- Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Chapter Two-Hundred-Fifty-Two



When Kevin and Elenore were done with their bath, Kevin unplugged the water and got out of the tub before grabbing up her big TMNT towel and she stood up allowing him to wrap it around her and gather her into his arms cradling her.


“Buts Kevy, I liked being bubble queen,” she pouted for the third time since he told her it was time to wash the bubbles off and get out. She looked up at him with her lower lip sticking out – she definitely learned that from Dakota.


“Well, now you can just be my little princess” he told her, leaning forward and rubbing his nose lightly over hers and he gave her a peck on her pouty lips. “Which is just as pretty.” Elenore continued to pout.


“Buts Kevy…”


“Ellie we spent an hour in the bathtub. We’ve turned all wrinkly,” he told her holding up her wrinkly hand and she couldn’t help but giggle. He smiled a little, as he loves the sound of her giggles and he kissed her forehead softly as he carried her out of the bathroom.


“Well, I guess I know how to get you to cooperate at bath time,” he spoke more to himself then to her. He set her down on the bed then as she is wrapped up in her towel and he went to his bags and pulled out an outfit that he bought specifically for the Jingle Ball. He pulled out a red thermal top that has a lace shrug and a big red bow in the front of it and long white sleeves, and a blue denim mini skirt that has red embroidery on it. He also pulled out some red lace leggings and little black leather dress shoes, with a t-strap and decorative edge. Elenore eyed the shoes admiringly, as she helped pick them out, but then she remembered something.


“Kevy! How am I gonna wears my bells with those shoes?” she asked worriedly.


“I’m sure if you asked Jerry he would help you figure it out,” he reassured. He got out a clean pair of her underwear then and went over and began to help her get dressed.


“How are we doing your hair for tonight, hmm?” he questioned, and Elenore considered this question with great care.



~*~*~*~*~*~



Meanwhile, down the hall in Ashley and Nick’s room, when Brian walked in he found Laney, Drew, and Q hanging out in the sitting room on the couch. Dakota was snuggled up with Q and Sarah was lying on the floor watching cartoons while Nick was helping Ashley give Baby Bells a bath in the sink. Baby Bells screaming at the top of her lungs, as she is not a very big fan of bath time.

“What are you people doing to my baby?” Brian demanded playfully, and he went over to look.


“Giving her a bath. We’re so horrible we know.”


“What brings you in here Bri?” Ashley asked loudly over Bella’s crying.


“I was thinking about ordering some Panda Express for an early dinner. Do you people want any?”


“Sure, that sounds good” Ashley nodded, after looking at Nick and making eye contact with him.


“Okay cool.”


“You know what Kota will eat and won’t eat and all that jazz, right?” Nick asked, as he was concentrating on washing Bella’s hair.


“Yup. I know my niece pretty well and have her covered.”


No egg rolls,” Dakota reminded over in Q’s lap.


“Aww, why not? That’s the best part of Chinese food right there,” Drew questioned.


“Eggs are icky.” Q chuckled.


“There aren’t any eggs in it honey…they just call it an egg roll.”


“We’ve been trying to tell her that for years and she won’t believe us,” Bran replied.


“Why woulds they call it an egg roll, if it don’ts have eggs in it?”


“Because…they use it as an ingredient when they make the egg rolls. You know, eggs are an important ingredient in a lot of things that you love.”


“Name one.”


“Cookies,” Q answered, resting his forehead against hers, and she gaped at him in disbelief.


“I don’ts ever taste the eggs.”


“Doesn’t mean they aren’t there. But cookies would be pretty icky if they didn’t have them – cake, brownies…”


“Try an egg roll Kota…I bet you’d like it.”


“I bets I wouldn’t.”


“I’ll give you a dollar if you try it,” he bribed.


“Hey. I hear you bribing my little girl over there” Nick scolded. “I may be dealing with a fussy baby, but I can still hear you.”


“I’ll give you a dollar also,” Drew added ignoring Nick.


“Wow Kota, two whole dollars” Brian encouraged.


“Do I have to likes it to gets the two dollars?”


“Nope, you just have to try it.”


“That sounds like a pretty good deal to me, Kota” Brian replied.


“Kay, I’ll do it.”


“Bella Roooose…come on its just water,” Nick pleaded, as the crying was beginning to get to him. “Jeezie cow kid, how you manage to get your milk IN your hair I’ll never know,” he commented, as he worked real hard on trying to get dry milk out of her hair. “You and Kota are a lot alike. No bath kids, and messy kids.”

“It’s our fault,” Ashley replied while giggling. “We’re the ones who propped her bottle into her mouth and let her fall asleep with it.”


“Yes, but still. Kota managed to get some pretty weird things in her hair when she was little too. I’m almost scared to know what will happen when we start giving her baby biscuits.”


“You’ll be giving her more baths?” Ashley asked innocently.


“Oh I’ll be giving them to her huh?”


“Mhm.”


“I see how you are.” Ashley stuck her tongue out at him. When he finally finished up he looked at her.


“Hand me her towel baby.” She picked up the small baby towel then and she and Brian held it open as Nick picked Bella up carefully out of her baby cushion in the sink. “Okay baby…okay Bells it’s all over. You’re okay,” he soothed gently and he turned and placed her in the towel allowing Brian and Ashley to wrap her up and Nick handed her over to Ashley so she was holding her with her one arm. As soon as Ashley had her, she settled down almost instantly.


“There we go…all better…you didn’t like mean ol’ Nicky giving you a bath did you? He’s such a meanie head isn’t he?”


“Heeey!” Nick laughed, and Ashley giggled before walking off toward their bedroom.


“I happen to give great baths, and you know it!” he called after her while following her, as he has to help her get Bella dressed. Brian laughed.


“Too much information Nick!” he shook his head smiling, and decided he would go back to his room and check on his son, as he kind of left him with the one person he has a hard time forgiving. When he got there and walked in, he got the surprise of his life. There sitting in the lazy boy chair was Riley with Josh sitting in the space next to her. His Donald Duck in one arm and the two of them coloring in his Mickey Mouse & Friends coloring book together. Brian stopped short in the doorway and listened, Harry smiling at him some from the couch.


“What is your favorite Disney Character, Riley?” Josh asked softly, as it is very new for him to be talking to her and he is afraid she might start yelling at him, as that is what he is used to her doing. At least, before Brian started getting to know him. He and Chris once secretly nicknamed her Dragon Lady because she was always after them. Sure, they were pretty bad, but still. That’s all they knew her as, as the woman who got them in trouble. She often reminded him of his father who always yelled at him, and so he always kept his distance. But ever since Brian started paying attention to him, and he was forced to be around her more, he was slowly beginning to realize he may have been wrong about her. Riley looked taken aback by his question, but pleased that he had asked.


“Me…I’ve always been a Little Mermaid girl myself…but Minnie Mouse is pretty cool.”


“Kota likes The Little Mermaid,” Josh informed with a small smile.


“Yup, I’ve noticed. I think I’m the one who bought half of her mermaid collection for her.”


“Do you like the Ninja Turtles?”


“I loved them when I was a kid. I was always a Raphael fan like Ellie.” Josh smiled slightly. Any girl who likes Ninja Turtles is pretty good in his book.


“Ninja Turtles are pretty neat, and I love them but Ellie loves them more then I do. I’m more of a Spiderman and Batman kind of kid.”


“I heard about that. Brian says you were wanting to do your room up with mostly Spiderman and Batman stuff.”


“And a little bit of Ninja Turtles. But mostly Spiderman and Batman. I want to put the bat symbol on my wall – an’ I told Brian I want a BatMobile bed. He said he would see what he could do.”


“That would be pretty neat,” Riley mused, the wheels in her head already turning. “I’ll have to hurry him a long with that idea. I think I might be able to figure something out,” she told him while winking at him and Josh looked surprised.


“Really?”


“Of course.”


“Cool…” he grinned. Brian stifled a chuckle as he still remained at the door listening in, afraid to announce his return incase Josh goes back to ignoring Riley. This is the most progress he’s seen in a month and he doesn’t want to ruin it. Just then, Elenore came skipping out of the room, dressed in her Jingle Ball outfit with her hair all done up in ribbons and such. She went on over and climbed up into the chair and sat on the other side of Riley.


“Hiya Joshy, Hi Riley! What’cha coloring?” she asked interestedly.


“Wow Ellie, don’t you look pretty” Riley complimented, and Elenore beamed.


“Thanks.”


“Kevin really goes all out with you, doesn’t he?” She asked amused.


“Yes he does,” Kevin replied proudly, as he walked out of the room dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. Brian decided since the show was pretty much over that he would make his presence be known. He walked into the room and went up to Riley and kissed her cheek before ruffling Josh’s hair.


“I’ve ordered us all some dinner Josh. As soon as it arrives here we’re gonna eat and then I want you to take a quick shower and get dressed and all that jazz okay?” He ordered gently.


“Okay,” Josh replied while smiling some.


“What’s for dinner?” Kevin asked curiously.


“Panda.”


“What’d you get?” Kevin asked, looking over at Elenore skeptically.


“Orange Chicken, Chow Mein, Fried Rice, and Egg Rolls.”


“Okay.”


“And Nick and the gang in Nick’s room are all going to come eat with us.”


“What about Howie and AJ?”


“I ran into Howie in the hallway – he took their kids to Peter Piper Pizza and he told me AJ is in their room doing questionable things on his webcam with Brooke.”


“Oh lord…”


“Yeah,” Brian replied, and he went into Josh’s room to pick out his clothes for him to change into later. Riley looked down at the kids then.


“Hey Ellie, how about you finish coloring this for me? Would that be okay?”


“Okay,” Elenore replied readily, and Riley got up before sitting the coloring book that she and Josh were sharing into Elenore’s lap instead and she handed her, her box of crayons before disappearing in the kids’ room where Brian had gone.


“Hey, you tooks Donald!” Elenore spoke when she noticed Josh holding him.


“Yes because he is my Donald Ellie, see?” He asked, turning his stuffed Donald over so she could see the tag where Brian had written a ‘J’ on it.


“They were having a play date Joshy…duh! An’ you interrupted it!”


“Because he’s mine an’ I wanted him, Ellie.”


“Play date ruiner.”


“I am not a play date ruiner!”


“Are so


“Are not!”


“Are so! You’re meanie play date ruiner!”


“It’s my toy!”


“Well, too bad I had him first!” Josh rolled his eyes and lightly punched Elenore in the shoulder. Elenore scowled and punched back.


“You stops that right now Joshy! I may be in a skirt but I can still kicks your butt better then anybody’s!”


“Can not!”


“Can to!”


“NOT.”


“TO. Don’t even try me Joshua Littrell cause I will!” a smirk played across Josh’s lips then, and he lifted his leg up and turned and kicked her in the side.


“AHH!” she yelled, and she dove toward him knocking the coloring book to the floor and spilling her crayons all over the place as they too crashed to the floor and she tackled him sending him flying onto the floor as well landing on his back with her on top.


“I tolds you! I tolds you not to try me!” she exclaimed, as they rolled around on the floor wrestling with each other. Josh kicked and squirmed his way free and he jumped up and ran off. Elenore got to her feet and dove after him, the two of them running over, under, and around things and Kevin and Harry just standing there watching them.


“Shouldn’t we break it up?” Harry asked amusedly.


“Nah that would be useless,” Kevin laughed. “We’ve learned that if they feel the need to wrestle with each other…just let them do it so long as they aren’t seriously trying to hurt each other. That’s just them and how they are with each other and there’s nothing we can do about it.”


“Kind of reminds me of my brother and I back in the day,” Harry chuckled. Just then the door opened and Josh and Elenore who had been heading that way ran past Nick and out in the hall and Kevin raised his eyebrow.


“Okay that is when we need to intervene!” He announced. “ELLIE, JOSH GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!” he shouted, and he and Harry ran after them, Nick turning and joining. When they got out there, they found the two of them had run straight into Q and Jerald’s arms and were still struggling to attack each other even though the two men were standing a good distance apart.


“LET – ME – AT – THAT – GOOD – FOR – NOTHING – LE-O-NAR-DO!” Elenore shouted between grunts and squirms as she tried to break free.


“NOO…LET ME AT THAT RAPHAEL!” Josh shouted back.


“Calm down little Raphael, calm down” Jerald spoke up. “Why don’t you tell your Master Splinter what the problem is here?” He asked, playing along as he usually does. Josh and Elenore fell silent suddenly, as they tried to remember just exactly what it was that caused the wrestling.


“She STOLE my Donald Duck!” Josh accused when he suddenly remembered.


“I DIDN’TS steals it, they were having a PLAY DATE!” Q raised his eyebrow.


“Who was having a play date?” he asked, trying to understand.


“My Donald an’ his Donald,” Elenore answered simply. “An’ the chipmunk dolls too!” Jerald stifled a laugh. Only a little girl would come up with that.


“Well…did you organize this play date with Josh’s Donald Duck without asking him first by any chance?”


“No…” Elenore answered innocently.


YES! ” Josh snapped. She scowled at him.


You’re a play date ruiner!”


“I AM not! He is MY Donald Duck, I am allowed to take MY Donald Duck when I FEEL like it!”

“Josh, calm down buddy, calm down” Q insisted.


“Ellie you can’t just take his Donald Duck without asking first sweetheart,” Jerald added.


“Sure I can.”


“No, you can’t honey. His Donald Duck is important to him, just like your stuff is important to you. You wouldn’t want him taking your toys without asking first would you?”


No,” Elenore sighed moodily.


“Then maybe you should respect his property and ask him for permission next time. You and Josh are pretty close…I’m sure if you asked, he would let you play with them.” Elenore crossed her arms over her chest while looking over at Josh resentfully. Jerald smiled and shook his head and he lifted his future niece up so instead of being held sideways against his waist, she was upward and facing him and he rubbed his nose lightly over hers, making her calm down slightly.


“Where are your bells hmm? I’ll help you put them on.”


“I dropped them on the floor by the chair when Joshua mades me tackle him.” Josh cringed at the sound of her calling him that. He knows he’s in trouble when she doesn’t use his nickname. Jerald shook his head in amusement and he carried Elenore back into his Penthouse. Q handed Josh over to Kevin and he followed his brother, as did Nick. When Jerald and Elenore were back in their Penthouse, he went over to the chair, bent down and picked the bells up and he carried her to his room that he shares with Kevin and searched for a string.


“Panda Express is here!” Q announced a few moments later. “Don’t worry about it Bri, I already paid the man and he left” he added.


“Damnit Q, you didn’t need to do that!” they heard Brian protest.


“Of course I did.”