Chapter Two-Hundred-Five
“Oh no you don’t! You’re not going to walk away from me! NOT this time! I am sick and tired of you running away from me in the middle of every argument that we have! It’s very frustrating!”
“Let me go, I hate you!” Kori insisted as she fought to keep her tears back.
“No I will NOT let you go because you and I both know that, that’s not true!”
“It is too true! I hate you more and more every day! Everytime you insist on acting like an asshole like this!”
“At least I care about you enough to act like an asshole like this!”
“That makes no fucking sense at all, what-so-ever!”
"Maybe not to you, because you don't want me to make any sense! If I make sense, it means you were WRONG and you DON'T like to be wrong! You would much rather run from everything that's new and everyone who needs you, because that's all you know how to do - Run!"
"So what if I am?!" Kori snapped finally. "I have every single damned right too!"
“It’s ridiculous, that’s what! No matter how many times you run away Kori your problems are NOT going to go away! You can push them away and try not to think about it, but they’re ALWAYS going to be lingering there until you face them!”
“I don’t have to face anything that I don’t want to! Stop pushing this!” Kori shouted, though he could hear her voice cracking as she tried to keep herself together.
“You don’t have to be so strong you know!”
“Yes I do!”
“No you don’t!” Kori crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. He noticed the tears forming and he placed his hand to her shoulder gently.
“Do it Kori,” he encouraged.
“I don’t want to,” Kori insisted and she attempted to walk away but he gently pushed her back.
“GODDAMNIT, LEAVE ME ALONE! YOU KNOW I’M NOT AFRAID TO HIT YOU!” AJ shook his head.
“You’re not as tough as you think you are.”
“Don’t act like you know me, because you don’t.”
“Oh I know you perfectly well. You’re a coward.”
“Fine. I’m a coward. Now let me be.” AJ shrugged and stepped aside.
“Go then. But don’t expect me to give you sympathy like everybody else does because you don’t deserve it. At least Ashley is facing her fears unlike you.”
"What do you want me to do? Stand here and scream and go hysterical, all because my stupid actions when I was thirteen got my parents killed and my only sister severely hurt?"
"It would help," AJ replied.
"It will NOT help me to break down and lose control, AJ! Damnit! I can NOT lose control!" Kori growled.
"Seems to me you already are," AJ smirked.
"DON'T you smirk at ME McLean!" Kori snapped.
"You're not invincible Kori - everybody breaks down and cries sometimes," AJ pointed out. "No matter who they feel they have to be strong for, everybody has the right to snap."
"Well, I'm NOT going to cry AJ, so you might as well just leave me be," Kori replied haughtily.
"And what are you going to do? Keep running until he comes after your son?" AJ snapped. "Then what Kori? Will you still be strong? Or will you just be stupid and go after the Bastard, so you can murder him yourself? Is that what you want to do? Run off from us and go kill the man who destroyed your family?"
"You leave Spencer out of this!" Kori shouted, glaring at him dangerously. "He will NOT come after my son, because I will blow his dick off, then blow his fucking head! He even thinks of laying one fucking disgusting hand on my son, and he will be a fucking dickless dead man!"
"And then you will be arrested and thrown in jail, serving a life sentence for murder!" AJ replicated. "Then what Kori? Sean will still have won - he will be dead, but he will still have managed to pull your family apart one last time. If you kill him, you lose Spencer and Spencer loses you. How far are you willing to let this shit go before you finally break down and admit to needing our help? Just how much are you willing to risk?" Kori looked away then, as she let her mind wrap completely around everything AJ had just said. She knew she couldn't bare to lose Spencer. He was her sole reason for living. Sure, she loved her sister to death, but if she lost her son, she'd lose all hope and crash and burn much worse than she was about to now.
"So what am I supposed to do?" She asked softly, still not looking at her newfound brother. "You let us in....you let me in," AJ replied, watching her carefully. "All we want to do is help and be there for you Kori. Let us be strong for you. Lean on us when you need too. We're not going anywhere, no matter how hard you try to push us away. No matter how hard you try to push me away. Like it or not, I'm now technically your brother."
"A brother, who is a pain in the ass," Kori answered, turning away from him a bit more, as tears slowly began to leak out of the corners of her eyes and stream down her face. "You're damn lucky you're a Backstreet Boy, so I can't damage your pretty face too much." AJ gave a half laugh.
"My face is anything but pretty, believe me."
"Well, you're not the ugliest thing out there either," Kori stated, stifling a sniffle. AJ shook his head at her. He knew she was crying, and was contemplating on what to do about it. He knew what to do when Ashley cried, but Kori? He wasn't exactly sure what she'd let him do to help. He decided to test the waters though, and inched closer until he was finally able to pull her into his arms and hold her against his chest.
"Damn you," Kori muttered, hiding her face into him, so as to not let anybody else see her tears - especially not her son. She didn't need to worry him anymore than he already was. AJ stifled a chuckle and he lightly patted her back.
“Looks like there is still hope for you yet.” Just then Ashley showed up at their side and AJ looked at her curiously.
“I’ve been sent over here to referee so the two of you don’t kill each other,” she explained. “Momma Denise got worried because you were quiet and we couldn’t see you.” AJ rolled his eyes playfully. “And they wanted me to ask you when you were going to let us leave. We’re all waiting on you.” Kori feeling glad that there was now an excuse to distance herself from the awkward moment with AJ pulled apart from their hug.
“Right now. We’re coming right now…tell them not to die on us or anything,” she told her and she walked off to the soda machine. Ashley looked up at AJ with a raised eyebrow.
“Hugging? That’s definitely a big step forward…” AJ nodded as he slid an arm around her waist and steered her around the corner to go to the van.
“I’ve accomplished my goal for the day,” he told her and he placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. “Did they really send you all the way over here by yourself? Around that corner where they couldn’t see any of us?”
“Well…I kind of volunteered myself and took off before they could protest…” Ashley admitted sheepishly. AJ raised his eyebrow.
“Are you insane?” Ashley shrugged.
“I wasn’t scared. I knew I would find you just around the corner.”
“And she just likes giving her boyfriend heart attacks,” Nick added as they approached. He gently pulled her to him by the waist before sliding his arms around it and he narrowed her eyes at her as she smiled up at him innocently.
“I love you?” She asked. Nick chuckled.
“You better.” She rested her head against his chest and snuggled into him some. They waited for Kori to return with sodas for her and Spencer and then they all piled into their rightful vans to finish their drive home – everybody except Elenore and Josh who now got to ride in Detective Stabler’s car. Detective’s Stabler and Benson showed them all of the neat Detective stuff in the car – Detective Stabler even going as far as letting Elenore grab up his walkie talkie and talk into it and captain Cragen answered her playing a long.
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile at Sean and Trevor’s new Lake house, David had delivered Panda Express for them and then left again shortly after being explained what had happened earlier that morning. He even rented them movies at blockbuster so that they would have something to do since Sean couldn’t exactly do anything but lay around. Before he had left Trevor thanked him immensely and even paid him. When he shut the door behind him he turned and looked at Sean who was lying there watching the scene before him with distaste. Trevor chuckled.
“Yes? You big baby?”
“Do you have to be so nice?” Trevor rolled his eyes amusedly.
“After what happened this morning…yes I do. We need to do a lot of sucking up Sean; otherwise we’re going to be completely alone. People are getting irritated with us.” Sean scowled and Trevor went over and put a movie in. After doing that he sat down next to him before pulling him on top of him and sitting back against the pillows with him lying back against his chest and the two of them sat there spoon feeding each other Chinese food. About half way through the movie, Sean looked up at Trevor who looked down at him curiously.
“Did you ever finish drawing the orphanage for me?”
“Mhm…why?”
“Just curious.”
“Sean…”
“Well I was!”
“I know that look on your face. You’ve been inspired.”
“I just asked you a simple question, that’s all. I’ll never do it again if it’s going to earn me the third degree.” Trevor shook his head.
“I can’t wait until you get better, it’s only been a day and you’re already getting on my nerves with your whining.”
“Are you sure you can handle being a doctor then, doctor?”
“You’re drifting further and further away from the point and if you think I’m going to let you do that you’ve got another thing coming.”
“I just wanted to know if you finished.”
“Why so suddenly after watching this movie, hmm?”
“Just…because. Will you go get the stupid drawing already?”
“Temper Sean…temper.” Sean groaned and started to get up in attempt to go searching for the drawing on his own but Trevor tightened his arms around his waist pulling him back.
“Let me up.”
“You don’t want me to do that,” Trevor warned.
“Obviously I do.” Trevor eyed his ill-tempered patient with a raised eyebrow.
“Please.”
“Okay, Okay…whatever you say,” he replied and he removed his restraint. Sean stood up quickly then and as soon as he did his entire face distorted in pain as he remembered his bullet wound.
“OOOOW Motherfucker!” he whined, and he fell back against Trevor who was sitting there holding his arms out for him as he knew it was coming and he clutched at his side. Trevor just looked down at him in amusement.
“You’ll learn to listen to me one way or another…” Sean glared at him as he shifted him so he lay back on the couch and he cradled his face in his hands making him look up at him before bending down and placing a soft kiss on his forehead.
“I’ll be right back. Stay here,” he ordered gently but with a hint of seriousness in his voice and he got up and walked away as he heard Sean mutter ‘like I have a choice’. Sean lay there day dreaming intensely about punching a wall or two as he waited for Trevor to return. When he returned he had a paper in his hand. Sean eyed it curiously and Trevor sat on the edge of the couch. Sean went to take it from him but Trevor snatched it away before he could.
“You aren’t getting it until you tell me what this movie inspired you to do.”
“Think about it. You saw the movie…you should know.”
“May I remind you that all of the bad guys died in this movie?”
“Yeah, but we’ll just be so much smarter and wiser then them…and it’ll be different”
“How would it be different?”
“Well for one, you and I love each other…so there is no way you would choose anyone – or money over me…and neither would I the other way around. Second of all, we just wont go partnering up with anyone who is most likely to take over the situation and toss either of us over a flight of stairs.” Trevor opened his mouth to talk when Sean cut him off.
“And you know the orphanage inside and out. We can use that to our advantage.”
“It’s very risky Sean…”
“So what? We can do it, I know we can.”
“I’ll think about it…it’ll take a lot of planning. Like a months worth of planning…and it’ll take more then just the two of us to do it so we will really need to get on people’s good side. Can you do that?” Sean rolled his eyes.
“I’ll try really hard. Can I see the drawing now? It’s not like I’m going to get up and act on impulse, I’m a wounded man.” Trevor handed him the drawing and Sean looked it over. After letting him look it over, he took it from him and sat it on the coffee table and he reclaimed his position on the inside of the couch making him lay next to him on the outside. Sean leaned back against his chest and rested the back of his head against his shoulder as Trevor kissed his forehead softly. Sean closed his eyes and was asleep in not even a second, feeling comforted knowing Trevor was there to nurse him back to health.
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, the entire crew traveling from Kentucky had finally arrived in Florida. Kevin and Brian took their families to their own houses to help them get settled in while everybody else went back to the Orphanage. Brian and Kevin both insisted that Elenore and Josh go to the Orphanage with everybody else so that they could be with their friends. Elenore only agreed to do this because Josh would be with her and so would Detective Stabler and Q. When they arrived at the Orphanage they already spotted the rest of their security team there, Drew and Raul. As Ashley got out of the van she squeezed Nick’s hand not wanting him to let it go and stuck close to Marcus, as she is still slightly intimidated by the other two really big security guards that she is supposed to put her trust in. She after all, hasn’t had a chance to get to know them like she has of Laney, Q, and Marcus. Nick understanding this perfectly with just one look in her eyes, slid a supportive arm around her waist as a silent reassurance that she will be okay. As she stood there next to him she watched him grab a couple of their bags. He put her backpack on and held a suitcase in his one free hand and he began to steer her toward the Orphanage with everybody else following their lead. As Drew and Raul stood there Nick said hi to them giving them a brief hug and then he steered Ashley into the Orphanage and they eyed Marcus curiously.
“Is she still clingy to him?”
“Yes and no,” Marcus answered keeping his voice low just incase she was just right inside the door and could hear them.
“You’ll be surprised to see how independent she’s become…and trusting of the three of us. But I think it’s just that she still hasn’t had the chance to get to know the two of you yet.” As Nick, Ashley, AJ, Howie, and the kids all got inside the Orphanage, Doctor Johnson and Brandon greeted them.
“Hey guys – and girls, welcome back,” Doctor Johnson told them as he made his rounds of giving and receiving hugs.
“Hey Doctor J, how was running an Orphanage for a week?”
“Very chaotic,” Doctor Johnson answered Howie’s question, and then he glanced at his brother whom he noticed Ashley was staring at in awe and Kori who had joined her side couldn’t help but do the same even though Wiley was right there. Doctor Johnson rolled his eyes playfully, as he is not at all surprised by this behavior.
“Everybody, this is my brother Brandon. Brandon…this is everybody. Howie, AJ, Nick, and the kids – Dakota, Sarah, Ellie, Josh, Spencer, Ryan, and Laila.” Doctor Johnson introduced, pointing to every person as he said their name. “Where is everybody else?”
“Kevin, Brian, and Riley went to their houses to unpack and settle their families in. They’ll be here soon. Where is my Brookie?” AJ questioned, glancing around the Orphanage hopefully.
“She should be here any minute now. I just got off the phone with her. She says she’s bringing Jaime and Peyton with her.”
“Pey? Brookie?” Laila piped up suddenly and she too glanced around the place as if expecting to see them. AJ grinned at her and he playfully scooped her up in his arms and he blew on her stomach making raspberry sounds and she squealed and giggled in delight.
“Come on my little munchkin. Let’s go wait for our Brookie and Peyton,” he told her and he carried her outside continuing to make her giggle with no trouble at all.
“Do you all have bags that you need help carrying in? I’ll help if you want me to,” Brandon volunteered.
“Yes, actually, Spencer and I have quite a few” Kori spoke up innocently. She loves Wiley to death and would never ever cheat on him, but it’s not a crime to look…is it? Brandon grinned.
“Well, lead the way,” he told her and he headed outside. Kori looked at Ashley with a grin and Ashley shook her head smiling.
“He is gorgeous…” She whispered to her sister quietly and Ashley nodded in agreement.
“Very,” she whispered back and Kori hurried after the hottie. Wiley shook his head in
amusement but he didn’t let it bother him. He is confident that Kori loves him. He did however, hurry out there to help. Nick on the other hand looked at Ashley with a raised eyebrow and AJ noticed the look on his face right away, as his best friend and younger brother was looking at him the same way not too long ago. He wrapped his arm around his shoulders and whispered quietly in his ear.
“Stop it right now. You know she loves you.” Nick lightly pushed AJ away and he tightened his arm around Ashley.
“Come on Ash…come help me unpack.” Ashley allowed herself to be led away and Dakota danced excitedly behind them as she followed, as she is excited to be home. Howie glanced at AJ as the two of them watched their youngest brother take his girlfriend far from Brandon as possible. Both of them sensing the green monster jealousy is about to show it’s big ugly face. They know Ashley loves Nick, and they know Nick knows she does too, but they also know that he gets very insecure when she has an innocent crush on someone else – especially other celebrities. But they can’t blame him much on that last one. He’s been used one too many times by ex girlfriends in the past. Ashley is different, and he knows that. But he still can’t help but worry and become protective of what belongs to him.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
It was co-written with Lenni.
Enjoy =)
It was co-written with Lenni.
Enjoy =)
