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Chapter Two-Hundred-Fifteen



After five minutes of being alone in the front yard of Ashley’s home, a car suddenly drove into the driveway behind them. Nick turned his head to look and Ashley once again looked over his shoulder to see that it’s AJ and Howie. Ashley broke out into a smile at the sight of her brother, who she’s grown accustomed to having near. She looked up at Nick who was watching her face expression with amusement and she leaned up and kissed his cheek before pulling away from him and hurrying over to greet them. Nick decided he would turn his attention on the kids and went and opened the door to the front passengers seat.


“Hi ladies, did you enjoy the show?” he asked with a smirk on his face, and both girls giggled. He gathered them both into his arms then and planted a kiss on each of their cheeks before carrying them over to Howie’s car where AJ had just gotten out and was tackled by Ashley. She was giving him such a big bear hug that you would think she hasn’t seen him in months. AJ chuckled and returned the hug appreciatively.


“Hi sweetheart, I can see you’re in a cheerful mood today. That’s always a good thing.”


“Yes it is,” Nick agreed.


“Are you two just getting here?” Howie asked curiously.


“We’ve been here for ten minutes – everybody else should be here by now, I don’t think I drove that fast.”


“Maybe you should call them,” Ashley suggested, becoming slightly worried. “What if something happened?”


“I’m sure they’re okay baby,” Nick reassured and he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and hit the number two button that he had made Kori’s. AJ pulled away from Ashley and he went and opened the door to get Laila who was screeching for him in the backseat in fear that he had forgotten her.


“Okay, okay, I’m right here” he reassured as he unbuckled her and scooped her out of the car. Ashley got a good look at her and saw her wrapped up in a blanket that she has never seen before.


“Aww…that’s adorable, where did she get that?” she gushed, and she went over to check it out. It’s a pink and yellow quilt with flower and heart designs all over it, and some pictures of Laila and a woman had been sewn on it. Ashley gaped at it in amazement.


“Is this Lindsey?” AJ grinned a little.


“Mhm…turns out she’s quite the artist.”


“She made this for her?”


“Yup. She made it while she was in the hospital…she thought it would help Laila cope with this situation better…and so she would always get to see her mommy and not forget about her.”


“That was really sweet of her.”


“Mhm, Laila already loves it. I can already tell we aren’t going to be able to go anywhere without it.” Ashley smiled some and gently touched Laila’s cheek before glancing toward the car where she noticed Ryan for the first time. He was just sitting in the back seat with his seatbelt on and his arms crossed over his chest. Ashley looked at AJ concerned.


“He didn’t exactly like being taken from his mom again...Howie had to carry him out to the car, he cried the whole way.” Ashley sighed.


“Poor kid…I don’t blame him.” She watched Ryan for a few moments just thinking, and then she went around to the other side of the car. She opened the door and climbed in next to him before shutting it again and Ryan continued to stare ahead pretending as if he hadn’t noticed her. Ashley sat there quietly waiting for his stubbornness to fade. When it finally did he spoke softly.


“It’s not fair…”


“No it’s not, I completely agree with you,” She told him and she reached over and gently combed her fingers through his hair. Ryan suddenly leaned into her, resting his head against her stomach. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close to her.


“At least you got to see her though, right? You’ve been dying to see her for so long. That had to have made you happy,” She tried to reason.


“It did…but it’s not fair. To be able to see her…and then pulled away from her again like that…”


“I know what you mean honey…but for now I think you have to just take what you can get. It’s all going to be worth it in the end…you’ll see. She’ll be happier, and healthier, and things will be so much better for you and Laila when she can finally come home.”


“I guess…”


“And Howie and AJ have both promised to take you to see her every single day, I know that for a fact.” Ryan didn’t reply, he remained quiet, as he knows this fact is true.


“What’s that you’re holding?” Ashley asked after a few moments of silence when she was sure he was calm.


“Mom made me a necklace,” Ryan answered softly and he held it up for Ashley to see. She took it delicately in her hands to see that it was made of white beads.


“Ohh…Ryan this is really neat.” Ryan couldn’t help but smile slightly as he nodded.


“She’s always been really good at this kind of things…I should ask her to make you a bracelet or something…cause you’re my friend.”


“Aw…that’s really sweet of you.” Ryan made a face.


“Yeah, but don’t tell anyone okay? It might give Ellie ideas or something…” Ashley laughed.


“I won’t I promise. It will be our little secret.”


“Good.” Just then Ashley saw Wiley’s car pull into the driveway and a trail of cars behind them. She rolled her eyes.


“Well it’s about time,” she muttered. She then looked down at Ryan.


“So what do you say we go greet everybody hmm?”


“Okay,” Ryan agreed and she opened the door and got out with him following right behind her and he immediately let go of her hand just incase Elenore was looking. She went to Nick and slid her arms around him and she looked up at him questioningly.


“They stopped at a circle k for a sodas and snacks. We don’t exactly have food in this house you know.”


“Oh that’s right…someone should go shopping.”


“Mhm it would be a good thing.”


“We can make Kori do it,” Ashley shrugged. Nick chuckled.


“That’s sweet of you.”


“Make Kori do what?” Kori asked warily as she got out of the car and had heard what Ashley had said. Ashley smiled at her sweetly.


“Why, grocery shopping of course!”


“Why me?”


“Cause you’re the oldest, duh. And technically, it’s you who owns the house until I turn seventeen. Mom and dad’s orders.”


“So it’s mine when you want me to do things, but last night you made it perfectly clear that it was half yours too. I see how you are.”


“She’s the baby, she knows how to work things” AJ replied while chuckling a little. Ashley smiled innocently at her sister and Kori rolled her eyes.


“All right, fine. Fiiine…I’ll go shopping.” AJ raised his eyebrow at this sudden turn around and Kori went and swung her arm around his shoulders.


“But you’re coming with me bro. Start making a list,” She told him while winking and she pulled away and walked toward the house. AJ groaned and Brooke who had walked up to him laughed.


“I guess that’s what you get for opening your mouth.” Once Kori got to the house she realized she doesn’t have a key and rolled her eyes. She turned to Ashley who had noticed this problem long before Kori had and was just standing there watching her in amusement.


“I was wondering how you were planning on getting in the house.” Nick laughed.


“Little sisters,” he muttered, totally feeling for Kori, as he knows exactly how it feels to be picked on by the younger siblings. Ashley stuck her tongue out at him playfully and then skipped on over to the door to let her irritated sister in. Kori stood there as Ashley took the silver chain necklace that she had placed her key on off of her and she began to unlock the door.


“We’ll definitely be making copies of that,” She informed. Ashley raised her eyebrow.


“Does that mean you’re finally accepting your inheritance?”


“The house is yours,” Kori insisted. “But I would like a way to get in the house when I decide to visit you, you know.”


“The house is ours whether you want to accept that or not. So sure, I will make you a key” Ashley insisted and she gently pushed past her sister and went inside. Kori rolled her eyes and she turned and looked at everybody else.


“You all can come in if you’d like – we’ll show you around,” she called out to them and as Nick and AJ began ushering them all in Kori turned and followed her sister into the kitchen.


“The sooner you get it into your head that I am living in New Jersey, the more easier for you it will be.”


“Mom and dad died believing you would come back to us, that has to mean something. I’m carrying on the tradition.”


“Ashley…”


“You know what I think? Here’s what I think. You’ll go back to New Jersey because you’re stubborn and a pain in the ass. You’ll go back there and be there for awhile and then when you realize this is where you belong you’ll pack up everything and come back. And I’ll be here waiting for you when you do. Just know that.” Kori opened her mouth to protest but Ashley who had done what she came into the kitchen to do – which was to set her bag down on the counter, turned around and walked back out to go show everybody around. Kori groaned and then followed her out there. She followed them around through out the whole house except for when Ashley opened the door to their parents’ room and allowed everybody to go in and look – she hung back in the hall and waited. When everybody was finished looking around, they went back down to the kitchen.


“This is such a beautiful house Kori and Ashley,” Riley insisted. “I can see your mom was really into the old fashioned country home style.” Ashley smiled and nodded.


“That and she loved blue.”


“I see that,” Howie replied while looking around the house in amusement.


“I like how you can still feel the warmth…even after all this time,” Doctor Johnson added and AJ nodded.


“I know right? I told her the same exact thing.”


“It’ll be even more comfortable once we get it cleaned,” Ashley replied as she ran her finger over the top of the microwave and held it out for everybody to see the dust and she made a face.


“Mom would throw a fit if she knew people were in her dirty house.” Brian chuckled.


“Well then, I guess we should get busy,” He replied, as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into a hug. Ashley nodded dutifully.


“We’ll make with what we have for now…I’m not sure what that is but Kori I’m pretty sure you will have to add cleaning supplies to the list.” Kori nodded and gave AJ a look. AJ scowled and she smiled at him innocently and handed him her notepad and pen.


“You wanted to bond with me…well now’s your chance. Add Christmas lights to the list. Who knows what condition our current lights are in after all these years.” Ashley smiled some and she wrapped her arms around AJ and hugged him. “Is Momma Denise coming over? Where’d she go?”


“She went home for a bit, but I did give her the directions to the house – she does want to stop by, so yeah probably later. What kind of food do we all want?” He questioned, and everybody began listing things.


“And don’ts forgets chocolate milk,” Dakota reminded and AJ chuckled and added chocolate milk to the list and he turned and showed it to her.


“There we go it’s written down. We won’t forget.” Dakota made a face.


“You know I can’ts read Uncle AJ…”




“It says it sweetie, trust me. I promise you I won’t forget your chocolate milk. Infact, it will be the first thing that I get when I get there,” he reassured and he bent down and placed his hands to her cheeks, gently squeezed them so her lips were puckered and she giggled as he leaned forward and gave her a peck on the lips.


“Okay,” she replied satisfied and he chuckled and stood up.


“I love how easy it is to please you Kota.” Dakota smiled up at him and Ashley playfully scooped her up in her arms cradling her before blowing raspberries on her neck and spinning her around and she erupted with laughter.


“Asheeeee!” She shrieked. Ashley giggled and stopped and she planted a kiss on her forehead.


“Come help me look for the radio – we have to put on some Christmas Tunes,” she insisted and she shifted Dakota so she was rested on her hip and she bounded out of the kitchen making Dakota laugh even more, clearly enjoying Ashley’s playful mood. Nick who was also enjoying this side of his girlfriend grinned and looked at everybody else who were watching in amusement.


“She’s ba-aaack….” Kori spoke in an eerie tone and Brian laughed as he found that to be such a natural sisterly thing to say.


“I wish we found out about this house a long time ago,” Nick insisted and he grinned to himself before looking at Kevin who was sitting at the table with Elenore in his lap.


“Kevin I think if we’re going to be spending a lot of time here, we need security. Especially if Ashley wants to start sleeping here some nights in the future. We could maybe set up cameras outside, and use that big screen TV there, for now. Is that okay Kor?” Kori shrugged.


“Yeah sure, fine with me. Anything to keep my sister safe.” Just then, Ashley returned and she set the radio on the counter, plugged it in, and she turned the stations until she was on the holiday station before turning it up. She beamed in satisfaction. Kevin got on his cell phone then and began to call Q. When Kori and AJ had finished making up their shopping list AJ looked at Ashley.


“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” Ashley shook her head.


“Why do you think I’m making Kori do it?”


“Because you like to torture me” Kori replied and Ashley nodded.


“Mhm – how’d you guess?” she teased. Kori stuck her tongue out at her and she looked at Spencer who was sitting in a chair next to Kevin.


“Spencer how about you come with me?” She asked, wanting to spend sometime with her son.


“Okay,” Spencer shrugged and he stood up and went and stood next to Kori. Kori took his hand and after saying their good-byes, they walked out of the house. AJ hugged Brooke and brushed his lips lightly over hers.


“Are you coming?”


“Nope, I think I’m going to let you have bonding time with your sister.” AJ made a face.


“No really. You can come you know…”


“Nah…then Jaime would have to come, and Peyton…and we don’t really need that many people going to the grocery store.” AJ pouted.


“Oh all right,” He replied, and he brushed his lips lightly over hers. She slid her arms around his waist and kissed him back and just as they pulled apart Kori honked the horn. AJ rolled his eyes.


“I’M COMING! Sheesh…” He shouted toward the door and he went over to Laila who was sitting on the floor playing with some toys that Ashley had brought down for her and he gathered her and her blanket up in his arms before leaving the house. Ashley beamed in utmost satisfaction at her work and Nick laughed.


“They’re going to have sooo much fun,” she announced and then she turned and began to get cleaning supplies out.


“Who wants to bet that Kori will come home fuming?” Brian suddenly asked and Nick smirked.


“Whoever loses the bet has to buy everybody pizza and ice cream – and I’m betting AJ will be more pissed off then Kori.”


“You’re on.” Riley shook her head.


“Men and their bets…”


“I’m going with Brian on this. Kori has quite the temper,” Doctor Johnson replied.


“I’ll side with Nick,” Brandon replied. “To even things out.”


“Awesome,” Brian replied. “Anymore takers? Two more.”


“AJ,” Peyton replied.


“Kori,” Jaime added.


“Sweet! It’s a bet then,” Brian replied in amusement. Kevin, Howie, and Riley all rolled their eyes.