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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
It was co-written with Lenni.
Enjoy =)
Chapter Two-Hundred-Sixty-Five



Meanwhile at the hotel, in the hotel restaurant, Lou sat at a table finishing up his coffee. Finishing up his coffee and glowering over what he had just witnessed a couple of hours ago on his way down. Ashley was interacting with the fans. They loved her, even he can’t deny that. And he knows, once you win the hearts of the fans…you’re in. She is going to be around forever if he doesn’t do something. And he can’t have her being around forever. This is his boyband, not hers. He will not have her destroying what he created. Shaking his head in response to that thought, he opened up his laptop and went looking around for a way to bring down the threat. His eyes focused suddenly on his PhotoShop, and he suddenly got an idea. He then got right to work. He worked on this for two hours straight and by the time he was finished, it was time to get going to sound check. He packed up his laptop, left the waiter a tip, and then got up and left the restaurant. When he walked out into the lobby he discovered the boys and their kids just coming down.


"Ellie, you have to hold my hand," A.J. told the little girl that was currently running about, dodging between everyone.
Lenore McLean:

"No I don'ts!" Elenore laughed, as she weaved in and out amongst their crew.


"Elenore, yes you do. There's lots of fans outside, and you may get left behind or lost if you don’t hold my hand," A.J. stated. "I don't want to lose you."


"Run, run, run fasts as you can! You can'ts catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!" Elenore recited, squealing as she dodged away from AJ’s hands that were trying to catch her. "Haha! Yer too slow!" Josh and Chris each stood on either side of Brian, holding his hands, as they smiled in amusement at their future cousin. Chris may not like her fully yet, but he had to admit, this was pretty amusing to see. Howie sighed, as he made sure Ryan was still at his side.


"C'mon Kev," he said to A.J. "If you don't catch her, we're never going to get out of here. Well, you won't anyways."


"Hey Jerry," A.J. smirked then. "Want to grab your favorite person up for me."


"Nope," Jerry replied. "Not my kid. And definitely not this time. I'm staying out of this whole thing until it's deemed necessary by me." A.J. stifled a groan as he saw Kevin standing there dressed as him, with a smug smirk on his face.


"What's wrong Kevin?" Kevin asked A.J. "Doesn't she eat M&M's constantly, like this little one?"

"Stuff it, A.J.," A.J. snapped, turning his attention back to Ellie, as everyone else neared the doors to wait for them. Nick shook his head at the two as he kissed the side of Sarah's head as he stood there holding her and Bella who was in her carseat.


"Boy, am I glad you don't even throw tantrums." Sarah giggled softly, resting her head on his shoulder - her most favorite spot.


"Elenore Ellerbee!" A.J. exclaimed suddenly. "Freeze, Young Lady!" Elenore froze where she was, halfway out the one door without any of them noticing. She saw A.J. coming closer and took a step forward, smirking. A.J. raised his eyebrows at her. "Take another step, Little Miss, and you can stay here by yourself with either security or your Jerry."


"No I won'ts!" Elenore insisted, inching forward.


"Elenore, I am not going to tell you again," A.J. stated firmly, in his best warning tone. "Get back here, this instant, Young Lady! Unless you very badly want to be grounded for the rest of today and tomorrow."


"That's nots fair!" Elenore argued.


"It's plenty fair, Elenore," A.J. replied flatly. "Now, come here." Elenore huffed as she scowled, and stomped her way back over to him.


"Happy?" She asked in a snippy tone.


"Very," A.J. commented, scooping her up into his arms. He looked at the others. "We're ready to go now." With that, they all headed on outside to the awaiting limo that was there for them. They all climbed in, each groaning inwardly when Lou managed to weasel his way into the car with them.


"Good afternoon, Boys," Lou greeted them with a smile. "I trust you all had a pleasant morning."


"Was pleasant until you showed up," Kevin muttered, causing Lou to give him a strange look, and for A.J. to narrow his eyes at him.


"We can hear you over there, you know A.J.!" A.J. informed him, then looked at Lou. "We all had a pleasant morning. Did you?"


"What's going on here?" Lou immediately demanded, as he finally got a good look at their clothes.


"They switched places," Brian piped up. "Kevin figures A.J. doesn't appreciate all that he does, and A.J. figures Kevin's job is easy, so they switched."


"And when the Hell are they switching back?" Lou inquired.


"Tomorrow night after the show," Nick shrugged. "We tried to stop them."


"Believe me, Mr. Pearlman, we tried," Jerald piped up. "But they're both pretty stubborn and hard-headed when they want to be. And right now, they definitely want to be."


"This better not mess up the concert!" Lou shouted. "Now is not the time for your petty little games!"


"Look Lou, if we wanted your advice, we'd ask for it," Kevin commented. "We didn't ask for it, so obviously we don't want it."


"You can't talk to me like that!" Lou yelled. "I am your employer!"


"Lou, could you please stop yelling?" A.J. asked, noticing Laila was looking ready to cry. And though she wasn't his responsibility right now, he didn't want to have his heart broken hearing her cries. "There's children in this vehicle, who you're currently scaring." Lou huffed and muttered angrily, but remained silent for the rest of the ride there. Soon enough, they arrived at the place where the concert was to be held. Once the limo had pulled to a stop they all climbed out, sticking close to security, as because always, their fans had decided to play CIA again and show up. They all managed to get inside safely, promising the fans they'd sign their things later on, as they didn't have anytime right now. The fans weren't too happy about that, but most understood enough. After they were all inside, the kids were sent to the audience with Jerry and Harry and security, while the Boys went backstage to get ready to go out and practice. As they were getting ready, Nick called for Brian.


“Yo Brian!”


“Yo Nick?” Brian asked, turning and looking at Nick, who wasn’t that far from him, as he’d been keeping an eye on him ever since Lou joined them.


“Come here a moment,” Nick replied, and Brian went over to him curiously.


“What’s up Frack?” he questioned, and he allowed Nick to take his arm and pull him out of hearing point from everybody else. Nick whispered something into Brian’s ear then, and Brian smirked in amusement, nodded, and then took Nick by the hand and pulled him out onstage with him. Kevin watched them go and shook his head smirking.

“If I didn’t know any better, I swear I would question their sexuality,” he informed, sounding exactly like AJ when he says it. AJ rolled his eyes.


“And you get mad at Nick for the gay jokes,” he replied. Howie raised his eyebrow as he stood there listening to the two, trying his hardest not to get confused.


“At least I don’t say it to Nick’s face, like he does to me and D,” Kevin argued.


“Who is the oldest out of the two of you again?” AJ asked. Kevin sighed.


“I am…” he replied resentfully.


“Exactly. So how about you act like it?”


Exactly. So how about you act like it?” Kevin asked in a mocking tone and AJ narrowed his eyes.


“You’re so immature.”


“Thank-you.”


“Grow up, will you?”


You grow up.”


“I am grown up. At least I know better then to feed a two-year-old M&M after M&M, you’re going to get her sick. And why don’t you hurry up and get ready? We have a sound check too do. Quit dawdling,” AJ ordered, and with that, he turned around and went onstage.


“Frick, Frack, quit messing around. We have work to do!” Kevin looked at Howie with a raised eyebrow.


“I don’t sound like that toward him do I?” He asked quietly, and Howie nodded.


“All the time.”


“I do not…”

“Maybe you have something to learn out of this whole switcharoo game too Kev, eh?”


“I am not that bad,” Kevin insisted.


“You are pretty hard on him. And he may not openly show it, but it gets to him sometimes.”


“AJ! HOWIE! NOW!” AJ hollered from the stage suddenly. Kevin rolled his eyes and he and Howie did as they were told and joined the rest of their bandmates out on the stage. They practiced for thirty minutes, and then in between when they were just about to take a short water break, Kevin put his microphone down onto the stand and went to walk away, when he suddenly discovered that he couldn’t let go of the microphone.


“What the hell?” he muttered to himself, and he tried to detach his hand again, only to have the microphone come with him. He looked down at his hand confused, and realized that there is glue on it and he suddenly heard Nick and Brian snickering near by. He looked at them with narrowed eyes.


“Oh…you two are toast!” he informed, and Brian and Nick took off running in different directions with Kevin running after them, deciding he would go after Nick who was most likely the brains of this operation.


“Nick! Brian! AJ! What is going on?!” AJ demanded, as all eyes were suddenly on them. Kevin suddenly caught up with Nick, and he grabbed hold of his arm, shoved him to the ground and in an instant the two of them were wrestling with one another. Kevin throwing insults that he knows only AJ would call Nick, and Nick laughing the whole time. Suddenly though, they each felt hands pulling them apart and they looked back to see that those hands belonged to AJ and Howie.


“Stop it right now the both of you! What kind of example are you setting for the kids?” AJ lectured.


He started it!” Kevin insisted, pointing toward Nick. “He glued my hand to the microphone!”


“I don’t care who started it, you’re grown adults who shouldn’t be fighting in front of all these children,” AJ replied. “Now stop it, the both of you.” Kevin scowled.


“Killjoy,” he replied, and with that he pulled from AJ and walked away. AJ shook his head, laughing at Kevin on the inside. He finally gets to see what it’s like to be the victim of all of Frick and Frack’s jokes. And feel the urge that he gets to just want to wrestle Nick with all his might. He turned around then and walked off to get everybody calmed down again and back to work mode.


~*~*~*~*~


When Denise, Kori, Ashley, and Marcus left the mall with Dakota, they had a couple of bags in their hands. Ashley ended up buying Dakota a couple of outfits that she just couldn’t pass up because she looked too adorable in them, and Denise went all out on buying Ashley stuff while Kori bought a couple of things for Spencer – Christmas presents. They all got in the limo that was there waiting on them again, and headed for the arena where they were to meet the boys. When they got there, they found the entrance to the place swarming with fans and Kori sighed.


“Not again…” Marcus raised his eyebrow, as he studied the fans and their expressions. They look none too pleased to see their limo pull up.


“This is something to worry about. This here, will be a mob” he informed. “Let me out first,” he added. “Ashley give Kota to Denise please.”


“NO,” Dakota protested, automatically sensing the tension in the limo. “I wants my Ashee.”


“Baby, everything is going to be okay. I need you to go see Denise please,” Ashley replied gently, and she handed the reluctant four year old over to her mother. When the limo came to a stop, Marcus opened the door and stepped out and he reached his hand in for Ashley. She took hold of it and he helped her out before wrapping a protective arm around her and he started for the door.


“Clear a path ladies, we really need to get through,” Marcus called out, as the fans didn’t seem to want to move for them.


“NOT until we’ve had our answers!” one fan around seventeen demanded.


“Answers to what? Ladies this isn’t a fan conference. We really don’t have time for this right now, we’re on a tight schedule.”


“Why THAT bitch would cheat on Nick when he has been NOTHING but good to her!” another fan replied, pointing at Ashley so roughly that Marcus wrapped his arms around her and pulled her a step back.


“What in the world are you talking about?” Ashley asked confused. “I would never cheat on Nick. Ever,” Ashley replied, managing to keep her emotions at bay, though it’s very hard. She’s never seen so much hate in anyone’s eyes except Sean’s before. And the last thing she wanted was for the fans to hate her. But she knows this has to be all some big misunderstanding. She hasn’t even been around another man in the past few days. Has she?


“Ashley honey, don’t worry about it. Lets just get you inside,” Marcus replied gently, and he went to pick her up but she gently swatted his hands way.


“No. I want to know what they’re talking about. Where they got this crazy idea from.”


“Like you don’t know!” another fan spat.


“I honestly don’t have any idea what you’re talking about. But I’m sure if you told me what it is instead of standing there hating on me, we could get to the bottom of it.” Another fan who was just standing there glaring at her silently, suddenly thrusted a picture out toward her.


THIS,” she replied hatefully. Ashley took hold of it and turned it over to look and just as soon as she did, she saw a Photo of what was supposed to be of her and Pete hugging, but instead, was turned into something much more. Someone who is very good with PhotoShop had managed to make it look like they were kissing.


“You got this off the Internet right?” She asked, but she didn’t need an answer, because at the bottom of the page, she saw the link to the website they found it on. Ashley nodded.


“Well, you all should know better then to believe everything you see and hear. This is a photo of me and Pete Wentz backstage at the Jingleball. It was my first time meeting him…he gave me a hug and that is all. Someone is obviously very good at PhotoShop. I love Nick with all of my heart and I wouldn’t cheat on him. He knows this. He was there with me the whole time I was with Pete.”


“I don’t believe you, you’re a liar!” another fan snapped.


“Well, you can choose not to believe it all you want but it’s not going to change the fact that it’s true.” That same fan crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly and looked away. She was obviously never a fan of Ashley to begin with. The girl next to her, who looks like she could be her friend scowled.


“You can stop lying now. We all know what you really are.”


“Oh you do huh?” Ashley asked softly. “What am I then?”


“You’re a little slut who is interested in older celebrities. You got what you wanted with Nick, and now you’re moving onto Pete Wentz.”


“Okay, that is enough!” Marcus replied, not being able to stand by and let this happen another minute.


“Yes, that is more then enough,” another voice from behind the crowd of fans spoke up. The fans all turned in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Nick. He and Laney had come outside because Denise had called him and told him what is going on. “Everybody move out of the way so my girlfriend can get through please,” he added politely, but they all can hear the anger in his voice and immediately did as he requested. Nick held his arms out to her then.


“Come here baby,” he told her, and Ashley walked into his open arms and slid her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, as she couldn’t hold her tears back any longer. She’s been accused of being unfaithful to Nick one too many times and she has been nothing but very faithful to him. It isn’t fair.


“You believe me, right Nicky?”


“Of course I believe you honey, I love you. And I know you love me too,” he told her gently and he kissed her forehead softly.


“Ashley why don’t you go inside and we’ll handle this?” AJ spoke up from the door. Ashley looked at him and pulled away from Nick and went to him and she slid her arms around him and hugged him. He hugged her back and he too kissed her forehead softly.


“Go inside Kiddo,” he told her softly, and Ashley did as she was told and allowed Brian to take her hand and guide her into the arena. They waited for Denise, Dakota, and Kori to follow and then the door was shut leaving Nick and AJ alone with security and the fans. They set things straight with them and gave them the most ashamed looks ever, causing each and every one of them to feel bad for jumping to conclusions. When they were finished, they went inside again to see Brian, Howie, Kevin, and everybody else in the middle of a group hug with Ashley in the middle. When Ashley saw Nick and AJ walk in, she pulled away from everybody else and went straight for Nick and he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her to him.


“Are you okay?” he asked gently.


“No…” Ashley answered softly as tears rolled down her cheek. “This is the second time I’ve been accused of being unfaithful of you Nick, and I’ve been nothing but true to you. It isn’t fair…”


“I know baby, I know” Nick replied softly, and he cupped her cheek in his hand and leaned down and brushed his lips lightly over hers before hugging her close to him. “I’m sorry you had to go through with this. I’m really sorry…I wish I knew who photo shopped that photo, but the important thing is; we all know the truth. And we love you. That’s all that matters.”


“And if it makes you feel any better…we made the fans feel really bad for ganging up on you like that without knowing the facts,” AJ added. “I’m sure they’ll all find a way to apologize in no time.” Ashley reached over and pulled AJ into a hug then.


“I love you Alex,” she told him softly. AJ was about to open his mouth and reply, when she cut him off knowing by the look on his face exactly what he is going to say. “I refuse to play a long with this little game of yours and Kevin’s. I saw his clothes and asked him what’s going on. I know the whole story. You are my brother. And I need you. So deal with it.” AJ couldn’t help but chuckle, despite the situation they’re in.


“You’re touchy when you’re upset,” he told her, and he gently pulled her over to a chair and sat down with her in attempt to cheer her up.