Second update of the day! Woo and hoo! Enjoy!

This is for seeaetee77. Just because you're awesome!

47 - Family Under Construction

Dylan's PoV

"So when can we move into our new house?" I asked, sitting on the edge of the hotel bed, watching my mom unpack a few more clothing items of mine and stuffing them in the drawers of the dresser.

"Next week," she turned to me with a smile and threw herself on the bed, grabbing me and tickling me. She stopped and I placed my head on her shoulder, my hand gripping the material of her jersey. It had Spencer's name on the back. "Did you finish your homework or was I a bad mom and distract you?"

I grinned and sat up, running to grab my school bag. "I finished it on Friday before dinner."

My mom took the small book I handed her and looked at me curiously. "What is this?"

"My homework!" I stressed with a laugh. "I was supposed to write about something happy."

I wrote about her return and how happy I was that she was going to stay in Kenora. I also wrote that I wanted Spencer to be my other mom.

I was hoping I wouldn't get into trouble.

"Mommy?" I frowned with a whisper when I noticed tears well up in her eyes. "Was that bad?"

"No baby!" She quickly wiped her tears away, a smiling brightening her face back up. "You are just the perfect daughter, you know that?"

Girly moment.

We used to have them a lot, followed by ice cream and movies and...

"Do you have your guitar?" I asked, tucking the notebook I gave her to look at, back in my bag.

My mom gave me a soft look, hesitating, before nodding and going towards the closet door. There it was. Her favourite guitar. The one she'd write songs with all the time. "What would you like to hear?" She asked, grabbing her pick thingy and tuning the instrument.

"Uh," I tapped my fingers against my chin before I smiled widely, "you and Spencer used to be girlfriends, did you ever write her any love songs?"

"Dyl," her sigh was almost painful but it didn't stop her from playing a few notes and her eyes never leaving mine, "so if I play this for you, will you tell me a secret about yourself?"

I giggled and nodded. She smiled and winked.

I loved getting told that I looked a lot like my mom.

She was the most beautiful lady in the world.

"Blue was never my favourite colour
But on you girl, it seems so right
To look into those orbs
To breathe your name
There isn't an obstacle I will not fight
To have you with me
To always hear your smile
Telling me to stay for
- awhile

Sometimes I wish she could fly me away
Back to yesterday
Where she first smiled at me
When I told her she was crazy…"

Wow. I missed my mommy's voice! She wrote that song for Spencer. "That's beautiful mommy." I whispered and she smiled, placing her guitar down.

"Did you know Spencer wrote the music for it?" She asked me and nodded as I shook my head. "I just put words to it. She's quite the music writer."

"Like her sister?" I asked. Alex was the coolest. I sensed a lot of bad feelings between all the adults but I didn't stick my nose into it.

"Just like Alex, yes." My mom seemed to carry a genuine smile while saying her name, that much I noticed. "So, your turn." She scooted back on the bed and I sat in front of her. She immediately grabbed the brush and started to brush my hair free from tangles. I showered as soon as we got back to the room after hockey practice. I felt her weaving her fingers through my hair as I thought about a secret to tell her.

"I don't like girls." I shrugged. I was raised to know that it didn't matter who you loved just as long as you were happy. I don't ever remember my mom being happy with anyone. I didn't really remember much before I was taken away. Spencer thought it was because I subconsciously tried to block everything out to forget the bad. She said that the older I get, I may start to remember things here and there. I was already starting to remember the little things my mom and I used to do.

My mom giggled and wrapped her arms around me, resting her chin on my shoulder, kissing my cheek. "And that's okay." She whispered.

"Are you sure?" I raised an eyebrow and turned to face her on the bed with a slight chuckle. "Ephiny, Chase, Jaiden, Sammy, Carmen, Spencer, Lucas, Alex and you all like girls. Does that make me weird?"

"Baby," she sighed and pulled my hand into hers, "I think because this is such a small town, everyone kind of sticks to their 'own crowd'. Ryn and Tristan are a couple and they aren't weird. Who you like does not define who you are." Her brown eyes made me feel safe. They made me believe her. "When you're old enough to get a boyfriend, as long as he treats you with respect and you're happy, I won't mind."

I blushed at the thought of having a boyfriend. I was only nine but Lucas told me she had a crush on Jaiden since she was seven. I liked Jason.

"So you don't think I'm weird?" I asked again.

"No," she smiled and shook her head, "never Baby Dyl."

I grinned and scooted close to her. Her arms wrapped around me once again and for the first time in over a year or so, I fell asleep right away in her arms.

--

Spencer's PoV

"Good morning, Ryn." I smiled as I passed her in the lobby of my work.

"Whoa," Ryn stopped me with a grin, "did you get laid last night?"

Unfortunately, no.

"Nope," I shook my head.

I was just happy.

"Wow," the redhead chuckled and had a pleased smile on her face, "you're walking on cloud nine."

I was in love.

"I'm just happy." I nodded and checked the computer for any unexpected meetings that may have popped up. "Dylan and Ashley spent their first night together since over a year and half ago."

Ryn nodded and slid into her office chair. "So she's serious about staying." I glanced at her and she was still wearing that pleased smile.

"Yea," I breathed wistfully and shushed Ryn while she made 'cooing' noises. "She has an interview with Beaver Brae high school this morning. Unfortunately, I was a little late dropping Luc off at school so I missed her before wishing her good luck and then I realized I don't even have her cell number, can you believe that?"

Because I couldn't.

I shook my head as the smile fell from my face. What if she wanted to hear me say 'good luck babe'? I was sure she'd understand but still!

"Chill," Ryn laughed a little, "any news she receives, you know she'll be sharing with you first."

"I know." I smiled again and started to make my way back towards my office.

"Oh, Mr. Carlin called earlier. I told him you wouldn't be in until after lunch." Her green eyes shifted a little and bit her lip. "I wasn't sure…"

"Thanks." I nodded and proceeded to my office. Upon opening the door, I noticed her sitting in my chair, her hair pulled back and her eyes looking so tired. "Hey," I whispered, all of a sudden feeling drained of energy before I even had time to get worked up.

"I gotta stop this, don't I?" Alex smiled a little. "Showing up unannounced that is."

"Yea, you do." I sighed and took a seat across from her, placing my phone on hold so I wouldn't get any calls coming in. "So what do I owe this pleasure of seeing you this morning? And please don't apologize again, Alex. The meaning is wearing a little thin with you."

Her eyes widened but she nodded. "I thought about this a lot," she stood up and moved towards the window. The morning was filled with sunshine but the air was cold and crispy. Snow glared back at her as she squinted her eyes and looked back at me, "I didn't come here to start another argument; I just really wanted to ask you if we could talk later. I figured calling you would get me hung up on so I took a chance and just… came here."

I stood up as well and sighed heavily. "I'm not happy with you," I made eye contact, "and I don't owe you anything. Please just give me the time I need to calm down and then we can talk."

Alex nodded and moved to pass me, grabbing the doorknob. "Call me."

I closed my eyes and tried to still the sudden adrenaline running through me. "Alex," I said her name in almost a whisper and we faced each other, "I think in the meantime you should go visit mom and dad."

It broke me inside to see her face shatter but she nodded yet again, not making a sound. I watched her walk fast down the hallway where Ryn stared at me. Her look told me she had no clue Alex was in my office.

I needed the day to go by quick. And I wasn't looking forward to the phone call with my father.

I threw myself into my case files and set up parental meetings with follow-ups during the morning. A phone call never came from my dad like I had expected so I was guessing Alex had called him up and he changed his mind. He knew not to mess with me if I was in an undecided mood.

By the time I glanced up at the clock, I noticed it was nearing three in the afternoon. A knock at my door alarmed me that I was going to be running late to pick up the girls from school. "It's open!" I said in a rushed voice, shutting down my work computer and then throwing a few files into my briefcase that I planned on working on from home.

"Your three o'clock is here." Ryn grinned as she poked her head through the door.

Three o'clock?! What?! No!

"Ryn, I never made an appointment, you know I need to pick up my girls-" the sentence died when the redhead opened the door wider and I found three figures staring at me from the other side of the doorway.

My girls.

All three of them.

"How'd your interview go?" I asked excitedly. Aside from kissing her, I wanted to ask all day her how her interview went. I couldn't kiss her of course.

Damn responsible adult responsibilities.

"Good." Ashley nodded and smiled, but didn't provide any more information. "I got a phone call from the girls' school, they couldn't get a hold of you and well, it was early dismissal day at two."

I slapped my forehead. "Shit." I whispered and opened my eyes to find all three ladies with their hands open, waiting for their 'bad word' money. I eyed up Ashley with a grin. "You do not qualify in the money getting," I wagged my finger at her and she pouted.

"Why not?"

Lucas and Dylan giggled and took off down the hall after I gave them each a dollar coin.

"Because," I smirked and reached to grab her hand, "you love using the bad words."

In bed.

Beneath me or over me.

"I do?" Her smirk was anything but innocent and I nodded. "Enlighten me." She challenged and leaned against the doorframe seductively. Ryn cleared her throat and chased after the girls quickly.

"Oh I will," I nodded seriously and closed the door quickly, pushing her up against it, "tomorrow night on our date." I whispered, my nose dragging lightly along her cool neck. I could smell the freshness of the cold air everywhere on her. I loved it.

"Promise?" Ashley's husky voice whispered. I smiled and captured her lips in a soft kiss, my hands greeting her lithe hips, squeezing gently. The simple contact caused her body to tremble and I had to admit that it made me feel pretty damn good to still have that affect on her. "What are you doing?" She licked her lips in a hushed tone as I pressed her against the door a little harder with my own body.

"Thanking you." I mumbled between kisses, letting out a breathy sigh when her hands ran through my hair and cupped the back of my neck.

"For?" She gasped, pulling back, her eyes darker and a little out of breath herself.

"Picking up the girls." I smiled softly and ran my thumb gently over her plush swollen lips. She kissed the tip and grinned almost shyly. "Thank you."

"I didn't mind." Ashley played with the fine hairs on the back of my neck, her eyelids drooping lustfully at me. "If I get paid for it in kisses, I'll be on pick up duty every day from now on."

I chuckled and she broke out into a brilliant smile, crinkling her nose. "Oh you get these no matter what." I said a little more seriously and moved in to kiss her again. I pulled back when I heard small footsteps coming back. I kissed her one last time and moved her to open the door, finding Dylan and Lucas tapping their watches.

"How the hell do you do that?" Ashley whispered as I grabbed my briefcase and shooed the girls out towards the lobby.

"Do what?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You could be in the heaviest make out session of your life and hear footsteps." Ashley looked at me like I was crazy and I couldn't help but laugh. "It's funny?"

"Kind of." I looped my arm through hers while grabbing my coat from the hook.

"Years of practice?" She raised an eyebrow, looking at me with that familiar sideways glance.

Ah, welcome home Ashley Jealous Davies.

"Actually," I stopped us in the hallway, making sure the girls were not around. I figured Ryn captured them and kept them occupied. "I've never brought that around Lucas. I guess you could just call it intuition or something. A mother's instinct."

"You never brought anyone home for Lucas to meet?" She asked me in a tone that suggested to me she didn't believe what I had said.

"No." I frowned. "Lucas can get really attached and like you already know, I wasn't exactly with just one person." Wow Spence, could you have made yourself sound more sluttish? "I just meant that I wasn't one for commitment, I didn't have the time nor the patience and I really didn't want-"

"Carlin," her voice came out so soft and fingers were pressed against my lips gently. Her eyes held a sense of understanding in them and she smiled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up like that."

"Katie was my last girlfriend and even she didn't spend that much time with Luc." I whispered. "But you? You are the only one who's seen the inside of us. You're the only one who gets to see me break down and cry. You're the only one who gets to experience a Carlin ritual of going for ice cream on one of the coldest days of the year. And," I breathed, "you're the only one I want to share everything with."

"Spencer." She breathed and rested her forehead against mine. She was about to kiss me when I pushed away and swallowed. I waited for her to catch on and let me go and just as she did, the girls were running back down towards us.

"God you old people!" Lucas' hands flew up in the air. "My ice cream is going to start melting by the time we get out of here!"

"Cool your jets, Luc," I smirked and ruffled her long blonde hair.

Her grey eyes danced and she grinned, "Jaiden wouldn't let my ice cream melt."

"You think you'll see Hadley?" Dylan asked, her brown eyes glowing just like her mother's when happy.

"I don't know." Lucas shrugged and smiled. "I hope so."

"Me too." Dylan laced her fingers with Lucas' and they walked ahead of us, out into the brisk cold.

"You know," Ashley smiled as we followed the girls outside, sunglasses instantly perched on her faces because of the blinding sun, "you really did a good job raising Lucas, Spence."

I blushed a little and licked my lips. "Yea, the moment I laid eyes on her wide grey eyes, I knew she was a keeper and I was a goner."

"I can see why," Ashley admitted politely and quickly squeezed my hand, "so meet you at Rapture?"

"I'm riding with Ash!" Lucas yelled from the side of her mustang. "Shot-gun!"

"Shot-gun in Spencer's car!" Dylan let go of Lucas' hand and ran to me, grabbing mine firmly.

"Last one there buys." Ashley chuckled as Lucas hopped in the front seat, doing up her seatbelt.

"Hmm," I pulled Ashley into a hug, "better have your wallet ready babe," I whispered into her ear.

She swallowed and ran to her side of her car and let the engine roar.

I grinned as Lucas waved to us and Ashley was carefully making her way out of the parking lot.

Dylan smirked at me, her eyes twinkling. "You're so taking the shortcut aren't you?"

I winked at her and opened her passenger side door.

There was no shortcut.

I'd buy regardless.

It was a Carlin tradition.

For me and my three girls.

--

Next time in Points Underneath:

"Sorry," I laughed softly and shook my head, "I zoned."

"Huh," her grey eyes studied me and she raised an eyebrow, "do that a lot?"

I shrugged with a grin.

"So that's where Dylan gets it from." Lucas chuckled and took a sip of her strawberry milkshake. "So mom said you two were going out tonight."

"We are." I nodded and I tried my best to hide the kiddish smile that wanted to creep up on my face.