When Nick and Sabrina had asked Lexie how she was, she said 'fine'. She stood up and straightened her suit jacket, gathered her purse, and followed Nick downstairs to the waiting car. They got in and drove away from the law firm without any fuss.

In the car, Nick continued to cough and sneeze. Lexie tended to him, but seemed far away when they settled down for the ride home. She held his hand, but turned away from him and stared out the tinted windows.

Once home, she released the driver and went into the house after Nick. They went upstairs to change without speaking until Lexie suggested he take some pain medication and take a nap. Nick was down to his briefs and a t-shirt when he took his first dose. He took the pill, then the water from her hand, and she put him to bed. She clicked off the table lamp, but before she could get off the bed to leave, he caught her hand.

"Fairy bunnies know when you're lying." he chuckled, trying to ease her tension.

"I'm sorry, Nick." she mumbled.

He sat up on his elbows. "Now you have me worried. What did she say to you? She did say something, didn't she?"

Lexie only nodded.

"Tell me."

"I. . .can't right now. . .I'm sorry. Go to sleep and let me sort it out." she said, beginning to choke on her words.

"Lexie, you have to tell me."

"I know, I know. I will, I promise. Just let me think about it, okay? You need to rest." She leaned over to kiss his still warm forehead.

"I want you to tell me."

"I will, but I have to find the words." she said quietly. "Please, Nick."

He lay back down without another word. She tucked the blankets around him and left the room, closing the door behind her.

An hour passed, and Lexie found herself wandering the halls, finally stopping to look at her watch. It was barely noon, which meant it was nearly 3 in Orlando. Lexie went into the den and closed the door. She sat at Nick's desk, picked up the phone, and dialed his office number.

"SDR Records." Lexie heard after two rings.

"Howie Dorough, please." she choked, trying to rein in her emotions.

"May I ask who's calling?"

"His daughter, Lexie."

"Of course, hold on."

Lexie seemed to be on hold forever when the line picked up and she heard a familiar voice.

"Lexie?"

"Michelle?"

"Hi, honey." she chuckled.

"Uh. . .can I talk to my Dad?"

"He's in a meeting right now."

"Is it really important? Could you get him out of it?" Lexie pleaded. The phone was pressed up against her ear as her head dropped into her hands.

"I'll ask him. Hang on, dear."

Howie looked up as Michelle walked into the room. She came quietly to his side and whispered in his ear that Lexie really needed to talk to him. Howie excused himself and followed Michelle out to the hall.

"Is it really important?" Howie asked Michelle.

"I think so. She sounds pretty upset." Michelle nodded.

Howie scratched his chin and looked over his shoulder at the closed meeting room door, then back to her.

"I'll take it in my office. Tell those guys they can go home. I've heard about all the teenage screeching I can handle." Howie smiled, turning to head down the hall to his office.

Once there, he closed the door and settled into his chair before picking up the receiver.

"Hey, Sweetheart." he smiled.

"Oh, Daddy. . ." was all he heard before he heard her break down in tears.

"Lexie? Honey? Are you okay? Baby, what's wrong? Is it Nick? Did he do something?" Howie asked.

"No, no, no. . ." she protested between sobs. "I'm so scared, Dad. I don't know what to do."

In between sobs and hiccups, she told him the whole story. The way Christine's lawyer called; how they were afraid of losing CJ; how, when Lexie was alone with Christine, Christine told her why she was trying to contact them in the first place.

"What do you know about the boy?" Howie asked.

"Nothing. I don't know anything."

"What does Nick say about all of this?"

"He doesn't know yet."

"He doesn't know?!"

"He wasn't in the room when she told me. He's sick and taking a nap right now. I promised to tell him when he wakes up. I don't know how to tell him. Dad, I don't know what I'm gonna say." she sobbed. "What about CJ? It's wrong of him to keep them apart. She has the right to know her mother and her brother."

"Are you sure he'll keep them apart?"

"I'm sure he will. He wasn't going to let her back into CJ's life when he thought she was healthy." Lexie said, her sobs easing.

"What did you tell him about that?" Howie asked.

"I didn't. He's CJ's father, and he didn't ask my opinion."

"When did that ever stop you?" Howie chuckled.

"Dad!" she giggled.

How he missed hearing her girlish giggles. How he had missed her so much since she ran away, leaving him standing in AJ's hotel suite a couple of years ago. She ran straight to Nick and never seemed to look back.

Until now.

Now that she needed someone, she called him. His heart swelled with pride and love, as he fought the battle to turn her back over to Nick. He was her husband now, but she was so young and he loved her so much.

"Dad? You still there?" he heard her ask.

"Yeah, baby, I'm still here." he smiled softly into the phone.

"Oh. . .you know, I think Nick is up." she said suddenly. "I'd better go."

"Oh, okay." Howie said.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Honey, I didn't do anything." He chuckled.

"You listened to me. Like always. I love you, Dad."

"I love you, little girl." he said softly. "Just talk to Nick. You'll work it out."

"Okay. . .yes, he's definitely up. I'd better go."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later."

"See ya." she said, hanging up the phone.

Howie stared at the phone receiver until it buzzed the 'off the hook' tone at him. His little girl. AJ's little girl. Nick's wife. He hung up the phone and closed his eyes. He did miss her terribly.

Lexie found Nick coming down the stairs as she was heading up. His hair was a mess again, laying about his face and shoulders like a wildman.

"Any better?" she asked.

He just grunted and moved past her into the kitchen. He made a beeline for the refrigerator. Lexie followed him and handed him a glass. He filled it with ice water and drank two glasses before he stopped.

"Better?" she asked softly.

He walked over and put the glass in the sink. "My head still hurts."

"Want to go lay back down?"

"You come with me?" he asked.

"Of course. Come on." She smiled as he slipped his arm over her shoulder and they headed upstairs.

Once upstairs, Lexie kicked off her shoes and climbed under the covers with him. He snuggled up and settled his head on her shoulder, neatly tucking his head under her chin.

"Are you going to tell me now?" he asked quietly. He felt her take a deep breath.

"Christine is dying."

"What?!" he declared suddenly, lifting his head to look at her. "I just thought it was drugs or something. . ."

"She has cancer. She doesn’t have a lot of time left."

"Oh my god. . ." he breathed, his voice trailing off as he looked away from her.

"She wants to see CJ before she dies." Lexie continued. Nick remained in his stunned silence. "There’s more."

"What?" he asked, looking back at her.

"She has a four year old son as well. . ."

"She has what?!" he groaned, interrupting Lexie.

"She wants us to raise him once she’s gone."

"No way! There is no way in hell I’m raising her kid!" Nick snapped, sitting all the way up.

"Nick, listen. . ." Lexie began, but he had already thrown back the covers and began to get out of bed.

"NO! I mean it, Lexie! I’m not doing this!" he snapped.

"Nick! Just listen to me. . ." she began.

"The kid must have a father. . .unless she doesn’t know who it is." He snarled.

"Just listen to me. . ."

"I've done enough for that woman, I'm not doing any more. I’m not going to ask you to do it either. . ."

"What if I volunteered?" Lexie said in a calmer tone than Nick’s.

"NO! Goddamn it, Lexie, I mean it!"

"What about CJ?"

"What about her?" he growled.

"She has the right to know her mother. . ."

"She has no idea who her mother is! She doesn't even care! We’ll just tell her she's dead." Nick growled as he paced.

"She does care. . ."

"How the hell would you know?!" he snapped.

"Because I know, Nick. I've been there. I was older when I lost my mother. . ."

"You knew who she was. CJ has never known her, she won’t even miss her!"

"If she finds out the truth, Nick, she'll hate you!" Lexie said, crawling out of the bed and going to face him. "Do you want that? Do you want what happened to me and AJ to happen to you and CJ? Do you? Christine is her mother, whether you like it or not."

"Do you want to make CJ watch Christine die? Is that what you want to do? When she's older, she'll understand. Am I supposed to bring her into CJ's life just for her to leave again?"

"It's better than lying to her!"

"I'm protecting her! She's my daughter, and I know what's best for her!"

"You're wrong, Nick!"

"I'm what?!"

"Nick, CJ has the right to know her mother and her brother."

"No, Lexie, I mean it! I'm not letting that woman back in this house."

"Nick, you can't let your feelings for Christine affect how you treat CJ."

"No, it isn't going to happen!" Nick insisted.

Lexie let out a heavy sigh and turned from him to crawl up on the bed. She lay down and threw an arm over her eyes.

"I wish we could talk about this. . ." she began, but there was no point. Nick had left the room and was, no doubt, headed to the basement studio. "I still think you're wrong."

CJ was home for dinner that evening, but Nick has gone back to bed after some more medication. Lexie and CJ talked over Cook's leftovers until it was time for the little girl to go to bed. She got into her pajamas and went to crawl into bed with Nick. The two of them were asleep in no time.

Lexie couldn't sleep. Even after laps in the pool and a hot, hot shower, she couldn't unwind.

"No, Lexie, I mean it! I'm not letting that woman back in this house."

She believed him, too. He wouldn't, unless she could convince him otherwise. How was she ever going to do that? When Christine left him alone to raise CJ, she had hurt him in ways Lexie was sure even Nick didn’t understand. Hell, she wasn't even sure she understood them.

She sat wrapped in her robe in the sunroom, turning to catch Nick's mementos on a distant windowsill. A toy wooden sailboat, an old Mariner’s eyeglass, seashells and one ship in a bottle. So many of her things were still in Orlando. . .Orlando. Everything she needed was in Orlando.