Chapter Two-Hundred-Fourteen
Meanwhile, at the Orphanage when it was about time to go to Ashley and Kori’s house Nick and Ashley went downstairs showered and changed into clothes. Nick in some jeans and a t-shirt, and Ashley in a white tanktop and blue denim skirt. She had also slipped on some black low top converse shoes and straightened her shoulder length red hair before putting on makeup. Some black eyeliner, purple eye shadow, and some lip-gloss. When they walked into the playroom, Nick went straight to his daughter and insisted on putting her shoes on her despite her protests.
“Wow…you look nice sweetheart,” Brian commented.
“Thanks,” She replied while smiling some. “Nick thinks I’m crazy for going out in a tanktop and skirt after it had been pouring yesterday and at it’s coldest in Florida, but it’s not cold or rainy today, so why not?”
“Yet being the keyword,” Kevin replied. “I would at least bring a hoodie if I were you.”
“Nick brought mine down just incase,” Ashley shrugged.
“What kind of perfume are you wearing? It smells really nice Ash,” Brian questioned, as he bent down and sniffed her neck. Ashley smiled some.
“My mommy’s. I raided her makeup and stuff last night.”
“Ohhh nice. She smelled really nice,” Brian replied.
“I know right?” Nick agreed as he joined them holding a scowling Dakota under his arm, wearing shoes and all. Ashley giggled.
“What are you making faces about now, little miss?” Ashley asked while leaning forward and putting her nose to Dakota’s.
“Anything and everything,” Nick replied. “She’s turning into a girl on me.” Riley laughed.
“And just what exactly was she before?”
“My little tomboy that cooperated with everything. Now she’s developing quite the attitude just like any other girly girl out there.”
“You mean just like Ellie,” Kevin replied amusedly. Nick shrugged and he lifted Dakota up so they were face to face.
“All I know is, she is driving daddy bonkers and I have a feeling it’s not going to get any different by the time she’s thirteen.” Ashley laughed.
“Nope, sorry hon. By the time she’s thirteen…it all goes down hill from there.”
“Well that’s okay, because I’ll have you there to handle all the girl stuff,” Nick insisted. Dakota beamed at this and she leaned forward toward Ashley. Ashley took her and allowed her to snuggle into her.
“By then she’ll be my mommy,” Dakota insisted in a very sure tone and she buried her face in Ashley’s shoulder. Nick chuckled and he leaned forward and kissed the back of Dakota’s head before ruffling his fingers through her hair. They all stood there talking for a few moments, and then Brian, Kori, and Kevin gathered up the rest of the kids and began getting them ready to go too.
“Buts Kevy we were playin’,” Elenore whined when Kevin had interrupted their game.
“Well, you can continue to play where we’re going, I promise.”
“Buts…there’s no castle where we’re goin.”
“No, but there is a very big tree that you kids would have fun climbing. You can make believe that, that’s a castle.” Kori insisted. Josh gaped at her.
“Really?” Kori laughed.
“Mhm.”
“I have to see this tree!”
“Well that’s good, because that’s where we’re headed” Brian replied while chuckling.
“Is Uncle Jerry comin’?” Elenore asked, still slightly pouting over the fact that they were interrupted. Prince Spencer was just about to save her from the evil Josh.
“Of course,” Jerald reassured from over at the table, as he had been standing there talking to Doctor Johnson and Brandon. “Your Uncle Tim will be meeting us there too.”
“And mom, right?” Kevin questioned while gathering Elenore into his arms and placing her upside down over his shoulder. Elenore giggled as she hung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“Kevyyyyyy” Kevin smirked.
“Yes mom too,” Jerald replied while watching his younger brother in amusement. “The entire Richardson and Littrell Clan – well, okay, just Harry. Aunt Jackie has dragged Uncle Harold to the mall for some Christmas shopping – and I can tell you right now Brian that I’m sure it’s all about Josh today.” Brian rolled his eyes playfully.
“Yeah, I bet it is.”
“Don’t worry though, I think she and Riley were making plans about stealing Josh from you for a day and taking him Christmas shopping for you.”
“That’ll be a good thing,” Brian replied while looking over at his girlfriend with a grin. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. When Josh, Spencer, and Sarah had their shoes on the adults all ushered the children out into the lobby.
“Doctor J, Brandon, why don’t you two come with us?” Riley asked suddenly.
“I should really stay here…” Doctor Johnson insisted. “Brandon can go if he wants to though. I’m just afraid Annabelle is going to wake up and I won’t be here…”
“Honey there are other doctors here besides you, you know…and you’ve been in this Orphanage for a week. Brandon tells me you haven’t been home once. Half the time you’re up there tending to Annabelle…”
“She’s my patient.”
“But you’re getting too emotionally attached…” Brandon insisted.
“I am not,” Doctor Johnson insisted while rolling his eyes.
“Yes, you are.” Brandon replied while going over and looking him directly in the eyes knowing he would get what he is trying to silently tell him. Doctor Johnson looked away stubbornly, blinking back his tears. Brooke sighed and she went over and wrapped her arms around him having a feeling she knows exactly what is going on here.
“If I have to be dragged from this Orphanage against my will because Riley is too stubborn to let me stay, you do too.” Riley nodded in agreement, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at Doctor Johnson with a raised eyebrow.
“If you go, and I go, who is going to look after the Orphanage?” Doctor Johnson insisted.
“Jennifer has so kindly volunteered to do so. There are also lots of other adults here who know how to keep things running just as smoothly as you or I.”
“Yeah and Jennifer is such a good backup person, I’m afraid I have to look out for my job” Riley teased. Brooke laughed.
“Oh don’t worry honey you could never be replaced. Who would I have to keep me in line when I lock myself in my office? No one tells it like it is better then you.”
“Except maybe AJ,” Riley pointed out. “He can get pretty bossy too sometimes.”
“Mhm,” Kori agreed, sounding very annoyed at that fact. “Brother knows best.”
“Speaking of, Doctor J if we don’t get a move on he’s going to beat us there” Ashley spoke up.
“Go ahead and go sweetie, I’m just going to stay here.”
“No you’re not” Brooke demanded lightly.
“I would rather stay here.”
“If I’m not allowed to wallow neither are you.”
“They might need me.”
“Like I said…other doctors. You aren’t superman you know, you can’t do everything.”
“Hmph,” Doctor Johnson replied stubbornly. Brandon rolled his eyes.
“Okay, I’ve had enough of this” He insisted and he gently pushed Brooke away from his brother, before lifting Doctor Johnson up over his shoulder and carrying him out of the orphanage.
“What the…Brandon are you out of your mind?”
“It’s time to smell the fresh air Steven, you’ve been in that building and working for far too long.”
“Put me down!”
“Not until we get to the car.”
“I mean it Brandon”
“Well I mean it more.” Brooke laughed and everybody began following Brandon out to the door, while watching the two brothers in amusement. When they got to the door, Doctor Johnson grabbed onto the doorway.
“NO.” He then stuck his leg out so that it was against the other side of the doorframe making it entirely impossible for Brandon to get his brother out the door. Nick laughed and together he and Brian both unlatched the stubborn doctor from the doorway so Brandon could walk through.
“And I thought Ellie’s tantrums were bad…it’s way worse when you see an adult throw one,” Kevin commented. When they were completely outside and the door was closed Brandon carried Doctor Johnson to his car while beginning his lecture.
“Man Steve…I sure hope Jennifer didn’t see you throwing a tantrum like that.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve already scared her off. I told you I don’t have time for her.”
“Not yet you haven’t. She really likes you. And the only reason you don’t have time is because you do everything you can to make yourself busy – and I’ve had it.” Doctor Johnson rolled his eyes.
“If you’ve had it, then why don’t you just leave?”
“You would like that wouldn’t you? Well guess what Steve, I’m not going anywhere. Not when you obviously need me so badly right now. I should have come sooner.” Brandon insisted, and when he got to the car he opened up the passenger’s side, stuck Doctor Johnson in, and he closed the door and looked over at Nick as he was buckling Dakota into her car seat.
“Am I following you? I don’t exactly know where to go.”
“Yup,” Nick nodded as he looked over at Sarah making sure she was in and he saw that Ashley had buckled her in on the other side. Nick shut Dakota’s door and he looked at Ashley and noticed her standing next to him, leaning against her car door, and watching Brandon with amusement. He glanced at Brandon and saw that he was now discussing something with Brooke and his hair was blowing in the breeze. Nick scowled and he went over and gently swung an arm around Ashley’s waist and pulled her away from the door so he could open it for her. When the door was open he kissed Ashley’s forehead softly and helped her into the car before shutting the door again and hurrying around to his side. Soon enough he was in his car and driving off.
“Brookie, are you coming? Our last chance is to follow Kori and Wiley otherwise we won’t know where to go,” Jaime suddenly called for his sister. Brooke whirled around and suddenly saw her brother and Peyton in Jaime’s car waiting in the middle of the parking lot. She raised her eyebrow.
“I told you we’d be back on time.”
“All right, all right, I’m coming” Brooke replied and she opened up the door do the back seat and climbed in and soon enough Jaime was following Brandon, who was following Brian and Riley who was following Kori and Wiley to Ashley and Kori’s house.
“What’s up with Nick? He sped out of here kind of fast…” Peyton questioned her sister. Brooke shrugged.
“I don’t know, I think he feels threatened of Brandon,” she explained, sounding very unsurprised. “Nothing new…he’s just going to have to face the fact that he is the eye candy of all the ladies around here – including his girlfriend whether he likes it or not. It’s pretty stupid really…he knows she loves him…she’s just being a seventeen year old girl - they look. Hell we all look no matter how old we get, so he is just going to have to get used to it. Unless he wants to scoop out her eyeballs.”
“Hey sometimes a guy can’t help it. We get pretty territorial about what’s ours. I see the way he looks at Ashley…he loves her. He probably feels insecure,” Jaime defended.
“Well he shouldn’t. She’s wearing his promise ring for crying out loud, she’s committed to him. She loves him. So she thinks Brandon is hot…so what? She’s human. I swear we should video record the two of them together just so that man can see the way his own girlfriend looks at him – hell, we should record the way she looks at him when they’re not together.”
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, Nick and Ashley were the first people to arrive at the house. The two of them got out of the car and Ashley met him around in front of it, sliding her arms around him and looking up at him curiously.
“Well, if it was your goal to beat everyone here, you sure have accomplished that.” Nick shrugged.
“I guess I just had a need for speed, that’s all.”
“Well you left Brandon behind you know…you told him he could follow you.” Nick shrugged again indifferently.
“I’m sure Kori and Wiley have it taken care of.” Ashley gazed up into his eyes concerned for a few moments, and then she suddenly realized what the problem was. She reached up and placed her hand to his cheek and brought him forward so his forehead touched hers.
“I love you,” she reminded him softly, being sure to look him in the eyes so he could see how serious she was. Nick gazed at her for a few moments just taking in those three words. She gently pushed him backward so he leaned against the front hood of the car and she slid her arms around his neck as he pulled her near. “My Beautiful Guardian Angel.” Nick couldn’t help but smile some and he slid his arms around her waist in such a way that anyone would think he were afraid she was going to slip away from him. He bent down and rubbed his nose lightly over hers giving her an Eskimos kiss, before brushing his lips lightly over hers for a soft kiss. Just as she was kissing him back they suddenly heard two giggling girls coming from inside the car. Ashley broke apart from their kiss while smiling some and Nick chuckled.
“We’re not alone,” She reminded both herself and him.
“They know how to unbuckle themselves, and if I know Kota at all, she and Sarah are in the front seat watching the entire thing.” Nick insisted before bringing his lips down onto hers and resuming their kiss. She smiled against his lips but kissed him back nonetheless. After a few moments when he pulled back he rubbed his hands over her arms and frowned some.
“I told you that you should wear warmer clothes, this wind is giving you Goosebumps.” Ashley shrugged and snuggled into him.
“I don’t feel a thing when you’re holding me like this.” Nick shook his head and he bent down and kissed the top of her head before pulling his leather jacket off and wrapping it around her shoulders.
“Put your arms inside it baby,” He insisted. Ashley did as told and then she wrapped her arms back around his neck and rested her head against his chest as he wrapped his arms back around her protectively. He turned his head slightly and peeked behind him with the corner of his eye to check on the girls. He chuckled.
“What?” Ashley asked curiously.
“I told you they’d be in the front seat watching.” Ashley stood on tiptoe and looked behind him at the girls, and sure enough there they were the both of them sitting in the passenger’s seat side by side, their arms wrapped around each other and big smiles on their faces as they watch Nick and Ashley together. Ashley giggled and she nestled her head against his chest.
“Silly girls…” she muttered and he smirked and hugged her close.
“I almost feel like I should go make them some popcorn or something so they can really enjoy the show.” Ashley giggled again.
“Hey…look at it this way. At least they’re finally getting a long.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
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