Nick got out of bed and slid his jeans on, not looking at Lis as he got dressed. He walked over to the end of the bed and stared at the sketches on the walls, trying hard not to hear the conversation Lis was having with his former best friend.
Lis watched Nick, and talked to Brian as she felt like she was being torn in two. "B?"
"So Nick's there?" he asked, nervously tapping his fingers on the desk.
"Yeah, he showed up at the door this morning." Lis lied.
"Been there long?"
"Oh not really."
Brian sighed. "Okay well I just called to tell I was driving over tomorrow. Should get there in the afternoon sometime."
"I'll see you then, bye Bri."
"Bye Lis."
She clicked the phone off. "Nick..." she started, he still had his back to her. The one thing that terrified her more than anything was losing him a second time, there was no way she could go through that again. She crawled across the bed to him. "Nicky..." her voice broke.
Nick turned around and looked at her. "We...everything that happened last night and then Brian calls and you don't tell him?"
Lis sat down. "It's complicated..." she said, wrapping the sheet around her.
Nick grabbed her hands. "How complicated?"
"Really...really complicated." Lis stammered, avoiding his blue gaze.
Nick sat next to her. "I thought last night...you said you love me." he said softly.
Lis laid back on the bed, unable to speak. There was only one way to protect herself. "I was dreaming Nick...I didn't mean it..."
"Lissy," he rolled on his side gazing down at her. "I love you my god I never stopped...you're the only one who completes me." he ran his hands through her hair, watching her. "How can you say you didn't mean it when you said you loved me?" he said trying hard to hide his hurt.
She moved away from him. "Because it's true, last night I was tired and maybe a little drunk, I thought I was dreaming...it never should have happened." She said, getting out of bed.
Nick stared at her in shock. "Never should have happened? You mean..."
"Nick I have a fiancee and a son..." she said turning to face him.
"Our son Lissy, OUR son." he interrupted her, grabbing her arm.
Lis pushed him away. "No he's not." she answered, afraid of losing him.
"Yes he is honey, he's got my eyes and the Carter smile."
"Brian's eyes...Halliwell smile, my great uncle John had the same smile..." she said hoping he would believe her.
Nick groaned. "Damn it Lis do I have to get a DNA test to force you to tell me the truth...that little boy across the hall is a Carter."
Lis stepped back, suddenly filled with fear he was going to try to take their son. "Fine he's a Carter..." she said quietly, walking away into her bathroom locking the door behind her. She slid to the floor and started crying.
Nick fell back on the bed, taking a deep breath. She was lying, she meant what she said he knew it from the look in her eyes. He watched the bathroom door for nearly an hour but she didn't come out. He slid his shirt on and headed for the hallway. "I'm going to say bye to my son Lis..."
Han stared wide eyed as she pulled into the driveway and saw Nick walking out of the house. "Nick!" she yelled.
He smiled, "Hi Han."
"When did you get back?" she asked, slamming her car door.
"Yesterday afternoon." he answered. "How's university?"
"Dreadful!! But it's over for the summer so that's a good thing. You need a lift somewhere?" she asked noticing there wasn't any vehicle in the driveway.
"Beach house?" he asked.
"Course, let's go." she turned back around and unlocked the doors.
Nick slammed the front door to the beach house behind him and trudged up the stairs, ignoring the surprised look on his brother's face as he passed him in the hallway. Aaron stared at Nick and followed him into his room.
"Something wrong?" he asked nervously.
Nick gave him a dirty look. "Yeah she's marrying Brian in eleven days...no ten now unless I miraculously figure out a way to stop it...and apparently us being together does no good at all." he crashed on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
Aaron sat down on the chair. "Being together?"
Nick sat up halfway. "AC you're old enough to figure that out..."
"You two had sex?" he asked in shock.
Nick rolled his eyes and fell back on the bed.
Aaron grinned. "That's a good thing though right? I mean..."
"Brian called this morning..."
"And that would not be a good thing." Aaron said, "Got any ideas?"
He shook his head. "Not a one..."
Lis paced the living room nervously, trying to block all the images of the night before that were flooding back. She was almost ready to cry when she woke up because she believed it was all a dream and then when he was really there...it was crazy how could she feel these things for someone who wasn't Brian? She laced her fingers behind her neck and sighed, knowing the truth was how could she feel those feelings for someone who wasn't Nick and she never did. "Argh!" she yelled sitting on the floor. Han walked down the stairs. "You okay Lis?"
"No..." she answered truthfully. "What's new with you?"
"Going out with Seth." Han said grabbing her bag from the doorway. "You want me to stay?"
Lis shook her head. "I'll be fine," once my life straightens out, she thought silently.
Nick walked around the beach house, staring out at the water and keeping to himself most of the day. He had to find a way to get through to her and quickly. Nick sat out in the backyard watching the sun start to set when he heard BJ's voice calling him.
"What?" he asked, not looking over at his sister.
"E's on the phone." she called from the deck.
He jumped out of the chair and ran up the stairs grabbing the phone from her. "Thanks." he said, heading back to his chair. "Hey E."
"Hi, I thought you were going to call."
"Well some stuff happened."
"Good stuff?" E asked, sitting down on her couch with her chinese takeout.
"I don't know, I saw Michael...and Lis and I spent the night with her..." He heard E gasp.
"Whoa Nick you work fast." she said with a smile.
"She says she was drunk, thought she was dreaming and if she thought it was actually happening she wouldn't have said she loved me."
"Well she's definitely the girl for you Nick, I mean you both are good at avoiding things. If there was a gold medal for avoidance, you'd have a platinum one."
"Very funny!"
"It's true Nick."
Nick leaned back in the chair. "What do I do E? I've only got so much time...He's coming back tomorrow...what if she does love him?"
"Do you honestly think what happened would have happened if she didn't still care about you?"
Nick thought back, "No she would have thrown me out and told me never to touch her again."
"I was right. Did you give her that tape you made yet?"
"No..." he paused. "You think it would work?"
"If it made me cry watching it I think it'll work wonders on her."
Nick smiled. "When are you flying out again?"
"Actually big surprise, I'm flying out tomorrow afternoon."
"Great you can stay here."
