Another Life With You || sequel to IWCT

Thirty-Seven

"Ya..." Calum looks up as Skye comes into the kitchen, her phone pressed to her ear.

"I can figure out how to make that work." She sighs, pouring a cup of coffee for herself one handed as she listens to whoever is on the other end of the line.

"No. It shouldn't be a problem." She responds as she mixes in her cream, Calum's interest in the conversation more than peaked by the underlying exasperated tone in her voice.

"We are already working on that." She responds to something said as she tries to open the twist tie on the bangles one handed.

"Here." Calum chuckles, taking the bag from her and pulling out a bagel, separating it and placing it in the toaster for her.

"Thank you." She mouths quickly, "Ya, ya. No, I think we will be fine, we were going today. You'd have to ask him, he's the one who brought it up to me." She responds as she digs through the fridge for something, coming out with the strawberry cream cheese.

"I mean I feel fine about it. It will be before tour if at all possible."

"It's the realtor who got Mike and Crys into their place in a week. He knows how to push this stuff." Calum frowns, really unsure of what the hell she is discussing and with whom she is discussing it.

"We'll keep you informed. Thanks for the heads up." She nods slightly as if agreeing to what she's hearing, "Ya, I'll be fine, don't worry. Glad I had a warning though."

"Thanks, Parker." Finally she drops the phone from her ear, grabbing a knife as her bagel pops.

"Parker? As in the lawyer?" Calum frowns.

"Jordan isn't very happy with me right now. And the media caught wind that I turned in my own family to the cops." She sighs, not turning to look at him as she prepares her breakfast.

"Why was he talking about the realtor with you?" Calum steps behind her, rubbing his hands over her tense shoulders.

"He thinks like you do. Said we should consider the idea of moving since Jordan had this address."

"So going to look at houses today is a good plan."

"Ya. Since I'm the one who officially turned over Jordan as the unknown in those photos I might have to go to Salt Lake and or Vegas for different court appearances once things happen. Parker said they are putting out formal arrests for Jordan and dad today which is why my whole to do with it all will probably go viral also."

"He thinks people might come after us because your dad is enough a part of the whole thing." Calum nods, following the train of thought.

"Basically. I turned the key, they know where we live, it's a drug chain they believe is connected to a cartel, it's not like people like that are afraid of attacking others." She shrugs.

"I might see if one or two of the security guys for the band want to stay until we can get out, or maybe we can go stay at Mike and Crystals at night, but work on packing out this house during the day. I want you and Nika safe."

"I don't want you to worry, whatever you feel is best is what we will do. I want to believe Jordan wouldn't give us up like that, but I also turned him back in to police custody. And as much as I believe he knows I would do that if he was acting out, I don't trust what I know of him anymore."

"Get ready. I'm going to call Mike, but then we need to go find our new house."

"There are a couple I sent to the realtor that I love, so hopefully I love them just as much when we get to see them for real today. And they weren't outrageously priced for the area, so that was nice too."

"We'll find one, and you will be perfectly safe in our new hidden home while I'm on tour." He chuckles.

"Did you ever talk to Nika about what we discussed at dinner last week? Or decide how you feel about it?" She asks, moving to sit at the bar.

"I think I'm going to leave it up to her. You were right, she's getting old enough I can't be making all those choices the same way as I have thus far."

"What choice?" Nika comes wandering into the room.

Calum looks at Skye before over to Nika. "Skye suggested, if you want, you could stay home with her this tour. So you can go to school with Rosie and all your friends instead of doing it all on tour all over the world. You and Skye would still come visit me when you can, but then you can also do sports, or join band or choir or whatever you want at school too, because you'll have the time." Calum explains.

"Oh." Nika looks surprised by the offer. "I could play volleyball with Rosie this fall?" She suddenly grins.

"If you stay home with me, ya." Skye nods.

"I never thought I'd get to do that for a long time." Nika's eyes are slightly distant as she thinks. "I would miss tour a lot. I always go on tour with dad. But I could kind of be like all my friends and be normal, just going to school everyday and playing volleyball with Rosie... I think I want to. But we will still go visit tour right?"

"Of course. We will go before school starts, and you could go until school starts and then I can come get you. Or when volleyball starts, plus when you have your break in October for like a week, we would go then, and weekends when they come back to the North American leg." Skye assures her.

"I think I want to." Nika giggles, "Thank you, Skye!" She hurries over, wrapping Skye in a tight hug.

"No problem, Punk Princess. And I will be in the stands at every game to cheer you on. Even if your dad can only make it to a couple or none of your games. I'll be there at every one of them." Skye hugs her back tightly.

"I'm going to miss having you with me on tour, Nika Joy, but it's part of letting you grow up. And I'm glad you have someone amazing to stay with." Calum chuckles.

"Why don't we get ready? We have houses to approve of or hate!" Skye laughs loudly.

"I'm going to be picky! It had to be better than our house already is!" Nika yells, hurrying to find some breakfast for herself.

"Good. We need picky to make sure it's perfect for us." Skye laughs.

"If I've got the two of you there with me, it will be perfect no matter what it looks like." Calum chuckles.

"Sap." Skye laughs.

"We are going to find our new house today. I just know it." Nika grins, looking between the two of them excitedly.

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Two more chapters! And NO EPILOGUE!!!

The third story is only a short time jump from this one so it will be easier to just lead off the end of the last chapter and not add an epilogue.

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~M =)