Lisa stared at the box for a few minutes, there in his familiar handwriting was her name, her full name Lisa Marie Halliwell Carter. She sighed and carefully opened it up, revealing two video tapes and an envelope. She removed the slip of paper from the envelope.
"Lis: Please for me, watch these videos. You don't need to do anything but that. The first tape I made back in New York about four months ago.
~Always, Nick~"
Lis sat there for a few minutes weighing the video marked 'New York' in her hand for awhile before finally sliding it in the vcr.
The screen was black at first but then Nick appeared in a blue sweater. "Hi Lisa...you must be surprised to hear from me since I disappeared from your life before you came home, with no real explanation. Thought I'd let you know all is well...as well as it can be without you here. I probably should explain to you why I left, although I tried to give everyone an explanation with the letter, Aaron probably tried to give you an explanation but no one knows better then me. See my memory was slowly coming back, bits and pieces here and there that didn't make a lot of sense at first. Anyways I found out you were pregnant and I assumed it was Brian's because I thought you two were together and I couldn't deal with it, that and the fact I couldn't stand the way I had been treating you I thought the best thing for everyone was if I left. It felt like someone had killed me Lis, finding out you were pregnant with someone else's baby...I had to go away to sort things out for me." he paused, his blue eyes looking through the camera lens straight at her, "You're probably near your due date by now...I can see you Lis... blaring your music like always, hair in a ponytail, waddling around the house in one of my jerseys with our baby inside you...I want to be there with you so much honey, but I don't think that's a good idea...I need you to know how stupid I've been since that night Lis, that night of the accident. I was on my way to the beach house to call you and get you to come over and I was going to make everything up to you baby girl. I know I said some stupid and hurtful things and those were the last words I said to you but you have to know I love you...and later after the accident after we...I pushed you away because I didn't want you to put your life on hold for me...so to make you move on I started to force myself to fall for Han, I know it was stupid but at the time I thought it was best. Now listen honey, you take of you and our baby ok? And if you ever need anything you go to Rok or mom and dad and they'll help you. And maybe if I ever get the guts I'll come home to Tampa but I don't expect you to wait for me. Remember I always love you, no matter what."
Lis sat on the couch tears falling down her face as the screen faded to black. She brushed them away and changed tapes, needing to know what he had to say.
~On screen~
Nick sat down. "Well if you're watching this good," he smiled shyly, "Then I won't be doing this in vain. You know Lis if I truly believed you'd be happy with Brian I'd be the first to congratulate you two. But honey, I don't see it. The look, the fire that was in your eyes when we were getting married, it isn't there. Somehow I think your just doing this for Michael so he has a father in his life. But I'm right here and I don't want you to rush into marriage with Bri just because you feel obligated to our son." he paused. "Watch."
The screen changed and there was the little chapel in Vegas. D was behind the camera. "And so here we are at the little wedding chapel. Its about 3 am January 31st 2003, and Nick and Lisa are finally going to tie the knot. Nick buddy how ya feeling?"
Nick smiled at D. "Great! Never better."
"Why are you so perky at 3 am?" AJ asked with a yawn.
"Because I'm getting married, dumb ass." The camera went black and then the scene showed Lis with Alec and Han with Jenn manning the camera.
"I think I figured out how to work D's camera." she said as she adjusted the zoom.
"Good." Alec said as she tossed Lis her garter. "Cuz we'll all want to look back and laugh at this."
Lis shot her a dirty look.
"She's kidding!" Han said, sitting down on a chair in the corner.
"Now Lis, get ready or Nick will come out here and drag you down the aisle."
Lis laughed. "Trust me, he won't have to drag me."
Han shook her head. "Yeah really." Han smiled and passed her sister her small bouquet.
Alec looked around. "Guess we're ready." she walked over to the door and opened it. "Ok Boys, we're ready!"
~Screen goes black...~
"Ok Lis, so I was a little sneaky putting our wedding footage in here but can you tell me honestly the way you feel about Rok is the way you felt about me that day? Listen, I love you, I need you, I want you...but if you really love him Lissy, the way you loved me I'll back away because I've turned you life upside down, more then I ever had a right too. One last thing Lis...Michael, honey, he's the single greatest gift I've ever gotten and if you do marry Bri I just want to say that at least one good thing came out of this hell that was the last year..." he paused running a hand through his hair. "And at least we had one last night together. You must know by now I really meant what I said that night Lis, I love you with my heart and soul. So this is me, ending the tape."
She hit stop on the remote and wiped away her tears. "I have to see him." she said outloud, heading into the kitchen. She took the phone off the table and dialed Shan's number.
"Hello?" Shan answered.
"Shan, it's Lis. Can you get over here right away?" Lis asked.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, actually I think something's right for once."
"What's going on?"
"Nick made me a video tape, Shan I think I am supposed to be with him...and not just for Michael."
"Then go, I'll be right there. Give me ten."
"Thanks."
Nick stood anxiously at the gate waiting for E to appear amidst the group of people streaming by him. He recognized her right away and made his way in her direction. "Hey!" he yelled as she walked right by him.
"Oh hi Nick." she said smiling at him.
"You walked right by me." he said pouting.
She hit his arm. "Aww too bad. So where's the family?"
"What family?" he asked, confused.
"I thought you'd bring the munchkin and the Mrs. with you." E said as they walked along.
"Michael isn't a munchkin, and Lis isn't my wife anymore remember?"
"You were gonna try to get her back. Wait, how'd you screw that up?" she asked looking up at him.
"I didn't screw it up it's just harder then I thought it would be."
Shan found Lis pacing the house like a crazy woman when she let herself in with her key. "Whoa, calm down."
"Calm down? How can I calm down?" Lis asked, busying herself by picking up Michael's toys.
"Start by taking a deep breath. Now what happened that you suddenly want to be Mrs. Carter again?" Shan asked, pushing Lis in a chair.
Lis smiled. "He made a video, well two..." she hit play, "see watch."
Nick put E's bags in the back of the vehicle. "What do you think?" he asked, getting in the driver's side.
"I think that's good, I mean that video will have to get her for sure."
Nick tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "But what if it doesn't?"
"Then I will help you out."
"I'm gonna hold you to that." He smiled at her. "I'm glad you're here E."
"Me too. Now we gonna stay in the airport parking lot all day or do I get to see that beach house of yours?"
"Beach house it is!" he said starting the engine.
Shan smiled, "I can see why, but you can't go to Nick looking like that."
"Like what?" Lis asked, staring down at her sweatshirt.
"Lis, come on we'll get you looking good." she grabbed her friend's arm and dragged her upstairs.
A couple minutes later, Lis sat in her chair watching Shan go through her closet. "Remind me we need to take you shopping." Shan stated, throwing clothes on the bed. "And then you can get rid of some of this stuff." she said holding up an orange shirt.
"Actually that's Nick's." Lis laughed.
"I was gonna worry if it was yours, Miss Fashion." Shan said using Lis' old high school nickname.
"So funny there Shan, I almost laughed." she smiled sweetly at her friend. "Why do I need to get dressed up?"
"You're hoping you won't be needing clothes long?" Shan teased.
"Oh you're just asking for it." L said rolling her eyes.
Shan just smirked and went back searching through the closet. "Ah ha! This is it." she said pulling out a dress from the back of the closet.
"Oh no, I'm gonna look like I work for an escort service." Lis moaned, covering her eyes with her hands.
Shan looked the dress over, it had tiny barely there straps, a low back and a slit from above the knee to past mid thigh. "Hence getting Carter back quicker than you showing up in that." she pointed to the outfit Lis was wearing.
"Fine." she grumbled, taking the dress and going into the bathroom to change.
E walked into the guest room. "Okay evidently you didn't do this." she said motioning to the orderliness of the room.
"Funny E, funny. BJ tidied up before I came home. I don't even want to think what this place looked like before then."
She took her suitcases from him and set them down on the bed. "Me either. I remember what your apartment looks like." she smiled at him.
Nick laughed and sat down on the chair in the corner. "I was thinking I'd make dinner."
"Trying to kill your house guest?"
"I'm not making an eight course dinner E, I was thinking I'd barbecue some steaks. Nothing big."
"Count me in. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna change."
"Go right ahead, I'll be downstairs." he closed the door behind him then opened it back up a minute later. "I'm glad you came E."
"Me too." she laughed as he closed the door and heard his footsteps go downstairs.
