One-Hundred-Twenty-Eight
Dakota stared at her best friend utterly confused. How can she like someone who is mean to her? Last time she checked, that kind of thing upset her big time — especially since the way she was treated before she was dumped off at the Orphanage.
"How can you likes someone who is mean to you? An' has such a bad attitude all the times?" Elenore shrugged.
"What can I say, I likes bad boys…like Joshy for instance."
"You like Joshy too? so you have three crushes!?" Dakota asked, shock clearly written on her face and Elenore swears that she can hear slight jealousy in her tone.
"Ick…gross!" Elenore exclaimed making a face. "He is practically my cousin Kota!"
"He wasn't before…"
"Trust me Kota, I don't likes Joshy that way," Elenore reassured. "I'm just sayin' I have radar for trouble…"
"Ryan doesn't gets into trouble. He just sits around an' pouts all the time. He isn't a friendly person."
"He doesn't gets into trouble yet. But he always has that look in his eyes like he wants to fight me…Joshy had that look a lot too." Dakota let out an amused laugh.
"He better nots try…Joshy will have a fit." Dakota suddenly noticed the excitement that formed in her best friend's eyes at her words and Dakota groaned.
"Ellie…don'ts."
"What?" Elenore asked innocently.
"I knows you. Don'ts you dare starts anything! Uncle Kevy won't be too happy." Elenore shrugged and smiled.
"I don'ts like him. I think your better off liking Spency."
"Yeah well I can'ts choose."
"What's so hard abouts it? Spencer likes you…Ryan doesn't." Elenore shrugged.
"I'm five years old I don'ts have to know everything!" she insisted, and she walked back over to where her and Dakota were both drawing at. Marcus had gone over and sat down at the bench swing in the garden and Spencer had gone over to play with Josh and Sarah. Dakota went over to the play structure and she climbed up onto it and went over to the monkey bars where Josh was sitting and she climbed out to the middle of them and sat next to him.
"Hi Joshy."
"Hi Kota," Josh replied, smiling at her some and he wrapped his arm around her for a hug.
"Are you in a better mood now?"
"Sort of," She replied, forcing a smile on her face. Meanwhile, back over where Elenore is, she sat down and took a piece of chalk in her hand and she was just about to start drawing something when suddenly she noticed a shadow step over her. She looked up to see that it's Ryan and he has his arms crossed over his chest as he looks down at her.
"What do you wants?" Elenore asked irritably.
"Why were you and Dakota talking about me earlier?"
"We weren't talkin' abouts you," Elenore replied innocently. "Why would we waste our breath doing that?"
"You are lying! I heard her say my name earlier and I saw the two of you looking at me!"
"Maybe you were imagining things," Elenore insisted, and she looked back down at her drawing. "Now if you will please move…I am trying to draw." She added, and she got her chalk into position and was about to continue her drawing when suddenly Ryan placed his foot over her hand, completely crushing it. Elenore let out a loud wail.
"OOOOOOW STOP THAT YOU ARE HURTING ME!" she sobbed loudly.
"Then how about you tell me the truth! Why were you talkin' abouts me?!"
"We were just sayin' how mean you are to me an' here you are proving our points!" She cried. "You're a meanie head an' all you do is sit around and pout like a little baby!"
"Look who's TALKING! At least I don't throw tantrums like one!" Ryan insisted, as he released his foot and Elenore immediately grabbed her hand into her other one and she whimpered tearfully. She noticed Josh suddenly coming up behind him. "Are you going to go crying to Kevin now you little baby?"
"You could only be so lucky," Josh suddenly spoke up, and he shoved Ryan to the ground hard. Ryan turned and looked at him with dark dangerous eyes. Josh stared at him back with the same look and Elenore immediately got up and went and stood behind him, wrapping an arm around his waist and resting her head against his shoulder. Her hand hurts very badly.
"I thought I warned you to leave her alone!"
"It's not my fault the spoiled brat was talking about me behind my back and is afraid to tell me to my face what she was saying!"
"I told you the truth!" Elenore insisted indignantly. Josh gently wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close, and she again rested her head against his shoulder as tears spilled from her eyes.
"Shhh…stay out of it Ellie."
"Yeah! Stay out of it before I hurt you again!" Josh moved forward to attack when suddenly he felt Dakota — who had come up beside him, take him by the arm. He looked at her confused.
"Joshy don'ts…please…you'll get into trouble an' he's not worth getting into trouble over." Josh looked into Dakota's blue eyes and suddenly all of his anger disappeared. Spencer joined his side too, suddenly, and he took Elenore's injured hand into his protectively and he stared at Ryan with daggers in his eyes. Josh looked over at Marcus who was talking to Sarah who was sitting in his lap writing to him.
"MARCUS, HELP! RYAN HURT ELLIE!" He called. Dakota smiled up at him, causing him to smile back knowing he had pleased her. He enjoys doing that very much.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile in New York, Brooke's mother Ellen went back to the store for more things that they will need for Thanksgiving and Peyton went with her. Her father is in his office dealing with the mess that Jaime had made at Thadius' dealership, and getting his son out of numerous other things. Brooke, Jaime, AJ, and Laila are in the living room. They have Bear In The Big Blue House on for Laila and she is sitting in front of the TV completely absorbed in it.
"Man, how can you stand to watch this? We've been watching baby shows all morning." Jaime whined somewhat and he looked over at AJ and Brooke who are lying together on the couch. Brooke is lying next to AJ, who has one arm underneath her, and the other wrapped around her protectively and she has her head rested against his chest. AJ grinned a little and shrugged his shoulders.
"I am immune to kiddie shows. I have a four year old niece…it's like an unwritten law somewhere that you have to put up with their shows." Brooke laughed a little as her brother groaned.
"That goes for Caregivers too. Are you sure that you still want to come work for me at the Orphanage big brother?"
"I am positive. You aren't getting rid of me so don't even try it." Brooke rolled her eyes playfully and AJ noticed that even though she is being playful, there is some hidden annoyance behind her eye rolling. He rubbed his hand over her back in a slow circular motion and she snuggled into him some. She looked up at AJ after a couple of moments of silence to find him already looking down at her as if he were watching her.
"When are you leaving?" she asked softly, as she tightened her arms around his waist a little.
"Later on tonight."
"I don't want you to go," Brooke whined as she pulled his blanket up on the two of them. AJ ended up sleeping on the couch the night before with Laila because that's where he ended up falling asleep at while they were watching a movie. Brooke had fallen asleep in his arms too and Jaime ended up having to carry her upstairs to her room. Peyton tried waking AJ up and telling him he has a room to go up to, but he was too tired to move. AJ chuckled a little and kissed the top of Brooke's head softly.
"Says the woman who didn't want me to come running here in the first place."
"I was an emotional wreck…I'm glad you didn't listen to me and came…I told you I didn't want you to come but I didn't mean it…you read me well." She told him, as she looked up at him again and he rested his forehead against hers as he gazed into her eyes.
"Well that's because I know you, silly. Even over the phone."
"Wait — she called you?" Jaime spoke up again, suddenly confused.
"No he called me…yesterday at the mall when I went to Chick-Fil-A. That's why it took me so long to come back to the table…"
"I sensed something was wrong and I turned out to be right. As soon as she answered she started crying and venting to me. She was overwhelmed because you and Peyton were onto her and she was scared to tell you the truth alone. So I volunteered to come here and help her but she refused to let me. I did it anyway because I was so worried about her. I knew I would lose sleep thinking about her if I didn't come here right away." Jaime didn't reply, he only sat there watching AJ with his younger sister and he couldn't help but smile a little bit. He loves how protective of her he is and how well he knows her. Thadius was never like that.
"I really don't want you to go," Brooke continued to whine and she looked up at him again. AJ smiled a little bit and rubbed his finger over her cheek gently.
"Me neither but I have to. The guys are expecting me back and so is my mom."
"But what if Thadius gets out of jail for some reason?" AJ could just see the fear in Brooke's eyes at that question.
"That's not going to happen…and even if it does, we all know what Jaime will do to him if he comes anywhere near you again." Jaime scowled a little.
"He better not if he knows what's good for him…"
"All the more reason for you to stay…so Jai doesn't do anything stupid."
"He's not going to do anything stupid honey, I promise."
"How do you know? When someone messes with me he becomes very unpredictable."
"Because the only reason I was able to stop him last night was promising him that there is a better way to handle this." AJ replied, looking over at Jaime reassuringly. Brooke looked back and fourth between AJ and Jaime confused. They know each other for only one day and they already have secrets.
"What are you talking about?" She asked, looking up at AJ confused. AJ looked over at Jaime once again with questioning eyes that Jaime understood right away.
"You guys…what are you up to?" Brooke asked once again, and she was becoming serious.
"He told me that he knows a detective who can make sure Thadius stays where he belongs…who can make sure that his parents won't help him out of this." Brooke looked back at AJ then.
"Detective Stabler? Aje…don't bring him into this…"
"Too late, it's already been done…" AJ replied gently and Brooke narrowed her eyes at him. "I called him this morning before you woke up."
"And you couldn't run this by me before you did this?"
"I knew you wouldn't let me do it and Jaime did too. He told me not to tell you until it's been done."
"I can't believe you two…" Brooke replied angrily, and she began to get up but AJ gently pulled her back down.
"Brooke listen to me…it had to be done. He's a great detective and he has the connections to make sure Thadius never touches you again — if you are mad at me, fine. But that was the risk that I was willing to take in order to make sure you are safe."
"But it's my personal problem Alex, mine! You have no right to go around telling everybody in the world about it! Especially without my consent!"
"For one…he deserved to know for both professional and personal reasons. He is a good friend of yours don't you think he deserved to know?"
"Yeah, sure, but I would have liked to tell him myself!"
"Would you have? Would you have told him yourself Brooke? You waited for years before you told us after all." Jaime spoke up, the words slipping out of his mouth before he could stop them.
"That is not fair!"
"Just like it wasn't fair that you kept Peyton, Mom, dad and me in the dark all this time?"
"Shut up Jaime, just shut up! I hate you!" Brooke sobbed, and she got up and stormed up the stairs and a few moments later they heard her bedroom door slam. Jaime groaned and then got up and began to go after her but AJ gently grabbed him by the arm, causing him to look at him curiously.
"Let me do it…watch Laila for me okay?" Jaime nodded and sat back down in his chair again and AJ went upstairs to go calm Brooke down. Jeff walked out of his office then and looked at Jaime concerned.
"What's going on? Why is Brookie crying?" He asked protectively. Jaime sighed.
"Because she found out about AJ calling Detective Stabler…and she didn't take it so well. I said some things I didn't mean to say, and it hurt her…"
"What did you say?" Jeff questioned irritably.
"She said that her being raped was her problem and that we should have at least gotten her consent first. She said she would have liked to tell Detective Stabler herself and I asked her if she would've told him because she took so long just to tell us. She said that isn't fair, and I sort of made a comment about how it wasn't fair that she left all of us in the dark for so long…" Jeff groaned and went over and smacked Jaime in the back of the head.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"Are you stupid? You can't go saying things like that to her! She is an emotional wreck right now!"
"Well what do you think I am right now dad?" Jaime asked as he looked up at his father and tears rolled down his cheeks. "She isn't the only one who is emotional! I just found out my little sister was raped right underneath my nose! How does she think that makes me feel? She can't drop that kind of news on us like that and expect everything to be okay! And expect me not to be a little angry with her for not telling me!"
"You told me last night that you weren't angry at me, that you were just a little disappointed," they suddenly heard Brooke say from behind them, and Jaime whirled around and looked at her to find her standing there with AJ and tears are falling down her cheeks. He had just gotten her to calm down but at Jaime's words, she began to cry again.
"Yeah well guess what Brooke, I lied. I am angry with you. I think it is completely unfair that you left all of us in the dark — and I am angry that you couldn't even come to me and tell me what's wrong! I thought we were close enough that we could tell each other anything! But obviously I was wrong! And it's fine that you hate me because I hate you too!" Jaime yelled at her, as tears fell from his own eyes. Brooke broke down into sobs then for the second time, and she turned and stormed out of the house. AJ looked at him disappointedly and a little angry and then he turned and went after Brooke. Jaime looked at his father who was just standing there crying himself. He turned and walked back into his office and he shut the door behind him. Jaime pushed a strand of his long black hair out of his face and he rubbed his eyes and looked at Laila who was sitting there now looking at him worriedly.
"Why Brookie cry?" She asked softly, and Jaime sighed and went over and gently scooped her up into his arms.
"Don't worry about it sweetheart…she'll be okay…why don't we go out in the backyard and play, hmm?" He asked softly and he gave her a weak smile and went out in the backyard with her.
~*~*~*~*~
When AJ caught up to Brooke, he found her sitting under a tree out in their front yard hugging her legs to her chest and she is sobbing hard. AJ went over and sat next to her and he wrapped his arms around her and she leaned into his chest.
"I knew it Alex…I knew if I told them they would hate me…I just knew it…"
"Honey Jaime doesn't hate you…I promise."
"Yes he does, he said so himself!"
"People say things that they don't mean when they are upset…and Jaime is very upset right now. He loves you very much I know he does because he's told me so."
"He has every right to be upset with me…I'm a horrible person…I should have come to him, he's right…"
"You were scared…just like any rape victim would be…and I know deep down inside despite how angry he is, he understands that."
"I want to go back to Kentucky with you," Brooke announced softly, and she looked up at him.
"What?" AJ asked with a mixture of confusion and shock evident on his face. "Why? Brookie you need to be here with your family."
"No…I can't…not when they hate me."
"They don't hate you. You are the most important person in their life…the bad news was just a lot to drop on them…you need to give them time to deal with it okay?"
"Exactly…which is why I should go with you."
"I can't let you go with me Brooke…" AJ replied gently. "You also need to deal with this…and I think being with your family and finally going through this is the best way to do that…" Brooke didn't answer, she only buried her face in his chest and she began to cry all over again. AJ hugged her close to him and kissed her forehead softly. The two of them sat there together for thirty minutes and when Brooke was calm again AJ got up, gently took her hand and helped her up and he brought her back into the house. AJ looked over at the spot where Laila was sitting earlier and he became confused.
"Where is my baby at?"
"Jai must have her…and I think I know where…stay in here okay? I want to be with my brother alone for awhile…" AJ nodded understandably and he went into the kitchen to get himself a soda. Brooke made it perfectly clear last night that he is to make himself at home and help himself to anything he wants. Brooke rubbed at her watery eyes and she went out into the backyard. She looked over at the tree house that their father had made for the two of them when they were little and she could hear Laila playing up there. She went over to the ladder, climbed up it and she peeked her head through the entrance and found Jaime lying on a beanbag watching Laila play with Brooke's old dolls. Jaime noticed her and looked over at her to find her looking at him, her eyes just as watery as his. He looked at her for a couple of moments and then moved over on the beanbag and he patted the space next to him. Brooke crawled up into the tree house and she stood up and walked over to the beanbag. He took her hand then and gently pulled her down so she lay next to him and he wrapped his arm around her and made her lay back so she rests her head against his shoulder and he rested his forehead against hers.
"I'm sorry…" he told her softly in her ear, and he hugged her close protectively. "I don't hate you…the truth is you are very important to me and it kills me to know that someone hurt you…and I'm just trying to deal with it the best way I can…I didn't mean to upset you."
"I know…just don't say anything Jai okay? Just hold me…" Brooke sniffled, and Jaime hugged her even closer to him and kissed the top of her head. The two of them sat in silence, the only sound in the old tree house was Laila who talked to her dolls and teddy bears and Jaime and Brooke sat there watching her, both of them absorbed in their own thoughts. Finding Jaime in their Tree House was all the reassurance she needed to know her brother — her best friend, doesn't hate her after all. They did everything together in this tree house…pretty much every memory they have of each other takes place inside it. Peyton played in it a lot, but it was built a couple of years before she was born, so Brooke and Jaime have a lot more memories in it then she does. It is their special place.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Enjoy =)
