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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Lenni co-wrote it with me.
Enjoy =)
Chapter Three



“Ashley I’m going to have to bring you up to your room to take your medication. Riley is up there waiting on us.” Doctor Adams told her, trying his very hardest to be as gentle as possible. He didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want to have to be the one that came down and got her but Riley insisted that he try. He argued that he doesn’t have the patience to be dealing with her and she doesn’t like him so why does he have to do it? Riley told him he’s not even trying and if he can’t handle a challenge then what is he doing here? He has to face bigger and much more serious challenges every day yet he can’t learn to deal with a temperamental patient.


“No.” Ashley answered softly.


“Ashley it’s really important that you take your medication.”


“You will not touch me.” She replied in a more demanding tone this time.


“I’m sorry honey but I was given orders to bring you upstairs. I won’t hurt you, I promise.” He insisted, trying to be as patient as possible. He reached over to take her hand, but she yanked it away.


“NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!” She screamed suddenly, sounding as if she’s being raped all over again. She pulled her legs close to her chest and pushed herself further into her chair trying to get as far away from him as possible.


“Please cooperate with me I am not going to hurt you!” Doctor Adams begged, his voice rising slightly and this made Ashley cower more into the chair. He then made an attempt to pick her up but she only smacked his hands away.


“NO! I SAID TO LEAVE ME ALONE! GO AWAY!” She then began to cry. Doctor Adams sighed heavily.


“I really don’t have the patience for this.” He told her, than he scooped her up from the chair and held her tight as she began to cry harder and struggle against his chest to be let free.


“NO!! LEAVE ME ALONE, LET ME GO! I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING WRONG - PLEASE!” she begged and pleaded. Doctor Adams turned and headed toward the door with her but she suddenly bit his hand hard.


“OW! YOU LITTLE BRAT! THAT HURT!” He yelled at her, and then he let her go. She ran back over to the chairs and crawled underneath the one she was sitting in. She scooted back as far as she could where neither he nor anyone else could get her. She hugged her legs to her chest, buried her face in her lap, and she continued to sob as she rocked back and fourth slowly.


“I CAN’T handle this! Tell Riley that if she wants anything done with that brat then she can do it herself! I have had enough!” Doctor Adams said with so much anger evident in his voice as he turned to face Nick who still stood on the stage with the rest of the guys, and he stormed out of the room afterward. Nick sighed and then jumped down from the stage and went over to the chair that Ashley had hid herself under. He crouched down so that he could see her and she pulled herself further under at the sight of him.


“Come on honey… come out of there. Doctor Adams is gone now…it’s going to be okay.” He told her gently.


“No,” she answered while sniffling. “Leave me alone.”


“Please come out of there… I won’t hurt you I promise. The last thing I would ever do is hurt you. You can trust me honey…I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” He insisted as he talked to her in a sweet and gentle tone. She looked up at him for a couple of minutes, looking into his gorgeous blue eyes and she can see so much love in them. She thought for a couple of minutes, than she cautiously scooted out from under the chair. He held his arms out toward her offering her a hug.


“Come here honey… I will take you up to get your medication.” She looked at him for a couple of minutes, intimidated to get too close at first but then she crawled into his arms allowing him to embrace her in a hug. He stood up and allowed her to wrap her legs around his waist and rest her head upon his shoulder, and he carried her out of the auditorium as he hugs her close protectively and rubs her back. When he was upstairs on the right floor he carried her down the hall to her bedroom and he walked in to find Riley waiting on them.


“We had a problem with Doctor Adams again.”


“Oh no…now what happened?”


“She wouldn’t let him touch her. Every time he tried to pick her up she would cry and beg for him to leave her alone. When he lost all of his patience he just picked her up and attempted to carry her out of the room but she bit him, got away, and ran and hid under the chairs. Doctor Adams was furious and said that if you want anything done with her you need to do it yourself because he’s given up. It took me awhile to convince her to come out from under the chair but when I did she let me carry her up here.” Riley sighed.


“It’s his own fault. I keep telling him that he has to be more calm when taking care of her and not so demanding but he won’t listen. It’s amazing to me that he is even a doctor sometimes.”


“Yeah, I know…I’ve come to realize while watching him with her that if he changed his tone of voice when talking to her instead of being so mean and bossy, and expecting her to just trust him right away and if he just tried to earn her trust by being gentle with her she would cooperate for him more. From my own observations I have discovered that you can’t tell her how things are going to go and expect her to be okay with it. You have to tell her what you want, and gradually get her to agree with it. Reassure her that she is safe.”


“Exactly,” Riley agreed as she got Ashley’s medicine and a spoon. Nick sat on the bed still cradling her and she again rested her head against his shoulder and slid her arms around his neck, before holding onto him tightly. She is still very shaken up from earlier. Riley went and sat on the bed next to Nick and she poured the medicine into the spoon and she offered it to her. Ashley opened her mouth allowing her to put the spoon in and she swallowed it down, immediately making a face. Riley handed her a cup of water and she took a drink to get rid of the taste.


“At least she is starting to trust me now. I still have to promise her that I won’t hurt her a few times and beg her to let me hold her but it’s progress. Her and I had an entire conversation earlier even.”


“Yeah and her trust in you is a little more important than Doctor Adams right now because I would really like you to start being with her more.”


“Well, like I promised her from the very beginning - I’m not going anywhere.” He replied as he looked down at Ashley to find her looking up at him in return with an unsure look in her eyes. Every time someone promises her that they aren’t going anywhere, or that they will take care of her and never let anything happen to her, they always do end up leaving. The man who promised he would take care of her first ended up being abusive and nearly killing her. Both of her parents promised that they would always be there for her - they promised. She remembers the exact day like it was just yesterday. It was the day after Kori had run away and she was crying in her room with the door locked refusing to come out. When they finally got in she asked them if they were going to leave her too. She told them that they were all she had left and she was scared of losing them too. They reassured her over and over again that they weren’t going anywhere. So much for that…and as for her sister…she’s pretty much gotten over the upset stage. Now she’s just bitter. She can’t even count how many times since then that she’s been angry with her. How could she leave? How could she just let her parents die and how could she just let her little sister suffer it alone? All she knows is that if she ever saw her again she would be very angry with her.


“I know you don’t fully trust me honey, I know right now you’re feeling very faithless… and I understand that. But I just want you to know that I will always be here if you need someone to run to. I will be here if you need someone to just hold you and tell you that everything is going to be okay. I always will be. It doesn’t matter what time it is or what I’m doing. You tell Riley and she’ll call me and I will be down here as soon as I possibly can. I promise to god that I will always be here for you.” Nick explained as he pushes some hair that is in her face to the side, and he tucked it behind her ear. Ashley looked into his eyes for a few moments not saying a word, than she crawled out of his lap and over to her pillow where she laid down and she began to just stare at the wall. Nick and Riley both remained silent as they watched her and they both noticed the tears falling from her eyes. Nick pulled her blanket up on her and leaned down and kissed her cheek, than he got up and left the room with Riley following him. She shut the door behind them and Ashley listened as they talked quietly out in the hall.


“Will she be okay?” Nick asked quietly.


“She’ll be fine…she’s just overly tired and all worked up from the Doctor Adams incident. A little nap before dinner might be good for her.”


“Okay… then I’m going to go back down and continue sound check.”

“Alright I will come with you,” she replied and she followed Nick downstairs to the first floor and into the auditorium. Once they were in there all of the guys looked at them.


“Where is she? Is she okay?” Howie asked, as concern filled his voice. The rest of the guys were also waiting for an answer. After watching how frightened and stubborn she is, and after seeing how fragile she is they immediately became dedicated. They too want to help out in any way that they can.


“She is upstairs resting. She’s gotten herself all worked up over earlier’s incident. She is very tired.” Nick explained.


“Oh okay.” Suddenly Nick felt a tug on his shirt. He looked down to find Dakota standing there looking up at him. She reached up to him wanting to be held and he picked her up. She rested her head against his shoulder and hugged him tightly as she too looks exhausted.


“Hi baby…you are about ready for a nap too huh?” Dakota shook her head stubbornly.


“No naps.” she protested and scowled. “Just wanna be held.” Nick looked into her tired blue eyes for a couple of minutes, than he followed the rest of the guys up onstage as he gently rubbed her back. Brian hugged Riley real quick and then followed and the guys continued their sound check for another couple of hours. Nick held Dakota as he does and just as he expected she soon fell asleep. As Riley sat in the front row just relaxing after working all afternoon, her cell phone suddenly rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the caller ID and she raised her eyebrow as she saw that it reads “Chase” on it. Why in the world is her husband calling her? He never calls her in the middle of work. In fact, she’s lucky if she even gets a call from him at all lately. Curious, she turned it on and placed it to her ear.


“Hello?” She asked into the phone.


“Hey babe, it’s me Chase.”


“Hey…what’s up?”


“Nothing…much,” he answered, pausing between words. “I just called to see what you’re up to - that’s all.” He answered and Riley raised her eyebrow once again, only this time in suspicion. For one, her husband never calls her up just to see what she is doing and two; he is choosing his words very carefully. What is going on?


“Well I’m at work like you are…and I’m in the middle of taking a break. I have been taking care of kids all day.”


“Oh. Well that’s cool…very cool.”


“Yeah…what about you? Since when do you call me in the middle of work to ask me what I’m doing?”


“Well…I kind of wanted to tell you something important…” he began.


“Like what?” Riley questioned, becoming slightly worried. Chase was silent for a couple of minutes on the other end.


“Chase? Are you there?”


“Um…yeah I’m here.”


“Honey what’s going on?”


“Well…um…there’s no easy way for me to tell you this, so I’m just going to come right out and say it. I’m not going to be able to make it to dinner tonight.”


“What? What do you mean you’re not going to be able to make it??” Riley asked, raising her voice slightly and this got the attention of Brian. He stopped in mid dance steps and looked at her, AJ nearly bumping into him as he did.


“Shit Bri what the fu-”


“-But Chase you promised!”


“I know I promised baby, but I need to go out of town for a few days - like a week. I have a business thing in Paris that I have to attend.”


“You always have some business thing to attend! When do I get a chance to spend time with you and when am I going to be important to you?”


“Ri, you have always been important to me.”


“Yeah? Well you sure have a funny way of showing it.” Chase sighed heavily.


“Look Riley, it’s not my fault my boss scheduled a meeting in Paris. If I had it my way I would be home by dinner tonight and we would have a candlelit dinner just the two of us like we planned. But it just doesn’t work out that way and I am sorry. What do you want me to do? Quit? Then who would pay the bills and bring all of the money home?”


“You’re not the only one who works and brings home the money, Chase. I work too, I love my job too, but at least I make it home to spend time with my husband and not constantly break promises that I make.”


“Oh don’t give me that bullshit Riley. You’re gone just as much as I am. You have been at that Orphanage for three days now and I haven’t seen you since.”


“Because I am used to you being gone and working all the time! What is the point of coming home when there is nothing to come home to? You’re gone all day, don’t come home till 2:30 in the morning and then go straight to bed and I don’t even see you the next day before work. It gets pretty lonely. So yeah, I’m sorry if I prefer to stay where I have company!”


“Yeah, I’m sure that Backstreet Fag is great company, right Riley? Is that why you love being there so much?”


“Don’t you dare bring Brian into this! You know damn straight that I have loved this job LONG before he started working here. You know this job is my pride and joy. It is the ONLY place that I can go to escape that empty house that I sit in day after day!” Riley replied, suddenly breaking down into tears. “And if that was an accusation of cheating Chase then you’re VERY much mistaken, because I would NEVER cheat on you. I love how much trust you have in me, I really do.”


“Whatever Riley. Then we won’t have a problem will we? You can hide away at that orphanage of yours the entire time. You won’t even know that I am gone.” Chase replied, and then he hung up. Riley turned her phone off and angrily shoved it into her pocket and she stood up.


“Riley are you okay?” Brian asked gently. Riley looked at him to find all five guys standing there watching her worriedly.


“Fine, I’m fine…I’m just…I’m going back to work. I have been on a break for way too long.” Riley answered, and she turned and quickly walked out of the room before anyone had the chance to stop her. Brian sighed and then hopped off the stage and hurried after her. He glanced quickly around the lobby for her and found her going furiously through the papers on her desk and co-workers looking at her worriedly.


“Riley…are you okay?” Doctor Johnson asked worriedly.


“Yeah I’m fine. I’m just having a hard time finding the file I want…” she lied and Brian shook his head before heading over to her. When he got over to her she looked up at him momentarily but then went back to what she is doing.


“What are you doing?” He asked her.


“What does it look like I’m doing?”


“It looks like you’re trying your very hardest not to have a breakdown.”


“I’m fine Brian. Just leave me alone. Don’t you have a sound check to finish?”


“The guys will manage without me. We’re nearly done anyway.” Riley didn’t reply, she only continued to angrily go through papers, getting more and more frustrated by the minute that she couldn’t find the paper that she wanted.


“Riley, stop it.” Brian pleaded. When she didn’t listen he became even more worried about her then he already was. “Riley STOP it. Calm down!” He told her, sounding much more firm then before and he took her hands in his to stop her only to have them shoved away.


“LEAVE me alone Brian. Just go okay?”


“No I will NOT leave you alone!”


“Well why the hell not?? Chase does it!” Riley yelled.


“Well if you haven’t noticed honey, I’M NOT CHASE!” He yelled back and she stopped what she was doing and looked at him. She opened her mouth to say something, but then stopped. “I’m Brian and I care about you and I want to know what the bastard has done now to upset you!”


“He broke his promise to me okay? Satisfied now? Now leave me alone. Please...” She pleaded, looking at him with eyes full of tears and she turned back to her desk. Brian sighed and then slid his arms around her waist as he moved behind her and he rested his chin on her shoulder. He then took her hands preventing her from going through anymore papers and he intertwined his fingers with hers.


“What promise honey?”


“He told me this morning that we would have a candlelit dinner tonight…had me all excited because it would’ve been the first thing we’ve done together in weeks. But then just now he called me and told me that we wouldn’t be able to because he has to go out of town for a week. He has a business meeting in Paris to attend. And like you just witnessed…we got into a huge fight over the phone.” Brian turned Riley around to face him and once again wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her close and he brushed a strand of her hair out of her face pushing it back behind her ear as he gazes into her stormy blue eyes.


“Honey how long are you going to put up with this? How long are you going to let him break promises like this and hurt you? You don’t deserve this.”


“He’s my husband Brian…” Riley started.


“Yeah so…? He doesn’t act like it.”


“Brian, stop…”


“Stop what? Being right? Worrying about my best friend?”


"Stop trying to make me do something I'm not ready to do."


"What am I trying to make you do, Riley? Other than see you've an asshole for a husband?"


"Just because you think he's an asshole, doesn't mean I don't still love him, Brian! You may be my best friend, but you're not my husband!" Brian looked at her partially shocked, and partially hurt.

"Fine, I'll drop it. But only because you are my best friend and I care about you and don't want to upset you even more." He told her, and then he pulled away from her and walked away disappearing in the auditorium. Riley sighed out of frustration and she kicked the drawer she was going through earlier closed and wiped the tears that had clouded up in her eyes and were threatening to fall. She will not let herself cry. Not in front of everybody. She has to stay tough for the kids. When the tears had gone away she headed toward the elevator deciding that she would check on Ashley.


~*~*~*~*~


Later on that night - 10:30 to be exact Ashley lay in bed asleep. Ever since Nick had carried her back upstairs after dinner she had fallen asleep and remained that way ever since. Suddenly hearing the angry thunder outside as it is storming like mad out there, she opened her eyes just on time to see a flash of lightning light up the entire sky. As it did she saw the man who had nearly stole her life standing at the foot of her bed. Her whole body tensed in fear as she stared at him and he stared back at her with so much hatred in his eyes.


“W-wh-at are you doing here?” She asked him, struggling to get her words out.


“You told them that I did this to you. Didn’t you?” he accused her.


“No I didn’t! I swear to god that I didn’t tell anyone. They’ve asked but I refused to tell them I swear!”


“You’re lying to me.”


“No I am not! I swear on my life that I didn’t tell!”


“Do you know what happens when you swear on your life and you’re not telling the truth?” He asked her and she could hear that familiar dangerous tone in his voice.


“Please leave me alone… I didn’t tell them I promise…” She begged and she began to cry. He stared at her for a couple of minutes, and then he crawled on top of the bed and moved so that he is straddling her hips and she could no longer move.


“Please…I didn’t do anything wrong I swear I didn’t.” She continued her helpless pleads to be left alone and she looked up at him scared beyond belief. He pulled a knife from his pocket suddenly, and he placed it at her neck.


“Swear on your mother and father’s grave that you didn’t tell or I will kill you now since I failed to do so the first time. And believe me… I WILL succeed.” Ashley didn’t say a word. She only lay there staring up at him and all she could do was cry.


“NOW!”


“Leave me the fuck alone you stupid bastard or so help me god I will scream.” She threatened him.


“Oh go ahead honey, scream. I dare you to. You can scream as much as you want but the door is locked and nobody can get in. By the time they do this knife will have already slit your throat and you will be dead. So go right on ahead and do it. I dare you to scream.” When the strange man got no response out of her except more fear he smirked.


“That’s what I thought. Now do what I told you to do. Swear on your mother and father’s grave that you didn’t tell anyone.”


“I swear…”


“On what?” he asked her as he pushes the blade lightly into her neck making a little cut on it and blood drip out. She cried out in shrill pain.


“I swear on my mother and father’s grave that I didn’t tell!” she yelled as she cried harder than she already was. He looked into her watery brown eyes for a couple of minutes and when he knew that she was telling the truth he put the knife back into his pocket.


“Good. See that you don’t tell anyone because the minute you do I will find out and come back to kill you. Understood?” He asked her firmly. She nodded her response and whimpered some as he looked down at her with that dangerous look in his eyes. He then suddenly smacked her hard in the face before yanking her from the bed and throwing her against the wall. She cried out in agony and he went over to her once more and smacked her again only ten times harder then before making blood spill from her nose. He kicked her repeatedly as she lay there wailing. Suddenly hearing her screams from next door Nick jumped up from lying in bed with Dakota as they were in the middle of watching The Little Mermaid together and he ran out of the room and next door to Ashley’s. He tried the knob only to discover that it’s locked. He then began to bang on it.


“Ashley honey what’s the matter?!” he yelled through the door. “Why are you screaming baby and why is the door locked? Let me in!” He yelled through the door. Brian who had followed Nick into the hall began to bang on it as well.


“Ashley what is going on sweetie? Open the door!” he yelled through the door too trying to help Nick out and the both of them are very scared. Hearing Ashley’s screams from all the way down the hall, Riley, Doctor Johnson, and Doctor Adams suddenly came running out of a room and rushed down the hall to Ashley’s closed door.


“What is going on? Why is she screaming?!”


“We don’t know but her door is locked and she won’t let us in!” Nick explained before going back to banging incessantly on the door. “Ashley honey open the door, NOW!” he yelled.


“Riley don’t you have a key?” Brian asked impatiently.


“Not on me because her door is usually left open!” Hearing all of the yelling and banging on the door confused and terrified children suddenly started coming out of their rooms.


“What’s going on?” Josh who is across the hall asked. Doctor Adams who seemed to be the only one out of the five adults standing there in the hallway who was able to stay calm in the situation turned to see all of the kids in the hall peeking from their rooms.


“Go back into your rooms children, let the grownups handle this.” He told them and all of the kids reluctantly did as they were told. Suddenly they heard the voice of the man that is attacking Ashley but they can’t make out what he is saying.


“Someone is in there with her!” Nick who was first to hear him insisted. “We need a key RIGHT now! Someone find a key hurry! She is being attacked!” Doctor Johnson who has keys to just about everything pulled them all out of his pocket and began to go through all of the labeled ones hoping to god he has the one to Ashley‘s room. His hands shaking in panic as he did and Riley began to help him. After a couple of minutes had gone by when they had finally found the right key, the screaming in Ashley’s room had stopped. Doctor Johnson hurried and unlocked the door and when he did he opened it up and they rushed in to find Ashley lying on the floor in the corner of her room without any clothes on and she is still crying. She is just covered in blood and so is the walls and floor around her. The window is wide open where the man had snuck in and out of and the storm is still raging hard outside.


“Holy shit…” Doctor Johnson cursed under his breath.


“Oh god Ashley…” Riley added softly and she went over to her as did Nick.


“It’s going to be okay honey… we’re going to clean you up. You’re going to be alright.” Riley soothed, as she sat on the floor and gently embraced her with a hug. Ashley wrapped her arms around her in return and she cried into her shoulder.


“Here Ri…let me take her to her bed.” Nick spoke up after a few moments. Riley pulled away from her and Nick went to scoop her up into his arms but she screamed and shoved him away.


“LEAVE ME ALONE! DON’T TOUCH ME!” she shouted at him and she began to sob all over again.


“Ashley, it’s just me. I’m not going to hurt you I promise. I just want to lay you in bed. I won’t hurt you…you know that I won’t hurt you.” Nick insisted gently and he crouched down to her level.


“No! No! Leave me alone! DON’T touch me!” She begged and she scooted into the near by corner of the room and hugged her legs to her chest as she looked at him frightened.


“Honey please… you know that I won’t hurt you.” Nick continued, his gentle tone never leaving him and he remained patient. He scooted closer to her but made sure to leave a reasonable distance between them and he offered her his arms.


“Come here…please? I just want to help. You don’t want to stay in that corner all night do you sweetie? Don’t you want to get in bed where it’s more comfortable for you?” She looked at him for a couple of minutes just sniffling, then after thinking about it for a while she held her arms out to him. He scooted closer and he carefully pulled her into his arms cradling her. She slid her arms around his neck and held onto him tight as she buried her face into his neck and she continued her crying.


“Brian hand me her blanket please.” Doing as Nick requested Brian grabbed the blanket off of Ashley’s bed and he handed it to Nick. Nick wrapped her in it and continued to cradle her in his arms. She whimpered into his shoulder and held onto him tightly.


“Shhh…you’re okay. It’s going to be okay I promise. I’m right here…and I’m not going to let anything harm you again. I promise.” He told her softly. After awhile when he had her calmed down again he looked at Riley.


“We need to clean her up Ri. She is covered in blood and she is in so much pain.” Riley looked at Doctor Johnson and Doctor Adams.


“Let Doctor Johnson handle it. You know she won’t let me near her,” Doctor Adams insisted and he walked out of the room.


“I can do it if someone will just give me the stuff” Riley offered. Doctor Johnson nodded and went to the counter. He got all of the stuff that Riley will need and he brought it over to the nightstand next to the bed and he sat it down.


“Come lay her in bed Nick.” Doing as Doctor Johnson said Nick got up still cradling her and he went and sat on the bed after laying her down on it. Riley got up as well and followed him over there. When he saw that Nick and Riley had things under control again he left the room. Nick who noticed Dakota standing in the doorway watching a long time ago finally looked at her.


“Kota baby…be a good girl and go watch Little Mermaid for me okay? I will be right in there as soon as I can to tuck you in and sing you to sleep.”


“Kay…” She replied softly and she turned and went back into the room that she shares with Nick. When she was gone Nick turned his attention back on Ashley’s situation. He looked at Riley wondering what he should do.

“Go get her clothes from the dresser for me okay?” Nick nodded and he got up and went to the dresser and he got out one of her tank tops, panties, and pajama pants and he went back over and sat next to her as she took care of Ashley. He placed the clothes on the nightstand.


“I’ve got everything under control for now Nick, why don’t you go put Dakota to bed?” She offered after noticing Ashley looking at Nick nervously.


“What time is it?”


“11:00.”


“Okay and if you need me to, as soon as Dakota is asleep I will come back in here and help you some more.”


“Okay thanks.” Nick nodded and then got up and went back into his and Dakota’s room where he found Brian in there watching The Little Mermaid with her. Nick sat and watched the end too and when it was over Brian and Dakota looked at him.


“Is she gonna be okay?” Dakota asked softly, her eyes full of concern for her new friend. Brian also looked at Nick curiously as he too wants to know the answer.


“She’s fine. She is going to be all bruised up by tomorrow - more so then usual and ten times more frightened then before, but other than that she will be okay.


“Good,” Brian replied and Nick nodded and looked at Dakota.


“Anyway Dakota you need to get in bed. It’s your bed time.”


“I don’t wanna…” Dakota pouted.


“Come on sweetie you have to.” Nick insisted, than he picked her up from sitting in Brian’s lap and he playfully dropped her into bed sending her though fits of laughter. He smirked and covered her up before sitting next to her and he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. He gazed into her blue eyes for a few minutes as he combs his fingers through her hair and she looked up at him in return with so much love in her eyes.


“Are you ready for the concert tomorrow?” He suddenly asked.


“Yes I am,” She told him excitedly.

“Good because I have something special planned for you.” Dakota raised her eyebrow in curiosity.


“What is it?” she asked him anxiously and Nick chuckled.


“Now if I told you that it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?”


“I could act surprised!” She insisted and Brian laughed a little as he sat there watching the two of them.


“Yes I know you can baby but I think you would enjoy it more if you just wait until tomorrow.”


“Okay…fine.” she sighed. He smiled down at her and then once again kissed her forehead. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight.


“I love you Nicky.”


“I love you too sweetheart.”


“Are you gonna sing to me before I go to sleep?”


“Mm hmm of course. What would you like me to sing?” Dakota thought about it for a while, looking as if she’s thinking real hard.


“Our song!”


“Okay, our song it is,” Dakota beamed happily as she is very excited to hear him sing their song. It has been a very long time. “Brian help me out here okay?”


“Sure thing,” Brian agreed and the two men began to sing the song Anywhere For You to the sleepy four year old who tried her very hardest to stifle a yawn. By the time they had finished singing Dakota was asleep. Nick made sure she was still tucked in, than he got up and walked out of the room with Brian close behind him and he turned the light off and shut the door just a crack. They then went next door to Ashley’s room to find her now dressed and lying comfortably in her bed again and Riley was in the middle of closing her window and locking it.


“This window stays shut and locked unless someone is in here with you from now on Ash, okay?” Ashley nodded her head quietly in response and Nick went and sat next to her on her bed.


“How are you doing?” He asked her softly as he took her hand into his and gently rubbed it with his finger. “Are you feeling any better?” She again nodded her head in response.


“May I have a hug?” He asked her as he holds his arms out to her. She looked at him skeptically for a few moments but then eventually gave in and scooted into his arms closing the space that was between them. She figures if he was going to hurt her he would’ve done it already. He also wouldn’t have been as eager as he was to get into her room earlier either. He grinned and carefully wrapped his arms around her in return and he embraced her with a hug. The minute she was in his arms it hit her: she doesn’t ever want to leave them. For some odd reason she feels safe where she is and she knows that he won’t do anything to hurt her. She rested her head against his shoulder and she closed her eyes as he rubbed his hand over her back in a slow circular motion.


“You’re so sweet and fragile…I don’t see why anyone would do this to you.” He told her softly in her ear.


“It’s because he was always drunk off his ass…that’s why. And on a lot of drugs…” She told him quietly, causing him to look down at her curiously. Riley and Brian who were quietly talking over by the window (for the first time all day since their little argument - unless it was business talk) looked at her as well. This is the first time she’s ever spoken about him.


“Why was he drunk sweetie? Can you tell me why he drank?” Nick encouraged as he tucks a strand of her hair back behind her ear and he sat there playing with her hair.


“It’s because he lost a close friend in a car accident…he’s been depressed ever since. He also told me that it relaxes him because I make him so fucking angry all the time. Those were his exact words…”


“What was the name of this friend that he was dwelling over? Did you know his friend?” Nick questioned after seeing Riley quietly telling him to persist as she and Brian stood behind Ashley and listened carefully.


“His name was Thomas…”


“What was his last name?”


“O’Ryan…”


“Did you know any of his other friends?”


“Yes…because they were over at the house all the time. They were just as horrible and abusive as he was and they would beat me all the time. It was a game of theirs…”


“What were their names?” Ashley looked at him just thinking about his question for awhile as she remembered all of the threats they made if she ever told anyone the things they did to her.


“Ashley? It’s okay honey… please tell me what their names were.”


“I…I…can’t!” she replied and she began to cry. He looked at her with a desperate look on his face for a couple of minutes, than he sighed and pulled her into another gentle hug.


“Okay, okay…shhh…you don’t have to.” He reassured her.


“Can you tell me who did this to you?”


“NO! No I can’t…” She sobbed and that same look of terror that he saw when they had finally broken into her room earlier was now evident in her eyes once again.


“Come on Ashley… please tell us. It’s really important that we know. If you tell us we could have the man arrested and he would never be able to do this to you or anyone else ever again.” Riley pleaded just as Doctor Adams appeared in the doorway. Ashley looked up at him as he was standing there looking at her and she cowered into Nick’s chest and whimpered.


“No…I can’t…” she insisted and she held onto Nick even tighter than before. Nick, Brian, and Riley all looked at Doctor Adams.


“What’s up Doctor Adams?” Riley asked curiously.


“Brooke wants to talk to you…all three of you. She wants to know what’s going on.”


“No…Nick please don’t leave me in here all alone.”


“Ri cover for me…please? Ashley needs me.”


“Brooke said that it was important that she talks to all three of you.” Doctor Adams replied.


“Well what about you? You were here for the incident too.” Nick asked suspiciously.


“I’ve already spoken to her.”


“Oh…” Nick thought about it for a couple of minutes, than he looked down at Ashley.


“I will be right back I promise.”


“Nick…no…please.”


“Honey I have to. Brooke is my boss and if I don’t listen to her I could get fired and then I wouldn’t be able to stay and protect you.”


“But I’m scared…I don’t want you to leave me.”


“I know, but I will hurry back I promise. Here… you lay down and watch some Television. I will go talk to Brooke and then I will come back and lay with you. How does that sound?” he asked her and he lay her down in the bed and covered her up before grabbing the remote and turning on the TV.


“What channel?”


“Disney…” she sniffled. He turned the channel to Disney and kissed the top of her head before getting up and following Riley and Brian out of the room. When they were gone Doctor Adams turned and looked in at Ashley and she looked at him as she clutched the blanket close to her. He looked at her with a not-so-very-friendly expression on his face before turning around and walking away.