I just want all of you AMAZING readers (who have given me the most AMAZING feedback! THANK YOU!) to know that I do not own anything, that the ages are a little jacked up because of the timeline I have started things at, and that I love you all for clicking the link that lead you to this crazy story. Thank all of you that reviewed and/or favorite-ed and/or followed my story.

Important-ish: I know that all of the POV changes may be a little hard to follow, but until Nicolette's trial is over, most of the parts with her and Max or her with any male in particular will most likely be in her POV to give some insight into what she is thinking without totally screwing everyone up. I can't seem to write like that. You can even ask every English teacher I've ever had.

Umm... Snowman?

[l(:^})(...)(...)

Chapter 23: Love Bugs and Panic Attacks

With The Grey Family...

Elliot couldn't stop laughing. To him the situation was just too funny.

"Wait, wait, wait... You left your seventeen-year-old at home, with the entire security team?" Kate asked, she probably couldn't look more appalled than she already did.

"Well, yeah. I mean, what was I supposed to do? She has just gotten home from a horrible situation, and asshole would take advantage of her being... being the way she is right now. I am not taking any chances." Christian glared.

"Don't you think that keeping the entire security team with her is a little extreme?" Mia giggled.

"Nope." Christian smirked, Ana shook her head as Christian's phone buzzed. It was a message from Taylor.

"Taylor's update." Ana explained as Grace glared at her youngest son for pulling his phone out at the table.

Nicolette's fine. Talking. Laughing. Currently watching a movie in the living room and eating dinner with the Hartsville boys.

T

"She's eating dinner and watching a movie." Christian announced as his phone buzzed again.

Tell Taylor to stop stalking me. It's creepy.

Nicolette

Christian couldn't help but laugh as he passed his phone to Ana, who shook her head.

"Sounds like normal." Mia laughed after she read the message.

"What sounds like normal?" Grace asked.

"Nicolette telling Christian to tell Taylor to stop stalking her." Mia reported as she passed the phone to Elliot, who passed it to Kate, who passed it to Carrick, who then passed it to Grace.

Soon all the Greys were laughing again and Christian regained his phone.

It's his job to 'stalk' you. I'd have to fire him for being useless if he did anything but that. Have fun and eat ALL of your dinner.

Christian

Christian shook his head and just as he was about to put his phone in his pocket again, Grace snatched it from his hand.

"I've told you probably a thousand times. No phones at the table. You'll get it back at the end of dinner." Grace smirked as she shook the IPhone in her hand. Causing another round of laughter to start up.

000...000... With Nicolette... Nicolette's POV...000...000

Everything felt so... normal. The boys laid on their stomachs on the floor with their spaghetti filled plates sitting on towels in front of them. Max sat next to me with my feet thrown over his legs, and his plate sat on the cast and barely warmed my skin through all the plaster. My plate sat on my lap as one of the boys' favorite movies (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian) played on the TV.

The boys laughed as the Kah Mun Rah began to get frustrated as everyone mistook his tunic for a dress. Which it did look like a dress, although most men wore dresses some three thousand years ago.

"Nicolette, he doesn't look as pretty as you do in a dress." Billy called from his spot on the floor.

"Aww, thank you Billy." I smiled, to be honest, I can't recall a single time where I felt so safe surrounded by men. Most of the memories that cloud my mind are of him. I tried so hard to forget him after I was brought back home, but it seemed like every time I closed my eyes he was lurking in the darkness.

But, Max and the boys, everything seems to be right when I am with them. That nothing will ever hurt me, that no one pities me, that no one hates me. Sure they compliment me a lot, but that isn't unusual. Every time I saw them at least two of them said something about me looking awfully pretty that day. They didn't go out of their way to make me feel good now, just because something bad happened. They kept treating me like they usually did.

It seemed very, very normal.

And I liked it.

"It's not a dress it's a toonic." Billy giggled, mocking Kah Mun Rah's accent, I shook my head and smiled at Max, silently telling him that it's his turn to correct Billy.

"Not toonic, tunic." Max corrected.

"There's a difference?" Billy asked, causing Joseph and me to laugh harder.

"Yes. There's a difference." Max sighed.

"Really? Because I don't see it." Billy crinkled his nose.

"Listen harder." Max chuckled, Billy continued to stare at Max like he had grown a third head.

"Nicolette! Is there a difference?" Billy asked, not taking his eyes of Max.

"Yes, bub." I smiled, Billy nodded mumbling about he still didn't see the difference but turned his head back toward the screen anyway. I heard the door open and I turned towards the door to see Taylor poking his head in.

"We're fine, Taylor." I called out, Max shook his head as Taylor nodded his ears turning red. It had been the third time he got caught peeking on us. I grabbed my phone and shot a text to my dad, only to get a smart assed answer back.

Really, dad? He's been caught peeking in on us three times. Not very stealthy if you ask me.

Nicolette

Nearly thirty minutes later my phone vibrates, signaling a message.

Christmas is in time out, tone compensated.

-Grandma Grace

I stare at the message.

"Max, how the heck am I supposed to decipher this?" I ask him handing my phone over.

"Well, um. Christian is close to Christmas, maybe autocorrect didn't recognize your dad's name in your dad's phone. So, Christian is in time out, phone instead of tone, confiscated instead of compensated." Max shrugged.

"Christian is in time out, phone confiscated. That makes sense, where did you learn how to do that?" I asked.

"I work at Brown's Academy, that private school for those with big talents in special fields. Like dancing, music, theater. I'm their physical trainer, and agriculture teacher. Basically I get paid and outrageous amount to keep dancers, singers, actors and actresses' ankles and wrists wrapped, and teach them things they will never use. Anyway, some of the students text in class and I read the messages aloud when I catch them. Some of them are majorly screwed up." Max laughed.

"Brown's Academy, oh my god, is that as amazing at it looks in the pictures? The guys and I applied there so many freaking times. Of course none of us had enough money to even get our applications in the 'possibility' pile, but still we applied." I gushed, going to that school had been my dream for so freaking long. If I ever attended Brown's Academy, the possibilities of being discovered would go up by like 1000%.

"Maybe you should apply for semester. Your dad would probably let you, I mean music is your remedy for everything, you could definitely get in. And I could see you everyday. Ya know, if you pull something while doing those dance moves you do on stage everyday, teach you stuff you already know." Max winked, I shook my head knowing exactly where he was going with that.

"Great then I'd be dating staff." I joked. Then I froze and my Inner Goddess and Conscience came out again.

"You know exactly why you said that." Inner Goddess swooned dramatically.

"And it was a HUGE mistake! Take it back! Quickly!" Conscience shouted at me.

Just as Inner Goddess was about to throw a witty comeback at Conscience, Max interrupted.

"Nikk. I hurt you bad. I know what I did was very wrong. And I swear it will never happen again. I know it's soon, but I still love you in every direction possible. If and when you want to be with me again, just say the words. 'Cuz, I will wait for you, but I won't blame you if you throw me out right now because of how big of an ass I was." Max whispered, trying to keep the boys out of it. Though they were too engrossed in the movie to care about what we were talking about.

"Max, I... I don't think I'm ready yet. But I still want you here for me, I still love you." I whispered, forcing the words out of me. It seemed like if I told him, he'd run far far away from me. Not wanting to be with the dirt whore that I am.

"Stop it." Max ordered, I looked at him strangely.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Whatever he said, he's wrong. You aren't dirty, you aren't useless, and everyone here still loves you. He is a pathetic excuse for a human being and I never want you to believe what that asshole said." Max whispered, pressing a kiss to my forehead, I tensed. Then relaxed. Max wouldn't hurt me. Not anymore.

ooo...ooo Two Hours Later

I watched as Max pulled a blanket over Joseph, who had fallen asleep next to Billy on the living room floor, and stand again. Shaking his head at the boys, he walked over to me and helped me into the wheelchair before pushing me out of the living room.

"You know, I could have done that myself." I scrunch my nose at him.

"Then where would my nine o'clock fun go?" Max asked, I steal a glance at the clock on the wall above a table that held pictures of mom and dad's wedding, it was indeed nine oh five in the evening.

"No clue. To the kitchen!" I giggle as Max pushes me into the kitchen and takes the plates from my hands.

"Let me help." I give him my best puppy dog face and mentally cheer as he groans and pushes me by the sink so I could dry the dishes he washes.

About halfway through the dishes, Gail comes in.

"What do you think you two are doing? Putting me out of the job? Now shoo, you have a visitor." Gail jokes pushing me toward the island.

And I see him.

My visitor.

Oliver.

Shit.

-...-...- With Christian...-... Third Person POV

Christian glared at his mother as she hands him back his phone at eight thirty-two.

"Did Nicolette message back?" Christian asked as he quickly unlocked his phone and went to messages.

"No, I sent her a message saying that you were in time out and your phone was confiscated." Grace said proudly. Christian clicked on Nicolette's name and opened the messages.

"Christmas is in time out, tone compensated?" Christian read aloud, everyone but Grace laughed.

"What? She didn't message back, she understood." Grace defended.

"Probably after twenty minutes after deciphering mom." Elliot chuckled.

"Oh stop it. She eventually understood that her father was in time out." Grace huffed.

"Time out, mom? I'm thirty-five, not five." Christian chuckled.

"Oh hush it. Now, are you leaving and rescuing your daughter from an unknown attacker or staying the night?" Grace glared.

"By mom, have a nice night." Christian kissed his mom's cheek and Ana hugged her.

"Give that niece of mine a hug for me." Mia ordered after hugging both Ana and Christian.

"Oooh, me too." Kate agreed after hugging her best friend and patting Christian on the cheek.

"I can't say hug her, they already took that. But tell her I'll see her tomorrow for lunch while you and Ana are at work, huh bro?" Elliot asked, Christian nodded.

"I'm not even sure if I am comfortable with going to work while she's still healing." Christian groaned.

"Oh, pish posh. She'll be fine, at least three of us will visit, Gail will be there all day and you will undoubtedly have people watching her every move." Kate rolled her eyes as she spoke, Ana giggled at her best friend.

Another round of goodbyes were said before Ana, Christian, Elliot and Kate actually left Grace and Carrick's house.

"You think what Kate said was funny?" Christian hissed heatedly in Ana's ear.

"Yes, very much so." Ana bit her lip as she side stepped Christian and slid into the R8.

Christian shook his head and circled around the car before sliding into the driver's seat and buckling in, himself.

They were going to have some fun when they got home.

000...000 With Nicolette...000 Nicolette's POV

"Oliver, what are you doing here?" I asked, surprised that I didn't stutter.

"I came to check on you." Oliver said, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

"I've been home, what? A week, and not once did you think to come check in on me? Not even a call or text message?" I asked, furrowing my brow. Hell, Max practically blew up my phone and email, wanting to know if he could grab something from the store or a food place for me.

"I'm sorry, I've been busy, med-school and all." Oliver shrugged. Literally, shrugged. I may not be the smartest red-head on the planet, but I know a douche bag from a good guy after I get to know them. I am not naïve.

"I took two sick days to be with her." Max glared.

"I can't really take sick days, my studies need to be first priority." Oliver defended.

Ok, maybe I am a little naïve. But not naïve enough to believe that Max won't skin him alive for that.

"Your studies need to be first priority? What about the girl both of us cared about? Where does she come in your 'priority line'? You didn't even try to help us find her. I drove half of Washington State looking for her." Max hissed.

"Max, Oliver stop, please." I begged.

"Oh, so what do you want? A badge, boy scout?" Oliver taunted.

"OW! MY LEG!" I screamed, hoping to get their attention. Max instantly was crouching in front of my legs trying to see what was wrong.

"Where does it hurt? Do I need to get pain meds for you? Babe, talk to me." Max rushed. Oliver pushed him out of the way.

"I'm a doctor, let me look." Oliver hissed and he began touching my legs. Instincts kicked in and I kicked at the foreign touch, and began crying. Everything was blurred, I could hear him calling out my name as he shoved himself inside me again. I could feel the dirtiness of his hands as they felt around my body roughly. It was like I was with him again. I couldn't get away this time, my mind fogged and every hand that touched me belonged to him.

Then a pull.

And I was back.

Ryan and Strong held Oliver far away from me as Taylor crouched in front of me and Max's hands stroked my hair. My body shook in sobs, but no tears came out.

"Nikky, are you back with us?" Taylor asked. I managed a nod.

"Taylor? I can't, I can't g-et aw-way f-from hi-im." I stuttered. Taylor then did the unthinkable. He hugged me.

"Your parents are on their way home and one of your father's friends is on his way to. His name is John, yes he's a therapist, but you don't have to talk to him if you don't want to. He just wants to check up on you. Ok?" Taylor asked, I nodded against his chest.

Suddenly I'm moving again. I can hear Oliver shouting from behind me.

"Hey! I'm a doctor! I should be with her and not that asshole who hurt her!"

So it was Max who was pushing me.

"Taylor, can you make him leave please?" I asked softly, I could see a grin form on Taylor's face.

"Gladly."

Max snorted from behind me.