Chapter 30

"What did Julianna say?" Keesha asked when the call ended.

"She said she wants to meet my family."

"A.J., that's wonderful."

Now that their daughter had voiced her desire, an uneasiness enveloped A.J. He stood from the chair and ran his fingers through his hair while he paced the room.

"I’m not quite sure what it means," he admitted. "I’m in touch with Emily, but I haven’t seen her or my parents since I left eleven years ago. Not even my grandparents’ deaths could bring me back to this town. I just couldn’t do it, Keesha. But finding out I have a daughter has changed everything. Now *I* have a family, too, more or less. And I don’t want to keep our daughter from her relatives if she wants to meet them."

"A.J.," Keesha said, taking her time as she rose from her chair. She sensed his struggle and wanted to be near him. "I think Julianna can help you. Maybe she can be the bridge that reconnects you to your family. I believe in my heart she’s doing this for you. I want to be a part of this, too. There is no reason you have to face your family alone. You’ve been there for Julianna and me. Now it’s our turn to be there for you."

Their eyes met and held, and an understanding passed between them. Needing to feel connected, A.J. framed Keesha’s heart-shaped face between the palms of his hands and rested his forehead on hers.

"You would do that for me?" he asked in a whisper.

Wanting him to feel her touch, she trailed his cheek with the pad of her index finger. "Yes, A.J., I would," she said, her voice soft.

"I have absolutely no idea what to expect from my parents."

"I know. But whatever happens, you will be all right."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because it’s who you are. Your parents are the ones who are in for a major surprise. They are going to take one look at you and know you are not the same son who left this town. You’re strong and you’re capable, and I have every belief you will know what to say and how to say it the minute you see them."

He brushed the pads of his thumbs against her soft cheeks. "If you knew how much I’m already dreading this, you wouldn’t have so much confidence in me."

"Yes, I would," she insisted, trying not to be distracted by his gentle caresses against her skin. "But A.J., none of this has to happen today or tomorrow. You take as much time as you need."

"Time is one luxury I don’t believe we have."

"For this," she said, continuing to enjoy his touch as he moved to smooth her brow and then her hair, "we do."

As the conversation ceased, both realized how close their mouths were and how much they wanted to kiss. After a beat, they spoke at the same time.

"A.J."

"Keesha."

"You go first," she said, her eyes never leaving his handsome face.

A.J. continued to cradle her head as he voiced the only thought which consumed him. "Is it wrong that all I want to do at this moment is kiss you?"

"I want the same thing," she said, placing her hands on top of his to draw his mouth closer to hers.

Filled with anticipation and a yearning she didn’t realize existed, Keesha leaned forward, inclined her head and then closed her eyes to savor the moment when A.J. gently brushed, nipped, teased and finally claimed her soft lips with his. As soon as she tasted him, she returned his kiss with a passion that stunned them both. Running her fingers through his thick hair, she realized she hungered for him. Her appetite had been whetted. Desire consumed her and grew. She needed to be closer to him, to feel him, to touch him. She shivered with delight when he parted her lips and slipped his tongue inside her mouth, teasing and tantalizing her tongue while she continued to enjoy the taste and the feel of him as he thoroughly explored her mouth. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she held him close, wanting to feel him against her. Every inch of him. She parted her legs to allow A.J. to sidle against her. Letting all other thoughts and concerns go, she fully experienced the thrill of having his lips on hers once more as they continued to share and explore and pleasure each other with their first kiss in almost sixteen years. He could still cause her knees to go weak and her pulse to race. He knew just where to touch her and how to excite her, igniting the fire in her belly she thought had long been extinguished. Pulling him even closer, she deftly slid her warm hands underneath his shirt and ran her palms along the corded muscles of his back as she enjoyed every second that their tongues tangled and danced.

They stared at each other when the kiss finally ended, both thirsting for more. A.J. whispered her name reverently and a bit breathlessly as he continued to hold her in his strong arms. They fit together perfectly.

"I know," she said. She whispered her words while trying to get her heartbeat under control. "Time hasn’t changed everything."

After a few moments of reflective silence, A.J. spoke.

"What would our daughter say if she saw us?"

"I would hope she would understand. I told her you were not the one who hurt me this last time. Do you remember the night of my birthday when you told me you wanted us to be together again?"

"Yes, I do," A.J. said, his voice low and serious. "I meant every word I said that night."

"I know you did," she said, brushing his dark hair. She needed more of him. She didn't know if she would ever be ready to let him go. "I wanted it, too, A.J. I fell in love with you all over again that night. You made it so easy for me to love you. I didn’t want to leave Port Charles. I wanted to stay. I wanted to be with you."

"Keesha, I let so many people and things come between us. I don’t know what would have happened if you had stayed or if I had called but, somehow, we always seem to end up back in each other’s lives. That has to mean something, doesn’t it?"

"I think it does, too. I have to tell you, A.J. I’ve never needed you more than I need you now. I’m so thankful you’re back in my life and in Julianna’s."

"I’m not going anywhere," he assured her.

She closed her eyes as she let his words sink in. He took the opportunity to place feather light kisses on either of her eyelids.

"I know," she said, opening her eyes as tears of joy welled. "And hearing you say that fills me with happiness and a contentment I haven’t known in a long time. Kiss me again, A.J. Please. I need you. So much."

Wanting nothing more than to oblige the lovely lady he held protectively in his arms, he angled his head and soon had covered her mouth with his. He picked up where the first kiss left off, but with an urgency he hadn't realized he possessed until he tasted her warm softness once more. He couldn't get enough of her, and he smiled to himself when he felt her pulling him closer. With her insides tingling from pure pleasure at A.J.'s full cooperation, she took control of the kiss, making sure he knew just how much she wanted and needed him. A.J. did know, and he found himself holding her in his arms long after their second searing kiss had ended. Nestled against the steady rise and fall of his sturdy chest and feeling protected and cherished, Keesha knew there was no place else she would rather be.

*~*

"Zander!" Emily called out as soon as she arrived home from work. "I have exciting news for you!"

Zander darted in from the kitchen, where he had been preparing a snack for their five-year-old twins, Brianna and Brian, to greet his wife.

"What?" he asked, his dark eyes taking in her flushed face. "What’s the big news? Are you pregnant?"

She laughed and gave him a big hug and kiss. "No, silly. I wouldn’t tell you *that* kind of news by screaming in the hallway."

"Then what’s up?" he asked as they walked into the kitchen.

Emily immediately opened the freezer door to see what she could prepare for dinner. She wanted the meal to be a special one.

"We’re having company for dinner."

"Is that all?" he asked and shook his head. "Oh, wait a minute. Is it the Queen? I hope not because I think my tux is at the cleaners."

Emily turned and stroked her husband’s handsome face as he grinned. "You don’t even own a tux. And it’s not the Queen."

"Em, honey, are you going to tell me or are we going to play ‘guess who’s coming to dinner’? I was fixing a snack for our children."

"I see that," she said, looking at the counter. She popped a grape into her mouth.

Crossing his arms in front of him, Zander leaned against the counter and waited for her to tell him who was coming for dinner.

"I’m sorry," she said and kissed him again. "I’m just really excited. A.J. is coming for dinner!"

"A.J.?" Zander said, pushing himself away from the counter. "A.J., as in your brother A.J.?"

"The same one," she confirmed. "Isn’t it fantastic?"

"Yeah, sure, I guess, but why? I mean, it’s not that he’s not welcome here, but isn’t this sudden?"

"Very. I couldn’t believe it when he called me and asked if he could see us tonight. I don’t know what it’s all about, but I told him to come for dinner. He’ll be here in an hour. Zander, help me figure out what to cook!"

*~*

A.J., dressed in black, looked at the picture Keesha had given him of her and Julianna one more time before he rang the doorbell to Emily and Zander’s house. This is it, he told himself as he waited to be admitted. Once he shared his news with them, he knew the next step would be to tell his parents. One thing at a time, he reminded himself. A moment later, he came face to face with his sister who pulled him into a loving embrace the second he stepped inside her house and had put down the shopping bag he held in his hand.

"A.J.," she said, staring at him. "I can’t believe you’re actually in our home. Do you know how many times I’ve thought about this meeting? Every time I talk to you on the phone, I hang up wondering if you would ever come back here. I’m so glad to see you."

The pert brunette hugged him again and then let Zander say "hello." The two men shook hands. Emily led A.J. into the family room, where Brianna and Brian waited anxiously to meet the uncle they had only heard about but had never seen.

"Hello," A.J. said, kneeling down to greet his nephew and his niece.

Brian walked right up to him; Brianna held back.

"You two are so adorable and look just like your parents! May I have a hug?"

Brian giggled when A.J. hugged and tickled him. Brianna, who loved hugs, ran into her uncle’s arms the second he turned his attention to her. A.J. felt a pang of sadness as he realized he would never know what it would have felt like to hold his own daughter when she was that age. He quickly pushed the thought from his mind as he concentrated on the present.

"There’s a shopping bag near the front door," he told them with a wink. "I think there may be something in there for each of you."

"Oh boy!" they squealed in unison, clapping their hands in glee.

The twins disappeared before A.J. could straighten up. Zander laughed.

"You definitely got their attention."

"A.J., that was so sweet of you, but you didn’t have to bring them presents."

"I wanted to," he said. "I haven’t been a very good uncle."

"Yes, you have," Emily said. "You always remember their birthdays and Christmas."

"Yes, but they don’t know who I am."

"Now they do," Zander said. "Have a seat, A.J. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Club soda if you have it."

"We do. Em, how about you?"

"Club soda for me, too."

"I’ll be right back."

A.J. and Emily sat on the sofa. She kept staring at her brother as if she expected him to evaporate any moment.

"You look so healthy and happy," she said.

"Thanks. So do you. I’m very glad you are working at the Port Charles center."

"It just seemed like a natural fit with all I’ve been through. Those kids, and the adults, need our help, A.J. I’m proud to be a part of what you are doing. I wish you would visit our center some time."

"Maybe down the road. Right now, I can’t. But I know Skye and Tom are doing a wonderful job. I have every faith in them."

"They are managing it very well. I really like working for them. So does everyone else."

"I love hearing that," he said and smiled.

Zander returned with their drinks and took a seat across from the sofa.

"Welcome to our home," he said, and they toasted.

"I’ll show you the rest of the place after we eat," Emily said.

"I’ll enjoy seeing it," he assured them.

"Mommy, Mommy! Look what Unca A.J. gave me!"

Brianna squealed with delight as she ran to her mother and showed her the bright pink box containing a Barbie doll and two outfits.

"Ooo, Bri, how nice!" Emily gushed. "What do you say, sweetheart?"

"Thank you, Unca A.J.," Brianna said.

Her shyness gone, Brianna climbed onto his lap and wrapped her small arms around his neck. "She’s so pretty!"

"You’re welcome," he said, overcome with emotion at how loving his niece was. "I'm happy you like her."

Brianna contented herself on A.J.’s lap as she watched her father open the box for her. Zander handed his darling daughter her Barbie. With a big smile on her face, she showed the doll to A.J. and then played with it while she remained on his lap.

Brian had opened his box by himself and raced in soon afterward to thank his uncle for the neat set of cars.

"I love these," he said. "How'd ya know?"

"I took a chance," A.J. said. "I liked cars when I was your age, so I figured you probably did, too."

It helped that he remembered how much Michael had enjoyed playing with cars.

Emily moved over so Brian could sit next to his uncle.

"Thank you!"

"You’re very welcome," A.J. said, kissing the top of his nephew’s dark hair.

As they sat in the family room, A.J. began to realize he was doing the right thing. He knew Julianna should know her family. This meeting gave him hope.

*~*

Once Brian and Brianna had been tucked in for the night, the adults moved to the living room so they could talk. A.J. pulled the picture from his shirt pocket and held it in his hands.

"I have something to show you," he said to the loving couple. "After you see it, I’ll explain."

Curious, Emily took the photograph A.J. held out and scrutinized it closely.

"It’s Keesha," she finally said.

"Yes, it is."

"Is that her daughter?" Emily asked as she handed the photo to her husband for him to look at. "The one who was at the hospital? My goodness, she's beautiful."

"That is Julianna," A.J. said, with a catch in his voice. "She is Keesha’s daughter."

They looked at him anxiously as they waited for the rest of his explanation.

"Julianna is also my daughter."

"A.J.!" his sister exclaimed, reaching for the photo once more. "What?! Are you serious?"

"I’m very serious."

"She’s your daughter?" Zander asked, as if needing confirmation.

"Yes, she is. I just found out a few weeks ago."

"What?!" Emily cried. "No way. A.J., if you had a daughter with Keesha, she would’ve told you long before now. I know she would have."

"If things had been different, I agree. Keesha would have told me. She did try to contact me, but I didn’t exactly make it easy for her. Julianna is my daughter, Em. But I didn’t know about her until recently."

"Why did Keesha choose to tell you now?" Zander asked, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that his brother-in-law had a child. A teen-ager at that.

"Keesha is very sick," A.J. said, his voice subdued. "She wanted me to know I had a daughter before her life ended."

"A.J.," Emily said, shocked, "what’s wrong with Keesha?"

"She needs a liver transplant. That’s why we’re here in Port Charles."

"Is she going to have one?" Zander asked.

"We hope so, but nothing’s come through. Yet."

"Poor Keesha," Emily said, looking at the picture once more. "Poor Julianna. Poor you!"

Emily looked at her brother. She now saw how worried and concerned he was.

"What have you been doing since you found out?" Zander asked.

"Supporting Keesha mostly. And trying to get to know my daughter."

"Julianna," Emily said. "How...how does she feel about you?"

"She hasn’t accepted me as her father," he sadly admitted. "But that doesn’t mean I’ve given up."

"Good for you," Emily said.

"She knows and appreciates that I’m trying to help her mother."

"That’s a start," Zander said.

A.J. nodded. "I agree. Just today, Julianna told me that she wants to meet my family."

"That’s wonderful!" Emily said. "You know we want to support all of you any way we can. It'll be great to see Keesha again and meet Julianna."

"Thanks, Em. I'm glad to hear you say that because I have a big favor to ask both of you."

"Ask," his younger sibling encouraged.

"I would like it very much if Julianna could meet you guys first. And since I don’t feel as though time is my friend, I’m hoping this meeting can take place soon."