Chapter One-Hundred-Nine
The next day around ten thirty in the morning, Nick opened his eyes and turned to look behind him only to discover that Ashley and Sarah are no longer lying there. Nick raised his eyebrow in confusion. This has definitely never happened before. He lay there for a few moments, and than he crawled out of bed and pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt, before leaving the room and going downstairs. When he did he smelled the aroma of breakfast - must be Jackie's cooking again. He went to the kitchen door, pushed it open, and walked inside only to find that it wasn't Jackie who was cooking, but Brian instead. Jackie wasn't even anywhere insight, and neither was Harold either. It's just Brian, Dakota, Josh, Ellie, Ashley, and Sarah. The puppies are also in there - Ashley is holding Abbie, and Dakota is sitting on the floor by Brian's feet with Lily in her lap as she held on tight to Brian's pantleg. Elenore is sitting next to Dakota playing with Lil Rok, and Josh is at the table with Chance lying under his chair resting. Everybody else seemed to be gone - how Kevin managed to get Ellie to stay there without him, is a mystery to him. Brian turned and looked at him as he heard the door open and he gave him a cheerful grin.
"Morning Frack!" He greeted him as if nothing is wrong in the least bit. "Make yourself comfortable at the table because I am making your favorite breakfast." Nick surveyed the breakfast that Brian is cooking and realized that sure enough, he was indeed making his favorite. French Toast, scambled eggs, and bacon. Nick raised his eyebrow but went and sat down at the table next to Ashley nonethelees. He turned so that he is facing her.
"Hi," he greeted her cautiously, hoping she isn't still mad at him. She turned to face him also and took his hands into hers. She laced them together and brought them up and kissed the backs of them. Nick smiled at her and placed his hand to her cheek as he leaned forward and brushed his lips softly against hers. "I woke up and you weren't lying next to me this morning....it was a little weird."
"You had a rough night...I knew you would want to sleep in," Ashley replied softly. Nick kissed her one more time, and then he turned and looked at Dakota who had not budged one bit to come and say good morning to him. Though, he doesn't really blame her...but still. That isn't normal either. Nick got up then and he went over and sat next to her on the floor and he scooped her up in his arms. Dakota made a whimpering sound as she tried to pull herself away from him and get hold of Brian again, but Nick held her tight. Elenore glared at him.
"Why dont's you leaves her alone? You've upset her enough!" she snapped somewhat.
"Kota please...just hear daddy out okay? please..." Nick pleaded.
"Not until you tell me your nots going to take me away from Brian!" Dakota demanded, and she managed to reach out for his pantleg again. She needs to have a hold of it for comfort.
"I'm not going to take you away from Brian. I was never going to okay?" Nick asked gently. Dakota looked up at him tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Then why dids you say so?"
"Because people say things that they dont mean when they are upset." Nick explained gently. "And if you let me....I want to talk to you okay?"
"Kay...." Dakota replied softly, and she wiped her tears away.
"I want to take you upstairs with me...not away from Brian, just upstairs for a little bit. He will be right down here the whole time I promise." Dakota looked up at Brian skeptically to find he was already looking down at her. He crouched down to her height and rubbed his hand gently over her cheek.
"Go talk to him baby. He's right...I will be right here making breakfast the whole time."
"Kay..." Dakota handed Lily over to Elenore, than she allowed Nick to get up and carry her out of the kitchen. When he did he brought her upstairs to their bedroom and he shut the door behind them, before going over and sitting on the bed with her cradled in his lap.
"I just want to tell you that i'm sorry Kota...okay? I'm really sorry. I know I haven't been the best father lately....I know i've made a lot of mistakes, but i'm sorry. I was never planning on taking you away from Brian...I would never do that to you...it was just something that was said to Brian out of anger - it was meant for Brian's ears only...I guess I shouldn't have underestimated your hearing last night. You should never have heard what was said between us outside that door."
"Why were you an' Brian fightin'?" Dakota questioned while looking up at him as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"For adult reasons that you don't need to be worrying about okay?"
"Are you gonna make up?"
"Eventually...as you can see Brian is trying his very hardest....but i'm not quite ready to be done being mad just yet. He will always be my friend, he will always be like an uncle to you, and he was right about what he said last night. He knows deep down inside that I love him...nothing is going to change that. Okay?"
"You promise?" Dakota sniffled, and Nick leaned down and placed his forehead against hers.
"I promise." Dakota smiled up at him slightly and he hugged her tight and kissed her forehead softly. "I love you very much Kota...and I want to make up for hurting you so badly this past....well, month. After we go on our walk later with Brian and Kevin how about we go to the mall and I buy you a toy of your choice? Would you like that? and how about some ice cream too?"
"Just us?" Dakota asked, suddenly becoming excited.
"Just us...I'll leave Ashley and Sarah with Brian and Laney. Ashley and I were talking about you last night...discussing how I should handle this whole jealousy situation of yours, and Ashley suggests that I should set aside some daddy and Kota time every single day for a few hours...and nobody would be allowed to interrupt me the whole time I am with you. Does that sound good to you?" Dakota smiled up at him and she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
"Id like that so much daddy!" Nick grinned and hugged her tightly as he rubbed his hand over her back. "I love you daddy."
"I love you too honey....and I promise you I won't hurt you ever again....at least not intentionally." Dakota snuggled into him, happy that she had made up with him. She doesn't like being upset with him. "I want you to know though...when we get back to the Orphanage I am eventually going to start paying more attention to other kids again....and a lot of attention to Sarah. They are going to be playing with your daddy too and I need you to be okay with this baby...because it's my job. It's not going to make me love you any less. You will always be my little girl, and I will pay the same amount of attention with you as I do of them - we'll always have our daddy daughter time. Will that be enough for you?"
"I don't like to share you daddy..." Dakota admitted softly.
"I know honey but you need to try for me...because not only is it my job, but you are also getting to be a big girl...and big girls share with their friends."
"I dont's wanna be a big girl. I wanna be your little girl forever." Dakota insisted stubbornly. Nick chuckled.
"Well...I want you to be my little girl forever too, but whether we like it or not, your going to grow up its not something we can control." Nick explained, and Dakota pouted, her lower lip sticking out and all. Nick smirked and kissed her forehead.
"Anyway...Brian's cooking is starting to smell good all the way up here....it must be almost done. We should go down there and check it out."
"Uh-huhs!" Dakota replied, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he stood up with her. He went to the door and opened it and just as he did he found Elenore standing there holding her ear. Nick laughed and Dakota just smiled.
"Come here you little eavesdropper," he told her, and he scooped her up into his arms as well, kissed her cheek and began to take both giggling girls downstairs.
"Daddy you never gaves us a prize for winning the quiet game yesterday," Dakota announced.
"Oh yeah, that's right. Well how about you pick something out for you and Ellie both while we are at the mall, hmm?"
"A prize for both of us, and a make up present for me?" Dakota double checked. Nick chuckled and placed his nose to hers, giving her an eskimo's kiss.
"Yes, yes." Dakota grinned widely as the three of them made their way downstairs. When the walked into the kitchen everybody looked at them. Dakota slid down from Nick's arms and she ran over to Brian. she reached up for him and he took the hint and scooped her up into his arms.
"Everything okay baby?"
"Mm hmm," Dakota answered, and then she began to whisper quietly in his ear.
"Daddy says he will always love you, you will always be my uncle, an' you will always be his best friend. But he's not ready to stop bein' mad yets."
"Dakota Ann! What are you whispering about over there?" Nick suddenly asked, smiling some as he was sitting down in his chair with Ashley again.
"Nothing daddy, I was just tellin' him what you likes on your french toast." Brian smirked.
"Thanks for that information honey, I will take care of it." Nick shook his head and looked at Ashley. He took her hand and gently pulled her into his lap and he kissed her forehead.
"Where is everybody?"
"Jackie wanted to go shopping for Thanksgiving and she needed some help. So...everybody voulinteered to help."
"Everybody? How come? I mean Jackie is great and all....but I know Aaron doesn't like shopping."
"I sent them all away," Brian admitted suddenly, and he turned and looked at Nick.
"I wanted to be alone with my Frack. They made me watch the kids though so that I wouldn't try to murder you or anything."
"Well they are very smart people. I am glad that they are looking out for me." Nick replied, looking at Brian warily.
"Its interesting how they get praise for looking out for you, but when I do you raise hell."
"There is a differance between looking out for me, and getting in the middle of my personal life - and accusing me of being a rapist all at the same time."
"I didn't - I didn't accuse....GAH nevermind..." Brian replied irritably, and he shook his head and turned his attention back on breakfast. Nick rolled his eyes.
"Why don't you just finish what you are going to say?"
"Because it wouldn't matter to you anyway, you'll just find another reason to be mad at me. Talking to you right now is like Ashley and Kori's talks."
"HEY! I'm still in the room you know!" Ashley spoke up, narrowing her eyes at Brian. Brian chuckled.
"Sorry sweetie."
"And I'll have you know Kori and I are doing SO much better now, you have to admit."
"Yeah, you've advanced to killing her with kindness now. I heard what you did to her and Wiley last night." Ashley smiled innocently.
"What? All I did was go and pay a visit to my dear big sister," She replied, batting her eyelashes and all. Brian laughed.
"Careful honey, those devil horns of yours might start to show."
"You know they're just there to hold up my halo, Brian." Ashley joked back.
"Oooh I see," Brian replied, looking at her amused, before going back to cooking. Nick smirked and wrapped his arms even tighter around her waist and he placed soft kisses on her shoulder.
"If I knew that was the reason you were going in there, I wouldn't have let you. I thought you just wanted to see her."
"I did just want to see her. How many times do I have to tell you?" Ashley asked innocently. Nick rolled his eyes.
"Riiight," he replied, and he hugged her closer.
"Brian, can me and the girls go outside to play?" Josh suddenly asked, as he, Dakota, Elenore, and Sarah all entered the kitchen - Dakota and Elenore holding their puppies and Chance at Josh's heals.
"Breakfast will be done in twenty minutes buddy."
"Well can we just go outside to play until then?"
"If you can talk Laney into going out there with you."
"Already done," Laney replied, peeking his head in the door.
"Alright, I guess it's fine then."
"YAY!" the girls cheered, and they took a run for it toward the backyard, causing Chance and Abbie to run after them barking. Laney laughed and rolled his eyes before following. Nick buried his face in the nape of Ashley's neck then as she snuggled close to him.
"When are they all supposed to be coming back?" He spoke into her neck.
"A little after breakfast. Just on time to go for our walk around town."
"Ah, I see." He replied, and he began to tell her part of the conversation he had with Dakota - the part about him and her, but not Brian. When twenty minutes had gone by, Brian spoke up again.
"Breakfast is ready." Ashley got up and went to go make her plate, and Nick started to get up too but Brian gently pushed him back down in his seat.
"No, No, No. I'll get your plate. You sit there."
"But--"
"Nick, please just let me do this." Nick sighed.
"Fine...i'll go get the kids then," he replied, and he got up and walked toward the backyard while shaking his head and muttering "Crazy Frick..." to himself.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Enjoy =)
