"If you are a child in the Irwin family then let's go!" Ashton called out and both Gracie and Ender came running to us as we stood by the front door.

"Okay let me check your back pack." Ashton took the teddy bear off Gracie's shoulders and made sure she had bunny, her sippy cup, and a sweater before zipping it back up and putting it on her.

"Let's go." I smiled and Ashton locked the house behind us as I got the kids into the jeep.

"Hey wanna drive there?" Ashton asked and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah right." I laughed as he opened my door and then closed it once I was in my seat.

Ashton began the drive to Calum's house that he had driven me past once before and eventually we came up to the house where there were a lot of cars parked on the street and in the grass by the house and Ashton drove up on the side.

"Wait wait wait!" Ashton said to me as I began to get out and I paused as he ran over to get my car door for me.

I smiled as I got out and he went to get Gracie, setting her on the ground before putting on her back pack.

"Where's Grandma?" She asked, poking out her bottom lip.

"She's inside, are you ready to go find her?" Ashton asked and she jumped up and down excitedly.

He took her hand and mine and I placed my other hand on Ender's shoulder, pulling him along as Ashton walked us through the open garden gate and into a backyard.

There was music playing through speakers in the background, a long table was set up with food on it, and there were several other tables where people were sat talking and at one was Ann and who I assumed to be the other boys moms.

"There she is, go give her a hug." Ashton leaned down and told Gracie and pointed in the right direction before both Gracie and Ender took off.

"Grandma!" They both yelled and Ann and the other mothers looked up to see the two kids running towards them.

"There's my grand-babies!" Ann grinned as they approached and took them up in her arms, giving them both hugs.

"Kiss! Kiss!" Gracie puckered up her lips and Ann gave her a kiss and then gave Ender one on the cheek as well.

Ann stood up as Ashton as I walked up to them and I let go of Ashton's hand to hug her.

"Hi!" She hugged me tightly. "You look so beautiful!"

"Thank you." I smiled and she moved back to get a better look at me.

"So how was today?"

"It was hard, but I'll be okay." I assured her and she leaned in to kiss my cheek before hugging Ashton.

"Did you make sure my daughter in law was okay?" She asked as she hugged him.

"Yes mom." He chuckled.

"Grandma we go to your house and daddy play dress up with me!" Gracie jumped next to Ann.

"He did?!" She gasped. "That sounds fun."

Gracie nodded up at her then hugged her legs.

"Aw I missed you sweetie." Ann placed a hand on her head. "Do you want to say hi to the other moms?"

Ann picked up Gracie. "Okay, do you remember who is who?"

"Uncle Lukey's Mommy." Gracie pointed to a woman with the same dirty blonde hair as Luke and bright blue eyes. "Uncle Caly's Mommy." She pointed to a woman with short dark hair like Calum who looked very similar to him. "And Uncle Mikey's Mommy." She moved to a woman with blonde hair and a face similar to Michael as well.

"Good job." Ann smiled. "And then this is Ender," She moved my brother forward, "He is Carters little brother."

"Hi Ender." The mothers waved at him.

"And I'm assuming this is the beautiful Carter we have all heard so much about." Luke's mother smiled at me.

"Yes, this is my daughter in law." Ann smiled excitedly.

"Hi." I smiled at them, slightly nervous.

"Oh don't be nervous, we don't bite." Michaels mother said and all three stood up to hug me.

"Hey! There's the superstar!" I heard Michaels loud voice from behind us and turned to see him, Calum, and Luke walking across the yard towards us.

"Hey." I laughed as they came forward and I hugged them each.

"Uncle Mikey your hair is pink!" Gracie gasped and pointed at his hair.

"I know, I dyed it just for you, do you remember?" He crouched down to talk to her and she nodded happily before throwing her arms around his neck in a hug.

Everyone awed as he hugged her back.

"Mommy, Daddy lookie!" Gracie turned around wanting to show us.

"I know!" I grinned, crouching down beside Michael. "It looks cool doesn't it?"

Gracie nodded, obviously very happy.

"Here baby, let me take your picture with Uncle Mikey!" Ashton said and Michael picked up Gracie tickling her stomach to make her giggle and then Ashton took their picture of Gracie touching Michaels pink hair, a grin on both of their faces.

'Pink hair for the princess!'

Michael shared the photo making Gracie even more ecstatic.

"I hungry." Gracie said as she was still up in Michaels arms.

"Me too. Let's go get some food yeah?" He smiled at her and they headed off to the food table.

"If he gives her cake again before dinner it's your turn to get onto him." I told Ashton and he chuckled before putting an arm around my shoulders.

"You hungry?" I asked him, putting my hand on his chest.

"For what?" He smirked at me, giving me a wink.

"Oh my God." I rolled my eyes and he burst into laughter before taking Ender's shoulder and leading us over to where the food was.

After we filled our plates we went to sit at a table with the boys, Gracie excited because there were biscuits.

Ashton, being the father he was, made her eat everything else on her plate before she could have her biscuit.

As we were eating more people kept coming in and Ashton would tell me who they were. Lukes brothers were there along with his cousins, some little like around Gracie's age and older. Calum's little cousins were there too along with Michael, Calum, and Luke's grandparents.

A few of the boys' friends walked in and the other three went to go say hi while Ashton sat with us.

"You can go say hi to your friends Ash, I'm fine over here."

"Well I'm fine over here too." He smiled at me before leaning down for a kiss making Gracie squeal at us and then climb into Ashton's lap because she wanted a kiss too.

While Ashton's friends were eating, he, I and the kids went over to a pick up truck that had the tail gate down and had a seat there.

Looking around the yard I noticed there were a few kids playing with a soccer ball by the fence.

"Hey Gray, End, why don't you go play over there with the other kids." I suggested.

"Okay." Ender shrugged but Gracie hesitated.

"Will you go with me." She pressed her finger to her lips as she spoke.

"Of course. I'll walk you over there." I smiled and slid off the truck bed to go take her over there.

"Go have fun love." I smiled at her and kissed her head before nudging her over to the other kids. She walked over there and to another little girl around her age and I smiled before heading back to the truck with Ashton, hopping onto the bed to sit next to him.

"She looks happy." Ashton nodded towards Gracie who was now picking flowers with the other little girl, smiling and talking to her.

"Yeah. She needs some friends her own age. It's sad when all of them are eighteen and older."

Ashton chuckled before sliding his fingers between mine and giving my hand a squeeze.

"Well if it isn't the illusive Ashton Irwin!" A male voice called across the yard and I looked to see his friends who had walked in and the boys heading our direction.

One guy with blonde hair and a black cap on his head that was backwards came up and did that "bro handshake" as Ari and I called it to Ashton, clapping him on the back.

"How's it going man?" The guy asked him.

"It's going good." Ashton smiled.

"And I'm guessing this is the girl?" He moved his eyes to me, looking me up and down and I shifted awkwardly.

"Yeah. Carter this is Andrew, Andrew this is my fiancé Carter." Ashton introduced us.

"Hi." I smiled politely at him.

"So you managed to get Ashton to settle down." Andrew said and I laughed.

"Well I think he made that decision on his own but..." I chuckled and Ashton grinned at me.

"So that is Eli," Ashton pointed to a guy dressed like Andrew but with brown hair, "That's Robbie," Another boy with blonde hair that was longer and a bit curly, "Jake," Boy with a buzz cut, "And Karlie."

He motioned to a girl with long blonde hair and slim figure and I recognised the name as the girl he took to prom.

I smiled at all of them and gripped onto Ashton's hand a little tighter, not out of jealousy, but out of being around all of these people I didn't know.

Everyone began to talk about people I hadn't heard of and places I hadn't been and stories I hadn't been apart of and I felt extremely lost in the conversation.

I finally caught a break when Gracie ran up to me and Ashton, almost crashing into our legs.

"Mommy I got you flowers!" She held up a handful of yellow flowers and I smiled as I took them.

"Aw, thank you baby." I leaned down to give her a kiss on the forehead.

Ashton picked her up and turned her around to sit her in his lap so everyone could see her.

"Can I introduce you to some people?" He asked her and she shyly nodded as Ashton began to say the names of everyone she didn't know.

"So this is our daughter Gracie." Ashton introduced her to them and they all told her hello and waved at her.

"I Gracie Irwin." She said and we laughed.

"That's right, you're Gracie Irwin." I kissed her cheek making her smile.

"My Mommy and Daddy are getting married!" She said to everyone and they all smiled at her.

"She's so cute." A girls voice said and I looked that direction to see it was Karlie who had said it.

"Thank you." I smiled at her.

"Mommy?" Gracie asked me and I turned my attention back to her.

"They baby in Mommy's tummy too?"

"Mhmm." I nodded.

"Like me!" She grinned.

"Yes, just like you." I poked her nose making her giggle.

"She's really happy she was 'in your tummy'." Calum chuckled from where he was standing next to me.

"It's all she talks about to me and Ashton, seriously she says it all the time." I laughed.

"See we told you it was okay to tell her that. Look how happy it makes her." Michael nodded towards the smiling child.

"I know." I smiled back at them.

"Gracie come play!" One of the little girls over where the other kids were called out to my daughter.

"Your friends are calling for you, Gray." Ashton said and he helped place her back on the ground. "Go have fun. I love you." He bent down to give her a kiss before she ran away to her new playmates.

Ashton let go of my hand to put his arm around my shoulders instead and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"Ashton's turning in his drumsticks for a diaper bag." Andrew smirked and Ashton shrugged.

"Hey, I'm a dad now. I'm not ashamed."

They talked for a few more minutes before Ashton pressed his lips to my ear.

"I'm going to get a drink, I'll be right back."

"Can you get me something?" I asked him sweetly.

"Of course baby." He moved his lips to mine and gave me a lovely kiss before sliding off the truck bed and over to the food tables.

"So are you excited for tomorrow?" Calum asked me.

"Yes, but I'm a bit nervous. I've never been on a plane before."

"It's not too bad. Take off and landing are bumpy but other than that you can just sleep." He assured me.

"Knowing me I'm probably going to panic and Ashton will have to load me up on anxiety meds."

Calum laughed.

"You'll be fine." He patted my shoulder.

Ashton came back with a beer in his hand for him and then handed me a water.

"We're sharing." He said once I frowned at him.

"So Carter, how did you and Ashton meet?" Karlie asked me and I looked back over at her.

"He booked a tour with my diving business." I answered politely.

"Your rings are beautiful." She motioned towards my hand I could see her struggling to make conversation with me.

I really wasn't a hard person to talk to, but I got the feeling she was nervous.

"Thank you." I gave her a friendly smile.

She nodded with a smile and then looked down at the ground before looking back up at Ashton with a longing glance.

Every girl wanted him, but somehow I managed to get him.

"One beer? Turn into a light weight?" The boy Eli said to Ashton.

"I'm driving home, plus it's not appropriate to get drunk in front of my kids." He shrugged.

"Dude, who took your balls? This guy," he pointed at Ashton, "once got so drunk he was passed out for two straight days."

"Oh really?" I raised my eyebrows at a guilty looking Ashton.

"That was before I met you." He explained.

"Mhmm." I replied with a teasing smirk and he shook his head laughing before moving in to kiss me again.

After we had kissed for a minute (that once we were done I had noticed the massive red blush on Karlie's cheeks) we went back to chatting with his friends when Gracie came running back up to us and reached for Ashton's beer.

"No." He quickly moved his arm back so she couldn't get it.

"But I want drink." She pouted before trying to reach for it again.

"This is an adult drink, you can't have it." He shook his head.

"But I want it." She whined.

"Gracie." I warned her and she touched her heels back to the ground, knowing she wasn't going to get the drink.

"Why don't you be really sweet and go give grandma a hug and a kiss and ask for some lemonade?" I suggested and she nodded before running off.

She ran over to Ann who was talking with the other moms still. Ann smiled widely when she approached and pulled her into her lap. Gracie hugged Ann around her neck and gave her a kiss before asking her and Ann nodded before taking Gracie to the drink table and getting her a lemonade.

Ann sat sideways on the bench when they went back to the table and Gracie sat on her legs while going to take a drink from the cup that didn't have a lid.

I was about to say something to Ashton but he interrupted me.

"Mom! Hold her drink!" He called out across the yard and Ann looked at him.

"She's fine!" She waved him away.

"No! Hold the cup or she's going to spill."

"No she won't!"

"Yes she will, I've cleaned up drink spills everyday. Hold it!"

Ann rolled her eyes at Ashton and then held the drink for Gracie who was innocently sipping from the straw.

"Dad mode." Luke smirked.

"Yes! She's not the one who has to clean her up!" Ashton sighed and I kissed his jaw before settling into his side.

As the night went on I listened to the conversation his friends were having but didn't pay too much attention. I focused on Ender who was playing a footie game with Calum's cousins and Gracie who was playing games with the other little girls.

Finally it got late and a droopy eyed Gracie strolled up to us, Ashton picking her up and putting on her sweater from her backpack so she wouldn't get cold before she hung her arms around his neck.

"Daddy, I want kisses and cuddles." She said with a poked out bottom lip.

"Okay, come here princess." He adjusted her in his arms so he was holding her like you would hold a baby, her head in the crook of his arm while she curled up into him.

Ashton had completely removed his focus from the conversation surrounding us and had his eyes on Gracie, the two of them smiling at each other.

He leaned down to press a long kiss to her forehead like I did when I went to put her to sleep, holding his lips there to comfort her and when he pulled away her eyes were closed and she looked basically asleep.

He moved his hand to stroke her hair and face and soon enough she brought her thumb to her mouth, she was out.

I leaned down myself to give her a goodnight kiss and then leaned my head on Ashton's arm.

"Hey Ashton, we're going to the Red Room tonight if you and Carter want to come." Robbie now turned and said to us.

"Nah, we better head out pretty soon. We've gotta get this little one and her brother to bed." Ashton politely declined.

"Your mom can take care of them." Eli shrugged.

"Yeah but we have to get up early too so we can give Gracie her bath and get both she and Ender breakfast, but thanks." Ashton declined again.

"Dude." Andrew shook his head.

"What?" Ashton asked.

"You're not you."

"I am me, but there's things more important now than going out every night. One day when you're a dad you'll understand."

Ender came over to us as well and we decided we were ready to go and I went to say goodbye to Ann who hugged us tightly and said she'd see us later tonight.

We said goodbye to his friends and then went to the jeep, Ashton getting Gracie in her seat and covering her up to make sure she was warm while she slept.

Ashton pulled out of the grass where he parked and began the drive back to Ann's house.

"So I just want to run through what will happen tomorrow so you won't be too overwhelmed." He said as he turned a corner.

"Okay." I nodded.

"Alright. When we get to the airport there will be fans outside, normally we stop for photos but I'm just going to get us right inside so it's not too crazy. We'll go through security and then on our way to the gate there will be more fans and again I'll try to get us to the lounge as quick as possible. We'll wait in the first class lounge until it's time for our flight and then get on the plane."

"Sounds like a plan." I smiled and he squeezed my hand.

"What does first class mean?" Ender asked from the back seat.

"It just means that we are in the first cabin. We have more leg room and get free drinks and snacks." Ashton explained.

"When do I have to start school?"

"When we get to LA I'll call and set up a meeting for your new teacher to come over to the hotel to meet you and get a feel for your curriculum and then he will be travelling with us and you'll be in class for a little bit everyday unless we have something going on to where we can't."

"Okay." Ender nodded.

"Are you excited about private school bud?" I asked him.

"A little. I'll miss my friends and playing footie but I know it's not forever, like you said." He gave me a smile.

"I think it will be good for you to have that one on one learning experience. It's less distracting." I said and he nodded.

"If I have good enough grades when I get back that maybe I can be on the A1 team instead of A2."

"I know!" I said excitedly. "You've been trying so hard to level up. We'll make sure to mention that math is your struggle area and hopefully you can really improve."

Ender seemed to be very happy which as his sister made me happy.

When we got to the house, Ashton went to get Gracie in her pyjamas while I took a shower and got ready for bed.

Ender and Ashton took showers after me and then we all said goodnight to Ann when she arrived home from the party before getting into bed.

I had my phone pulled up on Twitter when Ashton came in the bedroom and got under the covers, turning on his side to look at my screen.

I noticed Ashton's friends had posted the selfies and photos they had taken of our group at the party and I liked them before setting my phone on its charger.

"So what did you think of them?" Ashton asked me.

"They were nice. I think they were a little thrown off by this 'new you' but they were nice to me."

"Yeah. I felt kinda bad at first for not hanging out with them anymore but then I realised that was stupid. People grow up and change and start families and buy houses and they just don't know what that is yet. And to be honest I feel bad for them because they think life is all about partying but it's not."

"I agree. But one day they will learn. I know you are this much more mature person now, but don't leave your friends behind. I think you should go hang out with them every once in a while."

"I would but I feel like I don't have anything in common with them anymore."

"Okay. But remember that your friends are your biggest supporters. And you might have things in common with them still, but you won't know if you don't at least try and hang out with them."

He nodded.

"Gosh I feel like I'm talking gibberish. That's against everything I am." I laughed and he joined in.

"No I get what you're saying, don't burn my bridges."

"Exactly." I smiled. "Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"I don't have to go to any parties."

He burst into laughter.

"How about I take you to ones that I know you'll enjoy."

"Deal." I leaned up to kiss his nose and he smiled down at me before going to give me a lingering and heavy goodnight kiss, easing all of my worries about tomorrow away so I could sleep.

--

Guys I can't believe we only have one more chapter left until the next book!

Seriously I love writing this story and I hope you have enjoyed it, and will continue on Carter and Ashton's journey with me.

I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow and then will post the first chapter in Haven Harbour: Beyond the Seas immediately after, so make sure to add it to your libraries if you haven't already!

As always, comment and vote if you'd like and I'll have the next part up tomorrow!

Much love xx -M