pumpkinhead0402: I'm glad you're glad!

darkdestiney2000: Lily certainly didn't think so.

nighttime writer: Two reviews, I feel special! Jack's special services are sexual favors….I don't know, it just seemed like Bobby would say.

Moi 2: Okay! Haha, that was easy.

The Collision of Your Kiss: Oooh, I love long reviews, they make my day! "i think school made me dumber!" Bummer! That kind of defeats the whole purpose of going to school! Anyways, I'll get around to her features in this chapter, I think. I already mentioned she had brown hair and was a dress size 8, but I think that's about it. Sorry! And yes, I know Angel was the ex-hustler, but it just seemed like a comment Bobby would make, you know? (hehe, "you know"—do you get that? I hope so, 'cuz if not that means I'm a really freaky obsessed fan girl who spends too much time on Garrett's message boards). God, he 's cute, I just want to cuddle up with him. And I get dibs on him! Seriously, wouldn't it be funny if all his fans competed for a date with him? Haha, I don't know why but I can picture us all jousting at Medieval Times or something. Okay, I'm shutting up now.

A/N: Woo hoo, my longest chapter yet! And just to warn you, this is a sweet sappy chappie, not too much humor in it. Well, not Bobby's kind of humor anyway. Enjoy, and please review. I've had over 450 hits and only 25 reviews!

I am one of those fortunate women who happen to like their job. But every once in a while I just can't take it.

"Go to bed, Dani! Don't set a bad example for your sister."

For the third time tonight I was trying to get her to go to bed……….and for the third time tonight I was fighting a battle I was sure to lose. I know, I know, I said she was the mellow one………well, everybody acts out of character once in a while.

"No! I want Mommy to tuck me in!" She was currently jumping on her bed, her feet masked by white cotton socks bobbing up and down. I rubbed my head and left the room. Maybe if I ignored her she would stop. I walked down the hall to Amelia's room, hoping to find her asleep. Sure enough, she was snuggled under the covers, thumb in her mouth, her little tummy rising up and down with each breath she took. Watching her like that reminded me of my yearning to someday have children of my own.

Daniela screamed and I heard something hit the wall---that reminded me of my yearning to never have children. Another glass object shattered. Amelia woke up and started to cry. That's it.

I ran down the stairs and grabbed the phone. I dialed Evelyn's house, and almost cried out of happiness when someone picked up.

"Jerry?"

"No, this is Jack………Lily?"

Oh, God. Not Jack. Not after what just happened yesterday. But I pushed it out of my mind. I was too desperate to be picky. "Yeah, listen, is Jerry there? Or Camille? Or someone with a tranquilizer?"

"No they went out to dinner, and I think they might have left their cell phones here---is there something wrong?"

Dear God, why?

My voice was horse and rapid, "Daniela's throwing a temper tantrum and she's already broken a countless amount of stuff, and she just woke Amelia up, and now they're both crying and I'm going crazy---"

"Do you ever sing them to sleep?"

"Only when they've been bad, but I don't think they'll put up with it tonight."

He paused, as if trying not to laugh. "I'll be right over, maybe we can take them together."

"Thanks……" Daniela's stuffed polar bear hit my head, "…….And hurry!"

The doorbell rang five minutes later. "Okay, girls, you're in big trouble now. Uncle Jack's here, and he's not happy!"

They just stared at me, unnerved. I sighed heavily and opened the front door. A gust of wind nearly blew me off my feet as Jack entered the house.

"Thank you so much, Jack, I really owe you one."

"Don't worry about it," he told me while taking off his scarf and leather jacket. "So, what's the game plan?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I've done everything except give them sleeping pills."

"Read to them?"

"Yeah."

"Threaten them?"

"Yeah."

"Beaten them?"

I stared at him, shocked. "Jack Mercer—"

His laughter cut me off. "I was just kidding, Lily. But it's good to know where you stand on that subject, I'll be sure to let Jerry know."

Yet another stuffed animal came down from the stair, hitting Jack in the face.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun………"

Ten Minutes Later……….

"Put me down!" Daniela was kicking and screaming as Jack threw her over his shoulder and carried her up the stairs. He was doing fairly well for someone who's never been around kids.

I, on the other hand, was having a harder time. It was absolutely impossible for Amelia to fall asleep with Daniela throwing a fit, so she ended up trading in her bed for the couch downstairs. I was reading to her when Jack came downstairs—he didn't make his presence known right away, but I could see him watching us through the reflection on the window. It made me self-conscious.

"And then the little bunny hopped around and said—" I peered down at Amelia, only to find her asleep "—and thank God you finally dozed off……….I can see you, you know."

Jack jumped from his post on the bottom of the stairs. I turned around to face him.

"I didn't mean to freak you out, I just didn't want to interrupt. Your voice is kind of……..I dunno, soothing," he stuttered.

I smiled in spite of myself, and, unable to think of any witty reply, remained silent.

"Bobby read to me when I was little," he said, taking the book out of my hands and fingering the edges.

"What did he read?"

He smirked. "Playboy."

I burst out laughing at the sight of Jack as a little boy, curled up in bed with Bobby sitting nearby "reading" a Playboy.

"What were you like as kid?"

He shrugged, "Quiet, sullen, blonde shaggy hair, short, lots of freckles."

"Oh, me too, I had freckles all over my face."

He stepped closer to get a better look. "You hardly have any now," he murmured. His voice had the same husky sound that I heard on the ice yesterday.

"They usually fade in the winter." I whispered.

He suddenly stepped back, and I couldn't help but blush. "I was pretty short too," I went on quickly, and tried to hide the quiver in my voice, "And then in the eighth grade I shot up like a weed and I've been this height ever since. About 5'6, I think."

"Tell me more."

I fumbled with my fingers. Why is it that you can't remember a thing about yourself when someone wants to know about you? Or was just Jack? "Well, I went through a very awkward phase during high school—chubby, acne, braces, bad hair styles, even worse fashion sense. Then one summer I visited my aunt—a very modern, chic woman—and one night we stayed up all night talking and I ended up pouring out my heart and soul to her and the next day she started a little…..I dunno, transformation."

Jack sat on the armrest so that we were almost eye-to-eye. He was watching me closely, and I could tell he was really listening. At first it unnerved me—I tend to get fidgety upon close examination—but after a while it became comforting, like he knew this was difficult for me and was cheering me on.

"So she put me on this diet, we started exercising together, she took me to a dermatologist, and showed me what hairstyles worked and what clothes would be the most flattering……..I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"No—are you're eyes always this blue? I thought they were green yesterday on the ice."

"They change sometimes," I chocked out. Ugh, not the ice, too embarrassing…

"Mood eyes," he mused.

"Something like that………"

He was so close. He was so beautiful. Inches away. Time stopped.

"Uncle Jack! Read me a story!" Daniela shrieked from the stairs.

I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I HATE YOU.

He backed away. "Yeah, go get a book."

"I can't reach it."

He looked at me and sighed, then followed her up the stairs. As soon as he left the room I fell into the nearest armchair. I don't know how long I sat there, but eventually I moved onto the couch next to Amelia, and covered her with another blanket. Winters were so cold here, I wondered if I would ever get used to them.

Winter virgin. Jack. Ice.

"Is Daniela in trouble?"

I jumped. Amelia was awake and looking at me with great interest.

"For waking you up?"

"I was awake. You and Uncle Jack were staring at each other for a long time."

I felt my cheeks redden. "We were?"

"Yes, silly." She paused, "Do I get to call you 'Aunt Lily' when you marry Uncle Jack?"

"Uh—"

Her brown eyes sparkled, and her whole face was bright and shining, "And you'll have babies and I can take care of them like you take care of me!"

"Amelia, honey, no one's getting married."

Her face fell. "But I want to be a flower girl."

I smiled and put her on my lap, "You will, sweetie, I promise. But I don't know who I'll marry yet, okay?"

She nodded reluctantly and laid her head on my shoulder. Less than a minute later Jack and Daniela entered carrying a book and joined us on the couch. Jack sat next to me with Daniel on his lap. He started to read, and when I closed my eyes the most surreal feeling came over me. I was married to Jack. We were cuddled together on our couch reading to our children.

His deep voice was pleasant reminder way to drag me away from my daydream. "I do not like Green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam I am!" Hardly romantic poetry, but I didn't care.

I don't remember what time the girls fell asleep, nor do I remember when Jack or I did either. All I remember is that I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face.

Do I get to call you 'Aunt Lily' when you marry Uncle Jack?