"Leo, you out here?" Kit called out as she opened the door; he was wheeling himself back to the house as she opened it.

"Early riser again, huh?" She commented as she moved to allow him space to wheel himself inside. He'd had a rough week to start; they assumed Saturday's big day on the lake wore him out. As the week carried on, however, so did his energy. He was up early nearly every morning enjoying the rose garden and was more out and about in the house.

"It's a beautiful day," Leonardo commented in response. "The rest of those roses should bloom any day now."

"Any more look like they'll be pink?"

"Nope." He smiled at that. "Just the one."

"Are the other nurses here yet?" Leonardo asked as he wheeled himself to the table, where she had his omelet and pills set out.

"They're upstairs," Kit confirmed.

Andre and Luca had set the room next to Leonardo's as a makeshift lounge so they could sit and relax while on standby. They always kept one nurse on with Kit during the day, one in the evening with Andre or Luca when they took over, and two more that stayed on overnights. Leonardo had been surprisingly very gracious and kind about the hired help.

Today though, Leonardo had insisted that all four of them go to the annual carnival Carly's mom was hosting. Even though they argued that it went on all weekend and they could go in shifts, he refused to accept it and demanded he get to see photos of all of them having fun.

They compromised by telling him they'd go earlier in the day and be back in time for dinner.

"We got it figured out," Andre said as he exited the office with Luca.

"Jase will have access to the money as a trust fund when he reaches the age of twenty-five," Andre continued as he made his way to the table.

"If he wants or needs funds before that, he needs both Stone's and my signatures," Luca added. "And yes, I'll talk to you first."

"Okay," Kit said as she nodded. "I'm okay with this, but what if he changes his mind about college?"

"Baby, he's not changing his mind," Luca said as he breezed into the kitchen to refill his coffee cup.

"He might.." she chewed her lip. "What if I found some things he could study that would interest him?"

"I don't think you can go to college for video games, Kit," Andre pointed out.

Leonardo looked up from his plate. "I think you can, now. It's called like video game design or something like that."

"There! That's it! I'll let him know about that!"

"Let it go, let it go," Luca sang out dramatically, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Fine." Kit slumped down in her chair. "Letting it go."

"Got any more Disney songs you want to serenade us with this morning?" Andre teased Luca as he sat down.

"Andre!" Leonardo spoke loud and firmly, grabbing all their attention; Andre's eyes were wide and stunned.

Leonardo paused for a moment and then spoke up. "Don't make fun of your brother. He has a very nice singing voice. Luca, will you do Beauty and the Beast next?"

"Did you just make a joke, Dad?" Luca scoffed as he sat down.

Leonardo's eyes crinkled with amusement as he chuckled, and they all joined in soon.

****

An hour later, they met with Carly on Main Street, which had been redecorated as a carnival. Stand after stand lined the streets, along with several food trucks, and the park had a handful of carnival rides set up. They'd parked Luca's car at the bar, where they met Jase and Jess and walked from there.

As they started towards the stands, Kit noticed Kyle and his friends coming. Jess tensed up next to her; Kit was ready to defend her when Kyle darted off in the other direction.

"Ha!" His friend Grant yelled after him. "Such a coward."

"Sup, Luca," Brian was chuckling as they walked by.

"Not much, man; how you doing?" Luca greeted him.

"Idiot runs scared anytime he sees you," Grant added as he joined them.

"Did you really almost choke him out?" Another guy asked.

"Grant! Over here!" A girl called for the distance.

"Coming!" He called back and then motioned to the group to join them. "That's Trisha; she brought her sorority with her; let's go."

"Fuck yeah," Brian said as he glanced at Luca. "Want to join us?"

Kit shot Brian her darkest glare, but he ignored it as he looked at Luca for the answer.

"No, thanks, man. I got a girl," Luca told him as he slipped his arm around Kit's shoulder.

"Right, sorry," Brian shrugged it off, and then the group took off.

"When did you become a local celebrity?" Andre asked with an eye roll.

"When he almost killed Kyle in public," Jase explained. "I got cooler just from knowing him after that."

"As if his head needed to get any bigger," Carly shook her head.

"My head is fine, Goldie," Luca countered.

"You're not bringing back Goldie!" She yelled irritably. "I finally started liking you when you called me Carly!"

"You took my girl's nickname; what's fair is fair."

"You two, play nice," Kit scolded.

"But it's my nickname," Luca grumbled.

"Let it go, let it go," Kit sang this time, and Luca and Andre laughed.

"Jess, before you and Jase take off, will you take a pic of all of us?" Kit asked just before the couple ducked away.

They snapped a few photos on Kit's phone, and she sent a text to Leonardo, knowing he'd be happy they were here and having fun.

"Let's go on the Ferris wheel!" Carly chirped as she grabbed Andre's arm dragging him along.

"Where to first, Kit Kat?" Luca asked.

"Are you really that mad that she's saying it too?"

"Annoyed," he admitted, "but it's fine. If she calls you Cricket, though.."

"She won't!" Kit promised her eyes lit up at the big fluffy teddy bear to be won at a stand nearby. "Can we start there?"

It took Luca over forty dollars worth of tickets to finally win her the bear, but he got it; she cuddled it to her chest as they walked around.

"I'm going to go grab a few sodas; I'll be right back," she said as Luca got in line.

By the time she got through the line with two sodas, Luca was already tossing arrows at balloons. As Kit got closer, she could hear the girl behind the stand flirting with him.

"So you almost choked Kyle out? Your hands must be so strong."

"That whole story has been highly exaggerated." He sounded a little annoyed, and she grinned at that. Still, she stayed back for a moment to watch.

"I bet it isn't." She leaned over the counter, pushing her cleavage out at him. "I wish I could've been there to see it."

"My girlfriend is the only one I need to impress." He shot his dart and popped the balloon. "I'll take the purple cat thing."

"Oh, that's so sweet! For your girl? Hopefully, she knows how lucky she is."

"She does." Having had enough, Kit stepped up to cut this off, and Luca had a smug smirk on his lips.

The girl's expression faltered when she saw Kit, who linked her arm around Luca's.

"Here you go," she said sweetly to Luca as she handed him the stuffed toy.

Kit pulled him away, turning once to glare back at the girl.

"Somebody's jealous," Luca teased her as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Was not," she muttered.

Luca pulled her in between two stands and backed her up so her back was against the wall of one. Were too. Admit it, and I'll kiss you," he taunted as his eyes looked her up and down.

"You'll kiss me anyway," she countered with a teasing grin.

"Nope," he quipped. "These lips are sealed."

"Good thing I have my new teddy bears, then. To cuddle tonight. When I sleep alone."

"I don't buy your threats, little lady." He ran a thumb over her lip. "You don't like sleeping alone any more than I do."

"Fine, I was jealous," she relented. "Her boobs were about to jump out at your head!"

He threw his head back and laughed. "I didn't even notice; know why?"

"Why?" She dropped her stuffed animals and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Because you're all I see," he replied. "I haven't looked at another chick since I did it on purpose at the casino."

"You checked that girl out on purpose?"

"I was trying to rile you up, and it worked," he confirmed.

"Did not," she lied with a big grin as she got closer to him.

"Liar," he said before claiming her lips in a fiery kiss.

The crowd's noise became a low hum in the background as she lost herself in Luca, so much so the sudden melody of Luca's phone startled them both as they pulled apart.

He frowned as he looked at the caller ID and then clicked answer. "Dad? Is everything-"

His face instantly paled, and Kit felt a cold chill come over her body.

"Where? We'll be right there." He hung up and grabbed her arm. "We have to go. Where are Carly and Andre? We have to find them. We have to go."

"Luca, what is it? What happened?" She asked as he pulled her along, walking so fast she nearly tripped, trying to keep up with him.

"Andre!" Luca yelled out as he spotted him and Carly coming off a ride up ahead. They sensed the urgency in his voice, and both started to run.

"What is it? Is it Dad?"

"We got to go; we got to get to my car," Luca's voice was beginning to tremble.

"Luca, what happened?" Kit spoke up firmly, placing her hands on his shoulders to focus on him.

"They think he had a stroke. They rushed him to the hospital," Luca sputtered.

A stroke... in his current condition. No, no, no, Kit's head started to spin, and her stomach knotted up.

"No," Andre whispered. "I knew we shouldn't have all come here! I told him."

"We have to go!" Luca nearly screamed it this time.

"Come on," Kit gathered every ounce of strength in her as she took Luca's arm.

"Give me your keys," she didn't wait and took them from his pocket. With a firm grip, she held tightly to Luca's arm as they walked. Turning, she noticed a stunned Andre and a fearful Carly behind them.

"Come on," Kit urged them along. "I'll drive. We have to go now."

This is a double update- the next one will be right up.