Ashton's PoV:

Once I had got her in the car and we were on our way back to the hotel, I felt like a horny teenage boy, unable to keep my hands off her.

Though I was always that way, I could never stop touching her, whether it was when we were brushing our teeth in the morning, making love, or simply walking down the side walk, I wanted to feel her.

My hand ran up and down the skin of her bare thigh that her dress was showing off.

"Patience baby." She turned her head and whispered into my ear, pressing her lips to the skin and making me whine.

I wanted her so badly.

Her hand rubbed my arm as we weaved through downtown traffic and finally I could see the hotel in sight.

Once we pulled up to the front I thanked the driver and got us out of the car and inside, going straight to the elevator.

Carter leaned against me as we rode up to our floor and once the doors opened I took her hand and led her to our room.

No one was inside but us and I put the do not disturb sign on the handle before going to the bedroom and closing the door.

Carter was slipping off her heels and I started to undo the buttons on my shirt until she approached me and took over, standing up on her tippy toes to begin kissing my neck.

When my shirt was unbuttoned she brushed it from my shoulders and I kicked off my shoes and socks before working the button of my jeans, Carter not taking her lips away from mine.

I reached around her back to unzip her dress and began to tug it down until she stepped out of it.

"Get on the bed." I said between kisses and she did as I said as I finished taking off my jeans and snatched the box of condoms from my duffel, grabbing one.

Carter propped herself against the pillows and took my hands as I moved up to her, placing my mouth on hers.

She moved her hands to my hair, running her fingers through it while I let my hands roam her body.

Her body arched into my touch and I could feel her getting excited and needy like myself.

"Ash, please." She panted in my ear.

I dragged my fingers slowly up her legs making her whine before hooking them beneath the band of her panties and sliding them off.

"Please, please." She breathed, her hands pulling on my shoulders to have me be closer to her.

I kissed her mouth passionately, hearing her moan into the kiss which made me do the same as my hands pushed down my boxers and then ripped the condom out of the package.

"Are you ready?" I asked her, my voice husky and deep.

She nodded her head, her eyes closed and her head tilted back.

I moved her legs apart to get between them and began to move into position, making sure she was really ready for me before going in.

We both moaned as I entered her and her arms went around my neck, pressing my chest to hers.

As her body accommodated for me I breathed heavily, trying to control myself.

"More." She mumbled, her eyes shut tight and her back arching off the bed.

My hips moved against hers as we made love to each other, my tongue tangling with hers as we kissed.

The noises that left our mouths were erotic and sexy, and turned me on even more than I already was.

"Car." I groaned against her lips as a pleasurable shudder ran through my body and I rolled my hips against hers making her moan.

My lips left hers only to move down to cover the skin of her throat, neck, and chest with my kisses. My senses were filled with her. I could feel her body moving with mine, I could see her  eyes closed in pleasure and her face contorted into one of ecstasy, I could hear the noises leaving her mouth that drove me crazy, I could smell the strawberry scent of her hair and the vanilla perfume on her neck, and I could taste her apricot scrub beneath my tongue as I kissed her skin.

"I love you." I kissed down the valley between her breasts.

"I love you too." She breathed and then moaned again.

Carters hands suddenly gripped at my shoulders, her signal for when she was getting close.

"Ash, Ash."

"I know baby, I'm almost there."

It seemed like time disappeared and everything became a blur as our bodies moved faster and faster until there was an explosion of euphoria that sent me into a state of benediction like only Carter could.

As we came down from the high that was just experienced we continued to kiss, our heart beats still pounding in our chests.

Eventually we had settled down for the most part and I pulled out, disposing of the condom before moving back to the bed where I pulled her into my embrace, a blissed out smile on Carters face.

"That was nice." She sighed happily.

"I know." I pressed a kiss to her shoulder as my hand rubbed up and down her arm. "That felt amazing. You're so perfect."

"I'm not perfect." She chuckled. "But you make me feel like I am."

"Because you are." I moved to kiss her neck.

"I've missed you." She turned over in my hold, placing her hand on my cheek.

"You've missed me?" I laughed.

"I've missed being close to you." She said and I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What do you mean baby?" I began to brush my fingers down the side of her face, playing with her hair.

"I don't know, I just feel like since we've got here we haven't really been as close as we've normally been." She said and my forehead creased even further.

"Why haven't you said anything?"

"Because you've been working and I'm not upset about it. I understand how busy you are and I know that we won't always have as much alone time now as we do when we're at home. It's just something I'll have to get used to." She shrugged her shoulders lightly.

She really felt that way? That she had to get used to me not being around as much?

"Car, I know I'm busier with work now but you know that you and the kids come before anything else, right? If you want us to have more time together then say something and I'll do whatever I can to make it happen. You come before anything else okay, you come before absolutely everything else in the world."

She laughed before nodding her head up at me.

"You're the most special thing in the world to me." I said to her and she bit her lip as a smile came to her face.

"I love you." She lightly touched my nose with her finger.

"I love you more." I leaned down to kiss her.

"Let's go shower before the kids get back." She said once we broke the kiss and I got out of the bed and reached a hand out to help her.

We headed to the shower to rinse off and clean up, getting in touches here and there before we got out and dried off.

Carter put on a cute lacy bra and panty set before putting her little robe on top.

I put on a tee and my basketball shorts before leaving to take the sign off the door.

It was a good thing that I did because moments later Ender walked through the door.

"Hey bub." I hugged him, ruffling his hair.

"Hey." He hugged me back.

"How was hanging out with Calum and Luke?"

"Good. We played video games."

"Hey End." Carter walked out of the bedroom and gave him a hug. "It's late, go take a shower."

Ender went to take his shower and a few minutes later Michael walked in with a sleeping Gracie in his arms.

"Can't say this isn't the first time a date has fallen asleep on me." Michael joked with a silly smile as he passed Gracie to me.

"Did my little princess fall asleep?" I cooed at the child as I began to rock Gracie in my arms.

"Thank you for taking her out, I'm sure we will hear all about it tomorrow." Carter hugged Michael.

"Oh and here's her stuffed animal." He handed her a stuffed lion.

"I'll go put her to bed. Thanks man." I smiled at Michael before taking Gracie into the bedroom and flipping back the covers and laying her down.

"Daddy." Her big brown eyes fluttered open and she reached her arms up towards me.

"Hey baby girl, did you have fun with Uncle Mikey?" I pulled her into my embrace, her arms going around my neck.

"Mhmm." She nodded. "You sing to me?"

"You want me to sing to you?" I asked her and began to sing her the song I had sang to her before to get her to calm down after she had a bad dream, but now it was to make her happy.

I looked up as Carter walked in but continued to sing, watching Gracie's eyes flutter closed.

I kept singing as I moved Gracie back under the covers and tucked her in along with all of her stuffed animals before kissing her forehead.

"I thought I was going to have to hold her until she fell asleep, but I guess Daddy singing her a lullaby is even better." Carter came up and kissed Gracie's head as well.

"We are Mommy and Daddy of the year." I smiled.

Ender came out of the bathroom in his pyjamas and got into the bed.

We both went over and kissed him goodnight before getting into our own bed, falling asleep quickly.

In the morning I awoke to find Carter laying next to me, her face peaceful in her sleeping state, and her ring covered hand sparkling in the morning light while it rested up by her face on her pillow.

Those rings on her fingers meant so much to me, and the fact that she had actually let me put them on her meant even more because that meant she actually wanted to be with me, and loved me like I loved her.

Using my arm that was wound around her waist I tugged her towards me, her body flipping over as it softly crashed into my chest.

She nestled her face into my neck and I could feel her sigh against my skin.

I held her body tightly against mine, loving the feeling of her being so close.

"Do you have anything today?" She mumbled.

"A meeting this morning." I responded just as quietly.

"I need to go get some work done and then go to the store." She yawned.

We laid there for a little longer before she got out of bed first and I got out next.

We started to drink our coffee in the main room when Gracie came out and ran to Carter.

"Good morning sweetheart." She smiled and lifted the child up who immediately rested her head on Carters chest.

"Morning Mommy." Gracie clung to her. "Cuddle?"

"Of course, come on." Carter smiled and carried her over to the sofa where she laid down with Gracie, letting her rest her head on her chest.

She turned on some cartoons for Gracie to watch as she held her for a while until
Becca arrived and she got up so she could get ready.

"I might as well take Gracie and Ender for a haircut." Carter spoke.

"Oh I have this great place you can take them!" Becca exclaimed before calling to get them an appointment.

While all this happened I got dressed and had breakfast, coming back to see Carter, Ender, and Gracie ready as well.

We spent the rest of the time before I left getting ready and I kissed my family goodbye before heading out for our meeting about the Japan tour and our schedule.

I rode in the car with the guys, all of them picking on me for getting lucky last night and we finally got to the Capitol Records building where we went inside and to the room we would be meeting with our management team in.

As the meeting dragged on I noticed my phone go off to see Carter had sent me a text

'Gracie cried when I took her to get her hair cut because she didn't want to "look like Daddy". I cried from laughing so hard.'

I shook my head and laughed at this.

When I was done with my meeting I looked to see Carter had sent me photos of Gracie and Ender with their hair cuts.

Gracie's was just barely shorter, only a trim, but Ender's was cut back more, a very charming, boyish look.

The guys and I went out for lunch and then went back to the hotel where I opened the door to the room only to be met with somber faces from Ender and Becca, Gracie innocently playing on the floor.

"What's going on?" I asked and then heard what sounded like crying from the bedroom. It was Carter crying.

My eyes widened and I took a step towards the door but Becca stopped me.

"I think you should read this before you go in there." She handed me her phone and I saw it was of a photo on Twitter of us leaving the restaurant last night.

'Ashton and his fake ass bitch leaving a restaurant.' Was the main tag and my stomach clenched, it was this bad and I hadn't even gotten to the comments yet.

'She's so ugly how can he even look at her?'

'No boobs bitch.'

'Ugly!'

'Everyone fücking hates her and he knows it'

'Rot in hell you whore'

'Fücking slut!'

I didn't want to read anymore.

"She was on her phone and then just burst into tears." Becca said and I nodded grimly.

"I'll go talk to her." I sighed and went to the bedroom door, I took a deep breath before walking in to see her curled up in the foetal position, sobs raking through her causing her body to shake.

I closed the door and walked over to her, sitting down on the bed next to her.

She looked absolutely miserable.

I moved to lay down. "Come here baby." I said softly and she moved into my arms, her cries not faltering.

"Shh. It's okay, you're okay." I placed a hand on the back of her head to comfort her.

"I will never be good enough." She sobbed into my chest and my heart broke.

"Carter you know that's not true. Don't you dare believe that for a second because it's not true. You're more than enough, I need you to know that." I held her tighter.

She didn't respond but just cried.

"Car, you are not what those horrible and jealous people said. You're not. They know that you're not, but they have nothing better to do than to try and tear you down because they are so jealous of you."

She let out another cry.

"I didn't sign up for this." She brokenly sobbed into my chest. "I didn't sign up to be called those names and be bashed over the Internet and I can't handle it, I can't."

She sniffled and then said something that made my heart stop beating.

"Sometimes I wish I'd never found out about the band, because I wouldn't have to deal with this."

"Car." I breathed before moving her head so that I could look into her eyes. "Look at me baby, look at me." I said and her bloodshot, beautiful grey eyes met mine. "This sucks, I know, believe me I know. I've had my fair share of hate, hell I still get hate everyday, but I know that none of its true. You know that what they are saying is not true, you know it Carter."

"I know it's not true, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. I don't know what else to do Ash. I've tried so hard to be this perfect girl for you for the media and fans but nothing I do is good enough. They still hate me."

"Carter the fans don't hate you! I've told you a million times that they don't hate you."

"Then why would they say those things?"

"Because they are petty, jealous, rude, and liars. Don't listen to them baby."

She sniffled and then buried her head in my chest again.

"I'm a mess." She spoke into my tee shirt.

"No, you're Carter."

She wiped at her eyes before crying again.

I held her tightly, knowing she just had to get it all out.

I looked up when I heard the sound of the door opening to see Gracie peeking through.

"Mommy? Daddy?"

"Hey, not right now Gray. I need you to go back to the living room." I told her.

"Why is Mommy sad?"

"Gracie, go to the living room please."

"Why?"

"Because Daddy said so."

"But I give her hug."

I was about to reply when Ender appeared and picked her up.

"Come on, leave mom and dad alone." He closed the door and then they were gone.

I ran my hand up and down Carters back to soothe her, hoping she would settle down.

"Would taking a nap make you feel better?" I asked her and she actually let out a laugh.

"Yes." She said and I smiled, kicking off my shoes and then moving more towards the middle of the bed, pulling the comforter over us.

"Are you warm?" I asked her and she nodded her head. "Let's just take a nap, get our minds off this, clear our heads a bit, and then we will handle this together. Is that okay?"

She nodded again and I let out a breath.

I watched her close her eyes and continued to watch as she fell asleep.

Her face looked so much more calm and relaxed as she napped her troubles away, and I closed my eyes as well, hoping when we woke up that everything would be better.

I was awoken by little knees and elbows crawling over my body, which was immediately recognised as Gracie.

"Gracie what are you doing?" I mumbled tiredly.

"Give Mommy hugs and kisses." She said.

"No, let Mommy sleep right now."

"I'm awake." Carter muttered next to me and then sat up a little bit.

Gracie moved over to Carter and crawled onto her stomach where she sat down.

"Mommy you sad?" Gracie asked her.

"No baby, I'm not sad anymore." Carter gave her a little smile.

"I give you hug?"

"I'd love a hug." Carter smiled even wider and Gracie laid down on her stomach, hugging her Mommy with a smile on her face.

"We cuddle?" Gracie then pulled on the top of Carters shirt and Carter sighed.

"I'd love to cuddle with you, but can we cuddle in a little bit? Mommy needs to talk to Daddy."

"But cuddle now." Gracie pouted.

"Gracie." I gave her a warning.

"Cuddle." Her voice voice went up two more octaves and her bottom lip trembled as a big tear drop rolled down her cheek.

"Okay, it's time for you to go in the other room." I sighed and picked Gracie up, taking her out of the room.

"I want cuddle Mommy." Gracie cried as I carried her into the main room, noticing the guys in the room.

"I told her mom and dad would get mad at her." I heard Ender comment.

I took the crying child over to a corner where I set her down on the floor and then crouched down in front of her.

"Hey, did Mommy and Daddy tell you no cuddles right now?" I asked her and she nodded. "But you cried anyway even though we said we would cuddle you later didn't you?" She nodded again.

"But I want cuddle." She sniffled.

"And we know that, but we said not right now. Now I want you to sit here for four minutes, no talking, and when your time is up I want you to apologise to Mommy. Do you understand me?"

She nodded her little head and I set a timer on my phone before standing up.

"Why is Carter crying?" Ender asked me as I walked past him.

"Don't worry about it, End." I sighed.

"Don't let her leave the corner until her time is up." I told the guys and set my phone on the table before walking back to the bedroom where Carter had her head in her hands.

"You okay?" I asked her.

"I can't even console my daughter." She looked up at me, obviously distraught.

I sat next to her on the bed and put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her towards my chest.

"Stop." I told her and she wiped at her eyes.

"Sorry." She sniffled.

"Carter I love you more then anything else in the world, and you know that, but I am so sick of seeing you fall apart every time something like this happens. It hurts me to see you this upset, and I'm tired of you not being confident in who you are. The fact that millions of people know your name doesn't change anything. You're a mother and a sister and a fiancé but you were those things before you were in the spotlight."

"I wasn't your fiancé yet." She looked up at me.

"Okay but you know what I'm getting at. People will criticise you and judge you for being who you are, but it's not because you're a bad person or something, it's because you have a characteristic or quality that they don't have and that they want. You're a good mom, you're a good sister, and you're a good fiancé, and don't let people who don't even know you, make you doubt how good of a person you are."

She sat there for a moment before slowly nodding her head.

"I didn't mean what I said earlier, I don't wish I never found out about the band, I like knowing this side of you." She said and I smiled.

"I know, and I like seeing the side of you that interacts with our fans and does interviews and shows the world just how amazing you are, even if sometimes you don't see it. But I do."

Carter suddenly turned around in my arms before hugging me tightly, clutching me to her.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." She spoke, her words so honest and sincere.

"I don't know what I'd do without you either." I smiled as I hugged her to me. "I mean that Car."

"Thank you." She sniffled.

"You don't need to thank me, I'd do anything for you."

"I know." She pulled away to smile at me. "You know I'd do the same."

"There's that smile I fell in love with." I grinned at her and she let out her adorable laugh.

"I love you."

"I love you too." I leaned in for a kiss.

At that time the door opened and Gracie came back in, her shoulders dropped, eyes wide, and thumb in her mouth.

"Do you have something to say to Mommy?" I asked her and she nodded her little head.

"I sorry Mommy." Gracie said, barely moving her thumb out of her mouth to speak.

"It's okay baby, come here." Carter sat back and opened her arms for Gracie to climb up in them.

"I love you." Carter kissed her cheek.

"I love you Mommy!" Gracie grinned and I laughed at how happy she was now.

Carter got up and changed into some sweats and one of my tee shirts, putting on some mismatched socks and throwing her hair up in a ponytail.

Carter picked up Gracie and we walked out to the living room where everyone was.

"Hey guys." She gave them a little smile and then went to sit on the sofa with Gracie.

"How about we order some Chinese take out and watch movies?" I asked Carter as I sat down next to her.

"That honestly sounds amazing." She sent me a smile and I gave her a kiss, ordering our food while she found some movies.

I decided to send out a tweet that said 'No one knows why bad things happen, but all you can do is know that one day it will get better.' because it was true.

This would get better with time, but for right now there was a better way to spend my time.

Maybe a night in as a family was what we needed.

--

Aaaaaaand the drama has just begun! How fun! (hey that rhymed lol)

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter +comment and vote if you'd like!

Much love xx -M