Before we get started some DeGrassi Saviors website news~

1) If DeGrassi Characters were Actors from Hollywood's Golden Age has been added to the homepage. The second of 5 DeGrassi "if" lists Christlove88 & myself are doing.

2) The ship polls are now closed the winning ships have been announced and publishing dates for the shots will soon be announced.

3) The poll on tomfeltonlover's page is also closed the winning story is Maya's band opening for 5 Seconds of Summer.

In other DeGrassi Saviors news check out dragonsprit's story My Self Inflicted Twisted Reality. If you enjoyed Extremes of Leather and Lace you will like this story. Also check out dragonsprit's page for updates and clues.

It's another very short one sorry. On top of getting ready for tax season we are also looking to move from our current place, which means a lot of looking at houses and filling out applications. So until after mid-April things are going to be very hectic and that's going to mean little time for writing. I will do my absolute best and try really hard not to skip any chapters but it means on days like today chapters are going to be very short.

Ch. 25 Wishing I was 23

(RIKER)

"Oh," Clare exclaims holding her belly.

"Are you okay? What is it?" I ask putting my arms around her.

"I'm okay this kid is kicking and my back is starting to hurt. You keep looking for Adam I'm going to walk around a bit," she tells me.

I smile and kiss her then she starts walking slowly around the baggage claim area. Adam is flying in today and Clare is also 31 weeks pregnant now and she doesn't like standing for too long. I've spent the last three weeks spending as much time as I could with her but I've been pretty busy with band stuff, preparing to move and giving interviews about Clare and me. The news that she was pregnant hadn't died down at all and then we announced were engaged. After I proposed to her during our vacation we told everyone in our circles and they were all very thrilled and also not surprised at all. I announced it on Twitter and our fan boards and website. Of course the media found out and that led to more requests for interviews and the need to put out another press release.

"Clare I see him," I call to her when I see Adam coming down the escalator. Clare comes over and hugs her best friend tightly. Adam grins putting his hand on her belly when they step out of the hug, although they still have one arm around each other.

"Hi, you've gotten so big and still look beautiful, you have that pregnant glow. How's my little niece/nephew?"

"Happy to have their uncle here," she replies and Adam laughs a little so I think he felt the baby kick. "I'm happy to have you here too, I've been having a great time but I missed my best friend."

"I missed you too," Adam smiles.

"Hi good to have you here," I grin hugging Adam when Clare lets go of him.

I have Clare pace near the doors so she's moving while Adam and I go to the baggage carousel to get his bags. We take them out to the car and I point out sites to Adam as we drive home. Since Clare has either called, video chatted or e-mailed with Adam every day they don't really have anything to catch up on. I don't either, both since she's told him everything going on for the two of us and I've talked to him a few times myself. When we get to the house everyone is here and they all greet Adam. He'll be sleeping in the living room while he's here since it's really the only place. Everyone hugs Adam and asks him how he's doing and how his flight was and such. Adam already sent out a text that he made it safely, but after everyone has said hello and caught up with him a little he calls someone to let them know he made it safely and we're at the house. We all have dinner together and Adam catches up with everyone else while we eat.

Adam had a long day of travel so he showers after dinner and my mom and I get the pullout set up for him. When Adam is out of the shower Clare says goodnight and then whispers something to Adam and he smiles. I say goodnight to Adam before Clare and I go down to our room.

"How do you feel?" I ask when we're alone.

"Happy to have Adam here, tired and sore in a lot of places. If I hurt this much now I don't know how I'm going to be able to move in a couple of weeks."

"You'll be sitting on a plane and then telling us where you want things and that will be it. I'm not letting you do any more than that. For now why don't you lie on your side and I'll rub anywhere it hurts," I tell her.

She gives me a grateful smile and a loving kiss before lying on her side. I rub her lower back and then she rolls over and I rub her feet before we go to bed. She sleeps with a body pillow now and she still turns over and changes position every couple of hours. I sleep through it all and surprisingly she sleeps through my snoring, I think anyway. Because it's Adam's first day and everyone besides him and Clare have things to do today my parents are making a large breakfast. We all eat together and talk about what's going on today.

"Riker could you help us clean up please?" Mom requests when we've finished eating.

"Yeah sure," I nod.

"I'm going to go outside for some sun will you come out and join me when you're done?" Clare asks.

"Of course," I grin and kiss her forehead.

She goes outside with Adam and my siblings and Ell and I help my parents clean the kitchen. When I'm done I go outside but rather than finding everyone lounging around the pool I see them set up on the deck and four chairs facing the deck. Ryland has the instruments set up, everyone has their instruments and Adam is using my bass. My beautiful fiancé is in the middle with a microphone in her hand.

"What's going on?" I query.

"A mini private concert. I heard this song from your album and it made me think of us so I asked the rest of the band and Adam to help me. Of course the band didn't need to rehearse it but Adam and I have been rehearsing it. So please sit down with Ryland and your parents because everyone will need to get going soon," Clare tells me.

"You take the center seat," Ryland says.

My parents come out and we sit down in the chairs while Adam and the band start playing Wishing I Was 23. I look at Clare as she's swaying a little to the music and then she begins singing.

"Maybe he's just too old for me, living in a teenage fantasy baby there's so much we could be. He's got me wishing, wishing I was 23. Yeah he's crazy but I don't care he's sexy and he's a millionaire. The way he gets me is so unfair."

I smile because she took a song we play and almost made it for her and I by changing the male perspective of the original to female. Surprisingly Clare actually has a pretty good singing voice. I've heard her sing Always with me but she always sings it so quietly, I can hear her sing clearly now and my smile gets a little bigger as she continues singing.

"Not your typical rich boy, he's smoking hot, if you know what I mean. Tight jeans and he loves his photography and everything that's in between. He's been around the world. I know he's graduated and I'm not quite educated. I'm young, you know age is overrated. Maybe he's just too old for me living in a teenage fantasy, feeling there's so much we could be. Every time I'm with him, calling me a dreamer. Maybe he's just out of my reach, maybe his girlfriend's a singer. Even though I'm nameless, he's famous. He's got me wishing, wishing I was 23. Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh wishing I was 23, woah-oh. I think about him every day, going insane thinking about what to say. What am I doing anyway? Am I even on his radar? And I know he's graduated and I'm not quite educated. I'm young, you know age is overrated. Maybe he's just too old for me living in a teenage fantasy. Feeling there's so much we could be. Every time I'm with him, calling me a dreamer. Maybe he's just out of my reach, maybe his girlfriend's a singer. Even though I'm nameless, he's famous. He's got me wishing, wishing I was 23. Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh wishing I was 23, woah-oh. And if I was older, he would let me take him to watch the stars at night. We can dance, we can kiss underneath moonlight and if it got colder I could let him hold me. Wrapped up in fairytales got to wake up from this dream, oh yeah. Maybe he's just too old for me, living in a teenage fantasy. Even though I'm nameless, he's famous, he's got me wishing. Maybe he's just too old for me, maybe his girlfriend's a singer. Even though I'm nameless, he's famous. He's got me wishing, wishing I was 23. Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh wishing I was 23, woah-oh. I've got him wishing, wishing he was 18. Even though I'm nameless, he's famous. He's got me wishing, wishing I was 23. Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh wishing I was 23, wishing I was 23."

I cheer for Clare and everyone, my parents are clapping and Ryland is hooting and clapping. I get out of my chair and go up to Clare taking her in my arms and giving her a deep kiss.

"That was great I didn't know you could sing. We should sing it on stage together sometime," I tell her.

"No way singing for you and with you is one thing but I'm not singing on stage," Clare shakes her head.

"Adam you played that almost better than me," I smile looking at him.

"Thanks I've been practicing for months," he grins back.

Ryland and my parents tell them it was great and then we all go inside because we have to get going to various things. Clare stays outside to actually get some sun while Adam and Ryland clean up. When I'm ready to go I go out to the yard to say goodbye to Clare.

"I have to go but I will be home this evening and the three of us will go to dinner," I tell Clare and give her a gentle kiss.

"I know you will," I grin and wave to Adam and then kiss Clare one more time.

Ross is filming and I have a radio interview and then a photo shoot with the band and then we have a meeting with Andre. I know Clare is in good hands with Adam and that she's been missing her friend so it's good they have the day together.

"Riker," Mom calls to me just before I leave. "I was thinking that Sunday I would take Clare and Rydel to the spa for some girl time. You and Dad and the other boys could go do something together. No one has plans after eleven that morning so we'd have all afternoon."

"Yeah that sounds great."

Again sorry it was so short it's been a very crazy day. The update next Wednesday will probably begin with the spa day.

Wishing I was 23 lyrics by Rocky Lynch and Riker Lynch but I changed it a little to work for Clare signing.