Chapter Three-Hundred-Seventeen
“So guess what I found out you guys,” Max announced as he walked into Sean and Trevor’s Lake House and discovered the couple sitting together on the couch eating their late lunch. When he really took a look at them though he suddenly noticed Trevor’s arm and paused. “What happened to you?”
“Nevermind that, what did you find out?” Trevor questioned evasively.
“A bunch of the baddies that are after you teamed up together, dragged Scott to a dark ally between the mall and orphanage, and beat the shit out of him and he’s just been hospitalized in Ramsey.”
“What the hell? Is this everybody screw things up for Sean and Trevor day?” Sean asked irritably as he rubbed his hand over Trevor’s arm affectionately.
“I don’t think it really had much to do with you this time,” Max replied as he watched the affectionate action and wondered again just exactly what happened to Trevor’s arm.
“Why not?” Trevor asked curiously.
“Well because Scott betrayed these particular guys who beat him up. Word is going around that he gave Detective Stabler their names. That he gave him a list of names of all the people who are connected with you and they were interrogated. They attacked Scott for their own reasons, not because of you.”
“But it still fucking affects us, doesn’t it? we’ll be blamed for it and it will give those blasted Detectives another reason to come after us.” Max shrugged not knowing what to say and the three of them sat in silence or a couple of moments, Max eyeing Trevor’s arm, Trevor and Sean in their own deep thoughts.
“Okay, I have a job for Conner,” Sean announced after awhile and Max and Trevor looked at him skeptically. Sean got up then ignoring their looks and went off in search of a notepad.
“Sean…” Trevor began.
“Shut up Trevor” Sean snapped while disappearing in the office. When he returned he had a folded up piece of paper in his hand and he brought it over to Max.
“Tell Conner that he is to some how make it so Scott gets this note.”
“How is Conner supposed to get this note to him without blowing his cover?”
“I don’t know, be creative. Make him stumble across it somehow…have a child in the orphanage pick it up and see his name on it and be like here this has your name on it I don’t care just make sure he sees the note.”
“Okay” Max replied. “I’ll take it to him now.” Sean nodded and Max turned and left the house.
“Are you going to share with me what the note says now or what?” Trevor asked and Sean resumed his place next to him and proceeded to tell him.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile at the park Aaron was sitting on top of the picnic table Indian style and he was watching Conner skateboard around the place with Rosalie standing on the board with him as he holds her hands. Aaron couldn’t help but smile a little upon seeing the huge grin on Rosalie’s face. He admires the fact that she is still able to smile after losing so much. He sat there watching them play for awhile, until suddenly the seven year old got bored of skateboarding and looked up at her brother.
“Conner will you push me on the swings?” She asked hopefully and he opened his mouth to reply when his phone rang. Sighing he reached into his pocket and pulled it out and he looked at the caller ID and saw that it’s Max.
“How about you ask Aaron?” Conner asked her and he smiled at her to mask his fear. Rosalie turned her attention on Aaron then and Aaron grinned at her.
“Sure thing buddy, lets go” he replied while getting up from the table and hopping down so he is standing next to her and he took her hand and together they hurried off to the swings. Conner flipped open is phone and placed it to his ear.
“What? You picked a really awful time to call me.”
“Yeah I see that and I’m sorry but you handled it well anyway.” Conner raised his eyebrow and looked around the park.
“What do you mean you see that? Are you here?”
“Yes I’m over by the bathrooms.” Conner whirled around then and sure enough there Max was hidden behind a wall near the bathrooms.
“What are you doing here? What do you want?”
“Come over here I need to talk to you.”
“And how am I supposed to explain you to Aaron?”
“Act like you’re going to the bathroom.” Conner rolled his eyes and hung up his phone and he looked at Aaron who was pushing Rosalie on the swing but looking back at him curiously.
“I’ll be over there to join you both in a minute – I have to use the restroom” Conner called and then turned around and walked into the bathroom. Aaron looked at Rosalie but in the corner of his eye he noticed a man follow him in there.
“What? This better be important!” Conner snapped when Max walked in.
“Sean has another job for you” Max replied and he held out the note that he was given. “He wants you to some how make it so that Scott sees this note. He doesn’t care how you do it, just do it.”
“What does it say?”
“I don’t know I didn’t read it. What Sean does is his business, I’m just the delivery boy.”
“Why does he want me to give this to Scott?”
“Because Scott is screwing things up for him. He was just attacked today by people he betrayed to Detective Stabler and he is worried he is going to get blamed for it and the detectives are going to have another motive to come after him.” Conner rolled his eyes.
“What’s the difference they’re already after him anyway so who cares?” Max shrugged.
“I think he is just a little off today is all.”
“Why?”
“I don’t exactly know. Trevor has some how been hurt and neither of them would tell me what for. His arm is all bandaged up and shit.”
“They left the house?” Conner asked surprised.
“Trevor does all the time,” Max shrugged.
“What for? What is he up to?”
“What is this an interrogation?”
“I have a right to know what is going on with the people I am following orders from!” Conner snapped making a show of being the usual bratty teen that Max is used to. “I won’t blindly follow orders from you people I expect to know what’s going on!”
“I don’t know what he is up to okay?! I’ve just been expected to go over there every night to baby sit Sean while he goes out. He doesn’t even tell Sean where he is going, just that it’s important and he’ll be back in an hour.”
“Fine!” Conner snapped and he crossed his arms over his chest and looked away sourly.
“You are a real spoiled brat you know that? I’ve taken care of you all these years there is no need for you to have this attitude toward me! You’ll treat me with respect kid or else!”
“Or else what?” Conner snapped and he looked at Max straight in the eyes. “I am no longer living under your roof Max, you can’t act like my father figure anymore.”
“Watch me!”
“We’re done here.”
“No we sure as hell are not”
“We are so. Lay a hand on me and I’ll go to Detective Stabler.”
“You are bluffing.”
“Am I?” Max narrowed his eyes at him.
“I put up with your beatings when I lived with you but now that I am living somewhere else I expect you to keep your hands off of me. I have easy connections with people who would love to get their hands on you.”
“You are an ungrateful little shit.”
“No Max, I have been nothing BUT grateful to you my whole life,” Conner snapped as angry tears rolled down his cheeks. “Even when you beat me I still admired you because you made me think I was bad and that I deserved it. But I am thirteen years old and I am taking control of my own life. I’m not letting anybody walk all over me anymore and I am going to protect my little sister do you hear me?”
“You have a lot of guts talking back to me while we’re standing alone here in this bathroom kid.”
“I know you won’t do anything. Aaron will come in here looking for me eventually when I don’t come out. And he’ll certainly hear it if you try to hurt me and I know you won’t hurt me because Sean will kill you if you do.”
“He’s never cared before.”
“Yes but you see, he needs me as I have the trust of everybody in that Orphanage. Who are you? Nothing but a delivery boy.”
“Who said anything about killing you?”
“Do it Max I dare you. You already know what I’ll do.” Max held Conner’s glare for a long moment and then he turned around and stormed out of the bathroom. Conner heaved a sigh of relief and raked his fingers through his hair as he suddenly feels like an entire weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He’s finally found a way to have some kind of control even if it was by bluffing. So long as Max is afraid to touch him this whole thing just might be a little more tolerable. He spent the first years of his life since his parents had died worshipping him because he was all he had but he cannot take another minute of his physical, emotional, and sometimes if he is drunk enough, sexual abuse. He deserves so much more. Angel made him see that. She doesn’t know it, but Angel taught him what love is. She is the first real thing – not counting Rosalie that he has had in a very long time. And he can’t lose her. He won’t. He’ll do everything he can to make sure Sean doesn’t get his hands on her. She is the one good thing – besides Rosalie in his life that Sean can’t take from him. Shaking his head as if that would make that thought all the more true, he put the folded up piece of paper in his pocket and he walked out of the bathroom and found Aaron and his sister right where he left them – playing on the swings. He went over and joined them and Aaron gave him a look. Conner gave him one back that clearly stated later.
“Hi Conner, where ya been??” Rosalie asked, visibly excited to see her brother.
“The bathroom” Conner answered and he gently knelt down in front of her swing, gathered her into his arms and he hugged her close to him affectionately. Rosalie hugged him back and he kissed the top of her head.
“How about we go raid the toy store and you can pick out one thing? Would you like that? And then we’re going to go back to the Orphanage and you need to take a nap because I can just see you are exhausted.”
“Kay” Rosalie replied not arguing in the least bit and she nestled her head against her brother’s chest. Conner stood up with her and went to retrieve his skateboard and Aaron went and got his own and the three of them took off skateboarding to the nearest Toy Store – Rosalie riding with Conner as usual.
~*~*~*~*~
After going to the toy store and letting Rosalie pick something out – which ended up being a purple Care Bear they took her back to the Orphanage. Aaron followed Conner up to his room and watched him in the doorway as he helped Rosalie take her shoes off and he tucked her into bed and chatted with her and such. As he was standing there watching him he felt Angel’s arms wrap around his shoulders and she rested her chin on his shoulder as she too watched the scene in front of them.
“Thanks for hanging out with him today Aaron. I know it couldn’t have been easy,” She told him softly.
“It wasn’t really that bad,” Aaron admitted. He turned his head slightly to look at his twin and just as he knew he would he saw the surprised look on her face.
“I can really see how much he loves her,” he informed, and Angel quietly waited for him to go on as she knows he will. “After all they’ve been through after all she’s lost she still manages to be happy all the time.”
“Because she has such a great big brother who makes it his top priority to make sure her life is as normal as he can make it.” Aaron nodded quietly, understanding where she is coming from.
“Everything he does is for her Aaron,” she told him softly. “He got involved with Sean because yes he was born into it, and yes up until now he’s had no other choice, but also because he’s threatened numerous times to kill not only him but Rosalie. Yes using you was not the best choice in the world but you have to open your eyes and see why he did it. You would’ve done the same thing for me wouldn’t you?” When Aaron didn’t answer Angel went on. “As hard as it is for you to see it and accept it I love him Aaron,” she told him in a quiet whisper – almost in their thoughts. “I see the good in him, I know he isn’t a bad person. He just needs help. And he is so good to me if you could just see how good he is to me, really see then you would understand.”
“If you are looking for my permission why waste your breath? You are going to do whatever you want to do.”
“Not your permission…your acceptance.”
“Why?”
“Because you are my twin and I don’t like fighting with you. I don’t like when there is a wedge between us.”
“I’ll try” Aaron replied after a few moments. “But I swear if I catch you in another intimate situation again I’m going to come after him with a baseball bat.”
“We’ll be sure not to let you catch us then,” Angel promised, with a slight hint of mockery in her voice and Aaron rolled his eyes. “I still don’t see how it’s fair that you can have sex with Stacy but if Conner and I make out suddenly you turn the whole world upside down.”
“You’re my sister Angel I am always going to be protective of you no matter who you are making out with. Get used to it.”
“So long as I get to call you a hypocrite.”
“I have a feeling you’re going to call me whatever you want no matter if you have my permission or not.”
“Course I am. Cause you are my airhead.” Aaron smirked and poked Angel in the side causing her to squeak and back away from him.
“Butthead now I’m not gonna tell you what I came up here to tell you.”
“You will or I’ll tickle it out of you.” Angel stuck her nose up in the air stubbornly and she turned around and walked away.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry what is it?” Aaron pleaded and Angel smirked and turned to face him.
“Stacy is here.” She watched as his entire face lit up and she rolled her eyes amusedly. “Out on the playground waiting for you.”
“Why didn’t she come get me herself?”
“She has a surprise for you.” Aaron smirked.
“Okay, I’ll be down in a bit – I just need to talk to Conner when he gets done with Rosalie.”
“What for?” Angel asked curiously.
“You’ll see…” was all Aaron said, as he isn’t exactly sure of that himself either.
~*~*~*~*~
Long after visiting with Scott in the hospital Ashley was roaming through the hallway that hers and Nick’s room was on and she suddenly heard guitar-playing coming from their room. Raising her eyebrow she ventured further down the hall till she was at their door and she poked her head in to find Nick sitting on the bed with his acoustic guitar out. He is just sitting there playing around with a few cords, not really playing anything in particular – that she knows of. She rested her head against the doorframe and listened curiously, very much aware that he doesn’t know she is standing there. After a few moments, much to her surprise he started to sing.
There’s something about the way
You look tonight
Something about the way
That I can’t take my eyes off you…
He began and Ashley smiled a little as she felt her heart suddenly do somersaults inside of her.
Something about the way
Your lips invite
Maybe it’s the way that I
Get nervous when you’re around…
And I want you to be mine
And if you need a reason why…
Suddenly looking up from his guitar he saw her in the corner of his eye and looked at her, his eyes widening slightly and she smiled at him, urging him to go on. He smiled at her too a little before continuing to strum on his guitar as he went right into the chorus.
It’s in the way that you move me
And the way that you tease me
The way that I want you tonight
It’s in the way that you hold me
And the way that you know me
When I can’t find the right words to say
You feel it in the way
Oh you feel it in the way…
Ashley went over and sat next to him then and she sat there quietly listening to them. It was all she could do not to shed any tears. Why was she cursed with being the emotional one and Kori the exact opposite? Why couldn’t it have been the other way around?
Something about how
You stay on my mind
Something about the way that
I whisper your name when I’m asleep
Oh girl
Maybe it’s the look you get in your eyes
Oh baby it’s the way that
It makes me feel to see you smile
And the reasons they may change
But what I’m feeling stays the same
It’s the way that you move me
And the way that you tease me
The way that I want you tonight
It’s in the way that you hold me
And the way that you know me
When I can’t find the right words to say
You feel it in the way
Oh you feel it in the way
You feel it in the way
Oh you feel it in the way
I can’t put my fingers on
Just what it is that
Makes me love you, you baby
So don’t ask me to describe
I get all choked up inside
Just thinking ‘bout the way
It's in the way that you move me
And the way that you tease me
The way that I want you tonight
It's in the way that you hold me
And the way that you know me
When I can't find the right words to say
It's in the way that you move me
And the way that you tease me
The way
Feel it in the way
Something about the way you look tonight
There's nothing more to say than
I feel it in the way…
When he finished he reached out and gently brushed away a single tear from her cheek.
“Nicky it’s beautiful…” she insisted softly.
“It just came to me. I had to sit down and work on it before I lost it.” He lightly caressed her cheek with his finger and he leaned forward and planted a short but sweet kiss on her lips and she rested her forehead against his.
“Got any other songs you want to serenade me with while you have me sitting her all emotional and stuff?” she asked him softly and he chuckled.
“Lots of them and you will hear them all real soon I promise.” Ashley raised her eyebrow at him and he smirked.
“Soon.”
“How? Will I be getting another one of these private serenades that I love so much?”
“I’m not telling you. It’s a secret,” he told her mysteriously causing her heart to do its third somersault since the moment she realized he was singing about her.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Enjoy =)
