Chapter Fifteen:
Nick and Kevin took the toys out to the cars and they loaded them all into two trunks each as they were not all going to fit into just one. When they finished they each took a child from the cart and Nick took hold of Ashley’s hand before following Kevin back into the mall. They then decided that they were going to go into Kevin and Daddy stores for the remainder of the time. They all stayed at the mall for two hours more, than they all met up at the entrance they planned to meet at and got into the two cars and they went back to the Orphanage. When they got there they walked inside to find Brooke talking to Doctor Johnson and Doctor Adams. Ashley immediately moved closer to Nick and she slid her arms around his waist and buried her face into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her in return and held her close protectively.
“It’s okay honey… I won’t let him touch you,” he told her gently and looked back at everyone else before leading Ashley straight to the elevator in attempt to get her far away from Doctor Adams as possible and Dakota followed him. When the elevator opened the three of them stepped inside and when the door was closed Ashley looked up at him. He placed his hand to her cheek and gently caressed it as he looked into her eyes concerned.
“Are you okay?” Ashley shook her head and fell into his arms wrapping her own tightly around his waist like someone or something was going to try and rip her from his grasp. She had not expected to see Doctor Adams the minute she stepped into the Orphanage. Infact for the first time ever he wasn’t even on her mind. She’s had one of the best days ever and then it all came crashing down when memories of earlier’s incident in her room came flooding back. Nick can feel his t-shirt starting to dampen from her tears on his shoulder. He sighed and then gently rubbed his hand over her back and he kissed her forehead.
“It’s okay sweetie… you’re safe. I’m right here and I’m not going to let that monster near you. I promise…” he told her. Monster… Ashley thought. Monster seems like such an understatement when describing Doctor Adams. But is there really any better word to describe him? He doesn’t know just how much of a monster Doctor Adams really is. If he knew the things he did and said behind his back… if he knew what the horrible things he did to her earlier that morning really were…Well he just can’t find out. He can never find out. He made her swear on her mother and father’s grave that she wouldn’t tell anyone what he did and she is determined to keep that promise. He can’t find out about this morning, or what happened in the past. Yes… in the past. Doctor Adams is one of his friends and he has harmed her before. She didn’t know it until this morning. She didn’t recognize him because when she last saw him at his house she was all drugged up and everything he did to her was all one big blur. But she knew from the very moment she was placed in the Orphanage he couldn’t be trusted and this morning everything came back to her and she knew exactly why he couldn’t be trusted. When the elevator reached the right floor he brought her out into the hall with Dakota at his heels and they went to his and Dakota’s room. They went inside it and he set her Hot Topic bag on the floor before sitting on the bed and gathering her up in his arms so he’s cradling her. She rested her head against his shoulder as he held her close to him. A few minutes later Brian, Riley, AJ, Howie, and Kevin who still held Elenore all walked into the room and Nick, Ashley, and Dakota all looked at them.
“Is she okay?” AJ asked all concerned.
“Yeah she’s fine. She just wasn’t expecting to see Doctor Adams right when she walked in after having such an amazing day so it scared her,” Nick explained. He sat there watching her in silence for a couple of minutes as he wiped her tears and rubbed his hand over her back. After a few minutes he looked at Riley.
“Riley I want to move Ashley in here with me and Dakota. Permanently.”
“How are you going to do that Nick? There is only one bed in here. Are you going to just continue to share a bed together? The three of you?”
“Well Kota can crawl into bed with us whenever she gets scared but I was thinking that maybe I could go out and buy a bed with a twin sized mattress on it for her and Ashley and I will have the big bed. I don’t want her in that other room by herself Ry. Dakota and I sleep with her every night anyway so it won’t be anything new really.”
“Okay that’s fine if you really want to.”
“Then Ashee’s old room can be Elenore’s room!” Dakota replied happily and Riley smiled at her.
“Of course sweetie. I’m sure she would love to be right next door to you.” Dakota smiled happily. Riley looked back at Nick suddenly.
“Well why don’t you move her in there now then so she’ll be all settled in for tonight. I’m going to go downstairs to talk to Brooke.”
“Okay” Nick replied, and Riley, AJ, Howie, and Kevin all left the room - Kevin holding Elenore still but Brian and Dakota stayed behind. Nick looked at him curiously.
“Is it okay if I maybe stay and help you?” Brian asked, and Nick noticed a depressed look on his best friend’s face.
“Yeah sure Frick…” Nick replied as he eyed his friend for a moment. ‘What’s going on between him and Riley now?’ he wondered. “Will you stay in here and keep an eye on her while I go into her room and gather up her stuff?”
“Sure,” Brian nodded and Nick sat Ashley down on the bed beside him. He placed his finger to her chin and gently titled her head back so she’s looking at him.
“You okay?” He asked her gently and she nodded.
“Just don’t leave me alone Nicky…”
“Never honey,” Nick promised and he got up and left the room leaving her with Brian and Dakota. Ashley looked at Brian for a couple of minutes. Just looking at him she knows he’s not happy in the least bit and this bothers her. She loves to look at Brian and see that big silly grin that is usually plastered on his face… especially when she’s scared out of her mind. It always comforts her. She then reached over and took his hand into hers and he looked at her curiously.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing sweetie…don’t worry about it okay?”
“Brian come on…I know better than that. I may have known you for a short time but I think I know you enough to determine when you aren’t happy. What happened between you and Riley now?” Brian sighed and was silent for a couple of minutes before answering.
“Well… I kissed her at the mall today,” He finally revealed and Dakota gasped as she looked at her uncle all wide-eyed and a big smile on her face.
“You kissed her? Well what’s wrong with that Bri? Everybody knows you love her and she loves you.”
“Well…the problem is, her husband kind of called right in the middle of it and interrupted us.”
“Oh…” Ashley replied softly. “That really sucks…I’m sorry honey.”
“Yeah and he called her and apologized for their big huge fight that they had the other day and told her that when he comes home he’s going to make up for the romantic dinner he canceled out on. He made her all happy and everything and of course she forgot all about our little moment we shared. At least she’s pretending she forgot about it anyway…” Brian explained. “And I don’t know what to do… I am so in love with her that it hurts. This is killing me having to sit here and watch her be with a guy that doesn’t treat her right at ALL. I just know this whole business meeting of his was one big lie. His boss is a woman… a very attractive woman and he’s totally having an affair with her. And Riley is so blinded by the whole thing and won’t believe it even if I told her he is because she loves him. Sometimes I just wish I could give up. Sometimes I just wish I could stop loving someone who is never going to love me back. I just wish I could move on.” Brian explained, as tears threatened to fall from his eyes but he blinked them back the best that he could.
“You can’t give up on her Brian. Don’t EVER give up on her. Especially if her husband is cheating. If that’s the case… then she’s going to eventually find out…and yes, we girls ALWAYS find out these things one way or another so I don’t understand why guys even try to get away with it. When she does she’s going to need you the most. Just give her time… she’ll come around. She loves you… I can see it.”
“So can I,” Dakota spoke up, and Brian couldn’t help but grin at her.
“Oh you can, can you?”
“Uh-huhs. She looks at you just like Ashee looks at daddy. And the way Daddy looks at her.” Brian looked at Ashley and he saw that her face was suddenly turning a bright shade of red. He chuckled.
“Yes, and we ALL know Ashee loves your daddy huh.” Dakota nodded happily.
“Uh-huhs!”
“I-I…do not….” Ashley replied but the smile on her face didn’t convince them otherwise.
“Well that’s a shame… because he’s totally in love with you.” Brian replied quietly so Nick couldn’t hear - or so he thought. Little did they know…Nick had been standing outside the door the entire time listening to them talk. He could also hear them all the way in Ashley’s room and heard Brian’s whole confession. He has Ashley’s posters that they painted together the other night and a few of her clothes in his hands and he is just standing there waiting for the right moment to walk in.
“He is?” Ashley asked, and Brian could hear the hopeful tone in her voice as could Nick.
“Well of course he is. From the very moment he met you he was in love.” Ashley couldn’t help but laugh a little bit.
“Really? Even after I was so horrible to him?”
“I think that’s one of the things that drew him to you the most. He’s not used to being treated like shit by a girl. The reason he hasn’t said anything or made any kind of move is because he’s waiting until you’re ready.”
“…That’s what the flowers, the special breakfast, and all of his surprises were about then.”
“Yup…he’s slowly trying to find his way to your heart. It’s a shame that you don’t feel the same way though. You two would make a cute couple.” Brian replied, grinning at her with a knowing smile at the last part.
“He’s already found his way to my heart,” Ashley finally admitted. Her voice so soft that Nick had to strain just to hear her. “He’s the first man I’ve ever been able to trust after the last one nearly killed me. I feel safe with him and know he could never hurt me. He has my heart… he just needs to claim it now.”
“That’s great honey…good to hear you admit it,” Brian replied, still grinning at her.
“And it’s good to see you smiling again.”
“I have you to thank for that. Nick was right… you really are good at giving advice.” Ashley smiled at him.
“Well I try,” she replied.
“What do you try?” Nick asked, suddenly coming into the room and pretending that was the first thing he had heard. Brian, Dakota, and Ashley all looked at him.
“To give good advice,” Ashley answered.
“You were right Nick. Ash is great at giving advice.” Nick smirked and he went and sat on the bed next to Ashley after putting her stuff down and he pulled her gently into his lap so he is cradling her.
“Doesn’t she though?” He agreed and he looked down at her, looking into her eyes and he brushed some of her hair out of her face tucking it behind her ear. Brian who sat there watching him notices the look in his best friend’s eyes and he suddenly realized he had been standing outside the door listening all a long and had heard Ashley’s confession. Brian smirked as he knows it’s not going to be too long before those two are finally together. Maybe sooner than both Howie and AJ think. Maybe he should get in on their little bet. Nick, Brian, and Dakota sat there for an hour just talking then they went downstairs for dinner. When they got down there all of the kids were being let in because Riley and them had already set up the cafeteria and everything. When they walked into the cafeteria they found the rest of their band mates and Riley, Doctor Johnson, and even Brooke this time sitting at the table eating. Nick looked at Brian who was about to go make his plate.
“Bri man can you do me a favor?”
“Yeah sure Frack what’s up?”
“Take Ashley with you so she can make her plate? I’m going to go talk to Riley about something.”
“Okay. Want me to help Kota too?”
“If you don’t mind…”
“Not at all,” Brian replied and he looked down at Dakota who reached up for him. He gathered her up in his arms and shifted her so she rested on his left hip and he took a hold of Ashley’s hand and began to bring them over to the crowded island. Nick went over to the table and sat down in the empty chair next to Riley.
“Hey Nick…what’s up?” She asked.
“I need to talk to you before Ashley gets back over here.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Well I just wanted to tell you about the conversation her and I had in Hot Topic today. It involves Kori.” Riley raised her eyebrow at him curiously. “She had mentioned to me in Mervyns that she was really into the whole rock thing… so while we were in Hot Topic I asked her what her favorite bands were and she told me. Afterward I told her I never had her down as someone who listened to rock music and she replied saying that if I had gotten to know her when her parents were alive and none of this had ever happened then I would’ve seen a whole different person. She mentioned that Kori was the one who got her into every punk rock band there ever was and that the two of them used to shop in Hot Topic together all the time. Then I replied saying she and her sister must’ve been very close and she said that they were and began to explain to me how she looked up to her sister and went almost everywhere with her except if it involved her friends. Kori never allowed her to hang out with her friends and they used to argue about it a lot. Kori just kept telling her that it was for the best. She stayed out late past her curfew a lot, snuck out of the house all the time to be with her boyfriend, and her and her parents fought all the time.”
“Did you get the boyfriend’s name?”
“Yeah. Ash says his name was Scott Jackson. She says that he was the only one out of all of Kori’s friends that she knew and was allowed to hang out with.”
“Hmm… that’s interesting.”
“Maybe she was in some sort of gang or something…” AJ spoke up. Everyone at the table had been listening in on their conversation. “Or witnessed something she wasn’t supposed to and that’s why she ran away. She wouldn’t let her little sister be a part of it because she loved her and she meant a great deal to her so to protect her she hid that part of her life from her.”
“Yeah… and maybe that gang has something to do with Ashley’s attacker and that’s why he’s after her. It could even be related to her parent’s death too.” Nick replied.
“We really need to find Kori…” Doctor Johnson spoke up. “I have a bad feeling about that nightmare Ashley had. Kori may be in grave danger…”
“Yeah but where do we start?” Riley asked.
“We could start with this Scott Jackson guy…I’ve got a detective already and willing to find her but he’s just been waiting on Ashley to give us some information. I can give him a call after dinner.” Doctor Johnson spoke up.
“Okay that would be good,” Riley replied and suddenly they noticed Brian coming back with Dakota and Ashley and they each are holding plates in their hand - Brian holding two.
“Here Nick, I made your plate for you.” Brian announced, and he handed the plate over to him.
“Thanks Bri,” Nick replied after pulling out the chair next to him for Ashley to sit down and he allowed Dakota to crawl up into his lap. Brian sat in the other empty chair beside Ashley and they all changed the subject as they ate dinner.
~*~*~*~*~*~
After dinner they took Elenore and Dakota into the playroom where some of the other kids had gone to play at before bed time.
“Elenore you wanna come play blocks withs me?” Dakota asked eagerly when Kevin had put her down. Elenore looked up at Kevin for approval. Kevin grinned.
“Go on sweetie, go have some fun.” Elenore gave Kevin a skeptic look as she is still afraid to leave him. She’s still afraid that he is going to set her down and abandon her the way her mother had done. Kevin who seemed to have read her mind crouched down in front of her and he took her hands into his.
“I’m not leaving you sweetheart I promise you. I will be right here the whole time talking to the grownups. Okay? So go have lots of fun with your new friend and if you need me I will be right here.”
“Kay,” Elenore replied softly and Kevin grinned.
“That’s a good girl,” he told her and she turned and looked at Dakota who now fully understood why Elenore is the way she is. She had asked Nick earlier while they were upstairs why she was so quiet and scared all the time and hardly ever let Kevin put her down. He explained to her that her mommy and daddy weren’t very nice to Elenore at all and it’s been a very long time since she’s been loved. So it’s important that she take very special care of her new friend and make her feel right at home. And Dakota was going to do just that. Dakota offered her a hand and Elenore took it allowing her to lead her over to the blocks center. When they got over there Dakota immediately began to pull out all of the blocks and the two girls began to build what looked like a tower together. Kevin smiled at the two of them and then looked at everyone else who was also watching them and they all began to talk as they let the kids play happily together. It wasn’t long though until suddenly they were joined by Josh.
“Hey Dakota…who is your new friend?” Josh asked and Dakota looked up at him with narrowed eyes.
“None of your business Josh so go away!” Dakota demanded as she grabbed a hold of Elenore’s hand protectively. Elenore eyed the boy in front of her and just one look at him and she already knew that she wasn’t going to like him. She can just tell by watching the way Dakota and Josh act toward each other that he bullies her all the time.
“I believe it is my business, Dakota. Tell me who she is or I will knock that tower of yours down.”
“Her name is Elenore, okay? Happy? Now go away!”
“Well hi there Elenore. I’m Josh. What are you doing hanging out with a loser like her for? Well, you’re the new kid… so I guess you didn’t know. I can help you out there. Why don’t you come hang out with me and my friends?”
“That’s okay I can choose my friends all on my own and you aren’t one of them.” Elenore replied, and she wrapped her arm around Dakota loyally. The frown on Dakota’s face disappeared and she leaned into Elenore while smiling slightly. She was scared for a minute there that Elenore would turn on her just like everyone else seems to do when Josh comes along.
“You’re making a huge mistake, you know. I’ve known Dakota for two years now and she’s a spoiled little brat. You will regret it after awhile.”
“Funny…she’s been real nice to me. Kota is my best friend and I will never leaves her. The only loser I see around here is you.” Josh’s jaw dropped at her words. No one has ever called Josh a loser before and it made him very angry. Who does this new kid think she is?
“Take that back.”
“No!”
“Take it back now or I will kick your block tower over!”
“NO! I worked hard on that’s!“ Dakota pleaded.
“Then tell your stupid friend to take it back or I will do it, Dakota!”
“I will NOTS take back something that I meant!”
“Fine, have it your way.” Josh replied, and he kicked the block tower down making Dakota scream and then start crying. This sent Elenore into a rage. No one upsets her best friend and gets away with it! No one. She suddenly lunged herself at him and she shoved him to the ground. Josh landed on his back pretty hard and he began to cry.
“DON’TS YOU DARE UPSET MY FRIEND LIKE THAT! NO ONE UPSETS MY BESTEST FRIEND AND GETS AWAY WITHS IT! AND I AM NOTS STUPID!” she shouted at him causing all of the adults to turn their heads toward the situation Josh had started. “I AM JUST AS SMART AS YOU, JUST AS OLD AS YOU, AND JUST AS TALL AS YOU, AND I HAVE BEEN THROUGH WAY MORE TORTURE THEN YOU PUTS KOTA THROUGH ALL THE TIME AND HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH BEATING YOU UP!” Suddenly Kevin, Nick and Riley ran over to them. Kevin scooped Elenore up into his arms stopping her from trying to go after Josh some more and Riley went to tend to a crying Josh while Nick kneeled down in front of his crying daughter and he pulled her into a hug.
“Baby what happened? What’s going on?” He asked her gently.
“Josh knocked our tower down and called Elenore stupid so she gots angry and shoved him to the ground,” Dakota answered and she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his shoulder where she continued to cry. Nick sat there rubbing her back and he looked at Kevin who took Elenore out into the hall as she was now crying out of fear that she was going to be in trouble for being bad. She hadn’t meant to be bad… she was only sticking up for her best friend. Now Kevin was going to abandon her just like her mommy had done. She just knows it.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile down in the basement doctor Adams was sitting at a desk waiting on him to call. Just like he always did at that time of night. When the phone finally rung he turned it on and put it to his ear.
“Hello?” He asked into the phone.
“Hey Trevor it’s me.”
“Oh hey Boss. What’s up? Did you follow Ashley around the mall today?”
“Yeah I did… and I think I may have a plan.” Doctor Adams raised his eyebrow curiously.
“Yeah? What is it?”
“Well… I was listening to Ashley and Nick’s conversation earlier and she was telling him about Kori and how close the two of them were when they were younger and how she would never let her hang out with her and her friends but would never tell her why. Hearing that her and Kori were close and how much she cared about her gave me this idea and I nearly kicked myself for not thinking about it before. What if we used Ashley as bait to lure Kori to us?” Hearing this Doctor Adams became even more interested.
“You mean kidnap her from the Orphanage?”
“No… we wouldn’t even have to do that. We could just make her think that we have Ashley and that we will kill her if she doesn’t come to us. We could even send her a video as proof. I still have all the porn videos we recorded of her.” Doctor Adams now looked skeptical.
“How are we going to do that when we don’t even know where she is?”
“She has to still be keeping in touch with someone in her group of friends. We’ll just spread the news around and it will eventually get to her. When she hears her baby sister is in trouble she will be forced to contact us.” Doctor Adams smirked.
“Let’s do it then.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Enjoy =)
