Chapter 21

"Krista, you know I'll always be there for you, sweetheart. Lets make a deal here today just between the two of us. I'll help you deal with the loss of the baby when the time comes and you help me deal with what feelings I have left of your carrying the baby," AJ suggested as his lips covered hers tenderly. "Think we can doing a little dealing today and then maybe play a little strip poker this afternoon."

"Are you sure?" she begged.

"Positive, my love. Now shall we get the show on the road?" grinned AJ.

"After you kiss me, my love!" she smiled at him, the love she had in her heart shining there for the entire world to see.

"You twisted my arm, Krista, my love, so I guess I'm forced to," he grinned leaning down and kissing her until her legs were so weak they shook. Lifting his lips from hers he allowed her to see all the love his heart held for her. "You can twist my arm anytime, Darlin."

"I love you, Albert! Shall we tell them it is a go now?" she asked smiling into his eyes.

"Yes, Darlin', I think we should bring them all back inside before they give up and go home," laughed AJ with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "Then we can tell them that we're starting the clock for count down. Then when Tom's ready he can announce blast off."

She just grinned and hugged him then gave him a shove towards the door since Lilac wanted to nurse. Krista was adjusting her top to feed the baby when the three came back in the room.

Krystal squeezing Tom's hand glanced around the room at AJ and Krista. Sensing something important had just taken place, she was afraid that both AJ and Krista had changed their minds. "Kris, is everything alright? If you have decided that you would rather not go through with the procedure we'll understand. It's a lot to ask of someone to carry a child and then give it away. I don't think I could do it myself."

Krista looked up at her sister and said, "That is what Albert just realized too. He was worried that I wouldn't be able to hand over the baby once it was born. But he has agreed to help me with that and I'll just tell myself everyday that this is your baby not mine."

"Oh, Kris, maybe it would be better if we hire a surrogate mother. I don't want to cause you any pain
when it comes time to give us the baby," cried Krystal, feeling guilty that she hadn't even thought about how this would affect her sister. "We've been though enough pain in our life and I can't let this go any further. Come on Tom, let's go home. Thanks Kris, I know you'd go through with it for me, but we'll find another way."

"Krys! Stop! I want to do this for you! Please, allow me to give you a child to love like we love Lilac and Rose! Tom stop her!" begged Krista, as she jumped to her feet to go after her sister.

"Krystal! Come back, darling! We need to talk this all out, and you have Rose, darling!" Tom smiled at his wife as he put his arm around her shoulder and brought her back into the room. "AJ, are you alright with this? It seemed that the reservations were yours, not Krista's no matter what she just told us. You are my dearest friend in the world and I don't want to do anything to jeopardize that friendship, so please be honest with us. Will it bother you for your wife to carry my child? Is that your hesitation? Do you think that she will become close to me because of it?"

"No, Tom, that's not the problem, it's jealously pure and simple," replied AJ sadly. "It has nothing to do you with you personally Tom, but it's hard for me to accept the fact that Krista is carrying another man's child. We've talked and she is helping me deal with the fact that my jealously is groundless. I, in turn, am doing my damnedest to see that she'll feel no loss when she turns the baby over to you and Krystal."

To be continued…