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Author's Chapter Notes:
OMG I am back again! I'm sure some of you may be surprised to see me updating this one again. I had been uninspired for writing romance for a long time. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things for this story. Let me know what you think!
Chapter 22




Nick lay in bed, hearing Lisa crying from his room. He knew she wasn't just a fan anymore and that he shouldn't have let that get in the way of his personal business....but it was out in the open now. He rolled on his side, his face half buried in the warmth of the pillow, his legs curled up into his chest as he sighed. He felt a bit better but his mind kept replaying things....kept wandering back to the last time he'd seen his mother before everything happened.

Jane Carter may as well have been dead after everything she did, after abusing him and Aaron. Nick had guardianship over his little brother now, but his own pain remained. Aaron was so much stronger than him emotionally at 13 years old, something Nick was slightly jealous of.
He lay in bed thinking until he could not hear Lisa crying anymore, Amanda's footsteps headed for the room.

"Nick?" she called softly, walking over to the bed and sitting down. He smiled at the touch of her hand, gently caressing his forehead as she brushed the bangs out of his face.

"Hey." he whispered, rolling onto his back. She leaned down and kissed him, he returned it.

"Are you feeling better, baby?" she asked. Nick nodded, although his mind was on Jane. What were her intentions with him? He figured there wouldn't be any harm in going to see her at least once, just to listen to what she had to say. However, he decided not to tell Amanda this. He knew she'd never let him do it.

"Yeah, a bit. How is Lisa? I thought I heard her crying." Nick replied as he sat up Indian-style next to his wife.

"She's okay, she thought I was gonna fire her for letting her in the house. Nick, I think we should really get a restraining order on her or something. I don't want that woman anywhere near our children." she suggested. Nick considered this for a moment but just nodded in silence.

"I'm just looking out for our safety, honey."

"I know what you mean....but first we need to go over some things with Lisa like you said before. She didn't know who my....my mother was when she saw her. I want to tell her and AJ everything." Nick replied. He still felt odd referring to Jane as his mother, but he figured he might as well get used to it. He didn't want to call her Jane. She was his biological mother whether he wanted her or not.

"So when did you want to talk to them?" Amanda asked, taking his hand. He stared off at the opposite wall, thinking.

"Go get them into the living room and we can talk about this today. It might be a bit of a shock for AJ....up until the night she tried to take Aaron back....he thought I was an orphan." Nick instructed. He and Amanda sat in the living room about an hour later, Nick trembling at the thought of how Lisa would react especially to his past. Fans didn't know what he'd gone through, to their knowledge he had a stable childhood but he never mentioned his family whatsoever.



Amanda went to get Lisa and then found AJ in the kitchen making a ham sandwich.

"AJ. Did you just get home?" she asked, grinning when she saw him.

"Uh, yeah. I was hungry because I hadn't gotten a chance to grab food. What's up?" he replied, spreading mayonnaise on the rye bread in front of him. He pressed the sandwich together and took a large bite, chewing while he looked for something to drink in the fridge.

"Well, we are going to have a family meeting in a few. Just you, me, Nick and Lisa. You can bring your food in the living room if you want." Amanda said. AJ raised a pierced eyebrow at her but followed, carrying the plate and a can of soda. Lisa was already sitting on the couch and Amanda went upstairs to get Nick.

"What's going on?" AJ said, his mouth full of ham. Lisa wiped her eyes, still a bit shaken up from earlier.

"Nick's mother was here, didn't you know?" she whispered.

"The psycho woman? Wow, I missed some good drama today. I need to stop going to work so much." he chuckled. Just then, Amanda came in the room with Nick, the two of them sitting on the couch opposite Lisa and AJ. Nick didn't look up, he was pale and his eyes traveled to the ground.

"Lisa, AJ.....Nick wanted us to have this little meeting because he has something he wants to discuss." Amanda said, nudging him gently. Nick took a shaky breath before addressing them.

"First of all, Lisa.....I am so sorry you had to witness what you did. My mother as of right now is not welcome in our home. I don't blame you because we didn't tell you about her. There is a reason for why I keep my family life seperate from everything." he said softly.

Lisa just stared. She knew from a fan's perspective Nick was secretive, but from her psychology classes she'd been taken....Nick definitely did not show that he'd been an abused child. Part of her wondered if the Nick she had been seeing for so long was just a really good act.

"Okay...but that doesn't explain why his mom was here. Didn't you have a restraining order?" AJ said, setting down his sandwich.

Amanda took Nick's hand as she saw him take another breath.

"The reason Aaron lives with us....the reason he is in my custody and I had the restraining order on her....well, this part is...." Nick started, his voice breaking.

"Nick, you can tell us. It will help." Lisa told him.

"I was abused heavily as a child and so was Aaron."

"You what?" AJ exclaimed.

"Nick was abused to the point where Jane almost killed him." Amanda said. Nick felt his eyes water as they continued, flashes of memories floating in front of his eyes.


"Nick was abused for 5 years before he met me when we were ten. I didn't discover what was happening to him until he was 15." she continued, squeezing his palm inside her own. Lisa's mouth fell open slightly and Nick looked at his feet, ashamed.

"I was locked in basements, closets....starved to death and beaten. Emotionally and physically abused for 10 years of my life. AJ, when we met, I told you I was an orphan. Well, my dad and I had not met at that time....so technically what I said was not a lie. I was living with Brian's family but never was I truly a Littrell. I ran away and met you, that was one of the best things I've done, and I don't regret it at all." Nick said. AJ nodded. He told them everything and when he finished, Lisa was wiping her eyes as AJ sat in a stunned silence.

"I hope you both understand why I haven't mentioned any of this before. I wanted to tell you because my....well Jane is not welcome in this house. She wants to be a part of my life again but I'm not sure what to think of this." Nick added.

"I don't want her here, baby." Amanda said, although Nick knew her feelings about Jane. Part of him....the child inside of him wanted his true mother back, wanted closure. He figured talking to her wouldn't hurt, as long as Amanda didn't know.

After the meeting was over, AJ followed Nick into the kitchen and watched him make some coffee.

"Man, Nick....I'm so sorry you went through that crap. I want to beat the shit out of her for doing that to you. Just promise me one thing....don't go looking for her, I think she's up to something."

"Do you and my wife share a brain? She said the same thing." Nick chuckled.

"I'm being serious. Don't go. Throw that paper out, burn it...shred it...but don't go to see her. I smell bullshit." AJ warned. He never saw Nick roll his eyes.

"Okay, AJ." he smiled, stirring his coffee.

Despite everyone's warnings....Nick thought he could handle himself talking to his mother.

People could change, couldn't they?