Sunday:

Tori walked into the kitchen to find Blake reading a parts magazine and drinking coffee. "Do you remember when you hated coffee?" Tori asked.

Blake looked up from his magazine and smirked. "I guess as I got older my tastes for some things changed." He remarked. "I know you didn't come in here to talk to me about my taste buds, so what's up?" He asked.

Tori took up a seat next to him at the table. "I think something's up with Aubrey." Tori said.

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

Tori seem to think before she responded so it came out the way she wanted. "Have you noticed that besides volleyball practice after school, some work, and one day this week at the track she hasn't really been out of the house after school?" Tori said. "That she has pretty much stuck close to home."

Blake looked at Tori for a moment and thought about what she had said. It was weird Aubrey was usually out and about all the time. Whether it be with Sam at the track or out with Jarred, but this week was different she had spent most of her time at home. Blake sighed. "I think it has to do with my accident."

Tori rolled her eyes. "Duh, yeah think thunder boy?" Tori asked sarcastically.

Blake grinned at her. "She was really freaked out."

"Well you don't wreck easily I could see where she'd be freaked out." Tori said softly looking away from him.

Blake reached over and put his hand over her clasped hands resting on the table. "I'm fine."

Tori sighed. "I know." She said softly looking back at him. "But still you've never missed a branch like that before what happened?" Tori asked. Blake could see she'd wanted to ask that since it had happened.

Blake shrugged slightly. "I was thinking too much and not paying attention to my surroundings really."

"Blake what could you possibly be thinking about so intensely that you weren't paying attention?" Tori asked worriedly.

Blake sighed. "My life, my family I guess. Before me and Aubrey had gone out riding me and Hunter started talking about what our lives were like now a days and I guess my mind just went on overdrive. I'm sorry I didn't mean for the accident to happen."

Tori smiled softly at him. "Don't be sorry just be more careful ok. And I think you need to talk to Aubrey." She said.

Blake nodded. "I will later." He said. Tori stood grabbing his hand and pulling him up.

"I love you, but when you say later it usually ends up waiting a few days." Tori grinned at him. "So you go upstairs now and talk to her." Tori said pushing him out of the kitchen.

Blake chuckled. "Fine I'm going no need to push." He said laughing a little.

Tori stopped pushing and watched him head up the stairs. Just as he was about to knock on the door into Aubrey's room it swung open and Aubrey was startled to see him. "Hey daddy! I have to go out and meet Jarred, we're having dinner tonight." Aubrey said.

"Aubrey we need to talk." Blake said before she could move past him. Aubrey sighed.

"Dad can it wait. I've sort of put Jarred on the back burner for the last week and he's really looking forward to this?" Aubrey asked with pleading blue eyes.

Blake sighed and nodded. "What time will you be home?" He asked.

"Around ten thirty or eleven. That ok?" Blake nodded. "Will you still be up?"

Blake smirked at her. "Yeah I'll be in the living room probably so just come in there when you get home ok?"

Aubrey smiled and nodded. "Ok. By Daddy!" She kissed his cheek and walked passed him shutting her door and going down the stairs and out the door. Blake went back downstairs and into the kitchen where Tori was preparing dinner. Lily would be over and she wanted to make something nice.

"So?" Tori asked sensing his presence before he could speak.

"How is it that you do that?" Blake asked.

Tori smiled and looked over her shoulder at him. "I'm gifted. Not to mention you're wearing your boots thunder boy." She said playfully.

Blake smirked at her shaking his head. "She went out to dinner with Jarred."

"So…?" Tori asked coaxingly.

"I'll talk with her when she gets home around ten thirty or eleven. What time did Adam say Lily would be here?" He asked walking over and wrapping his arms around Tori's waist from behind and looking over her shoulder to see what she was cooking. "Meat loaf and the fixings?" Blake asked.

Tori turned and kissed his cheek. "Seven and yes your mother gave me her meatloaf recipe so I thought I'd try it out."

"Mom's meatloaf is the best I don't see how you could mess it up." Blake said playfully kissing her cheek and down her neck.

Tori grinned to herself and rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the support." She remarked sarcastically.

Blake chuckled. "I was only kidding. You'll do fine."

"Maybe I should put onions in yours and send you to the hospital for a few days." Tori giggled.

"Hey not funny." Blake said slightly joking but serious at the same time.

Tori stepped back making Blake release her waist and she bent over and put the meatloaf pan in the oven. When she stood back up Blake smacked her ass. Tori turned and glared at him playfully pointing the wooden spoon she held in her hand at him. "You know I hate it when you do that. So why must you keep doing it?" Tori asked smirking at him.

"Cause it's fun." Blake said grinning at her impishly.

Tori tossed the wooden spoon in the sink and stood directly in front of Blake. "Do you want to have an allergic reaction tonight at dinner and scare the crap out of your children?" She asked in a sickly sweet serious teasing tone.

Blake smirked at her. "You wouldn't."

Tori sighed and grinned at him. "You're right I wouldn't cause I haven't gotten all the use out of you yet. When I'm done with you then maybe I will." She said playfully.

"So that's why you've kept me around all these years?" Blake asked jokingly.

Tori smirked and nodded. She wrapped her arms around his waist and his instinctively went around her petite body. "Well you're good for a lot of things."

"Like?" He asked playfully.

"Well let's see you can make me smile like no one else can, you make me laugh, you love me and keep me satisfied, you take care of me and the kids…need I continue?" Tori asked smiling at him as their faces inched closer together as they slowly swayed in each other's embrace.

Blake smiled and shook his head. "Nope, but I think your stuck with me."

"Why's that?" Tori whispered looking into his amazing brown eyes that she loved so much.

"Well let's see while I may not always be able to make you smile or laugh I'll never stop loving you or keeping you satisfied and I'll never stop taking care of you. The kids will eventually have to take care of themselves but I'll always be in background when they need me." Blake said smiling.

Tori sighed contently. "Ok fine I wont put onions in your food. I need you around." She said smiling sweetly.

Blake grinned. "Thought so." He whispered sealing the slight distance between their lips and kissing her passionately. Then there was a knock at the door. "It's Lily and I don't think Adam can hear it." Blake whispered breaking away.

Tori nodded and she reached her thumb up to wipe away the traces of her lip-gloss from his bottom lip. For some reason she had felt like putting lip-gloss on that morning. Blake grinned at her and they released each other just as there was another knock at the door. Blake jogged over to the door and answered it.

"Hey Mr. Bradley." Lily said. Blake stepped aside to let her in.

"Lily how many times do I have to tell you Mr. Bradley is my father I'm Blake." He said smiling at her.

Lily giggled faintly. "Sorry it's just I was raised in a family where we always said mister or miss unless they were family."

"Well it's Blake, please and Adam is upstairs in his room. I think he's listening to music so knock really loud." Blake told her. Lily smiled and nodded. She headed off upstairs to Adam's room and Blake went back into the kitchen to help Tori finish up dinner.

Upstairs:

Lily knocked three times before getting fed up with Adam and just walking in to his room. He was sitting at his desk with his laptop on typing something with headphones over his ears. Lily noticed he was only wearing his jeans like he was too lazy to put a shirt on.

Walking over Lily tapped his shoulder and he turned around quickly knocking his headphones off when he saw Lily. "Hey." She said softly smiling at him.

Adam smiled back and stood closing his laptop behind him. "Hey Lil!" He said giving her a quick kiss. She noticed his hair was wet and ungelled.

"Did you just get out of the shower?" Lily asked randomly.

Adam nodded. "Um yeah. I was just working on some homework and I guess I lost track of the time. I'll go to the bathroom and finish getting ready. Feel free to sit and wait here for me. Or you can go downstairs and hang with my mom and dad."

Lily giggled. "Adam I know the drill. I'll just wait in here for you. You mind if I borrow your Internet and check my mail?"

Adam was grabbing a shirt out of his drawer. "Yeah go ahead." He said not even thinking twice about what he had just been working on. He put his shirt on over his head gave Lily a quick kiss on the cheek and headed out of his room to the bathroom he shared with Aubrey.

Lily sat down at his laptop and opened the screen. A word document was up and she went to minimize it when her name caught her eye. Lily wasn't one to snoop but she was letting her curiosity get the better of her. She started to read the second paragraph where she found her name. And Lily and I are still great. I love her I really do. She's just so amazing still and she still surprises me all the time when we are together… It's strange to think that I might've met my soul mate in high school I never thought that would happen let alone that anyone would really want to go out with me. But she does and she's just Lily and she doesn't care what people think of her. I've said it several times I love her no doubt about it.

She's been through so much in her life and she's so strong behind her slightly shy façade. But I know different she opens up to me like no one else. And that makes me happy and I'm just glad I make her happy. At least I hope I make her happy.

Hearing the bathroom door open Lily quickly minimized the document and pulled up the Internet. She typed in her yahoo address and her mail came up just as Adam walked in the room. "Anything good?" He asked.

Lily looked back at him and smiled. "Yeah I guess." She said casually. Logging out and standing. Lily walked up to Adam and put her arms around his neck and gave him a soft kiss.

"What was that for?" Adam asked smiling brightly.

Lily smiled softly. "For just being you and being the greatest boyfriend ever." She said happily.

Adam smiled skeptically. "You ok?" He asked putting a hand to her forehead. Lily pulled his hand away and brought it around her waist.

"I'm fine. Can't I kiss my boyfriend who makes me obliviously happy to be alive?" Lily asked jokingly.

Adam shrugged and nodded. "Glad I make you happy cause that's my goal in life." He said brightly.

Lily giggled. "Well I have a goal in life to."

"What's that?"

"To be with you as long as you'll have me." Lily said sweetly.

Adam smiled. "Then can I have you for eternity?" He asked slightly teasing.

Lily grinned and nodded. "As long as you'll have me." She responded. Adam leaned in meeting her lips in a sweet passionate kiss. "I love you Adam." Lily whispered breathlessly when they broke for air.

"I love you too Lil." Adam replied. They held each other a little while longer and then headed downstairs to visit and wait for dinner to be ready.

With Aubrey and Jarred:

"Jarred this is wonderful." Aubrey said as they sat on a picnic blanket enjoying a homemade meal and the view of the setting sun of the vast mass of beautiful water.

Jarred looked over and smiled at her. "Glad you like it."

Aubrey smiled. "Glad you planned it." She responded.

"So you want to talk about what's been bothering you?" Jarred asked finally asking after the first half of the meal which was eaten in silence.

Aubrey sighed. "Nothing. I've just been busy."

"Aubrey I know you better then that." Jarred said. He moved some stuff out of the way and scooted over to Aubrey's side. "Tell me."

Aubrey sighed again this time heavier. "It's just I'm dealing with my dad's accident. I mean he's never really ever gotten hurt before and now I mean it's like a rude awakening that things like that do happen."

Jarred nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Aubrey he'll be ok. And I can tell that you would rather be talking to someone else about this so I'll let it drop."

Aubrey nodded. "Thanks. It's just my dad wants to talk to me later and I have a feeling it's because of my lack of leaving the house this last week."

Jarred chuckled softly. "Yeah you have been kind of a home body."

"I want to look out for him. Is that so wrong?" Aubrey asked a bit defensively. "He…he really scared me." Aubrey whispered bowing her head. "To the point of tears. And you know it takes a lot to make me cry."

Jarred nodded in understanding. "Look talk to him and sort this out." Jarred said.

Aubrey looked and Jarred and smiled softly. "You're so understanding."

"Well it's my duty as your humble servant to give you advice. It's also my duty as your boyfriend to make you forget about your worries and have a good time." He said grinning.

Aubrey smiled brightly. "And just how do you plan to do that?"

"Like this." Jarred whispered kissing her soundly on the mouth. Aubrey giggled to start which gave Jarred's tongue the access it requested into her mouth.

Aubrey turned more towards them as they shared this kiss not wanting to break it or ruin it in anyway as the sun was only a sliver above the water now. Jarred's one hand went up to Aubrey's cheek while both of hers gently cupped his neck holding him close to her. Jarred slowly began to lean back on the blanket and Aubrey followed their lips never leaving each other.

Later on:

Aubrey walked in the front door smiling she went to head upstairs until she heard the living room TV on. "Hey Squirt!" She heard her father yell as well as a reminder that they were supposed to talk. Aubrey went into the living room and dropped her coat and bag in the recliner and took up a seat next to her father on the couch. "So did you have fun?"

Aubrey yawned and nodded. "Yeah we had this really great picnic dinner on the beach while the sun set."

"That's nice." Blake said. "So…"

"I know I've been spending a lot of time at home and it's because I want to keep an eye on you. You really scared me dad. I know everything seemed fine when we talked in the hospital, but it's not I'm still worried about you. And I slightly don't understand how a rider like you could miss a branch like that…and…"

"Whoa slow down there squirt." Blake said putting his hands up to halt her talking. "Aubrey it was a slip. My mind wasn't on riding and it should've been. But you don't need to worry about me. I promise I'm fine and I'll be fine and I'll try not to let something like this happen in the future."

"Dad you know what it takes to make me cry. It made me cry." Aubrey said looking away from him.

Blake used his free hand to gently gripping her chin and turning her head towards him. Her eyes were looking down and her lids barely open. "Look at me." Aubrey sighed and looked up at Blake. He saw that more tears were gathering in her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you or make you cry."

Aubrey smiled very meekly. "It's ok it's good to cry sometimes I guess."

"Aubrey…"

"Dad I just don't want to lose you. Seeing you lying there not moving that was what scared me the most, not the hospital trip, or any of this after it was seeing you lying there not responding to me. That's never happened and it freaked me out so bad." Aubrey said slightly trembling at the image of her father just lying there not moving. Blake wrapped her in a tight hug.

"I'm really sorry. I promise I wont ever do anything like that ever again." Blake said. "I mean it."

Aubrey nodded gently. "As long as you don't mind me being clingy for a little while longer."

Blake chuckled faintly not letting go of the hug as Aubrey's arms wrapped around his middle embracing him whole-heartedly. "No I don't mind." He whispered. Aubrey started to release him and Blake did the same. "Feel any better?"

Aubrey took a deep breath and nodded. "Slightly."

Blake nodded. "Guess that's a little better. Want some cookies and milk. Homemade…" He said slightly enticing.

Aubrey smiled sweetly and nodded. "Sure. I know it's late and a school night but can we stay up and watch ghost rider?"

Blake nodded as he stood from the couch with her. "Why not?" He said going into the kitchen with Aubrey.