It's out early! :) With all the reviews I figured I might as well post the next chapter. So, it wasn't many reviews, but they all wanted more.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters. Those belong to the famous JE. :) The plot and Alex happen to belong to me though.

Enjoy!

Chapter 2

Four Years Later

Carlos' POV

"Yes sir, I'm available. When do you need me? Tonight? Okay. For how long? A year? All right." I close my phone and sigh. Another assignment. Tank will be left in charge of the Trenton office. Bobby and Lester will be his seconds. We've been open in Trenton for three years now and I'm liking it better than Miami. We've even been working for a Bail Bonds man named Vincent Plum. A real sleazy guy, but we only do his high bonds. He's not so bad if you don't talk to him much. We mostly deal with Connie, his secretary. And, Tank deals with Lula who files for Vinnie. Tank and Lula have something going on.

I've been sleeping with Jeanne Ellen Burrows, but it's not the same. She's my first...whatever you'd call it... since four years ago. It still breaks my heart to think about, and I'm definitely not the sentimental type. In fact, I prefer no emotions. Can't get hurt then. I go out and walk to Tank's office. I inform him of what's happening. I then make a call to Jeanne.

"I don't think this is going to work out. Don't call." My message is short and to the point. I don't need her waiting for me when I come back. She's a hassle anyways. She's too hard and talks way too much. I'd prefer my women to have a little meat on them, not just muscle. I'm not saying I want all chub, but I don't want to feel like I'm having sex with a guy.

Steph's POV

"This will be good for us Alex," I tell my son as we pack up our house.

"But, I have friends here!" He whines as he puts stuff in a box. I quit my job in Newark because it wasn't enjoyable anymore. We're moving back to Trenton to be closer to family, even if my mother is a little distant.

"You'll make new ones. Besides, you can see Grandpa more. And, your friends, Jake and Michael, Mary Lou's kids," I tell him. He shrugs. "We can also arrange for you to hang out with your old friends." He nods.

"I guess." I stand up and wrap him in a hug. He'll be nine in three months. He continues to look like his father, but only I can tell, since no one else really knew his father.

"We can invite all your old friends up for your birthday and do something really fun," I say to him.

"Do you think my...dad will be there?" he asks looking up at me with hopeful brown eyes. I sigh.

"I haven't seen or spoken to your dad in years. I have no way to get in touch with him," I say. "Sorry Alex." If, I could see him I'd tell him I miss him and I still love him. God, I still love him. Too bad the possibility of me seeing him is so slim. I just have to move on. I've been on a couple dates since Alex was born, but nothing has compared. I wonder where we'd be today if we had been able to stay together. Alex would probably have a daddy and possibly a little sibling.

A week later our car is packed and we're ready to move into our new house. It's not in the burg, but it's close enough that my mom can't complain. It's in a nice neighborhood, and he'll be going to school with Mary Lou's kids. In the same schools I went to. We make it to our new house, and the moving trucks are already in the driveway moving stuff in. My daddy is on the porch supervising. Alex jumps out and goes to hug him. I get out and stretch. It's always good to be home. The day flies by as we get our rooms ready so we can sleep tonight. The movers get everything inside. It's five thirty and about time to go to my parents house for dinner. Hopefully, my mother will be civil, she's done better in the last couple weeks. We get in the car and head to their house. I park and see Grandma Mazur on the porch. I see Alex grin. He thinks she's a hoot. He's right...of course. Grandma Mazur has been living with my parents ever since Grandpa Mazur when up to the big pot roast in the sky.

"Hi BB grandson!" She says giving him a hug like a boa constrictor. She calls him BB grandson with stands for baby baby.

"Hi GG!" he says with a smile. He dodges her when she tries to pinch his cheeks.

"How do I look? I just bought this outfit today. I saw it in a People Magazine. It's supposed to be the new fashion." She's wearing skinny jeans with studs down the sides and a scarlet v-neck t-shirt with rhinestones following the v. I shake my head at my grandma. He laughs.

"You're sparkly!" He runs inside to greet his grandparents. She smiles at me.

"Baby granddaughter!" She gives me a hug. "How you holding up?" I smile.

"I'm good. Alex is a little upset by the move, but I think he'll be okay." She nods and we head inside. Valerie, Albert, and the kids show up a little bit later. I can tell Alex is happy for the company. We all sit down and dig in.

"I hear they're hiring at the tampon factory," my mother mentions casually as she looks at me.

"Too boring," I say, hoping my mom isn't trying to force something on me.

"Yeah," Alex nods his head in agreement. "Mama wants something more fun!" Everyone laughs. No one has filled him in on what a tampon is yet. Alex stops eating and looks at all of us.

"Wait, what's a tampon?" My dad grunts and shovels food in his mouth faster.

"It's something only girls use. You'll know about it when you're older," I explain in the least embarrassing way possible. He ponders it for a moment before shrugging and going back to his food.

"Vinnie might be hiring," my dad says with a smile. I could be a bond enforcement agent, I guess. I don't want to do anything dangerous. Alex needs his mother.

"I'll check it out. He might need filing done or something," I say with a shrug. My mom surprises us all.

"That's not a bad idea," she says with a smile. Once we finish she asks me to help with desert. I wonder if she's going to ambush me about how I live my life. I follow her warily into the kitchen.

"Stephanie," she says turning around and hugging me. "I'm so sorry for how I've treated you in the past. I love you and Alex. I was only trying to help you, but I've realized I was just forcing my opinion onto you. I want to be apart of your life and Alex's." Tears leak out of her eyes, but she wipes them away.

"You're a great and strong mother. I don't think I could do what you do." Tears seem to leak out of my own eyes at her words. I've been waiting for her to say this for so long.

"Thanks Mom, I love you too." She sniffs and wipes away her tears. She pulls back, her hands still on my arms.

"I don't want to push this, but I heard from Angie Morelli the other day. We were talking, and you remember her son Joseph, don't you?" She asks me with a hopeful look. It'd be hard not to forget Joe. We played Choo-choo in his father's garage and he'd been my first. He wrote about it in a stall at Mario's Sub shop and I'd run him over with a Buick. Granted, this was a long time ago. Maybe he had changed, I certainly had.

"Yes, I remember him," I say cautiously. She smiles and looks a tad sheepish.

"Don't get mad, but I mentioned you were moving back. Angie and Joe both know you have a son, but she thought that you might like to get together with him one night. Well, this Tuesday, to be exact. At Shorty's around six thirty," she says it in a hurry, but I catch it all. "It would mean a lot if you said yes, but I'd understand if you didn't want to." Wow, way different from the mother I'd had a couple months ago. Since he probably changed, going out wouldn't hurt. I could see if he was still total jerk or not. I bite my lip.

"All right, I guess that will be fine." She claps and smiles. "Thank you. Now lets get dessert on the table." We put out the pineapple upside down cake and enjoy the rest of the evening. Alex and I leave at seven thirty. He's starting school on Monday and I want to finish unpacking before. We'll have all Saturday and Sunday to work on it. My parents, Grandma Mazur, Valerie and her family, and Mary Lou's family are coming over to help.