CHAPTER 2

Lisbon, Portugal,
This Is Us Tour,
October 30th 2009.

It was the evening before the tour kicked off. The Dorough family and the Carter's had already arrived at the hotel. They stood waiting in the lobby on the others.

"If you need it you can have it but we'll be the ones to decide." They heard Brian's voice.

"That's stupid." Scott’s voice came next.

"B-ROK!" Nick yelled out happy to see his friend.

"Hey Nicky!"  Brian too smiled and ran to hug him over dramatically.

"Hey guys, how are you?" Leighanne asked Howie and Leigh as they neared. The conversation between Scott and Brian over his phone had begun to get heated. She hoped this diversion would stop it from getting worse.

"Great, I've missed hanging out with you." Leigh replied.

"We'll have plenty of time for that."

"Hi Scott." Arabella smiled walking up to him with Gabe and Jesse close behind.

"Hey." He replied casually. He wasn't even paying complete attention. He was still focused on needing his cell phone.

Arabella continued to look at him for a Moment longer until she felt two arms wrap around her waist from behind.

"Keep dreaming, little sister." Lanie whispered in her ear. They'd all known each other their whole lives so most of the time they refer to each other as sister or brother. "Hey Scott." She added looking at him as she let go of Arie and stood beside her.

"Hey Lanie. What up?" He asked.

"Grounded. Eminem. You?" She almost rolled her eyes.

"No cell phone. Lighter."

"Lighter?" Gabe asked him.

"Yes, something wrong with that?" He asked harshly.

“Chill you guys.” Jesse rolled his eyes.

“Jesse, I uh, need a favor.” Scott said pulling him aside a bit.

“What now?” Jesse asked.

“I need a lighter.”

“How am I supposed to help?” Jesse folded his arms over his chest and took note of his Dad looking at them.

“AJ, you can get close enough without anyone suspecting anything.”

“Fine.” Jesse said and they rejoined the group.

They all stood around talking and catching up for a bit longer until they spotted AJ walking in.

"Who does he have with him?" Arabella asked.

"I think it's... Ellie?" Howie questioned.

"No way, Ro would never let him do that." Nick added.

“It is her.” Brian almost smiled happy for his friend.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. I got held up in France a bit." AJ explained walking up.

"Jay, how did you manage this?" Howie smiled.

"She's giving me a chance to prove I've changed." AJ sounded happy. It had been a while since he really sounded happy.

"Who is she?" Bella whispered to her Mom.

"I'm Ellie." The girl told her with a polite smile having heard.

"Bella, Everyone, This is my daughter, Ellie." AJ smiled. It was obvious he was proud of her and the fact she was here. He still could not believe Rochelle had agreed. He almost cried when he got her text saying that she could go.

"Finally!" Lanie cheered.

Everyone seemed to look at her.

"What? I’ve been dying to meet her." She explained.

"You must be Alaina. Dad's told me a lot about you." Ellie said.

"Yeah, Uncle AJ talks about you all the time. Never thought I’d get to meet you.  Call me Lanie." She smiled and shook her hand.

"That must make you Arabella." Ellie turned to her. She was the only other girl.

"Yeah, but could you call me Arie?"

Howie couldn't help but smile and shake his head a bit. Leigh smiled too.

"I'm Scott." He raised his hand just enough to get her attention.

"Hey Ellie, I'm Gabe." He smiled flirtatiously and shook her hand.

"Then you're Jesse?" She asked the blond.

"That's me." He smiled awkwardly.

"Ellie, you have grown up so much since I saw you last." Leighanne said pulling her attention back toward the adults.

"Beautiful isn't she?" AJ smiled unable to take his eyes off her.

"Dad..." She complained a bit.

“Sorry, it’s true.” He told her.

“I agree.” Leigh smile.

"You ask them." Jesse suddenly whispered to Gabe.

"No way, it was your idea. You ask!" Gabe whispered back.

Arie who happened to hear this, asked loudly, "Ask who what?!"

Everyone stopped and looked at her. She pointed at Gabe and Jesse, "They were whispering about asking someone something...probably drugs." She half joked but no one laughed.

"Thank God, I don't have a sister." Scott rolled his eyes then turned to Gabe, "I feel sorry for ya, Gabe."

Gabe half laughed, "Yeah, lucky you."

"HEY!" Arie yelled hitting her brother’s arm.

"Get away from me." Gabe said pushing her away from him.

"Hey Gabriel, you should know better.” Howie scolded only Gabe making him throw his hands up dramatically as Howie turned to Arabella. “Bella, baby, what are you talking about?" Howie asked. He looked in her eyes and touched her cheeks gently.

"They were whispering about asking someone something." She replied giving Gabe an evil look.

The parents looked at Jesse and Gabe.

"We were just wondering if we could have our own room this tour. That's all it was; Nothing about Drugs."

"Yeah, we're not the druggie types..." Gabe trailed off then finished under his breath, "Scott’s the druggie."

"What was that?" Scott looked pissed suddenly and took a step toward him.

"Nothing man." Gabe shook his head.

"Fuck you Gabe!" Scott spat.

"Scott!" His parents yelled their eyes widening. Brian’s hand balled into a fist but Leighanne grabbed it making him relax a little.

"I was kidding about the drug thing dude, chill." Gabe said giving him an odd look.

"Jesse, if Howie is alright with it then I don't mind you and Gabe having your own room. I think you're mature enough." Nick tried to turn the conversation back on something not so intense.

Howie looked to his wife, "If he's with Jesse, I think he'll be alright." She told him.

Howie looked then to his son and nodded.

"Yes!" Gabe quietly cheered.

Jesse high-fived Gabe, this tour was looking good already.

"Hey Bri, Why don't you let Scott bunk with them? It can be a big guy’s party." Nick suggested.

While not hopeful Scott did turn to his parents. He was curious as to what their response would be.

"I don’t know about that..." Brian trailed off.

He had figured on his parents saying no but the tone in Brian’s voice upset him. "Why? I'm more mature then either of these two." Scott pointed to Gabe and Jesse.

"That's the part that bothers me." Brian explained.

“What?” Scott gave him a strange look.

"Brian, why don't we give him one chance to prove he can handle it?" Leighanne asked.

Honestly Brian did not agree with it but he knew he should try to trust his wife's judgment. He really, really didn’t want to but he decided to anyway. "Alright..." He turned to Scott. "If you mess up I promise you'll regret it. Do you understand?" Brian looked very serious.

"Yeah." He muttered and nodded then rolled his eyes as Brian turned away.

"So if the boys get their own room does that mean we get our own room?" Ellie asked AJ. She had never gotten to be on tour with AJ before and did not know how it worked.

"Actually this is the first time the boys have gotten their own room." Arie butted in. She had a need to point out the facts.

"I really wanted some time alone to catch up with you.” AJ began looking at her. He took a slow breath in and nodded. He wanted to be a good father and assume she would agree he was a good father if he let her.

Ellie looked upset.

“But…” He trailed off and smiled. “I don't mind you and Lanie being in a room alone. I trust you." AJ told her and looked to Nick.

Nick took a deep breath as Alaina looked to him with bright eyes, "Lanie I dunno. You've never been alone before."  Nick hesitated. Alaina was his baby. He loved her so much.

"Oh come on. Be more like Uncle AJ." She batted her eyes.

"Yeah Nicky, be more like me." AJ proudly smiled.

"Alright, we'll try it." Nick caved.

Lanie began to cheer but Nick stopped her, "Don't make me regret it."

"I won't. Thank you so much Daddy." She smiled and hugged him.

Nick couldn’t help but smile either. Words could never begin to describe his love for her. He had loved her since the Moment he saw her laying in the basinet next to her Mom’s hospital bed.

"Awesome, Girls party." Ellie high fived Lanie. Her slight French accent popping out.

"What about me? I'm a girl." Arie looked to her parents.

"Bella baby, you are much too young for something like that. You’re gonna stay with Mommy and me." Howie told her sweetly.

"No, I'm not too young. I'm more mature then Jesse, Scott and Gabe combined." She argued.

"You wish." Gabe said under his breath.

"No sweetie. Your father has made his decision and it’s final.”  Leigh wouldn’t have minded giving Arie a chance. After all, she was always so well behaved, but she respected her husband and put her foot down making Arie pout.

The boys just rolled their eyes at her as Brian and Howie moved to get room keys.

"I'm gonna go talk to Jen and let her know what's up with the rooms." AJ excused himself from the group.

"I think you and me are gonna have a lot of fun." Lanie told Ellie.

"I hope so. I feared you and I wouldn't get along and I'd have no one to hang out with." Ellie admitted. She made friends easy where she went. She was one of the most popular kids in her school back in France. She just hated being alone.

"No worries, most of us get along really good." Lanie smiled.

"No one gets along with me." Arie rolled her eyes.

"Alright, Boys, you three are between Brian and I. Girl's you’re between Nick and AJ." Howie announced passing out keys.

"I get my own room?" Nick asked. He looked at the room key strangely.

"Why wouldn't you?" Brian asked him.

"I dunno. I can't remember the last time I had a room alone." He said looking at the key. He was so young when he had Jesse.

"No one knock on Nick's door if you see a tie on the knob." AJ teased making most of the kids pretend vomit.

"What's our room number?" Lanie asked Howie.

"704." He replied and the girls took off almost running toward the elevator.

"Ya know something Dad; you're not very good at this grounding thing." Jesse slung an arm around his Dad.

"Ah hell." Nick suddenly remembered Lanie was grounded just as the elevator doors shut. "You couldn't have said something earlier?"

"No, I was busy getting over the fact I actually get to stay in a room without you." Jesse replied as they waited for a second elevator.

"You're almost eighteen, it's about time I start treating you less as a kid and more of an adult. It’s time you start learning how to make your own choices." Nick said as Jesse smirked.

"Ya know…I remember a certain someone having that same smirk at his age." Howie grinned as people began to board the elevator.

“Yeah Jess, you’ve turned into your old man. Way to go.” Gabe sarcastically teased.

“Great, just what every teen guy wants to hear. Thank you Gabriel.” Jesse added his full name to spite him.

“One day you’ll like being like your Dad.” Howie tried to assure him. “He’s got a great heart.”

Nick shook his head as Jesse, Gabe and Scott took off to their room when the doors opened.

Lanie was about to go inside her and Ellie's room when Nick stopped her, "You're still grounded."

Ellie waited inside not feeling comfortable about listening in on this.

Lanie opened her mouth to protest but Nick stopped her.

"But..." Nick paused. "What would you do if you were me?" He asked her.

She looked at him Momentarily before replying. "I'd forgive me and let myself off the hook! After all it's not fair to make Ellie be in a room alone." She flashed him an innocent Carter smile.

"Nice try." Nick thought for a Moment and nodded, "Lines." He grinned.

"Lines? Dad, that’s so...so lame." Lanie said.

"You will write and I don't mean type I mean actually write a hundred times.... Eminem drools and Backstreet Boys rule." He smiled rather proud of himself.

"What? Really? That's all I have to do and I'm not grounded anymore?" She asked. Sure the line itself was lame but she wasn’t complaining.

"Yep." Nick said.

"What's the catch?" She asked skeptical.

"You wanted me to be more like AJ right? So I'm gonna be like AJ and be cool. Make sure they're done by breakfast tomorrow morning." He smiled walking away.

"Okay." she nodded and went into her room.

"Yo Nicky?" AJ questioned from behind him.

"Yeah?" Nick replied.

"I'd never make Ellie write a sentence so dumb." With that AJ went into his room.