Luke’s Pov –
“I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine. If I am to change this image I must first change myself. Fish are friends, not food.”
Yawning I glanced down at Andy who was sleeping my arms, sucking on the pacifier in his mouth.
“Are you tired Puke?”
Sighing, I glanced over at Ashley who was watching carefully as Charlie painted Minnie’s toenails a vibrant shade of hot pink.
“Very.” I yawned again.
“I’m not!” Ashley said excitedly, bouncing on her knees next to me on the couch, “I’m hungry.”
“How can you be hungry?” I demanded, “I fed you, and gave you a donut and three popsicles.”
“I want a pickle.” She replied.
“Ashley you had enough.” Minnie said gently.
“Why cause I’m fat?” Ashley asked lifting her shirt.
“No.” I sighed, “You’re not fat, I just don’t want you to get a tummy ache.”
“I won’t.” she whined.
“Fine.” I muttered, “Let me lay Andy down.”
“Can I come?” Ashley asked excitedly.
“Can you be quiet?” I sighed.
Pretending to zip her lips she nodded eagerly.
Forcing a smile I positioned Andy on my shoulder then held out a finger for Ashley to hold. Grinning up at me she hopped off the couch and trotted beside me out of the room and up the stairs to the nursery.
“Okay.” I sighed, releasing her hand and pulling the list Destiny had left from my pocket, “We already gave him a bottle so we just have to change him.”
“I’ll pick out PJs!” she said excitedly, running over to the dresser and ripping open the bottom drawer.
Nodding I carried Andy over to the changing table in the corner and gently laid him down. Frowning, he considered waking up however I rubbed his cheek gently with the first knuckle of my index finger and whispered babyish nothings to him softly and he decided against it.
“I found Pajamas!” Ashley said proudly and a little too loudly holding up blue zip up footie pajamas.
“Good job.” I said quietly, unsnapping the almost identical outfit the poor guy was already wearing.
“Can I help?” Ashley asked.
“Sure.” I sighed, “Why don’t you find me a diaper.”
Saluting me she began rummaging around the room for diapers. Happy she was preoccupied I slipped Andy’s tiny, easily breakable little limbs out of his close.
“Found one!” Ashley shrieked suddenly causing the poor guy’s eyes to spring open.
“Ashes.” I groaned.
“What?” she demanded, climbing up onto the stool beside the changing table, “Oh hey! He’s awake! Hi Andy!”
Vowing in my head to find excuse to be busy any time Ashton needed a babysitter in the future I opened Andy’s diaper and taking it off, folded it up. Turning around in search of the garbage I was startled when Ashley let out a scream behind me.
Fear the worst, I whirled around, only to be hit in the chest with a stream of pee. Horrified and unsure of what to do I backed up and cupped my hands, capturing the urine in my palms.
“Ew!” Ashley screamed beside me starting to cry.
Glancing over at her I winced finding pee dropping down her forward. The pee leaking from my fingertips and staining the carpet at my feet I gave up on trying to catch it. Opening my hands I hastily opened the fresh diaper and pressed it over Andrew’s pee pee.
“He peed on me!” Ashley screamed hysterically.
“You’re fine.” I assured her, opening the wipes and pulling out a string of twenty-five.
Cursing quietly, I broke one off and wiped off her face.
“You’re a bad boy Andrew!” she screamed.
“Ashley he’s a baby.” I replied, “He can’t help it.”
“I want to punch him.”
“I’m sure he wants to punch you too.”
“I’ll lay him out.”
“Ashley.” I groaned, picking the naked Andrew up so he wouldn’t roll off the changing table as I searched for a second diaper, “Why don’t you go back downstairs and watch the movie.”
“I’ve seen it a thousand million billion dillion times.” She whined.
“Go play in your room.”
“It’s dark and I can’t reach the light.”
“Ashley do something! Please! For the love of God! I don’t care what! Please!”
A flicker of hurt crossed over her face making me instantly regret yelling at her, before she crossed her arms over her chest.
“I don’t like you anymore.” She spat.
“Ashes.” I sighed.
Ignoring me, she stormed out of the room.
“Shit.” I muttered, “I mean shoot.”
Remembering I had a baby in my arms, a naked one, I opened the closet and breathed out a sigh of relief finding a brand new box of diapers.
Lying Andrew back on the table I got him changed and into pajamas. Thinking I was in the home stretch I laid him down and started to leave the room, however before I could reach the door he let out an earsplitting wail.
“No, no, no don’t cry.” I whimpered crossing back over to him and picking him up, but I was too late.
Let me just say the boy had a pair of lungs on him. He cried, and cried, and cried and cried, and screamed and cried and gagged and screamed and sobbed and cried until finally when I was strongly considering spiking him on the floor and going home Charlie appeared in the doorway.
“Need some help?” she questioned.
“Yes!” I cried, feeling my eyes fill with tears, “Please!”
Laughing she took him from me lightly and holding him close sat down in the rocking chair in the corner.
“This is insane.” I whimpered, “We aren’t having kids. Ever okay? Ashton has enough for everybody.”
“Ash go hang out with the girls.” She laughed, “I’ve got him.”
Leaning down I kissed her lightly before trudging out of the room and down the stairs to the living room where Minnie was watching the end of the movie.
Sighing, I sank down on the couch beside her and draped an arm over my eyes.
“Are you okay Uncle Luke?” she questioned.
“Hmmm? Me? Yeah, fine.” I replied, forcing a grimace like smile.
“Where is Aunt Charlie?” she asked.
“Putting your brother to bed.” I sighed.
Nodding she turned back to the movie. It was surprisingly peaceful, amazingly so, which was why I began to wonder where the Holy Terror had gotten off to.
“Minnie?” I questioned.
“Hmm?” she replied.
“Where’s your sister?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” She answered.
Frowning I rose to my feet.
“Where are you going?” she questioned.
“I’ll be right back.” I replied.
Jogging upstairs I poked my head in Andrew’s room and found Charlie still trying to get him to sleep. I then checked the master room, the guest room, and the girl’s room, however there was no sign of her.
Becoming concerned I ran down stairs and began looking through every room, but she was nowhere to be found. Beginning to panic, I ran my fingertips through my hair and started towards the basement door however froze at the sound of the ice cream truck.
She wouldn’t have gone outside by herself.
That’s what I told myself anyway, however jogged over to the window to check just in case.
And there she was, barefoot, running around the back of the house towards the front.
My heart swelling realized I hadn’t lost Ashton’s kid I ran to the front door and throwing it open stepped outside.
“Ashley!” I shouted.
Ignoring me, she sprinted across the lawn, towards the road.
My heart dropping once again realizing where she was headed, I took off in a dead sprint after her.
“Ashley Irwin!” I shouted, “Stop! Stop right now!”
Glancing over her shoulder at me she laughed then sped forward. She thought it was a game. She thought I was chasing her. And in a way I suppose I was, right into the room.
“Ashley stop!” I yelled, stopping.
Giggling she jumped off of the curb and into the road. My eyes widening I looked both ways and nearly threw up at the sight of a sports car ripping around the corner.
“Ashley come here!” I pleaded, running once again towards her.
Laughing she tried to run away from me but she tripped, landing flat on her face. I expected her to get back up and run away from me, but she didn’t, instead she let out an earsplitting wail and sat up, screaming louder at the sight of her bloody knee.
It was going to hit her, and it was going to kill her. She’d be dead. The annoying little pain in the ass who made everyone around her want to rip their hair out three hundred and sixty-four of the three hundred and sixty-five days in a year was going to be gone.
“Stop!” I screamed, directing it at the car this time as I forced my legs to go faster.
And then, it happened. A girl ran seemingly out of nowhere and scooped Ashley up and out of the way. I watched the sports car rip by and then I was running up to the girl, taking the sobbing Ashley into my own arms.
“It’s okay.” I whispered, holding her head against my shoulder, reassuring myself that she was there as she wept, “You’re okay Ashes. It’s okay baby.”
“Y-you-you mad at m-m-m…”
“No princess Lukey’s not mad at you.” I whispered, kissing the top of her head lightly, “You scared me. I didn’t want you to get hurt. I’m not mad at you. I love you okay?”
Sniffing, she clung tightly to my shirt as she buried her face in my neck.
“Is she okay?” the girl that has saved her, questioned breathlessly.
She was young I realized, not looking more than seventeen or eighteen, and not unattractive however she wouldn’t be on the cover of any magazines anytime soon. She was mousey and based on the way her shoulders were balled up near her ears and her hands were pulled into her sleeves incredibly shy and awkward.
“She’s fine.” I replied, “Thank you so much.”
Blushing she shrugged, “It’s okay….”
“Do you live around here?” I asked.
“Um no.” she mumbled, “But if I jogged in my neighborhood I’d get mugged.”
“Oh.” I muttered unsure of what to say to that, “Well um, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She replied.
“I’m Luke, by the way.”
“Mason.” She mumbled sheepishly, “And I know who you are I’m like… I love you, so much.”
“Oh, uh, thank you.” I replied awkwardly, “I love you too?”
“Your band.” She said slowly, “5sos, I love you guys.”
“Oh, oh yeah.” I laughed, mentally kicking myself for not realizing what she was talking about, “Uh, thanks….What’s your um, what’s your favorite song?”
“My favorite song?”
“Yeah.”
“Ashton would be mad but um… I actually saw him a few months back, he came into the store one night, but um…. I like I’ve got this friend, or Superhero or I can’t remember.”
“Seriously?” I laughed, “You don’t like anything we released?”
“I like She looks so perfect.” She mumbled, “I know that’s like, the loser answer but that was the first song I was able to download after an eternity of shitty live versions illegally downloaded off of YouTube, it’s Special.”
Smiling, I nodded.
“Do you… do you want a picture or something?” I questioned.
“I um-I don’t have my phone.” She mumbled.
“I’m sorry.” I sighed, “Can we hug then?”
Her face lighting up she stepped forward as I opened my arm, since the other was holding Ashley, and huffed me like her life depended on it.
Pulling away she dabbed at her eyes.
“You okay?” I questioned.
“I’ve waited so long for this.” She laughed, “I know I said it and I’m sure you hear it a lot but I love you.”
“Aw I love you too.” I laughed, “And you should really keep a phone with you, it’s about to get dark.”
“My car is up there.” She replied, smiling.
“Ashton’s house is right there.” I chuckled, “I should probably get inside.”
Bidding her farewell and pleasantly surprised that she hadn’t brought up the subject of a Twitter follow once I made my way back inside.
“My knee hurts.” Ashley sniffed dejectedly.
“We’ll clean it up sweetie.” I replied, kissing her on the forehead.
Carrying her over to the couch I smiled at the sight of Minnie slumped over sleeping. Setting Ashley down, I turned and started towards the first aid kit which Destiny said would be under the sink in the bathroom.
Finding it easily I returned to the living room and knelt down infront of Ashley.
“Luke?” she questioned.
“Yes?” I asked, rummaging around for some kind of disinfectant.
“Why is the thing quiet?” she demanded.
“Why is what thing quiet?” I asked.
“Minnie’s breather thing.”
My heart drumming I realized that the room was silence, the low hum that otherwise filled with air, gone.
Crawling over to the machine I made sure all the tubes were attached the way both Ashton and Destiny had showed me multiple times over the years but they were fine.
“Minnie?” I demanded, shaking her lightly, “Minnie sweetie, wake up.”
Nothing.
My own heart nearly stopping I reached out and flipping her hand over placed two of my fingertips on her small wrist, feeling for a pulse which I couldn’t feel.
“Minnie?” I breathed, shaking her, “Minnie? CHARLIE! Minnie wake up sweetie, wake up, you’re okay. You have to be oka….CHARLIE!”
“Luke?” Ashley questioned, “Is she okay?”
“Luke what’s going on?” Charlie shouted down the stairs.
My eyes filling with tears I shook Minnie again as I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed 911.
“Wake up Minnie.” I pleaded, “Please, be okay. You have to be okay. I’m so sorry. I’m so so so sorry.”