Chapter Thirty One
Nick, Riley, Kevin, and Dr. Huang walked over to the group of kids that Ashley and Dakota had gathered up and lured over and they stood and watched the game. They played for about a half n hour, than when they finished Detective Stabler and Dr. Huang said their good byes and left - they really must get back to work. When they were gone Nick looked at Ashley who was now looking up at him, two children still sitting comfortably in her lap. He thought for a couple of moments, than he turned to Kevin who was already looking at him as if he knew what was coming next.
“Kev, bro…good friend of mine. Mind watching over Kota and Spencer for me and Ash? Not like they’re gonna leave Ellie anyway. And I need to talk to Ash…about Sean.” Kevin rolled his eyes.
“Riiight. Knowing you, and the way she was staring at you earlier talking is the last thing you will be doing. But yes I will watch them for awhile.” Nick smirked. Ashley looked down at Dakota and Spencer.
“Okay kiddos, Ashee needs to get up for awhile and go talk to Nick. Why don’t you two play with Ellie and the rest of the kids for awhile okay?”
“Okay,” Dakota and Spencer spoke in unison and they both stood up and sat in the grass instead. Ashley looked up at Nick and he offered her his hand. She reached up and took it, allowing him to help her up. When he did he began to lead her into the Orphanage.
“Behave, you two!” Kevin called after them protectively. He knows Nick knows he can’t go too far with Ashley right now, but he also knows that they’re deeply in love with each other - and people do crazy things when they’re in love. Nick and Ashley walked hand in hand through the lobby. When they got to the elevator Nick pushed the button. They waited a few moments, than it opened and he brought her inside it. The minute the door was shut he gently pressed her back up against the wall and he captured her lips with his in a passionate kiss. She kissed him back eagerly while wrapping her arms around his neck.
~*~*~*~*~*~
After Brian finished talking to Josh and he was stolen away by his friends he scooped Tyke up and placed him safely inside the pocket to his hoodie and he went over to the adults.
“Hey Ri…” He greeted her.
“Hey!” she replied, happy to see him after what felt like such a long time. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him near and he grinned and leaned down and kissed her lips softly not caring who saw. Kevin raised his eyebrow.
“I knew it,” He said, shaking his head smiling and Riley and Brian pulled back and looked at him.
“That is why you came in Nick’s room this morning all happy and looking like you were on drugs or something.” Brian smirked and looked at the love of his life standing in front of him.
“Yeah…if the drug is called Riley then sure.”
“Not that I am not happy for the two of you or anything…cause I am and all I have to say is its ABOUT DAMN TIME, but do you mind explaining to me how it happened?”
“She came running to me again after another fight with her husband and she was upset and crying…and I was comforting her…and one thing led to another and yeah. I’ll spare you the details.”
“Good cause I don’t want to know that much, thank you very much. What goes on in your bedroom stays in your bedroom.”
“Anyway Ri…I was wondering…do you by any chance know why Josh’s parents gave him up?” Brian asked, turning to Riley and wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to him.
“No I don’t know much about Josh…you will have to ask Brooke. Why do you ask?”
“Well I saw him playing with Tyke earlier…so I got up and went to talk to him. When I approached him he seemed very intimidated that I was going to get angry with him for playing with him. So it kind of worried me you know? Josh doesn’t normally let people see his emotions if he can help it. He’s usually very guarded and always trying to act tough - but I’m beginning to notice that really it’s all just an act. He told me he always wanted a puppy but his father would never let him have one. I asked why and he told me he didn’t know but his father never seemed to like pets…or much of anything. So it just concerned me is all.”
“You seem to be showing a lot of interest in Josh lately…” Kevin replied, observing his cousin curiously. “Why?”
“He just interests me is all…like I said he’s so guarded and doesn’t let anyone in and he’s always picking on Dakota…I just want to find out why.”
“But you know why already. You told us he has a crush on her.”
“Well besides that…why does he act so tough? Why does he work so hard to push everybody who tries to get close to him away?”
“I don’t know honey, like I said you’re going to have to ask Brooke those things…I never really took the time to get to know Josh very well - I gave up trying because he was always pushing me away and I didn’t know what else to do.” Riley replied.
“Yeah…everybody’s given up on him but not me. I want to know. Can we go to see Brooke now?”
“Sure,” Riley replied, looking at her boyfriend with interest. It’s been awhile since she’s seen him so passionate about getting to know one particular child. He’s usually the one who wants to love and spoil all of them at once. She took his hand in hers and looked at Kevin.
“Coming?”
“Nah I’m going to sit out here and watch the kids play.”
“Okay,” Riley replied and she led Brian inside the building. When they got in there she brought him inside Brooke’s office to find her sitting at her desk filling out papers. She looked up at them as they came in.
“Hey Brooke…are you busy?” Riley asked.
“Not at all - I could use someone to help me procrastinate on these boring papers for awhile. What’s up?”
“Well I was wondering if I could look at Josh’s files…and maybe ask you some questions about him.” Brian answered, sitting in one of the chairs and Riley sat in the chair next to him. Brooke looked at him curiously.
“Why? What’d he do now?”
“Nothing…he’s actually been pretty good all day. I just want to get to know him is all…like why did his parents give him up?”
“Wow…you’re the first person who’s ever showed any kind of interest in him since he arrived here. He’s been trying his very hardest to push everyone away and it’s worked so far.”
“And I wanna know why.”
“Well his parents didn’t give him up. He was taken away…” Brooke began. Brian raised his eyebrow.
“Why?”
“His father was abusive. Never to him…he never hit the kid in his life but he did threaten to and he even came close to it before…but he never actually did. He just liked to beat up on his mother all the time.”
“That explains the wall he built around him…and part of the reason he treats Dakota the way he does…” Riley replied. “But why did they take him away? Shouldn’t they have just put him and his mother in one of those safe homes and arrested the man?”
“Well because his father murdered her,” Brooke answered sadly. “when Josh was four. He saw the whole thing while sitting on the floor in his bedroom. He was playing with his toys and his father and mother were fighting out in the hallway and his door was cracked open. He watched as his father pushed her down the stairs. She cracked her skull on the hard tile floor - and then he shot her twice and she died.”
“Oh god…poor kid…” Brian replied softly, his heart breaking into tiny little pieces. “Can I see his files?” He asked, as Riley reached over and rubbed her hand over his back.
“Mm hmm,” Brooke answered, and she got up and went to her filing cabinet. She opened it up and looked through it until she found Josh’s. When she did she handed it over to Brian. He opened it up and looked through it.
“Mind if I keep it for a day or so, so that I can look through it?”
“Not at all, go ahead.” Brooke answered gently, as she is happy to see that finally someone is going to care for Josh.
~*~*~*~*~
Later on that day as Ashley and Nick were lying on the floor in their bedroom coloring with Spencer, Dakota, and Elenore, Kori walked in with Doctor Johnson.
“MOMMA!” Spencer exclaimed, and he dropped his crayon and jumped up to go tackle his mother at the door. She laughed and caught him as he flew into her arms.
“Hey baby, how are you? Did you have fun?”
“Uh-huh lots! My new friends Kota an’ Ellie are fun - an’ auntie Ashee is too!” Kori grinned and kissed the top of his head as he hugged her. She is happy that he was able to meet some new friends AND build a relationship with Ashley - that’s more than she’s been able to accomplish and it’s been what - 2 days now? She then went and sat down next to Ashley as she held her son in her lap and she looked at Ashley who still lay there on her stomach coloring in the coloring book that she had and not looking up from it at all.
“Thanks for baby-sitting Ash.”
“No problem. He was good and I had a lot of fun with him.” Ashley replied softly, still not looking up.
“I’m glad…cause you know it’s important to me that you have a relationship with him. Maybe someday you and I will re-build ours and be back to the way it used to be. Do you think that will ever be possible again?” Kori asked softly. Ashley finally looked up at Kori and it took everything in her to hold her tears back. Nick who was watching her placed his hand on top of hers as its rested on the floor.
“I don’t know Kor… stick around and we’ll see. I - I don’t want you to go anywhere…” at that comment it was Kori’s turn to hold back her tears. One managed to escape though and both Ashley and Nick saw it before she wiped it away.
“Wi and Chris are going back to Jersey tomorrow to get my stuff and they’re going to bring it back here for me…Wi has offered to stay here with me for the weekend but then he’s gotta go back and work at the Diner. But he, Chris, and Libby are going to come visit me every weekend. I’m here for as long as you want me to be.”
“Kay…” Ashley replied softly, and she looked back down at the coloring book again and continued to color.
“Do you need help moving your stuff down to your new room?” Nick spoke up suddenly.
“No thanks. Wiley, Chris, and Doctor Johnson have already done it for me.”
“Where are Wiley and Chris now?”
“They’ve gone back to the hotel they got.”
“Oh.” Kori sat there holding Spencer and talking to Nick for an hour as Ashley, Nick, Dakota, and Elenore lay there coloring. But then when dinner was ready they went down to the cafeteria that Brian, Riley, and Kevin had all set up and they found that the kids were being let in. When everybody had their lunch and was sitting at their original table Brian spoke up.
“So how was your day Kori? What’d you do all day long?”
“Well first I stopped by my ex-boyfriend Scott’s house…I had to make sure he was on our side and not Sean’s…turns out he is on our side.”
“And you know that for sure?” Riley asked worriedly.
“Oh yeah I know for sure. Trust me, I know.
“Kay…”
“But he wants me to let him meet Spencer now…” Kori answered quietly. Spencer, Dakota, and Elenore are sitting at the table next to them at their very own “kid” table.
“Are you going to let him?” Nick asked curiously.
“I’m not sure… I don’t now if I should. He gave up his parental rights…what makes him think I should let him see him? He says I don’t have to tell him who he is…he just wants to see him.”
“I think you should,” Ashley spoke up suddenly, looking up from her plate and at her sister. Kori looked at her curiously, as did everybody else.
“He’s his father even if he doesn’t want to be. A kid can’t grow up without knowing his father Kor…” Ashley explained, and she looked back down at her plate and continued eating. Everybody noticed the saddened look on her face and can pretty much guess what she is thinking about. Nick reached over and wrapped his arm around her as he used his other hand to eat. Kori looked down at her plate and now ate in silence as a single tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away hoping to god no one saw it, but they all did.
“So what did you all decide during your meeting with Dr Huang today? What are we going to do about the Sean situation?” Brian asked curiously, as he fed pieces of his roll to Tyke who lay on a chair next to him.
“Detective Stabler and Detective Benson are going to try and find out as much information as they can about him. That’s all we really can do right now…is let them investigate. Unless we can get anymore information out of Elenore or even Kori - or Ashley,” Riley replied, looking at Kori and then Ashley who had scooted as close to Nick as she could possibly get.
“What do you need to know?” Kori asked softly. “I’ll help out in any way that I can…I want him to get what he deserves for hurting my sister all these years.”
“Well it would be nice if we knew where to look for him for starters…do you know where his hiding spot is?”
“In an old rundown warehouse about ten minutes from the beach that I was found on. He lives upstairs from it in a two room apartment with his wife. The apartment he lives in used to be an office. I didn’t know he was Elenore’s father I swear. I’ve never met Elenore until today. Elenore was never allowed to leave the apartment. He and his wife came down all the time, but never with Elenore.”
“What does he do exactly? Besides abuse women and children…”
“He sells and buys drugs…murders people, steals things from museums…everything you could possibly imagine. He’s really, really bad…”
“Did he kill Thomas O’ Ryan?”
“Thomas?? Oh no way. Thomas and him were really close. Him, Thomas, and Doctor Adams - known to me and Sean as Trevor…”
“Do you know who did?”
“No…all I know is he stole some drugs from someone and they killed him for it. That’s all I know.”
“And how are you and Sean connected? How come he knew you?”
“I worked for him for awhile…” Kori answered softly. “I’m not proud of my past…and I’ll admit I’ve done some REALLY bad things…but I-I’m scared to tell you because I don’t want to get arrested. I have my son to think about. Please don’t take me from my son.”
“No one is going to arrest you Kori,” Riley replied gently. “Detective Stabler agreed that if you come completely clean with everything you’ve done and help us find Sean and get him arrested he will let you go.”
“As long as you didn’t murder anyone.” Nick added. “You didn’t murder anyone did you?”
“No…” Kori replied softly. “I never murdered anyone. But I’ve watched him murder someone…and I have a picture to prove it. I’ve been holding evidence from the police for five years…could I get into trouble for that?”
“You will if you don’t follow through with the deal Detective Stabler is making with you. Why did you hold the evidence?”
“Well because I was scared if I told anyone he would come after me and kill me. I took the picture myself…and I ran away to New Jersey. I couldn’t stand working for him anymore, he was just way too horrible…and I hated who I was…and I was pregnant. So I used Spencer as an excuse to just get away and start over. To make my life better for the two of us…I took the picture before I left and left him a note telling him that I had it, and that I would use it against him if he pissed me off enough. So he’s been looking for me ever since - that’s what he wants, is the picture. I also stole the code that turns the laser beam lights in a museum off so that he couldn’t steal a valuable jewel. He had it written down on paper because it’s really long and hard to remember.”
“What kind of things did he have you do for him when you worked with him?”
“I made all of his drug deliveries, I robbed houses and banks for him, I was pretty much your average gang member…”
“And why did you do it?”
“I made friends with the wrong people and got myself in way to deep that I couldn’t get myself out…I was on drugs, I drank a lot, I wasn’t in my right mind at all.”
“Was Scott part of the gang you were in?”
“He was up until I left. Then he did too… but he refused to run away with me because he was scared to be a father. Like me he regrets everything he did and he can’t stand Sean anymore. He doesn’t do drugs anymore, he went to rehab, and is completely clean now.”
“Then why did you have to go and make sure he was on your side?”
“Because I got paranoid when he called to warn me about Sean ‘having Ashley’. I thought he knew about the setup so I had to go and make sure.”
“Oh…well thanks for being completely honest…you’ve been very helpful.”
“I’ll do anything to prove I’ve changed…and I’ll do anything to make sure Sean gets his ass thrown in jail too. He messed with my sister, he killed my parents, I want him to pay and this is the only legal way I can make him pay.”
“Do you still have that photo of him murdering someone and that code?” Kevin spoke up.
“Yes but it’s in New Jersey right now…locked up in a safe. I will have to have Wiley and Chris bring them when they bring my stuff here for me.”
“Okay, well Detective Stabler will need them then.”
“Kay…”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
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