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CHAPTER FOUR.
Drive
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"Nicky, please..." Morgan starts up for the third time, playing with her fingernails and pacing back and forth in front of her best friend before she sits herself down at the dinner table in front of her. Nicolette cradles Ace in her arms, positioning him so he can be breastfed. He begins to suck eagerly just as Nicolette looks to Morgan and shakes her head.

"I can't. It's not a necessity. I don't want to be away from Ace more than I have to, Morg." Nicolette explains, completely sure of her reply as she readjusts herself on the chair, "You know that."

Morgan sighs and looks behind them at Dominic, who is cooking breakfast at the stove. His eyes dart between her and Nicolette, nodding his head to signal that she should keep insisting, knowing how much it means to Morgan to have her best friend there. Morgan nods at him starts up again, "I get you, I do. But I think it's important for you to get out and have some fun. You and Ace have been to the restaurant before and I'll be there the whole time. It's been almost two months since Ace was born and you haven't left the house since you went to meet with Justin and his manager." Nicolette sighs heavily once she's finished talking and looks up at Morgan, ready to speak again before she cuts her off.

"I know, I know. It's a necessity. But listen, Nick, this night is really important. Dominic's parents are coming into town and I want to make a good impression on them with Greta Wilson coming to perform and the staff on point. Everything has to be perfect for them. I would feel so much better if you were there." Morgan says, every part of her body on edge because of how nervous she is, "We want them to see how well the restaurants been doing and that the money they invested into it was worth it."

"Mo..." Nicolette drags off, knowing how important this must be for Morgan since it's her husband's parents and that they had put money into the establishment of the restaurant. She bites her lip, not wanting to be a bad friend by not going to support her best friend when she's always supported her. Nicolette looks down at her son and asks the obvious, "What about—"

"Nanny interviews start in an hour." Morgan blurts out, excitement spreading all over her expression, biting her lip to suppress a grin. Nicolette narrows her eyes at Morgan playfully, letting out a small chuckle of disbelief. Dominic can not help but laugh behind the kitchen island, clutching his stomach as he leans over, his laughter progressively becoming stronger.

"You just couldn't wait, could you babe?" Dominic asks mid-laugh, throwing the hand towel over his shoulder and going to the cabinets to get plates. Morgan giggles and looks from her husband to Nicolette, continuing to smile happily. Dominic begins serving their breakfast, still chuckling to himself, as Nicolette contemplates her reply.

"Okay, fine." Nicolette says with a small laugh, "I'm going. But you should really stop arranging plans without knowing they're going to happen for sure. You can't always rely on your intuition."

"I don't know..." Morgan trails off, raising an eyebrow with pursed lips, "My intuition does get me places."

"Yeah, until it doesn't." Nicolette snaps back, shaking her head. Dominic laughs and shrugs his shoulders, placing the plates of food on the kitchen island in front of both women. Morgan bums and thanks him, Nicolette following suit, before they all enjoy a breakfast together, conversing between every bite.

⤞

Justin closes the door of his 2020 Bugatti Chiron, straightening his blazer jacket and taking a deep breath before he begins walking up the driveway and to the front door. Once there, he knocks on the door, waiting with his hands in his slack pockets. The door swings open, revealing his aunt, Phyllis. He cannot help but feel a pang in his heart as soon as he sees her face, his mother's features so prominent in her appearance. She's the striking resemblance of Pattie.

"Hey baby," She greets, welcoming him inside before closing the door behind them. He engulfs her in a hug, inhaling her sweet scent of home, which reminds him of his mother's scent and how much he loved it. Phyllis pulls away after a few moments, cupping his face with her hands, "You look handsome as always."

"Thanks, Zia." Justin replies, smiling down at her. Phyllis has always been like a mother to him, ever since his mother died years back. She was determined to look after her niece and three nephews, assuming the responsibilities her sister had, with no hesitation. Justin follows her into the kitchen, sitting himself down on the kitchen island as she continues getting everything laid out on the dinner table. He gets up from his seat after just having sat down to help her set the table, following her instruction.

"Iris and Reid should be coming soon, I hope."

"Well you know Iris is still hung up on August. Wouldn't be surprised if they're over there." Justin comments, the bile rising in his throat to even think about him. Phyllis notices this and sets the meatloaf down on the table, sighing as she turns to her nephew with a hand on her hip, leaning against the chair.

"Justin, I know you're upset that her and Reid are going to see him so frequently," She starts, Justin rolling his eyes and agreeing with her, knowing he's made that obvious over all this time. He just knows she's going to be on their side about this, not wanting to get talked down on by another person against him on this situation, "But they're adults, just like you are. You don't have to go, especially given the circumstances, which I understand. As for them," She pauses, "They are grown. Let them make their own choices."

"You've got to stop calling me Juicy, Zia." Justin replies with an amused expression, a smile creeping up on his aunts face. She lets out a laugh and slaps his arm playfully.

"I can't believe that's what you got out of what I said." Phyllis says as she continues setting the table. Justin laughs and grabs the plates from the cabinets, placing one on every placemat. The two get caught up on life and what's been going on in Justin's career, Phyllis exclaiming at all the new things that have been going on for him.

"Pattie would be so proud of you, Justin." She mentions to him as he sets out all the cutlery. He stops in place and looks to his aunt, noticing how her eyes squint the same way his mother's did when she smiles. Phyllis goes over to Justin and gives him a sideways hug, rubbing his bicep. Warmth courses through him at her touch. Even thought it isn't his mom, Phyllis is a piece of her sister, and he was a piece of her too. They see Pattie in one another. Phyllis and Justin were the first to hear about Pattie's death, going through those moments together.

"I know." Justin smiles, loving the small reminders of his mother, whom he loved with all his heart, "I also know she would be proud of you too. You took in all four of her kids when you didn't have to, Zia. I'm sure she's thanking you, wherever she is."

Phyllis' eyes gleam with tears, placing a hand over her heart at the sweet comment. Justin's heart fills with admiration for his aunt, grateful for all she's done for him and his siblings. Their relationship has become stronger over the years since he's not the only one who suffered a loss, she had lost her sister, too.

The doorbell rings, startling Phyllis slightly.

"Finish that up, I'll get it." Phyllis tells him, wiping her eyes of the few tears that fell. Justin turns his attention back on the kitchen utensils, setting a fork, knife, and spoon down on every napkin, putting the rest away in their respected drawer. He turns around to face the entrance of the kitchen, hearing his sister, Iris, his brother, Reid, and his aunt's footsteps approaching.

"He's not so good, Zizi." He hears Iris tell her as they appear in the entrance of the kitchen. That's when Iris notices that Justin is there, slightly alarmed since he is usually busy and shows up a little later than them. She says nothing to him, just blinks her eyes as she turns her attention back on their aunt. Justin chuckles and shakes his head, pushing himself off of the counter and going to his brother.

"What's up, Juice?" Reid greets, clasping hands with his older brother. Justin grins and pats him on the back, pulling away. Reid scans Justin's appearance, "You look good."

"You too, bro." Justin replies, looking over Reid's shoulders to see Phyllis and Iris sitting at the table, deep in conversation, most likely about August. He focuses back on Reid and their conversation, "Iris is still pissed at me, I assume."

"Who, Ris? What? Why would you think that?" Reid asks rhetorically, taking a swig of his drink before licking his lips as he turns to stand beside Justin, facing the two women. They share a laugh at Reid's sarcastic tone.

"My nickname has always been better, by the way." Justin admits, squinting his eyes as he nods his head, affirming his statement.

"Irie? Really, Justin?" Reid retorts, scoffing as he shakes his head in disbelief, "Makes her sound like a damn alien." (Pronounced eye-ree)

"It's more creative than Ris. You're just mad because you didn't think of it. And Cairo always just called her Iris...boring." Justin states, taunting him. Reid laughs and takes another drink from his cup, silence falling between them before Reid starts up again, Justin's demeanor changing the quickest it ever has upon hearing the one name he wanted to avoid at this family dinner.

"Okay, but the stupidest had to be Augusts' nickname for her." Reid begins, pointing at Justin with the same hand that holds his cup of alcohol, looking up at the ceiling in thought, "What was it...Siri. He said it was creative because it was just her name backwards, remember that?"

Justin clears his throat and doesn't respond, refusing to meet Reid's gaze as he looks in the direction of Iris and Phyllis. Reid waits for a moment before realizing Justin wasn't going to comment on anything having to do with their brother to begin with.

"Come on, Justin. You're still on your hate train for Gus?" Reid questions, taking, yet another, long drink from his cup, throwing his head back and spilling all the contents into his mouth, until it's empty. Justin still doesn't reply. Reid scoffs and shakes his head, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Justin smells the vodka in his breath heavily, "If this is how the night's gonna go, I'm gonna need much more alcohol. Zietta, where's your vodka?"

"Wine locker, downstairs."

Reid nods his head, holding his cup up to her in a thank you, turning around and heading to the basement, mumbling pathetic under his breath as he exits. Justin wants to snap back but doesn't have the energy. Everyone is already against him on the situation anyway so why even bother anymore. Reid returns after a while, passing Justin and sitting on the opposite side of Phyllis, next to Iris.

"Okay, let's eat." Phyllis says to the three of them, motioning for Justin to sit down at the dinner table. He unbuttons the single button on his blazer jacket and takes a seat next to Phyllis, joining hands with her and Reid in prayer. Their aunt speaks again, "Rissy, baby, will you say grace?"

"Of course." Iris replies, smiling at her before they all shut their eyes, bowing their heads, "Heavenly father, we ask you to watch over us and our loved ones. Thank you for this giving us this delicious meal we are about to take part in. I am grateful for the family at this table, as well as the ones who aren't. Sadly, Lia and Cai couldn't be here tonight but we hope to see them soon. Lord, I ask that you please watch over August and call on Momma to assist you. Keep him in your vision and may better days come—"

Justin zones out for a second, his jaw clenching at all the talk about August. He could lash out right then and there but decides not to, for his mother and Phyllis' sake. His aunt hears his breath become heavier and squeezes his hand once. He relaxes, pushing the thought out of his mind as Iris' prayer draws to an end.

"Please watch over our mother, gone too soon, loved so much. We love you. We miss you so much, Momma. I feel you with us everyday and I wish you could sit at this table and enjoy this family dinner with us in person, but we're glad you're here in spirit. Everything each of us do is for you. Amen."

Everything August does too, apparently.

What a great thing to do in living memory of our mother.

"Amen." They all say in unison, beginning to serve themselves. Cutlery clinks on the glass dishes as plates of food are passed around the table. Excitement bubbles in everyone as they delve into the dishes Phyllis prepared.

"Oh, Zizi, I forgot to tell you. I'm flying to New York tomorrow. I have a shoot with GQ." Iris says before putting a piece of broccoli in her mouth. Phyllis smiles brightly, her face lighting up with glee as she congratulates her niece. Iris smiles proudly and thanks her aunt for the recognition. Reid congratulates her as well, Iris beaming at him in return. Then, Justin speaks up.

"Congrats Irie. I'm glad to see you doing so well." Justin says amid the other conversations that came up. Iris swallows the food in her mouth, looking up at Justin from her plate. Their eyes meet and the tension covers the four of them like a weighted blanket. Phyllis putting her utensils down while Reid just mindlessly plays with the food on his dish, both of them going quiet.

Iris licks her lips before cleaning the corners of her mouth with a napkin, "Yeah, thanks Jay. Maybe you should go see if August is doing well. You know, your brother?"

Fury builds up within Justin and he clenches the fork tighter in his hand, his knuckles turning white. His jaw clenches forcefully, teeth gritting. Phyllis notices this and visibly gulps hard. Reid pokes his tongue to the inside of his cheek, looking between his brother and sister, ready to intervene if anything.

"Ris, it's a congratulations. Let's not do this—" Reid starts, trying to reason with his sister and calm the situation before it escalates any more than it's starting to.

"No, Reid." Iris says to her brother, not even looking at him. Instead, her hostile gaze remains on Justin as Phyllis places her hand over hers, "He acts like August doesn't even exist. Him and Cairo. Like he hasn't been rotting in that place all the time that he isn't here, with his family."

"Iris, he had a fam—"

"Save it, Justin. I'm not entertaining you or your hatred for August anymore. You wanna throw away your relationship with our brother? Fine. But don't expect one with me either, then." Iris interrupts, ripping her gaze away from Justin to look at their aunt, "I'm leaving in the morning. I was wondering if I could just leave my car here, stay the night, and have my driver pick me up in the morning?"

Phyllis nods her head without any hesitation, fearing that any words she says could create a potential havoc. The room goes quiet before Iris rises from her seat, throwing down her napkin. She bends over next to Phyllis and kisses her on the cheek, leaving the room. Justin sits in disbelief, knowing he should've expected his sister to go against him, just as she always did. Her footsteps are heard going up the stairs before the room goes still again. Reid's eyes go from being glued on his plate to meeting Justin's.

"Juice—"

"Are we just forgetting what got him landed in jail in the first place?" Justin asks furiously, his gaze set on his brother. Reid shakes his head and puffs out a heavy breath as he rubs his temples, causing the anger to escalate within Justin's body.

"We're not, Justin. But at this point, he's in more pain than you are. I get you were upset, we all were. But now, Gus needs us. He needs family, he needs stability in his life. Now more than ever." Reid pleads, looking into Justin's eyes for even an ounce of understanding. He realizes it isn't working when his brother tears his gaze away, nostrils flaring.

Justin slams his fist on the table, causing his aunt to flinch and let out a small yelp. Reid doesn't move a muscle as he looks up at Justin, "Damnit, Reid! He had a family. He had one and he threw that all away because he was stupid. Now I'm supposed to go down there and make him feel better? Be the family he destroyed? No. You and Iris might want to move on and act like he didn't do what he did, because of his selfishness, but I'm sure as hell not. And what kind of a fucking example is he for Dahlia? Huh?"

Phyllis' head snaps in Justin's directions, her eyebrows rising as her mouth gapes open, blinking incredulously, "Justin. Your language, please."

Justin takes a deep breath, closing his eyes to control his anger, "She's fifteen, Reid. A child. I want you to listen to me very closely. I'm picking her up from the airport Saturday and while she's here, I'm her guardian. We should be grateful that she didn't grow up around us and that her father had the decency to stay in her life to take her away from the craziness of ours, just as we should be grateful he's even letting her come the few times she does. She's staying with me and will not be going to see August with either of you. And don't even try fighting me on it because I swear to God, you won't win. She won't be another victim of August's stupidity."

"Jus—"

"And why the hell does Iris keep bashing on Cairo? She keeps doing that when he isn't here to defend himself and then wonders why he left." Justin spits in anger, remembering that exact night and how he hasn't been back since. It was a week after August was arrested. He's only in contact when Dahlia's around, really, since he was always in and out of Chicago on business and got to witness her grow up more than any of the four other siblings.

"Boys..." Phyllis intervenes, rising from the table to look between the two men, "I think you both need to just take some time away from each other. Blow off some steam. Talk once you're calmer."

"Don't worry, Zia. I'm going to bed. Thank you for the meal. Goodnight." He says to Phyllis, throwing his napkin on the table and buttoning the single button on his jacket. Reid slumps back in his seat, not saying anything else to his brother, his face placid and defeated. He can't argue to anything Justin had just said, knowing it's all true. Justin scoffs, going over to Phyllis and giving her a peck on the cheek before going up the stairs to his bedroom. Once he's there, he sits down on the bed and runs a hand through his hair.

"I'll do better."

"It won't happen again."

Sleep begins to fall over him as sits there, engulfed in his thoughts. Deciding to call it a night, he goes to the bathroom down the hall from his bedroom, turning the knob and pushing the door open. His hands clutch the counter, looking up at himself in the mirror. Memories of him and his brother, August, flash before his eyes. Racing down the street, hanging out at the skate park, playing soccer on the weekends...

Watching their mother die.

His heart wells with sadness, a sting of anger running through his body. All the memories he had as a child, he had them with August. He was the oldest, then Justin. Iris was born not too long later, then Cairo, Reid seven years later, and finally their youngest sister Dahlia, that currently lives with her dad in Chicago, flying out to see us occasionally. Since it's our mother's death anniversary this coming week, he knows how important it is for her to be here with her siblings.

In conclusion, there's a lot of them.

Yet, the different dads didn't make Dahlia or Reid any less important, even if they didn't all share the same father. August was the one he was closest with, which is ironic since he's been gone all these years. A mere ghost of the boy Justin knew all those years ago, who would never put the people he loved in danger, who prided himself on family. Their mother always made sure they knew that.

Family must be protected, loved, cherished...Justin's mom says in his head, her melodic and heartwarming voice ringing through his ears. Yet, not in a painful way, but instead, those words were laced with security and assurance. Everything they know now was all because of her. They wouldn't be who they are without her.

Empathy and guilt begins to form in Justin's gut for August but he pushes it away just as soon as it came.

He did that to himself.

It was no one's fault but his own.

It's been many years but the Bieber family will still not speak of it, what's left of the family anyway. Their father being a deadbeat addict and their mother dying in the midst of all the chaos of her kid's careers, no one gets anywhere near the situation. No, instead, they would rather pretend it never even happened.

Not him.

He's not sure he ever will.

Justin shakes his head, the mere thought of those terrible years giving him a headache. The feelings exerted, the words exchanged, the aftermath of that night, it was enough to break most families apart. He knew that if his mother would've been there, she would've known what to do. Or maybe if their father wouldn't have been the loser that he was, the same, sad excuse for a father that gave up his children for a fix, maybe he would have helped the situation too. August relapsed because of their mother's death, taking after their father's ways.

I'll kill him if I see him again.

For what he did to us.

Now his own sister refuses to meet his eyes, her sympathy towards August, as well as their family tie, overpowering reality. He won't let Dahlia become exposed to August and the terrible decisions he's made, especially the ultimate choice he made that night. The choice that changed everything.

Justin goes to the kitchen drawer and pulls out a new toothbrush, ripping it out of the packaging, squirting some toothpaste on it, and brushing his teeth. He does this mindlessly, his thoughts continuing to consume him whole. That is, until, a knock at the door snaps him back to the present. Justin rinses his mouth and the toothbrush, putting it in the cabinet behind the mirror. He then goes over to the door and opens it, revealing Reid.

"I know you're upset. I know and I get it." He says honestly, putting his hands in his pockets as he lets out a sigh, "So we don't have to talk about it anymore. You and Iris may be strained but that's her. Whatever you have going on with August...that's your business." He pauses, "I'm gonna keep visiting him because that's me and I'm making my own choices. But I'm still here for you, Juice, no matter what. And about Dahlia...you're her guardian when she flies out to be with us so it's up to you if you want her to see Gus or not. I can respect that."

Justin nods his head, appreciating the gesture and acknowledgment.

"Look, I'm going to the restaurant over on South King and Pike. Tower 50, I think? Anyway, supposedly the owners' family is coming down to visit and they're throwing something more extravagant than usual to celebrate." Reid explains, pointing behind him, "Do you wanna come with?"

"Oh yeah, I was there opening night. As long as we go somewhere where there's alcohol, I'm in. And it's Tower 37, fool." Justin replies, leaving the restroom, turning off the light, and going to his room. Reid follows him, standing in the doorway as Justin puts on his leather jacket.

"Whatever. Justin, have you met me? You know I'm not going anywhere that doesn't have alcohol." Reid says obviously, scoffing playfully to himself. Justin laughs and slips on his shoes, running a hand through his hair and making sure he looks presentable in the full length mirror on his closet door. Reid mumbles something along then lines of alright, pretty boy, before leaving the doorway to stand in the hall.

"Reid? Is Zizi still downstairs?" A voice says from the hallway. The two brothers look to one another before Reid turns to the voice that called him. Justin leaves the restroom in that moment and closes the door behind him. Iris stands a few feet away from them, right outside of her bedroom. She's wearing silk pajamas, her face bare and her hair wet.

Upon seeing Justin, she rolls her eyes and turns to Reid without a word. She raises an eyebrow at them being all dressed up and ready to go, with a curious expression on her face, "And where are you guys going?"

"Tower...37, apparently." Reid answers dismissively, waving a hand in the air with a shrug, "I just need a drink, I don't really care the place. I'm taking Justin with me."

"I thought you were flying with me to New York tomorrow." Iris says in a soft tone, confusion washing over her as she completely ignores the last part of what Reid said. Justin scoffs to himself and looks down at his shoes. Iris either doesn't notice this or just chooses to dismiss it completely.

"No can do, sis. I got some work to handle here for the precinct. I'll be in Seattle for a couple of weeks, depending on the case and how long it takes." Reid explains to Iris before looking between his two siblings, "I'm also gonna go visit my dad tomorrow. Old man's living in Kirkland now."

"Aw, that's so nice. Tell hi—"

"Yo, that's great, how is he do—"

Justin and Iris had both spoke at the same time, the hall going quiet once they realize this, the awkwardness consuming them. Iris clenches her jaw as Justin looks away, rubbing the back of his neck. Reid shakes his head and chuckles to himself, looking between his two siblings and sucking in his lips, amazed at how quickly the mood changed.

"Yeah, anyway, we should get going." Reid says, wanting to get out of that damn hallway and to the restaurant. Quick enough to now allow Iris to hold them back, he kisses her on the cheek and pats Justin's back eagerly to signal for him that it's time to leave, following behind him and down the stairs. They don't look back as they make their way out of the door and to the driveway, Reid's driver already waiting for them.

"And your driver? Still haven't found one?" Reid asks as his driver opens the door and he slumps into the backseat. Justin follows and makes himself comfortable, the driver closing the door beside him before walking around the back of the car and getting in the driver's seat.

"She starts Monday, actually." Justin replies, putting on his seatbelt. Reid does the same and raises an eyebrow at his brother.

"Great. Now Ian here won't have to drive your ass everywhere with me." Reid laughs, patting his driver on the shoulder. Ian shakes his head and chuckles, putting the car into drive and switching into the next lane.

"Not a bother at all, Mr. Bieber." Ian says politely, looking at him momentarily through the rear-view mirror.

"That's what I like to hear, Ian, thank you. I haven't heard you complain, even though I know you want to for driving my baby brother here to the McDonald's playground every Friday night." Justin says, patting Reid on his head. Reid scoffs and punches his arm away, pulling his phone out of his pocket. His face goes slightly stern all of a sudden, Justin's smile fading.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah yeah, man. Just the chief about the case." Reid says, shaking the conversation off as quick as it came. Justin remains skeptical but lets it go for the time being, "So, how was the restaurant when you came the first time?"

"Great. The filet mignon was bomb." Justin replies, remembering the taste of the juicy steak in his mouth. His stomach grumbles at the thought of eating it again, not really having enjoyed his meal at his aunt's house. There was too much anger coursing through him at the time, as well as tension in the air, for him to be able to enjoy the food.

"I bet. Five star...must be good. You know the owner?" Reid asks as they exit the car, Ian closing the door after they got on the curb and bidding them a goodnight. The two brothers thank him and he drives off, leaving the two men in front of the restaurant, among others.

"Nope. Met him the same night. He came to my table and personally thanked me for showing up. His name is Dominic Lane, him and his wife own it." Justin explains, nodding his head at the security detail that appeared outside of the restaurant, keeping the fans at bay; just as they began screaming and yelling Justin's name.

"Lane? As in Marlene and Charlie Lane's son?" Reid asks, not paying much attention to the crowds besides just wanting to get through them. Unlike Justin and Iris, who were used to the cameras and fans, Reid was very unaccustomed to the famous life. He didn't like it, either, preferring to remain low-key and keep all his whereabouts on the low. This was hard at times, having two celebrity siblings and the everlasting scandal that swarmed around August and him being in jail. Whenever anything was going on with them, he was always approached with flashing cameras and recording devices that are thrusted at him, asking invasive questions; trying to get the latest scoop. Him being anti-social and rubbing off the wrong way most times, desired to keep his mind on his work and his family, in private.

"Um...I don't know. Why?" Justin asks, walking by fans who had their arms outstretched, trying to get his attention. He takes some pictures with them, signs some merchandise, and hugs others before turning his attention back to Reid and their conversation. They both walk into the restaurant and approach the front desk, the woman seeming to have expected them since she begins leading them through the tables.

"No reason. They're just very known when it comes to business. Big philanthropists and humanitarians. You know, 'adored by all' type of people." Reid explains, unbuttoning his blazer jacket as he takes his seat at their table. Justin sits down opposite him, nodding in understanding as he peers at the menu. Reid notices this and raises one eyebrow, "You're still hungry, bro?"

"Didn't really eat. Iris was too busy throwing her damn tantrum." Justin says annoyedly, taking a piece of bread from the basket, ripping a piece off and putting it in his mouth.

"She is pissed, Justin, but she does miss you. You know how she can be. Iris will hold that grudge if it means you might go and visit August." Reid tries to justify, waving down the waiter who begins to walk over quickly.

"I'm not going and neither is Dahlia. So, she should really let that go." Justin finalizes, looking up at the waiter. He seems to recognize him from the look of slight shock on his face. He manages to pull himself together and pulls out his notepad, asking what he could get for them.

"Two coffees and your famous filet mignon dish please." Reid says, closing the menu and handing it over. Justin narrows his eyes at Reid and hands over his menu as well, nodding at the waiter. He leaves and Reid sighs, Justin raising an eyebrow suspiciously. They sit there for a moment, in silence.

"That's what Iris wanted me to talk to you about..." Reid trails off, his tone hesitant, "She thinks it would be good for August to see Dahlia. It's been 5 years and he's asked about her."

Justin laughs, confirming his suspicion that this is why Reid wanted to get him out of the house. He knew it the moment Reid ordered a coffee for them both, when he doesn't particularly like it, instead of ordering alcohol, which is what he drinks when he wants to unwind.

"In her dreams."

The waiter returns in that moment with their coffee mugs, setting them on the table. He starts to leave before Justin calls out to him.

"Bring me a scotch, neat."

The waiter nods and walks off.

"Justin, I told you I understood. But you shouldn't manifest your hatred for Gus in our sister. She'll be eighteen in a couple yea—"

"You know, for someone who says they understand and 'respect my decision', it doesn't seem like it. I don't care what Iris thinks, or what August wants. Whatever he desires or needs doesn't matter to me anymore. He is in no place to be making requests. I'm doing what's best for our sister. Going to see her oldest brother in jail? No. She won't see him and that's that." Justin says in a stern tone. The waiter comes once more and sets down the glass cup, speed walking away from the heated conversation. Justin takes the cup and swallows a mouthful of the hard liquor, the burn in his throat satisfying.

Reid, looking defeated, yet not surprised, sighs and leans back in his chair. His phone begins to ring and he takes it out of his pocket, checking who it is. He holds a finger up to Justin, rises from the table and walks to the exit, greeting the caller with a Davis. Justin rolls his eyes and takes another swig of the scotch, licking his lips afterwards.

Across the room, he spots a young, blonde woman running around frantically, talking to several waiters and workers. Her hair is done in a tight bun, diamond earrings shining brilliantly. Then, a man approaches her, sliding his arm across her waist, as he kisses her cheek. Justin raises his eyebrows when he realizes that it's Dominic Lane, the owner. He seems to catch Justin's eye and excuses himself from his wife, walking over to Justin.

"Mr. Bieber, so good to see you here tonight."

"Likewise." Justin replies, looking around the room at the formal apparel of the guests and pristine decoration, "Not that the restaurant isn't always beautiful, but what's the occasion?"

Dominic smiles, clasping his hands behind his back, "My parents are visiting from Cuba to see how the restaurant is doing since couldn't make it on opening day. Greta Wilson is also performing."

"Sounds like a great night." Justin comments, holding his glass of scotch up to him before he downs the rest of it. Dominic nods his head, eyes beaming with glee, "Have a drink with me. You know, to toast how well the restaurant's been doing."

"Sounds good to me." Dominic answers, taking a seat in front of Justin. He calls over a waiter, asking him to bring them a bottle of scotch and another glass to make their toast.

⤞

Morgan walks into the kitchen with determination etched on her face. She scans the area, making sure that the appetizers are being prepared and that it's being done efficiently. She walks over to one of the sous chefs and takes a clean spoon from the table, dipping it into the sauce he made. Licking the contents off the spoon, she takes a moment to take in the taste before nodding her head in approval. The sous chef grins proudly and continues with his work.

"Glenn, we need more Croquembouche's out there please." Morgan asks, "Make two more batches." She adds on as she exits the kitchen just as she came. Just as she's leaving, she almost runs into one of her workers, Paul, jumping in surprise.

"Hi, Mrs. Lane. Sorry to scare you but Greta Wilson just called and said she can't perform tonight. She's come down with a cough and wanted to get a hold of you." Paul reads from the notepad in his hand, awaiting her response. Workers walk past them, working diligently to contribute to the good outcome of the night.

"What?!" Morgan asks incredulously, her eyes bulging as a lump begins to form in her throat. She presses a palm to her forehead, looking away from Paul as she contemplates what to do now. Morgan thanks Paul and walks past him, marching through the dining room, scanning for her husband. She spots him sitting in front of Justin Bieber at a table by the window, overlooking the city, clinking glasses as a toast. Hesitation presents itself before she pushes that aside because of the emergent problem that needs to be resolved.

Once she reaches Dominic, she taps him on the shoulder. He turns and smiles happily, his eyes lighting with delight as he takes her hand in his and turns back to Justin.

"Justin, this is my wife, Morgan. Morgan, this is Justin Bieber." Dominic introduces, slinging an arm across her waist and gesturing to her figure.

"Hello, so good to meet you. Thank you for coming." Morgan smiles, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear as she looks away from him and back to Dominic, sucking in her lips, "Can I borrow you for a second?"

Dominic nods and excuses himself, standing from the table. He follows Morgan away from the dining room and to the office. He furrows his eyebrows at her as she closes the door, pressing her back to it and sighing.

"Dom, Greta cancelled. She came down with something and now she's not coming." Morgan confesses, ridding him of his confusion. The doorknob twists and opens, revealing Nicolette. She's wearing tight, black slacks with a silk, black, off the shoulder blouse, paired with black high heels. Morgan gives her a small smile, "Hey, Nicky. Need something?"

"No, sorry. I left my phone in here, I was gonna call the nanny."

"Oh," Morgan replies, turning around and looking for the device, scrunching her eyebrows when she can't spot it. Nicolette begins looking herself and Morgan turns back to Dominic.

"We promised a live performance. A lot of people came tonight just to see Greta perform." Dominic reminds his wife, sighing and thinking of what they could possibly do to fix this issue.

"I know, Dom, but what can we do? The woman is sick." Morgan says before she gasps lightly and clutches Dominic's arm, "I gotta make a phone call. We have to get someone out there in ten minutes for some live music or people are going to be very unhappy. It's a stretch but I may have an idea."

"I'll go with you. Maybe I can work something out." Dominic blurts out, following Morgan out of the office. The door closes abruptly, leaving Nicolette on her own. She runs through the discussion that just occurred right in front of her and lets out a deep breath. Her fingernails tap on the desk as she bites her bottom lip in nervousness.

Suddenly, she spots a device on the desk chair and realizes it's her phone. She grabs it and goes to her contact list, clicking on 'Ace's nanny', her finger hovering over the call button. She hesitates between calling and following Morgan and Dominic. Sighing, she clutches the phone tighter in her hand and leaves the office, closing the door behind her.

In the kitchen, Dominic and Morgan are on two separate phone calls, talking over one another as they try to make a last minute booking for a pianist.

"Uh huh, tonight. Yes, I know it's last minute. No, it's a restaurant." Morgan says to the person on the other end of the phone call, biting her left thumbnail anxiously.

"South King and Pike. Yes. Oh, he's on vacation? That's okay, thank you." Dominic replies, clearly discouraged due to his tone. He hangs up the call and slams the phone down on the counter, rubbing his temples at the complete inconvenience they now have to address and find a solution for. Paul comes into the kitchen, Justin following behind him as Paul gestures toward the owners.

"It seems like there's a problem. Any way I can help?" Justin asks sincerely, slipping his hands into his pockets, looking between the couple. Paul excuses himself and goes back into the dining room to make sure everything is going well, besides the obvious.

Morgan and Dominic look between one another, about to reply to Justin before they hear all the customers in the restaurant begin to cheer. They all furrow their eyebrows and head out into the dining room. Across the room, they see a woman approach the piano, taking a seat at the chair. The room quiets down as the woman takes a deep breath, not looking out towards the crowd.

"I'm sorry boss, I-I don't know—who is that?" Paul stutters, obviously not expecting someone to go up and perform unannounced. Yet, he wasn't the only one surprised.

Morgan smiles as a single note rings in the air, the echo rattling throughout the huge hall. It stays silent for a second before she plays a second note, and then a third. The woman's chestnut brown hair falls down her back beautifully, such elegance in her posture. The woman continues to play the piano, so perfectly that it seemed the keys were dancing to her touch. The keys ring melodically throughout the hall, everyone staying quiet to listen to the notes that were bouncing off the walls. The woman leans into every note she plays, passion evident in how she plays. She knows when to hold the note and when to just press it, the riff flowing with such ease and talent behind it. She exhibited what seemed like a magical touch.

"That's Nicolette." Morgan says at last, tears building up in her eyes as she stands still, not being able to look away from such a surprising, yet pleasant sight. It was the woman she had become best friends with in such a small amount of time. Yet, she hasn't failed to amaze her on how unique and different she is.

"Nicolette? As in..." Justin trails off, his lips parted as he looks back at Nicolette from Morgan. She continues to play the notes, a distinct sound that no one had ever heard before. It wasn't an already published song. By the way she played it, with the passion built up in her heart tingling at her fingertips, the way she not only plays the notes, but let's the notes play her as well...

It was an original.

Justin was struck with awe. He couldn't believe how amazing she was, remembering how she told him that it had been so long since she had played. He spots people in the crowd crying, with their eyes closed as they sway their heads to the song. Everyone has stopped in place, even the workers, to stand and admire her.

Dominic realizes that Morgan is really crying now, sobbing lightly into her hand. He opens his arm and pulls her into his embrace, holding her head against his chest. She clutches his blazer jacket, still not tearing her gaze away from Nicolette.

In a way, Justin sees his own passion mirrored in her. He sees the admiration she has for the piano, the formality she plays with, much like he has.

Exactly like he has.

Beautiful.

And there they all stood, not uttering a word as she plays through the middle and, eventually, the end of her song. Once she's finished, a lot of the people in the dining hall are crying, clapping appreciatively for her. She stands up and bows her head before she turns and walks down the stairs. The claps continue, words such as bellissimo, she's amazing, brilliant, and wow heard from people in the crowd. Morgan spots Nicolette push through people and walk into her office, pulling out of Dominic's embrace and following her. Justin and Dominic are right on her heels, entering the room and closing the door behind them, muffling the cheers from outside.

Nicolette doesn't turn to look at them, but instead continues staring at the wall opposite to the door, her back to them. Her shoulders rise and fall as her breathing becomes heavier and faster. Morgan walks over to her friend and kneels down in front of her, knowing what was going on. All of the attention, the cheers, the loud noises and sudden approaches from people, it's all made her panic.

"Nicky, look at me. You're okay." Morgan reminds her, brushing a piece of hair behind Nicolette's ear. Nicolette's breathing does not let up as she sits hunched over, hands gripping her thighs. Morgan takes her hands in hers, noticing how the skin on her thigh was beginning to turn red at her own grasp. Nicolette either doesn't notice this or doesn't seem to mind, letting Morgan hold her hands.

"Dom, there should be a small bottle in her purse. Pass it to me, please." Morgan asks nicely, looking up at Nicolette and tilting her head up. Dominic finds the bottle and hands it to his wife, who then pops it open and hands Nicolette one pill, along with a bottle of water from the table. Nicolette takes the pill and downs it with a gulp of water, handing the water bottle back to Morgan.

"Nicky, you were amazing out there. The song was beautiful." Morgan praises, to brushing a piece of hair behind Nicolette's ear before holding her hand tightly in her own.

Nicolette doesn't respond, just shakes and nods her head. Justin watches from behind them, observing. He doesn't dare to speak, not understanding what's going on but also surprised at how Morgan seems to be handling the situation. Dominic sighs with his arms crossed over his chest, allowing the two women their moment. He remembers Morgan telling him about Nicolette's episodes and, given the fact she did them the absolute biggest favor tonight, can understand and support her should she ever need anything. Paul enters the room, hesitating at the door when he sees everyone looking down at Nicolette.

"Mr. Lane. There are people who want to see you out here about the performance." Paul says, holding the door open with his foot as he looks between Dominic and Morgan. She looks at him and jerks her head in the direction of the door. He takes it as an okay to leave the room and follows Paul, the door closing behind them. When Justin turns back around, Morgan's holding Nicolette's head to her chest, pressing her cheek to her forehead.

"Here, Nicky. I'll take you home. We can go out through the back so no one sees you." Morgan says, standing up with Nicolette, still holding her close to her. Nicolette nods lazily, hiding her face in Morgan's neck. Justin opens the door as the two woman approach them, allowing them to pass through first, following at a distance. They walk down the hallway, staying away from the guests who might want to approach in them. However, they don't get far enough before a few guests start to walk towards them with smiles on their face and bright eyes.

"Please, I'd love to talk now but—" Morgan starts, before being cut off with praise and compliments directed towards Nicolette. She looks up from Morgan's neck but not a word comes out of her. More people seem to notice that it's the owner's wife and woman who just played the piano and begin coming towards them as well.

"I'll take her home." Justin tells Morgan in her ear, holding onto her forearm softly to get her attention, "You distract these people and lead them away while I go out the back. Let me help."

Morgan eyes him skeptically as she looks down at the terrified Nicolette in her arms. She kisses the top of her head and pulls Nicolette away from her arms and into Justin's. Justin takes off his jacket and wraps it around her head that's pressed to his chest. He hears Morgan's voice beside him before it starts to fade behind him, people moving out of his way to talk to the owner. He has one hand wrapped around her body while the other protects her head. Even though people don't know who she is under the jacket, they still know him and won't be so permissive.

When he finally reaches the back door, he pushes it open with his hand and returns it back to the back of her head. The cool air smacks him in the face as the water droplets begin falling on him. He scans the dark streets, looking for his car. Then, he remembers that he came with his brother, Reid and silently curses. Without any hesitation, he pulls out his phone and clicks on Reid's name in his recent calls, holding it to his ear .

"Hello?"

"Reid. Meet me at the back alley, please."

"I'll be right there."

The call hangs up and Justin puts his phone back in his pocket. He feels Nicolette breathing heavily against him, holding her tighter in response. She shakes profusely, Justin rubbing her back as he scans the area yet again, expecting his brother any second. Just then, a car pulls up right in front of him and a Reid exits the car.

"Justin!" He calls out, not having seen his brother yet. Nicolette jumps at the sudden shout, clutching his button down, long sleeve shirt instinctively.

"That's okay. It's my brother, Reid." Justin whispers to her, slowly walking with her to the car. Reid finally sees them and walks over to Justin, furrowing his eyebrows when he sees the person attached to his brother, their face covered by Justin's jacket. He's about to ask but Justin waves him off, walking past him and to the car. Justin puts Nicolette in the backseat and goes to the driver's seat, getting in and starting up the engine. Just then, Reid's phone starts ringing and, pushing his confusion aside, he answers it.

"Davis." Reid says, his hand on the door handle, "Chief? Yeah. No, I-I'll be right there."

"What happened?" Justin asks as he changes the gearshift from parked to drive. Reid hangs up the phone, runs a hand through his hair, and sighs. He props his forearms on the door.

"Emergency at the station. Drop me off there?"

"Uh...yeah, get in." Justin says, motioning for him to hurry up so he can start driving. Reid opens the door and slouches into the seat, closing the door beside him. He puts his seatbelt on and turns to Justin as he drives off.

"So, who's she?" Reid asks as he checks the messages on his phone. Justin can barely hear Nicolette's shaky breathing from the backseat. In the rear view mirror, he sees her remove his blazer jacket from her face and look around nervously. Her hair is tousled from the trip from the restaurant to the car but she doesn't bother to fix it.

"A friend. She needed help."

Reid looks to her and then back at Justin when realization dawns on him, "Was she the woman that played tonight?"

"Yes." Justin replies, not removing his eyes from the road.

"I managed to catch the second half. You were brilliant, Ms. Beautiful song." Reid says sincerely as he turns around in his seat to look at Nicolette.

"Thank you." She says under her breath, her voice muffled by Justin's jacket that's covering the bottom half of her face. He nods and turns back around. They all sit in silence as they approach the police station. Reid unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out of the car, closing the door behind him.

"I'll see you at home, Juice. Nice to meet you." He says to Nicolette, waving at her with a toothless smile as he pushes himself off of the car and towards the station. Justin waits for him to get to the door before he pulls off the curb and onto the road. Neither of them says a word to each other as Justin drives down the street. He takes his phone out of his pocket and hands it back to Nicolette. She hesitates.

"Password is seven, eight, four, one. Can you put your address in Maps?" Justin says as she takes the phone from his hand. She punches in the numbers and is bombarded with dozens of messages from Instagram, iMessages, and other applications. She ignores these and finds the GPS app and types in her address. Once the route is shown on the screen, she hands Justin back his phone and leans back again.

They continue on the road miles on end, just the distant sound of the car engine and the honking of horns audible beneath the rain.

Nicolette finds herself looking out of the window, reflecting on what she just did at the restaurant. Without even thinking, she went out there, in front of a crowd, and played the piano. Something she thought she would never do again. It's been years since she felt those ivory keys dance beneath her fingers. And there was only one person who could've gotten her to come out of her comfort zone like that.

"My father." Nicolette blurts out suddenly.

"I'm sorry?" Justin asks, shock written all over his expression and tone. He definitely did not expect her to talk to him the entirety of the ride to her home but couldn't say he was disappointed to hear her voice and that she was okay. He had promised Morgan he would get her home safely, even though he had never experienced anything like Nicolette was experiencing now before. He just hopes he doesn't mess anything up.

"My father. I felt him with me as I played." Nicolette says quietly, almost as if she'd gone through a rush. She knows it's there, but she can't seem to fully process it, "There was this, this gust of wind. It's like he was guiding my hands as I touched those keys. I-I can't explain it."

"Your father." Justin says in response, making a swift left turn. He looks at her through the rear view mirror whenever he can, so she knows he's engaged in the conversation, "So he taught you to play?"

"H-He introduced me to it. Used to take me to the play at the Roma Tiburtina station every night when we lived in Italy." Nicolette explains with a smile. He can't remember ever seeing her smile. It was a pretty view, the way her eyes squinted and the dimple on her cheek pronounced itself at the curve of her mouth.

"A-And the song?" Justin asks her as he focuses back on the road. They reach a red light and he eases into the stop.

Nicolette must've been lost in her thoughts because when Justin asks his question, she snaps her head over and thinks about her response, "I um, played it...at my mother's funeral. We wrote it together."

"I'm sorry to hear that. About your mother." Justin apologizes, knowing her pain since he, too, lost his mother. He feels a sudden pang in his heart to think about her again and how much he misses her.

"My mother was a domestic abuser." Nicolette says blatantly. This was a complete shock to Justin, not expecting her to say something like this. She continues with, "That song was really about our freedom from her, not to mourn her death."

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine." Justin says, thinking about what kind of mother would do something like that to her child and husband. The people she was supposed to love and protect. Hearing this from her, his heart jolted with appreciation for his mother. Maybe even his father as well. He was an addict that would do anything for a sniff of cocaine, but he never laid a hand on his children.

"It's what kept us going. Through all the beatings, the insults, the abandonment, the betrayal, the lies. It didn't matter because we had the music. He always used to apologize to me that he couldn't get us our own piano. It's what kept us connected." Nicolette reminisces, clutching the necklace around her neck tightly in her fist, "But my mother never would've allowed us to get one. We had to sneak out of the house to go to the station. And when we got caught, my dad would take the blame. All I could do was watch as my mother beat my father."

"That's...that's terrible. I-And your father never reported the abuse?"

"An immigrant father who barely spoke English? No. He married her to keep us safe. But he did love her. In the beginning anyway." Nicolette explains, remembering how horrible her mother was to her father. All he wanted to do was build a life away from Italy, where things were beginning to get unbearable. Instead, he got an abusive wife that didn't even want their child.

And she's determined to be better for Ace.

Nicolette looks up when they reach the apartment complex. She unbuckles her seatbelt and gets out of the car, closing the door behind her.

"Thank you. For the ride."

"Don't mention it. Goodnight, Nicolette." Justin says with a smile, putting the stick shift back into drive. She begins to walk away before Justin calls out to her again.

"The song was beautiful." Justin blurts out. Nicolette pauses at the sound of his voice and turns around to face him, "And what you did for Morgan and Dominic...they'll never forget it."

Nicolette's heart swells in her chest, thinking about her best friends smile and how she was there for the aftermath of the performance.

"I know I won't." Justin adds on. Nicolette's eyes lift up from her fingers interlaced in front of her to Justin at the words that just left his mouth. He nods his head and drives off, leaving Nicolette standing in the middle of the walkway that leads to the apartment complex. She watches after his car until it disappears behind a corner, sighing. The tingling in her fingertips continues, feeling an immeasurable high at having played after so many years. That was the only thing that could connect her to the happier moments of her life, before Ace was even a thought in her head. Yet, it was the one true thing that made her feel connected to her father, in her heart, which always caused it to ache at having lost him. She bites her bottom lip and smiles, both at the spontaneity of her performance and the lingering sensation of her father's hands on hers. And now, she was going to go see the only thing that made her happier than playing a piano.

Her son.

⤞

A/N

Hi loves! I know this is a super long chapter but there was so much to include here! 10,011 words! That has to be a record of mine.

I hope you guys are enjoying how the story is progressing! I have so many ideas flowing through my head, I can't wait until they all happen! Thanks for keeping up with this story and reading! I appreciate it so much.

Don't forget to vote and inline comment. My DM's are always open for any questions, concerns, or comments!

Love always. ❤️