Chapter One-Hundred-Forty
"Well I should probably get going…I need to get Ellie in bed, Josh is probably freaking and I am a little worried she'll wake up soon and do the same." Kevin announced after spending an hour after Elenore fell asleep just sitting on the porch and catching up with his family.
"Yes get her in bed so she can get all the beauty sleep she can get so that she will be awake and ready for a day of fun tomorrow," Tim insisted with an excited grin on his face and Kevin chuckled.
"I'm not sure who is more excited about it, you or Ellie?"
"Tim most definitely," Jerald rolled his eyes.
"You have no right to tease him, you were the exact same way about the carnival," Ann laughed. Kevin got up with Elenore then and he gently moved her so her head was rested against his shoulder and he brought her back into the house. Ann and his brothers followed close behind. Kevin went into the living room and got her basket of gifts and her teddy bear from the carnival and he took her out to the van. When they got out there Jerald opened up the back door where her car seat is at and Kevin placed her in it and buckled her up. Elenore opened her eyes momentarily and then shut them again as she leaned her head back comfortably against her seat. Kevin shut the door said his good-byes, and then headed back to the Littrell House.
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile at the Littrell House, when Marcus and Q finished searching the backyard the two of them went inside the house. They went and got two Dr Peppers and then went into the living room and upstairs to fill Laney in on what they've discovered. When they walked in they found Laney waiting for them as he had seen them coming in the hallway.
"They've been luring Abbie to the gate with these," Marcus announced and he placed the dog treats that are now in a sandwich bag onto the round table that they have in their room. "Who knows what they've put in these treats…but I'll figure it out you can count on that."
"How did she get out? The only way out for the dogs is the dog door to the backyard."
"She dug her way out," Q answered. "Marcus and I went out there to search for her escape route and found a hole in the area leading to the front yard. She's drawn to that gate, she knows her 'friends' leave her goodies."
"She must have heard them too. She must've been in the backyard and heard them." Laney suggested. The three of them were quiet for a few moments as they thought things over, and then Marcus suddenly spoke up again.
"Alright…we need to take control of our puppies here before they are seriously hurt. Tomorrow morning we will have an adult meeting before Nick and Ashley wake up. Someone will just have to fill Nick in on it later. The first rule we need to enforce is the puppies do not go outside without an adult. They will just have to start personally taking them outside to go potty like they do at the Orphanage."
"And I think we need to encourage Nick to train Abbie. She needs to learn the difference between danger and friends. She doesn't know better of course cause she's a puppy but we can change that."
"All of the puppies need to be trained. I've seen Lil' Rok around that gate many times too. Chance doesn't care for it, he's always going everywhere Josh goes and Kota never lets Lily out of her sight. Tyke is already trained very well so he's not a problem…infact he's pretty helpful – maybe Brian can teach him to keep an eye on the others for us."
"He already does that…have you seen him bitching Abbie out for going near that gate? It's hilarious." Marcus replied while smiling some.
"Yeah well, where was he tonight?" Laney questioned.
"Downstairs with Brian where he is every night. You know how Brian likes to spend the evenings with his dog."
"Well, he does a good job at playing cop dog…I think he should be rewarded for that so he knows he has permission to keep doing it." Q explained.
"Heh…it's funny how we rely on the smallest dog here to be our guard dog."
"Hey don't underestimate the little guy…he can do a lot. I'm sure he would have taken that woman's hand off if he had the chance."
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, down the hall in Josh's room, Josh lay in bed awake with Chance lying across his chest and Lil Rok snuggled on Elenore's pillow. The moment Brian had set him on the bed he went straight for it knowing exactly which one belongs to his Ellie. Josh lay there staring up at the ceiling with a scowl on his face. He told Brian he wouldn't dare go to sleep without Ellie and he meant it. But he is getting very bored just lying there and he is thirsty too. He lay there thinking for a few moments, and then he rolled out of bed and Chance sat up and looked at him, his head tilted to the side as he did. Josh looked at him with a scowl.
"Don't you look at me like that. I am thirsty!" Chance made a little whimpering sound, as if he were telling Josh it is not a good idea. "Well I am!" He insisted, and with that he turned and left the room. Chance was up in a second and trotting loyally at his heels. As Josh walked through the hallway security saw him on camera.
"Josh is out of bed…should we stop him?"
"Nah…he is most likely going downstairs to his father, let him deal with the tantrum." When Josh got downstairs Howie, Jackie, Harold, Nick, and Ashley all noticed him, but Brian hadn't yet because his back was turned to him. Nick and Howie raised their eyebrows and looked over at Brian who was in the middle of having a private conversation with Riley and petting Tyke. Josh walked around the couch to where his father was sitting and the moment he did, Brian looked up at him confused.
"What are you doing out of bed young man? I believe I tucked you in about an hour ago."
"I told you I wasn't going to sleep," Josh reminded stubbornly.
"Yes, and I told you that is fine as long as you stayed in bed."
"Reverse psychology may work on Kota, but not I." Brian raised his eyebrow.
"Fine, but I am your father and I gave you an order to stay in bed, didn't I?" Josh shrugged and Brian handed Tyke over to Riley before getting up and lifting the stubborn six-year-old into his arms. "Come a long Joshua…"
"I am thirsty, I want a drink!"
"Okay, then we will go get you some water and then I will take you to bed and you will stay there this time." Brian informed him and he carried him off toward the kitchen, Chance trailing close at his heels.
"No I don't want water."
"Well I am sorry, but water is the only choice you get at bedtime."
"I want chocolate milk!"
"Josh…either you take water, or you get nothing." Brian replied patiently as he reached the kitchen door.
"NO! I WANT CHOCOLATE MILK!"
"There is no need to take that tone with me. If you don't agree to have water then we can go straight up to bed now," Brian replied and he turned and headed for the stairs. Josh slid from his arms suddenly and he lay down on the floor.
"Not without Ellie!" Brian rolled his eyes and reached down and took hold of his hands and he commenced to pull him up from the ground but Josh put all his weight into the floor so he couldn't. Brian groaned.
"Come on buddy, please don't put me through this."
"I'm NOT going to bed without Ellie!"
"Ellie isn't here and it is way past your bedtime so I am afraid you are young man." Brian ordered firmly and he reached down and gathered him up in his arms and placed him over his shoulder as he carried him up the stairs.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOO! I WANT ELLIE, I WANT ELLIE, I WANT ELLIE!" Josh screamed the whole way up the stairs.
"QUIET down RIGHT now before you wake the GOOD children up!"
"NO! I WANT ELLIE, I WANT ELLIE RIGHT NOW!" Brian did his best to ignore the yells of Josh. When he got to Kevin's room he brought him inside, took him to his bed, and he sat him down in it.
"Stay in this room or you can sit in here the whole day tomorrow and you know I will make you do it too!" Brian ordered and he walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. Josh scowled and picked up one of his shoes and he threw it at the door before shouting out once more "I WANT ELLIE! YOU TELL KEVIN TO BRING HER HOME, RIGHT NOW!" Brian jumped a little at the loud bang and he went downstairs
"Somebody call Kevin and tell him to bring home Ellie before Josh destroys his bedroom – I swear I will re-tuck in any child he wakes up."
"I'll call him," Howie replied, and he pulled out his cell phone and went into the kitchen with it.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile in Kevin's van, all was quiet as Kevin drove down the road toward his Aunt Jackie's house. Elenore was still sleeping peacefully and he had his radio turned on softly and he is just enjoying the peace after having such a long eventful day. Everything was going great until suddenly he noticed a long line of traffic up ahead - he could see police car lights and ambulances flashing, which tells him that there is a huge accident going on.
"Oh lovely…" Kevin muttered to himself, as he came to a stop behind the car ahead of him. Elenore who felt the car suddenly come to a stop opened her eyes and she looked up at Kevin.
"Kevy? Are we there yet?" he heard her small voice in the back seat and he sighed heavily.
"Not yet precious…we're stuck in traffic right now. We will be there soon though I promise." Elenore unbuckled her seatbelt then and stood up so that she could see what Kevin is talking about and when she saw the big line of cars ahead of them and the flashing lights she leaned over Kevin's seat so she could see him.
"Can you tells all these peoples to go? We gots to get to Joshy."
"No I can't tell them all to go honey," Kevin replied and he couldn't help but chuckle a little bit at her logic.
"Well why nots?"
"Because there is a car accident up ahead that is blocking everybody from going – see all of those flashing lights? It's police cars and ambulances. Somebody is hurt so we have to wait for a police officer to direct us all where to go instead."
"Then why don'ts you go an' asks the police officers where to go? I wants Joshy Kevy."
"I can't honey. I need to let them do their job so that they can get to us sooner. Get back into your car seat alright?"
"But I don'ts wanna, I want to sit up there withs you."
"No you can't – especially not with those officers right there I could get in trouble," Kevin insisted and he unbuckled his seat belt, and got up and turned around. He gently pushed Elenore back into her car seat and she scowled as he buckled her back in.
"Just sit tight, we should be moving pretty quick. How about some music while we wait?" Kevin suggested and he sat back down in his seat, buckled himself back up and he turned the radio up. Elenore pouted.
"But I'm tired an' I wants Joshy Kevy!"
"Hey look! They are playing As long as you love me on the radio – want me to sing to you Ellie? How about you sing a long with me?"
"I don'ts wanna…" Elenore refused stubbornly.
"Fine then, I'll sing to you," he insisted and he began to sing a long with the song. "Every little thing that you have said and done feels like it's deep within me… doesn't really matter if you're on the run…It seems like we're meant to be…" he sang, and just as he was about to hit the chorus line his cell phone rang. Kevin reached into his pocket and he pulled out his cell phone and he opened it up and placed it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Kevin where are you man? It's way past the kids' bedtime and Josh is freaking out over here!" Kevin sighed heavily.
"Yeah, I'm having a similar problem with Ellie over here, she's real close to throwing a fit. I'm stuck in traffic D…there is a huge accident up ahead."
"Oh man…"
"Yeah, I am trying everything I can to keep her relaxed, I've even resulted to singing As Long As You Love Me a long with the radio to her."
"Well, we are far beyond trying to keep Josh calm. He's upstairs in your room having a fit – Brian has threatened to ground him if he comes out and he says to tell you to hurry up before the kid destroys your room."
"Well I can't exactly hurry up D…though I am trying."
"I know, I know…I am just delivering the message!"
"Kevy?" Elenore spoke from the back seat again.
"What Ellie?"
"Can we goes nooow?" Kevin sighed and closed his eyes momentarily as he rubbed his hand over his eyes stressfully.
"No baby, we still can't move."
"But I wants my JOSHY!"
"I know Ellie, I know."
"I wants him now, Kevy!"
"Well I am sorry but we can't always get what we want right when we want them. I can't move…you have to wait."
"I WANTS MY JOSHY, RIGHTS NOW, I WANTS HIM NOW!!!!!" Elenore shrieked tearfully, as she has just about had enough. All she wants is to go home and crawl into bed with Josh. She has had a long day and she is tired. She has been pretty good all day and she had lots of fun – now she just wants to sleep is that really too much to ask for?
"D, I have to go…I'll be there as soon as I can – bye," Kevin said and then hung up without waiting for Howie to reply on the other end.
"Ellie please…I know you are tired, I know you want Josh, but you just need to be patient."
"NO! I DON'TS WANNA! I WANTS MY JOSHY!" Elenore wailed, and she threw her stuffed animal at Kevin hard, causing it to hit him in the back of the head. "RIGHTS NOW!"
"Well throwing stuffed animals at me is NOT going to get you Josh little girl, and neither is shouting at the top of your lungs. So you might as well sit back and relax because if you don't I will ground you to your bedroom and you will not go and do fun things with Tim tomorrow!"
"BUT I WANTS TO!!!!" Elenore sobbed.
"Then STOP your crying! RIGHT now! Or I will call him up and cancel!"
"NO! I WILL NOTS STOPS CRYING!"
"Fine then, have it your way." Kevin replied, and he pulled out his cell phone and held it up in the air and he pretended to be dialing Tim's number.
"NO, NO, NO!!! OKAY, I WILL STOPS, I WILL STOPS PLEEEASE KEVY NO!"
"Alright then, show me that you can behave," Kevin demanded, and he brought his cell phone back down and Elenore tried her hardest to stop crying, though its hard seeing as how she is overly exhausted and she's already gotten herself all worked up. Kevin was just about to put his phone down when suddenly it rang again. He looked down at it to see that it was Tim. Kevin raised his eyebrow, opened up his phone and he placed it to his ear.
"Hey Tim…what's up?" Elenore's eyes widened.
"NO!!! KEVY PLEASE I SAID I'D STOPS!!" She shrieked.
"Ellie relax…he called me…" Kevin reassured, and when Elenore calmed down again, he placed the phone to his ear again.
"What's up Tim?" He asked again.
"Jer and I were watching the news and saw that an accident was going on just down the road. We wanted to make sure that it wasn't you. Why is Ellie crying?"
"No it's not me…but I am stuck in traffic, she is overly exhausted and throwing a tantrum…" Kevin answered, and he began to explain to Tim everything that is going on. All the while Elenore sat quietly in the back seat, now holding her other teddy bear close to her and sniffling as she has her thumb in her mouth and is staring out the window.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Enjoy =)
