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Chapter Three-Hundred-Sixty-Eight



After talking herself into getting into the shower and managing not to have a panic attack when she had, and after having a nice warm relaxing shower, Ashley got out dried off and only bothered to put a pair of Nick’s boxer shorts and a bra on. When she finished doing that she went out to the kitchen where the smell of breakfast was coming from and found Nick just finishing up on making it. Somewhere during the time she had gotten in the shower he had pulled some pants on. Ashley slid her arms around him from behind, kissed the back of his shoulder, and rested her chin on it.


“Have I told you how wonderful you are yet today?” She asked softly and Nick grinned a little.


“Not yet.”


“Well you are…and I’m keeping you forever and ever.”


“Good cause I’m planning on keeping you forever and ever too,” Nick informed her softly. “Now go make yourself comfortable on the couch please? I’m making us a plate to share.” Ashley did as he requested of her and went on over to the couch. She propped a few pillows and lay on the couch making herself comfortable and she waited. A few moments later Nick joined her with one plate that was filled with enough breakfast for the both of them. He gently placed the plate on her stomach before settling himself so he was lying between her legs comfortably. He grabbed a pillow and placed it on the couch in the space beside her and he placed his elbow on it before resting his head in the palm of his hand. He then grabbed up the fork with his other hand after turning the television on – but making the volume low so it was just background noise and she smiled at him partially amused, and partially swooning over the realization that he is going to literally feed her breakfast. He did just that, one bite for her and one bite for himself.


“Do you think Kota is going to be okay?” She questioned after swallowing some scrambled eggs that he had placed in her mouth. “I’m worried about her…and I feel kind of horrible for making her stay with Brian when she wants to come home really bad.”


“Physically…yeah she’ll be fine. Brian won’t let her be upset for long and neither will Sarah. Emotionally…I don’t know. I’m worried about these nightmares of hers…”


“I’m worried about them too…but not entirely for the same reason as you,” Ashley admitted softly and Nick kissed her stomach.


“I really think that she might be experiencing Night Terrors…”


“Night Terrors? But don’t people who experience Night Terrors wake up the next day not remembering a thing about it?”


“Not all the time…some people remember portions of the night terror…and sometimes they remember the whole thing. I did the research during Kota’s last episode…it’s been worrying me for quite sometime because all of our kids have nightmares, but not as much as her, and lately not nearly as bad either. We can usually calm the others down pretty quick but with Kota it takes a lot more effort then it should.”


“Is there anyway that we can help her?”


“I don’t know…in the research that I did all I found out was that it takes comfort and reassurance but that doesn’t seem to be helping our situation so I’m going to ask Doctor Johnson the next time I see him. I want him to look her over himself and tell me whether or not these are nightmares or night terrors.”


“I’m not saying that we shouldn’t try to end these nightmares or terrors, or whatever she is experiencing because I know how much its hurting her and no child should ever have to experience this – especially any of ours but what if she’s right Nick? What if they’re a window into the future?”


“All the more reason for us to put a stop to them if we can. I don’t want my baby used as a ‘fortune teller’. Its hurting her enough as it is and I don’t like it.”


“I know I don’t either…I was just trying to voice what really scares me about this aside from her pain.” Ashley replied softly and Nick looked up into her eyes and saw fear there.


“Honey, nothing is going to happen to you okay? I won’t let it.”


“What if all chaos has broken loose outside though as she puts it and you can’t help it?”


“No one is leaving you by yourself baby. We know better by now. If I’m not by your side then AJ will be and if AJ can’t be then Marcus will be for sure. You know that.” Ashley stared down at him in silence for a couple of moments as she chewed on her bacon. “And besides, you’ve been doing very well in your training. If for some unlikely reason you should end up alone then you know what you have to do to keep yourself safe baby.”


“But what if I’m not ready for an actual attack? I’ve been fighting against you, AJ, and Detective Stabler…people I know and trust. How do you know if I would be able to handle an actual attack?” Nick reached up and gently tucked a strand of her hair back behind her ear.


“Because I’ve seen you fight. You are strong and if you let yourself see how brave and capable you are of taking care of yourself like I do then you will be just fine. How do you think you were able to take a shower yesterday afternoon and this morning huh?”


“Because I willed myself the courage…it still wasn’t easy though.”


“Nothing ever is sweetheart. Life isn’t easy at all, there’s a new obstacle and struggle around every corner and even though we’re going to try our very hardest, there isn’t always going to be someone around to help you through it. Now that you’re considered an adult its time you grasp that. You have the courage and the strength to get through anything as long as you put your mind to it I know you do. Nobody believes in you as much as I do but something tells me you are going to get a chance to prove it pretty soon. Not just to everybody else, but yourself too.”


“What do you mean by that?” Ashley asked when she saw meaning in his eyes as he spoke.


“I just have faith in you is all…I know you are ready for anything that comes at you.” Ashley gazed down at him in silence for a few moments analyzing his every word. She knows he is hiding something from her. What does he know that she doesn’t? After a few moments she picked up the now empty plate of breakfast, sat it on the coffee table beside the couch and she rolled out from under him and onto her feet. She went over and stood in front of the back door and she crossed her arms over her chest as she gazed out at the sky biting her lip nervously. Nick watched her in silence before getting to his feet himself and walking up behind her. He slid his arms around her waist and gazed out at it as well. She leaned back against him resting her head against his shoulder.


“Whats the matter sweetheart?” Ashley remained silent for a long moment before answering.


“Wasn’t that sky clear and blue when we woke up this morning?” She asked softly, and he followed her eyes toward the dark clouds rolling in.


“Yeah…huh. That’s weird. But hey, at least we might be getting rain huh? You like when it rains.”


“Yeah…” Ashley replied softly and Nick heard the troubled edge to her voice.


“Baby?”


“I just…have a bad feeling is all,” she answered softly. “Something really bad is about to happen and I can feel it…and none of us are going to be able to stop it from coming.”


“Kota’s Night-Mare-Terror just has you spooked honey…”


“No it doesn’t. You know I’ve been feeling this way for a very long time. Since the day after your birthday.” Nick bent his head down and kissed her shoulder softly before pulling her back to the couch and proceeding to get her mind off of things.



~*~*~*~*~


“Gramma?” Ellie asked softly as she still sat in the bathtub with Ann sitting on the floor leaning against the wall and watching her Granddaughter who was leaning against the side of the tub with her chin rested on her arm. She’s already been washed up and had her hair washed and she was now just sitting there covered in bubbles. Ann had dumped all of her bath toys in there, but she wasn’t really doing much playing.


“Yeah Ellie?”


“Are you sure Summer isn’t gonna ruin this?” She asked quietly. Knowing exactly what she was talking about Ann scooted closer to her Granddaughter so she was sitting in front of her and they were face to face.


“I would like to see her try.”


“When are you an’ Uncle Jerry gonna tells daddy?”


“As soon as we possibly can sweetheart I promise you that we’re going to put a stop to this. We just have to find a way to tell him without things going horribly wrong.”


“What if you telled Elliot first an’ had him here so Daddy couldn’ts try an’ arrest Uncle Jerry? What if you had an’ intervention like Brian said?” Ann gazed at her for a couple of moments in silence and then reached out and gently tucked a strand of her wet hair behind her ear.


“Maybe honey, if everybody else agrees to it. Don’t worry about it right now though all right? Your Grandma Ann is going to take care of everything. You are safe as long as I am here. Okay?”


“Kay…” Elenore whispered quietly. Ann watched her for a few minutes more, and then she reached into the tub, pulled the plug, and she got to her feet and grabbed Elenore’s towel.


“Come on Ellie, let’s get you out and dressed before your Uncle and father get back,” She told her gently. Elenore got to her feet as well and Ann wrapped the TMNT towel around her little body before gathering her into her arms and cradling her with that gentle Grandmother’s touch that Ellie decided she prefers most to everybody else’s touch at the moment. She nestled into her and allowed herself to be carried off to her room as Ann placed soft kisses on her forehead and Ellie took them in as much as she could. When they got to her room, Ann went to shut the door behind her when Elenore suddenly spoke up.


“Gramma wait!”


“What? Whats the matter?” Ann asked slightly alarmed. Elenore stared at the door for a second as did Ann completely confused and then Elenore looked at her again.


“You were abouts to shut the door on my friend Linda.”


“Oh, I am so sorry Linda I didn’t know you were behind us” Ann apologized, and she watched as Elenore looked in the direction to the right of Ann not surprised in the least bit to hear about Linda. Jerald had warned her about Elenore’s imaginary friend.


“She says its okay,” Elenore insisted and Ann nodded and reached out to the door again shutting it behind them. She put Elenore down so her feet were on the ground then.


“Why don’t you pick out your clothes now sweetheart and Grandma will help you put them on?”


“Kay,” Elenore replied and she walked over to her closet, pulled it open, and peered inside. She gazed at her clothes indecisively for a few moments before pulling out a long sleeved blue turquoise tee with embellishments from the alphabet and a cute skirt with corduroy print panels. She walked on over to her dresser then and pulled out turquoise stripped tights of blue, orange-ish red, and black and she looked at her Grandmother who was sitting on the floor waiting on her patiently. She walked on over to her and Ann began to help her get dressed.


“So…Ellie…why don’t you tell me a little bit about Linda?”


“What do you wanna know?” She asked, eyeing the top of her dresser briefly and then looking at Ann warily.


“Well…how did you two come about being friends?” Ann asked casually. “Kids develop imaginary friends for many reasons…I’m just curious as to how you met Linda.”


“I dunno,” Elenore shrugged. “I just woke up one day an’ she was sitting in my rocking chair in the corner gazing at me…with this weird smile on her face…like she’d been watching me for sometime – and she had this look on her face like she could cry.”


“Hmm…that’s interesting,” Ann replied, recalling that emotion as ‘proud’. She remembers feeling that way the day Kevin adopted the sweet little girl in front of her that was now known as her Granddaughter. “How long ago was that?” Elenore thought about this answer for a moment.


“Shortly after mine an’ Ashee’s kidnapping.”


“Your recent kidnapping or the one at Disney World?”


“The one where Ashee gots kidnapped too.”


“Ah, I see…well what does Linda look like?”


Don’t tell her. Elenore stared at the dresser with the words ‘why not’ clearly evident on her face and she knows Lindy can feel her emotions so she understands.


Because I said so. Feeling frustrated with her imaginary friend and feeling angry that she is being told to lie some more knowing that would only get her into more trouble if her daddy or Summer found out, she narrowed her eyes at Lindy, before looking at Ann.


Don’t You dare


What are you going to do about it if I do? Elenore challenged right back in her thoughts and Lindy scoffed.


If you reveal my identity it could ruin everything.


How so?


It just will. Elenore scowled.


“She asked me not to tell you – no, actually, she demands I don’t tell you.”


Elenore Ellerbe—Richardson!


What?! I kept your stupid secret!


Try not to make her suspicious in the process, eh?


Why? Elenore challenged again.


Mind your elders. Elenore smirked suddenly feeling compelled to piss her off more. Lindy knows Ellie hates when she tells her that.


“She’s telling me to mind my elders.” Lindy growled and then stormed out of the room going through the opened window. Ann raised her eyebrow.


“Mind your elders huh? So she must be an old lady then…”


“Nah, she’s around your age.” Ann laughed and kissed Elenore’s cheek.


“You’re such a sweetheart,” She informed her and Elenore smiled, not quite understanding what she had said to amuse her grandmother, but she’ll take the compliment anyway. Just then they heard the door downstairs open and close.


“MOM, ELLIE, We’re home!” came Kevin’s voice.


“Yeah, hurry downstairs please! I already told Brian we were on our way!”


“And I have a surprise for you Ellie!” Kevin added.


“Eeeee!” Elenore exclaimed, before hurrying out of her room and down the stairs as fast as her sore body would allow her. Ann laughed again and got to her feet and she walked over to the closet and bent over to get Elenore’s black leather sandals with the heels that match her outfit really well and she headed out of the room just as she heard her exclaim.


“Watch out for Lil’ Rok! Don’t step on him please, he’s little an’ excited…OH! TEDDY!!!!!!!”


~*~*~*~*~


“Hi Stevie, is the toddler that got hurt okay?” Julie asked hopefully as Doctor Johnson walked into Donavan’s room again and saw her sitting on the bed next to him and they were going through magazines together. Doctor Johnson gave her a warm smile.


“Mhm, he’s going to be perfectly fine and will get to go home with his family in another hour when we’re sure he’s not going to have a severe concussion,” He explained while walking over and gathering the little girl into his arms. He can’t get enough of holding her – for some really strange reason she reminds him of his little sister.


“Whats a con…cussion?” Julie questioned trying to say the world correctly.


“It’s an injury that one can get to the brain if they’ve hit it too hard.”


“Kind of like mommy’s injury?”


“Kind of.”


“Ooh.”


“But anyway, how about we take a break from this doctor stuff and we go see your mommy at work, huh?”


“Okay! Mommy will like that.”


“Mhm,” Doctor Johnson smiled and he looked at Donavan, as did Julie. After the two of them said their good byes he placed her up on his shoulders – something he used to do with Kayline and he headed out to the lobby. When he got out there he brought her into the gift shop and over to the flowers and Julie too smart for her own good just smiled some.


“Mama really likes purple roses.”


“Is that right?” Doctor Johnson asked grinning some. He forgot how hard it is to fool a seven-year-old.


“Uh-huh, an’ white daisies.” Doctor Johnson thought about that for a moment, and then he walked up to the register to Lillian and requested her to make him a bouquet of purple roses and white daises. When Lillian finished making the bouquet and even putting them in a small vase that is purple and has a pretty white ribbon tied around it and is easy to carry, she handed it over to Doctor Johnson. He paid for it then before heading on out of the Hospital and he and Julie began the walk to the Elementary School just down the street.



~*~*~*~*~*~


“I thought this was just going to be The Littrells and The Richardson’s?” Kevin complained to Jerald quietly when they arrived at the beach and he spotted pretty much the whole gang minus Nick and Ashley there.


“Word spreads fast?” Jerald asked innocently.


“But you and mom made a huge deal about this just being a family event.”


“Yeah, well, take a look around Kev…the family is all here.” Kevin narrowed his eyes.


“How come Howie got to bring his girlfriend?” He asked, eyeing Lindsey who was sitting in the sand next to AJ who held Laila in his lap. Jerald thought about that question for a moment. Very good question…how is he supposed to come up with an excuse for that?


“Well…Ryan and Laila are pretty much considered part of the family…and Lindsey is their mom…so that makes her tied to our family too…so there!” Kevin opened his mouth to respond and Jerald foreseeing exactly what he is going to say cut him off. “Just because Summer is your girlfriend it doesn’t make her part of the family.”


“That is not fair.”


“Fair or not Kevin, its still the truth.”


“How come when Ashley became Nick’s girlfriend she was automatically considered part of the family then?”


“That’s an easy question – Because Ashley is sweet, kind hearted, and won the hearts of all of us within seconds of meeting her. She is everything that Summer is not.”


And you are the one who welcomed her first and gave her your blessings if my memory is correct” Brian added coming up on the other side of Kevin and wrapping his arm around his shoulders. He’d been standing close enough to over hear the disagreeing conversation and has brought it on himself right after the airport incident to make sure the two brothers don’t kill each other.


“I was no—“


“You were too, don’t even try and say that you weren’t. The day she and Nick shared their first kiss and became a couple you said it was okay because she was pretty much part of the family. You can’t deny that and get away with it because ever since then you’ve taken on the father role in her eyes and you wear that label proudly. You love her, so stop acting like a jackass.” Kevin scowled.


“Well its still not fair that everybody else’s girlfriend gets accepted into the family and mine doesn’t and if you think I’m going to just stand here and let this happen then you are sadly mistaken.”


“Find a nice girlfriend who loves all of us as much as she loves you and then we will be happy to give her our blessing Kevin. We’ll even stand right beside you as you marry her if you wish. But as your cousin who loves you I have to be perfectly honest with you and say that Summer just doesn’t have…” Brian searched for the words he wanted. “The same values as you do.”


“The same values as me? And what exactly are my values Brian if you seem to know me so well.”


“You’re a man, who loves to spend time with his brother,” Brian began, moving so he was standing between him and Jerald and he gently patted Jerald on the shoulder. “You like to sit and watch football with him on Sundays, wrestle with him, and just be a downright boy sometimes. You’re a father who loves his little girl so much and any girlfriend that you date should love her just the same. Can you say that Summer does Kev? Does she love Ellie as much as you do? Does she see herself being that soccer mom some day in the future who drives her kids and their friends all over town in a mini van just so they can follow their dreams? Do you? You are a man who thinks Family and Friends are his top priority and you are a Backstreet Boy. Those are your values Kevin. What are Summer’s?” Kevin didn’t need to answer Brian’s question, because he knows Brian already knows the answer. Lightly nudging his cousin away he turned and stormed off toward the ocean. Brian and Jerald watched with great concern as he sat in the sand just inches away from where the waves stop and stared out toward the horizon.


“Think what you said hit a nerve?” Jerald asked quietly.


“I don’t think, I know. That is why he is so angry, because he knows I’m right. Three days alone with his family and we will have him on the right track again. Then maybe it will be easier to tell him.”


“Well, what are we going to do now? He’s the whole reason for this picnic, its no fun if he’s just going to sit there and be angry all day.”


“You forget I know my cousin like a book,” Brian replied. “I know what makes him tick,” he added, and then gazed over at Elenore who is standing near by with Dakota, the two of them just standing there hugging. He walked over to the girls as Jerald stood there and watched him and he knelt down beside them causing them to look at him curiously.


“How come I haven’t gotten a hug from my favorite cousin yet today? Kota are you over here hogging all of the best hugs? Hmm?” Both girls giggled some at his words and Dakota tightened her arms around her best friend but remembered to stay conscious of her bruises.


Maybe,” She told him drawing out the word. “What’cha gonna do abouts it?” She challenged.


“Boy are you ever sassy this morning,” He informed her after chuckling a little. Dakota hugged Elenore some more, holding her close to her selfishly.


“Well, I can see I’m not going to be separating the two of you anytime soon.” Both girls shook their head at his statement and he smirked. “I guess I’m just going to have to tickle the both of you then!” he told him, and before the two of them could react he scooted closer to them and gathered them both into his arms – still conscious of Ellie’s bruises. He attacked them immediately with kisses and raspberries on the side of their necks and on their cheeks making them shriek and giggle hysterically. They squirmed about in his arms trying to get away but it was no use, they were stuck. When he finally stopped a few seconds later he grinned at them and they both scowled at him playfully.


“Meanie Uncle Brian,” Dakota accused.


“That was nots very funny,” Elenore added and Brian chuckled.


“Really? I thought it was.” Both girls scoffed at his words and he smirked and reached out and gently tucked a strand of Elenore’s hair back behind her ear.


“Hey Ellie, you wanna do me a favor?”


“You tickle me an’ then have the nerve to ask me for a favor?” She asked, placing her hands on her hips and she looked at him pretending to be incredulous and Brian laughed amusedly.


“Please?” he asked, sticking his lower lip out in a pout. He gently pulled her into a hug then and attacked her face with numerous kisses again, except this time without the tickling. “Please, Please, Please, pleeeease?” he pleaded.


“Okay, Okay!” Elenore told him between laughs and he pulled away grinning triumphantly.


“See your daddy over there?” he asked quietly, and he motioned toward Kevin causing both girls to look his way.


“Uh-huhs.”


“He is sitting over there pouting and being nothing but a great big party pooper. I bet if you ran on over there and worked your magic on him it would cheer him right up.”


“You thinks so?” Elenore asked doubtfully.


“I know so. So why don’t you run on over there and cheer your daddy up?”


“What if he gets mad at me?”


“He won’t. He loves you Ellie…and I think your hugs and kisses are exactly what he needs – more then anything else.”


“Kay,” Elenore sighed still feeling doubtful. “If you insists.” She pulled away from him then and she ran on over to Kevin tackling him from behind.