Chapter Two-Hundred-One
Everybody at the Littrell House spent all day getting ready for Thanksgiving. Eventually Dakota, Sarah, Spencer, and Ryan got their chores done and everybody who had pitched in and helped had made the house clean and spotless just the way Jackie wanted it. When Wiley, Tim, Ann, Marcus, Aaron, and Spencer had come back with the tables they carried them around to the backyard and got them set up with silverware on them and everything. The Doroughs arrived just a little before lunch. They were introduced to everybody that they didn’t already know including Ryan who they were immediately very fond of and they thought Laila was just the cutest little thing ever. Jackie spent all day in the kitchen preparing for dinner and Denise, Riley, and her parents all helped out a lot. Since they finished all of their chores and had done so well Nick, Howie, and Kori allowed their kids to play but they told them they couldn’t have their toys back. Which was okay, because just as Ashley said they would, they found other ways to entertain themselves and ran around the house like crazy. It took all day to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner but when they were finally finished they all went outside and sat at the tables and enjoyed it over small talk. Brian sat there quietly watching his son interact with his friends and a small smile formed on his face. Just a couple of months ago Josh wanted nothing to do with anyone and now he is one of the sweetest little boys there are. After a few moments Josh began to notice his father’s watchful eyes and he looked over at him curiously.
“What?” He questioned, sounding a little wary as if a little worried he may have done or said something wrong. Brian smiled some and shook his head.
“Nothing buddy, I’m just thinking that’s all.” Josh titled his head to the side in a way that Abbie usually does when Nick speaks to her as if she is going to answer him right back.
“About what?”
“You.” Josh suddenly looked taken aback.
“…What did I do now?” Most of the adults who were sitting there eavesdropping on the conversation between father and son laughed slightly.
“Why do you ask? Are you feeling guilty?” Brian asked teasingly and he raised his eyebrow. Josh shook his head innocently.
“No…”
“Then I guess you’ve got nothing to worry about,” Brian reassured and he winked at him. Josh just looked downright confused. Brian chuckled and he leaned over and kissed the top of Josh’s head. Josh scowled, his cheeks reddening slightly in embarrassment.
“I was just thinking that I am thankful that I have you. That’s all.”
“I’m thankful that’s I have Joshy too,” Elenore insisted.
“So am I,” Dakota added, and Sarah nodded in agreement. Jerald laughed.
“You all are going to make the poor boy cry.” Elenore beamed over at her future Uncle.
“An’ I’m thankful for Kevy an’ Uncle Jerry,” She announced. Jerald looked slightly taken aback. She had never called him uncle before. “An’ Kota too.”
“And what are you thankful for Kota?” Brian asked grinning, curious to hear what all of the kids are thankful for on Thanksgiving.
“For Ellie an’ Ashley,” Dakota answered simply. “An’ my daddy, an’ Uncle Brian, an’ Uncle Aaron, an’ Lily…an’ Uncle AJ, an’ Uncle Howie an’ Kevy…”
“What about you Spencer?” Brian asked, turning his attention on Spencer then.
“That we moved to Florida.” Kori opened her mouth to correct him when she suddenly felt Wiley squeeze her hand under the table causing her to close it again. “Because I’ve gots friends here,” he added. AJ looked across the table at Kori with a triumphant grin and Kori kicked him under the table. AJ kicked back making sure he got her and not Wiley. Howie who knew exactly what they were doing rolled his eyes and he leaned over and whispered so only the two siblings could hear him.
“You two do realize, you’ve stooped down to Josh and Ellie’s level, right?”
“How about you Ryan? What are you thankful for?” they heard Brian carry on with questioning the kids.
“That I still have my mom,” Ryan answered while looking over at Ashley and she smiled at him encouragingly. “And Laila and Howie.” Brian looked over at Laila then.
“And how about you Laila? What are you thankful for?” Laila beamed and looked across the table at AJ and Howie.
“J! ‘Owie!” Brian grinned and looked down at his own son.
“And you Josh?”
“That I have a dad who cares.” Brian’s eyes welled up with tears at his son’s words but he forced them not to fall. Josh has never called him ‘dad’ before and he was beginning to wonder if he ever would. He slid an arm around the six year old’s shoulders and Josh leaned into him as Brian looked to Chloe next.
“How about you Chloe?”
“Family, meeting the Backstreet Boys, seein’ you again, and my new friends.” Brian grinned.
“I’m thankful that I got to see you again too sweetheart,” he told her and she blushed as he turned to Sarah.
“Miss Sarah?” Sarah wrote her answer down and when she did she handed it to Josh who handed it to his father. Brian looked at the paper and he read it out loud.
“Nicky – My hero.” Everybody at the table who was there to witness the horrible night where she and Dakota were molested understood the meaning of the word ‘hero’ and each and every one of their hearts were melting. Nick’s eyes glossed with tears. Ashley smiled some and wrapped an arm around Nick and she rested her head against his shoulder. Now that Brian was done with the kids, he began to go around the table insisting the adults answer too. They spent the rest of Thanksgiving telling what they’re thankful for and having small talk, and just enjoying the delicious meal that Jackie had made. After dinner the adults helped clear the table and clean up the kitchen and the kids went back to playing. After cleaning up, the adults sat around talking until ten thirty, and then eventually the Doroughs headed for a motel and so did Riley’s family. When mostly everybody was gone, Nick gently scooped Ashley up into his arms over his shoulder and he carried her outside closing the door behind them. Harry watched them go out there in amusement and he grabbed the cord to the blinds and closed them.
“I hope he realizes what time it is. In another hour he has to get the kids in bed – we’ve got a long day tomorrow,” Kevin began his lecture. AJ rolled his eyes.
“Do we need to remind you what your mood was like on our way up here? I think it’s you who needs the sleep.”
“Especially if you plan on waking us up at the crack of dawn too,” Howie added.
“Mom, dad…I think you two should come with us,” Brian announced and he looked over at Harold and Jackie. “And Harry too.”
“What? No way!” Jackie insisted.
“Mom, it’s for the best. We all think that the three of you, and Kevin’s family should come.”
“But…”
“Mom please. If we leave you here unprotected…” Brian argued. “They might attack you again and none of us will be here to stop it next time – you have to go. At least until we catch Sean, we’re not asking you to move to Florida permanently.”
“Honey, he’s right.” Harold insisted while wrapping his arms around her and she scowled.
“We would be closer to Brian and Josh. You’re always complaining that Brian is so far away…so why don’t we just go closer to him for awhile?” Harry added trying to help his brother and father convince her.
“Pleeeease Gramma?” Josh pleaded, automatically turning on the charm as if he were commanded to. “I would really like it if you came too.” Jackie pouted and she looked at Brian, Harry, and Harold with an annoyed expression immediately assuming that it was them who put him up to this.
“What can I say mom? The kid loves you,” Brian grinned. “You can’t blame him for that, can you?”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, out in the backyard, when Nick had gotten out there he brought Ashley over to the tree that the kids had their picnic under earlier that day and he lay her down on the blanket that was still lying there. After doing that he lay next to her and wrapped her in his arms and she smiled up at him.
“For someone who feels so strongly that being outside at night without security is dangerous, you seem to be pretty brave right now.”
“You’re safe with me,” Nick insisted, and he lay on his back next to her and gently shifted her so she lay her head against his chest and he looked up at the stars.
“Besides, it’s our last night here in Kentucky, I thought we should spend it looking up at the stars.”
“Are we sleeping out here again?”
“Nah, I think we better sleep in a bed tonight. We have a long ride home tomorrow.”
“Just don’t get upset with me first thing in the morning this time, Kay?” She asked while looking up at him innocently.
“I won’t baby, I promise,” he reassured and he tilted her chin back before brushing his lips lightly over hers. When he pulled back he delicately caressed her cheek with his finger as he gazed into her eyes.
“Good, because I will be forced to release my big brother upon you if you do.” Nick chuckled.
“I think you just enjoy hearing yourself call him your brother.”
“You have no idea how happy it made me when Denise adopted me…”
“I think I do…you’ve never been the same since…and that’s a good thing.”
“Kori doesn’t seem too pleased with Alex though…do you think she’s jealous?”
“Why would she be? She’s the one who suggested you let Denise adopt you.”
“Yeah but…she and Alex don’t seem to get a long at ALL. I can’t be the only one who’s noticed.”
“Oh trust me you haven’t…they’ve been driving us all crazy. According to Howie they were playing footsie under the table this evening.”
“Is anyone going to ever tell me what their problem is?” Nick chuckled at how tortured she sounds and he leaned down and rubbed his nose over hers affectionately.
“We think it’s just because they’re a lot alike,” he began. “She pissed him off royally the other day…she thought that I was buying you an engagement ring and freaked out and they both broke out into a huge argument. He gets very over protective of me sometimes…”
“And Kori who is trying real hard to make things up to me, gets pretty protective of me too…” Ashley replied, suddenly understanding everything that happened that day when everybody was keeping secrets from her.
“Yeah, and then he’s very protective of you too these days if you’ve noticed. He’s also been giving her a hard time for running away from the past and hurting you.” Ashley rolled her eyes irritably at this announcement.
“He doesn’t need to do that…”
“Well apparently he feels that he does.”
“Kori and I have worked things out…all he is doing is pouring more gasoline on the fire…”
“Tell him that, not me.” Ashley snuggled into him some and he felt her shivering, so he grabbed some of the blanket that they were lying on and wrapped them both in it. “Have you really worked things out though? Or did you just agree with each other to a point where you two wouldn’t fight anymore?” Ashley shrugged quietly.
“Ashley?”
“What else am I supposed to do Nick?” She asked quietly. “Throw myself at her feet and cry my eyes out while pleading that she don’t move to New Jersey? I can’t stop her from doing what she wants and I just want to get a long with my sister.”
“But it’s not okay to hold in your feelings either baby…it’s not good if you aren’t really happy.”
“I know, but sometimes when you really love someone you have to do things that don’t make you happy. I love her…so I’m doing the decent thing and letting her go.”
“It doesn’t seem right though…” Ashley shrugged.
“I don’t have any fight left in me.”
“Which is exactly why I’m fighting,” AJ’s voice spoke from in front of them. Ashley and Nick looked up alarmed to see him standing there peering down at them. Little did they know, he had been sitting on the porch in a dark shadow listening in on their conversation. He had snuck out when they weren’t paying attention.
“Jesus Christ J, what are you trying to do, scare us?” AJ smirked and he sat down in the grass near them with another big blanket.
“Maybe,” he answered and he moved so that he was lying on his back next to Ashley looking up at the stars also and he threw the blanket over the three of them.
“I think you should just let her be Alex…all you’re doing is creating a bigger problem.”
“I don’t care,” AJ insisted stubbornly.
“I’ve accepted that she’s leaving…why can’t you?”
“Because you’re hurting inside and it’s not right. It would be one thing if she really wanted to go, but all she is doing is running from her problems.”
“Maybe she just needs to come to that conclusion all on her own…Maybe we need to just let her go and let her realize Florida is where she belongs all on her own.”
“And what if that doesn’t happen?”
“Then so be it.”
“Hell no.” Ashley looked over at him and saw that he was fuming by now. “I’m not letting her get away with hurting you. I’m not letting her get away with running from her fears, and I’m not letting her hurt Spencer who is already starting to think of Florida as his home. He just met his aunt and anyone can see that he is dead set on keeping her around.”
“Fine…if I can’t talk you out of it then please just leave me out of it. I don’t want to fight with my sister anymore, I’m done.”
“I don’t plan on bringing you into it. This is my fight now. She’s my sister now too you know…and I don’t want to lose her either.” Ashley smiled at him some.
“Oh, so you do care about her huh? I couldn’t tell.”
“I don’t have any problems with her except that she wont stop running away. She is the one who insists that she hates me.” Ashley giggled a little and she linked her arm with his and gently pulled him so he rolled closer to her as she still snuggled with Nick and he slid his arms around her too and rested his chin on her shoulder. She smiled some; feeling quite content sandwiched between two Backstreet Boys.
“We should take a picture of this and post it on the Internet. Then the fans would really hate me.” Nick laughed.
“We want them to love you baby, not hate you.”
“So we can’t taunt the teenyboppers then?” Ashley teased and she stuck her lower lip out in a pout. AJ chuckled.
“It wouldn’t be the best idea, no.” Ashley smirked and she reached into Nick’s back pocket, pulled out his cell phone and she opened it up to the camera before touching her head against Nick’s an cupping AJ’s cheek and she stuck her tongue out before snapping a picture.
“I think I shall go and get a MySpace now,” she announced and AJ and Nick laughed in amusement.
“It would be pretty cool to have a MySpace account…” Nick pointed out. Ashley grinned.
“I knew you would see it my way.”
“Not to taunt the fans though,” AJ replied while chuckling. “But it would be cool to be connected with them in that way. You should create one.”
“Can I post that picture on there?”
“You can post anything you want on there, as long as you play nice” Nick replied as he planted a kiss on her cheek.
“Oh of course I’ll be nice. I was a fan once too you know…I was only kidding.” The three of them hung out, out in the backyard for an hour just talking and gazing up at the stars, every now and then Ashley would take another picture of the three of them. After an hour though, Nick and AJ insisted they go inside as it was nearing the kid’s bedtime so they did.
Author's Chapter Notes:
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