justlikewedo: What a sweetheart, hmm? I want one like him. Thanks for the review

brainDamage089: Finder's Keepers, Loser's Wheepers! Of course Jack is a keeper, and Carrie is mean, justlikewedo has already slapped her, want to do the same? Thanks for the review

KriSTINEDAHLiNG: Don't worry, I won't be too hard on Carrie, she's only 18 after all (though she knew what she was saying, she doesn't recognize that she could be heading down a self-destructive path). Thanks for the review

A/N: Not much Jack in this chapter, it focuses on Alex, Jason, Mark, Melina, and Brooklyn. Enjoy

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Chapter 10

"What?" Mark stuttered in utter disbelief. "Jack did what?"

"He offered to help me take care of Brooklyn," Alex repeated. "The whole thing is making my head swin. He barely knows us, but he's fallen in love with my baby. What do I say to that?"

"Take the offer!" they answered simutaneously.

Alex was shocked into silence.

Jason took the silence as an opportunity to suggest that Alex talk to Melina and get her opinion. Nodding, still dazed, Alex headed to the kitchen and waited in the doorway.

Melina Collins stood at the stove, hands working around a coffee pot. Her curly hair bounced as she danced around the kitchen to Christmas carols.

"Hi Mom..." she tried.

Melina couldn't hear her over the music. "Jingle Bells" played louder and louder as she ran water for the dishes.

"Mom!" Alex shouted, causing Melina to stop with her hands in the air.

"Alex!" she smiled and went to hug her. "Oh honey, I didn't hear you come in."

"Not with the music this loud, Mom," she giggled as she hugged the older woman. Ever since her own mother had died Melina had stepped in and become a sort of surrogate mother to her.

"I know, I know, but you and I both know music brings life into the house, especially when it's loud," Melina blushed. "So, how was Christmas with Jack?"

It was Alex's turn to blush. "They told you about him, did they?"

"Oh sweetie, of course they did," she giggled. Pulling away and holding Alex by the shoulders, she smiled again. "If my girl is spending the night at some hockey player's house, I want to know who he is."

"But Mom," Alex started. "Jason and Mark set me up with him."

"Even still baby," Melina told her. "I still want to know who he is. Especially since you took Brooklyn to meet him."

"Not intentionally," Alex protested. "I just missed her so much that I asked Jason to bring her over here, and Jack meeting her was a by-product of that."

"I understand, honey," Melina noded, shutting the tap off. "Now, you wouldn't be up here talking to me if there wasn't something important that we had to discuss. What is it?"

Alex inhaled. "Jack-offered-to-take-care-of-Brooklyn," she managed the entire sentence all in one breath.

Melina waited silently.

"I mean, we're both still in college, we both have limited funds, he's playing college hockey, I'm hawking drinks in a dingy bar to pay my bills... he doesn't need a responsibility like Brooklyn."

"But neither did you."

"What would you have me do? Abort? You know I could never bring myself to something like that. It's beside the point. I'm the one that got knocked up, I have to live with raising a baby. Someone who I've just met wants me to help me with her. I know I should turn it down, but... I shouldn't. Oh shit, Mom, what do I do?"

Melina chewed her lip. Alex wasn't kidding, this was really important.

"Does he know about Brooklyn's father?"

"I just told him that I prefer to think of him as a sperm donor rather than Brooklyn's father."

Alex saw the older woman nod knowingly. Melina herself knew the trials and tribulations of single motherhood. Jason's father had left when Jason had first turned three; Alex's situation bore striking resemblance to her own. When Alex had first become pregnant Melina had immediately moved Alex into her old bedroom, knowing the young girl faced an uphill battle.

"Look honey, come sit," Melina took Alex's hand and made her sit down at the kitchen table. "What does your heart tell you?"

"Last time I asked my heart something like this, it screwed me over."

"Alright then, what do you think is the right thing to do?"

"I think Brooklyn deserves to have a father, but somehow I get the feeling that Jack really isn't father material. Not yet anyway..."

"Do you want his help?"

"I..."

"Do you want his help?" Melina repeated.

"Well, it's nice that he offered, but I can't pay him back..."

"Yes you can," Melina's eyes lit up. "If you make it a business deal, you can pay him back."

Alex looked at her sideways.

"Accept his offer, but pay him back the original amount with about five percent interest."

"But Mama, he's my friend!"

"Loans between friends are very dangerous things, Alex," Melina told her. "Five bucks for lunch when you're really strapped for cash is fine, but when you're talking about three, four, five hundred dollars a month for rent, diapers, and food, it's the easiest way to destroy a friendship."

Alex crossed her arms over her chest.

"Let's put it this way..." she continued. "If you loan a friend that kind of money, what happens when they can't pay it back? You start having to hunt people down, "I need the money" "Well I don't have it." And that can destory even the most solid friendships. So all I'm sayin is, if you're going to accept his offer, fine, but map out a repayment schedule."

"What's the best way to do that?" Alex asked, turning her head at the sound of Brooklyn's whimpers.

"Sit down with him, like you and I are now," Melina answered. "Sit him down and go through a payment schedule, say... every three weeks you pay him back a certain amount plus five percent interest."

Alex considered this, until she heard Brooklyn's whimpers turn into cries.

"She's more important," Melina nodded back and watched as Alex went down the stairs to where Jason and Mark were trying to soothe their niece into slumber. Although they were reasonably successful, Alex took over, went into the bedroom, and rocked her to sleep. By the time Brooklyn fell asleep, Mark, Melina, and Jason were all waiting outside the door with a gift in their hands.

"For me?" Alex asked.

"No, for the other sexy broad in the house who's coming out of a baby nursery." Jason quipped, smirking.

In return he received a slap to the side of the head.

"What? I'm just stating the obvious..."

"Good on, sweetie, open it," Melina laughed.

Alex smiled and very slowly opened the package. Inside she found a journal and a beautiful pair of jeans.

"Oh, these are beautiful," she held them up to her front to see if they fit.

"I've got something for you too," Mark handed her an envelope.

"Mark," she sighed, "you guys already took me to Rockefellar Center for Christmas. You didn't have to get me this..."

"You deserve it, baby," he smiled as she opened the envelope. "Oh, and you better use it as soon as you can."

She shook her head as she reached in and pulled out the first item in the envelope. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "How in the hell did you afford this? A full week at the Ritz..."

"It was nothing."

"Nothing?" she answered, astonished.

Before she could say anything else, Jason shoved another box under Alex's nose. "For Brooklyn."

She reached in and pulled out something bigger than a gift certificate. "Baby clothes, and... a glow worm? Oh..." Alex melted. "She'll love it!" She jumped into Jason's arms and felt both men hug her close. "Thank you so much."

"And you know what?" Melina set the tray down and clapped her hands together. "That week also includes a week of baby-sitting free of charge."

"Mom, I can't ask you to do that, you already look after her while we're at school..."

"I know, sweetie, but you need to relax, be you."

Alex closed her eyes and moved to make the two men let go of her. "I barely see Brooklyn as it is, shouldn't I spend time with her?"

"Of course, but you haven't a) slept well since she was born or b) sat down and been pampered."

"But I don't have time," she protested stubbornly. "With school and Brooklyn and this new thing with Jack, I don't have the time."

"I give up," Melina went back up the stairs. "Call Jack as soon as you can and get this whole thing straightened out."

Jack and Mark winked at her.

Rolling her eyes, she went up to the kitchen and dialed Jack's home number.

He answered the phone with "Jack here."

"So, that offer, does it still stand?"