Chapter Twenty:
When Riley showed up at Brian’s house she got out of her car and walked up to the door. She knocked on it and then crossed her arms over her chest as she stood there waiting - shivering as she did. It is very windy out… a lot more than normal and it smells like rain too. She senses a storm coming sometime soon. When Brian finally got to the door he opened it up to find Riley standing on the other side of it and she looks like she’s been crying.
“Riley?? What are you doing here… aren’t you supposed to be home having dinner with Chase?” he asked her, managing to keep himself from sounding bitter and jealous.
“His boss called him and made him go into work for an important meeting…so once again our dinner was ruined.” Riley answered her voice cracking as she tried her very hardest not to cry all over again. Brian’s heart broke just looking at her.
“Aww…sweetie come here,” He replied sympathetically and he held his arms open for her allowing her walk into them. He closed his arms around her and hugged her tight as he pulled her into the house. He can feel her trembling from the cold. He closed the door behind her and kissed the top of her head as he rubbed his hand over her back in a slow circular motion.
“Want to talk about it?” he offered.
“It’s not fair Brian… every time I finally get the chance to spend time with him his work always gets in the way it never fails! And he just doesn’t get it, he really doesn’t get it. I need to feel important to him, I need to know that he really loves me the way that I love him. He tells me he does but yet I hardly ever see him! And I just…it’s just not fair.” Riley vented into his chest. He pulled her over to the couch with him and he sat down and brought her onto the couch next to him and he just sat there holding her and letting her cry it all out. “Am I wrong for wanting his attention? Is it wrong for me to want to spend some time with my husband?” She asked him, and she looked up at him for his answer. He grabbed a tissue out of the box sitting on the lamp table and he began to dry her eyes.
“Not at all honey…you’re right it’s not fair at all. He’s your husband that means you’re supposed to be number one on his list of priorities…he should want to spend every minute he can with you… and if he doesn’t then he’s an asshole and doesn’t deserve you at all. Because I have a hard time leaving your side for only a second.” Riley didn’t reply, she only rested her head against his shoulder and slid her arms around his waist as she leaned into him comfortably. He hugged her close to him and rubbed his hand over her back and he held her for awhile until she was fully calmed down again. When she did she looked up at him, her head never leaving his shoulder and she found him already looking down at her.
“May I spend the night Brian? Please? I don’t want to go home to an empty house…not again.” Brian leaned down and kissed her forehead softly.
“If you think I’m letting you go home you’re crazy honey. My home is your home… you’re welcome here for as long as you want.”
“Kay…” she replied softly, and she looked up at him with a weak smile making him smile back.
“I was just headed for bed right before you got here. Why don’t I bring you upstairs and help you get settled into your room? Are you tired?”
“Yes very… I just want to crawl into bed and get this night over with and then I can go back to work.” Brian sighed as he knows that as soon as they get to work tomorrow Riley is going to dive right in and not stop at anything just so that she doesn’t have to think about the pain Chase causes her. He really hates it that he hurts her so much to the point where she goes into overdrive and over works herself. He didn’t say anything to her though. He knows she’s been through enough tonight and doesn’t need another one of his lectures. He’ll save those for tomorrow when she’s gotten her sleep. He then got up bringing her with him and the two of them walked up the stairs together. When they got up there he lead her into the guest room across the hall from his own bedroom.
“I didn’t bring any clothes to sleep in… or change into in the morning for work. I was kind of upset…”
“You can sleep in one of my over sized t-shirts if you want… and then we can wake up earlier than usual in the morning and I can take you back to your house. We’ll take turns showering there and getting ready for work. How about that?”
“Kay…”
“Alright, I’ll be right back.” He told her, and he went across the hall to his own room and he got out one of his oversized t-shirts. He brought them back into Riley’s room with him. He handed the shirt over to her.
“Need anything else?”
“No I think I’m good…”
“Okay, well night sweetie. I will see you in the morning.” He told her, and he kissed her forehead once again.
“Night Brian…love you.” She told him softly.
“I love you too,” he replied, and he meant it. He really truly loves her… but he knows she just means it strictly as friendship. And it pains him knowing that…his heart aches with the need for her to mean it the way he does. He then turned and walked out of the room shutting the door behind him. She looked after him for a few minutes, than she began to change out of her clothes and she put his t-shirt on so that she was only wearing that and her underwear. She looked toward the bed that was hers for the night. She stared at it for a moment. Another empty bed… she doesn’t know if she can take another night sleeping in a big empty bed all on her own. Crawling into bed with Brian seemed a lot more inviting. She stood there thinking about it for a couple of minutes, and the more that she did, the more that idea became more appealing. She suddenly turned and opened the door and she walked out into the hall and went across to Brian’s bedroom. She peeked inside the door to see him sitting up in his bed hugging his legs to his chest as he just looked at the door. Almost as if he was waiting on her.
“Brian?”
“Yeah sweetie? Is everything okay?”
“Can I crawl into bed with you tonight? I don’t want to be alone…”
“Of course. Just turn the light off on your way in here please,” He told her gently and he held the blanket up for her to crawl in bed next to him. She hit the light switch next to her so that light turned off and she walked across the room to his bed. She crawled in next to him allowing him to cover the both of them up and she settled back against his pillows. He lay next to her and wrapped an arm around her so that she could snuggle up close to him.
“Feel better?” he asked her gently as he rested his forehead against hers as he lay on his side facing her.
“Mm hmm…” she told him softly. And she did… for the first time in a long time she wasn’t alone.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile at the Orphanage, AJ and Howie had gone home long ago and Kevin was next door putting Elenore to bed. Ashley lay on hers, Nick’s, and Dakota’s bed asleep for the night and Nick sat in the lazy boy chair with Dakota seated in his lap. Pink Tinkerbelle footie pajamas on, Good Luck bear clutched in one hand and her thumb on her other hand popped in her mouth. The two of them are sitting there with the lights off and watching Aladdin. Nick sat there watching his daughter more than the movie though. He still hasn’t gotten her opinion on him and Ashley dating now. He didn’t really get to have much conversation with her except for earlier when she had asked about her bracelet. He had been busy with Ashley and all of the stuff that was going on and she was busy playing with Elenore. He wonders what she thinks…is she okay with it? He knows she loves Ashley very much and even looks up to her a lot of the time but does he like her as her daddy’s girlfriend?
“Kota baby…daddy needs to ask you an important question,” he announced, talking to her quietly so that he doesn’t wake Ashley up. Dakota looked up at him curiously.
“What is it daddy?”
“Well…I was just wondering how you feel about me and Ashley dating now… everyone else was real happy about it and stuff, but your opinion is the most important of all. I know you love Ashley and everything…and even look up to her a lot of the time, but how do you feel about her being your daddy’s girlfriend?”
“I LOVES it daddy!” she answered happily, making sure to stay quiet though so that she doesn’t wake Ashley either. Nick grinned.
“Really?”
“Uh-huhs. She’s real fun to play with…an’ talk to, an’ she’s fun to shop with too. I likes it when she helps me pick out clothes an’ jewelry.”
“That’s great honey…because I really love her lots too.” Dakota didn’t reply. She only happily snuggled against her daddy, popping her thumb right back into her mouth again and she began to watch the movie but suddenly with a new excited feeling inside her. She’s going to have a mommy some day in the near future, she just knows it! And she knows exactly who she’s going to be too. Now her daddy just needs to know it… Nick smiled down at her and he kissed her forehead and hugged her close to him. The two of them sat there watching the movie in silence for a long while, but then suddenly they heard Ashley whimper and the bed move slightly. Nick looked over at her protectively and saw her sit up quick and there was a panic-stricken look upon her face.
“Ashley? What’s the matter?” He asked her and he got up and sat Dakota in the lazy boy chair before going over and sitting with Ashley. “Did you have another nightmare?” Ashley nodded. “What about this time?” he asked her gently and he pulled her into his arms hugging her close to him.
“It’s Kori… I had that same nightmare that I had about her before except it was more detailed…there were two very big guys dressed in all black…one other guy, the one who put me in this hospital… and I heard waves. They were on a beach! And Nick I’m having one of those feelings again…like this afternoon but they’re stronger. Much stronger…I think she’s here in Florida and I think something is wrong with her.” Ashley explained, tears threatening to fall. Nick thought for a moment about what he should do, than he got up pulling Ashley with him. He went over to Dakota and scooped her up into his arms as she held her Good Luck bear.
“Come on Ash…” he said, and then walked out of the room and Ashley followed him. He went next door to Elenore’s room. He walked in there to find Kevin and Elenore lying in bed, Elenore snuggled up close to him and the two of them are watching Lion King with the lights off.
“Hey Nick…what’s up?” he asked, looking at Nick with concern.
“Can Kota lie in bed with you and Ellie? Ashley and I need to go see if Doctor Johnson is still here…. We need to talk to someone and Riley isn’t here.”
“Yeah sure… but is everything all right?”
“I don’t know,” Nick answered honestly and he brought Dakota over to the bed and he sat her down on it. She crawled over and laid next to Elenore and Kevin covered her up.
“Be good for Kevin sweetie… it’s getting close to your bedtime I want you to start thinking about going to sleep alright?”
“Okay.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too daddy,” she replied and he leaned down and kissed her forehead, before turning and looking at Ashley who stood there looking scared out of her mind. He noticed the entire time he was talking to Dakota that Kevin was eyeing her worriedly. He took her hand and brought her out of the room with him and he took her to the hospital building. If Doctor Johnson is still here he would be found there. When they got there he was about to go up to the receptionist and ask where he could find him when he suddenly spotted him coming out of a room. Doctor Johnson saw Nick in return and he raised his eyebrow at him.
“Nick? What are you two doing over on this side of the building? Shouldn’t you be getting Ashley in bed right about now?”
“We sort of have a problem doctor J,” Nick replied. Suddenly the air became very heavy around Ashley and she all of the sudden found it very hard to breathe. Someone is watching her… she can feel his presence. She looked around the lobby and suddenly saw Doctor Adams peeking out of a room. Ashley tensed up and she clung tightly to Nick. Nick looked down at her recognizing that tight grasp she has on him right away and he saw she was staring at something. He followed her gaze and suddenly saw him as well. He wrapped his arm around Ashley’s waist bringing her closer to him and he kissed her forehead before looking back at Doctor Johnson who also looked over at Doctor Adams.
“Lets go to the Orphanage and talk then,” Doctor Johnson replied, and he walked past Nick and Ashley and began to lead them back to the safety of the Orphanage hoping Doctor Adams doesn’t decide to follow them. When they got to the Orphanage and were down in the lobby Doctor Johnson lead them into Brooke’s office. She isn’t in there anymore of course, as she has gone home for the night but it is the safest place to talk. He turned on the light and Nick shut the door behind him.
“Okay…now what’s going on?”
“Ashley’s had a nightmare…about Kori. The same one she had the day of the concert - you know the one where she was being attacked. Well this one was much more descriptive. She not only saw two big guys dressed in black attacking her, but the guy who put her in this hospital was also there too. And she heard waves…like from the ocean. So she thinks that they were on the beach. She is also having feelings again…just like the ones she had this afternoon but she says that they’re much stronger now. She thinks she might be here in Florida but she is hurting.” Nick explained.
“She is here in Florida… I just got off the phone with Detective Stabler. He got a hold of one of Kori’s employees in New Jersey at a Diner that she’s been working at for the past five years…and she told him all about Kori, why she ran away, and what Ashley’s attacker wants with her. She also told him that she was on her way here to Florida to rescue Ashley because she was lead to believe that he has her and is going to kill her if she didn’t come to him. I also found out one very important thing that we have been trying to get Ashley to tell us since the very beginning.” Doctor Johnson explained, the last part looking at Ashley.
“What?” Nick asked, looking down at Ashley too and he felt her tighten her arms around him as fear once again took over her. What did he find out?
“Her attacker’s name,” Doctor Johnson answered, still looking at Ashley. “Do you want to tell him Ashley or shall I?”
“NO!!! Please don’t tell him, please! He will kill me if you find out!” Ashley begged, suddenly breaking down into tears. She turned in Nick’s arms and buried her face in his shoulder and he felt that same death grip that she usually has on him when she sees Doctor Adams.
“Honey I already know the answer so you might as well come clean with it. No one is going to kill you…. Nick and I are going to do everything in our power to keep you safe. I Promise.” Doctor Johnson reassured her gently.
“Yeah baby…come on. Please tell me.” Nick added. He placed his finger to her chin and lifted it up gently so that she is looking him in the eyes and he waited for her to answer.
“Sean…” she answered quietly, and then broke down into sobs and she fell into Nick’s arms holding onto him tightly. He hugged her tight and rubbed his hand over her back and he looked at Doctor Johnson questioningly. He nodded.
“So then her nightmare must be true then…if Kori came here to rescue Ashley thinking that she was in trouble then she must be here getting her ass kicked right now and Ashley dreamt about it. We have to find that beach before it’s too late!”
“I will call Detective Stabler again,” Doctor Johnson replied, and he went to the phone and picked it up. When he did he dialed Detective Stabler and waited for him to answer. As he was doing that Nick turned his attention on his distressed girlfriend. He went to a chair and sat down and he pulled her into his lap cradling her. He placed his finger to her chin and tilted her head back so she looked up at him and he looked down at her lovingly.
“Shhh…everything’s going to be okay. I promise…we’re going to find her and you’re safe. I’m not going to let anyone lay a hand on you.” He promised her. She slid her arms up and around his neck and he leaned down and placed soft kisses on her lips. After a few minutes Doctor Johnson hung up the phone and he looked at Nick. Nick looked up at him in return as he continued to hold Ashley close to him.
“He’s sending search parties out to all of the beaches in Florida. He promises that he will find her. You should take her up to bed Nick… it’s late and you know how she’s like when she’s overly upset and tired.”
“Kay,” Nick replied and he stood up still holding her. He’s afraid that if he puts her down for even a second someone is going to snatch her from him and he is not going to let that happen. He carried her out of the office placing soft kisses on her forehead on his way out and she sniffled softly. He brought her into the elevator and took her upstairs to their floor. When they got there he brought her down the hall until he got to Elenore’s room. He went in there to find Kevin still awake lying there watching over two sleeping children.
“Is it possible that you can carry Dakota into my room? Elenore is asleep, she’ll be fine for just the two seconds that you will be gone.”
“Yeah sure,” Kevin answered. He stood up and walked around to Dakota’s side of the bed. He picked her up and cradled her managing not to wake her up and he carried her out of the room and into Nick’s. Nick stood in between rooms keeping an eye on Elenore as he did. Kevin laid Dakota down in the bed and covered her up before leaning down and kissing her forehead softly, than he walked out of the room and stood leaning against the doorframe to Elenore’s.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Detective Stabler has sent out search parties to all of the beaches in Florida…they’re looking for Kori. She was tricked into believing that Ashley’s attacker - who by the way is named Sean, had Ashley and that he would murder her if she didn’t come to him right away with the stuff he wanted from her. So she did thinking she was going to rescue Ashley, but found herself in a trap instead.”
“Why all of the beaches in Florida?” Kevin asked, still very confused. “And how did you find out his name? Did Ashley finally open up and tell you?”
“Detective Stabler got in touch with one of Kori’s employees to the restaurant she has owned for the past five years and she told him everything. And remember that nightmare Ashley had on the day of our concert? …well she had it again but this time more descriptive. She saw Sean there as well and she heard waves that sounded like the ocean.”
“Ooh…”
“Yeah. And right now she’s overly tired and upset so I need to get her in bed…” Nick replied, as he looked down at Ashley who he still held in his arms. She’s no longer crying anymore but she still has tears rolling down her cheek.
“Okay and I need to get to bed as well. I will see you in the morning Nicky.”
“Night,” Nick answered, and he turned and walked into his and Ashley’s room to find Dakota still lying where Kevin put her and she is still sleeping peacefully. Nick went and crawled into bed after propping a few pillows up against the headboard and he shifted Ashley so she straddles his lap. He lay back against the pillows and allowed her to lay forward against his chest. He pulled the blankets up on them and he sat there rocking her in attempt to calm her down enough that she would fall asleep.
~*~*~*~*~
The next day at 6:30 in the morning Nick still sat so that he was propped against the pillows holding Ashley but now she was asleep. He stayed awake all night just watching over her and Dakota. He was scared to fall asleep. He was afraid that if he closed his eyes for just a second the two most important girls in his life would be gone. Especially with Doctor Adams lurking about in the building. He sat there in deep thought until 7:30 when suddenly Riley and Brian walked into the room. Riley raised her eyebrow upon seeing him awake. They thought they would have to wake him.
“Did you sleep at all last night?” Brian immediately interrogated.
“Nope…” Nick answered softly.
“Why not?”
“I couldn’t… I was scared that if I closed my eyes for even a minute the two most important girls in my life would be gone. Especially with Doctor Adams lurking about.”
“Well you don’t have to worry about him anymore,” Riley replied. Nick raised his eyebrow in curiosity.
“What? How come?” Riley and Brian went over and sat on the edge of the bed with Nick.
“We got the DNA results back this morning…everything Ashley told you was the truth and Doctor Adams was immediately arrested.”
“What all was found on her bed sheets? Or do I even want to know?”
“Well, as you saw a lot of her blood was on it… and even some of his too. Ashley must’ve managed to fight back a little bit - he was after all holding a knife and she was struggling with him. Then of course he raped her… so um…yeah some of his fluids were found on it. Then they also found the medicine that we used to give her spilled on her bed too. I’m guessing he mixed the drug he was trying to give her in it and she wasn’t fooled.”
“Or she just knows better than to let that bastard give her medicine,” Nick replied, as he looks down at Ashley and hugs her tightly. “Did you hear about Kori?”
“Yeah, Doctor Johnson told us the entire story when we walked in this morning… everything down to the big secret Ashley was so determined to keep from us.”
“Yeah well that still doesn’t give us much to work with. We still don’t know his last name.”
“True…but at least we have a name to refer to him as now…”
“And maybe Kori will be able to give us more information.” Brian added.
“That’s if she’s found alive…” Nick replied worriedly.
“We can’t think like that. If she doesn’t make it through this Ashley is going to take it VERY hard… despite all that anger she does love her and she is the only one she has left. We have to have hope.” Nick nodded.
“Oh I do have hope… Ashley has enough trouble dealing with her parent’s death already. You know she blames herself right?”
“What?” Brian asked, clearly shocked about this new information.
“Yeah…she for some reason has it in her head that she was the one who killed them.”
“I bet Sean put it there…”
“Mm hmm…” Nick replied and he once again looked down at Ashley as he suddenly felt her stir a little.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“We’ve been on every beach in Florida… I’m beginning to think we aren’t going to find her Elliot” Fin announced, getting frustrated.
“We have to keep looking! I have a feeling that this is going to be the one.” Detective Stabler insisted as he kept on walking, searching the beach high and low. Fin grumbled but he kept on following his partner anyway. After a few moments of looking Detective Stabler suddenly noticed something tied underneath the pier.
“There! There’s something over there!” He announced, and he took off running with Fin following close behind him. When Elliot reached the pier he indeed found Kori tied up underneath it half drowned and unconscious. He ran over to her and pulled her out from under the water to find her brutally beaten, her clothes torn up and everything.
“Fin call the paramedics and tell them we’ve found her!” he ordered, but Fin who was already ahead of him had his phone out of his pocket and dialing the number. Detective Stabler untied her and brought her over to the sand and he lied her down in it and checked her for a pulse.
“She’s still breathing, but its faint!”
“They’re on their way.” Fin replied as he closed his cell phone shut.
“This bastard sure has a thing for leaving his victims to drown…” Detective Stabler commented, as he remembers pulling Ashley out from the bottom of a swimming pool just a month ago. Suddenly the sound of the ambulance broke him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see them driving onto the beach. They parked just a few feet away from them and they all got out with a stretcher and went running over.
“She was found tied under this pier here half drowned. She has a pulse but it is very faint,” Detective Stabler explained as he watched them put her on the stretcher and strap her down. They brought her into the back of the ambulance. They shut the doors and the driver drove off in the direction of Ramsey Hospital and the other paramedics in the back tended to Kori.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Enjoy =)
