"How the heck did I get dragged into this?"

"Because you love us."  Joey simply stated with a smile.

"I beg to differ."  Nicole groaned.  "Shopping with just Chris is a pain, but all five of you?!"  Nicole looked around the store, her eyes landing on each one, leaving Chris last, narrowing her eyes at him.  "You tricked me."

"Ah, that my dear is false."  Chris patted her arm and smiled like an innocent child trying to buy their way out of trouble.  "I just forgot to mention that the rest of the clan was coming."

"Meaning you tricked me."  Nicole rolled her eyes.  "Not like you guys need any more clothes.  Like you!"  Nicole pointed at Justin while he was looking at the sneakers.  Justin slowly turned his head to look at her while he held a pair in his hands.  "Last thing you need is another pair of sneakers.  You have like what, one hundred pairs?"

"This is coming from the girl who has how many pairs of boots?"  Justin said.  A grin appeared on his face when Nicole stuttered with a response.  "Exactly."

"I'm a girl.  I'm supposed to have tons of shoes."

"Don't even try to fight with him over that.  It's not worth it."  JC told her while looking at the t-shirt in his hands.

"Keep the claws intact."  Lance teased.  "We need to get you an Orlando Magic shirt anyways.  What are you suppose to wear when we take you to a game?"

"I've never been to a game, even more importantly even know how to play or watched it on TV."

"Which is why we are taking you to your first game this year and need to get you a shirt."  Chris looped his arm with hers and dragged her along with him.  "Come on my dear."

"Alright."  Chris said after dragging Nicole over to the jersey section of the store.  "T-shirt or Jersey?"

"T-shirt."

Chris nodded his head, clicking his chin with his index finger while flipping through some of the shirts on the hangers.  "What size are you?"

"I dunno what I am in guy's clothes, Chris."  Nicole answered, looking at him like he was stupid.

"You're a pain in my ass, you know that?"  Chris replied.

"I'm here to please."  Nicole replied and smiled.

Chris chuckled.  He pulled off a shirt and held it against her.  "That is a wrong sentence to ever say to a guy."

"Yeah and you feeling me up isn't wrong?"

Chris let out a gasp as he looked at her.  "I am not feeling you up!"  He protested.

Nicole looked down at his hands, still holding the Orlando Magic shirt against her, and looked back at up him.  Chris followed her eye movements and rolled his eyes.  "This is what I get for trying to help you.  My hands aren't even touching your boobs."

"Boobs?"  Joey questioned.

"Nothing Joey."  Nicole looked over her shoulder at him.  Joey smiled, winking at her before sticking his foot out slightly, tripping Justin when walking by.  Nicole shook her head, covering her face with her hands and turned back around to look at Chris.

"Yep, this one is good."  Chris tossed it on his shoulder and looped his arm with hers again.  "See that wasn't so painful."  He teased and bumped his hip with hers.  "Was it?"

"Oh look, a Steelers shirt!"  Nicole pointed out to try and distract him.

"Oh where?!"  Chris looked around the wall they were standing at.  Lance started laughing after seeing what Nicole pulled.

"You know, if you want us to take you to a store since we forced you in here..."  Joey said.  Nicole raised a brow while she looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Spit it out Joe.  I don't like the look on your face."  Nicole told him.

"We can take you to Victoria Secret.  Just for you."  Joey sated, wiggling his eyebrows.  Nicole rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile.

"Oooh, Victoria Secret."  Justin's head shot up and looked over at them.  "We have  no problem going there for you."

"I don't need to go to Victoria Secret."  Nicole laughed and uncrossed her arms, sticking her hands in the pockets of her jacket.  "I already went last week."

"What!?"  Justin and Joey exclaimed. "And you didn't invite us?"

"Next time you better call us and we will come.  You know you always need an extra option." Justin added with a nod.

"Right, I'll keep that in mind."  Nicole replied sarcastically while rolling her eyes.  "Not."  Nicole mumbled under her breath just loud enough for Chris, Lance and JC to hear who were around her.

"Don't turn around.  Paparazzi."  Lance mumbled under his breath with a heavy sigh.

Nicole froze; her eyes got wide and swallowed the lump in her throat.  Chris gave her a strange look when he felt her get tense.

"Are you okay?"

"I dunno what to do."  Nicole said, looking over at Chris.

"Aww, is it Nikki's first time with the paparazzi?"  Justin said with a teasing glint in his eyes.  His face went serious after he saw the frightful look on her face.

"This has never happened when I've been out with you guys before.  I don't want my face everywhere.  I dunno what it will do with my job.  I dunno how the parents of my kids would feel seeing me on magazines or on the TV."

JC took the hat off his head and placed it on top of hers, adjusting the size so it fit her head.  He lowered it slightly to block out her face.  "Here you go sweetheart.  When we leave just keep your head down; we'll guide you to the car."

"Thank you."

"Don't need to thank us."  JC told her as he rubbed her back.  "I think we are all just about done here so you and Chris can just wait here while I find Joey."

Nicole nodded her head and stuck her hands in her jackets pockets.  Chris gently bumped his hip with hers to try and get her to smile.  Nicole turned her head slightly with a brow raised as she looked at him.

"You worry too much about what other people might think of you."  Chris told her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.  "Who cares what the parents might think?"

"They might complain to Ann and I might get fired.  Just think about it, how would you feel if you were in their shoes?"

Chris shrugged his shoulders.  "I don't think it would bother me as long as the teacher wasn't party crazy and doing drugs or drinking every night."  He looked at her.  "If I saw photos of her being crazy, yeah than I would probably have a problem but photos of her shopping with a celebrity?  Harmless unless that celebrity was bad news."

"Yeah..."  Nicole took a breath and let it out slowly.  "I guess you're right."

"Psh," Chris rolled his eyes.  "I'm always right."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night Kirkpatrick."

"Don't make me lick you to get you to laugh."  Chris warned her playfully.

Nicole gave him a look.  "Lick me?  Oh that would be cute picture for them to get."

Chris shrugged his shoulders while chuckling.  "They already know I'm crazy.  Why not give them more proof?"

"Guys, ready to pay and leave?"  JC asked them with Justin, Joey and Lance by him.  "Before everyone in the world finds out we are here and it is a zoo outside?"

"You are now going to be the mystery girl."  Justin told her while he paid for his things.  "Those are my favorite kind of stories."

"Hmm..."  Joey leaned his arm on the counter while they lady behind it continued to ring up Justin's stuff.  Lance stood beside Joey to block the paparazzi view of Nicole.  "I know one of the rumors will probably be that she is one of our girlfriends."

"Oh all of ours."  Justin joked while handing over his credit card to the cashier.  "Ooohh."  Justin looked at Nicole, wiggling his eyebrows.  "Scandalous!"

"Dream on, Justin."  Nicole told him with a grin.

"Damn."  Justin snapped his fingers and moved over while signing his receipt for the rest of the guys to pay for their stuff.  "Guess I'll just keep dreaming."

"What are you doing?"  Nicole asked Chris when she saw him pay for his things.

Chris looked over his shoulder at her with a confused look on his face while he handed the cashier his credit card.  "Uh, paying for my things.  That is what people do, Nicole."

"You didn't have to pay for my shirt."

Chris waved her off before signing his receipt.  "It's my pay back for," Chris handed the cashier the pen and receipt and looked back at Nicole, "Tricking you."  Chris did quotations with his fingers.  He smirked and picked up his bag.

Lance chuckled and handed his receipt over the counter also.  "Alright, let's go."

JC rubbed Nicole's arm and gave her an encouraging smile.  "Mike, Tony and Dave won't let anything happen to either of us, don't worry."

"Finally."  Mike said.  "You all shop like girls, especially you."  Mike looked over at Justin.  Justin rolled his eyes.

"You tell me that every time we go shopping.  You are so over dramatic.  Ready to keep our asses safe?"

"Only because I get a paycheck over it."  Tony joked and opened the door.  "Let's get this madness over with.

"Yay!"  Justin grabbed onto the back of Mike's shirt when they started to walk out.  "Follow the leader!"

"Choke me and I'll leave you for the dogs."  Mike said.

Nicole reached forward, grabbing onto JC's hand before grabbing onto Chris's while he stood behind her.  Both guys gave her hand a slightly squeeze before walking out of the store and following behind the rest of the guys and their bodyguards.

Nicole's eyes stayed glued to the floor so she didn't trip over anything while flashes went off around them.  The voices shooting around her sounded muffled while her she concentrated on the ground beneath her.

She let out a breath of relief after they all jumped into the SUV.  "Oh my god."

The guys chuckled over her outburst.  JC patted her knee.  "You did fine."

"How the hell can you deal with that?"  She asked while taking off the hat JC gave her and handing it back to him.  "Thanks."

All the guys shrugged their shoulders like it was nothing.

"We are just use to it."  Joey told her.

"Yeah, we knew what we were getting ourselves into when we started the group."  Lance added.

"Doesn't it drive you insane?"  Nicole questioned while positioning her purse on her lap.

"Yeah."  Justin turned to look at her.  "But like Lance said, we knew what we were getting ourselves into so we just have to suck it up.  We wanted to do this, and this comes with it."

"I dunno how you guys do it."  Nicole shook her head.  "Crazy."

"Because of us."  Mike told her as he looked at her in the review mirror, a smile on his face.  "They would be pancakes if it wasn't for us."

"Oh there he goes with that ego."  Chris joked.  He pointed to Mike.  "Without us you wouldn't have a job."

"I would be helping someone else besides all your white asses."

"Your wife loves me."  Justin said proudly, puffing out his chest.

"Only because she doesn't have to deal with you."  Mike caught Justin's eyes in the review mirror.  "Keep it up boy and I'll toss you out of the car right now."

"Johnny would fire you."

"I'll just tell Johnny you jumped out on your own."  Tony said, turning around in the front seat to look at them.  "And I'm sure the guys would go along with the story."

Justin let out a huff, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat.  "Let's just all pick on the young one."

"Awww, JuJu."  Nicole leaned over her seat and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her head against his.  "It's okay little one."

"I knew you would stand up for me."  Justin wiped an imaginary tear off his cheek and sniffed.  Nicole patted his chest, trying not to laugh and sat back in her seat.

"Keep your day job, Justin.  Acting is not your forte."  Nicole quickly reached forehead and grabbed a hold of Justin's hand when she saw him heading for Lance's head.  "Leave Lance alone."

Lance looked over to his side to see Nicole holding onto Justin's hand, right by his ear.  Lance glared at Justin before looking back at Nicole with a smile.  "Thank you."

"He laughed at me!"  Justin wined and dropped his hands in his lap.

"Oh hunny."  Nicole patted Justin's arm.  "A lot of people do."

Justin grunted and crossed his arms across his chest.  "No respect."

~~~~

Mamma
You gave love to me
Turned a young one into a woman

Mamma
All I ever needed
Was a guarantee of you loving me

'Cause I know
There is no other
Love like a mother's love for her child

And it hurts so
That something so strong
Someday will be gone, must say goodbye

"Hey Mommy."  Nicole barley whispered when she walked up to her mother's hospital bed.  Nicole reached over and brushed her mother's brown hair off her face before running her finger down her mother's cheek, feeling her cold skin against hers.  Nicole took a breath, holding back the tears that wanted to spill onto her cheeks.  She looked up at the monitor, watching her mother's faint heart beats make small mountain like images following by soft beeps.

Nicole let out a shaky breath before climbing onto her mother's hospital bed and laying down next to her.  She looked at her mother's face, looking peaceful from the pain medication the nurses gave her, silently praying for her mother to wake up from her unconscious.

"I hope you can hear me, mom."  Nicole blinked rapidly to fight back to tears that were trying to fight free.  "Or else I'd feel silly for just rambling on to you yesterday and today."  Nicole forced a weak smile on her face.  Quickly, she took a hold of her mother's hand and held it tightly, telling herself not to let go.  Kristen wiped away the tear that started to roll down her cheek as she watched her mother's breathing become more labored than it was this morning when she first came to visit.

"I remember how you always told me to never give up no matter what the situation is."  She slowly took a breath and laid her head down next to her mothers.  "And I'm not giving up on you.  Even if..."  Nicole swallowed the lump in her throat, "Even if...you don't make it I won't ever give up.  I know you will be with me in spirit in every step I take."

"I'll go back to work, find that man that you want me to marry and give you babies."  Nicole chuckled softly as she remembered all the talks her and her mother had over that topic.  "Someday."  Nicole said with a soft chuckle.  "Don't think it is going to happen anytime soon."

Nicole kissed her mother on the cheek while another tear rolled down her cheek, landing on the white pillow forming a small wet spot where it landed seconds ago.  "I wish they would be able to see the amazing Grandmother I know you couldn't wait to be, but I know you will still be doing your job in heaven."  Nicole smiled weakly before resting her head on her mother's shoulder.  "You never were the one to give up, no matter what and always did what you wanted."

Nicole squeezed her mother's hand gently as she closed her eyes, letting her tears run feeling down her cheeks.  "I love you, mommy.  Tell Granny and Pop-Pop I say hi."

Nicole sat up quickly in her bed, tears on her cheeks with a hand on her chest, breathing heavy.  She flicked on the switch and looked around her room, wiping the tears off her cheeks and from her eyes.

"Just a dream." Nicole mumbled, falling back on her bed and putting her hand against her forehead.  She looked over at the time, seeing her alarm clock letting her know in bright red letters telling her it was four in the morning.

Nicole rolled onto her side and pulled her covers up to her chin while she thought of the dream over in her head, the last moment she had with her mother before she passed away the next morning.  She looked up, smiling softly when she saw the picture of her and her mother just days before, hugging each other with matching smiles on both faces while they sat out in the backyard of her parent's place that summer.

She remembered that day perfectly.  It was her mother's birthday and her and her father planned a surprise party at her parents' house.  Nicole took her mother out to lunch while the guests appeared at the house and her father set up the rest of the party.  She could remember her mother's face the moment they walked into their backyard after lunch and seeing everyone, family and friends, all spread out in the backyard yelling surprise.

That party was the party that her mother made her promise to get married to a lovely guy and give her grandchildren to spoil rotten.  Nicole smiled, closing her eyes and shaking her head while the memory flooded her mind.

**

"Nicole, I'm serious." Her mother, Kaitlyn, said while they sat around the table in the backyard of her parent's house at her mother's surprise birthday party.  "I've been waiting to throw my baby the most amazing wedding for years and to have little ones of you running around my house."

"Mom," Nicole rolled her eyes all while chuckling.  "I'm only twenty two.  I got many years for that."

"Age is nothing but a number dear.  I was only twenty three when I met your father."

Nicole let out a sigh and took a sip of her drink, her eyes never leaving her mothers.  "I know mommy."

"Just wait," her mother pointed a finger at her and winked, "I was just like you.  Claiming I wasn't going to get married young and would wait till I was around thirty."  Her mother smiled.  "But when your father walked in my life, it changed everything.  One day there will be a guy that suddenly, and unexpectedly, will walk into your life and sweep you off your feet.  Promise me, dear."  Her mother leaned over and took Nicole's hand in hers.  "When you meet that guy, you don't let him go."

"I promise, mother."  Nicole laughed.

"Good."  Her mother squeezed her daughters hand gently before clasping her hands together in front of her.  "And to never give up on anything, no matter how hard it can get."

"I know."

"Remember," her mother continued, brushing her daughters black hair out of her eyes, "Even after I pass, I will always be there for you.  You can talk to me anytime; I will be there with opening ears." Kaitlyn smiled.  "Always."

**

Nicole sighed while continuous looking at the picture of her and her mother.  She wiped the falling tear off her cheek and snuggled closer to her pillow and blanket.

"You will get that promise one of these days mom."  Nicole said out loud.

Instantly, Chris's face appeared in her mind and she wondering what her mother would of said if she met him.  Her mothers option always matter the most to her.