Originally Posted by HPHalfBlood (Post 9231492)

"Well, of course I want to see them. Though the only thing I know about them is Pirates and some fellow named Johnny Depp," Abigail bit her lower lip and went into thought. That's all she knew, right? Besides being a muggle movie. She felt soo lost.

"Umm, I don't think so. The French toast got me full, so no space for dessert," she laughed. How ironic. French toast getting her full just like that. But honestly, Abilee knew it was about her sickness.

Originally Posted by _Ginny_ (Post 9231531)

"Well, I'm sure you'll like it," Jesper nodded and smiled. To him, movies were very entertaining. He did have his own collection at home with his favorites... "It'll probably clear once you've seen a movie or two," Jesper nodded.

"Same here," Jesper nodded. He didn't like when the restaurant put up so much food that there wasn't space for dessert.

Originally Posted by HPHalfBlood (Post 9231557)

"One or two? How many pirate movies do you have?" Abilee asked, with a giggle. Could there be soo many pirate movies she hadn't known bout. Then again, she hadn't known about them in the first place.

"Okay. So we'll pay and then where do you want to go?" she asked and called over the waitress.

Originally Posted by _Ginny_ (Post 9231603)

"Well, there are a lot of pirate movies, but the best one is a triology," It was hard to explain to anyone who hadn't seen a movie before. Anyway, she would understand.

"I don't know," Jesper said and shrugged. "I don't have anything to do..." Jesper said. No, he'd done all the stuff he needed.

Originally Posted by Dances_With_Potter (Post 9230969)

Chloe looked through the menu, but nothing sounded appetizing. She wasn't even remotely hungry anymore. For a split second, she thought she wanted to just go back to her apartment and be alone with her idiocy, but then she realized her apartment wasn't her apartment anymore. She had no space to call her own anymore. She shared a home with Asher. And then her brain went into panic mode, wondering if her sudden desire to be alone meant that they had rushed this, that maybe they hadn't been ready to move in together. Her heart was beating hard in her chest, and it felt hard to breathe. Chloe felt the sudden urge to just run away. She needed air, she needed space, she needed... she needed...

to get ahold of herself.

Taking a few steadying breaths, she calmed herself down and looked slyly over the top of her menu at Asher. She loves Asher, and Asher loves her, and they get along really well. The kids would be home, soon, and that meant even less possible space for Chloe to be alone. Could she ask for space? Could she ask for maybe just... just one room that was all her own, that she could just have to be hers? Was that.. weird to want? Was that bad to want? She loved Asher with all of her heart, and she loved spending time with him, but sometimes people just needed time alone, right? Time to think...

...about things like this.

"So, what are you going to get?" she said with a cheerful smile despite the panic going on inside her brain.

Originally Posted by As.Is (Post 9233518)

Asher hummed to himself, not sure how to respond, he was in a mood that he'd eat anything that was placed in front of him...well he did that already, but he still couldn't decide. "I don't know." He told her. "I need to choose quickly or my stomach is going to protest." he told her still hidden behind the menu as his stomach growled again at him. "What are you going to get?" he asked peeking his eyes over the top of the of the menu at her. Maybe when she told him what she was eating he'd make a decision.

Originally Posted by Dances_With_Potter (Post 9233525)

Chloe attempted to keep her cheerful smile as she looked back at her menu. Nothing sounded appetizing. She just wanted to crawl into a hole right now for some reason. "I don't know. I think I'm going to just have... this chicken velvet soup," she said as her eyes settled on some sort of cream-based chicken soup, "and a salad maybe." There wasn't much enthusiasm in her voice, and she didn't understand why she felt so weird around Asher right now. What was wrong with her? When they had gotten here, she had been so excited and giggly, but then Asher had just... made her feel like she's being stupid, and now... she didn't even want to be here. He was right... she had been acting ridiculously.

Originally Posted by As.Is (Post 9233562)

Asher finally folded the menu and laid it down on the edge of the table. "Chicken velvet soup." Asher repeated, his stomach growled again, "I think I'm going with the three cheese chicken penne and a salad." Asher confrimed. He let a silence fall over the table, "Chloe is everything alright?" Asher asked her reaching for her hands, this was definately not Chloe.

Originally Posted by Dances_With_Potter (Post 9233567)

Chloe smiled at him as he decided upon what he wanted. Then her stomach was squirming again. He had realized there was something wrong with her, and here she had taught children how to act! Apparently she wasn't very good at it herself. She allowed him to take her hands, and gave him her best cheerful smile and put a happy tone to her voice. "Yes, I'm fine!" she said, her eyes focused just barely above his eyes so she didn't really make eye contact with him. She was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to pass off her faked cheerfulness if she looked into his eyes. He would know she was lying instantly. And maybe he would still know she was lying. She had never really lied to him before...

Originally Posted by As.Is (Post 9233577)

Asher held her hands and cocked his head to the right, looking at her. He could tell that this 'cheerfulness' was fake. "Chloe." He said boldly straightening his neck and looking at her eyes, trying to make eye contact. "Something isn't right." He told her, "What's going on?" He asked next, this was starting to get him a little anxious. His leg began to bounce up and down as he started thinking of what could be going on to make Chloe like this.

Originally Posted by Dances_With_Potter (Post 9233608)

Chloe did her best to avoid making contact with Asher, but his eyes finally locked onto his, and she felt like he could see straight through her, into her soul and her muddled brain. Almost instantaneously, she felt horrible for trying to lie to him and tears swam to the surface of her eyes but she blinked them back. Squeezing his hands tighter, she quietly and honestly said, "I'm not really sure. Realizing that wasn't going to suffice, words came spewing out of her mouth rapidly. "I was so excited for tonight! You got here, and you looked so... good, and I don't know. I just got all silly and nervous... like the way I felt when we first started dating. Then, I don't know, you were just so relaxed, and then I started to feel stupid. I just felt this sudden need to spend some time on my own, but then I realized I don't have any place that's my own, and then I just started panicking because I was afraid that maybe I wasn't ready for this. I've never been this serious with anyone, ever. All of the guys I've dated messed things up way before I could even consider things going this far. But then I tried to calm myself down because I love you, and I know that you love me, and we get along so well, and you're perfect for me. So then I sort of stopped panicking, but I still just felt... stupid." Finally she stopped talking. Stupid wasn't the most eloquent word, but it was the best word she had to describe how she felt right at that moment.

Word vomit. Yum.

Originally Posted by As.Is (Post 9233642)

Asher continued to hold her hands and listened to everything that she was saying. He bit his top lip as she finally told him what was making her act so odd that night. He didn't speak for a moment after she stopped talking. "You're not stupid for thinking any of that." He told Chloe. "And, you can always talk to me Chloe." Asher told her nodding his head. "If you want some space, I'm most definately positive there's space for you at the house." He told her thinking of the best possible room they could transform to be hers. "I feel horrible now." Asher told her with a little sigh, if they were letting things out, now would be the time. "I feel like I rushed you into this." Asher told her, "If you don't want to stay at the estate, it's okay if you want to move back to your old appartment." Asher told her truthfully, it'd be odd seeing as he had already gotten used to Chloe around the house.

Originally Posted by Dances_With_Potter (Post 9233658)

Chloe's face began to brighten slightly as Asher said they could find a space for her to have as her own in the house, but almost immediately, the brightness fell again. He was telling her to move back out. Maybe... maybe he didn't want her there after all. Maybe he was having second thoughts. The tears came rushing back to her eyes again, and this time, she couldn't blink them back. She gently pulled her hands away from his and looked down at the table. Quietly, almost heartbroken, she said, "Yeah... okay... I'll move back out if that's what you want..." Though that most definitely was not what Chloe wanted. Her tears splashed silently onto the table.

Originally Posted by As.Is (Post 9233665)

"Chloe." Asher said again, very boldly. "I love you more than anything in the world." Asher told her, and he didn't say that very often about anyone or anything, "I don't want you to move out. But if you feel like we're moving to fast, or your gut says something. Go with it." Asher told her. "Go with your gut." He told her, his voice starting to get softer and quieter. "Going with your gut is the best option. And I completely understand either way." He told her, he didn't know how much it was going to take to get it through her head that he loved her so very much and he did NOT want her to move out. But if it was what she needed, he'd support her, he wasn't going to force her to be there.

Originally Posted by Dances_With_Potter (Post 9233684)

Chloe raised her teary eyes up from the table at the sound of her name only to be met with Asher's eyes boring into her soul. I love you more than anything in the world. I love you more than anything in the world.... He loves me more than anything in the world! Asher had never before said that to Chloe. She had always taken for granted that the kids were the ones he loved most in the world, and Chloe had always been okay with that, but Asher always told the truth. He always chose his words carefully. He wouldn't say he loved her more than anything in the world unless that was exactly what he meant. So he must have meant exactly that.

What was her gut telling her? There was difference between her gut and her brain, and that was how the panicking had begun in the first place. "Asher, I don't want to move out. I love you, and I love living with you, and I love falling asleep next to you every night and waking up next to you every morning. I don't think I could even sleep without your arms around me anymore." She reached back out and grabbed ahold of his hands, playing affectionately with his fingers. As she began speaking, she looked directly into his eyes, not glancing away once. "I'm just kind of... scared I guess. I've never... been loved like this. I'm used to putting my heart out there and loving someone completely and never being loved in return. I've always had my heart broken. Always. I know that might be hard to believe because I can be so stubborn and self-assured and unwilling to let people walk all over me. The truth is, I'm actually very easily hurt because I'm so quick to open myself up to people. And you, Asher, you're so sure of yourself all the time. Always calm and confident and in control. I never make you nervous, but there are still times that I see you and get so nervous I can barely speak and so weak in the knees that I can hardly stand.

My heart, or gut as you called it, is telling me to stay right where I am because it knows you're perfect for me. It knows you love me. It knows that its home is with you."

Originally Posted by As.Is (Post 9233745)

Asher listened to her once more as she spoke. He smiled when she told him that she loved falling asleep next to him, and waking up in the morning next to him. He kept his eyes on her as she began to play with his fingers again. “It’s okay to be scared.” he told her when she finished talking. “Why should we live and not experience anything?” he asked, “Living life is about doing things you wouldn’t normally do.” Right? Yes, it is. Asher thought. He bit his lip, “You’d be surprised at how nervous I really do get.” He chuckled, “You make me weak at the knees.” Asher told her, he just showed it differently…or not at all. “Then, it’s resolved, you’re staying.” Asher told her addressing her last statement. “We’ll give you a room or whatever you need to be all yours.” he told her. “Chloe, don’t ever try to keep things inside like that. It pains me when you do it because I don’t know what I can do to help.” He told her softly.

Originally Posted by Dances_With_Potter (Post 9233767)

Chloe continued to look into his eyes as he spoke to her, feeling better and better with every word he said. She needed to stop being afraid and just let go and let Asher love her. He wasn't going to hurt her like the others had. He's not the type of man who would ask a woman to come live with him if his intentions weren't honorable, if he didn't intend to one day possibly marry her. Chloe needed to let herself believe that this was turning into her fairytale ending, her happily ever after.

When finished, she quietly said, "Thank you. And I'm sorry I just... you've given me so much already, and I didn't know how to ask you for that. I didn't want you to think that I wanted a place to get away from you because that's not what it is. My favorite place to be is in your arms." She smiled sweetly across the table at him and sat in silence for a few moments before giggling and saying, "Do I really still make you nervous?"

Originally Posted by As.Is (Post 9233807)

"It's okay Chloe." He told her. His stomach gave another large and very audible growl, but he ignored it, this matter was far more important. "I can't read minds." He told her with a twinkle in his eyes, life would be too easy if he could read minds. He laughed at her last question and leaned back in his side of the booth. "Yes, very much so!" Asher exclaimed with a smile. "But it's okay, 'cause I like the feeling." He smiled.

Originally Posted by Dances_With_Potter (Post 9233823)

Chloe just giggled and bit her lip, still playing with his fingers, but now she looked down at them shyly, blushing slightly as she said, "I like it when you make me nervous, too. Except when I get so nervous I act like a crazy person. I don't like feeling crazy and out of control. I don't do out of control very well," she said honestly before looking back up at him and smiling. Now she wanted to leave, but for a difference reason. Now, she just wanted to leave so they could lock themselves away in their room and spend some time together without all these people around. But they needed food. Where was their waiter?

Originally Posted by As.Is (Post 9233830)

Asher smiled "I'll take you crazy or not." He said with a sloppy grin plastered on his face. His stomach gave a growl, but he continued talking anyway. "Are you going to go with me to pick up Ziva and the boys?" Asher asked her. They needed to talk about Ziva's year long trip to Greece and their guest in return.

Originally Posted by Dances_With_Potter (Post 9233839)

Just staring at him, Chloe smiled. Just those few words had made her heart soar. It was comforting to know that Asher would love her even when she was crazy and irrational and out of control. "If you want me to I would like to. It's up to you, though!" she said nonchalantly. It really wouldn't offend her if Asher didn't particularly want her to go, but she would have liked to go. She was trying to get used to the idea that this was her family now. Not just Asher's family. Her family, too. They all called the same place home now, and in Chloe's book, that made them family... ring or not.

Originally Posted by As.Is (Post 9233843)

"Yeah, I'd love for you to go. I mean, I don't know if it might of slipped your mind or anything, but Zi leaves soon after for Greece." Asher reminded her, he had almost forgot himself being busy at work and deep into planning...plans. That he almost forgot to get things ready for Ziva when she got home. Plus, the boys would love to see Chloe at the train station anyway, even if she was living with them now.

Originally Posted by Dances_With_Potter (Post 9233850)

Chloe smiled at him brightly and said, "Okay! I'll go then! Oooh! That's right! Things at work have been so... rough that I completely forgot. I'm sorry! Is Wynter going to be staying in Ziva's room? Oh goodness! We're going to have to take Wynter shopping for Winter clothes before she goes off to Hogwarts. Poor thing will freeze if she's not used to the cold! And I have something to give Ziva, too! So that maybe home won't feel too far away for her..." she trailed off, her brain making a mental checklist of all the things she needed to do between now and the time the train arrived.

Originally Posted by As.Is (Post 9233858)

Asher smiled as Chloe rambled on, Yes! Chloe is Chloe again. He thought to himself. "I know, it's been busy on our level too." Asher told her, I mean, he had been late to dinner to do working a long day. "I've actually planned to let her choose her own room and to arrange it and everything to how she likes it." Asher told her. All of the kids had that option...so why not Wynter? "I think Kat may have gone shopping with her, agianst her will. But Kat hasn't seen much of winter in Europe so I think you should go ahead and plan on taking her." Asher told her giving a chuckle, Kat was a hot summer person for sure. And Asher purposely said that she could take her shopping. He wasn't sure if he could handle shopping again...and it'd be weird for Asher to shop with Wynter...

Originally Posted by Dances_With_Potter (Post 9233867)

"Oh, we haven't been busy. Things have just been.... tense..." she said absentmindedly as she continued to make mental notes. "Yes, letting her choose her own is what I was going to suggest. That way it feels more like home. And I can see what Kat packed her and then take her out shopping if she needs warmer clothes. That could be fun for her. Wait, does Wynter not like shopping? You said against her will. Oh, nevermind that. If she doesn't want to go, I can just pick out some things for her. Don't want to force the poor dear to do something she doesn't want to do when she's so far from home..." Her mind continued to whir in the silence. "Asher, what is she going to do for the summer holidays while we're at work? I mean, we can't expect her to put up with the boys all day every day. Do you know what kind of things she likes to do?" she asked. Maybe they could find a summer league for a sport or bring in a private tutor to teach her some lessons in something.