~Week Later~
Shan watched as Bri walked into her bedroom, smiling as he saw her sitting up in bed. "Morning."
"Morning." Shan said, "They're coming home today."
He nodded as he slipped his jeans on. "I know, AJ wants to throw a party tonight in their honor but Jenn talked him out of it. You know it still feels funny that everyone was hoping for me and Lis to break up all this time."
"I don't think that's it exactly...more like they were hoping for them to get back together...I'm sure most of the group understood what you were trying to do."
Brian shook his head. "AJ sure didn't. He thought I wanted her for my own."
Shan felt a nervous feeling hit her stomach. "Did you?"
He turned and looked in her eyes. "Did I what?"
"Want her..."
He sighed. "I thought I did but now I realize that wasn't the case at all."
Nick unlocked the door and turned to Lis who was holding Michael. "Well, home sweet home."
She nodded, "Yep, home at last." she smiled and took Michael inside. "How long do you think it'll be before everyone shows up?"
Nick set their bags down and closed the door. "Max, two hours. You uh gonna call B soon?"
Lis sighed, "I'm going to talk to him in person. I mean Nick we did have a relationship while..."
"Lis...baby I don't want to hear it, I can't stand to think of him touching you or you touching him." He said seriously sitting on the couch.
"I'll never mention it again. You gonna get some of your things?"
"Yeah probably in a little while. Mind if I move back today? It seems like forever since this place was ours."
"Forever and a day." she said softly. "I'm gonna go grab a shower, you can watch Michael?"
"Of course I can." he walked over and kissed her. "You know if we didn't have Michael with us right now..."
She smiled. "You'd be joining me, yes I know. Now g'bye!" she turned and headed up the stairs.
Nick set Michael down in his crib. "Happy to be home little man? Yeah so is daddy, you know..." he smiled, glancing around the nursery, "I'm gonna be here all the time now. When you fall asleep and when you wake up, daddy's gonna be right across the hallway." Nick covered his son with the blanket and headed across the hall to see Lis.
Lis stood in the shower, letting the hot water run over her as she closed her eyes. She still had that fear inside her that wasn't about to let go. "He isn't going to go anywhere. He promised." she said outloud, hoping it would silence that voice in her head that was shouting the opposite.
Nick smiled as he saw Lis walk into the bedroom in her towel. "Hello Mrs. Carter."
"Ah ah, not anymore. Ms. Halliwell-Carter." she corrected.
He made a face. "You know we should really change that back."
Lis laughed. "Uh huh. Listen I'm gonna crash for awhile, I think that drive wore me out."
Nick walked over. "You okay?" he looked over her. "You're a little pale Lis."
She smiled. "Nick I'm fine. I was driving with you remember?"
"Not funny." He pouted. "But you go lay down. I'm gonna do some stuff in the office for a few then head back to the beach house okay?"
"And we can go out for dinner?" she asked, crawling into bed.
"Yeah sure..." he nodded, seeing she was all ready half asleep. "See you soon."
"Night Nick." she whispered as he shut the door.
~Lis' Dream~
Lis followed Nick into the nursery and started putting Michael's things into a duffel bag. "Nick please don't do this." she pleaded, feeling the tears run down her face.
He turned and looked at her. "That isn't going to work on me...I was right that night when I said we had no future." he picked up Michael.
"What are you doing?" she asked, "Nick please don't take Michael he's all I have without you...please Nicky!" she begged watching him go past her, holding Michael to him.
"Say goodbye Lis this is the last time you're going to see us in this house."
She threw herself in front of the front door. "I'm not letting you go Nick...you promised me you wouldn't leave...you said you'd never hurt me." Lis yelled.
Nick stared at her with cold eyes. "Don't tell me you believed that? Man you are more gullible then I thought. All I wanted was to get my son..." he looked at Michael and smiled, "And now I've got him. Goodbye Lis." He pushed her out of the way and opened the door, walking quickly outside.
~End~
Brian unlocked to the door to Lis' and stepped inside. He saw her suitcase still in the hallway and sighed. Definite sign she was home. "Lis?" he called out but there was no answer. The house was silent so he figured she was either outside or upstairs, after checking the patio and finding no one there he headed for the stairs and suddenly heard her yelling. As fast as he could Brian ran up the stairs and burst into her room, seeing her tossing and turning in bed screaming Nick's name.
"Shhh Lis it's okay it's just a dream." he said sitting down next to her. "Come on Lis, wake up hon." he said softly.
She took a deep breath, "I...he...I lost him again Brian...he promised he'd never leave me and he did...and he took Michael with him." she started sobbing and Bri pulled her into his arms.
"It's okay," he repeated over and over, rocking her in his arms.
"But it's gonna happen I feel it...B you know how it killed me..." she cried into his chest.
"I know...but you have me remember?"
She nodded and looked up into his blue eyes she'd come to love. "Bri...would...do you still want to get married?"
He looked down at her startled. "Of course." he replied automatically.
"Can we do it soon? I don't think my resistance can last much longer."
Nick stood in the doorway watching with clenched fists as Lis cried into Bri's chest. He stepped back as he saw her lay back down and Bri make his way to the door.
For the first time in a year he saw his best friend. "Nick!" Bri whispered as he shut the bedroom door.
"What the hell's going on?" Nick whispered, a feeling of jealousy coming back to him.
"Let's go outside and talk." B said as he led Nick downstairs.
Nick waited until they were outside. "What is it? Why's she crying like that?"
Brian looked at Nick and shook his head. "Damn man you ruined her."
"What?" he asked in disbelief.
"She's so damn afraid you're gonna disappear on her one day and leave her alone that the only way she feels safe is to not be with you."
"I know that but we're back together now."
Brian shook his head. "Not anymore...Look Nick she just asked me to marry her and soon."
Nick sunk down on the steps, resting his head in his hands. "An hour...I leave her for an hour and I lose her forever." he said to himself. "What happened?" he asked, feeling tears sting his eyes.
"A nightmare. She didn't go into details but you took Michael and left."
"I'd never do that...she's such a great mom B...better then I even thought she'd be...Why would she..."
Brian went over and sat down next to his former best friend. "Nick you've seen her. When you left she died inside. It's like the only way she can protect herself from being hurt is to be in autopilot."
"She thinks you'd never hurt her?" Nick looked at his friend with tearfilled eyes.
Bri sighed. "Yeah."
"Well then, congratulations. I hope you're very happy." Nick said as his voice broke. He tried to stand up but his legs started to give way and he sat back down.
"Nick it's not like that."
"How exactly is it B? Tell me that?"
"It's complicated."
"I'll make it less, I'll be gone Monday." Nick said, his hurt evident in his voice.
"No." he heard Lis' voice from behind him and he turned his head, seeing her in the doorway.
"Lissy!"
She bit her lip, "It'll be hard on Michael to lose you again...you just came back to him, he loves you a lot Nick. If you left suddenly..." she trailed off, knowing she was talking more about her than their son.
Nick's voice turned flat. "How long do you expect me to stay?"
"Till after the wedding?" she asked nervously.
Bri stood up, suddenly feeling like he was intruding. "I'm uh gonna grab a drink." he said quickly and disappeared inside the house.
"You want me at the wedding?" Nick asked, staring at her in disbelief. After he'd pleaded and begged, telling her how it would kill him inside to watch her marry another man she expected him to go to her wedding and act like he was fine with the whole thing.
Slowly she nodded. "If you held Michael at the ceremony and then looked after him for a few days...But if you don't want to we'll understand."
Nick sighed. "Give me some time to think okay?"
Lis rubbed her head. "Yeah..." she looked inside not seeing B anywhere. "Can you tell B I'm going to lay back down?"
"Sure." he answered and watched her disappear inside the house. He pounded his fist on the deck, cursing himself for ever leaving.
Brian walked out then. "Nick are you okay?" he asked worriedly.
Nick looked up, and Brian was frightened by the look in his friend's eyes. "I'm just fine. Lis wanted me to tell you she went back to bed. Michael's probably still asleep upstairs."
B nodded and watched Nick go inside the house. "I'm sorry Nick!" he said quietly.
~ Hour later ~
Shan opened the door and watched as Nick walked inside. "What are you doing here?"
He turned and looked at her. "They're getting married."
"Who is?"
"Brian and Lisa..."
"What?" She felt the color drain from her face. "But he doesn't love her..."
Nick smirked. "Well she doesn't love him either but hey she feels safe with him so they're getting hitched."
"Nick are you drunk?" she asked, watching him sit down on her sofa.
"Yea, ain't it great? I can do whatever I want and not ever have to feel guilty again cuz Lis will never take me back and I'll only get to see Michael on weekends and holidays." he leaned back. "Shit Shan...I don't feel so good."
"I figured. You want me to call someone?"
"Call E..." he whispered as he slowly laid down.
~Half hour later~
E and BJ set Nick on the couch. "So she's what?" BJ asked.
"Marrying Brian...having sex with Brian...having children with him...growing old with him..." he sat up part way. "You think she's gonna call him my old nicknames?"
E gave BJ a worried look. "I doubt it."
"Good because I doubt he'd get half of them." He laughed. "Whoa spinning room!"
BJ waved E closer. "How could she do this?" she whispered, staring at her big brother.
'I don't know but I'm sure as hell going to find out." E said, looking back at Nick.
Brian looked at his calender. "So two weeks?" he asked nervously.
Lis looked at the page. "I think so...good for you?"
"Uh yeah sure." Bri answered hesistantly.
"Okay then, next Saturday we'll be married." she said forcing a smile. Maybe then she wouldn't hurt inside anymore.
