When they reached Tampa the next day, Lila immediately ran out of the bus and ran around for a good 15 minutes while everything else was being unpacked.
"I'll never know how she gets the energy." Isaac grinned, taking Nick in his arms after getting and distributing all of the keys. He told a bellboy what room his family was staying at, and instructed him to take their luggage up.
"Yeah, really… How many beds are in this room?" Chloe asked, taking Claire out of her car seat.
"Two rooms, adjoining." Isaac informed her, as they stepped into the elevator.
"Hey, Ike! Hold the doors!" Zac yelled, carrying Jordan, as he was called. Isaac put his free arm out, stopping the door so that Zac and Kendall could squeeze in.
Claire immediately started crying, which woke Jordan up. Soon, all three of the babies were crying, while Taylor was laughing.
"Chloe, I think you're raising a claustrophobic kid." Taylor laughed, picking Lila up onto his hip.
"It's not like I adore elevators either, Tay." Chloe kicked Taylor gently on the leg, trying to resist the urge to laugh when the 6' tall man starting jumping up and down with a four year old in his arms.
"Cute Taylor, but not quite." Kendall grinned, taking Jordan from Zac.
"Whatever. That HURT!" Taylor grumbled, finally standing still.
"Baby. I barely even touched you!" Chloe defended herself.
"Who are you calling a baby?" Taylor asked.
"You, Mr. Nacho man." Chloe grinned while Taylor shot her a dirty look.
"And what does that make me, and monkey's uncle?" Taylor asked.
"I don't believe any of the kids like what you're saying about them." Isaac countered.
"Why do you always have to be on her side?" Taylor whined.
"Cause I'm the one that has a share a bed with her every night." Isaac grinned as Taylor laughed.
"I'm not even going to ask." Kendall laughed, giving Jordan back to Zac.
"Not in front of the kids!" Zac exclaimed. Chloe had turned a nice shade of red by this time, and Isaac put his free arm around her, leaning down towards her.
"Well, I do." He whispered. The doors opened, and Kendall walked out first.
"The 21st freakin' floor!?" she exclaimed. "No wonder it took so long!"
"Top floor, best suites." Isaac explained. "First night of the tour. We've got to treat ourselves nicely." Zac nodded in agreement.
"How much are the rooms per night?" Chloe asked. Isaac shrugged.
"That's for us to know and for you pretty ladies to… Never know."
Chloe stuck her tongue out at him just as he opened the door to their particular suite. Chloe almost dropped Claire when she saw the room, or rooms.
"Jesus Ike… I'm not even going to ask what compelled you to get this room…"
Isaac grinned. "Do you like it?"
"Like it? God, I could live forever in this thing!" Chloe smiled as she set Claire down on one of the many beds. "Where's Taylor staying?"
"With us. I made a deal with Zac that they could get a night of privacy if we got the bigger room." Isaac answered.
"There are… Man. A master suite… And a smaller bedroom? Dang Isaac… You've outdone yourself this time." Chloe marveled. There were about ten possible beds, including four pullout couches. Taylor's stuff was in the smaller bedroom, while the two cribs that Isaac had ordered were in the living room, backed up against the wall. Lila had wanted to sleep on a pull out the last time they were a hotel room, so she was going to stay in the larger of the two.
Isaac set Nick down in one of the two cribs, then picked up Claire and put her in the other. Lila was already pulling the cushions off the couch, and Taylor was in his room, unpacking.
"Man Tay, we've got to get you a girlfriend." Isaac grinned, lugging two of the three large suitcases into the master bedroom. Chloe followed suit, grabbing the other.
"It's almost 8. Didn't we say we were going to meet the guys for dinner?" Chloe asked, sitting on a large chair.
"Yeah, good idea. Do me a favor and tell Taylor, will ya? We can drop the kids off at the babysitting place we saw on our way up." Isaac asked. Chloe nodded, wandering off to find Taylor.
"Yo Taylor, we're going down to catch a bite to eat. Do you want to come?" Chloe asked, after finding Taylor scribbling something down in his notebook.
"Yeah, ok… You know what I need?" Taylor asked.
Chloe shook her head. "No, what do you need?"
"A girlfriend. Have any friends you and Kendall could hook me up with?" Taylor asked. Chloe started laughing.
"Taylor, they'd all be either 19 or 20. That's at least 2 years young then you, probably 3."
"So? Look at you and Ike." Taylor pointed out.
Chloe sighed. "That's cause…"
"That's cause what?" Taylor asked.
"That's cause… we were best friends to start out at." Chloe quickly came up with an excuse. Taylor studied her thoughtfully for a second.
"Liar." He accused.
"What's up with you lately, Tay? You've been telling everyone that they were a liar. Me and your own mother…" Chloe told him. He simply shrugged.
"I dunno. In all honesty, I just want someone who will talk to me. Someone who will actually love me for who I am, not what I am. Someone I can be with."
Chloe looked at him for a moment. "Ok, Taylor. I'll get you a girlfriend."
"Promise?" Taylor asked her, hope in his eyes.
"I promise you big teddy bear… Now, get ready, we're leaving NOW." Chloe grinned, walking out of his room and into her's.
"Isaac, you will not believe what I just promised Taylor." Chloe said, stepping in just as Isaac finished changing.
"What, a Harley Davidson?" Isaac joked. Chloe shook her head.
"Nope, a girlfriend."
Isaac laughed. "You aren't going to go cheat on me with younger men, now, are you Clo?"
"Not at all. I have a plan, but I need you and Zac to carry it through…" Chloe told Isaac her plan, watching his smile grow.
The next night at the concert, right before the final song Isaac and Zac put Chloe's plan into action.
"Wow, you guys are looking pretty hot tonight!" Isaac yelled into the mike. He walked over to the drum set where Zac was sitting, looking through the crowd. He pointed to a girl in the middle section who looked to be about Taylor's age who was holding up a simple 'Yo!' sign. She was pretty, Isaac thought, and he nodded.
He stepped back up to the microphone, looking for the girl again. "Hey guys… You know, Taylor here gets pretty lonely all by himself. I had a requested to set him up by an unknown person, and I have decided to follow through with that requested." Isaac glanced over to see the expression on Taylor's face. He almost laughed at the sight of the red, gasping look on his face.
"Ok, now, after almost 2 hours of observation, we have selected a girl to go out with Taylor once. If sparks fly, then let the games begin!" Zac said, grinning.
"The girl with the Yo sign… If you're interested, someone will be by to escort you backstage." Isaac laughed when he saw the expression on the girl's face drop, as if she couldn't believe it. The group then started up their last song, Isaac watching Taylor almost the whole time.
When, at last the final song ended, the girl was gone. The guys did their bows, and they ran behind the curtain where they immediately met their families in the green room.
"Woohoo that was a kick ass concert!" Isaac grinned, kissing Chloe on the forehead.
Chloe winked at Isaac, and then the girl walked into the room. Taylor's jaw dropped when he looked at her, and Isaac quickly shut it for him.
"Hello…" Taylor checked her out, not caring whether or not anyone saw it.
"Taylor!" Chloe grinned, slapping him on the butt. Taylor jumped, then turned around.
"Chloe, you know better then that." Isaac scolded her. Chloe just shrugged, then tended to Claire, who was making a huge fuss.
"Hi, my name's…" Taylor started. The girl interrupted him.
"Taylor. I know." She grinned. "My name's Julie, but everyone calls me Jewel."
"Jewel, as in the singer?" Taylor smiled. Jewel nodded. "Cute."
Kendall let out a laugh, and Taylor looked curiously at her. "Don't mind them, they're just my sisters in law."
"Well excuse us, pretty boy." Chloe mumbled. Taylor and Julie had walked into another corner of the room, talking for a bit. "You know what? I think he's actually making an effort to like her."
Zac nodded. "Yeah, really. Man, is he going to be surprised when we tell him where he's going!"
Kendall laughed. I'm not too sure who thought up this little plan of yours, but I'm sure Taylor appreciates it."
"Thank you." Chloe said. Kendall glanced at Chloe, confused.
"Uhh, Clo? You set these two up?" Kendall asked. Chloe nodded.
"Yup. My idea, I picked the girl. Just don't tell Taylor or else he'd kill me." Chloe grinned. "You guys don't have a meet and greet tonight, do you?"
Isaac nodded. "Unfortunately. We've already checked out, so you…" he paused for a moment, counting. "You 6 can go out into the tour buses."
Chloe laughed. "I always knew you could count up to six!"
"Oh shush." Isaac grinned, picking Nick up. "Come on, I'll help you. These guys look like they're about to pass out, and I'm pretty sure Lila has."
"You mean the 4 year old's sleeping and the infants are awake?" Isaac laughed. "Yo Tay! We could use a little help here!"
Taylor looked up and scowled at Isaac. "What with?"
"We're only three people, and I can't carry Lila, a baby, and an infant bag." Isaac reminded him. Taylor nodded, excusing himself from Julie.
"Well, we're not all Superman." Taylor said, picking Lila up carefully. They five made their way back to the car, carrying various children, bags, and toys. Once they were all settled in, Chloe asked Brian to keep an eye on his nieces and nephew* while the group went through their meet and greet.
"So Taylor, do you like Julie?" Chloe asked as they made their way back. Taylor nodded.
"Yeah, she's cute and she doesn't scream in my face." He responded. Chloe laughed.
"Only the best for you, Tay."
"Cute, Clo." Taylor made his way back to Julie, telling her that they had a meet and greet. They had arranged him to stay one more night and day, in sake of the date they promised him.
That night, everything went fine, except for Claire waking up around 3 am wanting to be fed.
Once they reached Richmond, VA, the crew got to work setting the stage up. They had reached the city around 8 am, due to traffic. This was an in and out show, so they weren't spending the night in the city. Taylor was due at the airport around 4, and if the date had worked out Julie would fly into JFK to tour with them, if she chose.
After the sound check, Chloe and Isaac were elected to meet Taylor at the airport, leaving Zac and Kendall to deal with all four of the kids. Jordan was so tiny that they didn't allow the twins to play with him.
"What gate is he at?" Chloe asked, once inside the Northwest portion of the airport.
"E3." Isaac answered. His flight was delayed by 15 minutes, so when they came to the gate Isaac left to get a few drinks.
Chloe sat down and closed her eyes. The other tour she had been on hadn't been nearly as long, so this year long thing was totally new to her. They had hit close to 80 cities so far, and they were scheduled for 15 more, playing Detroit for the second time and NYC for the third.
When Chloe opened her eyes again, she saw a girl about 15 years old starring at her. "Hello, can I help you?" Chloe asked.
"Are.. Are you Chloe Hanson?" the girl asked with wide eyes. Chloe nodded. The girl started screaming and jumping up and down, then finally after a few moments, she calmed down.
"Oh my god, you are my idol! At first didn't like you cause you took my Isaac away from me, but after a while, I found out that you were such a cool person! Can I have your autograph?" Chloe nearly choked at the question.
"Uhh, sure, I guess. Isaac's around here somewhere, so when he gets back you can have his, also." She took the piece of paper that the girl produced. "What's your name?"
"Nicole." She answered. Chloe smiled as she signed her name, then wrote Nicole a message. She handed the paper back just as Isaac walked up with a Diet Coke and Surge in his hands. He handed the Surge to Chloe, who took it gratefully.
"Oh my god, Isaac! Can I have your autograph?" Nicole asked. "My name's Nicole."
Isaac nodded, winking towards Chloe when he saw her name. He signed his next to hers, then handed it back.
"Thank you!" Nicole grinned, then ran off. Isaac then looked at Chloe, confused.
"Ok, you've never been to any appearances, we've never had our picture taken together… How the Hell did she recognize you?" Isaac grinned, taking a swig of his Diet.
"I have no idea. I was just as confused as you are." Chloe admitted, just as a plane pulled up to the gate.
The two got up in front quickly, and after a few moments, Taylor walked out.
"Hey Tay! Long time no see." Isaac joked. "How did your date go?"
"Good. How was the ride up here?" Taylor asked.
"It was pretty good. A little bumpy and the traffic was terrible, but that's it." Isaac answered.
"Cool." Taylor responded. "Let's go."
The three walked out of the terminal to their awaiting limousine. Taylor immediately got in and walked to the very front, his least favorite spot. He clicked on the TV, looking for a suitable station. He finally found a news station that wasn't playing junk.
"… And in early news, the actor Brad Pitt was found dead in a hotel room early this morning. He apparently overdosed on Heroin, and is now being autopsied." Taylor sucked in his breath.
"Whoa, did you guys hear that?" he asked. Chloe nodded, holding onto Isaac's hand.
"Man… Brad Pitt's dead. That's just… whoa." Isaac stated.
"Did you ever meet him?" Chloe asked quietly. Taylor nodded.
"Yeah… A long time ago." Taylor answered. They stayed silent for a while, then Chloe spoke up.
"Do you guys remember when JFK Jr.'s plane crashed?"
Isaac nodded. "I remember that."
Taylor nodded. "Same here. And when Chris Farley ODed?"
Isaac nodded again. "Mother Theresa, Princess Diana… It makes you realize that they're real human beings, too, with real lives… And that people don't live forever, whatever their status in the world."
Chloe nodded. "It's unreal."
There was silence.
"I hate it when people die." Taylor spoke softly.
Isaac nodded. "I think we all do Tay."
Once they reached the arena, they had to run quickly to the backstage door, considering that there weren't any bodyguards around. A security guard asked for an All Access pass for Chloe, but she had left hers in the green room.
"I'm sorry miss. I can't let you through." He said. Chloe rolled her eyes. Isaac and Taylor were already making their way down the hallway.
"ISAAC!" she yelled. Her voice went unheard, as a few fans tried to grab her. She quickly slapped their hands away, and turned to face towards the guard.
"Listen Mister. You see that man over there that's making his way down the hall?" she pointed. The guard nodded. "Well I sleep with that man, and I have for the past year and a half of my life. My name's Chloe Hanson, and I would like to be able to get through."
The guard looked at her for a moment, deciding whether or not to believe her.
"You want proof?" She asked. The guard nodded. Chloe quickly grabbed her wallet from her back pocket and showed the guard her driver's license. "See?" The guard excepted, then let her through the doors. She sighed with relief, then ran to catch up with Isaac and Taylor.
"Yo, guys! Wait up!" She yelled, running as fast as she could. Once she caught up, Isaac looked at her curiously.
"Where were you?" he asked. Chloe rolled her eyes.
"The damn guard didn't let me through." She explained. Isaac's face hardened.
"Just a second." He ran back down the hallway, then went outside for a moment to talk to the guard. Taylor and Chloe could hear the screaming from where they were. A few moments later, Isaac came back with a look of satisfaction on his face.
"It's all taken care of." He said. Chloe raised her eyebrow.
"Thanks Ike." She said.
"Anytime Babe." He grinned and draped his arm over her shoulder. "I just thought of something. Your father was a great guitar player. Do you play any instruments?"
Chloe looked at him oddly. "You don't know whether or not I play any instruments?"
Isaac nodded. "Believe it or not, I don't."
"Ok then… I play three. Not very well, but I play. You must have seen me playing on the piano before!" Chloe exclaimed. Isaac shook his head.
"Nope… What are the other two?"
"Guess."
"Uhhh. Flute and violin?"
Chloe laughed. "Not in your life. I know Taylor can play both of them."
"Organ and bongos?"
"Piano, organ. There isn't much difference. But you're close with bongos."
"Drums and… Man. You don't play guitar, do you?" Isaac asked.
Chloe clapped. "Give the man a prize!"
"Nah, I already have my prize." Isaac grinned, kissing the top of her forehead. "But seriously. You mustn't have touched a guitar in years!"
Chloe shook her head. "I've played. My guitar is in the twin's room. Jeez… You're not very observant, are you?""
"In a guitar case? I thought that was one of my old ones!" Isaac laughed.
"Hey, Lila's gonna get musical skills and a great voice. Watch out Taylor Hanson!" With the mention of his name, Taylor's head snapped up.
"Huh?" he asked.
Chloe laughed. "Nothing. Man, you've been acting weird since we got here. What's wrong? How did your date go? Did anything happen?"
Taylor shook his head. "It was ok. She kept on shrieking 'Oh my God!', as if I wasn't there at all."
"Opps, sorry little bro." Isaac winced at the thought of someone screaming in his face.
"Yeah, really. That's gotta suck." Chloe patted her brother in law on the back. "Don't sweat it, though. You're just saving yourself for the perfect girl, hopefully."
Taylor sighed. "I wish I had."
Isaac looked at Taylor, surprised. "As far as I knew, you were a virgin when you left us."
"Well, maybe I was." Taylor said. "Could we please drop the subject?" Chloe nodded.
"Of course… Any ways, you know where the stage is. I'm gonna be in the greenroom." With that, Chloe left the two brothers.
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*LOL, BB. I'm sure you'd absolutely love that.