"You son-of-a-bitch. You better call me when you get in." Lexie growled into Jake's voicemail.

Lexie took the children in for dinner and then took a call from Nick saying he wouldn't be home that night and could she bring him some clean clothes in the morning. They had to work through the night. She agreed to meet him at 9 in the morning for his stylist appointment and the photo shoot.

She tucked the children in their own beds and then went to Nick's room to pack him a bag.

What was he thinking this morning? He forgot his glasses, again.

She folded the wireless frames up and put them in a case, dropping them into the bag. She went to the dresser and got him all of the basic necessities he would need to change. She packed him some casual jeans and a polo shirt and not remembering what shoes he had on this morning, she packed an extra pair of tennis shoes.

She carried the bag to the door and her eye caught something on the floor behind the door.

Fairy Bunny.

"Hey, missed you little guy." She reached down and picked up Nick's stuffed bunny. "Wanna sleep with me tonight? Why not, I've about got a revolving door. Eww, that was sad, wasn't it? Oh, c'mon, it'll be fun."

Lexie carried the stuffed animal into the master bedroom and set him on the bed stand. She made sure the door was closed as she continued to confide in the blue-eyed, pink-fuzzed creature.

"You know. I'm not sure what Nick's been up to these last couple weeks, you'd tell me if it were something bad, wouldn't you?" She asked it. "I guess he could do half of Orlando and it still wouldn't make what I did right, huh? I'm an idiot, aren't I?"

Lexie took it and stretched out on the bed, resting on her elbows with the bunny in her hands.

"I'm my father, and so is he, aren't we? We are just Backstreet prodigy, and there is no getting away from it, is there? You know, a part of me wants to tell Nick and just get it over with. Hell, he already hates my guts, what's a little more? At least he'll have a reason to finally get rid of me, and my dear father would have been right in the end. I am too young. I was too young to marry a guy 20 years older than me. See? I'm an idiot."

"It hasn't been too bad. Since CJ figured everything out, he's been civil, but we haven't really had any time alone. I wonder if he suspects? I wonder if this weekend he'll ask me since we'll be alone in AJ's house. Hey, then there wouldn't be any point to the interview on Monday. I guess there is always a bright side."

"I won't tell him though. I'll never tell him. I promised. I've promised a lot of people that I wouldn't tell a lot of things. I'm an idiot, I swear!" She laughed wickedly. "And I think I'm cracking up, too. I sounded like AJ just then. I sure miss my Pop, ya' know? I miss my Dad. I wish I could talk to him."

Lexie began to chew on her bottom lip.

"I miss my life before I fucked it all up."

Lexie had Scotty set and CJ at school as she drove to Orlando. She met Nick at a salon where they offered to do her hair, too. They fussed about the salt water damaging it and did a deep conditioning. Nick got his roots done, something she always found funny and they took about two inches off of his total length so he wasn't sitting on it any more. They trimmed Lexie's hair and gave her a manicure and pedicure, finishing in time for her to join Nick in a van to the photo shoot location.

"Where the hell are we going?" She asked him quietly as they sat in the back of the van. Stylists and record executives chattered on cell phone in the seats in front of them. "I'm starved. Are they going to feed us?"

"Sure. Hey, can we stop at McDonald's or something? We're hungry." He yelled out.

"Anything you want, Mr. Carter." The driver called out over the executive chatter.

"Damn." She giggled.

"I'm the big shit around here." He joked as the tinted window van pulled into the drive-thru.

They ordered a quick lunch and ate as they rode to the location, which was a historical mansion in the heart of Orlando. Trailers lined the street, and they were ushered in and taken upstairs so Nick could get dressed and styled.

No one really knew Lexie. She hadn't been around the studio for recording. She sat in the corner by herself, watching the comings and goings. Nick sent someone for her, and she went to see what he had changed into.

It was another suit, although fitting him very nicely, the dark color made him look older than he was. She hated that result when he constantly wore them. She wrinkled her nose at it, although she didn't say anything.

"She hates it."

"I didn't say that."

"You did so, but without words." Nick laughed. The day was going beautifully for him. Away from Tampa, time together, and things seemed so much better. Everything seemed like a distant memory, including his suspicions of Jake Richardson.

"No, it's fine." She shrugged.

"You see, my wife doesn't like me in suits."

"They make you look too old, especially that one." She said without thinking.

"Thanks, hon."

"I think he looks quite dashing." One of the young stylists said.

"There are a ton of different looks." He smiled.

"Excuse me? Mrs. Carter? You dropped your phone and it rang. It's a Jake Richardson." An assistant interrupted them.

"About time." She snapped as she snatched the phone from his hand. She walked out of earshot without a word or a look to Nick. As the little stylist girls fluttered around him, he watched her become increasing more agitated.

"What's got you so hot?" Jake laughed in her ear.

"I talked to Gina last night." She said plainly.

"Oh, that. No problem. We told her the same story."

"She told me you're a real player up there on campus." Lexie clipped.

"Excuse me? Are you getting pissed off at me because I'm dating Gina?"

"No, but after what I heard from her last night, everything we did was just some kind of . . .conquest for you, wasn't it?!"

"Wait a damn second here!" He snapped. "It's not like that at all."

"Really, then why is Gina under the impression you sleep around a lot on her?"

"Look, listen to me, okay? Me and Gina are complicated, okay? She's in L.A. and I'm up here. What happened between me and you is totally different, it's not even related."

"So, you love me but not Gina."

"I've never told Gina I loved her. Lexie, I've never told any woman that." He said quietly. "Hell, I'm not some Boy Scout. Never professed to be, but I didn't set out to conquer you or anything. I love you, Lexie."

I love you, like I'll never love any one else ever again. God, please don't make me relive it all over again.

Jake closed his eyes and spoke again. "Lexie, I swear. I only made love to you because I love you. Everything about you. I can't forget it. It just keeps running through my head. . .I have to go."

Click.

Lexie stared at the phone after Jake's painful parting words. What have I done?

Nick waved off the stylists and approached her when the phone call was over. She looked startled and confused.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Everything is fine. He's just being a dork, you know?" She said glibly.

"Well, I hope everything is okay. I know you guys are friends and all."

"It's fine." Lexie nodded.

Nick's heart was racing. He didn't know what was going on. Part of him didn't want to know. He had to make a decision, and he had to make it quick before he lost her entirely.

He leaned over until his lips were only a breath's distance from her ear, "I love you, Lexie. It'll be okay. I promise." He whispered. A lone tear escaped her and he brushed his knuckles against her cheek to scoop it up. "We're taking the first photos in the living room. Join us when you can."

She only nodded.

Lexie joined him about 15 minutes later and stayed the whole day as he eventually changed into casual clothes she liked and they took pictures in the gardens out back. He laughed and smiled as they took the pictures, some were serious but most were relaxed.

They had a catered dinner with the crew and then were driven back to pick up their cars and head over to visit with her family.

"So, who is taking care of CJ?" Leah asked as they walked in.

"Cook is. She's going to do some babysitting for us this weekend." Nick answered as they walked through the house to the kitchen. "All the kids in bed?"

"Yeah, thank God." She laughed as they sat around the kitchen table.

"Sorry we're so late, Mom."

"Naw, don't worry about. Doesn't seem like a normal day if I don't see you." Leah chuckled. "So, where are you going this weekend?"

"Going?" Lexie asked.

"We'll be here in Orlando and shooting my first video at the old theatre downtown. We'll be staying at AJ's."

"We are?"

"Sure we are." Nick said without missing a heartbeat. "He's gone to Toronto with Tina, her girls, and Alex."

"Yeah, he said something about that. That reminds me, are you two fighting again?" She reached out and patted Lexie's arm.

"No."

"That's not what he said."

"Okay, a little."

"They just need to hammer out some things." Nick mused.

Really? I didn't know you were such an expert on my relationship with my father, Lexie mused to herself.

After a progress report about Howie and Nick's album, they said goodbye and drove back to Tampa. Cook was there with her husband, Bill, who promised to fix a downed gutter on the back of the house that weekend, and everyone else was in bed. Nick let them out and told Cook to report late, since both he and Lexie would be home waiting for their next visit with the therapist.

"I guess it's time for us to hit the sack as well." Nick locked the door and set the alarm.

"I guess so." She said as he followed her upstairs. He stopped her in the dark hall between their two rooms.

"I meant what I said earlier today. I do love you, Lexie." Nick looked down into her worried face. "I know that may seem weird with me sleeping in the other room."

"No, I understand." She nodded.

"Goodnight, Lexie." He bent down to kiss her cheek, but she moved away too quickly. She stopped at the door to the master bedroom and looked over at him.

"I have Fairy Bunny. If you need him."

"No, you keep him." Nick smiled as he turned and let himself into the guestroom, closing the door on her bewildered face.

Nick leaned heavily against the door. God, can I do this? Can I live the rest of my life never knowing if they did or didn't? What choice do I have? Living with the absolute knowledge isn't going to make it easier, is it?

His cell phone rang from its carrying case on his hip, and he answered it.

"Hey, Brian."

"Nick. I haven't heard from you in days. What the hell is going on?"

"I'm just trying to answer the questions, buddy." Nick kicked off his shoes and headed to sit in a chair in the corner.

"How are you doing?"

Nick was quiet for a little while and then asked his friend, "How do I get her back, Brian? If she's really interested in him, how do I get her back?"

"Beg her, Nick. Get on your knees and beg her if you have to." Brian closed his eyes and he listened to Nick breathe. "And then fight him with every fiber of your goddamnned being."

The children met with the doctor and then so did the adults. Dr. Sanford was more concerned about Scotty than CJ at this point, although both of them were concerned about Christine dying. Armed with more advice, they thanked her and set about putting plans into action. She felt the weekend away with the kids staying together and Christine was probably an okay thing to do at this time, as long as CJ knew she could call them at any time.

Lexie packed a bag for herself for the weekend and then suddenly realized she wasn't sure when she agreed to do this. Sure the last two days had been pleasant enough, but were they really ready for days alone? Well, not exactly the days because they would be at the video shoot. It was more like the nights. They would be spending nights alone at AJ's house.

The next morning, Cook sent Nick and Lexie off to Orlando with a wave and a wink and Lexie still wasn't sure what had happened to get her there. He played his demo disc for her and chattered on and on for the entire trip.

God, is he nervous or something?

Nick's first single was going to be a pretty, jazz style song titled "I See" written by a local songwriter, Gabrielle Huntington. She had never had a major hit, but Nick was sure that this would be her first.

"We're using the old theatre and flash back and forth between the past and the present, movies to live theatre as the "I See" kinda treatment. Should be pretty cool."

"I hope you can do it in two days."

"Me, too. It's the only time we could book the old place."

Lexie and Nick arrived in time to get shuttled off to wardrobe and make up. Lexie waited inside the theatre with some extras. Wardrobe dressed her in some modern clothes and set her out in the crowd with everyone else.

She sat back and chatted with a few of them, then a young woman was paraded out front of them onto the stage and everyone turned to stare.

She was everything Lexie wasn't. Fair-complexioned and fair-haired. She was slender, but a healthy weight, and in heels she was as tall as Nick when he came to stand behind her and take his mark. Her long blonde, sun-kissed hair fell to her shoulders and nearly matched his in color.

No wonder they insisted he go slightly darker.

Logically, Lexie knew it was just work as the sound was cued up and the director did some blocking with the two of them. The woman in her felt threatened by this stranger and her proximity to Nick.

"Okay! Let's take the first cut. Quiet! Lights and cue sound!" the assistant director yelled as the lights in the auditorium dropped and only the stage was lit.

The first chords played and the powerful jazz saxophone soared until it dipped quietly behind Nick's vocals. Nick moved toward his female lead, working out the blocking the director had given him. He reached out his hand and she slipped hers into his and he pulled her close, looking deeply into her eyes.

I see you

That's all I really need to know

"Okay, cut!" The assistant director bellowed and the sound was cut off. "Okay, we're going to take some time to set up the performance part of the chorus. Nick, go take off your jacket and . . .you guys bring that chair over here!"

Nick took off his jacket and jumped off the stage as they set it. The house lights came back up and he searched for Lexie, found her, and waved her out to the aisle.

"So, what do you think so far?"

"Looks like that old Backstreet Boys video you guys did in an old theatre."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, I was expecting rain or something. I don't know, the song just reminds me of a rainy day." She shrugged as she reached up and loosened his tie.

"Hmmm, hadn't thought of that. They paid a fortune for this place. . ."

"Oh, it's fine for the performance segments, but the girl and the empty stage? Very Backstreet."

"I suppose I should have had you at the planning session for this." He smiled.

"Well, I'm not only half your age, I'm half the age of most of your executives, too." She chuckled. "Trust me. This is boring."