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



The next day around five thirty in the evening, everybody was rushing around getting ready to leave for the arena, as it is the night of the concert. Nick, who had just finished giving the girls a bath, wrapped Dakota up in her towel and gathered her up in his arms and he cradled her as if she were a tiny baby. While he did this, Ashley helped Sarah out and wrapped her up in her own towel and took care of her.


“Daddy,” she spoke up softly.


“Yes princess?”


“I was a good girl last nights for Denise.” Nick chuckled softly.


“I know that baby, she told me.”


“So I still gets to be Belle?” She asked hopefully.


“If you try out for the part.” Dakota smiled some and he kissed her forehead softly, as he carried her out of the bathroom and sat down with her on the floor and he sat there drying her off.


“Daddy”


“Yes baby?”


“Are we going home tonight?”


“Yes ma’am. Right after the concert.”


“Will we be going on the airplane again?”


“Ha, are you kidding me? I don’t think they’d let us crazy people back on there. No, we’re going home on the tour Bus.” Dakota giggled some, and she stood there quietly for a few seconds as he assisted her in getting dressed.


“Daddy”


Yes pumpkin?”


“Can I goes out onstage and sing withs you tonight?” Nick suddenly looked taken aback at this random question.


“You mean actually sing with me?” Dakota nodded while smiling at him with her innocent can’t say no even if you wanted to eyes.


“Wow baby…are you sure? You’ve never had an interest in doing that before.”


“I’m very sure.”


“What do you want to sing?” He asked, glancing over at Ashley who was looking at him encouragingly.


“A Christmas Song,” Dakota answered, as if she’s been thinking about this for awhile now and knows exactly what she wants.


“Which one?” Nick asked curiously.


“Jingle Bells Rock,” She answered confidently. Nick chuckled.


“I think that’s a great idea,” he told her, rubbing his nose lightly over hers and she smiled at him.


“Really daddy?”


“Really. If you agree to be the lead singer – I’ll just harmonize,” he told her, deciding he would use this to see how well she can sing and how much he needs to teach her before the play.


“Maybe the boys could harmonize with you in the background. That would be really adorable,” Ashley suggested, as she sat in the middle of their bed brushing out Sarah’s long red hair fondly. “Unless you just want it to be you and your daddy. That would be really cute too.”


“The boys too,” Dakota smiled.


“Okay, well let me run this by them first and see what they think okay?” Nick asked, rubbing his hand over her back.


“Kay,” Dakota smiled, and when he finished helping her get dressed into her red overalls with a white t-shirt underneath, and her red converse shoes, she leaned up and kissed his cheek.


“Can I goes to see Ellie please?”


If Marcus is standing out in the hall and he escorts you there then yes. I want him to poke his head in and call for me telling me that he has you okay


“Kay,” Dakota promised, and she ran out the door and headed to the front door leading to the hall. She opened it up and poked her head out to see Marcus standing there and he looked at her smiling some.


“Going somewhere, young Donatello?”


“To sees Raphy,” Dakota answered innocently. “Daddy says he wants you to takes me, buts you have to tell him you haves me.”


“Well okay then, off to Raphael’s room we go,” he told her and he gently took her hand in his before poking his head in the door.


“Nick I’ve got her!”


“Okay, thanks!” Nick called back, and Marcus led Dakota down the hall to Brian and Kevin’s Penthouse. When they got there, he opened the door causing Brian to turn and look at him and Dakota walked right in.


“I have a little visitor here who would like to see her friend. Is that okay?”


“But of course. We love visitors!” Brian grinned and Marcus chuckled.


“Okie Dokie. I’ll let Nick know she made it here safely.”


“Kay thanks,” Brian replied and Marcus turned and walked away after shutting the door behind him.


“Ellie is in her room with Josh sweetheart,” Brian explained and Dakota hurried on into the room she knows Elenore shares with her two future cousins. When she got in there, Elenore’s back was turned and only Josh and Chris noticed her enter. Elenore was in the middle of lecturing Chris about eating crackers on her TMNT pillow and getting crumbs on it. Dakota shook her head in amusement. Good old Ellie, she thought. always finding some way to pick on the boys. Though she would be pretty mad too if someone got crumbs on her Belle pillow. Dakota smirked and she put her finger to her lips as she looked at the boys, silently telling them not to announce her arrival and they obeyed, though they watched her curiously. She quietly snuck up behind Elenore, and as soon as she was right behind her, she pounced. She jumped up onto Elenore’s back before throwing her arms about her neck and Elenore shrieked in surprise. Dakota placed her hands to Elenore’s eyes then before she even had the time to see whom it is.


“Guess whoooo…” she spoke in a singsong voice.


“Kota, you brat” Elenore laughed, as she collapsed onto the bed in front of her from the weight of her best friend and Dakota giggled.


“What are you complaining’ about now Ellie, huh? Huh?” Dakota asked in her ear, as she still clung on tight.


“Anything and everything, you name it, she complains about it” Chris replied while rolling his eyes and he watched as Elenore managed to stand up. She wobbled around a little bit before falling backward onto the floor, causing both girls to break down into a giggle fest.


“Kota gets off of meee,” she pleaded. “Why do you gotta be a pest?”


“Cause I’m the baby that’s why” Dakota smirked.


“Bella is the baby.”


“Between the four of us, I’m the baby.”


“I thought babies were supposeds to be cute,” Elenore replied, as she managed to throw her best friend off of her. “You’re just plain annoying.”


“Oh, but I am cute. I am. I am highly adorable just asks anybody.” Elenore rolled her eyes playfully, before lunging herself forward and throwing her arms about Dakota, causing her to fly backward onto her back and she hugged her tight causing Dakota to shriek and giggle. Josh looked highly amused.


“They don’t see much of each other for days, and they turn into this,” he commented, and he looked at his best friend and brother to see him standing there watching them in revulsion. He is still not used to the whole girl thing. “At least she is tackling someone else for once and not me,” he added, as he watched the two girls roll around and roughhouse together. “It’s a nice change.”


“Hush Joshy, I can always pull you in withs us,” Elenore threatened amidst wrestling. Dakota giggled, reached out and grabbed Josh’s foot, and she yanked him forward causing Josh to yell out before falling into them, leaving him no choice but to join in. Suddenly Brian and Jerald came running to the doorway, and they each eyed the three kids warily.


“Well…they’re laughing…that’s a good sign,” Jerald commented. Brian looked to Chris then with a raised eyebrow.


“Playing, or serious?”


“Playing,” Chris answered, rolling his eyes some.


“Ah,” Brian and Jerald replied in unison, and the two of them walked away amused.


“Chris, quit bein a lazy bum and help me out beat these stinkin’ girls” Josh demanded playfully and he grabbed hold of Chris, yanked him into the group and soon enough all four of them were wrestling.


“What are they doing in there? I assume it’s nothing serious since neither of you broke it up?” Kevin questioned when his cousin and brother walked back out into the living room.


“They’re fine. They’re just playfully wrestling with each other” Brian shrugged. “Nothing new.”


“Ellie and Josh?”


“All four of them,” Brian replied.


“And to think, sweet little Kota started all of that” Jerald mused, and Kevin laughed.


“She has her moments bro, trust me.”


“Exactly. She’s no Ellie, but she can still be ornery when she wants to be” Brian agreed. “But anyway, speaking of Dakota, Nick just called me and asked me to go see him because he wants to talk about her and an idea she has. So I’ll be back…keep an eye on my kids?”


“I will,” Harry replied dutifully.


“Thanks,” Brian replied and he turned and kissed Riley on the cheek before heading on out of the room and he walked down the hall to his best friend’s Penthouse.



~*~*~*~*~



Later on that day when everybody was ready they gathered their kids and grudgingly found their manager and they headed down to the arena where the Kissmas Bash is being held. When they arrived there, they waited for Lou to go off and mingle…or whatever it is he does, before Brian and Nick got right to work on their plan.


“Kota Ann,” Brian spoke up, causing Dakota to suddenly drop the doll that she had been quietly playing tug-o-war with, with Sarah and she turned to her uncle innocently as Sarah hugged the doll close to her triumphantly.


“Yes Uncle Brian?” she asked sweetly, and Brian rolled his eyes as he had seen just exactly what was going on.


“Come here you little munchkin. We don’t have much time so we need to get right to work.” Dakota giggled, and she ran over to her favorite uncle and he knelt down in front of her. It was then that she realized he is holding bells in his hands that are very much like Ellie’s. She beamed as she watched him tie some to her laces, and then he took her wrists and slid bracelets made of bells on each of them. She looked at him curiously as he did this and he recognized the look right away and leaned forward and whispered quietly in her ear so that no one else would hear.


“I thought since we’re singing Jingle Bell Rock, you could have some bells for special effect. I’m gonna teach you some cute dance moves. Does that sound fun?”


“Yeah,” Dakota replied happily, and he stood up before gathering her in his arms and he carried her into another room with Nick right behind him as well as AJ, Howie, and Kevin. Jerald raised his eyebrow curiously, and then immediately turned and looked at the girlfriend who knows Nick like a book.


“Ash…what are they up to?” he asked, and everybody else turned and looked at her, wondering the very same thing. Ashley smiled innocently.

“I am under strict orders not to say.”


“Is this another one of my brother’s surprises?” Harry interrogated gently.


“Nope. This was actually all Kota’s idea.” Jerald shook his head amused, and he gathered a very snuggly Elenore up into his arms before sitting down on the couch with her in his lap.


“You’re being very sweet today,” he told her, as he rubbed his hand over her back and she smiled up at him. “Out of control one day, and completely sweet the next. It’s hard to keep up with you sometimes, ya know that?” he teased, and she giggled. He leaned forward and attacked her neck with relentless playful kisses while making animal sounds like he is ‘eating’ at her neck and she giggled some more, as she slid her arms up around him and hugged him even tighter. Ashley smiled some as she sat there holding Bella with Sarah sitting next to her and she watched Jerald and Elenore play. After a few moments, she stood up and gently placed Bella in Sarah’s arms. After making sure Sarah has her and is being extra careful with her, she set off for the bathroom. When she reached the door, she tried the knob only to find that it’s locked. Someone is already in there. Damn… she cursed inwardly, as she really has to go and she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to wait. Thinking back though, she remembers seeing a bathroom on their way in. It’s out in the hall though. She glanced around at everybody hurriedly, trying hard to think with the agony of having to pee very badly. She feels like her bladder could explode any minute. Kori is busy sitting in a corner making out with Wiley. Ashley rolled her eyes at this and made a mental note to go bug them later. Her brother, Nick, and the boys are in the back preparing Dakota for her first ever performance in front of the world, Denise is on the phone with someone and Riley is busy discussing something with Harry while the kids and Scott are playing Candy Land. Where are Marcus and the rest of security? They must be off getting things ready for the show. She is very surprised Marcus isn’t by her side. He hasn’t left her alone since the moment they arrived in NYC. Until now. It’s just as well though…it’s getting to the point where if he doesn’t leave her alone, she’s gonna go crazy. She loves the man to death…but she needs her space. And she definitely doesn’t need him as a peeing buddy either that’s for sure. What’s he gonna do…save her from falling in? Deciding that there is nobody available to go with her, and deciding that her bladder is going to explode if she waits any longer, she hurried across the room to the door and walked out into the hall. She went across the hall and straight to the bathroom and she pushed the door open and went inside, before rushing to the nearest stall to do her business. When she finished, she flushed and came back out and she went to the sink and washed her hands before fixing up her hair and touching up her makeup. She spent a good five minutes in the bathroom, and then threw all her makeup back into her backpack before putting it on and walking out into the hall only to bump into a figure who was standing right outside the door.


“Whoops…I’m sorry I didn’t…” she began, but cut off as she looked up and saw that it was Lou she had run into and he wasn’t looking very friendly. “See…you there…” she finished, and backed up against the door. She reached for the handle to open it so she could go back in and lock herself into a stall if she has to, but Lou was quick to grab hold of it.


“You seem to be in my way a lot these days, don’t you?” he asked her calmly, but she could still hear the menacing tone in his voice.


“I’m sorry. Were you wanting to get into the ladies room?” Ashley asked boldly, and Lou narrowed his eyes at her.


“I wouldn’t talk back to me if I were you, you ungrateful little bitch, as I am the one paying for the clothes you wear and the food you eat, and the room you stay in on this trip.”


“Hmm…no, actually my mom bought this outfit I am wearing,” Ashley replied, indicating toward the black O-Ring Halter tunic that she is wearing, and the blue denim skirt and converse shoes. “Just the other day. So you can’t take any claim on that.”


“Your mother is dead,” Lou insisted in such a harsh tone that his words actually stung her. She glared at him however, refusing to let him see just how badly he got to her.


“And it’s a very good thing for you that she is because you wouldn’t be getting away with treating me like this if she weren’t,” she informed. “And, you still won’t get away with it because I’m gonna go straight backstage once you get your fat ass out of my way and I’m going to tell my wonderful adoptive mother and brother everything and you’re going to get a gigantic lawsuit thrown in your face.”


“You wouldn’t dare, and you want to know how I know you wouldn’t?” Lou asked confidently, and Ashley narrowed her eyes at him waiting for the threat that she knows is going to come. She’s heard them all.


“I’ll tell the court all about the illegal relationship you and Nick have been having since the day the two of you met. How he was dating you before Denise adopted you. As soon as they find that out, Nick will get fired from that job of his and all of my troubles will be over.”


“Where’s the proof Lou, huh?”


“As soon as I have the cops and my lawyer convinced, they’ll find it. They’ll dig deep into that Orphanage until they find something. How about cameras? They have to have cameras in that place. I’m sure if they tried; they’d be able to find proof. What about the fact that he’s been sleeping in the same bed with you since day one? Huh? Why would he sleep with you if he knew he had feelings for you? Unless he was actually dating you?”


“Nick and I have never once slept together, until I was adopted.”


“You are lying.”


“I am not. He has slept IN the same room as me, but there have always been two beds. You could ask anybody in that building. There isn’t now of course, since I’m adopted and it’s okay but there was.”


“You’re lying.”


“There is no proof Lou. No, we don’t have cameras. The only cameras in that building are of what security set up and they DON’T set them up in any of the rooms. So go ahead and try, but you’ve got NOTHING on us.”


“Do you really want me digging into your boyfriend’s business like that and exposing him? And what would the fans think if I were to say that he’s been sleeping with you? If you know what I mean.”


“Well, you would be telling a downright lie.”


They don’t know that. And the police don’t either. And in all honesty, I think they should check. You are a minor after all.” Ashley didn’t reply, she only stood there glaring at him. And though the hatred is very vivid in her eyes, he can see a flicker of fear in them as well. He knows he has her where he wants her.


“You know I can destroy Nick’s life in two seconds sweetheart. So if you don’t want that to happen I suggest you behave,” he told her, as he rubbed his hand over her bare leg and she swatted it away hard, causing him to yelp. He looked down at his hand and saw that it was bright red.


“Next time it’ll be my knee to your dick,” she warned.


“You stupid bitch!” he groaned, and he grabbed hold of her leg with one hand, and brought the other up to her face but she grabbed hold of her finger and pulled it backward causing him to cry out in agony.


“This stupid bitch is through with letting sick fucks like you violate her! Touch me again and you will have a broken finger.” Lou stepped away from her, holding his finger and moaning in pain, his eyes actually watery. Just then the doors opened and he gave her one last warning look, before recomposing himself and shoving his hand in his pocket and he took a step back and made it look like he was just having a pleasant conversation with her. Ashley looked toward the door to see Pete walking in a long with the rest of the fall out boy crew. He raised his eyebrow when he noticed Ashley standing out in the hall.


“Hey Ash…what are you doing out here?” Ashley’s eyes flashed over to Lou’s and she saw the dark menacing look in them. Not liking that look at all, she walked over to Pete and wrapped her good arm around him and he gave him a friendly hug. She may have been doing pretty well in the self-defense department, but Lou is much bigger and stronger then her. Who knows how long she would’ve been able to keep it up.


“Hi Petey…I’m really glad to see you.” Pete returned her hug, rubbing his hand over her back, as he can sense her stress.


“I’m really happy to see you too,” he told her gently. “What are you doing out here?” he asked again, not failing to notice that she didn’t answered his question. He knows she isn’t supposed to be alone.


“I had to use the restroom, but the one backstage was taken.”


“Okay…well did you use it?”


“Yes.”


“Why are you just standing out here then?” he asked gently.


“I ran into Lou here, and we were just talking.”


“About what?” Pete asked, narrowing his eyes at Lou, as he doesn’t like the looks of him. Backstreet Manager or not.


“Just…business. Why don’t we get backstage, huh? I bet Nicky is starting to miss me.” Pete stared at her for a couple of moments before answering.


“Good idea…” he told her and keeping his arm wrapped around her waist he led her toward the door to the backstage with the rest of his group following close behind them and Pete was sure to give Lou an I’m onto you look as he went by. He’s only known Ashley for a few days, but still. He knows stress when he sees it. Something was going on before he walked in and she seems very keen on keeping it from him.