An Anthem Lights Christmas (Completed)

Chapter 37

*Spencer POV*
I'm downstairs in the kitchen finishing the dishes when I hear a bang. I go upstairs and knock on Nicole's door. When I don't get an answer I go in to find her on her floor and blood near her.
"Brian" I yell
He runs in and looks
"Call 911 quick" I say
I look for a heart beat and finally find a faint one. Five minutes later Brian returns to the room with paramedics. I backup so they can do their job.
"Ok Brian I'm going to go with. Can you stay here and wake Jess up then come" I ask
"Yeah" he says
The paramedics carry Nicole out and I follow them. They shit the doors and speed off we get to the hospital and I'm led to the waiting room. I get to the room and see Joey, Alan, and Liam.
"Spencer what are you doing here" Joey asks
"I heard a bang upstairs and went up to Nicole's room. She passed out due to blood lost from cutting herself. She found out her dad died and I guess she couldn't handle it" I say
"Oh gosh" Joey says
"Have you got any news on Casey yet" I ask
"Casey Stamper" a doctor says before he can reply
*Megan POV*
I wake up in the morning and see 12 missed calls, 100 texts and 4 voicemails. I have 1 call from each brother. 2 from Fallon. 4 from Chad. 2 from Caleb. Then 2 from Dylan. I go to the phone app and call Dylan back.
D-hello
M-hey dyl
D-Megan. Are you and your brothers ok
M-yeah yeah we're fine
D-where are you at
M-I can't say.
D-Megan you can't take your brothers away from another home. From another family. Then need to have a steady life
M-Dylan I can't. Everyone always leaves me. Chad will too.
D-what about Luke and Liam? What about Nicole and Casey? What about you and me
M-Dylan I'm sorry I have to do this. You can either come with us by yourself or just forget about me
D-Megan please don't do this
M-Dylan what's your answer
D-I'll come. I'm gonna come check on you and give you money but I can't stay.
M-ok. We're at the hotel on seventh and broad. I'm gonna watch from the window. If I don't see anyone with you I'll give you the number. Other wise you won't get it
I hang up and put my phone away. Nick and Owen wake up shortly and I take them downstairs for breakfast. They eat and I grab a muffin and we go back up. I turn the tv on for them and watch out the window. I spot Dylan mad text him the number. A minute later I'm standing out in the hall with him. He gives me an envelope and hugs me.
"I love you. I always have and always will. Even if you leave me for many years I will wait for you to come back. There's no one else I want to date or spend the rest of my life with." He says
"Dylan I can't" I say
"And I understand and respect that. But I want you to know that Casey and Nicole are both in the hospital. Casey got sick and Nicole cut herself to deep because her dad died" he says
"No no no" I say
"What" he asks
"It's all my fault. This didn't happen till I left. Casey was perfectly fine at the reception. Nicole was happy this is all my fault. I messed up" I cry
Dylan picks me up and walks into the room. He sits on the bed with me on his lap.
"It's alright. It's not your fault." He soothes
"Yes it is. I can't take this. I need to go and see them. Please Dylan. Take me there and drop my brothers off at Chad's" I cry
"Sssh Megan ok I will but you have to calm down" he says
He reaches over somewhere then hands me a bottle of water. I open it and drink half.
"Go check out. And I'll grab the stuff and your brothers" he says
I nod and get off his lap. I grab the room keys and go down to the lobby. I check out and a few minutes later Dylan gets down here with my brothers in the stroller.
"My car is in sixth street" he says
We start walking until we get to his car. We get the two little one in then put the stuff in the trunk. Once the trunk is shut we get in and Dylan starts the car.
"I know it's not far but please try to get a little sleep. I can tell you didn't really sleep at all last night" he says
I nod my head and put my chair back a bit. I stifle a yawn and drift off to sleep.
*Dylan POV*
Once she falls asleep I look in the back and see the two boys asleep as well. I buckle up and drive to Chad's. I turn the car off and go inside.
"Chad I'm here" I say
"Hey Dylan what's up" Chad asks
"I need help outside" I say
He gets up from the couch and follows me outside. We go to my car and I open the passenger door.
"Can you carry her in please" I ask
He nods and takes her inside. I then pick up the boys and go inside. I take them to their room then go back downstairs. I go to my car and grab the rest of the stuff and the stroller. I leave the stroller on the front porch then go inside. I go the living room and join Chad and Fallon on the couch.
"How did you find her" Fallon asks
"well she called me back this morning and was explaining why she couldn't come back. I told her I want to help her and stuff and that if she ran I would wait for her. And I also told her I want to give her some money to help with stuff. So she told me where she was at but I had to go alone to know the full details" I say
"How did you get her to come back" Chad asks
"She told me that she couldn't leave. I told her I loved her and all that but also that Casey and Nicole are in the hospital. After a few seconds she started crying and asked me to take her to see them. I'm not letting her see them till she has slept and mentally in a better situation." I say
"Ok. Thank you for bringing her here. I need to talk with her and figure this out" he says
"Chad let her see Casey and Nicole first before you talk to her and if you want I'll be there to keep her calm" I say
"Ok" he says
I pay attention to the tv after that little conversation.
*Megan POV*
I wake up at 1 in the afternoon and realize I'm in my room. I go to my brothers room and see them awake. I pick them up and then go downstairs.
"Ready to go see them" Dylan asks
"Yeah" I say
We go to the car and get in. We get to the hospital and I carry Owen and Dylan carries Nick. We go in to the waiting room where the others are. My older brothers see me and run to me.
"Megan are you okay." Liam asks
"Yes us three are fine." I say
"I'm glad you're back sis" Luke says
"Thanks. Am I able to go see them" I ask
"You're allowed to see Casey but Nicole is still unconscious. We haven't gotten any word on her. Joey, Tyler, and Jason are with Casey. She has a virus" Caleb says
"Ok" I say
"Liam will show you to the room" Spencer says
Luke takes Owen from me and I follow Liam. We get to the room and we go in.
"Megan" Casey smiles
"Hey" I say
"Hey love" Joey says
"Hi Joe" I say
He gives me a hug then walks out with Jason and Tyler. Liam kisses my forehead then also walks out.
"Hey Casey you ok" I ask
"Yeah. I'm fine just the same virus I had in middle school" she says
"Do they have cute this time" I ask
"No. They are still trying. But don't worry. How's Nicole" she asks
"Don't know yet" I say
"I heard you ran away with your little brothers. Why?" She asks
"I- I don't really want to talk about it. It's something Chad and I have to work out" I say
"Ok" she says
"Alright sis. Out. It's my turn" Liam says
I leave and go back to the waiting room.
"Will someone drive me back to Chad's? I need to talk to him" I say
"Joey and Spencer will. They need to get out of here for a bit" Alan says
"Alan please I need to stay here. I need to be here when Nicole wakes up" Spencer pleads
"Ok but you, Brian, and Tyler are at least going on a coffee run" Caleb says
"Come on Megan let's go" Joey says
We go outside and get in his car. He starts it and drives off.
"Casey's gonna be in the hospital for a while. It's the same one she had in middle school and they still don't have a cure for it" I say
"I know. Tyler is upset but Jason doesn't understand so I have Jewel watching him" he says
"Do you know how Jess is handling this situation" I ask
"She had a break down. Brian tried calming her down and that's how he got the black eye. A doctor came out and put her to sleep to calm her down. Once she woke up we sent her with Jewel" he says
"Ok" I say
"You ok" he asks
"Yeah yeah. I'm just- never mind" I say
"Megan tell me what's on your mind" he says
"Ok. It's just that I feel like it's all my fault. Dylan said it wasn't but I still have a feeling that it is" I say
Joey pulls into a parking lot of a store and looks at me.
"Megan this isn't your fault. I know you think a lot of things are your fault but they aren't. Casey getting sick is normal. People get sick and we know that if she gets sick it's bad. Nicole cutting isn't your fault. Her dad walked out after her mom died and then a year and a half later she hears that her dad dies during work. It set her off edge and she couldn't contain the emotions she held in so long. And you running off with your little brothers. That wasn't really your fault. You had something telling you not to trust Chad. You were fighting with yourself. Couldn't take it and exploded. None of this is your fault" he says
I just stay quiet and nod. Joey gets out of the vehicle and comes to my side. He opens the door and unbuckles my seat belt. He pulls me up and hugs me. I hug back and let my tears out.
"Ssh it's okay. Let it out" he says
After two minutes I finish crying and let go. Joey closes my door and locks the car then holds his hand out.
"Where are we going" I ask
"Come on" he says
I take his hand and he leads us somewhere. After about 5 minutes we're standing in front of three different restaurants.
"Which one" he asks
"Blue Arctic blast from Dairy Queen" I mumble
We go in and he orders two of them. Once we get them we go outside and sit at one of the picnic tables.
"Thanks Joey" I say
"No problem. Now isn't Luke and Liam's birthday coming up" Joey asks
"Yeah. It's in two days" I sigh
"What's wrong" he asks
"Casey and Nicole will be in the hospital" I say
"We could always do a birthday party like we did for your younger brothers" Joey says
"I guess" I say
"Hey we'll figure it out. Let's not worry about it at the moment" he says
"Ok" I say
"Come on. Let's go" he says
We go back to his car and he drives the rest of the way to Chad's. We get there and go inside.
"Chad can we talk" I ask
"Yeah let's go outback. Do you want Joey to come" he asks
"No. Just us" I say
"Ok" he says
We go outback and sit on the porch swing.
"Why did you run" Chad asks
"I don't know. I guess to many thoughts were going through my head at once and fighting with myself." I say
"Ok." He says
"Um before I ran off I was about to say something" I start
"Do you want to continue what you were saying" he asks
I nod my head and take a breath.
"Ok last week or two weeks ago. I forget when it really was but you said something about me being your daughter. And loving me and protecting me as your own. I know this is silly to ask but did you really mean that" I ask
"I did." He says
I hug him and mumble into his chest, "thanks daddy"
"Megan" he starts
"No. I want to call you that. I've never really had someone I could call dad and now I do. Please let me? My 'fathers' were never really there for me. But then you come into my life and I can't get rid of you no matter how hard I tried and I tried hard. Even running away didn't work" I cry
"Ok Megan. You can. But do it if you want to. I don't want you to feel forced to. I really do care about you" he says
"Thank you" I say
He kisses my forehead and keeps me wrapped up in a hug.
"I love you dad" I smile
"I love you too darling" he smiles back