A/Ns: Here it is the next chapter. Sorry, for the long wait. Enjoy! Oh btw, the chapter is not beta-ed, so if you find any mistakes, tell me and I'll fix it.

And thank you so much for the reviews. You guys are awesome! Thanks a lot! :)


Disclaimer: Not mine


Chapter Two:

Magic-8-Ball

xxxxxx

It was official: he was going crazy. Maybe Kevin's and Joe's craziness has finally caught up with him. Maybe it was contagious and after 16 years of living with them, he finally got infected.

There could be no other explanation. Why else would he be sitting on his bed, asking questions to a Magic-8-Ball and expecting an answer that actually made sense?

Yes, Nick Lucas who believed in logic and common sense was asking questions to inanimate object. He absolutely blamed the fortune cookies for his irrational behavior. Yes, those damn fortune cookies with their stupid fortune. Oh, and of course, he blamed Joe. Because, Nick liked to blame things on Joe.

But the stupid fortune, the fact that he couldn't stop thinking about said fortune and that he had to bribe Kevin not to tell anyone about the fortune was not the worst. No, worse than anything else was that this stupid Magic-8-Ball answered all of his questions correct. This couldn't be happening!

He has been sitting on his bed for two hours, asking questions.

'Does Kevin love chocolate tacos?' – 'Of course.'

'Will Joe man up and ask Stella out?' – Probably.'

Nick stared at the object in his hands and asked THE question (for the 100th time that day):

'Does the fortune mean anything?' He shook the ball, waiting for an answer to appear.

'Sure.'

'Is Macy my true love?' Another shake. 'Yes.'

Now, he couldn't stop staring at the stupid ball. Maybe if he glared hard enough the ball would stop giving those ridiculous answers.

"Nick?" A voice interrupted his glaring contest with the Magic-8-Ball. He was so startled that he dropped the ball.

"Macy?" He asked surprise evident in his voice as he realized whom the voice belonged to. Macy walked closer to Nick and picked up the ball, which had rolled through the room.

"Didn't like the answer you got?" She asked him with a smile as she handed him the ball back.

Nick was pretty sure that he was blushing but he couldn't really do anything against it.

"No, I just…" he couldn't finish he thought because he wasn't sure what to say. So, instead he asked. "What are you doing here?"

He realized how his simple question might have sound. But it was too late – the words were already out of his mouth.

"Not that I don't want you here. I just…" he hurried to explain but stopped in his tracks when he saw the smile on her face.

"Stella asked me to meet her here but apparently she isn't here." Macy told him.

"Oh yeah! Joe poured coffee over his new shirt and Stella insisted that he cleaned up the shirt himself to see how much work that actually is." Nick said.

The lithe brunette giggled.

Nick watched Macy for a moment before with a smile on his face before his eyes fell on the Magic-8-Ball again.

"Do you think I could try it too?" Macy asked, gesturing at the black ball in his hands.

With a small half-smile he handed her the item. The curly-haired young man watched as Macy closed her eyes (probably asking her question) and then shook the ball. Her eyes opened to see the answer, just to widen at the sight of the answer.

Their eyes met and Nick couldn't help himself but to say, "Didn't like the answer you got?" He teased her just as she had moments ago.

A cute blush spread across her cheeks.

"You know, I just remembered that I was supposed to help my mother in the shop. Can you tell Stella that I'll call her later tonight? Thanks! Bye!" Macy rushed to say. She pushed the Magic-8-Ball into his hand and practically ran out of the room and the firehouse.

Nick didn't even have time to remind her that today was a Sunday. Confused, his eyes fell on the black ball, which Macy had pressed into his hands.

A single word was glaring back at him as if the word wanted to burn into his brain.

YES

Nick sighed.

Stupid fortune cookies, stupid Magic-8-Ball…

… Stupid Joe.


A/Ns: Not the best chapter but it is a set-up for the next (and last) chapter. I promise you the next chapter will be better because it has a match-making Stella and Joe in it and Kevin will be there too. And let's be honest, everything is better when Kevin is in it. :P

So, tell me what you think. I love to read your reviews.

Next chapter: Fortune Teller