Brian leaned against the rail of the boardwalk, watching Nick off in the distance. It was getting dark, and they had already missed dinner at Howie's. Brian didn't have the heart to rush him. He watched Nick stop and pick up the occasional stone or shell, then lob it into the ocean. The wind was pushing Nick's ponytail, loose strands whipping around his face like a halo.

Brian saw Nick answer the phone, and he talked to whoever had been on the other side for quite awhile, then hung up and headed farther out along the public beach. Brian clasped his fingers together and leaned forward on the rail closest to the water. Nick must have sensed Brian’s heavy sigh. He turned and headed back toward the boardwalk.

"Feeling better?" Brian asked as Nick pushed the loose strands of hair behind his ear.

"Yeah."

"Who called?" Brian asked, although he had already guessed.

"Lexie. CJ's party is going well. She's going out tomorrow night with some girlfriends, Gina and the twins. Lord knows she deserves it." Nick said with a wistful smile.

"You tell her what happened?" Brian asked.

"No, she sounded so happy." Nick sighed. "Besides, it'll blow over. It always does with him. I want her to have a good time when she goes out. I don't want her worrying about me. Sounds like CJ and her friends are having a good time."

"I'm sure they are. Hey, let's go get something to eat since we missed dinner at Howie's."

"Why didn't you say something?" Nick asked, casting his eyes out onto the water again. He saw Brian shrug out of the corner of his eye. "She probably did a lot of work, too."

"She said it was okay. I spoke with them a while ago. I told them you looked like you needed the time."

"Thanks, Bri." Nick sighed.

"He got us a new hotel suite. We can go pick up your things tonight, move you in. . ." Brian began as they turned to walk back to the car.

"Let me go talk to AJ first, see if he's calmed down." Nick said as they walked.

"I'm sure he has. Probably have a couple beers waiting for us."

"Yeah, probably." Nick agreed quietly.

When Brian and Nick arrived at the house, it was dark. The alarm was set, so it was obvious that no one was home. Brian followed Nick upstairs to the guestroom and helped him put his bags back together. Brian couldn’t help but smile when he first saw the mess. Some things never change and obviously Nick’s messy habits from the road were some of those things.

They carried his bags downstairs once they were finished. "You want to leave him a note or something?" Brian asked as they stood in the open kitchen.

"No, don't bother, I know what's up." AJ said from behind them in the living room.

"Where's Alex?" Brian asked.

"He's with his grandparents." AJ said.

"Look, AJ. . ." Nick began.

"No, it’s okay." AJ sighed with a wave of his hand. "It was just a long day, okay?"

"Howie got us a suite. . ." Brian began.

"Yeah, I know, I know. I got the speech already about being too controlling and to give Nick his space and shit." AJ grumbled.

"No, no, it's okay." Nick said.

"No, it's not. Howie gave you creative control."

"Well, if it's worth anything. I know you're just trying to help." Nick shrugged.

"Yeah, I am." AJ said, looking up at Nick, who wasn't looking at anyone. AJ looked over at Brian, "But unless you're ready to do this project, it isn't going to happen."

"AJ." Brian sighed.

"No, he's right." Nick groaned. "I thought I was ready. . ."

"Nick?" Brian asked.

"Oh, who the fuck am I kidding?!" Nick finally snapped. "You guys should just go home, this just isn't going to happen."

"What?!" Brian protested. "Where the hell is this coming from?!"

They listened to him rant and rave for nearly 20 minutes: Brian and AJ finally resigning themselves to lean against the couch until he was done. He claimed he was a has-been, he didn't stand a chance, and no one was going to buy this album, that he was just a washed up teen idol and a pathetic one at that.

Suddenly, Nick fell silent and looked over at the two of them. They were leaning against the back of the couch with their arms crossed, waiting for him to finish.

"Oh! I think he's done." Brian said.

"About time." AJ muttered.

"Well, Howie may have a few words to add, but I think I'll cover it when I tell you to quit being a jackass." Brian smiled.

"I'd like to add he's being stupid." AJ said.

"It's a pity contract, and you guys know it!" Nick snapped at them.

"Ewww, I wouldn't say that to his face." Brian cringed.

"I should have never signed it." Nick groaned. "I should have just gotten my own deal. . ."

"So, you do think you can sell records." AJ said.

"I. . ." Nick stuttered.

"So, the problem is that it's Howie’s record company?" Brian asked.

"No, I. . ." Nick began again.

"You think he only did this because you're married to Lexie." AJ said. "And you can't move past it."

"Well, no, I. . ." Nick tried to begin again.

"Let me see if I've got this right. You think the project is going to be a flop and that Howie only signed you because you're married to Lexie, but without us you think you can sell records?" AJ said.

"No, that's not. . ." Nick protested.

"I think we are wasting our time." Brian said, interrupting Nick. "Mister Hotshot over here thinks he can do it better without us."

"Brian. . ." Nick groaned.

"Well, hey, I'm sure there is a nice beach somewhere in the world I'd rather be on." AJ said.

"I've got a wife in Atlanta I'd rather be on." Brian said.

"Stop it, you guys!" Nick yelled.

"So, what the fuck is the problem!?" AJ snapped back.

"What if I fail?!" Nick yelled back at him. A silence fell over the three of them. Nick ran a hand over his face, pushing loose hair from his face. He turned and headed out to the patio.

"Come on, let's go get him." Brian smirked at AJ.

"God, forty-five, and we're still holding his hand." AJ smirked back.

"I guess that what happens when you're the 'cute one'." Brian joked as they followed Nick outside. Nick was hunched on a chaise, his body tense and turned away from them.

"Nick, I don't know what to tell you." Brian said, sitting in a chair next to him. "We don't know how it's going to go, but the advance reaction has been good. Local interviews you've done are going over well, people are asking about you and this record."

"People want you to succeed, Nick, especially after all you've been through." AJ added. "All any of us want you to do is try."

"I can't deal with another failure." Nick said quietly.

"Nick, there are no guarantees, but if you put your heart and soul into it, you can’t fail. People will see that." Brian said.

"I don't know that I have any left."

"If you can't do this for yourself or your fans. Do it for them." Brian said, reaching out and pulling on Nick's wedding ring. "Your life isn't about you any more, Nick. It's CJ and Lexie."

"I don't want to let them down." Nick mumbled.

"You can't. They love you and they don't care if your next album goes platinum or not." Brian said.

Nick's response was a nod of his head.

"Come on, buddy." AJ sighed. "You can do this. We wouldn't all be here if it was just a pity trip. I would have slapped Howie myself for doing that."

"I just don't know, you guys." Nick sighed.

"I do. We both do." Brian smiled. "I think you're just homesick."

"I'm headed home this weekend." Nick shrugged.

"Yeah, well, maybe you should go home a couple of days early." AJ said. "Like Wednesday or something."

"Maybe."

"Maybe? Sounds like a sure thing to me. I wouldn't mind a long weekend." Brian smiled.

"Yeah, makes me proud to know someone's getting some." AJ chuckled, getting to his feet. "Lord knows I'm not."

"What happened to that sweet young thing in L.A.?"

"Oh please!" AJ groaned, then he made some whimpering puppy noises and then waved the two of them off. "You guys want a beer?"

"Sure, bring out a couple." Brian said as AJ went back into the house.

"Brian." Nick said. "I'm still not so sure about this."

"I know. I know it's scary after all you've been through. But if you don't do this, Nick, you'll never know. You'll never know if you could have gotten back on stage and performed again. It's your life, man, has been since you were a little snot-nosed, 13-year-old punk. I know, I was there."

"Okay." Nick nodded. AJ came back and handed them each a long-neck bottle. "Don't tell Howie, okay?"

"We won't." AJ said.

It was a long night for Lexie, but she managed to get about two hours sleep before parents came to pick up their kids. They were all gone by noon, and CJ was happily leaving with her grandmother's driver by one. Lexie closed the front door with a solid thud and headed upstairs for a nap before Jake arrived. She just hired a driver to pick him up since she was just too tired to do it herself.

He walked into the house about an hour after his flight arrived. She hustled him to a guestroom, and he showered and changed for their evening out.

"What are you going to wear?" Jake whined, sprawled across Nick and Lexie's bed. "Hey! You going to wear one of those short, black numbers?" He added excitedly.

"Just about." She laughed, coming out of the bathroom adjusting an earring. "How's this? I'm not looking too 'married to a famous guy', am I?"

"You look well kept." He smirked, his green eyes sparkling.

"Shut up!" She groaned, pulling on her shoes.

The dress she picked was actually black, but it was a basic spaghetti strapped dress that had a looser bodice and a full skirt that ended just above her knees.

"So, is Nick really cool about this?"

"Sure." She shrugged, transferring items from one purse to another.

"Okay, what happened?" Jake said, lowering his voice.

"You sound like your dad when you do that." She smiled.

"I DO NOT!" he protested. "You're just trying to change the subject!" he said, wagging a finger at her. Lexie knew how much the comparisons bugged Jake. "What did he say?"

"Nothing, he's cool with it. It just me and some friends going out." She smiled. "He's not all weird and jealous or anything. I don't have those problems. Now, are we going out or not?"

"What car are we taking?" Jake asked, getting to his feet.

"About that." She began as they headed out of the bedroom and down the hall.

"He said no to the Prowler, didn’t he?"

"Actually, I didn't have time to ask. It was the second thing he said after 'have a good time'." Lexie laughed. "So, your choice is going to be red Porsche, black Porsche, white Porsche, black BMW two door, black BMW four door, a white Ford truck thing, or the very metallic silver Ferrari."

"That's it?"

"He hasn't gotten the other ones back yet."

"Oh, God, okay. . .hmmm. . .I say. . .Ferrari. . ." Jake smiled.

"One Ferrari it is." Lexie laughed, stepping into the garage and tossing him the keys from the wall peg. "And don't scratch it, or your dad is paying for it."

"Naw, I'll just ask mom!" Jake cackled, tossing the keys up in his hand.

They met Gina and the twins, Marley and Maddy, at The Watering Hole and were escorted straight in. It was either the name Richardson, Dorough-Carter, or Ferrari that got them in quickly, but none of them pushed the issue. They started out the evening with drinks and after enough alcohol, they all hit the dance floor.

The group dancing was wild and uninhibited, with Lexie expelling more energy than she thought she had. It was pretty clear about half way through the night that Gina and Jake were pretty attracted to one another. Lexie, Marley, and Maddy had their own choice of dance partners as well, which didn't leave them wanting for company.

Lexie couldn't believe it was nearly 2:30 when they heard last call. This club had been enough entertainment for all of them, and they hadn't bounced around town like they had planned.

Lexie noticed a few people in the same position she was in; child of a famous person. Jake met up with Drew Barrymoore's daughter, only because their parents had worked together on a number of films together. The others she didn't know except from reputation, mainly because Howie hadn't let her come to Hollywood when she was younger and had kept all the kids out of the limelight. A small part of her felt at home, another felt like an outsider, but after a few drinks everyone seemed all right.

Everyone in their party made last call and settled into their private table to finish their last drinks. Their party had gone from five to nearly 15. Some unknown Lathario was hanging on Lexie, but she ignored him, getting tired of saying she was married.

"So, how are we all getting home?" Gina asked over the music.

"He was supposed to stay sober to drive home!" Lexie laughed, pointing to a nearly unconscious Jake laying his head on her shoulder.

"You ain't driving." Marley slurred in her ear.

"Hell, neither are you!" Maddy agreed heavily.

"I'm not leaving that car here." Lexie groaned, feeling her head beginning to swim from the alcohol.

"Can't you call someone? Please?" Jake groaned.

"Who?!"

"Don't Nick have a brother or something?"

"Aaron? You want me to call, Aaron? Oh, yeah, right, I can hear it now. . .uh. . .Aaron, can you come get me and drive Nick's Ferrari home?" Lexie said, making up a phone voice.

"I could drive you home." The unknown young and. . .very firm. . .Lexie noted, man next to her said.

"No! No! No! I'll get you home!" Jake declared.

"You can't drive!" Marley said.

"I'll call my mom. . ." he began.

"Oh no you don't! You call your mom and she's gonna tell my dad and he's gonna tell my husband and. . .no! You are not calling your mom!" Lexie protested.

"Okay, okay, okay." Jake slurred. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know." Lexie groaned.

"Let's just take cabs home and come back tomorrow and pick it up." Gina said.

"I can't leave it just parked out there!"

"It's in valet parking. They'll watch it." Gina said.

"Yeah, what she said." Marley added.

"You sure?" Lexie asked.

"I'm sure. C'mon, let's go." Gina said, pushing herself out of the booth and past the leeches.

Maddy got them all cabs, easily ditching the people who followed them outside. Jake and Lexie took a cab to the house; Gina, Marley, and Maddy all went home to their apartments.

The sun was cracking through the bedroom windows at noon when the phone rang. Unable to move, Lexie let it ring through to the service, but it kept on ringing. Finally, Jake stumbled in, still dressed from the night before and fell onto the bed next to her. He handed her the phone.

"It's Nick."

"Oh, fuck." She groaned. She took the phone, her face still buried into the blankets and offered him a muffled "hello".

"Have a good time?" She heard him chuckle.

"Uh, huh."

"You didn't tell me Jake was there."

"Forgot."

"I bet you've forgotten quite a few things."

"Uh, huh."

"My mom called, wondering where you were all night. She wants to keep CJ another night and take her to school tomorrow."

"Uh, huh."

"What did you guys drive last night?"

Long pause.

"Ferrari."

"It okay?"

"Uh, huh."

"I'll let you go, okay, honey?" Nick chuckled.

"Uh, huh."

"Just hang the keys up."

"Yep."

"Bye."

"Uh, huh."

Click.

Yes, they had driven the Ferrari, gone to the club, danced, and drank, came home in cabs. . .cabs?

"Oh, shit!" Lexie said, sitting up in bed, still dressed in her party clothes.

"What?! What?! What?!" Jake asked, sitting up as well.

"Where the fuck is the Ferrari!"