Chapter Sixty Three
As soon as Josh and Elenore had their ice cream, Kevin ended up taking them back to the kids who were just finishing up on visiting with all of the characters in the area. When Dakota saw Elenore and Josh with ice cream her jaw dropped and she immediately turned to Nick who was of course holding her again.
"Daddy! I wants ice cream too…please?"
"Sure baby," Nick replied, grinning some and he kissed her cheek. He then looked at Sarah next who of course has a death grip on Ashley again.
"Sarah? Do you want some too?" Dakota groaned inwardly and rolled her eyes some, the only person catching it was Brian who of course was looking out for his niece as he had been all day. Sarah scribbled yes…chocolate please? onto her paper and held it up for Nick to see and he grinned at her and leaned over and kissed her cheek, making Dakota scowl.
"Sure thing sweetie," he told her. Nick was about to set Dakota down when suddenly she flung her arms around his neck and held onto him tight.
"Daddy no!" she exclaimed. "Wants to go withs you! Please?"
"Okay, Okay," Nick replied gently and he hugged her closer. Brian watched his best friend closely and he notices he doesn't even have a clue as to what's going on with his daughter right now - for all he knows, she's only being clingy because of what Tom had done to her. Nick stood up with her and looked at Laney and Marcus who were both standing there near Ashley.
"Will you two keep an eye on Ashley for me?"
"Mm hmm," Laney answered, smiling sweetly at Ashley. Ashley smiled back but only a little bit and she stepped backward a little accidentally bumping into Brian. She looked up at him curiously and he only smiled down at her lovingly before wrapping his arms around her from behind protectively.
"Careful sweetie," he told her. She leaned back against him comfortably, inviting the warm embrace of the man she's grown to love - almost like the brother she's never had. Nick walked off with Dakota, placing soft kisses on her forehead. Dakota slid her arms around Nick's neck, smiling now that he is kissing her and not Sarah. He is her daddy, nobody else's. She'll be nice to her and be her friend like she had promised her favorite uncle, but she will not share her daddy. When Nick finished getting ice cream cones for Dakota, Sarah, and Ashley he walked back to everybody to see that all of the kids have finally finished talking to the Disney Characters and all of the characters are gone. Nick handed Sarah her ice cream cone, than Ashley's and as he did that he ever so boldly, leaned down and kissed the corner of her mouth. Ashley smiled up at him and he grinned.
"You're bad."
"Yes, but you love me for it."
"Don't make me come over there and separate the two of you," Kevin warned.
"You just go right on ahead and try it. But you know I'll just find my way back to her. Separating me from Ashley is like Josh and Elenore giving each other hugs - willingly." Kevin shook his head.
"Your funeral," he replied, ushering his and Nick's kids toward a store, causing Brian and Riley, and Denise, Kori, and Wiley to do the same. Brooke followed as did the bodyguards. Nick smirked as he wrapped an arm around Ashley and followed behind them all.
"My funeral that you would have to arrange."
"Not in this lifetime, Carter," Kevin teased, rolling his eyes. "You can arrange your own funeral if you want to commit suicide like that."
"How is a dead man supposed to arrange his own funeral?" Nick asked, suddenly puzzled and Ashley giggled a little. Brooke laughed too.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out Nick." When they got into the store they suddenly ran into AJ and Howie.
"Uncle AJ!!!" Dakota exclaimed cheerfully, and she slid down from Nick's arms and ran over to him, tackling his legs though making sure not to drop her ice cream. AJ chuckled.
"Well hey there squirt!" He replied, grinning big and he scooped her up into his arms. "I see you're enjoying that ice cream cone - chocolate face." Dakota giggled.
"uh-huhs! Its yummy."
"I bet it is. I saw Tigger just a few minutes ago - did you know he was just standing right out there? I told him my goofy little niece is out there somewhere and is dying to meet him! I described what you look like and he reassured me that he'd look for you. Did you see him?"
"Yeah I did!!! I gots to meets lots of characters!!!" Dakota answered excitedly.
"Sweeet!" AJ kissed her cheek affectionately, than he set her down on the ground and she ran off to look at the things in the store and Nick followed her protectively as he has a hold of Ashley's hand.
"So she really got to meet a lot of characters?" AJ asked Brian as he is standing there holding Riley's hand.
"Yeah it was the most coolest thing - we had all just finished riding on all of the little kid rides in the park when we decided we would do our shopping next. We were headed toward a store when all of the sudden Donald Duck was spotted - The kids went over and met him, then Mickey…and soon enough it was like one Disney character after another kept popping up out of nowhere."
"How long ago was that?" Howie questioned curiously.
"About 20 minutes ago."
"That's funny…because 20 minutes ago, we had just finished talking to a lot of them - they were all standing outside this store." Brian looked over at Kevin to make sure Josh is okay and when he saw that he was walking around carrying Josh and Elenore, he squeezed Riley's hand gently and decided he would spend a little time with her. He dragged her off to look at things and he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into him. She smiled a little and rested her head against his shoulder and he kissed her forehead softly.
"I want to spoil you rotten while we're here. If you see anything you want, tell me."
"Brian you don't -"
"-Have to? I know that baby, but I want to." He cut her off, placing his finger to her chin and lightly tilting her head back so she can look him in the eyes and he leaned down and brushed his lips softly against hers. "Cause I love you, and your special to me, and you deserve to be spoiled every once in awhile whether you like it or not." Meanwhile, AJ noticed Brooke over by the jewelry and the porcelain stuff. He grinned and went over to her, immediately putting on his charm. Howie who was standing next to him watched him go over there and shook his head grinning.
"Hey Brookie…you having a good time at The Happiest Place on earth?"
"Mm hmm…" Brooke answered, eyeing AJ warily. She notices that look on his face, that look he always gets when he flirts with girls…especially with her. She moved onto the other side of the display table of Disney Globes so that she could keep her distance, AJ noticing the kind of wariness he usually sees in Ashley every time Laney or another bodyguard comes within 3 steps of her.
"Well that's cool…I'm having a lot of fun too. D and I have such a good group of kids." AJ replied gently.
"Yeah I know it, I'm the one that created your group," Brooke replied, keeping her gaze on the Disney Globes. She picked up one and peered inside to see Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto inside it. She shook it a little making glitter go everywhere. She smiled slightly, causing AJ to smile too. He loves watching her smile. "Ashley would really enjoy these. She likes glittery stuff…" Always thinking of other people…never about yourself AJ thought inwardly.
"What about you? What do you like?"
"Huh? Oh…I don't know."
"Like what's your favorite Disney Character? You've gotta have a favorite Disney Character…" AJ pressed lightly.
"Well I like Winnie The Pooh…"
"Sweet…I'm a big fan of Tigger myself."
"That's cool…" Brooke replied shyly, and she turned and walked over to look at the jewelry. AJ stood there watching her for a couple of minutes, than he walked away, suddenly on his own little top secret mission. Riley, who had been watching the little scene with Brooke and AJ for quite sometime, let go of Brian's hand and walked over to her. Brooke looked at her, and then back down at the jewelry knowing what's coming next.
"Are you insane? You have one of the hottest guys in the world totally into you and you don't even give him the time of day. You know, a lot of girls would kill to have just one GLANCE from him…."
"Exactly," Brooke replied, setting the bracelet in her hand down and she walked away from Riley. Riley looked after her confused and annoyed for a couple of minutes, not understanding and she went after her.
"But he is totally into you so I don't understand why you don't want anything to do with him!"
"Sure, he's into me, but for what reason Riley?"
"I don't know…hmm…gee…maybe he thinks your beautiful? Maybe he's totally in love with you?"
"AJ McLean is not in love with me Riley. He's in lust with me…. Just like he is with every other girl he sees."
"Hmm…that's interesting. Because the only girl I have seen him look at since the day I met him was you," Riley replied, making sure to look Brooke in the eye very seriously, then she walked away from her. Brooke shook her head, blinking back unwanted tears and she continued to look at things in the store. Meanwhile, AJ was back over in the porcelain section when he saw that Brooke had left it. He spotted all of the Winnie The Pooh stuff and grinned. He went over there and looked a little bit and suddenly spotted just exactly what he had to get for Brooke. He got it down from the shelf and looked around him to see where Brooke was at. When he saw that she was by now way over on the other side of the store trying her very hardest to keep to herself and not paying the least bit of attention to him, he went over to the check out counter to pay. While A.J. was paying for the Winnie the Pooh gift he'd gotten for Brooke, Kevin was still busy carrying Ellie and Josh around the store - mostly because Ellie refused to let him put her down. And because they were cuffed, Josh had to be carried as well.
"Kevy, I wants Donald," Elenore insisted.
"And Stitch!" Josh said, just as Elenore did. The two of them eyed one another for a moment, then both reached for a stuffed Donald Duck as Kevin had taken them there first.
"You likes Donald?" Elenore asked curiously. Josh nodded, hugging the stuffed Duck proudly.
"He's my favorite, after Roger Rabbit."
"Brian likes Donalds," Elenore stated, smiling proudly because she knew that fact. Josh smiled some, though he didn't dare admit that Brian was part of why he liked Donald Duck so much. Kevin smirked some, as it seemed that for the moment Nick's evil little plan was actually working.
"And Stitch is cute," Elenore told him.
"He's not cute, he's cool!" Josh told her. "He can beat up anything and anyone! He'd be a great dog, but I think Chance is better." Elenore shook her head.
"Rok is better, 'cause he's littler an' cuter."
"Well, Chance is fluffier!" Josh argued somewhat. "And Stitch is fluffy."
"Cute and fluffy," Elenore reminded him. Josh shrugged.
"Well, he's still fluffy." Kevin stifled a chuckle that wanted to escape, and carried the two over to where all the Stitch stuff was. He set both kids down, managing to do so without Elenore throwing a fit and the two of them ran for the stuffed animals, each grabbing up a stuffed Stitch. Kevin grinned and went to the t-shirts while they took a look around at all of the cool stitch stuff.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, over in the princess section, Dakota was looking at all of the pretty princess stuff. She had already talked her daddy into buying her a pretty tiara that Cinderella normally wears, a glittery wand and Tinkerbelle wings.
"Ashee helps me put the wings on pleeease?" Dakota pleaded. Ashley smiled a little and took the wings from her. Dakota turned so her back was to her and Ashley crouched down and helped her put the wings onto her back. When she finished Dakota turned around beaming and Ashley put the tiara on her next, which went well with her pretty curls and butterfly clips and she's holding her wand in her hand. Nick chuckled.
"Honey you look like a real fairy princess," Dakota beamed happily at this, for the first time since Tom had molested her, truly feeling pretty and special. Suddenly Kori came over to them. She has Spencer at her side, and she is holding Sarah because Ashley had handed her over to her so she could spend a little time with Dakota. She was starting to sense Dakota's hidden jealousy and felt a little bad.
"Wow Kota, you look pretty," She complimented and Dakota smiled even bigger.
"Thank you Kori," she replied and Ashley smiled at her.
"Isn't she though? She's my special little girl," she bragged, purposely making Dakota feel good so she knows that no one could ever replace her. She may love Sarah very much and many of the other kids in the Orphanage, but Dakota will always have a special place in her heart that no one else has and it's not just because she is her boyfriend's daughter either. She's loved her long before that. Spencer went over to the Stitch section where Elenore and Josh were still at with Kevin.
"Hey Josh!"
"What?"
"Look over at the Princess section."
"Why?"
"Just do it." Elenore looked over there and she grinned. Josh looked over there too and the minute he laid eyes on Dakota his mouth dropped. Elenore giggled and Spencer smirked.
"For someone who doesn't like Dakota, you seem to be drooling over her quite a bit."
"I am not!" Josh demanded, but he immediately rubbed his finger over his chin just to make sure. "I am not drooling! And I do not like Dakota!" He insisted, and to try and prove it, he immediately turned back to the Stitch stuff pretending to be more interested in that then the fairy princess over on the other side of the store. Spencer and Elenore just erupted in laughter and Kevin couldn't help but chuckle quietly over where he was standing.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Enjoy =)
