"Grandma?" CJ asked as she helped pick up the tumbler Caroline had thrown on the floor. Howie saw Leah cringe at the 'grandma' comment.

"Yes, honey?" She replied sweetly.

"Why does she keep doing that!?" CJ exclaimed as Caroline's tumbler ended up on the floor again.

Caroline let out a wicked little laugh and pointed at CJ. The baby's dark curls contrasted CJ's light ones perfectly. Caroline was as dark as Howie, which was a change from how light the boys were. CJ's blonde hair and blue eyes were just beautiful and at times she looked so much like Nick. And sounded so much like him. And that little sideways smirk. . . that was all Nick. CJ let out a frustrated grunt as she went to pick it up again, but Leah took it from her.

"If she's throwing it down, then she must be done with it." Leah announced, but Caroline threw up her hands and reached for it as Leah passed it over her head. The baby let out a desperate cry. "Well, if you're going to drink it, that's fine, but I don't want it on the floor any more. You understand me?"

Caroline's dark eyes widened and she nodded 'yes' to her mother. Leah put the tumbler down and she grasped it in both hands bringing it to her pink lips.

"That's better." CJ sighed heavily.

"Come here, sweetie." Howie smiled as he patted his knee. CJ climbed up and he hugged her. "You're doing really well with baby Caroline."

"She's like my little sister." CJ smiled.

"Oh, I think you'll have your own little brother or sister some day." Leah smiled as she wiped off the table after dinner. Leah looked over at Howie who just rolled his eyes.

"I don't think so." CJ shrugged, not seeing the exchange of the adults.

"Oh? Why not?" Leah asked with concern.

"Lexie's too afraid. I don't think she'll have another baby with my Daddy."

"Why is she afraid?" Howie asked.

"Because of what happened with the other baby. I don't think she wants to be sad like that again."

"What happened with the other baby was an accident, CJ." Leah told her, but CJ just shrugged.

"What does your Dad say?" Howie asked.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "I wish they would have a baby, but I don't think they will."

Just then, Tyler broke into the kitchen and declared war on CJ's Barbies and they were out of the kitchen in a shot.

"That's so sad." Leah sighed, going to the kitchen to rinse the sponge and the sink for the final time.

"Do you really think they should have children at Nick's age?" Howie's mouth was speaking before he even realized what he had just said. Her look was enough to shut him up.

"I can see through your glass house, Mr. Dorough." She snapped at him. "It makes me sad that she might not experience having children and having a family."

"They have CJ."

"It's not the same."

"You had Lexie."

"It's still not the same. I love Lexie with all my heart and in my heart she is my daughter, but that feeling when I look down in my arms and see your face in all my children. . .it doesn't compare, Howie. It just doesn't." Leah's hands slipped gently through Caroline's sticky curls. "This little girl needs a bath."

"No!" She protested.

"Yes, you do!" Leah teased her back. Leah went to pick Caroline out of her high chair, but Howie stopped her.

"I'll do it tonight." He said softly and then he leaned forward and kissed her. "I love you, Leah. . .c'mon little bambina!" Howie laughed as he lifted her out of her chair. "Time for this stinker to get a bath."

"Nononononono!" Caroline protested playfully as Howie carried her from the kitchen to the kid's bathroom upstairs. She heard Howie call out for their oldest, John, to see if he finished his homework yet. When she heard John's distant reply, CJ and Tyler crashed into the kitchen again.

"Mom! CJ-the-stinker-butt took my GI Joe tank and hid it!" Tyler cried out.

"Don't call me that!" CJ screeched, giving him a shove and then he turned to shove her back.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it! If you two don't straighten up and play nice, you're both going to bed early!" Leah scolded them.

"My dad is coming to pick me up." CJ snorted.

"Not if I call him first." Leah said crossing her arms. "Go and play nice." CJ and Tyler stomped out of the kitchen, but not before Leah told them, "CJ give Tyler back his tank!"

CJ greeted her Dad excitedly as he and Lexie came in the door that evening. Howie instantly noticed how relaxed Nick seemed and how madly in love his daughter was with him. She glowed with contentment and he had a pang of guilt for keeping them apart these months with work. He could have just as easily rented a studio in L.A.

They belong together. . .

As Lexie slipped into his arms, he smelled the familiar sea salt fragrance she used to wear as a child. It might have been cruel to separate them, but at least he got her back, too.

"Hey, Daddy." She smiled, lightly kissing his lips. "Gosh, I've missed you." She groaned hugging him again. Howie closed his eyes and held her close.

She's my daughter. . .

"I've missed you, too." His voice cracked.

"Dad?" She queried him as she stood back a bit, but Howie just gave her a sad little smile. "I'm home now."

"I know, baby." He whispered, holding her again. She held on to him just as tightly and swayed to his gentle rocking. "Right where you belong."

Nick and CJ had moved inside the house and CJ called out to them from the kitchen.

"Your mother has some cheesecake." Howie smiled as he let go of her.

"My favorite." Lexie smiled and reached up, wiping his eyes. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Daddy. Thank you for everything." Then she took his hand and they headed toward the kitchen where Lexie slipped easily into Nick's arms for a quick hug.

"So, is all my stuff there?" CJ asked from the backseat of the Lexus.

"Well, yeah." Nick mused as he turned in the passenger seat to talk to her. "But we only got your bed set up, nothing is unpacked."

"Okay. Am I going to school tomorrow?"

"No, not until Monday. I'm keeping you with me, little girl." He smiled, reaching back and patting her knee. She reached up and took his hand.

"Good, 'cause I missed you and Lexie last night, but Grandpa and Poppy said you had to work on the house." CJ sighed.

"Yes, we did." Nick smirked, looking over at Lexie who had a similar smirk as well.

"You know Poppy has a new girlfriend?" CJ asked.

"Who is it this week?" Lexie chuckled.

"Some girl named Tina."

"What?!" Lexie gasped looking over at Nick. "Oh, don't tell me it's that Tina."

"Well, actually it is." Nick smiled.

"When were you going to tell me that?"

"I don't know." Nick shrugged. "Didn't seem important. . ."

"Didn't seem important? My father is dating the Bride of Frankenstein and you don't think it's important?!"

"Oh, relax. AJ's been with other women before. . ." Nick began.

"A lot of women from what Uncle Brian said." CJ piped in.

"You stay out of this." Nick said to her.

"But Tina Ryans?"

"I didn't know you didn't like her."

"She's a great lawyer, but I wouldn't think of her as someone to date my dad." Lexie groaned.

"It's really none of your business." Nick added.

"That's what Poppy said. . ." CJ offered.

"CJ!" Both Lexie and Nick replied.

"I'm only telling what I heard!" She protested.

"I didn't teach you to eavesdrop on other peoples' conversations." Nick said.

"I didn't do that, I don't think. I was just under the bed with Tyler. . ."

"What were you doing under the bed with Tyler?"

"He was gonna show me the monster that John keeps telling him is in the closet. We were gonna bonk it on the head and then Uncle Brian and Uncle Kevin came in with Poppy. Uncle Kevin said his feet hurt and he wanted to lay down for a second and he came into Tyler's room. I can't help that!"

"You could have told them you were there." Nick scolded her.

"Then they might have got mad at us. They weren't supposed to be in Tyler's room anyway!" CJ defended herself.

"What else did they say about Tina?" Lexie asked.

"Lexie!"

"Well, she's gonna tell us anyway!" Lexie protested.

"They just said stuff about her being pretty and that she and Poppy slept together. . ."

"Oh, Jesus!" Nick groaned slapping his head with his hand.

"I think she's nice!" CJ said.

"Did you see her?" Lexie asked.

"No, but she sounded nice. She's got a daughter." CJ added quietly.

"She has two." Lexie sighed.

"AJ is so toast." Nick groaned.

"He didn't know they were in there." Lexie said. "You're in bigger trouble for not telling me in the first place."

"Me?! When did this become my fault?!" Nick protested.

"Nick! Don't you think you should tell me when my father is dating your lawyer?"

"Oh, now he's your father." Nick said sarcastically. "It's still none of your business."

"Excuse me? You are so wrong, mister!" Lexie warned him.

Nick wasn't going to win, because no matter how he looked at it, he was wrong. He finally gave up five minutes from the house and apologized to both of them for his imagined transgressions.

"That went well, huh, Alex?" AJ asked his son as they drove home from Tina's downtown condo. It was late and Alex had fallen asleep minutes into the car ride.

Tonight had been the night when they decided to meet each other's kids. They planned a rather family type evening. Tina's girls, Rebecca and Willow, were as different as night and day. Where Rebecca was bright and sunny and out going, Willow was not. She barely uttered a word all evening and AJ was worried that the girl didn't like him. AJ, of course, brought his secret weapon and little Alex pulled her right out until they were playing cars all over the living room and dinning room. It was Willow who decided that they had to race in the kitchen, because the vinyl was faster than the carpet.

Tina and AJ sat on the couch and barely said a word to each other all evening. They simply sat and watched the kids interact, filled with a sense of. . .wonderment? Belonging? Rightness? It was hard to say, but it was there and it felt good to both of them.

It was a school night, so Tina shuttled the two 15 year olds off to bed at 9 and he left shortly after with Alex. Her perfume still lingered on his hands as he brought them to his nose. So, this is what happiness smells like. Lord knows I know what it tastes like. He smiled. Tina had asked him one question tonight he didn't have an answer for.

"What about Lexie?"

It was a good question for which he had no answer. He didn't know how she'd react, but he didn't think she'd mind. Why wouldn't she want him to be happy? She certainly was and he knew what she was doing when she left early with Nick last night. She wasn't in the position to complain about his activities when she had married one of his best friends.

That stung and AJ knew he shouldn't think like that. Nick was madly in love with her and they were very happy together. Maybe he was more jealous of their happiness than angry about it. If that was so, then Lexie didn't have room to protest him being with Tina.

He deserved to be happy, too.

Perhaps it was the time and location change or maybe it was the fact that Kevin just wanted today to be over quickly, but Kevin had gotten everyone to the studio very early. He woke up afraid that this would be the longest Friday of his life.

The keyboards moved to Kevin's will with no effort at all. The music played for him and he kept the rest of the ensemble in tempo as they recorded the score for the one of the two final songs Nick was going to record. This one was a heartfelt ballad that Kevin was beginning to admire quite a bit.

He held them in the final note, letting it fade naturally to the end of the bows and breaths of the musicians and the final strain of the piano note.

Breathe. One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

Click.

"Beautiful, Kev, just beautiful." Brian's voice cracked over the speakers into the studio.

Kevin nodded his approval and released the musicians with a wave of his hand. He had no doubt that Nick would do the music justice with his voice.

"About ready for today to be over?" Brian smiled as Kevin joined him at the recording board.

Musically, no, he wasn't. He wanted to play forever, but he knew Sabrina would be waiting for him in New Orleans tomorrow. He didn't want to miss that either.

"Just about." Kevin nodded.

"Well, as early as you called everyone in today, it might be an early one. Give it a listen, but I think you'll be satisfied. . .hey, where are you going?" Brian asked as he watched Kevin get to his feet.

"I already heard it, Brian. Didn't you say today was over?" Kevin demanded as he looked at his watch. It was only 12:30 p.m.

"Uh, no. I said it might be an early day, though." Brian smiled. He noted his cousin's sudden need to leave.

"I have to go early. Got that meeting tomorrow."

"In New Orleans, right." Brian nodded as Kevin headed for the door. "Make it a half an hour lunch and I'll see that it happens.

Kevin only grunted as Howie passed him and entered the studio to talk to Brian.

"They done with that ballad today?" Howie asked.

"I think so. I want to mix it a bit more with Kevin. Should be ready for vocals on Monday. " Brian said, swiveling in his chair to face him.

"Where's AJ?"

"Tina's office, probably. He blew out of here pretty early since this is my piece and not his."

"Well, you and Nick can finalize it on Monday?"

"Yeah, no problem." Brian nodded.

"Good, then I'll see you then. . ." Howie said, turning to leave.

"Hey, D?"

"Yeah?" Howie asked, turning back to face him.

"Going home for lunch?" Brian smirked.

"Yes, I am." Howie smiled back.

"I'm going to Atlanta for the weekend. Just wanted to let you know."

"Anything wrong?"

"Oh no, not at all." Brian said with a wave of his hand and then a smirk crossed over his bright face. Howie couldn't help but smile back.

"So, what's up?" Howie chuckled, crossing his arms in amusement.

"I'm getting the distinct impression that I am the only one not getting any this weekend." Brian chuckled.

"Going to visit the wife, huh?"

"One thing about sharing a hotel with Nick, you sure grow to appreciate sleeping near someone who doesn't snore." Brian smiled.

"Sleeping, right." Howie laughed with a rise to his dark brows.

"Hey, we're getting too old for that kind of hanky panky." Brian teased, pushing himself up from his chair.

"Speak for yourself, Brother Brian. Speak for yourself." Howie laughed.

"Dad, what are you doing?" CJ asked her father as she found him sitting outside. His back was to her as he sat on the rockery, his feet dangling over the edge facing the water. She had been inside all day working on her new room.

"Trying to figure out where the doghouse is going to go."

"We're getting a dog?" She asked, completely puzzled by his statement.

"No, but I might need someplace to sleep over the next couple weeks." He sighed.

"Nice drama, Nick." Lexie said from behind them. He swung his legs back around and faced her with a smile.

"I tried to make it up to you last night." He said with the sloppy grin of his. "How did I do?"

"Just fine. You two ready for some lunch?"

"There's food?" Nick asked.

"No, that's why we're going out." She smiled.

"When are we going grocery shopping?" CJ asked as she and Nick moved toward Lexie and the inside of the house.

"Next week." Lexie smiled as she stepped aside to let them inside. Nick stopped and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Why next week?" CJ asked.

"That's when Cook gets here." Nick smiled.

"Thank God! I thought you two would be doing all the cooking." CJ said suddenly and waited for them to turn toward her with stunned looks on their faces. She pointed and laughed and then ran inside with Nick and Lexie quick on her heels.