Chapter Fifty Five
As soon as the kids, and Ashley were all seated and situated - Ashley and Sarah next to Nick and Josh by Brian, Ellen turned her attention on the child closest to her first which was Josh.
"Hey there buddy, what's your name?"
"Josh," he answered, grinning pretty big as he knows this is on TV. He's never been on television before in his life and is rather enjoying it.
"And what's your connection with the Backstreet Boys?" Josh looked up at Brian not quite sure of what to say. He's not really sure why Brian suddenly started to show interest in him. He's still trying to get used to it. He's not his father, so he can't really say that. So does that make him his caregiver?
"I'm Josh's caregiver in the Orphanage," Brian answered for him, sensing his confusion. "He just recently became my responsibility and I enjoy every minute of it."
"Well that's very neat. Do you have fun with Brian, Josh?"
"Yeah, he's a pretty cool guy," Josh answered, suddenly looking up at Brian and for once he really means it. He can't deny it - in the past few days that he's spent with him he indeed had been enjoying himself. "He took me bowling with the rest of the Backstreet Boys, and Kota and Elenore - and my best friend in the whole world, Chris. He also bought me a puppy - he's a golden retriever and his name is Chance."
"Aww cool," Ellen replied, smiling down at the little boy. Brian too was beaming with pride. Could he finally be getting through to Josh? AJ was grinning too. Not only is he happy for his friend, but he is also getting closer to winning his bet with Brooke. Ellen turned to the girls next to Nick again and her eyes fell on Ashley.
"And you must be the mysterious girl that everybody has seen with Nick lately. What's your name?"
"Ashley," Ashley answered shyly and she felt Nick reach for her hand behind Sarah and gently squeezed it. "Nick is my caregiver," she added. "He takes care of me in the Orphanage."
"That's cool. Do you enjoy being with Nick?"
"Absolutely," Ashley answered honestly. "He is my best friend and he understands me better then anyone else. I can tell him almost anything." Ellen nodded and turned her attention on Sarah.
"And who is this cute little girl?" Sarah moved close to Nick, too shy to answer.
"This is my special little buddy, Sarah." Nick introduced, a small grin on his face.
"Nick has himself a little fan club at the Orphanage," AJ spoke up suddenly, and Ellen looked at AJ very interested in what he has to say. "They're all in the age range of 6 to 7 years old and we call them Nick's little 'wives' because he's had pretend weddings with each and everyone of them," AJ explained, earning a few laughs and 'awws' from the audience. "Sarah is one of them."
"Aww that is really cute," Ellen replied, laughing a little herself.
"And she was having an awful day so I invited her to come with us," Nick added.
"What about you AJ? Howie? Do you two spend any time at the Orphanage?"
"We try to as much as we can," Howie spoke up. "Otherwise if we didn't we wouldn't ever see Nick, Brian, or Kevin ever again outside of Backstreet stuff. They pretty much live there - Nick really does. He has all of his clothes and most of his belongings there and he's been home maybe twice since the end of the tour."
"Is that so?" Ellen asked, looking at Nick next.
"Yup, its more like home to me then my own house is. If I'm not touring with the Backstreet Boys I'm at the Orphanage. When I adopted Dakota, instead of her moving out I officially moved in."
"And how do you feel about having to continue living in the Orphanage, Dakota?" Dakota grinned widely.
"I loves it! That place has always been home to me an' as long as I have my daddy I don'ts care where I'm living. I just wants him."
"Aww…it sounds like you and your daddy have a very special relationship." Dakota beamed proudly and snuggled more into Nick.
"Uh-huhs. Bestest daddy in the whole world," she answered and Nick smiled proudly and kissed her forehead as he hugged her close.
"Kota is a daddy's girl. She is a lot like him in so many ways it's easy to forget that they aren't blood related. Once you get to know her you can tell just exactly who raised her for the past four years," Brian explained, grinning a little.
"Oh I can already tell. She seems very comfortable with the fans and sitting at interviews, and she seems like the type who enjoys the attention - has she been to interviews with you guys before?"
"Nope - this would be her first time. She gets it from watching Nick all these years and being raised by him. Her and her best friend Elenore committed the perfect crime the other day by pulling the best prank that's been pulled by far - its definitely something Nick would have done." Howie explained, grinning a little.
"I did nots pull that prank, Uncle Howie!" Dakota insisted, and Nick laughed.
"Yeah that's the story she keeps sticking to. Ellie was upstairs in her room with Kevin all day because her and Josh were both grounded to their rooms for fighting with each other. Dakota and her little friend Spencer decided they were going to break Ellie out of her room because they were bored and missed her so much. So, coincidentally Brooke had to talk to Kevin and asked Spencer to go up and send him down to her - so he did, giving them the time they needed to help Ellie escape. When they did they climbed up into the air vents with silly string and spit balls and snuck over to Josh's air vent in his room and started harassing him with it. They did all of this, and managed to get Ellie back in her room and hide the evidence before Kevin had come back upstairs. Dakota and Spencer got out Candy Land and pretended that they've been playing that all a long." Nick explained, causing the audience, and Ellen to laugh.
"Very interesting - so how'd you find out it was them? Where did they hide the evidence?"
"Well, Poor little Josh came downstairs covered in silly string and tattled on them for one, so we went upstairs to investigate. We went into Ellie's room and asked Kevin if he was with her the entire time - he told us no, that Brooke had to talk to him. So we explained to Kevin what Josh told us, and Kevin turned and asked Ellie if it was true. Ellie of course denied it and even made up the story that she had been coloring the whole time." Brian explained.
"I HAD been coloring the whole time," Elenore insisted, narrowing her eyes at Brian. "I colored Kevy a picture an' everything!"
"So anyway, we decided we would go in and interrogate Dakota next. When we went in there I questioned her about it and she completely denied the whole thing. But I knew she wasn't telling the truth because it was totally something I would do. But we couldn't prove it. We searched the whole room - pretty much tore it apart trying to find the empty silly string can, but we couldn't. I taught Dakota pretty well, so she knows just exactly how to hide the evidence afterwards. So, they got away with it. But, later on when I suggested to Kota that we should take Lily outside incase she has to go potty, Kota acted very nervous, and got very quiet all of the sudden. I got curious. So when we got to the playground, Spencer and Kota started playing with the puppy and as I was standing there talking to Ashley, Howie, and AJ I discovered the garbage cans on the side of the building - the garbage cans that just happen to be right outside our window."
"Ah HA," Ellen replied, grinning.
"Yeah, so I thought how convenient would it have been for Dakota to open up our window and throw the silly string can right in the garbage can? So I went over to investigate, only to find that both garbage cans were full, but there was no silly string in there. My guess is, between the time we were upstairs in our room after the whole incident, and the time we came downstairs to the playground, someone had put more trash in there burying Dakota's evidence. There was no way I would have stuck in my hands in there - and there was no way Ashley was going to let me, to dig it out, so they got away with it. The perfect crime."
"The perfect crime that we didn't's make, Daddy!" Dakota insisted stubbornly. "Joshy mades it all up!"
"I did not!" Josh spoke up suddenly, glaring over at Dakota, but not too hard as he vowed to never hurt her again after he had broken her arm.
"Did too!" Elenore spoke up, glaring at Josh right back, sticking up for her friend and she looks like she could get up and pounce him at any moment. She even sat up a little in Kevin's lap. Kevin pulled her back sensing what could happen and he held her tight to him.
"Enough. The both of you," He told them.
"Do they fight a lot?" Ellen asked, highly amused.
"Ah yes…every chance they get," Brian answered, rolling his eyes a little.
"It's a constant war between these two, they're always going at it."
"How come?" Ellen asked, and Brian and Kevin began to explain Josh and Elenore's situation. The interview lasted the whole hour of the show, then when it was over the guys - with a lot of help from the bodyguards ushered the kids back out to their cars without having any interruptions from the fans a long the way and they went back to the Orphanage. When they got there, Sarah went to the playroom to find her friends because she doesn't want to go upstairs to the evil waiting in her room and Nick took Dakota upstairs, Ashley following.
"Alright Kota, pajamas. Now. Then you can play for a couple of hours more but then you've gotta go to bed. We're waking up early tomorrow for Disney World."
"Kay Daddy," Dakota replied cheerfully and Nick went and got her pajamas from her drawer. When he did he went over to her and crouched down in front of her and he began to help her into her pajamas. When he finished he pulled her into a hug and kissed her cheek, than she hurried out of the room in the direction of Elenore's, only to find herself in the arms of Tom. She opened her mouth to scream but he placed his hand firmly against it and carried her off toward the basement, holding her very tightly as she wiggled and kicked in attempt to break free from his grasp. When he got her down in the basement he brought her over to the mattress he snuck down there and he lay her down upon it. Dakota then sprung up from the bed like a rocket but he shoved her back down.
"Lie down you little brat!" He demanded angrily and he grabbed hold of her little hands to pin her down, but this didn't stop her. She began to scream at the top of her lungs and cry hysterically.
"DADDY! DADDY HELP ME, PLEASE HELP ME!" She shrieked, in hopes Nick or someone will hear her. Tom placed his hand firmly to her mouth and he moved so he is straddling her tiny body, just barely sitting on her.
"Shut up!" He hissed. "You will cooperate with me now, or I will kill your fucking daddy. Got it?" He asked her, his hand still pressed hard against her mouth and Dakota nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks. He then pulled down her pants and underwear. "The faster you let me do this the faster I will be done and then you can leave. So just be a good little girl and let me do it," he told her. Dakota lay there staring up at Tom helplessly, tears falling down her cheeks. He lifted up her shirt next and dropped it to the floor before placing his finger to her entrance and gently rubbing it. Dakota whimpered and squirmed about on the mattress, fresh tears rolling down her damp little cheeks. He stuck a finger inside her then and began to move it in and out. "Now that I have you laying here and completely under my control, lets get a few things straight here shall we? What I do is my own private business and I won't tolerate little brats spying on me. So when your daddy tells you to do so, you're going to tell him you don't feel like it. Got it?" Dakota didn't answer, she only whimpered some more and continued to squirm.
"Please stop it…you're hurting me!" She begged. He forcefully grabbed her by the leg then and lifted her little bottom up from the bed and he smacked it hard, causing her to cry out in shrill pain - she has never had a spanking before in her life. Her daddy doesn't believe in it.
"ANSWER my question you little shit! You will NOT spy on me when your father asks you to! Got it?" Dakota didn't answer right away as she lay there underneath him sobbing. Her little bottom still stinging. He lifted it up again to give her another smack.
"YES!!! I UNDERSTAND!!!!" She wailed, not wanting to earn herself another spanking. He let go of her leg then.
"Good girl. I knew you would see it my way," he told her.
"Please stop it…you're hurting me," She pleaded. Tom ignored Dakota's pleads and began to do what he had planned on doing to Sarah earlier before Nick had stopped him. Its his own fault. If he hadn't let him be, he wouldn't have to do this to his daughter.
~*~*~*~*~
After two hours had gone by Tom let Dakota go after cleaning her up and getting her dressed again.
"You're not to tell anyone about this you hear me? Or I will hurt you again, and kill your daddy." Tom ordered.
"Kay," Dakota replied softly, her eyes still watery.
"I won'ts tell," She added, and she left the basement and went upstairs. When she got up there she went into her room and was happy to see that her daddy wasn't there yet. She went and picked up Lily and she crawled into bed and hugged her close, letting a single tear fall from her eyes. Tom had just molested her and she knows she should tell her daddy. Her uncle Kevy told her that she should but she can't. She can't ever tell because then Tom will do it again and then kill her daddy. She will do anything to protect her daddy. Suddenly Nick and Ashley walked in the room and Nick looked at his daughter confused.
"Kota? What are you doing in bed honey? I know I told you two hours but I usually have to fight with you…"
"I'm sleepy daddy…" She told him softly. "Will you sing me to sleep? And cuddle withs me please?"
"Of course…" Nick answered, as he is highly concerned and he went and got n bed with her. He lay next to her and he noticed her tears.
"Baby what's the matter? Why are you crying?"
"I gots a headache," Dakota whimpered. Nick hugged her close to him and he dried her eyes and looked his baby in the eyes. Something isn't right, he knows it.
"Sing to me daddy, please…" she whined.
"Okay…Okay," he replied gently, and he began to sing to her their song. "Id walk half way around the world, for just one kiss from you…" by the time he had finished singing Dakota had fallen asleep. He lay there looking at her for a few minutes as he rakes his fingers through her hair, than he looked at Ashley who was feeding the puppies.
"Honey can you peek out the door and tell Laney to come in here please?"
"Mm hmm," Ashley answered, and she leaned back and peeked out the door to find Laney standing there.
"Laney Nicky wants you." Laney walked into the room then.
"Yeah Nick?"
"Can you stay in here with Ashley and Dakota please? I need to go talk to Kevin…"
"Sure thing," Laney answered, and he went over and sat in the lazy boy chair.
"Thanks," Nick replied, and he got up and walked into Kevin's room where he found him cuddling with Elenore in the dark and they're watching Aladdin.
"Hey Nick…what's up?"
"Did Kota seem a little weird to you when she came in here to play with Ellie after the interview?"
"What are you talking about, Nick? Kota was never in here…" Kevin asked, looking at the younger man very confused. "It's just been me and Ellie." Nick raised his eyebrow.
"Are you sure? Cause when we got back I helped her into her pajamas and told her she could go play with Ellie for two hours more and she left the room. Are you sure she didn't come in here?"
"I'm positive buddy…Ellie and I never saw her. Why? What's going on?"
"I don't know…she's acting very weird. When Ashley and I walked back into the room after being downstairs with Riley, Brian, Brooke, Howie, and AJ, we found her in bed…I usually have to fight with her to go to bed but she told me she was sleepy and asked me to sing to her, and cuddle with her. So I got into bed to do just that and saw that she had been crying…and I asked her what was wrong and she told me she has a headache. Something isn't right with her…I can just tell…"
"Hmm…well I don't have any idea on what it could be buddy…she was never in here."
"Kay…" Nick replied worriedly, and he turned and left the room. He went across the hall to Kori's room to find Kori lying in bed next to Spencer. She had just now gotten him to go to sleep.
"Hey Nick…what's up?" Kori asked curiously.
"Did Kota by any chance come in here to play with Spencer earlier?"
"No I haven't seen her all night. Why?"
"Well she was just acting weird is all…and Kev says he hasn't seen her either which is pretty weird because after helping her put her pajamas on, that's where she was headed. So I'm a little worried…"
"What do you mean by weird?" Kori asked concerned, and Nick explained to Kori what had happened when he found Dakota in bed.
"Hmm…that is a little strange…but like I said I haven't seen her all night."
"Kay…thanks anyway," Nick replied, and he walked out of the room and back into his across the hall. He found Ashley lying in bed beside Dakota with her arms wrapped around her and she's playing with her hair. He looked over at Laney who got up from the lazy boy chair.
"Thanks Lan…"
"No problem. I'll be out in the hall if you should need me."
"Kay," Nick replied, and Laney walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Nick went and crawled into bed next to Ashley.
"What's wrong Nicky?" Ashley asked, turning to face Nick and she wrapped her arms around him, resting her forehead against his.
"I'm a little worried about Kota…"
"Maybe she really did have a headache Nicky…"
"I don't know honey…something doesn't seem right."
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter
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