A/N: I just wrote an awesome Lomille chapter :D this isn't it, but I'm so excited for it, so I'm gonna write the next one now, and try and write solidly. This chapter isn't that great (i feel like I say that with every chapter) but the next one (SPOILER!) is gonna reveal Mr Taylor's fate :)

Chapter 14: Out for her birthday

"Ma ma ma!" Lacey called, rattling the bars of her crib, and Jo moaned, looking at the alarm clock on the bedside table; 6.00am. Even though Lacey was only a year old, Jo could have sworn the little girl knew it was her birthday. Jo tossed back the covers and went over to Lacey's crib and picked her up,

"Good morning, you," she smiled wearily.

"Hi!" it was all Lacey could say, besides 'ma', and it made Jo laugh.

Jo couldn't believe how excited the little girl was this early in the morning.

"Is it a special day?" Jo asked, perking up; Lacey's excitement was contagious. Lacey nodded her head vigorously and Jo giggled walking into the living room setting the little girl down beside the couch, where Kendall had been sleeping the past few days. "Be gentle with your daddy, OK?" she whispered, and Lacey hit Kendall's good arm,

"Hi!" she yelled into his ear, and he awoke with a start.

"What the h-i, Lacey!" he corrected himself "How's my special 1 year old?" he asked, putting out his hand for her to grab, and she laughed.

"Morning, birthday girl!" Carlos said as he, James and Logan appeared out of their bedroom and sat along the other side of the couch. Lacey's smile lit up as she spotted her three uncles, and she toddled over to Logan, who pecked her head.

"I can't believe it's been a year," Jo sighed, taking Kendall's hand in hers.

"I know," Kendall smiled "it just sucks that I can't be there to help, ya know?"

"Don't worry," Jo smirked "I'll bring you some cake."

"Thanks," Kendall smiled as Jo leaned down to kiss him.

Katie and Mrs Knight appeared out of their rooms at that moment, smiling.

"Happy birthday, Lacey baby!" Mrs Knight cried, picking up the little girl and held her close. "You ready for a day out with your uncles?" she cooed, and Lacey babbled something that sounded like 'yeah, yeah'. "Are you going to be OK setting up for the party, Jo?"

"Yeah, sure," Jo smiled "I'll call over the girls and, um, could you help, Katie?"

"Sure," Katie smiled.

"Alright, so boys, you take Lacey and have fun with her for the day, while Jo and the girls set up the apartment, and I go and buy a cake and some food." she handed Lacey to James, who picked her up and led the way out of the apartment, followed by Logan and Carlos.

"So, where first?" James asked the others.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving!" Carlos said "Can we get some breakfast?"

"Sure buddy," James smiled "Waffles?" Carlos nodded enthusiastically, and the boys made their way to the waffle place and got a booth towards the back of the restaurant .

"Carlos Garcia, James Diamond and Logan Mitchell?" a voice asked, and the boys all looked around, trying to find the owner. "Beverly Adams, of It Magazine, how are you all doing this morning?" a middle aged woman with shortcut, red hair and grey eyes said, shaking each boys hand harshly.

"Uh, we're really not here for interviews-" Logan began.

"Oh!" Beverly Adams said loudly as she spotted Lacey, who was sitting on Carlos' knee and looking around, confused "Who is this little angel?" she threw herself into the booth beside Carlos and cooed at Lacey, who shied away, nestling into her uncle's jacket and whimpering.

"She's-uh, a little shy," Carlos stuttered, shying away from the woman, who was leaning far too close to him for comfort.

"Oh!" she said again "This must me Kendall Knight's secret baby," something about the scathing way she said it made all three boys tense up, and Carlos shifted Lacey into the space between himself and Logan, where Logan put his arms around her protectively.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce me?" Beverly Adams asked, taking out her phone.

"Uh, no," James said "sorry," he smirked and led the way out of the booth, muttering to Carlos, "we'll find waffles somewhere else, buddy,"

"Don't worry about it," Carlos said, clutching Lacey to his chest "Let's go to the park, at least there's tons of people there, and no one can get photos of Little Lacey," he pouted, bouncing the little girl in his arms.

"You're really good with her," Logan said, and James nodded in agreement.

"So are you guys," Carlos told them "we're so lucky, ya know?"

"Why, because our best friend had a kid at 18?" James asked.

"No, because we're like a family. I mean, yeah it's not like mom, dad and a bunch of kids type family, but it works," he smiled, playing with Lacey's hair.

Jo and Katie were setting up streamers while Stephanie and Lucy were blowing up balloons, and Camille was cooking frozen miniature hot dogs, and pouring chips and dip into bowls at the counter, and Kendall? He was lying on the couch, doing nothing.

"Katie, be careful on that ladder," he warned as he watched her reflection in the TV screen.

"Don't worry, big brother," Katie called down "we're not all klutzes like you!"

"Ha, ha," Kendall said sarcastically.

Within the next hour, everything was set up, and everyone was inside the apartment, opening Lacey's presents while Kendall lay on the couch, watching.

"Hey, man," James sat at the end of the couch to talk to Kendall "your daughter's famous already, we were talked at in the Waffle Wagon, and they wouldn't leave her alone in the park, everyone wants to meet Kendall Knight's secret baby," he winked.

"Really?" Kendall asked.

"Yeah," James smirked "you better watch her with all those sleazy guys in Hollywood in the future, like Jett,"

"James, she's one!"

"You're never too young," James said mysteriously before getting up to help Lacey rip a particularly tough wrapping.

A/N: Yeah, no good :/ anywho, now I shall start work on the next chapter :)