Disclaimer: Not mine! All the characters you recognize belong to JE, I'm just playing.

Warnings: While this is an AU story, it has the potential to possibly spoil or mention something from any of the books 1-18.

Author's Note: Please, forgive any inaccuracies. It is fiction, so some things happen the way they do merely to fit my purposes. I hope you enjoy!

You all are incredible. I cannot believe the support everyone has offered. I have tried to thank everyone personally for their review. If I missed, I am so sorry, and please know how much I truly appreciate it. For your reading pleasure…I give you Carlos's POV. When he and Lester talk that have slight potty mouths, so heads up for a little language. Oh, and for the sake of my story, Abuela Rosa speaks English.

Sorry for the re-post. I had to fix a couple mistakes.

Previously:

I turned to tell him thank you for walking me up, but as I lifted my head to look at him, his face quickly moved down and his lips caught mine. It had to have been the hottest, most toe curling kiss in the history of all kisses. We kissed for what could have been hours or only moments and we pulled away both slightly breathless.

Carlos leaned in again and whispered, "See you tomorrow, Babe. Sweet dreams," as he tucked a curl behind my ear. I had no words and simply nodded as he turned and walked back down the hallway. 'Holy cow, Happy Thanksgiving,' I thought as I put my fingers to my still tingling lips and headed inside to get ready for bed. I'm not sure what that kiss was about, but I can only hope there might be a repeat tomorrow.

Ch. 11

Carlos's POV

Please, dear God get me out of this car before I completely lose it. It has been the longest two and a half days in the history of mankind. Not only did I have to miss two classes to drive to Miami with my family for Thanksgiving, but also my sisters are about to make me crazy. If I hear one more conversation about what shoes look best with a certain dress, which brand of makeup is the best, and how this boy looked at one of them this way I'm going to lose it. First of all, buy black shoes, they go with everything. Second of all, they are beautiful girls none of them need makeup. And third, boys shouldn't be looking at my little sisters if they know what's good for them. Celia, she is pretty good at taking care of herself, but the other three, well, they are just too young to be dating.

Not to mention, spending a great deal of time in a confined space with Mama and Papa is pure torture. They still act like lovesick teenagers with each other, and while I appreciate how much they love each other, I don't need to see it, or hear it. Papa calls Mama 'Babe', and while I know it is a term of endearment, I can't imagine ever wanting to call a woman, 'Babe'. Don't get me wrong, I like women, shit, I love women but to have such an intimate 'pet name' for one…nope, not me.

When we finally pulled up in front of Abuela's house, I practically fell out of the van and was ready to kiss the ground, but her nosy neighbor was on the porch so I held it together. It was a little after 10 a.m. and I knew Lester was going to be here soon. Thank God because I needed a little better balance of testosterone to estrogen.

After exchanging pleasantries with Abuela, which is code for getting kissed on the cheeks about a dozen times and hugged until you think you've cracked a rib, we headed inside with our suitcases. Abuela's house is a nice sized house, much too big for just her, but a little too small when we are all there to visit. Thankfully, Lester has an apartment in Miami, so I'll be able to escape with him tonight and not draw sofa city. His roommate is out of town, so one of us can crash in his bed.

Once everyone's things were settled, Mama and Papa went into the kitchen with Abuela. I was just sitting down in the living room where the girls were watching the parade and Antonio was mumbling prayers for a football game soon when Abuela came in and asked me to join her for a walk.

"Carlito, come. We walk before your cousin arrives."

I had expected this, only not so soon after our arrival. She liked to catch up with me and make sure I was still walking the straight and narrow path. She spent a few years 'knocking the wicked out of me and she wanted to make sure it hadn't returned', as she put it.

We were barely off the front steps when she started in on me. "How is college, my Carlito? Are you getting good grades? Staying out of trouble? Have you met a young woman that will give me great-grandchildren yet?"

I couldn't help but laugh out loud at her. Just a year ago she was telling me not to rush things and that I had better not make her a great-grandmother before her time.

"School is muy bueno (very good), Abuela. My classes are difficult, but I am doing well and pulling in good grades. Thanks to the classes I took at the community college here, I should have a degree in just three years if I stick to a similar schedule to what I have now. And no, no women yet. I'm trying to stay out of trouble, remember?"

She laughed at that. I loved to hear my Abuela laugh. It was a hearty laugh and after causing her many tears several years ago, I vowed to make her laugh as often as possible as retribution.

We continued walking for nearly an hour, talking about what I was learning in my classes, the people I spend my time with and Lester. She is worried about his decision to join the Army and afraid for him. I spent a great deal of time trying to reassure her that he could join and not even see real combat, but she told me she felt like bad things were coming and it had her nervous. Once Abuela realized how long we had been gone she decided we should head back to make sure Mama hadn't let the turkey go dry. She was also sure Lester would be there by now, and she was anxious to meet his friend he was bringing along. I had talked to him about a week ago and he hadn't mentioned inviting anyone to dinner. I could only hope it was Cal or one of his frat brothers. Like I said before, I needed a surge of testosterone to help keep the levels more balanced.

When we arrived back at the house, and a typically enthusiastic Lester greeted me.

"'Los! Man, its great to see you," he said pulling me into a hug. Lester always was the touchy feely type. Abuela disappeared into the kitchen to check on Mama after a quick hug and a kiss to Lester, and he and I headed out back to talk.

We headed down the deck stairs and into the yard to avoid anyone in the family over hearing us.

"Seriously, 'Los. I'm so glad you are here. It just isn't the same without you in Miami. How's Rutgers? The ladies?" He asked with a smirk.

"Rutgers is school. It is good, but sometimes I wish I had just stayed in Miami. Mama and Papa are constantly checking up on me and some of my old crowd works the area. It is complicated at best. I just keep my head down and my nose in the books. I figure that's the best way to stay out of trouble. As for the ladies…" I left it there, giving him my famous wolf grin and letting him think what he wanted. I didn't want to admit to the fact that I hadn't really been out much. I haven't met anyone yet that was worth the effort. They are all after my body, and the last time I gave into a chick that was just after sex, it got me in trouble and shipped off to live with my Abuela and cousin. For now, I'm good without a chick screwing things up.

"What about you? Any progress on rebuilding the house? Any ladies for you?"

"I'm good. Just working hard so that my grades are good this semester, and studying for my ASVAB so I don't run into any trouble in May. They are still working out the insurance on the house, so I doubt I'll be back in it at all. But it's cool. Bobby's got a two bedroom, and lucky for me the extra room was vacant so I'm good. No ladies. Steph and I went out a few times, but she really is more like a sister to me than anything else. But, her friend Bridget…HOT! I plan on asking her out once she gets back from visiting her family for Thanksgiving."

"Steph?" I asked.

"Yeah, man. I told you about Stephanie. I call her Beautiful most of the time. She's the girl from Jersey I met when she was moving in. Sassy, funny as hell and flat fucking gorgeous."

"You'd call your sister 'flat fucking gorgeous'?" I asked being a bit of a smart ass.

"Hey, I'm not going to sleep with her, but I'm not blind. The girl is gorgeous. And the best part, she doesn't even see it. She has the bluest eyes you've ever seen and the longest legs. She runs and plays softball, but then eats total garbage. She is smart and stubborn as hell, but has the kindest heart of anyone I've ever met before. I can't even do her justice describing her. You'll know what I mean when you meet her."

"Meet her? When am I gonna meet her? We're leaving Saturday afternoon."

"I thought Celia would have told you. She's here. She couldn't afford to go back to Jersey for Thanksgiving. That or she didn't want to. I asked her to come here to hang with us."

It was just about then when I got the feeling that someone was watching me. I turned my head just in time to see the girl I presumed was Stephanie falling down the stairs. Les and I rushed over to her to make sure she was ok. She was lying there with her eyes closed tight and was whispering, "Please, just let me be invisible". I couldn't help but smile at her.

She opened her eyes and I felt my heart skip a beat and my breath caught. Luckily Les was distracted by her potential injury and didn't notice. But holy Madre de Dios (mother of God), she is gorgeous. Les wasn't kidding when he talked about how blue her eyes were. He didn't mention her curly hair, but the way it haloed around her head as she lay on the ground, I don't even know how to describe how beautiful she looked. Les leaned down to help her up and asked her if she was ok. She came back with a witty comment saying, "Yeah. You know me, I like to make an entrance."

I smiled at her again. That had to have hurt, but the fact that she wasn't whining about it or trying to have Les, or even me, fawn over her impressed me. I could already tell she was different.

When Les introduced us and she reached out to shake my hand, I never expected the jolt I would receive when we touched. I felt the warmth of her hand and a spark of electricity shot through my body. I know my eyes widened, I couldn't help it. In that very second, I wanted to wrap my arms around her and kiss her. I had never had that reaction to a woman before, ever, and I couldn't believe it. Before my mind was able to control my mouth, out popped the word I never thought I would call a woman. "Babe."

I couldn't take my eyes off of hers, and it wasn't until Lester started talking again that I even realized he was still standing there. 'Way to be aware of your surroundings, Manoso,' I thought to myself.

Lester told her we were going to play some basketball and she said something about talking to Celia if the steps didn't attack her again and I couldn't suppress the chuckle that came from my lips. I haven't smiled and laughed this much in a long time, and the fact that this woman, this stranger, was bringing it out in me was very surprising. As we walked inside, I couldn't help but think how glad I was that Lester said he and my Babe were just good friends.

Woah! My babe? Where did that thought come from? Thankfully we I didn't have time to dwell on that thought process as we were heading back outside to play basketball. Unfortunately, Steph and Celia were sitting on the porch laughing and talking the entire time Les was whipping my ass on the court. We were usually pretty evenly matched, but I couldn't focus with her beautiful laugh filling the air. She didn't even notice as Les and I passed by to clean up for dinner.

As we were sitting down to eat, I arranged it so that both open seats were on either side of me. That way, no matter which chair Stephanie chose, it would be next to me. She and Celia came into the dining room and I couldn't help but notice how her blue eyes sparkled. I could get completely lost in those eyes.

As we filled our plates, I couldn't help but grin internally at the amount of food she piled onto her plate. Normally a female eating with people she barely knows will only grab small portions, but not her. Her plate was piled as high as Lester's. I figured there was no way someone with her figure could eat all that food, but she proved me wrong. And boy did she kill me as she was proving me wrong.

The sounds she was making as she dug into her meal where making me as hard as steel under the tablecloth. Thank goodness Abuela maintains a beautiful setting for holidays, otherwise my current state might be more noticeable by my family, which would just be awkward. I was getting to the point where I was going to have to excuse myself when Lester spoke up. "You must really like the food, Beautiful."

It was then I noticed that all eyes at the table were on her, not just mine. She was looking at Lester so I couldn't see the expression on her face when he said, "I haven't heard noises like that since." Thankfully Abuela stopped him from finishing his thought with a smack to the head. I felt a growl bubbling up in my chest, but was able to silence it. I noticed the red on her cheeks as she mumbled an apology. Thankfully, Mama salvaged the situation by saying, "Don't apologize dear. It is wonderful to see someone enjoy our cooking so much."

Papa spoke up next encouraging us all to say what we were thankful for this year. We went around the table offering our thankfulness for a variety of things and when everyone had spoken, eyes turned to Stephanie again. I managed to hide my smile when she offered up a weak, "Me?" How she could moan like she was in the throes of passion in one minute, and be shy about speaking up in the next was funny to me.

I could have never expected her words. She floored me again by saying, "I'm thankful to have found such an amazing friend in Lester. He has become my best friend and my brother in so many ways. Even though I'm many miles from home, I feel like I have a family here in Miami. And I couldn't be more thankful for that." She cleared her throat again and continued. "I'm also very thankful for all of you. Not many people would welcome someone they have never met into their home and treat them like they belong there. You have treated me like a member of your family since I walked in the door. Thank you so much."

I couldn't help but find myself wondering what type of people that she grew up around that she wouldn't be instantly accepted. As far as I could tell in this brief time, she is amazing. She seems to wear her emotions on her sleeve, and has a joyful spirit, which you don't see much of these days. What I wouldn't give to stay in Miami and be surrounded by that spirit on a daily basis.

When my Papa confirmed that she was family to us now, I couldn't stop myself from reaching over to her and taking her hand. I felt the spark between us again and I know she felt it too, as she jumped ever so slightly when I squeezed her hand. I couldn't bring myself to let go, and she didn't seem to be in a hurry for me to release her, so I continued to hold her hand through the rest of dinner.

I was barely paying attention to the conversation at the table, focusing on the feel of my Babe's hand in mine when Veronica started shouting, "I knew it! I thought that was you!"

The conversation between the two of them turned to softball and what an amazing player my Babe was. When Roni mentioned that there were scouts there to recruit her, I felt her posture change and could sense confusion bubbling up in her. It seems that she might not have been aware of the scouts. I noticed her face change as if she realized what might have happened and then she dropped my hand and excused herself.

I managed to wait her out for about 10 minutes by helping Mama to clear the table and stack the dishes in the kitchen. When I couldn't stand it any longer, I slipped out on the front porch to check on her. I felt the magnetic draw between us and moved closer to her. I noticed her lift her hand to the back of her neck before turning her head and offering a soft, "Hi." It was as if she felt me on the porch behind her.

I said back to her, "Hey. You okay, Babe?" I did it again. I couldn't believe I called her Babe again. I don't think I've called her Stephanie yet. I'm not sure what it is about her that has me calling her the same intimate name my father has called my mother for as long as I can remember, but I just can't seem to keep it from falling out of my mouth.

"Yes. No. I don't know. I'm having a really hard time grasping what your sister was saying in there." She offered back. I didn't know what to say, so I just moved closer to her to offer some form of comfort and noticed her shiver as my breath crossed her neck. I felt a slight smile on my lips as I realized I was, indeed, affecting her as much as she was affecting me. She had just leaned back into my body and was starting to relax, when the door behind us flew open and she jumped away. I silently cursed Lester for interrupting, but knew that he knew her better than I did, and she might want his comfort more than mine.

When she mentioned needing dessert, I couldn't help but laugh slightly. After all the food she had consumed, I don't know where she was going to put dessert. We headed back inside to reclaim our seats at the table. Abuela had made caramel flan, my favorite, and even though I had already eaten more than I normally do, I couldn't resist a small portion of it. Steph ate her dessert as passionately as she had eaten the rest of her meal and I found myself shifting in my seat trying to relieve the pressure on my zipper. Man, what I wouldn't give to hear those noises in a more private place.

After dessert, we watched football and played some of our traditional family games to pass the time. I was glad that I was escaping with Lester for the evening, but even more pleased that I would get to spend a little more time with Stephanie. I was thrilled when Mama invited her to join us again tomorrow, although, another day of sharing meals with her might be a new form of torture.

The ride back to campus was a slow 30 minutes. Stephanie had let me have the front seat and I was pleased, as it would cause me to have to get out of the jeep when we arrived back at her dorm. I was hoping to walk her up to her room. True to my plan, when I was standing outside the jeep letting her out, I let Les know I would walk her up and be right back down. My cousin gave me a look that said he would be in after us if I wasn't back down in an appropriate amount of time, but nodded just the same.

I took her hand as we stepped into the elevator and the doors closed behind us. I found myself silently wishing the elevator would break down with us inside. Unfortunately, my wish didn't come true and we were stepping out on the seventh floor in a matter of moments. I thought I might have noticed Stephanie walking a little slower as we headed down the hall toward her room, as if she didn't want to get to her door any faster than I did. When she put her key in the door to unlock it and turned to I'm assuming say goodbye, my control slipped and I found myself moving toward her quickly and claiming her lips with my own.

Of all the women I have shared a kiss with, none of those kisses compared to my first kiss with my Babe. I felt the passion she possessed all through my body and I wanted desperately to throw open the door and take her to the bed that I knew was behind it. After what wasn't nearly enough time, I pulled back from the kiss. I noticed she was breathing as heavily as I was and it took her a few moments longer than me to open her eyes.

I leaned in and whispered, "See you tomorrow, Babe. Sweet dreams," knowing if I didn't walk away from her right that second that I wouldn't be able to. As I got back in the elevator and headed down to meet Lester I found myself hoping that kiss would be repeated, over and over again, tomorrow.

Les gave me a harsh look as I climbed back in the jeep, but managed to avoid saying anything. We pulled up to his apartment and I grabbed my duffel out of the back and followed him inside. Once we were inside he turned to me and I stopped. I wasn't sure if he was going to hit me or not, but after a couple deep breaths he said, "She is really special, man. If you hurt her in any way, cousin or not, I'll hurt you."

I nodded slightly and said, "I can see how special she is already. I won't hurt her. You have my word."

With that he nodded, told me I could have his room and headed into Bobby's room to go to sleep. As I lay in the bed I found myself, once again, wishing I had stayed in Miami.

TBC…

Author's Note: So. Thoughts? How did I do with Carlos's POV? I had planned for it to be shorter, but he just kept telling me what he thought, and since the Man of Mystery normally doesn't say much, I couldn't find it in me to silence him. What do you think? Please let me know. The day after Thanksgiving is up next. Let me know if there is something you would like to see.

Amy