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Stacie woke up before Nick and like she did every morning before doing anything else, she got up, went to the bathroom and took her medicine. When she walked back into the room Nick was still sleeping, on his back. She quietly got back into the bed and pulled back the sheets from Nick’s body. He slept with his shirt off, something she loved about him and she sent a trail of kisses from his hip, over his tummy, over to the side of neck; a few kisses on the cheek, one in the ear and landed on his lips. At this point he was kissing back.

“Mmm someone is feeling better this morning,” Nick smiled and began kissing again.

“I guess…I….just…needed to sleep…” Stacie kissed in between her words. “Now time for some chocolate chip pancakes and snow-mobiling!” She jumped out of bed and Nick grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him.

“In a few minutes, besides I don’t want you over doing it today,” Nick pulled her in for a kiss.

“It’s nine am already! And I won’t over do it. Get your butt up!” she got out of bed and through some clothes on. When she was done, Nick was back under the sheets with a pillow over his head. “NIIICK! Come help!” she pulled the sheets away.

“I’m supposed to be on vacation and in a few months I’m going to be getting up every day at like six.”

“Right so think of this as time spending with me,” she pulled on his hand.

“Okay I’m up,” Nick sat up with his hair disheveled in every which way. “I’m going to go shower I’ll meet you down stairs?” He pulled her in for a hug.

“Sounds good,” she smiled brightly at him and bounced down the stairs. Nick shook his head at how he couldn’t believe how alive she was today compared to last night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Alright guys at three pm there is supposed to be a big storm heading this way, we have to be sure to be in before then. That gives us about four hours to do the trails. Nick no wondering!” Brian warned.

“What?! It was a one time thing!” Nick defended himself.

“You are going to have to tell me about that later,” Stacie laughed getting onto the sled.

“Only if I can drive!”

“No way! Not after what Bri just said.”

“I’m not telling you the story then,” Nick stuck his tongue out.

“What story Nick? You tried to take a short cut saying you’d beat us home and you ended up getting lost for two hours. We thought we weren’t going to find out!” A.J. laughed shaking his head.

“Oh Nick, you are not driving at all!” Stacie started up the sled. The five sleds were started within minutes and we all took off towards the trails in the woods. Supposedly they were meant for the snow mobiles and were made fresh every year. Nick held onto Stacie’s waist and she maneuvered through trees and branches, following Howie and Amanda.

They continued to go through the trail for two hours and they pulled off to the side where Howie had. Everyone got together and turned off of their snow mobiles.
“I think the storm is coming sooner than planned, I can barely see in font of me,” Howie said looking around.

“Yeah we should head back home, it’s getting cold fast,” Jen said wrapping her arms around A.J.

“Alright, we’ll take the lead,” Brian said getting on and turning his sled around.

“Nick will you drive?” Stacie asked.

“I thought I wasn’t allowed you’re doing a fine job.”

“I’m just getting tired.” Nick gave her a look saying ‘you over did it.’ “I’m okay I just don’t want to wear myself out.”

“Alright, hold onto me tight. I think we’re going to pick up the pace.” Stacie nodded and put her helmet on. Nick started up and everyone was headed back home trying to beat the storm. They sky was now dark and the snow was falling hard, Stacie was glad she lived in California so she never had to face winter. Her face was buried into Nick’s back as she held onto him tight. Nick stopped and she lifted her head to see what was going on.

“Brian what’s the deal?” A.J. asked.

“I’m not sure if we go straight or left here? See how the trail goes in two ways but the snow is too thick to go left here but I think that’s what we have to do?”

“No, go straight,” Stacie spoke up.

“Are you sure? I thought that will take us to the mountain,” Brian questioned.

“It does but there will be another left about a half mile down, I remember this fallen tree when we passed it. You’re fine, go straight and then you’ll see where you’ll have to turn.”

“Alright,” Brian agreed. Everyone got ready again to continue to their journey home. It took longer to get home than before because of the snow but eventually within three hours they made it. They put the snow mobiles away in the garage.

“I thought you left the lights on Jen?”A.J. asked his girlfriend.

“I did, they were on when we left.” Howie opened the door and they made their way inside.

“Uh, guys we have now power,” Howie announced flicking the lights on and off.

“Great, alright, find some candles and Nick come with me to get some wood for the fire,” Brian took charge of the matter.

“Why me?” Nick whined.

“Nick you go find some candles I’ll get the wood,” Stacie took Brian’s arm and went outside where the wood was before Nick could say anything.

“Thank you my Dear,” Brian smiled. “So you’re doing okay today? Leigh told me about yesterday, I wanted to ask all day but I know you don’t want everyone to know.”

“Yeah I’m alright thanks. And I appreciate you not making a big deal.”

“Well, I know Nick probably already is. He’s not good with that kind of stuff. You should’ve seen him with me when I had my heart surgery. But he is worried about you; I understand that your doctors aren’t real sure what the problem is with your blood?”

“Yeah, I don’t know how they don’t know, I mean it’s not like I was born with it, it just sort of developed one day.”

“What do you mean?” Brian stacked some wood into her arms.

“I got sick on and off quite frequently when I hit seventeen. They took it as diabetes. Then as I hit eighteen and nineteen, I was still getting sick and lost a lot of weight, would get these nose bleeds if I cut myself just a little it would bleed for hours; okay that was anemia.

“And now?”

“I think I’m more anemic if anything. Yes, my blood sugar still drops every morning but doesn’t everyone’s? Once in a while in the afternoon, or if I haven’t eaten my blood sugar level also drops. I just felt better before I started taking the insulin. The doctors don’t believe me though. I had that one real scare when, well I cut myself and I just bled and bled.”

“I know this great doctor in L.A. I’d like you to go see him when we get back some time, if you don’t mind? Just get some blood tests and see what he has to say?”

“That would be great thanks Brian.”

“It was Nick’s idea but I just thought of someone for you. Come on let’s get a fire started.” They brought the fire wood inside and began building a fire.

“It is FREEZING in here!” Amanda said plopping onto the couch.

“It’s below 50; I don’t know what to do to get it start working. I don’t think we can anyone out either in this weather.” A.J. said sitting in a chair with Jen.

“Well, we’ll just have to have a sleepover!” Stacie stood up from putting the last log into the fire.

“What?” Nick asked lying on the couch.

“Everyone go get your PJ’s on, bring down blankets and pillows. We have marshmallows to make smores and we’ll have a sleep over. Now get moving!” Stacie yelled with excitement.

“You heard the woman, get your butts up!” Brian laughed.

By the time everyone got settled with their things down stairs Brian had a roaring fire going, Leigh started preparing everything for the smores.

“Now what?” Nick asked.

“You are a party pooper tonight do you know that?” Stacie asked.

“Am not! But coming home with not electric and heat for your last night is—”

“Romantic,” Stacie cut him off. “Come on it will be like we’re in high school.” The girls laughed and agreed and the guys looked at them confused.”

“The guys never had much of a high school with sleep over’s non-the-less,” Leigh told Stacie.

“I say we crack open those bottle of wine we have,” Amanda said getting up.

“Agreed,” Jen stood up and followed her into the kitchen.

“Did we drink wine in high school?” Howie looked at A.J.

“Nah but this is better than high school,” A.J smiled.

“Okay wine for everyone!” Jen handed a glass to everyone and Amanda started pouring.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“And then Nick totally fell off the stage and one of the body guards caught him! Priceless!” A.J. laughed.

“Enough with the Nick stores!” Nick pouted finishing up his third glass of wine.

“No no no, keep them coming!” Stacie laughed sitting on Nick’s lap.

“Is it warm in here?” Howie asked pulling on his sweatshirt. Brian stood up and bolted to the thermostat.

“It’s actually up to fifty-five degrees now!”

“It feels like ninety,” Howie laid his head against the chair he was leaning on.

“It’s the wine babe,” Amanda patted his hand.

“Let’s play a high school game,” Jen sat on top of A.J.’s lap.

“Such as?” A.J. asked. “Get off your boyfriends lap?”

“No silly!” she slapped him playfully. “Truth or dare?!”

“Oh no, I’m out of this one!” Nick said.

“Why Nick do we have some secrets?” Stacie whispered into his ear.

“No I just am not a dare person.”

“Fine, you can tell all the truths! Jen you go first, you suggested it,” Stacie said taking a sip of wine.

“I dare A.J. to run outside naked,” she laughed.

“Hey keep this PG, we don’t want to see A.J.’s goods, we just ate!” Brian laughed.

“Fine, A.J. take your shirt off and run outside.”

“That’s it?”

“And dive into the snow.”

“You want me sick?”

“It’s for thirty seconds, just go!” She pulled A.J. up and pushed him towards the door. A.J. looked at Brian who only shrugged his shoulders. A.J. took his shirt off and ran out the door and everyone ran to watch him as he dove into the snow. A few seconds later he came in yelling like a girl. Jen put a blanket around him.

“It’s effing cold out there you nut!”

“It’s just a game. Your turn!” They walked back and A.J. sat right next to the fire.

“This is for the newbie to the group,” A.J. smirked.

“Great,” Stacie mumbled.

“Truth or dare my dear?”

“Hmm, dare.”

“You shouldn’t have done that, he does crazy ones, we used to do this when we first started touring,” Nick told her.

“Eh, I’m a big girl bring it.”

“See that pull up bar there? Yeah, Kevin installed that about a year ago last time we were here to work out. Swing on that and jump.” Stacie thought that was a silly dare but saw that the bar was pretty high up.

“You going to give me a boost?” She looked at Nick.

“A.J. you’re going to kill her. That’s like seven feet up, Kevin always had to jump to get that.”

“Nick, trust me,” she winked and put her hair up into a messy bun. She took off her rings, she had three on and put them on the table. She then walked over to wear the bar was, moved a chair out of the way that was in front of it.

“Ready?” Nick asked.

“Yup,” she put her arms up in the air and Nick too her waist and as she jumped lifted her to the bar. Everyone watched as she swung these giant swings four times and on the fourth one she let go and did a back tuck and landed on her feet.

“What the?!” A.J. yelled standing up. Stacie started laughing.

“Oh, I didn’t tell you I did gymnastics for about ten years of my life?” she walked over and put her rings back on.

“You never told me that, you didn’t list it in your favorite sports that one night,” Nick told her.

“I forgot?” she sat back down. “Damn that was hard with that wine in me, I didn’t think I was going to land it,” she laughed and finished up her glass. “Okay my turn, Nick truth or dare?”

“After that I’m going with truth,” he sat next to her.

“Truth hmm…okay. Let me think,” she poured some more wine into her glass. “Okay, tell me the truth. What am I to you? Just someone to take with on this little vaca or are we well a couple?”

“Damn girl you get right to the point,” A.J. said. “Go on Nicky, answer the question,” he smirked.

“We are—.” He sat up more in his chair. “Well, I’m not sure. What do you want to be?”

“Nick I think we know what I want but the ball is in your court, it’s your truth not mine.”

“She has a point Nicky.”

“Shut it A.J. Look Anastasia—”

“Uh oh the full name here we go,” Stacie cut Nick off.

“I like you, that’s obvious but I don’t know if we should be girlfriend/boyfriend yet. I don’t want to rush since you—”

“Since I what?”

“You know with Ryan and…” his voice trailed off.

“Say it Nick, since my fiancé was killed, it has only been a year since he’s been gone. I thought you told me you knew it wasn’t like that. God you’re just like the rest,” she emptied the full glass of wine into her mouth and put on the coffee table.

“Stace it’s not like that.”

“Whatever Nick you’ve made it quite clear,” she stood up and went up the stairs into the room.
~*~*~*~
“Nick I thought you really liked her?” Brian asked carefully.

“I do man, I’m falling for her, harder each day but I just don’t think she’s ready.”

“You’re not the one to decide that Nick. She’s a big girl, yes she’s been through a lot but only she can tell if her heart is ready,” Leigh told him.

“Go apologize,” Brian told Nick.

“I don’t know maybe I should give her till morning to cool off,” Nick said looking up the stairs.

“Nick, if you wait that long then she will not talk to you and you can’t let her sleep up there she’s going to freeze,” Leigh hit Nick upside the head.

“Ugh stop that!” Nick stood up and mumbled something else as he made his way up the stairs. He got to the room and took in a deep breath. Letting it out slowly he knocked on the door. There was no answer and Nick knocked again.
“Stace can I come in?” Nick tried the door knob, it was locked. “Stacie, I’m sorry. It’s just the wine in me.” Nick lied. It took him more than a few glasses of wine to even be tipsy.
“I want to talk; I don’t want to go to bed mad at each other. Besides you can’t sleep in there, you’ll freeze. I took the blankets down stairs.” After Nick said that he heard foot steps and the door unlocked. Nick waited a moment and tired the door knob again. This time it opened. He pushed the door open slowly and she was in front of the mirror brushing her hair.

“So talk,” she said looking at Nick through the mirror.

“Turn around,” he pulled her legs around from the bench she was sitting on so she was now facing him. “Anastasia I’m sorry. I just wasn’t expecting that kind of question and in front of the guy’s non-the-less.”

“I know and that part was my fault I’m sorry. I become bolder with those kinds of things when I’ve had a few. But did you have to pull the dead boyfriend card Nick?”

“I really didn’t mean to, I mean a part of me feels that way but I know that only you can decide if you’re ready or not. Honestly, I’m just afraid of being hurt myself.” Stacie put the brush down.

“Nick I’m not going to hurt you, I need you to trust me,” she took his hands into hers.

“I do trust you, more than I’ve ever trusted anyone, and for it to be this early in the relationship scares me. But honestly, it’s a good scare. Baby I’ve fallen for you hard and each day I just continue to fall. I just don’t want to hit bottom and not have you be there,” Nick was full of emotion and Stacie thought Nick was even going to start crying.

“I promise you Nick that I’m not going anywhere in the near future and when and if you do hit bottom, I’m going to be there to pick you up.”

“I want us to be a couple Stace, I’m only happy when I’m with you,” he pulled her to his lap and she sat on his one leg.

“I want us to be together too,” her face was inches from Nick’s and she kissed his lips.

“So, to end our high school night, will you be my girlfriend Anastasia?”

“I would love to be Nickolas,” she kissed him again.

“Let’s go tell everyone the great news and warm up down there,” he stood up.

“Okay!” holding hands they went downstairs.

“Did we kiss and make up?” A.J. asked.

“Guys this is my girlfriend, Anastasia, Anastasia, the guys!” Nick grinned. Everyone laughed and they continued talking and finishing up the four large bottles of wine.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Now I remember why I prefer beer,” Anastasia sat up holding her head.

“Agreed,” Leigh rubbed her temples.

“I know we’re all a little hung over this morning but we need to get moving if we’re going to make it to our plane in this weather,” Howie told everyone looking out the window.

“Nick time to get up,” Stacie shook Nick. “We have to go pack come on.”

“What time is it?”

“Seven.”

“What?! Our plane leaves at one.”

“We need to clean and pack and it’s going to take like two hours to get to the airport. Come on.” Everyone moved around the house as fast as their bodies would take them to clean and pack up. Within an hour and a half everyone was ready and had the van packed up.

“I am so ready to go lay back out in sunny Cali!”Amanda signed leaning on Howie.

“I’m ready for my waves,” Stacie agreed. Brian drove the van to the airport where they checked in and on got on their flight.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“So, give me a call later on boyfriend?” Stacie asked leaning into Nick kissing him.

“I think I can do that,” Nick smiled as he walked Stacie up to her door. “Girlfriend.” They laughed and Stacie stuck her key into the door and watched as it pushed opened with ease.

“Uh, Nick? My door was already unlocked.”

“Did you forget to lock it maybe?”

“No,” she pushed the door open all the way and reached around the door frame to turn on the light.

“Wait, don’t go in. There is broken glass. I’m going to call the cops,” Nick took out his cell phone.

“I doubt they’re still here Nick,” Stacie went to step in and Nick pulled her arm to him.

“Hi, I’d like to have a cop come check out a possible break in please…32 West Palm, Palm Town Homes. Yes, the door was unlocked and there is broken glass just inside the walk way. Nickoals Carter, it’s actually my girlfriend’s home…okay thank you.” Nick hung up the phone. “Someone is on their way.”

“You’re being over protective.”

“Well, if someone did break in and they aren’t there you still need to fill out a report.”

“I just want to un- pack and relax after the plane ride,” Stacie leaned against the building and slid down.

“I know. Look someone is here right now,” Nick pointed to the police car that parked up to the building.

“Are you Mr. Carter?” the cop asked.

“Yes, this is my girlfriend, Anastasia and her house. The door was unlocked and we didn’t think we should go in before getting it checked out.”

“Smart thinking, Robert’s let’s go,” he signaled his partner over to the door. The two took out their guns and flash lights walking into the apartment. They walked around for about ten minutes and came back out.

“Everything is clear, but the lock was broken off your door. Could you please walk around with us and give us a statement as to if anything is missing,” Robert’s asked.

“Yeah,” Stacie sighed and walked in with the two cops. She went from the living room, into the dinning room and kitchen looking around. The broken glass was from a picture frame of her and Ryan on their vacation to the Alps. The first cop, his name tag said Danido took some finger prints on the glass.

“Everything seems to be here, there is an up stairs and basement too though.”

“Let’s go up stairs first and check out any valuables,” Roberts told her walking up the stairs. Stacie went into her room and looked in her jewelry box, checked to see her DVD player and TV were still there and shook her head.

“No, everything is here,” she turned the light off and went into the office room next to hers. “Someone has been in here,” she whispered. “I don’t ever leave papers around like this.” She picked up some papers for work on the floor and put them on her desk.

“Did you leave your computer on Mam?”

“No, I was on vacation,” she hit her mouse and the screen savor went off. The computer had a blue screen on it reading error, task terminated.

“Do you know of anyone who may want something of yours? Any enemies?”

“No, I have no idea?” she was stunned at the whole situation. Nick walked into the room with the other officer.

“Anything missing baby?”

“I-I don’t know? They were looking for something but I don’t think anything is missing.”

“Let’s check your basement Mam,” the officer led everyone down stairs to the basement.

“My stereo, elliptical, weights, T.V and DVD player are all here. I don’t get it?”

“Well, we are going to take your prints and your boyfriends here to out rule you and see if the finger prints my partner lifted is a match to anyone. If there were items missing, such as a stereo and television we would rule this as an ordinary burglary; however the fact your office was obviously searched, leads us to believe this is a personal matter.
“Here is my card, please contact us if you find anything to be missing and have any questions. We will be in touch about the finger prints. As far as your door, I would get that locked fixed as soon as possible.”

“Thank you,” Stacie mumbled shaking the two officer’s hands. Her and Nick gave them their finger prints and watched as they pulled out of the driveway.

“You have no idea who it could’ve been honey?”

“No, it doesn’t make sense?”

“You’re coming home with me tonight; we’ll get your door fixed tomorrow.” Nick put his arm around her. Stacie nodded her head and her eyes caught the broken picture frame on the ground. She squatted down, balancing on her toes as she gently picked up the picture. Shards of glass fell to the ground as she brought up to her.

“What the—” she noticed an almost straight line cut down the middle of Stacie’s body in the picture.

“What is it?” Nick put his hand on her shoulder. She flipped the picture over to examine it better and dropped to her hands and knees onto the glass ground at what she read:

It Should Have Been You