Aileen showed up close to the end of one rehearsal. She stayed back by the door and watched them go through a complicated dance routine. She stifled a laugh as Nick missed a step and banged into Howie, who proceeded to knock Kevin over.

"Okay, I think that wraps it up for today." the choreographer hollered out. "If I work you guys too hard, I might be out of a job!"

"Oh, no chance of that!" AJ said. "If you work us too hard we just won't show up tomorrow!"

Aileen went over to Kevin and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Nice cover!"

Nick overheard their banter and the looks they were exchanging. He flung his baseball cap to the floor in disgust. "How can she even want to be with him, after what he did to her?" he asked himself.

Aileen looked over to him. "Nick, I have to go to the doctor for a checkup, do you want to come along?"

"Yeah, daddy, you need to be there to hold the little mothers hand!"

Aileen shot Kevin a look. "I thought we were over that, Kev."

To Nick she said, "They're going to try to get some pictures of him, I thought you might want to see."

Nick fidgeted with his hat which he had retrieved from the floor. "I dunno, I don't want Kevin mad at us again."

She looked from Nick to Kevin. "Kevin needs to get it through his thick skull that the father of this baby will be involved. If you want to come Nick, I need to be there in half an hour."

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

Aileen lay on the table in the examining room with Nick by her side. The doctor was trying to bring up a clear picture of the baby.

"Here we go!" she exclaimed. "I had a feeling this wasn't a shy one!"

The monitor screen showed the baby and the doctor proceeded to point out the arms, legs and head. Nick stared in fascination.

"What do you think, Nick?" Aileen asked him, looking at him fondly. He couldn't take his eyes off the screen.

"Is that really our baby? Did I really do that?"

Aileen couldn't help but laugh. "Well, I helped a little, I think!"

The doctor turned to them. "This baby will be so blessed, you are a beautiful couple."

Aileen started to protest, but Nick interrupted. "Well, he certainly has a beautiful mother." Aileen blushed and kept quiet. "Can you tell what it is?" Nick asked, looking at the scene in wonderment again.

"Well, we might be able to bring up a picture that will tell us, but since this is a first child, do you really want to know?"

Nick looked at Aileen. "I don't want to know." she said. "But if Nick wants to, I'll leave the room while you tell him."

Nick held her hand and smiled. "Nope, I'll wait too. It's only three months, right?"

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

Aileen closed the door behind her and called out for Kevin. "Hey Kev, where are you, you've got to see this!" Kevin came out of the kitchen with a sullen look on his face. "What's up, Kev?" Aileen hesitated and tucked the photos of the baby behind her back. She hadn't seen him look like this in quite some time.

"Oh nothing, I was just wondering why my GIRLFRIEND has to spend 2 HOURS at the DOCTORS with Nick Carter!" he yelled.

"Kevin, I was having an ultrasound with a full check up, it takes some time." she said, quietly.

"Why did Nick have to be there?"

She sighed and sat down on the sofa. "I've told you Kev, he's the father, I'm not going to let him miss out on any of this."

Kevin sneered. "Do you really think he's going to help you raise this kid? He's 19 years old, for God sakes!"

"Does that mean that he can't be responsible and show love for his child?"

Kevin snorted, "He's never been responsible yet, as far as I know!"

She moved off the sofa and over to the stairs. She wanted to get away from him and this argument.

"Aileen, the way he acts on tour, he'll have a kid in every port soon!"

Aileen had it, she moved over to Kevin and slapped him hard in the face. "I don't know what's come over you, but I don't need this!" she screamed. "At least Nick is understanding and interested and loving, that's more than I can say for you lately!"

"Loving huh?" Kevin grabbed her hand and dragged her upstairs. "You want loving?"

She tried to squirm out of his grip but he was too strong for her. He threw her on the bed and pinned her arms at her sides.

"Is that what you and Nicky boy have been doing - loving?" Kevin continued to hold her down with one hand and tugged his shirt off with the other. "I heard him at the hospital, telling you that he loves you. Well, I think you need another taste of me, before you decide who is more "loving" here."

Aileen closed her eyes and screamed silent cries. Kevin heavily threw himself on top of her and immediately thrust into her. She cried out in pain and beat on his back with her fists.

"Can Nicky do you like this, baby?" he yelled in rage and continued pounding into her.

Aileen shook her head, she just wanted him off her. "I didn't think so." After what seemed like an eternity, he was satisfied. He rolled off of her and got dressed. Aileen had curled up into a ball, sobbing. Kevin looked down at her.

"You know, I don't think we've made love since before the kidnapping. That should get Nicky out of your system."

His voice suddenly became softer and more natural. "I need to go out for awhile myself, okay baby?"

He touched her back and she pushed herself closer to the wall of the bedroom.

"Okay be that way! I'll be a few hours."