Chapter One-Hundred-Eighty-Eight
When Brian and Josh had decided what they were going to do, they started to head toward the stairs when suddenly they saw Dakota, Elenore, and Sarah come downstairs with Laila who was next to Dakota holding her hand.
“Joshy what are you doin’? We were starting to miss you,” Dakota pouted.
“Yeah you’re missing out on the party,” Elenore added.
“Misses party!” Laila joined in and Sarah nodded her agreement. Brian chuckled.
“My son, the ladies man. Look at all of these girls coming down here after you.” Josh smirked.
“I was busy,” He answered.
“Busy withs what?” Dakota asked curiously as Spencer and Q had suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Come here and I will show you,” Josh answered mysteriously. Dakota raised her eyebrow curiously and she came down the stairs leading Laila down there with her. Laila immediately ran to AJ the moment she saw him and Dakota went over to Josh with Elenore at her side. When they approached him they noticed he was holding a black velvet box in his hand and Dakota recognized the box right away as a box from the Jewelry store they bought Ashley’s ring in. She looked at him confused.
“Joshy…what is that?”
“Just something I got for you…” Josh answered softly and he handed the box over to her. “Open it up and see.” Dakota did as he said and opened the box and inside the box she saw that it is a diamond necklace with a pendant identical to Ashley’s ring and she gasped.
“For me?” She asked, and she looked at Josh with wide eyes. Josh nodded.
“For you…because I wanted to promise you that I would always be here for you and protect you,” He answered and Dakota stood there gaping at him for a few moments. She stood there looking at him, and looking down at the beautiful diamond necklace in her hands, and then back at him and then she flung her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
“Thank-you so much Joshy, I loves it!” Josh grinned a little and slid his arms around her waist and hugged her back. When he pulled away Dakota looked down at her necklace and so did Elenore who was still standing there next to her.
"Wow Kota, aren't you lucky! Its soooo pretty! I never hads nothin' THATS pretty before."
“You do now Ellie,” Josh replied as he pulled another box out from the pocket of his hoodie and Elenore raised her eyebrow at him. He motioned her closer with his finger and she did as he requested and moved closer.
“I got something for you too,” he told her and then handed the second box over to her. Elenore looked shocked that he would give her something too, but she opened the box nonetheless and as soon as she did she saw a silver diamond necklace that has three hearts in the shape as a clover and has four diamonds in the middle of each heart. Elenore stared at it in such admiration that everybody in the room was so sure that she was going to cry but much to their surprise she managed to stay strong.
“Oh Joshy it’s so pretty!” She exclaimed, and like Dakota she too threw her arms about him for a hug. And despite the fact that they’re in public and he and Elenore don’t normally hug each other or show that they actually care about each other in public, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back.
“I got it for you, because I wanted to promise you too that I would always protect you.” When the two of them pulled away from their hug, Elenore looked over at Kevin a little nervous as if afraid he wouldn’t like it that she has something so nice and pretty. Her daddy would kill her – literally, if he caught her with something so beautiful and expensive. Kevin who could see the nervous look in her eyes as she looked at him smiled at her lovingly.
“Come here precious, let me help you put that on,” He told her gently. “It is going to look so nice on you.” Elenore smiled some and she hurried over to him to have him put her necklace that she is never going to take off on her.
“Come here Kota and I will put yours on also,” Howie added and Dakota practically skipped on over to him, a big smile on her face. She loves jewelry and nothing could make her any happier then receiving a diamond necklace. Well…almost nothing. But her daddy was working on that right now as they spoke. While Elenore and Dakota were getting their necklaces put on for them Josh turned to Sarah, who was leaning against a wall and assuming that she wasn’t going to get anything. Which isn’t a big surprise so she wasn’t too upset. AJ who was sitting next to him handed him the Teddy Bear and he went on over to Sarah.
“And I got you this teddy bear Sarah…because you’re a good friend, and you’re fun to play with, and I will always protect you too.” Sarah looked taken aback that she had gotten anything at all, and then she took the bear from him and hugged it close as a single tear slipped from her eyes and rolled down her cheek. Josh pulled her into a hug too and whispered softly in her ear, though everybody still heard him.
“You’re not invisible Sarah. I see you.” Dakota watched the scene before her with a mixture of emotions. She is happy that Sarah is happy and being paid attention to but at the same time there is that small feeling of jealousy that she is working real hard on getting past. Howie who was watching her and seemed to have recognized the battle going on in her head hugged her tight and kissed her forehead softly.
“You have nothing to be jealous about. Josh has a crush on you; he gave you a diamond necklace. Let Sarah have him as a friend he is not going to like you any less if you do.” He whispered into her ear. Dakota looked up at him with a look of shock.
“Really Uncle Howie?” She asked softly.
“Our secret,” Howie told her quietly in her ear. Dakota nodded.
“Kay. Our secret.”
“You can let Josh be Sarah’s friend. He’s not going to like you any less.”
“Kay,” Dakota replied feeling reassured. She snuggled into Howie and he smiled down at her and hugged her back.
“I’m proud of you, you know…” he told her. “You’re working really hard on getting over this jealousy problem of yours, I can see it.” Dakota smiled some, as she is feeling pretty good inside by now. Two uncles out of four so far has told her how proud of her they’re and it only makes her want to do more good things.
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, back at the Littrell House, as Ashley still sat sideways in Nick’s lap with one arm wrapped around his waist and her head rested against his shoulder, she gazed down at the ring on her finger in admiration. While she did that he sat there with his forehead rested against hers and he watched her stare at the ring with a sense of pride in him. He knows he made her happy.
“This ring is so gorgeous Nicky…” she told him softly after a long while.
“Again you will have to thank Dakota and her taste in jewelry. The moment she set eyes on it she insisted that it had to be yours and I couldn’t agree more. It was the most beautiful one there.”
“Kota picked this ring out all on her own?” Ashley asked impressed. She knew she had great taste in…well everything when it comes to jewelry and shopping, but the ring on her finger is exquisite.
“Well Josh pointed it out, and then Dakota insisted it had to be yours.”
“Well she’s right…I love it Nicky. But how much did you spend on it? I can already see the media now…”
“Don’t you go worrying about the media. I told the sales lady in the jewelry store just exactly how it is, and I don’t mind doing it in front of a very large press meeting either.” Ashley looked up at him and he placed his hand to her cheek and gently caressed it. “Don’t you dare let them stop you from enjoying this ring.”
“Nothing can stop me from enjoying this ring Nicky. I love it too much.”
“Good for you baby, that’s exactly the attitude I want from you. I want you to show those fans and those vultures known as the media what I see in you every single day.” Ashley stared up at him for a few moments as she brought her hand up and idly played with his hair.
“You told me you want to marry me in the future Nicky…how far into the future are you talking here?” she asked softly. Nick chuckled a little as he could see the eager look in her eyes.
“I want you to at least finish your schooling before we even start talking about that.” Ashley smiled at him some and he smiled back and gently rubbed his finger over her cheek. “Okay?”
“That’s a long time Nicky…I haven’t even started High School yet.” She pouted.
“But it’ll be worth the wait in the end I promise you. You already know I’m not going anywhere.” Ashley continued to pout and he chuckled before leaning down and brushing his lips lightly over hers as he wrapped his arms around her more firmly. “You may be ready to accept that you’ve grown up too fast, but I’m not. I’m going to hold onto your childhood for you. And neither you nor I are ready for marriage. You know that.”
“You can’t blame me for being impatient.”
“Oh believe me baby, I know all about what being impatient is,” Nick laughed as he rested his forehead against hers. “Especially right now. Your birthday couldn’t come any slower.” Ashley giggled at this confession.
“Well I love you for waiting anyway, Nicky.”
“I love you, I will wait forever if I have to, though it would kill me.”
‘You don’t have to wait forever, I promise. Just three more months.”
“It’ll be worth it,” Nick insisted and she smiled up at him some.
“Where’d everybody go Nicky? I want to show off my ring…has everyone seen it yet?”
“Nope. Just Brian, Dakota, and Josh. AJ kept trying to sneak a look at it earlier but I insisted that you should be the first to see it before everybody else because I knew you would want to show it off to everyone.”
“I do very badly.”
“They all went to Kevin’s parent’s house for dinner. Should we go crash their party?” Ashley nodded eagerly and he stood up from the bench with her cradled in his arms as she is still wrapped up in the blanket and he brought her into the house with him. As they entered the kitchen they found Jackie in there making dinner for tomorrow. She had closed the curtains to the window to give the couple their privacy.
“The very first person you could show it off to, is Jackie” he announced while grinning a little and Jackie looked up from the home made pumpkin pie that she was making and she smiled.
“Oh let me see, I’ve been anxious all day.” Ashley held her hand out for Jackie to see it.
“Oh Nick that is gorgeous! You couldn’t have picked out a better ring.”
“Isn’t it though?” Ashley asked excitedly. “I love it so much.”
“It’s perfect honey,” Jackie agreed and Ashley beamed and looked up at Nick who smiled back and planted a kiss on her forehead.
“We were just on our way to Ann’s house. Are you going to be okay here by yourself?”
“Yeah I’m fine. It takes away the distractions from my cooking. Harold was here helping me but I sent him away because I am fine on my own.” Nick frowned some.
“I don’t feel right leaving you here by yourself. I’ll make sure either Laney or Marcus stays here.”
“I’ll be fine, really.”
“No. You’re close to me therefore you need to be protected. I am not taking any chances…if Sean finds out you were more of a mother to me then my own ever was you’ll turn into a target and I can’t have that.”
“He’s right Jackie…look what happened to Abbie,” Ashley replied softly.
“If I cared about how much danger you two are putting me in I wouldn’t be allowing you to stay in my own home.”
“Brian would kill me – literally if anything bad happened to you and I didn’t do everything in my absolute power to try and stop it. I am leaving a bodyguard here with you whether you like it or not.” Nick insisted and before she could argue anymore he quickly walked out of the kitchen carrying Ashley with him. Jackie scowled.
“IF YOU WERE REALLY MY SON, YOU WOULD BE SCOLDED FROM WALKING AWAY FROM YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT!” She yelled after him. Nick laughed and poked his head back into the kitchen.
“I guess that makes me officially your son then,” he told her and then he walked back out again leaving her glowering after him stubbornly. He took Ashley outside then where he found Marcus and Laney standing near the gate.
“Marcus, Laney, can I have a word with you two please?”
“What’d we do?” Marcus teased and the two security guards left their post near the gate and went on over to Nick and Ashley as requested.
“Nothing at all. However, Ashley and I want to go to Ann’s house where everybody else is at,” Nick began and then he dropped his voice so that it would be impossible for intruders to hear them. “But if anything happened to Jackie I would never forgive myself and neither would Brian so can one of you please stay here with her?”
“I’ll stay,” Laney volunteered. “She prefers to be alone though right? I will go upstairs and hang out in the security room…maybe catch up on a book or something.”
“I would feel better if you stayed closer. During Sean’s last attempt to get Ashley, his people came through my kitchen door while I was on the phone.”
“The living room then,” Marcus replied. “Lan you can move the TVs to the living room until we get back.”
“Okay,” Laney agreed. “I’ll go set it up now.” Nick nodded and he looked down at Ashley.
“Baby how about you hang out with Marcus for a couple of minutes? I’m going to go try and reason with Jackie about leaving the kitchen door cracked open.”
“Kay, good luck with that Nicky.” Ashley replied while smiling some. Nick chuckled.
“Thanks sweetheart,” He replied and he set her down and placed her hand in an awaiting Marcus’ hand. Marcus brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it before looking at her ring and he grinned.
“Ohh…that’s really nice honey,” He told her while looking at it closely and she beamed with pride as Nick disappeared in the house with Laney. Nick went into the kitchen and Jackie looked up from her pie and gave him a stubborn look.
“Oh you’re back I see.” Nick chuckled and went on over to her and he wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek.
“You know I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you. You do so much for me can’t you let me protect you a little bit? Even though it would never amount to the things you’ve done for me since I was a little kid.” Jackie’s heart melted at Nick’s words and she looked up at him with misty eyes and swatted him on the shoulder playfully.
“Are you trying to make me cry?”
“Not intentionally,” Nick chuckled and she turned around and hugged him. “Leave the kitchen door opened a crack okay? It would be nice if you left it all the way open so Laney could see you from the living room but I know you want your privacy…so just compromise with us here a little bit.” Jackie rolled her eyes playfully.
“He doesn’t have to sit in the living room all by himself…tell him to bring the security TV’s in here and hang out with me.” Nick couldn’t hide his relief.
“Cool, thanks Jackie…that would make me feel so much better.”
“Yeah, yeah…” Jackie replied and she hugged him one last time. When she pulled away, Nick walked out of the kitchen to go talk with Laney. As soon as he did, he went back out to Marcus and Ashley and the three of them got in the van and headed to The Richardson’s house.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
It was co-written with Lenni
Enjoy =)
It was co-written with Lenni
Enjoy =)
