Lover's Eyes
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Ch3: Big Family

Mandy's eyes shot open as her stomach tighten and somersault as she felt like she was going to throw up. She sprang out of the bed her and Nick was sharing and ran to the nearby bathroom. Her quick departure from the bed caused Nick to start to stir and wake up. Nick struggled to open his eyes as he looked over and saw Lily still asleep in the toddler bed his mom had prepared for her. Nick looked back over and saw Mandy walking uncomfortably to the bed.

"You get sick?" Nick whispered groggily, trying to shake the fuzz from his brain.

"No just dry heaves." Mandy said sliding back in bedroom as Nick put his arms around her pulling her close kissing her forehead.

It was moments like this that made Mandy a little sad because she remembered when every morning when he would hold her like this. Ever since the shooting Nick has changed and Mandy realized that it's not lie she's helped him a whole lot, she was there throughout his physical recovery but mentally she didn't know what to do especially with him shrugging it off and pushing her away. Now, its three years later and know she doesn't know what to do. The evil thought of leaving did haunt her brain on occasion but then there were these moments or seeing Nick read to Lily. Mandy couldn't separate the two of them and Mandy loved Nick too much. It would hurt to stay but would I'll her to leave.

"You still motion sick, you think?" Nick asked his voice vibrating his chest and Mandy's head as she used him as a pillow.

"I don't know… maybe it's just jetlag or something." Mandy whispered.

"You don't have to be nervous. You're amazing and I now they'll love you. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." Nick said kissing her forehead. Right as Mandy was going to speak to playfully argue that she wasn't nervous, little Lily climbed on the bed and quickly made her presence.

"What's for beckfast?" Lily asked climbing to get in between her parents.

"Well, good morning to you to Lily." Mandy teased smiling at her daughter.

"Mornin' mama." Lily said kissing Mandy. "Mornin' daddy." Lily said giving Nick a kiss.

"How'd you sleep?" Mandy asked.

"Good, but I'm hungry." Lily pouted rubbing her stomach.

"Come on, baby girl. Let's see if grandma is awake and we can make some breakfast. Let's let mama rest." Nick said, Lily's face lit up as she climbed off the bed grabbing Nick's hand. "You want me to make you something?" Nick asked as Lily tried all her might to pull Nick out of bed.

"No, I'm just going to try and get some sleep. I'll be alright, you better go." Mandy chuckled seeing Lily work so hard with little effect.

"Alright, rest up." Nick teased giving her a quick kiss. Nick grabbed a tee shirt and followed Lily up the stairs to the get to the kitchen.

That was another thing Mandy noticed that changed. In the beginning of their relationship Nick was very free with his body and Mandy joked that Nick must have been a nudist in a past life. He would walk around in just a pair of boxers or just a pair of gym shorts or sweats when they lounged around the house. Mandy wasn't angry with his free spirit he was a piece of walking eye candy but now he was certainly more conservative with his body and always wore a tee shirt which before was a rarity but now seemed to be the norm.

Mandy rolled over almost instantly getting more tired. She pulled the blankets over her and got comfortable in the bed. She started to think back at why she felt so sick, she wasn't that nervous. She wasn't nervous enough to make her sick, even the thought of food made her stomach cringe. Mandy's eyes shot open as all the details and ideas came together.

"Oh my god." Mandy said rolling over covering her head with the blanket.

Mandy tries to sleep but this was Nick's first day home and she was so nervous of something happening that she couldn't even get sleepy. She sat down next to him on the bed watching as he stirred she wasn't sure if he was asleep or even if he was comfortable. She felt helpless. Nick reached out and held her hand.

"I'm alright, babe." Nick said sleepy.

"I know, but just rest." Mandy said realizing how tired she was. She had been running on fumes for a little while now.

"I should be taking care of you." Nick chuckled but he felt a pain and instinctively brought his hand to his bandaged wound.

"Are you alright?" Mandy asked panicked.

"I'm fine." Nick said touching her one shoulder unable to pull his hand away. Nick pulled her into a hug and Mandy brought her arms around him tightly. Nick took his hand away from his wound and grabbed her keeping her close. Mandy tried her best to keep it together but to hear Nick stifle a cry and kiss her forehead, Mandy couldn't help but break down.

"I was so scared I was going to those you… we were going to lose you." Mandy said bringing his hand to her stomach. Mandy pulled away a little to see his face, he matched her with tears going down his face as he did his best to fight them.

"I'm sorry. I never met to…"

"I know…" Mandy said wiping his tears away holding his face. "Please don't ever scare me like that again. I love you."

"I love you, too." Nick choked out.

Mandy woke up from her little nap not as refreshed as she hoped. She got dressed and slowly but surely made her way upstairs. She was grateful that no one was here to give her a second to collect her thoughts. She went to get a glass of water and peeked her head up to look out the window and saw Mama Stokes talking to who Mandy assumed was a wedding planner and then saw Nick and Lily walking towards the barn.

As Mandy approached the barn, she could hear Lily telling Nick stories as she frolic around the barn in imagination land. It smelt like a barn, Mandy was grateful that her stomach was already empty because if it wasn't shed be forced to empty it now.

"Hey mama." Lily squealed with excitement as she ran towards Mandy. Mandy picked her up.

"Hey baby girl, are you helping daddy do some barn work?" Mandy asked as she looked at Nick. His appearance was slightly disheveled and muddy, he had obviously been helping his mom prepare for the wedding by cleaning the barn.

"No, I don't want to. It's stinky in here. I gotta watch daddy so he does a good job. Grandma Stokes said so, so you get working, Mister!" Lily said wagging her finger at Nick. Nick chuckled as he laid some hay down.

"You are watching him good then?"

"Yup! Did you see the pretty hat Grandma got me, and the pretty shoes she got me?" Lily asked excited taking her hat off and putting it on Mandy. "It's a dead-son." Lily said trying to remember what it was called.

"Stetson," Nick said as he made his way out of the stall. Lily squirmed and once her feet were on the ground she took off out of the barn. Nick and Mandy follow her as she ran to her grandmother. Mandy held Nick's arm, she didn't know what it was but seeing him in his redneck attire as he called it certainly had her head spinning in the good way.

"I gotta talk to you later." Mandy said shaking her head a little trying to stay focused at the task at hand. Nick turned and stopped looking at her with a confused face.

"About what?" Nick asked. Mandy released a sigh feeling that it would be better now to tell him then wait. Right as she was going to tell him, someone came up and picked him up. Mandy looked up shocked unsure what to do.

"Heya… Poncho…" the man mumbled some other words but Mandy could barely understand him.

"Tucker!" Nick shouted excited hugging the man briefly. Once Mandy got a better look, she realized that the man was his brother. They looked similar except Tucker was stockier and his skin was slightly pale and he didn't comb his hair the same. The man mumbled again excited as Nick and him shook hands. Nick shook his head and put an arm around Mandy.

"Boomhower, this is Mandy…" Nick said smiling. "Lily is running around here somewhere with ma I think."

"Nice to meet you." Mandy said confused to what his name was.

"Meet, you. Nice to meet you." He mumbled and stuttered. He continued to ramble onto Nick, and Nick chuckled and then sighed as Tucker waved and walked off.

"What's wrong?" Mandy asked confused to what exactly just happened.

"That was my brother, Tucker, we call him Boomhower." Nick said taking a deep breath.

"Boomhower? Like from King of the Hill?" Mandy asked, Nick chuckled.

"Yeah, when Tucker was real little he got kicked in the head by a horse. He's not dumb or anything, he just talks a little funny." Nick said putting his arm around Mandy as they walked towards the house with each step sucking a little more excitement out of his soul. "Tucker wants us to go rock bowling with him and his wife tonight." Mandy nodded.

"What's wrong?" Mandy asked seeing the change in his mood.

"My family is here…"

What do you think? What's going on with Nick? or Mandy? Please Review!