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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Chapter One-Hundred-Five



Meanwhile, at the Orphanage, It's around ten thirty at night and Doctor Johnson and the other caregivers had just gotten all of the children in bed, though he is a little worried because it was way too easy of a task. He turned to Jennifer - one of the caregivers then, and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow.



"What?" She asked him curiously.



"That was way too easy. Does Brooke usually have it that easy when getting them all to go to their rooms for the night?"



"Not really....there are usually a couple of back talkers, but eventually she gets them all to do as they're told. There aren't very many of those though, because Brooke is really good at what she does. They respect her and know she won't tolerate any rebellions. Your a good substitute, you did a good job. You should be proud of yourself," Jennifer explained, smiling at him. Doctor Johnson chuckled.



"Yeah...well...I expected it to be a little challenging the first couple of nights. I'm usually their Doctor, not the Orphanage Headmaster. They were just way too good for me...it's not right." Jennifer laughed.



"Consider yourself lucky and go relax. Your job is done for the night Doctor J. The caregivers will keep an eye on their assigned children and if any trouble should arise - which isn't likely, we'll let you know."



"Well, my job isn't completely done for the evening....I need to call my brother and then go and check things out in the Hospital wing - I just hope I'll be able to manage two places at once. I hope no emergencies go on over there this week."



"Yeah, that's going to be a little tough....just know that I'm here to help. I'll be your Riley for the week." Jennifer offered.



"Your a caregiver though. Are you sure you can take on Riley's responsibilities? She doesn't just take care of one kid, she sort of looks out for them all. She's like the mother hen of the place."



"My kid is six years old. He spends most of his day playing with his friends and I hardly ever see him unless he comes to me for something. I check up on him every hour. Trust me, if you need help i'm here."



"Well thanks, I appreciate it." Doctor Johnson replied, smiling at her some and he pulled her into a short hug. When the two of them pulled apart, he pulled out his cell phone. "Anyway, like I said, I need to give my brother a call to see when he's getting here."



"Cool, cool. I better go make sure Chris is in bed." Jennifer replied. Doctor Johnson nodded, put his phone to his ear and walked away. Jennifer stood there watching him for a few moments, then she smiled a little and headed toward the elevator. When Jennifer got upstairs, she went down the hall to Chris' room. When she walked in she found him lying across his bed moodily throwing a ball at a wall and then catching it as it bounces back.



"Christopher...." Jennifer frowned. "I believe I asked you to get in bed with the light off - not play wall ball."



"I don't want to. I'm not tired." Jennifer sighed, and then went over and grabbed the ball before it bounced back at him. He glared at her and she dropped the ball to the floor.



"Come on now...stop moping around. Josh is only going to be gone for a week then he'll be back."



"He could've taken me with him. But no-ooo he doesn't think about his best friend anymore, does he? He's got himself a new one now."



"Maybe he didn't have a choice. Maybe Brian wanted it to be just family." Jennifer tried to reason.



"But Sarah got to go and she isn't family."



"Nick had no choice but to take her. He is her caregiver. If he left her here she would've been all alone."



"Somebody could've replaced him for awhile."



"Sarah won't be with anybody else."



"Yeah. Because she's a baby."



"Alright that is enough. It's bedtime - now."



"Hmm. How about no?" Chris shot back.



"If you don't do as you are told you can forget about leaving your room tomorrow."



"So what? It's not like I have a friend to play with anyway, now do I?"



"And there will be no x-box or toys either." Chris shrugged and rolled over on his bed so that he was facing the wall. Jennifer stood there a moment, giving him a chance to change his mind. When he didn't, she shrugged. "Alright, suit yourself. Your grounded to this room tomorrow. I will bring your food up to you." she told him, and she walked out of the room shutting the door behind her. Chris rolled his eyes and leaned over and gathered his ball up again and he turned to that same wall he was throwing it at earlier, and contined to sulk over a game of wall ball. Nobody is in the room that shares the wall next door. Cause that is his so-called best friend's room.


~*~*~*~*~*~


Meanwhile, in Kentucky, When Nick and Ashley finished taking their shower the two of them got out and got dressed. Nick wearing just his shorts, and Ashley a tanktop and some of his boxer shorts. Nick chuckled as he walked out of the bathroom to see her wearing them.


"Why are you wearing mine? You have your own."


"Cause...you have cool spiderman boxers - I don't," Ashley insisted. Nick rolled his eyes grinning and he went over and took her hand into his, before bringing her downstairs with him. When they got down there everybody turned their heads to look at them and Kevin raised his eyebrow, as he noticed both of their hair was wet.


"Hey you two - nice of you to finally join us," Brian teased. "What were you up to up there?"


"We sat around and talked, and then we took turns taking showers." Nick answered, shrugging his shoulders.


"Then how come both of our hair was wet? The one who got in the shower first should have dry hair by now, shouldnt they? You two were up there long enough." Kevin replied, and Nick looked around at him to see that he is staring at him with a knowing look.


"Kevin..." Ann spoke up in a lecturing tone.


"What? I was just curious," Kevin replied, shrugging his shoulders.


"Leave Nick alone. We've talked about this." Nick heard her whisper into Kevin's ear. Nick grinned in satisfaction, as he is glad that he told on Kevin earlier. With Ann here, maybe she will be able to keep him off his back. That would be great if Kevin would just leave him alone. He wrapped his arm around Ashley's waist and brought her into the kitchen with him so that the two of them could get sodas and a concerned Brian followed them in there - if Kevin can't interrogate - he will.


"You know Nick, Kev brings up a good question."


"Not you too, I already have Kevin breathing down my neck, please dont you start too." Nick groaned.


"I'm not breathing down your neck Nick, I'm just being the best friend that I am and making sure that you aren't doing anything stupid behind our backs."


"Well i'm not, okay?" Nick asked irritably.


"Well showering together is borderline to doing something stupid if you ask me."


"I didnt ask you, now did I?"


"Nick I am just looking out for you there is no need to bite my head off."


"Well don't."


"Your my little brother, it's my job."


"Well get a new job then." Brian sighed heavily then, and rubbed his temples.


"Nick..." Nick was growing very angry and upset by now. He rounded on Brain then who stepped back a little.


"I'm NOT stupid Brian!"


"I never said that you were!" Brian replied, a bewildered look on his face. "I'm just worried about you doing something stupid. There is a differance."


"Well I'm NOT. Okay? Is that what you needed to hear? I'm not having sex with Ashley behind everyone's back! Not that it's any of your business, but yes we do shower together. But as far as we've gone is making out - THAT'S it. That's all she will let me do with her! Okay? So just relax and leave me the fuck alone! ALL of you!"


"What do you mean that's all she'll let you do? You mean you've TRIED to do other stuff?"


"NO! We just talk to each other okay? She tells me what's okay and what's not and I obey because I don't want to do anything that would hurt her - ever!"


"Nick I just -"


"-NO Brian! I am not a fucking baby and I would appreciate it if you, Kevin, and everybody else would stop treating me like one! I know what I can and cannot do, I know the concequences if I ever fucked up! So PLEASE just get off my back ALL of you!" Nick shouted, and with that he turned and stormed off toward the backyard, slamming the door hard behind him. Brian groaned and looked at Ashley who was now sitting on the floor, her back up against the island as she drew her legs to her chest and she looked at Brian a little upset. Brian went over and sat next to her and he went to pull her into a hug, but Ashley glared at him and scooted away.


"Ashley I -"


"I thought you would always be the one who understood." Ashley snapped. "But I guess I was wrong. Nick has never once tried anything on me - he respects me. You should know that if he ever did I wouldn't trust him the way that I do. He is also your best friend - you are supposed to trust him." She told him, and she got up and walked out to the backyard to be with Nick. Brian sighed as he watched her leave. He knows when Ashley is pissed off at him it's pretty serious. He just hopes he doesnt lose her trust - he likes it that he was one of the first people who gained her trust after Nick. When Ashley got outside she looked around and became slightly worried when she didn't see Nick anywhere.


"...Nicky?"


"I'm right here baby," Nick answered, stepping out of the shadow that he was in as he sensed the panic in her voice. She whirled around and looked at him to see that he's been crying. She went over to him and slid her arms around his waist and she rested her head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her in return as he kissed the top of her head. "Honey what are you doing out here? It's cold..." He questioned, as he had barely touched her leg and felt that it was cold.


"I couldn't leave you out here all upset and alone."


"Sure you could if it meant you not catching a cold. Baby go inside...i'll be fine."


"If I catch a cold then you will too," Ashley informed him as she rubbed her hand over his chest. "Your half naked out here." Nick didn't reply, he only took her hand and brought her over to the loveseat swing that is out in the garden, and he grabbed the folded up blanket on there and sat down on it, before gently pulling her next to him. She drew her legs in, turned and faced him, and she rested her head against his shoulder as he wrapped the blanket around them both.


"Your lucky Jackie and Harold like to sit out here at night sometimes and look up at the stars." Ashley looked up at the sky, and sure enough thousands of glowing stars could be seen up in the sky, which pleases Ashley very much. Unlike in Florida, there is hardly any lights in this area of Kentucky, so the stars are easy to see. The two of them sat there silently for a couple of moments, than Ashley looked up at Nick, causing him to look down at her as her head still rested against his shoulder, and she reached up and lazily played with his hair.


"If it makes you feel any better, before I came out here I put Brian on a guilt trip." Nick couldn't help but chuckle a little.


"He must be feeling like shit then, because you are good at making people feel guilty."


"I'm not on his side or anything...i'm rather pissed off at him myself, but you do know that they just care about you right? They don't want to see anything bad happen to you."


"Yes I know...I guess it just kind of got to me is all. Kevin's been on my case since we the beginning of our relationship, and I always knew I could count on Brian to not treat me like a little kid...or at least I thought I could."


"Don't worry about it Nicky...we know the truth. I trust you."


"And that's all that matters," Nick replied, as he gently rubbed his hands over her legs, trying to warm them up. "Your trust means a lot to me...I worked hard for it. I would never do anything to lose it." Ashley smiled up at him, and caressed his cheek with her finger as she stared into his eyes.


"I love you Nicky."


"I love you too baby girl," he replied, and he leaned down and lightly brushed his lips over hers, as she kept her head rested against his shoulder and she kissed him back. When he pulled away, the two of them continued to look up at the stars together. After a long while they heard the door to the house open. Ashley looked back over Nick's shoulder and saw Brian walking out of the house, and she looked up at Nick, before wrapping her arms around him even tighter. Nick noticed him come up beside the swing in the corner of his eye, though he didnt fully look at him. He only rested his chin ontop of Ashley's head before continuing to look up at the stars.


"It's beautiful up here isn't it...you wouldnt get a sky like this in Florida," Brian commented casually.


"Yeah, and we're kind of enjoying it. So do you mind?" Nick asked indifferently.


"No, go ahead." Brian replied, shrugging his shoulders and ignoring what Nick really meant.


"I wasn't asking you for permission. Though I guess I probably should, since i'm a baby and all..." Nick commented, and he turned his head and really looked at Brian for the first time. "What'd you come out here for? To tell me it's past my bedtime?"


"No, but now that you mention it, it is about time for Dakota's."


"Oh, so now you are telling me how to raise my daughter too?" Brian rolled his eyes.


"I never thought that you were a baby Nick, but you sure are acting like one right now."


"Well if I'm going to get treated like one I might as well act like one, right?"


"I wasn't trying to treat you like a baby. I was trying to be a concerned best friend - i'm sorry. Would you like me to just not care about you anymore and let you screw up?"


"I wasn't screwing up in the first place. I know what I'm doing. I just wish everybody would get off my back and stop treating me like i'm five! Is that too much to ask for?"


"Yeah you sure act like you know what your doing." Brian replied sarcastically.


"It was just a shower! That is all! Shower and making out! GET over it!"


"Yes but you two are so passionately in love, what if you get so caught up in the moment that you can't stop, Nick?"


"That's not going to happen!"


"What if you get so into the moment that you suddenly want more and you go further then you had planned?" Brian continued, ignoring what Nick had said.


"Are you NOT listening to me?!" Nick suddenly shouted, pulling away from Ashley so he doesnt accidentally hurt her in the middle of his rage. "I SAID it's not going to happen! We've been doing this since the beginning of our relationship and we haven't gone any further then making out! We haven't even wanted to - well okay, I do, but I know better! I know it's worth waiting for!"


"Thats exactly it Nick, you want to! And when you get caught up in the moment you lose your mind in the process! What if you can't stop yourself?"


"Then I will stop him," Ashley spoke up for the first time, and she looked at Brian with a slightly angry expression on her face. "I'm nowhere near ready for that and he knows it. If he does something I dont like I'll stop him."


"But he's stronger and may not hear you and might listen to his dick instead."


"I can't believe that you would even think that about me, Brian! You are supposed to be my best friend!" Nick yelled as tears clouded up in his eyes and Ashley rubbed her hand over his arm as she glared at Brian, not believing he'd say such a thing either. "I mean you are basically suggesting that I would rape her!"


"No I'm not, I'm just-"


"I'll have you know that I would NEVER do anything to hurt her! I thought you knew that!" Nick interrupted, and he stood up and got in Brian's face. Brian backed up a bit, a little scared that Nick is going to beat him to a bloody pulp.


"Nicky don't!" Ashley pleaded, and she got up and took his hand. He looked at her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he glared at Brian. "I love her with all of my heart and respect her and of course I would hear her if she told me to stop! I am your best friend and I thought YOU of all people would trust me!" He told him, and he gently squeezed Ashley's hand, before leading her toward the house.


"Nick, wait, stop! I do turst you it's just that -"


"I have heard enough Brian! As of now you and I are NO longer friends!" Nick yelled, and he went into the house and slammed the door shut. When they got in there he took Ashley into the living room and he looked at Dakota.


"Kota baby, come on upstairs it's time to get ready for bed." He told her, and he went over and scooped her up into his arms. Ashley went over to Sarah and picked her up also.


"But daddy I don'ts wanna go to bed. I want to waits up for Uncle Aaron! Please?"


"You can wait up for him, but you still need to get in bed with the lights off - you can pick a movie for you and Sarah to watch."


"But where is Uncle Brian? He was supposeds to read me a book," Dakota whined somewhat. Nick started to open his mouth to say 'he is not your uncle, and we're no longer associating with him anymore' but Ashley knowing exactly what he was going to say before he even said it grabbed his hand and squeezed it.


"Nick!" He looked at her and she gave him a warning look. Nick sighed heavily.


"Brian is rather busy right now honey. Maybe he will read you a book some other time." He told her, though he knows thats not going to happen. He doesn't want her anywhere near that asshole. Dakota frowned.


"But daddy...I wants Uncle Brian" Nick opened his mouth to talk again, but Ashley once again cut him off.


"Why dont you go upstairs with your daddy and get ready for bed and I will go outside and see if he will come in and read you a story." She suggested. Nick gave Ashley a look and Ashley gave him one right back.


"K..." Dakota replied softly, coming close to tears. She loves her Uncle Brian and it seems like her daddy is trying to keep her away from him and she does not like it. She knows Brian would come in and read to her if she asked, and she knows he knows it too. Ashley handed Sarah over to Nick too and turned and went toward the backyard again and Nick rolled his eyes and took the girls upstairs to get ready for bed. Everybody else exchanged confused and worried looks.


"What the hell..." AJ was the first to speak when they knew Nick was out of earshot.


"I don't know...Brian was supposed to go out there and make everything better, but it seems like he's only made it worse." Kevin replied, shrugging his shoulders. When Ashley got outside she found Brian now leaning up against the railing to the back porch and staring up at the sky. He turned and looked at her as she came outside though, and she can see the tear streaks running down his cheeks.


"I think I made a very big mistake Ashley..." He spoke softly.


"No-ooo you don't say," Ashley replied sarcastically and rolling her eyes. Brian turned and gently took Ashley's arms into his hands so she is facing him and he looked into her eyes with the kindness that she loves so much.


"I didn't mean it the way it sounded honey, you have to believe me."


"I'm not the one you need to convince Brian, It's Nick you need to convince. You've really hurt him."


"I know...I just dont know how to do that - every time I open my mouth I just keep saying more bad things."


"How about you just tell him that you are sorry, you love him, and you trust him and could never think he'd hurt me that way ever? You do trust him right?"


"Yes, I do. He's just my best friend and I dont want to see him screw up."


"He's not going to screw up Bri...trust me. He knows what he's doing."


"How do you know honey? When you get caught up in the moment it's hard to stop."


"Because...we're waiting until my birthday," Ashley revealed finally, and she looked up at him with a serious look in her eyes.


"What?"


"He's promised me that he would wait until I turn eighteen. And Nick never breaks his promises to me....he says he's going to make it special for me...so that it will seem like I've lost my virgenity for the first time...the way I should have."


"Oh..." Brian replied softly, and he pulled away from her and looked down at the ground.


"And for the record Brian...Nick would listen to me in a heartbeat if I asked him to stop...because I've had to before and the moment I did he felt really bad and pulled far away from me and wouldn't come near me until I convinced him that it's okay. He respects me. He's been nothing but gentle with me and we talk to each other every day. I tell him what I want and don't want and like he said before, he obeys. He's my best friend."


"I'm really sorry...can you forgive me?"


"What do you think Brian?" Ashley asked softly, and she took his hand and gently pulled him into a hug. Brian smiled a little and hugged her back. "But it's Nick you really need to apologize to. Like I said hes really hurt....and Kota's suffering too because of it."


"What do you mean?" Brian asked, raising his eyebrow.


"Nick's trying to keep you away from her. She said you were supposed to come read to her, but he told her you were busy and she got upset so I told her Id come see if you'd go in and read to her."


"Of course I will...how can he do that to her? This is between me and him, he can't bring a four year old in the middle of it - especially when it's her favorite uncle."


"Exactly...and dont worry I didn't let him." Brian shook his head and he turned and went inside, and Ashley followed him.