Lexie made it to the front door, when Nick reached out for her hand and pulled her outside. She almost tripped over the threshold and into his arms. She looked up into his face, then to where he was looking. Brian and his daughter, Fatima, stood at the back fender of his most prized possession, his 1999 Limited Edition, Chrysler Prowler. The purple metallic finish sparkled under the flood of outdoor lights.

"I can't believe he's still doing these childish things. . ." Jane muttered behind her. Lexie didn't have time to look back at Jane as Nick dragged her down the stairs to the driveway where Brian and Fatima were. Nick and Lexie slid to a stop in front of them.

Fatima stood by the back fender closest to them; her delicate cheeks heating with color as the party guests filtered from the house to see what had gotten Nick so excited. Lexie watched Fatima suddenly grow awkward and uncomfortable at all the attention. Fatima raised her hand to show them the keys that dangled from her fingers. She gave them one good twirl around her finger before wishing Nick a happy birthday.

"Happy Birthday, Uncle Nick." she smiled.

"Oh, sweetie!" He laughed, reaching out with his arms to pick her up and spin her around. She squealed with laughter as he put her down and she handed him the keys.

"Happy Birthday, Frack." Brian smiled, slipping into Nick's arms for a hug.

"Oh, man, I can't believe you brought it for a visit." Nick smiled.

"Visit? Oh, no way man. It's yours. I have no use for this thing." Brian laughed.

"No way." Nick gasped.

"It's yours, take it." Brian said softly.

"I'll pay you back. . ." Nick began.

"No! You will not! It's a present." Brian said firmly.

"Oh man." Nick sighed.

"Aren't you gonna drive it, Uncle Nick?" Fatima piped in.

"Well. . .uh. . ." Nick stammered, looking at Lexie. She winked at him and mouthed, "Go." Her loving grin spread across her face.

"You know how to drive a stick?" Nick asked Fatima.

"Uh. . .sure." she said.

"Get in." He laughed, tossing her the keys.

"Oh no you don't!" Brian protested as Fatima caught the keys and ran to the driver's side. Nick had already turned and leaped over the door into the passenger seat. Brian ran after them, but Fatima had the car started and in gear before he got to her.

The Prowler lurched slightly, but Nick just patted her shoulder and she put it back into gear. The car purred down the driveway and away from the house to the applause of the party guests. Lexie could see Nick leaning over and coaching Fatima.

"She can't drive something like that. . ." Brian protested as he returned to the stoop where Lexie stood. The other guests were laughing and headed back inside.

"Relax Brian. Come get some food." Lexie laughed, throwing her arm around his shoulder.

Lexie and Brian headed up the stairs as the rest of the guests headed in.

Jane stood at the top of the stairs, hands on hips, ready for a confrontation. It was a look and a pose Brian had seen for years, but he was not sure Lexie knew how to handle it. Her eyes were narrowed and her pinched face was now burning red in the cheeks. Flashbacks nearly made Brian stumble as his heart trembled a bit. Jane Carter was angry and no doubt, angry at him.

"I can't believe you just let him leave like that! I did all of this for him!" She growled in Lexie's face.

"What you fail to realize, is that your son is a grown man who makes his own decisions." Lexie sniped back. "If you had done what I had asked, then none of this would have happened."

"You knew he was coming?!" she asked, as pointed her finger at Brian and her voice began to shrill.

"Yes. I knew Bri was bringing the Prowler back for Nick." Lexie said firmly.

"I did this for you, too! And that precious granddaughter of mine so you'd have a future!"

"I have a future!" Lexie snapped. "And I sure as hell don't need your help! You're the one who turned this into some kind of freak show and made him want to leave! He would have stayed, I would have asked him to stay, if I thought he was happy here!"

Brian stepped between them, raising his hands between them before their verbal assault became physical. Perhaps it was stupid of him, but his voice did seem to bring some reason into their fit.

"Stop it!" Brian said to both of them. "Lexie, maybe we better leave."

"I'll get my purse and CJ." Lexie snapped, pushing her way past the both of them.

Lexie found CJ asleep in her room at the house. Jane followed her and asked her not to take her. Lexie was so angry that spite made her want to take CJ with her just to hurt Jane. She didn't though. She left Nick's daughter in the care of her grandmother and gathered Brian as she left the house.

"It was good of you to leave her." Brian said softly as Lexie pulled the Mercedes out of the driveway and down the street away from the house.

"There was nothing good about it." Lexie growled.

"Whew, you two really go at it." he smiled.

"At least this time she didn't throw my mother and AJ in my face." Lexie sighed.

"She does that?!" Brian asked, shocked.

"Yes." Lexie said, her voice barely a cracking whisper.

"Does Nick know?" Brian asked.

"No." Lexie said quietly.

"You should tell him." Brian encouraged.

"What for? It doesn't matter what she says." Lexie shrugged.

"It matters to Nick. He wouldn't want her talking to you like that."

"What can he do? Keep CJ away from her; he'd do that, you know. I don't want that for either one of them. Don't tell him, Brian!" Lexie groaned.

Brian noticed how she ran her hand over her face, wiping invisible loose strands of hair from her face. A damp shine was under her eyes and it sparkled as the other cars drove by, flooding them in light. Brian could see her pain, even as she tried to hide it. If it was Leighanne, he'd want to know.

"I can't promise that, Lexie. I won't let her hurt you guys. . ."

"For now, please?" Lexie pleaded.

"Okay, for now. I won't say anything." Brian agreed. "Where are you going?"

"To where Nick and Fatima are." Lexie smiled with a sniffle.

"Did I miss something? You talked to him?" Brian laughed.

"No, I just know." she chuckled.

Lexie pulled the slick luxury car into an ocean lookout next to the Prowler. Nick and Fatima were just coming up from the beach; Fatima wrapped in Nick's jacket. Fatima broke from Nick and ran straight into her Dad's arms. Brian held her close and laughed with her.

"How was it? Did you drive all the way here?" Brian asked.

"It was great, Dad!" she laughed. "I got to drive part of the way, then Nick took it out on the freeway."

"Oh, God! Don't tell me anymore!" Brian groaned.

Nick took Lexie into his arms and kissed her deeply. He touched his nose to hers and smiled.

"Thanks, baby." he smiled. "Fatima spilled the beans."

Lexie snuggled deeper into his arms. The silk of his untied hair brushed against her hands on his back. Fatima reached over and brushed a few strands from Nick's shoulder.

"You're a mess now." she laughed.

"You too." he chuckled, ruffling her shock of blonde hair.

"Stop it, you two." Brian laughed, pulling Fatima back into his arms. "Come on, we'll leave you two alone."

Nick took the keys for the Mercedes from Lexie and tossed them to Brian.

"Go on to the house and grab a guestroom. I guess CJ stayed at Mom's?"

"Yeah, poor little thing was already asleep." Brian smiled. "Night, you guys."

"Night and thanks, Brian." Lexie waved.

"Anything for the woman who loves my best friend." he said softly. "Come on, Tima. Get in the car."

Brian held the passenger door and took Nick's jacket from her. Nick left Lexie standing near the Prowler and retrieved his jacket. He and Brian exchanged a few words and Nick embraced Brian one last time. Nick returned to Lexie and watched as Brian and Fatima pulled out and headed home. He slipped the jacket around Lexie and pulled her close.

"You didn't drive with your hair untied, did you?" she asked.

"No, I waited until I got here." he chuckled, coming in for a quick kiss. "We went down to the beach for a little walk. It's a beautiful night, Mrs. Carter."

"Yes, it is." she groaned as she looked up into his angelic face. "I love you, Nick."

"Oh, baby, I love you too." he moaned, pressing her against the car as his mouth met hers.

His kiss was the kind that always made Lexie melt. The kisses that he started with the soft tip of his tongue on her lips; tasting and tugging until she granted him entrance. His entrance was slow and deliberate as he raised his hands to the sides of her face, slipping his fingers into her dark hair and freeing it from its pins.

The pins that held her dark tresses scattered in all different directions as he pushed to free her hair from its perfectly coifed style. His lips left hers and he looked down at her; her eyes closed and her now moist lips slightly open. He cupped the back of her head and brought her to him again, taking the luxury of tasting her love on his lips.

His hands traveled down the generous curve of her back as he pulled her close into her arms. Smoothing his hands over her rear, his kiss stopped, although he didn't remove his lips from hers. His hands went over her bottom several times. He pulled back and looked down at her.

"Don't tell me."

"Happy Birthday?" she shrugged with a slight smile.

"You were in my mother's house."

"I know. I was hoping for it to happen there."

"In my mother's house?"

"Well, at some point tonight."

"You have no panties on." he smirked.

"I know."

"When did you take them off?" he smiled.

"I didn't put them on."

"What?!" he laughed.

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. He reached around her and opened the passenger door, his eyes crinkling as he smiled widely. She took his offer and dropped onto the leather seat, drawing her legs up into the car. He closed the door, and like an overeager teenager, ran around the front of the car and jumped into the driver's seat.

He sat still for just a moment, before he looked over and patted his lap. She laughed, then looked over her shoulders both ways. She looked at the floorboards for a second, then she heard his voice in the dark.

"Leave the shoes on." His seductive voice purred at her.

"Any way you want it, Birthday Boy." she purred back, twisting toward him to straddle his waist.

She watched him with hooded eyes steaming with passion. With one last good look over her shoulder, Nick embraced their passion and bucked against her almost as though he had no will of his own. He was sure he didn't and that she had some kind of magical control over him, but he didn't care. He didn't care unless there was a chance he would lose it.

The house was dark as they pulled up in front of it. Nick went in and opened the garage door as Lexie pulled the Prowler into its own little shelter. She got out, handing him his jacket and the keys.

"Good to have her home?" she smiled, walking with him into the house.

"Jealous?" he teased, shutting the light and closing the door.

"Naw." she chuckled, cutting into the laundry room. She kicked off her shoes and reached under her skirt to remove her stockings. He leaned in the doorway, watching. "Enjoying the show?"

"Reminds me of another time." he smiled.

She turned her back to him and he unzipped the dress. She shrugged out of it, then removed her bra and threw it in the washer.

"You'd better put something on. Brian and Tima are here."

She rooted around in the clean laundry, found one of his shirts and pulled it on.

"Happy?" she smiled.

"More than I can ever say." he whispered, choking on his words. Stepping close, she reached up and ran a thumb over his cheek.

"Happy Birthday, baby." she whispered back. She raised up on her toes and kissed his lips lightly. "Let's go upstairs and see if we can work some of these knots out." She said, trying to slip her fingers through his hair.

Nick left his jacket behind in the laundry room, took her hand and went up into the bedroom. He changed into some shorts to sleep in and she sat him down in the bathroom. She picked and brushed his hair out until it shined. Lexie put the brush down at one point and just ran her fingers through it, reaching up to massage his scalp. His eyes closed and he tipped his head forward until his chin was against his chest. She reached for the counter, finding a band to tie his hair back so he could sleep more easily. The silky strands slipped over her hands and through the band effortlessly.

"All done." she said softly.

He lifted his head and in the mirror she could see the tears that had silently streaked down his face. She rushed around to face him.

"Nick, baby, what's wrong? Are you okay?" she asked hurriedly.

He simply took her hands and brought them to his salted lips, shaking his head 'no'.

"Why are you crying?" she asked, but he just continued to shake his head. "Can you talk about it?"

Still, he shook his head 'no'.

"Let's go to bed, then?" she asked, realizing the flood of emotions raging through him.

He nodded 'yes' and got up. They turned off the lights and climbed into bed. Lexie snuggled up against his side, where she had spent most of this last year. He snuggled down until his head was tucked under her chin and she was holding him. Her hand came up and smoothed a few loose strands from his now warm forehead.

"Shhhh, honey, it'll be okay. I promise." she whispered in the darkness.