July 5, 2001

Houston, TX 

She could breathe, finally. Her tour was over, and she wasn’t due in a studio or movie set or photoshoot for a good while. With her backpack resting on her tired back, she slipped on her shades and waited for her turn to exit the aircraft. With a tired smile on her face, she thanked each flight attendant on her way out. Finally, emerging into the hot and humid Houston mid-morning heat, Ana made her way across the runway towards the black, heavily-tinted SUV that sat a few yards away. 

“Waiting on someone important, Lex?” she good-naturedly teased one of her bodyguards, Lex Newport as she neared him. He stood, stoic and unamused, beside the passenger door to the SUV. He’d been one of her many bodyguards for almost two years now, but he usually only joined her when she toured. 

“Just my bratty assignment,” he was quick to retort. Drawing a slight chuckle from Ana, his face broke into a small smile. 

“Well, I’m glad that becoming a daddy hasn’t hurt your rudeness,” she retorted, playfully slugging him in the arm. In return, his smile grew and Ana smiled along with him. She knew for a fact that his daughter’s birth had softened him. He stepped to her and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders in a sideways hug. 

“Speaking of which, when do I get to meet little Keira?” she asked, tossing her backpack into the backseat. 

“I’ll let Lori know to swing by the hotel later on, cool?” he asked without waiting for a reply. He shut the door behind her as she climbed into the front seat and walked away to retrieve her one suitcase. Finally, after loading the suitcase, he climbed into the driver’s seat. 

“So, what’s up with the Secret Service car?” Ana asked, settling into her seat. 

“Johnny insisted on me using this so no one knows that you’re here,” Les replied, rolling his eyes playfully at Ana. 

“Johnny is a bit delusional. The guys are in town, of course I’m gonna be seen,” she laughed, adjusting her ponytail under her ballcap. 

“Well, the guys actually aren’t in town yet. They’re driving in from Little Rock, so they’re about an hour or two from the hotel,” Les informed her. His phone went off at that moment, and he answered it seeing it was his girlfriend, Lori calling. 

Ana took the moment to dig her phone from her jean pocket and turn it on. She hadn’t bothered on keeping it on since she’d been traveling for the majority of the day. Once it was powered, she saw that she had a couple of voicemails and text messages. Opting to skip the voicemails, she scrolled through her texts. Some from her sisters welcoming her back to the States, some from her crew letting her know they’d made it home safely, and a few from Chris and Justin. 

Opening a new text, she quickly typed out a message to JC, just letting him know that she was in town and she’d be at the hotel. 

“Lori is bringing the baby by in a little bit. Are you hungry? Do you need to stop anywhere before we get to the hotel?” Les asked. 

“Yeah, can we stop by and do some light shopping? Please?” she added with a pout, seeing Les roll his eyes at her request. 

“Nothing with you is ever quick, but alright. But, wear the cap low and sunglasses, maybe you’ll blend in with the crowd,” Les kidded, knowing he would be the one to stand out. At a towering 6’4, his muscular physique tended to make him easy to spot. 

#### 

“I cannot believe how adorable she is! She’s all Lori!” Ana exclaimed, coddling the tiny one month old little girl close to her chest. 

“Hardy har har, Ana,” Les groaned, reaching out and lightly yanking the ponytail poking out the back of her cap. Lori, a short and slender blonde, laughed from across Ana. 

“I’m kidding Les! Baby Keira has your eyes and your nose,” Ana beamed, patting his knee and smiling up at him. He sat on the armrest of the loveseat that she occupied. 

“Don’t you be getting any ideas, Tiger!” 

“No need to worry, Randall!”

“Ouch, not the middle name!” laughter was heard throughout the hotel suite as the rest of the guys filed in. 

“And who is this cutie?” Chris cooed, running a finger along baby Keira’s nose and offering Ana a kiss on the cheek. 

“Guys, this is baby Keira Newport, Les’s babygirl,” Ana introduced them to the now-stirring infant. A small whimper escaped her pouty lips, and Lori sprang to action. Pulling a bottle from her bag, she handed it to Les, who now had Keira in his arms. 

“Hey baby!” Ana smiled brightly, standing and walking over to JC. Greeting her with a smile, he leaned down to meet her lips in a small peck. 

“Hey, how was your flight?” he asked, pulling her to his side as her arm circled his waist. 

“You mean ‘flights’. They were ok, long but ok. Was the drive alright?” she asked, watching the guy walk around aimlessly talking about one thing or another. 

“Yeah, short. Caught up on some sleep, nothing major,” he responded. 

“So, what are we doing? No show tonight…” Chris wiggled his eyebrows and rubbed his hands in anticipation. 

“I’m down for whatever,” Justin replied. Joey and Lance echoed his response. 

“I’m just here as a tag-a-long, so I follow you dorks,” Ana cheesily smiled, receiving some mock glares in return. 

“Well, Randy should be here soon from the airport, so…” JC began. 

“Who’s he picking up?” Ana inquired, tilting her head upwards to look at him from beneath the bill of her cap. 

“Just some friends…” JC was once again interrupted, but this time by a knock at the door. Pulling away from Ana’s grasp, he walked towards the door and disappeared around the wall, blocking their direct view of the door. Ana turned questioning eyes to the other guys, and they all looked just as bewildered as she could guess she looked. She walked back over to the couch and sat on the armrest, looking down at Keira hungrily sucking at her bottle. The guys all scattered on any piece of furniture they could find. 

“Hey! How are you? We made it!” came the squeal from the front door, Justin raising an eyebrow at Ana and Lance, both shrugging. 

“I think we need to go to that county fair that we saw signs for,” Chris announced. 

“Ooh, I’ve never been to a county fair!” Ana replied, giddily clapping her hands. 

“Girl, you from the south. Watchu mean you ain’t never been to a county fair?” Lance exclaimed, disbelief coloring his face. 

“Been to an apple festival and a carnival festival, does that count?” Ana shrugged. 

“No, those aren’t the same,” an unidentified voice announced. Twisting her body around, Ana was greeted with a bleached blonde in a jean mini-skirt, a too-small tank top, and platform sandals. 

“Uh, hi…” Ana started, ignoring the slight-sneer on the girl’s face. 

“Ana, baby, this is Tara, Tara Reid, don’t you remember her from the pool party in LA?” JC asked before motioning to the other two people standing behind him and Tara. 

“No, I’m sorry I don’t remember, but it’s a pleasure meeting you,” Ana offered a hand in greeting. 

“Yeah, you were pretty smashed all night,” Tara snickered, glancing at Ana head-to-toe. Ana’s eyes widened slowly, feeling a bit out of place. Looking to JC for some comfort, his eyes were crinkled as he laughed at Tara’s comment like it’d been a funny joke. 

“Umm, yeah, it was a party. But, hey Mark, hey Ally,” Ana greeted the other two people that had walked in with JC. 

“We didn’t know you were coming out too,” Ally smiled, giving her a brief hug. Ana had met Mark and Ally, two of JC friends from back home some months ago. 

“Same here, I just joined the circus today,” she kidded, subconsciously distancing herself from JC and Tara, and moving closer to Joey and Chris. A thick silence fell upon the group, leaving Les and Lori feeling moreso out of place than any of them. 

“Well, umm, if you’re going to go out, me and the guys need to know so we can coordinate,” Les announced, referring to him and the guys’ bodyguards. Lori took Keira from him, and busied herself with prepping the baby bag for her departure. 

“I think the county fair is a good idea,” Lance replied, receiving several affirmations from the crowd. 

“Alright, well, let me go find the others and figure things out,” Les said, leading Lori and Keira out, but not before letting Ana said bye to them. 

“Well, I’m gonna go get them settled in before we head out,” JC led the group out of the suite. Waiting for the door to close, Ana turned back to the guys. Oddly, she felt embarrassed. 

“Yeah, pumpkin, the county fair it is. Lance and I are gonna show you everything you’ve been missing out,” Justin announced, elbowing Lance. 

“Oh yeah, it’s gonna be great,” Lance jolted to attention. 

“Why’d Jace invite Blondie?” Chris stupidly asked, confusion written in bold letters across his face. Justin and Lance inwardly groaned seeing a momentarily expression of pain flash across Ana’s face. Silently, Ana looked down at her outfit – a pair of Levi’s, a long-sleeve ‘Marines’, and sneakers. 

“Uh, I think I’m gonna go change before heading out,” she muttered, moving away from them and into her bedroom, quietly shutting the door. 

“What the hell is JC doing?” Justin angrily hissed, having waited for Ana to shut the door before standing up and pacing the living room. 

“I don’t know, but Tara. Really?” Lance hissed in return. 

“Man, he paid like zero attention to Ana,” Joey somberly stated. 

“I know, did you see her face? Eighteen hours trying to get here to see him, 10 weeks on tour, and he’s like clueless. I could punch him right now,” Justin’s blazing eyes seared, jaw twitched. 

“Ready?” came Les’s question from the open doorway. 

“Ana is changing clothes…” Chris pointed to the still-shut door. 

“Well, head on down the hall and I’ll wait for her,” Les said, stepping further into the room and ushering the guys out. 

“I’ll wait with you,” Justin offered, taking a stance by the couch, arms folded and jaw set. 

“What’s he doing, Justin?” Les asked once the other guys had stepped out of the room. 

“I don’t know, Les,” Justin sighed and his shoulders sagged. Before Les could continue, Ana stepped out. Her long, lean legs were exposed by short denim shorts, a white button down crisp shirt, white Puma sneakers, shades, and flowing hair. 

“Ready,” she announced, a forced smile that both guys had come to distinguish because the sparkle was absent from her eyes. Nodding, they followed her out of the hotel suite and walked towards where everyone else was hanging out. JC and Mark laughing loudly over something Tara was busy animatedly saying. 

“He hurts her, and I come after you. Understood?” Les hissed falling behind Ana and in-step with Justin. 

“Come find me because I’m going after him,” Justin hissed in return, balling a fist and quickening his pace. Coming up beside Ana, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Leaning down, he whispered something to her causing her to laugh boisterously – and earnestly. Her laughter caught JC’s attention, and Justin saw a flash of jealousy flash across his eyes. Catching his attention, Justin shrugged and smirked in reply before stepping into the awaiting elevator cart with Ana at his side. Chris, Lance, Les, and Lonnie joined them, leaving the rest of the party to take a second elevator. 

“Ready for some cotton candy?” he asked Ana, tugging at her shoulder lightly to make her look at him. Smiling briefly, Ana wrapped her arm around her slender waist and leaned into his side. 

“I’m more of a funnel cake kind-of-girl,” she teased. 

“Done deal.” He squeezed her to his side and dropped a light peck to the top of her head.