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Enjoy =)
Chapter Four-Hundred-Thirty-Two



"Hey Doc...so I guess a congratulations is in order huh? I hear you're engaged," Kori greeted while walking into the cafeteria where she was told he would be. Sure enough there he was sitting at a table drinking coffee while looking over medical stuff as he did. He smiled at her though, welcoming the interruption as he is just simply not in the mood to look over papers.



"Hey stranger...when was the last time you and I sat down and had one of our talks?"



"It's been forever," Kori answered with a small smile despite everything she is going through. She fixed herself some coffee and then went over and joined him. "So engaged huh? You and Annabelle are moving a long pretty fast don't you think?"



"Yeah but neither of us have ever been so sure about anything in our life as we're of each other." Kori gave him what she hoped was a supportive smile before glancing at her coffee cup to hide her emotions. She wishes that she could be that sure, but she just plain doesn't know anything.



"I'm happy for you Steve. I do hope you realize that you two are one of the cutest couples in the building - seriously. It's like something out of a romantic novel. Patient thrusted into Doctor's life by a horrible tragedy. Doctor treats patient and then waits day and night by her side while she fights desperately for her life, all the while not realizing that he has already fallen for her. Patient wakes up muttering Doctor's sister's name, makes a quick recovery and doctor and paitent fall madly in love and get engaged...believing that it was fate that brought them together. Great read right there - I should write a novel about you two. Id make lots of money and be rich." Doctor Johnson laughed.



"You be sure to let me know how that goes."



"Oh I will be sure to," Kori smirked and Doctor Johnson shook his head in amusement.
"So when are you two getting married? Have you set a date yet?"



"No not yet, we haven't discussed that yet. We're still in the porcess of telling everybody that we're engaged. We're having her parents over to my house later tonight for dinner and Brandon is going to cook for us - i'm so nervous it's not even funny."



"Aww sweetie, you'll be fine" Kori insisted. "Just be sure to be yourself and her parents will love you - and why shouldn't they?" Doctor Johnson shrugged.



"I could give you a number of things why they shouldn't."



"Pffft. Well I could give you a number of things why they should." Doctor Johnson arched his eyebrow at her challengingly and when she noticed the challenge she narrowed her eyes at him, leaned forward slightly so she was looking him directly in the eyes, and then continued. "You're the sweetest, most compassionate person to ever walk the face of this earth. You're a gentlemen and not only are you a successful doctor who has probably saved more lives then I can count, but you love their daughter very much and make her happy and that right there is what matters most." "Annablle couldn't have chosen a better man to marry. So stop being so damn hard on yourself, all right? Sheesh." Doctor Johnson narrowed his eyes at her in return, opened his mouth to argue and Kori shook her head at him. "No. Stop. If only you could see yourself through our eyes...I really wish I could show you how much you are admired so you would stop this nonsense."


"Hmph."


"Hmph back at'cha." The two of them were silent for a few moments, Doctor Johnson brooding over the fact that no one will let him get away with beating himself up anymore. After a few moments in silence though, he spoke up.


"Anyway, how are you doing?" he asked, wanting desperately to turn the conversation away from him and he gave her a concerned look.


"That's not important," Kori insisted while crossing her arms over her stomach and she looked away.


"Of course it is," Doctor Johnson insisted and Kori shrugged. "I heard about what happened in Jersey...are Scott and Wiley still giving you a hard time?"


'I told them both that they were to stay away from me. That I didnt want anything to do with them right now. But it doesn't keep them from fighting with each other anyway and Scott goes out of his way to do little things that make me smile, even from a distance. They're both driving me insane...I wish I was as sure as you are when it comes to what I want."



"I think you already are," Doctor Johnson replied after sitting there eyeing her for a moment. "You're just hiding behind what you feel is safe."



"You've been talking to Ashley."



"AJ actually, and I made my own conclusions just by watching you and knowing you" Doctor Johnson informed softly. "I know all about running away and hiding from what is painful Kori...I used my career to hide behind and look what that did to me. Remember how broken up and guilt ridden I was? Hell, I still am. It doesn't do any good to hide and I learned that when fate stepped in and forced me to feel again. It was hard, very hard. But now I can honestly say I feel so much better than I ever did before. Because I faced my pain head on." Kori gazed down at her coffee cup in silence. "You and I have understood each other from the very beginning. I was the first person to really truly welcome you into this building and we've been good friends ever since. Have I ever steered you wrong?"



"No," Kori whispered tearfully.



"Then hear me out honey. I know being here in Florida is painful to you. I know dealing with your parent's death is hard - you feel guilty and all you want to do is go far away so you dont have to feel anymore. I know, I've been there. But running and hiding is not going to do you any good and you're not going to feel better until you've dealt with it. You can concentrate on other things but its always going to be in the back of your mind, eating you up inside until you finally acknowledge it."



"What does Wiley and Scott have to do with me dealing with my parent's death?"



"It has everything to do with it. You're hiding behind Wiley because he's safe, because he's never hurt you the way Scott has but you're still deeply in love with him. Whether you like it or not, your love for him is always going to be there until you finally acknowledge it. You can't hide from what is true."



"Wiley is true too..."



"That may be the case Kori, but if you loved him the way you love Scott you would've said yes, no questions asked." When Kori didnt respond, Doctor Johnson continued. "Why did you make him come back here with you? Why didn't you just break up with him there? Why make him hang on?"


"I didn't make him do anything. I told him he was to stay in Jersey and he refused. He said if Scott was coming back with me he was too. I wanted him to fight for me Steve...and now he is..."



"He just waited until it was too late, right?" Doctor Johnson replied gently. Kori shrugged her shoulders.



"He felt like he shouldn't have to fight for me when I was supposed to be his in the first place...which is true I guess...he shouldn't have."



"Choose Scott Kori...he's been fighting for you from the very beginning. He loves you."



"I don't know if I can believe that."



"What more does he have to do to get you to see it? He's jumped through every hoop that there is for you don't you see it? I know you do, you are just being scared."



"So what if I am?" Kori challenged. "Huh?"



"Well I am glad to see you are finally admitting it." Kori looked away from him stubbornly and he stared at her for a long moment. "You've made it perfectly clear that you won't tolerate me beating myself up anymore."



"You are right, I have. Your point?"



"Well, if that's how it's going to be...i'm no longer going to tolerate you running from your fears."



"Fine. Don't," Kori answered indifferently, shrugging her shoulders.



"I won't," Doctor Johnson replied, and he brought his coffee mug up to his mouth, swallowed the last bit of it, and then gathered up his papers before getting to his feet. "Come get me when you are ready to be honest with yourself. You'll know where to find me," he told her and without another word he left the room knowing perfectly well that his silence will make a very big impact. Kori looks up to him more than anyone else in the building, he's always known that. He's never understood why...but he's aware of it nonetheless.



~*~*~*~*~*~



Meanwhile upstairs in Nick and Ashley's brand new apartment, when Nick had gotten out of the shower and put on a black wife beater and some jeans he walked out of the bedroom he and Ashley now share and found her and Kristin sitting side by side on the couch with her laptop. From the sounds of the conversation he overheard in the bedroom while getting dressed, they're on myspace browsing and creating. Kevin now also showered and cleaned lay on the floor in the living room with ellie lying acrosss his chest half asleep and Dakota and Sarah lay on either side of him using his shoulders as pillows. Nick arched his eyebrow at his bandmate.



"I can't imagine that the wood floor would be very comfortable, Kev," he commented and Kevin shrugged.



"You know as well as I do how easy it is just to lie down somewhere and crash, Nick."



"True," Nick replied when the memory of all the times he has had to be creative when it comes to napping on tour came to his mind. He went over and sat on the other side of Ashley then, slid his arms around her and while he was kissing and loving on her, Kristin got up and went to join Kevin deciding to give the young couple - who she is beginning to learn is very lovey dovey - some space. She sat down next to him and smiled down at him some.



"I suppose you wouldnt want one other female cuddling with you right now, would you?" she asked innocently and Kevin grinned, just taking in how beautiful she is and he reached up and cupped her face in his hand gently caressing it.



"If that one more female has blonde curly hair, pretty blue eyes, and is unbearably beautiful for her own good...then she may cuddle with me anytime she sees fit. It's a non-expirable ticket." He told her softly and she leaned down and rested her forehead against his as she sat indianstyle beside him and he cradled the back of her head in his hand before gently pushing her lips down onto his and he claimed them for his own in a gentle kiss making both Ellie and Dakota giggle quietly. The two of them lay there watching them for a few seconds in amusement, and then Dakota got up, grabbed Ellie's hand and she pulled her into Nick and Ashley's room. She chose that room because Brandon was preparing to paint hers and Sarah's and there wasn't any furniture in there to sit on. The two girls crawled up onto the bed and lay side by side.


"Looks like Uncle Kevy is in luuuurve," Dakota informed and Ellie giggled even more at the way she said it.



"You thinks so?" she asked hopefully.


"I knows so. Its almost like a mirror image of my daddy an' Ashee." Ellie beamed upon hearing this and Dakota grabbed her hand intertwining their fingers together as they lay side by side on their stomachs facing the wall. "I think you're finally gonna gets to understand exactly what it's like to haves a mommy figure in your life, Ellie."



"If having Ashee in your life is anything like having Kristin in mine...I thinks I already do. She's so perfect Kota...shes so fun...an' easy to talks to...an' I never ever want her to goes away." Dakota turned to look at Ellie only to have her eyes meet with hers.


"I dont ever want my Ashee to goes away either, Ellie," was all she said before looking away. She stared intently at the wall to hide the emotions behind the hintful words but she could still feel Ellie's eyes on her. Ellie sat there gazing at her best friend in long silence just mulling over what she had said before sliding her arms around her and resting her head against her shoulder and she gave her a firm hug.


"I'm sorry," she whispered and that was all she needed to say for Dakota to get it as those two little words that are usually taken for granted, holds so much meaning in them. A single tear escaped from Dakotas eyes and slipped down her cheek as she knows that for the first time in a long time, her best friend is finally beginning to understand.





Meanwhile out in the other room, the two couples were minding their own business and enjoying each other’s company while Sarah had crawled into the play pen to play with the baby and was happily content in doing just that when suddenly AJ peered in from the hallway since the door was wide open.



“Should we all just start assuming that if we want to find one couple, we just have to look for the other?” he asked while walking in and everyone looked at him. “you always seem to travel in a pack these days.”



“Hey Alex, what’s up?” Ashley asked curiously. “And which couple are you looking for?”



“You and Nick,” AJ answered before looking at Nick and making eye contact with him. “Detective Stabler is here and he wants to know if you’re over your anger yet and if so, will you and Ashley please come down there to see him?”

“Will there be two scary guys down there waiting for another surprise attack?” Ashley asked warily.



“No there won’t be any scary people…” AJ answered, choosing his words carefully and Nick narrowed his eyes when he picked up on it. “Nick please…you know he means well,” AJ pleaded and Nick sighed heavily.



“Kevin, Kristin will you take the kids please…preferably outside?”



“Sure,” Kevin answered readily, instantly comprehending what is about to go down.



“What is going on?” Ashley demanded. “Why do the kids need to go outside?”



“Kids are meant to play outside. It’s good for them,” Nick answered evasively and she watched him get up and go to their bedroom.



“Kota, Ellie, Kevin and Kristin are going to take you out to the playground to play okay?”



“Why?” both girls asked in unison.



“Because Ashley and I are going to get back to working on the apartment and we want it to be kid free for now - Capeesh?”



“Capeesh,” Dakota answered, though she eyed her father warily. She knows when she is being lied to for her own benefit. The two girls rolled out of the bed, Dakota instantly grabbing hold of Ellie’s hand and they came walking out of the room while Nick went to the playpen next. He leaned over, got Bella out, kissed her forehead softly, and then handed her over to Kristin while Sarah crawled out herself.



“She’ll probably start screaming when she realizes she can no longer hear or see Ashley anymore,” he warned after giving her the diaper bag and pacifier. Ashley watched as Kevin gathered Dakota and Ellie into his arms, Sarah grabbed onto his pantleg, and then he and Kristin began to guide all of the children out – Dakota eyeing her Uncle AJ accusingly. His sudden appearance makes her very suspicious. AJ stared back at her innocently as he watched her leave and when they were all gone, he walked over to Ashley and wrapped his arm around her.



“Come on sweetie, let’s go.”



“No.” Ashley refused and she squirmed out of his hold and crossed her arms over herself protectively. “I won’t go down there until you tell me why the kids were sent away. Obviously something serious is going on.” Nick moved toward her and Ashley started to step back but he was quick to gently grab her arms.



“Baby just trust me okay? You know that you can trust me.”



“I won’t go through another attack Nicky, I won’t!”



“No one is going to attack you I promise,” Nick replied gently and he cupped her face in his hands and gazed into her eyes seriously. “You will be perfectly safe. I won’t leave your side the whole time.”



“Then what is going on? Why won’t either of you tell me what’s going on?”



“We will when we get down there.”



“No. Now.” AJ sighed heavily and then went up behind her and wrapped her in his arms before kissing the back of her head softly.



“Detective Stabler and I have one more test for you…the one that completes your lessons. It’s not going to be an easy one and definitely not a fun one but it’s an important one. If you get through this test I will feel confident that I’ve taught you well and prepared you for Sean to the best of my ability.”



“What is it?” Ashley demanded. “I deserve to know. Detective Stabler at least owes me that much.”


“She’s right he does,” Nick replied while narrowing his eyes at AJ.



“If I tell you what it is now, I will never get you down there.”



“So you’re just going to let her walk right into that basement unprepared for what is there? You’re already asking so much of her AJ, you could at least warn her first!”



“Are you willing to be the one who drags her down there kicking and screaming after I tell her?” Nick gently pulled Ashley away from AJ and placed her behind him protectively before crossing his arms over his chest.



“I won’t let you take her down there unprepared. So if you want this test to go on, I suggest you tell her what to expect.”



“Detective Stabler has it covered with a blanket. I told him to cover it up until we have her in there and ready. Will that be a reasonable compromise to you?” Nick stared at him with narrowed eyes for a long moment, and then turned around and with one swift movement he was cradling Ashley in his arms. She slid her arms around his neck and rested the top of her head in the crook of his neck and he followed AJ out of the room before shutting and locking up the apartment behind him. When they got downstairs and into the lobby they discovered Brooke, Riley, Kori, Marcus, Brian, and Howie all standing there and as soon as they heard the elevator open their eyes flew toward it. Ashley eyed them as Nick carried her out of the elevator and headed for the basement trailing AJ and she couldn’t help but notice they were looking back at her warily. She tightened her hold on Nick then, silently reminding herself that Nick wouldn’t make her do anything scary unless it was super important. And he most certainly wouldn’t make her do anything that isn’t safe either.



Detective Stabler on the other hand…well…he pretty much killed her trust in him at the moment. She watched as Kori darted after them in a protective big sister-like way and when they finally made it to the basement AJ opened the door and stood to the side holding it open for them. Nick gently placed his hand at the back of Ashley’s head and lightly pressed her face into his shoulder just incase AJ had lied to him in order to get them down there. He carried Ashley down the stairs and when he reached the bottom, much to his relief, Detective Stabler didn’t have it out yet. Nick brought his hand down and gently rubbed his hand over her back soothingly.



“You sent for us, Detective?” Nick asked in a very formal-like tone.




“I thought it would be appropriate to continue with her lessons. Wouldn’t you agree? Time is everything Nick.”



“Fine,” Nick replied. “But you are going to tell her what you are putting her through first or I’m taking her back upstairs.” He gently put her down then and turned her to face Detective Stabler and as she did he slid his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.



“AJ and I have one last test for you Ashley. I know our last one – “ AJ cleared his throat. “I know my last one scared you and I’m not your favorite person right now. But I need to make it perfectly clear that it was for your own good and some day you will thank me for it. I don’t expect you to now, but some day you will.” Ashley looked away from him avoiding eye contact.



“Fine…now that’s cleared up. What other torture do you have planned for me today?” Detective Stabler looked at AJ then, feeling reluctant. The last thing he wants is to be the one who delivers the information – she’s already upset with him enough as it is. AJ motioned for him to set up and while Detective Stabler went to do that, AJ took over.


“If you think about it sweetie, I think you can figure it out on your own” he began gently. “What have I been hell bent on getting you to do ever since our jingle ball trip?” Ashley thought about that question for a moment as she watched Detective Stabler’s every move cautiously. She watched him as he pulled something that was hidden underneath a blanket out from behind a corner and when she noticed the shape of the object underneath the blanket, everything clicked and she gripped Nick’s hands tight.



“No.”



“You knew this day would come honey. I told you we were going to build up to this – it’s important.”



No, ” Ashley answered more firmly this time and she shook her head for emphasis.



“Baby, this is even more important than your last test. You need to go through with this,” Nick told her gently. Detective Stabler looked at AJ questioningly and AJ nodded, deciding she knows what’s coming now and there is no gentler way to reveal it – they might as well get it over with. Detective Stabler pulled the blanket off of the hidden object revealing a custom made dummy that looks precisely like Sean down to the very last detail. Ashley froze for half a minute as she took in the horrifying dummy in front of her. She knew it was coming – AJ promised her he would make her do this once she built up to it. But she never imagined he would actually succeed in getting a dummy that looks exactly like her tormentor. She kept telling herself that he wouldn’t be able to – it comforted her and she blocked the whole scary thought out of her mind up until now. It’s not real…it’s not real she silently told herself over and over again. But the more she stared at it, the more real it seemed and all of the images of that horrible man beating her and raping her relentlessly and dunking her under water over and over again flashed through her mind and she felt a panic attack coming.



“Ashley?” Nick asked carefully, and Ashley shook her head.



“NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!!!” she shrieked and then turned to run only to have Nick gently grab her by the arm.



“Baby stop, it’s—“ he began, only to have her fist smack into his face in her attempt to get away. He yelped in surprise and let her go and she high-tailed it toward the stairs narrowly escaping Kori before she could grab her and try to stop her too – she barely heard them calling her or noticed them running after her in her state of panic as all she could think about was getting away as fast as she possibly could. She was up the stairs in a flash and she threw the door open to find everybody else standing near it in case they were needed.



“Ashley?” Brooke asked worriedly but Ashley surged past them toward the lobby. When she got there she looked around frantically for what she wanted and when she found it she darted across the lobby to security and flung herself into Marcus’s awaiting arms where she began to sob. Marcus wrapped protective arms around her and rubbed his hand over her back soothingly.



“Shhh…sweetheart it’s okay, it’s okay” he reassured her softly after a few moments. “It wasn’t real. You are safe…I’m not going to let anything harm you.”



“Don’t make me go back down there Marcus I don’t want to go back down there. Please don’t let them make me” she pleaded when AJ, Nick, Detective Stabler, Kori, and everybody finally caught up to her. Marcus glanced at everybody else then before kissing the top of her head and hugging her closer.



“I won’t,” he reassured her gently and AJ and Detective Stabler gave him looks. “For today,” he was quick to add. When they continued to stare at him like he was making promises that they won’t let him keep he gently lifted Ashley and set her inside the security booth before standing in front of the door so that neither of them could get through.


“Can’t you see that she is terrified? Come on you guys be reasonable. She’s had enough for one day.”



“He’s right,” Nick insisted and he narrowed his eyes at AJ making sure he knows he means business. “She saw the dummy, she knows it’s there, she freaked out…now give her time to get used to it being there and give me a chance to reassure her and we’ll try again tomorrow.”


“But—“



“Don’t push it Elliot. You owe it to her to let me get her through this my way – taking baby steps.”



“We may not have time to do it your way,” Detective Stabler insisted seriously.



“Well it’s my way or no way at all so take it or leave it. You’re not going to force this on her.” Detective Stabler opened his mouth to argue when Brooke gently laid her hand on his shoulder, causing him to close his mouth again and look at her.


“Elliot please,” she pleaded gently. “You know Nick’s way is the only way that’s going to work. He is the only one who can get her to cooperate and has been since the beginning – you know that. So just trust him okay?”



“It’s not that I don’t trust him, it’s time that I don’t trust.”



“I know I get how urgent this is, but you can’t rush someone through a traumatic situation, especially not Ashley.” Detective Stabler stared at them all incredulously for a moment, and then huffed.



“Fine...I’m going to see Ellie then if we aren’t going to get anything else accomplished here” he insisted before whirling around and storming toward the playground. Nick watched him go in frustration for a moment trying very hard to remind himself that he just cares very deeply and is frightened for Ashley, and then he turned and looked at Marcus.



“Let me through please.” Marcus stepped to the side then and allowed Nick to go into the booth where he found his girlfriend standing and he slid his arms around her and pulled her close to him protectively. She wrapped her arms around him in return putting a death grip on him and she buried her face in his neck and stood there sniffling and even trembling.