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Here's the next chapter
I'm ALMOST there everybody...I'm so excited lol. Imagine how I will be when I actually reach 539 (And thats the new chapters that i've written since the story got deleted included). Frigin' estatic sums it up pretty good lol. Anyway, I'm putting the reposting on pause while I get some sleep but I shall be back later when I wake up!
Enjoy =)
Chapter Four-Hundred



After a couple of hours of shopping in the very small mall, the girls who each held their fair share amount of bags in their hands, decided they would stop for lunch. Kori called Nick on his cell phone while Ashley and Isabel were off looking at stuff, and when he reassured her that the diner was clear and they were still out themselves, she decided to take Ashley back there. When they arrived there, Kori disappeared in the kitchen to get started on lunch, Ashley settled herself in a booth with the brand new laptop that Nick and AJ had both given her for Christmas and she began idly surfing the net. Isabel sat on the other side of the booth and watched her in silence for a couple of moments before speaking up.


“SO Kori tells me you’re planning on helping abused children for a career when you’re older.”


“Yeah,” Ashley nodded. “Either a therapist in one of those facilities where children who have been rescued from unsafe homes go, or I might go into child protective serves itself…or maybe both. I haven’t officially decided yet, but I’m going to study both just so I will have the experience that I need.”


“That’s awesome.”


“Yeah, what I really want is to reach out to children who are going through what I did – still am going through today. I just need to wait until Sean is finally out of the picture so I myself can begin to heal first.”


“And he will be,” Kori reassured suddenly as she crawled into the booth next to her sister, slid her arms around her and kissed her cheek. “I promise. He’d be pretty stupid to try and attack us again…and the moment he does we’re going to get him.”


“What about your education? You never got to finish high school, right? Such a career probably requires that,” Isabel spoke up again.


“Denise has been thinking a lot about home schooling her. It wouldn’t be wise to put her in a public school for many reasons. Not only would each child in said school be put in Sean’s line of fire, but she is also the girlfriend of a Backstreet Boy. She already puts up with enough, she doesn’t need petty high school drama to add to the list – and she’s way behind anyway.”


“When was Momma Denise talking about home schooling me?” Ashley asked surprised. This is definitely news to her ears.


“She was talking about it with me when you and Nick were…busy. We both share the same opinion, that your education should be a priority right now if you ever want to accomplish your dreams.”


“Oh…”


“Infact, she was making phone calls about it they very same day that we were driving up here.” Ashley rolled her eyes some.


“I just love how everybody makes decisions without me…especially when they concern me. You, Momma Denise, Nick, Alex…”


“Do you not want to be home schooled is that what you are saying? Because I think you should jump at this Ashley, it’s a really good opportunity for you…career wise, and with everything that went on you didn’t get to finish high school. Neither did I…I might even consider pursuing my education.”


“No I do, it sounds nice, but I would like to be apart of the decision making when it concerns me, you know? I’m eighteen…I’m an adult no—“


“--I know it feels like you are an adult…you may be able to legally have sex with Nick now and you’ve been given a lot of independence too. But you aren’t quite one yet honey, you are still in your teens therefore its still okay for Denise to take care of you sometimes when it’s important. She is still your adoptive mom.”


“Yes, but I’m still old enough to where people can ask me what I want instead of making all of the decisions for me. Didn’t it occur to any of you that I might be capable of making right ones from time to time? I know I was dumb enough to let Sean in my life when I was twelve, but I--”


“--She was planning on asking you first thing when you got back what you thought. She was just looking into it and getting all of the information first.” Ashley was silent for a moment.


“Fine…if that’s what she’s planning to do…” Ashley replied as she looked down at her computer and began to resentfully type in it.


“How about we get out a board game or something?” Isabel asked trying to lighten the mood again.


“Hold on, just let me check on lunch” Kori insisted and she climbed out of the booth and headed back into the kitchen. Isabel got up out of the booth as well and she went on upstairs to the hallway closet where all of the games are. Ashley silently looked down at her promise ring as she sat there by herself now and she silently dwelled on how much she yearns for his hugs and his kisses right now. His reassuring words that always manage to make her feel like everything is all right, even when it’s not. She longs to be heard and understood. Everytime they’re apart, even for a little while she always feels like she’s missing a big part of her. Funny how she went from swearing to herself that she would no longer lean on or accept another person in her life, to relying on a person so much that she would give up everything for him and his kids in a heartbeat – a man of all people even. She never thought another human being would ever matter so much to her again after Sean’s first attempt at murdering her. Guess she was wrong about that. Very wrong. She can’t imagine life without Nick in it now. She doesn’t even want to imagine it. The thought terrifies her more then anything else.


~*~*~*~*~


“Brandon higher, push me higher!” Julie urged as she giggled on the swing set that the young artist whom she was developing a crush on was pushing her on. Brandon chuckled and gave her a great big push sending the swing high up in the air causing her to squeal in delight and he moved out of the way as she came back down. He gave her another push as she began to go up again.


“Brandon will you paint me a pretty picture?” she asked suddenly.


“Paint you a picture huh? What would I paint?” Brandon asked her with a small grin.


“I don’t know. Something pretty like all of your other paintings,” Julie insisted. Brandon had taken her into his painting room earlier and showed her some of his work.


“I will see what I can do,” Brandon promised, as he’d already had an idea set in his mind just seconds before she asked.



Meanwhile, just inside the house, Doctor Johnson stood at the window watching his brother with his little angel. Peyton and Anna had gone shopping so it was just the three of them at the house at the moment. Doctor Johnson smiled some as he listened to Julie’s laughter. He watched the two of them play on the swings for a few moments, and then he turned and his eyes fell on the one door he’d been avoiding since he returned home. The basement. He stared at it for a long moment and then deciding that he needs to face it, he ventured on over there. He lingered in front of the door a little before placing his hand on the knob and slowly pulling it open. He reached out and hit the light switch and then headed down the stairs taking very small and slow steps.


When he reached the bottom he sat on the bottom step and gazed over at the exact spot that he, Brandon, and Kayline had been lying. He closed his eyes then as sounds from the past could be heard in his mind. Kayline screaming, Brandon yelling, himself was yelling. Broken glass…lots of shattered glass. His eyes flew open then and fell on the long since repaired window and anger suddenly consumed him. Why do people put windows in basements? Windows do not belong in places where people take refuge from tornadoes. Maybe if there hadn’t been a window things wouldn’t have been so bad and then he would’ve had time to notice how badly Kayline had been hurt. And then maybe…just maybe he could’ve done something. Tears flooded his eyes then and he reached out and kicked a near by box as hard as he could sending it flying across the basement. He covered his face in his hands and he fought with every fiber of his being not to cry.


Meanwhile outside, Brandon sent Julie soaring high up in the air again and she held on tight to the chains as she leaned back in her swing so that she was gazing up at the great big blue sky and her hair blew beautifully after her from the breeze. As she was up there enjoying the brief moment of ‘flying’, she suddenly got a strange feeling in her stomach and somehow she knew what it was. She waited until she came back down further and then jumped off the swing landing on her feet in the sand before hurrying toward the house. Brandon arched his eyebrow.


“Hey Munchkin where are you going in such a hurry?”


“Stevie is aid!”


“…How on earth do you know that?” he asked while hurrying after her.


“I can feels it,” Julie insisted and once inside, she ran straight for the basement knowing right away that he is down there. How she knows this, she can’t explain but she does. Brandon made it to the door just as Julie had made it to the last step where his brother still sat cover his face and sobbing. Julie moved next to him and she gently slid her arms around his neck before resting the side of her head against his. “Please don’t cry Stevie…it wasn’t your fault. There was nothing you could do,” Brandon heard her whisper causing him to actually have to reach out and grab the railing to study himself just so he wouldn’t fall down the stairs out of shock. He knows perfectly well that she doesn't know much about Kayline – Doctor Johnson and Annabelle only told her enough to suffice her curiosity but they left out all of the gory details, naturally. So how does she know to say those things? Julie couldn’t answer that even if he asked her to. She doesn’t know either…it just felt like the right words to say.


He watched as his unsurprised brother slid his arms around her and pulled her around in front of him for a hug and he kissed her cheek softly. “You did everything you could to save her but it just wasn’t meant to happen. You have to be happy. You have to let her go. She loves you and she wants you to be happy…everything happens for a reason Stevie. You just haves to believe that. Everything is going to be okay…you’ll see.” Brandon shook his head tearfully, not wanting to believe this and he turned around and headed for his art room where he could lock himself in and allow himself to deal with his emotions, his confusion, and his anger. If Kayline is a so-called guardian angel, then why is she only reaching out to Steve? Did she really only love him? Does she not realize how much he misses her too? Sure, he’s not as bad as his brother but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t miss her too. He just had to learn how to be strong for Steve, that’s all. But that doesn’t mean his heart doesn’t ache for her too.


~*~*~*~*~


After having lunch and playing board games, Ashley ended up crawling out of the booth and lying in the middle of the floor with Nick’s sweatshirt as her pillow and falling asleep and Kori and Isabel sat around talking quietly about anything and everything. She slept for a couple of hours, and then flinched away causing both girls to look at her concerned.


“Nicky?” She whimpered and she reached out for him only finding herself touching the cold tile floor. She sat up and looked around then suddenly remembering where she is at and where Nick as at as well. Out.


“Ashley are you okay?” Kori asked concerned. Ashley opened her mouth to respond when the door to the diner opened and Nick walked in with everybody minus Wiley. Ashley’s entire face lit up at the sight of him causing him to grin at her lovingly.


“Nicky you’re back!” she exclaimed happily while getting to her feet and running over to him. He chuckled and held his arms open for her as she flew right into them and wrapped her legs around his waist. The impact of her crashing into him nearly knocking him over but he studied himself with the door.


“Well hi there, I’m happy to see you too,” he laughed and she grabbed at his chin and brought his lips down onto hers capturing them in one of her deep mind boggling kisses instantly taking his breath away. He tightened his arms around her waist and swayed somewhat before stumbling backward and finding the wall. He leaned against it and kissed her back.


“Ew.” He heard Kori mutter and imagined her making a childish-like face before covering her eyes in Isabel’s shoulder. When Ashley pulled away moments later he gazed into her eyes.


“What were you doing on the floor huh?” he asked, his loving blue eyes piercing into her sleepy brown ones.


“I fell asleep there and woke up reaching and calling out to you just seconds before you walked in,” she explained.


“Yup, she did” Kori added in agreement when she saw AJ’s look of utmost doubt.


“You did huh? So I guess asking you if you missed me would be a silly question then huh?” Nick teased and Ashley cupped his cheek in her hand before brushing her lips over his in the softest of kisses before kissing his jaw, his other cheek, and resting her head against his shoulder comfortably. He delicately ran his fingers through her silky brown hair as he hugged her closer to him affectionately and he brought her further into the diner with him allowing everyone else to come in also.


“She muttered your name a couple of times in her sleep too, I’m almost afraid to ask what her dream was about.” Nick looked down at her curiously then as he rested his forehead against hers and she smiled up at him rather smugly as he idly played with strands of her hair. He rubbed his nose lightly over hers and brought her over to his spot on the floor. He sat down and grabbed up his hoodie and while he helped her put it on her, AJ carefully sat Bella’s chair next to them after putting her in it and he walked off to find his own place to relax.


“Where is Wiley?” Kori asked as she was now passing out sodas.


“He said he had to do something really quick but would be here shortly.” Kori gave him a skeptical look.


“If it will comfort you any, I believe him.” Kori noticed the look on his face like he knows more then he is letting on and she stared at him suspiciously for a long moment, before rejoining Isabel and asking AJ and Detective Stabler what they thought of the town.




Meanwhile, once Ashley had Nick’s hoodie on and was settled in his lap where she would be staying for a long time, she finally turned her attention on the baby beside them and Bella’s entire face lit up at finally having her attention. Ashley’s did too as she reached over and unbuckled her from her chair.


“Hi baby!” she greeted as she gathered her up and Bella squealed happily. “Mommy has missed her baby so much, what have you been up to all day huh?” Ashley asked conversationally as she gently held her so she was standing up on her knees and Bella instantly went into ‘talking’ mode, telling her all about it.


“Is that right?” Ashley asked when she paused for response and then the baby went right into her story once again via baby gibberish and Nick chuckled.


“Man is she going to be a talker when she gets older.” Ashley smirked and leaned forward to give Bella a kiss on the cheek. After a few moments, Dakota and Sarah joined them and Dakota slid her arms around Ashley’s neck, kissed her cheek, and rested her head against her shoulder causing Ashley to lightly rest the side of her head on top of hers.


“Hi sweetie, how are you? Did you have fun?”


“Uh-huh, lots. Daddy bought Sarah pretty jewelry.”


“He did, did he?” Ashley asked while looking at a happy Sarah.


“Let me see this pretty jewelry of yours then” she told her and Sarah moved closer and pushed hair back so she could see her earrings and her necklace.


“Ooh…wow, those are beautiful” Ashley insisted and Sarah beamed.


“Ashee,” Dakota spoke up again suddenly, and Ashley returned her attention on her only to see how troubled she suddenly seems.


“Whats up sweetie?” Ashley asked gently.


“Are you gonna loves my daddy forever?” she asked, and AJ who had been keeping one ear on them and his other one in the conversation he’d been having with everyone else looked over at them.


“Of course I am silly, what kind of question is that?” Ashley asked while gently lying Bella back against her legs as she sat leaning back against Nick with her legs bent. She then slid her arm around the four-year-old and pulled her closer.


“Uncle Alex tells daddy he needs to be careful abouts the promises he makes to Sarah, Bella, an’ me because you’re eighteen an’ have a lot of growing ups to do.”


“Well, you know what?” Ashley asked not even having to be told how the whole conversation went because she’s heard it all before. “Your Uncle Alex,” Ashley began while looking over at her brother. “Had his heart in the right place, he was just being the protective brother, Uncle, and bandmate that he is but he doesn’t understand just exactly how much your daddy means to me…and a lot of people don’t. And they probably never will until they actually see it. But I can barely get through a whole day without him let alone not have him apart of my life anymore.”


“Buts Uncle Alex says daddy was your first love…an’ that most teenage girls don’t usually settle for one person,” Dakota insisted, needing to hear Ashley’s reassurance. Ashley leaned forward then so their foreheads were touching.


“Well I’m not most teenage girls baby. There is no one in this world who I want more then your daddy. I would give up everything for him…and unless he himself pushes me away…then he will always be apart of my life. That’s a promise and you know I never break my promises Dakota Ann, right?”


“Right” Dakota agreed softly and Ashley rubbed her nose lightly over hers. “I loves you Ashee.”


“I love you too sweetheart and I assure you that I already have a pretty good handle on my life. You three girls, your daddy…my newfound family and my career. That is all that matters to me. You four are the best things that ever happened to me.” Dakota and Sarah each hugged her on either side of her and as they did, Ashley looked up at Nick who’d been sitting there silently listening and she reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand causing him to lightly lean into it.


“You believe me right?” she asked softly.


“You know I do baby,” he reassured as he kissed the top of her head softly and she rested her head back against his shoulder as she looked over at AJ who’d gone back to talking to everyone else. She will have a conversation with him of her own later when they are alone. What was he thinking saying those things in front of Kota? She can understand why he was saying them…he was being protective but he should’ve known better not to do so while the girls were near. Dakota is already unsure enough as it is…and having night terrors on top of everything else. How could he give her something more to worry about? Especially when it’s the one thing she believes in and holds onto the most? Everybody sat around doing their own thing, until suddenly Wiley walked in causing everyone to look at him and they saw that he had one hand behind his back peaking everybody’s interest further except AJ.