Denise was at the Richardson house making the birthday cake early on Saturday.

Ashlynn stumbles downstairs and into the kitchen on her own. She rubs her eyes sleepily, stopping when she spots Denise. She frowns, then heads for the living room to watch cartoons. She channel surfs to MTV though, squealing loudly when an old BSB video came on. She cranks it up, grinning widely, as she hugs Sammy.

AJ was in the shower, getting ready for the long and eventful day ahead of them.

Denise laughs. "I like that video too," she agrees.

Krissy was standing in her Daddy's bedroom waiting for AJ when she heard the faint yet familiar sound of the video.

Ashlynn sticks her tongue rudely out at Denise, then goes back to staring at Brian.

In a flash she made it down the stairs and into the living room and stood next to Ashlynn, entranced by the video.

Ashlynn turns the TV up loud as it can go. She still stares at Brian.

AJ gets out of the shower and gets dressed. "Why do I hear myself?" He wonders aloud.

Denise frowns, but decides just to mention it to AJ.

Krissy covers her ears, not liking that much noise.

Kevin had been in the backyard putting up decorations when he felt the whole house shaking. "What the...?"

AJ comes downstairs, and goes into the kitchen to greet his Mom. "Morin' Momma..."

Ashlynn figures out how to put the TV on stereo, and turns it up even louder than before.

She's jumping about excitedly.

Denise smiles, even though she wishes he would have taken care of the TV first. "Mornin'," she replies.

AJ kisses her cheek. "Ok, how did the television get louder?"

Kevin walks into the kitchen from the deck and looks at AJ. "What in the hell?" he mouths since there's no way of being heard over the noise.

AJ shrugs, not having a clue. "Just got up," he mouths back.

Krissy runs into the kitchen and clings to AJ's leg, her ears ringing with pain.

AJ leans down to pick her up and covers her ears.

Kevin heads into the living room and immediately turns off the TV.

Ashlynn stumbles, as she stops mid jump. She looks up at him, not at all amused. He'd turned Brian off.

Kevin reaches back and grabs the Chapter One DVD. "If you want to watch the videos, I'll put this in, but you've got to keep the volume down. It hurts other people's ears when it's up too loud," he says patiently.

Ashlynn sighs and throws the remote across the room, so that it lands on the couch. She reaches for the DVD.

AJ kisses Krissy's head. "You okay, Honey?"

Kevin turns and puts the DVD in, setting the volume at a perfectly reasonable level. "Okay, there ya go, Birthday Girl," he says and goes over, kissing the top of her head.

Krissy nods. "Yeah.

Ashlynn smiles and runs to stand directly in front of the TV. She giggles again when Brian appears on the screen once more.

"Wanna go watch TV again?" AJ asks softly. "I think Daddy turned it down."

Ashlynn defiantly cranks the TV up a bit louder again.

Krissy nods to Daddy.

AJ sets Krissy down again. "There yah go Pumpkin."

Kevin sighs. "Ashlynn, that's loud enough," he warns. "I can still call everyone and cancel your party," he warns. "We'll just have cake as a family if you can't behave."

Ashlynn scowls and plops down on the floor to sit quietly. She wanted Brian.

AJ hands Krissy two packages of pop-tarts. "Here. Go give a pack to Ashlynn."

Krissy nods and scurries into the living room. "Here, sissy," She said giving a pack to Ashlynn.

Kevin went into the kitchen. "This is going to be touch and go."

Ashlynn smiles at her and takes the pack she'd been handed. She opens it and munches silently, eyes glued to the screen.

Denise nodded as she started to ice the cake. "She's definitely got a little attitude this morning."

AJ just looks at them both confused. "I'm lost. What did I miss by getting up late and coming in here first?"

Denise smirks. "So much, but there just aren't enough days left in your life to explain all that you've missed," she teases.

"Hey!" AJ pouts.

Kevin chuckles. "She'd turned the surround sound on and all the way up," he explains.

"So that's why it was so loud!" AJ says.

Denise gives him a lick of frosting from the spoon. "And she stuck her tongue out at me."

AJ takes the spoon and licks it, looking like a mere child himself. "Yummy!"

Kevin frowns. "Mom, don't let that stuff slide. If you'd call Krissy on it, call Ashlynn," he pleads.

AJ nods, then tries to get more icing using his spoon.

Ashlynn finishes her pop-tarts and tosses the empty package aside.

She then gets up and drags Krissy along with her, to the Backstreet room. She didn't know they weren't allowed inside alone, so she headed in again, taking Krissy with her.

Denise slaps at his hand. "You've had enough. Go get Krissy dressed," she orders.

AJ pouts. "Meanie!" He says, tossing the spoon into the sink.

Krissy immediately tries to back out. "No, Ashlynn," she says quietly, not wanting to be caught in there. "We gotta get Daddy fer this room," she says to Ashlynn.

Denise nods. "Well on your birthday you can make yourself sick, but that's several months away so scoot."

Ashlynn shakes her head no. She hadn't needed Daddy the last time she'd gone in there. She closes the door behind them, and drags Krissy over to the awards shelf.

AJ sticks his tongue out at her, then smirks. "Haha..." He sticks it out again, then starts to leave the room to find Krissy.

Ashlynn eyes the award as if in a trance, and carefully picks it up to get a better look at it.

"KRISSY!" AJ calls.

Krissy can't believe what Ashlynn's doing and then hears her name.

"Daddy's comin'!" she whispers trying to get Ashlynn to leave.

Kevin goes back outside to finish the decorations.

"Krissy? Ashlynn?" AJ calls, seeing neither girl in the living room, though the TV's still blaring. "Where are you? C'mon! It's time to get dressed!"

Ashlynn holds the award out to Krissy...

Krissy shakes her head. "No!" She whispers urgently and starts backing towards the door.

If Ashlynn wants to get in trouble, that is not Krissy's problem.

AJ thinks he hears someone in the Backstreet room and frowns. He enters. "Girls? What are you doing in here?" He spots Ashlynn. "Put that down!" He says sternly.

Ashlynn almost drops it, as he'd startled her, but she manages to catch it and sets it back in its place.

Krissy covers her eyes, afraid of what's going to happen next.

Since she's never had siblings it doesn't occur to her to tattle on Ashlynn and say that Ashlynn made her go in there.

"Why are you in here?" AJ demands angrily. "Kristine! You know not to go in here!" He eyes Ashlynn. "And you do not pick things up that aren't yours!"

Ashlynn shrugs slightly. She'd put it back when told, so what was the big deal?

Krissy flinches and tries not to cry. "I'm sorry," she says softly.

AJ grabs Krissy's arm lightly, and slaps her bottom. "Get upstairs and start getting dressed!"

Ashlynn tackles him then, upset that he'd hit Krissy.

Krissy starts to cry softly and runs upstairs to her room.

AJ grabs hold of Ashlynn, and pins her hands together in front of her. He bends her over slightly as he removes her pajama bottoms. He leaves her underwear up, as he starts to spank her. "You do not attack me, Young Lady! Your birthday or not, it will not be tolerated!"

Ashlynn lets out a shriek as her bottom is spanked. She'd never had this Daddy spank her before.

AJ smacks her bottom hard a few more times, then drags her out to the steps and sits her upon the bottom one. "Now, you will sit here until told otherwise or I'll tell Daddy to cancel your party."

Krissy's upstairs getting dressed as best she can but she's upset and confused and doesn't know how to deal with what's happened. She doesn't feel like she'd been naughty, but Daddy spanked her so she must have been naughty. Right?

She's naked from head to toe and fumbling with her socks and panties when Daddy comes in.

AJ goes upstairs to check on Krissy. "Baby, why were you in that room?" He asks softly.

Ashlynn wails as she sits there, seeing as she'd dropped Sammy when trying to defend Krissy.

Krissy looks up, tears still streaming down her face. "Cause Ashlynn took me there," she answers missing the leg hole of her panties and falling forward in a tangled mess.

Kevin finishes and comes inside only to hear crying. "Isn't it a little early for that?" he asks Denise as he walks through the kitchen and comes across Ashlynn on the stairs. "Ashlynn? What's wrong?" he asks picking her up.

AJ scoops her up. "Aww, Honey. Why didn't you tell Daddy that? Daddy wouldn't have spanked you, had he known Ashlynn took you there." He kisses her head and rubs her back.

Ashlynn cries still, now scared she was going to be in trouble for being picked up. But, she did still want Sammy.

Krissy shrugs. "That allowed?" She asks very confused. "It not nice to get sissy in trouble," She explains

Kevin looks down at her and then gives her a hug. "Where's Sammy, baby?" he asks noticing his absence.

"Baby, if you didn't do something, and are going to be blamed, then you're allowed to tell on Sissy," AJ tells her softly. "It's not fair to you, to get in trouble when Ashlynn's made you do something you don't want to."

Ashlynn whimpers and points back to the Backstreet room, where her friend had been dropped.

AJ helps Krissy get her panties on properly.

Kevin nods and goes back to the room. He stoops to the ground so Ashlynn can reach Sammy.

Krissy nods. "Kay," she agrees wiping her face with the back of her hand.

Ashlynn grabs Sammy up, hugging him tightly.

Kevin straightens up and rubs her back. "Better?" he asks.

AJ kisses her face endlessly. "Shh...Let's get you dressed, Baby."

Ashlynn nods. She felt a bit better now.

Krissy goes over to her dresser and picks out a green t-shirt with Boo from Monsters Inc on it and a pair of jeans. "Help me please?" she asks taking them to Daddy.

Kevin smiles and rubs Ashlynn's back. He looks around and notices that a picture of Brian is gone. "Ashlynn? Did you get the picture of Brian from this room?" he asks her gently.

AJ smiles. "Sure Pumpkin." He gets her dressed and her hair up in dog-ears. He scoops her up and heads downstairs, noticing Ashlynn's not where he'd stuck her.

Ashlynn nods, hiding her face into his shirt.

Kevin nodded. "Did you come in here again this morning?" He asked trying to put all the pieces together.

Ashlynn nods and points to the award she'd picked up. It was now sitting at a different angle.

"Ashlynn!" AJ calls, wanting to know where she'd disappeared too.

"We're in here!" Kevin called.

Kevin went over to the award and put it back the way it should be. "Did you and Daddy AJ have a talk about touching the things in here?" he asked Ashlynn.

Ashlynn shakes her head no. They hadn't talked - he'd yelled.

AJ enters then. "You're lucky," he says. "I thought you'd gotten up on your own."

Kevin nods, understanding now. Of course Krissy had obviously be crying and he didn't understand that.

Ashlynn glares angrily at AJ. She was still mad that he'd hit Krissy.

Kevin motions around the room. "Ashlynn, this is Daddy and my special room," he explains. "The things in here are as important to us as Sammy is to you. Do you understand?"

Ashlynn looks back at Kevin nodding. She understood.

Kevin smiles at her, trying to be reassuring. "Now, I'm sorry we didn't get to have a good tour of the house yet this week. I would have explained that to you before you took the picture of Brian, but now that you know how important it is, will you give it back? I can get you an even better picture, maybe one of you with him at your party today, but I'd really like to have the one that goes in this room back."

Honestly, Kevin didn't care that much about the picture, but there was a principle at stake here.

Ashlynn sighs heavily, midst a pout, but nods slightly. She'd give it back - long as she got a new one.

AJ leaves with Krissy then, to go wrap one last birthday gift.

Ashlynn lays her head upon his shoulder.

Kevin holds her and heads out of the room. "How about we go get dressed?"

Krissy kisses AJ's cheek and then giggles.

Ashlynn nods. She wanted to look pretty today, but be able to have fun.

Kevin takes Ashlynn upstairs to her room and plops her on her bed playfully. "What color?" he asks.

The doorbell rings. "Uh-oh! Early arrivers!" AJ says, tickling Krissy. "I GOT IT!" He yells, going to get the door. He steps outside, then leads the first guests out back to set up a place for the presents.

"Purple!” Ashlynn answers louder than usual.

Kevin looks surprised at the noise but smiles. "Purple it is," he agrees.

Ashlynn smiles back at him. She runs over to her dresser to find some purple panties and purple socks.

The Carters, Nick, wife Becky, and baby Evin, follow AJ through the house.

"Kev's just getting the lil' imp dressed," AJ tells them. "But we can wait for them outside and get things set up for gifts. She's gonna freak when she sees you Nick, but even more so when Brian arrives."

Ashlynn sticks the panties on her head and the socks on her hands. She giggles, as she climbs up onto her bed to jump upon it.

Nick just laughs. "She doesn't get that Brian's not so cute an adorable anymore!"

Kevin shakes his head. "C'mon, cutie. I heard people downstairs. We don't want to keep the guests waiting."

AJ shrugs. "I don't think she's seen any recent photos of him."

Krissy sits next to Becky making faces at the baby.

Ashlynn's eyes light up, thinking Brian has arrived and that she was missing out on him.

Becky smiles. "Maybe she'll fall in love with Baylee," she suggests

"That'd be cute," AJ chuckles. "If he can get her to talk to him and be nice."

Ashlynn bounces over to Daddy and plops down in front of him.

Daddy starts to get Ashlynn dressed. "At least you're full of energy. Now will you try to talk today?" he asks almost begging. "Even Brian doesn't know sign language."

Nick looks confused. "Be nice? She's not nice?"

Ashlynn shrugs. She might try and she might not.

"Oh, she's cute and everything," AJ says. "But if you tick her off, Look out!"

Nick frowns. "Sure you want a volatile kid like that around Krissy?" he asks softly so Krissy can't hear.

Kevin shrugs. "Guess that's the best I'm gonna get," he says. "But no more sticking out tongues. And if I hear one naughty word or see one middle finger, everyone's going home and you'll spend the rest of the day in here. Are we clear?"

"Thing is, she likes Krissy," AJ says shrugging. "Sure, she's already hurt Krissy once, but since then she's been trying to stick up for Krissy, when Krissy is in trouble."

Ashlynn nods, to show she understood. She did not want to lose her party! Not now that it had started.

Nick looks confused. "Hurt her?"

Becky glances over at the five year old, trying to figure out if it's something noticeable.

"Ashlynn was throwing a tantrum at Mom's, and hit Krissy in the head when Krissy got too close," AJ answers. Sure, he was incriminating his own daughter, but, hey, she was naughty mostly.

Kevin puts Ashlynn's hair in a pretty braid and then puts flowers in it again. "There, what do you think?" he asks giving her the mirror.

Ashlynn nods as she grins. She jumps up and twirls about, then quickly grabs Sammy up remembering him.

Nick's mouth opened a little in surprised. "Well good thing you guys are your own bosses so you can take time off when you need to."

Kevin smiled and offered his hand. "Ready to go see who's here?"

"Yah, good thing," AJ agrees. "She threw a fit at school and had to be brought home the first day she went. She's been giving the teacher a hard time since, but makes sure it's not anything that'll get her spanked."

Ashlynn grabs his hand and tries to drag him on out of the room.

Kevin laughs and follows along dutifully.

Nick nodded. "At least you know she's smart," he points out.

Ashlynn drags him out to the backyard, excited.

"She can't read or write and doesn't know her letters," AJ states. "She's way behind."

Denise comes into the backyard bring snacks. "And I know Kevin put sodas and juice in the cooler," she said.

"That can be fixed with time," Becky said.

Nick looks up as Kevin brings Ashlynn out.

AJ nods. "Thanks Momma." He looks to Becky. "She's not willing to try."

Ashlynn looks about excitedly, though her excitement dimmers some, when she doesn't see Brian. She spots Nick and hides behind Kevin quietly.

Kevin smiled. "Now you're shy," he says shaking his head. "Ashlynn, this is Nick and Becky and their son Evin," he says gently picking her up so at least she's not behind him.

"I like Baby Evin," Krissy pipes up.

Ashlynn lays her head upon his shoulder quietly, hugging Sammy to her chest.

"Hello, Ashlynn," Becky says sweetly.

AJ kisses Krissy's head. "We can see that, Honey."

Nick smiles and waves. "Happy Birthday."

Ashlynn gives her a small wave.

Ashlynn smiles softly at Nick and waves again.

Kevin just smiles. "Would you and Krissy like to go play on the swing?" he asks Ashlynn.

Ashlynn nods, and squirms down. She grabs hold of Krissy and drags her over to the swings to play - and wait for Brian.

"Did I forget to mention, she doesn't talk?" AJ says, a bit sarcastically.

Krissy stumbles awkwardly after Ashlynn, just like she always does when Ashlynn drags her along.

Becky nods. "I noticed," she says. "Is she mute?"

Kevin shakes his head. "Just doesn't like to talk."

Ashlynn lets go of Krissy once they've reached the swings. She sets Sammy next to her on the ground and starts to swing.

"She's a stubborn lil' imp," AJ says. "Mostly listens to Kevin over me. But I've spent more time with Krissy."

More guests arrive then and come around back.

Krissy gets on the swing and starts to pump. "Why did you grab daddy in the award room?" she asks Ashlynn.

"He hurt you," Ashlynn answers simply.