A/N: Hey guys, PBP09 and I needed the break in between stories to do other things. Writing can burn people out real fast. Regardless, since she has started her sequel, I follow behind and quickly fix up something to match her story ^^. So, advance towards me brethren!

Nurture

Prologue

During the summer, Mikki accompanied Lucien to many of his photoshoots. Even though she came with him and had been happy to watch the show as a guest, she looked rather bored sitting in the sidelines. Sometime, during their visit overseas, one of the lead stylists recommended that Mikki should be a stylist. Often these shoots would need volunteers to dress the models, and it wasn't difficult. It just required that the person dressing the models would follow the line-up number and try their best to match the picture attached to the folder on the hanging plastic dividers. Most, if not all the dressers, were women or young ladies. Even during the male runway shows, girls would still be in the back dressing both genders. Of course, Mikki did always wonder if Lucien's eyes wandered over to the female models undressing in the same room as the males. The models would try their best to keep appearances professional though. During the last show in Hawaii, Mikki dressed Lucien for the runway.

Hawaiian Fashion Runway show

"Hurry, you're up first." Mikki commented as Lucien tried to fix his hair in the mirror after getting his makeup done.

"You know, if you want, I could just stay undressed." He smirked as he tilted her chin upwards to see her face blush.

"We're in public!" She averted her eyes trying to avoid his gaze.

Lucien sighed sarcastically seeing the she wouldn't put up with it. He looked over across the room to see a familiar face. Unfortunately, Mikki didn't think that was the only thing he was looking at. This was a couples' fashion show anyway, for Aquaberry.

"Hey, Michelle, can you help me unhook this." A female model looked over at Mikki requesting for her help. Michelle was the name she was given by the models since Mikki didn't really seem professional.

"Um. Sure." She timidly responded as she stepped away from Lucien to unhook the girl's bra. Even if all of Bullworth knew about Mikki and Lucien, not everyone did. It wasn't anything that was leaked to the media due to the fact that Lucien's bodyguards at school made sure everyone kept their mouths shut since his public announcement of their relationship the year before. She didn't even bother to look back at him since she felt a small pang of jealousy in her heart. Seeing all the pretty models around, Mikki felt inferior, that she wasn't good enough. She felt Lucien's wandering eyes look over in her direction.

The model in front of her chuckled, "All boys fall prey to pretty girls." She paused for a moment, covering her exposed breasts with her arms to turn to Mikki. "It's such a shame none of you dressers have a chance with guys as hot as this." She signaled for Mikki to look behind her at Lucien and another male model looking in her direction. All Mikki could do was smile, she couldn't make a scene in front of everyone. These were Lucien's co-workers, it'd only blemish his reputation if the person he invited along were to misbehave.

"Michelle, finish up dressing Lucien. You can worry about Ivana later." The lead stylist called over.

She nodded and headed back to Lucien. Without a word, he undressed all the way down to his boxers and started putting on his first look with Mikki's help. He could see that something was up, but he wasn't sure what it was. He and Mikki walked to the farthest changing room to get set up. After all, Lucien did have scars which only Mikki and Alex ever really knew about.

Lucien's back was inside the dressing room while his front was in the opening of the curtain waiting for Mikki to grab the first hanger. He could see her eyes look away purposefully and that her shoulders were slumped. Since no one paid much attention to this end of the room, he took his opportunity.

While everyone's attention was diverted to getting dressed and looking at the other clothes, Mikki turned to the clothing rack to pick up Lucien's first look. She didn't even want to look at him, "Hey, after this, I want to just go h – ", she was cut off as Lucien's lips crashed into hers.

"Remember, I love you and no one else." Lucien smiled as he took the tie from her after their inconspicuous kiss.

Mikki stood there stunned for a moment. Whatever feeling she was feeling just then had vanished. Lucien knew this was one of his traits that Mikki loved. "Mmn." She nodded as she placed her fingers to her lips. "I love you too, but we aren't allowed to do this here. It'll be problematic if we get caught." She turned away again to see if anyone saw. As Lucien tightened the knot on his necktie, he gave her a quick hug from behind which may have been a second too long actually.

"Lucien, I'll follow behind you!" The female model, Ivana, who was talking to Mikki earlier said as she finished getting her shoes on. She was supposed to get on stage behind Lucien.

"Ah, I'll wait." He smiled, but as she caught up to him, he walked away leaving her to run after him.

Subconsciously, Mikki let out a small giggle. "I heard that." The male model Lucien spoke to earlier said as he adjusted his blazer in the mirror closest to her. While looking at his own reflection, he smiled. "You do realize, public displays of affection are strictly prohibited in work areas. Also, you could get yourself and Lucien in trouble if anyone found out." The guy said. He had sort of an American accent, maybe Canadian?

"It wasn't like that!" Mikki tried to be a bit defensive to uphold Lucien's reputation. She could care less about herself, but she didn't want their folly to subdue Lucien's success in the industry. Besides, the only reason she took this job was to be with him and earn some money for her living expenses while she was at it.

The boy looked at her and laughed, "I'm joking! He told me all about you earlier. He said you're his girlfriend and your real name is Mikki Kliesen, correct?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Y-yes!" She stuttered feeling nervous. Is that why they were looking earlier? Inside she felt embarrassed by her own actions. Thinking that Lucien would do such a thing…I'm a terrible person.

Coming back into the room, Lucien and Ivana unlinked arms and got back to their respective dressing locations. Mikki took this as an chance to apologize to him as he started putting on parts of his second look.

"Listen, I'm sorry about earlier. It was a misunderstanding."

"Hm? Mikki, you do realize that I'm not mad right? I mean here we are. In a place that may lead to a bunch of misunderstandings since we're together", he began to button up his dress shirt after putting on some pants, "It'd wrong if I said that I didn't think you were looking at the other guys in here as well."

Mikki blushed. He figured it out. "You know, I wouldn't do something like that though…right?"

He smiles as he places his hands on her shoulders, "Nothing is certain since we've only been together a few months. Since you thought I was doing the same thing, is it wrong that I thought you were too? We just have to learn to trust each other." He put on the new Aquaberry vest. It looked relatively the same as the old, but made with new material. "Anyway, we need to talk after work." He smiled as he walked past her seeing his friend Aiden run in after getting off the runway.

"You're up after Cid." He ran past Lucien back to his dresser. Even though Mikki and Lucien had just finished their chat on infidelity in the workplace, she did see Aiden as someone who was rather handsome. He's tall, a brunette, spikey hair, and nice blue eyes. Her eyes widened when she noticed her thoughts and slapped herself. Ouch! Well, I deserve to wake up and think about this. He's Lucien's friend. She watches as Lucien gets in line behind Cid and Ivana. I think I have all I need though in Lucien. She smiles and starts to put the first look back on the hangars. Now, I just gotta make sure nothing is missing and everything is in pristine condition. I wonder what he wants to talk about. She starts to finger press the coat Lucien removed and notices a buttong hanging by a single thread. Poo, may as well just put it in the bag. Reluctantly, Mikki removes the button and places it in the folder with the first look.

At the end of the day, Lucien takes a picture with his coworkers in the back room and heads out to his limo with Mikki waiting inside, fast asleep. Lucien picks up a lock of her hair near her face and brushes it to the side. She's the best thing that's happened to me. He kisses her silently and gently on her lips. I love you.

About a week later Wilkinsons Estate

"KEEP THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!" Derby hisses pointing at Pinky's younger sibling. He's an eighteen month old named Riley with wavy brown hair and brown eyes. They're half-siblings. Courtesy of Pinky's dad knocking up his new wife.

"Ugh! Grow up Derby, he's not a thing!" Pinky screeched back at him.

"Would you two pipe down? We're heading over to Katherina's place to get your problems settled." Derby's mother scolded them as Pinky's Stepmom tried to coax Riley to stop crying.

"WAAAH!" Riley wailed.

"Look what you've done; you've upset him with your bickering Derby." Pinky's stepmom angrily seethed.

"Don't you blame our son, he's been nothing but faithful, unlike your frivolous child!" Derby's mother stuck a finger out to her chest.

The Gauthier's and Harrington's continued to quarrel outside the estate doors and were greeted by a very petrified looking Katherina.

"May I help you?" She stared blankly at the families as their voices quieted upon hearing her.

"The children are in need of counseling, and we believe that you may be the best person for the job." Mr. Harrington replies stepping into the doorway. He looks down at his feet noticing a pair of shoes sitting on the door mat. "Visitors? At a time like this?" He says looking back at Lucien's mother.

"Ah, yes, well. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Lucien is going to have a friend staying at our guest house." She smiles nervously.

A while earlier

"Please", Mikki starts to tear up, "I have to do something to pay you back. I can't just stay here for free."

Lucien rolls his eyes as he stands in the archway behind her in the conference room of his abode.

"Mikki, you're Lucien's friend, it's the least I could do. Besides, you helped him out during his runway show in Hawaii. If you've got nowhere else to stay, you may as well just stay here." Lady Katherina tried to cheer her up.

Unfortunately, since Mikki's father was locked away in jail a few months before, her only means of income to pay for her dorm room and tuition were dwindling. She could no longer live at the dorm regardless of how many jobs she took up, none of them paid enough. When Lucien heard, he instantly called her over to ask her to stay at his place. She could have stayed with Zoe, but she and Jimmy were always making love at her place as of late. Then there was the possibility that she would stay with Alex, however, Alex's father was rarely home and Alex probably wanted to have somewhere to take Gary if and when he got out of Happy Volts. She could have also pulled out a disguise and do exactly what Alex had been doing since they met and pose as a male student to live in the boys dorm, but Lucien wouldn't have it. Instead, even after telling her grandmother her woes (to see if she could get some funds for living), Mikki decided to take Lucien up on his offer. This is where it landed her.

"If you're paying for my tuition too, I'll…I'll clean the house, the entire property!" Mikki offered.

"No, no. No need, we've already gotten staff on that. Please, just make yourself at home. You can use the guest house and this way you and Lucien can freely see each other." Lady Katherina paused for a moment and turned around to look at Lucien. "I don't want any grandchildren quite yet, so please take extra precautions when fornicating in the guest house. Thank you."

Lucien and Mikki both blushed as they looked back to lady Katherina. "Ahem." Lucien cleared his throat. "If that's all, I'll show her to her new place." He grabbed Mikki's things off the floor and was about to leave the room when he heard the doorbell.

"I'll get it, just you two go to the guest house. I think I may just find a way for you to repay the favor Mikki." His mom smiled and fled happily to the door. The couple shrugged and headed out to Mikki's new residence.

Presently the guest house

Ding. Dong. Ding.

A posh doorbell rung in the house. Lucien was first to answer seeing a baby shoved right to his face.

"Take him." Pinky said as Derby and her parents stood behind.

"What do you want me to do with him?" He held his position as he turned to face the inside of the house where Mikki was taking more boxes out from her new room.

"So, it's true." Pinky's father goaded, "He really is shacking up with a commoner."

Lucien glared at him causing Pinky's father to tremble slightly.

"Anyway, Derby and I have commitment issues to settle, so please take care of Riley for the time being." Pinky handed her brother over to Lucien with a bag of baby necessities.

He took the baby in his arms and held it rather awkwardly. Mikki heard the commotion and rushed over to Lucien. The baby was about to cry when Mikki got a hold of him and began to coo instead.

Following up to the door, Lady Kathrina spoke, "Ah, yes. I think babysitting Riley will be a good way for you to repay your debt. Think of it as an experience." She then stood behind Derby and Pinky and nodded to Lucien and Mikki as she lead the group back into the house leaving the young lovers with their 'baby'.

"She has got to be bloody joking." Lucien held Riley up from under his armpits and looked into his eyes. "Is he even potty trained?" He said sniffing at Riley's diaper.

"It's okay." Mikki said taking Riley back into her arms. "I think he may have just made an oops."

She lays him on a clean surface with Lucien standing beside her and opens up the diaper. "My god, that smell is horrendous!"

"He pooped!" Mikki laughs. She takes the bag from floor with his diapers in it and picks up his wipes and a few other things. "New clothes? Nearly a gross of diapers and supplies? Just exactly how long are they planning on leaving him with us?"

Lucien sighs, "This could not get any worse."

Mikki cleans Riley's bottom with some wipes and places him on a couch. "I think I'll give him a bath. The unpacking is almost done and I could really use one too." She heads to the bathroom not too far down the hall and calls out, "This bathtub is huge!"

Lucien chuckles as she steps in to fill the tub. He notices his phone vibrating in his pocket. On it, 'Alexandria Emmerison is calling' is displayed.

"Hello? Alexandria, you called?" I whisper hoping not to attract Mikki's attention. It wasn't that long ago when I had secretly dropped off Alexandria at Happy Volts to see Gary.

She whispers back, "Yeah, I just wanted to tell you about my roommate. He's such a douche, even worse than Gary!"

"Worse than Gary?" I raised my eyebrow. There's no bloody way someone is already worse than Gary on the first day. "What's his name?"

She exhales deeply, "Carter Vladimer."

"Wow, I feel really bad for you Alexandria." I search on my cell for his name to see who she's dealing with. "Carter Vladimer is definitely not someone you should mess with."

Her tone became somewhat abrasive, "Really? I was hoping that we could become such good friends since we left on a good note back in our room."

I chuckle hearing her sarcasm, "You can be such an ass you know that? I take it you're still seeing Gary?" I lowered my voice as I see Mikki step out in a towel to pick up Riley.

There was silence for a moment on the line, but it quickly passed and Alexandria replied, "Yeah…Did you find out when he's going to be released?"

I think for a moment back to when I visited the place for the first time with Mikki to see Francis. He was the fucker who tried to kill her. I checked at the front desk for information on Gary while I was there and was able to get Alexandria access to his cell even though he should've been locked away far from civilization and the comfort of his friends.

I tell her, "Theo has told me that Gary could be released sometime this month or the beginning of next month." I check back to the email that was sent to me from Theo. "Though, you shouldn't be happy just yet. You have to tell the others, you know. They are already wondering what you do on that one day in the week. You take off and tell no one where you're going. You come back happy. Not telling anyone. You know I hate lying to Mikki since she's constantly asking what's up." I look behind me to be sure she hasn't heard anything and can hear Riley splashing about in the tub.

"I know, Lucien…Just…not yet…Jimmy still isn't over his beef with Gary and I don't blame him. Petey…I might just tell Petey. I don't know…Just wait a little longer." Alexandria responds as Mikki and Riley finish their bath.

I sigh, "Alright, I just hope you know what you're doing. Lying may hurt less than the truth, but it is better to hear the truth than the lie."

She sounded exasperated, "Yeah, I know, don't lecture me about it!" Changing the subject, she queried, "Anyways, back to Carter. What can you tell me about him?"

I hear Alexandria and her new roommate banter with each other in her room. "Well, he sure is a charmer huh?"

She shot back, "Shut up, Lucien! Just tell me what I need to know about him."

I sigh as I see Riley step out of the bathroom carrying Mikki's clothing in tow. I told Alexandria, "Well, all I know is that he is the youngest son in the Vladimer family. The family owns a small company, just like Derby's family does. They're not the richest, and neither poor. Hmmm, well you know…well seeing how he is…From what I've heard he is like that because his parents don't pay attention to him."

"So…family issues made him like this?" She sounds dejected.

"Could be," I look through my search of him, "Not much is known about him. He doesn't have any friends, and if he does, I sure never heard of them. He tends to keep to himself since he find people to be annoying and considers them pests."

She sighs, "Great…What a great roommate to have…"

"Listen…" I pinch the bridge of my nose as Mikki holds her towel to her chest while peeking out from the bathroom. "It's wise to stay away from him. I've heard he is not a good guy to be around. It's like he said, 'it's wise to not know his business and stay away from him."

"Okay…I'll try. Anyway, I got to go. See ya." Alexandria mumbles as Riley leaves Mikki's clothes near the front door and tries to come back and grab her towel.

I abruptly end my conversation with Alexandria, "Bye – Hey! Riley put that down!" Before I could hang up, Alexandria already ended the call. I rushed over to pick up Mikki's clothing from the door and brought them over to the bathroom.

"Mikki, I've got your clothes." I say as I knock on the bathroom door.

"Just leave them on the floor." She says looking at me from the small gap she left in the door.

"It's not like I haven't seen you naked before." I said as I slowly try to push the door open.

"Yeah, but I'm not decent." She opens the door a bit more and points at her hair.

"You look fine." I say as Riley runs around with her towel like a superman cape. "Besides, I think I like you better this way." I smirk as I push open the door and place my knuckles against Mikki's collarbone. I hold her against the wall out of Riley's sight and start to kiss her neck causing her to moan. She's absolutely barren and beautiful.

"Mmn. Lucien, we have to watch Riley." She says as she places her forehead against my chest. She may telling me to stop, but with her unbuttoning my shirt says otherwise.

"We can watch him when we're done." I say holding her hands tightly, pinning her against the wall.

"Lucien!" She says as she notices Riley walking around with her panties as a hat.

We both laugh and put ourselves together as we finish the rest of her unpacking.

That night in Mikki's room

"So, your mom knows you're staying over?" I ask Lucien as he undresses back into his boxers after his shower.

"Yes, but it's not like she cares anyway. We just have to be careful." He smiles as he gets in the sheets.

I rock Riley in my arms as he sleeps soundly. He's a rowdy little boy. "I'm sure we won't be doing 'it' with a baby here." I reply.

Lucien frowns, "I don't think he'll be a problem." He signals me to look at Riley's sleeping face. He gurgles a bit in his sleep.

"Well, problem or not, I want to set a good example for him." I say as I settle in bed next to Lucien with Riley in between us. "By the way, who were you talking to earlier?" I recall seeing him on his cell talking with someone.

"It was Alexandria. She was just telling me about her awful new roommate." He whispers as he places the blanket over my legs.

"Aww, poor Rex-chan. Is she doing alright? I haven't seen her lately. Zoe's been saying she doesn't like me anymore because we did 'it'." I refer back to Zoe telling me during the summer that Alex was avoiding me since she found out from Zoe that Lucien and I were becoming more intimate.

Lucien laughs, "That's not true. Don't believe everything you hear, she was just teasing you. I did defile her 'daughter'." He references to me telling him about how Zoe said she wanted a daughter like me if she were to ever have one.

"Not funny Lucien." I pout. "I wonder why she's been so distant though, I really do feel like she's avoiding me and everyone else."

"She isn't, you're just imagining things." He places his hand on my cheek to reassure me. Riley rolls over and places his head against my arm. "You're going to be a wonderful mother and wife." Lucien grins happily as he kisses me on the forehead.

"I hope I won't be a mother for awhile." I joke as I snuggle up to Riley.

"You're mine. If you're ever going to be a mother, it'll be to my child and that's when the time is right." He lays back on his pillow. "Good night." Lucien says as he closes his eyes with his arms placed on my waist.

"Night." I coo as I relax into his embrace. It really feels like we're parents. I fall asleep with a smile on my face.

What will become of Mikki's friendship with Alex? How will Riley affect the couple, will he tear them apart or bring them closer together? Where's everyone else? All these questions will be answered in the next chapter. Please read My Roommate Is A Sociopath: Gary's Return by PurebloodPrincess09 to get a more in depth understanding of the characters and their history.

A/N: YAY SEQUELS! Thanks to the lot of you that were supportive throughout Melodies of Memories. I've decided to jump back on with PBP09 and her story (which I will also be beta reading). Hopefully, this story will get more reviews than the last. I know Mikki isn't exactly like Alex, nor should she try to be, but a lot of her story from the beginning was a 'what if' factor and I wrote her based upon how Alex's personality would have skewed her down Mikki's path if things had followed through for her, but it's been rewritten as Mikki's background. Regardless, please tell me what you'd like to see in the upcoming chapters (if anything). Reviews, follows, and favorites are always much appreciated!~