I DON'T OWN ANYTHING

a/n THANK YOU, EVERYONE WHO READ AND REVIEWED CHAPTER 5! IT SEEMED LIKE Y'ALL LIKED IT! I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERY REVIEW, MESSAGE, AND ALL 1400+ VIEWS! I AM VERY EXCITED TO CONTINUE THE SERIES I ENJOY WRITING!

CHAPTER 6: NO, I DON'T

"I...AM NOT IN LOVE WITH MEL, nor was I EVER! She is my BOSS and her niece and nephew are my JOB, NOT my family! I don't 'love' any of them!" Joe screamed very, very convincingly.

Lennox heard that up in her room and began crying histarically. Mel also began crying, not caring that Tony was there or anything. Ryder was trying to be the rock, but tears swelled in the teenagers eyes as he and Lennox ran down the stairs.

"Joe!" Mel tried screaming, but her voice broke and cracked and all that came out was a high-pitched did not sound like he was kidding. How could someone lie that convincingly!

It was quite in the room except the sobbing of Lennox. Mel was shaking while trying to hold in her pain.

"Joe! How c-could you say th-that! You a-are like a d-d-dad to me, a-and I...I lo-love you!" Lennox cried.

"Oh no!" What have I done!" Joe thought, as tears began forming in his eyes.

Lennox ran up the stairs and slammed her door shut. She locked it behind her and laid in her bed.

"Leave Tony...NOW!" Joe yelled.

"Ok, I will leave, but I will be back later to check on Mel." Tony said devilishly. "I told you that lying is bad." He said chuckling, he was happy at Joe's exspence.

Ryder was standing there like a rock. He was hurting badly, but his family needed him. His aunt was laying lifelessly on the couch and his sister locked herself in her room.

"Joe, I think you need to leave." Ryder said bravely. "Come back later though, I don't want you to be gone forever." He wispered.

"What?" Joe asked pretending like he didn't hear the last part even though he did.

"Go think, and then come back in a few hours." Ryder said.

"OK Kid." Joe said, while looking at Ryder proudly. Joe was crying.

"Now." Ryder said.

Joe walked out the door and Ryder began crying. Aunt Mel tapped the couch next to her and began rocking him in her arms. Ryder wasn't much for cuddling, but he needed it.

"I love you, Aunt Mel." Ryder whispered, for the first time since he had been there.

"Oh, I know honey, and I love you too." Mel said as she cried. She told Ryder she loved him all the time, but he never said it back until now.

"You are like a mom to me." He said smiling at her through his tears.

"Thank you Ryder." Mel said proudly.

"Aunt Mel?" Ryder asked.

"Yeah?" Mel asked.

"I love Joe." Ryder said sadly.

"We all do." Mel agreed.

Then, Ryder got up, and went upstairs. He knocked on his sisters door. It was a secret knock they always had. Lennox got up using all the energy she had and answered the door. Ryder walked in and shut the door behind him. Lennox wouldn't let Aunt Mel in and Ryder knew that, but he also knew Lennox needed to talk to someone. Aunt Mel would never know how it felt to loose a dad. Ryder did and even thought he didn't like to think about it, he would, for Lennox.

"Ryder, do you think I get attached too easily." Lennox said through her tears.

"No. You just love Joe. I love Joe too." Ryder admitted. "Joe is easy to love. He was like a dad to me also." Ryder cried.

"I do love Joe." Lennox cried. "So much, and how could someone I love so much not love me back!" Lennox started balling again.

"Lennox, he loves you. Joe loves us. He knows it, and I know it. He REALLY loves Aunt Mel." Ryder said.

"Well duh!" Lennox said. "I've known that forever."

"Well did you know they are trying to secretly date. I think." Ryder admitted.

"Yeah, I was suspecting that something weird was going on, but we don't have to tell them we know. I think we should just let them have this 'secret' relationship." Lennox said. "If they still have it." She cried.

Ryder put his arm around his sister and began crying again. The hugged each other, yet another thing they didn't do often.

"I love you sis." Ryder said.

"I love you too." Lennox admitted.

They NEVER told each other they loved each other. Of course they both knew but they never said it.

"Let's go somewhere." Lennox said. She picked up her phone and called Stephine.

This was last resort. Lennox knew Stephanie would be happy to take them for the night, because she knew Stephine would want to know what was goinig on. Mel might not be happy about them going with her, but Lennox and Ryder needed to get out of the house they didn't want to be there when Joe got back. Suprisingly Mel was ok with it, and she drove them to Stephanie's house and then went home to drown her sorrows in alcohol. When Mel got home she cried and cried and cried for three hours, and she didn't drink. not even one sip. Then, there was a knock on the door. she knew who it was. The knock went on for two minutes, and then stopped. Mel continued crying for ten minutes, and then opened the door. She saw Joe and slammed the door, but Joe caught it with his strong hand.

"Mel, I LOVE YOU! I love you more than anything! I love you and Ryder and Lennox. They are like my kids. I am so proud of them and you, and I love taking care of OUR family! I am part of this family!" Joe yelled while, he cried hysterically.

Mel knew he was being completely honest, and she had never seen him show this much vulnerability.

"I can't make excuses for what I said, and I know that. I realized at that moment, I loved this family more than anything I ever loved! I honestly didn't mean for it too come out that way. Someone once told me, "You either know she's the one when you meet her, or know it when you lose her." and I found out that person was right." Joe said. "These past few hours have been the worst hours of my life. I know how it feels to lose a girl, but I didn't know how it felt to lose a family!" He cried. "Mel couldn't tell T..."

Mel inturupted Joe with a kiss. Joe was suprised, but kissed back.

"I love you." Joe said against Mel's lips.

"Obviously, and i love you too." Mel whispered back.

She wrapped her arms around Joe pressing herself as close to him as she possibly could. He loved them. Joe picked Mel up bridal style and laid her on the couch. She was tugging at the buttons on his shirt, and pulling one of them off. Then Tony walked in the door.

"WOAH, BRO!" Tony exclaimed.

Joe and Mel both ignored him as they continued kissing pasisonatley.

"Mel, we can't do this now." He said, prying her hands off of him. "I need to go see Lennox and Ryder."

"I'll take your spot!" Tony said excitedly.

"GET OUT TONY!" Mel and Joe yelled in unision.

Joe pushed Tony out of the door as he ran out the door to the car. Mel locked the door behind them. She wanted Joe.

"LENNOX, RYDER!?" Joe yelled...TBC

a/n -THANK YOU, FOR READING AND TO ALL OF THOSE WHO FOLLOW AND ALL OF THOSE NEW REVIEWS! PLEASE REVIEW AND PM ME ANY AND ALL IDEAS! HOPE YOU LIKED IT AND WANT ME TO COONTINUE!