*~*Childhood Friends*~*

Taylor was at home working on an assingment for the Newspaper, her brother Roy was in the front yard and her sister Kate was in the backyard playing with her daugther, Renee. Nick had decided to come by for a visit before leaving again for their tour overseas. They had a week before leaving and he didn't let Taylor know he was already home.

Ever since she had gotten home, she has been non-stop. She had gotten a job for the Tampa Tribune, Roy and Kate had decided to move in with her along with Renee. Kate's marriage to her husband of 10 years ended in divorce and Roy well he just wanted to be near his family. Renee had seen Nick pull up into the driveway and ran to him. Taylor didn't hear him because she was upstairs in her room concentrating on her assignment. " Mommy, look is Nick." she said and ran to give him a hug. " Hey there sweetie, how are you?" he asked. " I'm doing okay. How long are you going to be home? Do you want me to get Aunt Taylor?" looking at him and smiling. " Not right now. I want to talk to your mom and Uncle Roy." he said. " Okay." she said and walked towards them. " Welcome home Nick.When did you get back?" Roy asked. " Late last night. I didn't want to come over so late. I want to ask you guys a question. Well here look at this." he said and handed them a box. Roy took it out and Kate's face just fell and she cried. Roy looked at him and hugged him. " You don't have to ask. You know we all love you and we would be happy to have you in our family." he said. " Our parents wanted this. Everysince you two where little, they had a feeling one day this was coming. So go ask her." Kate said. " I will at the perfect time. Is she home?" he asked. " Yeah, she's up in her room working on a story for the Tampa Tribune. Do you want us to get her?" Kate asked. " Actually remember how I use to do this." he said and took a rock and tapped her window with it.

Taylor heard the tap but ignored it and thought it was Roy, meanwhile Nick noticed that she wasn't opening her window and kept throwing rocks just then Renee joined it. After five rocks, Taylor got out of her chair mad and opened her window. " Renee Megan Johnson stop that now." " But mommy, Nick...." she said then stopped. " Roy, would you stop that I have a deadline and you aren't...." she stopped mid-sentence when she saw how was doing it," Oh my god you're home." she said and ran downstairs. " Hey there." he said and kissed her. " I missed you. When did you get home?" she said. " Late last night. I came over first thing this morning." " I can't believe you are here." " Aunt Taylor, stop kissing him." Renee said. " Why sweetie?" " Because I like him." " Renee, he's alittle too old for you. Let's go inside so Aunt Tay & Nick can have sometime alone."

Roy, Renee and Kate went inside and Tay looked at Nick. He looked down, smiled at her and kissed her as he wrapped his arms around her and their friend Elizabeth hooked the horn at them. " Hey there you two. " " Liz, welcome home." Nick said. " Yeah welcome home. What are you up too?" " Nothing, just organzing the reunion for high school. I see you guys are busy so I will leave you two alone. Tay, call me later." "Alright I will." she said and Liz drove off. " I have a surprise for you, so be ready by seven and wear that midnight blue dress I like." he said and smiled. " Okay, but I wore that to Graduation already. You want me to wear it again?" " Yeah I want you to. So be ready." he said and let go of her. " Hey wait, when did you get a new car?" she asked as they walked towards his Mercedes. " About a month ago." " You didn't tell me. Can I drive it?" she asked smiling at him. " Later. Now I have to go and get some stuff done." kissed her and got into the car.

Later that day Taylor had finally finished her paper, emailed to her Editor and went downstairs were Roy and Kate were in the patio. She had decided to get something to drink first and sat down with them and was smiling.

" What's that smile for?" Roy asked. " I don't know. Do I have to have a reason for smiling?" she asked. " Not really, but its great to see you smiling. What time do you have to be ready?" Kate asked. Before she answered that, the door bell rang and Roy went to answer it. " Can I help you?" he asked. " I have a delievery for Taylor Sanford, sign here." he said and Roy did. The delievery guy handed Roy two dozen of red and white roses. He knew it was from. " Who was that?" Taylor asked. " A delievery for Taylor Sanford." he said and handed her the flowers. " Ohh my god. They are so beautiful.

I wonder who they are from." she said and read the card," Tay, This is just the beginning. Can't wait until tonight. Love Nick." " Ohh how beautiful. Tay its already four you need to get ready. Let me put those in a vase." Kate said. " Alright." she said and headed upstairs.

While getting ready she was wondering what Nick was playing and decided to put a CD it. The CD she popped in was their first album and put " I'll Never Break Your Heart " on repeat. While she was getting ready, Kate had came in and was watching her little sister get ready for what is to be the most memorable night. " Hey can I talk to you?" she asked. " Yeah, if you curl this part of my hair." Tay gave Kate the curling iron.

While curling her hair Kate looked at her sister and smiled. She then looked at the picture of her & Nick from the age of five to the recent picture they look at a friend's wedding where she was Maid of Honor. She remembered when they were little how much fun they were having with BJ and how much they all liked being together and called themselves the three muskateers.

She then looked at her mirror and saw the picture of the three of them before BJ left for Los Angeles. Kate looked at her sister and a tear came to her eyes. " Kate, what's wrong?" she asked. " Nothing. Its just helping you get ready I remember how much mom wanted to be here when you got ready. Especially when it came to Nick. Mom, always had this feeling you two would be together. Now she can rest in peace and realize its coming true. Look at you, all grown up, turned into a beautiful lady with a College Degree in Journalism and you have a guy who loves you. Mom would be proud of you." " So would dad. We are all proud of you and we love you. Just remember we are all here for you no matter what." Roy said and smiled at her. " You guys are making me cry." she said and wiped her tears away. " Well its true.We are all proud of you." " I know, but I have an hour before he gets here. Kate, I am borrowing mom's earring dad gave her last year for Christmas. " " You don't have to ask me or tell me. " she hugged her and left the room along with Roy.

About an hour later Nick had shown up while Tay was still upstairs playing Renee in her room. He rang the door bell while fixing his tie. While he was waiting Roy answered the door. " Well don;t you look handsome tonight." " Thanks. Uhh, Roy can we talk?" " Sure. What's up?" " I want to ask Tay for her hand in marriage. Can I have you blessing?" " Nick, like I said earlier today you don't have to ask us. Are you nervous?" " Yeah I am..What if she says no. I don't want to leave her alone making the wedding plans." " I don't think she'll say no. My sister had a crush on you since you guys were five and now her dreams are coming true because of you.This is the first time since our parents have died I've seen Tay this happy and it's great seeing her smile..." he was interrupted when Kate came outside. " You know he's right. Whenever she talks to you or is with you she is happy. You are the bright that she sees at the end of the day, you always have her laughing,smiling and mostly importantly you are giving her something my parents wanted. That is love and affection. Remember when you we first moved in, Tay was overweight and everyone was making fun of her, but you didn't, you stopped to get to know her. That same night at dinner, she was bragging about you, about how you were nice. That was when our parents decided to get to know your family. That was the night they knew something special was there." " So have fun and don't worry about getting her home at any certain time. We know you don't have too much time before you leave. Let me get her." he said and they walked back inside. When they got in Roy called her from downstair. " Taylor Sanford your date is here." he said sounding like their dad. " Geez, you sounded like dad." she said coming from her room. Taylor came down the stairs with her hair curly, light make up and the dress Nick asked her to wear. She looked at him and smiled. " WOW!!!" " Pick your mouth up." she said and hugged him. " I can't help it. You look beautiful. Are you ready?" he asked. " Of course. So where are we going?" she asked. " Somewhere."

About 15 minutes later, they had drove up to his house and this was the first time Tay was going to be there. " Ohh wow, Nick you have such a beautiful house. Do you live here alone? Ohh look you still have Mickey." she said and the pug came up to her." " Well hopefully I won't be living alone. Yes I do have Mickey. Come on." " Where are we going?" she asked him. " Here cover your eyes." he said and grabbed her right hand. " Okay." she said and trusted him with all her life. He led her through the living room, through the kitchen and into the patio where she heard the ocean and there was a light breeze. " Ohh Wow I hear the ocean. Can I open my eyes?" she asked him. " Okay, Im letting go." Nick let go and she was surprised. " Ohh My god. Its beautiful." she said. Tay opened her eyes to a romantic setting, on his patio, Nick had set up a romantic dinner for two, with candles, the ocean playing as their music and the moon shining bright. She looked at him and smiled. " All this for what?" she asked. " You'll see. Now my lady lets have a seat and enjoy the evening."he said and pulled out the chair for her. " Well thank you." she said and before sitting down kissed him.

During the evening they were talking and having fun. Tay had noticed his eyes had been shining from the moonlight and the candles. She had realized she could get lost in eyes forever and just wanted to be in his arms. Tay had remembered the last time she saw him, the last time they all hung up and how much she had a huge crush on him while growing up.

She was there when Nick had been trying to perform while they were little kids.He had the music talent and she had the nack for writing. Everyone predicted that both Carter & Sanford kids would go on to something big . Nick, Aaron, Leslie were in the music business, while BJ and Angel were trying to model.

Meanwhile the Sanford kids were also big. Roy had relocated his law practice to Orlando, while Kate had decided to go into business with him, Holly was in New York working on Wall Street and Taylor just graduated from College but was also making a name for herself. She was pickign at her dinner and smiled. " Hey what's that smile for?" he asked. " Uhh. I'm sorry, I just remembering something. So Mr. Carter what's next?" she asked. " Let's take a walk along the beach." he said and grabbed her hand. " Okay." she said and took his hand. As they were walking along the beach Tay smiled and looked at him. She couldn't believe this was happening. Then out of the blue Nick stopped and looked into her eyes. " What?" she asked. " I want to ask you something. Tay, eversince we got together, our lives have been different. You have been the light in the my darks days, you have been my inspiration when the nights and days are long and hearing your voice when I call makes me at ease. I think about coming home to you when I'm on the road. Everyone we grew up with had a prediction that we were meant to be and I think they are right. So I'm asking you this. (gets down on one knee) Taylor Ryan Sanford will do me the honors in marrying me?" he asked. " Of course I would love to marry you." she said. Nick placed the ring on her finger and kissed her under the moonlight. She looked at him and smiled and hugged him.