Consequences (Book 2 In Secrets Trilogy)

Christmas

Karla's POV

"Karla! Karla!" I heard a familiar little girl's voice squeal. I cracked my eyelid open to see Ana standing with someone I hadn't seen in a while.
"HARRY!!!!" I shouted as I jumped out of bed and launched into his muscular arms.
"Hey girlie," he said.
"I missed you Uncle Hazza," I sighed as I breathed in his scent.
"I missed you too," he breathed.
"Karla!" Ana whined from beside me. Hazza and I broke apart, and she jumped in my arms. I hugged her closely to me. I haven't seen her in a while. I let go of her, and she kissed my cheek. I put her down, and she ran to the other side of the room where Rydel was just waking up. I looked behind Hazza at the door to see an unfamiliar blonde man with a brown headed man and a purple haired guy. I backed up against the wall as a man with dark hair comes in the doorway behind the blonde one. I then saw two familiar faces push through the men, and I felt someone hug my legs. I looked down to see Jesse hugging my legs.
"Hey Jesse, hey Carly," I said.
"Hey Karla. Oh! Have you met the boys?" Carly said.
"No I haven't," I replied.
"Well, this is my husband Calum, and this is Ashton, Luke and Michael from 5 Seconds Of Summer," she explained.
"It's nice to meet you," Ashton said as he reached his hand out to shake mine. I pushed it down, and he looked at me weird.
"Lovato's don't shake hands, we hug," Rydel said as we both hugged him. We hugged all four boys, and then Rylin walked into our room. She looked sad. The boys said they were going to meet everyone, and everyone left except Rylin, Rydel and I.
"Rylin, what's wrong? It's Christmas!" Rydel said.
"I've never had a Christmas," Rylin mumbled.
"You've never?! Well then, we're going to make this the best Christmas ever to make up for that," I said as I slung her over my shoulder and ran down the steps. She squealed and beat on my back. Rydel ran behind us laughing as we ran down into the living room where everyone was.
"Put me down Karla Michelle!" Rylin exclaimed in between laughs.
"NEVER!!!!" I threw her down on the couch and started tickling her. She screamed and kept on laughing. Next thing I knew, I was pinned on the ground being tickled. I looked up and saw Dinah. "S-STOP!!!! S-STOP!!!!" I screamed.
"Say I'm your favorite!" Dinah exclaimed. By now, everyone was laughing, River and Carolyn were crying because they laughed so hard.
"Y-you're my favorite!" I yelled. She immediately stopped tickling me. I saw Cher tickling Rylin. Dinah and I shared a look before tackling Cher and tickling her. Someone whistled loudly, and I looked up to see Normani and mom standing above us. Mom was 8 months pregnant, and she looked it. She still looked beautiful as ever though.
"Camila, Elijah, Austin and Ariana Jane are here," mom smirked. I smiled and jumped up quickly to greet them.
"Camila!" I exclaimed. She was holding Ariana Jane's baby carrier, as well as Elijah on her hip. Austin was holding Mark's, his son's, hand. Mark was the boy that had been born by a girl Austin hooked up with 7 years ago. He's a few months younger than Elijah, but they looked just like twins. Mark's mother signed him over to Austin a month ago, a week after Camila had Ariana Jane. I took the baby carrier from Camila so she wouldn't have so much to carry. Both Camila and Austin were carrying presents, so mama and Dinah grabbed some presents to help them out. I carried Ariana Jane into the living room. I pulled back the blanket on her carrier and looked into those large, chocolate brown eyes identical to Camila's.
"You can take her out," Camila's voice said behind me. She had put Elijah down, and him and Mark were now playing with the other little ones, as well as River and Rydel. I pulled Ariana Jane out of her carrier and supported her head as I looked down at her.
"I know I've said this before Camz, but she's so beautiful. She's just like her mom," I said. Camila blushed.
"Thanks Kaki," she said as she sat down beside Iggy and Cher. Both had healed up completely since their mission, so had Elijah and Sofi. I stood up and walked to the back of the house with little Ariana Jane. I looked outside and saw that it was snowing.
"Would you look at that AJ, it's snowing. That doesn't happen often little one," I said softly as I showed AJ the snow. I looked down at her, and she was cooing softly. I let her grab my finger and hold onto it tightly. Even though she's Camila's daughter, I swore then and there that I would do whatever it takes to keep her safe. I walked over to the wall where we had a bunch of family pictures. "Do you see these AJ? This is our family. They're crazy, but you learn to love them," I said. I looked at all the pics, and they were mainly of us kids growing up, family photos, mom and mama at concerts, drawings fans had given them, even Jonah's drawing was still on the wall, had been for 16 years. I started to softly sing a melody to AJ. I finished the melody and looked down at AJ, who had fallen asleep. I turned with AJ in my arms to go back when I see Rylin standing there. "Rylin? What are you doing in here? You should be out there with the rest of them."
"Same for you. Why are you out hear with AJ?" She asked me. I turned towards the pictures.
"I wanted to show her these pictures, as well as the snow outside. She's never seen snow before, I know, so I decided to show her," I explained softly, so as not to wake her.
"Oh. Karla? Can I ask you something?" I turned back to her.
"Anything. What is it Rylin?" I asked her.
"Why does Rydel have a scar on her side?" She asked. I sighed.
"When we were little, about Elijah's age, our real dad, Joe Jonas, came back and cut her with a knife. They were able to stitch it back up, but the damage was already done. She has a scar from that," I explained. I didn't tell her that Joe tried to kidnap us at the same time, but Maddie and Frankie, our caretakers at the time, were able to stop them.
"Oh. Wow," she said. she was looking at AJ.
"You wanna hold her?" I asked. She nodded. I carefully handed AJ to her, as she supported her head like I showed her.
"She looks just like Camila," she said.
"I know. She's beautiful like her momma too," I said.
"Karla? Rydel told me that she's been single for a while. Why does she have two kids then?"
"She was raped by Carter's real dad. Carter was mama's adoptive sister that she adopted. Carter's real dad was mama's adoptive brother before he left her for his parents to care for her. One day we'll tell you our family's story, but when you're a little older."
"Karla, I'm 13."
"I know that, but Carter and Dylan didn't tell Rydel and I any of this until little CB was born. It's hard to understand, but you wouldn't get it until you're older because you haven't experienced enough yet."
"Oh. Karla, are you okay? You've been distant lately," she said. I sighed, Rydel asked me the same thing.
"I'm fine Rylin," I told her. She gave me a look.
"Karla, I'm not dumb. I know how to tell a fake smile from a real one." I was about to say something when Dinah called us.
"Karla! Rylin! Come on, we're doing some songs!" Rylin and I went into the living room, and Austin took AJ to put her in her carrier.
"Austin, you can put her in Jace's crib down the hall if you want to," mama said to him. He nodded before taking her back to the nursery.
"Hey Camz, why don't y'all sing All I Want For Christmas? We haven't heard it in a few years," I suggested.
"Sure Kaki. What do you think girls?" She said. They all muttered a yes before gathering around the piano, where I was. I started to play the music, and Normani started singing. We all finished the song, and then mama got a familiar gleam in her eyes.
"Karla, Rydel! You two should sing one together," she suggested.
"Only if River, Jacob and August sing with us," Rydel said.
"I'll do it," River and Jacob said. We all looked at August.
"No way, I don't sing," he said. Demi, Jazzy and Cat all scoffed.
"Says the one who sings so loud in the shower that the neighbors come and ask if you're okay," Cat said with a laugh. August turned blood red.
"C'mon August, do it for the little ones' first Christmas," I said.
"Oh alright you got me. I'll do it," he gave in.
"What song?" I whispered to them.
"Let's do mum's favorite, White Christmas," River said. I agreed, and so did Rydel, Jacob and August. We all stood in front of the fireplace.
"River&Jacob: I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the tree tops glisten
And children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow" We all move to stand with our families and sing to them.