When Nick arrived at Denise’s house he went to the door and knocked on it and waited and after a few moments when she opened it she looked at Nick in surprise.


“Hey Nick…I thought I was meeting all of you at the Orphanage? The trial isn’t until this afternoon isn’t it?”


“Yeah it is, and you are, but I wanted to talk to you alone without Ashley and AJ around…do you have a few moments?”


“Of course, come in” Denise insisted while stepping to the side and making room for Nick to walk in. Nick did just that and she led him into her living room.


“Have a seat, make yourself at home. Want anything to drink? Coke, Dr Pepper, Mountain Dew, water?”


“Coke sounds good.”


“Okay I will be right back then,” She replied and she went to the kitchen disappearing inside it. When she returned a few moments later she handed over his coke and kept hers as she sat down on the couch across from him.

“How is Ashley doing?”


“She’s a nervous wreck right now…when I left her she was busying herself by giving Bells a bath and was making it very clear that she didn’t want anyone around right now, so I got a baby-sitter for the girls and decided I would use this time to get my own stuff done.”


“And one of the things on your list was to come and talk to me?”


“Yes…I’ve come to talk to you about something very important.”


“Okay, well let’s hear it” Denise replied gently when she noticed him becoming nervous all of the sudden. “You know you can come to me and talk to me about anything, the five of you.”


“I know,” Nick smiled some. “You are one of the most supportive Backstreet Mom’s I know aside from Ann and Jackie…it’s just that this is really important to me and I’m a little nervous about yours and AJ’s reactions.”


“Well I would like to think that I’m a little easier to approach then Alex is when it comes to Ashley,” Denise replied amusedly after surveying him for a moment. “So how about you try me?”


“Well…don’t kill me…”


“I won’t I promise” Denise laughed. “I don’t want blood all over my white carpet, I just cleaned it. She’s not pregnant is she…?”


“What? No way,” Nick insisted feeling surprised that Denise had asked that. “At least not that I am aware of…we’ve been really careful.”


“Then what’s the matter Nick?” Nick looked down at his coke in silence for a couple of minutes before finally responding.


“I want to ask her to marry me.” He looked up at her then and waited for her to yell at him and tell him no way and throw him out of her house but was surprised to see her sitting there staring calmly at him, waiting for him to go on. “I know that we all agreed to wait until after she’s graduated from college but the thing is, a lot has happened since we made that decision…things have changed and I don’t think I can wait that long anymore.” He paused for a moment and thought about that. “I mean I know I can…because I love her and I would wait for an eternity for her and have already proved that. But we came really close to losing each other after the storm…I don’t want to risk that again without marrying her.”


“I get what you are saying Nick, I do believe me. But she is just now getting her life put back together after Sean…”


“I know that…and I want to be a part of it. I don’t want to waste a single moment with her and I know it in my heart that if I asked her to marry me she would say yes. I know her.”


“I have no doubt in my mind that she would, and that’s what concerns me,” Denise replied. “I mean I know you two are meant to be together, and I want you to be I don’t want to stand in the way of that especially since I know you make each other happy. It’s just that I really want her to be able to concentrate on what she’s missed out on all of these years because of Sean – I want her to concentrate on school and getting that career she wants so badly.”


“I do too and I could help her and make sure that she does.”


“But if she gets married to you now all of her concern will be on mothering those girls, I know her. That’s just the way she is.”


“I won’t let that happen,” Nick insisted. “Her and I are a team…I will make sure to keep the girls out of her way when she is supposed to be concentrating on school. I know we can make it work if her and I found a system and worked together. That’s what we do best.” Denise sat there quietly considering this for a moment. She knows he’s right about that, she’s seen firsthand what the two of them could do working as one, especially under pressure.


“How would you make it work Nick? Convince me that you could make it work.”


“Well, she will of course need special hours set aside for her studying and stuff so while she is doing that I could either take the girls out and spend time with them for the day, or if she wanted me to stay there and help her, Brian would be more than happy to spend a day with them as well. And of course there is always Grandma Denise, and Uncle Aaron who the girls love to see every now and then too. I will even sit the girls down and talk to them, and explain to them how important school is for her, I know they will understand and they’ll even want to try and help because that’s how they are.”


“And what about when you go on tour? She’ll want to go with you, you know.”


“That’s what we bought her laptop for that’s no problem.”


“But the girls will need extra care then, especially when you’ll be working.”


“I’ll look into getting a nanny…or hire Uncle Aaron and Aunt Angel.” When Denise didn’t respond Nick continued. “The point is I will personally see to it that she always gets time set aside for her studying with absolutely no interruptions and I will be her motivator and main support in this. I promise. I want her to get this career of hers too; I want it more than anything because I know she will be great at it.”


“I think that you may just be the best thing for her when it comes to motivation and support,” Denise agreed after a couple of moments of thinking about it. “She’ll listen to you before she listens to anybody else.” Nick nodded in agreement. “What about your wedding? She is going to be excited about planning that and I just finally got her thinking about school.”


“Well maybe her maid of honor of choice, you, and a wedding planner will take some of that off her shoulders. Again, I will make her set some time aside.”


“You can make her set some time aside but I can tell you right now the only thing she is going to have is a one track mind honey,” Denise said amusedly. “Weddings are a huge deal to a woman, especially their own.”


“Is there any way that I can make a compromise with you?”


“You won’t wait until she graduates? That’s completely out of the question?”


“I could wait…but I would have to find some way to permanently keep my eyes open or something so I don’t blink between now and then and lose everything important to me.”


“You’re not going to lose her honey, Sean is in prison and he is going to stay there.”


“You can’t guarantee anything.”


“Are you seriously going to be stressed out between now and her graduation if I make you wait?”


“She thought I was bad when Sean was on the loose. I’m just saying…”


“Marrying her isn’t going to put her in a bubble, you know.”


“Maybe not but at least I can say that if anything ever happened to her I got the chance to be married to the woman that I love and be happy for a little while. She wants this career very much but the one thing she wants more than even that is to be married to me before she dies. Even you know that.”


“If I let you marry her will you promise me that as soon as you get back from your honey moon and get settled into your home together you will motivate her to get started on school?”


“Yes I promise. I will even get her the tutor myself.”


“Well I’ve already done that, she just has to meet her and approve of her.”


“So then we’ll both have her meet her and then right after the honey moon and getting settled in she can start tutoring her.” Denise sat there looking at him in silence for a long moment just assessing the situation.


“Give me some time to think about this for a couple of days okay? I want to discuss it with Alex and get his outburst out of the way and dealt with…and then we’ll let you know what we think.”


“I already know what he’s going to think. It’s going to be a definite no because he is impossible when it comes to her.”


“I will make sure he gives your request a fair chance I promise. You just let me deal with him…I have experience.”


“Just a couple of days?”


“Yes. I will let you know after the trial but I need you to do me a favor in the mean time.”


“Anything,” Nick insisted.


“Sit down with Ashley and have a long talk with her about what she wants without hinting to her what you want to do. You’re both just so young…I want to know that you can handle this.”


“I can do that,” Nick agreed deciding this request isn’t too unreasonable. He likes to sit down and just talk to Ashley sometimes, it’s nice. And at least she is thinking about it and not giving him a definite no. Denise opened her mouth to respond when suddenly Nick’s cell phone began to ring. He reached into his pocket, pulled it out and looked at the caller ID and judging by the smile that instantly lit up his face she knew right off who it was that is calling. He pushed his phone open and put it to his ear.


“Hey baby,” he greeted gently. “Are you all right?”


“No, you didn’t tell me that you were leaving I searched the whole building for you.”


“I told Brookie to tell you…didn’t she tell you?”


“Yes after I searched for you all over the building and got worried about you…and anyway I thought we both agreed that we would tell each other directly or leave a note, not leave a message for a friend to deliver?”


“I forgot honey…I’m sorry I worried you. Were you crying?” he asked when he picked up on the emotions in her voice.


“I started to and then Brooke told me what was going on…”


“I didn’t go far honey…why were you crying?”


“It’s just too soon after your coma for you to be disappearing on me, that’s all…”


“I’m sorry sweetheart, I didn’t think…”


“And I’m feeling stressed out and wanted you.”


“I will be there soon okay? I just need to make one more quick stop on the way.”


“Kay…”


“I love you…it’s going to be okay.”


“I love you too.” He listened as she hung up the phone and then he did as well and looked at Denise.


“She’s freaking out…I didn’t even stop to think that it might be too soon,” He explained, evidently feeling awful.


“Yeah, I think it’s going to be that way for awhile…she was a wreck when you were out for three weeks.”


“I better get going. I need to stop at Wal-mart and buy a few things – Brooke told her I was at Wal-mart.”


“Okay, I will see you in a little bit then for the trial” Denise replied as the two of them stood up and Denise pulled him into a hug. Nick returned it and then showed himself out taking his coke can with him.


~*~*~*~*~*~


“But I wanna goes with, please daddy please?” Ellie pleaded while clinging to Kevin’s leg and looking like she might cry as soon as she is told no.


“Not today honey you can—“


“—But you told me I would gets to state my case!”


“Well if you would let me finish my sentence princess I might just tell you what’s up,” Kevin replied while reaching down to gather her in his arms only to have her tighten her hold on his leg and put all of her weight into it as she was sitting on his foot. Kevin rolled his eyes playfully and began walking toward the picnic table with her sitting on his foot to the best of his ability. When he made it he sat down on the bench before detaching her from him and bringing her up into his lap so that she is sitting on her knees and he slid his arms around her waist and rested his forehead against hers.


“The trial is going to last two days honey. For today Elliot and I thought it would be best if you stayed here with Tim, Jerald, and Kristin and played with your friends and then for the second day I will bring you along and you will get your chance. Okay?”


“But what if it doesn’t last two days, what if they get’s everything done in one?” Ellie asked worriedly, the stress over not being able to have her say like she’s so desperately wanted for months now very evident in her eyes.


“That’s not going to happen honey. Elliot promised you’d have your say remember? He would never break his promise to you and you know that.”


“Come on Ellie, please stay” Dakota pleaded as she crawled up onto the bench beside her uncle. “We were going to paint a picture together remember?” Ellie glanced at Dakota then feeling very unsure. She knows she is going to stress out over this the whole time Kevin is gone.


“You can makes a picture for Sean so that he will think about’s you all the time,” Dakota suggested.

“That would be nice,” Kevin agreed feeling impressed with his niece for suggesting that despite her own personal feelings toward Sean. “You stay here and make a picture for him and I will let you take it to him tomorrow. Okay?”


“Kay,” Ellie said softly and Kevin planted a kiss on her nose before hugging her close to him.


“I love you Ellie.”


“I loves you too daddy.”


“I love you more,” Kevin teased lightly instantly making her giggle.


“Nuh uh, I loves you more.”


“Oh you think so huh?”


“I knows so. I loves you more than hugs an’ kisses.” Kevin smirked and rested his forehead against hers as he gazed into her eyes.


“Well, I love you all the way to the moon and back again, what do you think about that?” Ellie gaped at him.


“That’s pretty far.”


“You are right it is. So every time you doubt my love for you, all you have to do is look up at the moon and remember that’s how far my love goes for you Ellie Richardson.” Ellie slid her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder and he gently rubbed his hand over her back as he glanced at Nick who was standing nearby hugging Ashley close to him.


“We have to go,” he said quietly, something he’s been holding off on saying as he didn’t want to break up the little father daughter moment.


“Daddy” Ellie spoke up again, having not heard Nick.


“Yeah princess?”


“Can we buy a telecopes so that I can see the moon betters?” Kevin chuckled softly.


“Telescope, honey and we will see. Those are pretty expensive.”


“We can manage,” Ellie insisted causing Jerald, Kristin, Ann, Tim, Nick and Ashley all to laugh as well.


“That is not the point Ellie. The point is, you are already spoiled enough as is and it’s completely mine and Jerald’s fault. I have a feeling if you asked for the world we would probably give it to you.”


“Don’t give her any ideas,” Jerald warned while gently taking his niece into his arms so that Kevin can ease his way out of the building. Kevin said his last goodbyes and when he was finally able to leave him, Nick, and Ashley all went inside to meet the rest of the gang that was going and Jerald kissed Ellie’s cheek before setting her down.


“Go play honey, but remember I’ve got my eyes on you” Jerald said while pointing to his eye and then at her. Ellie stuck her tongue out at him and then grabbed Dakota’s hand and took off running to where Spencer has his paints and easel board set up and he was already painting. Jerald arched his eyebrow and Tim laughed.


“Can’t you just see how much she respects me?”


“Oh yeah Bro, she loves you” Tim chuckled. Jerald shook his head and then swung his arm around Tim’s shoulders.


“Come on Bro, let’s discuss you visiting us more now that you can’t walk away from me without taking the squirt with you.”


“I will try and make time to visit more since I do miss Ellie but I am not moving out here Jerald do you hear me? I’m just not ready for that.”


“Once a week?”


“How about once a every other weekend?”


“Once every weekend.”


“Church is on Sundays Jer.”


“So come on Thursdays and stay until Saturday afternoon or evening.”


“Are you willing to pay for my plane ticket bro?”


“Drive. Then you will only have to worry about gas and you can always pack your food so you don’t have to spend any money on that.”


“Again, are you willing to pay for my gas every Thursday and Saturday?” Jerald thought about that for a moment.


“Yes if that’s what it takes to get you here more often.”


“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”


“You aren’t, I’m insisting. What else do I have to spend it on? Ellie? My share of the bills?”


“How about yourself every once in awhile?”


“That’s exactly what I would be doing. I want my little brother here so I will pay whatever I have to get him here.”


“I am not going to let you pay my way here every weekend Jer, I refuse. We’ll do it every other weekend and that way I can hire another preacher to trade off with during that time.”


“Fine,” Jerald sighed. “As long as you come.” Tim rolled his eyes.


“You really miss me that much do you?”


“I just could use the help with taking care of Kevin, that’s all” Jerald insisted and Tim smiled slightly.


“That’s all huh?”


“Mhm. I’m afraid that he and Kristin are going to elope as soon as I turn my back for even just a tiny little second,” Jerald explained while looking over at the woman whom his youngest brother was growing closer to everyday as she sat under a tree playing with Bella.


“And would that really be such a terrible thing?” Tim asked while looking over at her as well. “Just look at how happy she makes him…he’s like a whole different person when she is around.”


“Not you too,” Jerald sighed. “I can’t believe how fast she had you won over. One lunch with her and suddenly you have stars in your eyes too.”


“I know you got hurt when Summer stormed into your perfect world and stomped all over it, but don’t you think you are being a little unfair to Kristin? She isn’t the same and I think it’s time you admitted that.”


“I have and I’ve completely accepted that Kevin loves her but that doesn’t mean they can’t take things slow and take the time to get to know each other.”


“I think their time alone together up in the bedroom pretty much ruined the whole taking it slow plan…sorry to burst your bubble,” Tim replied amusedly. Jerald scowled and Tim shrugged his shoulders.

“She’s a great person Jer. No she’s not perfect but who is really? She makes our brother happy and frankly I haven’t seen him this happy in years. He loves her very much so that’s enough for me and if he decides to make her my sister in law someday I’m going to welcome her to the family with open arms. I hope you will eventually do the same instead of ignoring her and acting resentful toward her all the time.”


“I just wish he would take it slow.”


“And how long does he have to take it slow for until you finally decide she is okay huh? When will she be enough for you? How many hoops would you like her to jump through? She tries so hard to impress you all the time and you just ignore her. It’s not fair.”


“Nobody will ever be good enough for my brother okay? No one.”


“Well open your eyes Jerald, because whether you like it or not someone is. And if you keep this up Kevin is not going to want you standing by his side on his wedding day if you can’t even support them. Is that what you want?”


“You know perfectly well that it’s not what I want.”


“Then you better drop the attitude and learn to recognize a great woman who makes our brother happy when you see one or you are going to be alone,” Tim warned and then with that he went over to Kristin and sat next to her under the tree leaving Jerald standing by himself.


“Hey you…why are you over here all by yourself?” Tim asked and Kristin smiled at him and shrugged.


“It’s better than standing over there and being treated like I don’t exist by Jerald no matter how much I try to get him to see that I’m not the monster he makes me out to be.”


“Don’t worry about him,” Tim sighed while casting his brother disappointed looks and Jerald looked away having had heard what was said. “He will come around eventually I promise. I will work on him.”


“I want him to like me on his own terms and in his own way, not because other people are making him like me.”


“He likes you…and deep down inside he knows that too. He is just a little afraid of you…the last woman who came into Kevin’s life shoved him out of it.”


“Well I’m not Summer,” Kristin replied while looking over at Jerald knowing that he is listening. “Jerald really needs to understand that. Kevin’s family is important to him and I love and respect that about him especially since I came from a close family myself. I would never stand in the way of that and I would never raise a hand to Ellie. It’s too bad that he doesn’t want to see that, but I hope that someday I can change his mind. The only thing I am guilty of is loving his brother and I am not going anywhere.”


“Good for you, because despite how ridiculous he is being mom and I approve of you and so does Ellie…and it’s pretty obvious that Kevin does too and for now that’s all that matters.”


“Thanks,” Kristin said with a small smile and she wiped the tears that up until now she didn’t even realize were clouding her eyes and she hugged Bella close to her as she held her against her chest with her head rested against her shoulder. She has her little thumb in her mouth and is almost asleep.


“You are really good with that baby…I don’t think I’ve ever seen her not scream bloody murder the moment Ashley is out of seeing or hearing point. Are you going to be giving Kevin any of those in the future?” He teased somewhat and Kristin laughed.


“Our relationship is just getting started I think we need some more time to get to know each other more before that happens…”


“But in the way future, you do want to right?” Tim asked hopefully. “I wouldn’t mind having another niece, maybe even a nephew…”


“Well, I do want to have a baby of my own someday” Kristin admitted while gazing down at Bella. “But yeah in the way future if Kevin and I last that long maybe we will get married and then talk about it but for now I think Ellie needs to have her daddy all for herself.”


“Yeah, for now” Tim agreed while glancing over at his niece who was happily painting with Dakota and Spencer. “But eventually I think a little lesson in sharing would do her a lot of good.”