Open Your Eyes, Kid.

She's Crazy For You.

Prologue

"SESAME STREET!" I screamed as I dropped to the ground.

"Darn!" Joe pouted. I laughed at his inability to play TV Tag. I was seven years old, Nick was nine, Joe was twelve, and Kevin was fourteen. Joe ran after Nick.

"Barney!" Nick yelled as he fell to the ground. We looked at each other, laughing. Joe plopped himself down.

"I don't like this game," he whined, crossing his arms.

Mrs. Jonas stepped outside from the back door, "Hey kids! Lunch is ready!" Joe ran ahead of Nick and me. Kevin was already inside, he helped make lunch.

"Your mom is so awesome," I said.

"I know. Is your mommy and daddy still not home?" he asked.

"Yeah, they been gone for a long time."

"Maybe you can sleep over!" 

"YEAH!" We bolted into the house. Nick ran to Mrs. Jonas.

"MOMMY! Can Lizzie sleep over?!" She paused and looked at me.

"Only if her parents aren't home," she said. Nick ran back to me.

"YEAH!" we both screamed, high-fiving. Lunch was awesome. Macaroni and hot dogs with kool-aid to drink. I twirled one of my little blonde braids as I downed my kool-aid. I spent most of the night with the guys, just hanging out and having fun. It started to look as if I would be spending the night when there was a hard pound at the door. Mr. Jonas went to open it. I ignored it and kept playing. Mr. Jonas called me to the door.

"DADDY!" I screamed, hugging him. I pried me off his leg, grabbing my arm forcefully.

"Stay away from my daughter!" he yelled at Mr. Jonas.

"Daddy. Why are you yelling? Let go of my arm. You're hurting me, Daddy!" I screamed. He looked hard at me and hit my cheek. I started crying.

"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!" he yelled at me. Mr. Jonas stepped in, picking me up and setting me down in the house.

"Mr. Tatton, you cannot treat your child that way!"

"You can't tell me how to be a parent!" I watched them yell back and forth as the tears kept coming.

"Don't push me Mr. Tatton. Now until you sober up Lizzie is going to stay here! I'll take her to Child Services in the morning."

"You can't do that!" 

"Watch me!" Mr. Jonas slammed the door in my dad's face. That was the last time I ever saw my dad. Mrs. Jonas came to get me. She took me upstairs and got a cool cloth for my face. I rolled my sleeves up because I didn't want them to get wet. Mrs. Jonas gasped.

"Kevin!" she yelled. Mr. Jonas ran up the stairs.

"Ohmigosh. What kind of sick monster does this?" he asked, stunned.My arms were black and blue. I had stopped crying and was now looking up at them. Mr. and Mrs. Jonas looked at each other, then Mr. Jonas left. Mrs. Jonas gave me a bath and let me sleep in one of her t-shirts. It was like a dress on me. I slept on the floor in Nick and Joe's room. The next morning Mr. Jonas woke me up really early. I wore the same clothes I had worn the day before. He put me in his car and we drove to a big building. We went inside and I saw a nice looking lady at a counter.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"This child has been abused and I would like to become her foster father," he said. I wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but the nice lady handed me a sucker and I sat in a chair while she and Mr. Jonas talked and he filled out a bunch of papers. We left a while later and in the car Mr. Jonas told me that I would be living with him and the boys. I smiled. It felt good to be the Jonas Daughter.

Chapter 1

http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-set/BQcDAAAAAwoDanBnAAAABC5vdXQKFlJLd21wM0x3M0JHYUlOVWlUWGpZeFEAAAACaWQKAXgAAAAEc2l6ZQ.jpg

(The t-shirt with the sunglasses on it, with the pink skinny jeans, and black converse)

"Ohmigod you guys are like the biggest losers ever," I laughed as my best friends Kevin, Joe, and Nick tried on ShutterShades. When I was seven, Papa J (Yeah, I call him Papa J. Mr. Jonas was way to formal for a wild child like me. I also call Mrs. Jonas Mama J. Don't judge me.) caught my dad abusing me, and became my foster parents. They refused to adopt me, though, because they didn't want me to feel like I couldn't ... get together ... with one of the guys in the future. It seemed like a good plan to me, considering I was extremely close to Nick. As soon as the boys hit it big, they started touring. We didn't let anyone know I was constantly with them. It would have caused way too much drama. Today, we decided to hangout at the mall. When they were attacked by a mob of screaming girls, I would back up, put my sunglasses on, and pretend to shop. Right now, we were in Journey and they looked like idiots.

"We are not losers!" Joe said in defense.

"Uh..you're trying on ShutterShades."

"So? What if we like ShutterShades?" I was about to answer when some guy walked up to us.

"Hi. I'm Doug Herman. I manage this mall. I've been getting a lot of requests to ask you guys to perform...a few songs..." he started to get nervous. I could tell when people got nervous around my boys. But he still went on, what a trooper, "You don't have to, of course. And if you did, we'd pay you." 

"Of course will perform! One condition. No money," Kevin answered. The..Doug..guy let out a sigh of relief. He looked at his watch.

"I can have everything you need ready in 45 minutes." 

"Perfect," Nick said, "We'll be ready." "Great! See you then!" And then he left. I groaned.

"Come on guys! You're spoiling my fun!" I complained.

"Sorry," Joe said apologetically, giving me the puppy dog face.

"Oh that's just not fair, and you know it!" I caved, "Fine! But I'm not sitting through another show! I'm gonna shop!" 

"Aw, you won't stay and support us?" Kevin asked, joining Joe in giving me the puppy dog face.

"Pwease?" Nick added. Oh no. The Jonas puppy dog face. All three of them. That's cruel.

"FINE!" I said, caving into their vicious ways, "But you guys owe me like the best birthday present ever!" Joe put his arm around me as we left Journey and made our way towards to entrance of the mall. I rolled my eyes at how charming he thought he was.

"Oh that's right, because your birthday is in a week. How old are you going to be again?" Joe asked, pretending to forget. I fell for that every year until I was 13.

"I'm gonna be 16, and don't you forget it!" So if I was turning 16, that would make Nick 18, Joe 21, and Kevin 23. As we got closer to the enterance, I let the boys and Big Rob go ahead of me, we weren't taking any chances in getting caught. Besides, the last thing we needed was me and the guys all over every magazine. We joked about that a lot, "Jonas Brothers and Mystery Girl," we would say, laughing. I watched them perform from the very back. The girls standing next to me and around me, screaming for the Jonas Brothers, had no idea that they were standing next to the only Jonas Sister.

Chapter 2

I stepped out of the hot, steaming shower and changed into my purple striped shorts and a pink tank. I half-dried my hair with a towel, deciding I liked it better air-dried anyway. I left the bathroom, switching the light off and shutting the door behind me. I made my way to the computer and got on JonasBrothersFan.com. One of my favorite things to do while the guys where having a concert was read Fan Fictions, it was adorable how girls fantasized about the guys. I heard the bus door open as it was flooded with screaming. I got off the computer and headed to my bunk. I climbed on Joe's and then onto mine, dangling my feet off the edge. A great thing about being on this bus, I got to sleep right above Joe's bunk. Meaning I could play pranks on him anytime. The guys made their way to their bunks, exhausted.

"I really think you guys are overworking yourselves," I commented.

"Aw, you care so much," Joe said, coming in for a hug. I held my hand out.

"I don't think so. You are not getting a hug from me until you shower." The screaming began to fade as the bus pulled out of the stadium.

"So where are we going next?" I asked. Kevin, Joe, and Nick gasped.

"What?" I asked, like I had said something wrong.

"That was the last stop on the tour. We're headed home for someone's birthday," Nick said. I smiled.

"How long are we going to be like...not on tour? Because it's volleyball season, and I really wanna play," I asked.

"I think that can be arranged, " Mama J said, cutting in. "Nice! Thanks Mama J," I said. Within three days, we were back at the house in LA, greeted by hordes of screaming girls. I sat on the bus for 3 hours, until they were all completely out of sight. I walked into the house and plopped myself down on the couch next to Nick, laying my head on his shoulder. He put his arm around me and we sat there for a moment, but were interrupted by Kevin.

"I'm going to Panera, anybody want anything?" he asked. I sat up.

"Can I have a chicken salad sandwich?" I asked.

"Sure." Nick gave his order, and Kevin left. I put my head back down.

"When are volleyball signups?" he asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon," I answered, "Are you going to come with me?" 

"Only if you want me to." 

"Well yeah, of course I do. I'd be so lost without my big bros." He put his arm around me again. 

"Don't forget, we're not actually your brothers." I looked up at him.

"I know."

Chapter 3

I watched the road carefully, switching on the turn signal. "Thanks for letting me drive Kev," I said. Joe groaned from the back seat.

"Yeah, it's so great how we are going a whole two miles an hour," he complained.

"Slow down!" Kevin practically screamed.

"I can't go any slower! Geez. Calm down. I'm not gonna trash your car, I promise," I fired back at him. He laughed nervously. I pulled into a parking lot and perfectly parked his 'precious' car. Kevin quickly got out and checked how close I was the car in front of me. I rolled my eyes as Joe, Nick, and I got out of the car.

"Kev, she's like a foot away! Calm down!" Nick said in my defense.

"Whatever. You can stay here and whine over you car, I'm going to sign up for volleyball," I said.

"Fine, I'm coming," Kevin said. They put on their hats and sunglasses, so they wouldn't be seen of course. We went inside and I walked up to a table with a sign up sheet. I picked up the pen and signed Lizzie Tatton.

That lady at the table handed me a paper and said, "Tryouts are in two days from 5 to 7. You'll get a letter in the mail within three days after that telling you if you made it or not." 

"Thanks," I said with a smile. As we walked back to the car, I handed Kevin the keys.

"I am not dealing with your nervous face again. Joe's way more fun the drive with," I laughed. The drive home was really nothing special. And after two days, I threw my hair in a ponytail and Joe handed me his keys.

"I'll take you this time, " he said. We blasted the radio on the way there. We sounded like the biggest idiots in the world screaming Just Dance at the top of our lungs. The tryouts started out really well, and then we started serving. I looked around for an extra volleyball. Some girl handed me one.

"Here," she said, "I'm Jackie." She fired her volleyball to the other side of the net. I shot mine over next.

"I'm Lizzie," I responded.

"That's a pretty wicked overhand," she commented.

"Thanks. Yours is too," I answered, trying to be nice. I didn't talk to her the rest of the tryout. Joe was waiting for me when it was over.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"Good. Some girl named Jackie started talking to me, but then she stopped. It was weird," I said. He laughed. For the drive home, we just talked, keeping the radio at low volume. "I am so glad you let me drive. Kev always makes me feel so uptight when I drive with him," I said.

"Yeah. He's really crazy about his car. You should've seen him when I was learning to drive. I'd do things like randomly stop in the middle of nowhere just to mess with his head." I laughed as I pulled into our driveway. After two agonizing days, I got a letter in the mail. I opened the letter as fast as I could. I wanted to find out if I made it, but at the same time I didn't.

Chapter 4

http://resources.shopstyle.com/uim/y2008/d341/20/205669d4343a4ad21281d162d1011dfb.jpg
(That's the outfit I change into later in this chapter. But not the sweater.)

http://z.hubpages.com/u/427817_f520.jpg
(Prom dress)

I had the guys huddled around me. "Dear Lizzie," I began, but I got a little excited, "OHMIGOSH THAT'S ME!" I looked back down at the letter, "Oh...there's more! Thank you for taking the time to tryout. Unfortunately, at this time we are going to have to pass on putting you on the team." My voice trailed off.

"Lizzie-" Nick started, but I cut him off.

"It's fine. I'll just try again next year," I said, offering a weak smile, "I'm just gonna..go to my room." I walked slowly up the staircase, dropping the letter, and closing the door to my room. I sat on my bed in disbelief. There was a soft tap on my door. Nick opened it slowly. He was holding that wretched letter. He picked up my mini trash can and brought it over, setting it in front of me, and gave me the letter. I smiled and dropped it in, pushing the trash can aside.

"Come on," he said, "Let's go for a walk. It'll help." He was right. The walk did help, a lot. Nick always knows how to make me feel better. As we walked back into the house, the rest of the family was watching a movie. Nick and I quietly joined them. I put my head on him and he put his arm around me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Papa J eyeing us. The next day I woke up, still on the couch. I rolled off, groaning. Sleeping on the couch makes for a very uncomfortable Lizzie. I took two steps before Joe practically tackled me to the ground.

"Ugh Joe!" I yelled, pushing him off.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" he screamed, completely ignoring me. My eyes widened.

"It's my birthday?" I asked.

"No, it's not," he said sarcastically, "OF COURSE IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY! HOW COULD YOU FORGET?" I stretched.

"Probably because I'm still half asleep." 

"Aw I'm sorry. But you need to go get ready! Wait 'til you find out what we have planned for today! And make sure you have a nice dress for tonight. Like...a prom dress." 

"Joe, how would I know what a prom dress would be like? I've never even been to a prom!" 

"I don't know. You're a girl...figure it out." He hugged me. I trudged up the stairs. I showered, brushed my teeth, dried my hair, put my makeup on, and changed into a casual outfit. Now came the hard part, finding a prom dress.

"Wow, Joe. A prom dress? Really?" I thought. In the very back of my closet, I found it. I laid it out on my bed carefully. "Something is missing..." I thought to myself, "Shoes!" I went back to my closet, and found the silver shoes that I bought with the dress so long ago. I had to force myself to go back downstairs, dreading the day the guys had planned for me.

Chapter 5

I grabbed my purse and threw on my sunglasses. "Where are we going?" I asked as Nick half-dragged me out the door.

"You'll see." Kevin was waiting in the driver's seat and Joe in the passenger's seat, on his phone. Nick held the door open for me. I got in and then he went around to the other side and climbed in.

"Joe who could you possibly be talking to?" I asked. He didn't answer me, instead he begged to the person on the other line.

"Please? What if I bought you chocolates? Or flowers? NO! Chocolates AND flowers?" I heard screaming on the other line. It was so loud, Joe had to hold his phone away from his ear...and everyone in the car could still hear it. Joe paused a second after the screaming stopped.

"She hung up on me," he said, defeated.

"Aw, my poor Joey!" I said, kind of making fun of him, "What happened?" 

"Well, I met this girl a few months ago..." 

Kevin cut him off, stopping the car, "Woah, woah, woah!" 

Followed by Nick cutting Kevin off, "You met a girl?!" 

Followed by me cutting Nick off, "And you didn't tell us?!"

"Uh, yeah. Her name is Ashley. Ashley Marie Ortiz," he said, sighing.

"Joe! How could you not tell us about this?!" Nick asked. Kevin started driving again.

"Well...she sort of like..hates me. But she is so amazing. It's like, you only want what you can't have!" I thought for a minute, then gasped.

"OHMIGOSH JOE! You love her!" I yelled.

"Shh! You don't have to tell the world!" 

"Aww," Kevin, Nick, and I all said at the same time.

"Can we please focus on the more important situation?" he asked.

"What might that be?" I said.

"Your birthday!" he answered. Kevin pulled into a Starbucks parking lot.

"And as our first birthday present to you, we are treating you to Starbucks!" Kevin said.

I laughed, "Wow. Thanks guys...'Cause we never get Starbucks!" I said sarcastically. After that, they took me to a movie(wearing diguises, of course), and then back home.

"Go change into that prom dress I told you about earlier," Joe said as we entered the house. I smiled and ran up the stairs.

Chapter 6

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg27/chynatown/Prom%20Dresses/329f67fb54cdf425dea9689d14ad18de.jpg
(Ashley's prom dress)

http://z.hubpages.com/u/427817_f520.jpg
(My prom dress, just in case you forgot what it looked like.)

I walked down the marble staircase. Nick was waiting for me at the bottom, wearing a tux. He took my breath away. I'd never felt that way about him. But I sure wasn't going to let it get in the way of our friendship. We linked arms, and he escorted me to the backyard. There, before my very eyes, was the prom of my dreams. The theme? A Night In Paris. Joe was talking to some girl, while Kevin was off being a DJ. I casually walked towards Joe and the girl, eavesdropping.

"Okay, okay. How about...Girl, I got my library card and I'm checkin' you out!" I rolled my eyes. The girl stood there in silence. Joe paused, thinking for a minute. "Girl, you must be tired, 'cause you've been running through my mind all day!" he said, winking.

"Ohmigod!" I said, butting in, "Joe, stop being such a creeper!" I turned to the girl, "Honey, I'm about to save your life!" I took her away from Joe. She laughed as we stood by the snack table. "I'm Lizzie."

"I'm Ashley," she responded. I gasped.

"Ohmigosh! YOU'RE Ashley?!" 

"That's what I just said..." 

"Joe told me about you!" 

"Really? What did he say?" 

"He said you hated him." 

"Yeah. I guess I'm not really in to the stuck-up rockstars." 

"You think Joe is stuck-up?" 

"He's a rockstar...Rockstars are always stuck-up." 

"Not Joe! How did you guys meet?" 

"My friend dragged me to one of their concerts. And she had Meet&Greet passes...Joe wouldn't leave me alone." 

"He's totally falling for you! Can't you see that?" 

"He is?" 

"YES!" 

"I didn't realize he liked me THAT much." 

"Uh, yeah!" 

"Well, I'm gonna play hard-to-get for a while. I like having a little fun with my boy toy." I laughed. I heard a slow song come on and Nick appeared through the crowd. He held out his hand.

"May I have this dance?" he asked. I looked at Ashley, not wanting to leave her alone.

"Go dance with your man candy! My guy should be back any minute now," she said. I turned back to Nick.

"It would be my pleasure."

Chapter 7

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(Gazebo)

I put my head on Nick's shoulder. Everything just felt so...right. I let my heart melt. "Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?" 

"Gracing me with your presence." I felt his breath on my skin. I took my head off his shoulder and threw my arms around his neck.

"Well aren't you quite the charmer," I whispered back at him. He put his arms around my waist. My knees started to feel weak.

"You think so?" he whispered, dazzling me with his smile. I paused, then looked up at him, my eyes sparkling.

"You wish." We started leaning in...closer...closer...my heart raced. Our lips touched. Stars flashed before my eyes. Everything around me froze and I just felt like I was floating in the clouds. He slowly pulled away from me. I opened my eyes only to see a panicked look cross his face. He backed away, turning, and disappearing into the crowd. I chased after him, screaming, "Nick!" I was suddenly blinded by a bright light, but only for a moment, until everything came back into focus. "Stupid spotlight," I thought.

Then I heard Kevin's voice blasting through the speakers, "Put your hands together for the birthday girl!" I ran my fingers through my soft, wavy, blonde hair, letting out a breath, defeated. I gave my best fake smile and slowly made my way to the stage.

"SPEECH!" I heard Joe scream from the back. Someone else thought it would be fun to yell it again. Then everyone started chanting it. I figured if I was going to do this, I was going to have to forget about everything that just happened with Nick. Kevin handed me a microphone.

"Ugh. Wow, Joe. I hate you." Everyone laughed. "I'm just kidding. You know I love you, Joey!" 

"I love you too, lil sis!" I laughed.

"This is, like, so amazing. Thank you...everyone. I mean, I even get a mini Eiffel Tower! That's insane. But I'm sure you all don't want to listen to me ramble, so I'm just gonna hand the mic over to Kevin." 

I did, and he yelled, "Time for cake!" Papa J set a cake down in front of me. I closed my eyes...and wished. I sucked in a big breath of air and blew out my candles. Everyone cheered. Kevin started the music again. I left the stage and then proceeded to search for Nick. I thought of the gazebo the neighbor's had...and they were on vacation. I walked over to the fence seperating our yards, the wooden door was unlocked. I opened it, and walked in, closing it behind me. Nick was sitting on the stairs of the gazebo. I sat next to him.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be. We were just...caught up in the moment," I said.

"You should get back to your party. I bet Frankie is drowning himself in your cake right about now." 

"He can have it. I wasn't that hungry anyway. I'm exactly where I need to be." I heard Flightless Bird, American Mouth by Iron & Wine come on.

"I love this song!" I yelled. Nick laughed.

"How 'bout one last dance? Then we go back to the party," he asked.

"I'd be honored." We started dancing, I paused for a minute.

"This is what I wished for."

He asked, "So what does this make us?" 

"Friends...with benefits...for now. I just don't think either of us are ready for anything else."

He nodded, "I agree. But I just want to do one last thing." I saw a flash of lightning and then a roar of thunder...which then brought on the rain. He lowered me into a dip and kissed me once more.

Chapter 8

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(Car)

Nick shut the sliding glass door behind our soaking wet selves. I peered back outside. The speakers, snack table, sound table, and pretty much everything else was covered up with sheets...Like they knew it was going to rain...The party had moved itself inside. Kevin had pulled out his guitar and was strumming a few notes. Joe was...still flirting with Ashley...or attempting to. Nick and I made our way back to the dance floor. He twirled me a few times.

Then a super cute guy came up to us, "Mind if I cut in?" he asked. Nick glanced at me, I nodded, and he left. "You probably don't remember me. I'm Mike. We went to preschool together...I was the one with the huge crush on you." 

I laughed, "I think I remember." He twirled me.

"This is some party." 

"Yeah. I have a really awesome family." 

"I know." 

He paused, "Hey, so uhm, I was wondering if maybe I could take you out..to dinner...or something..." 

"You think I would go to dinner...with you?" 

"Well...I was hoping-" 

"I'm kidding. Of course I'll go out with you." His phone went off. "Cause if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me - "

"Yeah, Mom. Yeah. I know. Sorry. I was just leaving," he paused, "No I will not get you an autograph." he hung up.

"Leaving so soon?" I asked.

"Sorry. I'll pick you up tomorrow at...8?" 

"That's fine. I'll see you then." 

"Oh and uh, can we just wear like...jeans? As you can see, the tux-look really isn't working for me." 

"Ha. You look fine. Now go! Mommy is waiting for you." He left and I started making my way through the crowd of people. I saw Nick talking to a girl by the table with more food on it. I grabbed a few chips and starting snacking on them, eavesdropping again.

"So you went to school with Lizzie?" he asked. "Man, is this party just of people I went to preschool with who I barely even remember?" I thought.

"Yeah. We were like, best friends," she responded. I choked on a chip. "TRISH?! That little piece of trailer trash better back off! Best friends? HA! In her dreams!" As my choking fit ended, her flirting made me want to throw up all over her hideous dress.

"Really?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. We were practically sisters." I couldn't take it anymore.

I grabbed the guy in front of me, "Will you pretend to talk to me for a second? Thanks!" I took a suttle step towards Trish. "Anyway! It was so nice talking to you." I bumped into Trish. I winked at the guy, cuing him to go away. She whirled around.

"OHMIGOD! LIZZIE!" she screamed.

"Hey, Trish..." I said, giving her the most awkward hug.

"Trish was just telling me how you guys knew each other," Nick said.

"Really? Well I hope they were all good things," I said, eyeing Trish. She gave me an evil stare. "Trailer trash," I thought over and over again, practically burning her with my eyes.

"But of course. There's only nice things that I can say about you!" I sat through a conversation with her for a while longer, burning her with my eyes over and over again. As soon as the party was over, I went straight upstairs and crashed on my bed, not even bothering to change. The next day, I put on skinny jeans and my Metro Station shirt and headed downstairs.

"Joe! Go now!" I heard Kevin whisper, "Hurry up! She's coming!" As I reached the bottom of the stairs. "Lizzie!" Kevin said, jumping out in front of me, "We have a surprise for you!" The rest of the family was waiting outside as Kevin dragged me out the front door. Honk honk! I looked to my left and screamed.

"Is that mine?!" Papa J handed me my license.

"You passed your test. We decided not to give you the letter with your license in it. It was a better birthday present anyway," he said. Joe got out and threw me the keys. I ran and got in the drivers seat. My very own little pink car.

"Hey! Who wants Starbucks?!" I yelled. Kevin automatically jumped in the passenger's seat. Joe and Nick got in the back.

I started the car and Kevin said, "Now don't go too fast."

Chapter 9

I gasped and pulled the car over. "Why did you stop?! We're almost there! I NEED my Starbucks!" Kevin yelled.

"Well," I began, trying to be logical, "unless you guys want to be attacked by screaming girls, we are gonna have to go home. You're like...megastars. People are going to recognize you and go nuts." 

"No way!" Joe screamed, "We cannot just..not go! I already called Ashley!" I started laughing, then pretended I was coughing after seeing the desperation on Joe's face.

Kevin opened the glovebox, "Good thing I thought ahead." He pulled out hats and sunglasses.

I smiled, "Much better." We reached Starbucks, ordered, and sat down. Joe wouldn't stop staring at the door. Ashley walked in with a few other girls.

Joe practically ran to her, "Hey, Ash!"

"Uh...when did I say you could call me Ash?" 

"Well...I uh...I just thought..." 

"Oh you just thought what? That because your a rockstar you can do anything? In your dreams! And take of those ridiculous sunglasses. And that hat is so cliche!" She and her friends laughed at him. I hit my forehead with my palm.

"Ugh. She could punch him in the face and he'd still be in love with her. He's practically worshipping her! I wish she would stop messing with him like that." 

"Wait, she's just...messing with him?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. I talked to her the other night. She told me that she thought Joe was just a stuck-up rockstar. I explained to her that he totally wasn't. And that Joe is probably the farthest thing from a stuck-up rockstar. She then proceeded to tell me that she was going to play hard to get for a while, just to mess with him," I explained. I looked back at Joe, concerned.He walked Ashley over to our table while her friends sat somewhere else.

"Can I get you anything?" 

"Uh, no. You're lucky I even came," she fired at him. There was an awkward silence. Joe sat down.

"So uhm...How has your day been, Ashley?" he asked.

She glared at him, "Fine." After a while, Joe excused himself and went outside to sit claiming he 'wanted some fresh air.' He was visibly upset. Nick was texting. And Kevin...looked like he was on Cloud Nine with his frappaccino. I turned to Ashley.

"You should go sit with him," I commented.

"Ha! I'm still playing hard to get, remember?" 

"You should really go easier on Joe. He's really into you. It just doesn't seem fair to be treating him like that. Do you even like him?" 

"Of course! But I had it when a guy thinks I'm needy, so I ignore them." 

"You really shouldn't do that." 

"It seems to be working with Joe." 

"He's not going to wait around forever."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." 

"You bet I am! Now get out there! He's waiting for you, I can tell." She smiled at me and then walked out the door, sitting next to Joe. I looked at Nick. "Who are you texting? This is supposed to be family time!" I said.

He looked up at me, "Yeah. Family time. Kevin isn't even on planet Earth anymore and Joe is outside with Ashley." 

I sighed, "You didn't answer my question." 

"Trish. I'm texting Trish, okay?" 

"Wow, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed." 

"I did not!" I glared at him. "Okay maybe I'm just a little touchy." 

"A little?" 

"Don't go there." 

"Nick, I'm not gonna lie to you. Trish is not someone you should be dating." "How would you know? You only knew her in preschool!" 

"Did you not see the evil stare she gave me yesterday?" 

"No." 

I sighed and thought, "Great. Now I have to explain to him why Trish is the worst person on the face of the planet."

Chapter 10

"Well, in preschool, she would always pull on my hair and she turned all the girls against me because she thought I wasn't pretty enough to be friends with anyone. I'm telling you, that girl is pure evil," I explained.

Despite my best efforts, Nick still protested, "You guys were like five. People change. I'm sure she's completely different."

"Fine. But when you get hurt..." 

"I'll make you a deal right now. If I get hurt, you can say 'I told you so.' But if she has changed, then I get to say 'I told you so.'"

I shook his hand. "You got yourself a deal." We left as soon as Kevin had finished his third frappiccino. Joe had invited Ashley over to the house for dinner.

I laughed when he asked her that and said, "Wow, Joe. It's like...noon and you're already thinking about dinner?" Which reminded me that I had a date tonight. As we neared the house, the guys took off their hats and sunglasses and put them back in the glovebox.

(Back Home)
I threw things around in my closet. "So you have a date with that Mike guy?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. Are you jealous or something?" I remarked.

"No...I was just wondering..why you didn't say anything." 

"I guess it just never crossed my mind." 

"What are you even looking for? I thought you were already wearing your outfit for tonight." I stopped throwing things around.

"Oh...yeah...I forgot." 

(Later)
The was a knock at the door. "I GOT IT!" Joe screamed.

I groaned, "Please do not say anything stupid!"

Ashley laughed,"Joe? Stupid? I'd be scared if I were you." 

Joe opened the door, "MIKEY! Long time no -" 

I cut him off, "Well, we should be going now. I'll be back...later. Bye!" I shut the door in his face. "So what are we doing tonight?"

"Well, I was hoping we could go to the beach and watch the sunset..."

"Yeah. That sounds good." He pulled into a parking lot and we started making our way through the sand. We sat down close to the water.

"So what have you been up to for the past like...10 years?" he asked.

I laughed, "Oh, uhm, not a whole lot." I saw a flash of light out of the corner of my eye, "Did you see that?" 

"See what?" he answered, running his fingers through my hair.

I smiled, "Nothing. Must have been my imagination." He drove me home. When we got to the door and he leaned in to give me a kiss goodnight.

"Aww..." I heard Joe say. Mike let out a little chuckle.

"So...I'll call you..." he said.

"Yeah...Night." I opened the door and punched Joe in the arm.

"What was that for?!" he complained.

"What do you think it was for?!" 

He gave me the puppy dog face, "I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" 

I thought for a minute, "Yes I can forgive you." 

"Yay!" He hugged me.

I laughed and rolled my eyes, "Wow, Joe."

Chapter 11

I rolled over in my bed. "Lizzie! Come on! We have to go, NOW!" Nick yelled.

"It's okay, little bro. I got this," Joe said. He ran and jumped on my bed.

I groaned, "Ughh. Joe. Get off!" I shoved him off my bed.

"Lizzie! It's an EMERGENCY!" Kevin said.

"No, I wanna sleep. I stayed up late last night." They pulled the covers off of me.

I got out of bed, "Fine! I'm up! Happy?" 

"No, now you need to get dressed so we can leave," Joe commented. They left so I could change. Five minutes later I made my way down the stairs, and out to Kevin's car, the guys were waiting for me.

I threw open the door and slammed it shut, "Is there a reason you guys decided to wake me up at 7 in the morning?"

"You need to see something. It's a bit of a drive, so you can go back to sleep," Nick answered. I put my head on his shoulder and drifted off to sleep. I felt a gentle shake and heard Nick's voice. "Lizzie, we're here." I opened my eyes to see that we were parked in a Border's parking lot.

"You made me wake up at 7 in the morning and sit through a half hour car ride...so you could get a book?" I asked in disbelief. We made our way inside. Joe held a magazine in front of my face. Our worst fear...right there. I read the headline on Popstar! over and over. "Jonas Brothers and Mystery Girl" I ripped the magazine from his hands. "More info on page 48." I flipped to page 48 to see a picture of me and Nick kissing...and a picture of me at the beach with Mike. I backed up to the nearest wall and slid down, reading the article.

This "Mystery Girl," was first seen at her 16th birthday party with the Jonas Brothers. Anonymous sources tell us that Nick asked her to dance and they ended up kissing. Kevin Jonas then made her give a speech. She then went to the neighbors yard, where she danced with Nick again and they kissed a final time. The next day, she was seen at the beach with another boy.
Also, Joe Jonas was seen with an unknown girl for much of the party. Make sure to buy next week's issue for more info!

"How could this happen?" I asked, closing the magazine.

Nick slid down next to me,"We were just caught up in the moment."

Chapter 12

I stared out the window from my room. A large crowd of paparazzi had formed. "I can't even go outside." I walked away from the window and sat down on my bed next to Papa J.

"Things like this happen. We just have to deal with it," he said.

"Deal with it how?"

"Well, the boys were supposed to go on Ellen tomorrow. The producer just called, and he wants you to make an appearance." 

"On Ellen? Tomorrow? I don't know..."

"You don't have to. But we need to make sure the public and the fans know the truth, before things get more out of hand." 

I sighed, "Okay. I'll do it." 

(Next Day)
I sat in a room backstage watching the show from a little tv. A guy with a headset came in the room, "You're on right after the commercials," he said, and left. I looked back at the tv.

"We'll be right back," Ellen said. I let out a nervous breath and exited the room. Joe and Kevin were backstage.

I walked up to them, "Uh guys...aren't you supposed to be like...out there?" 

"The producer wants just you and Nick," Kevin answered. I sighed.

"Great." 

"Don't worry. You'll be fine. Everyone is going to love you," Joe reassured.

"Yeah. I hope you're right." I made my way to the stage entrance.

I looked at the stage manager. "And we're on in 5..." My heart raced. "...4..." I didn't want to do this. "...3..." Ugh, someone get me out of here. "...2..." I let out a breath. "...1..."

 "Alright, let's give a warm welcome to ... Mystery Girl?" Ellen said. I walked to the couch, being sure to give Ellen a hug and dancing a moment before sitting down. "So, this is the question everyone has been just dying to know. What is your name?" Ellen asked.

I laughed, "Lizzie." 

"Now is that Lizzie Jonas? Like you're a sister or something? Or...is it something else?" 

I looked to Nick for support and started with my answer, "Actually, Mr. and Mrs. Jonas are my foster parents. So, technically, my last name is still Tatton."

"How long have they been your foster parents?" 

"Since I was seven." 

"So have you been with them on tour and everything?" 

"Yeah. We've managed to keep it on the down-low until...now." 

She laughed and grabbed a magazine from the table, "So how would you explain this?" she asked, pointing to the picture of Nick and me kissing on page 48.

Nick decided to cut in, "I really don't think there is an easy way to explain that. We had no idea we were being photographed. Lizzie and I are just friends." 

She looked at the picture, "Yeah...it looks like you guys are really close friends." The audience laughed.

I tried to keep my voice from shaking, "Friends with...benefits." 

"Oh...benefits. So then who is this guy in this picture?" she asked, pointing to the picture of Mike and me.

"That's Mike. He was at my party and he asked me out on a date." 

"I see. Well, thanks for coming on the show. Coming up, the Jonas Brothers perform their hit song Paranoid."

(Home)
I twirled my hair around with my finger, sprawled out on the couch. Joe and Frankie were sitting on the floor while Kevin and Nick sat in chairs. "When are we going back on tour?" I asked.

"Uh, a week, I think," Kevin answered. I listened to the tv for a minute, thinking. "What's going to happen now?"
 

Chapter 13

"I'm sorry, Mike! I was going to tell you!" I screamed.

"When? You're leaving tomorrow for the other side of the country! And then you're moving to Texas! When were you going to tell me?" he yelled.

"I said I was sorry! What do you want me to do? It's not like I have any control over this!" 

"Well then it was nice meeting you!" He stormed out. I stumbled over to my bed and laid down. There was a soft tap on my door. Nick came in and laid down next to me.

"How did Trish take it?" I asked.

"Worse then Mike. You should have heard her on the phone. She was...really mad." 

I sighed, "Great way to start off another tour." 

"Yeah." 

"I wonder how Ashley took it." 

"I thought she was coming with us." 

"She is?" 

"That's what I heard." 

"Oh. That's cool." 

"Yeah. Are you all packed?" 

"Yeah. Are you?" 

"Yeah." 

"That's good." Our fingers intertwined.

He said, "Yeah. It's great."

(Next Day)
I dragged myself onto the bus and climbed into my bunk. Last thing I wanted to do right now was go on tour. But here I am, sitting on the bus, once again. Only this time, something was different. Everybody knew who I was. I jumped down, made my way to the computer, and got on JonasBrothersFan.com. Pretty much everyone had at least three blogs about the Jonas Sister...and friends with benefits. Some were angry, some were excited, some thought it was a publicity stunt, and some just had mixed feelings.

"Watcha lookin' at?" Kevin asked, coming up from behind me.

"Nothing," I answered.

"Oh. Well, guess what?" 

"What?" 

"We got a Starbucks coffee maker." 

"Wow, Kevin. Only you would be so excited about that." 

"It's just so good." 

"Yeah. So you've said." Papa J called me into the back room. He and Mama J were sitting on the couch. I sat down next to them, "What's up?" 

"Well, we need to make sure the public and the fans have the right idea about you. So we'd like you to make small appearences on talk shows and at concerts. Talk shows are easy, but you're going to need something to do on stage during concerts," Papa J said.

"What exactly did you have in mind?" I asked nervously.

"We would like you to make a speech about why you are in the Jonas family and sing backup for "Much Better."

"You want me to tell people about my dad?" 

"No. Just that we are your foster parents and things like that." 

"And you want me to sing?" 

"Only if you are comfortable with it." 

"Uhm...I guess." 

"Great. So we'll get to work on the song as soon as you are ready." 

"I'm ready now..."

"Oh, okay. Well then let's get started."

(Before The First Concert)
"So I have to put these in my ears?" I asked, holding earbuds.

"Yeah...unless you want to hear ringing for the rest of your life," Joe said with a laugh.

"I'll just put those in later." I put them on the table and settled onto the couch.

Kevin sat next to me, "You are going to be fine. Don't worry." 

"Yeah. I'm just nervous. Do they know I'm making an appearence?" 

"I think so." 

"Oh. Okay..."

Chapter 14

I collapsed onto my bunk, "I don't know how you guys do it. That was...tortuous..."

"Aw," Kevin sat next to me, "You'll get used to it."

I closed my eyes, "Yeah. Right," and let myself fall asleep. There was a hard pound on the bus door, waking me up.

I jumped off my bunk and stood next to Nick, "Where are we?" 

"We're in Pheonix. You should go back to sleep, it's the middle of the night," he answered.

"Who's pounding on the door?" 

"I don't know. But you should go back to sleep." 

"No. I want to know who it was." 

Papa J came back inside, "It was no one. You can both go back to bed." I slipped under the covers and was just about to fall asleep when I heard Papa and Mama J talking.

"So her dad is still out there? Looking for her?" Mama J asked.

"Yes. We're going to have to keep an eye out," Papa J answered. I shivered. He's out there...looking for me.

(Next Morning)
"Did you sleep okay?" Nick asked as I dangled my feet over the edge of my bunk.

I ran my fingers through my hair, "Sure. Can we like...stop at a Starbucks or something?" 

He looked at me weird, "Sure." A few minutes later the bus pulled to a stop and we piled out, making our way into a nearby Starbucks. We ordered the usual and sat down. People were staring and taking pictures...but I guess it didn't matter that I was with them anymore. I asked Nick if we could sit somewhere else...alone. He agreed and we sat across the room.

I took a sip of my latte, "Nick..." 

"Yeah?" 

"I'm not going to drag this out...so here goes. I don't like this whole 'friends with benefits' thing. I don't want to do it anymore."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" 

"I think so."

"Lizzie...I only went along with that because I thought it was what you wanted. It was never what I wanted...ever. I always wanted to be with you." 

"You did?" 

"Yes!"

"Nick, I...I had no idea." "It's okay...Do you want to go somewhere?" I smiled, "I always want to go somewhere." We told the rest of the family that we were going on a walk and we wouldn't go far or be gone long. We left and made our way down the street, letting our fingers intertwine.

It was great until some girl had to scream, "OHMIGOSH IT'S NICK JONAS!" Which then led to Nick and me being chased by hordes of screaming girls. But we managed to outrun them and hide in an Olive Garden. Nick walked up to the hostess, who was speechless, and asked if we could have a table for two. We sat down, out of breath and laughing.

Chapter 15

I looked around, "People are staring." 

Nick shrugged, "Let them stare." 

"What time do you have to be at sound check?" 

"In an hour." 

"So we have time?" 

"Time to eat and get back."

"But we have time?" 

"Yes. We have time...Why? What do you want to do?" The waiter brought the check.

"Well...I was hoping we could like go to a park or something?" 

He laughed, "A park? We're in Pheonix. Do you know where any parks are in Pheonix?" 

"...No..." 

"Well then maybe it's not such a good idea," he said, paying the check, "considering we wouldn't want to get lost." We started walking out.

I smiled, "You and your logic." As we made our way back to where the bus was parked, people were taking pictures of us holding hands and following us...it was kind of creeper-ish.

"Hey Nick?" I asked.

"Yeah?" 

"Have you noticed your dad eyeing us lately?" 

"Actually, yeah. I have. It's kind of weird." 

"I know! It's kind of freaking me out..." 

"Just try to ignore it. That's what I do." 

"Ha, okay. Whatever you say."

(At The Concert That Night)
Miley and Nick were singing 'Before the Storm.' I hated the way she looked at him. It made me want to throw up. After she cheated on him, I had a completely different opinion about her. She didn't seem so sweet and innocent. And then she had to go and date a 21-year-old underwear model. That just set me off on a rampage around the tour bus. I was so mad. No one hurts my Nick and gets away with it.

As soon as the song was over, Miley left the stage. I glared at her as she passed me. I had known Miley was cheating on him as soon as she started. I tried to tell Nick...but he didn't believe me. That was the first and only time he turned his back on me.

Before I knew it, the concert was over. I was sitting in the back of the bus, Ashley came and sat down next to me. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I have this bad feeling. I hate being on tour with Miley. Have you seen the way she looks at Nick?" 

"Yeah. I have. But she has nothing on you! You are gorgeous and Nick is in love with you. Miley doesn't even stand a chance."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Thanks, Ashley. I know I can always count on you for support."

"That's what I'm here for. Besides, Miley is leaving the bus in a minute so we can move on to the next city."

"Sh-She's on the bus?!"

"Yeah. You didn't know that?"

"NO!" I made my way to the front of the bus, only to find Miley kissing Nick...or Nick kissing Miley...on his bunk. "What are you doing?!" He pulled away, staring at me. Miley had that evil glare. "Well? Are you going to answer? What are you doing?!" I was practically screaming on the top of my lungs. The entire family was watching now.

"This...it isn't what it looks like," Nick said, trying to be calm and rational. I crossed my arms.

"Oh really? Well what does it look like to you? Because, to me, it looks like you were having a little make-out session with Miley. If you wanted to be with her you should have just said so. Then we wouldn't have had to go through all the trouble of even being friends." I climbed onto my bunk and shut the curtain. It was completely silent for a few minutes, then I heard the bus door open and close, then we started moving. I wasn't proud of what I had just said. That were the exact words Nick had said to me when I told him Miley was cheating on him. I will never forget when he turned his back on me:

"Nick...Miley is cheating on you. I would never ever lie to you about that, and you know I wouldn't. I don't want to see you get hurt," I said.

"Oh yeah?! Well...she is not cheating on me! She wouldn't do that! I know Miley! I know her better than you do! And I know she wouldn't do that!" he screamed.

"Nick, please. You know I could never lie to you about something like that."

"If you didn't want me to be with her you should have said so in the first place. Then we wouldn't have had to go through all the trouble of even being friends."

Chapter 16

We made our way to Dallas, the next stop. I wouldn't speak to Nick. I hardly even looked at him, no matter how much he begged. It's not like I wanted to treat him like that...I just had to. I had never turned my back on Nick. I had never not spoken to him for more than an hour. It broke my heart to treat him like this, but I didn't dare let him see that. The bus pulled to a stop. We piled out, did soundcheck, did the concert, and left.

A few days passed. I hadn't spoken to Nick in five days, eight hours, and 34 minutes. We were both becoming lifeless without the other. We were at the concert in Knoxville, Tennessee. I was backstage, sitting on the floor with my back against the wall, relxaing after my appearence. Nick and Miley were singing 'Before the Storm.' I was beginning to think he loved her and not me when Nick sang my favorite line in the song, "Flooded with all this pain. Knowing that I'll never hold her. Like I did before the storm." I thought about it for a moment and then I realized something. I thought back to my birthday. That night...when Nick and I were dancing in the neighbor's gazebo, he was holding me...and then it started raining...there was a storm that night. He held me...before a storm...and he hasn't held me like that since...

That's when I started to connect the dots.

The concert ended and Nick was the last to leave the stage. I raced up to him and took him to a closet full of instruments. "That song...it's about me, isn't it?" I asked.

"Before the Storm?" he asked, confused.

"The line in the song! Is it about me?!" I was trying to keep my voice down so people wouldn't hear. He didn't say anything for a minute, I assumed he was trying to figure out which line I was talking about. Then his face lit up, and he realized what I meant.

"Yeah. It's about you."

Chapter 17

He pressed his lips to mine and for one sheer moment, everything went away, and nothing else mattered except him and me...and us. Then Joe decided to open the door and we pulled away. "Oh...sorry...but we have to leave," he said. We left, hand in hand.

"So do you forgive me?" he asked as soon as we made it onto the bus.

"Of course," I said.

(Later)
I sat on my bed with my feet dangling over the edge. Everyone had fallen asleep and I thought I was the only one awake...until I heard Joe's voice, "Why are you still awake?"

"I can't sleep," I answered.

"Come down here. Let's talk." I jumped down and laid down next him in his bunk. A great thing about having the bunk above Joe's is he loves to cuddle. He's a really great big brother. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing...I was just...thinking."

"About what?"

"About...things."

"I can't help you if you don't tell me."

"Why am I here, Joe? I shouldn't be here. I should live in a house...with a mom...and a dad. And I should have friends...and go to high scho-"

"But you don't. You can't change what has already happened. Everyone asks themselves why things happen. And all things happen for a reason, but we'll never know why. Sure, those are things you think you should have, but you don't and there's nothing you can do about that. But, Lizzie, if Nick didn't have you...he would have nothing. You brought the kid to life. I can see it in his eyes. He loves you."

"I just...I don't know."

"Just don't rush anything."

"Okay. Joe?"

"What?"

"Can I sleep on your bunk tonight?"

"Sure." I put my head on his chest and closed my eyes.

"Hey, Joe?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm in love with your brother."

Chapter 18

"Psst. Lizzie. Are you awake?" My eyes fluttered open to see Frankie standing there with one of his Webkinz.

"Hey, Frankie. What's up?"

"Can I sleep on your bunk?"

"Why? What's wrong with your bunk?"

"I like top bunks more."

"Oh, yeah, okay, whatever." I closed my eyes and tried to fall back to sleep but I just couldn't. "Man," I thought, "Joe's chest is comfortable. Maybe I should date him..." I should my head. "No way, I love Nick...I think...Besides, Joe is dating Ashley." I started dozing off when Joe moved, causing me to fall off the bunk and on to the floor. He chuckled sleepily. "I'm never going to get to sleep am I?"

"Aw, I"m sorry," he said. He got off his bunk, picked me up, laid me back down on his bunk, cuddled back up with me so that he was closest to the edge, and let me put my head back on his chest. "Are you okay? That must have hurt."

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I looked at him. He was staring at me. He touched my cheek and smiled at me. He kissed my forehead and ran his fingers through my hair. He put his hand over mine and intertwined our fingers.

"Sleep. You need it." I closed my eyes. "Lizzie?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you really love him?" I knew he was talking about Nick.

"I don't know. Do you really love Ashley?"

I started to drift off to sleep and the last thing I heard from him was, "I don't know."

Chapter 19

I yawned, not wanting to get out of bed. Joe was just so comfortable. I felt his fingers run through my hair. "Are you awake?" he asked.

"Barely." I kept my eyes closed, hoping I would fall back to sleep.

"So I was thinking...maybe we could get Nick and Kevin girlfriends..."

"Ugh, Joe. I'm too tired to think. Besides, Nick and Kevin can find their own girlfriends, we aren't dating, and Ashley is going to be on tour with us and you're dating her and I'm dating Nick."

"Good point. Nevermind then."

"Maybe after the tour, Joe. But right now...maybe it's best to just forget about it."

"Yeah. You're right."

Several weeks passed and the tour seemed the drag on. Joe and I sent...questionable looks to each other. No one seemed to notice. I stayed with Nick, being sure not to get to close, in hopes that he wouldn't get hurt in the end.

Once the tour was over, we headed to the new Texas home. It was huge. And, in the backyard, there was a hammock with a view of a lake. After I had unpacked, I made my way to the hammock, watching the sunset and gently pushing myself back and forth. "Can we talk?" Nick asked from the doorway.

"Sure," I answered.

"I've noticed the way you and Joe have been looking at each other..."

"You have?"

"Yeah...if there's something going on between you two...you should just tell me. I won't be mad."

"Well...I was going to tell you. Joe and I...we both have feelings for each other. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I..met someone..actually."

"You did? Who?"

"Well her name is Hailey. You'd like her."

"Maybe I'll get to meet her soon."

Chapter 20

"Hey, lil bro. Mom wants your help in the kitchen," Joe said, coming out of the house. Nick went inside and Joe laid down next to me. "So how did he take it?"

"Fine, actually. He was totally okay with it. And he met someone."

"Who?"

"Some girl named Hailey."

"Oh. ... Lizzie?" I turned to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"I just...wanna try something." He inched his face closer and pressed his lips against mine. He rolled on top of me, making the hammock almost flip. I shrieked.

"Joe! You're going to tip the hammock!"

"No I'm not!" He kept kissing me, refusing to stop. But, when he shifted his weight again, just like I said, he flipped the hammock. He landed on the ground, groaning, while I landed on top of him, giggling.

"I told you. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine. I just have one little favor."

"And what might that be?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

Chapter 21

We backed up, falling onto my bed. He kissed me fiercly. I searched for his left hand and shoved it into his face, pulling away. We both stared at it...his purity ring, sighing. "Why won't you marry me?" he asked. This wasn't the first time he had "popped the question." He hadn't done the traditional get-down-on-one-knee-with-a-ring-in-a-box thing. He just asked one day while we were staring at his ring. But I declined.

"Joe, I'm 16. You're 21. We have to wait," I answered. And we had only been in a relationship for a month or two. It was too soon, and he knew it. But we were madly in love. And so were Nick and Kevin. Nick had introduced us to Hailey one night when he invited her over to dinner. Kevin fell head over heels for a girl named Morgan who lives down the street. They met when she brought a plate of brownies to welcome us to the neighborhood. Hailey, Morgan, and I had become good friends, practically sisters.

We continued to stare at his ring, disappointed. "Maybe we should elope?" he suggested. I laughed.

"To where?"

"Uh...what about Ohio?" This made me laugh even harder.

"Why Ohio?"

"Well...I read about this city in Ohio that's in the Top 100 Places To Live. It'd be a great place to just be alone and get away from it all."

"We can't Joe. I mean, what about the family? And the band? We just can't do that. Before we make stupid decisions, we should just slow down and wait."

Chapter 22

"Joe..." His lips flowed from my cheek down to my neck. I gasped. "Joe! Stop!" He pulled away.

"What? What's wrong? Did I go too far again?" he asked wtih a very serious look on his face. We didn't joke around when it came to going to far. If people knew about us, he'd be arrested for dating someone who is underage.

"A little...I'm sorry, Joe. We just need to slow down. I'm not ready for these feelings." We both forced a weak smile.

"Don't be sorry. It's my fault. I shouldn't have gone so far. And you're right. We should slow down. I apologize." I pressed my lips against his.

"It's okay. Thank you for being so understanding." Nick opened the door to my room.

"Dinner's ready," he said. Joe took my hand and led me downstairs. Morgan shot me the I-can-tell-you've-been-making-out-again look. I winked at her, running my fingers through my hair. Joe looked at me.

"Don't listen to her. You look gorgeous," he whispered. I giggled quietly. He pulled out my chair for me and I sat down. I sat between Morgan and Hailey. Kevin sat across from Morgan, Joe sat across from me, Hailey sat across from Nick, Frankie sat next to Nick, and Mama & Papa J sat at the ends of the table. Papa J eyed me suspiciously. I tried not to notice.

After dinner, everyone decided to watch a movie. Frankie was sent up to his room to watch a more age appropriate movie, Mama J and Papa J went to their room to ... do whatever it is they do, and the rest of us watched Transformers. Kevin and Morgan sat in the large chair to the right and Nick and Hailey sat in the large chair to the left, leaving Joe and I the couch in the center.

I tried to concentrate on the movie, but it was difficult with Joe trying to lock lips with me every three seconds. I eventually gave up the struggle to ignore him. After a few minutes, I felt something soft and warm hit my cheek. I looked down to see a few pieces of popcorn in my lap. "Do you guys ever come up for air?" Hailey joked. Joe glared at her. She smiled apologetically. He took my hand and led me upstairs. I could only imagine the looks Kevin, Nick, Morgan, and Hailey were giving each other.

Joe pulled out a pen and a piece of paper from his desk drawer and began scratching words out on the paper. "Joe, what're you doing?" I asked. He didn't answer me, so after a few minutes, I asked again. "Joe! What are you doing?!" He handed me the pen.

"Sign it." I skimmed the page.

"No, Joe! I am not going through with this. Absolutely not. I thought we were going to wait! I thought we agreed!"

"I love you. You know that. But I can't wait anymore. I have to be with you." I forced my lips onto his and signed the paper. "Thank you."

"I love you, Joe. And I always will."

Chapter 23

~ Dreamers

You see everything in color

While the world is getting darker

Love is on it's way ~

I threw all the necessities into a large duffel bag, letting a few tears fall out of my eyes. I stopped in everyone's room for a moment before heading downstairs, knowing it might be the last time I see them for a while. Trying to force the tears to stop, I headed downstairs. Joe noticed I was crying. "Don't cry. We'll see them again soon. I promise." I handed him my keys since we decided to take my car. He threw our duffel bags in the backseat, alone with food and put a bag with plenty of money in the front seat. We pushed the car down the street and then started it, hoping not to wake anyone.

"Why are we doing this, Joe?" I asked. He glanced at me before turning his attention back to the road.

"Because I love you." We drove for about six hours before stopping at a motel. The sun was beginning to rise. Joe let me sleep on the bed and he slept on the couch that folded out into another bed. I thought about the family, who were probably just finding out Joe and I had left...

~ Family Perspective ~

Mr. Jonas made his way down the stairs sleepily for his morning coffee and newspaper. He was surprised to see a letter on the table. He skimmed the first few senteces. "Denise!" he screamed, running up the stairs.

"What's wrong?" she asked, coming out of their room. "Why are you yelling?"

"Read this!" He shoved it into her hands. She gasped, her hand automatically clasping her mouth. They searched Joe and Lizzie's rooms, finding them both empty. Mrs. Jonas instantly began crying. Mr. Jonas tried to comfort her, but wasn't sure how to react.

After everyone else had woken up and had breakfast, the Jonas parents called a family meeting in the living room. Morgan and Hailey were invited over since they were considered part of the family. "We have some very bad news," Mr. Jonas began.

"Where are Joe and Lizzie?!" Kevin asked, immediately concerned for his little brother and 'sister.'

"The letter explains everything." He looked down and began reading:

Dear Family,

          We know that as you read this you will be upset with us. All we ask is that you forgive us and support our decisions. We have left. We are not sure where we are headed, but hopefully the road will lead us to the right place. Please know that we only did this because we love each other. This is the hardest decision we have had to make and we cannot apologize enough for what we have done.
          Frankie, stay strong, little man. We love you.
          Kevin and Nick, please forgive us. We love you so much, and apologize for leaving the band so suddenly. Never stop living the dream.
          Mom and Dad, we can only pray that you will find the love in your hearts to forgive us. We are so sorry and we love you more than anything in the world. We will never forget how blessed we are to have you as parents. We promise not to do anything we will regret. We promise to stay pure and true. Please don't forget that.
          We love you all so much. We cannot apologize enough. We will call as soon as we can.

Love,
Joe and Lizzie

Chapter 24

~ I'm going crazy

Trying to figure out

Why you are leavin' ~

Lizzie's Perspective

We had been driving for what seemed like forever. "Where are we?" I asked.

"We passed a sign that said Welcome to Oklahoma a really long time ago, while you were sleeping. So I assume we are almost to Missouri by now," Joe answered. I yawned, still groggy from my nap.

"Where are we going?"

"Well...do you remember that city I told you about a while back?"

"Uhm...yeah."

"That's where we're headed. Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. You're going to love it there. In the summer, every Friday they have this festival called Rockin' on the River. And in the winter, they put up an ice rink. It's at a place called the Riverfront. It's by a river, so it has a boardwalk, and a ton of little shops and things. And it's right across the street from our hotel, which has a view of the river."

"Wow...that sounds like a lot. But it also sounds really nice...I'm glad we're doing this, Joe." His phone began to vibrate. Before answering, he checked the Caler ID and looked at me. "Who is it?"

"Dad." He flipped open his phone and put it on speaker so I could hear. "Hey, Dad."

"Joseph Adam Jonas! Where are you?!" he asked. He didn't sound angry...just worried.

"We're still in Oklahoma, Dad. But we should be in Missouri by tonight."

"Where are you going?"

"Ohio. We're going to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio."

"Just tell me what you want us to do, Joe. Do you want us to leave tonight and meet you there in a few days?"

"I think we just want to be alone for a few days. But we'll call you. I'm sorry, Dad. We are both sorry. But we just couldn't wait anymore. We had to be together - "

"It's okay. We, as your family, will support every decision you make. I just need you to promise me one thing. I need you to promise that you will both stay pure and not break your promise."

"We promise, Dad. But I have to keep driving. We'll call as soon as we can. We love you. All of you."

"We know. Goodbye, Joseph. Call soon."

Chapter 25

~ The future's out of focus

When you're blinded

By the light ~

~ Lizzie's Perspective ~

His lips pressed against mine, his gentle touch caressing me. I giggled. "Joe..." He shushed me. "Joe...we have to stop." He rolled off of me. We were both breathing hard.

"Just wait until we're married," he commented. I laughed.

"But for now we'll have to wait and not go too far. Strictly kissing."

"Of course." He switched on the tv. I put my head on his chest. "Go to sleep. We'll get an early start tomorrow morning." He looked at me. "I love you." I closed my eyes and let myself begin drift off to sleep.

"I love you too."

~ Family Perspective ~

Mrs. Jonas turned to her husband. "When do you think we'll see them again?" she asked.

"They'll come back. They just want to be together as much as they can. They're in love."

"But, Kevin, what if they get married?"

"They won't get married. They'll come back when Lizzie is 18. Joe will formally propose and they'll get married then. They're not going to lose contact with the family. And we just might be able to convice them to come home early."

"How do you know all this?"

"I know my kids."

"I just don't want them to get hurt."

"They're not going to get hurt. They love each other. The way that they look at each other is completely indescribable."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

Chapter 26

~ With every strike of lightening

Comes a memory

That lasts ~

~ Lizzie's Perspective ~

I threw my duffel bag on the floor and collapsed on the bed. "Finally!" I exclaimed. We had reached Cuyahoga Falls. Joe booked us a room at a hotel named the Sheritan. It had a view of the river, just like he said. And it was right across the street from the Riverfront, just like he said. He fell next to me on the bed.

"Tell me about it!" he agreed. "I can't wait to just sleep. I got up and picked up the phone, dialing the house number.

"Hello?"

"Kev? It's Lizzie."

"Ohmigod! Lizzie! Is Joe there? Where are you guys? You haven't...done anything that you're going to regret, have you?"

"Calm down, Kev. Joe's here. We're fine. And no, we haven't. And just in case you were wondering, Joe is still wearing his purity ring." He let out a sigh of relief and moved on to his next question.

"Where are you guys?"

"We're in Ohio. We're staying at a hotel called the Sheritan right now."

"I'm so happy that you guys are safe. Do you know when you're coming home?"

"I don't know, Kev. But we're both exhausted so I'm gonna go. Tell everyone we're here and safe and not doing anything stupid. Tell them we love them and miss them so much. We'll call again soon. Bye, Kevin."

"Please call soon. Bye." I set the phone back on the receiver. Joe had already taken off his shurt, leaving his sweatpants on, and crawled under the covers.  I put on a tank top and shorts and slid in next to him. He looked at me, pushing his lips onto mine. He pulled me on top of him, making me giggle.

"Joe...what're you doing?" He didn't answer for a few minutes.

"Do you love me?"

"Of course." His hands lingered down to my waist. My eyes shot open and I rolled off the bed as I realized what he was doing. "No, Joe. We are NOT doing that! We've come this far. We can't do that! We...we just can't, Joe!" He climbed out of bed and kissed me, pushing my body to his.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away. Let's just...sleep." He grabbed my wrists and led me back to the bed, tucking me in. He went around to the other side and crawled in. We fell asleep cuddling and holding hands under the covers.

~ Family Perspective ~

"And then she said that they weren't doing anything stupid," Kevin told the family.

"Did she say anything else?" Mrs. Jonas persisted.

"She said to tell everyone that they love us and miss us. And they'll call again soon."

"Where are they?" Mr. Jonas asked.

"Uh...I'm pretty sure she said they were in Ohio. Some hotel called the Sheritan."

"That's in Cuyahoga Falls! That's where Joe said they were headed!"

"So that means we can go see them!" Nick assumed.

"I'm afraid not, Nicholas. When they're ready, they will call us," Mr. Jonas answered," But for now, we'll have to be patient.

Chapter 27

~ I could see the world

Through your eyes

Leave it all

Behind ~

~ Lizzie's Perspective ~

"What kind of hotel puts orange juice in a wine glass?" I asked, taking a sip. Joe chuckled.

"The fancy kind!" he answered. We had ordered breakfast in bed. Omelets, eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, and...orange juice. We were starving. The food we packed didn't exactly suffice. I mean, we had enough, but it wasn't the delicious home cooked meals that we were used to.

"Mmm...this is so amazing!" I exclaimed, stuffing another bite of pankcake into my mouth. Joe looked at me, staring for a moment.

"I love you."

"I love you too."  He set the dishes outside of the room as soon as we were finished.

"So what do you want to do today?" he asked.

"We shoud call, Joe. I told Kevin we would call."

"Actually, I was thinking...they'd have to drive, so it would take them a few days, but they could come see us." I practically screamed.

"Really, Joe?! I mean, really? Oh, thank you! I've been dying to see them!"

"Do you want to make the call or should I?" He picked up the phone. I rushed over to him.

"I'm too excited. You do it!" He smiled and dialed Papa J's number.

"Joseph! How are you two?" he answered. I could tell he was trying to sound happy, but Joe and I could both tell he was upset.

"Hey, Dad. We're great. We actually have a small favor to ask."

"Well, ask away!"

"Do you think you guys would like to come see us?"

"Really? I mean...are you two ready for us?"

"Yeah. We are."

"Well, we'll leave by tomorrow and see you in a few days!"

"Okay. Bye, Dad!" Joe put the phone back on the receiver. I gave him a huge hug. He put his hands on my waist, gently pulling me in closer, and pressing his lips onto mine. My fingers intertwined with his soft hair. He slowly inched us closer to the bed, thinking I wouldn't notice. His lips pressed harder. The back of my knees hit the bed and I fell onto it. He crawled over me, trapping me between his arms. He slowly moved us to the top of the bed. I put my hands on his (still) bare chest. I felt one of his hands touch the strap of my tank top, forcing my conscience to tell me that we were going too far. I pulled away and pushed him off of me.

"Stop it, Joe!" I screamed. I crossed the room to the window and stared at the river below. After a few moments, I heard him climb out of bed. He came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. I looked down and put my hands on his, stroking his purity ring.

"I'm sorry. I just love you so much. . ."

"Joseph Adam Jonas, if you loved me, you would wait."

Chapter 28

~ Stuck in a room

Of staring faces

Caught in a nightmare

Can't wake up ~

~ Lizzie's Perspective ~

I watched him throw his bags into the trunk of his car. Tears wouldn't stop flowing from my eyes. "Joe! Please don't do this, Joe! I love you! Please, Joe! Please!" I begged. He walked over to me without even the slightest hint of love glistening in his eyes like it used to.

"I don't love you anymore. I'm leaving you. Forever." He slid the diamond engagement ring he had given me off my finger and placed it in his pocket. I ran after his car.

"Joe!" I screamed his name over and over, chasing after him. I panted as his car drove out of sight. I couldn't stop the tears. I could hardly even speak. "But I love you."

I shot up in the bed, screaming and panting in a cold sweat. Joe immediately woke up after me. "What? What happened?!" he asked. My heavy breathing started to slow.

"Nothing. It's nothing. Just...a bad dream."

"What happened?" I put my face in my hands and began to cry.

"You were gone, Joe. You were gone! You left me. Forever." He wrapped his arms around me and lowered me down onto his chest.

"Shh. It's okay. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to leave you. Ever. I love you." I cried myself to sleep in his arms. It had been two days since we had invited the family. They'll be arriving at our hotel tomorrow morning.

(Next Morning)
"I threw my hair into a ponytail. Joe and were just about to make our way downstairs to the lobby when he turned to me and said, "They know we didn't...do anything right?"

"They should. We told them multiple times." He walked over to me and pressed his lips onto mine.

"Good." We took the glass elevator from our top floor room to the lobby. Joe put his arm around my waist as we waited for the family to walk through the doors. The first to come through was Frankie, then Nick and Hailey, then Kevin and Morgan, then Papa J and Mama J. We were instantly overwhelmed by hugs. We took everyone to their room. It was the room next to ours.

After they were settled in, we went to the buffet. Joe and I were sitting next to each other. He grabbed my left hand, holding it under the table. I looked at him, he winked at me. A few seconds later, Morgan gasped. Everyone stared at her. She wouldn't look away from me. "Let me see your left hand," she demanded. I lifted my left hand from under the table. Finding it ringless, she turned to Joe. He sighed and showed her that he wasn't holding anything in his hand. "Hailey, check the floor." She did. There was nothing there. Joe tried to reason with her.

"Morgan, you're being paranoid. We are not engaged," he said. She crossed her arms, still not believing us.

"Morgan. Really. We are NOT engaged!" I reassured. She slowly uncrossed her arms and picked up her fork.

"Fine," she muttered, "But no more holding hands under the table." Everyone let out a chuckle and began eating again.

Once we finished eating, Mama J wanted to take the girls shopping, so Papa J took the boys to Dick's Sporting Goods, which was good for Joe and me, considering we didn't know where anything was and this would give us a chance to see what's in the area.

"So...Lizzie...Don't you miss home?" Hailey asked as we walked through the mall. Morgan elbowed her. "Ow!"

"Way to be suttle!" Morgan said sarcastically. I let out a soft giggle.

"Of course I do," I started. "You have no idea how much I miss it."

"Then why won't you come home?" Mama J cut in.

"This is what Joe wants. And I love him. I just want him to be happy."

"But is it what you want?"

"Well...no..."

"Then why are you here? Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want to be with Joe. This is where he wanted to be, so I made this the place that I wanted to be."

~ Joe's Perspective ~

Dad was taking us to Dick's Sporting Goods. I don't know why. Male bonding, maybe. Mom took the girls to the mall. I was staring out the backseat window. "Maybe I should get her an engagement ring..." I thought. We pulled into the parking lor and walked in. "So...Joe...Don't you miss home?" Nick asked. Kevin elbowed him. "Ow!"

"Way to be suttle!" Kevin said sarcastically. I chuckled quietly.

"Of course I do," I started. "You have no idea how much I miss it."

"Then why won't you come home?" Dad cut in.

"I love Lizzie. I have to be with her."

"You can be with her at home."

"I'm going to marry her, Dad. I wanted to give her something to remember before we settle down. I love her."

"I know you love her. But, Joe, this isn't what you should be doing. She only has two years before she turns eighteen. Take her somewhere really special. You can't just run away like this. Come home. We're your family. We're here for you. We can start planning your wedding now. So when she turns eighteen, you'll be ready. Just...come home, Joe."

Chapter 29

~ And the lights out

Never had this bright a glow

And the black keys

Showing me a world I never knew ~

~ Joe's Perspective ~

"Alright, kids. Time to get back to your own rooms," Dad said. Lizzie and I said goodnight to Kevin, Morgan, Nick, and Hailey. As soon as they left our room, Lizzie made her way to the bed. I grabbed her wrist, spun her around, and set my lips onto hers, clasping my right hand on the back of her head so she couldn't pull away unless she literally pushed me off. I picked her up and carried her over to the bed, laying her down gently. I expected her to stop me when I rolled her on top of me. Instead she just giggled and returned my kisses. It's not like I was going to go all the way with her, she just assumes that those are my intentions.

"Joe..." she whispered. There she goes. Assuming that we are going to go to far.

"We're not doing anything wrong," I whispered back. We continued to kiss even though she thought we needed to stop.

"We just need to stop, Joe." She rolled off of me. We were both out of breath. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I can wait." I pulled her up close to me. She automatically put her head on my chest.

"I love you." The moment she said that, I knew. I knew I would be able to wait. I knew I would love her forever. I knew she was mine.

Chapter 30

Author's Note: The rest of this fanfic will be written from Lizzie's Perspective. I might decide to occasionally write something from Joe's Perspective. I don't know...we'll see. I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter. I thought it would be interesting to read one of the almost-going-too-far scenes from Joe's Perspective. Thanks!

(Two Years Later)
I was finally 18. Just had my birthday a few weeks ago. It was fantastic. ... Oh, I'm sorry. You probably want to know what has happened during the past two years.

Joe and I came home. The rest of the family had talked us into it. Kevin proposed to Morgan. Their wedding is set for June 15th. Today is May 6th. We're in the dress shop now. Hailey and I are helping Morgan pick out her wedding dress.

"I'm just starting to wander if he's ever going to propose," I said, staring at my hands.

"Oh, please! He's going to pop the question soon. I can feel it." Hailey commented.

"What do you guys think about this one?" Morgan asked, completely oblivious to the conversation Hailey and I were having. We looked at her and gasped.

"Ohmigod. Morgan, that looks amazing!" Hailey exclaimed. She had on a pure white, silk dress.

A few minutes later, Morgan paid for the dress. We were all really happy with her decision. We drove home, having few conversations. I really hadn't paid much attention, lost in my own thoughts, wondering when Joe was going to propose.

After a few more weeks of preparation, the day finally came. Morgan was a nervous wreck. She was afraid that Kevin wasn't going to say "I do." We all knew she was just being paranoid. Kevin loves her, more than anything.

Once the ceremony was over, everyone drove to a hotel ballroom for the reception. Joe and I were slow dancing. My arms were wrapped around his neck while his hands rested gently on my waist. I could hardly look at him. He just stared at me, trying to figure out what was on my mind. "What's wrong?" he finally asked. I looked down. It was hard enough to tell him the truth...but looking at him and seeing his face when I asked him if he was ever going to propose would be unbearable. I felt his hands leave my waist. One of them gently lifted my chin. My eyes lingered back to his. "What's wrong? Are you okay? You're not...having second thoughts...about us...are you?" I noticed the panic in his eyes. Like I had stopped loving him.

"No! Joe...I love you. So much. I just...It's nothing. Nevermind. Just forget it."

"Lizzie, please. I love you. Whatever it is, you can tell me." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nick, Hailey, Kevin, and Morgan sharing glances, wondering what was going on. I took a step away from Joe.

"I'm sorry...I just...I can't." I felt the tears fill my eyes. I stood on the tips of my toes and kissed him on the cheek. The pain in his eyes was growing, but I just couldn't face him. And I definitely couldn't tell him the truth. I turned around and ran out the door. I ran a few blocked before plopping down on a bench and putting my head in my hands, unable to stop the tears. Morgan sat down next to me. I have no idea how she ran all that way in a wedding dress. She let me cry for a while. I was the first to say anything. "He's n-never go-going t-to p-pr-propose!"

"How can you say that?!" she exclaimed. "He loves you so much, Lizzie. Without you, Joe would have absolutely nothing. He would be so...lifeless. Give him time. And you know he's going to propose when you least expect it. I mean, this is Joe we're talking about." I forced a weak smile. Kevin and Joe walked down the street and stood next to us. I could tell Kevin was there for support, and it looked like Joe needed it as much as I did. "I'll meet you back at the reception." She got up and walked back to the party with Kevin.

Joe just stood there for a minute. I couldn't even look at him. I could only imagine how disappointed in me he was. He probably wanted to scream at me. But instead he just sat down, put my head on his chest, and let me cry for hours. At one point, Papa J pulled up to the side of the road and asked when we were coming home. Joe told him that we would take his car and be home in a while. All that crying made me exhausted, but Joe still insisted that we have a talk.

Chapter 31

Author’s Note: Thanks to all the readers and commenters! I love comments, so keep them coming! I quite enjoy responding to as many comments as I can. Also, a very special thank you goes out to SexyCanI for her lovely idea used at the very very end of this chapter. - Lizzie

I fought the tears as Joe stroked my hair. "Lizzie," he began," Hailey told me what's going on. How could you think that I'm never going to propose to you?! I love you! Of course I'm going to propose! I've just been waiting for the right moment. I'm sorry I scared you by waiting so long." He pulled me in tighter. I grabbed a fistful of his shirt and squeezed it, never wanting to let go of him. He was right, though. He did scare me. I really thought he was never going to propose. "It's late. We should go. I can go get the car if you want." I shook my head.

My makeup had smeared and I'm sure my eyes were red. Mostly because of Joe, but partly because Kevin and Morgan had left for their six week honeymoon in Maui. I didn't even get to say goodbye because I was too busy crying over Joe. I hated him for making me want him so much.

He continued to run his fingers through my soft, wavy, blonde locks as I sniffled. "Please don't cry. I'm sorry. I am. But I have something that will make you feel better." I watched his hand drift into the pocket of his jacket. "I was going to do this earlier...but you ran off, so I couldn't. Better late than never." He pulled out a small, round, red box.

"Joe..." I whispered. He undid the gold lock on the front and opened it slowly. Inside, packed in tight by red velvet, was a brilliant cut, .85 karat, diamond engagement ring.

"Will you marry me?" He was proposing. Right here, right now. And at the worst time possible, my voice escaped me. Of all the moments in my life to lose my voice, it was happening now. I simply nodded as he slid it onto my finger. He lifted my chin and pressed his lips to mine.

He scooped me up from the bench, keeping our faces inches apart, and walked back to his car. Once there, he opened up the door to the backseat and whispered, "Do you trust me?"

"Of course," I mumbled back. I knew exactly what he was doing. "I'm ready. I love you." He laid me down gently and climbed on top of me, shutting the door.

"I love you."

And we got caught up in the moment.

http://www.diamondvues.com/archives/Vatche%20Pear%20Shape%20Ring.JPG
(Ring) [Lovely, isn't it?]

Chapter 32

I groaned, slowly awakening from a very peaceful slumber. Noticing that whatever I was lying on didn't feel like my bed, my eyes fluttered open to see the back of the driver's seat in Joe's car. Joe was still sleeping comfortably underneath me.

I was wearing underwear and Joe's button-up shirt from last night. He was wearing boxers and smelled of Axe. I love Axe. His pants, jacket, shoes and my dress and shoes were lying on the floor. His purity ring was also lying there.

My eyes lingered to the windows, which were all fogged up. The sky was still a bit dark, but it was getting lighter. Birds were singing. I assumed it was probably around 5 or 6 in the morning.

"Hello, beautiful," Joe whispered. I looked back at him. He was staring at me, his eyes sparkling. He crashed his lips onto mine.

"Good morning, handsome," I mumbled back.

"Did you have a nice night?" I giggled and kissed him again.

"What will your parents think? And Kevin...he'll be so disappointed. And Nick...he needs a good example."

"They don't have to know. Every time we kiss...it's so hard for me to stop. What we did...it was long overdue. We're getting married. We have been waiting two years for this. I'm sorry if this isn't what you wanted, but you said you were ready. I have no regrets."

"Joseph Adam Jonas, how can you be so sure of yourself?"

"I have you." His phone began to vibrate from the floor. I picked it up and held it to his ear. "Hello?" There was some yelling on the other end. "Sorry, Dad. We lost track of time and fell asleep. Give us a few more hours, we're still exhausted. I promise we'll be home soon." The voice was calmer as it said a few more things. "Love you too. Bye, Dad." I closed his phone and through it back on the floor, pressing my lips lightly against his. "You should go back to sleep. I can tell you're still tired."

"Okay." There was a moment of silence. "Joe?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't regret it."

Chapter 33

"Are you sure we should tell them?" I asked as Joe opened the passenger door for me.

"Of course I'm sure. And about the wedding, I was thinking that we should set a date soon. I want to get married as soon as possible." He held my hand as we walked up to the front door.

"What's the rush?" He spun me around and pressed my back to the door.

"I have been waiting two years to marry you. I'm not going to wait much longer." He pushed his lips onto mine. "I love you." His lips ran down my neck.

"Joe...I'm scared." He pulled away and stared into my eyes.

"Of what?"

"Of what?! Of what we did! You don't even deserve to wear this!" I gestured to his purity ring.

"It'll be my engagement ring. There is nothing to be afraid of. I'm here, and I don't plan on going anywhere. Ever." He put his hands on my waist and slid them around to my lower back, pulling me in and pressing his lips to my neck once again.

The front door flew open. Joe let go of me. I whirled around to see Mama J and Hailey at the door. Mama J hugged me and exclaimed, "I was so worried!" Hailey stood there awkwardly for a moment, then gasped.

"Ohmigod! You're engaged?!" she asked. Mama J pulled away. She and Hailey stared at the ring on my left hand.

"Uh yeah...He proposed last night," I confessed. Mama J instantly began tearing up.

"I can finally call you my daughter!" she cried. I forced a light smile. They dragged me inside to the kitchen table, immediately discussing wedding details. Leaving Joe behind without a second thought. I glanced back at him. He gestured for me to go on. I watched him sit on the stairs and pull out his phone. He was probably texting Kevin. Nick walked slowly down the stairs, also texting. He peeked over to the table and smiled.

"Hailey! When did you get here? I thought you weren't coming over for another hour?" he asked, rushing over to her.

"Well, your mom told me that Lizzie and Joe weren't home yet...so I came over. And then I find out that they're engaged!" she answered. Nick looked at me.

"Lizzie! When did you get here? Where's Joe?" He was obviously so lost in his texting, that he didn't notice he almost tripped over Joe while he was coming down the stairs. Before I could answer, he looked at my left hand. "Ohmigod! You're engaged?! Since when?" Joe walked over to us, laughing.

"Someone got up on the clueless side of the bed today," he said. "I proposed to her last night."

"That's awesome! Congrats guys! I'm sure Hailey would love to help plan your wedding, but we have plans. We'll be back later. See ya!" he yelled, walking out the door with Hailey. Mama J sighed and dropped a huge book on the table.

"This is the wedding book I used to help Morgan with her wedding," she said, flipping it open. There, on the very first page, was a picture of a bride and her father walking down the aisle as he gave her away. My smile instantly faded.

"Maybe we could do this later..." Joe suggested. I stood up and left the table, making my way to the back yard. I fell onto the hammock and let a tear fall. I had no one to walk me down the aisle and give me away. Joe sat down on the hammock. "Don't be upset. I'm sure Dad would be more than happy to give you away. You don't need your real dad. You have us." I sat up, grabbing his tie, and pulling him down.

"You're right. I have you. And that's all I need." I pressed my lips to his. This was the place where we had our very first kiss. The magic never seemed to fade.

Chapter 34

After four weeks of preparation, we were finally ready to be married. I couldn't believe how quickly the wedding had been thrown together. But Joe just could not wait. Morgan and Kevin had to come home two weeks early from their honeymoon.

I slipped the dress over my head. It's strapless, so we had to make sure it was on correctly...or it might fall off, and we wouldn't want that. I let my hair down and fixed my side bangs. Mama J...oops, I mean, Mom put the veil on for me. She wore it for her wedding. Morgan handed me a bouquet of blue flowers. Hailey slipped the necklace Joe had given me last week onto my neck. So...the veil was old, the dress was new, the veil was borrowed, and the bouquet was blue.

Perfect.

Mom was my Maid of Honor and Morgan and Hailey were my lovely bridesmaids. Dad was Joe's Best Man and Kevin and Nick were his groomsmen. Frankie was our ring bearer and Hailey's little sister, Cassie, was our flower girl. We made our way to the front door of the church. The music began and the doors flew open. Joe was waiting for me at the altar. Dad walked me down the aisle...and he gave me away. I handed Mom the bouquet. Joe lifted the veil over my head, revealing my tearing eyes, and took my hands in his.  And I realized something. This is my family. This is where I belong.

After the ceremony, we headed to the reception, which was being held at a nearby party center. Everything was going perfectly. I was in the middle of the Father - Daughter Dance when the door flew open and a man, obviously drunk, walked in. "Mind if I cut in?" he asked, pushing my new Dad out of the way. His words were slurring and his breath smelled like beer. Gross.

Everyone just watched in horror, except Joe, who immediately rushed to me and pulled me into his arms, protecting me from this drunken wedding crasher. "Oh, I see how it is. I don't even get to have one dance with my own daughter at her wedding?" My heart practically stopped. Joe held me tighter. I wouldn't look away from him, but he kept his eyes fixed on my...dad.

"Joe..." I whispered. He glanced down at me, noticing the terror in my eyes. He touched my cheek.

"I'll take care of it, baby," he mumbled. I watched as he turned back to the man claiming to be my dad. "I think you should leave now. You've caused enough trouble."

"Leave? Already? Without even making a toast to the happy couple?" He pulled out a Miller Light and took a gulp. "Do you remember...when you were a little girl...and I told you that your mom was on a business trip...every time you asked about her?" I forced my head to nod. I did remember this. I'd ask him where my mom was...he would say she's on a business trip...and then hit me continuously. "Well, I lied. Your mom died the day you were born."

A breath escaped from my mouth. I felt like I had just been hit by a brick wall. I could hardly stand. Joe had to support me. He held me tighter every second. I closed my eyes, suddenly dizzy. "J---Joe..." I whispered. I put my hand on my head, trying to steady myself. He pulled me in closer.

"Shh. I'm going to take care of it." I assumed he gestured for Kevin and Nick, because they came over and helped me as I stumbled to a chair on the other side of the room. I kept my eyes closed and took deep breaths. My head was spinning and I could hardly even believe what was happening. There was some yelling and a door slamming. I don't remember much after that.

I do remember waking up in a limo, sprawled out on the seat with my head resting in Joe's lap. He immediatly noticed that I was awake. "How are you feeling?"

"Not that great. I have a major migrane and my mom is dead."

"I'm sorry. You don't look too great."

"What happened?"

"Well...how much do you remember?"

"I remember my dad showing up...and he was drunk...and he told me that my mom was dead. And then Kevin and Nick helped me to a chair. And then I heard some yelling and a door slamming...And that's about it."

"Well, my dad and I kicked out your drunken dad after a lot of arguing. And then I rushed back over to you. And you told me that you didn't feel well, turned white as a ghost, and passed out."

"...Where are we?"

"We're on our way to the airport. There's no way we're giving up a honeymoon in Paris. You're going to feel better. I promise." I groaned. "Do you want some Aspirin or something? We still have another hour or two before we get to the airport."

"No, no. I'll be fine. But could you do me one little favor?"

"Anything."

"Kiss me."

http://i31.tinypic.com/2r73pys.jpg
(Wedding dress)

http://www.hairstyles123.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/wedding/wedding-hairstyle-17.jpg
(Veil)

http://content.costco.ca/Images/Content/Product/384974c.jpg
(Necklace)

Chapter 35

Author's Note: A special thanks goes out to SexyCanI for yet another lovely idea used at the end of this chapter. I also had this idea, but I would just like to point out that she had it to and mentioned it to me. Smart minds think alike!

Joe handed me a bag. Inside was a change of clothes. I was still laying on the seats with my head resting in his lap. I looked up at him, confused. "You didn't want to go to the airport in a wedding dress, did you?" he explained. I forced a light smile. The feeling that I got when my real dad told me that my real mom was dead had not gone away. And it is not a good feeling.

I changed into the clothes. It was a short, spaghetti strap, white dress and matching high heels. Joe looked at me like something was missing. I sat down next to him. He reached into another bag and pulled out a white rose with a short stem. He carefully slid it behind my right ear.

I felt his hands wrap around my waist and slowly pull me in until his lips were pushed against mine. But there was no...spark to this kiss. No burning flame like there always is. Joe noticed and instantly pulled away. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's nothing...just...my mom." A tear fell. He wiped it away.

"Now you listen to me. I know you're upset, but you shouldn't be. You have a family. And you're going to Paris with me. Now, I want you to pulled yourself together, because we're going to be arriving at the airport in ten minutes." I did just as he said and pulled myself together. He was right. I had nothing to be upset about. I have a family. And just as he said, we reached the airport in ten minutes.

We checked in our bags and went through security. Once on the plane, Joe gave me the window seat. We were flying first class on a 12 hour flight. I put my head on his shoulder. "Can I tell you something?" I asked.

"Of course you can. You can tell me anything," he answered. I hesitated for a second.

"I missed my...girl thing this month." He looked at me, immediately concerned.

"What are you saying?"

"I don't know. It's probably too soon to make any assumptions. I just wanted you to be aware. Let's just...wait and see."

(12 Hours Later)
"Lizzie...we're here." My eyes fluttered open to see Joe gently shaking me awake. I stood up, taking my carry-on bag in one hand and Joe's hand in the other. And thus begins our 6 week long honeymoon to get carried away every night.

Chapter 36

Halfway through the honeymoon, I was beginning to feel sick in the mornings. The entire last week, it was so bad, we couldn't do anything. All I did was lie in bed and feel sick. The 12 hour flight home was unpleasant and I tried to hide my horrible mood when the family welcomed us back home. But I felt a little better when they told us that for the wedding present, we were getting a house. Joe and I grabbed our bags from the car and Dad handed Joe two keys. We slowly walked inside as they pulled out of the driveway. Joe shut the door behind me. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm o-" I began. A sharp pain pierced into my stomach, forcing me to drop the bags and wrap my arms around my stomach and cry out in pain. I fell against the front door and slid to the ground, screaming and crying. Joe rushed over to me and cradled me in his arms, carrying me up the stairs and laying me down on the bed. He pulled the covers over me and ran to get a cool washcloth for my forehead. I cried for hours, until the pain subsided. I was laying on my side, staring at nothing, and sniffling, exhausted from all the crying.

"You need to see a doctor," Joe whispered. He was sitting on the bed, holding my hand. I nodded in agreement, slowly forcing myself out of the bed. He helped me down the stairs and into his car. He drove us to an Emergency Room. We waited about 15 minutes before someone took us back to a room.

"Hi, I'm Doctor Johnson. What seems to be the problem?" the doctor asked. I carefully climbed onto the bed, while Joe stood nervously next to me, refusing to let go of my hand.

He answered for me, "She's been getting sick in the mornings and today, she cried for hours complaining for a stomach ache." Dr. Johnson took notes on a clipboard and nodded.

"Well, I'd like to get an ultrasound before I make any judgments to what the problem is. Someone will be in shortly." He left. Joe cradled me into his arms again.

"I'm worried about you," he whispered. I wanted to tell him that I was going to be okay, and everything would be fine, but I needed to convince myself first.

A nurse came in a few minutes later. She handed me a hospital gown that I changed into and gave me a band for my wrist. She then took us to a dark room with a monitor. I climbed onto the bed and laid down, Joe still holding my hand, but tighter. The nurse began the ultrasound. I didn't pay much attention, Joe and I keeping our worried eyes fixed on each other. "I don't believe it," the nurse murmured. Joe and I instantly looked at the monitor. My heart stopped.

"Wh-What is that?" I asked.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Jonas. You're going to have a baby."

Chapter 37

Author's Note: Please do not forget that if you have any suggestions or ideas for this fanfic, let me know. I just might use it! (Give credit to you of course.) Thanks!

Joe kept his arm wrapped tightly around my waist as we left the hospital. I kept my head down to hide my ashamed, tear-stained face. Apparently, my baby is ten weeks old. Joe and I have only been married for six weeks. Meaning the very first time we got carried away, this baby was conceived. What are the odds?

We drove home in silence. I walked straight upstairs and crawled into the bed. Joe slid in next to me and pulled me in close. Our hands were gently pressed against my stomach...against our baby.

"I'm sorry," he whispered carefully into my ear. I turned to face him.

"I love you. There is nothing to be sorry about." Before I knew it, we had gotten carried away again and were now cuddling, out of breath. My head rested on his chest. I listened to his heart beat as he tried to catch his breath. "If I have twins, I'm blaming you." He chuckled.

"Fine. If you have twins, you can blame me." 

"Good. I will."

"Okay." There was a moment of silence. "Do you want a boy or a girl?"

"...I don't know. Which do you want?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should start thinking of names."

"Maybe we should start thinking about a lot of things."

"Like what?"

"Like...where the baby will sleep...and...names..."

"Well, there's that extra room at the end of the hall. I mean, there are plenty of extra rooms in this house."

"Yeah...Do you think we should know what gender the baby is before it's born...or the day it's born?"

"Before it's born. I don't think I'll be able to stand the wait. If it's a boy, I was thinking we could either name him on our own, after me, or after dad, or after my brothers."

"Haha. Joseph Adam Jonas the Second? Kevin Nicholas Jonas? - "

"That one sounds good."

"Which one?"

"Kevin Nicholas Jonas. I like it."

"Okay, so if it's a boy, we're naming him Kevin Nicholas Jonas?"

"Maybe. Unless we think of something better."

"Alrighty, now what if it's a girl?"

"How about...Elizabeth Denise Jonas? - "

"Oh, no. We are not naming this baby after me."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so. If it's a girl, we'll pick a first name that isn't family related, and then her middle name can be Denise...unless with think of something better."

"Sounds good to me." I set my lips gently on to his.

"Sounds perfect."

Chapter 38

Several weeks went by. Joe and I still hadn't told the family, but we knew we had to do it soon. So, we invited them over for dinner. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Here's what's happened in the past several weeks:

Joe and I began working on the baby's room. We added a crib, a dresser, and a few shelves, one of them holding a baby monitor. We still don't know if it's a boy or a girl, so we haven't started painting yet. We have an appointment for an ultrasound in two weeks...we're going to find out the gender. If it's a boy, we're naming him Aiden Matthew Jonas. Aiden means little fire and Matthew means gift of God. If it’s a girl, we’re naming her Ella Rose Jonas. Ella means torch or bright light and Rose means...rose...We decided that there were too many family members to choose from, so we chose names with a special meaning. Except Rose...we just really thought Ella Rose sounded pretty.

Anyway, back to the dinner. Joe sprinkled a few spices into the spaghetti sauce as I set the plates, cups, and silverware on the table. I was wearing a red tank, overlapped by a long sleeve, thin, pink top and a black skirt with white polka dots that swayed at my knees as I walked in my small, pink, peep-toe heels. Joe was wearing khaki pants, a red polo, and tennis shoes. I didn't want him to wear tennis shoes because this was supposed to be a nice dinner and he completely ruined it by wearing those shoes. But he didn't want me to wear heels, so I guess we're both unhappy with each other's shoes.

The doorbell rang, signaling that our dreaded dinner was now beginning. Joe set the food on the table, wrapped his arm around my waist, and we made our way to the door. I opened it, revealing our excited parents and brothers and Morgan and Hailey, of course. We put on our best fake smiles and greeted them cheerily.

Dinner began and everyone started their own conversations. Joe and I were sitting next to each other. I turned to look at him as I stuffed another bite of spaghetti into my mouth...I'm eating for two now. "I think we should tell them now," I whispered. He looked at me nervously.

"Okay," he agreed. Before we could get everyone's attention, Hailey did it for us.

"What's going on?" she asked, noticing our worried faces. Everyone stared at us. Joe took my hand in his.

"We have something to tell you," he said.

"Ohmigod, you're not getting a divorce, are you?!" Kevin chimed. I winced at the thought of ever being away from Joe.

"No, Kevin," I answered. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the words I was about to say. "...I'm pregnant." Frankie's eyes went wide. Morgan and Hailey gasped. Nick and Kevin's jaws dropped. Mom's fork hit the plate. Dad's face was blank, as if he couldn't even grasp what I just said. I just stared at the food on my plate, beginning to feel nauseous.

An awkward silence hung in the air for a few minutes. "Lizzie, are you okay? You don't look so good," Morgan said. I forced my head up and down, afraid to open my mouth. I suddenly felt the worst of bad things to happen during this dinner coming up. I sprang from my chair and ran to the bathroom.

After a few minutes, I leaned against the wall, wiped my mouth, and flushed the toilet.

Joe slowly opened the door and came inside, sitting down next to me. I put my head on his shoulder and began crying. I can't help that I'm an eighteen year old girl with raging hormones because of a baby.

Once I was finished, I cleaned myself up(being sure to brush my teeth), and left the bathroom with Joe. Everyone had moved themselves to the living room to watch tv. They shut it off when we walked back in the room.

"How are you feeling, honey?" Mom asked, filling the silence.

"I'm fine," I answered softly.

"So, is it a boy or a girl?" Morgan asked eagerly. A smiled curled onto my lips as I realized that they weren't mad...and they're actually going to be supportive.

"We don't know yet," Joe explained. "We'll find out in two weeks."

"What are you going to name it?" Nick asked.

"Well, if it's a boy, we're naming him Aiden Matthew Jonas. And if it's a girl, we're naming her Ella Rose Jonas," I said.

"Why did you pick those names? Why didn't you name it after me?" Frankie chimed.

"We wanted to choose a name with a special meaning. Aiden means little fire and Matthew means gift of God. Ella means torch or bright light and Rose means..rose..We just really like the way Ella Rose sounds," Joe answered.

The rest of the night went...surprisingly well. We talked about baby showers and how to prepare ourselves. Everyone was incredibly supportive and happy. And that made me just a little less worried. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

Chapter 39

Several months later, the day came. It was May 15 at 2:17 AM. I was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, drowning myself in chocolate ice cream. And then it happened. I fell to the floor, screaming in pain. "Joe!" I yelled on the top of my lungs. He ran down the stairs.

"What happened?"

"The baby's coming."

"Now?" I screamed again.

"YES! NOW!" We drove to the hospital and delivered the little bundle of joy. The nurse handed the baby to me and Joe leaned in close as I whispered, "Happy Birthday, Ella Rose."

Chapter 40

After a few days, they finally let us go home. Ella had fallen asleep during the car ride, so I placed her carefully in the crib. Joe was downstairs, sitting on the couch, watching tv. I cuddled up next to him. Our phones rang at the same time...so we answered at the same time. "That's great news, Nick!" Joe said.

"Aw, I'm so happy for you, Hailey!" I exclaimed. We both talked for about ten minutes. I hung up after Joe and turned to look at him. "They're engaged."

"I know," he answered. There was a moment of silence. "I love you," he cooed quietly into my ear.

"I love you too, but you are not getting me to carry another bundle of joy for a while."

"Is that what you thought I was doing?" He carefully shifted me into a laying position and crawled on top of me.

"Is that what you want me to think you were doing?"

"Don't confuse me." His lips relaxed onto mine. Ella started crying. Joe pulled away from me. I sighed and went to get her. I rocked her back and forth in the rocking chair for a few minutes. She was still whimpering a bit. Joe came in with his guitar. "Mind if I try something?"

"Go right ahead." He played Gotta Find You...and it put Ella to sleep.

Chapter 41

I cuddled up close to Joe, cradling Ella in my arms. We were sitting on the very back of the church, both disappointed that we couldn't be part of Nick and Hailey's wedding. They didn't mind, though, just as long as we were there.

The ceremony was lovely. The newlyweds decided they wanted the reception to be at a nearby park. So, while everyone was off dancing and talking, Joe had taken Ella and I to the swings. I carefully placed Ella in one of the infant swings. Joe wrapped his arm tightly around my waist as I pushed Ella lightly. Her face lit up when she giggled. "I love you," I said.

"I love you, too. But can you do me one, little favor?"

"Anything."

"Shut up and kiss me."

The End

*Expect a sequel from Ella's perspective.