I seriously planned to put this up last night... and then I fell asleep and completely forgot. Oops.

Hope everyone had a good weekend, and that we're all excited for a little Nick/Jess/Aly chapter...

Chapter 9

It took a few days, and the bout of silence dragged on so much longer to Nick than their last disagreement. Nick just couldn't get the courage to pick up the phone, and he couldn't even figure out the reason why.

Maybe it was because he just felt empty knowing that Aly was living her life elsewhere without him, like it was better for her that way. Maybe it was because he wasn't ready for Jess to drop the 'I called a lawyer' bomb, and he was giving into the fear and just shutting down like he always did. Or, maybe, it was because he had set a tentative wedding date and he still couldn't tell his mom.

Whatever it was, the silence finally ended when his phone rang in the early afternoon the Saturday before Easter, Jess's name flashing ominously on the screen. He had to go to work in a few hours, but he took the call anyway, knowing that he couldn't stand to hear what she had to say on a holiday or over a voicemail.

"Jess?" He picked up, trying not to sound too cold.

"Hey, Nick," she cautiously replied. "Look, I know it's been awhile, but I just wanted to tell you – "

"I don't need to hear it," he interrupted, his anxiety bubbling over. "I know."

"You… know?" It was hard to tell over the phone, but Jess seemed skeptic. The days apart had softened her voice, that was for sure. He didn't know how to take that. Was she actually sorry for what she was doing?

"Yeah," he replied and this time, Nick knew it sounded cold. "You can't just go to Julia's firm and act like it'll come as a shock to me."

There was some silence, before Jess let out a sigh.

"That was Julia's firm?"

Was that relief he heard? In his head, though, all he registered was how Jess had just admitted to being there.

"Why didn't you just try to settle this with me?" He tried, he really tried, not to sound hurt. Too bad he was terrible about hiding stuff like that around Jess.

"Wait, settle what?" She asked, her tone an edge of surprise.

"When I get to see Aly. Our... arrangements."

He couldn't even bring himself to use an actual legal term. One of the things he'd rather not associate with his daughter was the coldness of a courtroom.

There was a pause on the line. Was she surprised he knew? Was she mad?

Then, out of nowhere, she started laughing. Laughing harder than he'd heard from her in a long, long time

What the...

"For crying out loud, Nick," she said after the initial outburst, "you thought I had the guts to go to a lawyer about that?"

He considered this. Quite frankly, he didn't know what to make of this new Jess. "Well… uh, yeah. I did."

Then, so much like he would sit on the phone with Jess four years ago, he started laughing, too. Because old Jess did this kind of thing. Old Jess would threaten and fight with him, with no resolution ever reached, but in the end, would always make it sound like he was stupid to worry. No matter how serious.

Her laugh was contagious. He'd honestly forgotten how much he had loved it.

The smile in her voice was evident, as was a tiny bit of relief. "I just called to tell you that Aly misses you... and that I think you should come see her. That's all. Thank you, though, for the laugh."

His own smile was becoming hard to contain. Everything else became hazy, fading into the background.

"She… She does?"

"Afraid so," Jess responded slyly. "Would you maybe like to come over tonight?"

He was already up and throwing his work shirt on as Jess asked the question. "I can come for an hour," he said, "I've got to help close tonight, because it's a holiday, but I'll be there as soon as I can."

With that, he hung up and sprung out the door, the words Aly misses you chorusing through his thoughts.

She missed him.

After everything she had heard, after all of the stupid things he said, she still missed him.

His drive over was almost surreal. The grass was just a little bit greener, the sky just a little bit bluer.

Aly missed him.

It was an awesome feeling. He felt it was comparable to his first night with Jess – it was that same disbelieving hope that something good could come out of two people who spent half of their time in love, and the other half hating each other's very core.

After a week, he'd almost forgotten small things – such as the step halfway up the walk that was just slightly higher than the rest. Not that he'd really missed that part, but he was certain his legs remembered faster than his mind, like it was engrained into him now.

It was like a second home.

When Jess opened the door this time, he didn't have much time to react. An anxious Aly was waiting right behind her, flying into him.

"I missed you, Nick," she said as he bent down, pulling her close to him. She wrapped her short arms as far around his neck as they would go, and he held her close.

This was the good stuff.

"I missed you, too, princess," he whispered, "and I'm so sorry for getting upset."

He could feel her pull closer. "Me too."

She remained there longer than usual, and Nick wasn't going to object. However, Aly still contained a three-year-old's attention span, and wiggled out of his grasp soon after their reconciliation.

"I gotta show you somethin'." She smiled, turning to go to her bedroom. "I drew it yesterday! Stay there!"

As she bounded off, Nick rose, only to meet Jess's stare, drops forming at the edge of her eyes.

Nick wasn't quite ready for the butterflies that tickled his stomach.

"You okay?" he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I will be," she assured, hugging her arms to her chest. Then, sadly, "I'm sorry about all of this, Nick. I really, really am."

He looked at her, puzzled.

"You have every right to be mad at me, you know," Nick eased, taking a step closer. "And you're apologizing to me?"

"I made this mess."

With this, he laughed. "I am pretty sure I helped."

"Maybe a little."

"Probably a lot."

She pushed at him lightly in response, and the air seemed to charge between the two of them. Without much of a warning – or much thinking for that matter – he pulled her into an embrace.

She wasn't expecting it. Nick wasn't really expecting it, either, but his hands found her waist and she formed against him, filling a space that had remained painfully unoccupied for nearly four years.

"I have a lot to make up to you," Nick said into her ear, feeling the tension in her arms relax. "And I'm sorry, too. For everything… For getting upset last week… For what I said that night…"

He could feel Jess pull him closer and put her weight against him. In any other case, her silence would be terrifying. Somehow, though, her embrace made it feel like he was almost forgiven.

Jess inhaled.

"I never told you why I went to the law firm," she commented into his ear.

It was amazing what he could forget under Aly's spell, and it also didn't help that they were still locked tightly together, hearts racing.

"Why?"

She tucked her head into his neck, taking in a shaky breath.

"All of her legal paperwork will have your name on it soon. It just needs your signature. They just wanted to know about our arrangements for records. That's all."

Nick closed his eyes in a moment of intense relief; his hands were still forming to her back, and he came very, very close to leaning over and kissing her. On the cheek, on the mouth, it didn't matter, because it was Jess and this was the kind of thing that Nick and Jess did.

Nick had to remind himself that there was no Nick and Jess anymore, and even then, his heart wasn't entirely convinced.

It took Aly's footsteps to break their connection, and as Nick was sucked into the world of a toddler, he shared one last meaningful look at the mother of his daughter.

Damn, he'd missed this.

"So, you're my dad."

Her words were blunt, but not harsh. They were said as she pulled a bright pink crayon from out of the box he'd given her, and his daughter was looking happily down at her paper as Nick felt the meaning settle in. It was so hard to read her sometimes - it was as if she'd either known all along, or just accepted it. Nick found it hard to believe anyone would willingly accept being related to the likes of him.

Jess fidgeted from the other side of the table, where she had been since Aly had dragged them away from the door and into her own little innocent world. It had been a nice break from reality, sure, but Nick did have a job that he had to get to in less than thirty minutes.

"I... uh..." How could he make this conversational? "...yeah, I am."

Well that was profound, Nick thought sarcastically. He'd already blown the moment he'd been waiting for since he met Aly, and now he couldn't even manage to form the words to fix it.

Aly nodded, continuing her coloring. "Are you still gonna marry Julia?"

Nick felt his eyes go wide.

"Aly!" Jess chided, equally thrown off. "Don't be rude. Of course he's still going to marry Julia, this doesn't change that."

Nick let out the air he was holding in his lungs. At least one of them was sure of that. However, when he caught Jess's eye, she returned his gesture with a weak, but rather fulfilling on his end, smile.

Well, maybe not.

He really had to stop thinking like that.

"But my friend Noah says his mommy and daddy live with him," Aly continued.

Jess opened her mouth to speak, but Nick was faster.

"There are all different kinds of families, Aly," he explained. "Your mom didn't live with both of her parents, either."

Jess looked over at him with a weak smile. Possibly a thank you?

Aly put down her crayon and tilted her head. "You didn't?"

"Grandma and Gramps don't live together, do they?" Jess asked with a laugh, more at ease.

Aly snickered. "They can't. They yell a lot."

Nick couldn't contain his own chuckle. He'd only been around Joan and Bob together for intermittent periods of time, but the memories he did have - particularly of one Thanksgiving - gave him pretty good insight onto how his three-year-old had been able to pick up on their inability to get along.

Just until they realize they're still attracted to each other.

He grinned just a little more. Only Jess could get that kind of joy for realizing her parents were all over each other in the other room.

As if Jess was reading his mind, she elbowed him, causing Aly to laugh even harder.

"Ow!" He whined. "What was that for?"

Jess glared playfully back at him. "You know exactly what."

"There is no way you knew what I was thinking!" He shot back, finding it harder and harder to hold back the wide smile that begged to spread across his face.

"Momma knows everything," Aly piped in, her blue eyes bright.

Jess put on one of the smuggest grins that Nick had ever seen cross her delicate features. "That's right. I know everything."

The light and happiness in Jess's eyes were so strikingly similar to what he had just seen in Aly, Nick felt a wave of butterflies let loose in his stomach. If thinking weird thoughts about Jess's parents and getting elbowed was all that it took to make these two happy - to replicate this feeling - then, by all means, he'd do it.

It was then that Nick glanced down at his phone.

"Sh..." Nick stopped his swearing when Jess glared at him, as Aly was sitting four feet away. "I mean shoot! I'm going to be late!"

He shot up out of his chair, nodding at Jess. He waved at Aly, but instead of settling for that, she pushed off her chair and ran up to him before he could take another step. He didn't have to second guess this time as he knelt down, her arms finding their way around his neck like they'd been doing this her entire life.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" Nick said as he hugged her closer. He could definitely take being a few minutes late for this.

"Okay, Nick," she replied, then took a deep breath, her arms not quite letting go. Softer, she asked "Does this mean I can't call you Nick anymore?"

He chuckled and let go, looking down at her one last time.

"Call me whatever you want, Aly."

Because, really, no matter what she called him, it didn't change the fact that he was, finally, a permanent part of her life.

Couldn't have done this chapter without Newgirl78 - she basically convinced me that the last half needed to actually be written out, and not just mentioned in the next chapter (which ended up adding another entire chapter to this story - so credit goes to her for that!).

And, seriously guys, I think some of you need to get together and start an "I Hate Julia" club after the reviews on that last chapter :P Haha, it's great fun, but I must say, the reason she's in this story is because I just loved her so much on the show. And because she's the anti-Jess and I wanted so badly to get to write that.

Which, I did, but I digress. Thanks for sticking with this!