Chapter One
It was a misty morning outside. Clouds stretched over the dismal sky, blocking out the bright sun and making everything seem sullen and lifeless. But for Chris Kirkpatrick, it was one of the best days of his life. Chris was on his way to the St. Royal Hospital to pick up his girlfriend, Melissa Fancy, and their new baby girl, Raina Lynn.
Chris hadn't been able to get back home in time for the birth of his first baby, so he was excited to see what she looked like, and was even more excited at the thought of holding her. He also couldn't wait to see Melissa. It had been almost three months since he had last seen her.
In his rush to leave LA, Chris hadn't had time to tell his bandmates where he was heading. He remembered to call them all on the plane ride to fill them in. They had all said that they would take a flight out the next day to come and see their new niece. Justin seemed especially delighted when he was told the news.
Chris smiled as he pictured Justin bouncing around excitedly. Thank god he had gotten rid of that fro of his, or it would have kept on bouncing long after Justin had ceased. Now all Justin had was fuzz, and that made him appear as though he had just left basic training.
Chris's excitement grew as St. Royal finally came into view. It's crimson brick walls and church-style windows made for a very welcoming site. Chris pulled into the closest parking lot he could, and strolled up the sidewalk into the building.
He got a few looks as he made his way up to the maternity ward, but he didn't notice any of them as he walked along. His gait sped up slightly when he saw the sign for the maternity ward just down the hall. Once he got to the door he slowed back down, then walked in.
Chris was greeted by a short, chubby nurse who stood behind the main desk. She instructed him to sit and wait for the doctor, so he sat down in one of the tattered green chairs. He noticed a magazine on the end table next to him, and a picture of him and his bandmates caught his eye.
He picked the magazine up to see what had been written about them, and couldn't help but chuckle at some of the things he found. Once the doctor walked out, though, Chris set the magazine down and turned his full attention to the grey haired man in front of him.
"Mr. Kirkpatrick?"
"Yeah, that's me."
"I am Doctor Sendal, I was in charge of your baby's birth," the doctor introduced himself, shaking Chris's hand.
"Would you like to see your baby?"
"Of course."
The two men walked a short ways down the hall to a door, where doctor Sendal told Chris to wait. Chris stood by the entrance, eagerly shifting from one foot to the other. Finally, the doctor came back, a tiny bundle in his arms.
Chris couldn't believe what he was seeing. All he could do was look down at the baby in awe. He cradled the small girl in his arms, his shifting turning into a gentle sway. As he looked his daughter over, he noticed that most of the baby's features were very much like his own.
"You are so beautiful..." he whispered finally, smiling as the baby moved a little.
"Where's Melissa?"
"The mother?"
"Yes."
"She checked herself out early this morning."
Chris frowned, looking back down at Raina. He wondered why Melissa had left the hospital on her own. She never mentioned leaving early to him on the phone. And he also wondered why she'd left their baby at the hospital. It just didn't add up to him.
Chris shrugged off the worry and confusion as he checked the baby out and brought her to his car. He made sure Raina was secure before he got in himself and drove to his home, which was about seven blocks away.
Melissa's car was gone, but Chris didn't think about it at first. He got Raina, and collected as many items as he could safely carry and headed up to the front door. He sat Raina and all of the items down and unlocked the door, pushing it open. He picked up everything once again and headed inside, backing up into the door to close it.
He left the pile of things he had carried in over by the door and walked into the living room with Raina. He took her out of her seat carefully and sat down in one of the chairs, rocking gently. He was so amazed that he had a hand in creating the angelic baby girl in his arms.
In all his life Chris had never given having children a thought. He had always thought about music. That was his life, after all. He had started a group, and he was attached fully to that creation. All of that seemed to change once he had met Melissa. He still loved his music, of course, but now he was starting to think of other things, such as starting a family.
When Chris had first met Melissa, *NSYNC had just finished touring, and the guys had all gone out to celebrate. Chris had noticed one brown-haired, hazel-eyed girl dancing all by herself, so he had gone over to dance with her.
Before they knew it they were both sitting in a booth deep in conversation. They had exchanged contact information, and spent a lot of time together after that. four months after their first meeting, they declared that they were a couple.
Melissa was a wonderful girl, but Chris had noticed a few things about her after a while. She didn't like to talk about family, and she was against the idea of having a baby. When they found out she was pregnant she wasn't exactically overjoyed by the idea, but she had pretended she was, for Chris's sake.
As Chris continued to rock slowly, he noticed that a few things were missing. He frowned slightly as he looked around the room. He noticed even more things had disappeared.
He stood up and carefully placed Raina back down in her seat, making sure there was no way she could tip over or fall out. Then he walked down the hallway to the bedroom he and Melissa shared. Everything of Melissa's was gone. Chris jogged back down the hall, looking for a note of any kind, but there was none.
Chris's stomach had tied itself in knots. He walked back to the living room and sat back down in the chair he was previously in, glancing over at Raina. He closed his eyes to try and clear his head, knowing that this was no time for him to lose control. He had a baby to think about now, he just had to accept the fact that Melissa had abandoned them both.
Chris spent the better half of the day taking care of Raina, trying to keep busy to keep his mind off Melissa. He had completely lost track of time, so it was a complete surprise to him when his bandmates came walking through the door around five.
"Where is she?" came Justin's eager voice from the doorway.
"We're in here, J," Chris called, just finishing a diaper change.
Justin trotted in, Jc, Joey and Lance following close behind. They stopped at the back of the couch and watched Chris finish up, tossing away the soiled diaper and washing his hands off. He scooped Raina up in his arms and carried her over to his friends. They all gathered around him, smiling down at the small baby.
"Can I?" Justin asked, motioning to Raina.
"Of course," Chris said, handing Raina over to Justin.
"Hey Chris, where's Melissa?" Jc asked.
"Well... I don't know, exactly."
"So... she just up and left?"
"Yeah, that's pretty much it."
"Well, you know we'll help you out with Raina. And your mom and sisters, too..." Justin said.
"I know. I really appreciate it, guys."
"Hey, no problem. You're family, and so is this little bundle of joy," Joey said.
By the time Raina was finally returned to Chris, it was getting late. Jc handed her over to Chris and smiled. Chris looked down at his daughter and chuckled softly when she let out a tiny yawn.
"I think it's time for bed, princess," Chris said to the baby, getting a small hiccup in response.
"You guys staying here?"
"Yeah, if you don't mind," Lance answered.
"Alright. Well I'm gonna go put her down and I'm going get a little sleep, too. If you hear her crying and I don't wake up, could you wake me?"
"Sure, Chris. Go ahead and get some sleep," Jc said.
Chris smiled and nodded thanks, heading to his room. He laid Raina down gently, watching her sleep for a few minutes. Finally he tore himself away and got himself ready for bed. He felt like he was going to drop any second. As soon as he laid down and rested his head on his pillow he was out.
| Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four |
