Thank the Lucky Stars

Nicole entered her apartment with grocery bags in one hand and a baby carrier in another. She closed the door with her foot before heading to the kitchen with both items still in her hands. She put the bags on the counter so she could unbuckle her six month old son. Nicole put her son in the high chair so he could eat. She went to the counter and took out a six ounce Gerber baby food jar.

"How about turkey and gravy?" She asked her son while popping the lid off.

Nicole sat down in front of him and started feeding him. About half way through the jar her phone started ringing, which startled the baby.

"It's ok sweetie." She said answering the phone. "Hello?" She asked and gave the baby boy another small spoon full.

"Hey Nikki."

"Oh, hey Ira. How are you doing?"

"I'm ok."

"What's wrong?" She asked with a giggle when her baby boy scrunched his face up at his messy fingers.

"The guys want to come over and play poker..."

"And you're calling me to invite me over?" She asked bluntly.

"Well, yeah. Please Nikki, you can bring Tyler and he can sleep in one of the beds."

"I don't know Ira." She said through the receiver as she wiped her son's mouth and fingers. "Look at that, you finished it. Pretty soon you'll be a big boy."

"Feeding Tyler?"

"Yeah. Ira I'd love to go but he's been fussy the last couple of days. And with you know who being there, he's going to get irritated and yell at me for bringing Tyler. Then I'll have to punch him in the face."

"I'll make sure he doesn't. Please Nikki." Ira begged.

She sighed.

"Alright Ira, I'll be over there in a couple of hours."

"Thank you. I've actually got to go shopping. If I'm not back by the time you get there you know where the spare is right?"

"Yes Ira."

"Ok. I'll see you in a while. Bye."

"Bye."

She hung up the phone and looked at her baby boy.

"Looks like you and me are going on a field trip." She said as she picked him up and went to their room.

She sat him by his stuffed animals as she started packing his diaper bag.

Diapers, bottled food, bottles, formula, blanket, toys, snacks and baby monitor just in case. Now I just have to pack the playpen.

She went to the living room and packed the playpen. She went back to their room and played with him for a while before they left. Nicole put Tyler in his carrier and put both the playpen bag and diaper bag on one shoulder. She walked down to the bus stop and waited. She hated taking the bus but she only had enough money for food, rent, utilities, and things that her and Tyler needed. Her parents were there for her until she got pregnant, when they found out her parents disowned her. They didn't want her to be like them and have a baby before she finished college and before she got married. The bus pulled up and she got on and sat in a vacant seat, putting Tyler by the window. She looked at Tyler before looking out the window.

Hopefully I get to Ira's house before it starts raining.

Thirty minutes later the bus pulled up to the closest stop to Ira's house. Nicole got up with Tyler plus the things and got off the bus. She walked about five minutes until she finally reached his house. Nicole knocked on the door, no answer. She turned the door knob and it was unlocked. She walked in and sat the bags down on the floor.

"Ira?" She called loudly.

She heard something coming from the kitchen. Soon someone came out and looked at her.

"Nikki?"

"Yes T.K, it's me."

"What are you doing here?"

"Ira called and invited me over for your guys' poker night." She stated picking up the bags again and went to the big living room.

Nicole put the carrier on the couch before setting up the playpen about five feet diagonally from the fire place.

"You know that's not safe."

"What?"

"Putting a carrier on couch with a baby in it unsupervised."

"One T.K, he's asleep. Two. I made sure that it wouldn't fall. And three there's two people here in this room, he's not unsupervised." She said as the playpen done one last click, signaling that it was secure.

She went to the carrier and unstrapped Tyler and layed him in the playpen.

"When's the others getting here?" She asked turning to T.K.

He looked at the clock then back at her.

"They should be here soon."

"Why are you wearing scrubs? Are you finally an intern at the hospital?"

"You could say something like that. You want anything?"

"No." She said sitting on the couch. "And besides if I wanted something I wouldn't want you getting it for me."

"Why not?"

"You might drug me." Nicole said in a duh tone.

She knew that he was getting drugs from the hospital and shooting up. T.K mumbled and went back to the kitchen. She shook her head with a sigh and closed her eyes. She heard the front door open a few seconds later.

"This better work."

"It's gonna work. I know it's going to work. Max, go get T.K."

She heard footsteps go to the kitchen then two sets of footsteps going out of the kitchen.

"Have any trouble?" T.K asked.

"Yeah. He bit me."

"And this dumbass spilled the chloroform all over the car." Brett said.

She heard them struggling and coming into the living room. They set something down in a chair and she opened her eyes when she heard the sound of duct tape. She watched them tape something up and when boys moved enough she saw an unconscious man there. Tyler started wailing for Nicole.

"It's ok baby." She said as she picked him up rubbing his back.

"Why the fuck are these two here?"

She rolled her eyes and looked at Brett.

"Hello to you too, Brett." She said sarcastically.

Brett Campbell, Nicole's ex-boyfriend. They dated for three years until he got what he wanted. She thought he was sweet and caring but once she gave herself to him he dumped her. A month later she found out that she was pregnant with his child. Nicole caught him after his class and told him about it and he said that wasn't his problem then left her standing there alone.

"Why the hell are you here Nikki? And with that-that thing?" He asked snidely while glaring at her.

"Brett. Tyler is not a thing, he's you're son. And another thing, I can come to Ira's house any time I damn well please."

"Can we all just calm down and focus on our plan?" Avery asked trying to calm the situation down. "Hey Nikki." He finally greeted.

"Hi Avery. Why'd you guys kidnap a guy?"

"We need him for something."

"Then I better pack everything back up and head home. I'm not going to be an accessory to kidnapping."

"Nikki, you already are. Therefore you have to stay." Brett said smartly.

"Says who? You?"

"Yeah say me. If you leave I'll call the cops and they'll arrest you-"

"And they'll arrest you too. Dumbass."

"Hey. Hey. Hey, he's coming around." T.K said. "Mr. Barret, can you hear me?"

Brett took off the bag over the guy's head.

"Hi Charlie. Remember us?" Brett taunted.

"Oh brother." Nicole muttered picking up the diaper bag and went to the kitchen with Tyler on her hip.

She put the bag down on the table and went through it. Nicole heard them talking to Charlie but she ignored it.

"Let's see..." She looked at Tyler to see him chewing on his fist. "You need your teething ring."

She started going through the bag when she heard a yell and then something crash to the floor. Tyler jumped and Nicole started bouncing him up and down to get his attention again. A couple minutes later T.K and Max came in the kitchen. T.K went to the freezer to get some ice for a finger while Max leaned on the counter looking freaked out.

"Please tell me you guys didn't?"

No answer.

"Why did you kidnap him?"

"Someone took Elise." Max said going up to Nicole. "Hey there buddy." He said smiling at Tyler.

Max Minot, one of Nicole's best friends. He is dating the now kidnapped Elise. Max is the only guy friend that can make her laugh for real. During the end of her second trimester he was helping her with everything, along with Elise. Nicole trusted him with her life, some would say she was in love with him. But she couldn't because Max was dating Elise and was thinking about proposing to her.

Nicole handed Tyler off to Max so she could put the baby stuff back in the bag.

"Why would someone kidnap Elise?" She asked the two guys.

"We don't know." Max said as he lifted Tyler into the air briefly before putting the baby on his side.

"We better get back out there before Brett craps his pants." T.K said.

The three of them walked out of the kitchen and back to the living room. Nikki sat down next to Max on the arm of a chair while the others were on a couch. He had the baby sitting on his lap with Tyler's back on his chest for support. Tyler dismissed his teething ring and played with Max's right hand.

"So when's this next package?"

"Tomorrow at noon." Avery said.

"The phone, does it work?"

"What the fuck is going on in here?"

Everybody jumped except for Charlie when that voice came through the room.

"Ira, you scared me half to death." Nicole said putting her hand on her chest.

"Sorry Nikki."

"Shit Ira. You scared the shit out of us." Brett said.

"Oh, well you can imagine how I feel. I came here to lay poker, guys. That's what you told me. That's why you guys wanted to use the house, right? That's why I let you use the house. Guys, this..."He said then looked at Charlie. "That is not poker. Why is this man here? Why is he taped to my father's favorite chair? Who the hell is he?"

Everybody was completely silent while Ira went on about tracking mud into the house, having shoes on in the house, how his parents had the floors re-finished and then back to poker.

Ira Reder, Nicole's comically anal friend. He would rant and rant about something but make it sound funny.

"I don't know what's going on here...I-I don't wanna know. What I do know is, whatever the hell it is has gone way way to far. Everybody out right now, except for Nikki and Ty, they can stay."

"Whoa. Ira. Ira. Ira. Relax. Relax. Relax." Brett said going to Ira quickly.

"Give me one reason to relax."

Brett mumbled something to Ira.

"I'll take Tyler."

"You sure Nikki?"

"Yeah. I'm sure he's getting hungry anyway." She said to Max.

"There's your mom big boy." He said handing Tyler to Nicole with a smile.

She took Tyler from Max and headed to the kitchen. Once she was in the kitchen she sat down with Tyler on her lap while she went through the bag for baby formula, it was Tyler's bed time after all.

I guess I have no choice but to stay here for the night. What could possibly go wrong? She thought sarcastically