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Story Notes:

This is during the This Is Us tour back in 2009

Aaron Carter has a small role.

Kevin Richardson appears once.

 

Photobucket

 

Chapter 1

Alaina sat on the bed in her room. She casually let her fingers run through her slightly curly blond hair. At the end of the bed was an empty suitcase. She needed to be packing but something else has her attention.  Her eyes where focused on the TV. She was watching an Eminem music video.  Sure he was way too old but he was still hot.

Her Dad had told her they were quickly running out of time and she needed to hurry. The Carter’s tended to always be late and he was determined to change that this time.

Out of the corner of Alaina’s eye she noticed a figure move into the door way. It was her older brother, Jesse. Silently he stood looking around the room. He first took notice of what was playing on her TV. Then he spotted her empty bag. Without saying a word he smiled a bit and shook his head then turned to leave.

"What?" She asked giving him an annoyed yet puzzled look.

"Oh nothing, nothing at all." He almost laughed and walked away.

She only rolled her eyes and turned back to the TV.

Jesse continued down the long tan hall to his room. His bags where packed and sitting on the end of his bed ready to go.

"Jess?" Nick questioned popping his head into the room a moment or so later.

"Yeah, Dad?" He asked briefly looking toward him as he finished sliding his laptop down into its carrying case.

"Are you finished packing?"

"Yeah, I've got it all." He nodded as he sat down in his computer chair. He zipped the bag and sat it on the desk.

"What about your sister?" Nick asked.

Jesse simply held his hands up in the air and turned away from Nick.

He sighed knowing full well what that meant. “Get your stuff to the car.”

“Kay.” Jesse simply replied.

"Lanie?" Nick called out as he left Jesse’s room and moved toward hers.

Alaina quickly searched her bed for her TV remote. She pointed it toward the TV but Nick was already in her room standing between her and the Television.

"Alaina Carter, what were you just watching?" He looked upset but not angry.

"Uh... Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA…” Her response was almost a question.

"I saw you were watching Eminem. You know how I feel about his lyrics.”

"Jess is allowed to listen to him!" She argued. She liked listening to Eminem. He was good at rapping and not to mention cute.

"Jesse is almost an adult. I'm letting him make his own choices." Nick told her.

"That's not fair; I’ll be an adult before long too." She argued back.

Nick shrugged, "Not as soon as Jesse. Life isn't always fair. You're grounded for two weeks, one for breaking the rules, and one for trying to lie about it."

Alaina sighed and fell back on her bed, "You always treat him better than me."

Nick nodded and rolled his eyes slightly, "You know that's not true. Now get packing. If it aint packed it aint going. You have half an hour."

Nick walked out of the room as Alaina glared into his backside. Just as he entered his own room his cell phone vibrated once in his pocket. He pulled it out to find he had received a text from his younger brother, Aaron. It simply read, ‘We need to talk’ making Nick sigh a bit. He glanced at the time then quickly replied, ‘Not now’ and put his phone back in his pocket.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile at the Dorough home Howie's oldest child, Gabriel sat trying to finish the last of his school work. His youngest child, Arabella sat watching another documentary.

"Are you two packed?" Leigh asked walking into the living room.

"Yes." Arabella replied looking away from the documentary.

"You sure you have everything?" She asked her.

"Yes." She nodded.

"Gabriel? How are you on packing?" She took a few steps toward where he sat at the table.

"It's done." He never looked at her.

"What about that school work?" Howie asked as he walked through the room. He briefly kissed his wife on the cheek as he walked past.

"I just have this stupid math left." Gabe rolled his eyes. He hated math and he hated when his parent were affectionate in front of him. All Gabe really cared about was getting on tour and meeting new girls to hook up with. Yeah, that’s what Gabe cared about… girls and hooking up.

For a Moment Gabe let himself daze off thinking about the last girl he nailed. A goofy grin spread over his face.

"Well you know the rules. If your school work isn't finished before tour then you'll be on restriction." Howie then was out of sight.

Howie’s voice broke Gabe’s thought and snapped him back to reality. "How am I supposed to finish something I don’t even understand how to do?" He asked no one in particular.

"Maybe Bella will help you. She's great at algebra." Leigh offered.

"I'd be happy to tutor you." The young girl smiled proudly.

"See?" Leigh smiled at her kids and left the room to follow her husband.

"I wouldn't have you tutor me if my life depended on it." Gabe looked at her and said in a rude tone. Deep down a small part of him really cared about her but a larger part of him just simply cared about himself.

Arabella opened her mouth but Gabe cut her off, "Don't even. Keep your mouth shut or your book collection downsizes." How could he possibly show his love to something so annoying?

With that comment she closed her mouth and quickly looked back to her program. She loved each and every one of her books. Loosing even one was not an option.

Gabe looked to make sure his parents were out of the room then grabbed his iPhone from his pocket and began using it to finish his work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Over at the Littrell’s Scott laid on the bed in his room. His ear buds were in his ears and the volume on his mp3 player was turned up almost full blast.

As Brian walked into the room he could hear the music.

Scott never even saw or heard him enter. When he left someone grab ahold of his foot his head snapped up and the ear buds shot out if his ears as the bandana he had been wearing slid off his head.

"Damn, you scared the hell out me." He complained lying his head back down.

"Don't use those words." Brian warned looking around the room. It was a mess.

"Whatever." He replied.

"I just wanted to make sure you got everything packed." He explained.

"Yeah, no worries." He used a foot to kick at the suitcase on the floor next to his bed. He began to put his ear buds back in but his Dad talking stopped him.

"Scott, how do you live in this mess?" Brian kicked at a pile of dirty close. As they moved a green lighter fell out of a pair of pants.

Scott's eyes widen a bit as he sat up a little and watched his Dad bend down and pick it up. Scott had been smoking cigarettes for a while now. Actually he had been smoking them since he was thirteen.  He had been smoking weed a little over the past year also. Honestly he was trying to cut out the weed. Being high wasn’t as easy to keep secret as cigarettes were.

"What is this?" He looked really mad.

"A lighter." he laid his head back hoping his Dad would see how calm he was and let it go as being no big deal. He also hoped his Dad would focus more on it and less on looking for anything else. He had no idea if anything else was in the pocket.

"I can see that. Why do you have it?" His voice was angry but not yelling. "Don't lie to me." He added.

Scott rolled his eyes, "Dad it's no big deal. A lot of kids carry around lighters. It makes you look cool."

"Jedediah Thomas Scott Wylee Littrell! Lighters are used for drugs and cigarettes not looking cool." Brian’s voice was now elevated.

"Don't call me that!" He yelled. His eyes suddenly looked full of fire.

"What's going on in here?" Leighanne asked quickly walking into the room. She looked from her son to her husband.

“He used my full name.” Scott complained.

"This fell out of his pants." Brian showed her the lighter. The last of his concern was the fact he had used his sons given name.

"Scott! Please tell me you aren't..."

"Oh my God!" Scott yelled sitting up. "I’m bad but I'm not stupid like you guys seem to think.” He was beyond angry now. He had to be. He had to keep his secret a secret. Cigarettes and Weed were the only things that helped anymore.

"Do not speak to your mother and I in that tone of voice." Brian quickly scolded. His blue eyes squinted a bit due to his anger.

"Don't accuse me of doing something I aint." He shot back.

"Both of you calm down." Leighanne's voice was calm. Recently Scott’s behavior had Brian so upset that she was left feeling like both their mothers. "Brian, try not to jump to any conclusions. Scott, no lighters for any reason." Leighanne tended to be the peacemaker.

"Fine, no lighter." Scott rolled his eyes and lay back down. It wasn't worth getting grounded over. Besides, Scott had his ways of getting others.

"If I ever catch you with one of these or anything that goes with it ever again you’re in big trouble!" Brian gave him a warning glare and left the room. He needed to calm down.

"Scott, cell phone." Leighanne held out her hand.

"Why?" He asked mad.

"You’re grounded from it until you learn to speak to your Dad and me respectfully."

"Whatever, this is so lame." He spat and threw the phone towards the end of the bed.

Leighanne took it and left the room. She walked down the hall to the music room where she knew Brian ran off to.

"Babe, you know he's doing more than carrying that around." Brian said seeing her. His teeth were still clenched as he gathered the sheet music he had been scribbling on while working on a new song.

"We have no proof. We can't ground him for something we can't prove." She calmly told him.

“Are you forgetting what I had to watch AJ go through?” He tried hard not to yell. He then turned away and grabbed a folder for his papers.

“No, of course not Brian, I just mean, he’s a smart kid. I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt.” Leighanne stayed calm.

“I know he’s a smart kid Leighanne. Maybe I’ll just ask AJ to slip a word or two his way, just to keep him straight.” Brian always had to have the last word when he was mad. He opened his guitar case while waiting for her response.

“It can’t hurt, I guess.” She gave him a warm smile.

“I knew you’d see it my way.” He gave her a smile also and placed the folder into his guitar case.

Leighanne just took a breath and nodded. She began to leave but stopped and turned then handed Brian Scott's phone as he stood, "...until he starts speaking to us the right way."

Brian nodded agreeing with her.

 “I need to finish packing.” She told him and left the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Overseas in France AJ was nearing his daughter's home. As he drove he thought back on the past. He and Rochelle had been engaged when she learned she was pregnant. Only a few months into it though Rochelle found she was having trouble coping with AJ's lifestyle. His music career often either took him away from her or took her on a long and tiring adventure. When Rochelle was offered a once in a lifetime make-up job in Paris, France she took it as her ticket out. She left the ring AJ had bought for her but took their unborn child.

Rochelle named their daughter Eleanor despite AJ's protest. He called her Ellie from the Moment she was born. Soon everyone else was too; expect of course Rochelle who preferred to her call her Eleanor.  Unfortunately AJ's career did not allow him much time with her growing up. He did however make it a point to spend as much time with her as possible despite not getting along with Rochelle any more.

When news of AJ's drug and drinking problem became known Rochelle used it as a way to gain full custody of their daughter when she was three. From that point forward she would only allow AJ to see her there in France and only away from his world of music and fame. He hated Rochelle's rules but there was nothing he could do about it. As time went on he just became used to them but he never stopped wanting things to be different.

This time AJ's visit would only be for a few hours, A little less than a full day really. When he left he would be flying to meet up with his band mates and kick off another tour. On the flight he had determined he was going to bring up the possibility of Ellie joining him. He had stopped bring it up a few years back due to Rochelle always saying no. This time he was going to attempt to hold his ground. He had made a lot of changes in his life. He deserved another chance. Plus, Ellie wanted to join him now also.

He almost could not contain his excitement as he pulled into the drive. It had been too long. The second the car stopped it was shut off and he was headed for the front door.

Before he could reach out his hand to knock the door opened and he came face to face with Rochelle. The resemblance between her and their daughter was almost crazy.

"Hi Alex." She gave him a warm smile. The past year or two they had slowly become much more civil.

"Hey Ro, where is she?" He asked. He wasn't trying to be rude. He just really wanted to see his daughter.

"She's in her room." She moved aside to let him in.

"Uh, wait," AJ stopped her as she moved to the stairs to call for her.

She looked at him confused.

"I wanna talk to you. Um, I really want Ellie with me while on tour. She's been begging me to take her and I think I’ve improved my life a lot since... well... ya know. I just want you to give me a chance to prove I can do right. You know I’ve changed Ro. Please give me a chance.” AJ stopped to collect himself. “Plus it isn't fair to her for you to keep her away from me." He was surprised he had been able to look her in the eyes.

Rochelle took a slow deep breath and nodded, "She's been asking me about it a lot too."

"So...Is that a yes?" AJ asked.

"Let me give it some more thought." Rochelle said.

"I don’t have a lot of time." AJ said demanding.

"I know...I’ll let you know an hour before your time is up.” Rochelle said as Ellie came running down the stairs.

"Daddy!" She smiled and hugged him.

"Ellie, baby, I missed you so much." He closed his eyes and smiled as he held her tight.

"What are we gonna do today?" She asked pulling away from him.

"Almost anything you want." He told her as he brushed her obviously died black hair out of her face.

"Shopping? Please Daddy!” She grinned. “I could really use some new studs.” She said running her finger lightly over the jewel she wore in her nose.

"Sounds great.” He told her and moved towards the door.

"Au Revoir!" She waved to her Mom and ran out of the house.

AJ just gave Rochelle one last look and then left.