I just want all of you AMAZING readers (who have given me the most AMAZING feedback! THANK YOU!) to know that I do not own anything, that the ages are a little jacked up because of the timeline I have started things at, and that I love you all for clicking the link that lead you to this crazy story. Thank all of you that reviewed and/or favorite-ed and/or followed my story.

Important... still... I need at least ten people to agree to this before I start planning anything...

Now, a reader pm-ed me and asked me to write a version of this story only if Camilla Torres (Nicolette's biological mom) had given Nicolette to Christian when she was four or so. What I want to know is if the idea sounds appealing to the rest of you before I go writing an entire story about something that nobody likes. Review or PM me the answer please and thank you.

Chapter 50: Any Means Necessary

"You've never played spoons before?" Lee Anne asked incredulously, the Grey family shook their heads. It was after ten o'clock and Phoebe, Teddy, Grace, Mia, Carrick, Elliot, Kate and the rest of security... minus Gail and Taylor- Taylor had caught up on sleep the day before, when he arrived a day ahead of the group who had stayed in Vegas for two days while Taylor left ahead of everyone in Max's truck- had gone home and/or bed for the night

"Taylor, Gail. Please tell me you've played?" Lee Anne asked, both shrugged and shook their heads.

"Damn. Nicolette, take Gail and find the spoons; Max, go with Taylor and find a deck of cards; Jonathan, Mitchell, Tara help me clear the table for the game." Lee Anne ordered. The group rolled their eyes, but listened.

Thirty minutes, nine spoons, one deck of cards and a cleared table later Tara is explaining the game.

"Ok, so ten of us and nine spoons- so that means one person doesn't get a spoon each round. The point of the game is to not be the one without a spoon any means necessary... and intelligently... what needs to be done before you get a spoon is that at least one person needs to have four of the same card. Four fives, for sixes, four tens... any of that. Once one person has four of a card then they will get a spoon and all of hell will open up as everyone rushes to get a spoon. So the dealer will deal four cards to every player and place the rest in a neat stack next to them. Once everyone is ready the dealer will begin to pick up cards from the deck and pass them on, only four cards can stay in your deck at a time so if you want a card that gets handed to you, you need to switch it out with a card you don't want. When you get four of the same card grab a spoon, or if you see someone grab a spoon- grab a damn spoon. If you are the one that ends up without a spoon you get a S to start with and if you lose after you got a S then you get a P and so on until the word 'spoons' is spelled out, once 'spoons' is spelled out then you have lost. Got it?" Tara asked.

Christian and the others nodded.

"Let's get going then, Jon deal first." Lee Anne plopped down at the dining table to the right of Nicolette, who had Max on her left, Christian sat between Max and Jonathan, and Ana sat between Jonathan and Mitchell, Gail between Mitchell and Tara, and Taylor between Tara and Lee Anne.

Ana watched with a brow raised as the guys from Haven took of their shirts and her daughter shook her head.

"May the odds be ever in your favor." Nicolette said with a raised brow as Jonathan began dealing.

Christian watched the cards go around as they reached his daughter... who exchanged the card for a different one, Max took the card his daughter had put in and set down an eight which- when looking at his own cards 3, 4, 8, 8- Christian took and put down the three when he heard a soft curse escape his daughter's lips.

"Excuse you?" Christian raised a brow.

"Whaaaat? I've literally seen that card four times now." Everyone laughed as Nicolette whined, Max pressing a kiss to her temple while still focused on the game.

Then chaos erupted.

Jonathan grabbed a spoon loudly, causing everyone to turn their attention to the spoons. Ana was the next to grab one, then Nicolette, Tara and Gail. By the time only one spoon was left Max and Mitchell were fighting over it... literally fighting.

"Give me the damned spoon!" Mitchell shouted.

"Hell no!" Max shouted, the other four twenty-something year olds were laughing while Christian stared at his daughter in shock.

"This is allowed?" Nicolette sobered enough to answer her father.

"Any means necessary has a different meaning for everyone." Nicolette smiled as her father gave her a weird look, when a shout of annoyance from the fallen boys caught her attention again.

Max had won.

"I only let you win because it's your party." Jonathan sulked, everyone laughed as the game was reset. This time Ana is dealer the cards.

And in a -again- violent turnout Nicolette had gotten the spoon from Tara.

The girls hugged and laughed about it afterward though.

Soon everyone was in the spirit of the game, Taylor and Christian fighting, Gail and Nicolette, Ana and Christian (Ana being the winner), and everyone had said a curse word or two... in Jonathan's case twenty, not that Christian was counting.

Gail was the first out, then Taylor got out- the twenty-somethings had united forces to get him out, after Taylor then Christian got out (again the twenty-somethings had gathered forces) and the Tara was out and finally Ana.

Now it was just Lee Anne, Mitchell, Max, and Jonathan still in the game with the score.

Mitchell: SPOO

Max: SPO

Jonathan: SPOON

Nicolette: SPO

Lee Anne: SPOO

Nicolette and Lee Anne teamed up against the boys as the boys teamed up against the girls.

When it was time to grab the spoons Nicolette grabbed one and pushed another towards Lee Anne, who grabbed it and held it to her chest. Mitchell ended up with SPOON, the next round Jonathan got SPOONS and was out, Nicolette got SPOO after Max lightly, but effectively, attacking her for the spoon; after which Nicolette got her revenge and Max earned SPOO, Mitchell ended up losing again and was out, before Max got Lee Anne out and Nicolette and Max were the last ones left.

"How apt." Ana grinned.

"Max if you win, you are sleeping on the couch." Jonathan chuckled.

Nicolette lost the first round and got SPOON

Then Max lost and got the same.

The last round Nicolette got four fives as Max got four sevens and both grabbed the spoon at the same time.

"Max let go."

"Hell no." After two seconds of struggling to get the spoon out of Max's hand Nicolette came up with an idea.

She let go of the spoon with one hand and used it to wrap around the back of Max's head to smash their lips together. Effectively distracting Max, who let go of the spoon to cup both of Nicolette's cheeks.

Nicolette triumphantly held the spoon above her head, still kissing her husband, she could hear laughing in the background.

When she and Max separated Max looked at his hand and looked shocked.

"That's cheating!" He shouted.

"Any means necessary, so not cheating." Nicolette defended.

"No! That does not count!"

"Stop being a sore loser." Nicolette teased.

"Judges?" Max asked.

"Dude, that counts." Mitchell laughs.

"Under what terms?" Max chuckled.

"The terms of being hilarious." Lee Anne grinned, having got it on tape.

Christian couldn't help the light feeling in his chest after seeing that. He knew that Max would take care of his daughter, but Christian still doubted how happy he was about the entire situation.

Maybe a session with Dr. Flynn was in order... with a following session for the four of them.

Yeah that would work.

An hour later everyone was leaving, including the four twenty-somethings with Max's truck keys, an address and directions. While Nicolette and Max waved good night from the elevator.

Stranger's POV

I remember that Max asshole. He made me loose my job. My home. My family.

Maybe it is about time that he feels the same feeling I had.

I'm going to make him pay.