When Nick came out the house he saw the back of two heads. One he recognised instantly, the second the blonde, it took him longer. He hadn't heard a car pull up so that meant it had to be one of his family's and since there were only two blondes, and judging by the clothes this had to be the younger one.

"Stace?" He said out loud.

"Hey Uncle Nick." She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. "Welcome home."

"Thanks. Do Grandma and Pops know you're here?"

"Not yet." Stacey replied.

"What about your Mom and Dad?"

"Mom got stuck covering the night shift and doesn't finish until noon and Dad got a call at three am. He's not home yet. So I left Lara a note to tell her where I am. And before you say it I've been walking over here by myself since I was ten."

"Good." Nick sat down. "It's good to see you. You definite get more beautiful every time I see you."

"Uncle Nick." Stacey blushed.

"So you couldn't wait to see me?" Nick said.

"Actually I came to see if Uncle Jack was here yet."

"Oh." Nick sounded slightly disappointed.

"You were next on my list but Sara offered to help."

"Help with what?" Nick inquired.

"Physics homework." Sara replied.

"Then Sara is definitely the person to ask."

"I'm going to get a drink and say hello to Grandma and Pops, do you want anything Sara."

"I'm fine thank you Stacey." Sara said.

"Be right back."

"I see you've made a friend." Nick said when Stacey had gone.

"She's a good kid."

"We think so."

"She was telling me how hard it is to be a teenage girl and a Stokes in this town."

"How hard can it be everyone knows who she is?"

"Exactly. Try getting a date when your whole is connected to the legal system and since this is Texas I'm pretty sure they all have guns."

"You have a gun." Nick pointed out.

"Only because they make us carry one." Sara countered.

"Good point. By the way you'll be able to tell Stacy from the rest of the family tomorrow."

"How's that?"

"She and her mom Erin are the only ones who are blonde."

"Okay good to know."

"So is Texas too bad?"

"Its nice fresh air and not so much light pollution."

"Well given that most of the hotels and casinos have a couple hundred thousand at least on their signs I'd say light pollution is a problem."

"You can see the lights from space."

"Probably." Nick agreed.

"Hey Uncle Nicky." Stacey said when she came outside.

"Yes darlin'."

"Grandma said if Sara doesn't mind helping me, you could go to the store for her."

"I could probably manage that."

"I think she wants some hotdogs and things for tomorrow."

"She's going make me cook too isn't she?"

"Mom's bring potato salad and pie." Stacey said.

"That really good potato salad she won't give me the recipe for?" Nick asked.

"You can get the recipe anytime you like, she stole if from the Food Network website." Stacey replied.

"Oh really. That's interesting."

"She cuts up dead bodies for a living I don't think she has time to figure out a decent potato salad recipe otherwise."

"Smart alek." Nick said. "Well you ladies have fun."

"Don't get lost or I owe Dad a nickel."

"You think I'd get lost?"

"Depends on if your sense of direction is any better than that time you tried to take the kids to the zoo."

"I thought we weren't talking about that."

"I'll just tell Sara when you're gone." Stacey said.

"You know what I'm beginning to like Texas even more." Sara beamed.

TBC