*Early the next afternoon*
“Lyn, we’re home!” Nick called as they walked through the side door.

“Coming!” She ran down the hall and threw her arms around Nick, hugging him. “I missed you!”

“I missed you too!” He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss.

“Hey Lyn!” Rayanne said when they pulled away.

“Hey!”

“Where’s Madi?”

“She’s sleeping. She’s feeling a ton better.”

“Good. I want to wake her up.” she laughed.

“She’s been asleep for a couple hours, I don’t see what it would hurt.”

“Goody, I’ll be right back!” She walked down the hallway to find Madi.

“Was she good?” Nick asked.

“Yeah she was. Very good actually.”

“What about when I left?”

“That night it was just a little hard getting her to sleep is all, but other than that she’s been perfect.”

“That’s good!”

“She’ll be happy to see you though. Not as happy as me of course.” she laughed.

“Mama!” Madi smiled, holding her hands out for Rayanne to take her.

“There’s my baby girl!” She picked her up and hugged her. “Did you miss me?” She kissed her forhead.

Madi screeched and wrapped her arms around Rayanne’s neck, hugging her.

“If you weren’t so little, I’d squeeze you so tight!” she laughed. “Did you have fun with Lyn?”

“Fun if Nin!”

“I’m glad you had fun with Nin. Let’s go see Daddy cutie.”

Madi smiled and threw her hands in the air, laughing. “Dada!” she said when she saw him.

“I’m going for a jog.” Lyndsey said, smiling at Madi.

“Leaving me so soon! I just got home.” Nick laughed.

“I need my exercise!”

“OK, see you in a while.”

Lyndsey threw on her sneakers and left through the front door.

“So here we are!” Nick turned to Rayanne.

“I have so much to do...man, what a week!”

“Lyn and I want to go out tonight. Is that cool with you?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Well, it being your first night and all...” he trailed off.

“I’ll be fine, Nick.” she smiled.

“Down Mama.”

“OK. You remember where everything is right?”

“Yup, I do.” she said putting Madi down.

“Cool. So what do you want to do while Lyn is off sweating?”

“I want to play with Madi, but I don’t think I can sit anymore!” she smiled. “Maybe I’ll take her outside.”

“Have at it!”

“You don’t wanna come?”

“I was thinking about taking a nap.”

“Madi, wanna go outside with Mommy?”

“Side!” she yelled, jumping up and down.

“Do you want me to come play with you guys?”

“It’s up to you, if you’re tired sleep. I think we can handle the backyard alone, right Mads?” she laughed.

“I’ll come out for awhile, as long as it doesn’t lead to giving her a bath.”

“Why?”

“Long story.” he smiled shyly.

“Madi, did Daddy give you a bath when Mommy was gone?” she asked, walking out the back door, Nick following her. “So someday I get to know this long story, right?”

“It’s no big deal really.”

“Do you have a ball somewhere? She likes catch.”

“Yeah, in the garage. I’ll go get it.” He ran to the garage.

“Madi, you wanna show Daddy how good you can throw?”

“Daddy.”

“Yup, he went to get a ball.”

“Ball!”

“Here it is.” Nick ran back carrying a ball.

“Yay!” Rayanne smiled and threw her hands in the air. “Look, I’m like Madi!”

“You’re goofy.” Nick laughed.

“Throw it to her.”

He tossed the ball lightly to Madi. She bent down unsteadily to pick it up after it fell through her hands.

Madi, can you throw the ball to me?”

“Mama!” She threw the ball.

“Yay Madi!” Rayanne laughed, picking up the ball that fell way short. “You’re getting good sweetie! Here, I’ll throw it back.” She tossed the ball back to her daughter.

Nick plopped down on the grass and laughed as he watched them continue throwing the ball back and forth.

“Are you done playing?”

“I’m sorry, I just can’t take this tough competition. Think you two could tone it down a level?” he laughed.

“Madi’s too good for ya, huh?” she laughed with him.

“Yeah.” he laughed harder.

“Madi, make Daddy play with us.”

“Daddy! Pay!”

“Does she always call you Daddy? I thought it was Dada.”

“She changed that suddendly the other day.”

“Madi, can you say MomMY?”

“Give me the ball Madi.” Nick said.

Madi threw Nick the ball then turned her attention to Rayanne, confused.

“She just looked at you like you thought she was dumb!” he laughed.

“Nevermind, we’ll work on that one later.”

“A whole year, and I’m Mama, one week and she’s all about Daddy!”

“Does it really matter?”

She glanced at him. “Just throw the ball.”

“Ooh, testy!” He threw the ball at Rayanne, hitting her in the shoulder. “Ha ha ha ha ha.”

“Hey!” She picked up the ball and ran toward him, throwing it back.

“Hay is for horses! MISSED!” he yelled, running away from her. He grabbed Madi and held her in front of him, using her as a sheild.

“Oh that’s fair! Put our child in the way!”

Nick peeked from behind Madi to flash her a cheesy grin.

She slowly walked forward toward him, Madi laughing a nd kicking her legs.

“Who child!” he laughed, holding her out farther as he backed away from Rayanne slowly.

“Get him Madi!”

“Umm, Ray?”

“Umm, Nick?”

“Did you seem to forget I have a good hold of her? I got her, she can’t get me.” he laughed.

Rayanne smiled. “Put her down then.” she said simply.

“Must be nearly missing that pole, huh? Not so smart.”

“That wasn’t even my fault!”

“Excuses, excuses Ray.”

“It’s a valid one this time! B should have been smarter than that.”

“But he’s not, so you have to make up for it.” He leaned down and set Madi on the ground.

“Sure you want to give up your shield?”

“I can take you. Bring it on babe.”

“You have to let me get close enough. None of this ‘holding me off’ shit.”

He thought with a smug grin on his face. “We’ll see.” Madi lost interest in them, sitting down to play with the ball. “Are you going to just stand there or what?”

Rayanne jerked forward to punch his stomach quickly, then turned and ran the other way.

“Slick!” He ran after her. He reached out to grab her shirt and slipped on the grass, missing. “Ouch Ray, my wrist.”

“Ooh, I forgot about your wrist. Want some ice or something?”

“Come look at it. Does it look broken?”

She walked to Nick, taking his arm in her hand, inspecting his wrist. “Oh my God, that’s gross...it’s just hanging there.”

He jumped up, pinning her to the ground. “That’s because I let it hang limp! GOT YA!”

“You are such a cheater.” she laughed. “Madi, come help Mommy!”

“I am not. Nick Carter is the king. Say it.”

“Madi!” Madi listened to her mother, running over to Nick, climbing on his back. “Good girl Madi, now get him!”

“No Madi, get Mommy!” Nick laughed. “Say it Ray!” She looked up at him and shook her head. “SAY IT!”

“NO!”

“Am I interrupting something?” Lyndsey asked, walking into the backyard.

“No.” they said in unison. “I’m just waiting for Ray to say that I’m the King.” Nick added.

“Don’t say it Ray!” She headed inside for a shower.

“Lyndsey!”

“What?!”

“Tito Daddy!” Madi said, tickling Nick’s back.

“Good girl Mads!”

“Say it, just keep in mind I can stay like this forever.” he said, ignoring Lyndsey.

“Not a problem, maybe I’ll just take a nap.”

“You can’t win.” he whispered.

Madi leaned her head down close to Nick and bit his back.

“Madi!” Rayanne said loudly.

“OUCH! MADI!!!”

“Madeline Nicole, you do not bite!”

Nick slid Madi off his back and jumped up to go inside. “Lyndsey, come here please.”

“What?” She appeared in the kitchen.

“Look at this bite.” He pulled his shirt up.

“Eww. She bit hard.”

“No shit! Did she draw blood?”

“It’s at the surface, but it’s not coming through.”

“My God that hurt!”

“Did you say anything to her?”

“Ray did. I got up and left.”

Rayanne and Madi appeared in the kitchen, Madi whimpering quietly. “Madi has something she would like to say to you.”

“Sowwy Daddy.”

“It’s OK sweetie.” He sat down at the table. “Lyn, will you grab an ice cube?”

Lyndsey got an ice cube from the tray and wrapped in a paper towel. “Here hun.”

“You can’t bite OK? It hurts!” he said to Madi.

“No bite.”

“Rub that on my back please. Right, no bite.”

“Down Mama.”

Rayanne set her on the floor. “Come see what you did.” Nick said turning his back to Madi.

Lyndsey rubbed the ice on Nick’s back.

“O-wee Daddy?”

“Thanks hun.” He looked over his shoulder at Madi. “Yeah, that’s my owie.”

“Up?” Madi walked around to Nick’s front and stood between his legs.

“That’s what you get for rough housing.” Lyndsey commented. Nick reached down and picked Madi up. “Want me to keep doing this?”

“Yes please.” He looked over at Rayanne.

“So what time do you think you’re gonna go out tonight.”

“Oh! What time is it? Four?”

“Quarter after.” Lyndsey answered. “And I have yet to make it to the bathroom.”

“OK...an hour or two? Sound good Lyn?”

“Yes, if I can stop doing this.”

“I’m so sorry, am I a burden? Go ahead and stop. Ray, will you do it? “I would but I can’t reach.””

“No, but if we’re gonna go out I need a shower.” Lyndsey answered him.

“Go take a shower sweetie, you stink.” he smiled.

“You’re a barrel full of laughs.” she smiled back at him and went to take a shower.

Madi turned her head up to Nick and gave him a kiss on the lips.

“Thank you for that wonderful kiss Madi!”

“Aww...look how sweet.” Rayanne smiled. “We should make Madi do this.” She rubbed the ice over the bite.

“No way is she doing the ice!” he laughed. “She knows what she did was wrong, that’s good enough I think.”

“I wanna see.” She pulled the ice away from his back just long enough to look. “Eww...nice.”

“Madi, Madi, Madi. What am I going to do with you?! You’re a crazy girl!”

“Do wif me!” Madi laughed.

Nick shook his head and laughed with her.

“So, Madi, what do you want to do fun tonight? Oh man...I just remembered I have to unpack tonight.”

“You don’t have to do all that tonight.”

“I want to get my bed stuff all unpacked to sleep though.”

“There’s a bed in there.”

“I’ll do a little after she goes to bed probably. Unless she wears me out, which she has a way of doing.”

“All I can say is good luck! She’s been ever since she got here.”

“She’s always wired.”

“She was even hyper for being sick.”

“She does not stop. Sometimes I just sit on the floor and let her run. I watch, it’s about all I can do.”

“Well if you decide to do that, please get the breakable stuff out of her reach.”

“I won’t do that tonight.”

“OK.” he laughed.

“I haven’t seen her, so I’ll spend time with her actually.

“Down?” Madi asked, looking at Nick. He smiled and put her down.

“You do know she’s not dating till she’s thirty, right?” He watched her as she ran into the living room.

“Thirty, huh? And why is that?”

“Because maybe by that age she will know not to bite.” he smiled.

“Hopefully. I think maybe we can work on that age a little though.”

“We’ll see.”

“You’re twenty and you’re getting married, I think we should let her date before she’s thirty.” she smiled.

He thought for a minute. “I guess. But I want her wired and cameras watching her. Just in case her date tries anything.”

“Why are you worried? Do you think she’ll grow up like her Daddy when it comes to that stuff?” she asked with a smirk.

“I just know what guys are after.”

“And you know that because...” she laughed. “Joking!”

“You think you’re funny, don’t you?”

“Yes, actually I do.”

“Well you are...sometimes.”

“Sometimes?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, sometimes.”

“I see how you are. Is your back still sore?”

“It’s numb.” he laughed. “Uh, where’s Madi?”

“So I can stop?” She took the ice away from his back and looked around.

“Yeah. Madi!”

“I thought she was right by your feet.”

“No she’s not.”

“Madi!”

Nick headed down the hallway, Rayanne following him. “Madi?” he called.

“Madi.” she whispered. “Come out honey!”

“Madeline.”

“Nick!” Lyndsey called.

“Be right back.” He walked down the hallway into the bathroom in the bedroom. “What?”

“I think Madi wanted a shower.”

“Why do you think that?” He peeked behind the shower curtain. “Oh. Ray, I found Madi! Fully clothed. You’re a nut!”

“What a kid!” Rayanne laughed, standing in the doorway. “Sorry Lyn, she’s such a character sometimes!”

“That’s OK! I enjoyed her company.”

Nick carried Madi to her room as Lyndsey stepped out of the shower, wrapped in a towel.

“I suppose you don’t need my company to get dressed, so I’ll go see what they’re up to.” she laughed.

Lyndsey smiled at her and got dressed after she left.

“What’s going on in here?!” She walked into the room she now shared with Madi.

“Peeling the wet clothes off her.”

“Good, she probably needed to be changed anyway. Have fun!”

“Oh thanks.”

“You’re welcome. I haven’t done this for five whole days, I can’t say I’m missing it much.”

“I have fun doing it.”

“I’m glad.” she smiled. “Madi, is Daddy good at this?”

He twirled her tiny, wet shirt over his head. “I’m a cowboy, baby!”

“Nick! You’re getting me wet.”

“Oh sorry, I thought you needed a shower.” He let go of the shirt, letting it land on Rayanne’s head. Madi watched, laughing hysterically. “You think that’s funny Madi?” he laughed.

“Oh nice!” Rayanne peeled the shirt off her head. “You’ll get yours.”

“Yeah, we’ll see.”

She wound up the shirt and whipped Nick’s bare leg with it.”

“Stand up Madi! OUCH!”

“Want some more?” She wound the shirt again.

“Go unpack your blankets. Go for a walk. Go jump in the lake.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

He turned and stared at her. “I’ve had enough pain for one day Ray.”

“So I won’t hit anymore.” She leaned on the table and watched as Nick went back to changing Madi’s clothes.

“Here’s the happy family!” Lyndsey smiled.

“Hey Lyn!”

“Yeah, here we are.” Nick said.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“OK.”

“Nin!”

“Hi Madi!”

Nick finished dressing Madi and handed her to Lyn, heading to the bathroom for a shower.