick had his arm around him trying to get him to stop.

"It's in the past now," Nick said as he bit his lower lip. "I'm over it. And... I'm... kinda seeing...well I'm with someone now, anyways..."

Sniffling AJ turned his head, though it was still resting on his hands, as he looked into Nick's nervous eyes. He remained silent for a very long time. "It's Justin, isn't it?"

Nick gulped wanting to deny it but there was something in AJ's eyes that told him that he didn't really care. So, instead, he nodded his head. "Yeah... it's Justin."

"You're gay," AJ said lifting his head and sitting up straight.

Nick started to get scared at the way AJ was starting to act. Maybe he had mistook that look in AJ's eyes. "I'm, uh... I'm not totally... I'm not a homosexual, AJ," he said in a soft voice.

"But you're dating a guy," AJ said a small smile forming on his lips.

"Well, yah.. I..." Nick trailed off as he saw the smile appear on AJ's lips. He had to do a double take at that. "You're not angry?"

AJ shook his head. "Why should I be?"

"You... just..." Nick was now confused. He shook his head. "But..."

"So, you're bisexual?" AJ questioned cracking his neck and then twisting his upper body and sighing contently when his back cracked.

Nick's response was a single word with a lot of blinking. "Yes," he said watching AJ. The other teen was weird sometimes.

"Me too," was all AJ said as he let himself slide down in bed and wiggle a bit, getting comfortable.

'Me too. Me too. AJ's said he's too. What the hell is he too?' Nick thought to himself and then replayed the conversation again in his head. "You too..." He trailed off looking back down into AJ's eyes. "You're bi too?"

AJ couldn't help but chuckle at Nick's facial expression. It was priceless. "Why do you look so shocked?" He questioned.

"You... ladies... all the time... women... player... smooth... girls... you... bi... no... not real... kidding!" Nick stated. It sounded much better in his head... they were all full sentences but there was something wrong between his brain and his mouth that was only letting a few words with no meaning or connection out.

But AJ seemed to understand it perfect. Nick was shocked that HE, AJ McLean, the guy that had a different girlfriend each week. The guy that at the age who at the age of 14 wasn't a virgin anymore and by the time he was 16 had earned himself the title of bad boy and player by those who thought they knew him. Nick wasn't believing it for a second that he was bi. AJ could understand that. "I am," he simply said. "I could say the same thing about you expect... it would be more like... 'You... ladies... all the time... women.... blonde.... sweet.... girls... you... bi.... what the fuck... who've got to be fucking kidding me!'"

Nick remained silent processing everything. His head was hurting. "AJ," he said rubbing his temples. "How the hell did you know I was with Justin?"

AJ shrugged. "The way he looks at you, the way you look at him," he simply said. "I thought it was kinda obvious, really."

Nick's eyes widened. "We're THAT obvious?" He questioned. If AJ figured it out then who else had?

AJ shook his head. "Only to me," he said. "I observed."

Oh right. Nick had forgotten that part about AJ. He was good at observing people, especially those that were his close friends. But he felt relieved that AJ had noticed it and that he too was bi. "Have you..." Nick cleared his throat. "You know... done things with... guys?"

AJ looked at Nick for a long moment before slowly nodding his head. "With Jeff," he said. "You know that guy from the football team, Jeff Timmons? We kinda dated for a little bit, hush hush kinda deal thing, but we broke it off 'cause neither one of us had the time to be with the other and he was kinda boring. Never wanted to try anything new."

Nick's eyes were as wide as quaters. "I feel like my mind's on overload," he said shaking his head. "Jeff? He's gay?"

AJ shook his head. "Bi," he said. "But I definetely think he'll be gay in the near future... He's too... I don't know what you call it but you can tell that he's gonna be gay."

"Huh!" Nick said in disbelief as he scooted down in bed and brought his hands beneath his head as he stared up at the ceiling. "It's is so surreal."

"Tell me about it," AJ said getting in the same positing as Nick. "Have you done anything with Justin?"

Nick snorted. "We haven't even kissed yet... besides I just asked him to be my boyfriend a few hours ago..."

AJ looked at Nick, surprised. He didn't think they were that serious about each other. "Wow," he said. "You're parents know?"

Nick nodded his head. "Yeah," he said. "They know and they're cool with it."

"Wow," AJ's said. "My mom was cool with me experimenting with other guys though she lectured my head off about being careful and always using proctection and shit like that."

Nick chuckled and then got serious. "You DO use protection and ARE careful, right?"

AJ smiled at the concern and worry he heard in Nick's voice. "Definitely," he said. "I might he a carefree kinda guy but I'm not an idiot."

"I never said you were," Nick said. A few moments later he asked. "How is it? I mean, what does it feel like to be with a guy... sexually?"

AJ sucked in his cheeks as he thought about that for a minute. "Be more specific," he said.

"Um, like.. okay, how is it like to kiss a guy?" Nick said, starting with that.

"Just like kissing a girl, man," AJ said with a snort. "Except it's a guy, instead of boobs pressed up against ya, you have a dick."

Nick rolled his eyes but couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Besides, Marshall already kissed you," AJ continued. "You should know how that felt."

"He was dressed like a girl," Nick said making a face. "And it wasn't a real kiss... kiss, ya know? I'm talking all out, tongue and sucking and all that fun stuff. But anyways, what about sexual stuff, like I don't know... blow jobs or sex...?"

AJ rolled on to his side so that he was facing Nick. "It's better than being with a girl, I'll you that much," he said with a chuckle.

"How is it better?" Nick questioned, turning on his side too.

"Well, when it comes to blow jobs... a guy knows how to induce pleasure on himself, right? Like he knows just how much pressure to use to jerk off and shit like that... well aren't all guys the same, in that sense. Like we would know just how to work it and if we're with another guy we would know just how to bring them to pleasure...Do you get me?"

Nick nodded his head. "Yeah, I know how my body works and inturn know how another guys' body works so, giving him a blow job or a hand job is similar to how I would have it done on me."

"Precisely," AJ said. "And as for the sex..." A grin appreared on his face. "It hurts at first but it sure as hell fells hella good once that spot has been hit!"

"Spot? Guys have a spot?" Nick questioned, totally innocent when it comes to things like this.

AJ sighed, for some reason he felt like he was corrupting the young one. "Our prostate," he said. "I know it's not intended for that purpose but damn man it sure as hell does the job of making fireworks blast behind your eyes and made you feel spineless."

"Oh," Nick said. "You like being the bottom or being the top?" He questioned. He would have assumed AJ was a top but after his description of having sex, Nick wasn't too sure.

"I'm a top," AJ said. "BUT the only reason I bottomed was because I got curious. And believe it or not the first time I did something like that wasn't with a guy... one of the girls I dated had this fetish with fucking guys with a strap on." He shrugged. "After that night I kinda got to thinking just how it'd feel if I were with a real guy... started experimenting and hey, what do ya know... I'm bi."

Nick chuckled. "How many guys have you been with?"

"One," AJ said. "Just Jeff."

"I see," Nick said with a yawn. "Anything else I should know?"

AJ smiled softly. Nick looked so young right then. "No kiddo," he said. He knew he didn't have to tell Nick about being careful and using protection and things like that. Nick was a smart boy. AJ was sure Nick would know what to do.

"Hmm," Nick said closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "Okay."

AJ continued to watch Nick sleep for a few moments, listening as his breathing leveled out before deciding that he too needed to sleep. He closed it eyes.

"AJ?" Nick questioned, sleepily.

"Hmmm?" AJ said opening his eyes and seeing that Nick still had his eyes closed, his lips slightly parted. He wasn't sure if Nick had said something. Maybe he was imagining things. He closed his eyes again.

"Merry Christmas," Nick whispered out.

AJ opened his eyes immediately and looked at Nick who still looked like he was fast asleep and couldn't have possibly said anything. He frowned as he watched Nick for a long moment and just as his eyes were about to drift shut Nick had opened his eyes slowly, a small smile playing on his face.

"I love you," Nick said before closing his eyes again and falling asleep.

AJ just laid there, blinking, as he watching Nick's peaceful, sleeping face. "I love you too, brownie, and Merry Christmas," he said in a whisper before closing his eyes and falling asleep.