See chapter one for disclaimer.
Chapter Two: Lexi
"Nick, I'm leaving now. Anything you want me to pick up?" Sara Sidle was standing in the doorway of the apartment that she and Nick shared; ready to leave to go grocery shopping.
"Coffee. We're just about out," he called to her from their bedroom.
"Okay." She grabbed the keys to the Tahoe as Nick walked out of the bedroom clad in only a pair of jeans, rubbing his still-wet hair with a towel.
"Thanks," he leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. "I love you." Another kiss. "Bye."
She smiled, "Bye. Love you, too." She shut the door and walked out to her truck, just as a sleek, black Jetta parked across the street. As she pulled away, she didn't notice the woman or the child that got out of the car and head toward the apartment complex, nor did she foresee the events that would turn her life upside down.
* * *
Nick was making himself breakfast when he heard the doorbell. He turned down the heat on the griddle and pulled a tee-shirt over his head as he walked toward the door. He opened it, and was extremely surprised at the person who stood before him, well, rather, the people that stood before him, although he didn't recognize the little girl.
"Carrie?!" he exclaimed incredulously, slinging a towel over his shoulder, "What are you doing here?" He was more than a little shocked to find his ex- girlfriend standing in his hallway.
"Hey, Nick," She greeted him in a soft tone, "Actually I need to talk to you about something. Can we come in?" She looked nervous and was gripping the little girl's hand tightly.
"Of course. Please, make yourselves at home." He stepped to the side to let them in and led them to the couch.
"I was just making some breakfast. Do either of you want anything?" He was anxious to find out more details about Carrie's impromptu visit and was even more anxious to find out who the child was, but he didn't want to seem rude.
"We already ate, but thanks." The little girl tugged on Carrie's sleeve and whispered something into her ear.
"Of course, honey." She said, in response to the girl's question.
"Nick, I don't think you've been formally introduced to my daughter. This is Alexandra Diana Barnes. Lexi, this is Nick."
"Hello, Alexandra." The mystery child finally had a name.
"Lexi. Call me Lexi. Everybody does. Alexandra's too long." Lexi looked up at him with a somewhat fearful expression, as if she would be reprimanded for correcting him. Instead he smiled.
"Well then, Lexi, it's a pleasure to meet you." He held his hand out to her, and she tentatively shook it, before turning to look once again pleadingly at her mother.
"Oh, right. Sorry Lex." She smiled, "Nick, Lexi wants to know if she could use your bathroom." He realized that she had been fidgeting in her seat for a while, and smiled at her.
"Yeah. It's right down the hall. Do you want me to show you?" But she had already popped up off the sofa and was racing toward the bathroom door.
"That's okay. I can find it!" She called out. "Thanks, though!" Nick resettled himself on the couch, and waited for Carrie to speak. She didn't.
"So, uh, how have you been?" Nick broke the uncomfortable silence that had settled around the two.
"Not so good. Actually, that's kinda why I'm here." She avoided making eye contact with him, and instead concentrated on a hangnail on her index finger.
"Why? What's wrong?" Something wasn't right; he just wished he knew what it was.
"This is really hard for me, so I'm just going to come out and say it." Her brow was furrowed, and she kept clenching and unclenching her hands, in an effort to calm herself down. "I have cancer." This time she looked right at him, her blue-green eyes boring into his, her voice never faltering for a second. He was taken aback by her change in attitude.
"Oh my God. Carrie, I'm so sorry." He understood how troubled she must have been, but what he didn't understand was why she came to him.
"Don't be. Please. The last thing I need right now is a pity party. I've been through all the chemo and radiation already, but it hasn't helped. They gave me six months. Well, around there." She looked back at him to gauge his reaction. What she saw was worry and fear.
"But can't they do anything? Can't you try it again?" He couldn't believe his ears. Carrie had always been so strong. So resilient. Nothing could ever keep her down. 'Except you,' he thought to himself. And now she was going to die.
"I could, I suppose, but I don't want to. I just want to spend my last days with my daughter, with Lexi. But, Nick, I need to know that she'll be taken care of when I'm gone. I need to know that you'll take care of her." Her eyes looked into his, begging him to say yes.
"Why me? I mean, we broke up a long time ago, and it wasn't all that happy of a good-bye either." He winced at the bad memories that were resurfacing with Carrie's visit. "Why me? Don't you have anybody else you'd trust her life with more? What about your parents? What about her father?
"Because, Nick, you are her father."
TBC.
A.N- Well, what do you guys think so far? I should have chapter three up in a few days- I have it written, it just has to be beta'd. Please R&R!
Chapter Two: Lexi
"Nick, I'm leaving now. Anything you want me to pick up?" Sara Sidle was standing in the doorway of the apartment that she and Nick shared; ready to leave to go grocery shopping.
"Coffee. We're just about out," he called to her from their bedroom.
"Okay." She grabbed the keys to the Tahoe as Nick walked out of the bedroom clad in only a pair of jeans, rubbing his still-wet hair with a towel.
"Thanks," he leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. "I love you." Another kiss. "Bye."
She smiled, "Bye. Love you, too." She shut the door and walked out to her truck, just as a sleek, black Jetta parked across the street. As she pulled away, she didn't notice the woman or the child that got out of the car and head toward the apartment complex, nor did she foresee the events that would turn her life upside down.
* * *
Nick was making himself breakfast when he heard the doorbell. He turned down the heat on the griddle and pulled a tee-shirt over his head as he walked toward the door. He opened it, and was extremely surprised at the person who stood before him, well, rather, the people that stood before him, although he didn't recognize the little girl.
"Carrie?!" he exclaimed incredulously, slinging a towel over his shoulder, "What are you doing here?" He was more than a little shocked to find his ex- girlfriend standing in his hallway.
"Hey, Nick," She greeted him in a soft tone, "Actually I need to talk to you about something. Can we come in?" She looked nervous and was gripping the little girl's hand tightly.
"Of course. Please, make yourselves at home." He stepped to the side to let them in and led them to the couch.
"I was just making some breakfast. Do either of you want anything?" He was anxious to find out more details about Carrie's impromptu visit and was even more anxious to find out who the child was, but he didn't want to seem rude.
"We already ate, but thanks." The little girl tugged on Carrie's sleeve and whispered something into her ear.
"Of course, honey." She said, in response to the girl's question.
"Nick, I don't think you've been formally introduced to my daughter. This is Alexandra Diana Barnes. Lexi, this is Nick."
"Hello, Alexandra." The mystery child finally had a name.
"Lexi. Call me Lexi. Everybody does. Alexandra's too long." Lexi looked up at him with a somewhat fearful expression, as if she would be reprimanded for correcting him. Instead he smiled.
"Well then, Lexi, it's a pleasure to meet you." He held his hand out to her, and she tentatively shook it, before turning to look once again pleadingly at her mother.
"Oh, right. Sorry Lex." She smiled, "Nick, Lexi wants to know if she could use your bathroom." He realized that she had been fidgeting in her seat for a while, and smiled at her.
"Yeah. It's right down the hall. Do you want me to show you?" But she had already popped up off the sofa and was racing toward the bathroom door.
"That's okay. I can find it!" She called out. "Thanks, though!" Nick resettled himself on the couch, and waited for Carrie to speak. She didn't.
"So, uh, how have you been?" Nick broke the uncomfortable silence that had settled around the two.
"Not so good. Actually, that's kinda why I'm here." She avoided making eye contact with him, and instead concentrated on a hangnail on her index finger.
"Why? What's wrong?" Something wasn't right; he just wished he knew what it was.
"This is really hard for me, so I'm just going to come out and say it." Her brow was furrowed, and she kept clenching and unclenching her hands, in an effort to calm herself down. "I have cancer." This time she looked right at him, her blue-green eyes boring into his, her voice never faltering for a second. He was taken aback by her change in attitude.
"Oh my God. Carrie, I'm so sorry." He understood how troubled she must have been, but what he didn't understand was why she came to him.
"Don't be. Please. The last thing I need right now is a pity party. I've been through all the chemo and radiation already, but it hasn't helped. They gave me six months. Well, around there." She looked back at him to gauge his reaction. What she saw was worry and fear.
"But can't they do anything? Can't you try it again?" He couldn't believe his ears. Carrie had always been so strong. So resilient. Nothing could ever keep her down. 'Except you,' he thought to himself. And now she was going to die.
"I could, I suppose, but I don't want to. I just want to spend my last days with my daughter, with Lexi. But, Nick, I need to know that she'll be taken care of when I'm gone. I need to know that you'll take care of her." Her eyes looked into his, begging him to say yes.
"Why me? I mean, we broke up a long time ago, and it wasn't all that happy of a good-bye either." He winced at the bad memories that were resurfacing with Carrie's visit. "Why me? Don't you have anybody else you'd trust her life with more? What about your parents? What about her father?
"Because, Nick, you are her father."
TBC.
A.N- Well, what do you guys think so far? I should have chapter three up in a few days- I have it written, it just has to be beta'd. Please R&R!