Chapter Seventy Three
"Can we take the puppies with us, Nicky?" Ashley begged after they had told Riley and Brian their plans and had invited them to come a long.
"I don't know honey…I don't think Baskin Robins will allow us to bring four puppies into their shop."
"But we can stand outside while someone goes in and gets us our ice cream…" Ashley insisted, as she hugs Abbie closer, not willing to leave her behind.
"Yeah, and Chance needs a walk!" Josh spoke up.
"AND Lil' Rok too!" Elenore added.
"But of course. Can't forget Lil Rok," Brian replied while grinning some. "It might be good to take the puppies out for awhile, Nick. They haven't been out of this Orphanage in days."
"Okay then we're going to get their leashes then. Especially for Abbie and Chance. We don't want them getting away and running off." Kevin replied. "I will go and get those out of our rooms Nick."
"Okay," Nick replied.
"AND me," Elenore suddenly spoke up and she latched herself onto Kevin's leg tightly. She does not want to let him out of her sight for even a minute. If she was clingy before…well it's just gotten way worse.
"And Ellie," Kevin added and he gathered her up into his arms and she rested her head against his shoulder and he took her upstairs. Josh dutifully followed. By the time the three of them returned with leashes they hooked them to the four puppies and set off on their way to Baskin Robins with security close and ready to pounce if anyone who seems threatening should dare approach them. The puppies walking ahead of them on leashes and eager to sniff everything in sight.
"Uncle Brian," Dakota spoke up suddenly, as she reached for him.
"Yeah sweetie?" Brian asked and he took her from Nick and into his own arms. Nick shifted Sarah then so that he is holding her better.
"You should go an' gets Tyke and brings him to the Orphanage. He must be lonely at your house." Dakota suggested sadly.
"Your right sweetie, I was just now thinking about him. I will go home and get him a little later how's that?" Dakota smiled then.
"Okay!" Brian grinned and placed his nose to hers giving her an Eskimo's kiss and she giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck before resting her head against his shoulder. She sure does love her uncle Brian. After a few moments she looked over at Nick and she saw him hug Sarah close to him and kiss her cheek and Sarah smiled a little as he did. Dakota scowled.
"I wants my daddy again! Daddy I wants you."
"Okay honey, I'm right here." Nick replied and he was suddenly concerned as he heard panic in her voice. He held his arm out and Brian handed her over to him. She wrapped her arms around her daddy's neck then and hugged him tight forcing him to move Sarah over.
"Here Nick, I'll take Sarah." Ashley replied softly as she sensed what is going on. She sensed it going on in Disney World and she senses it going on now. Nick handed Sarah over to Ashley and then wrapped both arms around Dakota and he rested his forehead against hers. Dakota is happy that she now has Nick all to herself, though she eyed Sarah in Ashley's arms. Brian frowned some as he also knows what is going on. He knows if this gets worse he is going to have to tell Nick. When they got to Baskin Robins Kevin, Brian, and Q went inside after making a list of what everybody wants and everybody else stayed outside with the puppies. They went and sat at a couple of tables under a tree. AJ sat in a chair holding Elenore (who now has a death grip upon him) in his lap. She only agreed to let Kevin go in there without her as long as AJ held her and as long as she could see him from where they're at. Dakota and Josh sat on the ground playing with the puppies after Nick warned Dakota several times not to wander off without him. She promised him that she wouldn't and she even sat right next to his foot. While they were sitting there watching Josh and Dakota play with the puppies and Josh grin every time Dakota spoke to him, Nick's cell phone suddenly rang. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out and he looked at the caller ID to see that it's Brooke. Raising his eyebrow he turned it on and placed it to his ear.
"Hey Brookie, what's up?" He asked, causing AJ to look at him curiously as well as Howie, Ashley, and security.
"I just got a call from Detective Stabler, Nick."
"And?" Nick asked curiously.
"They didn't catch Sean last night."
"WHAT?!" Nick nearly shouted, and he stood up. He looked at Howie and motioned toward Ashley before walking a few feet away where he would be out of ear shot.
"Yeah…they stayed at the house all night and they never showed up. Someone must've tipped them off that they were there or something."
"Or maybe they saw Detective Stabler's car and turned around and went the other way," Nick suggested irritably.
"Detective Stabler says they hid their car so they couldn't have seen it and they didn't see any cars coming down that road all night long. So they say the only explanation would be that someone tipped them off. The problem is, they have no idea who because there aren't any neighbors close by."
"Maybe Sean had one of his spies hidden in those woods that were nearby and they were watching over the house. Or maybe there are hidden cameras inside the house and they saw the entire thing from inside their car." Nick suggested.
"They searched the whole house this morning in hopes of finding clues of where they might run to next and they didn't find any cameras - that was one of the first things they looked for."
"Then there had to be someone hidden in the woods watching the house. Did they find any clues?"
"Not a thing…but they did find some very disturbing collections of Sean's…that had to do with Ashley." Brooke replied softly and in a tone that sounded like she had been fighting with herself on the question of whether she should tell him about this information or not.
"What?" Nick asked worriedly. "Brooke tell me…"
"I don't know if you can handle it…."
"Brooke please…I need to know. I'm her caregiver, I need to know."
"Yes but honey you're also her boyfriend. And as her boyfriend I don't think you can handle it."
"I can too, Brooke. I got through the fact that Trevor was doing shit to her behind my back, my daughter was raped and I am slowly getting over that, and Josh and Elenore were kidnapped at Disney World. I don't think there is anymore information that can possibly damage me more then I already am." Brooke was silent for a couple of minutes before answering.
"Brooke?"
"They found video tapes that he had made of her…do you really need me to elaborate on that? Or can you guess the rest from there?"
"No that's enough…." Nick replied softly, as he was afraid of that. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes but he wiped them away.
"Are you okay honey?"
"I'm fine…but can you just tell me one thing?"
"What?"
"Who was it in the tapes with her? Sean or Trevor? I want to know who was hurting my baby…you know for future reference so I know who to kill first."
"Both of them…but Detective Stabler said that Trevor was in them the most. Sean did most of the filming."
"Kay…well Brooke is there anything else that you need to tell me? Cause if not Brian and Kev are coming out with the ice cream right now…"
"No that's it. Are you sure you're going to be okay Nick? I knew I shouldn't have told you…"
"I'll be fine," Nick replied. "I promise."
"Okay…"
"I will see you when we get back," he replied, then he hung up. He went back to the table then just as Brian and Kevin were coming out. Howie noticed the tears in Nick's eyes and looked even more concerned.
"Nick? What did Brooke want?"
"They didn't catch Sean," was all Nick said before sitting back down in his chair. He looked at Ashley for a moment as she sat there looking at him worriedly, than he pulled her into his lap so he is cradling her and he hugged her close to him. Everybody eyed him then with a bewildered look in their eyes as they know that's not all that was said between him and Brooke. Kevin also looked at Nick skeptically as he also remembers that they're in public and he hopes Nick remembers that too. But he doesn't want to say anything as he knows something is wrong at the moment and it's best he doesn't nag.
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, Kori and Scott took Spencer on a very long walk and were finally approaching the playground. Spencer and Scott talked the whole time they had been walking. Kori said a few things every now and then but mostly she kept quiet. When they got to the playground Spencer took a run for it to the swings immediately and Scott and Kori sat nearby in the sand surrounding the swings, but not too close that Spencer can over hear their conversation.
"So…seeing as how you're giving me a chance…is there any chance that you might tell him who I really am?" Scott asked, hoping he isn't pushing it.
"I don't know…" Kori replied, looking at him for the first time all day and he can see that her eyes are red from when she was crying earlier.
"Think about it please? He's my son…and after seeing him today….after seeing how much he looks like me, and how much he acts like me…it really hit me that he IS my kid after all…and after spending all this time with him I can't turn away. I want to get to know him. I want to be around for him. I want him to know who I am and I want him to be able to call me daddy. I meant it when I said I wanted to try…"
"It really hit you that he is your son after all? Who's son did you think he was, Scott?"
"I don't know…I just…"
"You're the only man I ever made love to...and still to this day you are. You know that…I can't believe you would think he was someone else's son."
"That's not what I meant…"
"Then what do you mean exactly?"
"I was young…I was a young fourteen year old boy and I was scared out of my mind. I didn't want to be a father at the time…I was angry with myself for not thinking clearly…I was angry at myself for not using protection, I was angry at myself for being so stupid, and I was angry at myself for so many things….I didn't know what to do Kori. So I made myself believe that he wasn't really my kid…and since I wanted to believe it so bad at the time, It was easy to turn away. But when I saw him today…when I talked to him and saw how much he looks like me, and acts like me…there was no denying it." Kori looked at him for a few minutes, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.
"I don't know if I can trust you just yet…" she replied softly. "You really broke my heart. I was in love with you Scott…like you wouldn't believe how in love with you I was. I wanted you to come with me. I wanted you to run away with me and start a family with me. I wanted you to be here for me and Spencer. I was scared too don't you know that?"
"I know…" Scott replied. "And I'm so sorry…." He told her and he went to wipe away her tears but she swatted his hand from her and scooted away.
"Don't touch me. You don't have that privilege anymore."
"Are you going to tell him the truth about me or what?" He asked softly a few moments later when he knew she had calmed her anger down some.
"I already told you. I don't trust you just yet. Show me that you've earned the privilege of being his father and maybe I'll think about it." Scott looked away from her and over at Spencer. Kori looked over there also to see him now playing some kind of game with a couple of other kids who have come to the playground with their mothers. "He already thinks the world of you…hurt him in anyway and I will give you a pretty black eye to go a long with that broken nose of yours," She warned.
"Will you let me take him to a football game?"
"Since you already suggested it to him and brought his hopes up, yes…but you're taking Nick, Brian, AJ, Howie, or Kevin with you."
"That's bullshit. I don't need a baby-sitter, Kori."
"I'm not letting you take my son anywhere away from that Orphanage unless you have someone with you. Not until you show me that you're trust worthy."
"OUR son," Scott snapped irritably.
"Fine. Our son. But you still aren't leaving that orphanage with him without supervision."
"Why can't you just go to the game with us?"
"Because I don't want to spend anymore time with you then I have to."
"No, probably not. You probably want to spend time with this Wiley guy that Spencer doesn't seem to stop talking about." Scott replied bitterly. "Do you mind telling me who he is?"
"Yes I do, actually. It's really none of your business."
"I think I have the right to know when he seems to be spending a lot of time with our son."
"He's just a friend alright? I met him in New Jersey shortly after I moved there. He's a great guy, he's amazing with Spencer and Spencer adores him. Okay? Is that alright with you?"
"Just a friend huh?"
"Yes, just a friend. And even if he wasn't, I don't see how that is any of your business. It's been years since we were together I think its about time I moved on!" Scott rolled his eyes, then suddenly Spencer came running up to them causing Scott to put on a fake smile.
"Hey buddy what's up?"
"Will you come an' push me on the swings? Please?'
"Sure thing!" Scott replied cheerfully and he got up, took hold of the little boy's hand and he allowed himself to be dragged off to the swings. Kori sighed in frustration and she wrapped her arms around her legs and hugged them close to her chest. She rested her chin on one knee and she watched Scott play with Spencer while trying her very hardest not to cry. She knows she's doing the right thing. She knows Spencer needs him but she just wishes that it didn't mean he had to be apart of her life again. She desperately needs Wiley. So much that, that alone could make her cry. Why did he have to go back? Oh yeah that's right. Cause she is his boss and had to send him back to work. But then again….she also has the right to give him time off for as long as she wants him to have it, too. Tempting…very tempting.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Enjoy =)
