Chapter Four-Hundred-Thirty-Three
"ELLIOT!" Ellie exclaimed excitedly upon seeing her favorite detective and AJ come out of the Orphanage building. She dropped Chris's arm in a hasty attempt to pretend that she hadn't been in the process of tormenting him and she darted toward Detective Stabler.
"Ellie!" Detective Stabler replied managing to match her excitement despite the fact that he was trying his very hardest to keep his temper and he leaned over and caught the flying five year old in his arms. He stood up straight again and returned her hugs and chuckled as she gave him tons of kisses.
"You're here, you're here, you're here!!! I Misses you so much!"
"I missed you too kiddo. How is my little Detective these days huh?" he asked while pulling back slightly, though she still cradled his face in her hands and he checked her over, frowning upon seeing the bruises. Summer is mighty lucky he hadn't been here and had to put her arrest into action over the phone with Olivia or he would've given her a piece of his mind.
"Better," Ellie insisted. "Daddy an' I haves a new friend - you haves to meet her Elliot, you just haves to."
"A new friend huh?" Detective Stabler asked, and his eyes ventured curiously across the playground where Kevin sat under a tree with Kristin who currently held Bella in her lap and the two of them were playing with her and trying their very hardest to keep her happy until her mommy could come and really make things better.
"Uh-huh. She's really nice an' fun, an' I loves her an' shes not allowed to leave us ever" Ellie explained and Detective Stabler studied Ellie and saw that she really was indeed happier then he's ever seen her. Feeling curious, and a little protective of his favorite five year old, Detective Stabler headed on over there and AJ followed. When they approached, while Ellie was busy introducing Detective Stabler to Kristin, AJ sat down and Dakota who had followed them over there stood in front of him and she narrowed her eyes at him accusingly, much like she had earlier. AJ arched his eyebrow at her in return.
"Yes squirt?"
"Where is my mommy?" She demanded.
"Inside," AJ answered simply.
"What did you do to her now?"
"Nothing," AJ answered innocently and Dakota placed her hands on her hips.
"You've never been good at's lyin' Uncle J."
"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with. Why don't you go play with Chris?"
"No. Not until you promise me you didnts upset my mommy!" AJ stared at her for a long moment.
"I can't make that promise kid." Dakota scowled at him.
"Why do you haves to be such a meanie head lately?" she asked angrily.
"I'm not being mean, i'm being a good brother who is trying to do what is best for his sister."
"Big brothers and sisters always think they know best when the truth is they dont's an' should seriously just butt outs. The lot of you! You're gonna stress my mommy out an' she has enough to worry abouts already!" Dakota insisted, and with that, she whirled around and stormed off toward the Orphanage building to go check on Ashley to make sure she is okay. Dakota's entire happiness depends on Ashley being okay. If she is in the slightest bit unhappy lately, she is too. And it is excrusiatingly painful and terrifying everytime she has to let her out of her sight for even a minute. AJ stared after her incredulously for a moment, and then looked at Kevin with a look that clearly stated: What the hell?
"You know how stressed out she's been about the Sean situation lately," Kevin reminded. "She's bound to be overly sensitive about Ashley right now. Plus, Sarah was giving her a hard time about knowing what's best for her earlier so that's annoying her as well." AJ looked across the playground then where he had seen Sarah earlier and saw her arguing with her ex-friends about something. Arching his eyebrow suspiciously, he got up and ventured over there, ready to intervene before the situation gets out of control.
~*~*~*~*~
"Angel why don’t you just leave the room if you are so annoyed?" Aaron complained after a long moment when he pulled away from Stacy and their make out session to look at his twin who sat across the room.
"I didn't even say anything," Angel insisted innocently.
"You don't have to. Your thoughts are loud and clear from all the way over here. It's driving me insane."
"Well, maybe, you should stop making out with your girlfriend already and pay attention to me. I've only been telling you that i'm bored and I want to go see Nick all day."
"So go then."
"You know I dont like walking there alone, Aaron." Aaron sighed heavily.
"So then get BJ to drive you."
"I've already tried but she has plans and has made it perfectly clear that driving twins around all over the place isn't part of them."
"Angel I really don't feel like going to the Orphanage right now. You complain about how much being a third wheel drives you crazy but yet you insist on being with us."
"Trust me the last thing I want is to be with you right now. So why dont you walk me to the Orphanage and then you can be free of me already?" Aaron stared at her for a moment.
"I don't want to."
"Aaron please. I want to go see Nick."
"No you don't, you want to see Conner and I am not going to support that."
"STAY out of my mind."
"I wish I could!"
"Air, why can't you just walk her to the Orphanage whats the big deal?" Stacy spoke up, quickly intervening before the sibling's fight got worse.
"The big deal is that I don't want her there with Conner, especially when she is thinking what she is thinking!" Angel sat there glaring at him for a few moments, and then she pulled out her cell phone, flipped it open, and hit the number one speed dial before placing it to her ear. After a couple of rings the person on the other end answered.
"Hey sis, whats up?" Nick asked on the other end.
"I want to go over there but Aaron is being a jerk and won't walk me there - will you please come pick me up?" Nick paused for a brief moment on the other end.
"Is mom around?"
"No, she went out. It’s just Aaron, Stacy, BJ, Leslie and me."
"Can you wait an hour? I'm a little preoccupied at the moment."
"If I stay here another minute Aaron is going to drive me over the brink of insanity Nick."
'I'm sorry sweetie but Brooke has me doing things with the kids right now." Angel sighed heavily.
"What about Conner? Can Conner come get me?" She felt Aaron's protests to that question and ignored him.
"I thought you two were fighting?"
"Yeah well...I miss him..." Angel answered softly and Aaron scowled, knowing just how much his sister misses him and he really wishes he didn't.
"I don’t know if I like the idea of him being alone with you out in public. I know he's on our side now Ange, but that doesn't mean you are any safer."
"So I’m stuck here for another hour?"
"I'm sorry...I can't get away any sooner than that." Angel sighed heavily.
"Kay..."
"I'm sorry Ange. I'll be there as soon as I possibly can okay?"
"Yeah," Angel replied, and then hung up and she glared at Aaron. Aaron simply turned his attention on Stacy and he tucked a strand of her hair back behind her ear and gazed into her eyes lovingly. Angel sat there feeling furious with her twin. She hates it when he gets mad at her for thinking about Conner, yet he'll have sex with Stacy and then an hour later be thinking about it and suddenly it's okay. After a couple of moments, she decided she's had enough and he would pay. She unleashed her full thoughts on him. She imagined herself walking into the Orphanage and finding him in the lobby. She imagined herself walking straight over to him, shoving him up against the wall and kissing him right on the lips with the most passionate kiss she could muster. His arms are around her, holding her protectively. She lingered on that kiss for a long moment, thinking about how good it would feel to have his lips on hers after such a long time. She would jump up into his arms and he would carry her up into his room where they would lock the door and spend the next hour making up. She imagined the scene in perfect detail until Aaron yelled out in exasperation and the next thing she knew it, a shoe was flying at her - she dodged it swiftly. He was up in an instant, a look of utmost disgust and rage on his face.
"You are NOT going over there! I won't let you!"
"You have no control over what I do and you know it. I will go over there and there is nothing you can do to stop me."
"Wanna bet?" Aaron asked, and he whirled around and headed toward the stairs. She saw in his mind that he was headed up to the attic to get rope and he was going to tie her to a chair.
"Gotta go!" She told Stacy, and then jumped up from her perch on the couch and she bolted for the front door. She threw it open and went outside and by the time Aaron was in the doorway, Angel was climbing the big security gate.
"ANGEL CHARISMA CARTER! YOU GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE!" he shouted, but it was no use. Angel had jumped down to the other side and Aaron, fuming, watched her run down the street in the direction of the Orphanage. He growled and then started for the gate like he was going to go after her when Stacy wound her arms around his waist from behind, stopping him.
"Aaron come on, leave your sister alone."
"You didn't see what was on her mind, Stace. She was practically planning to give herself to him!"
"So what?" Stacy asked while pulling him back and pressing his back against the wall. Aaron wound his arms around her and pulled her closer. "You and I have done it - more than once. Don’t be such a hypocrite."
"Yes but the difference is, she's my sister. I don't even care about what he's done, all I care about is that she's my sister and I don't want him touching her. And she's better than that Stace, she -"
"- What is that supposed to mean Air?" Aaron paused then, thinking about his words and then back-tracked.
"That is not what I meant."
"Then what do you mean?"
"I just mean that this is not like her. She wouldn’t just go and give away her virginity to just anybody, she's always been hell-bent on saving herself for the one."
"And how do you know Conner isn't the one, huh?"
"Because he's not," Aaron insisted firmly.
"Just because you dont approve of him that doesn't mean a thing Aaron. She loves him and I know you know that."
"So she can wait until she's grown up and married to him then before she goes and takes drastic measures like that! Shes always been so much stronger and smarter than me I won't let her throw that away!"
"You sound like you have some regrets about things, Aaron." Stacy replied softly.
"What? No. Baby, no I don't" Aaron reassured quickly and he gently cradled her face in his hands. "I'm just saying she has a lot more self control then I do. Me on the other hand...when I look at you, what little self control I try to hold onto goes flying out the window. Because I love you and you make me crazy."
Just shut up before you're in over your head, Aaron he heard Angel's thoughts in his mind.
Get home. Now.
Don't have a frigin panic attack Twinny. I was only exaggerating my thoughts to mess with you. Calm down will you? Aaron looked in the direction Angel had run off in and noticed her standing at the corner she would have to turn to get to the Orphanage, just watching them.
Come home and I will walk with you to the Orphanage.
Just forget it. I'm already out here, I might as well go by myself.
But you don't like to and to be honest I don’t like the idea of it either with Sean out there running about.
I'll be fine.
Angel...
Really Air. I promise if I am in the slightest bit of danger you'll be the first to know.
That's not fair. Do you know how hard that will be on me having that knowledge and not being able to do anything about it except feel it and hear it happening?
You could sound the alarm - get Detective Stabler after me. You won't be completely helpless.
Remember how long it took him to find Ashley? I won't survive It Angel you are my other half. Please - let me walk you.
Why, so he can grab you as well? No way. You had your chance Aaron and you wanted to stay there with Stacy. I'm going - it’ll be fine. Love you, she told him and he watched painfully as she rounded the corner. Stacy noticed the pained look in his eyes as she sat there watching him have the silent conversation with his twin and she gently cupped his cheek in her hand making him look at her.
"Are you okay? What's going on?"
"She's being stupid and is going to walk to the Orphanage by herself when Sean is god knows where." Stacy gently caressed his cheek.
"Well, like you said, she is strong...if Sean grabs her, he'll be sorry he ever did. She's strong willed and doesn't let anyone tell her what to do. She can take care of herself when she needs to."
"But...this is Sean. She's tough and scary sometimes yeah...but he makes a mountain lion look like a kitten."
Thanks Air, I’m glad to see you have so much faith in me.
Get out of my head!
Aaron please don’t be like that. At least stay with me until I get there.
If you get yourself killed there will be nothing left for me Angel - I’ll feel empty. Please don’t do this to me. Just turn around and come back.
I'm already half way there.
Fine. But as soon as you step through those Orphanage doors you're tuning out - you hear me? Stace hates it when you listen in on us.
If she can't handle your relationship with your twin--
--You know perfectly well that she is very supportive of our relationship. She even stands here patiently when I have to have private conversations like this in front of her. So don’t even go there.
I'm just saying is all. Jeez you are moody today…
She just hates it when we're trying to be alone and she finds out that you are actually listening in through my thoughts. Anyone would be annoyed by that Angel. But she loves you and understands so it would be nice if you'd respect that.
I do respect that Aaron, sheesh. Aaron shook his head and tried his very hardest to pay attention to his beautiful and very patient girlfriend in front of him.
"I'm sorry," He apologized gently.
"It’s okay babe, Is she there safely yet?"
"Almost," Aaron answered when Angel focused on a street sign for his benefit. "Five minutes away." Aaron lightly caressed Stacy's cheek. "I love you," he informed her and her heart fluttered at the sincerity in his tone. "You are probably the only girlfriend I’ve ever had who fully understands how important my relationship with Angel is."
"You seem to forget that I’ve known you since we were Dakota and Ellie's age," Stacy reminded him with a small smile. "I had already accepted at age four that I would have to share you. It just took me years to get Angel to see that I get it."
"She gets it now, but it doesn’t mean it’s easy for her. It took her a long time to accept that I love someone other than her that isn't family, you know?"
"I do," Stacy replied while sliding her arms around him and resting her forehead against his. "But she needs to know that I could never take her place and I don't want to either. She has a part of you that I never will." Aaron opened his mouth to reply to her, when he suddenly felt a small pang of fear from Angel slip into him and he tensed up.
"Aaron?" Stacy asked worriedly, and Aaron focused in on Angel again, removing the light barrier he had put up between them as he talked to Stacy but he hadn't fully blocked her out. As he did, he suddenly noticed that he could no longer hear her clearly anymore - just that she was focusing on getting across the street to the Orphanage and nothing else. Why is she blocking him out? What is she trying to hide from him? Whatever it is, it's scaring her.
Angel? Twinna? What’s going on?
Nothing I’m fine. I was just spooked is all...I’m almost there.
Angel! Don't lie to me! If something is going on... Aaron shook his head and deciding that he would not rely on her word he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Nick's number. After a moment he picked up.
"What's going on Aaron? Angel isn't bugging you too much is she? I'll be able to leave in fifteen minutes to come get her."
"You won't have to, she's right across the street from you but something's scared her! She's completely blocked me from her thoughts so I can't see what's going on! Go out there, Nick hurry!" Aaron answered frantically.
"Why did you let her go by herself, are you out of your mind?" Nick shouted and Aaron could hear that he was running.
"I tried to stop her but you know how she is!" Aaron insisted, and fear was surging through him as he endured the wait to know what is going on with his twin. He could hardly breathe from the stress.
"What's going on with Angel?" he heard Conner ask in the background and could tell he was running right alongside Nick.
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile outside the Orphanage, Angel had just reached the sidewalk across the street from the Orphanage. She was standing in front of the apartment complex that Brooke lives in when she heard a twig crack in the woods nearby. She paused and turned to look in that direction, having a sinking feeling that someone is standing in there staring right back at her. It's just your imagination, it’s just your imagination she silently told herself after throwing the barrier that would keep Aaron out of her thoughts up. She wouldn’t want him to think the worst all because she's paranoid and got spooked over an animal in the woods or something. But she had the feeling that this 'animal' in the woods has been watching her and following her the whole way to the Orphanage. Nerves. It's just nerves she told herself. It has to be. She was so nervous about walking to the Orphanage by herself; it's just her mind playing tricks on her. Every little sound is making her jump. But still, she would feel better about getting across the street and into the Orphanage. She took another step forward when she heard something move closer in the woods and her whole body tensed up. Is that someone breathing? She turned her head and glanced toward the woods then and when she did she could've sworn she could see a shadow just inside - right behind her. Angel opened her mouth to scream when a familiar voice spoke up.
"Angel? Is that you?" She turned around and looked toward the apartment complex then and noticed Jaime walking toward her. She took in a deep breath of relief then and did she just hear someone mutter damnit in the woods beside her? That doesn't matter, all that matters is that Jaime is there and no one will mess with Jaime.
"Jaime! Thank god!" She exclaimed and ran toward him, throwing her arms about him when she reached him and taking him completely by surprise.
"Hey kiddo...what's wrong?" he asked when he pulled back slightly to assess her behavior and noticed just how terrified she was.
"Someone is in those woods Jaim. Someone was following me all the way here."
"Are you sure?" Jaime frowned. "Maybe it was just nerves. You shouldn't be walking around by yourself like this," He lectured gently.
"I'm positive. They were standing right behind me." When they got to where Angel had been standing when he noticed her, he eyed the woods warily considering on checking for her. He isn't on Sean's hit list, but still...could he risk looking? What if he pisses him off and ends up on it?
"Are you sure it isn't Aaron playing a joke on you? I know you two like to get on each other's nerves a lot..."
"He wouldn't do anything that cruel," Angel insisted. "Besides, he followed me all the way here in my thoughts worried about me. I sort of came here by myself against his wishes..."
"That right there was very stupid," Jaime insisted while gently rubbing his hand over her arm as she stood there holding onto him with a death grip. "Do you realize if there is someone in there, they could've grabbed you at any time?"
"I know...but I had to get away. Like you said, we like to get on each other's nerves..."
"I heard Nick say he would come get you. You should've waited for him no matter how much of a pain Aaron was being" Jaime continued his lecture as he gently pulled Angel across the street toward safety. "I don't ever want to catch you out here by yourself again, do you hear me? I won't be nice next time."
"Don't worry," Angel replied warily. "I'm sure Nick will take care of that. He's going to be pissed." As soon as they reached the sidewalk at the Orphanage, Nick and Conner came running out of the building.
"Angel?? ANGEL??" Nick exclaimed frantically, and then his eyes fell on her and he calmed down when he saw her with Jaime.
"I'm fine Nick. Relax."
"That is not what I heard from Aaron! He called me on the phone and told me you were scared and blocking him out. What happened?"
"I got spooked. My imagination was getting the better of me, that's all" Angel insisted, giving him a sugarcoated version of the story hoping Jaime would allow it and play along. No such luck.
"She told me that she heard someone in the woods - that she is sure they were right behind her even," he explained and Angel scowled. Nick narrowed his eyes.
"Angel Charisma Carter!" Angel groaned.
"Do you know how many times I’ve had to hear that today?"
"Do you not realize you could've gotten yourself kidnapped?!" Nick demanded angrily while reaching out and gently grabbing his sister by the arms and looking her straight in the eyes seriously. "Or worse - killed?"
"I've heard that a dozen times too."
"Obviously it didn’t sink in though, did it? How could you be so careless?! What will it take to get you to realize that there is a dangerous killer out there?!"
"I'm sorry! But if you were me and had to deal with Aaron you would've taken off too!"
"Aaron is the least of your troubles Angel!" he shouted this time.
"He was going to tie me to a chair!"
"Well, at least you would've been safe and not on the verge of being taken from us forever, huh?" Angel looked away from her and crossed her arms over her chest as tears clouded her eyes. She is not used to Nick shouting at her. "If you ever do a stupid stunt like this again Angel Charisma so help me I’ll--"
"--So help you what?" Angel snapped.
"I'll...I’ll turn you over my knee and spank you!" Angel actually laughed upon hearing this threat.
"Yeah right, you can't even spank your own daughter let alone me."
"I would if she ever did something as stupid as this, but even she knows the seriousness of the situation!"
"You are not dad Nick!"
"No, but he certainly isn't around these days to see that you are safe, is he? So it's going to have to be me!"
"You have no right--"
"I have every right to do what it takes to protect my sister! And if a good smack on your ass is what it will take to get you to realize the situation, then so be it!" Nick shouted angrily and Angel noticed the tears forming in Nick's eyes. "Do you know how much Sean would just love to take you in order to punish me?"
"Or me," they both heard Conner whisper under his breath but they pretended not to acknowledge it since they are outside.
"Nick I'm sorry..." Angel replied looking away just so she could avoid seeing the tears in his eyes and the disappointment.
"Well you should be," Nick told her icily. "Do you know what I went through when I lost Ashley for just those couple of days? Do you not get it? I nearly had a heart attack when I got a call from Aaron!"
"I get it Nick, god!" Angel shouted irritably and tears rolled down her own cheek. "I won't do it again!" She told him, and then pushed past him and stormed into the Orphanage, stormed through the security system before Laney, Marcus, or Q even had the time to react and she went upstairs looking for a room that she could escape to. Nick peered in the door then and looked at them.
"Someone should go check the woods just to be safe."
"I'll go do it," Laney replied, and Q followed him. Marcus however, stayed put as Ashley still sat inside the security booth behind him on the floor hugging her legs to her chest. If Sean is in those woods, he doesn't want to leave Ashley by herself.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Enjoy =)
