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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Chapter Four-Hundred-Thirty-Seven




"So, Nick..." Q spoke up after a moment when Kori and Scott were gone, and Nick looked at him resuming his annoyed mood.



"Why don't you go check on Ashley?" Q suggested gently knowing she will keep him calm.



"I would rather stand here and wait for my darling sister to resurface."



"Well, you are either going to have to go get Rosalie from Laney, or Marcus from Ashley because I can't stand here and protect an orphanage alone buddy." Nick huffed, and then walked off in the direction of the playroom deciding getting Laney to leave Rosalie will be a lot easier than getting Marcus to leave Ashley. Q rolled his eyes and then resumed his job of watching over the Orphanage. When Nick and Laney returned, Nick holding Rosalie on his hip Q spoke up.



"Uh...Nick...I really think you should go check on Ashley."



"Why? What's going on?" Nick asked, picking up on Q's tone instantly. "Isn't Marcus with her?"


"Yeah, he is with her. But they're headed for the basement."



"But that doesn't make any sense. Why would he take her to the basement where the Sean dummy is?"



"From the looks of it, she's taking him." Nick arched his eyebrow and then gently handed Rosalie over to Laney again before turning around and hurrying off toward the basement. When he got there, he spotted the door open which means Ashley and Marcus are already down there. He ventured down the basement stairs quietly until he reached the last step and he peered in there to see what is going on.



"Honey you don’t have to do this today," Marcus reassured gently as he stood just a few feet away from the dummy with Ashley wrapped protectively in his arms and she is looking away from it even though it's covered with a blanket.



"I need to," Ashley insisted softly. "And if anyone is going to be here when I do, I want it to be you."



"What about Nick? You know he would want to be here for you during it. He might feel hurt that you brought me down here to help you instead of him. And AJ? This is supposed to be AJ's thing."



"I need to be able to do this on my own - without Alex and Detective Stabler pressuring me. I am not happy with them right now."



"And Nick?"



"Is right behind you," Ashley answered without even having to look. She sensed his presence. He can't be sneaky with her. Marcus turned his head then and when he saw Nick at the stairs he looked incredulous for a moment, and then shook his head.



"I just know your connection is going to be helpful some day," he insisted.



"So long as Sean doesn't convince me he's dead, yeah, maybe" Ashley shrugged.



"That’s the thing baby," Nick replied gently while going over to them and he gently pulled her out of Marcus's arms and into his own though he didn’t move her too far from him recognizing that he is her strength right now. "You can't let him have that power over you," he continued. "That's what AJ is trying to teach you with this dummy here. You believed I was dead because you let him get to you. You can't believe his mind games like that."



"But--" Ashley tried but Nick gently placed his finger over her lips interrupting her.



"But nothing baby. Sean is just a human being like you and me and just like any other human being, he does not get to have control over you."



"You would've believed it if it were the other way around and you were in my shoes. If you were told that I was locked in that trunk and if you didn’t behave he would kill me...and then later watch the car blow up believing that I was inside...you would've believed it too. Don't tell me that you wouldn't." Nick gently wiped a tear from her cheek with his finger, and then tilted her chin up so that she is looking up at him with watery eyes.


"You are right I probably would have because you mean the whole world to me. I'm not saying I don't understand what you went through - because I do. I know I mean the whole world to you and you thought it all got taken away from you before your very eyes and that it was all your fault. I know. I'm just trying to help you be stronger so it doesn't have to be that way next time. I hated knowing that you were suffering so much - I felt so helpless and I don't want you to go through that again." When she didn’t respond he continued. "You need to get it in your mind that he doesn't have control over you. Everything that he tells you are nothing but sick lies to get you to do everything he tells you to. None of it is true."


"But what if one day he is telling the truth?" Ashley sniffled. "What if you really are dead the next time around?"



"You will know it if I am."



"How? How will I know Nicky?"



"Because I am bound to you that’s how…no one could even begin to understand how strong our love is... the moment I leave this earth, you will feel it" Nick explained while gently caressing her cheek and looking into her eyes seriously. "You will know before anybody else. Just remember that okay?" Ashley opened her mouth to protest and Nick once again silenced her with his finger. "Do not let Sean make you blind to me baby," He told her firmly. "Promise me that you won't. Everything he tells you are lies - he just wants control of you - and that is something he does not have. Promise me right now."



"I Promise," Ashley sniffled and he leaned down and brushed his lips lightly over hers.



"Are you ready for that blanket to come off?"



"What if I panic again?"



"What made you panic the last time?"



"I shouldn't have...I knew what was coming. Alex told me what was under that blanket but as soon as I looked into that face that has haunted me for five years everything he ever did or said to me flashed through my mind and I just wasn't ready to deal with it."



"That blanket is not coming off until you give the okay" Nick promised gently.



"I need to face him one more time for the day Nicky..." Ashley whispered softly.



"Okay, but take your time. We'll sit down here for as long as you want to," Nick promised and he gently rubbed his hand over back soothingly and kissed her forehead. "And Marcus is right there for support too. You know that nothing will harm you with Marcus here."



"And you just need to remember that the dummy isn't real," Marcus added. "It's not going to jump out at you and strangle you."



"I wouldn't put it past it - For all we know that dummy could be the friend of Chucky," Ashley insisted. Marcus chuckled and Nick shook his head slightly amused.



"Well if that's the case," Marcus replied while reaching out and letting his fingers gently cascade through her hair. "Super Marcus will kill friend of Chucky before he even gets the chance to hurt you. So don't you worry about it.” Ashley was silent for long moment, and then she looked up at Nick.



“I think I’m ready,” She told him softly but tightened her arms around his waist. Nick lightly caressed her cheek with the back of his hand and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as he looked at her like she were his most precious treasure.



“Are you sure?” Ashley shook her head.



“When you are sure…Marcus will pull the blanket off…and the first thing I want you to tell that dummy,” He began gently and Ashley looked up at him curiously. “Is ‘you don’t have control over me’ and mean it. Can you do that for me baby?”



“I will try…”



“It’s not going to hurt you,” Nick promised. “I’ll be right here holding you the entire time.”



“You probably shouldn’t,” Ashley warned gently and she reached up and placed her hand gingerly to his cheek where she had smacked him earlier in her attempt to get away. “I’m sorry for that Nicky…”



“It’s okay,” Nick reassured gently. “It was my fault – I should have just let you run. AJ, Elliot, and I have been teaching you to hit and get away all this time, drilled it into your mind even…I should’ve known better.” Ashley pulled his lips down on hers then, kissing him, and then looked at the blanket covered dummy, willing herself to be ready.



Meanwhile up in the air vent, Angel and Conner who had finished making love just minutes before Ashley and Marcus had come down to the basement lay there quietly listening. They didn't dare try crawling off somewhere in the vents in fear that any sound that they make might alert them to their presence. The moment Angel had seen Nick appear, she had become very frozen underneath Conner. After lying there watching, Conner gently kissed Angel's forehead softly and tilted her chin up so she is looking at him and he kissed her lips delicately.



"I feel weirded out lying here naked with you with your brother right there," Conner whispered very quietly in her ear.



"I find it kind of thrilling actually," Angel whispered back. "The danger of getting caught makes the whole thing that more exciting."



"Even if your brother could murder me?"



"He'll have to get through me first." Conner fought back the urge to laugh.



"No offence baby, but I don't think you're strong enough."



"He'll stop if I’m in the way - the last thing he wants is to risk accidentally hurting me instead. I mean the world to him."



"He could just push you out of the way," Conner reminded.



"Just leave it up to me okay? I have a plan."



"You have a plan huh?"



"Of course I do. I know he's going to know what happened - if I know my brother at all, and I do. He probably went down and checked the cameras. When he saw that we were no longer on them, he figured out we are up in the air vents. He might have even called Aaron too who I'm sure is pissed with me for locking him out of my thoughts."



"You two can lock each other out of your thoughts?" Conner asked suddenly feeling intrigued.



"Only I can. Aaron tries, but hasn't mastered it. I had it down by three years old." She looked back in at Nick, Ashley, and Marcus then, to see Nick and Ashley now sitting on the floor together and he is gently coaxing her into facing the dummy.



"We should go while he is distracted so I can put my plan into action" Angel whispered.



"What if they hear us moving? Marcus has super hearing; I’m surprised he hasn't heard us whispering up here."



"I wouldn't be surprised if he has and is just ignoring us. He promised Ashley he'd be there with her. Just...come on, we'll have to go quietly." The two of them grabbed up their clothes then and got up and they quietly crawled through the air vents succeeding in not getting the attention of anybody from below. When they were far enough away they got dressed again, and then found the vent to Conner's room where they crawled out. When they were standing in the room Conner looked at her curiously.



"Okay, what's your plan?" Angel took his hand and quietly pulled him out of the room and they headed downstairs. When they got down there they went into the playroom where they spotted Laney playing with Rosalie.



"Angel!!" Rosalie exclaimed excitedly and she got to her feet and ran to them, tackling her in a hug. Angel gave a little laugh and gathered the little girl in her arms and gave her an affectionate hug. One thing she missed during hers and Conner's separation was Rosalie.



"Hi sweetie," she told her gently and she looked at Laney who still sat there.



"You two are going to be in so much trouble when Nick gets back up here," he warned. "You better hide Conner, cause I don’t know if even Q and I could keep him from killing you."


"No, but I can" Angel insisted, and then she went over to the dress up area. When she got there, she dug through the box of clothes until she found what she wanted and she went back over to Conner curiously. Conner eyed what she now held in her hands with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.



"Handcuffs baby?" Angel didn’t answer, she only moved so she was standing in front of him and she took his hands, wrapped his arms around her from behind, and then laced their fingers together before snapping the cuffs around both of their wrists. She looked at Laney next then who sat there eyeing them in amusement.



"Now, if he wants to kill Conner, he will really have to get through me first."



"Baby, as good as this idea is..." Conner began gently. "How are we supposed to use the restroom when needed?"



"Then I will un-handcuff one of our hands and we will step away and turn our backs during that time. But other than that, I’ve just become your personal bodyguard babe - literally."



"And eating time?" Conner questioned.



"I'll feed you, and you'll feed me." Conner smirked and he gently turned her chin to the side before leaning down and brushing his lips lightly over hers.



"I love you baby," he told her between kisses.



"Love you too," She mumbled against his lips. When they pulled apart, Rosalie spoke up.



"Angel will you plays with me now?"



"Yeah Angel, will you play with her now? Q needs me back at the security booth."



"Sure thing," Angel answered and then went over and sat next to Rosalie, pulling Conner down with her so that she is sitting in his lap. He kissed the back of her neck softly as she began to play Barbies with his sister and he grinned. He could get used to having her handcuffed to him like this. At least this way Sean won't be able to get her without taking him too.



"How long are you planning on staying like this love?"



"Until Nick cools down."







"So, guess what Q," Laney began when he rejoined his partner at the security booth.



"Angel and Conner resurfaced," Q answered unsurprised. He of course had seen it.



"Not only that," Laney insisted. "But Angel has also taken the word bodyguard quite literally." Q arched his eyebrow curiously.



"She's handcuffed herself to Conner and insists that if Nick wants to kill him he'll have to get through her first. It's a great idea if you think about it - I think Marcus should handcuff himself to Ashley too."



"As useful as that would be, I could see a few of flaws in that plan Lan," Q replied amusedly.



"One, Ashley would not be happy. Two, Marcus needs his hands to defend her, and three, I don’t think Marcus would want to get in bed with her and Nick at night or be that close to them when they're just plain being lovey dovey. It just won't work buddy."



"It was just a thought," Laney shrugged.



"It's a good idea for Angel though I'm impressed with her. Nick will be frustrated about it that's for sure. We're in for a real show when he comes back up here."



"Oh yeah," Laney agreed.





"Are you ready baby?" Nick asked gently, and Ashley nodded. She has to get this over with, they're going to have to get back to the kids soon and take them upstairs to get them ready for their sleepover and such. Nick got to his feet and helped her up and he kept his arms wrapped around her while he looked at Marcus giving him the okay with his eyes. Marcus reached out and pulled the blanket off of the dummy, and just like last time, Ashley froze where she stood and stared at Sean's face in complete horror. Nick gently rubbed his hand over her back as he hugged her close to him.



"It's not real baby, it's not real," Nick told her gently in her ear. Tears fell from her eyes as every single thing he's ever said and done to her flashed through her mind and Nick hugged her tighter. "He doesn't have control over you anymore. You are your own person, who makes your own choices, and does what she wants to do. You are free of him and there is nothing he can do to take that away from you. You are a strong beautiful woman who deserves to be happy - you tell him that baby. You tell him that he doesn't have control over you anymore." Ashley opened her mouth to say the words that Nick wanted her to say, and what she so badly wanted to say too but one look into those menacing eyes, no matter how fake they may be, Ashley turned to face Nick wanting so badly to cry. Nick hugged her tighter and kissed her forehead softly.



"Tell him baby," he continued to urge very gently. "I'm right here and I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You are strong, I believe in you." Ashley glanced the dummies way again, though she clung tightly to Nick.



"You don't have control over me..." She told the dummy, her voice coming out in a soft trembling tone, and she turned around and darted for the stairs sobbing. Marcus and Nick stood there watching her and when she reached the top of the stairs she sat down, hugged her legs close to her chest, and she buried her face in them as she slowly rocked back and forth. Nick looked at Marcus then, and Marcus silently motioned toward the stairs telling him to go comfort her. Nick did as he said and went to her. When he reached the top of the stairs where she was, he sat down, gathered her into his arms and hugged her close protectively and she nestled into him seeking that safe feeling that he always gives to her.



"It's okay," He reassured her gently while kissing the top of her head. "That was good...that was an improvement. I'm proud of you."