Money. It was the only thing that connected the nine relatives who barely knew each other together… but could it be also the reason for them coming closer? As always, Niley, Jemi & others ;)

Chapter 1

Pictures. Colored frozen memories, mostly good memories. Pictures are good reminders of the past. Sometimes they make you smile, sometimes they make you even laugh… and sometimes they make you cry wishing that nothing never changed. And that was what the old man was doing.

He was sitting on his bed, his legs covered with a white blanket wearing his usual glasses and holding a big photo album. The pictures inside, held memories from fifteen years ago… and nothing was like the way it is now…

Fifteen years ago, his wife was still alive, his three sons and two daughters were still having a strong bond, and his nine grandchildren couldn't bear being away from each other.

But now, his wife is long gone, his sons and daughters stopped even calling each other, and his grandchildren didn't even remember each other's names.

He closed his eyes remembering when it all started… after his wife's death…

The five siblings were so depressed for losing their mother. It was normal for them to stay together in such circumstances especially in such a close family.

But no one was as sad as Robin and Richard… because they thought they were the reason, the reason why their mother died. You see, they had a huge fight over the business as they were partners in a company, it was so huge that they started throwing things at each other and yelling loudly that their mother got really affected and tried to stop their argument but failed which caused her to faint.

After then, her health conditions were not good, until she died two weeks after.

While the sadness was controlling the atmosphere, Denise was shooting daggers at her brothers. She accused them harshly for being the cause of the death of their mother, which caused each one to defend himself in a way that accused the other… and it all began from there.

He soon found the five yelling at each other for no obvious reason, and it ended with them each taking his kids and leaving not bearing to stay with the others.

They stayed in touch with their father though; they visited him repeatedly with their kids, but never at the same time. It was until the kids grew up and started having their own lives that most of the times they couldn't visit with their parents.

Generally, the family was falling apart… and no matter how hard he tried to make things better, he couldn't.

But now that he's already 77 years old and he felt his life was ending, he decided to make a last try.

"Mr. Albert, they're here." Sara, his servant told him politely entering his room.

"All of them?" he asked her.

"Yes." She nodded.

"Alright, send them in after ten minutes."

"Alright, sir." She said and left the room again closing the door.

He looked again at the photo album to see the most special photo to his heart. The one containing all the family…

There he was sitting with his wife on the big couch as their five children stood behind it close to each other as the nine kids were around them. There was Nick and Selena between him and his wife while Miley was sitting on his lap and Demi on his wife's. And then there was Joe and Kevin on the ground smiling widely at the camera with Taylor and her blond locks between them, and lastly Justin was sitting beside his grandma while Liam next his grandpa.

He never got old from looking at this picture. He stared at it with a sad smile and let a single tear roll down his old pale face.

And then, there was a knock on the door, he looked towards it and closed the photo album sighing as he put it on the night table next to all his medicines.

"Come in." he called weakly.

The door cracked open and a young lady with reddish brown long wavy locks and brown sparkling eyes entered with her wide smile getting even wider.

"Grandpa." She squealed running towards him giving him a huge hug and all the other eight entered behind her some smiling excitedly to see their grandfather again and some rolling their eyes it her childish acts.

"Oh, I missed you young Demi."

"I'm not young anymore, grandpa." She said still hugging him tightly.

"Excuse me, you're not the only one missing him here." Selena snapped.

"It's not like he's going anywhere." Demi rolled her eyes pulling away from him anyway.

"Hey, grandpa, I missed you." Selena said giving him a kiss on the cheek. And then everyone else greeted him and gave him warm hugs and just one girl was left.

"Hi, Mr. Albert, I'm Danielle, Kevin's wife." She said with a huge warm smile.

"Oh, days pass quickly." Albert said giving her also a hug. "Welcome in the family, honey." It was the first time he meets Danielle, he was invited to the wedding, but he wasn't able to go, so he just phoned him congratulating him.

"Is it me or there's someone missing?" he asked scanning the room.

"Um, I guess Marissa is missing, Uncle Robert's daughter." Nick said thinking hard.

"You mean, Miley, Robin's daughter!" he corrected him sadly.

"Sorry, I'm late." A new voice said running through the door and directly towards her grandfather's bed pushing anyone in the way and quickly pulling him in a hug. "I missed you."

"Slow down young lady." He laughed faintly.

"Sorry." She blushed and pulled away.

"Now, you're all here. That didn't happen in a long time." He smiled shaking his head, "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything, grandpa." Taylor said.

"I want you to stay with me until I die." He said and they all stayed silent shocked as they didn't expect him to request such a thing. "Is that too much?"

"It's not that, it's just… I mean, what about our colleges and jobs? We can't leave our whole lives." Joe said.

"Oh, my son, first, we're on summer vacation, and second, I'm not going to stay that long."

"Grandpa, don't say that." Miley said shaking her head and holding his hand as she was still standing beside him.

"I'm afraid I'm right my dear." He smiled sadly.

"What are you saying?" Liam asked.

"The doctors were so obvious when they said that my health condition is that bad." He told them.

"Are you kidding?" Kevin said with a tensed chocked chuckle.

"No, dear… everything has an end. Anyway, what do you say about my request?"

"I'm staying." Miley was the one to speak after a while of silence.

"I'm too." Demi said.

"Well, won't miss it." Justin said awkwardly.

"Um, is there going to be enough space for all of us anyway?" Selena asked.

"The house is huge, Sel. You used to stay here when you were young along with your parents too." He reminded her.

"Alright, we're staying, right guys?" Kevin said looking at his two brothers who nodded in agreement. And, like that, they all were staying around their grandfather in his last days.

"I knew you'd do that for me." He smiled.

"Well, anything for you, grandpa." Joe said.

"Thank you."

"Excuse me, but it's time for him to take the medicines and have some sleep." Sara entered the room again.

"Alright, we'll leave you to rest, grandpa." Kevin said.

"Alright. You'll find your rooms easily, there are names on the doors for you." He informed them as they smiled, nodded and then left him to go and settle themselves. They thought he only wanted them to stay over the weekend, that's what they thought when they all got a call from him saying that he's ill and wants to see them badly.

They spread around the house looking for their rooms… at the second floor of the huge old house were some bedrooms… they went there looking for their rooms. But they were shocked to find they were paired together. Five rooms. For the nine of them. They barely knew each other's names, and now they were supposed to stay in one room! That was going to be hard.