Who Knows [Nick]

[Shelby Crescent]

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[Nicholas Henderson]

There was a knock on the door and I could only guess who it was. It was only a matter of time before Shelby showed up here. I didn't bother going to make my way over there for the mere fact that she'd come to me. If I were her, I think I would be coming over here. It's not everyday that one of your daughters shows up where you live and wants to stay with you.. At least, not in my experience.
Honestly, I couldn't even imagine why she would want to be staying here with me. I wasn't going to complain, but I was pretty keen on talking to Shelby to see what happened between the two of them to have her come here.. If Shelby even knew Ashlyn came here, that is.

I opened the door, giving a small half smile toward her, which probably could have been mistaken for a smirk. As always, it was nice to see her. Of course I still had feelings for her.. really, it was hard to imagine not having feelings, but that really didn't mean so much right now anyway. I wasn't going to act on them and I was pretty sure that she didn't really want anything to do with me anyway. But I had to admit that she did look quite pretty today.

"Hullo Shell.. What brings you here on this lovely day?" I asked as I kept the small smile on my lips, leaning slightly against the door as I had it open a bit.
Actually, it wasn't much of a lovely day for me so far. The window in the living room got left open overnight, so it was absolutely freezing.. and damp, may I add, inside. And really the weather wasn't all that great either, but I guess things could still get turned around.. doubt it though.

[Shelby Crescent]

"Where is she Nick?" I ask automatically, glancing up at him before letting myself in. That smirk, oh how I hated it and yet... somehow it was just so. No. I can't think like that today. I'm here for Ashlyn, not him. I turn around once I survey the living room and kitchen areas before leaving my arms crossed over chest. I feel a few of my curls fall into my face due to my frustration.

Of course he's all calm with this. The kids were never fond of him seeing as he was always on order missions and the reason why we got divorced was due to them as well. That wasn't his fault, I know that but still for them it had to be even more heartbreaking not to have a father figure until Jay came around.

"Oh, I'll be fine once you tell me where Ashlyn Malaika Henderson disappeared to in this flat Nicholas."

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[Nicholas Henderson]

She let herself in and I shut the front door quietly as she continued speaking. I turned around, folding my arms lightly in front of my chest and waiting for her to finish speaking before I started.
I loved frustrating her like that. I just couldn't help, there was something about it that I just really loved. But at the same time, I knew I probably shouldn't be doing that right now. I wasn't completely horrible... She didn't know where she was and was probably at least, fairly, worried about her, so I wasn't going to keep the answer from her like I normally would. I knew well enough that that would just make my day even worse.
So I just sighed a bit, "You can calm down, Shelby. She's fine.. She's over her friend's house." I said with a faint nod, before ruffling some of the hair on the back of my head for a few seconds. "She'll be back eventually, so you're welcome to stay here until then." I added with another faint shrug.

[Shelby Crescent]

[/b] I say still slightly frustrated as I walk over to the couch and sit down, trying to straighten out my curls and put them back to their rightful places. "So have you two done anything bonding wise since her being here?" I ask with a sigh as I look back up at him.

Now this was just awkward. Here I was in his flat, sitting down on his couch just the two of us. That never happened since we were together and that made me a little uneasy now. "So how's what's her name... Nikki? Marly? Sadie? I can't keep up with your love life." Lies. I was always jealous but of course I wouldn't say anything.[/ul][/size]

[Nicholas Henderson]

"No.. and yeah, I figured you wouldn't." I said with a faint shrug before moving and sitting next to her on the couch, leaving a normal around of space between us, not sitting too close to her and not really far away either. I shook my head slightly, "Talked a bit." I said with another small shrug, before reaching to a table and picking up my coffee.

I set my mug down after taking a small sip of my coffee and listened to what she was asking me, shaking my head some for an answer. "I'm not with anyone right now." I said looking over to her, wondering if she was even going to believe that.

[Shelby Crescent]

I glance over at him and sigh a little before biting my lip. "About what? How mental I am?" I ask rolling my eyes as I moved closer to him. "Really, that's a switch. I bet you have your eyes on someone..." I say before looking at my hands.

[Nicholas Henderson]

"Don't be ridiculous." I said shaking my head a little it as she scooted slightly closer to me. Wondering if it was just my imagination or not. I can't imagine why she would scooting closer to me. Not right now, at least.
I paused for a moment before shakind my head. "No, no one in particular.." I said with a small shrug, looking to my hands for a moment too before to the floor and then over to her again.

[Shelby Crescent]

"Something wrong?" I ask him raising an eyebrow at Nick before sighing a little as I let my head rest on the back of the couch. "Well then, I think you should talk to her about coming back. I have custody over her and you don't. It's great you come visit and everything but still."

[Nicholas Henderson]

I shook my head when she asked if there was something wrong. "No." I said with a faint shrug, as I glanced over to her. Nothing was specifically wrong, but it was just odd that she's scooted closer.
I raised my eyebrows slightly and shook my head faintly again. "Why would I talk her into going back?" I asked looking over to her. I finally had one of my kids wanting to live with me. Sure, Shelby had custody, but if Ashlyn wanted to live with me, she should be able to. "She should live with who she wants to."

[Shelby Crescent]

"Because Nick she belongs at home with me. Not here. Have you even established any form of a rule or something like that?" I ask softly as I let my arms rest in my lap. "She should live with the person that actually knows her well enough and knows her needs." I add a little more irrated as my cheeks started to emit a light pink hue.

[Nicholas Henderson]

"No I haven't, not like I wasn't going to though." I said before standing up and going over to a wall and leaning on it instead of sitting on the couch. "She hasn't been here that long."
"What, and I don't know the needs of my own daughter?" I asked back to her, crossing my arms infront of my chest as I looked over to her. "Maybe you don't even know what she needs anymore."

[Shelby Crescent]

"Right. Letting her go to a friend's house on a school night. That's just great Nick." I say standing up as well and placing my arms on my hips now. "No, I don't think so. You didn't raise her alone like I have for the past twelve years of her life... don't you dare say that." I mutter as I walk over to him keeping only a couple feet between them. "I know you Nick. You're just going to cave in at the end of this."

[Nicholas Henderson]

"I trust that she'll listen to me and be back by ten." I said shaking my head a little bit. I sighed and just stayed relaxed as I leaned against the wall, watching as she got closer to me, leaving only a few feet eventaully. It really didn't phase me all too much to be honest.
"I didn't say that you never knew what she needed, but things change, Shelby." I said looking over to her. "Maybe she needs some time away from you.." I paused, before hearing the next thing she said. "And you don't know that."

[Shelby Crescent]

"Doubt it. She's never took your opinion or requests seriously. Said it herself. I say before biting my lip to quit snapping at him. Afterall, it wasn't his fault she came here. Ashlyn just showed up on his doorstep, of course he wasn't going to send her away.
Rolling my eyes slightly, I walk closer to him and completely ignoring what he just said. "I was married to you for five years. I think I do. Like for instance." I trail off as I lean up and kiss his collar bone lightly. "You can't resist that, or this." I say before twirling my fingers into his hair. "You always cave in."

[Nicholas Henderson]

I frowned at what she said, looking away from her for a moment. "Maybe she'll listen today then." I said shaking my head faintly. What was I supposed to have done? She came here, and she's my daughter, there's no way I'm going to turn her away. I was just happy that she was here.. so of course I'm gonna let her to go her friend's house.
I looked back to her when she started speaking again. She trailed off a momemnt later and I was slightly taken aback at what she did. I bit my lip for a moment at what she doing, trying to just ignore it. I didn't want her to get to me and she was trying to prove a point.
Something I wasn't going to let her do right now. I didn't always cave in. Maybe in instances like the one she just presented I would, but it was different with kids. So I still didn't do anything and shook my head faintly, gently taking her hand off of my head and hair. She did seem to remember what got to me though.. I had to give her that. It wasn't exactly easy to resist. "No I don't." I said quietly.

[Shelby Crescent]

"She might, she usually does behave. But she is also a teenager unsure about her decisions..." I say with a shrug. I was determined to get her back, even if that meant stretching the truth or trying to set doubts in his head about letting her stay here.
I stare up at him for a few seconds. Did he really just resist me? For some reason this bothered me. He was always jealous of my relationships and I vice versa. "Nick... I. Never mind." I say just shaking my head lightly with a meek smile before walking back to the couch and sitting down.

[Nicholas Henderson]

I raised an eyebrow slightly at what she said. "What? Decisions like what?" I asked a moment later, not sure about what she was talking about. The first thing that popped into my head was boys.. but I didn't have to worry about them today.. cos she was at her friend's house.. who was a girl.. At least that's what she told me. Maybe I should have... No, I trust her.
I resisted her for the mere fact that she was expecting me to cave. And I took that as a challenge.
But now I was curious about what she was going to say... so I followed her over to the couch. "No, Shelby, what is it?" I asked as I sat down.

[Shelby Crescent]

"No, I can't." I say softly before glancing over at him. "Decisions like we made Nick. Marriage, having Zoe and all of them... joining the order." I say with a frown. "I still wished you didn't join just because you wanted to make sure I was okay. We could have still been together..." I say traveling off slightly as I let out a deep sigh.

[Nicholas Henderson]

"What, and we're going to make those decisions for her?" I asked with a faint shrug. "She can make her own decisions.. She should just wait longer than us, I think." I added, looking back over to her. If Ashlyn really wanted to do something, I doubted we could stop her anyway.
"I wanted to. Wishing on it isn't going to change it anyway." I said a bit softly over to her. "Just let it go." I paused for a moment, ruffling some of my hair slightly. "So why can't we be together now then?" I asked a moment or two later.

[Shelby Crescent]

"Well... she always asks what I would do in situations... so yes." I say glancing at him with a faint smile before biting my lip. "Yes, like another forty years would be nice." I roll my eyes a bit before leaning back onto the couch. "No, you said a long time ago that you joined so you could protect me. You always want to protect me from anything that would hurt me." I say as I lean forward again. "Be-Because. you don't like me and vice versa." I lie on my behalf.

[Nicholas Henderson]

"That doesn't mean that she actually does what you tell her." I said as I leaned back into the couch a little bit, folding my arms infront of my chest again. I laughed faintly, "Yeah, forty years would work." I commented with a small smile.
"Exactly." I said shaking my head a little bit, wondering slightly how we got on this topic now. "I wanted to." For those reasons.
I was about to say something when she said that I didn't like her, but then after hearing what she added, shut my mouth again. Vice versa. She didn't like me, so why bother make a fool out of myself. I shrugged faintly. "'Course."

[Shelby Crescent]

I shrug a little before just laughing at his agreement. "Maybe even fifty. But then we wouldn't have more grandchildren like Kalin." I say softly. I missed Zoe and Kalin more and more everyday. I hadn't seen them in so long but as long as Zoe sent me owls and little gifts for her younger siblings, I guess that meant she was doing well.
"Whatever. Just admit that you only did it for those reasons."
My heart takes a stab before looking down at my hands for a second. "Right. See no feelings for you or me. Even if you kissed me or I kissed you right now we'd feel nothing." I say with a faint nervous laugh.

[Nicholas Henderson]

"Even better." I said with a soft chuckle when she said fifty. I shrugged a little bit. "Yeah, I guess so." I said looking over to her for a moment.
"I did, like I said, I wanted to. I agreed with you when I said exacly, so I figured you got that's why." I said raising my eyebrows slightly over to her.
I gave her a faintly curious look and shrugged. "Right.. Exactly what you said before." I said nodding faintly. I never said it, she did.

[Shelby Crescent]

I glance at him with another frown. "So then if I kissed you it wouldn't matter right?" I ask with a sigh passing my lips. I really hated this. Always setting myself up for heartbreak and depression but something just wanted to kiss him anyway even if he didn't like me.
"Isaiah's looking more and more like you everyday. He's already a heartbreaker..."

[Nicholas Henderson]

"Well, you don't want to kiss me, so it doesn't really matter." I said shaking my head faintly, wondering why she was dwelling on this topic so much. Because now I was starting to want to kiss her and she already said that she didn't like me. So then why did she keep asking me? It was actually starting to sound like she did and was just lying or something.
I cracked a small smile, "How's he doing, then?" I asked her in reply, looking over to her again.

[Shelby Crescent]

I just nod for a second before smiling at his interest in Isaiah. "He's still playing quidditch for our house, keeper like me. Studying for his owls though... hates them already." I say with a laugh before biting my lip again. "Oh just take a chance like you usually do." With that, I scoot a little closer and sigh again. "Nick..." I whisper faintly before resting my hand on his chest the other on his cheek like I always used to when I would kiss him, before actually leaning in and kissing him lightly on the lips.

[Nicholas Henderson]

I nodded a bit, listening to what she was telling me about Isaiah. Really, I didn't see him enough.. and now I really would love to see him. "I don't blame him.. OWLs are terrible.." I commented, shaking my head faintly again.
I looked over to her as she scooted closer to me and next thing I knew she was kissing me. I raised my eyebrows slightly again. I still for some reason wasn't expecting that. But nevertheless, she was kissing me, so after a very short, moment, I kissed her back, placing a hand on the side of her neck.

[Shelby Crescent]

"Yeah, he's been complaining about the new astronomy teacher. I guess he's not that friendly or something..." I say with a shrug before smiling a little at him.
To be honest, I'm shocked that he didn't break the kiss the moment my lips touched his. And I'm even more shocked that he's kissing me back. There's that spark I had a feeling was still there, but I can't admit that it is. After all, that was from seventeen years ago now when we were kids... right? I move slightly closer, to make it deeper as my hand on his cheek moves around his neck to bring him closer. For some reason it felt as if we never gotten divorced, we never were separated due to the war. It felt the complete opposite.

[Nicholas Henderson]

"That sounds unpleasant.." I said a bit quietly as she shrugged. I wasn't sure what else to say about that though..
Now that I was kissing her, I wasn't really sure that I wanted to stop. I probably should pull away and see what the hell was up with this, but I really couldn't be bothered with something like that right now.
I moved a bit closer to her as she pulled me and kissed her a bit deeper back in return.