*Tyler*

"I'd turned around too fast and I almost fell off stage." Jeremy explained to Nate as they entered a room back stage.

"Yeah, I saw." Nate laughed.

"Daddy! Daddy!" A little boy, about the age of three, came crashing into Nate's left leg.

"Wow! Hey there little fella'!" Nate bent down and tried to pry the little guy from his thigh. He looked up at Nathan who casually, lounged in a chair across the room. "Nathan, man, who is this?"

"Yeah, Nathan, you been keeping secrets?" Jeremy asked.

Nathan sighed. "He's my nephew... Sorta." He said getting up and walking over to him; but by the time he reached him, Nate already had the kid in his arms.

"Well, what's your name?" Nate asked, studying the child.

"Tyler." He replied with a smile that could light up the darkest night.

"Hey Tyler... My name's Nate."

"Daddy! Daddy!" He screamed.

"His dad look like me or something?" Nate asked Nathan.

"Not at all." Nathan said reclaiming his seat.

"So why does he keep calling me Daddy?"

"I don't know." Nathan said rubbing his forehead.

"You all right, man? You look like your about to drop." Jeremy asked concerned.

"I feel like I'm about to drop. Heather asked me if I could watch him for the day while she went out of town on business and I'm SO tired!"

"I didn't know Heather had a son." Jeremy confessed.

"Well, why don't you let me take him for him for a while?" Nate asked.

Nathan's eyes widened. "You'd do that for me?"

"Yeah, man. I haven't hung out with a kid in a good while. It'd be fun." Nate looked to the little boy. "You wanna' hang out with your uncle Nate?"

"Daddy! Daddy!"

"No..." Nate told him. "Uncle. You wanna' go with your UNCLE Nate?" The little boy nodded.

"Well, I'm gonna' go back to the hotel then. You sure your okay with him?" Nathan asked as he stood up and stretched.

"Yeah, he's just a kid. How hard could it be?" Nate asked. "I'm sure I can dig out my inner child if I try real hard."

Jeremy laughed. "Oh gosh! Nate has a friend!"

Nathan forced a smile. "Well, I'll catch you guys later! Thanks again, Nate!"

"Well, come on little man. Jer, you coming?"

"Nah, man. I think I'm gonna' head back to the hotel with Nathan and get a good nap in before the show."

"All right then. Come on Tyler, let's go cause some ruckus..." They walked out into the hallway. "Gabe!" Nate's voice echoed. "You back here man?!"

"Yeah!"

"Come on, Tyler." Nate said putting him down and taking hold of his hand. "I'm ah let you meet this guy. He's great... You'll like him, man. His name's Gabe, but if you play your cards right he might let you call him Dabsky."

"Hey man... What's up?" Gabe said when he saw Nate enter the room. Then he saw Tyler down by his side. "Hey." He smiled warmly. "Who's the little guy?"

"Oh, his name is Tyler. I just met him but he seems pretty alright. Nathan said he's like his nephew or something like that."

"Hi Tyler, that's a cool name you got there... I'm Gabe."

"Dabsky!" The little boy screamed and jumped onto the couch beside him.

"Well, Nate vouched for you so I guess your cool enough to call me that... What do you wanna' watch man?" Gabe asked flipping through the channels.

"No dude! Gabe, man, I was actually thinking we'd take our new friend out for a while, ya' know? Do a little meet and greet at the mall." Nate winked at him.

Gabe laughed. "Oh, I see... You just wanna' use the little guy to pick up girls!"

"Hey Tyler!" The little boys eyes twinkled when he looked up at Nate. "You wanna' go with your uncle Nate and Dabsky to the mall?"

"Daddy! Daddy!" Tyler hopped down from the couch and crashed into Nate's leg again. Nate looked down at him and shook his head. He looked over to Gabe.

"You see that! The kid wants to go!"

"Yeah, he also thinks your his dad!"

"Yeah, well he's just a kid so don't be so hard on him!"

Gabe laughed. "Let's go, dude."

**************

Gabe and Nate came stumbling back into the room with shopping bags. Little Tyler followed behind them with some of his own and they all collapsed on the couch.

"Dude, Nate. I thought we we're gonna' go pick up girls not clothes..."

"You gotta' a lot of bags there yourself... How 'bout you Tyler? You holding up alright?" The little boy nodded. "Gabe, turn the t.v. on." Gabe obeyed and Johnny Bravo flashed across the screen. "Man, this still comes on?" Nate announced. Just then the screen showed Johnny being rejected.

Gabe laughed. "That reminds me of you at the food-court this afternoon."

"Ha Ha very funny..." Nate yawned. "Turn it up would ya'?"

**************

"Yoo-hoo... Anyone back here?" Jason poked his head into the room. He looked down at the couch and saw Nate and Gabe asleep and a little guy sitting there watching cartoons. "Hello." He smiled and Tyler smiled back at him. "You must be Tyler?"

The little boy nodded. "Dabsky and Daddy sleep."

"Oh really? Well, I'm Jason. You wanna' come and hang out with me in the front while they sleep?" The little boy nodded and Jason picked him up and exited the room.

**********

Nate's eyes fluttered a bit before they opened. He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced down to his side. The little person that once sat beside him was now gone. His eyes widened and he called: "Gabe, man! Wake up!" Gabe brushed him off and Nate gave him a shove.

"WHAT?" Gabe asked, a tad irritated his sleep had been interrupted.

"Tyler's gone!"

Gabe sat up straight. "What?"

"Tyler's gone, man! We fell asleep and now he's gone! Oh, Jesus, please make him be okay and bring him back to me!" Nate prayed aloud.

"Hey, man." Nathan greeted the guys as he and Jeremy entered the room. "What's going on?"

Both Gabe and Nate looked at him blankly. "He was right there a minute ago!" Nate said pointing over to the couch. "We were watching cartoons and fell asleep and he's..."

"With Jason." Nathan finished his sentence for him.

Just then Jason came crawling into the room on all fours, Tyler laughing hysterically on his back. "Ahh, this kid is great!" Jason laughed. Tyler

looked around at the guys and when he saw Nate he immediately jumped down from Jason's back and ran for his leg. "Daddy! Daddy!"

Nate caught him in a hug. "Awe, Tyler! I thought I'd lost you. Where'd you go?"

"Jay-son." The little boy replied.

"You guys were knocked out when I got here and he was just sitting there watching t.v. so I took him up front with me. This little man here is a Casanova. The girls were all over him." Jason explained.

"Well, whatever he is, I'm glad he's okay. I'm real sorry about that Nathan." Nate apologized.

"Yeah, me too." Gabe apologized also.

"I knew he was in good hands when I left him here. He's always in good hands." Nathan pointed upward. "Where ever he goes he's always in God's hands."

"Amen." Jason said.

"Amen." The other guys repeated.

"Thank you, Jesus, for keeping him safe." Nate said picking Tyler up. "I may not be your dad but if I ever have a son I hope he's just like you."

"Awe... I think I'm gonna' cry." Gabe said jokingly and the guys laughed. Even Tyler.