she's my princess

custody is yours

C H A P T E R E L E V E N

Lucas smiled down at Carter who grinned up at him. "Yes, pumpkin, I'll take you to the beach any day."

Carter smiled, "Thank you! Sand castles!"

Lucas chuckled, "Yes, we'll make sandcastles."

Carter smiled, her eyes lighting up as she tugged on her grandfather's sleeve, "Will we have lemonade?" Carter asked, she had seen it in the movies. Girls drinking lemonades as they tanned on the beach.

"Sure, Abbie makes the best lemonade."

Carter nodded before her face turned into a look of disgust and Lucas frowned, concerned about what had Carter make that expression, "No sour? Don't like sour."

Lucas chuckled, "Just like Nolan and no, it's not sour. Abbie puts in sugar to make it sweet."

Carter sighed in relief, laying back before her eyes perked up as the door opened and Nolan stepped in. In his arms, he held a tray with a bowl of soup and abottle of water. Walking towards the bed, Nolan laid the tray down onto the small table at the end of Carter's bed before turning to Carter who smiled up at him. "Hey, princess. I didn't know what you wanted and the doctor said you couldn't eat anything to solid so I got you soup. You want soup?"

Carter nodded rapidly, reaching her arms out for Nolan to lift her up. Nolan's smiled, reaching down to lift her up from under her arms until she sat in a sitting position. Her back rested against a pillow. Carter closed her eyes tightly that Nolan's eyes widened, his hand immediately coming out to see if Carter was okay.

"What's wrong, princess? Are you in pain?"

Carter shook her head, giggling, "Dizzy."

Nolan sighed in relief before looking up at Lucas who sent him a softened expression. "The nurse came in while you were getting Carter breakfast. Gave her more of those pain relievers, said she'll be dizzy with sudden movements."

Nolan nodded, sighing in relief before he leaned down and laid a kiss against Carter's head. She grinned up at him, her eyes darting towards bowl of soup yet she never asked for him to bring it towards her. "You want the soup?"

Carter nodded, "Yes, please."

Nolan sat down next to Carter, pulling the rolling table over the bed until it was over Carter who could easily reach out and grab the spoon that laid in the bowl. Nolan waited for her to take it but she just stared up at him, as if waiting for him to hand it to her. "You can take the spoon, princess."

Carter nodded, "Okay." Reaching out, Carter took the spoon from the tray, her hands shaking as she tried to lead it to her mouth. Lucas chuckled, laying his hand under the spoon while Carter lead it to his mouth.

"Feed it to her, son." Lucas said after Carter laid the spoon back in the bowl. Nolan nodded, picking up the spoon before Carter could get ahold of it. Carter giggled, opening her mouth wide as she waited for Nolan to bring the spoon to her mouth.

"It's not to hot, pumpkin?" Lucas asked, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

Carter shook her head, wiggling in her seat on the bed as she ate before she looked up at Nolan, pointing towards the spoon. Nolan smiled, leaning down before he took a small sip from the soup. "It's delicious, princess."

Carter smiled, laying against her pillow as she greedily ate at the soup and her head snapping up as the door opened. Dr. Diaz stepped in, a wide smile across his handsome face. "Good Morning, Pierces!"

Carter giggled, waving widely before looked up at her daddy who nodded in greeting.

"I just came for a the daily check ups."

Carter was laid down by Nolan and her soup was set aside. Carter pouted but didn't protest as Dr. Diaz walked towards her. Slowly lifting the hospital gown to pear down at the bandaged cut across Carter's lower stomach. Pulling the bandage away, Dr. Diaz trailed a finger over the staples. "They're looking great. They're healing lovely." Dr. Diaz stared down at a clipboard and noted a few things down, "Carter's made a lot of progress in this past week. She'll be able to leave later next week."

Nolan smiled, shaking hands with the doctor who after, quickly finished up the last of Carter's check ups and asking a nurse to bring up Carter's daily antibiotics. Lucas smiled, relieved that his granddaughter was going to be okay to come home. Just as he was about to speak up, he cell phone rang and he immediately excused himself.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Mr. Pierce. I have just gotten new from Carter Pierce's relatives." It was his lawyer.

Lucas immediately tensed up, "What did they say?"

"They were obviously devastated at the news of Jane Macon's passing but are quite relived that Carter is well. They saved up enough money to fly down last night and they'll be in New York by this evening."

Lucas sighed, "Had they spoken about custody?"

"Oh yes!" There was a bit of scrambling on the other side of the call before the lawyer spoke up again, "Jane has an older brother, James Macon who has custody of his niece if ever something were to wrong." Lucas tensed up, his thoughts going wide as he listened to the soft mumbling of his lawyer before the lawyer let out a bark of laughter. "I'll be damned."

"What?" Lucas barked out.

"I guess little Jane had hope that Nolan would be in their daughter's life. Jane stated in her will that if something were to happen to her, custody will be given to James Macon if Nolan Pierce, Carter's biological father does not accept custody of her."

Lucas immediately relaxed, "So this means that Carter is Nolan's?"

The lawyer chuckled, "Yes but James Macon is going to have to sign a few paperwork to give Nolan full custody." Lucas smiled, listening as the lawyer rambled on about what the papers James's had to sign.

Lucas sighed, "Yes, thank you. We'll talk to the Macons when they arrive."

"Good day, Mr. Pierce."

"You too, Carl."

Ending the call, Lucas turned to Nolan who looked up at him confused. "What's got you smiling?"

"I just got off the call with Carl," Nolan immediately sat up straight, "What did he say?"

"Custody is yours." Before Nolan could celebrate, Lucas spoke over him, "But Jane's brother has to come down to New York to sign a few paperwork. Mainly things like he knows Carter is with you and that's she's in safe hands."

Nolan sighed, his gaze falling down onto Carter was let out a small yawn, "You tired, princess?"

Carter nodded, one of her hands reaching out to wrap around Nolan's thumb, "Really tired."

"Come on, let's take a nap." Nolan reaches down for Carter's blankets, slowly pulling it over and laying a soft kiss against her forehead, "Daddy can't wait to spend the rest of his life with you, princess."

Carter smiled, her drossy eyes slipping open to peer up at her father, "Me too, Daddy."