Here is my newest story, hope everyone likes it!

Special thanks to my Beta: Dannylionthe1st!

The only character that belongs to me are Lexi and her friends and family, any other characters belong to the creative mind of Kelley Armstrong. The characters Kate, and Jeremy's twin boys belong to LadyOfGlencairn from her story "Undone"

Chapter 1

"Mommy, please don't go!" three year old Alexandra Carson screamed as her mom sat her in the closet and went to shut the door.

"Kitten, it will be okay. I will be right back. Stay here, baby." Haley Carson said as the thunderstorm raged outside.

"Mommy, I scared! Don't leave me," the little girl sobbed as she grabbed on to her mom's leg.

"Lexi, sweetie, I promise, I will be right back." her mom said. She kissed her forehead and shut the door softly.

It felt like forever as the storm continued to rage. The little girl slowly opened the closet and walked out even though her mommy had told her to stay there. Every clap of thunder and lightning made her jump as she walked into the living room and saw her mom lying on the floor.

"Mommy? Mommy!" she called as she ran over to her as fast as her little legs could carry her.

"Mommy, please wake up!" she shouted.

Suddenly Lexi heard a noise behind her; she turned and looked towards the open widow where a pair of glowing eyes stared back at her. She cried out softly and tried to run but it felt as if her tiny feet were glued to the floor as the room went dark and she screamed.

"Lexi bolted upright in bed, heart pounding as her room tilted slightly from her panic. Damn nightmare, she thought as she clenched her fists and took in deep breaths, letting them out slowly to calm herself. The nightmares were always the same, intense, terrifying, vivid. As if she were reliving her mother's unsolved murder each and every time. She always felt the killer, his presence in her dream. As much as she longed to see his face to finally solved that mystery she always woke up. Sometimes, he managed to see eyes in the darkness. Letting out a sigh, she glanced at the clock, grumbling at the early hour.

"I might as well get up, no chance of getting back to sleep now," she said to herself and she made her way out of bed.

She walked into the kitchen of her small apartment and started a pot of coffee before walking over to the shelf that held her cookbooks, and pulling out an old file.

She sat down at the table, setting the folder in front of her. She was grateful that her Pops had made copies of some of the things that had been released to the public, along with the things she had been able to find on the internet. She'd spent countless hours poring through every piece of evidence to the point that she'd practically memorized everything. And yet, there were no answers. Someone had brutally murdered her mother, and he was never caught.

She sighed as she glanced at one of the pictures of her mom, one of the last ones that had been taken shortly before her death. She was smiling and Lexi had to fight back tears every time she looked at it. She was pulled from her thoughts as her phone rang. She picked it up and answered without looking at the caller ID, knowing that only one person would be calling this early.

"Hi, Pops. Couldn't sleep either?" she said in way of a greeting.

"Hey, Lex. Nope, your mom snores like a freight train" Noah Kennedy replied making his youngest daughter roll her eyes.

"No, she doesn't, that's you," Lexi retorted.

"Ah, I guess you're right on that one, Lex. Are you looking at those files again?" he asked knowing that it was something that she often did when she couldn't sleep. Over the years, he had learned that it was a force of habit with her and even though it concerned him, he knew better than to say anything, his youngest daughter had the tendency to shut down if she was being pushed too far.

"Yeah, and no. I haven't found anything new, but then again, that never changes." She sighed before closing the file.

"We will catch whoever killed her. I promise, Lex, I haven't given up. You're still the best eyes and ears I got on this one. So, I still need ya on the case," he said in a tone that made Lexi believe him, despite the disappointment that had seeped into his voice. They had had this conversation many times before. He believed that she had caught a glimpse of the killer, but it was locked inside her head and had been ever since that night.

Over the years, the death of Lexi's mom had become the one case that Lieutenant Noah Kennedy had never quite been able to figure out, all he knew was that a young woman had been killed, no, butchered was a better word. Haley had worked for the police department as a lab tech, he had known both she and Lexi pretty well. After Haley died, the little girl had had no one and eventually Noah had brought her home as a member of his own family. The department could have fired him for that, but it had been one of their own who had been murdered and the NYPD took that seriously.

"I know, Pops. I should probably go and get ready for work," she sighed finally.

"Okay, Lex, do you have any plans for tonight?" he asked hoping that she was going to be doing more than sitting around her apartment or working.

"Yeah, um Amanda wants us to check out that club that she renovated. Says the owner is a nice guy, but I think she just wants to try and play match maker." Lex sighed.

Noah laughed. "Sounds like Amanda," he stated. "Well, sweetheart, what's the harm in giving him a shot? Who knows, maybe he's someone truly worthwhile."

Lexi snorted. "You clearly don't remember Amanda. But, okay, Pops. I will. Love you."

"Do you realize what time it is? Noah, I sent you down here because you were waking me up with your snoring. And now you're keeping me awake with your loud talking. I swear." Angela's familiar authoritative voice sounded distant through the phone.

"Love you too, Lex," Noah said emphasizing her name as some sort of jab to his wife.

"Amanda is playing matchmaker again Angie, Lexi is meeting the guy tonight" Lexi heard her father explain.

"Well that is fascinating, and it will be in a few hours after we get some sleep. Have a good day at work baby girl. I'm putting your father back to bed now. Call me tomorrow and let me know how the fix up went," Angela piped up.

"Ha there will be no fix up, but I will call you anyways, momma. Love you." Lexi smiled as she ended the call before padding off to the shower.

Lexi stepped into her tub, feeling the scalding water hit her skin. Her parents were probably delighted she was going out for once to have fun. They did their best to hint at her need to socialize more and not spend her weekends at home or with them. It was obvious to her that they clearly wanted her to start dating again, and it wasn't that she was opposed to the idea. She'd dated several men, but none compared to her high school sweetheart, Justin.

She sighed, shaking her head to clear her memory of him. It wasn't that they had a bad break-up. If anything, it was clean. Both of them had apparently been on the same page. They loved one another, but were not in love with one another anymore. It was difficult, letting go of what was familiar. But it was for the best. And the two had luckily been able to remain friends. She just hadn't found that one person. And she was tired of looking for him. She had to admit, if only to herself, she was slightly jealous of her parents' relationship. They made love seem so easy, and she knew that Pops still managed to drive her Mama crazy after close to thirty five years of marriage.

Turning off the shower, Lexi stepped out. She groaned as she walked into her bedroom and noticed that the lock was broken on her bedroom window… again.

"Hmmn, must have happened earlier in the week" she thought as she dialed the number for the manager of her apartment.

She rolled her eyes as the call went to voicemail, but was not surprised since it was so early in the morning. She left a message, hoping that he would get back to her soon and she wouldn't have to ask Pops or one of her brothers- in- law to fix it. This was not the first time that the latch had broken and the manager always claimed that it was fixed, until the next time it broke.

"Maybe Austin and Annie will let me stay with them tonight" she thought with a sigh. Austin and his girlfriend Annie were two of Lexi's closest friends.

It always made her uneasy to stay in her apartment with the window not being able to lock. She lived on the top floor and even though she wanted to move out of the building, she had not been able to find a place that she could afford and was close to the hospital. She glanced up at the clock silently cussing at the time before quickly getting dressed, and throwing her hair into a messy ponytail on her way out the door. She'd promised herself she was going to have fun and meet this man. She was pretty sure that very little would come out of the meeting. She knew Amanda's taste in men.


The sounds and sirens of County General Hospital always managed to make Lexi feel as if she was out of place. While she loved the idea of helping people, it did not thrill her to be working emergency room medicine.

Lexi's dream job would be working with kids, but at the time that she was hired, there weren't any openings in pediatrics, so she was stuck working the emergency room. After she looked in on a couple of patients that had come in with broken bones, she went back to the nurse's station, and stopped when one of the doctors asked if she could keep an eye on a little girl that looked to be about three or four years old sitting in a chair all by herself, she was clutching a teddy bear. He explained that they had brought in the girl and her mom, and the dad was on his way to the hospital.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" she asked as she walked over to the little girl.

"My mommy got hurt. We were in the car and someone hit us," the little girl said softly.

"I see, well did the doctor check you out too?" Lexi asked silently looking her over for any visible injuries.

"Uh huh, he said that I could wait here until my daddy comes." The little girl smiled.

"Okay, well how about I get you some crayons and some paper so you can draw your mommy a picture? Sound okay?" Lexi asked.

"Okay," the little girl smiled.

"What's your name, honey?" Lexi asked when she returned with crayons and a pad of paper.

"Haley and this is Beary," the little girl smiled and pointed at her bear.

"Well that is a really pretty name, I'm Lexi," she replied as she walked over and sat down.

A few hours later, Lexi left the hospital and smiled when she remembered that Haley's dad had come to pick her up and that he was taking her to her grandparents' home so that he could come back and spend the night at the hospital with his fiancée. Her mom was going to be okay and would probably be released the next day since her injuries were not severe, but the doctor wanted to make sure that everything was okay before he let her leave the hospital.

Lexi returned to her apartment to get ready to go out with her friends. When she was leaving she noticed that some local vice cops were there to investigate a break-in at the apartment directly below her, but quickly pushed it out of her mind as she walked out into the night air and hailed a cab.


Nick Sorrentino sat at the desk in his office and fighting off yet another migraine. Ever since he had gotten the idea to open another cocktail lounge in Manhattan, it had been giving him nothing but problems. Luckily for him, the one in Syracuse had been doing fairly well and continued to turn profits.

He groaned as his phone rang. Glancing at the screen, he felt a little better when the face of his best friend, Clayton Danvers, appeared on the screen.

"Hey buddy. What's going on?" Nick said as he answered the phone.

"Not much man. I'm just finishing up work on a new research paper, and Elena is meeting with someone for her latest show. She wanted me to call and see how you are doing. She said that the new club is giving you issues" Clay chuckled.

"Yeah man, this one has been nothing but trouble, plumbing, electrical, everything has been slow, and to make matters worse, the building inspector has been breathing down my neck, wants the place up to code in three weeks" Nick ranted.

"Is the inspector male or female?" Clay asked curiously.

"Unfortunately he's a dude, and believe me, I've tried to change his mind. Dude's pretty straight laced," Nick rolled his eyes.

"What about that woman who helped you with your renovations a couple years ago. What was her name? Oh wait, you burned that bridge didn't you?" Clay asked knowing his best friend's reputation with women.

"Who Amanda? Maybe I should. She asked if I could put her and a few friends on the guest list for tonight at the club in Syracuse. She wants me to meet a friend of hers," Nick said considering Clay's suggestion.

"Wait a minute! A chick that you slept with wants to fix you up? Don't you think that that is a little odd?" Clay asked about the recent development.

Nick hesitated. Now that Clay mentioned it, he did find it a tad odd. But maybe he was reading too much into the situation.

"I'm not sure," Nick said, shrugging his shoulders even though Clay couldn't see him.

"I did talk to Amanda. Actually, she was the one that wanted to make sure I understood it was just a fling. She didn't see why we couldn't still work together. And well, let's just say it was a relief for me. You know, dealing with my dad's death. I wasn't in dating frame of mind."

"Alright," Clay said, although clearly still skeptical of the situation. "Hey, babe," he shouted, clearly addressing Elena who must have walked in. "I'm on the phone with Nick. Here, Nick, I'm passing the phone to Elena."

"Hey Nick, I hear you are letting someone set you up?" Elena asked clearly surprised since Nick was the kind of guy that didn't go for set ups.

"Yeah, Amanda wants me to meet one of her friends. I said that I would stop by her table and say hi when I get to the bar tonight. Nothing more, nothing less" Nick explained knowing that his best friend's wife was not going to let it go.

"Ah okay, so you are just going to meet her, and something might happen or it might not, is that what you're telling me?" she replied still skeptical like her husband.

"Exactly, now I have to go. I need to get ready to head out to Syracuse. I'll talk to the both of you later. El, keep Dr. Danvers in line will ya." Nick chuckled.

"I will. Talk to you soon, Nick. Have fun tonight," she replied before disconnecting the call.


Nick walked into the crowded nightclub with a smile plastered on his face. He looked around the room and smiled when he saw Amanda at one of the back tables. She was sitting next to a pretty blonde; both were deep in conversation with the two women that were sitting across from them.

He moved around the room so that he could get a better look at them. While both the blonde and the brunette sitting across from her were strikingly attractive, it was the girl across from Amanda that immediately caught his eye. She had dark hair, with pale skin, and big eyes that seemed to stare right through you. She was laughing at something Amanda was saying and sipping her drink.

Nick moved closer so that he could hear their conversation.

"Okay, Amanda, where is this guy that you want me to meet?" she asked with a smile.

"Seriously, Lex, what makes you think that I am trying to set you up?" Amanda asked in return trying to sound innocent.

"Because I know you, and even my parents smelled a set-up, so what is so great about this guy that I just have to meet him?" The brunette wondered.

"Nick is a really nice guy. He is cute, has a nice body, a great sense of humor, and he is great in bed," Amanda smirked.

"Ah, trust you to use the fact that you have slept with the guy as a selling point. No wonder you wanted me to meet him, you know that I don't do casual sex, and you are hoping that he will change my mind?" the woman smiled as her eyes went wide.

Nick had to fight hard to suppress a smile at that comment. If Amanda was trying to win the girl over, talking about his abilities in the bedroom would be the way to do it. He knew that he could change her mind if he was able to get her into bed. He actually had to stop himself from imagining how she would look in his bed, naked, willing, and all his.

"Face it, Lexi, you need to have some fun and this guy could be just the way to do it. Please at least give the guy a chance" Amanda urged as a waitress came over with another round of drinks.

Nick watched as the girl tried to juggle the empty glasses along with the full ones on the tray. The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion as the girl's arm knocked a full glass of red wine off of the tray and all over the table and Lexi's dress.

"Shit! I am so sorry! It's my first week on the job," the waitress explained looking like she was about to cry.

"It's okay, don't worry about it," Lexi said as Amanda handed her some napkins so she could try and clean herself up a little bit.

Nick decided that he should at least try to help the situation. He walked over to the table, and the waitress noticed him first since the beautiful brunette had her back to him.

"Mr. Sorrentino, I am so sorry," the girl started.

"Katie, don't worry about it, just be more careful next time," he said as he gave the girl a smile before shooing her away with his hand. The girl watched for a minute before slowly walking back to the kitchen.

"You know it would be a shame if that dress was ruined," he said as he took in Lexi's tiny body. She stood at least a good foot shorter than him and even from behind he could tell that she had a great figure.

At the sound of his voice, Amanda smirked. She was correct in her own thinking. The two would make a handsome couple. Lexi's bug-eyed, deer-in-headlights look gave Amanda even more to be happy about. There was little doubt in her mind that Lexi found Nick attractive. She knew at that moment that she had been right to play matchmaker all along.