Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

Chapter 4

By the time Xander pulled up on the driveway outside the Rocca family's house, Nick was ready to thrown in the towel and admit himself to be a coward. He was so nervous his hands were shaking in his lap. It took him all the self discipline he could up bring to not jump out of the car and disappear into the night.

Nick ran a hand through his hair. It was still damp from the shower he had taken not fifteen minutes ago, as was he back underneath blazer he had borrowed from Xander. His plan to cool himself down by taking the coldest shower in world history, to prevent him from breaking a sweat on the ride through town to the Rocca house, had failed. He was sweating like a pig where he sat buckled up in the passenger seat next to Xander. The palm of his hands were moist no matter how many times he tried to rub them dry against fabric of his trousers. Inside his chest his heart was beating so hard he feared it would free itself through his rib cage unless he managed to calm down soon.

From the backseat of the car, Chip ranted continuously about his training sessions with Daggeron to become a knight. Nick had done his best to keep up with what Chip told them when they left his sister's apartment, but somewhere between the colorful streets of downtown Briarwood to the quiet neighborhood they were in now Nick had stopped listening. He had too much thoughts running around in his head to keep up with the ginger headed boy and he wasn't the only one. Xander had been quiet ever since they had left Rock Porium. Not even when Nick had tried to force a conversation out of him, while Chip flipped the sign from 'open' to closed', had he managed to pull out more than two or the syllables from the green ranger.

If Chip noticed how quiet his friends had become, he didn't show it. He kept the conversation going all by himself and even laughed at his own jokes, which Nick was very grateful for. If there was one thing that was worse than going to a terrifying dinner with someone's parents, it was going there in a quiet car.

As soon as Xander made the vehicle come to a halt, Chip was out of it and halfway up the lawn before Nick had even so much as started to reach for his seat belt. Xander pulled the parking brake and killed the engine. At once silence filled car. The two men sat motionless in their seats and looked at the house with its huge porch in front of it.

"We could leave, you know," said the green ranger after awhile. "I could start up the engine again and put in reverse so we get the hell of here."

Nick took his time before he answered. Xander's offer was tempting.

"No, we can't," he sighed and leaned his head back against the seat. "We promised Maddy we would come."

Xander snorted.

"Since when do guys our age keep promises?" Xander gave him a meaning look. "Maddy will understand."

Nick closed his eyes. It was so tempting. All he had to do was to say the word and Xander would start up the engine again. They would be gone before Chip realized they were bailing. But then Nick thought of Madison and how her eyes had sparkled when he had told her he would come tonight. Perhaps Xander was right, perhaps she would understand. But to understand wasn't the same as to forgive, and the last thing he wanted was let her down. Despite her shyness, she was the one who had come out to him and asked him to stay in Briarwood all those months ago, when easiest thing for her would have been to let him go. He wasn't about to be the lesser person.

"No!" The word can sharply out if his mouth and hung in the air for a moment, before he continued. "No, we will do this. We promised."

Then he unbuckled himself and hurried to get out of the car before he could change is mind. As he started to walk up the lawn, up to Chip who was waiting for them on the porch, Nick heard a car door close behind him. The familiar beep of a remote lock told him that Xander was following his lead.

It was a grand house the Rocca sisters lived in. Nick would never have guessed that they lived here, not even in this neighborhood, if given the chance. A huge porch stretch all across the front of it, and disappeared around the back on one side. A porch swing looked inviting with its large cushions, snugly plaid, and coffee table on the side. Nick could almost picture Madison sitting there reading a book on a lazy Sunday morning.

"You took your time," Chip said accusingly as Nick came up the steps to the porch with Xander not far behind. Neither of them bothered to defend themselves.

Chip knocked once on the door, and then again when no one came to open. Nick had almost started to wonder if they had gone to wrong house after all when the sound of footsteps running towards the door suddenly reached their ears. The next second the door swung open and a small figure launched itself into Chip's arms with a high-pitched squeal.

"Chip, you're here!"

Nick's eyes widened in surprise. A young boy, not even seven years old, hugged Chip tightly around the waist. Chip laughed and gave the boy's dark spiky hair a ruffle.

"Hey, Aaron. Waz up!"

The boy giggled and released himself from the embrace. Nick's jaw fell to floor. The boy was a copy of Vida. No one had ever told him Vida and Madison had a younger brother. What else had they forgotten to tell him about?

Nick never got the chance to continue the long line of questions that followed. The boy was done with Chip and had now turned his eyes to Nick.

"Who are you?" The kid asked bluntly.

Nick blinked and swallowed.

"I'm Nick," he replied, somewhat taken aback. He forced himself to recover quickly and sat down in a squat so his eyes came in level with the boy's. "I'm a friend of your sisters'. I don't think we have met before."

He held out his hand for the boy to take. The boy looked at him suspiciously, as if he tried to remember to where he had heard the name before. Then he lit up.

"You're the one Madison always writes about in her diary. I know, I've read it. I can read."

The comment made Nick's heart stop and kick into overdrive all at the same time. Suddenly the blazer felt too hot and the shirt like a noose around his neck. Madison was writing about him?

Before he got to saying anything though, he was already yesterday's news. The boy had turned his attention to Xander.

"You're jumpy one from last year. You were funny."

"Aaron!" Xander and Nick let out a sigh of relief when they heard Vida's voice cutting through the chilly evening air.

They looked up and Nick felt his jaw drop for the second time this evening. Vida came towards them, clad in skin tight black dress worthy a movie star. It hugged her body in all the right places. Nick had look down again to not her let see the blush on his cheeks her body provoked.

"Let our guests come inside before you jump them, Aaron."

Aaron took Chip's hand and led the way inside. Nick followed and after a moment's hesitation so did Xander. The green ranger had gotten a strangely pale color on his face. Nick was about to ask him if he felt nauseous when a middle aged woman showed up to greet them.

"Thank heavens you're here. They just said on the news there's been a terrible car crash downtown. I was worried you had been caught up in it."

The woman, who Nick believed was Mrs Rocca, took Chip into her embrace and squeezed him tightly.

"Good to see you, Chip. It's been too long. Aaron speaks about nothing else but your trip to the aquarium. I'm afraid he will try to convince you to take him there again soon."

"It's nice to see you too, Mrs Rocca, and don't worry, I'd love to take him there again. We had so much fun, didn't we?"

Chip released himself from Mrs Rocca's embrace only to ruffle Aaron thick black hair again. Nick was amazed to see how close Chip was to the family. It was almost as if Mrs Rocca was his own mother. The smile on Nick's face, however, quickly faded when Mrs Rocca turned her gaze to look at him. She had the same dark, kind eyes Madison had, but there was also a mischievous twinkle in them as she held out her hand towards him that reminded him of the look in Vida's face when ever she was up to no good.

"You must be Nick. I've heard a lot about you lately. How do you do?"

Nick took her hand and swallowed.

"I'm fine, thanks, Mrs Rocca. Let me introduce myself properly, I'm Nick Russell."

"That you are."

There it was again! The twinkle. Nick's heart leaped. Mrs Rocca looked at him as if she was trying to figure out all of his secret. Clearing his throat, Nick stuttered:

"Uhm... I'm sorry for the delay, Mrs Rocca, it's my fault. I was held up at the store."

Mrs Rocca smiled kindly.

"Call me, Elena dear, and it's okay, Nick. I'm sure it wasn't you fault."

Nick fumbled with the pocket of his blazer and dug out the CD he had there.

"I meant to buy you something nicer as a thanks for the invitation, but I didn't get the chance."

He handed her the CD. It was a John Denver album, nothing fancy, but Mrs Rocca lit up like he had given her a valueable treasure.

"I've been looking all over town for this one," she gasped in genuine surprise. "Oh, they played these songs on the radio when I was young. Thank you, dear."

When Mrs Rocca turned to greet Xander, Nick caught Vida and Chip's puzzled expressions.

"How did you know?" Vida mouthed silently to him.

Nick frowned and mouthed back: "Knew what?"

"That she is a huge John Denver fan," Chip whispered.

Nick shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't know. I just took the first CD I could find on the rack."

Vida arched an eyebrow.

"You got the luck of a fool, do you know that?"

She turned and headed into the next room. Mrs Rocca was done greeting Xander, a greeting that hadn't been very relaxed if Nick was to judge the sickly paleness on Xander's face. He was sure the other man had turned at least two shades paler since they had gotten inside the house. Mrs Rocca followed her eldest daughter. Chip and Aaron were not far behind her. When Nick was about to go after them, Xander stopped him.

"He's gonna be in there, you know. We can still run."

Nick gave his friend an angry glare. Now when he had met Vida and Madison's mother and found her being really nice, some of the anxiety he had felt over coming here had faded.

"Don't be silly, X," he retorted and headed into the living room. Leaving Xander to dwell alone in the hallway.

Meeting Mr Rocca turned out to be not half as bad as Nick would have thought. Sure it was scary as hell to talk with the Head of Briarwood police force, knowing you still hadn't paid the speeding from the week before, and sure Nick almost got his hand crushed in Mr Rocca's steady grip when they shook hands, but old man not was at all as horrible as Xander had made Nick believe. Nick couldn't help, but smile when Mr Rocca teased his wife for her John Denver obsession and how the old man laughed when his wife retorted by sticking her tongue out at him. Vida and Madison's parents seemed to have that kind of strong bond only two people who knew each other through and through could have. It was nice too see that it existed in real life. It gave him hope. His own parents loved each other, but they weren't close in that way.

When all the greetings were done and a soft small talk was initiated by Mrs Rocca, Nick turned discreetly to Vida.

"Hey, V, where's Maddy?"

Vida nodded towards one of the other rooms.

"She's helping mom in the kitchen."

Vida left him to serve the others drinks. Nick took the opportunity to quietly sneak away to the kitchen, unaware that a pair of mischievously twinkling dark eyes were watching him.