And now for the continuation of the last scene. But before that what was the answer to the last question? The dwarf's name was Bashful. Did you know that most people don't remember his name because it doesn't end in a 'y' like the other dwarfs? Although neither does Doc's name. Weird maybe it was because Doc was also one of the most important characters making his name easiest to remember. I would like to thank all of you who have read and reviewed especially awtr101fan, levishade, Pitaqueen who guessed Bashful's name correctly. Now here's the chapter and I own nothing. And check the bottom for the next question.

Chapter 26: Dean's Family

Still Portman's PoV
"If I gave you chocolate ice cream would you?" Fulton asked.

"Depends," Adam answered.

"What about if it was Mud Pit, Fudge Chunks chocolate ice cream?"

"Who picked it out?"

"As far as she knows Port did."

"Do you have a spoon?" Fulton pulled one off the top of the fridge and handed him both. Fulton shot me a look to say something to Adam.

"I will be in your debt if you manage to pull this off."

"Alright I'll see what I can do." Adam said turning on his heel and going to brave the shaky and uncharted ground that is a pissed off ER.

"Why did I pick it out? Why not you?"

"Because genius I'm trying to get you back in her good graces and if somehow miraculously you know her favorite ice cream and you got it for her knowing that it's her favorite you'd be back in her good graces pretty quick." Fulton said rolling his eyes. We sat and talked to my mom who was actually just here for a visit. Fulton got up and left to go make a few phone calls leaving me and my mom alone.

"There was actually an ulterior motive behind why I came up here today." Mom said almost right after Fulton left.

"Mom." I whined.

"Two reasons actually. One was the real reason and the other was a while I'm here I might as well find out."

"Let me guess, you came all this way to meet my girlfriend?"

"Actually that was the 'while I'm here' reason. While we're on the subject she's nicer than you made her out to be and she can stand up for herself. She's a definite keeper and if you hurt her Dean Oscar I will murder you, though she seems able to keep up and handle you."

"She can usually but as you saw she's temperamental."

"Dean, she can stand up for herself, that's what pissed her off. You jumped in when you weren't needed. I was the same with your father."

"So what's the real reason you're here?" I said steering the conversation away from Lizzy.

"Two weddings."

"Jeff and Alyssa?" I asked. My big brother Jeff was engaged to a sweet girl name Krista and had been for the past six months. According to Tony the bookworm, my other brother, they were planning on getting married soon. My big sister Alyssa was also engaged, only the guy was a complete scumbag, and Tony and I think he's just using her. I think Jeff said they were planning on my spring break but I don't remember exactly.

"Yes, Jeff's is in three weeks, and Alyssa's is during your spring break."

"I have a game in three weeks."

"The game is on Friday night and your plane leaves right afterwards. You'll fly out there and be home late Friday night; Saturday is the rehearsal dinner, and Sunday for the wedding. Your plane back will leave Sunday after the reception. It's not a problem."

"Why do I have to be there for the rehearsal dinner? Last I checked they were getting married on a Saturday."

"Because you're part of the wedding party. He wants you to be one of his groomsmen that's why they moved the wedding to a Sunday. He wants his youngest brother there."

"So all I have to do is get on a plane and show up?"

"Yes and bring a date. Here are your tickets. Your plane leaves at 9 pm don't be late."

"Humm, wonder if Julie would come." I pondered. I noticed that the room was much quieter and then I realized that Lizzy's stereo had been turned off.

"Dean you have a girlfriend." Mom scolded.

"Who wouldn't be caught dead in a dress."

"Where you taking Julie?" I heard Lizzy ask.

"My brother's wedding is in three weeks and I know you hate dresses." I looked over at ER and saw her standing in the doorway

"If it meant I got to meet the rest of your family I'd put on a tunic and dance the Irish jig." She said. She was licking ice cream off a spoon and let me tell you this, it was driving me crazy how capable her tongue was. It was bad enough that she was still slightly mad at me, but even worse my mom was in the same room.

'Goldberg in a bikini, Goldberg in a bikini, Goldberg in a bikini.' I chanted in my head a few times trying to relax. Unfortunately it wasn't working.

"Lizzy you're torturing me." I complained. Lizzy pulled the spoon out of her mouth and stared at it for a few moments. A smirk crossed her face, she glared at me, and then calmly went back to what she had been doing. Now I was just praying for Fulton to come back.

"Don't you think that's enough?" Mom asked.

"Not yet."

"Lizzy enough." Fulton said coming back a few moments later. ER pouted and stuck the spoon in her mouth and put the lid back on the ice cream. Walking over to our freezer she put the ice cream inside and the spoon on top before coming to sit in my lap.

"I'm sorry." I said.

"I know." She answered.

"I apologize for jumping in when I wasn't needed."

"You're forgiven just don't do it again." She answered settling in my lap and leaning against me. "Calm down Dean." She muttered.

"You know the cause of this problem and it won't go away as easily as it came." I muttered back. "Would you really wear a tunic and dance an Irish jig just to get me to let you go?" I asked.

"Well I would, but unfortunately I don't own a tunic nor do I know the Irish jig. Do you Fulton?" Fulton shook his head. "What about you?" I also shook my head. "Guess you're out of luck there."

"Oh alright, ER will you be my date at my big brother's wedding in three weeks?" I asked.

"Hmmm." She answered thinking. I couldn't believe she actually had to think about it. I looked over at Fulton and he discreetly shook his head shooting me a look that said 'don't say anything.' "I don't know I mean I should feel very offended that you thought about asking Julie before me. The least you could have done was ask me then wait to ask Julie until you heard my reaction."

"I..." I started but she cut me off.

"I just said I'd do something extremely embarrassing to get you to let me go why would I change my mind now?"

I opened my mouth to answer but Fulton cut me off. "Dude what ever you're about to say, think about it, don't say it, and say something that isn't sarcastic and is completely sweet."

"The plane leaves Friday after the game, be packed and ready to go and I'll take you away in your sweet chariot to a land of wonder."

"Thanks Fulton, I didn't want to deal with him saying something like 'you're a girl you change your mind at least once a day' or something along those lines." Lizzy said. Fulton just smiled.

"When your plane lands on Friday be sure to look for Alyssa. She said she'd pick you up, Tony and Mitch might be with her."

"Mrs. Portman I have a slight problem. I don't exactly have anything wedding appropriatehere." ER said.

"Can't you just borrow something from Jules or Connie?" I asked.

"Julie is too tall and Connie's...well to put it nicely...a lot bigger where it counts."

"We'll figure something out when you get to Chicago dear, don't worry about it." Mom said.

"I ain't allowed to buy anything either Dean, or else I'd drag Adam shopping." ER said looking at me. "My dad said I can't really come home with any more clothes than I left with. I didn't see why until he made me look in my closets and dresser. In Ohio I have two closets and a dresser filled with t-shirts and jeans. All available hanger space is filled. I do own a dress or two...or five feet of hanger space worth that I've never worn."

"Have you ever worn a skirt or dress?" Mom asked.

"Three maybe four times. I went to Homecoming with Aaron this year, I went to Prom with one of Ben's friends last year, and my dad also had a business dinner party I got dragged to last year. The fourth time would have to be all the times when I was little that my mom forced me into one. I like to lump those times together."

"I have to get going back to Chicago but don't forget about those tickets Dean or Jeff is going to skin you."

"I'll make sure he doesn't." ER put in.

"It was very nice to meet you Lizzy." Lizzy stood up and my mom gathered her in a hug. I could tell Lizzy was hesitant about it but after a few seconds she sank into it and relished it. I'm betting that to Lizzy it felt slightly weird but in a strange way kinda nice. "Dean, remember what I told you." She said. I hugged my mom and remembered just how nice it felt. "Bye Fulton."

"Let me walk you to your car." He said walking with my mom out the door. Lizzy turned to me as soon as the door shut with her arms wrapped around herself and tears running down her face.

"Baby what's wrong?" I asked moving closer to her. She took a few steps back and wouldn't look at me. "Baby? Mav talk to me."

"It's not fair." Lizzy whispered.

"What's not fair?" I asked not moving.

"It's not fair that I can be as rough and tumble as the rest of the guys, I love action movies, I can swear with the best of them, and I know a crap load about sports, but when it comes to girl stuff I'm as clueless as a guy. I miss my mommy Dean."

"I know baby." I answered.

"No you don't, you have a mom and a dad no matter how little you see them you still have them. My dad's around occasionally, my brothers are more often than not at school, and my step-mom lives in a completely different world than I do."

"What do you mean girl stuff?" I chanced a step towards her and she didn't move but tears were still running down her face. I was so pained to see her hurting like that and knowing I would have to be careful to comfort her.

"Like when it comes to clothes shopping or make up or shoes or guys or that time of the month, stuff like that. I just have to fumble along trying to figure this out by myself. When it first started I asked my dad what was going on and he told me to talk to Alicia and she only helped a bit because she didn't want my dad getting mad at her." I knew that it meant 'that time of the month' and it struck me a bit hard to realize that Lizzy didn't have any one to help her out unless there was a selfish reason behind it. "Does your mom hug everyone?"

"Yeah, well sorta. She will if she likes you. She's never hugged one of my girlfriends before though. She was raised in Alabama, tight knit community they're all like that." I stepped closer to her and took her in my arms wiping away her tears.

"Her hugs remind me of Nat's. No matter what, Nat would always hug me like she did Fulton, she really loved me."

"Nat still loves you baby, and Fulton told me that you are practically her daughter. Why don't you go hang out with her for the day sometime?"

"I don't know."

"Please?" I slightly begged.

"I'll think about it." She said hesitantly.

"Alright." We both went silent for a bit and then she looked up at me. Her face was dry and although her eyes were a bit red she was a lot calmer than she had been.

"Dean, do you think I'll ever have a real mom?"

"I don't know baby, I really don't, but I know you'll always have Nat and my mom, she already loves you I can tell." I sat down on my bed with Lizzy in my lap. "About earlier Mav, I'm extremely...I apologize for jumping in like that. I shouldn't have done it."

She smiled and I knew I had gotten her mind off her lack of a real mom. She straddled my lap and pushed me over backwards.

ER's PoV
After Mrs. Portman left I was extremely sad. I missed being hugged by a mother-type person. Alicia never hugged me like that, Aunt Casey did occasionally, and Natalie Reed did almost every time I saw her but it felt different for some reason. I don't know why, maybe it was because she had more than one kid or because she just felt like giving a partial stranger a hug that she gave her kids, it just did. I had to get my mind off that so it landed on something connected to it, my real mom. After Dean had calmed me down I straddled him and pushed him over backwards.

"So..." I started kissing my way down his cheek to his throat.

"Mmm so what Lizzy?" He asked.

"So tell me about your family while I make up my non-tunic wearing Irish jig dance to you." I said nibbling a bit on his collar bone. His hands came to rest just above the waistband on my sweats trailing lazily over the small of my back under my shirt.

"Well there's my older brother Tony. He's the same age as Ben I believe. Freshman year of college, he's the smart one of the bunch. He's always reading anything and everything he can get his hands on. He alsoooo..." Dean said dragging out the word as I shifted my weight a bit his head tipping back to give me better access which I hungrily took advantage of. I motioned for him to go on and he did. "He also plays basketball." That's when I had to pull back.

"Basketball isn't a sport Dean it's an event, why do you think they play it in event centers?" I said.

"Just don't bring that up around him." I kissed Dean's lips gently and then got back to my work on his neck. "Baby, promise me you won't bring up basketball not being a sport." I sighed and looked at him.

"You gonna stop distracting me?"

"Baby Tony's real sensitive about it, just promise me." I looked away and then leaned my head on his chest. "Baby please." His tone was begging now.

"I'll try not to say anything about that as long as he doesn't say anything about baseball or hockey being a male's sport."

"How'd you know he'd be the one to say something like that?"

"Just a guess. Now go on before I give up."

"Well alright um...Tony's usually the one we pick on and you'll see why at the wedding."

"You ain't gonna describe them to me are you?" I asked moving up from the mark I had made.

"Nope."

"Alright what else about Tony?"

"Nothing right now, next we have my big brother Jeff, the one who's getting married. He's a really good guy. He's also the oldest at 25 and is a big hockey buff. He knows a lot about pro teams and upcoming players. We asked him why he didn't become a hockey scout but he stood firm on architecture and contracting and business. He runs his own bar and he built it from the ground up. He's an amazing big brother and he really cares about us." The entire time he was talking I could see the admiration in his eyes. Dean really loved his big brother. When he paused he looked really worried about something.

"What's wrong now?" I asked, not exasperated just concerned.

"I'm just a little worried is all." He answered.

"That when Jeff gets married he won't have time to spend with you?" He sighed but nodded. "I can't really help you there but I know someone who might be able to. Promise me that you'll try talking or at least listening to what he has to say. He knows what you're going through. Just promise me you'll listen to him. You don't have to talk to him or nothing just listen to what he has to say about it."

"I promise."

"Good, I'll be right back." I got up and left leaving the door open. Looking down the hall at the six doors in front of me I thought about the one that had told me he had gone through this recently. "Charlie or Adam? No. Connie or Julie? Girls no. Guy or Greg? Nope not them either. Dwayne? Nope only boy. Russ or Averman? No. Ah-ha Ken and Luis that's the door I want." I muttered as I approached it. I knocked and Luis answered. "I don't want you." I said.

"Of course you don't. You want Portman, other end of the hall Chica." He answered.

"No I meant I'm looking for Kenny is he around?"

"Oh yeah just a sec." He backed away from the door glancing at someone I couldn't see.

"Grasas Señor." I called.

"Nada." He smirked.

"What can I do for you?" Kenny asked.

"You aren't busy or anything are you?"

"Nope just reading."

"Oh um..." I looked over at Luis who was doing a horrible job at hiding the fact he was eavesdropping. "Can we maybe take this down the hall a bit?" I asked. He looked behind him and nodded shutting his door. We stopped in front of my door. "Your brother got married over break right?" Again he nodded. "Well seeing as how this is slightly embarrassing I had to ask you instead of him asking. Could you possibly talk to Dean about how you dealt with it? I mean his brother Jeff is getting married in a few weeks and he's scared he's going to lose the time he has with him to Jeff's new wife."

"Oh that sure."

"I can't guarantee he'll talk to you about it but I can guarantee he'll listen. He promised he would." Kenny nodded and I knocked on Dean's door which he had shut.

"It's open." Dean called.

"Hey baby." I said pulling Kenny in behind me.

"Kenny?" He asked.

"He's the only one I knew of that was in the position you're in now." I took my ice cream and spoon out of the fridge and walked to the door.

"You're not staying?" Dean panicked.

"You don't need me to Baby, you'll be fine just let him talk. I'll be right across the hall when you're finished." I assured him.

"But..."

"But nothing Goose you'll be fine." I walked back into my room and then ate the rest of my ice cream before going back to studying. Twenty minutes later my door opened again. "Hey." I said.

"Hey." Dean answered.

"How'd it go?"

"Fine, I'll be ok."

"Good."

"Now can I finish?" He asked.

"Absolutely." I said sitting on my bed. He sat down in front of me and looked at me. "So what's Jeff's fiancée's name?"

"Krista Perry, Jeff really likes her. She's really nice and fits in well with my family. At first Dad was kinda cautious of her, didn't like her for some odd reason but she never gave up and she won my dad over. It took Krista three months to do it but she did and he loves her almost as much as he loves Alyssa. She can be real goofy some times but most of the time she's down to earth, a bit sarcastic, and a total hottie. Sorry she just is."

"You like her don't you?"

"She's gonna be my sister in law I had better like her."

"I guess." I shrugged. He reached out and rested both of his large calloused hands on my knees.

"You know I love you don't you?"

"Of course I do Goose, I love you too."

"Is something wrong Lizzy?" I shrugged.

"No, I'm fine." I said when he looked at me uneasy. Dean leaned forward and grabbed me around the waist pulling me closer to him before laying us both down with my head on his chest.

"Don't worry Maverick everything will be ok."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you're with me and I'm doing my best to make sure it is." I smiled and rested against him and two names from Mrs. Portman's conversation popped into my head. "Dean."

"Yeah babe?"

"Who are Alyssa and Mitch?"

"Alyssa is my big sister. I love her to death. She's a lot like my mom, gentle, caring, compassionate, sweet, protective, slightly girly, not much into sports, a real mother figure to me and Tony, she's 24."

"Are you protective of her?"

"Yes, some would say too much, I just don't want her to get hurt though."

"And Mitch?"

"Mitch is her fiancé." He spat out like it was disgusting.

"How come you sound like you love Krista but can't stand Mitch when they're both going to be your family?" He sighed and was quiet for a bit. "Dean?" I asked looking up at him.

"Like I said Krista is one of the sweetest girls I have ever met. Jeff met her in his accounting class; she does most of the accounts for his bar. Mitch met Alyssa at Jeff's bar, he was drinking, and she was working behind the bar that night. Mitch is a total jerk. Tony and I think he's using her. I don't want to turn you against Mitch until you meet him but I just can't stand him and I can't see why she agreed to marry the prick. He still hasn't won my dad over. Maybe it's just because Alyssa is Dad's little girl but I think he doesn't like Mitch at all and they've been dating for 7 months."

"Is this like you hate Rick Riley kind of hate?"

"No, this is worse than Riley. I want to say it's like your hate of Bombay but I don't know the real reason you hate him so I can't compare the two. Riley was just a jerk to us, I can compare that to you and Jefferson." I nodded in understanding. "But Mitch is scum of the Earth, he's a bastard, he's...when ever I talk about him I want to punch something because he grinds my nerves that much."

"From what I've heard it sounds worse than anything I've ever felt in my life. Dean you don't think he's blackmailing her do you?"

"I don't know, but why would you think that?"

"Because Chris had a girlfriend who got pregnant when he was 19. She told him that if he didn't do exactly what she wanted him to do she'd tell everyone it was his and he raped her. She did a lot to him to keep him around. Honestly he could barely stand her. Although him and Matt don't really talk that much Matt's never picked on him before so he got pretty scared to be put in that position. She asked for 500 grand the week before she went into labor. When the baby was born Chris dumped her flat on her ass and walked away never speaking to her again. The baby had the darkest hair in the world and the brownest eyes I have ever seen. I was shocked when Chris dumped her. He later explained to me that even though the baby had hair and eyes like Alicia did it wasn't his. Now I know why it couldn't have been his. Maybe Alyssa's stuck in something like that. Mitch might know something that she doesn't want any one else to know and he's threatening to tell everyone."

"Maybe."

"Tell me more about your sister. I know Tony plays basketball and Jeff owns his own bar but what does Alyssa do?"

"She works part time at Jeff's bar and part time for my dad."

"At his car company?"

"Yeah, she also isn't really into sports but she was a cheerleader in high school."

"Cheerleading is a sport."

"No it isn't."

"Dean what's a sport?"

"Hockey."

"Well yes but define the word sport to me."

"A game that requires physical exertion and has a set of rules."

"It's a game or physical activity that has a set of rules that can be fun or just a diversion. That includes cheerleading."

"Fine," he conceded.

"Anything to add about Alyssa?"

"Not that I know of." I nodded and we spent the rest of the night cuddling and kissing and just talking.

So I hope you liked the latest chapter. Tune in soon and hopefully I'll have the next chapter up. Today's question:

Can bald people have hairline fractures?

Tune in next time to find out the answer.