- Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
I know its been a while. Hope you enjoy the update :)
Chapter 18


Nick wasn't asleep long, the baby crying woke him up late that night. He slowly walked to the room next to his and Amanda's, where Celine and Bryan slept.

"Hey, little guy. You like waking Daddy up, don't you?" Nick whispered, rubbing his eyes. His body ached from lack of sleep but he picked Bryan up and held him close to his chest, the baby crying into his shoulder.

Nick got a bottle out of the refrigerator and warmed it up then fed the baby before singing him to sleep. By the time he finally dozed off it was six and his alarm went off at seven.

"Honey, aren't you tired?" Amanda asked when she saw him later that morning. He had bags under his blue eyes...which were dark and not the bright shade of blue they were normally.

"Yeah, but I have so much to do today. I will see you a bit later, baby." he said as he kissed her quickly on the cheek and dashed out of the room. Nick was even more worn out that afternoon, nodding off as he and Amanda lay in bed watching television.

"Baby?" Amanda said, turning off the TV. Nick looked up, yawning slightly.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I think you need some help."

"What do you mean? I am over all that stuff-" Nick started, but Amanda put a finger to his lips.

"Not that kind of help, sweetheart. You're exhausted taking care of it all by yourself. AJ is busier now at the tattoo place. I think it's time we hired some extra help." she chuckled. Nick sat up and stretched, thinking...his eyes searching.

"I don't know...." he whispered. Nick didn't like admitting he needed help but he knew she was right.

"You're tired all the time, it isn't healthy for you. You aren't Superman, Nick. I think we should look into getting a nanny to help out." Amanda said. Nick nodded but laid back in the bed once more.

"All right. We will look for someone to help."



Amanda watched him fall asleep, smiling as she stroked his hair.


Over the next few days, Nick held some interviews for a nanny, but nobody seemed to fit what he and Amanda were looking for. Some of them turned out to be fans...looking to get a glimpse of Nick and the house but he dismissed them quickly.
"This is insane, AJ. How am I gonna find anyone to help?" Nick said, reaching for the aspirin after a particularly annoying interview.

"I'm sure there's someone, Nick." AJ said as he drank from his coffee cup. He wasn't really liking the idea of hired help being in the house. For the longest time, he had been helping Nick to raise the kids....he felt like it was being taken away although he was too busy now.

"Well, I guess I'd better get ready for our guest this afternoon."

Nick swallowed the aspirin and went about cleaning the house, feeling tired afterwards. He yawned as the doorbell rang.

"I'm so happy to see you again." he smiled when he opened the door and saw Lisa standing there, looking nervous.

"Thank y'all for having me, Nick." she said in her southern twang, smiling as she came into the house. She looked around in awe.....this was Nick Carter's....this was his house. Lisa walked in through the foyer and into the living room, passing a MTV Moon Man on the coffee table and smiling as she touched it.

"I will go and see if Amanda is up for a visitor. Have a seat if you like." Nick said, grinning at her. It was the first time he had a fan in the house, had a fan this close to his personal life. Nick walked up to their room, Amanda smiling as he entered.

"Hi, baby." she whispered, his lips touching her cheek gently.

"There's someone I want you to meet....are you up for a visitor?"

"Sure."


Nick disappeared from the room and returned with a young girl, looking to be in her twenties. She brushed her strawberry blonde hair out of her face and took a tentative step into the room with Nick's encouragement.

"Amanda, this is Lisa....if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have made it home to see Bryan being born." he grinned.

"Oh, so this is the fan you told me about. It's wonderful to meet you." Amanda said as she shook Lisa's hand.

"It was the least I could do after Nick's display at the airport terminal." Lisa giggled.

"His what?" Amanda asked, raising an eyebrow. Nick looked down at his feet before mumbling....

"I kind of threw a fit because the ticket lady was a freaking bitch."

Amanda was thrown into a lapse of giggles and Nick blushed, his ears turning pink.

"Nick was upset so I gave him my extra ticket." Lisa continued in her Texan drawl. She wore a pair of worn jeans and a grey shirt, her hair pinned up loosely with a clip. Amanda thought she looked like the most normal fan she'd met in a long time....this was someone who wasn't out to kiss anyone's ass.

"Thank you so much for everything, Lisa. I'm glad you could help. I hope you are enjoying your visit to Miami." Amanda smiled.

"Oh, I am. It's a nice change of scenery. I work in a daycare back home...I see little kids and babies all day long when I'm not in school." Lisa explained.

"That's great, do you enjoy your work?"

Nick felt himself nodding off although he didn't mean to....when suddenly he heard Bryan cry in the next room. Amanda watched him leave to attend to the baby but she was interested to learn more about Lisa, who she was liking more by the minute. Nick returned with a fussy baby boy in his arms moments later, Bryan whimpering and clutching onto Nick's shirt...his face red.

"Give him to me..." Amanda said. Bryan cried but seemed to calm down in his mother's arms.

"How do you DO that? He likes to wake me up in the middle of the night and keep me up all day." Nick asked, yawning.

"Baby, you need to sleep."

"You look tired, Nick. Maybe you should listen to her..." Lisa pointed out.

"Good luck, I've been barking up that tree for years." Amanda scoffed as Lisa giggled again.

"I can't sleep, we have company." Nick yawned.

"Go and get Celine, bring her in here. Lisa, would you mind helping me keep an eye on the babies?" Amanda asked. Nick raised an eyebrow at this but brought his daughter into the room, her blonde hair in pigtails.

"She's beautiful! Your kids are adorable, Amanda." Lisa commented. Bryan lay on Amanda's stomach and Celine was placed on the bed next to her.

"Daddy sleepy." Celine said with a shy smile, looking at Nick.

"Daddy is taking a nap. Right, Daddy?" Amanda chuckled.

"Okay, fine....I'm going. You girls gonna be ok without me?" Nick asked, running a hand through his hair.

"Lisa is going to help me. Go get some rest." Amanda said. Nick shuffled out of the room and left his wife alone with Lisa....wondering if it really was a good idea.


"Nick looks so tired...I've never seen him look like that." Lisa commented once Nick was gone.

"Well, since my surgery and Bryan being born, he's been taking on everything....trying to be super dad. He can't do all the housework, his career, manage the club and the kids. We are trying to hire some extra help but haven't found anyone." Amanda replied.

"So you're looking for a nanny?" Lisa said, holding Bryan so Amanda could sit up in the bed. The baby seemed so calm with her, Amanda was surprised as Celine seemed to like her as well.


Nick woke about two hours later and noticed Lisa was still in the house. He was still tired even after the nap but got up anyway.

"Thank you for coming by, Lisa. I'm sorry for nodding off on you like that." he said sheepishly.

"It's no trouble, Nick. I love kids. It's my thing....I'm studying early childhood development in college so this is great research as well." Lisa told him when he showed her to the door. Nick said goodbye to her and went back up to the bedroom, taking the baby from Amanda.

"Nick....I think we should invite Lisa to stay here for a few days." Amanda said suddenly, throwing Nick for a loop.

"Are you sure about this? She's a fan."

"You should have seen her with the babies, Nick. I think she would make a good nanny." Amanda suggested.

"I don't know." Nick said. He wasn't sure if he could trust a fan...not with his kids or even the fact that his past would be exposed....he shuddered at the thought. The last thing he needed was for the fans to find out about his childhood or family...

"Nick. Just invite her....I think it will be a good idea....please trust me." Amanda begged. Nick nodded and called Lisa to invite her to the house, he just hoped Amanda was right.
Chapter End Notes:
*shameless plug time* If you are enjoying this story...can you do me a small favor and (if you haven't already) read the rest of the series? I would love some feedback on Not The Other Guy...thanks a bunch :)