Thank you thank you thank you! All of your kind reviews are most welcome, and for those of you who agreed with me about the review button being lilac, you get special cookies. Those will have to wait because I am in college and have NO money right now. Of course, when do I ever... The Kosovichs DO own their own ballroom costume company, LeNique which I have appropriated for use in this story.

Jack and Sam arrived at the studio on Monday to find Nick and Lena in a bit of a panic.

"Raddy and Sariah both have migraines and we can't really watch Nicky after Samantha and Jack leave." Nick groaned to his wife as he set the phone down.

Lena's eyes widened.

"But we can't just leave him with them when they're like that!"

"I know..." Nick sighed. "We might just have to cancel lessons for today, as much as I hate to do it on such short notice."

Before he knew what he was doing, Jack spoke.

"I'd be happy to take him."

The Kosovichs whirled around in unison and he supressed a desire to laugh.

"Could you?" Nick asked, practically begging.

Jack smiled.

"Sure...it'd be no problem at all."

"I'd be happy to help." Sam offered.

"Okay...we'll both take Nicky off your hands, then." Jack finished calmly.

Lena hugged him.

"I love you."

"Hey, watch it!" Nick warned jokingly. "I'm your husband!"

His wife gave him a sultry look.

"I know." she replied.

Nick blushed while Sam and Jack grinned.

"Whoa now!" Jack teased.

"Even after 9 years of marriage, I can still embarrass him!" Lena said smugly. Her husband gave her a look that spoke volumes.

After going and picking Nicky up from his grateful brother, Nick took the small boy upstairs and set him in front of the t.v. with some of his favorite movies. Once that mission was completed, he hauled Jack into the other room and made him go through his mantra before allowing the pair to do the Rhumba. There were a lot of gazes that passed between Jack and Sam as they danced that had money exchanging hands both ways.

"Nice job today, you guys!" Nick said in satisfaction. He'd earned 50 dollars today.

"Seems like the mantras are helping." Lena commented slyly. She hadn't exactly done badly either.

Both of them turned red and the Kosovichs chuckled.

Nicky came downstairs with his hands over his eyes.

"Can I look?" he asked.

Everyone laughed.

"Yes Nicky, you may look." Nick replied kindly.

The boy took his hands away and beamed at them. "What are we doing today, Uncle Nick?"

Casting a nervous look at Lena, Nick bent down until he was eye level with his nephew.

"I can't do anything with you today Nicky...I have to work."

The little child's face fell.

"But Jonathan and Samantha are going to do some fun things with you instead." Nick hastened to add.

The frown quickly turned into a smile and Nicky raced over to Jack. "What are we doing today?" he asked, bouncing from one foot to the other.

Jack smiled. "We're going to the park."

"Woo hoo!" Nicky cried.

Sam felt a surge of affection for the boy. He was a sweet child and had an infectious, happy spirit about him. Jack scooped him up and settled him on his shoulders. "Let's go, campers." he said.

"Yeah, let's go campers!" Nicky repeated.

Nick and Lena stood close together, watching Sam and Jack head off down the sidewalk with Nicky.

"Let's hope for the best for them, eh?" Nick whispered, putting his arm around his wife. She nodded and they continued to watch the unlikely trio until they could see them no more.

The first order of business on Jack's list was to stop at a nearby Wal-Mart and get some neccessary supplies. He guided Nicky straight to the toy aisle and Sam had to laugh. Jack was almost like a kid himself as he helped Nicky decide which toys they should get.

"I'll be right back." he told them. "Sam, help Nicky pick out a Frisbee."

"Okay..." she replied, curious as to what Jack was up to now.

He returned a few minutes later bearing a baseball cap, some baseballs, and a catcher's mitt. Nicky was agog over these gifts, examining them and not uttering a sound.

Jack bought the toys and some other items. As they walked outside, he broke the price tag off of the baseball cap, adjusted the back of it, then set it on Nicky's head. The boy looked up at Jack, and for a split second he could almost see Charlie again. He shook his head to clear the vision from his mind, and they went to the park.

"Let's play catch, Nicky." Jack said, getting one of the baseballs out.

"But...I'm not Charlie..." Nicky whispered.

Jack bent down in front of Nicky. "I know...but sometimes you remind me of him and I still want to play catch with you anyway."

Sam was setting some lunch meat, bread, and drinks in a throwaway cooler when she overheard the conversation. She looked up in time to see Nicky throw his arms around Jack's neck, then run over and grab his glove. She smiled, though there was a tinge of sadness to it. It wasn't fair; Jack should have been there with his own son as well.

Nicky was pretty good at catch and Jack wondered why he hadn't done this in so long. He accidently made a bad throw and when he tried to go for it, Nicky fell down hard on his knees. Water welled in his eyes, but he was determined to be a big boy and not cry. Jack hurried to the truck to get a First Aid Kit he always carried with him while Sam walked over, picking Nicky up and bringing him to a nearby park bench. She held him and whispered soothingly to him. He sniffed a bit, but calmed down.

"Are you okay, Nicky?" Sam asked gently.

He nodded, and clung to her, his lower lip still trembling.

Jack got the things he needed and was heading back when he saw Sam seated on the bench, Nicky in her arms. She looks so natural with him... he thought. Snapping out of his momentary reverie, Jack quickly walked over, kneeling down in front of Sam. He doctored Nicky's knees with a gentleness that was at odds with his usual way of conduct. Once he was done, he gave the boy a big hug. "I threw a bad one, huh?" he asked sympathetically.

The solemn expression on the child's face was replaced by one of mischief.

"You said it, not me!" he uttered carefully.

Jack could immediately tell this was one of the phrases that Nicky had been tutored in by his uncle.

"Yes, I did." he admitted.

Nicky giggled and Jack marvelled at his ability to bounce back so quickly.

They ate lunch after another quick game of catch, then played in the park for a few hours. Even Sam participated in a rousing game of Frisbee.

Nicky was tired however, and despite his protests, Jack and Sam decided that it was time to take Nicky back to Lena and Nick. He climbed into Sam's lap willingly and was asleep before Jack even started the truck.

She handed Nicky to Jack once they got to the studio so she could climb out of the truck. It's too bad there aren't any children Jack interacts with on a regular basis... Sam told herself.

The Kosovichs were grateful for their willingness to watch Nicky and both Nick and Lena were getting teary eyes when Jack carried Nicky upstairs and laid him down on the sofa with a kiss on the forehead and a whispered, "Sweet dreams, little one."

Jack and Sam worked their tails off the next day. There were only 2 more days between them and the competition.

When the practice was over, Nick and Lena surprised them by whipping out tape measures. "Costume measurments!" Nick said cheerfully.

"Ummm...who's going to be making them this quickly?" Jack asked.

"We are. Besides competiting and giving lessons, Nick and I own our own ballroom costume company, LeNique. Nick designed all of the men's costumes for Dancing With The Stars." Lena replied proudly.

Nick waved the tape measure at Jack in a threatening manner and herded him into another room so he could get the measurements he needed.

Once the men were gone, it was just Sam and her instructor. "Now Sam, I have to warn you...Latin costumes are on the skimpier side." Lena said tacfully.

She nodded in understanding.

"I have some pictures."

As soon as Sam caught sight of some of them, her jaw dropped. Lena saw her expression, and laughed.

"Don't worry...I won't be making you wear anything as dramatic as that, especially since this is a competition where you will be representing your particular branch of the military. However, there does have to be a certain amount of you showing."

Sam sighed. "Okay...whatever you think is best."

Nick quickly measured Jack and showed him some drawings he'd made. "I was thinking of a nice simplepinstripe suit for you as far as the swing goes...maybe even a fedora. The Smooth is easy enough- a nice set of tails, ala John O'Hurley."

Setting the sketchbook down, Nick looked at Jack with a slightly apologetic look in his eyes.

"You're about to say something I'm not going to like..." Jack predicted.

The dancer nodded. "For Latin, common dress for men is black Spandex pants and either a see through shirt, or a shirt with cutouts in it."

"Oh what the heck...I don't work out for nothing. Let's do the cutouts." Jack replied bravely.

"Now THAT'S the answer of a dead sexy man!" Nick joked. His student groaned, and allowed his head to drop onto the table. He KNEW Nick was never going to let him forget that dang mantra for as long as he lived!

Lena was able to draw Sam some sketchs of dresses she was considering for the smooth and swing rounds. Sam liked them all, but there were two that called to her, and those were the two she picked.

"Nice choices, Sam..."

Breathing deeply, Sam muttered, "I am a hot mammacita...I am a hot mammacita!"

Lena grinned to herself. Just wait until she saw Jack in "latin hot pants"!

Yes, I know...evil to end it there, but I promise, there's sill quite a bit to come! Make me happy and disco hustle yourselves over tothe button (which I STILL say is lilac) to tell me what you think.