It took 5 months to find out about his true colors, but I let her find out on her own and I know she's been staying with her best friend in Jacksonville, only a handful of people having a way to directly contact either of them.

"-da weird that my baby sister and your baby cousin are hiding away, forcing you and I to be cordial, isn't it?" JC rambles excitedly as we prepare the last few things for our families tonight. It's Christmas again and we're celebrating with Jazz and JC's family at his Winter Park home, far from LA and New York (where Nick could be).

"Slow down, PJ!" 'Lyna and Jazz scold the 18 month old boy when he runs up to us, both women laughing.

I scoop the little guy up and JC smiles at him. "Causing trouble and giving mommy and Auntie 'Lyna a hard time again?" I ask, lightly tickling his stomach with one hand while I hold him tightly inmy other arm and he laughs.

"Yes," replies, smirking like the 2 Nicks Jazz had been with around the time she got pregnant.

Both girls hug JC and I, his hug seeming to mean more than just 'Merry Christmas" to me and I'd rather see her with a good guy like him than her ex anyday. "I'm so glad you three got here safe," he remarks, mussing Pat's hair.

Pat's a toddler with his mom's looks and intelligence, even her attitude. From her ocean eyes down to her creativity, nothing suggesting which Nick could be his father and she's done well on her own while raising Pat. She dances back up, engineers for albums in the music indusrty and she owns 25 properties in the Orlando, Kissimee and Jacksonville areas. They're all upscale neighborhoods and the apartments are very well maintained if you ask me. She's a great mom and the kid has more than she even had before JC's par-no, family adopted her.

"PJ was so excited to get here, he got himself dressed in the clothes I laid out last night," Jazz informs us, giggling.

"It was so cute, I couldn't resist taking a photo," 'Lyna coos, showing JC and I the picture on her phone.

We chuckle, high five him for trying and put him down to discover the child-proofed yard and downstairs. JC is immediately up behind the kid so he knows the boy is safe, not caring that he's being pelted with ball pit balls by an 18 month old child. I hear Pat shriek, Jazz rushing out to the yard before he could laugh and 'Lyna shakes her head with a smirk present on her lips. "How're you healing?" I ask my baby cousin, embracing her warmly.

"Good, since JC has been talking to me and spending as much time as he can over Jazz's," she admits shyly.

"Are you seeing him?" I question, bumping her shoulder.

The only response I get is a smile before Pat and Jazz occupy my full attention and she disappears into the back corner of the yard, curled up to his side under the two palm tree in a hammock with his arms around her as they talk to each other. They're facing one another, noses touching and calm. I see how close they are and I lean on the door frame, arms crossed over my pecs and a gentle smile on my face.

"They've been doing that since the night she showed up on my doorstep, rain-soaked and crying from her broken heart. He comforted her and they both slept great that night, sleeping better every night they do this each day. I'm just glad to see him trule happy again since Maryssa took off," Jazz explains. I sigh and she pats my back, smiling at me. "I may not know what they discuss, but I do know smiles and laughter are part of them. I'd rather know they'd prefer turning to each other than have them bottle it all up and hole themselves up."
"Are they together?"

"No clue."
"Have they slept together?"

"Not my business," she tells me, hands rising up in a surrendering manner.

"Sam?" her other brother calls out for her.

"Táimid amach sa chlós ar ais, deartháir mór!" she yells over her shoulder into the house.

"You do realize I'm not Lance, right?" he retorts, appearing behind her.

"So? You still found me."
"Cuz I followed your voice, baby Chasez."
She turns to give him a grateful embrace, causing me to realize the Chasez clan is very open emotionally by the way they hug each other. "Where's mom and daddy? Heather?" she inquires.

"Bringing in your last few gifts," he informs her teasingly.

"Lazy ass," she laughs.

"Nollaig Shona, súile aigéan," a deep voice softly greets us with a Southern darwl.

She spins around so fast I had the impression she was falling and faces her childhood friend. "Súile glas! Cheap mé go raibh tú pleananna saoire cheana féin cé?" she fires back, hugging him tightly before pulling back to put her hands on her hips with some attitude and talking with her hands.

"Uncail Séamus é! Rinne tú é! Chailltear dÚsachtach tú!" the almost never heard toddler exclaims rapidly. Now I understand why Pat hardly talks around people-he doesn't talk in English.

He lifts the small boy and snimatedly replies in the same language after lovingly squeezing the child. "Chaill tú guys, freisin! Ar ndóigh, rinne mé é! Is é seo an saoire speisialta le haghaidh teaghlach agus bhí mé díreach le mianach! Thug mé fiú Auntie Lexi liom!"

A girl with black hair and jade eyes steps outside accompanied by Athena, one of my cousin's ex's friend's baby sisters and her best friends besides Jazz. Lexi now has 8 year old Breydynn and almost 2 year old Kenzie with her. Lance has a little boy with him as well and he looks around 5 months old. Athena is holding the baby. "Is that widdle Leo?" Jazz coos.

'Lyna hears Jazz coo and quickly gets up to see the infant, making poor JC fall out of the hammock. He ate dirt! I laugh at the whole scene. "Hardy har har," JC facetiously remarks.

"I know about BRey and Kenzie, but who's the tiny guy?" I ask.

Kenzie runs to JC, smiling with her arms up and he obliges. "His name is Leonardo, but we call him Leo. Lance adopted him from Italy 2 months ago, explaining why the baby has brown eyes and black hair is because the father was Japanese."

I nod, smiling at the now awake infant. "Hi, Leo, I'm John."

He babbles, blowing a spit bubble and we laugh. He reacts with excitement and a huge grin. The girls take the kids to play in the far corner of the yeard, leaving us guys to our own devices and JC brings up what I asked my cousin and his sister a little while ago. "We aren't dating now, but we are becoming close friends as we get to know each other better than necessary and we have had sex. I respect her and what she does, who she is as a woman."

"No means--?" I question.

"I'm not going to get what I want and I'm fine with it as long as I can hold her close to me."

"Do you think you'll be with her?"

"As in date her?" I nod to confirm it. "When and if she's ready, a definate answer that I don't have," JC admits.

"Lex tells me everything," Lance reminds him.

"And my baby sister tells me more than that and half of it, I don't want to hear or know," a guy in casual clothes and shades comments.

"AJ, fashionably late as usual," JC laughs, hugging the guy in his doorway.

"Did 'Thenie get here okay?" he asks JC.

"Yeah, she arrived with my family's gift for Koralyna."

"Who's 'Thenie?" I demand to know.

"My sister, Athena."

"You have to be her 'pain in the ass brother, Alexander' then."

He scoffs, smirking. "Yeah, is Kor your sister?"

"Nah, she's my baby cousin."

"How are Lex and Aaron doing?" he asks Lance, who had been talking to JC about something.

"They have Brey and little Kenzie now, still going strong together," Lance proudly announces.

"Good, I'm glad the kid is happy again. How long has it been?"

"Just over 6 years now."
"That's a feat." He glances around. "Where is the shithead?"

"Playing his brother for a fool until 2, then he's planning to drive from Tampa and join us for dinner," Lance informs us guys.

We enjoyed a peaceful and joyous Christmas celebration, but I want to know how everyone is related, if at all. "How are all of you related?"

JC cacchinates, the rest of them trying to fight the urge to laugh and it includes the girls and Aaron. "Athena?"

Athena takes a deep breath and looks at everybody. "Okay, biologically Josh and I are cousins, Making Alex his cousin when our mom adopted me. Alex and Nick have known each other so long, they're practically brothers and that makes Aaron Alex's technical brother. When Aaron and Lex had Brey, it made her and James like our other brother and sister. Jazz has been around us since 97, making her family and when Josh's family adopted her-it made it official. As for you and Koralyna, she helps us so much like family should and you're her cousin. When we claim one person as family, we take their entire family," she superfluously explains, motioning to the appropriate people when she mentions them.

"So the main ones that connect everyone of us are--"

"Us girls," the four women proclaim proudly.

"I must correct you you, 'Thene," Lex announces.

"Why?" Athena inquires, her curiosity piqued.

"Well, Lex and 'Lyna are cousins via marriage biologically. Her mom is a distant relative of John and 'Lyna's mom, obviously on the grandmom's side," Jazz explains.

"How?" Athena, 'Lyna and I ask.

"John and 'Lyna's grandpa had an affair and got Lex's grandma pergnant with her mom, who then married her asshole father. He got her pregnant 5 times at least least and LEx is the youngest. Her mom was murdered when she was small like Zie and PJ. Tragic really."

"Now I have the best family I could pray for and I couldn't ask for more," Lex adds, a loving and grateful smile taking over her entire face, it's even in her eyes.

Aaron's cell rings and he groans. "What? No, I'm spending time with Aunna and my children. Yeah, her family is here and I told our parents. No. Yes. No, you can't. JC's parents said no and so didn't Lance's and Kor's families. Denise said immediate only. I have 2 beautiful children with Lex and she's Lance's sister. He isn't, though. I'm going to bring Lex and the kids there by 9. Yes. Bye." He shuts his phone off and Lex sets an alarm on hers, both shoving their own devices into their pockets, focusing on the here and now.

The kids help us laugh, most of which is when they play and it mostly means the girls, JC, Aaron and AJ because I don't understand the language they use. Jazz scoots closer and explains most of what the older kids are saying, laughing with them. Most of it is busting Nick's balls, but of course Lance just has to tape it.