The next morning, everyone woke in the master bedroom; they all got up and dressed for play. After breakfast, everyone walked on the beach until it was time to return for lunch and then to go to the services at 1 p.m.

Nick and Lexie were surprised by the turnout. A lot of Nick's family was there, as well as Brian, Leighanne, AJ, Tina and some of Lexie's family including her mother. It was wonderful having so many people there to support them and CJ, although none of them knew Scotty except for AJ.

Lexie sat between Scotty and Leah, while both children sat between Nick and Lexie. Christine's lawyer did the eulogy from New York and Lexie suspected that their relationship had been more than professional by his overwhelming emotion; emotion shared by nearly no one else in the room.

Scotty got up and down in his seat, crawling between Lexie's lap and Nick's. Eventually, he settled down to stand at the inside aisle of their row between AJ's knees and watching the service. He would glance back at AJ, then at Nick and return to watching the prayers and services for his mother.

When the service ended and it was time to view the body, Lexie called him back to her as the funeral directors opened the casket.

Nick took CJ up to quietly say goodbye to the mother she barely knew. She just stared down at her, hugged her father's neck, and they moved away. Lexie picked Scotty up and moved forward.

"Bye, Mommy." He said in a loud whisper, leaning over with Lexie to kiss her goodbye. "I love you, Mommy." That brought tears to her eyes as it did most of the adults who didn't even know him. "Bye-bye, Mommy."

He turned around and hugged Lexie hard around her neck as she walked away with him. Everyone who had known her filed past and paid their respects. Most of Lexie's family doing it out of obligation to Nick, Lexie, CJ and the little boy whom just entered their lives and family.

Lexie joined Nick and CJ out in the hall. CJ was actually holding her grandmother's hand. When Jane moved toward Lexie, she wasn't sure what to do with Scotty. To Lexie's amazement, Jane reached out and stroked Scotty cheek tenderly.

"I'm CJ's Grandma Jane. I'm going to be your Grandma, too." She smiled just for him.

He looked at Lexie and then at Leah who was standing next to her.

"Jane is Nick's mother. Leah is my mother so they are both your grandmas now." Lexie tried to explain.

Scotty looked Jane up and down then said, "I've never had a grandma before."

"Well, now you have two." Jane told him.

"And our jobs are to spoil you rotten." Leah tickled his tummy.

"I think that would be a wonderful idea." Jane agreed. "Would like to ride in the car with me and CJ?"

"C'mon, Scotty." CJ urged him.

"Are you sure you want both of them?" Lexie set a squirming Scotty down. He took CJ's hand, and they walked to the waiting limos.

"Oh, I'll be fine." She waved to Lexie as she followed the children.

"I think there has been a cold day in hell." Leah whispered to Lexie.

"I think you're right." Lexie whispered back.

The children rode with Aaron, his daughter Jane and Grandma Jane to the cemetery for the graveside service. Leah rode in another car with Lexie and Nick and they discussed Jane's surprising attitude.

"Well, I doubt she's going to be putting him in the will or anything." Nick commented dryly.

"But it is nice of her to be so accepting of him. I mean, he's not really her grandson." Lexie pointed out.

"I'm sure there is some twisted motivation behind it."

"Nick, you are awful." Leah scolded him.

"I'm sure Aaron put the fear of God into her. As long as she behaves herself, I don't care what she does." Nick sighed.

"I just want both of them to have enough love to get through this, even if it comes from a surprising source." Lexie told them both.

Family and friends gathered at the house where Cook oversaw the caterers for the wake. Alex and Scotty were in play clothes and out the backdoor in a flash. Everyone was polite and respectful of Christine's death, but as Lexie moved around the room, she heard a lot of business chatter. The fates of SDR and Nick's new album release were the main topics. Howie's health and his return to home came up as well as adoption of Scotty.

"So, mother is behaving herself." Aaron chuckled as he leaned on the bar where Lexie stood getting a drink for Jane.

"Yes, what did you do to her?" Lexie smiled.

"Just explained a few things to her. She's trying to get back into Nick's good graces. She wants CJ to come visit for the summer."

"Well, I don't know what he's going to say about that."

"Hopefully you'll all come to visit this summer." Aaron stood up and put an arm around her shoulders. "You're looking a little too thin. My big brother taking good enough care of you?"

"Oh, it's fine, Aaron. You know me. Easy on, easy off." She smiled as she stepped away to bring Jane her requested drink. The two women spoke civilly to each other, but Lexie wasn't interested in a confrontation with her right away.

"Boy, we're going to have a hard time separating those two." Leah laughed as she approached Jane and Lexie. Alex and Scotty came tearing through the house looking for a snack from Cook. She promptly took them into the kitchen to eat a proper lunch. "I think they will grow up to be best friends."

"Well, technically, isn't Alex Scotty's uncle?" Jane inquired.

"I guess so." Lexie chuckled. "I hadn't thought of that."

"You know, I admire what you and Nick are doing." Jane continued. "Taking him in and all. I hope he can come to visit this summer with CJ. You know, in L.A."

"Well," Lexie began with a knowing smile. "We'll just have to schedule that. There is no telling with Nick's album being released in July when we'll be able to do that. I'll talk to Nick about it, though."

"Oh! Would you? I'd like to have them both this summer." Jane smiled eagerly.

"Yeah, I'll talk to Nick." Lexie agreed.

The last of the guests left around 4 p.m. CJ had disappeared into her room with Jane and had fallen asleep, so Jane informed them when it was time for her to leave. Scotty and Alex kept going at full speed until it was Alex's turn to leave. No doubt, Alex fell asleep in the car, because Scotty was out about 10 minutes after starting to watch TV.

"Any run-ins with AJ?" Nick asked her as he stuffed his tie into his jacket pocket and helped her collect glasses from around the living room.

"No. He was on his best behavior. He seems happy to have Alex here to play with Scotty."

"It was good for Scotty." Nick smiled. "We'll have to find him a playgroup or pre-school or something. I think there is a pre-school at CJ's school."

"Did you leave him in the theatre?"

"Yeah, he's out like a light. He's not going anywhere any time soon." Nick set the used glasses on the bar as Cook gathered them up to take them into the kitchen.

"Poor little soul." Cook sighed. "He's so lucky to have you two."

"Oh, thanks, Cook." Lexie smiled as Cook turned toward the kitchen. "I'm just lucky to have you." She reached out and squeezed Nick's hand.

"Ain't that the truth." He teased her as he pulled her into her arms. He kissed her lightly and then let her go. It was not the kind of kiss that Lexie found herself craving these days. "We'd better go finish helping Cook." He smiled softly. "You think tomorrow you'll go to Orlando to visit with Howie? CJ wants to go. I'm thinking we could all go."

"Yeah, I was. That'll be fine." She nodded. He turned and picked up some dishes and headed into the kitchen. "Just fine."

Nick and Lexie let the children wake up on their own. Scotty found Lexie in the office answering emails and snuggled up on her lap. He sat quietly as she typed and answered her quietly when she asked him a question.

"There, I'm done. Are you hungry? Would like some dinner?" She asked.

"No."

"Tomorrow we're going to go to visit Grandpa Howie in the hospital again. Is that okay?" She asked him. He only nodded in agreement. "Let's go see what CJ and Nick are doing."

CJ was hungry, but Scotty wasn't. He played in his room while they ate a light meal of leftovers. CJ went up to get him when she was done, but didn't come back for a long time.

"You think we should check on them?" Nick asked.

"I don't know. I guess. It's been a half an hour. You don't think they fell back asleep, do you?"

"God, I hope not." He smiled as they got up from the kitchen table and headed upstairs. They heard voices coming from CJ's room and waited outside the room.

"You should call my Dad, 'dad'." CJ told Scotty. "Because he's like your dad, now."

Nick flashed a little smile at Lexie who returned his grin.

"I don't wanna." Scotty muttered.

"I guess you don't have to right away, but you will later." She warned him.

"Lexie is my Mommy now." Scotty suddenly said and Lexie almost gasped. There was silence between the children. They heard some shuffling and then a thump that sounded like Scotty sitting on the floor.

"I guess she's my mom, too, now. She's always been like my mom." CJ said.

Nick gave Lexie a thumbs up.

"I want to see my mommy." Scotty said sadly.

"I know, but you can only see her in your heart now because she went to Heaven." CJ explained to him. "And we have pictures."

"I know, but I don't like that." Scotty's voice sounded muffled.

"I don't like it either." She agreed.

Nick peeked into the room to find CJ's arm around Scotty and his face buried in her sweater. Lexie and Nick watched as CJ comforted him.

"We have to be brave, because that's what Mom would want."

Lexie tapped Nick on the shoulder and signaled that they should leave the children alone. They quietly backed down the hall and down the stairs.

"I just get more amazed by her every day." Lexie sighed as she looked over at Nick. "Every single day."

"I know what you mean." He smiled back. "I think they're okay. Let's go get some coffee and take it out on the deck."

"You got yourself a date." She agreed.

For the rest of the week, they all went to visit Howie and helped get the Dorough home ready for Howie's trip home on Monday. He still wasn't speaking, but he was walking on his own with a cane.

Each day got better for the children, still having moments of tears, especially when Scotty wasn't sure where he fit in with the other children. While in Orlando, he spent some time with AJ and Alex, playing while others were working around the house. They were quickly becoming like bread and butter, which was so cute to see.

"I had no idea what another kid would do for him." AJ mused as he watched them play in Howie's back yard.

"They are quite a pair, aren't they?" Nick agreed.

"When's the adoption final?"

"Not for three more months. I've got a local attorney working on it." Nick told him. "Sabrina doesn't hold a bar here in Florida."

"I'm sure Tina would have done it for you. . ." AJ began.

"Nah, she has her hands full with SDR." Nick shook his head. "It was her idea any ways."

"And you have no idea who the father is?"

"Not a one."

AJ turned to leave the deck and head back inside, "You know if I didn't know better I'd think it was Kevin. Kid looks just like him."

Thank God, AJ turned his back when he said that so he missed Nick's reaction. Hell, he hadn't seen the resemblance until Lexie had told him. He wondered if Kevin would see it, too, if he ever saw his son.

No. Nick would never get the chance to find out. He wouldn't give Kevin a chance to see him. Not until the adoption was final and Scotty was legally his son. There would be nothing Kevin could do about it.

The following week, Howie came home and was excited to see everyone there. Somehow, Nick convinced AJ that the boys would be better off at his house with Tina's girls babysitting than at the Dorough house. Kevin was going to be there, too. Lexie thought it was strange, but since the boys liked to spend so much time together, she didn't give it too much of a second thought.

Things between AJ and Lexie seemed to be mellowing. They were slipping into a comfortable place with each other, although it was not as loving and close as a parent-child relationship. It was all AJ could do not to flinch when he saw her with Howie, but he never let it show. Not once.

By the end of May, Kevin did file for divorce from Kristen, just as Jake had said. Invitations for Jake's Orlando graduation party arrived, but Nick didn't seem interested in going. Kevin asked if he'd be there and that was when Nick committed to going. Right after the filing, Kevin and Sabrina came out as a couple. The way Aaron told it, he thought Jill and Tina were going to kill her for hiding out like that.

CJ's birthday party was at the end of the month and she had tons of her little friends from school, not to mention family as well. It was Howie's first trip away from Orlando, but he was glad to come. Finally speaking, his speech came broken and slurred, but with patience, he could be understood.

Lexie sat on the couch with him and he put an arm around her shoulders to pull her close. He kissed her cheek.

"Hey, watch the moves, D!" Nick teased him as he plopped down on the couch across from them. "That's my girl."

Howie swung out his cane and smacked him on the shin. "My daughter." He smiled.

"Ouch! Hey, I'd watch him. He's still an operator." Nick laughed.

"I know, he's the worst." Leah came up behind them and put her arms around Howie's neck, kissing his cheek.

"Man, I think you two need a room." Nick pointed toward Howie's lap. "Would you like some ice for that swelling, D."

"Oh, man." Howie groaned, crossing his legs while the ladies laughed with Nick.

"Shame on you, Nick Carter!" Leah scolded him with her pointed finger.

Nick got up and slapped Howie's knee, "You don't fool me for a second." He winked at his former band mate. "Come, wife, the guests are demanding cake." He held out his to Lexie who took it and he pulled her to her feet. "Let's give them cake."

They laughed as they moved off, leaving Leah and Howie alone for a moment.

"That's quite a remarkable display, Howie." She breathed in his ear.

"Stop." He stammered.

"I'm afraid I might not be able to stop." She moved around the couch, straightened his legs and sat in his lap. She slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the lips.

Howie turned his face away, "Stop."

"I know you think I shouldn't still want you, but I do." She said quietly. His brown eyes spoke volumes as they locked with hers. "I love you with all my heart, honey. The doctors said it would be okay. I shouldn't let you off the hook so easily." She kissed him again and got up. "I don't think you want me, too, either."

"What's going on in there?" AJ asked over Nick's shoulder as Nick served cake. Nick looked back as Leah helped Howie up.

"I do believe romance is in bloom." Nick chuckled.

"Good Lord, do you think he still can?" AJ mused. Nick gave him a stern look, "Yeah, what was I thinking?" AJ chuckled with a shake of his head.

"You two quit talking trash." Leighanne warned Nick and AJ as she got some cake for Brian.

"What else kinda talkin' is there?" AJ cackled.

"You're still so evil." Leighanne bumped AJ with her hip as she moved off with her plates.

The rest of the party went well with all the boys there except Kevin. He had to fly to Paris suddenly to do some re-mixing for a film. No great loss for Nick, but there was still the party in June for Jake.

"Earth to Nick." Lexie snapped her fingers in his face. AJ had left him standing at the cake with a serving knife posed.

"Huh?" Nick said startled.

"I said, 'can you help Mom get Dad out to the deck?'" Lexie chuckled.

"Yeah, sure, no problem."

"He okay?" Brian approached Lexie and they both watched him guide Howie to the deck.

"Yeah. I think. I don't know. He seems pre-occupied with something." Lexie wondered aloud.

"I thought so, too." Brian agreed. "Nothing bad, I hope."

"No, not that I know of." Lexie shrugged. "Not that I know of."