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Chapter One-Hundred-Sixty-Nine



When Brian and Elenore had made it downstairs he brought her into the kitchen and sat her down upon the counter.


“Now stay still okay? The last thing I want is for you to fall and hurt yourself,” he warned gently. “We don’t have our very own Doctor J here to fix you if that should happen.”


“Kay,” Elenore replied softly and he went to the refrigerator and pulled out the carton of chocolate milk and she reached up into the cupboard where the cups are since she was sitting right in front of them and pulled down the lion king cup shaped into Simba’s head. Brian turned and looked at her to see her holding the cup and he chuckled slightly.


“Now you have to promise me you won’t tell Kevin that I am giving you chocolate milk at almost two in the morning, alright? It’ll just be our little secret.” Elenore nodded.


“Kay, our secrets.” He took the Simba cup from her then and sat it on the counter and he began to pour the chocolate milk into the cup. When he did, he gave it to her and she took a sip of it and Brian reached up into the cupboard and got himself a cup and he poured himself some chocolate milk also before scooping her up into his arms and bringing her over to the table. He pulled out a chair and sat her in it and then sat next to her in the other chair.


“Now…how about you tell your buddy Brian what’s on your mind?”


“I hurt Kota bad…”


“I know that sweetie…but you apologized, it’s all good isn’t it?”


“No Brian, I hurts her really bad,” Elenore insisted as tears fell from her eyes. “Worse then last time.”


“Honey you didn’t hurt Kota…she’s upstairs safe in her bed asleep.”


“YES I did! I HURT her! I hurt her like my daddy hurts people! I’m a bad girl…a really bad girl!” Brian reached over and gently gathered Elenore into his lap and he rubbed his hand over her back smoothly.


“You are a very good girl…you just tend to lose your temper sometimes, that’s all…why don’t you tell me how you think you hurt Kota?”


“I got angry with her for telling my secrets again an’ I grabbed a belt and hit her with it…like my daddy did to me…an’ daddy was standing there watching me do it an’ telling me how good I was being.” Brian raised his eyebrow for a moment but then continued to rub his hand over her back.


“It was just a bad dream baby…Kota is right upstairs in her bed sleeping and you were in yours sleeping. She’s safe…”


“But it was real!” Elenore insisted, her eyes watering up with tears.


“Sometimes bad dreams can seem real when they really aren’t…they’re tricky like that sometimes. But sweetheart you can’t let them get to you because they aren’t real, they are just pictures inside your head.”


“What if they become real later? What if I become mean an’ scary like my daddy an’ hurt my best friend?” Elenore questioned, looking up at Brian with eyes full of fear. “My daddy did it after all…”


“Is that what you’re so worried about? That you’re going to turn out like your father?”


“Well why nots? Kota is like her daddy, an’ Joshy was mean to girls like his daddy…an’ I gets angry lots like mine does an’ hit people…”


“But the difference between you and your father is that you know it’s wrong and shouldn’t do it. The difference between you and him is that you’re a sweet and caring little girl who loves your best friend very much. Right? You love Kota don’t you?”


“Course I do…she’s my best friend. But I lost my temper and hurt her before…”


“Yeah…you definitely need to work on the way you lose your temper but that doesn’t mean you’re going to turn into a bad person Ellie…none of us are going to let that happen.”


“Your not?” Elenore asked softly.


“No of course not…why do you think everytime you lose your temper we put you in time out? Do you think we just do it to be mean to you?”



“You do it because I’m a bad girl and hurt people,” Elenore replied softly, as she looked down at her lap.


“We do it because your behavior is bad. Your temper is bad…but not you. There is a difference baby. We do it to teach you right and wrong so that you’ll have discipline and won’t turn out to do bad things like your father.”


“Well it doesn’t work cause I still do bad things, don’t I?”


“You’re a kid Ellie…and like any other kid you misbehave sometimes. We would be worried if you didn’t.”


“But I misbehave more then Kota, Sarah, Josh, and Spencer do.”


“Oh I don’t know about that one,” Brian replied, and he couldn’t help but chuckle a little. “You and Josh make a pretty good team when it comes to causing trouble.” Elenore crossed her arms over her chest and continued to look down at her lap feeling ashamed of herself. Brian reached over and placed his finger to her chin before tilting her head up so she is looking at him.


“Come on sweetie, cheer up…you’re Raphael aren’t you? You’re destined to stop the bad guys, not join them” he reminded her and he winked at her causing her to smile but only a little bit.

“Raph has a temper too…”


“Yes he does…you, Josh, and that crazy turtle called Raphael are a bunch of hot heads. But you know what?”


“What?” Elenore asked curiously.


“We love you all nonetheless because you’re wonderful people…turtles.” Elenore giggled some and he smirked and gently set her in the chair that she was sitting in earlier and she grabbed her lion king cup and took another sip of her chocolate milk.


“What do you want to be when you grow up Ellie?” Brian questioned after sitting there watching her for a few moments. Elenore gave him a sidelong glance with a curious look on her face.


“What do you mean?”


“What’s your dream job? Something that you really want to do when you get old enough to do it? Like for example…Kevin and I are Backstreet Boys because we love to sing. Brooke works at an Orphanage because she finds joy out of giving kids a family. Some people are firemen – and women because they like saving people from fires…so what do you want to do?”


“I don’t know…no one’s ever asked me that before…I never thought about it” Elenore answered shyly.


“That’s okay…there’s no right or wrong answer. If you could be anything in the world what would it be?”


“I would be a great detective like Elliot,” Elenore answered after giving Brian’s question a long thought. “An’ not just any detective…it’s gotta be a special victims detective. Just like Elliot so that I can stop other little girls from getting hurt by their daddies…” Brian smiled some and managed to keep his eyes from filling up with tears.


“That is a great dream Ellie…now does that sound like a little girl who is going to grow up and be bad?” Elenore beamed and shook her head. “You will make a great detective some day…because you have a great heart. Hold onto that dream honey okay? Work real hard and it just might come true.”


“Kay, I will.” Elenore replied firmly, holding onto the hope that Brian has given her that she is destined for greatness when she grows up.


Good girl…” Brian praised and he reached out and ruffled her hair. “Finish your chocolate milk and then I will take you up to bed and tuck you in okay?”


“Can I go an’ see Kota first?” Elenore pleaded, looking up at Brian with pleading eyes. Brian can tell that she is not going to rest until she sees for herself that her best friend really is fine.


“I’ll tell you what…we’ll go up and have a peek through the door how’s that? And when you see that Kota is sleeping peacefully in bed will you let me take you to yours and tuck you in?” Elenore nodded her head in agreement.


“Okay.” Brian picked up his milk and drank up the last of it and then he got up and went and put the carton back in the refrigerator before it spoils. He stood there and waited as Elenore finished up her milk and when she did she looked up at him.


“Done.” Brian went over and scooped her up and as he did he noticed Kevin in the corner of his eye turn around and hurry back toward the stairs. He noticed him standing behind the door listening to their conversation from the very beginning. Elenore nestled into Brian and Brian carried her out of the kitchen and up the stairs. When he got up there he took her down to Nick and Ashley’s room and he quietly opened the door ajar so that they could peek in. But when they did, Nick sat up a little and looked at them curiously.


“What’s going on? What are you two doing awake?” he asked quietly, as to not wake the sleeping girls in his bed.


“I could say the same for you…”


“I asked you first though.” Brian rolled his eyes.


“Ellie had some stuff on her mind and so her and I had a little chat…but she wanted to come check on Kota before I tuck her in. She was worried about her.”


“Ohh…well she’s fine Ellie…see? Sleeping peacefully,” Nick reassured while pointing over to his daughter who was snuggling up with Sarah.


“Yeah, I wonder if she knows she’s snuggling with the one person she doesn’t really like…” Brian replied amusedly.


“She snuggles up with her a lot and doesn’t know it. At least I can get her to be nice to her some how…even if it’s subconsciously…” Brian chuckled and then suddenly noticed Angel snuggling up with Nick.


“So I take it she couldn’t handle Stacy?”


“Her and Aaron got into a huge fight…I don’t know the details yet though. I thought Id ask her about it while we're at the park tomorrow.


“So you never answered my question and I answered yours…what are you doing up?”


“I just now managed to get Ashley to go to sleep. She’s on rebellious mode now that she knows she doesn’t have to listen to me anymore.” Brian smirked.


“But you never forced her to go to bed before…”


“Yeah, but she was overly tired because it had been a long day…but she was fighting it because I wanted her to go to bed.”


“I think we’re seeing more of the real side to her every day…you know her personality that Kori is always telling us about. The more confident she gets the more we see.”


“Yeah it excites me. I can’t wait to see what she’ll do or say tomorrow,” Nick replied amusedly. Brian laughed.


“Well you won’t see it if you don’t get some sleep…I’m gonna let you do that now cause I need to get Ellie to bed and go see if Riley fell asleep without me.”


“Okay,” Nick nodded. Brian looked down at Elenore.


“Feel better now sweetie? Kota’s fine.” Elenore shook her head and slid from Brian’s arms and she went over to the side the Dakota is asleep on and Nick and Brian watched her curiously. When she got over there she bent down and kissed her cheek softly, though she was careful not to wake her.


“I love you Kota…an’ will never ever hurt you ever again I promise…” she whispered.


“Love you too Ellie…” Kota muttered in her sleep and she snuggled more into Sarah. Elenore placed her hand to her mouth and giggled into it quietly. If only her best friend knew. Brian shook his head smiling.


“All right sweetie come on…” Elenore went over to him and allowed him to take her hand.


“Night Nicky,” Elenore said on their way out and when Nick said goodnight back to her Brian shut the door and he led Elenore to her room. When they got in there they found Kevin sitting up in bed waiting for them.


“Kevy…hi…” she spoke, eyeing Kevin warily as if afraid she’s going to get in trouble for being out of bed in the middle of the night.


“Hi honey…are you feeling better?” Elenore nodded.


“Much.”


“That’s good…how about you come get in bed and get some sleep now? You’re definitely going to be sleeping late tomorrow.” Elenore nodded and Brian walked over to the bed with her still holding her hand. When they got to it he lifted her up and lay her in it so she lay between Kevin and Josh and Kevin covered her up. Brian bent down and kissed her cheek.


“Night Ellie.”


“Night Brian,” she replied, smiling up at him. Brian smiled back and looked at Kevin with a look Kevin understood. Kevin kissed Elenore’s cheek and then got up out of bed.


“I will be right back baby,” he reassured, and he walked his cousin to the door. When Brian was standing out in the hall he spoke to Kevin quietly so they wouldn’t be over heard.


“I think you should start praising her for being a good girl more…just a suggestion.” Kevin nodded.


“I will…and I think we should find some acceptable ways for Josh and Ellie to release their anger.” Brian nodded.


“Already ahead of you…I’m going out and buying them a punching bag tomorrow. They obviously need to hit things…and that’s okay as long as they know they can’t hit people.”


“Kay.”


“But she’s fine now to go to sleep…I’m gonna go see if Riley is still awake. We were kind of right in the middle of something.” Kevin smirked.


“Yeah Marcus told me…sorry about that.”


“It’s all good…the kid wanted me I couldn’t argue with that.” Kevin shook his head smiling.


“Night cuz.”


“Night!” Brian replied, as he turned and rushed back to his room and Kevin went into his own and shut the door behind him and he began to go have his own talk with his little girl. When Brian got back into his bedroom he found Riley sitting up in bed reading a magazine but she looked at him as he entered. Brian raised his eyebrow.


“Wow…I didn’t expect you to be awake… was sure you’d fall asleep without me,” he commented as he shut the door – locking it this time incase other little Ninjas decide to have any random adventures in the hallway and he went and sat next to her. Riley wrapped her arms around him and pulled him ontop of her.


“Yes well, we were kind of in the middle of something and I was kind enjoying it.”


“OH really…” Brian questioned amusedly. Riley placed her finger to Brian’s chin and brought his lips down onto hers for a hard kiss. Brian moaned softly and gently pushed her so she was lying back against the pillows and he pulled the blankets back over their heads to continue what they had started.