Thank the Lucky Stars

Nicole had put Tyler upstairs on a bed with pillows surrounding him. She also put the baby monitor up there so she could here if he woke up. She went and sat on the couch when Ira started another rant.

"You guys fucked up. Do you know who this guy is?" He whispered harshly. "I'm so sorry." He said going to the guy.

Nikki looked at the kidnapped man and it finally registered on who this man was, Charlie was Carlo Bartolucci, the famous mobster in town.

We're all dead.

Charlie let out a short scream and Ira backed up apologizing and making excuses then went back to ranting about cutting his finger off.

"That's what they did." Charlie said.

"He's going to kill us. I mean you do understand that don't you? That's what the man does when people disrespect him. What do you think he's going to do to five assho-four assholes who cut his fucking finger off?"

"Why'd you leave out precious Nikki and that little brat?" Brett said bitterly.

"Because I know she has absolutely nothing to do with this and Ty is just a baby." He said then sat on a covered couch. "Dead. I'm a dead guy. Thanks fellas. If-if some wise guy from Jersey doesn't kill me don't sweat it because my parents will."

"Ira the kidnappers demanded two million dollars in ransom."

"That's why we need Mr. Bartolucci here to play 'show a little diplomacy' then when we get what we want we'll let him go and we will be out of the house, pal." Brett explained.

"Alright, now uh...call me crazy but this is my house. Guys don't you think you should've maybe consulted me first?"

"Christ Ira, you would've never gone for it." Max finally spoke up.

"God damn right I wouldn't. You cut the man's finger off. You guys are all fucking sick. You're all a bunch of fucking sickos, get out. C'mon let's go-"

The phone started going off and everyone looked at the phone silently and worried.

"Who knows we're here?"

"Nobody. Wrong number probably."

Ira you are such a horrible liar.

"Did anybody tell anybody that we were going to be here?" Avery asked.

"Ira?" Max said sternly.

"No."

"Ira." Brett said mocking in a shameful tone.

"Uh, yeah. Maybe somebody. Just two guys."

Brett and Avery started freaking out while Ira started up the poker conversation again. Nicole shook her head then looked at Charlie, which he had amusement written all over his face. Then she looked over at Max and he looked at her with an expression that read 'Sorry I got you and your boy into this'.

"If y'all don't shut the hell up Ty is going to wake up." Nikki said warningly.

"Who gives a fuck."

"I bet you do Brett. It's obvious you don't want to see him but if you-"

She heard whimpering coming through the monitor then the wailing began.

"Dammit. Look what you did."

"Me?" Brett asked shocked.

Nicole left the room and went upstairs to fetch Tyler. When she went back down she heard T.K talking.

"Since I'm the closest to an M.D on this premises I will be taking care of his bodily functions."

Nicole went straight to the kitchen, she didn't want to know. Nikki took the teething ring out of the fridge and sat down at the table.

"Here ya go baby boy."

Tyler took the ring and put it in his mouth. A second later he threw it on the ground and wailed in pain. She pulled him up to her chest and rubbed his back soothingly.

"I know it hurts baby, I know. But crying doesn't make it better."

He started to calm down after a few minutes. She took out some Gerber Graduates puffs out of the bag and started to walk out of the kitchen when Ira and Max came through.

"Is the little man ok?" Max asked.

"Yeah. He's just got a tooth coming in." She said walking back into the kitchen.

"Poor guy." He said looking at Tyler with sympathy before pulling eggs and brownie mix out of a paper bag. "What are we supposed to do with this?" He asked Ira.

"I was going to make brownies." Ira said snatching the eggs away from Max.

"Good idea."

Tyler let out a painful whine.

"Max, can you hand me his teething ring?"

He picked up the teething ring from the counter and stood slightly behind Nicole. Max handed Tyler the ring with a little smile.

"There ya go little man."

Nikki could feel Max's body heat radiating off of him, that's how close he was. Tyler took the ring, put it in his mouth and gave a disgusted look.

Maybe I have some gum numbing gel in his bag. Can you hold him for a sec?"

Max happily took Tyler while Nikki started looking through the diaper bag.

"There it is." She said pulling it out.

"Nikki, I've got to vacuum because some people drug in mud." Ira said referring to the guys.

"That's fine. Tyler won't cry over that." She said knowing what Ira was getting at.

Ira left the kitchen and began vacuuming. Max went to the table with Tyler on his hip.

"Your momma's got something for you." He said smiling at Tyler.

Nicole put some gel on her finger and rubbed it on Tyler's bottom gum.

"All done." She said smiling at her son as she put the small tube back in the bag.

She looked up at Max and saw that he was staring at her.

"What?" She asked confused.

"Nothing."

He was standing close to her again.

"Why are you holding that brat?"

Nicole rolled her eyes and glared at Brett.

"He has every right to hold Tyler."

"Why? That thing is my son."

"Your son?"

"That's what I said Nikki."

"How exactly is he your son? Just because you knocked me up doesn't make Tyler yours. You weren't there for the pregnancy. You ran like a scared little boy when I told you. So don't be calling Tyler yours."

"Max isn't Tyler's dad either and he's holding him."

"Brett, Max has every right to hold Tyler, you don't until you start acting like a responsible adult." She said getting up.

Max handed Tyler off to Nikki and the three of them left the kitchen. She put her baby boy in the playpen and he started chewing on his stuffed horse. The guys started playing pool and Nicole sat on the couch looking through an old magazine.

"I need a drink." Charlie said about halfway through the pool game that was going on.

"Why don't I get you a drink. That's a good idea." Max said walking out of the living room.

"Max it's just that mixing alcohol and pain medication it leads-"

"Yeah."

"You should listen to him Mr. Berret, his father's a doctor." Avery said.

"Oh. I thought he was a serial killer."

"One little drink isn't going to hurt him." Nikki said annoyed.

"It's locked." Max yelled.

"Make believe that you're a criminal. See what you can figure out."

Nicole couldn't help but chuckle at that. She put her hand over her mouth to hide her smile.

"Whiskey, rocks if you got it."

A few seconds later Max came back with some drinks. He helped Charlie with his drink then went to Nicole.

"Here you go."

"Th-"

"She's got that thing to take care of, she doesn't need any."

"Brett, you better shut the hell up before I slap you into the next century." Nikki growled out.

"Charlie can have all that he wants."

"You're a doctor now?" T.K went up to Brett. "He's all yours now doctor." He said before walking off.

Nikki looked behind her to see Ira having trouble with the vacuum.

Boys. She thought and turned back around.

Nicole didn't even realize Max picked Tyler up and was sitting next to her until she looked to her left. she put her glass on the table and looked at Max.

"Was he whining?"

"Not really but he was moving around a lot."

Nikki extended her arms and Max handed Tyler over.

"That's because his diaper needs changed." She said as she felt the wet diaper.

"Better go do that somewhere else."

"No shit Sherlock." She said to Brett.

"Why do you always have to be an ass to her and the baby?" She heard Avery ask Brett as she made her way upstairs.

She went into the bathroom and changed Tyler's diaper, threw it away and headed back down the stairs. When she reached the living room she heard T.K's annoying pager going off.

"What are you doing?" Ira asked Brett.

"What the fuck does it look like I'm doing? I'm calling him back."

"Not from that phone you're not. It'll show up on my old man's bill."

"Jesus Ira you're unbelievable. What do ya want a fucking quarter?"

"He will know that we were here."

Brett threw a red vase down on the floor, smashing it into several pieces. Tyler started crying hysterically and Nicole glared at Brett while trying to calm the baby down.

"It's ok Tyler, mommy's here. It's not our fault that Brett is a freaking jackass." She said as she left the living room.

Tyler calmed down a few minutes later so she went back into the living room.

"They found her." Max said happily to Nikki.

"That's great she said faking a smile.

She was glad that Charlie's guys found Elise but that meant less time for Max to hang around with her.

"Is it happy hour?" Charlie asked.

"I'd say it is. I mean he did help you guys find Elise. It's the least you guys could do." Nicole said to the boys before winking slightly at Charlie.

She knew she had all her guy friends wrapped around her finger to a degree, except for Brett. Max started rolling Charlie into another room while T.K rolled the IV holder next to the chair and everyone else followed.

"What can I get ya?" Max asked going to the loaded liquor cabinet.

"Give him a shot and a half of whiskey." T.K said.

"Oh my God. What have you done? What did you do? I can't believe what you did. I can't believe you did that." Ira's voice came from the doorway then he went to Max.

"What?"

"You drank my father's liquor. That's what you did. Gimme this."

For Christ sake already Ira.

"I don't think he'll hardly notice Ira." Avery said.

"Oh no. Duh. Look at that. What is that? huh? He marks the levels of the bottles at the end of every summer."

"Please tell me you're joking." Nicole said.

"Oh my God, he does." Max said examining the bottles.

"Of course he does. A lot of people do that. Oh my-look at this. Will you look at this. Look at that. Huh? Why don't you guys just stab me in the fucking back right now? Huh?" Ira turned around. "Stab me in the fucking back right now."

"Relax Ira." Max said as the doorbell rang.

"Who's here?" Nikki asked.

Brett went to the shaded window quickly and looked out.

"This place was supposed to be deserted. It's like God damn Woodstock."

"Who is it?" Avery asked.

"A fucking cop." Brett answered.

Great.

"Don't answer it." Brett said when he saw Ira moving out of the room.

"What do you mean don't answer it? I have to answer it. If I don't they'll call the cops, ok? Then the cops will call my father then he'll be here. Then we'll al be dead, alright? Sorry, I already am dead. Thank you."

"Ira."

"What?

"Get him away from the door." Avery said.

"What? How?"

"Get him away from the door." Brett snapped quietly.

"Ira."

"What Nikki?" He sighed out with annoyance.

"Your coat."

He scrambled in taking his coat off before going to the door.

This is going to be a really long night with the five of them trying to be criminals.