Chapter Two-Hundred-Thirty-Nine
The next day, Ashley and Nick ended up waking up just thirty minutes before the sun came up just like they had planned. They got dressed and then took the kids – all three still sleeping and went to Ashley’s house to spend the day. Nick and Ashley spent the morning watching the sunrise together out in the backyard while the kids all slept, and then Nick made breakfast and by the time the smell started filling the house, the kids had awoken. They ate breakfast, and then spent all day playing board games and watching Christmas movies as a family. Ashley got out all of the stuff to make cookies, and she, Dakota, and Sarah all made cookies together while Nick played with the baby. By the time three o’ clock rolled around, just as Ashley said they could they headed back to the Orphanage so that Nick could get Dakota and Bella ready to go to the game. He invited Sarah to go a long, but she showed absolutely no interest in football, and requested to stay behind to play with Josh. Nick insisted upon taking Bella seeing as how Ashley can’t really care for her on her own at the moment.
“Buts daddy, isn’t Joshy gonna comes with us? Cause he doesn’t likes to leave Ellie?” Dakota asked softly when she knew Sarah was gone, not really liking it that Sarah was going to be spending time with Josh without her there. Sure Howie reassured her that Josh likes her and not Sarah but still.
“No baby, it’s just going to be Ellie and Spencer. I think Brian has other plans for Josh here.” Dakota frowned some and Nick rested his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes with a knowing smile.
“Come on honey. If I have to work on fighting my jealousy problem, you do too.”
“It’s not that easy,” Dakota pouted.
“I know baby. Trust me, I know now. I’m sorry I was rough on you in the past. Sometimes it takes an experience for daddy to see the bigger picture.” Dakota nodded, completely understanding.
“That’s what Uncle Brian saids.”
“Oh he did, did he?” Nick asked while looking at her with the silliest look he could muster and she giggled.
“Uh-huhs.” Nick chuckled and he kissed her forehead softly.
“Well, I do want you to know that you’re doing a really good job lately” He told her more seriously this time. “I’m proud of you for getting a long with Sarah the way you have.”
“It gets easier everyday. I’ll share her withs you, but I don’ts like her near my Joshy so much.” Nick chuckled.
“Well, baby, you’re just going to have to learn to deal with that.”
“Why?”
“Because Josh thinks of her as a really good friend, and if you act jealous like that it always comes back to haunt you. You gotta let him have his friends.”
“Likes Ashee and Brandon?”
“Exactly like Ashley and Brandon. I acted jealous the way you are, and look where that got me? It wasn’t fun was it?”
“No it was not. You hurteds Ashee’s feelings an’ it made me very sad.”
“Yes I did and I felt very horrible for doing so. Don’t you think that if you repeated my mistakes it would make Josh’s feelings get hurt?”
“I don’ts wanna hurteds Joshy’s feelings.”
“Then I think you know what you need to do.”
“Lets Sarah plays with him.”
“Mhm. No matter how tough it is. But baby I assure you, Sarah is very much aware about your feelings for him and wouldn’t do anything to upset you.”
“What feelings?” Dakota asked, playing the denial card and Nick chuckled.
“The feelings that you won’t admit to even though the whole world already knows about them.”
“Your crazy daddy. I don’ts know what you are talking about.”
“Okay,” Nick laughed, shaking his head. “But anyway, while I’ve got you here talking about Sarah I have an important question to ask you.” Dakota raised her eyebrow.
“I want an honest answer out of you. Whether it’s good or bad, don’t be afraid to tell me. I want to know how you are really feeling. Okay? I won’t get mad.”
“Kay…” Dakota replied skeptically. “What’s you wanna know?”
“How you would feel if I made Sarah your sister some day soon? Like really soon.” Dakota looked at him in a deep silence for a long while and then she looked down at her hands, folding them and unfolding them in her lap. Some how she knew this was coming. She could just feel it. But it still managed to catch her off guard. Nick waited patiently, not wanting to push her.
“Can I have a day to thinks about it?” She asked quietly after awhile.
“Absolutely. There is no rush,” Nick insisted, and she slid her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. She knew the day was coming that her daddy would want to adopt Sarah and make her, her sister and she’s been trying her very hardest to prepare herself for it. But she didn’t think it was coming so soon. Nick glanced at Ashley briefly through the mirror as he noticed her come in when he had popped the question and she gave him a comforting look, mouthed the word ‘patience honey’ and then turned and walked out of the bathroom again. Nick kissed Dakota’s forehead softly, and then proceeded to put the other half of her hair up into a second ponytail so that she was wearing pigtails and he tied red and black ribbons in it. He had dressed her in a little Buccaneers cheerleader uniform and black low top converse shoes with white socks and red and black shoelaces. He usually goes all out on dressing her up when he takes her to the games, which he’s done a lot in the past and Dakota enjoys it just as much as he does. His love for the Bucs has really rubbed off on her and everybody has made sure to remind him of that frequently. It only makes him even more proud though. When he finished up with her hair he smiled at her and gathered her up in his arms.
“Come on Princess. Let’s go check on Bells now,” he told her gently and he carried her out of the bathroom. When they entered the bedroom they were surprised to see AJ sitting on the bed next to Ashley and he had just finished dressing Bella for her. She is wearing an infant sized one-piece creeper dress with the Buccaneers logo on the front of it. It’s and black, and has cute little black bows on it. It’s a hand-me-down from Dakota.
“Well Nick, looks like you’ve got another Bucs fan in the making,” AJ began the commenting and Nick smirked.
“Damn straight.” AJ chuckled, and Nick placed Dakota up on his shoulders.
“We could use more of those. Right Kota?”
“Right!” Dakota insisted cheerfully. “Go Bucs!”
“That’s right, Go Bucs!” Nick encouraged, and in sauntered Elenore in the same outfit. The only slight difference between the two is that Dakota’s top part was in white, and Elenore’s was black. Kevin had also just put Elenore’s hair up into one ponytail with a Buccaneers scrunchie and she was wearing her black and white saddle shoes with her bells still attached to the laces. Ashley laughed.
“Aww, don’t you look cute Ellie.” Elenore beamed and Nick whirled around to look at her and Dakota squealed in delight.
“Now we can be twins!” she insisted.
“Yeah!” Elenore agreed. “An’ we can makes up cheers an’ everything!”
“Yeah!” Dakota replied readily. AJ shook his head, highly amused at the little Buccaneer fans that his bandmates have turned his nieces into. What he thinks is really amusing though, is that Kevin spent four years teasing Nick and now he is doing the very same thing. Hypocrite. Just then, Kevin walked into the room with Jerald at his side. Kevin is wearing a Buccaneers cap and hoodie. Jerald however, was sporting a buccaneer’s hoodie and a Steelers cap, as he doesn’t have a particular liking in either of the teams. He is from Kentucky, and supports the Kentucky team but he wants to go and watch his niece at her first football game and hang out with his brother, so he is going to remain neutral.
“Jer man, has anyone told you that you don’t exactly match?” AJ questioned immediately upon seeing him.
“Yup. I’m not really a fan of either teams, so I’m going neutral.”
“Okay, just checking.”
“Where’d you get the cheerleader’s uniform, Kev? You had to of just bought that” Nick questioned.
“We went on a Mall run today,” Kevin shrugged.
“Hypocrite!” AJ spoke in a fake cough and Kevin narrowed his eyes at him, knowing exactly what he had said, and the meaning behind it. Ashley reached over and lightly smacked him upside the head and he looked at her, his mouth dropping in shock. Kevin looked at her appreciatively.
“Anyway, it’s about time to go. Where are the Steeler fans?”
“Across the hall, most likely” Ashley answered.
“Are you ready to go Nick?”
“Not quite, but almost” Nick insisted, and with Dakota still placed securely on his shoulders, he went over to Bella and placed some little Buccaneer socks on her feet and a Buccaneers Pacifier in her mouth and Ashley handed him the blue baby sling. He put it on before AJ helped him put Bella inside it. When they finished he looked at Kevin beaming.
“Now I am.”
“Don’t forget Bella’s diaper bag Nicky, or you will be utterly lost” Ashley reminded while placing the diaper bag on his shoulder.
“Or her carseat,” AJ added and he got up and grabbed it so he could help him carry it down to the car. Ashley got up as well and followed them all out of the room just as Scott and Spencer walked out into the hall as well.
“Ready?” Kevin asked them, and Scott nodded, as he too had Spencer up on his shoulders. Spencer was sporting a Steelers hoodie, while Scott wore a jersey. When they all got outside, Ashley went with Nick and AJ to his car and Ashley helped the boys buckle the carseat in, as she can see they’re both a little rusty when it comes to babies. Which is understandable seeing as how it’s been four years. When they had both girls settled in the backseat, Nick closed the door and turned and slid his arms around Ashley’s waist and he kissed her forehead softly.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay with Bella?” Ashley asked protectively.
“Yeah, fine. Why wouldn’t I be? I took care of Kota didn’t I?”
“Well…yeah…but that was four years ago. And she is very high maintenance.”
“We’ll be fine,” Nick insisted, making a silly face and she couldn’t help but smile at him.
“Okay…”
“I love you,” he told her, and he placed his hand to her cheek and brushed his lips lightly over hers.
“Love you too,” Ashley insisted when they pulled apart.
“I have my cell phone if you need me,” he reminded her as he walked around to the driver's side.
“Kay,” she replied and she watched as he got in the car and drove out of the parking lot with Kevin leading the way, Scott in the middle, and Nick behind them all. AJ went up beside her and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
“Come on hon, lets get you inside.” Ashley allowed him to lead her back into the Orphanage and when they got in there she found Brandon and Doctor Johnson standing there in the lobby.
“Hey Ash, what’s up? Where is Nick?” Brandon asked curiously, as he noticed her come inside.
“He just left to go to a football game,” Ashley answered, smiling some. “Is it all right if we could go work on his surprise now?”
“Are you sure you are up to it?” Brandon questioned warily, his eyes falling to her arm in the cast.
“Yeah, I’m fine. The upside to this stupid gun shot wound of mine is that it’s in the arm that I don’t have to use all the time. I’m right handed.”
“Okay, then yeah I guess that would be fine” Brandon smiled.
“Since Nick isn’t here, can we go out on the playground and work on it? It’s nice outside.”
“That sounds good,” Brandon nodded.
“You go on out there and find a spot and I’ll gather everything up and meet you out there.”
“All right, cool” Ashley replied, and Brandon turned and headed for his studio. Ashley looked at AJ who had gone over to Brooke, and then at Doctor Johnson. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders and steered him toward the playground.
“Soooo Doctor J…how was your date?” She interrogated lightly and Doctor Johnson rolled his eyes.
“Steve Ashley, Steve.” He corrected gently.
“Okay, okay. Sooo Steve…how was your date?”
“It wasn’t a date” Doctor Johnson insisted stubbornly, and Ashley can tell he’s had to say so more then once through out the whole day.
“Did you take her out?”
“Yes.”
“Did you have dinner?”
“A very late one, but yes.”
“Then it was a date.” Doctor Johnson rolled his eyes in defeat as they walked outside.
“So?” She asked, looking up at him as he led him toward the tree she likes sitting under.
“Well, Brooke sent her home early because she wasn’t functioning very well here. So I had to go to her house and pick her up,” Doctor Johnson began his story.
“How did that go? I bet she was surprised to see you on her doorstep at almost one thirty in the morning.”
“That she was. And not very happy with me either because as you know…I’ve been an asshole lately.” Ashley nodded.
“So what did you do about that?”
“I begged her to let me make it up to her with coffee and a late night dinner with Brandon and Peyton. She wasn’t an easy person to win over though, let me tell you. I eventually had to get down on my knees and beg her to go out with me and she laughed at me and told me I was being a ridiculous fool and should get up before she shuts the door and goes back to bed.” Ashley laughed amusedly, but otherwise said nothing, waiting for him to go on with the story.
“So I did and she told me to give her ten minutes to get dressed and all that jazz. So I did and when she was ready we went on our double ‘date’.” Ashley sat down in the grass and she waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she looked at him as he was sitting next to her.
“And?” she asked, prompting him.
“And we had a really great time,” Doctor Johnson answered, making it very clear that he was ending the story. Ashley narrowed her eyes at him, but otherwise let him get away with it. She’ll just have to get the juicy details out of Brandon later.
“Will you be going out again sometime?” She asked, wriggling her eyebrows at him and he chuckled.
“I’m taking her out to dinner just the two of us tomorrow night.” Ashley beamed at him proudly.
“Yay Doc—Steve! That’s awesome! See? I told you, you two would really hit it off if you just gave it a chance.”
“Yeah, yeah, you and Brandon both. It’s been driving me crazy.” Ashley smiled at him and she pat him on the shoulder gently, before sitting there looking around the playground interestedly, just taking in the beautiful weather as she waited for Brandon to join her with the painting supplies. As she sat there quietly looking around, she for the first time noticed that the playground was empty and there wasn’t any kids running around playing. Confused, she looked around all over the place, until she suddenly spotted them all sitting in a circle on the basketball courts with Brian sitting in the middle of them all and they were talking quietly amongst themselves. Ashley raised her eyebrow even more curious.
“What is that man up to now?” She wondered out loud, and Doctor Johnson turned to look also and he chuckled.
“I don’t know, but this isn’t the first time I’ve seen him with a bunch of kids crowded around him. He’s had private meetings with every single kid in the Orphanage so far. But he wont tell any of the adults what he is up to.”
“Interesting…”
“Very.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile over on the Basketball Courts, Brian who was very much aware of their company over on the other side of the playground spoke quietly to the kids surrounding him.
“All right kiddies, listen up. New plan,” he whispered loudly enough for them all to hear, but quiet enough that Ashley and Doctor Johnson couldn’t. They all looked at him interestedly, all of them loving the feeling of having a secret from the rest of the adults.
“We’re going to have to take our meeting to the auditorium. If we worked on our secret here, it would give us away. So I need you all to get up and make a single file line – that would be a perfectly straight line, for those of you who aren’t sure, and we will play follow the leader into the building.” Excited by this new change in plan, everybody jumped up at once and fought with each other to be the first in line so that they would get to be the leader. Brian chuckled and shook his head, before intervening and helping them all into place. When everybody was situated, he looked to the front of the line and smiled at Sarah, who had managed to get the front of the line of all people.
“All right people, the leader is Sarah!” He announced cheerfully. “Everybody follow her into the building, you know the rules right? She is going to do some crazy moves and you all have to copy her. Everybody understand?”
“Yeah!” They all cheered back at him and he smirked. “Okie dokie, ready set go!” Sarah then began to lead the line of children toward the building, doing crazy moves such as holding her arms out like she is flying and running in zigzags as she went, or skipping, hopping like bunny rabbits, crawling, and even leap frogging into the building. All the while, Ashley and Doctor Johnson sat there watching in half amusement an half confusion, the both of them trying to figure out just exactly what Mr. Littrell is up to now.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
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