Nick was on the beach, sunning, the first time he met her.

His fans didn't often run as young as screaming 3-year-olds (which was about how old she looked, thought he would later find she was a little over 4), so he gave in to his concern over an unattended child and walked over to her.

She was just a little thing, in too-big, patched overalls, her brown hair falling tangled around her face, but she smiled up at him with brilliant blue eyes and said, "Hi!"

Apparently no one had taught her not to talk to strangers.

"Hi," Nick said. "Are you lost?"

"Nuh-uh."

"You're all alone," Nick said, sitting next to her in the sand.

She nodded emphatically. "We're playing Hansel and Gretel."

"Who? Your mommy and daddy and you?"

"Nope. I don't have a mommy and daddy."

"You don't?"

"Nope. I have Mr. and Mrs. Thompson. They went for firewood, see, and when they don't come back I'm supposed to go home."

Nick stared down at her. He couldn't believe anyone could do that to a child, any child, but especially to this one.

"I'll tell you what," Nick said, "why don't we go get you some lunch, and then try to find your home together."

The girl tilted her head, thinking. "That's not cheating?" she asked.

"No," Nick said. "It's not cheating."

"Okay." She raised her hands, and Nick picked her up easily.

"What's your name, darling?"

"Freddie."

"Well, Freddie, I'm Nick."

"You have feet on you."

"I do," Nick said solemnly.

Freddie lined her fingers up with the toes over his right breast. "One, two, three, four, five." She smiled up at him again, then rested her head on his shoulder and went straight to sleep.

It was then that Nick fell in love.

* * *

"Who's this?" Kevin asked when Nick came back to the hotel, Freddie sleeping in his arms.

"Freddie," Nick said. "I found her on the beach."

"So you brought her home?" AJ said. He raised an eyebrow from underneath his thick sunglasses, and smirked.

"Screw you," Nick said. AJ was an ass these days. "Her foster parents left her there." He turned back to Kevin. "She said they were playing Hansel and Gretel -- the parents went off for firewood, and when they didn't come back, she was supposed to try to find her own way home."

Brian and Howie stared at him, horrified. "That's."

"Yeah," Nick said. He cuddled Freddie closer.

"Okay," Kevin said. "Well, um. We should call the police, I guess."

"Don't we have a concert to deal with?" AJ asked.

"Like you give a shit," Howie said. "Just go get drunk, don't worry about us, we're fine."

"Watch your language," Nick said. "She could wake up any moment."

"Sorry," Howie said.

AJ snorted. "I'm out of here," he said. "When you're ready to do your fucking *job*, let me know."

Brian glared at his retreating back. "I thought the shrink was supposed to help," he said.

"I have someone to worry about now who *can* be helped," Nick said. He pressed a kiss to the top of Freddie's head.

"Nick," Kevin said. "You know you can't keep her, right?"

"I'm 21," Nick said.

"That's not the point," Brian said. "What are you going to do with a child on tour?"

"And what about her foster parents?" Howie said.

"Her *foster* parents," Nick said, but before he could finish, Freddie woke up.

"Are we home yet?" she asked.

"No," Nick said. "No, darling, we're not home. I thought we were gonna get you lunch first."

"Oh, yeah," Freddie said. "I forgot." She rubbed at her eyes, finally noticing the other three men in the room. "Nick," she said, curling closer to him.

"It's okay," Nick said. "These are my friends. That big tall guy with the scary eyebrows? That's Kevin. The really short guy with the brown hair is Howie, and that one, the funny-looking one with blue eyes, that's Brian."

"Hi," Freddie said solemnly. She looked up at Nick. "I don't think they like you very much," she said.

"Oh, we like him," Brian said. "We just disagree with him."

"What do you want to eat, Freddie?" Kevin asked. "We can get you anything."

"Really?" She turned to Nick.

"Really," Nick said. "Absolutely anything your little heart desires."

"Even." Freddie swallowed. "Even pancakes and ice cream?"

"Even pancakes and ice cream," Kevin said. He picked up the phone, calling room service first, and the police second.

"Pancakes and ice cream," Freddie said, awed. "Nick. Nick, do I *hafta* go home?"

Nick sat on the edge of a chair, tipping Freddie's face up so he could look directly into her eyes. "You might," he said. "But I'm going to do my best to see you don't have to."

"Not ever?"

"No," Nick said softly. "No, not ever, ever again."