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Chapter Two-Hundred-Forty-Six



When Brandon and Peyton arrived at their destination, Brandon had parked in front of a gorgeous private beach house. It’s located on top of a mountain that is partially in the water, so when you go and look down all you see is the ocean. The house itself is a reddish brown color, giving it a rustic feel. And the back door has a window on each side of it, all three a nice shade of brown that looks a little orange when the light hits it just right. And you can see the windows to an upstairs bedroom that gives the house a welcoming feel. There is a huge heart-shaped pool, surrounded by pool lights. It also has a patio area with chairs and an umbrella next to the pool. The back of the house has a little veranda you can stand under until you want to step out from under its protection. Peyton gaped at it in awe as the two of them sat in the car, Brandon just watching her and her reaction.


“Is this your house?” she asked incredulously, and she tore her gaze from it and looked at him. Brandon chuckled.


“Well, it might as well be. I live in it more then Steve does and that’s saying something since I’m away at school most of the time. He pays for it though, so it’s his.”


“Man…If I had a house like this I wouldn’t want to leave.”


“Yeah, he loves it, but he just can’t seem to make it out of that Orphanage. Once he gets started he buries himself into it and this house doesn’t see him for days…” Brandon explained while gazing ahead at the house, a sad expression on his face. Peyton reached over and took his hand into hers and gently squeezed it, as she can pretty much guess what he is thinking.


“My goal is to change that though. I know it’s going to be hard when I have to go back to school, but I’m going to come back every weekend. He needs me. I’ve been away for way too long.” He sat there in silence for a few seconds, and then looked back at her and smiled.


“But anyway…come on. I want to show you around,” he told her and the two of them got out of the car. He met her at the front of it, took her hand into his, and led her toward the house.


“Is this where we’re eating lunch then?” she asked curiously.


“Mhm. I’m a good cook – you’ll love it.” Peyton suddenly felt herself swooning again over the many wonders of Brandon. When he asked her out for lunch she had no idea he was planning on cooking for her. A man who can cook…can it get any better then that? Wellmaybe…Peyton thought, and she let her mind wander.



~*~*~*~*~


When the boys had finally arrived at their hotel in Buffalo New York, Nick instructed his little juvenile delinquents known as Dakota and Sarah to restore the bunkroom back to the way they found it before getting off of the bus. It took them awhile to do so and he had to help them quite a bit but when it was finally done he took both of their hands and guided them off the bus and he met up with everybody else in the lobby.


“We’re he-eere…” Nick announced in an eerie tone when he caught up with everybody. Brian turned and looked at them, made a ‘scared face’ and screamed. Dakota and Sarah giggled and Brian scooped Dakota up in his arms, cradled her, and began to blow raspberries on her neck making her giggle even more. After a few seconds, he managed to scoop Sarah up as well so he held them both and he did the same, soon enough having them both giggling. Nick chuckled and shook his head, and then he looked at Ashley before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her near. He leaned forward and brushed his lips lightly over hers.


“Got our key?”


“Mhm. Laney gave it to me,” she explained while holding the card up to him and he saw the number to their floor and room on it.


“Sweet,” he replied and with that he gathered her up so she was hanging over his shoulder making her shriek and he carried her up the stairs.


“Nickolas Gene Carter, you put me down.”


“Hmm…” he replied, as if he were really considering it. “Nah…”


“What about the kids?” She asked while laughing.


“Brian and AJ will bring them up,” he shrugged.


“And just who do you think we’re? Your nannies?” AJ asked incredulously as he stood there cradling Bella in his arms.


“Nah, just two very loving Uncles,” Nick called after them with a smirk before disappearing around the corner. AJ rolled his eyes and shifted Bella so he was holding her upward instead of cradling her and he wrapped a protective arm around her before lifting Laila up too so she was rested against his hip and he headed up the stairs as well. Brian trailed behind still playing with Sarah and Dakota and everybody else stayed behind discussing who knows what. When they made it to the right floor they knew exactly which Penthouse they had to go to because Nick and Ashley had left the door open. When they first walked in they discovered a living room with white carpet and a white-grayish couch, a big screen TV in the wall and an electric fireplace just underneath it. Across the room in front of them was the dining room. It has a long rectangular glass table with four chairs around it, and two rounded white-grayish chairs that matched the couch was located just a little off to the side of the table. It has a small glass coffee table between them and there is also a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a bathroom. Sarah fell silent immediately as soon as she took in the sight of the room and she gaped at it in amazement as she has never in her life been in such a nice suite. Dakota on the other hand, slid down from Brian and went over and plopped down on the couch making herself at home, as she is quite used to the Penthouse life. Brian chuckled at Sarah’s reaction.


“Nice place huh Sarah?” he asked, and she just nodded her head quietly, as she looked around just taking in everything. Just then Nick and Ashley walked out of a room and Nick grinned.


“So Sarah, Kota…how about we have a little experiment while we’re here?” he asked, and both girls looked at him curiously. Brian looked at him in amusement, as he can already guess just exactly what he is going to say and he thinks he’s full of it.


“What kind of experiment daddy?”


“How about we see what it’s like for you two to sleep in your own room?” He asked enthusiastically. Dakota raised her eyebrow.


“Yeah, why not?” Ashley asked, helping him out, as she likes this experiment just as much as he does. She went over to Dakota, scooped her up with her one good arm and sat down with her in her lap. Dakota smiled, slid her arms around Ashley and snuggled into her some.


“This way we can practice for when we make you two your own room back home at the Orphanage. You’ll be all ready by then and everything.” Sarah looked skeptical so Nick went over and gently took her from Brian.


“Come here angel, let me show you how cool this room is” he encouraged and he carried her to the bedroom that was just across from the room he and Ashley came out of earlier. It goes their room, the bathroom right next to it, and then across the hall is the other one, which has two beds and is perfect for the girls. Ashley got up with Dakota rested on her hip and followed. Brian and AJ followed too, wanting to see just exactly how they were going to talk the girls into sleeping without them at night. When they walked in, they found that there were two full sized beds with a small nightstand between them that held a lamp on it. The one bed on the right had a comforter that was pink on the top with purple polka dots and it was folded over so that you could see underneath the blanket, which was purple – and there are purple bed sheets. The other bed was just the same, except the top part was purple with pink polka dots and pink bed sheets. The lamp is pink and the bedroom had nice soft white carpet too. There are also a bunch of stuffed animals lying neatly on each bed. Sarah and Dakota gaped at it. Brian chuckled.


“Well look at that, they must’ve knew you two were coming!” Sarah slid from Nick’s arms then and ran over to the purple bed and she grabbed at a big fluffy teddy bear, hugged it close to her and she turned and looked at everybody else happily.


“Ohhh you like teddy bears, don’t you Sarah? They’re your favorite,” Nick told her knowingly and she smiled. “Think about how fun it would be to bury yourself in all of those tonight when you go to sleep.”


“And take a look at this girls,” Ashley replied and she went over to a brown entertainment center up against the wall by the door and she pulled open the cupboards revealing a TV inside. “You can even watch all of the movies we brought with us. How cool is this?” She asked while looking down at Dakota.


“What if we gets scared?” Dakota asked softly, and she rested her head against Ashley’s shoulder and hugged her tightly.


“There is nothing to be afraid of,” Nick reassured. “Ashley, the baby and I, will be just right next door and Laney and Drew will be out in the living room. There is no window in this room so nothing can get in without us knowing about it. I promise.”


“Buts daddy I’ve always had you withs me.”


“I know baby, but you’re beginning to be a big girl now. You have to learn to sleep in your own room like big girls do.” Dakota frowned some and Nick went over and gently took her from Ashley and he went over and sat on the pink bed with her in his lap and she snuggled into him.


“It’s just an experiment honey, that’s all” he told her gently. “If you absolutely can’t handle it, well then I won’t make you. But I want you to try…please?”


“You’ll still tucks me in? An’ sing to me?”


“You can count on it.”


“Can I come gets in bed with you if I gets scared?”


“Absolutely.”


“You promise?”


“I cross my heart,” Nick answered, doing an ‘x’ over his heart with his finger.


“Kay…” she replied softly. Nick looked at Sarah then to ask her if she’s okay when he noticed her pushing the purple bed over so that it was touching the pink one. Brian had moved the nightstand for her and was helping her. Nick chuckled.


“So I take it you’re okay with this too?” he asked when she was finished and Sarah nodded, grabbed that same teddy bear she was holding earlier and hugged it close to her. The teddy bear had really made her day. Nick is afraid that its going to end up in his suitcase by the time it’s time to go.



~*~*~*~*~


Meanwhile in Brian, Riley, Jerald, Harry and Kevin’s suite, when they had finished taking a look around and getting settled in, Elenore and Josh lay side by side in the two twin sized beds that they had pushed together. Kevin and Brian had managed to talk them into sleeping in their own room too. It wasn’t so hard, so long as they didn’t separate the two of them. One bed had a Spiderman comforter with red bed sheets, and the other was a TMNT comforter with green bed sheets.


“Kota and Sarah’s beds were decorated for them too…how did they get our kids’ personalities down so well?” Brian asked Kevin curiously, as the two of them stood in the doorway to their kids’ room. Elenore had her head rested against Josh’s stomach and was out the second she lay down and Josh was lying there watching Bugs Bunny on TV.


“I wouldn’t be too surprised,” Kevin replied while rolling his eyes some. “They’re our kids after all. There’s not too much about us that is kept secret.”


“So what’s the agenda for the rest of the day?” Riley asked suddenly, as she walked up beside Brian and slid her arms around his waist before kissing his shoulder softly.


“We relax,” he answered gratefully.


“And breathe,” Kevin added.


“When do you two have to work?”


“Tomorrow morning we’ve gotta go and practice – we’ll be at the HSBC arena all day.”


“How early?”


“At about eight. What’s with the fifty questions hon?” Brian asked curiously as he pulled her around in front of him and rested his forehead against hers.


“Well, I think we should all go out tonight – the adults – and Ashley.”


“Well…like where? If we have Ashley we can’t go into any clubs or anything like that you know.”


“Yeah, I know, but it’s New York – we could find something to do.”


“We could go bowling…I know we do that a lot back in Florida, but never without the kids. It would be late night, so maybe there will be a bunch of adults there and they’ll have cosmic bowling going on,” Kevin suggested. “And if you want to drink, they have a bar there…but I wouldn’t recommend it seeing as how we have to work all day tomorrow.”


“I think we’ll have more fun when we’re in New York City. There will probably be more to do there,” Brian pointed out. “I think you and I will go clubbing while we’re there,” he added as he kissed Riley’s nose and she smiled up at him some.


“So, is that the plan then? Bowling tonight?” Kevin questioned.


“Sure, but the next question is, who is going to be stuck baby-sitting the munchkins?” Brian questioned, looking over at Josh then, who was pretending not to be aware of his father and Riley being all lovey dovey with each other.


“Well Jerry and Harry of course,” Kevin shrugged, turning and looking at the brothers who were sitting on the couch talking quietly amongst themselves – probably sharing more secrets, which seem to be a common thing lately. Kevin has learned to ignore it. “The faithful ‘Uncles’. That’s what they tagged a long for, right? To help with the kiddies?” Jerald and Harold suddenly felt three pairs of eyes on them and turned their gaze toward the doorway of Elenore and Josh’s room and they flinched a little when they saw everybody staring at them.


“What’s up?” He asked innocently.


“You and Harry? Baby-sit tonight while we go bowling?”


“Absolutely. We’ll order pizza and have a movie and game night,” Harry answered enthusiastically.


“So, erm, what were you fellas talking about over there, huh?” Riley asked curiously.


Nothing nothing. We were just on the phone with Tim is all – he was just making sure we got here okay.” Kevin rolled his eyes and went into the kid’s room and he went over and pulled the covers up on Elenore. He began tending to her, making himself busy as he knows he is being talked about out there.



~*~*~*~*~



“So, what did he say?” Ann asked curiously, as she stood in the middle of Kevin’s living room with Tim.


“He says Ellie’s favorite color is blue.”


“And did he get an answer out of her about the turtles?”


“She likes Raph and Leo. Jer tried to get her to tell him which one she liked most, but he couldn’t get an answer – she loves them both.”


“Well, that’s okay. It could still work,” Jackie spoke up as she was sitting on the couch flipping through Elenore’s TMNT coloring books and such. Tim and Ann looked at her curiously and she turned the coloring book around and held it up for them to see. It’s a picture of Raphael and Leonardo standing next to each other with their arms around each other’s shoulders.


“Sort of reminds you of Josh and Ellie doesn’t it?” she asked, and Tim smirked.


“Definitely. Have we decided on a picture of all the turtles yet?”


“I like this one,” Ann replied while picking up another book that she had opened and turned downward on the coffee table and she showed it to Tim. It’s a picture of all four turtles together – Leonardo standing in the middle with Mikey and Raphael on either side of him. He has his arms wrapped around the both of them and they’re leaning against him – Raphael with his arms crossed over his chest, and Mikey has one hand up in the air while the other was doing a thumbs up. Donatello was in front of them and half way inside a sewer holding the lid up above his head.


“She’ll love it,” Tim smirked.


“Well, now that we have this settled, how are we going to go about this? Neither of us are artists, you know.”


“I know one. He might be willing to do it for us…let me call Brooke and tell her to ask him,” Tim replied and he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and walked out of the room.



~*~*~*~*~



Meanwhile, back at Brandon’s beach house, Brandon had cooked Peyton a very nice lunch. They had lasagna, breadsticks, and a salad and they chose to eat it out in the backyard at the little umbrella table beside the pool. While Brandon was cooking he told her to go ahead and do whatever she wanted. Just as he predicted she would, she had her camera out not even five minutes after being there and was all over the place finding pictures to take. He knows he lives in an artist’s paradise – he is one after all, so he knew Peyton being a photographer and all wouldn’t be able to resist. By the time they finished lunch they found themselves down on the beach together. Peyton was lounging on a big rock with her favorite camera in her hands and her digital camera in her camera case, which was lying in the sand by her feet. Brandon lay on his side in the sand and they were just gazing out at the ocean together.


“I love your house Brandon,” Peyton insisted after a long while of silence, and he chuckled. “I want it.”


“I knew you would, which was one of my reasons for bringing you here. I saw the pictures you took on your digital camera…they’re brilliant you know,” he told her, looking at her and Peyton could feel her cheeks going red in a blush and she gazed down at her camera.


“Thanks,” she replied nervously. He lay there gazing at her for a few moments in wonder until she suddenly looked at him.


“What?” she asked, smiling slightly and he smiled back, shrugged, and turned his gaze back out at the ocean again.


“So tell me about your art…” she requested after a few moments. “What kind of stuff do you do?”


“Pretty much everything – you name it, I do it. I can paint, draw, make things out of clay, I’m pretty good at graphic design…and I’ve even taken a few pictures myself too. I can write poetry, short stories; novels…and I even have some experience in the music area too. Only a little bit though…I can play the guitar.”


“Wow…” Peyton replied looking deeply impressed. “What classes are you taking at school?”


“Cartooning and Writing. I always thought it would be cool to go into the cartooning business. I’ve been into anime and just cartoons in general my whole life…so I’m learning how to do that. As for my writing, I’ve been working on a senior writing portfolio for awhile now. I graduate next semester.”


“That’s awesome. You’ll have to show me your work sometime,” Peyton insisted. Brandon was about to reply, when suddenly his cell phone began to ring. He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at it to see that it said ‘Brooke’ on it.


“It’s your sister…be right back,” he told her and he got up, flipped open the phone, placed it to his ear, and said hello before walking away. Peyton sat there watching him as he walked a long the shoreline of the water for a few moments, before lifting her camera up and taking a few snapshots just for the hell of it.