~~ 4 months prior ~~
Aaron saw Lis asleep on the couch and sighed, thinking his brother should be there. He covered her with a blanket, glanced at a sleeping Michael in his bassinet and went into the study to use the phone. He dialled the number and a few minutes later his brother's sleep voice was in his ear. "Carter." Nick mumbled.
"Hi, it's me."
Nick propped himself up in bed. "Something wrong?" he asked, rolling over and glancing at the clock, it was after 2 am.
"No," Aaron took a deep breath. "Nick...you have a son."
Nick dropped the phone then quickly picked it up again. "Lisa...she had the baby."
AC nodded then realized Nick couldn't see him nod through the phone. "Michael Aaron, born three days ago 8 and a half pounds. They just came home today. This was the first chance I've been able to call."
"Oh god." Nick started crying. "Is he...Lisa's ok right? The baby, Michael...he's fine?"
Aaron sat down. "He's fine Nick. Lis well she's ok..."
"What's wrong?"
"Nick she needs you. She won't say it but she does..."
"She has B, that's who Michael's father is going to be." As Nick said the words a pain pierced his heart.
"No...Nick she put you down on the birth certificate...he's a Carter. Please Nick, come to LA." Aaron pleaded, starting to cry himself.
Nick ran a hand through his hair. "What is she doing in LA?" he asked confused. Last he heard she was in Orlando.
"Brian had to go away, publicity in Europe for six week. Lis has been here all along. He wasn't here when Michael was born."
"Who was?"
"Mom, BJ, me. Lis is at the house with us." Suddenly Michael started crying. "I gotta help Lis, stay on the line."
"Okay." Nick heard Aaron put the phone on speaker and he heard Lis' sleepy voice.
"Aaron?"
"Right here, I went in the study so I wouldn't wake you."
"You didn't, Michael did. I think he's hungry."
AC laughed. "He eats just like his daddy."
Lis smiled. "Bri doesn't eat a lot."
AC helped her settle Michael in her arms. "I mean Nick, Lis."
Her eyes filled with tears. "I know AC...it's just," she looked at the baby in her arms. There was no denying who the father was. "He looks so much like Nick."
"I know Lis." Aaron excused himself and went back to the study, picking up the phone. "Nick?"
"AC, I can't."
Aaron could hear his brother crying. "You never sent the tape did you?"
"Would it have made a difference? I left her pregnant and alone."
"She loves you Nick, she'll forgive you."
"No, it's best if I stay out of her life."
"Damn it, think of your son." AC said angrily, trying to keep his voice down so Lis wouldn't hear.
"I am. He's better off with parents who love each other."
Suddenly Lis appeared in the doorway of the study, Michael in her arms. "Sorry to interrupt AC, but I'm going to take Michael upstairs to bed with me." She noticed the phone. "Who are you talking to?" A part deep inside wanted him to answer Nick but no one knew where he was. She wished she didn't care, but she did. She worried about him everyday.
Aaron was tempted to say the truth. "Oh just a friend from Florida."
Lis nodded. "Well, night Aaron, say g'night to uncle Aaron, Michael. Tell your friend I'm sorry for interrupting."
"It's ok, night you two." he smiled and watched them disappear from view.
On his end Nick sighed, he didn't know what to do anymore. He heard Aaron say his name. "What AC?"
"I just said I don't know how you can keep yourself away from your family."
"Didn't you tell me Bri and her were starting to get serious?"
"They were dating..."
"AC, just leave it alone ok? I'm going back to bed, I've got to get up soon. Call you later."
"Yeah yeah, bye Nick." he clicked the phone off and walked out of the study, heading to the nursery.
Lis stood over the crib watching Michael sleep when Aaron walked in.
"Hey." he said softly.
"Hi AC, you didn't have to get off the phone you know." she smiled at him as she sat down on the rocking chair.
"Didn't feel like talking to him anymore." he said, leaning over the crib smiling down at his nephew. "Man he's a cutie Lis."
She stopped rearranging the teddy bears. "He is..." she said softly. She could never tell anyone how much it hurt her to look at him and see so much of Nick there.
"You go sleep I'll sit with him." he suggested, going over to the windowseat.
Lis rubbed her stiff neck. "That offer is too good to refuse. You sure AC?"
He nodded. "Positive. Go get some rest while he's sleeping."
"Thanks." she smiled and walked out of the room and down to her own.
Nick sat in the dark apartment, staring at the picture of him and Lis in his hands. He had a son, they had a son. He smiled imagining what he looked like, blonde hair of course...maybe Lis' hazel eyes and of course he'd have the Carter smile no doubt about that. Nick sunk back into the couch and closed his eyes dreaming about what his life should be.
~~ Present time: Prologue Day ~~
E picked up her phone in her office. "Hello?" she asked distractedly reading the memo on her desk.
"It's me," Nick's voice came through the phone. "Bad timing?"
"Not the greatest but not the worst. What's up?" she asked, leaning back in her chair.
Nick looked out his window at the skyline. "Can you come over later?
E checked her watch. "I can be there in like half an hour."
"You don't have to rush."
"Nick I'm off in five minute, give me 30 and I'll be at your door okay?"
Nick smiled. "Great, thanks E."
"No problem."
Lis picked up a sleeping Michael and took him onto the back deck with her. The house for once was quiet, Aaron had gone to pick BJ up at the airport and Han was busy with some friends from college. She sat on the deck and looked out at the water. "You know Michael, sometimes I wish we never came back here. Maybe we would have come across your daddy somewhere... do you want to know about your dad honey?" she looked at the sleeping infant. "Well he's a big kid basically, but he's perfect... he was perfect for me," she sighed, "and I lost him... but you wanted to know about him right? Well he looks just like you except well he's a lot taller and he has this smile that'll make anyone do anything for him... and amazing blue eyes, just like yours... he loved playing practical jokes and he sings, he's in a band with AJ, Bri, D and Kev... he loves the water, if he were here right now he'd probably be trying to teach you how to swim," she smiled to herself, "and he wanted you more than anything Michael, really he did..."
BJ stood in the kitchen and listened to Lis rattle on about her brother, the sound of Aaron coming up behind her startled her. Quickly she spun around. "Shhh!" she whispered, leading him out of the kitchen.
"What? What's going on?" Aaron asked confused.
BJ took a quick look back out at the patio, Lis still hadn't noticed them there. "Lis was telling Michael about Nick... she still loves him." she said softly.
"Well I could have told you that." Aaron stated, setting down his sister's bags. "Now I'm gonna grab a drink, I'm taking it we're not telling her you were eavesdropping?"
"We're not." BJ said and followed him back into the kitchen.
The sound of voices from behind her caused Lis to turn around. "BJ!" Lis said, getting up and hurrying inside. "When did you two get here?" she asked, setting Michael down in his playpen.
BJ sat at the kitchen table. "Just before you saw us." she lied. "Wow he's grown so much!" she said looking at her nephew.
Lis smiled. "You haven't seen him since me and B brought him home." She sat down across from BJ.
"I know!" BJ frowned, "But I'll make it up, if you ever need a babysitter, look no further."
"Hey, I happen to be the primary babysitter right Lissy?" Aaron whined.
Lis laughed. "Unfortunately yes."
"AC stop acting like Nick!"
Aaron glared at BJ. "I'm nothing like him!"
Lis put her hand on Aaron's shoulder. "Aaron, calm down...please?"
He looked at her. "Fine, I'm sorry Lis." he said seeing the hurt in her eyes. He still didn't understand how she could see his brother the way she still did.
She nodded. "I'm gonna go change, I want to take you two out tonight okay?"
BJ shook her head. "Lis really you don't have to."
"I want to, besides then I don't have to cook." she smiled softly. "BJ you have the room downstairs...meet you outside in half an hour?"
"Whatever that was you just did." she lowered her voice. "Did you tell him?"
Aaron sighed, wishing he hadn't told BJ that their older brother contacted him. "I sent him the invitation."
"And?"
"And he called me this morning, he wasn't too happy with me."
"That explains your attitude about Nick."
"Yeah, look can we drop this? I want to change and go eat."
"We can talk later." BJ said, grabbing her suitcase from the doorway and heading downstairs.
