emma laughed,"nick stop!" she screamed as she tried to run away from him.
"nope...come here!" he said running after her.
aj glanced behind him then looked at amanda,"....how old are they?"
amanda elbowed him,"shh...their having fun."
they were on their way into the club and nick had decided it would be "fun" to chase emma around the parking lot.
he grabbed emma around the waist and pulled her close,"gotcha."
"oh darn," she said wrapping her arms around his neck.
he started walking back to the door causing her to walk backwards,"well since i got ya i think i deserve a prize..."
"i thought i was the prize...." she mumbled. "what do you want?"
he smirked and she poked him,"dont EVEN...."
he laughed,"...what? didnt say a word..."
she nodded,"like i cant tell what your thinking...can i turn around now...?" she asked as they got to the door.
he spun her around but kept his arms around her waist. once they got their ids checked, they headed up to the private banquet room where they were supposed to meet everyone else.
"damn...i left something in the car," amanda said. "why dont you guys go in and we'll meet you in a few minutes?"
emma rolled her eyes,"that was SO slick," she mumbled to her.
amanda elbowed her and the guys nodded.
"wait, i dont want you two going out there alone," nick said. "ill go with you."
emma put her hand on his chest and stepped back from him,"sweetie we'll be fine, just go in and we'll meet you."
"yeah...just go in, we'll be right back," amanda said.
both guys shrugged and walked into the room while the girls stood in the hall waiting. a second later they heard everyone yell surprise then start laughing.
"it worked," amanda said laughing.
they walked in and saw aj clutching nicks arm,"whats this for?" he asked.
brian laughed,"a birthday party for you two."
"but my birthday isnt for a week..."nick said confused.
emma rolled her eyes and came up next to him,"we know...thats why the party is today. a week after ajs....a week before yours...."
aj smiled and hugged amanda,"thanks."
"so were you two surprised?" emma asked as the dj started playing.
"very," they responded at the same time.
~*~*~*~*~
"how do you feel baby girl?" brian asked coming into emmas room the next morning.
"sick...is anyone else sick?" she asked.
he came over and sat on the edge of the bed,"nope...so it couldnt have been anything you ate."
she sighed and moved over so that her head was on his lap,"lucky me," she mumbled.
he started to say something when the phone rang. he picked it up, running his fingers through emmas hair,"hello?"
"hey frick. is em awake yet?" nick asked. "i want to take her to the fair today."
"yeah but she cant go anywhere. shes sick."
"she is? whats wrong?"
brian looked down at emma who had fallen back to sleep,"i have no idea. stomach flu i guess."
"well im gonna come over,"nick said.
"nick, i can take care of her. i used to do it all the time."
"im sure you did but shes MY girlfriend and i want to take care of her. ill be there in a bit," he said and hung up.
brian hung up the phone and frowned slightly,"suddenly im not capable of taking care of my best friend," he mumbled. he gently raised emmas head and rested it back on the pillow so that he could go change.
he had just finished tying his shoe when the doorbell rang. he picked tyke up off the bed and headed downstairs.
"hey bri, hey rat," nick said after brian opened the door and let him in.
"his name is tyke," brian said flatly.
nick turned around hearing the change in his voice,"you okay frick?"
brian nodded,"just tired i guess...anyways...em's upstairs asleep. i have to go, kev wants me at the studio."
nick nodded,"do you know when you'll be back?"
brian shook his head,"maybe two or three hours...."
"okay, well have fun," nick said heading upstairs to emmas room.
"frack theres pizza if you get hungry," brian yelled as headed out the door.
nick set his backpack on the floor near emmas bed and pulled a chair over. he sat down propping his feet on the edge of the bed and turned the tv on quietly.
emma woke up about 20 minutes later,"whoa...hi..." she said noticing nick.
he smiled and kissed her on the forehead,"hi...bri had to leave so im gonna take care of you."
"thats supposed to comfort me and make me feel better?" she asked.
"oh your funny," he said picking his backpack up off the floor.
"i thought so," she said propping herself up against the pillows,"what did you bring me?"
"a couple of videos....which do you want to watch first?" he asked pulling them out.
she smiled and picked out her fav,"sleepless in seattle."
he put the tape in and sat back in the chair. she glanced over at him,"im not contagious and i dont bite..."
"aw...you dont?" he pouted and crawled onto the bed with her.
she laughed,"not when im sick pan," she said snuggling against him.
they were about halfway through the movie when the phone rang. nick reached over to answer it,"hello?"
emma laughed,"this isnt even your house," she whispered.
he made a face and continued talking,"yeah bri...we are?!...when?...whoa...okay, bye," he said and hung up.
"whats wrong?" emma asked.
"that was bri...guess what..."
she rolled her eyes," i dont wanna guess...just tell me..."
he stuck his tongue out at her,"were going to europe for a month."
"your kidding..."
"nope, we leave tomorrow."
she sat up so fast she nearly knocked him off the bed,"what?!"
he held onto her for balance and laughed,"we leave tomorrow afternoon...were gonna shot a video for 'its gotta be you'."
"ooh my fav," she said standing up and dragging her suitcase out of the closet.
they were silent for a few minutes as he started to help her pack,"i think ill just spend the night here."
"as much as i would love that," she said shoving a couple of pairs of shoes in her bag,"you have to go home and pack too."
"oh yeah....well...how about you come home with me, help me pack, and spend the night at my house?"
she closed her suitcase and sat down on his lap,"i dont think bri will let me out if im sick..."
he made a face,"but i want to be with you tonight."
"aw...thats sweet. why dont you just go home, pack, then come back here," she suggested.
he smiled and kissed her cheek,"okay that works." he lifted her off his lap and sat her on the bed. "ill be back in about an hour," he said as he walked out the door.
"maybe we should let the girls off first..."howie said as the plane landed in london the next evening.
"probably a good idea," aj said as he called one of the bodyguards over.
"hey tink...wake up," nick said shaking emma gently.
she yawned and stretched her arms,"what?"
"were here," he said getting their stuff out of the overhead. he handed her her backpack,"your gonna go first then we'll meet you girls in the car."
"wait...why...?"
"so the fans dont grab us and try and kill us," amanda said.
"aw how sweet, their protecting us," emma said as she put her backpack on.
nick smiled and kissed her softly,"see you in a few."
"be careful," she said. she kissed brian on the cheek and followed amanda and daisy out to the van. a few minutes later the guys hurried in and the van headed to the hotel.
the girls couldnt help but burst out laughing. "maybe it was a good idea that we got off the plane first..." amanda said.
"they took my hat," aj said looking close to tears.
amanda tried her best to stop laughing,"aw sweetie."
"which hat was he wearing?" emma asked as she dug through her bag to find nick a comb.
aj pouted,"my black cowboy hat."
"i need another shirt," kevin mumbled looking down at what was left of his favorite shirt.
emma shrugged out of nicks leather jacket and handed it to him,"here kevy. its nicks so it should fit you."
"thanks baby girl," he said putting it on.
both brian and howie found this terribly amusing. they had managed to run through the crush of fans without even being touched.
emma looked at tyke trembling in brians lap and laughed,"what happened to the rat?"
brian pouted,"someone tried to grab him and he got scared."
everyone rolled their eyes and brian stuck his tongue out at them,"you know you would all miss him."
they pulled up to the back of the hotel and went inside. "okay guys," kevin said as they took the elevator up to their floor,"we have a meeting with the director in two hours."
"are the girls coming?" howie asked.
kevin shook his head,"not for the meeting but they'll be on the set with us."
"when do we actually start shooting?" brian asked leading the way to their rooms.
"um...two days i think."
aj gasped, pretending to be in shock,"kevin isnt absolutely positvely sure about something?!"
amanda covered his mouth and shoved him into their room,"ignore him."
kevin rolled his eyes and nodded,"two hours...met in my room."
they nodded and went to their rooms.
emma sat up and glanced at the clock,"nick," she said, shaking him gently.
he mumbled something and rolled over. she sighed and shook him again,"come on carter. you have a meeting."
this time he didnt move at all. she rolled her eyes,"fine, we can do this the hard way."
she got up and knocked on the door connecting her room to aj and amandas. amanda opened the door a second later,"hey em, whats up?"
"i cant get the idiot out of bed."
amanda smirked,"hey aj, get me a glass of ice water."
emmas eyes widened as aj laughed and went to get the water,"what are you gonna do?"
amanda smiled,"you'll see."
she took the glass from aj and walked in followed by the other two. she climbed on the bed and sat on nicks back,"time to get up blondie."
"go away mandy," he mumbled.
she sighed dramatically,"you asked for it." she dumped the entire glass of water over his head and quickly got up.
he shot up, wiping the water out of his eyes,"why did you do that?!"
amanda smiled sweetly,"i told you to wake up."
he glared at her then looked at emma who was holding up aj who was laughing hysterically at the drenched nick,"why did you let her do that?" he whined.
"because you wouldnt get up sweetie."
he pouted,"now i gotta change." he pulled off his shirt and went digging through his bag.
emma laughed,"thanks guys."
they laughed and went back to their room. emma sat next to nick on the bed and smiled sweetly,"your not mad at me are you?"
he tried not to smile and got up to fix his hair. she smiled and followed him, sliding between him and the dresser. she pouted,"dont be mad."
he laughed,"just dont look at me like that." stuck her tongue out at him and he smiled,"okay, i better go. kevs gonna have a fit cause im so late. see ya in a couple hours," he said as he kissed her and walked out.