Chapter Seventy Eight
Nick and Marcus continued to stand there pushing the children on the swings, and it wasn't long before Brian was joining them. He went up behind Josh who was sitting there on his swing watching Dakota have a blast two swings away with her daddy. He loves to listen to her giggle and watch her smile. He can't believe he ever wanted to hurt her. Brian stood there watching him for a moment, then he chuckled and leaned down and whispered in his ear.
"If you keep staring like that she's bound to notice. Then what will you do?"
"Would that really be so bad? If she found out?" Josh whispered back, as Brian knelt down in the sand so he could talk to him.
"No, it wouldn't. So why don't you tell her?" Brian asked amused.
"Are you crazy? I can't do that!" Brian chuckled.
"Why not? I thought you were supposed to be Mr. Tough guy." He challenged playfully.
"Not when it comes to her….." Josh replied, looking back at Dakota dreamily, as he watches her swing back and fourth, completely oblivious to anything other then her, and her daddy. "When it comes to her I melt into a great big puddle…" Brian laughed out loud at this and looked up at Marcus who was standing there pushing Elenore and laughing also, as he is standing there listening too. It's amazing how oblivious Dakota is, because everybody in this whole orphanage knows of Josh's crush but her.
"That's not how it used to be. It used to be that whenever it came to her, you became angry and mean."
"Yeah well…I've changed. I want to be good…I want her to see that I am not a monster. I want her to like me…"
"Well you're well on your way," Brian replied gently, and he ruffled Josh's hair and grinned when Josh scowled. It annoys him when people do that to him and Brian knows It. "And, a little tip coming from someone who is considered as Kota's 'uncle'….she doesn't think you're a monster."
"She should…after how badly I treated her before…" Josh replied softly. Brian moved around in front of Josh and he took a hold of both sides of the swing, before looking Josh in the eyes sincerely so that he knows he's not just messing with him.
"For your information, all Kota has ever wanted was to be your friend. She never thought of you as a monster. Infact, she thought the exact opposite. She thought you were the coolest person in the world despite how horrible you were to her. She just wanted a friend, and you've always been that friend she wanted. You were so busy pushing her away that you didn't notice. She was always watching you with Chris and the other kids, the games you played and wished she could be apart of it. She admires you."
"How is this information supposed to make me feel better…it just makes me feel horrible for pushing her away…"
"I think it's very helpful, Joshua. Now you know how she feels…your question should be, how will you use the information." Josh was silent for a couple of minutes as he looked at Brian confused.
"But what about all the times where she said she hated me…what about that time when she yelled at me outside of the elevator? How can you say she admires me when she said so herself that she hates me?"
"People say things that they don't mean when they're upset, buddy. You of all people should know that. If you showed her that you care about her, I know she would do the same in return. Dakota is a very forgiving person. She has a big heart and she loves unconditionally. You don't have anything to worry about, Josh. I promise you."
"Kay…" Josh replied softly, and he slid his arms around Brian's neck, before resting his head against his shoulder and hugging him tightly. Brian smiled a little and wrapped his arms around him too and returning his hug.
"Now lets say we stop talking about this eh? She's not going to remain oblivious forever you know," Brian warned with a playful grin on his face, and he looked at his niece who still has no idea they're talking about her.
"Kay," Josh replied, smiling also. He loves it that Brian is so understanding and so easy to talk to. He loves it that he understands how important it is to him to keep his crush on Dakota secret until the right moment. He also loves that he is all his. His Brian…just like Kevin is Ellie's Kevin. "Will you push me?"
"Mm hmm," Brian answered, and he stood up and went behind Josh and he began to push him on the swing. Just then, Dakota noticed Brian standing there.
"LOOKIT ME UNCLE BRIAN! I'M FLYIN'!!!!" She chirped as Nick, yet again, gave her another underdog. Brian chuckled.
"Oh my! It's a bird! NO it's a plane! No…wait! It's DAKOTA ANN!" He called out playfully and Dakota erupted with giggles. She looked over at Josh then, who was swinging also, but not as high, and he was watching her with a small grin on his face. Elenore was watching Josh with amusement.
"Joshy swing as high as me! Its fun!" Josh looked up at Brian. Brian chuckled and then proceeded to give him an underdog too so that he could go as high as Dakota. Elenore looked over at Kevin who was sitting there talking to Riley, Howie, AJ, Brooke, and Ashley while watching the kids swing as well.
"KEVYYYYYY!" She called out to him.
"ELLIEEEEEEE!" He called back, looking over at her and grinning.
"COMES AN' PUSH MEEEEEE! PLEEEEASE?"
"YEAH Cuz! Get your lazy butt over here!" Brian added.
"Why?" Kevin called back playfully. "Seems Marcus has taken over quite nicely!" Elenore pouted and scowled all at once, more than ready to go into tantrum mode. She liked Marcus, she did - but he was not her Kevy!
"I WANTS YOU!" She shouted, somewhat angrily as she hadn't caught onto his teasing tone. "NOTS FAIR KOTA'S GOTS HER DADDY AN' JOSHY GOTS HIS PUSHIN' 'EMS AN' I DON'TS GOTS MINE PUSHIN' ME!" Kevin and everybody froze at once at Elenore's comment. He stared at her for a moment in complete shock. Sure, he thinks of himself as her father, and in a couple of weeks from now he is going to make it official - unknown to everybody but Brooke and Howie. But he never expected her to call him daddy. At least not yet anyway. After a few moments he looked over at Howie who a long with everybody else was sitting there staring at him, all of them interested in how he is going to react. After regaining his composure, without another word he quietly stood up and went over to Elenore. Elenore grinned in triumph, completely oblivious to the shock she had caused everybody.
"I'll take over now Marcus…" He spoke softly when he got over there. Marcus nodded and stepped to the side and Kevin took over with pushing Elenore on the swing. Slowly everybody began to go back to their conversations and what they were doing, though Brian eyed Kevin curiously as he stood there pushing Josh. They spent another hour on the playground, then when it was time to get ready for lunch Kevin, Nick, and Brian got their kids off of the swings and brought them inside, following Riley, AJ, Howie, and Ashley. Later on that day, around 4:30, Brooke walked into the playroom where she found Riley, Brian, AJ, Howie, and Kevin sitting and talking, Nick over in the book section lying on the bean bag with Sarah in his lap, and the rest of the kids in the blocks area playing. She went over to the adults and they all looked at her curiously when they saw she has her purse with her.
"Hey Brookie…going somewhere?" Howie asked curiously and AJ even looked at her curiously. He knows they have their date to go to, but it's not until way later.
"Yeah…I need to go home and take a shower and stuff if I am to go out with Aje tonight," She replied, giving AJ a reassuring look as she noticed he was a little nervous that she was bailing out on him. AJ grinned a little when he realized he was worrying over nothing.
"You're picking me up at my house around six thirty, right J?" she double checked.
"Yes ma'am, I'll be there," He confirmed. Brooke couldn't help but smile a little bit, though it's obvious that she is very nervous. She looked at Riley then.
"And you're taking over for me for the night, right?"
"Yup," Riley answered, looking at her best friend with a grin on her face. She is really happy that she is going to give AJ a chance. She knows she won't regret it. AJ couldn't be anymore perfect for her.
"Thanks," Brooke replied, and she turned and left the playroom. They waited until she was gone and the door was shut, then they all looked at AJ.
"Dude this is awesome…you didn't tell us she agreed to give you a chance!" Brian immediately spoke. AJ grinned a little.
"Sorry…I was busy trying to convince myself that it isn't a dream…"
"Where are you going to take her?"
"Well I was thinking first we would go out to dinner. She wants to go to Olive Garden so that's where I'm taking her…BUT it's the one right on the beach…and I have special plans for her that she doesn't know about," AJ answered.
"Which are?" Howie pressed, hoping to get more information out of him. He is his best friend and yet HE Doesn't even know of these secret plans. AJ smirked, and then began to explain to him what his plans are. Riley's jaw nearly hit the floor after he had explained these romantic ideas.
"Awww AJ that's so sweet! She is going to have so much fun."
"I hope so. She made it perfectly clear that we were going just as friends…but I'm hoping that if I'm smooth enough I can convince her that I am not as bad as she thinks I am."
"If she's not convinced by the time she gets here tomorrow morning…don't worry I will knock some sense into her. She would be crazy not to change her mind after tonight."
"Shouldn't you be getting home and getting ready?" Ashley spoke up. "You've been here since yesterday…you haven't been home since. You should go home and shower too…and clean up."
"Yeah your right, I should." AJ agreed. "I'll see you all tomorrow!" He added, and he jumped up and ran out of the playroom realizing that he only has two in a half hours. The guys, Riley, and Ashley all laughed at this, Brian shaking his head.
"Crazy man…" Ashley sat there thinking for awhile as the rest of them continued talking, then after awhile, she got up and went over to the books center where Nick was still lying on the bean bag. He had just finished reading Sarah a stack of books and is now just sitting there talking to her, her writing her answers on paper. He looked up at Ashley as he saw her coming and he grinned. She smiled back and went and sat next to him on the bean bag when he had moved over a little bit, and she lay back on her side, resting her head against his shoulder.
"Where is Kota at?" She asked him curiously, though she already knows the answer. She wants to make sure he does.
"Playing with Ellie, Josh, and Spencer over in the blocks center."
"Did you offer to read her stories too?" Ashley asked challengingly. "She loves to be read to you know…"
"Yeah I read to her a little bit. Then she got up and ran off to play with her friends."
"Oh well that's good."
"Yeah…why do you ask?"
"Just looking out for one of my favorite little girls," Ashley answered, looking up at him and smiling some. "I know she loves stories. Especially when her daddy reads them to her." Nick leaned down and kissed Ashley's forehead after smiling back. He will never get tired of how much his girlfriend loves his daughter.
"So guess what," She spoke after a couple of minutes of just lying there and cuddling with him.
"Hmm?" Nick asked curiously.
"Brooke and AJ are going on a date tonight." Nick smiled once again.
"Really? Since when?"
"Apparently since this morning when he gave her flowers. He's been keeping it secret from us all day and then Brooke came in here and told us she was going home to get ready and she asked Riley to take over for her for the night."
"That's awesome…I bet AJ is happy."
"Very…he ran out of here at the speed of light when he realized he only had two in a half hours to get ready." Nick laughed and rolled his eyes, then he pulled Ashley into a hug. Ashley was once again silent for a couple of minutes, then she looked up at him.
"Nicky…"
"Hmm?" He asked her. He waited for her to answer, and when he didn't get one he looked down at her curiously to find a contemplative expression on her face.
"What's on your mind baby?" He asked curiously.
"How come you and I haven't gone on any dates?" She asked softly.
"Because it's too complicated right now honey…you know this…we can't risk being caught."
"Yeah…I know…but it's not fair," Ashley vented. "I want to go on a date Nicky…I want to be somewhat normal…" Nick thought for a couple of minutes before answering.
"What if I planned something special here in the Orphanage? I'm sure Kevin wouldn't mind watching Sarah and Kota for us…will that make you happy?" Ashley looked up at him in silence for a couple of minutes, then she smiled a little and nodded, though Nick can tell it's fake.
"Oh sure...that would be great," She replied, and she got up and headed for the door to the playroom.
"Ashley…come on!" He called after her, but she ignored him and continued to walk out of the playroom. Laney got up and dutifully followed. Nick sighed in frustration as he noticed Brian, Howie, Kevin, Riley, and Kori now all looking at him confused. He got up and went over there, still holding Sarah.
"What's going on Nick?" Riley asked worriedly.
"She's upset with me…she told me about Brooke and AJ's date and stuff…and then afterwards asked me why her and I never go on any dates. I told her because it's too complicated right now and we can't risk getting caught. She knows this…but she insists upon going on a date. I told her that I could set up something special here in the Orphanage and asked her if that would be okay and she gave me the most fakest smile ever, told me yeah sure it would be great, then got up and left the room pissed off at me."
"Oh boy…" Kori replied softly.
"I would love to take her on a date…I really would…but I can't risk getting caught by fans and she knows this. She knew what we would be getting ourselves into if we started a relationship…and she was fine with it."
"Isn't there some place you can take her where you won't be seen by fans?" Kori asked.
"Believe me if I knew I would be more then willing to take her there…"
"Well there's gotta be a way around it…I understand why she's so upset. Sure she knew what she was getting herself into…but if you heard AJ's plans you would be pretty jealous and frustrated too. You two have been dating for awhile now…and the only alone time you get is when you're able to sneak away up to your room. She wants to actually go OUT…you know? A real date…she wants to be romanced…she wants what Brooke has."
"Well I don't know what to do…" Nick replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm sure there's someway to get around it Nick…you just gotta be creative." Kevin spoke up suddenly and everybody looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"You're supportive of this? I figured you of all people would protest your heart out about us going out on a date outside of the Orphanage walls…"
"Well…yeah…but I love Ashley. And this is obviously important to her…so I'll do anything to see that she is happy."
"Go cheer her up Nick…tell her we're going to think of something. By the time you bring her back in here I will have a plan for you." Howie replied.
"Kay," Nick replied gratefully, and he handed Sarah over to Riley before walking out of the playroom.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter
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