Chapter Twelve

"That takes care of that," Brooklyn said as she opened the door to the house. "I finished mailing off the rest of the presents and I picked up the mail." She dropped a large stack beside Tim on the couch and sat down with a sigh. "I swear, out of all the Christmas cards that I get, I only know a third of the people." She sat down with a sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. "Did you finish everything?"

He nodded and reached for her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Yeah, I did. I was wondering, are you going to come up to my parents with me for Christmas, or are you going to stay here?"

She made a face while she thought about it. "I really can't. This is Austin's first Christmas since the big breakup earlier this year. I don't want him to be alone, otherwise I'd be right there on that plane with you." She laughed and looked up at him. "I know that we're talking Christmas right now, but are you going to be home on New Years? I'd like to spend it with you."

Kissing the top of her head, he smiled to himself. Dangerously, almost maniacally. "I'm going to be around for New Years. I have a big surprise for you." The words didn't sound very appetizing to her, but she was willing to go along with his plans. "I already got the usual bottle of champagne, and those silly horn things that you like so much."

Brooklyn had made a face at the mention of champagne. She didn't like it, and never would. The horns, however, had put a smile on her face. "I just like them because I know how much you hate to be hit in the nose when I blow one of those suckers." She chuckled under her breath, noticing that he didn't laugh. Not that he didn't usually, but a small chuckle would have been appreciated. "This week has really sucked."

"Why, because JC had to leave?" he asked innocently.

"No, because I haven't had much of a chance to see you. I've been in the studio every single day." She paused and looked up at him curiously. "Tim, are you going to come for the first concert?" When he didn't look like he was going to answer, she turned around to face him, causing his arms to fall. "Please, I really want you there. It's just...moral support. I know, Austin is going to be there, but I was hoping that you could put your differences aside, just for one night."

The pitiful face that she was giving him was almost too much to say no to. "I'll think about it. How's that?" Her head nodded, knowing that it was as much as she was going to get out of him. A small smile threatened to break out, but he caught it, throwing her one of his own. "Don't even try to hide that smile, baby. I can see it." She still tried to hide it, but when his fingers played on her waist, she laughed and smiled brightly. "There you go."

He stood up, and she looked up at him. "You're leaving already?" she asked, her smile dimming slightly.

Leaning down, he kissed her quickly. Just long enough to peak her interest and wrap her arms around his neck. When he felt that, he pulled back slightly. "Yeah, I have to go. I'll call you later tonight." She smiled and watched him walk out before laying down and closing her eyes.

It seemed that every muscle in her body was aching, every part that could move didn't want to. An aspirin would be more than appreciated, but it would be too much effort to get off the couch. "Ugh," she said, when she heard the phone ring. "You must be freaking kidding me." She yawned as she reached over and picked up the handset. "Hello, Turner residence. I'm somewhat here."

A chuckle sounded from the other end. "Wow, Brooke, you sound like you've had a wonderful day."

"Please, don't get me started. I've been practicing every single day, sometimes twice. Plus, I've been decorating the house for Christmas, and I just want to die. So, neighbor, this is a surprise. You actually took time out of your busy life to call me? I'm shocked." She sunk deeper into the couch and sighed.

"Yeah, it happens every now and then. Most of the time, I don't call because I know that you're going to whine like this." She grunted unhappily. "Hey, I was meaning to ask you. Did you and Jace get into a fight or something? He's been a lot more quiet since he came back."

Her eyes opened wide, wondering what that meant. "More quiet than usual, you mean?" she asked, trying to gauge his reaction. When she heard Lance's unmistakable laugh, she relaxed. "No, we didn't. We had a fun fan encounter, though."

"I heard about that. Being felt up in the alley. That had to be a new experience for you. Was he exaggerating when he said that you made twenty people fall down? Only because it doesn't seem like something that you would do on purpose."

A smile came over her face. "Oh, there's a lot that you don't know about me. I did, and it was on purpose. Except for the fact that I think it was twenty five people. It was a pretty big group, and it kept the screaming hoard of teenagers away from us for a little while. I'm just surprised that they didn't notice I was wearing a pair of skates that were clearly sticking out."

She rolled over and winced when she felt her back protest. "I'll be sure to look for you on the cover of the Enquirer. Speaking of which..."

"Please, don't bring that up. It's a very sore point right now, and I try to avoid it as much as possible."

"I can understand why. Normally, I wouldn't believe it, but it mentioned your nickname from JC in there, so it made me think. Anyway, this isn't why I called."

Brooklyn closed her eyes, and tried to ignore the pain in her legs, which was slowly increasing in the position she was in. "Uh huh. Hit me with your best shot, but make it quick. The bath is calling me name, and I have a feeling that it's the only way that I'm going to be comfortable for the next twenty four hours."

"I'll make this as quick as possible then. I already cleared it, and from the twelfth to the sixteenth. I'm all yours for four days. I just happen to know that you have a concert on the twelfth, which is the reason that I took that day off, too."

Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what he meant. It suddenly it, and she sat up, ignoring the pain. "Oh my God, you are the best. I swear. You rock. I love you. I'll do anything you want. Lance, you are the master. You are saving my ass more than you think. I absolutely love you."

He laughed again. "Marry me, Brooklyn."

"I wouldn't go that far, but you rock!" They spent the next little while discussing their plans, before she hung up, a large smile on her face. Nothing could go better, she thought. It seemed for the past few days that everything had been going her way. The malls hadn't been that busy, and she had managed to find everything that she wanted to buy for Christmas. Tim had been in a relatively good mood, and the relationship was only getting better. Even Austin had been happy, not making any cracks about her and Tim, or her and JC. "Yeah, my life rocks," she groaned as she stood up, one hand firmly planted on her lower back.

She shuffled towards the stairs, and looked at them, her eyes widening. "Oh, no. I totally forgot about this part," she whined. The stairs seemed to look bigger than they ever had in her life. Very cautiously, she placed her foot on the bottom one and pulled herself up. "I wonder what the neighbors are going to think if I scream."

Halfway up, she stopped for a moment to rest, her legs screaming in pain. "Yeah, yeah. I hear you. When did I resort to talking to myself so much? I knew that I did, but not as much as I am now." Shaking her head, she started up the rest, and when she made it to the top, she wondered if she was going to have to crawl to her bathroom. "Remember one thing, Brooklyn. Aspirin is in the bathroom. That wonderful white tablet that you're going to be dependent on if rehearsals keep up this way. Your salvation, your...oh, thank the Lord!" She leaned against the bathroom counter and opened the medicine cabinet.

Her eyes swept over the bottles and tubes. "Where the hell is the aspirin? I see Midol, and that's not what I need." She moved another bottle and looked behind it. "No, I don't think Clean and Clear is going to help, either. If there's no aspirin in here, I swear to God, I'm going to kill someone, and that's not a good thing, in the condition I'm in," she said towards the ceiling before looking at the next shelf. Her hand closed around a bottle and she pulled it out, daring herself to read the label. "There is a God, and I love him!"

The lid hit the counter, and she hurriedly shook out one pill, before turning on the tap. She cupped her hand underneath and sucked the water into her mouth before pushing the pill between her lips, swallowing deeply. Her head moved and she looked towards the tub. "I think the bath can wait. I'll just lay down until this thing kicks in."

Her feet barely made it to the bed before she fell onto it, wincing. She pushed herself up and dropped her head onto the pillow, laying on her stomach. Her eyes drifted shut, a sigh escaping her mouth. It didn't take long, and she didn't think that she would, but she ended up falling asleep.

Within the hour, Austin shut the door loudly downstairs, and winced. He knew that Brooklyn had taken to falling asleep on the couch after practices, and the last thing he wanted to do was wake her up. One shoe was taken off quietly, but the second hit the ground hard, bouncing up and finally stopping. "She's going to kill me."

He walked into the kitchen and looked in the cupboards, looking for anything quick he could make for dinner. A sarcastic smile spread on his face when he pulled down a box of Kraft Dinner. He started the water, and peeked in the living room. His brow furrowed when he saw that she wasn't laying on the couch, one arm thrown over her eyes to hide the light. There was only one other place that she could be, he realized, and went up the stairs, opening the door to her room slowly. One green eyes cautiously looked towards the bed and a relieved smile spread on his face.

The door opened a little further and he walked into the room, sitting down on the bed beside her. Normally, he would find some cruel way to wake her up, always changing, but he knew the kind of work that she had been doing lately, and how tired and hurt she was. The only reason he had been waking her up recently was to make sure that she ate dinner every night.

His hand came out and touched her shoulder briefly. She groaned and buried her head deeper into the pillow. Smiling again, he shook her slightly this time, watching as the eyes that mirrored his opened very slowly. "Die, Austin. That's all I have to say."

With a laugh, he bent down and kissed the top of her head. "Anything you say, sweetie. Go wash up. Dinner should be done in a few minutes." She nodded and pulled herself up as he walked out the door and towards the kitchen. The water was at full boil now, and he threw in the box of pasta, stirring occasionally.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and she thumped down as she rounded the corner to look at him. "Couldn't you have let me sleep?" She rubbed one of her shoulders and walked over to the table, sitting down before her head fell with a loud bump. It came up quickly, and she rubbed her forehead.

"That was a good one. No, I couldn't let you sleep. If it was up to you, you would skip dinner every night. At least you have your big brother looking after you. Take a look in the mirror. You're getting thinner every day."

She shrugged, playing with a napkin. "Yeah, and I always put it back on before the tour starts. You know that. This always happens before a tour starts. Especially now that I have to perform at the awards show."

He nodded slowly, stirring the contents of the pot. While she had been talking, he had added the cheese powder, butter, and milk. Now that it was finished, he dished it out and pushed a fork into each bowl before walking to the table. "I'm telling you, this is one of my best masterpieces, Brooke. Enjoy."

The bowl was placed in front of her, and she stared at it for a moment before bursting out into laughter. "Austin, you rock. Even if you know that I am the Kraft Dinner queen. Now THIS is heaven." She picked up a forkful and pushed it into her mouth. "Thank you, so much. I don't mind getting up for this."

He grinned brightly, looking at a forkful critically. "Yeah, I figured that much. You'd die for Kraft Dinner, if possible." He ate the amount he had, and cocked his head to the side, thinking. "Yeah, that fancy food can get to you after while. Especially if you cook it for a living."

"Yeah, yeah. Just like music can get annoying after a little while. Especially when the radio plays my older stuff. The stuff about tractors that I would love to forget."

The meal was silent for the most part, both of them enjoying their dinner. After it was done, Brooklyn followed Austin to the sink, and dropped her bowl in, before turning to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. "It's almost all over, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, almost," he said as his arms went around her neck, holding her tight. "Just a few more practices and then you're done. Christmas and New Years you get off. That's a good point."

"I guess." She pulled herself away and smiled briefly. "I'm going back up to bed. Good night."

"No, a little to the left," Brooklyn panted, trying to wipe the sweat off of her brow. It wasn't helping at all. One drop trickled into her eyes, and she tried to blink it away. "Damn, I'm blind. You suck at this, Austin."

He rolled his eyes, and went back to the job at hand. "No, I have to go a little more towards the right. It's not my fault that you're more than experienced at this than me."

"Damn right I am. I've done this alone for years, now it's your turn to help. No, more to the left, I swear." She sighed and released her grip ever so slight. "Keep this up, and I'm going to switch places with you. Would you just freaking listen to me? You said yourself that I have more experience than you, and I know what it should be like. This is nothing like what it's supposed to be like."

Grunting, he looked up at her, and smirked. "Oh, I'm sure that JC would be much better at this than I am, right, Brooke? Isn't that what you would like to say? There, is that what you wanted?"

She squirmed and opened her right eye when she felt the stinging go away. She sighed happily and took her hands away, smiling brightly. "I can't believe how beautiful it is. Austin, you're the best," she squealed and threw her arms around his shoulders. He laughed into her shoulder and pulled away, bringing her back with him. "That is definitely the most beautiful Christmas tree that I have ever seen. You may suck at putting one up, but you can pick out a good one."

"I suppose that I have to go up in the attic and pull down the decorations now, huh?" he asked. When she nodded, he rolled his eyes briefly. "Why don't you go make some hot chocolate, or warm up some cider, while I do this? I'll be back from the depths of hell in about a half hour." He kissed her cheek and headed up the stairs, towards the attic.

She hummed to herself as she made her way to the kitchen, practically skipping. If one holiday meant so much to her, it was Christmas. Despite the things that happened on either side of it, namely her parent's anniversary and their death, she loved it fiercely, and she always had a smile on her face.

The stove was turned on low underneath the pot of apple cider, and she picked up the phone, pulling herself up on the counter. "Hello there, big boy," she said in a sultry voice when the phone was picked up.

"Hey, New York. What's up?" JC asked on the other end. It was more than a surprise for her to call him. He had found out how much she loved Christmas, and how busy she normally was around that time of year, despite the fact that her practices were put off to the side. "I'm surprised. It's the 23rd and you're on the phone? There has to be something wrong."

She grinned and played with the glass of cinnamon sticks that she had put out earlier in the day. "Yup, there is something seriously wrong. I've been bitten by the Jingle Bell Bug, and it's here to stay." She giggled immediately afterwards. "Wow, that sounded corny. Anyway, Austin and I just set up the tree, and now he's hunting around for the decorations in the attic, so he's going to be awhile. I have no one to talk to."

"You mean, besides yourself?" he asked devilishly, causing her to laugh. "I know you too well, and unfortunately, I've seen your attic. He really is going to be up there for a little while. You know, when spring cleaning comes along, most people attack the attic."

"Yeah, just be happy that you live in an apartment. It's so much easier to take care of than a house. I'm usually on tour or in the studio, and Austin's always working, so spring cleaning comes about once every six years for us. It always has." She sniffled a cinnamon stick before putting it back. "How's sunny Orlando right now?"

He chuckled under his breath. "Just as you said, sunny. The weather guy said that it might change and we might get a little rain, meaning that the whole state just stops until it ends, but other than that, it's going to be sunny all the time."

Brooklyn nodded to herself. "Yeah, we're not supposed to get even a flurry this year, so that sucks. Next year, I'm definitely heading down to North Carolina or something for Christmas. An actual white Christmas, when the snow sticks to the ground. That would be something new."

"Hey, did you know what I heard on MTV today?"

Making a face, she hopped off the counter to check on the pot, sticking her finger inside briefly. It was still a little cool. "No, I don't, but I shudder to find out. That channel scares me."

If she didn't know better, he was grinning. "Just like how your country music channel scares me," he shot back, even though she knew that it wasn't true. "I heard the most amazing piece of news today. It seems that my little New York is attending the ACMAs with none other than my bandmate, James Lance Bass." He broke off into laughter. "I almost died laughing when I heard it. Every time I think about it, I laugh."

"Why? It's true." He laughed again, but fell silent when she didn't join in. "Oh, he didn't tell you? I figured that he would. That's what the letter was about, the one that I handed you for him? I could never get ahold of him on the phone, so that was my best bet. He said yes like a week ago. Man, you're behind on your gossip."

He was silent for a second. "Wait, you're telling me that you invited Lance to the awards show?"

"Yeah."

Again, he was silent. "YOU, as in Brooklyn Arizona Turner, MY New York, invited HIM, Lance Bass, to the ACMAs?"

"For the last time, yes, JC. I, Brooklyn Arizona Turner, you're New York, invited him, Lance Bass, my neighbor, to the ACMAs. My God, you have never made such a big deal about something before. Does it bother you or something?"

He wasn't about to say that he was bothered by it. When he had brought it up that morning, and she had made the flippant remark about having one of five boyband members to chose from, he had thought that she was referring to him, since he knew her the best. Even though she hadn't asked him, he had gotten his hopes up, waiting for her to bring it up. Never did he think that she would have invited Lance, before asking him. "No, of course it doesn't. It just surprised me. I thought that you would have told me about it, rather than find out about it on the television."

She sighed quietly, glad that he wasn't. She did want him there, more than he could have known, but Tim had told her not to ask him, so she hadn't. Lance had been her second choice, but neither of them needed to know that. "I'm sorry. I probably should have mentioned it, but I didn't think to. I thought that he would have said something."

"Nah, he's back with his family in Mississippi already."

"Oh, that explains it. I was going to ask you, but I figured that you would be bored to tears if you had to sit through a bunch of performers that you didn't know, and talk to a bunch of people that you don't know. I thought that because Lance was more...knowledgeable about country music, then he would have enjoyed it more."

JC didn't dare say that he would have enjoyed anything that he did with his friend, because he did. Everything that happened with Brooklyn he had always enjoyed. "Most likely," he said with a laugh. That made her relax immensely, and she leaned back against the cupboards. "Besides, I heard that Garth Brooks is going to be there for one of his last performances, so he'll enjoy that, I'm sure."

She smiled softly at the mention of her idol. "He's not the only one. Garth was my first tour, ever. He was the first one to give me a chance, when a lot of people didn't think I was going to make it past my first album. You have to like the guy for that," she said with a chuckle. "It'll be sad to see him go, but like he said, it's a temporary retirement. I'm sure he'll be back."

"I'm sure that if you have anything to say about it, he will be. Like anyone could say no to you."

"Oh, believe me. There are a lot of people that can say no to me. Tim, for one. Joe usually says no to me, and my media specialist, who didn't come on my media tour, is able to say no to me."

Once more, she got off the counter and looked at the pot, happy to see that it was warm enough to drink now. She ladled out a mug for herself, throwing a stick of cinnamon in. With a smile, she sipped it slowly, smacking her lips. "I don't want to know what they say no to, and I don't want to know what that sound was all about. I just have one question. Why wasn't your media specialist with you on the tour?"

This time, it was a grin. "Can anyone say second honeymoon with a guy that she's not married to, and just officially dumped? He probably wasn't that good in bed." She snickered lowly.

"New York, that's horrible."

"I know. That's why I said it." She paused when he didn't laugh. "Oh, come on. You know you want to laugh. It's true. She dumped him, and I'm not all that surprised. That woman has a heart of gold, but her sex drive...nu uh. Don't want to go there. Actually," she sad after a small silence, "let's put it this way. She's worse than a sixteen year old boy in the prime of becoming mature. How's that?"

That made him laugh, and hard. "Now you sound more like Joey than anything."

"Something tells me I need to meet this guy. Damn, my life has obviously been deprived."

She could hear him scoff on the other end as she took a sip of her cider. "Please, that was a pathetic attempt at trying to make me laugh. You know damned well that you're happy with Tim, and if any man tried to flirt with you, not only would he have to face the wrath of Tim, but you. I have a feeling that you would kick their ass, and harsh at that."

"Mmm, you're getting to know me far too well. Okay, time to break off the friendship. If you know this much about me, I can't stay friend with you. Sorry, JC."

A sob was faked on the other end, and badly. She chuckled when she heard it, but the chuckle turned into a giggle before she could stop herself. "I'm heart broken, really, New York. I thought you cared about me more than that." He broke off for a moment. "The friendship isn't the only thing that has to be put on the back burner, though. I have to run out for my flight, but I'll be sure to call you when I get back. Merry Christmas, Brooklyn. Oh, and be sure to tell Austin the same."

Her face warmed slightly when he called her by her first name. "I will. Merry Christmas, JC. Don't crash or anything."

"Thanks, now it's a given. That sounded so much more friendlier when you tossed that in. Bye."

"Later." She hung up and leaned back, sipping her cider before standing up and adding more to her mug. "Austin, are you even done up there, or should I call a coroner. I know it's bad up there, but come on. It can't be that hard to find. It's in three big boxes, and noticed that I said BIG, with Christmas written on their sides and tops."

The sound of him walking down the stairs filled her ears, and she walked to the base of the stairs, sipping her cider. "Oh, don't bother helping me or anything. Thanks, Brooke."

"No problem. Just put it down over there and be sure to bring down the rest. It's all the tree decorations, since I'm done with decorating the house."

He smirked and took a sip of her drink before handing it back. "I know. It's literally going to glow at night, you covered the house with so many lights. I have no clue how the neighbors are going to sleep."

With a smile, she placed her hand on his arm. Her eyes twinkled brightly at him. "Think of this, Austin. My room faces the back, where there's only one string of lights going around." He nodded along with that. "You face the front of the yard, meaning that there about twenty strings of lights around your window." She laughed evily, and slapped his arm slightly. "Do the math, baby. Who's going to have trouble sleeping?"

"I hate you. I'd just like to say now, for the record, that I hate you."

The smile was back in place. "Yeah, and I think men are the scum of the Earth, but does that really matter? No, I didn't think so. Now, hurry up and get those other two boxes down. I want to finished decorating by tonight." He grinned and headed back up the stairs as she sipped her drink leisurely before bending down and opening the box, digging through the ornaments. She pulled out a few that she knew were going to get crushed when they started to pull the lights out of the box, and placed them on the table.

The second box thumped down beside her, before Austin headed up for the last one. She turned, one hand still firmly around the handle of her thick glass mug. The box flaps were pulled apart, and she pulled out a length of garland, placing it around her neck before opening the plastic bag inside. Her eyes opened wider, and she put down her mug to bring the ornaments out, staring at them silently. She pulled out one with each of their names on it. Brooklyn, Austin, Mary, and Stephen. Her fingers moved over the spun threads of silk carefully, tracing her name.

Austin bent down after placing the last box on the ground and took the ball out of her hands. "I didn't think we still had these," he said quietly, taking it out of her hand. He very plainly remembered the night that their mother had come home with them, saying that she was just like Alice Horton on Days Of Our Lives. That was the night that they first got the Christmas balls with their names on them. His finger traced her name, much like she had done, before he passed it back with a sigh.

Her eyes raised, filled with tears as she looked at him. "Aus, I know that you really don't want to, but do you think we could put them up this year?" He wanted to say no, more than she knew, but the tears were what was reeling him in. "I mean, I know it would be hard, but it was Mom and Dad's thirtieth anniversary this year, and I just..I don't know. I want to honor them somehow. We haven't put them up since we were kids, and in a way, I miss them. This always meant Christmas to us. It always meant that it was almost time to open our presents." They both chuckled at that. A new thought came into her mind, the one about the fact that she had lied to JC when she had mentioned them. She had told them that they put them up every year.

"Sure, but can I just make one suggestion?" He sunk down beside her, and picked up his own, looking at it carefully. "I don't really want them on the tree. We always put them there. I would feel better if they weren't on there."

She nodded quickly. "Of course. I'll put them on the garland over the fireplace. It doesn't matter if they're on the tree, I just want them to be up, you know?" His head bobbed up and down before he smoothed down her hair. "Thanks, Austin. You don't know how much this means to me."

"I know, sweetie. Go put them up, okay?" She stood up and walked over to the fireplace, looking at each one before she hung them up, a fair distance apart. "They look good up there," he said in a choked voice, unable to look away from her bright smile and brimming eyes. "We should put them up every year."

"Yeah, I'd like that," she added, touching her father's before walking back to the decorations. "We might as well start this thing. It might take a little while," she said with a laugh.

He looked at all of the boxes and groaned. "I have no doubt, Brooke."

"I can't believe that it took that long," she said, looking at the heap of wrapped presents under the tree. "What gets me is that you're better at wrapping gifts than I am." Making a face, she took the last sip of her cider, and put the mug on the table.

Austin sighed, dropping his arm across his eyes. "I've always been better than you. I know that this is old, but I'm going to bring it up again. Why do you get the sofa, and I get the love seat. I'm much taller than you." He stuck out his tongue at her and rolled onto the floor, making his way to the fire. He tossed another log on and pushed it around with the iron poker before he went back to the love seat.

"I only get the sofa because I'm more famous than you?" she asked. When he shook his head, she thought again. "Okay, I get it because I'm cuter than you?"

"You're cuter, but that's not the answer."

She smiled and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Fine then. I'll pull out the big one. I get the sofa because, and don't get shocked, I'm female and we are the superior race. Well, opposed to whatever to chose from, we're definitely superior." He laughed along with her. "Not that I think comparing is very fair. I mean, comparing females is like comparing apples and oranges. Females are apples. A nice color, firm feel to it, and a nice sweet taste, sometimes we can be mushy. Men are the oranges. They can be incredibly tart, they're a horrendous color, and, the big one, they shoot juice in your eyes, making you cry. This lesson of the day has been brought to you by the letter A and the number 1. Please tune into Brooklyn's Street tomorrow. Thank you for watching."

"Oh, that was good. That was beyond good. Am I the first one to hear this?"

She nodded quickly. "Yeah, but I might be nice enough to let JC hear it one day. It depends on how nice to me he is." She chuckled under her breath and looked towards the tree. "Well, do we have enough energy to light it yet, or are we just going to sit here, looking at a somewhat dark tree."

He smiled brightly from the love seat. "Light it. Plug that bad boy in." She got up and moved behind the tree, taking hold of the plug, holding onto the wall for support. She leaned over further and pushed the male end into the wall, seeing the lights turn on out of the corner of her eye before she backed away. Her breath was literally taken away as she looked at the now lit tree.

The assorted colors of lights shone through the garland and tinsel that covered the tree. Glass and silk spun ornaments picked up the color of the lights, reflecting them throughout the room, but the true piece of the tree was the topper, as always. A delicate crystal star that had made it's way through three generations, including Brooklyn and Austin, of the family. "Wow," she said under her breath.

"Ditto, Brooke. That looks gorgeous. We did a good job."

"Good? It's fantastic. This has to be our best tree yet. Just remember that we have to take a picture of it before we take it down. This is incredible." She walked back to the couch and sat down, before stretching out when she saw Austin going to move. "Uh huh. Nice try, buddy."

He laughed, closing his eyes. "Tomorrow's Christmas Eve. I can't believe that it's coming so quickly. This is so cool. I can't wait to see all the presents I get," he said with an excited tone.

"Yeah, we know. You're still just a kid at heart. Sad, when you think about it. Do you want another Brooklyn Street assessment to go with that?"

"No, thank you. One a day is fine."

"BROOKLYN!" the shout came. She just groaned and rolled over in bed, trying to block out the sound with her pillow. What she couldn't block out was the person jumping on her bed. "Brooklyn, damnit, wake up already. It's Christmas morning, and there's a bunch of presents downstairs, and fudge. I know you love fudge. There's even a present from JC under there."

She pulled the pillow off her head and glared at who she thought was her older brother. Now, he was acting more like a five year old with really bad manners after learning that Santa really had eaten the cookies he had left out. "Austin, let's get a few things straight. Yes, it is Christmas morning. Yippee," she said sarcastically, turning a finger in the air. "Yes, there are presents downstairs. There usually are on Christmas morning. Yes, there is fudge, and I know this because I made the damned stuff. Also, at this point, I could care less if there is a present from JC under the tree, or ten thousand. I want sleep, and I feel like a mother is a five year old child. Go back to bed, would you?"

Falling back against the pillows, she groaned and ignored him as long as possible. He elevated from the jumping to, "Brooke, you know I love you, right? Well, if you love me, you'll come down and open a few presents." Then, "You will burn in hell for this, I swear." Then, "You're no sister of mine. MY sister would be excited over this." The last was, "If I make coffee, then will you come down? This is my last offer."

Her eyes opened cautiously, and she looked at him. "I'll do it if you make coffee, fry me an egg, and make some toast to go with it AND I'm eating before either of us touches our presents, okay? Now, go. Be the good brother that I know you can be and leave me the hell alone for another five minutes, would you? That would be the best present you could give me." As soon as he left, she started to chuckle to herself, something that she wouldn't allow herself when he was in the room. They did this every year, and she always managed to get some sort of breakfast out of him. That was almost a given.

As she laid there, the radio on her alarm clock started up, and she hummed along to a Garth Brooks Christmas song before she even considered looking towards the window. They didn't get the snow that they were practically promised, and not seeing even a little bit of a white Christmas put a little damper on her attitude for the morning.

The door opened cautiously, and Austin walked in, a smile on his face. "Madame? Breakfast in bed is served," he said in a fake French accent. Her eyes widened as he placed the bed tray over her legs and sat down on the bed by her feet. "It's easier than you coming downstairs, so I thought I would be nice. Notice the poinsettia that I used instead of a rose. Very Christmas-y. Hint hint."

She laughed and picked up her knife, puncturing the center of her fried egg. "Oh, you actually made my egg right for once. I'm shocked, dear brother of mine. This is toast dippable quality right here," she said with a bright smile, dipping the corner of her toast into it, and taking a bite. She groaned in satisfaction, and closed her eyes as she chewed. "Heaven on Earth."

It didn't take all that long to demolish the breakfast, and she was getting out of bed while sipping her coffee as Austin handed her the robe that was draped over the end of the bed. "For the queen, her royal robe," he added in a sarcastic tone. She sighed and shook her head as she pushed her arms into it, and walked downstairs with him. He ran ahead of her and she found him sitting in front of the stack of presents, trying to figure out which one to start with.

Despite her earlier complaining, she was now as into it as he was. Her hand shot out and picked up a box wrapped in green. Austin's hand took the present away, and put it off to the side. "Don't think so. I have special instructions not to give you that until you're done with the rest of yours. Attack, girl," he said, pointing to the pile. She grinned devilishly, and pretended to dive into them. He rolled his eyes and passed her one, Brooklyn moving on the floor to sit cross legged.

While the presents from other people were more than enjoyable, the duo more enjoyed the presents they had gotten from each other. They knew each other far too well to know what kind of presents would make them laugh, or start to act sappy. Brooklyn, in particular, almost died when she pulled out a pair of pink fuzzy handcuffs. "Fuzzy?" she asked, her eyebrows raising as she struggled to stop her laughter.

"Well, I was going to get you regular ones, but I figured that the fuzzy ones would hurt less." He grinned brightly, and threw a piece of wrapping paper at her. She batted away, before tucking the handcuffs into the pocket of her robe.

"Remind me to take them with me when I go to the awards show. I'll be sure to handcuff Tim McGraw or Vince Gill to bring home." She chuckled and passed him the last present for him. "That's the last one, so make it last. I picked it out especially for you," she added, imitating one of their aunts that used to come and visit. They both laughed at the reference to her, and she sat back, waiting for the present to be opened. While that happened, she moved back onto to the couch and reached for a piece of fudge in the center of the table.

His face went from a sarcastic smile to an astounding wide-eyed gaze. "Brooke, are you serious?" he asked, barely able to pull his eyes away from the paper.

"Yup, I am. I know how much you wanted to go to that cooking school in France, and I cleared it with your boss. He said that your job will be waiting for you when you come back. All four semesters are paid for you, and you're room has already been rented there. All you have to do is make sure that you're in Paris a few days before the first class. I didn't sign you up for anything, because I didn't know what you wanted to take, but you have to do that before February 1st, and you head out on March 14th, I believe. The plane ticket is in there, too." A smile broke out of her face, as he dropped the paper and picked her up off of the couch, twirling her around.

She was laughing into his shoulder when he started to scream. "My God, you are the best sister in the world! I can't believe this. I'm going to Paris for cooking school. This is amazing!" He stopped twirling her and put her back on the ground. "Brooke, you know that I can't take this, though, right? I mean, call them back and tell them that we've changed our minds." She looked at him confused. "Why would you do this? I've never been able to do anything like this for you. This isn't fair."

Her face softened, became more tender, and she put her hand on his cheek. "Austin, you have been the best older brother in the world. You have always been there for me, you've helped me live out my dreams, and you've supported me, no matter what. The least I can do is do what you have. This is your dream; I want you to live it out. Don't even think about this. I mean, you've given me so much more than I've ever given you. It's about time that I pay you back." She smiled and pushed her hair over her shoulder. "Now, you're going to go to France, and blow them away, or else Brooklyn here is going to go postal on your ass, and I'm not talking mail service here."

With a laugh, he picked up the paper and looked at it again. "I can't believe this," he said to himself, in a very quiet voice, before he put it back in the wooden box it had come in, and reached for the small green package that he had hidden. "Right, you have one more. From JC, no less."

She took the box from his hand and looked at it curiously. It was the same deep green as her eyes, a silver ribbon around it. Her eyes sparkled when she saw that there was a small Statue of Liberty charm hanging off of it. She took it off carefully, and put it in the jewelry box she had gotten from Tim, reminding herself to put it on her charm bracelet later.

Very carefully, her fingers pulled away the wrapping, not wanting to ruin it for some reason. After that was done, she laid it off to the side and lifted the top of the plain white box underneath. Austin looked on, interested, as her fingers dug underneath the cotton batting. They landed on a delicate chain, and she pulled it out, her mouth dropping open.

The silver chain twisted in front of her, and she hurried to untangle it, laying it flat on the palm of her hand. Little letters spelled out 'NEW YORK' on her hand, as she felt the tears rise to her eyes. It was rare for her to get a gift from anyone other than Austin that meant so much to her, but this had done it. Each delicate looking letter was silver, with diamond chips set in the corner of each. "My God, this is beautiful. I'm going to kill him," she said with a soft smile, fingering the letters one more time.

Austin motioned for the necklace and waited for her to turn, fastening it around her neck. It hung at the hollow of her throat, the letters and diamond chips catching the light. "He asked me to make sure that I put it on, not anyone else. He was very clear about that," he said with a smile. "He also told me that there's a letter at the bottom that he wants you to read. I'll start to clean up." She nodded silently and pulled the letter out of the box, unfolding it. It had been shaped into a small triangle, but now that full sheet of paper was grasped between both hands.

Merry Christmas New York!
If you're reading this, you should be wearing my present. I'm sure that Austin already mentioned that he, and he alone, is the only one allowed to put that necklace on you. I don't know why, but that's what I wanted. I wasn't completely sure of what to get you, but my mother has always told me that all women love jewelry, and I'm hoping that it applies to you. When I saw the chain, I knew that it was perfect for you. Simple and beautiful, much like yourself. It just wasn't right, though. When I found out that I could put letters on it, I knew that's what I wanted. At first, I was going to get "Brooklyn" but that would got all the way around your neck. Then, I thought about "Brooke" but I don't call you that. "New York" fits, and everyone knows that it's my private nickname for you, and no one will ever use it, if I have anything to say about it.

I have to admit, this isn't just a Christmas present. It's also another thank you for allowing me to sing with you. I know, you keep telling me that you don't have to thank me, and that the flowers were more than enough, but not in my mind. I'm serious when I say that you're a terrific friend, and you've blessed my life in ways that you will never be able to comprehend.

Mushy part aside, I hope that you and Austin have a great Christmas and New Years. Before I forget, I'll warn you this time. I'll be up on the fourth, so have my room ready.
Love always,
JC

Her eyes lifted from the paper, and she folded it up, holding it in one hand. Brooklyn looked towards the fire, afraid to even try and speak. As soon as her mouth opened, she knew that she would start to cry, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. The necklace had gone to the top of her list as most thoughtful and wonderful gifts that she had ever received, but it was the letter that was the kicker. That was what was making her all emotional.

Sitting down beside her, Austin wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "One gift has to make you cry every year, and I had a feeling that it would be his. That necklace is gorgeous."

She nodded slowly, and took a deep breath. "It is. I don't know why, but it's..." she trailed off and fell silent, her fingers raising to feel the cool metal that was just starting to warm from her body heat.

"It's just the fact that it came from a friend, and that he put a lot of thought into it." She nodded again. "Okay, well, everything cleaned up, we might as well start cooking dinner, and I'm going to France!" he added in a shout, hugging her one more time. She laughed, her eyes drying quickly.

"I'll be back tomorrow. Have a great time, and make sure that no one rips the house apart, okay?" she asked, mentioning the fact that there was a big party planned at their place. Almost every year, all of the neighbors that were around spent New Years at the Turner household, knowing that it was sure to be a great party. This was the first time that Brooklyn was going to miss it, but she wanted to spend the night with her boyfriend, alone, like they had never had the chance before.

He grinned and dropped a kiss on the top of her head as she finished putting on her cowboy boot. "Don't worry. Big bad Austin will toss them out if they start to attack the house." She smirked, and stood up, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I promise, nothing is going to happen. If you're so concerned, why don't you just stay here?"

"Cute, real cute. I'm not concerned, I'm worried. There's a big difference." A smile came onto her face, and she leaned against the door. "I'm sure that you can take care of everything, it's just...oh, screw it. I'll be at Tim's if you need anything. You have the number, I'm sure." He nodded as she hugged him quickly. "Happy New Years."

"Happy New Years, sweetie. Go, have fun." She laughed and walked out the door, pulling her jacket tighter around her. It had turned quite cold over the past few days, colder than she was used to. She stopped for a moment outside the door of her truck and blew out her breath.

Rolling her eyes, she unlocked the door and climbed in. "When you can see you breath, you know there's something wrong," she said with a short laugh, as the engine started. She turned on the heater and waited for the truck to warm up a little more before pulling out of the driveway.

The truck turned down the street, and she started towards the apartment building that Tim lived in. She took it slow, as there were people all over heading towards parties, and pulling out of driveways, and many times she waved to them, honking her horn every now and then. The smile never left her face as she pulled into the guest parking lot and slammed the door to her truck.

The walk inside was what bothered her. The ice cold wind bit into her as she hurried toward the door, pushing it open with a gloved hand. Once inside, she shook her hair out and smiled at an older woman who was just leaving. Her boots made little noise on the carpet, and she stopped in front of his door, knocking quickly.

It swung open, and she looked at her boyfriend with a large grin. "Hey, sweetie," he said, picking her up before letting her in and shutting the door. "It looks like it's freezing out there."

She sat down and took off her boots and jacket, leaving them beside the couch like she normally did. "Well, it's nowhere near the freezing mark, but it's cold for us native Tennessee people. Then again, you're originally from California, so it has to be cold for you, too." Leaning back, she looked around. "Oh, Tim, I can see that you went all out for decorations this year."

He smiled at her sarcasm and sat down beside her, pulling her feet into his lap. "Yeah, I thought so, too. Are you ready for our first New Years alone?" She leaned forward and kissed him softly. "I'll take that as a yes. Why don't you start the movie. I'll grab the snacks and whatnot."

With a sigh, she got off the couch and walked over to the television set, looking at the movies that he had picked out. With a smile, she pushed in First Wives Club, one of her favorites. The two remotes in hand, she moved back to the couch just as he got there. "You are a God, honey. Extra butter on the popcorn." She smiled and moved closer to him so that her feet dangled off the couch, her thighs resting in his lap. The bowl of popcorn was placed in her lap, and she took hold of one of the cans of ginger ale, turning up the volume on the television set.

Her head rested on the back of the couch, and he couldn't help smiling when she started to hum along with the opening song. He had Brooklyn right where he wanted her, and she was going to stay there for quite awhile, he thought to himself, as he pushed a piece of popcorn in his mouth.

Throughout the movie, she mouthed the lines along with the actors, making Tim laugh from time to time. She had long ago memorized the entire movie, and new every joke. It never stopped her from laughing, and she did each time, her eyes closing when she did so. When the last song started to play, she sang along, while holding onto the last piece of popcorn.

When the movie stopped, she changed the channel to ABC to watch Dick Clark, like she had on every year. Normally, with a party happening, the volume was muted, but this time, she could listen. When he announced that NSYNC was coming up next, her eyes widened, and she watched the screen carefully. "Did you know about this?" he asked her.

Her head nodded slowly. "Yup. JC told me that they're using a song from one of their concerts, but he never told me which one. This is pretty cool, considering that it's the first time that I get to see them perform." She laughed suddenly. "Even if it is just a part from an old concert." When it started, her eyes were glued to the television, and she couldn't help smiling throughout the whole performance. When it ended, she turned to look at him. "It's still ages before 2001, and you promised me a surprise. What is it?"

He shook his head. "No way, Brooklyn. Not until the clock strikes twelve." She made a face and relaxed on the couch.

"I'm sure it's terrific, but you know how much I hate to wait. Are you sure that you can't tell me right now?" she asked, her green eyes turning to look at him.

He shook his head again. "Sorry, honey. Not until midnight."

Around eleven thirty, the bottle of champagne was opened, and she looked critically at the flute she had been handed. The golden colored drink bubbled and fizzed as she took a small sip, hiding her expression. The taste was horrible, but she could deal. She managed to choke down at least one glass of champagne on New Years, and left it at that. "I picked out a pretty good one, didn't I?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, it's great," she said with a small smile. She thought that he knew she didn't like champagne, but it was hard to remember everything about the complex country singer. She knew that much. "So, it's almost midnight, the world's not going to end like last year...what's my surprise?" She smiled brightly and choked down another sip of the drink.

The grin came back on his face. "Not yet. I'm sure that you can wait another...twenty five minutes of so." Shaking her head, she looked back to the television, and smiled when she saw Times Square. Her hand raised to feel her necklace, which she hadn't taken off since Austin had put it on her. "Where did that come from?" he asked, running a finger along the chain.

"Hm? Oh, JC gave it to me for Christmas. I think it's cute. Why? Don't you like it?" His eyes looked along the chain, which he could tell was expensive, and to the letters with the diamond chips. They were more expensive that she had thought, but he wasn't about to tell her that.

"It's nice. It looks great on you. Then again, everything looks great on you." She smiled, but she couldn't help feeling that the line didn't seem as right when he said it. She was expecting to hear "and everything on you looks better on my floor", like most of her friends would comment, but it didn't come.

She smiled, nonetheless at the compliment, and continued watching the television, sipping slowly at the champagne. Just before midnight, she felt the glass being take out of her hand, and put on the table. "Oh, is it finally time for the surprise?" she asked with a teasing smile.

He moved from under head and went into the bedroom for a moment without a word. When he came back, she didn't see anything different about him, other than the sparkle in his eyes. He walked back to her slowly, and bent down at her feet. Her mouth dropped open when she realized what was about to happen.

His hand slipped slowly into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. "Brooklyn, I know that we've had our problems, but we've worked around them. I have been the luckiest man on Earth to have you look at me every day, to have you say my name, to have you bless me with your presence. You know that I've been in love you with for a long time, and I know that you feel the same way." He paused and opened the small box, showing her the platinum and gold diamond ring, before he took it out and picked up her hand. The ring stayed poised over her finger, waiting for that one word to be slipped on. "Brooklyn Arizona Turner, will you marry me?"

Chapter Thirteen
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