18 months earlier…
Rather than being woken up by the delightful sounds of nature, Nick was brought of a deep slumber by the screams of his sister Nicole. " Nicholas! Get your lazy butt put of bed." The older girl yelled.
'You know if dad hears you talking like that." He mumbled in response. Light flooded into the room as Nicole made her way to each window, pulling open the curtains. "Jeez Nikki, are you trying to blind me?" Nick groaned, covering his eyes with his hands.
Nicole sat on the edge of his bed and started to fidget. " Sorry, I'm just really nervous. I want today to go absolutely perfect." She sighed.
" I know you do. But it's going to go a lot better if you are relaxed. Dad already loves William. " Nick said reassuringly.
" That could all change when he finds out we're engaged. " She replied nervously, " I can just hear him telling Will that he's not good enough for this family and that I need someone more dignified and cultured."
Nick sighed and pressed his lips together. Nicole was only a year older than him and he was already feeling like he had lost his best friend. They had played together as children, done homeschooling together as tends, and Nicole was right there waiting when Nick came home on leave. " Dad loves you, he only wants what's best."
"I know he has good intentions but I'm twenty-seven Nick. I can make my own decisions."
"It's hard for him to see you grow up. You're going to get married, have kids. It's difficult." Nick said felling tears spring to his eyes.
"Nick, I love you. Getting married isn't going to change the fact that we are best friends." She said."I'm always going to be here for you. Whenever you need me." She said smiling.
"Right back at you." Nick replied pulling his sister into a hug.
Nicole let out a small chuckle, "You know this might not be so difficult if we found you a girlfriend. Or at least one that's not just pretending to be completely in love with you when she actually has a thing for girls."
Nick laughed at the thought of his "girlfriend", Penny. They had been going out when Penny, out of nowhere, told Nick that she wasn't interested in girls anymore. For the past three years they had been pretending to date in order to make Nick's father happy.
"Besides, who would want to be Princess Penny?" he said.
Nicole giggled then gave Nick a serious look, " I'm serious though, you really need a girlfriend."
'Yeah, yeah. I'll get right on that." Nick replied.
It wasn't like he didn't want love; Nick had just had some bad luck in that department. Sensing the sadness in his eyes, Nicole tried to cheer her younger brother up. " Not every girl is a cheater like Demi."
Nick glared at his sister for bringing her up.
"I thought we decided we weren't going to talk about her?"
Nicole shook her head at him. " Are you ever going to realize that she wasn't a good girlfriend? She had another boyfriend Nick. A serious committed relationship with someone other than you. It was eight years ago, you really need to move on."
'Fine," Nick sighed, "we move on right now." He smiled looking at Nicole. She had a smirk on her face, which could only mean one thing. " Absolutely not!" He said sternly to her.
"Oh come on Nick. Just try it." She pleaded/
"I'm the heir to the thrown for Pete's sake. I refuse to go on a dating site!" he cried out.
"Get over yourself Nicholas, do you know how many people use them?" she asked.
"Lots." He replied, " Lots of desperate people. And I am not desperate. I'm just very picky about my women.
"You keep telling yourself that." Nicole said dropping the matter. " Now be ready and downstairs in 45 minutes"
She walked out the door and Nick stood up stretching his long limbs. He walked over to his en suite bathroom and started up the shower. Choosing a song by The Kooks Nick looked at his reflection in the mirror. Nicole had been right, he needed a girlfriend. Twenty minutes later Nick was refreshed and ready to start the day. He stepped over his dog Elvis and into his closet. They were having a family picnic (or as close to a family picnic royalty could come to), which meant that he was allowed to wear jeans. The prince slipped on a dark washed pair before grabbing a long –sleeved black v-neck. Felling the loose cotton on his upper body Nick immediately felt at ease. After clasping a watch to his wrist and sliding on a pair of black shoes Nick made his way down the stairs. Nicole was waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase wearing a white sundress that had a blue flowered pattern scattered across it. "Finally." She said, sighing in relief. " It took you long enough."
Nick checked his watch. " Relax, I have ten minutes to spare." The doorbell rang and Nicole opened it to reveal her fiancé, William. He gave Nicole a peck on the cheek and politely greeted Nick. "Don't be to nervous." Nick said," He already loves you."
"But does he love that I didn't ask for his permission?" he questioned.
"Not so sure on that one." He frowned.
"Asked my permission for what?" His father said. Prince Charles had arrived. He stepped off the bottom step with a raised eyebrow.
"Nikki, maybe we should just get it over with. " William said to the girl. She sighed and nodded in agreement.
"Daddy, I need to tell you something. Will and I have been seeing each other for almost four years now and he has asked to marry me." She said without taking a breath. They all looked at the elderly man waiting for a response. He broke out into a wide smile. "That's fantastic! I'm so happy for you." He said embracing her.
Nick and Will stood in awe. Charles pulled away, " You did say yes, didn't you?"
"Of course I did!" Nicole said excitedly.
"Well I think that it's wonderful," he said turning to the stunned boys. "Welcome to the family William."
Will smiles as Charles patted him on the back.
"Well, I'm starving. Let's eat!" Nicole said cheerfully before skipping to the back patio. Moments later a shriek came from the backyard.
"Nicole?" Nick and Will yelled in unison. They bolted to the patio and arrived to see a gasping Nicole.
"What happened?" Nick asked worry plastered on his face.
"I'm out of tomatoes!" she replied. The three men looked at her with an "are you kidding me" look.
"I need them or the salad is ruined." She stated.
Nick sighed, " I'll go to the market and get you some."
"Are you sure?" his sister questioned.
'Yeah, I need a chance to get out anyways." He said smiling. Nick left the house and was surmised that no cameras started flashing immediately. He made his way to the local farmer's market and stopped at a vendor.
"Are these fresh?" he asked picking up a tomato.
"Of course your majesty." The vendor answered quickly.
Nick smiled, "Call me Nick, I'll take six." The vendor bagged his request and Nick was thanking the man when he heard a camera flash.
"Prince Nicholas! Over here Nick!" the cameraman yelled. Oh dang, he thought, I was doing so well. He waved to the vendor and ran away from the camera.
"Nicholas! Who are you running from?" another reporter asked. All at once hundreds of flashes and voices filled his head. Everywhere he looked all he could see was blinding light. Nick bolted. He ran and ran as if no one could ever catch him. All of his problems washed away with each step of his foot. Before he knew what was happening Nick was on the ground. Except it wasn't as hard as he expected it to be. He looked down into the most beautiful brown eyes he had ever seen. The prince quickly got off the girl and stood up before offering his hand to her. She however, stood up all by herself. "Elizabeth Cyrus right?" he asked.
She looked up at the man and took in his face. Defined jaw line, curly brown hair, gorgeous shining brown eyes.
"Um yeah, that's right." She said
Nick looked over his shoulder at the approaching paparazzi. "You might want to run.'
Elli looked at him and raised an eyebrow, "Why?"
Without responding Nick grabbed onto her hand and pulled her along. The girl quickened her pace in order to keep up with the prince. Their strides matched each other's as their breathing synched. Nick still had Ellie's hand in his and he held it tighter feeling the softness of her skin. She felt tingles shoot up her arm as she ran. Nick suddenly jerked her to the side leading her down a well-worn horse path. They slowed to a walk as they approached a huge home. Elizabeth looked in awe. The castle, styled in a classic Victorian theme, stretched out at least a fourth of a mile to each side. She slowly turned in a circle taking in the landscaping and fountains. Nick gave a small smile as he watched the superstar look at his garden. Ellie couldn't get over the beautiful white flowers and lemon trees until she saw a tree with a rope ladder hanging from it. "You have a tree house?" she said smirking at Nick.
He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, my dad built it when I was a kid."
"Awe, that's so sweet." She said giving him a smile. " Oh and so you know. I don't run from the paps, I embrace them." Ellie ran quickly over to the ladder.
"You run a lot." Nick yelled.
"Sometimes I don't have the choice." She joked halfway up the rungs. Nick quickly jogged over to the tree.
"Since I didn't invite you up there you're technically trespassing on private property." He told her.
Elle, already in the structure, poked her head out the door. "'Cause it's not like you don't want me in her, I saw they way you looked at me while I was climbing up." She looked around the room. " Let's see we've got; pictures, CDs, magazine articles." Ellie quickly picked up something and looked at the boy. " I was not aware that I was on toothbrushes."
"Those all belong to my sister Nicole." Nick said
"Sure because I'm definitely on her freebie five list." Ellie snickered holding a sheet of paper in front of her.
He quickly snatched the paper from her crumpling it into a ball and shoving it into his back pocket. "As a matter of fact you are."
Ellie tilted her head and gave him her best "you really think I'm buying it?" look.
"I'm not kidding though, the posters and stuff is all hers."
"Too bad. A guy who's obsessed with me is kind of hot." She said smirking, "What are the tomatoes for?"
"Oh shit. " Nick said remembering Nicole and the party.
"What?" Ellie asked him.
"Uh, would you like to meet my sister? He questioned.
"Wow, that's fast. Meeting the family already? That's okay, I think I'm read." She answered playfully.
'Hush, He said back, " and don't you dare say anything like that around my father. He said stepping onto the ground.
"Are you ashamed of me? Nick I have no idea how this relationship will work if you can't accept me for who I really am." Nick watched as Elle did a few cartwheels.
"Come on Shawn Johnson." He said walking towards the back patio with Elle on his heels. Nicole spotted them walking up the path.
"Nicholas! It does not take you an hour and a half to get tomatoes." She yelled.
"I got distracted." He yelled back pulling Ellie in front of him. Nicole screamed.
"Oh my gosh!!! I'm such a fan of yours!" She said excitedly to Elle.
"I know," Elle, said," I mean thanks so much." Nick let out a small chuckle at the thought of the tree house.
"Oh you must stay for lunch" Nicole exclaimed.
'I don't know," she replied, "This seems to be a family thing. I wouldn't want to impose."
"No, please stay. We have plenty of food." Nick said smiling down at her.
Elle smiled back at him, " Okay, I will" William took her over to the table of food. Nicole walked over to stand by her younger brother. She smiled when she saw Nick watching Elizabeth. " Seems as if we won't be needing that dating site after all."
A/N:I really like this chapter, it shows how playful and natural even a friendship comes between the two. Please watch the youtube version(link in my profile) there are some different scenes and more information in that. Also I'm sorry for any typos, I tried my best.