They've got the humour {Sequel to Niall's Secret Twin}

Chapter Four

There's a knock at the door while I'm working. I open it and I'm met with all four boys from One Direction.

"Hy guys." I smile, hugging them all and shaking Louis's hand awkwardly.

"Hey!" Niall greets in a hurry before running down the hallway and into the toilet.

"So that's why you stopped by." I laugh, opening the door wider and letting the other four in.

"Simon called and told us he invited you to his party." Liam tells me as I start making five cups of tea.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if I'm going to go." I tell him, shrugging.

"Why not?" Harry asks, leaning on the counter.

"Because I've got to look after the kids and I think Olly, Ashy and Cassie were planning on visiting this weekend and I want to see my sisters and niece and nephew." I answer, shrugging. I push all the cups along the counter to the boys. Niall joins us and picks up his mug. "Plus I think I've got a meeting and Mr Walsh wanted to talk to me about something."

"He's going to be at Simon's party though." Niall points out and I shrug.

"Even so, I just don't think I'm going to be able to make it." I tell them and they nod.

"Fair enough." Harry says and I smile, taking a sip from my cup of tea. Louis is looking at my fridge.

"Who's that?" Louis asks, pointing jealously at a picture of James and I which I have pinned up.

"James." I say simply.

"No it's not. James is a five year old." Harry points out, looking closely at the picture.

"I know, knew, more than one James." I say.

"Who is he then? I thought you said you didn't have a boyfriend." Louis asks and I sigh.

"He's not and never has been my boyfriend." I tell him and my hand goes again to the dog tags around my neck. Niall notices and gives me a sympathetic smile.

"Wait, is our kid named after him?" Louis asks and I get the feeling he's getting more and more annoyed.

"Yeah." I whisper and I feel tears pricking my eyes.

"Elizabeth, who is he?" Liam asks, curiously, squinting at the picture.

"He was my eldest brother - Jake's - best friend." I sighed. "After my adoptive dad died, he became like a father to me. Before that, him and the second Jake were like brothers to me, and best friends."

"They were really cool people." Niall agrees and I smile at him.

"They were."

"What do you mean the second Jake?"

"Why are you talking in past tense?" 

"My eldest brother, Jake, had two best friends who he had known literally his entire life. I grew up with them. They were called James and Jake. The Jake which wasn't my blood brother was called JST by everyone as that was his initials and Jake my brother had boring ones. The three of them were always so close. James and JST were two of my best friends and my brothers. If I was upset and they were over - which they normally were - JST would go out and buy Ben And Jerry's and James, Jake and I would talk it out. Then we would watch FRIENDS on repeat until I cheered up. I helped them through break ups and I got Jake his wife.

"Then, Jake decided he wanted to join the army. He was eighteen and had just left college. I was twelve at that point I think. JST had always wanted to join the army, it had been his dream since he was little and we all respected that. He was a fairly sensible guy. So they decided to join together. Me and my sister and my sister-in-law decided that we couldn't let them go. We hated the idea. That was around the time my now sister-in-law found out she was pregnant with my nephew. She had only told me and my sister and asked us to stay quiet about it and we did.

"We pleaded with the two of them not to go but they wouldn't be swayed. Then, James stepped up. He had always been interested in the forces but never actually thought about joining them. He- he said that he would go with the two of them and keep them safe. He said that if any danger came their way, he would protect them for us." I took a shaky breath. "My sister and sister-in-law agreed with that and James signed up but didn't tell me he was leaving until the day came." A couple of tears slipped out but I wiped them away and Niall put an arm around me.

"Then, when I was thirteen, my sister and father died in a car accident. JST, Jake and James had to miss the funeral as they couldn't get leave from the army. The came back, two months after the funeral and two weeks before I met Niall. I was still torn up about their funeral and I was so upset that the three boys and to miss it. I wasn't fatherless. But I didn't know that. I thought I was orphaned and the thought upset me so, so much. James stepped up and became a father figure for me. Even after I found out I had Mam and Pa, James was still the most fatherlike person in my life and I loved him so much for it.

"Five years ago, a couple of months before I met you lot, the three of them were in an explosion. James died trying to save Jake and JST, like he had promised he would. Jake made it back to England but died in a coma and JST is paralysed from the waist down and is in a wheelchair. He has to stay in a home to make sure he doesn't go crazy. I visit him, twice a month when I can but it upsets the both of us. We remind each other too much of the ones we've lost and he has never met my kids." I finished my story and all the boys looked shocked apart from Niall. I was leaning on Niall's shoulder now, tears making snail trails down my face.

Louis opens his mouth to say something but there's a knock at the door. I open it and see Jen with the four kids.

"You alright, Elizabeth? It looks like you've been crying." Jen asks, concerned. I just smile and wipe my eyes.

"I'm fine, just reliving some old memories. I'll drop Courtney off after dinner." I assure her and she nods uncertainly before hugging me goodbye.

"Liza!" Courtney grins, hugging my legs.

"Hey Courtney. It's good to see you again."

Francesca tugs on my sleeve. "Can we play outside?" She asks and I nod.

"Of course you can but say hello to your uncles and to daddy first." I tell her and her eyes light up.

"Daddy and Uncle Haz!?" She squeals, grabbing Courtney's hand and running into the kitchen. Luke and James roll their eyes at each other but grins make their ways onto their faces and they follow the girls to the lads.