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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Chapter Four-Hundred-Thirty-Four




"Whoever was in there is gone now," Q announced when he and Laney walked back into the Orphanage. "Though I didn't really expect to find anyone anyway - they aren't dumb enough to stick around, after all."



"What if no one was in there in the first place?" Jaime asked as he still stood there with Nick, Conner, and Marcus. "Angel's mind could've been playing tricks on her - she was really nervous walking over here."



"As she should've been," Nick replied moodily.



"No, there was someone in there," Laney affirmed. "Infact, theres been someone in there a lot - and we know it's the same person too due to their shoe marks. Someone who wears a size 9 in converse. I recognize the shoe marks from seeing Ashley's shoes all the time and being a security guard you just tend to notice the details of things no matter how small or insignificant."



"That would be Sean," Conner and Ashley spoke in unison. Nick leaned over the security booth and looked at her as Marcus glanced back at her as well. Q and Laney looked in her direction curiously too, though they couldn't see her as she still sat on the floor.



"One of the things Sean and I bonded over before he convinced me to move in with him...was our love for converse shoes. I remember getting into a lengthy conversation with him about them..."



"With him hanging outside the Orphanage, that just proves that we don't have much time. If he's resurfacing that can't be good," Nick insisted.



"It also could be very good," Marcus replied. "If he's resurfacing, he's out of hiding and it increases our chance of getting our hands on him. Lan, I think Drew and Raul should come back over here - it wouldnt hurt to have someone go check that area in the woods every day and keep guard."


"They've been guarding Kevin and Brian's houses though."


"I know, but we haven't had a sighting at Kevin and Brian's house. Sean's been here and he's made it perfectly clear that he's not after Ellie anymore - or her family."


"But he hurt Jackie, remember?"



"He didnt hurt Jackie, the moron he chose to trust did against his wishes remember? And he's dead now because of it. Sean's focus is on Ashley and Kori and Ashley and Kori are here."



"And besides, that's what we have the cameras for" Q added. "We can still keep our eye on Kevin and Brian's house from here. Our top priority needs to be this Orphanage."



"I'll call them," Laney replied and then pulled out his cell phone. Nick leaned over the counter then and peered down at Ashley who looked up at him.



"I'm going upstairs to reason with Angel baby...are you coming with me?"



"No, I'm staying right here where Marcus is. Besides, Angel likes spending time with you alone sometimes - I like giving her that."



"I love you baby," Nick reminded gently.



"I love you too," she told him and he smiled at her lovingly before pulling back and turning around only to find Conner behind him.



"When you get done reasoning with her...can I please have sometime alone with her?" Conner asked softly and Nick saw the desperate look in his eyes.



"That's up to her Conner."



"Not entirely...I know you and Aaron have issues with me."



"At this point, I just want my baby sister to be happy again" Nick insisted and he gently squeezed Conner's shoulder before walking off. Conner turned and headed toward the playroom then to check on his own sister. With the knowledge that Sean is hanging around outside the Orphanage these days, the thought of leaving Rosalie alone for even a second terrifies him. While Marcus watched him disappear in the playroom, he noticed Ellie casually padding into the lobby and he arched his eyebrow as he could clearly see that she is tense about something.



"Q" he spoke quietly.



"Huh?" Q asked while turning away from the cameras to look at him.



"Little Turtle in Red at four o' clock." Q turned and looked at his little charge, warily assessing her behavior and like Marcus he noticed her trying her hardest to feint casualness but he can see she is troubled. He closed the distance between her and knelt down in front of her.



"Hello, Ellie."



"Hi."



"What are you up to?"



"Oh nothing...just strolling."



"Indoors? While all of your friends are outside playing?"



"I just felt like playin' alone fer awhile."



"You? Play alone? When you've missed all of your friends terribly and just got them back?" Q asked suspiciously. Ellie was silent for a long moment.



"I forgots Lil' Rok's favorite toy in the car. Can you takes me out there to get it please?" Q arched his eyebrow and then looked back at Marcus and Marcus gave him a look that clearly said: Do it. Lets test her and see if she sensed him. Q looked back at Ellie then.



"Okay, I will take you" He told her and then lifted her up in his arms and brought her over to the security booth.



"Ashley honey will you hand me Ellie's Donald Duck backpack please?" Ashley reached over and grabbed up the backpack with the leash on it and she handed it over to Marcus who handed it to Q. Q set Ellie down on top of the table with the television screens on them and he began to put her backpack on her. When he finished, he lifted her up and set her down but not before grabbing hold of the leash and she led the way outside - neither of them missing the scowl on Ellie's face upon being leashed. When they got outside she began to lead the way to Kevin's car and Q paid special attention to her noticing her look around as if she were interested in the scenery. When they reached the car Q pressed the button on Kevin's key ring that he'd left him in charge of and the doors unlocked. Ellie opened the back door and he stood outside the car as he watched her crawl in.



As she sat inside the car she took extra care in going through Lil' Rok's bucket of toys for the specific one that she wanted and while she did, he noticed her eyeing the woods across the street. And not just the woods...but the area where Sean had been just ten minutes before. Unbelievable... Q thought and shook his head slightly amused and slightly troubled. He stood there watching Ellie as she went through the toys and when she finally decided on which one she wanted, she turned and crawled out of the car and Q couldn't help but notice how disappointed she seems. She knows he was there, but obviously he isn't anymore. He closed the door behind her and locked up the car again, and then he took her back to the Orphanage, all the while she looked around holding onto the small bit of hope that she has left. When they were back in the Orphanage, he unleashed her and she looked up at him with a weak smile.



"Thanks for taking me out there Q..."



"No problem kiddo...sorry you didn't find everything you were looking for," Q replied and Ellie looked up at him with surprise and Q winked at her. Sure he wouldn't have let her sneak off to talk to him and he knows that she knows he wouldn't, but he can tell that she just wanted a glimpse of the man she still loves - that alone would've been enough to hold her over. He can't blame her for that. She turned around and walked off pretending to go out to the playground again, but as soon as she rounded the corner, she went into the bathroom instead and over to the big stall. She closed it behind her and locked it and she sat down on the floor, pulled out her pictures of her and Sean and stared at them as a single tear slipped down her cheek.








"So she really sensed him then huh?" Laney asked Q when she was gone and Marcus gazed at him curiously wanting to know the answer himself and Q nodded.



"I guess Ashley was right - she does still have a connection with him."



"That's helpful," Marcus replied while looking back at Ashley.



"Yeah but really painful for her. Poor kid...you guys didn't have to see the look on her face as she hoped for just one glimpse of the man she still loves and ended up not getting it. It's almost heart breaking."



"That's why it’s important that he doesn't get the death penalty," Ashley spoke softly from behind Marcus. "A part of her will die right along with him."



"I see what you’re saying sweetheart...and for Ellie's sake I hope he doesn't but it's going to take more than a miracle to save him."



"We just really need to focus on catching him and getting you out of danger first. And then we'll let Ellie have her fight," Marcus insisted.



"I wonder if Sean even realizes the unconditional love that his daughter has," Laney replied while looking toward the woods on the outside cameras with disgust. "He certainly doesn't deserve it that's for sure. I'll never understand it."



"She's been writing him letters trying to beg him not to kill any more people," Ashley reminded.



"Yeah, but has he really grasped that she's willing to go above and beyond just to change the law for him?"



"I don't know. But something tells me that her love affects him more than you think. If we told him that she was...I have this feeling that it would catch him off guard so much that he wouldn't exactly know how to react."



"What makes you have that theory honey?"



"Well because I just know Ellie is all...and Ellie is exactly like him."



"Ellie is nothing like him. She is not going to grow up to be a murderer like him" Laney insisted firmly, sounding very much like he wanted to add not under my watch.



"You are right, she's not" Ashley replied evenly. "And you want to know why Lan? Because he gave her to Kevin just on time."



"I'm sorry Ash, but I just don't have the same views as you. I don’t understand why you are willing to show compassion for a man who you are terrified of - who destroyed your life."



"I'm not showing compassion for him, I’m showing compassion for the daughter he saved from turning out to be just like him. If he hadn't have given her to Kevin yeah, she would've grown up to be just like him. But she won't, because Kevin loves her, because we all provided her with something Sean never had - a family." When Laney didn’t reply, Ashley went on. "And I’m sorry but you are wrong. Ellie is like him in many different ways. She got her temper from him, she was raised by an abusive father like him, and when she first arrived here she didn’t know what love is and whenever she received it she didn’t know how to react. Just like he is when someone shows him love. They're both very impulsive, and trouble tends to just find her even when she isn't looking for it." "But the difference between the two of them, is Ellie will grow up loved and well taken care of - and if Detective Stabler has anything to say about it, raised to be a cop. Because Sean did one thing right his whole life by giving her up. She has a big heart and loves everyone around her and shouldn't be punished for his mistakes."



"Fine, I get what you are saying" Laney replied reluctantly. "Doesn't mean I have to agree with it."



"I'm not asking you to. I just wanted you to understand that I am not defending him, I’m playing advocate for the best part of him."



"He should still be informed of what his little girl is doing for him."



"Why don’t you be the one to tell him then?"



"Believe me...I would if I could. Id love to get my hands on him..."



"Well Lan, why don’t you go sit out in the woods then? You might get your chance" Marcus replied. "Take that bitterness you have toward him and do something with it."


"He's not there right now," Laney shrugged. "But trust me, I will be spending a lot of time on guard out there." Just then, Kevin came from around the corner from being out on the playground and he gave Q a questioning look.



"Q? Have you seen my Ellie?" Q arched his eyebrow upon hearing this question.



"Didn't she go back out there? I saw her go in that direction..."



"No, I haven't seen her since she told me she was going to come in here and talk to you."


"Shit..." Q muttered and he turned to see Marcus already searching for her on the security cameras.



"She isn't anywhere on here - which could mean only one thing - she must've gone into the air vents."



"Not necessarily," Ashley replied while standing up for the first time and all three security guards and Kevin turned to look at her curiously.



"There is one other place in this building that the cameras don’t show," Ashley reminded and suddenly everybody else caught on.



"The bathrooms…"



"She must've slipped into the one around the corner. I'll go in there and see what's going on," She told them and then slipped out of the security booth and Kevin and Marcus followed her to the bathrooms around the corner. Once there, Ashley went in there and she heard Ellie crying and she saw her sitting on the floor in the biggest stall in there.



"Ellie honey it's me...let me in."



"Goes away Ashee...please..." She whimpered and hiccupped.



"Come on sweetie it's just me...you know you can trust me." Ellie was quiet for a couple of moments, and then got up and went and unlocked the door before hurrying back and sitting down and she covered her special pictures face down into her stomach so Ashley wouldn't see. Ashley went over and sat next to her on the floor and gazed down at her with concern.



"What do you have there, Ellie?"



"I can'ts tell you...they're special to me...an' if I shows you, you’ll shows my daddy, an' my daddy will takes them away from me an' I won'ts have that."



"I won't let him take them away from you," Ashley promised, deciding a few pictures can't be dangerous so that secret will be okay for her to make. Ellie gazed up at her skeptically.



"Have I ever let you down before honey?" Ellie can't argue with that. Ashley has always been on her side...even when she doesn't have to be, or shouldn't be. She always is...and just like with Kristin, she knows how to make everything better. After thinking about it for a moment, she uncovered her pictures so that Ashley could see the one on top and it was the one of her and Sean at the park - Sean pushing her on the swings. Ashley stared at it for a long moment at the proof in front of her that Sean really does care about his daughter in his own way and then looked at Ellie to see that her eyes are all puffy and red, and her cheeks are stained with tears. Ashley gently pulled Ellie into her lap, hugged her close to her and rocked her in her arms, deciding that was the best way for her to show her that she understands. And she does. Sean may be a monster to her, but his daughter loves him, and she refuses to let anyone punish her for his stupid mistakes.