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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Chapter One: Just Charity
*Five Years Later*


“Hey Riley!” Nick greeted cheerfully as he walked into the orphanage/hospital known as Ramsey. Part of it is a hospital while the other half is an orphanage and it’s only for children. Nick has a part time job there when he isn’t touring for the Backstreet Boys.


“Nick you’re back!” a young woman in her early 20’s with long blonde hair and grey blue eyes exclaimed as she went running toward him. Nick smirked and held his arms open just on time for her to come flying into them and he embraced her with a hug. “It’s been a very long time I have missed you so much!” She told him.


“I’ve missed you too. I’m telling you that has to be the longest tour I have ever been on.”


“Well how was it? You know, besides the fact that it was long?” She asked anxiously, as she led him to sit down behind the counter of the front desk with her.


“It was pretty good. We all had a pretty good time it was just very time consuming and exhausting. I kept wishing that I could be here; I missed the orphanage so much. It’s all that I thought about. We had to listen to Brian complain a lot too. He kept whining about how much he misses you - it got quite annoying actually…” A small grin played across his lips at the last part. Riley smiled as well and even blushed too. Brian too has a job at the Orphanage. Nick brought him to work with him one day and introduced him to Riley. The minute the two of them met he fell in love with her. It was love at first sight for him and she secretly has a crush on him in return. The only thing standing in their way is that she’s married. Even though he want’s so badly for her to be his he respects that she’s married and the two of them are just friends. He can’t help but still have feelings for her though.


“Is that so?”


“Yup and he told me to tell you that he will be in first thing tomorrow morning to see you. He would have come with me now but he told his mom that he would stop by Kentucky to have dinner with his family on his way home. So he’s not in Florida yet.”


“Okay… I guess I can wait.” She replied and her eyes lit up with excitement. Nick noticed this and had to grin. He personally believes that Riley and Brian would be a perfect couple and if her husband wasn’t standing in the way they would be together without any hesitation at all. Brian makes her so happy.


“So anyway has any new children moved in since I’ve been gone?”


“Well…yes, but she’s not exactly in the age range that you’re used to taking care of. She’s 17 years old and just arrived three weeks ago. She’s…well, quite a challenge. She’s terrified of everyone and everything in sight. She is very stubborn and refuses to talk to anyone. She screams bloody murder whenever anyone other than myself tries to do anything with her.”


“Why is she like that?”


“It’s a long story…but I will tell you anyway because you need to know this. She lost both of her parents five years ago when she was only twelve-years-old. They were murdered right in front of her in the middle of their own living room. The only reason she survived is because she hid and they never even knew that she was there.”


“Why were they murdered?” Nick asked curiously and Riley shrugged.


“When she called the police afterward she reported it as a robbery but they didn’t take anything. They didn’t leave any prints on anything. When the police showed up they were going to put her in an orphanage or foster home but she didn’t want that. She ran away and changed her name to Jaden Olverz and dyed her hair black when it was originally brown. The police searched for her for two months and failed so they just gave up. She got a job at subway but still didn’t have a home so the owner who just happened to live upstairs from the fast food place had one extra room for her and allowed her to stay in it.”


“She wasn’t even curious in the least bit on why a twelve-year-old girl was begging for a job and didn’t have a place to stay?”


“No she was. She made her tell her the truth. She told her that if she didn’t she wouldn’t hire her or give her the room to live in. So she told her everything and begged her not to turn her in. She felt sorry for her so she took her in.”


“Oh.”


“Anyway; soon after working there for awhile she met this guy, a regular costumer ever since she started working there. They talked to each other all the time and they became very good friends. He was a 20-year-old man. The two of them became so close that he offered her to move in with him and be his roommate so she did. He promised to take good care of her. So of course she agreed.”


“And the owner of the subway just let her go? Move in with a 20-year-old man?” Nick asked dumbfounded by the whole thing.


“She begged and pleaded for her to reconsider, she told her she hardly knew the man but since she wasn’t her mother she didn’t really have much say in it. It wasn’t until after a year that she was living with him that he became abusive toward her. He went out and drank every night and did all kinds of drugs and he treated her like a slave and made her clean the house all the time. He raped her, called her names, and basically treated her like garbage. He told her that if she told anyone he would kill her so she didn’t. She kept quiet and suffered through the abuse for another year but then she couldn’t take it anymore. So while he was out she attempted to run away from him. When he got home and found her gone he was furious and went out looking for her. He found her and brought her back to the house and he beat her up until she was lying on the floor covered in blood and couldn’t move anymore because she was so sore. He threatened her that if she ever did that again he would kill her. So she never ran away from him again. Three weeks ago he almost killed her. He was forcing her to have sex with him like he usually did and she was crying and begging him to stop. He got irritated and told her if she didn’t shut up he would kill her. Well it was hurting her too much and she wouldn’t stop, so he took her out into the backyard and he made an attempt to drown her in his pool. But it was taking too long and she was struggling. So he began to bang her head against a wall. A neighbor heard screaming and looked out her window to see what’s going on and she called the police. By the time the police showed up he had already had sex with her three times, she was naked, covered in blood, unconscious, and lying at the bottom of her pool. They rushed her back here and we tried our best to save her even though we were sure she was going to die. She had lost so much blood and wasn’t breathing. We were sure she was going to die. But thank-god a miracle happened and she survived. She’s still very injured and hooked up to a bunch of machines. She won’t tell us who did this to her and she got tired of us begging her to and just stopped talking all together. She screams and cries bloody murder whenever a doctor or nurse tries to do anything to her unless I am there with her. I am the only one she trusts but I can’t always be there with her 24/7. Everyone else refuses to do it unless they have to because they can’t handle her. So I was wondering if you would do it. I think she might do best with someone who is close to her age. I believe that you can earn her trust because you have a lot of patience and you’re really good at getting people to trust you. Will you try please? I know she’s really hard to take care of so I will get Brooke to raise your pay check if you want.”


“That won’t be necessary Ri, I want to help in any way that I can. I will be her caregiver and you don’t have to pay me anything. I’m sure I can handle a challenge.” He insisted. When he heard about all of the torture this child has been through his heart dropped. How could anyone treat a child that way? How could anyone treat a human being that way? He just doesn’t understand it.


“Thanks Nick, you’re the best…you’re our only hope.”


“What’s her name?”


“Ashley Mortenson.”


“What room is she in?”


“Room 107. She’s right next to Dakota. I figured that you would want to stay close to her so I had them put Ashley right next door.”


“Okay cool. I will go see her right now then.” He replied while hugging her one last time before heading to the elevator. Just as he was about to push the button however, the elevator door opened revealing Dakota inside. She’s four years old and the youngest child in the orphanage. She’s dressed in an oversized Darth Vader t-shirt that reads ‘Revenge’ on it and used to belong to Nick. She also has on some shorts underneath it. Her light blonde hair that reaches a bit past her shoulders is pulled back into a messy ponytail and she looks like she just woke up from her nap. When Nick realized that it’s her he grinned and when she saw that it’s Nick she became overly excited.


“NICKY!” She exclaimed, before running toward him. He got down on his knees and opened his arms just on time for her to come flying into them. Everyone who was in the lobby at the time - including Riley was smiling and secretly watching them. Everyone thinks Nick is good with Dakota and would be the perfect daddy for her. They’re just waiting for the day to come when he finally adopts her. He’s been taking care of her since she was just a tiny newborn and he is the one who saved her life. Four years ago he was walking home from sound check when he heard a faint cry. Being curious on what it is he decided to investigate. The crying led him into a dark alley where it got louder. He was then able to tell that it was an infant crying. He went further into the alley and found a baby abandoned in a garbage can. She was only dressed in a diaper and didn’t have a blanket. She was crying and he knew she had to be freezing. He immediately took the baby into his arms and wrapped her in his coat and he rushed her to the first place he could think of: Ramsey, The Orphanage/Hospital for children. When he brought her in there they told him he had to wait because there weren’t any doctors available. Nick knew that if he waited any longer the baby would die of hunger and attention withdrawal. She was in that garbage can for he predicted three days and she was only three days old. He asked for a bottle, a diaper, wipes, a blanket, and a nursery and he would take care of her. So the nurse he was talking to (who just happened to be Riley) took him up to the nursery and left him alone in there and he stayed up all night trying to nurse her back to health. The next day Riley went back in there to find a healthy baby in Nick’s arms. She was extremely impressed and offered him a part time job there when he’s not touring for the Backstreet Boys. To be Dakotas full time caregiver. He was much too young to adopt her, so he had to take care of her in the orphanage. Nick took the offer and got to name the baby himself so he named her Dakota Ann. He’s loved her and taken care of ever since.


“HI baby! Ooh I’ve missed you so much!” He replied in the same enthusiasm as her and he hugged her tightly as he sat down on the floor and she returned his hug.


“I missed you too Nicky where did you go?” Dakota asked becoming serious as she tries so hard not to cry.


“I’m sorry honey I know I have been gone for a long time. But I told you that my manager scheduled an unexpected tour that the Backstreet Boys and I had to go on.”


“I thought you left me and was never going to come back just like my mommy and daddy had done…” she explained and the tears she was trying so hard to hold back escaped her eyes.


“Are you kidding me? Kota baby I would NEVER leave you the way your mommy and daddy did. I love you more than life itself and I would die before I left you and never came back. You mean the world to me, you’re my precious treasure, and I would never even think about leaving you. Not ever.” Nick reassured and he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.


“I was lonely without you. I was scared to sleep by myself so Riley had to lay withs me till I fell asleep because you weren’t here to do it. I didn’t have any friends and I was all alone. You’re the only friend I have Nicky, all of the other kids are mean to me. Josh took my toys away from me and won’t give them back no matter how much trouble he gets in. Riley got him in trouble many times but they still pick on me. Whenever you leave they pick on me the most” She explained. Nick’s heart broke at how hurt she is over him being gone for so long. He knew he should’ve explained things before he just up and left her like that. He spoke to her on the phone, but that just wasn’t good enough. Of course it wasn’t good enough. Dakota deserves better than that. How could I be so careless? he inwardly scolded himself. He tucked a strand of her blonde hair back behind her ear and he wiped away her tears with his finger.


“I’m so sorry honey… I didn’t think. I was in such a hurry to leave that day - I had to leave right away on the same day that I heard about it so I didn’t have time. If I had a choice I wouldn’t have left you but I had to. I missed you so much and you’re all I thought about the entire time I was gone.” Dakota didn’t reply she only looked up at him sniffling. She wrapped her arms tightly around him as she rests her head against his shoulder.



“I missed you Nicky,” he began to rub his hand over her back as he kisses her forehead.


“I missed you too, but I’m home now and I’m not leaving you I promise. I will be here all day and I will sleep over tonight so you will be able to sleep. Okay?”


“Kay…” After a long moment she looked up at him, her misty blue eyes meeting with his.


“While I was gone I made it my goal to work real hard so that I could come home and be here with you and you know why?”


“Why?” she asked curiously. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny velvet box.


“So that I could give you this,” he answered. He took her hand and placed the box in it, and she looked at it curiously.


“Go on, open it and see what’s inside.” She did as he said and opened it up revealing a silver charm bracelet inside and it has five charms on it. The four that are on there are a dolphin, a monkey, a unicorn, and a fairy, because those are her favorite things. The fifth one is a heart and is the biggest one on there. It says ‘I love you’ on it. Dakota whose biggest obsession is jewelry of all kinds, gasped at the sight of the bracelet in her hand. She has a jewelry box up in her room that Nick had bought her and you rarely see her without some piece of jewelry on.


“Oh Nicky…it’s pretty!” she exclaimed as she takes it out of the box and admires it. Nick beamed proudly at her words, as he is happy that she likes it.


“I bought it when I was in Paris. It’s very special and rare. You can’t find jewelry like this here in Florida. I know that you’re only four and the boys told me I was crazy for buying it for you but I knew that I just had to. I know that you will take very good care of it because you love and collect jewelry as if it’s going out of style.”


“It’s pretty Nicky and I love it.” She replied as she looks up at him.


“Each time that it’s your birthday, special occasion, or I come back from a very long tour I will have another charm for you to add to it and it will be a remembrance of how much I love you. Okay? And that way you will never forget.”


“Kay,” she replied as she managed to smile even though she wants to cry again. Every time she’s upset with him or tries to be he always has a way of cheering her up and making her feel better. He always knows the right thing to say. She again wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly and he hugged her back and kissed her forehead.


“I love you Nicky.”


“I love you too baby and I will get your toys back from Josh later, okay?”


“Kay…are you going to make him sit in the corner for being bad?” she asked him with a hopeful look in her eyes and he chuckled.


“No, not this time…but he will apologize.”


“Are you sure? Cause making him eat worms would be more funner.” She insisted.


“Oh you think so huh?” Nick asked her in amusement.


“Yes.”


“Candy worms or real worms?” he questioned, deciding to play along with her joke.


“The icky and slimy ones,” She told him with the expression like she’s eaten something sour on her face causing him to laugh hysterically.


“You’re silly Dakota,” he told her, and then he leaned down and began to give her raspberries on her neck causing her to scream and then erupt into a fit of giggles. When he stopped he lay her back in his lap as he sat Indian style on the floor and she’s straddling his lap. He placed his hands underneath her head and then leaned down and rested his forehead against hers and he stared into her blue eyes.


“As much as that would entertain you baby I don’t think making Josh eat worms is such a good idea.”


“Aww, nuts!” she sighed. The two of them were silent for a couple of minutes until she broke it.


“Nicky?”


“Hmm?”


“I’m hungry.”


“Alright well you ask Riley to get you a snack and I have to go see someone. I will come play with you later okay?”


“Is it Ashley you’re going to see?”


“Yeah how did you know?”


“I heard Riley tell Doctor Adams that she was going to see if you would be her full time caregiver. Is that true?”


“Mm hmm, that’s true.”


“Will you still have time for me?”


“Yes of course I will. I will be with Ash for a couple of hours, and then I will come check on you.”


“Kay.”


“So you go talk to Ri about that snack and I will see you later.”


“Kay,” she replied and she got up and kissed his cheek before going off in search of Riley. Nick got up from sitting on the floor and he got into the nearby elevator and began to go upstairs. When the elevator reached the floor he was getting off on he walked down the hall. When he reached room 107 he discovered that the door is wide open. Walking into Ashley’s room he found her sitting in her bed writing in her notebook. Just looking at her he can see that she’s still in so much pain. With the white tank top and her Tigger boxers that she’s wearing you can easily see the bruises and scars that are all over her body. She has a black eye, a huge scar on her forehead where the guy had been banging her head against the wall at, and she’s wearing a cast on her left arm. She is also hooked to a bunch of machines. The questions running through Nick’s mind are how? Why? How could someone even think about doing this to another person? Noticing him come in, Ashley became very terrified and put her notebook down on the nightstand. She then pulled her legs close to her chest and hugged them tight as she looked at him with a perplexed look upon her face. She knows exactly who he is. He is Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys - the man she has idolized since the beginning of Backstreet, her favorite member of the band that’s kept her sane during her entire ordeal. But does that comfort her? Not even in the least bit. He is still technically a stranger to her and he is after all, a man, and he is standing in her door way three weeks after she had been beaten and raped. Wouldn’t that scare anyone?


“Hi Ashley…my name is Nick and it’s okay you don’t have to be scared of me. I would never even think about hurting you in anyway. I’m just here to be your friend. Is that okay?” Ashley didn’t say a word. Instead, she grabbed her notepad and she began to write something down. When she finished she held it out to him and he went further into the room and took it from her. When he did he looked down at it, and it said: I don’t need friends.


“of course you do. Everyone deserves a friend. No one should ever have to be alone.” After taking back her notepad she began to write down her reply. I don’t want a friend. I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want to talk to anyone! I just want to lay here all alone by myself here in the dark. I don’t want any food, and I don’t want to sleep. I just want to lay here until I die! When she finished she gave it back to him.


“No you don’t want to die, Ash, no matter how much you think you do. You still have a full life ahead of you. You don’t have to talk to me I won’t force you to. I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to. I understand you’ve been forced to do things for years now. All I want is a friendship. When you’re ready to talk, if you ever want to I will be here to listen to you…always. But in the mean time there’s no rush.” Ashley looked at him with the most pissed off and annoyed look anyone has ever seen for a few moments.


“HOW could you fucking understand what I have been through? You have NO right to say that! Your life is so goddamned perfect that it’s not even funny!” she yelled, speaking for the first time.


“Oh you think my life is perfect huh? You think it’s perfect?” He asked, feeling amused that she would even believe such a thing.


“YES because you have more money than I could possibly imagine, you have a family who loves you - something I haven’t had in three years. I’ve FORGOTTEN what the feeling is like but of course mister big shot Carter would know! You travel around the world making millions of dollars and you have tons of fans crawling all over you and thinking that you’re the greatest guy in the world when really you’re not! You have no clue what I have been through! Not once has anyone ever tried to hit you, or force you to have sex with them and almost kill you! You never had to go through the experience of watching your parents murdered right in front of your eyes in the middle of your living room when there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it! All you are able to do is watch them die! When you go through all of that Nick, then maybe you will know how I feel! How it feels to be hated, to be treated like a sex slave! But you have no idea what it’s like! You can try it all you want but you will NEVER have my respect! I don’t trust anyone. Just leave me alone here to die! You can sit here all you want but don’t expect me to talk to you! You and I both know you aren’t here for friendship. You’re only here for the money and charity. That’s all it is, you’re just using me for charity! You probably want to know who did this to me right? You think you’re different from all of the doctors and nurses who tried to get it out of me? Well you AREN’T! I’m not going to tell you! I will never tell you! GO AWAY! Get the hell away from me!” She yelled.


“Ashley you have me all wrong.” He replied, his voice all gentle and sweet as he tried to take her hand but she forcefully pulled it away.


“DON’T TOUCH ME! I SAID GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!” hearing this from down the hall, Riley came running into the room.


“What is going on in here? Ashley honey what happened?”


“THAT man is trying to attack me!” Ashley yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Nick and breaking down into sobs.


“I was NOT! I was only trying to hold her hand and that’s all!” Nick replied defensively, as he watched Riley wrap her arms around Ashley and hug her tightly.


“I know Nick it’s all right. Just go wait out in the hall for me.” Nick sighed in frustration, and then he got up and left the room. After a few moments when she calmed down and relaxed, she lay Ashley in her bed and covered her up. Then she got up and went out into the hall as she has her arms crossed over her chest and a huge smirk on her face and she tried so hard not to laugh.


“I wasn’t trying to attack her Riley I swear to god. I just wanted to hold her hand and she freaked out on me.”


“I know Nick, calm down. Didn’t I warn you that she would react that way?”


“Well…yeah, but I forgot until she started screaming, and then it all came back to me.” Riley giggled and pulled him into a hug, and Nick returned it. “Well…at least I got her to talk…” Riley laughed once more and she buried her face in his chest as she did. When she had calmed down she looked up at him.


“Should I go in there and try again?”


“No not right now honey, I think you should just let her calm down.”


“Okay… I’m going to go hang out with Dakota then. Where is she at do you know by any chance?”


“Yeah she’s outside on the playground. She’s sitting in the sand box watching the kids play.”


“Okay then, I am going to go join her so that she’s not all alone.”


“That’s a good idea. She was asking me if I would ask you to do that anyway.”


“Okay and Josh is down there right?”


“Yup.”


“Okay, its operation get Dakota’s toys back time.”


“Okay well good luck with that,” She told him and Nick headed downstairs toward the playground.