In the next week, Andrea and Brent spent most of their free time together. They went to the museums in Chicago, spent another chilly day at the zoo, walking hand-in-hand, talking. They took in a few movies and went out to dinner. Some of the time they spent visiting with Curt and Terri. When Andrea was at the hospital, Brent hung out with Curt and Josh. He and Curt worked together on songs and music, sometimes sitting together in a quiet corner of the brewpub with their guitars. The phone began to ring off the hook about mid-week, record company people calling to give Brent the run-down on the recording sessions and the personal appearance bookings, Kelvin, Geoff, Curt friends, family. Craig called the day before he, himself was to head out to the studio. Andrea was bustling around trying to get ready for work. She and Brent had gone out that morning and bought a laptop computer for Andrea. The two had decided that they would keep in touch via email and instant message daily and Brent wanted Andrea to have a way to get messages around the clock. They could also exchange pictures easily. After shopping, they stopped at a realtor and inquired about new homes for sale. It was almost two when Andrea glanced at her watch and gasped. She had to be at work in one hour! They flew out of the realtors office and raced home. Now she was frantically braiding her hair and the phone was ringing. Brent sat with a notebook, pen poised over it. Andrea glanced at him as the phone continued to ring. He didnt appear to be moving to answer it. Andrea sighed disgusted.

"Brent!" She hollered. He looked up at her quizzically, eyebrows furrowed. "Phone!" He glanced over at it and then picked it up.

"Speak!" He said into it.

"Arf!" Craig said with a bark.

"Hahaha!" Brent laughed. "You old dog, you!"

"Am I interrupting something?" Craig asked.

"Yeah."

"Good!!" Craig said loudly. "Is it something important?" Brent dropped the pen onto the notebook and sighed.

"Yes." He said, disgusted, his train of thought broken.

"Even better!" Brent stifled a laugh.

"You fuck! What do you want?"

"I just want to say goodbye. Im leaving tomorrow." Brent looked at his watch and then instantly wondered why hed done that.

"Already?" He asked. "When you said that I looked at my watch, how stupid was that?" Craig laughed.

"Typical, Brent. I see nothing out of the ordinary in that considering you." Brent sighed. "Could this harassment go on forever?" It probably would

"Hows Mandie taking it?" Craig was silent a moment before speaking.

"She seems okay with it." Brent frowned. He sensed that this bothered his brother. He sat silent for a moment before he said, "Hmmmm"

"I know. I am not sure I understand it."

"Maybe shes glad to get rid of your baby-lovin, lazy, dumb ass. I know I would be." Brents sorry attempt to lighten the mood failed miserably. Craig was quiet.

"That wasnt funny, Brent. Its really bothering me." Brent was instantly regretful and uncomfortable. He looked around the room feeling his cheeks flush hotly.

"Well" He said in response. "Umm I wish I knew what to say." Andrea came up to him and knelt down in front of him. She slid her hands around his neck and pulled his mouth to hers for a kiss.

"Shes really busy at work and I guess thats occupying her mind a bit." Craig said as Brent kissed his wife. "Oh, God, are you kissing?" Craig asked. The silence on the other end answered his question. Ewwww! Andrea pulled away and touched Brents cheek with the palm of her hand, felt the warmth and frowned.

"Sorry, Craig. She cant keep her hands off me. Im a pregnant chick magnet!"

"Are you feeling okay?" Andrea asked Brent. He glanced up at her and nodded his head quickly. "But youre very warm!" She said bending over and pressing her palms to his cheeks. He pushed her hands out of the way.

"Im fine!" He said.

"Wait, you said youre a pregnant chick magnet?" Craig asked.

"Yeah, I did!" Craig laughed.

" didnt know you were pregnant." Brent sighed disgustedly.

"Oh, yeah, Craig, I forgot to tell you. That was a stupid joke."

"Like about all of yours. Is Andrea leaving for work?"

"Yeah, shes late."

"Tell her I said hi and to call Mandie now and then to see how shes doing."

"I will." Andrea slipped on her winter coat, blew a kiss, and waved to Brent before disappearing out the door.

"Tell her now, you wont remember later."

"I cant. Shes gone." Craig sighed. He sounded so depressed to Brent, he felt compassion for his brother.

"Shit! Youll never remember later." Brent scribbled something in his notebook.

"I wrote it down already, for Gods sake!" Making an attempt to lighten the mood, Brent said, "Dude, the recording process is so interesting, youll fall into it before you know it. And, even though it takes months, it goes fast, really it does!"

"Yeah, Im sure." Craig replied.

"Craig, what is it, man? It isnt just Mandie is it?" Big sigh over the phone.

"No, not just Mandie. Mandies a big part of it but its something else too." Before he could even say it, Brent knew it was Charlotte and the baby. He sat back on his chair and rolled his eyes.

"Tell me." Brent said softly, trying not to sound annoyed.

"You already know, Im sure." Craig was hesitant as he spoke." But if I cant tell my own brother how I feel then I dont know who to tell." Brent pursed his lips and looked at the floor.

"You can tell me, Craig." He said.

"For real?" Craig said, his voice almost not audible.

"Yeah, for real."

"Thank you. You know theres no one else but Mom to talk to about this. Drew wont hear it. Mandie is deadly intolerant. Theres always Mike or Pete" He said referring to the drummer and bassist of Forest Fire. "But I just feel like no one wants to hear about it. Including you." Brent felt his chest sink, ashamed that his own brother felt he couldnt talk to him.

"Its not that I dont want to hear about it, I do, but" He drifted off and heard his brother take a breath. "Can I be honest with you?"

"No." Craig said, meaning it.

Well, Brent, wasnt sure if he should tell him how he felt or not. He decided against it. There would be other opportunities, he was sure.

"I am going to miss my baby." Craig said suddenly. Brent wasnt prepared for it and flinched.

"Well, maybe he could come out and visit you."

"I am hoping. I went and bought Charlotte a laptop computer today so we could stay in touch." Brent rolled his eyes silently. Craig was making a mistake and he wanted badly to tell him but wouldnt, at least not now.

"Thats weird, I bought Andrea one today for the same reason."

"Cool. Anyway I just wanted to tell you good luck and break a leg. That kind of thing."

"Hey, thanks. You too! The first time is hard work because youre new to it and when its burned on CD for distribution to the whole world, the engineers are much more picky about your talent. Just hang in there and call me on my cell anytime you need me. We wont be that far away, we can hang on the weekends or whatever."

Yeah. That would be great. Ill call you next week and give you all the info." They said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Brent went back to his journal but his mind was distracted with Craig and his woes. He sighed disgustedly and sat back in the chair. He couldnt believe Craig believed Charles was his kid. Charlotte was a good actress, she sure had Craig fooled. If that had been Brent hed have told her to prove it and until then - fuck off. But Craig was too nice, he was a good-hearted person. "Sappy." Brent said out loud and got up to get himself a beer. He opened it and set it on the table in the foyer. He lifted the sleeve of his tee shirt and peeled off the anti-smoking patch he wore and tossed it into the garbage. He slipped on his winter jacket, grabbed his beer and walked out onto the front porch. He pulled out his pack of cigs from the pocket on the inside of the coat and shook one out. He grabbed it with his teeth and, after returning the cigs to the pocket, lit the one in his mouth. He took a long drag, inhaled and blew out the smoke. He leaned against the railing and smoked. While he stood there he looked up and down the street. It had become familiar to him and he felt contented. It was a nice neighborhood and he had come to like it. He spied a car parked halfway down the block, two people sitting in the front seat, exhaust smoke drifting up from the tailpipe. He had an eerie sense of being watched. He stared at the car while he smoked. Getting a sudden chill, he shivered, and pulled his coat up around his neck. It was, after all, only 20 degrees and dropping but he knew it was that feeling he had that caused the shudder. He didnt bother to smoke the cigarette all the way down, he flicked it into the snow and disappeared back into the warmth of the house quickly, locking the door behind him.

The next Friday, Brent and Andrea dressed and left the house early. Their Realtor had called and told them about several homes on the market they might be interested in seeing. They made appointments and met the Realtor at her office where they all got into one car and made their way through flurries to view the homes. The first one was much too stately. Andrea shook her head through the whole tour of the house while Brent grinned foolishly. When they left, Andrea had decided that the house was more than they needed. Brent, reluctantly, agreed. The next house was in a well-to-do neighborhood in nearby Aurora. It was a beautiful house, not too big, and the neighborhood looked quiet and well-kept but Andrea told Brent it was too far from the hospital and inconvenient of a drive. He liked the house a lot but decided that if it was too far for his wife and she wasnt happy with it, he wasnt either. They moved on to the next. They stopped for lunch around one and then looked at two more houses before Andrea begged off seeing any more for the day. Her eyes pleaded with Brents for understanding. He smiled and squeezed her leg reassuringly. They retrieved their car from the realty office and headed back home. As Brent drove down their street in Andreas Oldsmobile he spied a couple more unfamiliar cars parked up and down the block. He peered into the windows as he passed. Oddly, there was someone in almost every one of the cars. He sped up, pulled into the drive and ushered Andrea into the house. He slammed the door and locked it behind him. Andrea shrugged out of her coat and hung it up while Brent peeked out the window.

"What are you looking at?" She asked tiptoeing over his shoulder for a look.

"Those cars." He said pointing. "They are very suspicious." She glanced out and then moved away from the door.

"It is odd, Ill grant you that." She said heading into the kitchen for a drink. "Soda, Brent?"

"Sure." He said, still looking out the window. She brought him a Pepsi. He took a swig and moved from the door. "I dont like it, Annie. They are fans. I just know it. But how do they know Im here? Theyve been gradually increasing in the last day or two." She smiled at him and felt giggles welling up inside.

"Brent, how do you know they are fans?" She sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. He paced between the couch and the TV, blocking her view.

"Ive seen it before, Annie. Dont try to tell me theyre not. I know what Im talking about." She giggled and then stifled it when he stopped in front of her and stared down at her. All right then. He worried about when he was gone, what if one of them grew balls and came up to the door. He now feared for Andreas safety.

"Brent!" Andrea shouted. He stopped and looked at her.

"What?" He asked, wide eyed.

"Get out from in front of the TV. I cant see it with you marching back and forth." He sighed and flopped down in the chair. He sat there, his arms propped up on the arms of the chair, one hand holding the can of Pepsi. He was frowning and pursing his lips. Andrea flipped from channel to channel, finally landing on The Learning Channel which was showing a documentary on fast food and how it got its start. Brent got up and checked the messages on the answering machine. Curt called and asked that he call him back. His mom called, his accountant called, his manager called. He sighed, bored, while listening to them go on and on. He picked up the phone and called them back in the order the messages had been left. Nearly an hour later Brent was finished and joined Andrea in the living room.

"Im hungry." Andrea said, her eyes not leaving the screen. "Are you hungry Brent?" He glanced at his watch. It was nearly 6:00.

"Yeah, you know I could eat something. You want to go out and get something?" He asked and then glanced at the front door. His mind pictured the fans sitting out there in their warm cars, watching the house, hoping for a glimpse. Andrea was about to answer when Brent said quickly, "Hey, how about we order a pizza? We could have it delivered. Then he wouldnt have to leave the house." Andrea thought a moment before answering. It was really cold outside, she was tired and her feet hurt. He moved over to sit next to her on the couch. He took her hand and enveloped it with his, lacing his fingers in between hers. "We could sit here, eat a pizza, and watch TV. Maybe theres a movie on pay-per-view we could watch." He said softly, pulling her hand up to his lips and kissing it. Andrea smiled.

"That sounds wonderful." She said.

"Great!" He jumped up. "Ill order the pizza. You want onions, green pepper and garlic, right? Oh, and extra onions."

"Brent!" He grabbed the phone and the phone book and ordered a pizza with sausage, green pepper, black olives and tomatoes then, before he joined Andrea in the living room, he went and changed from the jeans and sweatshirt he was wearing into a pair of sweat shorts. Shirtless, he climbed onto the couch next to her.

"Did you find something to watch?" He asked.

"Theres something called _________. Its a romance though." She wrinkled up her nose at him knowing he wasnt fond of that type of movie. He shrugged.

"Doesnt matter. Do you want to see it?" She looked at him to see if he was joking or not. He just looked back at her.

"Uh, yeah, it sounds good." She said in disbelief. He smiled knowing that he fully intended to have her in his arms and naked by the middle of the movie anyway, so what did it matter what movie they watched

"Good. Go on and order it. By the time it starts the pizza ought to be here." She fiddled with the remote and ordered the movie. "Next", he pointed towards the bedroom. "Now go and put on something you can relax in, Ill wait here." She got up and did as he instructed. When she came back she found him lying lengthways on the couch, his legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles. She stood next to the couch, her arms crossed and leaning on one hip. She cleared her throat. He looked up at her.

"Yes?" He said with a smirk.

"I believe youre in my spot." She replied casually.

"And?"

"And now you can move so I can sit back down in it."

"And?" She was obviously getting impatient with him and sighed audibly.

"And what?" She snapped.

"Whats the magic word?"

"Im going to kick your ass if you dont" The doorbell rang. They both looked at the door. "The pizza is here, go answer the door, Ill get the money." Andrea said walking over to the kitchen table.

"I cant answer it babe, I dont have any clothes on."

"Good grief!" She huffed as she pulled a $20 out of her wallet and answered the door. She exchanged money for the food then closed the door and locked it but not before she noticed another strange car parked right out in front of the house. She decided not to say anything to Brent, he was a bit on the concerned side as it was and they were about to have a nice evening together. She wouldnt spoil it for the world. Walking over to him, she set the pizza box down on his thighs and then headed out to the kitchen to grab plates, napkins, and drinks. She heard a yelp from the other room and grinned.

"That fucking box is HOT! Dammit!!" Brent hollered. Andrea chuckled as she came back into the room and approached him. "You did that on purpose I believe." He said noticing the look on her face. She saw that the tops of his legs were tinged red from the heat of the box.

"Awww, Im sorry sweetie." She said and leaned down to kiss his lips.

"Yeah, right." He muttered and sat up. They ate the pizza together during the beginning of the movie and then, when they were finished, discarded the plates and napkins to the end table. Brent resumed his position sideways on the couch only this time he spread his legs and motioned for Andrea to lay between them. He pulled her backwards so she was resting against his chest. She slid down so that he could rest his cheek on the top of her head while his hand lightly stroked her arm and they watched the movie. Not more than halfway through it, Brent was already bored. Andrea slid down further and turned onto her side, her head rested on Brents hip. He ran his hand down her head, over the smoothness of her hair. He ran his fingers through it. It was long and silky. Tired of the movie and needing her attention, Brent ran his fingers down from her head to her forehead, over her nose and onto her lips. She ignored him. He did it again, this time letting his fingers roam over her cheeks. After ignoring him a second time, he decided to tickle her lips with his fingers. Andrea grabbed his hand and slid one of his fingers into her mouth and gently sucked on it. It felt wildly erotic to Brent and elicited a response from him in the form of a hard on. Andrea giggled as she felt it rise under her head.

"What is that?" She teased and slid her hand up under the leg of his shorts. She lifted her shoulder out of the way and groped him.

"I think you know what that is." He muttered as she felt him up. "I think those shorts are in your way babe, why dont I just take them off?" He whispered. Andrea sat up and smiled at him.

"Im guessing this movie isnt doing anything for you". She said. He raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, its doing more for me than you know!" He said and pulled his leg up and over her. "Do you mind, Annie, if we just turn off the TV and crawl between those cool sheets on our bed?" He asked, taking hold of her hands and pulling her up to her feet. She reached down and, using the remote control, turned off the TV. Brent led her by the hand into the bedroom where they both slid between the sheets and into each others arms. Brent smiled down at Andrea and then smoothed her hair from her forehead. "I love you, baby. And I am going to miss you terribly." She smiled back at him.

"Youll be so busy that you wont have time." He shook his head.

"Oh, no. Busy or not, Ill feel the emptiness that I feel when youre not around." She didnt respond with words but with her mouth. They made love slow and sensual and then lay clinging to each other until they fell asleep, legs entwined, arms wrapped around each other.