.:Chapter Eight:.

"Wow, this room is cool!"

"Dude, check out the view!"

"I'm so going surfing later today."

Logan scoffed as he walked into the suite style hotel room after James, Carlos, and Kendall. "Are you kidding? There's so much history and things to explore here!" He put his suitcase down on the floor, off to the side and pulled out a brochure from the back pocket of his jeans. Sticking his nose into the paper, he missed the pained expressions the other three boys sent each other. "This whole hotel is based off of the famed city of Atlantis so the history for it is everywhere. Then there are all of the attractions! Did you know the aquariums here hold over 500,000—"

"No one cares," Carlos interrupted.

Logan sniffed as he closed his brochure. "Camille and I care. And we're going to be going to see each and every one while we're here."

"If Syd doesn't beat you to it," Kendall remarked, sitting down on the window sill, looking out over the beach. "Something tells me that if he's not constantly in the water, like I'm assuming all of the rest of them are going to be, he's going to be running around to each aquarium and museum as fast as his legs can carry him." He turned back to his smarter friend and smirked at him. "So I hope you don't mind if your dates get crashed."

"Either that or you have to remember that no one likes your PDA!" James, who had stretched out on the luxurious couch, picked up an extra pillow and threw it at Logan's head. Logan stuck his tongue out as he grabbed the pillow and threw it back to James.

Carlos laughed and picked up his suitcase, walking into the room that was directly to his left. "James and I call this room!" He shouted loudly.

"Go for it," Kendall called back unfazed. He had turned back to the beach and was scanning the water once more. It really was perfect. The water was crystal blue, beaches sandy white; he could hear the screams and laughter from those that were in the water and running along the beach. From what he had seen, waiting in the vast lobby of the Royal Towers Hotel portion of the entire resort, there were dance clubs, areas to golf, and practically anything he could ever think of as an amenity at the resort. If they had a hockey rink somewhere he a) wouldn't be surprised and b) would've though he had died and gone to heaven. "Feel free to get room service or whatever, Dad's gonna pay for all of it anyway."

His voice had lowered at the end, turned cold and disinterested. It hadn't reached Carlos, who was already back in the room he and James was going to share, thumping and banging around. Probably checking to see which closet was bigger so he could snag it before James could even look at it himself. Logan and James had recognized his tone and exchange worried glances before James cleared his throat and moved over to his best friend.

"Hey, are you OK?" James placed his hand on Kendall's shoulder. Kendall shrugged, bobbing his head back and forth. "I know things are really confusing for you and Katie and Mama Knight right now, but this is a vacation for you guys too."

Kendall sneered. "Don't you mean it's a ploy to fast track his way back into our good graces?" He appeared ashamed as soon as the words came out of his mouth. Dropping his foot from the window sill he turned to face James and Logan. "You guys out of everyone understand what I'm going through," he said. James and Logan nodded; James's father having never really grown up out of his bachelor lifestyle divorced his mother and starting going out with women who were near James's age, which had alienated the whole Diamond family, thus making his relationship with his son hard. Logan's father had been placed in jail when he was young for drug trafficking and the two barely had any contact if not being a rare occurrence of Logan ever going to visit him in jail. "Things were fine the way they were before, now I can't help but wonder if the one second I say something wrong or turn my back I'm going to get a hockey stick across the back of my skull."

"Well, think of it this way," Logan said. "Do you really think that he would do something with so many witnesses around?" He gestured towards the beach. "Even if it isn't us, there're a lot of people everywhere. I wouldn't be surprised if they have some sort of a secret service SWAT team in hiding."

"Dude!" James reached out and placed his hand on Logan's shoulder, squeezing it excitedly. "Do you think they have hair salons here?"

"Do you plan on getting cornrows?" Kendall gave him a funny look.

James rolled his eyes before whipping his handheld mirror out of his pocket and studying his reflection. "Though I would look good with cornrows." Kendall and Logan looked at each other and rolled their eyes. No matter how much time passed and how much they grew up, James was always going to have his appearance in high regards compared to others.

"Anyway!" Logan's forceful tone caused James to put the mirror away and flashed his pearly whites in a charming smile. "I was going to say that you and your Dad had been making great progress before he mentioned the possibility of getting back together with Mama Knight. What is it about that that's made it different now?"

James cleared his throat. "Especially since that's what you wanted before."

Kendall made a humming sound but didn't immediately reply. He was right. It was exactly what he had wanted before. When he was younger and he would watch his mother struggle with bills and try to protect Katie from the fact that the days after their father had left had stretched longer and longer. He had begged whatever higher power he believed in and remembered studying in school, wishing on every four leaf clover he could find, plucking out a few of his eyelashes to make wishes on them, and wished whenever he found his favorite, which also doubled as his lucky number, anywhere. And yet, all of that gave him was disappointment and a lot of wasted time.

He stopped asking for it by the time his tenth birthday came around, using the wish on his birthday candles instead to ask for a new set of hockey pads. Which he did end up getting. (Though that was really a fluke because he and Katie had found them one day while they had been snooping around after their mother had gone to work at the diner for the night). As far as he was concerned, his mother still hadn't figured out how they had been able to do that.

"It's not that I'm only afraid he's going to hit me again," Kendall said slowly. "Because that is something I think about a lot. I'm also worried that he and Mom are going to start dating again…and then he'll cheat on her again. It really destroyed her when she found out about it…the guilt having caused Dad to freak out anyway." He shrugged. "It would be like; Mom ended a really good relationship that was good for her and Ronan just to be cheated on again and I don't think she can handle that let alone the fact I'd want to bust his face in if he ever did."

"Are you sure you're not still bitter that he beat you in that hockey game?"

"Very funny."

"What's funny?" Carlos walked out of the bedroom and back over to the guys, his eyes wide in earnest.

Kendall, Logan, and James all hesitated, not sure if he would understand. Carlos was one of the most empathetic and sensitive people they could ever meet or be glad to be friends with. He was the best one to go to whenever they needed to be comforted; he always seemed to have the ability to know the minute he looked at them and in minutes had whoever was upset in a better mood. And yet…he wouldn't understand what Kendall was going through or what James and Logan had gone through before. His parents were still together and happily married, seeming to get increasingly happy as the years passed.

"Nothing," James finally said.

Carlos frowned, but nodded. Something flashed through his gut, causing his stomach muscles to clench, just as his heart felt it was being. He knew he wasn't being told something.

"We were just planning all of the things we want to do while we're here."

James looked at his watch before reaching over to Logan and snatching the brochure out his hands. Logan made a whining sound, a paper cut slicing through his skin. "Ow!"

"They have jet skis here," James said. "Why don't' we go and do that?"

"Sounds good to me," Carlos agreed. He quickly bounced back from his initial disappointment, though he couldn't completely ignore the feeling. "Let me just get my swim trunks and we can get going."

"You guys go ahead," Kendall said after a minute. He pushed off the window sill and lowered his sunglasses from his hair down over his eyes. "I'm going to see how Mom and Katie got settled in. I'll catch up with you later." He patted Logan on the shoulder before grabbing his card key out from the card holder that came with the room, and walked out, closing the door behind him. He walked around the spiraling hallways, nodding at whomever he came across.

Finally, he reached the room his mother and sister was sharing and knocked on the door. He could hear rapid footsteps thudding towards the door and stood back as Katie flung the door open. "Have you seen these rooms?!" She cried. Kendall laughed and walked into the room. "I can say one thing for sure; Dad really knows what to do with his tax dollars."

"Yeah and it only took him about eleven years to let us in on this life as well," Kendall said.

"Oh quit complaining, Big Brother, this is only a little bit better than the places Gustavo could afford for us." Katie led Kendall over to the living room and jumped onto the couch, bouncing along with the coiling springs. "And he's probably pissed about it too."

"I wouldn't doubt it," Kendall admitted. He sat down next to his sister, crossing his legs. "Where's Mom?"

"Sleeping," Katie said. Kendall nodded. "You know how she is after a long flight. Jet lag really messes her up. Just like having to get up early in the morning." She brushed her long hair over her shoulders. "What's wrong, Big Brother?"

Kendall let out a long sigh. "Everything and nothing," he admitted. "I'm starting to feel like a jerk, really." Katie raised an eyebrow. "Because of this whole vacation thing. I know that Dad and I, and you and Dad, were really starting to get along again. But then the news of Dad wanting to get back together really freaks me out."

"Kinda freaks me out too, Big Bother," Katie admitted. She lowered her head. "But for a different reason."

"Really?"

"Yeah…" Katie started to play with her shoelace.

She squirmed for a minute and Kendall continued to watch her, waiting for her to speak. What was she supposed to say? She was tired of her Big Brother getting the attention all the time? That she was afraid that when he finally did leave that he would completely forget about her? That he would become too engrossed in hockey and the fame that would inevitably come with it—because he was super talented—that it would be like she didn't exist? That she wasn't sure what part of her father she shared. That she didn't know how to start a relationship with him again because he was already starting to focus on Kendall more, just like he used to?

All of the above?

None of the above?

And like she usually did, she decided not to bring it up. "It's nothing big, really, just…it's weird," she said. "Thinking of Mom and Dad being together…" she scratched the side of her neck. "Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't try and have Mom share a room with him."

Kendall thought about it for a moment then his features screw up in disgust. Bad images! Things he didn't need to think about. He slapped his hands over his ears, as if that would keep even more disgusting and disturbing thoughts come flying into his head. "Ugh! Thanks Baby Sister, I really needed to think about that." He looked at her carefully. "And how do you know about it anyway?"

Katie rolled her eyes. "I'm sixteen, Kendall, not dead!"

"Still, my baby sister shouldn't be thinking about—"

"I'm not!"

"Good!"

Katie tilted her head back and laughed. "You're so weird."

"No, I just worry about you, Baby Sister," Kendall said. He sobered for a moment, giving her a meaningful smile. "Especially because I'm going to be leaving soon. I want to be sure you're OK before I'm gone."

That would've been the perfect moment for Katie to explain all of her grievances. How scared she was that her Big Brother, her best friend, was going to be going back to Minnesota while she stayed in California. How she hoped that their relationship will continue to stay as strong as it was though it'd be the first time they were ever apart—not including the years she wasn't born.

Don't freak him out, Katie, she thought. He already has a lot to deal with considering Dad's going with him back to Minnesota. She twisted her hands around each other, playing with her fingers. "I'll be OK," she said finally. "Mom and I can handle things while you're gone." She pointed at him. "But don't forget that if you start to get a lot of media attention, which you will, I'm still acting as your talent manager and I deserve twenty percent of all of your endorsements and sponsorships."

"Deal." Kendall held out his hand and they did their handshake. He leaned forward and placed his hands on the sides of Katie's face and pressed his forehead against hers. "But don't' think that you're going to be able to hide my clothes and sell them later. I'm still getting fans sending me pictures of themselves wearing the clothes I thought I had lost."

Kate made a show of snapping her fingers. "It said in the contract that they aren't allowed to do that. I'm going to have to make sure the fine print is read the next time."

"Katie!"

"I'm kidding." Katie sat up straight. "So! What are we doing first?"

Kendall stood up. "Actually…I was going to go talk to Dad." Seeing Katie deflate, he pointed over his shoulder. "But James, Carlos, and Logan are going to go jetskiing and I'm sure he's going to get everyone else to go too."

"All right. I'll change into my suit and go over."

"No bikinis," Kendall declared.

Katie looked amused. "You can't tell me what to wear."

"No, but I can make sure I don't have to constantly beat up anyone that looks at you." Katie rolled her eyes and Kendall gave his sister a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you later, Baby Sister. If Mom wakes up, tell her that I'll see her at dinner."

"OK. See you later."

Kendall left the suite and continued down the hallway towards his father's room. He knocked on the door and had to wait a considerably longer amount of time before the door was flung open and Kevin stood in front of him, hair disheveled and rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Did I interrupt something?" Kendall joked then immediately grimaced, reminded of what Katie had implied before.

Kevin noticed the expression on Kendall's face for he gave him a 'duh' look. "The only thing that gets e hot and heavy at this point in my life is my taxes," he said dryly. "It gets me hot around the collar and I start heavy breathing to keep from wanting to rip my hair out."

"Why don't you just have Katie do it?" Kendall suggested.

"Katie does your taxes?"

"Katie handles all of our money," Kendall snorted. "In fact, she's the one that suggested to Mom that we can't touch any of our money from BTR until we turn twenty-one."

"Because she knew you all wouldn't be responsible?"

"No, because she's a money hungry tyrant that hides her true form behind a cute smile and dimples. I'm only disappointed that she didn't use that talent to go into the Girl Scouts."

Kevin laughed and allowed Kendall in to his suite. Kendall's eyebrows furrowed together when he noticed that his room wasn't as extravagant as everyone else's was. Maybe because it was a single room? For a moment, Kendall felt bad for his father. Not only had he walked out on his family and was trying to navigate through the awkwardness that was trying to get back in their lives, but he must be pretty lonely. He only saw his kids when he ran it by his ex-wife first, the media constantly hounded him with questions about his family, and with the media exposure of having famously quit the hockey league before he went pro had women either chasing after him solely for his fame, or women that he couldn't trust to really be with him.

Maybe I'm being too hard on him, Kendall thought.

"So what are you doing here? I figured you'd be on the beach with your friends." Kevin walked over to the couch and sat down, bringing up his legs and resting them on the edge of the coffee table.

The doors to the balcony of his suite were open; bringing a balmy breeze that warmed and cooled the room at the same time. It ruffled Kevin's blond hair and as Kendall got a good look at him, he could suddenly see how tired he was.

A far cry from the energetic man that he remembered, growing up with. Memories of his father being glad to play hockey with him after school filled his head as well as times when the two would go off to get ice cream and rush to eat it before his mother would find out, where he would come home with random souvenirs from the trips he took with his law firm for himself and Katie. No matter how tired Kevin was when he returned home for work he did his best to spend time with his family before retiring to his office to be debriefed for his next trial.

"Actually…I was wondering if you wanted to play golf or something," Kendall suggested.

Kevin looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean. Why not?" Kendall shrugged. "They have, like, eight hundred different courses around here. I'm sure we can find one that we're moderately good at."

Kevin regarded his son for a long, silent moment then turned and placed his gaze on the floor. "Let me ask you something," he said. "Have you told anyone about what I did to you before?" He held up a hand before Kendall could respond. "And I'm not asking because I'm scared of them knowing, I just really want to know. It'd give me piece of mind if you were able to talk to someone about it."

Kendall swallowed thickly. He was afraid this conversation was going to come up. More with his friends than with anyone else. Having it come from his father, when he himself deserved to be the one that confronted Kevin with all of the pain and torment he had felt during those day long practices Kevin pushed him in. It made him hate hockey for a brief moment in his life but nothing trumped the hatred he had felt for Kevin. Not because he was being beaten, but because he stilled loved his father and wanted nothing more than to make him proud, no matter what it took.

"Mom and Katie…I talked to them about it when I was sixteen because I kept having nightmares," Kendall said quietly. "Then I told James, Carlos, and Logan."

"You should tell your best friends, they deserve to know."

Kendall winced slightly. "I told Jo…because she was my girlfriend at the time and I needed someone to vent to…I haven't told Camille, Stephanie, or the Jacksons. I think Gustavo and Kelly and Ronan know from Mom, but I've never actually said it to them myself." Whipping his head around, Kevin regarded his son with surprise. "I know," Kendall said simply, his voice taking on a cold tone. "You don't have to say it."

"Then I won't." Kevin held his hands up to fend off Kendall's verbal blows, taking a step back away from him. As if he was afraid of Kendall. In a way he was. He had the ability to ruin Kevin's life he wanted, he same way he had ruined Kendall's. All he had to do was go to the press and explain everything he had done. If Kendall were anything like Kevin, he could hold a grudge for a long time if not having a bit of a temper when anything around him was threatened. He's definitely a Knight. "Were you thinking of playing the whole eighteen? Front nine? Back nine?"

Kendall gave a wry smile. "How about we play until we inevitably get kicked out for damaging too many cars?"

Kevin rubbed his chin. "Yeah, my shots do tend to go a bit wide."

"Like…through the bathroom window."

"In my defense, a glare off of a passing car distracted me."

Kendall chuckled.

Kevin smiled. "Sure. Let me just get my shoes and we can find a place to rent some clubs."

Kendall nodded as Kevin walked out of the main area of the suite style room and into his bedroom. Shoving his hands into his shorts pockets, Kendall angled his head towards his feet as he shuffled them back and forth. Playing gold would be a good way for them to buildup their rapport again, considering how strained things had gotten. Besides, if he was going to be spending eight months in Minnesota with him, they may as well get along.

And maybe, finally, he would be able to talk about how he never felt he was good enough for his father and never would be.

Carlos finished changing into his swim trunks and grabbed a drawstring bag, stuffing it full with his towel, phone, and his card key to the room. He walked out into the main sitting area and sat down to wait for James and Logan, knowing they were going to take the longest. After having been chased all over the beach by Mama Knight the last time they had been at a beach party, Logan made sure that every square inch of his body was slathered up on sunscreen. James, on the other hand, had numerous creams and liquids to rub on his face and skin to be sure he wouldn't burn, peel, get spots, or winkle prematurely.

He had barely sat down when there was a knock on the door to the room. Going over, he pulled it open and greeted Stephanie with a hug so big that he lifted his taller girlfriend off her feet, squeezing her tight.

"Carlos, you're gonna crack my back," Stephanie managed to wheeze.

Carlos set her back down on the ground and leaned in, giving her a sweet kiss. Feeling something brush against his leg, he glanced down to find her video camera that was almost permanently attached to her hand. "You gonna get some good shots today?"

"I can't think of any better way to get some action shots done," Stephanie said. With a smile she took her boyfriend's hand and allowed herself to be walked over to the couch. She sat down next to him, pulling her legs up underneath her. "And I was itching to go to the beach. Jo and Camille went down to the shops, I think."

"Cool." Carlos gestured towards the bedrooms. "We're just waiting on James and Logan. Kendall went to go see if Mama Knight and Katie were settling in OK. And I'm sure things are going fine because the hotel hasn't fallen apart from Gustavo's screaming yet."

Stephanie laughed. "I don't know how you guys do it, but you somehow always manage to create chaos wherever you go."

"It's a gift." Carlos smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. We're not going to able to do that much anymore. Not when Kendall leaves and Logan starts going to school and James goes solo…we're going to be split up. He didn't want to think that they would end up being the kinds of friends that only got together and played catch up during the holidays. They were supposed to be best friends for life, brothers on and off the ice, and a few hours into the vacation and he could tell that dynamic was already starting to change.

Maybe they wouldn't be able to handle the future. It used to be so far off but now that it was only months away…

"What's wrong, 'Los?" Stephanie regarded her boyfriend with concern.

Carlos let out a sigh, resting his cheek in his hand. Intense sadness washed over him like a bucket of ice water over his head. "We always said that even though we're going our separate ways that we'll still be as close as ever. But I can already tell that that's not going to happen." He looked at his girlfriend with nothing but sadness in his eyes. "I'm already being left behind."