Chapter Three-Hundred-Eight
When The Richardson and Littrell Clan finished their breakfast and Kevin, Elenore, Jerald, and Tim were all dressed for the day – Elenore in a cute Christmas dress as per usual and her adorable saddle shoes, Tim and Jerald escorted their brother and niece to Kevin’s house.
“So you are finally going to let me step foot in my own house, eh?” Kevin asked, his voice dripping with half sarcasm and half amusement.
“Yes we suppose so,” Tim grinned.
“Will I still recognize it?”
“Nope, not at all” Jerald teased. “We tore the thing down and remodeled the whole place. You’ll think you are in the wrong neighborhood.” Kevin narrowed his eyes and Tim laughed hysterically.
“Mom was involved in this so I know I’m not going to be the only child after today.”
“Psh are you kidding me? You should’ve seen mom driving the wrecking ball into your house – she totally demolished the whole thing.” Jerald insisted.
“In two seconds flat” Tim added.
“But don’t worry son we took pictures before we destroyed it – you’ll always have it to look back on” Ann added, joining in on the teasing. Kevin shook his head and looked down at Elenore who was holding his and Jerald’s hand as she walked between them. They chose to walk to Kevin’s house, as it is only five minutes away.
“I think they’re pulling our leg Ellie, what about you?” Elenore looked up at Kevin, tilting her head to the side in confusion.
“Buts…I don’t feel them pullin’ our legs Kevy...” Kevin, Jerald, Tim, and Ann all laughed this time and Elenore looked around at them all while smiling a little and giving them a what did I say kind of look.
“It’s a figure of speech sweetheart. He meant we’re teasing him” Tim explained.
“Ohhh…”
“When someone says ‘we’re just pulling your leg’ or like what Kevin said ‘I think they’re pulling our leg Ellie, what do you think?’ It means teasing – making fun in a friendly way.” Tim added and Elenore nodded.
“Gots it.” Kevin grinned as he looked down at Elenore every now and then as they walked with so much pride in his eyes. Man does he love that little girl.
“Are you pullin’ our legs?” She asked suddenly and she looked up at her two Uncles and Grandmother.
“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?” Jerald asked before winking at her and she giggled. After a few moments of walking they were finally at Kevin’s house and much to his relief he saw that it was still standing. It’s a big two-story house made of bricks. There are lots of big trees surrounding it as well giving it a very private look and most importantly, it has a big gate around it and the gates are much too tall for Elenore to even attempt to climb. There is even a security booth at the only entrance to the place but since Kevin hasn’t been at his house in ages, there’s been no need for security. Kevin went inside the security booth, punched in the code, and then suddenly the gate began to open.
“If we start spending more time here again, we’re going to need security back to controlling these gates – especially with Ellie around” he commented when he came back out. Jerald, Tim, and Ann all three nodded but otherwise said nothing, as they didn’t want to give anything away. Jerald does however have an opinion about it just waiting at the tip of his tongue for the right opportune moment. When the gate was fully open they went inside and Kevin pushed it closed with the remote control that he was now holding and he lifted Elenore into his arms and placed her on his hip as he carried her toward the front door. When they got there he looked at Jerald and waited patiently for him to let him into his own house. Jerald couldn’t help but snicker at the sight before proceeding to do so. When the door was unlocked he twisted the knob and pushed it open and they went inside. Kevin looked around and was also relieved to see that everything was in the exact condition he left it in. He looked at his family with questioning eyes.
“Go on upstairs and take a look around” was all Tim said. Kevin rolled his eyes at them and was growing more anxious by the minute and he carried Elenore upstairs with his mother and brothers trailing behind them. When he was up there and standing in the hallway he noticed the one and only bedroom in the hallway that is closed and it says Ellie on it in blue wooden letters and they even went as far as putting a red Christmas bow on it. Kevin looked at them with wide eyes as he now caught on to their secret and they grinned at him and motioned for him to go on. He carried Elenore down the hall to the bedroom that was located just diagonal from Kevin’s and he grabbed hold of the knob, twisted it open and when he did Elenore gasped as she took a look around at what is obviously her very own room. There is a bed pushed up against the left corner of her room against the wall and it is made up of a blue comforter and pillow with an all over print of each turtle and it says stuff such as TMNT and Cowabunga on it. The walls have been painted a light shade of blue and on the wall that the side of the bed is up against has Leonardo and Raphael painted on it in which they’re hugging and you can see just the side view of their faces. On the wall above the headboard to her bed they painted all of the turtles standing together. Michaelangelo is standing on the left, Raphael is on the right, and Leonardo is standing in between them with his arms wrapped around them both while Donatello is standing partly in a sewer holding the lid over his head. The nightstand beside the bed – which has a red table cloth over it to match her red headboard and bed frame, there is a TMNT alarm clock and a little lamp and on the floor in front of a door they put a rug with Raphael’s face on it. There’s a television, and dresser, closet, and on another wall they hung some shelves so she can put things on them – and a stuffed animal hammock in the right corner of her room too. Elenore gaped at it in both surprise and admiration.
“All of this…is for me?” she whispered.
“Of course it’s for you. Know any other Ellie that would have her name on the outside of a bedroom door?” Jerald teased gently and she giggled.
“No, just me.”
“That’s right. Do you like it?”
“I LOVES it!!!” she exclaimed and she squirmed her way down from Kevin’s arms and went into the room and began to check everything out in amazement. Tim, Jerald, and Ann looked at Kevin then who suddenly pulled all three of them into a hug.
“Thank you guys so much! It’s so awesome…you did all of this? How on earth did you paint those turtles on the walls?”
“Well that was Brandon’s doing” Tim admitted. “But the rest is our creation – and Aunt Jackie helped a lot too and Harry.”
“And you did this without even knowing for sure I was going to adopt her?” He asked in amusement.
“Oh please, we knew you would” Jerald rolled his eyes. “Just not on Christmas Eve – that was a surprise. We were planning to keep you out of your house until you eventually did so you had no way out anyway if you wanted to come home.” Kevin shook his head smiling.
“I love you guys for this. This saves me a lot of time trying to do this myself.”
“We left her some wall space to hang her favorite posters or what not on – and if she runs out of wall space, she could always use the closet” Ann pointed out.
“But there is a catch to all of this” Jerald spoke up, and Kevin looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
“You have to move back into this house and live here instead of in the Orphanage – like a real family. I am not living in this house by myself.” Kevin chuckled.
“Don’t worry I was planning on it.”
“Good.”
“And hopefully Ellie’s new friend will some how help me get her to sleep without Josh” he whispered quietly so only the adults would be able to hear. “Otherwise we’re going to have to work something out.”
“I wonder if she actually has to have him in the room with her to sleep…” Tim replied as he wrapped his arms around his two brothers and guided him out of earshot of the five year old and Ann followed. “What if we set it up on her TV so that she could see him and give them walkie talkies or something so that they can talk to one another and everything?”
“I don’t know…she’s gotten pretty accustomed to being able to reach out and touch him when she needs to for reassurance.”
“Your idea could work some day Tim, but I think she needs to go through a few therapy sessions before it does. Baby steps. Personally I think you guys should start slowly pulling them away from each other” Ann replied.
“I think Josh could use some therapy too. Ellie is not the only one who clings” Jerald replied.
“Yeah Brian plans on having him see Ellie’s therapist. He’s going to talk to them together and separately” Kevin explained.
“When is their first appointment?”
“The day after tomorrow.” After letting Elenore spend a little time in her new room they took her to the Orphanage where they met up with Brian, Riley, Josh, Chris, Tyke, Lil’ Rok, and Chance and they had a little puppy gift exchange when they got there for all of the pups. They of course were given new treats, and lots of fun toys. Ashley dragged Kori, Wiley, Spencer, Nick, Dakota, Bella, and Sarah all to hers and Kori’s house so she could spend Christmas with her sister. After a little while of hanging out with Ashley Nick left Marcus with her and took off to spend time with his siblings. Brooke spent time with Peyton and Jaime like she promised since she went to Kentucky to spend Christmas Eve with AJ and they were kind enough to volunteer to stay behind and baby sit the Orphanage for her. Brian and Riley spent the day with the boys with the goal of getting Josh and Chris better aquatinted with Riley. Brandon practically dragged Doctor Johnson home and made him have a day off for the holiday – oh the tragedy right? And the only reason he agreed to let Brandon take him away from the hospital was because Brandon promised him he would let him go later to spend time with Annabelle - his patient in the coma. They’re planning on pulling the plug at midnight if she doesn’t make it through and he pretty much threatened his co-workers with their lives – in so many words if they didn’t call him with an update the minute there is one. Not that any of them took him seriously or anything, as the Doctor wouldn’t hurt a fly. On the contrary, he would probably try to save the insect if it showed any sign of suffering. If you even can save a fly. Doctor Johnson would find away though most likely. Brandon made him a big Christmas dinner and they did their own gift exchange and spent the day remembering Kayline and their mom and dad together. Needless to say it was a very emotional Christmas for the brothers. Both good things and bad came out of it and Doctor Johnson couldn’t deny that it was worth taking the day off. Later on that evening after eating Brandon’s delicious dinner, opening presents, and a long good conversation Brandon personally drove his brother back to the hospital and told him he would stay with him the whole time. As they were walking in Ashley who had gotten back with Marcus along time ago (Nick is still out with his siblings) took one look at Doctor Johnson and immediately picked up his emotions despite how good he is at burying them.
“Tonight’s the night isn’t it?” she asked Brandon softly. Brandon nodded.
“I told him I would go stay up there with him the whole time. He is going to need all of the support he can get – and I’m sure Annabelle’s family will too.” Ashley looked back at Doctor Johnson then and she walked around Brandon to the older man never taking her eyes off of his and she slid her arms around his shoulders. “Come on” she told him gently and she led him toward the hospital wing with Brandon standing dutifully on the other side.
“Ash you don’t have to sit up there all night with me…”
“No, but I want to. I want to be there to see you create another miracle” Ashley insisted while resting her head against his shoulder. “Because I know you will.”
“I’m not going to get my hopes up” Doctor Johnson insisted.
“Well then I’m just going to have to hope for you.”
“You shouldn’t. You are only going to set yourself up for disappointment.” Abruptly, Ashley gently shoved the man she considers here hero up against the wall.
“Will you snap out of it? I hate it that you don’t have faith in yourself. Absolutely hate it. You are a brilliant Doctor, damnit! I would not be standing here right now if it weren’t for you.”
“If I am so brilliant then why hasn’t she pulled through yet?!”
“Maybe she just isn’t ready yet. Maybe she is as stubborn as I am.”
“Or maybe I just failed her the way I failed Kayline.” Brandon sighed heavily.
“Damnit Steve, you were just a kid! You just didn’t have the experience! We were stuck in our basement with no way out it wasn’t your fault!” Doctor Johnson crossed his arms over his chest and looked away.
“Come on…lets just get him up there. He’s going to doubt himself up until the moment she pulls through there is nothing we can say or do to phase him” Ashley replied softly. Brandon wrapped his arm around his brother and Ashley did the same and the two of them brought him up to the hospital wing. Meanwhile back at the Orphanage, Nick walked into the lobby with Aaron and Angel at his side. Aaron is on the phone and Angel immediately took off to find her boyfriend while Nick looked at Marcus the man he entrusted his girlfriend to.
“Where is she?”
“She went up to the hospital wing to show support for Doctor Johnson.”
“Oh that’s right…today is the day isn’t it?” Nick asked and Marcus nodded. Nick shook his head sadly.
“Man I hope everything turns out okay. I hate seeing the J man so broken up over this.”
“Me too” Marcus replied.
“If Ash comes down here will you let her know I’m in the playroom?”
“Of course.”
“Thanks” Nick replied and he walked into the playroom where he found everybody including his children. Sarah and Josh are lying on their stomachs in the art section with coloring books and crayons in front of them and every now and then they are poking one another. Dakota on the other hand is playing with Elenore who’s been babbling about her new room ever since she got back to the Orphanage. Dakota doesn’t mind however, so long as she gets to avoid Josh. Ever since the Mistletoe incident she’s been afraid she might end up stuck in another situation like that. And there is no way that she is kissing Josh in front of everybody. Chris and Spencer are playing cops and robbers with Chris’s new toys. AJ and Laila are playing in her little kiddie pool – which is filled with multi-colored blocks that you would normally see in a ball pit at Mc Donalds and Ryan is lying next to the legs to Howie’s chair and he is writing. The four of them had just gotten back from visiting their mom for Christmas and Ryan is silently venting his pain. When Dakota saw her daddy come in the room she got up from her spot on the floor with Elenore where they’d been playing with her Ninja Turtle figures and she ran on over to him as he sat down in a chair with the grownups. She threw her arms about him and he grinned and gathered her up into his lap.
“Hi precious,” he greeted her with a kiss on her cheek and she nestled into him comfortably as Elenore who had followed her over there crawled into Kevin’s lap.
“Daddy, can I have Beauty & The Beast painted on my walls like Ellie has Raphy an’ Leo on hers?” Nick chuckled.
“You have two people you need to talk to about that sweetheart,” he began. “Sarah for one because it would be her room too, and Brandon would be the one we get to paint it so really it’s up to them.”
“SARAH!” Dakota shouted to her sister across the room – not in a mean obnoxious way, just loud enough to get her attention.
“KOTA!” Sarah called back.
“BEAUTY & BEAST ON MY WALL? PLEASE?” Sarah tilted her head to the side slightly confused at her sister’s question for a moment, and then she understood.
“KAY. ARIEL ON MINE?” Dakota nodded and gave her a thumbs up and she looked up at Nick and beamed and he laughed in amusement.
“Now all you have to do is convince the artist – and you’ll really need to do some convincing because he goes back to school right after New Years.”
“A Disney’s Princess room, a Turtles room, a Batman room…what else do we have going here?” Howie questioned.
“I think Chris has decided on Superman” Brian informed. Howie laughed.
“Four children, four different personalities, yet they all still get a long fairly well.”
“Three different personalities. I like to think Josh and Ellie’s personalities make one” Brian replied.
“Yeah I have to agree. They’re exactly alike in every single way – hence the fighting” Kevin added. Elenore blushed somewhat as she tried to blend into Kevin’s chest.
“Are you really going to permanently live in this Orphanage, Nick?”
“That’s the plan” Nick grinned as he looked at Brooke who nodded fervently.
“Damn straight. There is no way I am letting one of my best employees go – Id make Brian move in here too if I could.” AJ laughed.
“You might as well turn an entire floor into an apartment Nick.”
“We don’t need an entire floor. Just two connected rooms would be good.”
“But what about when Bella grows up? She can’t share a room with you two forever.”
“Okay, three connected rooms then. Kev you’re moving Ellie into your house right?”
“I don’t have a choice” Kevin chuckled. “Jer is for one demanding that I move back into a house like a regular family and my family created such a wonderful room for Ellie. They pretty much reeled me in for good.”
“Then we could make a door in between mine and Ellie’s old room and turn it into Bella’s nursery.”
“What are you going to do with all of the children on that floor while all of that construction is going on?” Wiley wanted to know and he looked at Brooke.
“I’m thinking everybody beyond Sarah and Dakota’s room will be moved down so they’re on the other side of Ellie’s old room and we’re going to forbid them to go anywhere near the construction.”
“That works.”
“And when are we starting this?”
“Right after New Years.”
“The same time we’re going to open auditions for the play? Wow…we’re going to be busy” Brian replied.
“Yeah, but maybe that will distract curious children.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile upstairs, when Ashley, Brandon, and Doctor Johnson had gone to Annabelle’s room they discovered Annabelle’s sister, daughter, mother, and mother all in there sitting around them having their Christmas. Doctor Johnson introduced them all to his brother and Ashley and they welcomed them both with open arms, telling them that maybe if there are more people supporting Annabelle, then maybe some how she would feel it and pull through.
“I just want to thank-you Doctor Johnson…” Lindy, Annabelle’s mother spoke up. “I’ve never seen a doctor so dedicated to his patients. You always seem to be around all the time checking up on her an stuff…it means a lot to us.”
“He’s great like that isn’t he?” Ashley asked while sliding her arms around Doctor Johnson’s waist and she looked up at him.
“He’s wonderful. I’ve never seen such a kinder man as he.” Ashley looked up at Doctor Johnson with do you see how grateful these people are? and he looked away, going over to check on Annabelle’s machines and such.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
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