Noelle: Four

"I just don't understand what the problem is it's been two weeks since his last visit and he's called once and didn't even ask to talk to the boys." Noelle sighed staring down at her food. 

"Well they are only toddlers..." Paisly laughed and Noelle glared at her. "I'm just kidding." She held her hands up defensively. "But still he is touring I'm sure he's just distracted." 

"Too distracted for his family?" 

"I don't know Noelle..." She shrugged. "Have you tried talking to him about it?"

"Only every time I get a chance to talk to him. He just changes the subject." She frowned.

"Well then corner him when you're in Bridgeport."She suggested.

"Not a bad idea." Noelle smiled. She was glad she'd managed to finally make a friend at work especially with Gemma so distracted lately. 

"Now on to my problems!" Paisly said with a laugh. "My brother... after this whole mess with leaving the tour has up and decided he's moving in with me!" 

"Why doesn't he just go stay with your parents?"

"He may be a pain but I wouldn't wish living with my mother on anyone." She said seriously. 

"So really you're doing this to yourself." Noelle laughed.

"There is no room for that here Missy just let me complain!" She shrieked. "By the way thanks for agreeing to drive him home the bus money would have seriously killed my wallet." She smiled sweetly.

"I'm happy for the excuse to go out there every time I've brought it up in the past I got shot down." 

"Seriously talk to that man." She shook her head. 

--

"Gamma up! Up!!!" Shane whined as Adrianna walked into the den. 

"Is that how we ask?"Adrianna asked him sternly and he frowned.

"No." The toddler wrinkled his nose in thought. "Peaze?" He tried and Adrianna scooped him up with a laugh. 

"Were you a well behaved little boy for the sitter?" She asked him.

"Uh-huh." He nodded excitedly. Somehow Adrianna doubted that he or his brother had managed to do anything but terrorize the poor baby sitter but she didn't call him on it. As much as a handful as they were the boys had her wrapped around their little fingers. 

"Has your auntie been home yet?" She asked him and he shook his head. She sighed Gemma had been out of the house so much lately and it wasn't sitting well on her mind. The girl had always been into trouble but at least she'd been around. Now with her almost never home Adrianna couldn't help but worry she was getting into bigger trouble then her usual. 

"Well why don't we go make some dinner and then we'll watch a movie with Mommy since she has her trip tomorrow."

--

The buildings of Bridgeport glared down ominously at Noelle, she knew she should be excited but all she could manage was nervous. She tapped her foot waiting as her taxi finally pulled up and she stepped in. 

"This is it." The driver said stopping in front of a tall building. She climbed out and walked into the lobby hesitantly. 

"Stop it." She told herself. "You should be excited!" 

"Noelle?" She spun around to see an unfamiliar man.

"Yes?" She replied giving him a questioning look.

"Sorry lucky guess." He smiled. "I've been told a lot about you. I'm Boyce... Paisly's brother." 

"OH!" She smiled. 

"I can show you up if you like?" 

"Thanks." She said following him into the elevator.

"I hear you're quitting." 

"Yeah this is my last show."

"Why would you want to leave?" She asked.

"I wasn't built for this...lifestyle." He said after a long silence.

 "Here we are." The elevator doors opened and he walked forward to the closest door ushering her inside. "Guys company." He called loudly. 

"Noelle." Jude said coming around the corner a moment later with a smile. "You made it." He pulled her into a hug and she saw Boyce walk off into another room.

"Hey Jude see ya later man." Another guy said as he walked passed them with a woman hanging off his arm.

"Alright man." Jude called. "That was Blaze."

"Oh the new drummer." Noelle nodded. 

"So you hungry? I know a great place for a bite."

"Is it always like this?" Noelle asked leaning on her leg and looking over at Boyce. Jude was once again signing autographs and posing for pictures. They had gone to some fancy restaurant to eat where she spent the whole time staring at her food while Jude was bombarded with fans then instead of going back to the privacy of his suite he'd drug her out to a night club to meet up with the rest of the guys. 

"Sometimes it's worse." Boyce said with a laugh. "Not having fun?"

"I thought I'd be spending time with him..." She sighed. 

"I'm sure he'll be back soon." He said not sounding all that sincere. 

"He better be." She groaned.

"Am I such horrible company?" Boyce asked pretending to be upset.

"According to your sister." 

"As if Paisly is great company..." He rolled his eyes. 

"Paisly is fantastic company I'll have you know."

"Ah you haven't known her long enough give it a few more days." He took a drink. "Wanna dance?" 

"Jude should be back soon..." He cocked an eyebrow at her and held out a hand. "Yeah ok." She said taking his hand and following him to the dance floor. 

The pair danced until the club shut down and Jude finally made an appearance to cart Noelle back to the hotel.

--

"I'm sorry about all the drama today Elle." Jude said stroking her cheek when they finally made it back to his suite.

"It's OK Boyce kept me company." She shrugged.

"Yeah I noticed." He said with a slight edge in his voice.

"Don't be that guy Jude." She warned.

"What? I just thought he was a little too friendly."

"Oh really? You could tell his amount of friendliness from across the bar?"

"I said I was sorry."

"I'm sure you're sorry... like you had no clue you would be bombarded with paparazzi... Boyce said its like that everywhere you go."

"OH he told you that did he?"

"You are such a guy of course that is the only part you choose to hear! I bet you took me out like that on purpose so you didn't actually have to have a conversation with me." She accused realizing it was probably the truth.

"Noelle, that isn't true..." He said calmly.

"Isn't it? I mean I practically had to force you to let me come out for a visit and heaven forbid I bring up our children..." 

"It's just been crazy out here..." He groaned. "I'm so busy and tired and I can't focus on anything but work." Even though Noelle knew they were hollow excuses she felt herself letting him off the hook. "I'm sorry babe... I love you."

"I love you too." She said letting herself fall into his arms ignoring the nagging feeling in the back of her mind telling her something wasn't right.

--------

a/n: So... its not exactly how I wanted it but I could not get them to do what I wanted in Brideport!! It was so frustrating. No Gemma in this one but she'll be making an appearance next chapter and the twins as well. The twins are actually running poor Adrianna ragged since she insists on sleeping in the rocking chair in their room instead of her bed... making her the first one to respond to their needs.