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Chapter Thirty Eight



"You're evil, you know that right?" Nick asked, when he realized Ashley was just playing. She smirked and he sat up and wrapped his arm around her again. They sat and talked for a half n hour letting the kids play, then they gathered them up and left.


"Daddy."


"Yeah sweetie?"


"Can we goes to the park an' plays? Please?"


"But honey its going to rain soon," Nick reminded the little girl who was walking beside him.


"Please daddy?" She asked again, making the pouty lips that she learned from him. He scowled.


"Why did I ever teach you that?" Dakota just grinned and continued to look up at him with the most pathetic pout ever. Ashley just laughed.


"But you have your very own playground at the Orphanage honey…can't you and Spencer play there?"


"But Daddy, I'm bored of that playground - we plays there every day," Dakota whined. Nick sighed.


"Oh all right. But as soon as it starts raining we're hurrying back." Dakota grinned happily and she looked at Spencer who was also smiling. Ashley just laughed once again and Nick looked at her.


"She has you wrapped around her little finger, doesn't she?"


"Yeah, you and her both," Nick replied, rolling his eyes. When they arrived at the playground, Nick was grateful that there wasn't very many people there - infact there is no one there at all. Rainy days do have their advantages. Dakota and Spencer ran off to play and Nick looked down at Ashley. He took her hand and brought her over to the play structure too. He climbed up there before helping her up and he brought her over to a tunnel. He crawled in and gently pulled her with him. She lay sideways with her head in his lap as she looks up at him curiously. He leaned down and brushed his lips softly against hers.


"Paranoid much? There's no one here Nicky."


"Doesn't mean anything. You can never be too careful when you're a Backstreet Boy." Ashley sat up a little bit and wrapped her arms around his neck and she rested her head against his shoulder.


"We can see the kids better from here anyway," He added as he sat there watching Dakota and Spencer set up a game of Ninja Turtles - Donatello and Michaelangelo have to save Raphael from the evil Uncle Kevin. Little did Nick know though, its not a game to Dakota. Ashley looked up at Nick and she placed her hand to his cheek. He turned his attention on her again and he brought his lips down on hers in a soft kiss. She returned it making it so much deeper. They stayed at the playground for an hour, but then just as Nick predicted would happen, it began to rain - hard.


"AHHH!! It's RAININ'!" Dakota cheered happily. Nick groaned and Ashley just giggled.


"Cheer up Nicky, it's just water. You won't melt I promise." Nick set Ashley to the side and crawled out of the tunnel. He reached his hand in at her and she took it allowing him to help her out as well and he looked at the kids.


"Come on Kiddies, it's time to get home."


"Awww but daddy"


"Kota, remember our deal?"


"Yes daddy…" Dakota sighed, and she and Spencer followed Nick and Ashley off of the play structure. Nick lifted Dakota up into his arms so he is cradling her.


"Still have Lily?"


"Uh-huhs, she was helping' us save Raphael from the evil shredder!"


"Ooh, I see. Did you win?"


"Not yet. We's gonna continue playin' when we gets back. Right Mikey??"


"Right Donnie!" Nick chuckled.


"Oh okay," he replied. "You kick some butt then my little ninja turtle in purple." Dakota giggled.


"I wills," she replied. Nick carried her back to the Orphanage and Ashley took hold of Spencer's hand. When they got back there he put Dakota down and she and Spencer ran inside. Nick chuckled a bit and took hold of Ashley's hand and brought her inside. Dakota and Spencer got in the elevator and went upstairs.


"Where are those two off to?" Brian asked curiously.


"Off to save Raphael from the evil shredder," Nick answered simply. Brian chuckled.


"Oh. So Kota is pretty lonely without Ellie then? Poor kid…"


"Yeah - she'd be miserable if she didn't have Spencer to help make the time go by quick." When Dakota and Spencer got upstairs, they ran into Kori as they were running down the hall.


"Hold it you two," Kori said, causing the two children to come to an abrupt stop.


"Hiya Momma! Kota and I are off to save Raphael from the evil Shredder!"


"Not in those wet clothes you aren't."


"Aww but momma we gots to hurry! Or shredder will gets away!"


"Then you had better hurry and change into some drier clothes, huh?" Kori replied and Spencer scowled.


"I'll be right back, Kota." He told her, and he hurried to his room. Kori shook her head smiling, and she turned to follow him. Dakota hurried to her room and she got out some dry clothes and went into the bathroom shutting her door behind her so that she can change. Just as she was coming out of the bathroom in her dry clothes and holding Lily in her arms, Spencer came running into her room.


"I'm dry now! Now we can plays."

"Me too!" Dakota replied, and she rushed to Lily's dog bed with Lily in hand. She set her down in her bed and got her some dog food and a bowl of water. She set those next to her so that she could have them if she wanted it, and she went and shut her door so that she couldn't wander off on her own. When she had Lily taken care of, she rushed over to her toy box and got out the Ninja Turtle masks that she managed to sneak up from the playground. She handed Spencer the orange one and kept the purple one for herself. She put it on and tied it, and Spencer did the same with his own. Then she reached into her toy box and pulled out two walkie talkies. She handed one to Spencer and kept the other.


"Okay Mikey. I'ma sneak up in the air vent and I'ma go an' spy on Uncle Kevy - I mean Evil Shredder an' you goes downstairs and try an' talk someone into needing Uncle Kevy - I mean Evil shredder! Very badly. Okay?"


"Okay."


"Then when they calls uncl-evil Shredder down, you sneak away an' hide but stay where you can see them. When evil Shredder starts to go back upstairs you warn us on the walkie-talkie so that we can gets Raphie back into her room without Evil Shredder knowing 'bouts it okay?"


"Okay," Spencer replied dutifully and he turned and rushed out of the room and headed toward the elevator. Dakota looked at her toy box again and she pulled out the red mask for Elenore before going into her closet. She climbed up the dresser, opened up the air vent and she climbed into it. She shut it behind her and then crawled over to Elenore's air vent. She peeked in to find Elenore lying on her bed coloring and Kevin sitting in his chair and engrossed in a good mystery book. She sat there watching them. Suddenly Elenore felt like she was being watched. She looked around and suddenly saw something purple up in the air vent in the corner of her eye. She looked up there and saw Dakota sitting there wearing her Donatello mask. Dakota grinned when she saw that she'd been spotted and she placed her finger to her lips telling Elenore to be quiet. Elenore smiled and she looked back down at her coloring book wondering what her best friend was up to. Dakota sat there waiting until someone called Kevin out of the room. A few minutes later Spencer came running in the room. Dakota raised her eyebrow. This wasn't part of the plan.


"Kevin you're needed downstairs! Its an emergency!" He said urgently. Kevin frowned some.


"Are you sure they need me buddy? I can't really leave right now…"


"I'm very sure. That one lady who runs this place said that I needed to come gets you an' to hurry."


"Brooke or Riley?"


"…Um…Brooke!" Spencer answered, guessing her name. He doesn't exactly know who is who quite yet. He knows both Brooke and Riley are in charge of the place though.


"Okay…" Kevin replied worriedly, and he set his book down and got up. He looked over at Elenore.


"I'm sorry sweetie but I am going to have to go downstairs for a few minutes. Are you going to be alright by yourself? I promise that I will hurry." Elenore nodded.


"Okay…" Kevin replied, and he hurried out of the room not even bothering to make sure Spencer was following him - which he wasn't. He watched and when he was in the elevator and the doors were closed, he turned and looked at Dakota in the air vent.


"It's safe!" He told her. Dakota opened up the air vent and peeked out.


"What are you two doing in here?" Elenore wanted to know, looking from one friend to the other looking highly confused, but at the same time amused.


"We came to gets you out fer a few minutes! I bets Joshy could sure use some pay back, don't you think?" Elenore grinned.


"Music to my ears, Kota!" Dakota grinned.


"We needs to gets you up here some how though cause we're gonna have to sneak to his air vent. An' we need to hurry too! Who knows how long Brookie will be keeping Uncle Kevy!"


"How will we do that though? Your so high up." Dakota thought for a few moments, than she looked at Spencer.


"Spencer…your pretty tall."


"Yeah - Momma says I'm taller then most five year olds," Spencer bragged proudly.


"An' that's a very good thing too. Cause you can let Ellie gets on your shoulders and I will reach down and pull her up here." Elenore suddenly grinned.


"Yeah" she said way too cheerful for her own good. She paused when she noticed both Elenore and Spencer looking at her weirdly. "I mean if it will helps an' all…" Elenore could feel her face getting warm. She can't believe she just did that. She can't let Dakota or Spencer know about her infatuation with Spencer. ESPECIALLY Spencer. She doesn't know why, but he just really interests her and she finds herself always wanting to be near him. She never experienced such a feeling before and she has no idea what it is. She is after all, only five years old. She just knows she and Spencer have got to be friends forever. Best friends. You can have more then one best friend…right?


"Right. So lets do it then before he comes back" Spencer said, hurrying Elenore up. He crawled up onto the bed and got on his hands and knees so that Elenore could sit on his shoulders. When she did he stood up and held onto the wall so that he wouldn't fall backwards and Elenore reached up to Dakota. Dakota lay on her stomach and wrapped her feet around a bar up in the vent so that she won't fall and she reached her hands out for her friend. When Elenore had grabbed a hold one hand she looked at Dakota's other and remembered her broken arm.


"Kota your cast…I can't grab onto your other hand I'll hurteds you." Dakota leaned out a little further.


"Wrap your arms around my neck and I'll pull you up."


"But you'll fall," Elenore replied worriedly.


"No I won'ts I have my feet wrapped around a bar."


"But how strong is that bar?"


"Ellie reach up and grab onto the air vent," Spencer suggested. Elenore reached as far as she could and her hand was just inches away.


"I can't, its too far."


"stand up on my shoulders."


"Are you sure? I don'ts wanna hurt you Spencer"


"Just do it, I'll be fine. Your really light. An' sides, that's Mikey to you! An' Mikey is strong!" Elenore smiled a little and this little factor made her feel brave all of the sudden. She stood up on Spencer's shoulders and Spencer held onto the wall feeling very grateful that she isn't wearing shoes. When she was standing she held onto the air vent and pulled herself up the best as she could and Dakota kept her arms out ready to catch her friend if she should need to - she doesn't care about her broken arm. Her best friend is more important. When she was up Dakota grabbed her with the one hand that she has and pulled her up so that she is sitting next to her, both girls small enough that both their feet could fit through the air vent and were hanging out of it. Both girls looked down at Spencer then.


"Now how do I get up there?"


"You don't," Elenore answered. "Mikey you gots to be the look out!" she told him, as she put her Raphael mask on after Dakota had given it to her.


"Yeah, lets us know when Uncle Kevy is coming. You gots the walkie talkie still right?"


"Uh-huhs," Spencer answered dutifully.


"Kay, gets goin' Mikey," Elenore told him, and he took off running out of the room to go and spy on Kevin and Brooke. When he was gone Elenore and Dakota removed their feet from the air vent and shut it before hurrying over to the air vent to Dakota's closet. She opened it up and climbed out so that she is standing on top of her dresser and she hopped down. Elenore followed her, closing the vent behind her and Dakota hurried over to her toy box. She opened it up and pulled out silly string and she got out a package of straws - why in the world she has a package of straws in her toy box? Who knows. She went into the bathroom then and she got a bunch of toilet paper to make spit balls. After grabbing everything they will need they went back into the closet and climbed up into the air vent and Dakota led the way to Josh's air vent. When they got there both girls peered inside to find Josh lying on his bed petting Chance. He too was given crayons, coloring books, and paper and they're lying next to his head. Dakota grinned and tore off a piece of toilet paper she rolled it up into a ball and stuck it in her mouth. She stuck the straw through the hole of the vent and spit the toilet paper out through the straw. The girls watched it as it landed on the back of Josh's neck.


"What the…" he trailed off, moving his hand to the back of his head to see what hit him and Dakota and Elenore ducked out of view, trying very hard not to giggle. When he couldn't figure out what hit him, he shrugged it off and laid his head back down, resuming his attention on Chance. The puppy he loves more then anything. Elenore got a straw out of her own and did exactly what Dakota had demonstrated. She put a piece of toilet paper in her mouth, stuck her straw threw the vent and spit another spit ball down at Josh and it hit his coloring book. He sat up right in his bed quick and he looked up at the air vent. Dakota and Elenore quickly ducked.


"Who is up there??" He called angrily. Silence. He stared up at the vent angry and confused for a few moments, than he looked down at Chance. While he wasn't looking, Dakota opened up the silly string and she opened up the air vent just a tiny bit before spraying the silly string out at Josh.


"AHHHHHHHGH!" He yelled, looking up at his vents again and he found Dakota and Elenore sitting there giggling uncontrollably.


"Raph gets back to your room, FAST! Kevin is on his way up right now!" Spencer suddenly spoke urgently into his walkie talkie.


"Oh I am SO telling on you girls, you're SO going to be busted!" Josh announced, grinning maliciously as he sat there covered in silly string. But Elenore and Dakota didn't stick around to hear his threats. Elenore shut the air vent and Dakota grabbed up the evidence and followed Elenore quickly to Dakota's room. When they were there they climbed out of the air vent, jumped off of the dresser and ran into the bedroom to see Spencer flying into the room just then all out of breath. From the looks of it he had just flew up the stairwell.


"Ellie gets to your room, now!" Dakota said hurriedly. Elenore hurried toward the door but stopped momentarily on her way past Spencer. She kissed his cheek and smiled at him.


"Eeeew what was that for? Raphael doesn't kiss Michaelangelo," Spencer said disgusted as he wiped his cheek. Elenore just grinned.


"No but Ellie does," she told him, pulling off her mask and handing it to him and she ran into her bedroom shutting the door behind her.


"Spencer, hurry! Put the masks in the toy box." Dakota ordered and he did as he's told while she opened up her window leading to the playground. She looked down and grinned when she saw that the garbage cans were still there and opened. She tossed the empty silly string can down a long with the package of straws and they landed in the can.


"Yes! Uncle Brian would be SO proud of that shot if I wasn't gonna be in big troubles by him!" she said, then she shut her window and she ran into the bathroom, threw the left over toilet paper in the toilet before flushing it down and she ran back out of her room to find Spencer standing there. He had just gotten his breath back and was just standing there smiling like an idiot. Dakota opened her toy box and grabbed her game of Candy land and she tossed it on the floor and got everything out. Spencer knowing exactly what her plan is lay down on the floor and watched her as she set things up. Just as she was, she heard Kevin going into Elenore's room. Josh opened his door when Kevin was out of sight and he ran downstairs with Chance in his arms to tell Brian what just happened.