After Nick and Lexie picked up CJ at school, they took her to a restaurant where they all sat down to dinner. It was a wonderful family dinner. The management knew to keep fans away. The phone was ringing when they walked in the door and CJ ran to answer it. She was sitting in the den talking for quite awhile when Lexie went to check in on her.

"Who is it?" Lexie asked.

"It's Poppy." She smiled.

"Who?"

"AJ! He's telling me about his new house. You wanna talk to him?" CJ smiled.

"Sure." She said, reaching for the phone.

"Okay, here's Lexie." CJ said, handing the phone to Lexie and scrambling out of the chair.

"Go get ready for bed and go find your Dad." Lexie said.

"It's early, it's only 7:30!" CJ moaned.

"Get ready for bed and go find your Dad." Lexie said again. CJ promptly stomped out of the room.

"Hey, AJ." Lexie smiled.

"Hey babygirl! Was I keeping her up?" he asked.

"No. If she does as she's told, she'll find Nick in the studio with something to play for her."

"He start recording?"

"No, not that I know of. I think it's some older stuff or something." Lexie shrugged. "I don't know what those two do down there for hours. CJ usually just falls asleep in his lap."

"Alex and I do that sometimes."

"Really? So did me and . . .Howie." She said.

"It's okay." AJ said. "I know Howie's your Dad."

"I’m sorry. I just kinda stuttered, that's all." She said softly.

"Hey, we're past that, remember?" he said forcibly.

"Yeah." She nodded; knowing it wasn't quite true. She hated that they hadn't been close since that fight about Nick. They tried, but something wasn't quite right. She knew it even wasn't about Nick any more. So did AJ.

"You hear what CJ's calling me now? Poppy, isn't that cute." He laughed.

"Oh, yeah, she told me that. I hadn't heard that she finally made a decision." Lexie said. Listen to me, AJ! I want to tell you about Christine and how scared I am and how worried about Nick I am!

"Oh, hey, the reason I called. The wedding DVD came here, I think Howie's got the pictures and I'd like to bring them to you guys next week. I was thinking I'd fly out and pick up Nick for you this way he can stay home an extra day."

"Really?"

"Sure. I've got some papers to sign on the new house and make some arrangements for some decorating for it."

"That sounds great." She nodded. "I'll talk to Nick, but I'm sure you guys can stay here. You are bringing Alex, aren't you?"

"Of course, couldn't go anywhere without my little man." He chuckled.

"I'd love to see you guys."

"I was thinking of making a full week out of it and coming in on Monday. ."

"Monday's not good. . .uh. . .Nick's got meetings. . .me too. . ." she said.

"Okay, Tuesday?"

"How about Wednesday?"

"Okay, so Nick and I can fly out Saturday night?"

"Could we stretch it until Sunday morning?"

"Yep, as long as he's in the studio Monday morning, Howie will be happy." AJ said.

"Thanks, AJ." She sighed.

"Honey, you okay?" he asked softly. Something in his tone made him sound so concerned, so fatherly and so much like Howie.

"Yeah, it's been a long day and I didn't sleep well last night." She began. Listen to me. . .

"How come?"

"Just tossing and turning." She said. Can’t you hear what I’m trying to say?

"Are you still on the phone with Poppy?" CJ asked from the doorway.

"Yes, you still want to talk to him?" Lexie asked.

"Can he sing me a song?" she asked.

"Sure I can." AJ said into the phone. "Put her on."

CJ climbed up into Lexie's arms and listen to AJ sing her a little song. Lexie absently rocked the leather office chair back and forth. CJ snuggled into Lexie's arms and she held onto her. Lexie could barely hear AJ's voice through the handset. When he stopped singing, CJ told him that she loved him. He returned the "I love you" to her. CJ handed Lexie the phone, but stayed in her lap.

"Thanks." Lexie said.

"Any time, sweetheart. You girls sound tired. I'd better let you go." He said softly.

"Bye." Lexie said.

"I love you, Lexie."

"I love you too." She mumbled, feeling the sadness of not being able to say what she so desperately wanted to.

"Where's CJ?" Nick asked as Lexie walked into the studio.

"I put her to bed. She was tired. AJ sang to her." Lexie said.

"That was AJ on the phone?"

"Yes, he wants to fly out Wednesday and then take you back Sunday morning."

"That's cool. At least I won't have to leave on Friday." He smiled. "We'll have a built in babysitter if he stays here and you and I can have a date."

"I can't believe you're going to be gone." Lexie said quietly, sitting in a chair next to him.

"I know, baby, I don't want to go. All the more reason for us to buy a house in Orlando."

"I know." She nodded.

"Baby, what is it?"

"AJ." She said, her voice breaking.

"What? Did you guys have a fight or something?"

"No, no. I . . .we're just not that close any more. Not since the fight and he found out about us."

"I thought you were okay with that. I mean, you said you loved him."

"I do, but it's just not enough." She cried. "I waited so long to know him and when I did it. . ."

"What?"

"It didn't last."

"It was hard for him to accept. It's probably still hard." Nick said. "It'll get better with time. When we move there, it'll be better. You'll get to see Alex and Caroline more and the boys and Marta, Aria and that wacky cousin of yours. . ."

"Marshall." She chuckled.

"God that kid is strange." He chuckled. "I think you're homesick and tired and worried about Christine."

"Aren't you?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"Yes. God, I can't tell you how worried I am, but I'll go insane between now and Monday if I just let it eat at me." He sighed. "Today is over and we've got three more to go."

"Plus dinner at your mother's." she smiled through her tears.

"God, I almost forgot." He groaned. She laughed at his antics. "One thing at a time, okay? Let's take care of Christine, then we'll plan our move to Orlando. Deal?"

"Deal." She nodded.

For all Nick's brave talk, he was out of bed an hour after getting in. He settled into the rocker in the nursery again for a long night, just to return before the alarm went off. She got out of bed moments after he got in, even before the alarm. She was fully in the shower when the alarm on her side went off. He reached over to slap it off, but there was a piece of paper on the alarm. He pushed it aside and then leaned over the bed and picked it up. He noticed her handwriting right away.

Don’t leave me like this.

Don’t leave me like this.

Nick’s head dropped to the mattress, his arms holding the piece of paper above the floor. Had he done this? Had he pushed her to write this?

"Get it?" he heard her ask. He looked up, then sat up with the piece of paper in his hand.

"I’m sorry. . ."

"I don’t want you to be sorry." She said softly. "I want you to understand."

"I. . .uh. . .I think I do." He muttered. "I won’t spend another night in the nursery. Is that what made you write this?" he said of the paper.

"My father is a poet." She shrugged; walking over and holding her hand out for the piece of paper. She read it over and handed it back to him. "I’ve got to go wake CJ, sounds like she’s not up yet."

He watched her tighten her robe and head out into the hall. Yeah, he got it. He read the words again. He stretched out to her bed stand and opened the drawer. He pulled out a pen.

Tiny demons laugh in my face.

For the ruling Queen of Hearts.

He left it back where he found it, laying across the alarm clock.

Nick missed CJ going to school; he had been in the shower after Lexie. He was down in the studio when Lexie came down with a piece of paper. He saw her reflection in the glass as she stood there.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked.

"I thought I just did." He said, not removing his gaze from her reflection.

"I thought you had a handle on this."

"I might lose my daughter. How do I 'handle' that?" he sighed.

"Everything was okay until you went to bed?" she asked gently.

"It's like my fears are bigger. The house is quiet and I thought you were asleep."

"I wasn't."

"I know." He said grimly.

"I wrote you a rebuttal." She smiled.

"Let me see." He smiled, turning his chair toward her. She handed him the paper back.

Sirens call you from the dark

Even when we are apart.

"Baby, this is beautiful." He gasped, reaching for her hand. "I'll miss you too." Lexie leaned over and kissed his sweet lips gently. He swiftly stood up and took her passionately into his arms. "Let's go back upstairs." She broke from his arms with a nod, took his hand, and led the way.

"Hey, mon! Whatcha' working on?" AJ laughed as he and Alex came into Howie's office.

"Hey guys!" Howie smiled, getting to his feet and hugging them both.

"Hi Uncle Howie!" Alex cheered, throwing himself from AJ's arms into Howie's.

"Oomph! Gesh, you're getting to be quite a big boy." Howie laughed, hoisting him on his hip. "Come on in, have a seat. What you two doing out and about?"

"I talked to Lexie last night. I'm gonna fly out on Wednesday and hang with them for a bit. Nick and I will fly out of L.A. on Sunday."

"That's nice of you AJ."

"Well, I've got a little business to do. You and Leah still have the pictures, I offered to take everything out there."

"I think Lee's holding them hostage so Lexie will come here and visit." Howie laughed as Alex climbed down and headed for a toy box Howie kept in the office for him and Caroline.

"Well, according to CJ, Lexie has a job with an old roommate at an auction house. It's only temporary until Nick gets back."

"I thought she was going back to school."

"I guess not." AJ shrugged.

"What else you guys talk about?"

"Not much. When is the last time you talked to her?"

"Before the wedding. I haven't had chance to call since they got back."

"What about Leah?"

"No, I don't think she has either." Howie shrugged.

"How come?"

"We're busy AJ." Howie chuckled. AJ saw the blush rise in Howie's cheek, although Howie hadn't mentioned anything.

"Busy doing what?" AJ teased. "You been going home for lunch?"

"Just yesterday. . .stop it AJ!" Howie laughed.

"Ah, naw, good for you, buddy. You should be enjoying your life and not be cooped up in here." AJ smiled.

"We're thinking of having another baby."

"What? Are you serious?" AJ said.

"Yeah. I'd like to try at least, you know, for Caroline." Howie sighed.

"Look, I don't want to piss you off or anything, but aren't you getting just a little too old for having any more babies?" AJ smiled.

"Naw, it's not like we can't afford them. I'm thinking of reorganizing the company any ways. I'm thinking of retiring." Howie sighed.

"Oh really?"

"I don't want to live like this. This is insane. It's not the same as when I started out. I missed John's entire baseball season last year and I don't want to listen to Leah go on and on about that again." Howie chuckled.

"You thinking of selling?" AJ asked.

"Why? You wanna buy it?" Howie chuckled.

"I could. I own plenty of stock in it." He smiled.

"What would you do with MY record company?" Howie quizzed him.

"I'd hire some 20 something to run it and rake in the bucks." AJ laughed.

"You think some 20 something will know how to manage Nick Carter and Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys?" Howie said, shaking his head.

"Probably." AJ said seriously.

It didn't take much and both Nick and Lexie were fast asleep. Neither one of them had slept well the last couple nights and this was the result. Locked in tangled sheets, Lexie did wake once in time to set the alarm so they could get up to go pick up CJ. She nestled down back into Nick's arms and his lips found her forehead as he drifted off again.

Nick woke before the alarm and Lexie had pulled away from him while she slept. Her back to him, he reached over and spooned up behind her laying an arm over her. He lay awake and his thoughts drifted to Christine.

Two women could not be more different.

Christine had been as light as Lexie was dark. Christine had been much taller than Lexie, nearly 6 feet tall barefoot. She never liked Nick to hold her like this and would gently brush him away. Christine had never been happy here and only moved in when she was pregnant. That always hurt him to know that he hadn't made her life here at least comfortable.

He had enjoyed her. Shy to a fault, he had pursued her for months before she relented. She was so quiet that he had to always ask what she was thinking. Lexie had no problem telling him what was on her mind.

Dinner with the lioness, feeding with the pack.

Only matters what you say.

She had always seemed so fragile and he treated her more like a delicate china doll than as a woman. The pregnancy seemed to take a toll on Christine and she suffered from post partum depression for weeks afterwards. Nick figured she never got over it and that's why she left.

No warning, no explanations.

He had told her he loved her, because he felt he did at the time. He was so grateful to her for giving him CJ, that he did everything he could to make sure she was happy. She never told him she loved him, so he imagined she never did. She was never happy here, but neither was he. He had been simply resigned.

He looked around the room, one he had shared with both of them and then he realized how wrong he was to ask Lexie to live here with him. God, he had never even considered it from her point of view. Christine hadn't been the first woman to live here with him. He had kept this house as a symbol of each one of those relationships. As one by one they tried to sue him, he had always managed to retain the house. It was like his trophy or his winnings.

He looked down at Lexie's sleeping form and then over at the clock. It was nearly 1:30 in the afternoon and her hand reached back and he took it. She pulled him closer, wrapping his arm around her waist.

Breath quickening at sight

For the ruling Queen of Hearts.