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Author's Chapter Notes:

Last one for tonight y'all. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Same as before. Don't own BSB or SVU people - only own original characters & story idea. Thank-you.

Note: For those of you who were all caught up, Ashley (ForeverRebel) is posting the newer chapters on her website: http://forever-rebel-fanfiction.webs.com/no-matter-what.html

We hope to see you over there too!

 

Meanwhile outside the building, Detective Stabler gave Captain Craigen an anxious look wanting very much to go wait out on the playground for Riley. Detective Tutuola and Detective Benson have gone off to deal with Damien deciding they would let Detective Stabler be the hero. The way his emotions tie into all of this the last thing they want is for him to have anything to do with someone who is said to be more ruthless then Sean. If Trevor is being truthful with them, he should have no problem in retrieving Riley.


“Oh all right, go…but don’t let him see you,” Craigen caved. Trevor had made it very clear that they were to wait until his phone call before going onto the playground but he knows Detective Stabler is going to end up going without permission very quickly if he doesn’t just go on and give it to him. Detective Stabler ran off toward the playground then and after hopping the fence he quietly went over and hid inside one of the tunnels where he could see the door in perfect view but he himself couldn’t be seen. He got situated with his gun at the ready just in case and he waited.


When Trevor managed to quietly lead everybody through the dark halls successfully and they finally came across the playground door they stopped and Trevor moved in front of them blocking their way out so that it would be very clear that he is still in control. He pulled out Sean’s cell phone and flipped it open before sending Detective Stabler a quick text.


You may go to the playground now.


He closed it and then turned his attention back on his hostages.


“When I open this door Riley is to go out first do all of you understand?” When he saw each and every one of them nod he opened the door and while remaining behind it he looked at Riley who wasted no time in hurrying out the door and when he saw through the crack behind the door that no one was interfering he motioned for the kids to go next and they all followed after her and then BJ, Leslie, and the rest of the adults and as soon as they were all out he quickly shut the door behind them as if afraid someone might start shooting.


As soon as the door was shut Detective Stabler only waited a second longer before crawling out of the tunnel and looking at all of the released hostages in surprise. He had only expected them to let Riley go, they never said anything about everybody else. Riley caught sight of him and ran toward him instantly breaking down into sobs. Detective Stabler met her half way and she fell into his arms weakly causing him to wrap them around her and hug her protectively.


“Shhh…honey it’s okay, it’s okay” he soothed softly. “You need to calm down okay? I really need you to calm down.”


“Half of my family is in there and you really expect me to calm down?” Riley snapped somewhat.


“Yes, I do…for your baby’s sake” Detective Stabler reminded her gently and he looked at everybody else. “Come on…let’s get all of you out of this storm and on the way to Banner Health.” A little girl about ten years old clung to his leg just then and he looked down at her to find her staring up at him with teary eyes. He scooped her up with one arm and with his other still wrapped around Riley he led the released hostages out of the playground and into the front of the building taking extra care in making sure all of the little ones were still with them and okay.


“Is Chris okay?” Harry spoke up suddenly as he now carried a couple of children as well as Josh in his arms.


“Yeah he’s fine…I left him in Aaron’s care with all of the other Backstreet Kids. What about Ellie?”


“Stubborn and standing strong as usual…” Detective Stabler looked at him curiously then and Harry went on. “You should see her and the way she has that bastard wrapped around her little finger now…it’s sometimes hard to believe the man ever abused her…and then he has a way of reminding you in the end.”


“It’ll never be hard for me to believe,” Detective Stabler insisted. “I refuse to see the Dr. Jekyll side to him….I will never forget the way she looked so fragile and broken in those cuts and bruises her first month here.”


“I didn’t want to see it either,” Harry pointed out. “But you really don’t have a choice when you are stuck in a room with him. As much as I hate to admit it…she and Ashley are right about him. And if he makes it to his trial…I’ll feel obligated to be a witness for Ellie. I emphasize for Ellie though.”


“It’s up to Ashley whether the sick fuck goes to trial or not,” Detective Stabler insisted after dropping the kids and Riley off with the paramedics and him and Harry now stood a couple of feet away under an umbrella. He plans on asking him questions and getting information out of him the way they did with the first batch of freed hostages. “He is her tormentor…as far as I am concerned I say she decides what happens to him.”


“Things aren’t looking real good in his favor then,” Harry informed and Detective Stabler raised his eyebrow curiously.


“Why what’s going on in there?”


“He’s shot both Nick and AJ several times now…every decision Ashley makes now is for Nick. Her only concern is getting him out of there alive…and Sean’s only concern is taking everybody important to her out of her life. You get the picture…no Nick…go straight to death row do not pass go.” Detective Stabler shook his head.


“I really hope Ellie is getting to him as much as she seems to be…what else is going on in there?”


~*~*~*~*~*~


As soon as Riley, Jackie, Harry, Kristin, the kids, and everybody else who was released were all out of the building and Trevor made it back safely, Ashley looked at Marcus. Marcus exchanged a look with Q and then turned to face the other room. He saw that Sean was just standing there with Trevor plotting his next move so he looked at Ashley and nodded. Ashley made eye contact with Nick and she watched as he got Jerald’s attention. He had finally been let in on what was going on. He looked down at Ellie in his arms and he adjusted her bullet proof vest making sure it was on right causing her to look up at him suspiciously. He flashed her an innocent smile and then looked at Nick casually, giving him a look that he would understand. Nick looked up at Ashley again and gave her a short nod causing Ashley to look back at Marcus again giving him the okay.


“SEAN, come quick! You should probably see this!” he called.


“What? What is it?” Sean asked suspiciously from the other room.


“I’m not sure. Something weird is going on with these cameras. Damien maybe, I don’t know.”


“Careful…Trevor is going to follow him,” Ashley warned Marcus in a quiet whisper.


“We’re counting on it,” Q whispered back just as Sean growled irritably at the mention of that name and he whirled around and hightailed it to the control room with Trevor right at his heals. As soon as they were up there they walked into the room and went straight for the television screens and they stared at them with anxious and worried expressions on their faces. When they didn’t see anything, Sean arched his eyebrow suspiciously.


“Where at? I don’t see anything.”


“He was there, we both saw him.” While Sean and Trevor looked closer Ashley made eye contact with Q, looking at him questioningly and he nodded. The two them pulled the stolen Tazer guns from their pockets and they reached out at once, placed them to their legs and pressed the trigger sending an electric jolt to their skin. Both men screeched in pain and dropped to the floor while grabbing at their legs. Taking advantage of this momentary weakness Q was quick to grab their guns from them and in that same moment Ashley had the key to the cuffs and was already un-handcuffing all of them. As soon as Marcus was free he was on top of Trevor who was slowly beginning to recover. He placed his hand to his throat to hold him down and his stolen gun to his head making his threat very clear in his eyes that he will shoot if pushed. Q meanwhile who already had a livid Sean in the same threatening hold looked at Ashley anxiously.


“Go Ashley, now! Before the shock wears off completely!” he ordered.


“Yeah sweetie, go! You know the plan I will be right with you” Marcus added and Ashley nodded, got to her feet quickly and she booked it out of the control room but not before taking a couple of more guns with her. Marcus may be keen on protecting her innocence but as far as she is concerned it’s too late for that. Sean took her innocence away years ago and she is done being the damsel in distress. This time Nick is the one who needs saving. As soon as she went running into the other room the baddies who were guarding the hostages for Sean and Trevor began shooting. They were shooting, Sean was crying out in pain up in the control room from probably being shocked some more, and Ellie was shrieking tearfully and demanding that Jerald let her go as he carried her back into the other room away from it all.

All chaos was breaking loose before her eyes but Ashley didn’t care. Her eyes were locked on Nick and she just kept running. She felt a couple of people trying to grab her and knowing that they didn’t feel like the gentle hands of anyone in her family, she retaliated. She was barely aware of elbowing one person in the face and smacking another one with her gun before continuing on with her mission. As soon as she finally reached him she pulled him up while remaining cautious of his injured leg and she handed him a gun before tossing AJ and Kori each another one and keeping one for herself. She turned around then and hoisted Nick onto her back and she darted for the exit with no trouble at all. She’s carried Nick on her back many times before just for fun and games that it’s a piece of cake for her now. With one arm wrapped around Ashley while she carried him, he lifted his legs up slightly so that she wasn’t dragging him and with his other hand that held the gun he shot at each and every person that came their way as did Ashley, the two of them each taking a side. Kori and Scott meanwhile who had their backs glanced at each other at the sight of Ashley shooting a gun before going back to shooting more people and ducking for cover.


“Did you know your sister could shoot a gun?”


“No…but nothing surprises me about her tonight, she is a woman in love and on a mission,” She insisted right before shooting a man in the knee caps and just as another man shot his gun at her in retaliation Scott shoved her back behind a speaker out of the way missing the bullet by mere inches. He aimed his gun at the man and shot him point blank in the chest and as the man stared at him in sudden shock from the blow Scott glared at him.


“Fucker…” He muttered. He waited till the man collapsed and he was sure that he wasn’t going to fire back and after making sure no one else was aiming for him he reached out and pulled Kori into his arms. Kori gave him a look and Scott not needing words to know what it means he rolled his eyes.

“We’re in the middle of a war here Kori, none of them are going to be easy on us so don’t be easy on them.”


“You know I’ve never been one to kill anybody Scott – I’m tough but I’m not that tough…it was always Sean’s thing.”


“I know but if you don’t it could be you do you understand that? It’s self defense Kori” Scott said firmly while looking around ready to shove her behind him and take out another person if necessary. “And I’m not going to let that happen.”


“For once he and I agree on something,” Wiley suddenly spoke up while joining Scott’s side prepared to protect Kori too. He may have lost her as his girlfriend but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about her. He isn’t about to lose her for good too that would be more than he could take.


“I told you and Chris to leave with all of the other hostages that were let go!” Kori snapped while looking around anxiously, prepared for anything. “This isn’t your—“


“—Just because I didn’t experience this right along side you like he did and just because I don’t know Sean like he does it doesn’t mean I’m not capable of helping out Kori!”


“Yes but you two can’t get along for even five seconds when near each other and this is not the time or place!” Kori insisted as Scott shoved her back behind a speaker again and shot at their attackers. She watched in surprise as Wiley joined in the two of them taking out both of them like a real team. Where did sweetheart Wiley learn to shoot like that? Better yet, where did he get the gun?


“I think we can both agree on one thing,” Scott said while pulling Wiley and Kori behind a wall. “That you are important to the both of us and you are at the top of Sean’s hit list Kori. You are stubborn as hell and it’s going to take more than just me to protect you.”


“I can take care of myself thank you very much,” Kori scowled.


“Of course you can,” Scott said easily. “But we’re just here for assistance.” Kori rolled her eyes and she peered out from behind the wall somewhat with her two bodyguards standing protectively at her side and she searched eagerly for her sister. They were supposed to be having hers and Nick’s back. Did they get out okay? She found them across the room near the door. They hadn’t quite made it out yet they needed to go just a little further but they were surrounded. She watched with bated breath as a gun was shot directly at her sister as the two of them stand behind a chair and Nick pushed them both down just as the bullet hit the metal part of the chair. She has to help them out. She has to free them so that they can get out of here. She grabbed hold of Wiley and Scott’s arms then.


“Come on bodyguards lets go be useful and help my sister then,” She insisted.


“Hey I don’t think I like this attitude of yours. You wanted prince charming…well you got two of them Kori so deal with it” Wiley insisted as he let her pull him along.


Meanwhile when Jerald managed to get a kicking and screaming Ellie into the back room with the door shut and locked behind them he set her down behind something metal and he grabbed onto her arms firmly and forced her to look at him.


“Ellie listen to me – let me explain, please honey.”


“NO!!!” Ellie sobbed while struggling in his arms uselessly. “LEGGO!!! LEGGO!!! I want my daddy! THEY’RE HURTING HIM!!!”


“They aren’t hurting him badly they’re just—“


“--DAMNITS UNCLE JERRY WHAT PARTS OF LEGGO DO YOU NOTS UNDERSTAND???? THEY’RE GONNA KILLS HIM!!!”


“HEY!” Jerald said loudly and very firmly as to be heard over her shrieking and shouting and he grabbed her chin making her look at him. “There is NO need to take that tone with me little one if you would calm down for just a moment and let me explain I will---“ Ellie shrieked at the top of her lungs and in her attempt to get away from him she smacked him hard across the face and threw herself away from him only to have him latch onto her arm, whirl her around and give her one firm smack on her bottom. She looked at him in utmost surprise that she had been spanked by not only someone other than her daddy, but her Uncle Jerry of all people and then her loud shrieks of protest instantly turned into hysterical sobs as she reacted. She yanked herself away from him and threw herself to the floor and he stood there watching her for a long moment feeling surprised himself at what he did but deciding that it was appropriate in this situation. She was out of control and was just not going to listen to him otherwise and if they are ever going to steer her away from Sean’s footsteps she is going to need some serious tough love anyway. After he managed to regain his composure he wiped his own tears from his eyes before leaning forward and wrapping his arms around her lovingly and he kissed her forehead softly. He waited until she cried herself out and when she was lying there sniffling underneath him he spoke.


“Are you ready to listen to me now?”


“They’re killing my daddy an’ you are making me hide back here while it happens,” She accused in a very angry tone.


“They aren’t killing him sweetheart I promise. Ashley ordered everybody not to for your sake and you know it…she has your back.”


“Buts they’re hurting him!”


“It’s necessary Ellie…we’re never going to get out of this building if we don’t do something. He will be okay I promise. They aren’t hurting him any more then he’s hurt them.” She noticed Lindy in the room then for the first time and she nodded in agreement to Jerald as she noticed Ellie looking at her.


“You guys ruined everything. Lindy, Trevor an’ I were supposed to talk him out of its.”


“You, your grandmother, and Trevor might still get the chance by the end of the evening don’t give up hope. I’m starting to believe you might have the ability to do it too. But extra measures needed to be taken Ellie, please understand that. We wouldn’t do something unless it was important.” Ellie looked up at him with confusion written all over her face then as she lay there on her stomach underneath him. She caught onto his little slip up and she noticed Lindy’s eyes widen in response to it as well.


“Gramma went outside to Elliot, Jerry…remembers?” Jerald stared at her confused for a short second and then finally realized his slip up.


“Oh that’s right…we never did get around to telling you did we?”


“Telling me what’s?” Ellie demanded as she watched Lindy turn suddenly so that her back was to her somewhat and she noticed she looked nervous. Jerald looked at Ellie for a few seconds in silence and then deciding that there was no better way to say this, he spoke up.


“Lindy is your grandmother, Ellie…”


“…What?” Ellie asked softly while rolling over onto her back and then she shook her head. “Nuh uh…I only have one Gramma…an’ her name is Gramma Ann.”


“You have two honey…a Grandma Ann and a Grandma Ellerbee. She is your dad’s mother…and she died a very long time ago when he was just Kota’s age.”


“Then how come I can see her?”


“Ashley believes she’s a ghost bound to this earth by an unfinished business…and it’s said that children can sometimes see them.”


“But you don’t believes it?” Ellie interrogated somewhat.


“I think that if you believe it and can see her…that’s good enough for me.”


“What is her unfinished business?” Ellie wanted to know and she looked up at Lindy only to answer her own question right afterward as she thought about the first thing she insisted upon Ellie helping her do the day she met her. “To saves my daddy…” she said softly.


“That’s Ashley’s theory, yes…”


“Ashee’s right. Lindy telled me so the day we met.” She got to her feet instantly then and looked at him anxiously.


“We gots to help her saves him Uncle Jerry we just haves to!”


“I believe you honey…but right now is not the time. It’s not safe for me to take you out there right now…” Ellie glowered at the door then and crossed her arms over her chest.


“Daddy doesn’t gots all night.”


“He is fine for now no one is going to hurt him bad enough to do permanent damage. You will have your chance to have your fight soon enough. I only ask that you be patient with me and cooperate.”


“This is Raphael you’re talking to. Raphael is not cooperative.”


“No but my niece will be. I think I made it pretty clear that I am not taking your protests this evening young lady.”


“Humph,” was all she said and she turned her back on him with her arms still crossed over her chest.