Chapter One-Hundred-Sixty-Four
When they all got back onto the other side of the airport, sure enough there were the fans still blocked off and waiting patiently for two fifths of the Backstreet Boys to return. They all got quite a surprise when they found AJ with them though and erupted into screams. The three of them went on over and gave autographs and shook hands with the fans with Marcus near by just incase. AJ had even insisted that Ashley goes on over to say hello and he introduced her to them all as his little sister. To Nick’s relief they were all surprisingly very nice to her. By the time they were able to pull themselves away from the fans and say their good byes; they walked out to the parking garage and hunted down the van. When they found it Marcus glanced through the windows making sure there was no danger lurking in the van waiting to attack. When it was all clear he allowed Denise to unlock the doors and they crawled in. AJ, Laila, and Ryan in the two very back seats and Ashley and Nick sat in the first back seat while Marcus and Denise sat in the front again. When Denise had started the van and began backing up out of her parking spot Ashley fastened her seatbelt and she lay sideways with her head in Nick’s lap. He smiled down at her and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear before leaning down and kissing her forehead softly.
“Are you tired?”
“A little bit…it’s just been a long day.”
“Why don’t you get into your pajamas when we get home and you and the kids get in bed? I’ll join you after BJ, Leslie, and I take Aaron to go surprise Stacy.”
“No…” Ashley pouted somewhat. “I want to go with you.”
“But baby you are tired.”
“I want to help Aaron surprise Stacy, Nickolas.”
“Nickolas…whoa. Someone is definitely grumpy,” AJ commented from the back seat.
“You have to let her help Nick,” Howie insisted.
“But D, look at her…”
“I know, but this is her project. She’s been very excited about helping Aaron all day, you know that.” Nick sighed.
“Okay,” he caved, while looking down at her. “But afterward you are going straight to bed.” Ashley stuck her tongue out at him stubbornly.
“I don’t have to follow your orders anymore, you know.”
“Denise hasn’t signed the papers yet,” Nick replied with a smirk.
“But I’m going to right when we get home. Brooke sent the papers home with you, right Alex?”
“Yeah they are in my bag. She put them in there herself – her half of the papers are signed and everything.”
“Are you sure? She tends to ‘forget’ to sign half of her signature sometimes,” Nick teased.
“Yeah and if she didn’t ‘forget’ to sign them your Dumbass wouldn’t have Dakota anymore.”
“She fully signed these papers though, right?”
“Course she did. She thinks you are too important to the Orphanage to lose.”
“Why she thinks that, I don’t know.” Howie teased. AJ laughed and Nick gasped as he looked back at his so-called friend with mock hurt in his eyes. “Hey you had to be paid back for all of your insults some time.” Nick scoffed and Ashley giggled.
“Aww…poor baby,” She said sympathetically and she reached up and cupped his jaw in her hand before pulling his lips down so they are just inches apart from her own. “You are important to me,” She informed him and she brushed her lips lightly over his.
“Thank-you baby,” he told her between kisses and AJ made gagging noises. Ashley rolled her eyes as she pulled back from Nick’s kisses.
“Don’t make me come back there, bro.” AJ snorted.
“Bring it on.”
“Okay…you asked for it.” Ashley replied, and she unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed over the seat that was separating her from her new brother and before he knew it she dove at him holding a pillow and she began whacking him upside the head with it.
“AH hey! That’s cheating!” he whined somewhat and he wrapped his arms around her waist before shifting her so she is lying across his lap and he began to tickle her causing her to shriek with laughter.
“That TICKLES, Alex sto-oop” She whined and he chuckled and kept on doing it. After a few moments though when he knew she was nearly out of breath he stopped and she lay there panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath. He smirked.
“And you thought you could take me. I know your weakness – I watch you and Nick play.” Ashley scowled at him.
“Though you are a lot tougher then I thought. Last time I saw you, you wouldn’t have been able to attack me like that.”
“Isn’t she though? She’s getting a lot stronger then she was – a lot more confident. If she works on it more I bet she could attack Sean if she really set her mind to it.”
“Oh sure, but I think we should give her a much more serious weapon then a pillow,” AJ informed while chuckling a little.
“Momma Denise bought me pepper spray today.”
“Pepper Spray? …Wow”
“Yeah security is getting a lot tighter since you’ve been gone. The girls are carrying around pepper spray and the puppies are no longer allowed outside without adult supervision. We’re planning on going out and personally looking in the bushes outside the gate every day and making sure no is one hiding in them and the more confidence Ashley gets the better.”
“Well she is well on her way,” AJ replied looking down at Ashley. “So where is this cool new weapon of yours?”
“Marcus has it up there in the glove compartment. Airport security would have taken it from me.” Marcus opened up the glove compartment and he got out the lipstick-shaped pepper spray and he passed it back to Nick who gave it to Ashley who showed it to AJ.
“Ohhh cool, its lipstick designed. Yeah the dipshits that Sean has following us will never recognize this,” AJ announced as he opened up the lipstick and examined it with interest. Howie groaned.
“Alex, cool it with the language. Do you want you know who to go around repeating that now?” AJ looked over at Laila who was sitting in the seat next to him and Ashley watching them with interest.
“Sorry…she’s being so quiet. I almost forgot she was there.” AJ put the lid to the pepper spray back on and he examined it for a couple of minutes before handing it back to Ashley. Ashley giggled.
“Do you want Momma Denise to buy you your very own lipstick pepper spray too Alex?” AJ rolled his eyes playfully.
“Hush you, or I’ll tickle you again.” Ashley stuck her tongue out at him and then rolled off of AJ’s lap and crawled back around to her spot next to Nick and he laughed and gently helped her up onto the seat. She fastened her seat belt and sat there grinning widely for no real reason at all as she stared out the window.
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, at the Littrell House, Kori sat on the couch snuggling up with Wiley taking full advantage of the fact that Ashley and her watchful eyes aren’t there to stop her. Kevin, Brian, Riley, Jackie, Harold, and the kids are all sitting around with them and they all are having hot chocolate.
“Do you think Ashley is really happy about Denise adopting her?” Kevin questioned and Brian nodded.
“I do actually. If you’ve been watching her you would see that she has a lot of fun calling her ‘momma Denise’.”
“What about you Kor? She’s your sister and all…are you going to start considering Denise your mom too?”
“I think for me it’s going to take a little more time then Ashley,” Kori answered honestly. “Right now I think of her as a really kind woman who was nice enough to take my sister into her home and care about her.” She explained. “And since Ashley so badly misses having a mom she’s willing to think of her as one…and I’m happy about that because it gives her a chance to have that family that I took away from her so many years ago again, you know? Maybe it’ll make her happy.”
“AJ and Denise could never replace what she had with you and your parents, love…you know that right?” Wiley questioned worriedly.
“Yeah I know that’s not what I meant…I just mean that maybe it would ease some of her pain…offer some comfort.”
“I just wanted to make sure you understood that. You were her sister much longer then AJ was her brother…there is no way he could replace you.”
“Nor would he want to,” Brian added. “He knows how important Ashley is to you and vise versa.” Kori nodded.
“I’m not jealous. I’m happy for her…I’m the one who encouraged her to let Denise adopt her remember?”
“But how much of you was only doing that just to save Nick from being arrested?” Jackie questioned as she hugged Josh who had suddenly crawled up next to her and snuggled with her.
“None.”
“Are you sure?”
“I swear on her life. I swear on Spencer’s life if that helps.”
“Grandma?” Josh spoke up suddenly and Jackie looked down at him a little surprised. Josh has never called him Grandma before. He’s never felt comfortable doing so up until now.
“Yeah honey?” she asked, smiling some and holding back her tears of happiness.
“May I have some cookies and milk?”
“You just had a Mcflurry an hour ago Joshua,” Brian pointed out as he sat on the floor with Riley sitting between his legs. He has his arms wrapped around her waist and the back of her head is rested against his shoulder. “And you have a mug of hot chocolate that you still haven’t finished,” he added, pointing to his son’s mug of hot chocolate that has only been half drank.
“Well, Brian, cookies are always nice to have with Hot Chocolate…” Jackie reasoned, more then willing to give her grandson some cookies – especially since he called her Grandma.
“Mom do you know how much sugar that kid has had today? It’s going to be impossible to put him to bed tonight.”
“Oh, so what?” Jackie asked, waving her son off and she gathered Josh up in her arms and carried him into the kitchen.
“Come along Kota, Sarah, Spencer, and Ellie…cookies for all.” Brian scowled knowing full well that it would be a bad idea to argue with his mother and he would have to just sit there and allow this to happen. He would look to Kevin to do the arguing since it’s his Ellie that is being fed cookies but Kevin also knows better not to argue with his aunt. That was probably Josh’s grand plan too. He knew Brian would tell him no so he went to his Grandmother – and called her Grandma too – the little suck up. Where does he learn that from? Certainly couldn’t have been from him. Kori however, doesn’t know better…does she? Brian smirked and looked to Kori who was sitting there watching after her son with a raised eyebrow as he had disappeared into the kitchen.
“Bet’cha don’t like my mom giving your kid cookies after having so much sugar right? Why don’t you go say something?” He encouraged.
“What and crush the fun your mom is having in torturing you?” Kori laughed. Brian scowled and Harold laughed.
“Relax son…it’s not every day that she gets to spoil her Grandson, let her have her fun.” A few moments after he said that, Jackie walked in with a parade of children behind her, each of them with two cookies in their hand.
“Well Mom, guess who gets to put their grandson to bed tonight.”
“AND her future niece,” Josh insisted. Brian chuckled and looked over at his cousin.
“Well that is up to Kevin, buddy.”
“What is up to Kevin?” Nick asked, as he suddenly walked into the house with Ashley at his side.
“DADDY!!!” Dakota exclaimed, and she jumped up from her spot on the floor and ran on over to Nick and Ashley. Nick chuckled and knelt down and held his arms open for her just on time for her to go flying into them.
“Hi Munchkin – wait a minute. Is that a cookie? And do I smell hot chocolate on your breath? And didn’t I give you a Mcflurry earlier this evening little lady?”
“Hi daddy where is uncle AJ? Didn’ts you gets Uncle AJ? Did he have fun withs Brookie?” Dakota asked conversationally.
“Don’t you change the subject missy! Just exactly how much sugar have you had tonight?” Brian grinned in satisfaction.
“Mom did it Nick – it was all her doing. She gave the kids hot chocolate and cookies.”
“I most certainly did - and?” Jackie asked, her arms crossing over her chest.
“Cookies? You are all having Jackie’s cookies without me?” Nick asked, immediately turning into the suck up that he is around Brian’s mom. Brian rolled his eyes. Dakota giggled and hugged her daddy some more and he hugged her back. Just then the rest of the people from the van walked in – AJ, Howie, Ryan, Laila, Denise, and Marcus.
“UNCLE AJ!!!” Dakota cheered excitedly, and she ran on over to him and clung tightly to his leg. AJ chuckled and handed Laila over to Howie before scooping the excited four-year-old up into his arms and he hugged her close to him affectionately.
“Hi sweetheart! How is my favorite niece doing? I have missed you so much,” He told her before showering her with kisses all over. Dakota giggled and hugged him tight.
“I missed you too,” she told him as she snuggled into him and he went over to Ellie, Sarah, Josh, and Spencer and he one by one gave out kisses to the girls and hugs to the boys.
“I missed all of my little kiddies.”
“Where are Aaron, BJ, Leslie, and Angel?” Nick questioned, becoming confused when he didn’t see his siblings sitting with everybody.
“Upstairs in Aaron and Angel’s room putting together Stacy’s surprise,” Kevin answered.
“Without me? Are they crazy?” Ashley asked and she kissed Nick’s cheek and ran up the stairs to go help. Nick laughed and looked at everybody else who were watching her go with amusement.
“You know, ever since Denise offered to adopt her…she’s been very different,” Howie announced.
“More happy?” Kori questioned.
“Yeah…”
“Good,” she replied, sounding very satisfied.
"Where are those papers Alex?"
“Oh! Right…let me get them,” AJ replied, pulling his attention away from Elenore, Josh, Spencer, and Sarah and he carried Dakota over to his backpack with him. When he got to it he opened it up and pulled out the orphanage documents that Brooke had placed in there and he handed them to Denise who went and sat on the floor next to the coffee table. When she did she began to read and fill out the papers. AJ grinned excitedly and looked at Nick.
“I’m gonna have a sister now,” Nick chuckled.
“Two sisters. Denise may not be signing those papers for Kori, but she is Ashley’s sister which makes her yours too,” Brian reminded.
“Mhm,” AJ agreed sounding even more excited then before. Nick shook his head smiling.
“If having sisters makes you that happy you are more then welcome to take one of mine off of my hands,” he teased.
“It’s a big deal for Aje, Nick. He’s never had a sibling in his life,” Howie reminded.
“What are you talking about? He’s had all of us hasn’t he?”
“Yes but…a sibling that shares the same mom – like you and your sisters.”
“Well the way he was acting with Ashley in the van you would think he were a very experienced brother.”
“Really? Was I really that good with her?” AJ asked, his eyes glowing with pride. Howie laughed.
“If I had my video camera Aje, the two of you would be the star of the video.” Right after he said that Ashley suddenly came bounding down the stairs and into the living room.
“Nicky Angel wants you.”
“Uh-oh…she’s not driving Aaron crazy is she?”
“Nah, she’s actually being very supportive of him for once. She even helped out with the project. But she asked me to come get you.”
“Okay,” Nick replied and he headed on up the stairs. Ashley went over to the couch Kori and Wiley are sitting on and she sat on the other side of Kori and slid her arms around her and she rested her head against her shoulder.
“Hi Kor, what’s up?”
“Not much really, just relaxing…you?”
“I was wondering if tomorrow later on in the day you would like to take Laney and go hang out.”
“Hang out where?” Kori asked smiling a little.
“Anywhere – just the two of us…the way it used to be. No boys allowed – except Laney or Nick will have kittens.”
“That sounds like fun, I would love to.” Kori replied while sliding her arms around Ashley and pulling her into a very tight hug and she looked at Wiley over her shoulder and he could tell she is holding back tears…except for the first time since she walked back into Ashley’s life they are happy tears.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
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