"So this is where Delaney lives," JC said softly from behind me, his voice riddled in sleep. "It's a nice place."

I nodded, tugging at his hand and leading him towards the front door. I saw the light on in the living room, knowing she was probably passed out on the couch. "The whole back is just windows. It's an amazing view of the mountains during sunset and sunrise."

"I bet," he agreed. "How long has she lived here?"

"Two years, I think," I shrugged as I pushed open the door quietly, toeing off my shoes and seeing I was half-correct: half-asleep on the couch. "Hey, sleepy." I put down the suitcase I had been carrying, JC following suit as we stepped into the living room

"Hey," she greeted tiredly, getting up and stretching, the already mid-drift baring top going up even higher, making me jealous and hating the even softer belly I had started to get once I had resorted to snacking to keep myself from calling JC at late night. I hated her. I hated my three oldest sisters for their skinny bodies and barely there breasts. Hated them.

"Gah," I mumbled to myself, catching JC's eyes as I shook my head, hand self-consciously going to my stomach and turning away from my sister's fit form and heard her call out something about going to visit her 'man of the week'. I mumbled a response, still gripping JC's hand as I led him up the stairs, faintly hearing the click of the front door and the roar of the car once more as she pulled out of the driveway and down the road.

"What was that about?"

I turned to look at JC as I blindly felt for the lightswitch of the guest bedroom, which was currently my room, giving him a look. "What?"

"That word you mumbled and the look on your face when your sister stretched. Stop comparing yourself to her, Lily."

"I'm not," I mumbled. "I've already failed in comparison to her."

"Oh, come on," he rolled his eyes, tugging my hand and leading me towards the bed and lying down next to me, burying his face into my neck and inhaling deeply. "You've got an amazing body, Lily. Feminine, curvy, and soft in all the right places ..." His mouth was hot against my skin as he trailed kisses down my body, hand caressing the skin of my stomach and meeting my eyes. "I think you're beautiful the way you are. Don't worry about anyone else's judgements. I should be the only one that matters."

"You are," I said softly, closing my eyes as he kissed my neck once more, mouth finding mine and moaning softly against his mouth as he rocked his hips against me, feeling the friction between us.

"And you are the only one that matters to me," he said softly, sliding out of the bed against my protests. "I'll be right back," he said, laughing. "Don't move."

I nodded, closing my eyes and listening to his footsteps go down the stairs and stop. He was in the foyer with his things. After a few muffled curses and a struggle with what I guessed to be a zipper, he was coming back up the stairs and was standing in the doorway. But he didn't come into the room. Opening my eyes up again, I saw him leaning against the doorway, eyes studying me intently. "What?"

"I may not know a lot of things, Lily. But what I do know is that you're beautiful."

I grinned, still lying there as his eyes traveled up and down my body, adorned in shorts and a tank top from sleep. I had basically climbed out of bed to greet him at the terminal, not caring what people thought. I wasn't there to impress them. "Even the flaws?"

"They're amazing," he smiled, crawling across the bed and swinging a leg over onto my other side, leaning down and kissing me sweetly. "I've decided to give you the gift now."

"You have," I smiled, reaching forward and poking his skinny sides. God, he was pathetically thin. "I knew you'd cave."

He give me a shrug, holding out his fist as I looked at it oddly, he opening it up and waiting for my reaction. "I saw it in Australia and I knew I had to get it for you."

I lifted myself up onto my elbows, eyes widening. A beautiful platinum engagement ring rest delicately in the middle of his palm, a round center-cut stone and pave-set diamonds around the larger stone shone, my tears nearly blinding me from seeing it fully. "Jace," I said softly, he swinging his leg back over so he could be at my side as I got up fully, wiping blindly at my tears as he smiled widely, waiting for me to continue, "why did you -"

"Because those rings aren't what I would have chosen for you," he said softly as he lifted up my hand, taken my wedding and engagement rings off and setting them in his palm with the other ring. "This is. So I bought this, too," he said softly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a larger heart locket. "I want you to put those rings in this. I want you to wear my ring. Wear my heart."

"Is this a real marriage proposal, Joshua Chasez?" I asked softly as he shook this head. "Then, what was it?"

"It was an idea," he said softly, opening up the locket and placing the rings in there and then setting it on the bedstand. "This, this is a marriage proposal." He took the ring from his palm, holding it between his thumb, pointer and middle fingers, eyes burning into mine, "Lily Anne, you've been my rock and my saving grace. My reason for living, my reason for it all. You're my life and I can't imagine you not in it. Will you marry me ... again?"

I laughed, hand to my mouth as I shook my head incredulously. "You're crazy, baby ..."

"Crazy about you."

"No wonder I've kept you around so long," I smiled as he looked at me anxiously, almost as if he were a kid in a candy store. "Of course I'll marry you. Yes!"

He grinned, sliding the ring on my hand and lacing his now free hand through my now once more heavy hand. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I smiled, leaning forward and letting him take the reigns on the kiss. I laughed against his lips as he pulled me so I was on top of him, he pulling away and taking his hand, tucking the hair that had fallen out of my ponytail behind my ear. With his wondering gaze, I couldn't help but smirk. "What?"

"I like you best this way," he said softly, hands gently grazing my skin on my face and arm. "No make up, uninhibited. You're not restrained and this is how you should always be. Even if it is just because you got out of bed."

I laughed, leaning forward and kissing his mouth hard. "I like the bedhead look on you too, Chasez."

"Your sister's gone, huh," he stated, eyes casting over towards the open bedroom door as I nodded. "So that means while the cat's away, the mice can play?"

"Speaking of playing," I leaned forward, kissing him and rocking my hips against his pelvis, his eyes shutting as he moaned softly, sounding slightly frustrated and a little more aroused. "I have something for you, too."

"Really?" He managed to spit out, eyes still closed as I dragged my body down his, making sure to hit every nerve possible as he licked his lips slowly, eyes clenched tightly. "What is it?"

"I'll be right back," I said softly, pulling myself away and grinning as he grumbled in frustration. "Oh, stop whining," I grinned, he opening his eyes and giving me a bothered look, his hand snaking down his body and covering his erection. "I'll be right back."

"You better hurry," he mumbled as I winked, closing the bathroom door behind me as I went to the closet, pulling out my bag. I had been saving this for the right time, and I was pretty sure this was it. Pulling off my tank top and shorts, followed shortly by my bra and panties, I slipped on the deep blue flyaway babydoll top on, tying the front with the ribbon and adjusting my cleavage that I was pretty sure would fall out in due time - though, I was pretty sure it wouldn't stay on long enough for anything to spill out without his wandering hands. It cut out after the ribbon, leaving little to the imagination and did nothing to cover the body I had ... though, at this moment, I wasn't worried. The underwear, a matching deep blue, cut just below my hips, with a peek-a-boo hole at the top, matching ribbon that actually didn't tie, but was there for affect. I reached in for the thigh-high black silk robe, wrapping it over me and then tying it shut. Surprise, surprise, JC Chasez.

"Lily?"

"I'm coming," I laughed, taking a deep breath and reaching for the doorknob, opening it slowly and stepping out, already feeling my face flush red as his eyes bugged out. I could already see his mind working overtime, and I could have sworn I heard his heart beat from my spot across the room. He was quiet, chest rising and falling slowly. "Jace?"

"What?" He said softly, his eyes scanning up my body and meeting my eyes, he licking his lips slowly as I suddenly became nervous, hands fumbling with the ties and letting the robe fall open, he pulling himself up as he watched me let it drop off of my shoulders. "Naughty lingerie!"

I laughed then at his childish declaration and how his face lit up, yet again at ease. "I thought it was time to take it all out again."

"Thank God for that," he grinned, getting up and pressing his body against me, hand falling down my back gently, his fingers dancing against my skin. "I never thought I'd get to see it ..."

"Yeah, I didn't think so either," I said softly as he kissed the curve of my jaw, he pulling away and letting his eyes drop between us, surveying the lingerie that he had always questioned.

"Now, what would happen if I ..." His voice trailed off, fingers toying with the ribbon and tugging gently, it opening fully as he grinned, hands gently coming up and cupping what was now uncovered, hands warm despite the cool air in the room. "God, I love you and your little surprises," he mumbled, mouth murmuring against my skin as he released my breasts, pulling me to him as I pulled at his t-shirt, bare chest to bare chest. "i've wanted to make love to you since the moment I left," he said softly, putting his hands underneath my arms and lifting me, letting me wrap my legs around him as he pressed me against the wall, holding his face as the kisses became more heated and passionate, he releasing me as I slid down the wall, pushing him to the bed and crawling above him, my arms on either side of his head, his hands holding me at the small of my back, fingers hooking beneath the panties and gently tugging downward. He rolled me to my back, maneuvering them off completely, his own bottoms followed soon after. "God, I love you," he said softly, "I don't know how many times I can say it to make you realize just how much I do -"

I put my fingers to his mouth, silencing him as I smiled slightly, studying the beautiful dips and crevices of his face, the deep blue of his eyes that were now hinted with green, the crows feet that began to form at his eyes from his very emotional face. I loved this man. "I know."

"Good," he said softly, free hand gently traveling up my leg to my hip, raising me off of the bed slightly as I felt his warmth enter me, crying out slightly at the familiar sensation washed over me once more, almost afraid I had forgotten how he had felt, but grateful I hadn't and got to feel him once more. "You feel so good," he murmured, rocking against me as I pulled him down to my face, the kiss rough and bruising as teeth nipped skin, the pressure of our lips together slightly hurtful.

The peak came slowly, almost painfully. As his pace began to quicken, so did the familiar tingle in the pit of my stomach, he moaning my name as his hands slid up my body, caressing my sides, mouth merely inches from mine, forehead against mine. I felt the sweat from the two of us, felt the slippery motions between us, felt the burst behind my eyes as I called his name out louder than I had ever done before, his smile that pressed against my skin all that I needed to know at that moment. "I missed us," I said softly, laughing gently as he lowered himself to me, chest heaving in synch with mine. He was placing gentle kisses on my collarbone, between the valley of my breasts and to my stomach. "Hey, hey ..."

"What," he said softly, looking up at me with innocent eyes, "I happen to like your belly."

"And I happen to not. I've gained weight since you've been gone."

"Doesn't matter to me," he said softly, going back up to my face and cradling it between his hands. "Perfect. You're perfect."

"Just wait until I'm 500 pounds."

"You'll never be 500 pounds, Lily Anne," he said softly, kissing my eyes. "There is nothing wrong with you now. God, I wanted to jump you the moment you took that robe off ..."

I laughed, reaching up and wrapping my arms around his neck. "I've wanted to jump you the moment you got off that plane."

"That too," he grinned, kissing me hard once more before settling in next to me, legs tangled up with mine, arm sliding across my body, underneath my breasts and holding onto me tightly. "I missed you."

I turned my head to see his already half-closed eyes, a lazy smile stretched on his face, burying his nose into my neck as I listened to his breathing become deeper and more further in between. He had passed out quite quickly. I smiled to myself, closing my eyes and letting the warmth of his body bring me to slumber.

"So you managed to get away from loverboy to come to lunch with your sister, eh?"

I lifted the fork to my mouth, eyeing Charlotte who was in LA for yet another gig the following night. "We've been together for nearly a week straight. I think it's good to get away sometimes."

She laughed. "Well, it doesn't look like the two of you were far enough away to make a baby."

"Charlotte, what?" I laughed, nearly choking on the salad. "There is no baby."

"Oh come on, Lil," Charlotte said, her finger pointing downward at my stomach, "that top just screams 'knocked up'."

"All right, so I need to wear a little less flowly shirts," I mumbled, shaking my head. "I'm not pregnant. God. What is it with people thinking I'm pregnant?!"

"Quiet sister," Charlotte laughed, holding her hands up to quiet me. "What are you talking about? It was just an observation."

"JC asked me that a little while ago because I was being 'too emotional'."

"This is you, Lily. You're always emotional."

"I know," I muttered, shaking my head, looking at the salad and suddenly feeling queasy. "I mean, it may trigger people thinking that because I've gained weight with how much I ate while he was gone, but that's not pregnancy ..."

"Pregnant people eat a lot of food, for the most part ..."

"Stop putting ideas in your own head, Charlotte," I said, sighing deeply and pushing the plate away. "I'm not hungry anymore. My stomach hurts."

"They also get sick."

"Charlotte, enough!" I looked down at my ringing cell phone, JC's name on the screen. "Hold on, that's him." I lifted the phone to my ear, greeting him. "Hey, baby."

"So, for your birthday ... "

"I told you I didn't want a party, Jace ..."

"Not even just family and friends?"

"Baby ..."

Charlotte grinned when I said baby, my finger being pointed at her face as a warning as she let the grin slowly disappear, she playing with her food as I continued talking.

"Just ... family. And maybe a few friends."

"Okay, great," he smiled. "I'm gonna call my family and yours, see if I can get them flights out soon enough."

"Where are we going to put them?"

"Guest rooms, hotels, I don't care -"

"Jace ... my birthday present?"

"Hotel rooms. Definitely hotel rooms. I'll call them and then the hotel and book some rooms."

I grinned. "Okay."

"How's lunch going? How's Charlotte?"

"Good, and good. Food's delicious."

"Good. Don't eat too much, I'm taking you out to dinner, remember?"

"Yes, of course."

"All right, I'm gonna call and make reservations," he replied. "I'll see you when you get home."

"Okay."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." I hung up the phone, Charlotte looking at me with yet another grin on her face. "What?"

"I still think you're pregnant."

"For the last time, I'm not. I can't be."

"Why's that? When was your last period, huh?"

I looked at her, horrified. "Why the hell would I answer that to my sister?"

"Because. Mine was three weeks ago. What about you? Six, maybe seven weeks ago? Maybe even eight? How about nine?"

"Charlotte!"

"I know you guys haven't been sleeping together for too long ..."

"Charlotte!"

"I'd guess about eight, nine weeks ago. Maybe even ten?"

"I hate you."

"Oh come on, Lily. Don't you want to be?"

"Of course I do, but -"

"But what?"

"We haven't planned for that, yet. He's not ready to be a father."

"Well, he's got about seven months."

"Charlotte, for the last time! I'm not -"

"Oh come on, Lily! You haven't noticed it? Your clothes tighter? Belly softer? Skin more sensitive? Sex a lot more ... climatic?"

"I can't believe you're asking me this."

"I'm your sister. If I can't ask, who can?"

"JC himself and my doctor."

"Well, then, I better say something to JC."

"Charlotte, don't you dare ..."

"So you have thought you were pregnant!"

I looked at her, my mind reeling. I haven't thought of it, but now I was. Thanks, Charlotte. Thanks a lot. "I need to go. JC is waiting for me at home so we can go out tonight." I got up, grabbing my purse and car keys, Charlotte getting up and throwing some cash on the table as I did the same. "I'll see you tonight after dinner? Are we all still going dancing again?"

"Jeremy wants to," she said, nodding. "Look, Lil, I'm sorry I was pushing it ... I just ... we all want to see you become a mother so badly that maybe I'm just seeing things that aren't there ..."

"It's fine," I said, forcing a smile. "Just don't say much because hell, who knows. Maybe I am and I don't know it yet. Maybe it happened a week ago. Maybe it happened last night. I don't know."

"So you don't know if you are ..."

"No, I'm saying that I wasn't eight, nine, ten weeks ago," I laughed. "Who knows what will happen since the two of us seem to get a little too caught up in the moment to actually ... protect ourselves."

Charlotte laughed. "God, Lily, I haven't seen you this happy in forever. This makes me so ... so happy." She reached forward, hugging me as I smiled, closing my eyes and realizing I had missed our sisterly bond. "If you are pregnant, I better be the first one you tell."

"JC should be the one -"

"Okay, second. But I better know!"

I rolled my eyes, kissing her cheek and holding up the hand holding the keys as I partially waved. "I'll see you tonight!"

"Love you!"

"Love you, too!" I turned, walking across the street towards my car. I watched her get into her Camry and pull out a little before me, making sure it was clear as I got back out, looking down the road towards the pharmacy and drug store. It would tell me. I'd know then. Then, I could shut her up for at least a while.

She nodded. "Just come find me if you do have something you need to find."

"I will," I said, watching as she disappeared a few aisles down. I walked quickly down the aisle, grabbing the easiest looking one: digital. At least I wouldn't have to figure out what lines meant.

Peeking around the corner, I looked upward in search of a sign indicating where the bathrooms were. Clear across the store. Great. Right by the windows where the paparazzi seemed to have suddenly appeared. When the hell did I become their bait? I ducked back into the aisle, opening up the box and shoving the test stick into my pocket. God, forgive me for my sin ...

Hurrying into the multi-stall bathroom, I locked the main door, nerves going crazy as I pulled the stick out, disappearing into the stall. This couldn't be hard ... this couldn't be positive, either. It just couldn't be. I did as I figured what I had to do, leaving the stick on the back of the commode and began to pace. I felt as if I were waiting on my fate, my death sentence. The more I thought about it, the more I knew the answer. Either way, yes or no, it was going to impact our lives. With a no, I know I'd be upset. I have wanted a child forever, and knowing that it wasn't coming soon would be depressing. But then again, with a yes, JC's life would have to make a complete change, at least for a while and then our entire lives would be changed forever.

My heart was pounding so bad that I felt as if it would jackhammer out of my chest. Okay, so if I was ... the last time I had my monthly ... thing was ... good God, when was it? August. No. July. Oh, my God. Stress. It had to be stress. I was stressing about this whole fake marriage and him leaving that it all just kind of stopped the cycle. That had to be it. Stress could do that. Weight gain and loss could do that. Well, we all know loss isn't in my dictionary.

And I had to pee again. I hate nerves.

I went into the stall without looking at the stick, feet tapping like mad as I stared at the spot just in front of me and willing my mind to go blank. Maybe I wasn't pregnant. Maybe I was just ... stressed. Sick, perhaps? This would just add a whole new rule to the game. A whole new subject to add to the PEOPLE spread we were doing the day after my birthday. Really, I couldn't deal with another story to be covered.

A loud knock nearly startled me off the toilet. "Hello?! Is anybody in there?!"

Jumping up and prepping myself, I barely made it to the door before the woman put the key into the lock. "I'm sorry," I said softly, giving her a bashful smile, "I'm just so used to locking the door on a single stall that it never crossed my mind ..."

"It's okay, honey," she smiled as a woman nearly trampled her going into the closest stall and literally moaning out in relief. Ew. Luckily, I had been in the furthest one away.

Speaking of ...

I took a deep breath as the woman walked away, turning on my heel and walking back into the stall. All right, it was now or never. It had to be now.

I picked up the stick, swallowing hard as I read the results in the little window. Here goes nothing ...