Chapter Three-Hundred-Twenty-Four
“I’m dead serious Nick…I should just turn myself into Sean and Trevor and put you all out of your misery,” Ashley insisted as the couple lay on their bed up in their room. Ashley with her back turned on him as she faces the wall and he has his arms wrapped protectively around her waist and his chin nestled in the crook of her neck. “I’m all he wants after all…I’m just putting you all in danger.”
“You are not all he is after, he is after Kori – infact the only reason he is after you is because you are Kori’s sister. So will you stop blaming yourself, please?”
“Would you rather me blame Kori then?”
“I don’t want you to blame anybody, I want you to just accept that we’re apart of this and we aren’t backing down no matter how many times you try and persuade us.”
“I can’t,” Ashley insisted. “Not after what happened to Kota today and definitely not when I have the image of my first and only baby lying in a bush crying. Why did I adopt her Nick, what was I thinking bringing a baby into my dangerous life?”
“They weren’t going to hurt Kota honey they just –“
“- It doesn’t matter if they were going to hurt her or not, the point is, they used her to get to me. Do you not see how much this is killing me Nick?”
“I do see it, everyday and I wish there was something I could do to make it better.”
“You could take your kids and leave me – create a safe life without me. It’s one thing for you guys to risk your lives for me, but Dakota and Sarah? I won’t have it. They don’t deserve this. I love them way too much and I would give myself up to Sean before I ever let him use them to get to me again.” Nick gently cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her head back so she is looking him in the eyes.
“I would do anything you ever asked me to do and more baby,” he told softly as he rubbed his finger over her cheek in a gentle caress. “But I won’t do that.” Ashley looked away from him as furious tears slipped slowly down her cheek. Nick gently took her hand into his own, laced their fingers together and he brought it up and gently turned it so her ring is facing upward and he rubbed his finger over it gently as she looked at it as well.
“I made a promise to you baby,” He told her quietly in her ear. “And even though that promise has been challenged in the past, I intend on keeping it.” Ashley rolled over to face him then and she cradled his face in her hands as he kept his arms wrapped firmly around her waist as if afraid he might lose her.
“Nicky?”
“Yeah baby?”
“You, Kota, Sarah, and Bella are the best things that’s ever happened to me and I don’t want to lose you.”
“You’re not going to lose us sweetheart I’m going to take great care in making sure you don’t. I promise.”
“Things happen that we cannot control Nick…”
“The situation that happened earlier could’ve been prevented,” Nick disagreed. “We should’ve brought more then Just Marcus a long. We were in a vulnerable state. If we had more people Sarah, Laila, and Bella wouldn’t have been alone during the fight and maybe, just maybe Kota wouldn’t have been grabbed.”
“And I should’ve let Marcus come to the bathroom with me…god I’m so stupid…”
“You aren’t stupid,” Nick reassured. “You were being a normal human being. I think anybody would draw the line at the thought of letting a big security guard follow you into a bathroom.”
“But I’m not normal, I have a psychopath trying to kill me.” Nick gently tucked a strand of her hair back behind her ear and kissed her nose softly. “Don’t worry I’ll be letting him follow me into the bathroom from now on.”
“At least you have stalls,” Nick pointed out. “That allows you some privacy – at least he wont be watching you pee. Us guys don’t have that luxury.”
“I’m just curious on how he is going to get away with it is all. I don’t think other women are going to like it very much if there is a man in our bathroom.” Nick chuckled.
“He might need to bring in some protection – they might hit him with their purse or something.” Ashley smirked a little suddenly feeling slightly better after hearing Nick’s jokes. She brought her hand up and gently placed it to the back of his head before bringing his forehead down so it’s rested against hers.
“Nicky?”
“Baby?”
“Thanks for never listening to me when I beg you to leave me…” she whispered.
“I almost lost you once sweetheart and that was the most painful experience I’ve ever had. Believe me when I say that you can’t get rid of me. You are stuck with me.” Ashley buried her face in his chest comfortably as she kept her arms wrapped around his neck. “Besides…after today you can’t deny that you need me by your side. We’re the strongest when we’re together.”
“Yes, but what happens if for some reason you can’t be Nick? I want to know how to get myself out of situations like that myself if I need to…or at least not be so powerless you know?” Nick opened his mouth to reply when suddenly he was interrupted.
“I can help you with that,” AJ’s voice came from the doorway and Ashley and Nick looked at him. Ashley opened her mouth to argue, and AJ foreseeing that quickly cut her off.
“Just hear me out will you?” Ashley tightened her arms around Nick, as she already knows the technique AJ wants to try on her and he already knows how she feels about it.
“I already did! And I told you then how I felt about it and my opinion on it hasn’t changed!”
“Honey I think you should do it…” Nick spoke up.
“Nick – no! Please don’t make me…please don’t…” Ashley pleaded, suddenly putting a death grip on him and she shifted herself so her face is buried in his shoulder.
“Honey it’s just a punching bag – it’s not real.”
“But you still want me to think it is!” Nick sighed.
“It’s not that bad baby I promise.”
“There has to be another way…there just has to!” Ashley continued to argue. “Why can’t we just use a regular punching bag?”
“Because that’s not going to help you face your fears – we’ve been through this Ash,” AJ was the one who replied.
“I won’t do it.”
“Yes you will,” AJ replied firmly. “I’ll make mom order you to do it if I have to. I’ve already talked to Detective Stabler about it and he is going to see what he can do in finding a punching bag that will look exactly like Sean.” Ashley shook her head as more tears slipped down her cheek and she nestled into Nick holding onto him so tightly that you would think someone were trying to take her from him.
“We aren’t doing this to hurt you baby we’re doing this to help you. Sean is what makes you weak and he knows it. You need to learn how to face him.”
“So teach me self defense like a regular brother…please…”
“We’re going to teach you self defense but what good will that do if you are physically, emotionally, and mentally terrified of him?” When Ashley didn’t answer AJ spoke up again.
“Right after New Years we’re going to do it. I’m telling you now so you will have time to prepare yourself.”
“I hate you right now,” Ashley informed.
“I know you don’t mean that,” AJ replied. “I’m not dong this to hurt you, I’m doing this because I love you. It’s my new years eve resolution to get you prepared as much as possible for Sean because I have a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. He is planning something terrible and I want you to be ready.” When Ashley didn’t reply AJ went over and sat on the edge of the bed and he leaned forward and kissed her forehead as she remained in the safety of Nick’s arms. “I love you. Technically you are the only sister that I have and I will walk through fire before I let Sean take you from me. Do you hear me?” Ashley nodded quietly and Nick wiped away a falling tear with his finger.
“Let us be for awhile Aje…okay? I’m gonna see what I can do about cheering her up.” AJ got up again after gently squeezing Ashley’s hand and he walked out of the room shutting the door behind him. Nick gently pulled her on top of him then so she is straddling his hips and he cupped her cheek in his hand before bringing her face down so their lips are just inches apart and he claimed hers for his own and she kissed him back. When she pulled away he sat up with her and rested his forehead against hers.
“Come on…let’s go have a bubble bath,” he told her before getting up with her. He carried her to the door and locked it before taking her into the bathroom and he began to prepare their bubble bath.
~*~*~*~*~
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into allowing the puppies to come along,” Kevin complained to Elenore as he managed to get all five puppies onto their private jet that Denise had managed to get them.
“We had to takes them Kevy, they would’ve been sad without us.”
“They would’ve been perfectly fine.”
“Nuh uh, they would’ve been lonely.”
“No they wouldn’t have, we would’ve left them with someone who would take great care of them and they wouldn’t care in the least bit.”
“That’s what they said about Shadow, Chance, an’ Sassy but were they fine?”
“That was just a movie Ellie,” Jerald spoke up.
“So what’s? Point is, they weren’t fine, were they?” Jerald shook his head deciding there is no point in arguing with her. He gathered her into his arms playfully and spun around with her causing her to shriek and erupt in giggles and Chance and Abbie to bark at him protectively.
“Ah hush pups, he is just playing” Ashley giggled as she sat down on the floor and gathered Abbie into her arms and she began to pet her and allow her to lick her cheek affectionately. “I am glad you are getting your protective instincts down though, finally.”
“Something tells me maybe you should’ve invited Jennifer to come along Jaim,” Brooke announced teasingly as she and Peyton followed their brother onto the jet. Jaime rolled his eyes.
“I can’t believe you two. A few good conversations with the woman and I have you guys teasing me and making suggestions that we go out.”
“Well why not? It would be adorable” Brooke insisted as a smirk formed on her face.
“For one, she is my sister’s employee and two, she’s still hung up on Doctor Johnson. She won’t admit it but I can tell.”
“Yes which is why she totally had googly eyes for you” Peyton laughed.
“She did not.”
“She did so I’m your sister I notice these things.”
“I’m not going to get involved with her so soon after she ended things with Doctor Johnson that’s just wrong.”
“There really wasn’t anything going on between them, he was too busy” Brooke shrugged. “And he seems to be more interested in a certain someone else these days so I think you are okay, Bro.”
“Maybe so but she is still hurting over him.”
“Then maybe you are exactly what she needs to move on,” Ashley spoke up from her spot on the floor.
“Exactly,” Brooke and Peyton agreed in unison. “You should’ve invited her to come along Jaim, she could’ve been your date for the New Years Eve party” Brooke added.
“Well it’s too late for that now,” Brandon replied. “The plane is going to take off in five minutes.”
“No it’s not,” Ashley grinned as she had gotten up and went to peer out the window of the plane and everybody looked at her. “I invited her and she just pulled up now.” Nick laughed.
“Oh Jaim you are in trouble if Ashley is involved. She’ll have you two kissing by midnight.”
“I didn’t invite her for Jaime” Ashley insisted, even though it’s a complete lie and everybody can see right through her. “I invited her because she is my friend and I didn’t want her to be stuck at the Orphanage on New Years Eve with the man who broke her heart right on the other side of the building. She deserves to have fun – she insisted she wasn’t coming though, so I’m surprised to see her myself.” She noticed her get out of her car then and open another door revealing a bunch of luggage. “She has a lot of stuff – Jaim go help her.” Jaime chuckled amusedly.
“Not for me huh?” he asked her playfully before walking off the plane to go help. Ashley watched them for a couple of moments through the window with a big grin on her face at her job well done and she turned around and went to retrieve her fussy baby. When everybody was finally on the plane and the plane had taken off and they were well on their way to New York Kevin was up and about setting puppy potty mats in corners and such and trying to teach the puppies that that’s where they’re supposed to go.
“See Lil’ Rok? That is where you go potty,” he explained, crouching down in front of the curious pug and he pointed to the mat. “Not on the floor, not on the furniture, there. You got it pup?” He asked while gently cradling the little face in his hands and leaning forward and planting a kiss on top of his head. Elenore who was standing next to Kevin watching the other puppies suddenly giggled and Brian chuckled.
“I don’t think Chance quite understands yet Kev,” he informed. Kevin looked over at the golden retriever then and noticed him standing under a table and there is dog pee on the floor.
“Oh Chance!” Josh groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead in annoyance. “No no! Bad puppy!” Chance hung his head some and looked back at Josh with sad eyes and Josh went over and gently grabbed him by the collar and he pulled him out from under the table and over to one of the mats Kevin laid out. “You don’t go potty on the floor, you go here.” He then pointed over at his mess on the floor “Bad puppy” Then he pointed to the mat again. “Good puppy.”
“I hope you are takin’ notes Lily,” Dakota spoke to her Chihuahua as she sat on the floor next to Ashley holding her. “Cause Daddy won’ts like cleanin’ up your messes.” Nick chuckled.
“Daddy won’t have to clean up her messes because she is Dakota’s puppy,” he informed. Dakota gave her father a sidelong glance then.
“Oh daddy, you an’ your jokes” She told him waving him off like she doesn’t believe him and everybody laughed.
“Oh you are in for a rude awakening my dear,” he warned her amusedly.
“Here Josh,” Brian spoke up suddenly holding a wet rag out to his son and Josh took it and set off to clean his puppy’s mess up. He is quite used to doing so because Brian gave him that responsibility the very first day they got Chance.
“Why don’t you kids go on down below and watch TV on the big screen? We’ll put a movie in for you” Howie suggested after Josh finished.
“Yeah!!” Dakota and Elenore exclaimed in unison.
“Cool, lets go” Howie replied while scooping Laila up in his arms and he led all of the children down below and into a room which has a wooden floor and a wooden entertainment center with a big screen TV. On the side of the room there is a green couch with little round windows above it to look out of and in front of the television on a big white rug there are five white oval shaped chairs surrounding a little glass table. To make the super cool room complete, there is a bar in the far back of the room which serves drinks and such.
“Who wants apple cider?” Marcus who had followed them down there with Ashley and Bella at his side questioned.
“ME!!!” A chorus of children rang out, and he even heard an excited Ryan among them, as he had found himself a good lazy boy chair with a reading lamp and everything to settle himself in. Josh, Elenore, Sarah, Chris, and Dakota all took the five chairs and Laila crawled up next to Dakota so that they were sharing and Dakota accepted her like the big sister she is slowly learning to become. While Marcus got to work on getting the apple cider Ashley and Howie worked on getting the kids to agree on the same movie and when they were all settled she and Howie went up to the top while Marcus stayed below and kept close watch on the children.
“I wish Spencer could’ve came…” Elenore confided in her friends, sighing some. “Our Ninja group aint complete without our Mikey.”
“Yeah, but he is spending New years with his daddy” Marcus explained while settling himself on the green couch.
“Yeah I know…but its still nots the same without him” Elenore insisted glumly.
“We’ll just have Chris be substitute Mikey for now,” Josh suggested.
“Sure…” Elenore replied, though she gave Chris disapproving look, in which he returned. It goes without saying that they still don’t like each other. Will they ever grow out of it in time? Who knows? But for now as far as Elenore and Chris can see, they’re silent enemies. Silent, because they know Josh won’t put up with their arguing.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Enjoy =)
