Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Four
When Nick made it upstairs he rushed into his bedroom to find that Laney had beat him in there. He has Dakota in his arms and he is pacing back and fourth in the room trying to calm her down as she clung tightly to him and cried.
"Daddy…" She whimpered when she noticed him come in and she reached for him. Nick went over and gently took her from Laney and he brought her close to him and kissed her forehead softly.
"It's okay baby…daddy is here," He reassured and she buried her face in his shoudler as she slid her arms around him. He looked over at Sarah then who is sitting up in bed hugging her favorite doll close to her. He smiled at her reassuringly and then went over and scooped her up into his arms as well before looking at Laney.
"Thanks for your help Laney."
"No problem…I heard her scream and it scared us so I came in to see if she was okay."
"She'll be fine…she's just scared of thunderstorms and has been since she was an infant," Nick explained as he looked down at Dakota who now has a death grip on him. He wrapped his arms more around both girls to help them feel safer.
"Do you want me to sit in here with them?"
"No thanks we're all downstairs drinking hot chocolate, I will just bring them with me. I am the only one who can keep Kota calm during a storm. I think Ash has a small storm phobia too though, so I really need to be down there."
"Alright well I will be watching the cameras in the security room if you need me," Laney explained as he followed Nick out of the room.
"Kay thanks," Nick replied and he carried both girls downstairs and into the kitchen. When he got in there he noticed Ashley snuggling with Brian still.
"Daddy can I have hot chocolate? Please?" Dakota asked softly.
"Of course baby," Nick answered and he looked at Sarah with a small smile on his face causing her to smile weakly up at him. "What about you sweetie? Do you want some too?" Sarah nodded and he brought her over to Ashley who immediately took her from him. Ashley got up from Brian's lap then and she went over to Nick's chair and sat in it. She brought her feet up on the chair and cradled Sarah in her lap while Nick went over and began to make hot chocolate with Dakota still clinging tightly to him.
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile at the lake, by now it was pouring hard, the trees are blowing violently in the wind, and all the while Kori is just sitting there without a care in the world. She hugged her legs close to her chest as tears fell from her eyes and she buried her face in her lap. As she was just sitting there minding her own business a piece of paper came flying at her and it hit her in the head. She lifted her head up as she grabbed it and she rubbed at her eyes before looking at it curiously. When she did she realized that it's a paper from the tattoo and piercings shop that she's seen in town and had even considered on visiting with Wiley. She notices that it is instructions on how to take care of a navel piercing. Kori raised her eyebrow as she remembers Ashley saying that Nick brought her to this lake earlier for a picnic. She also remembers her sister was acting very weirdly and now that she thinks about it she also remembers that she was pulling at her shirt. Could it have been because she was trying to hide something? It all makes sense now. Nick took her to get her belly button pierced and she's been trying to keep it secret all this time. Kori couldn't help but laugh a little to herself.
"Oh you are so busted, Ashley," She muttered softly to herself. Se folded up the pamphlet then and she stuffed it in her pocket and she continued to sit there quietly staring out at the lake. After a half n hour of just sitting there though, a familiar voice behind her interrupted her thoughts.
"Kori Mortenson are you INSANE?!" bellowed Wiley in his English accent. Kori grinned a little while her back is still turned despite the mood she is in. He just sounds too sexy when he is angry she can't help herself.
"I thought you of all people would know the answer to that question by now Wiley," She answered, managing to stay strong and stay in the bitchy mood that she is in. She can tell he is rolling her eyes without her even having to look.
"You are going to get yourself killed!"
"Did you ever stop to think that maybe that's the point?"
"This is stupid Kori, come on! Just let us take you back to the house." Kevin spoke up for the first time."
"NO."
"You don't have a choice in the matter," Wiley insisted.
"Like hell I don't!" Kori growled and she stood up suddenly and finally turned to face her boyfriend with a pissed off expression on her face.
"If you don't end up killed tonight you will most definitely end up with a cold. What were you thinking coming out here in your pajamas and barefoot?" Kevin questioned.
"I was thinking that I need to get away from you people." Wiley rolled his eyes.
"Alright, that's it. You leave me no choice!" He told her and he went on over to her and before she even had the time to react he lifted her up over his shoulder.
"What the hell?! Wiley you put me down this instant or I swear I will hurt you!" Wiley ignored her threats and he turned and looked at Kevin.
"Alright let's go," He told him and he took off walking to ward the house again and Kevin followed. Kori scowled.
"I hate you."
"Whatever you say honey," Wiley replied as he knows she doesn't mean that. When the three of them got back to the house they went inside the gate and Wiley put Kori down. She crossed her arms over her chest angrily. Wiley and Kevin who were both headed into the house realized she wasn't coming and stopped.
"Come inside Kor…"
"NO." Kori demanded. Wiley looked at her completely frustrated for a few moments.
"Alright have it your way but don't even think about leaving the yard again," He ordered and he went over and grabbed the remote to the gate before turning and following Kevin into the house. When the two of them got inside they went into the kitchen and everybody looked up at them as they did.
"Where is she? Didn't you find her?" Howie asked worriedly.
"She's standing outside fuming because Wiley carried her all the way home against her will. She refuses to come in," Kevin explained. Ashley rolled her eyes and got up and she handed Sarah over to Nick before turning and going outside of the kitchen and outside. When she got out there she found Kori standing out in the middle of the rain with her arms crossed over her chest. Ashley slammed the door shut behind her not worrying about waking anyone up, because everybody is already up worrying about her sister's stubborn ass.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FLIPPING MIND?!" She shouted as soon as she stepped out into the rain and was standing a couple of feet away from her.
"I GUESS I AM, SINCE I CAME BACK TO BE WITH MY BITCH OF A SISTER WHO WON'T EVEN GIVE ME A FUCKING CHANCE!"
"NO ONE ASKED YOU TO COME BACK, YOU JUST DID! AND WHAT WERE YOU THINKING GOING OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT LIKE THAT WHEN YOU KNOW IT'S NOT SAFE? YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN YOURSELF KILLED!"
"Well unlike you little sis, I can take care of myself!"
"Is that what you told yourself right before Sean nearly killed you when you came back? You are NOT invincible Kori! No matter HOW much you think you are!"
"WHY do you care If I get killed?! You said so yourself that you hate me and never want to see me again!"
"BECAUSE YOU ARE MY FAMILY! AND IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED FAMILY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME!" Ashley shouted suddenly, as the tears she'd been holding back since the beginning of the argument rolled down her face. "And YOU of all people should know that I say things I don't mean when I am upset! But of course you wouldn't because YOU left me at twelve years old and know NOTHING about me!"
"I TRY TO GET TO KNOW YOU AND ALL YOU DO IS PUSH ME AWAY!"
"WELL WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO KORI?! WHAT DO YOU EXPE—"
"-I EXPECT YOU TO OPEN UP AND LET ME IN! AND GIVE ME A SECOND CHANCE!"
"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THAT, WHEN I AM SO AFRAID ALL THE TIME THAT YOU ARE GOING TO LEAVE ME?!"
"I am NOT going to leave you Ashley, I AM RIGHT HERE!"
"HOW am I supposed to believe that?! You UP and left me a long time ago how am I supposed to ever trust you again?!" Kori moved closer to Ashley as tears rolled down her own face and she gently grabbed hold of her arms as she looked at her sincerely in the eyes.
"Because I love you more then anything Ashley! You are my SISTER for crying out loud! I came all the way from Jersey and risked my life for you isn't that enough? What I want more then anything is a relationship with you, can't you see that?"
"No I can't! I can't see it at all. All I can see is your desire to go back to Jersey! That is ALL you ever think about Kori and you CAN'T tell me that it isn't!"
"Jersey is my home of course I want to go back!"
"NO IT IS NOT!" Ashley shouted through tears and she suddenly shoved Kori away from her. "IT IS NOT YOUR HOME, IT IS NOT! FLORIDA IS YOUR HOME! MOM AND DAD RAISED YOU IN FLORIDA AND NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY TO DENY IT, IT WILL ALWAYS BE YOUR HOME!"
"Fine, it is my home, but I've created a new home in Jersey – I own a Diner, I have friends there, I became a better person there and completely turned my life around! It means a LOT to me and I am NOT leaving it!"
"The only reason you are so determined to go back is because YOU can't stand to be here! You are still running WHY can't you just admit that?"
"FINE! YOU ARE RIGHT, I CAN'T STAND TO BE IN FLORIDA!" Kori shouted while breaking down into sobs. "I CAN'T STAND TO BE THERE, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO EVEN BREATHE THERE! I CAN'T THINK ABOUT MOM AND DAD WITHOUT FEELING GUILTY! I CAN'T LIVE WITH THE FACT THAT I KILLED THEM! YOU MAY NOT WANT TO LET THEM GO, BUT I DO BECAUSE I CAN'T FACE IT! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR, ASHLEY?!"
"YOU can't face it?! What about ME who had to hide upstairs and watch the WHOLE THING IN FRONT OF MY VERY EYES?! AT LEAST YOU DON'T HAVE THE IMAGE OF MOM AND DAD BEING SHOT TO DEATH FOREVER PRINTED INTO YOUR BRAIN!"
"Nooo, I just have the guilt of KILLING THEM on my conscious no thanks to YOU!"
"It is NOT my fault you ran away from home and left us completely unaware of the danger we were in!" Kori stared at her for a few moments long and hard.
"You know what? FINE! DON'T give me a chance but just so you know…tomorrow morning I am LEAVING! I am going back to Jersey and you will never SEE me again!"
"FINE by me! Run away again…it's NOTHING I'm not used to!"
"I'll be gone first thing tomorrow!" She replied, and with that she turned and headed for the door.
"Good luck with that. Remember yours and Detective Stabler's little deal?" Kori turned around then and looked at her sister with a raised eyebrow, tear tracks streaming down her face. "You aren't allowed to go back to Jersey until Sean's been arrested. If you do, he will arrest you for keeping evidence from them."
"I hate you, you know that?" Kori asked in a cold voice.
"Wow…I guess we finally agree on something because I hate you too!"
"I hope Sean finally catches you, that's how much I hate you." Ashley looked taken aback suddenly and she felt her eyes watering up all over again.
"Fine…" She replied softly. "And when he does…I will lead him straight to you. If I go down you will too, bitch." She told her softly, and Kori can hear her voice falter which only tells her just how much she hurt her and she suddenly felt a pang of guilt in her stomach. She hadn't meant to say those words, she really didn't.
"Ashley I…"
"Leave me alone Kori, just leave me alone…" Ashley pleaded and she pushed past her and went toward the house and she soon disappeared inside it. When she got inside she found everybody sitting in the living room now, and they all looked at her as she came in. She stood there looking at them through tears not saying a word.
"Baby? Is everything okay?" Nick asked gently. Ashley didn't reply, she only turned and ran up the stairs and a few moments later they heard the bedroom door slam.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Enjoy =)
