Kevin loitered by the baggage claim area at Tampa airport as he waited for Jane Carter. Sighing, he wished he hadn't made the promise to meet the woman at the airport. It would have been much easier for her to have taken a taxi cab to Nick's house. Thumbing though an old National Enquirer that was left on a ledge, he passed away the time until Jane's flight - which had been delayed - arrived.

He didn't realize he was engrossed in an article until he heard a woman's voice calling his name.

"You look like you're trying to hide from me."

As he looked up from his reading material he discovered the voice belonged to Jane Carter.

Folding the paper up in a hurry, Kevin stood up to greet the woman. He pasted a fake smile on his face.

"Hi Jane, good flight?"

"It was horrible, they overbooked the flight and they a horrible family onboard that smelled and the flight attendants were as skilled as my little finger."

Kevin groaned inwardly. Still the same Jane....that woman never sees the good in anything!

He forced a toothy smile. "Well at least you didn't crash."

Jane Carter smiled as she lightly swatted at Kevin's arm. "Kevin! I see you've been hanging around my Nicky too long! That is exactly what he would have said." Her smile slowly faded. "How is he doing?"

"As well as can be expected....where's your bag?"

"Bags," Jane corrected. "I brought two bags and my carryon.....the floral patterned ones right there...cornflower blue."

Kevin's eyes followed the woman's large cocktail ringed finger as she gestured toward two large suitcases sitting on the turnstyle. He quickly strode over to toward the carousel, hoisting the luggage to the floor.

Grunting as he tugged the luggage over toward Jane, Kevin muttered, "What the hell did you pack in here? Aaron's twin?"

"I'm planning on staying at Nicky's until he comes home," Jane explained. "I packed everything I needed."

"Great," he mumbled.

"What?"

"Skycap......I said we better find a skycap because I don't think I can carry these bags myself back to the parking lot." 'Why didn't I beg her to take a taxi?' Kevin groaned mentally.

"D.....you don't have to stay with me if you don't wanna," Nick stated quietly.

"Huh?"

"I said you don't have to stay with me, you look like you're millions of miles away from this place....thats always been my job bro."

Howie looked at his young bandbrother. "Nah, I'm fine I was just thinking about some stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Nothing important."

"You're lying."

The Latino blushed. "Huh? me? I don't lie Nick."

Nick chuckled. "Yeah I know you don't that's why when you try to lie you do a horrible job of it. So spill it, what are you thinking about?"

"Some real estate things," Howie replied, quickly adding, "nothing you'd be interested in or understand."

"Oh."

Part of what Howie told Nick was true....he was bothered with real estate, but it wasn't financial real estate it was the fact that Nick's mother would be staying at the house and as he recalled the last time Jane Carter was around, the visit was anything but pleasant.

"So are you looking at buying another hotel franchise around here?"

Howie jerked. "Huh?"

"Dude.....seriously you are spacing out! What the heck is on your mind?"

"Well....um...." As Howie was stalling to think of an answer, Aaron mercifully entered the sick room.

"Hey squirt," Nick smiled.

Howie was thankful that Nick's attention was finally drawn away. "Did they do the test already?"

Aaron rubbed the crook of his left arm. "Yeah, the girl that was taking the blood was nervous or something I guess and she ended up getting someone else to do it cause she, as the other woman said, 'blew a vein' whatever the hell that means but it hurt like a bitch."

"Aaron! When did you get such a potty mouth?" Nick admonished.

Aaron smiled underneath the surgical mask. "Ever since I started listening to you, big brother."

"Better not let ma hear those words come out of your mouth."

"That bitch has heard me say worse."

"Aaron!"

"Well it's true and she is a bitch!"

Nick frowned. "Thats not a good thing to say about your mother..."

"You've said it before," Aaron defended.

Nick's expression saddened. "I know and it really wasn't a nice thing to have done."

Aaron folded his arms across his chest. "Where's my big brother?"

"What do you mean by that?" Nick asked.

"You've gotten all holy on me or something which ain't like you."

"Nope not holy by any means, just look at things in a different perspective I suppose.....and ain't isn't a word."

"There's nothing wrong with that AC, Nick is just looking at life differently....you can't hold a guy down for trying to better himself and you're giving me the heebie jeebies by talking like Kevin correcting Aaron's grammar...."

Aaron shuddered. "Yeah it's really creepy weird coming from Nick. He's never been that nice to ma since I can ever remember."

Yawning, Nick covered his mouth. "Yeah....well I guess people can change."

Howie decided now was a good time to tell Nick about the impending visit from his mother. "Ah, Nick?" Nick turned his attention toward the direction of the Latino. "I guess this would be a good time to tell you that Kevin isn't taking care of business at your house right now.....he's at the airport picking up your mother."

Howie braced himself for the outburst from Nick that he was certain would come. There was an outburst, however it didn't come from the oldest blonde in the room.

"What the hell is she doing coming down here?! Can't she just stay the fuck away and leave everyone alone? Doesn't she know that Nick doesn't need her negativity right now?" Aaron demanded, ignoring Nick and Howie's pleas to quiet down during his temper tantrum.

"Aaron, quiet down, I'm sure this will be a pleasant visit from mom for a change," Nick commented, his eyes half open.

Howie noticed Nick's eyes were at half mast. "Do you want us to stick around until you fall asleep?"

Nick shook his head. "Nah, I'll be fine....why don't you two go out for pizza or something, I'll be fine," Nick suggested.

The Latino rasied an eyebrow as he studied his youngest brother. "You sure?"

Nick yawned again. "Positive."

Aaron wrapped his arms around Nick and pulled him into a tight hug. "I'll see you in awhile, I guess. Love ya."

"Love you too," Nick grinned.

Howie gave Nick a hug as well. "Okay I'll make sure one of us comes back with AC in a bit," he promised. "Love you."

"Love you too, see ya later."

As much as he wanted to enjoy the pizza, Aaron felt as if his heart wasn't completely in it. They had left Nick a little more than an hour ago and Aaron couldn't help but feel guilty about leaving his brother lay there awake and alone. Howie quickly caught the young man's distress.

"Something wrong with the pizza AC?"

Aaron poked at a piece of greasy pepperoni with a finger. "Nah....the pizza is okay I guess."

The Latino raised an eyebrow. "You said you were starved when we left the parking lot. So what gives?"

"Nothing.....it'll be fine."

Howie leaned his elbows on the table and folded his hands in front of him. "You're just like your brother when something's bugging you. I know if you talk about it you'll feel better. C'mon, tell me whats wrong."

Not trusting his eyes to betray his emotions, Aaron pushed the slice of pizza on his plate. "I guess I just feel weird about Nick."

"Weird how?"

Aaron shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno......weird like its not Nick or something thats laying in the hospital....I guess I think he's gone on a vacation someplace and hes playing a joke on me.....forget I even said that, that's just stupid."

"It's not stupid Aaron. I think I understand what you're trying to say. You know when my sister Caroline first got really sick I was hoping that this was just a mistake the doctors made or that she got a real bad flu bug or something like that. I guess when someone you love is sick like they are, you just can't believe that this is happening and I suppose thinking its not real is a way of coping with it."

Aaron nodded. "Yeah but why do I feel so guilty everytime I see him?"

The Latino smiled. "That I don't know the answer to Aaron, I guess it's just that we care so much for them that it hurts us to see them hurting."

Aaron swallowed hard as he looked down at his plate. "I-I didn't see Nick eat at all since I've been up to see him. He'd like to have some of this, wouldn't he?"

Howie smiled as he looked at the young version of Nick, tears glistening in his eyes. "He would love some pizza, but right now he can't eat much of anything."

"He can't or he won't?"

"He can't right now. His body is going through so much that he really can't eat anything since he's been back in the hospital. They are giving him nourishment through his IV and he's got a central line where they give him stuff too. Not the greatest thing to have when you think about actually tasting your food but I doubt he really has the strength to chew."

"I hope that I match his marrow."

"I hope so too Aaron......I really hope so."