Chapter Four-Hundred-Forty-Eight
“Are you okay?” Nick asked Ashley while the two of them now lay comfortably together in their bed wrapped up in blankets and each other’s arms. Nick tucked a strand of her damp hair behind her ear and stared at her adoringly as he caressed her cheek.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” she replied while sliding her arms around him and resting her forehead against his as they lay face to face.
“You are being really quiet.”
“I’m just taking in what just happened. Your love making was different this time…”
“Is that a good thing or a bad?” Ashley smiled slightly at the amusement on Nick’s face and she gently grabbed his chin and brought his lips down on hers in a soft kiss.
“Definitely a good thing...makes me anxious for a repeat.”
“I think if we do it again I’ll never be able to stop and as much as I would love to we can’t hide from reality forever baby…we have to return to it soon.”
“Soon,” Ashley agreed and she shifted so she was lying on top of him and pulled the blankets over their heads as if it were a barricade from danger. “But not right now,” She insisted while claiming his lips for her own in one of her mind boggling kisses. Nick muttered a few incoherent words that sounded like protests but eventually wound his arms around her waist and allowed her to paralyze him. When she finally released him she rested her forehead against his once more and he slowly tickled her arms and her back with the tip of his fingernails. “I think you ought to know how very dangerous you are to me right now,” he informed her softly. “It’s not fair how you take advantage of me like this when you know I want you,” he teased.
“Me? Taking advantage? Nah…I’m simply taking care of you in your very much needed time for comfort – like you always have for me,” Ashley told him innocently and Nick chuckled softly.
“Well you are doing an amazing job,” Nick insisted while gently making her rest her head against his shoulder and he kissed her forehead affectionately as the tip of his fingernails continued to dance over her smooth skin in a gentle caresses and she closed her eyes comfortably.
“How was Bella while I was gone?” she murmured softly. If she’s not careful, she just might fall asleep in his arms with him tickling her and everything.
“I gave her to AJ for a little bit after you left while…” he paused for a moment, forcing himself to keep himself together and Ashley gazed into his eyes concerned. When she saw what he was upset about just by the tortured look in his eyes she hugged him tightly. “Angel…and I came up here and had a very much needed movie day like I promised her we’d do the other night,” he finished when he managed to find his voice to speak again. “And AJ didn’t tell me so, but when we got back downstairs to discuss the hurricane issue, I could tell Bella had given him hell during the time that I was gone. It was to be expected after all…you left, and then I handed her off to AJ and went where she couldn’t hear or see me and she reacted, of course.”
“How was she after that?” Nick turned his head slightly then and rested his forehead against hers.
“She was just downright adorable the whole time. You are not going to believe what she did.”
“What?” Ashley asked suddenly feeling anxious. “What did I miss?”
“When we all met up in the lobby to discuss important hurricane matters she saw me right away and reached out for me. I took her from AJ and held her close to me and she soon started her usual babbling except this time she looked right up at me and said ‘Dadadada.’” Ashley gaped.
“She said dada and I wasn’t here to hear it?” Ashley asked in playful exasperation and Nick chuckled amusedly. “She’ll do it again sweetheart I’m sure of it – and if not, well, it was captured on the lobby security camera we’ll have Marcus replay it for you.”
“She’s gonna say it again, even if mommy has to sit there with her and say it over and over again until she repeats it,” Ashley insisted and Nick smirked and hugged her affectionately and she snuggled up with him some more.
“I was worried you might be jealous that she said dada first and not momma.”
“Well as much as I would love hearing her call me momma, I love the relationship you have with her. It makes me happy and to know she’s already calling you dada makes me even happier,” she answered before bringing her lips down to his chest and placing tender kisses as he traced her tattoo with his finger.
“AJ tried to tell me it didn’t mean anything, that it was just typical babbling.” Ashley rolled her eyes slightly.
“Alex is being an over protective brother for no good reason at all and when the day comes when he gets to walk me down the aisle in place of my daddy he’s going to feel very silly. I promise honey.”
“I’m looking forward to that. You are going to look breathtakingly beautiful in your wedding gown I just know it.” Ashley reached up and placed her hand to his cheek and pulled his lips down onto hers and they shared a soft meaningful kiss until right in the middle of it, Brooke’s voice came over the intercom.
“Nick! Get down here now please. The storm is getting worse we need to start getting the kids into the auditorium. It’s going to happen tonight – if not in the next hour or so.” As soon as Brooke’s voice disappeared it was like reality returned and suddenly it wasn’t just him and Ashley in the world, there was everybody else too and a massive storm on the way. They could hear heavy rain drops falling outside and everything.
“Wonderful…” he muttered and he gently rolled them over and out of the bed before putting her down so her feet were on the ground and the two of them quickly got dressed. Ashley not caring what she put on threw on a pair of grey sweat pants and Nick’s black t-shirt. When Nick had a t-shirt and jeans on him he started grabbing up Dakota and Sarah’s pillows and blankets and sleeping bags and all of their essential sleeping items and while he did that Ashley put together a diaper bag. When they were both ready they hurried downstairs where they found Brian rounding up all of the kids in a perfect straight line in his usually cheery self – an act for the kids.
“Are you all ready for a slumber party?” he asked and instantly got back a chorus of yeah’s that filled the room loudly.
“Well then, we best be on our way shouldn’t we? Why don’t we sing a song on our way in there? Who around here knows of a Disney song where Disney characters march in line singing and whistling?” He quizzed, wanting to distract the little ones – especially Dakota from the rain outside.
“The seven Dwarfs!” Several of the kids answered instantly. “They sing Off To Work we go!” Dakota added. Brian grinned, shared a look with Harry, and then two of them began marching off toward the Auditorium.
“Hi-ho, Hi-ho off to the next room we go…” They began and the kids began to follow and join a long with no hesitation. This is Brian after all! They’re used to the random fun things that he comes up with. While the kids were being taken care of, Brooke looked at Kevin concerned.
“Kev I know you’ve been waiting for Jerry…where is he? We’re going to have to board up the windows and doors soon and he’ll be locked out. So he’ll need to get here very soon if he’s going to be here.”
“I don’t know I’ve been calling him non-stop for the past few hours and he hasn’t been replying,” Kevin answered while trying his very hardest to keep himself together. “You have to give him more time to get here Brooke you have to…Kristin is with her right now and so is my mom but if Ellie doesn’t have her Uncle with her she will go into panic mode and you know it.”
“I can only give him ten more minutes honey…I’m sorry. As soon as Laney, Q, Marcus, Raul, and team get back from boarding up the windows in all of the rooms in this building they’re going to want to start boarding up the ones down here including the door. We may only have less than an hour to do it all in.” Just then, the door opened and the two of them turned to look in hopes that it was him only to see BJ and Leslie come in both of them with red eyes from crying so much.
“Can we stay here during the hurricane please?” BJ asked. “we were home alone with no protection at all.”
“Of course you can…why do you even ask?” Brooke asked gently.
“Where is your mother?” Kevin asked incredulously.
“Out with a boyfriend somewhere, I don’t know” Leslie shrugged. “Is it true what Aaron says? Has Angel really been kidnapped?” Kevin nodded sullenly and Leslie looked away from him as she fought really hard not to cry all over again. He went over and pulled both of the girls into hugs. “I’m sorry…Nick should’ve been the one to tell you, but things have been so hectic around here…” The two of them stood there hugging Kevin for a long moment and then he pulled back slightly.
“He’s in the auditorium if you want to see him. We just got all of the kids in there since it’s the safest room in the building.”
“Kay,” BJ replied and she grabbed her sister’s hand and lightly tugged her toward the auditorium. Kevin glanced at Brooke and then pulled out his cell phone and made another useless attempt to call his brother. Ten minutes later the boarding crew entered the lobby and Brooke looked at Kevin and was about to cry upon seeing the tortured look on his face. She could feel her heart breaking just looking at him.
“No. Brooke. Please…”
“Honey I have to…you know I love you and I love Jerry too like family but I have an Orphanage full of children to protect. We can’t wait any longer.”
“But he’s my brother! We can’t just lock him out!” Kevin shouted as tears clouded his eyes.
“Honey I don’t have a choice…”
“NO!”
“I’m sorry.” He noticed Q going toward the door to get to work on boarding it and he rushed after him, grabbed onto the wood, yanked it out of his arms and tossed it across the room.
“NO, NO, NO, NO!!!! I WON’T LET YOU DO IT! HE’S ON HIS WAY, I KNOW IT!” he shouted, sounding very much like Ellie in one of her tantrums.
“Kevin I understand what you are going through buddy but we have children to protect here!” Q tried reasoning. “We need to get this door boarded up now.”
“Do you Q?” Kevin snapped. “Do you really understand?”
“I…”
“Can you empathize with me? Do you have a brother out there somewhere when there is a hurricane on its way too?”
“No but—“
“--Then please don’t tell me you understand!”
“He may not empathize but he can sympathize with you just fine” Marcus replied sternly. “He cares about you and gets that you are suffering but there are more lives here to worry about besides Jerald’s! He is important yes, but he is not the only one Kev.”
“You’re not boarding up that door until he gets here!”
“Yes we’re even if it takes all of us to do it.” Marcus gave Q who now held his wood again a look and the two of them started toward the door.
“NO!!!!!!!!” Kevin sobbed and he launched forward, pulled the door open and he lay down right in the middle of it putting his entire weight into the floor. Laney rolled his eyes.
“Like we can’t pick you up and move you.” Brooke practically in tears from watching Kevin’s tantrum opened her mouth to tell them to just do the windows first and then the door when a voice from outside spoke up.
“Kevin, what the hell are you doing lying in the middle of the door way when there is a storm about to go on?” Kevin’s head jerked up at the sound of the voice. “Oh thank god!” he exclaimed tearfully and he took one look at the person, and then got to his feet and darted forward throwing his arms about him where he began to sob. A second later, Brooke and security saw Jerald pushing his brother into the building while he clung to him and drug his feet.
“Well? Is anyone going to answer my question?” he asked.
“We were about to board up the door when your brother there was taking on Ellie’s characteristics and throwing a tantrum. He threw himself into the doorway thinking that was actually going to stop us,” Q answered. When Kevin managed to stop crying somewhat, he pulled back and narrowed his eyes at his brother.
“Where the HELL were you Jerald Richardson? I called you and called you and you never answered any of my phone calls! YOU HAD ME WORRIED SICK!”
“I’m sorry Kev, I had no way of knowing that you were trying to call me,” Jerald explained calmly and he pulled out his cell phone, slid it open, and held it out for him to see as proof. “My phone died unexpectedly.”
“Well you might have found a pay phone or something – or Hope’s cell phone because oh I don’t know you might have a niece somewhere demanding for her uncle and a brother worried sick that you’re going to get locked out in the hurricane with nowhere to go or something! People with common sense would think to CALL during these times!”
“Ellie was asking for me?” Jerald asked as sudden worry washed over his face.
“Angel got kidnapped by Sean and Dakota is very upset right now and not talking to her. And she wanted her uncle but he couldn’t be found anywhere.”
“What? Angel got kidnapped? No…” he shook his head, as if that would make it not true.
“If you’d been reachable you’d know that,” Kevin snapped, his emotions far too high for him to be understanding right now. Jerald rolled his eyes.
“That is enough Kevin. I scared you – I get it. And I apologize it wasn’t something that I woke up this morning and just decided to do! I was out doing something for myself for the first time since I moved in with you. I didn’t count on my phone to die – I didn’t even realize it did until I was on my way home so I didn’t realize you were trying to get a hold of me. It’s pretty bad out there, it’s raining hard and people are trying to get somewhere safe so it took me a bit longer then usual to get here! I’m sorry all right? Stop acting like a five year old you are being worse than Ellie here!” He waited for Kevin to say something and when he didn’t he went on. “And it’s just ridiculous the way you threw a temper tantrum for security. I can’t even believe you did it – there is an orphanage full of children here that you should be worrying about instead of me. I know how to take care of myself Kevin!” Kevin’s eyes filled with warm tears then as he spoke softly.
“Be that as it may, I was not about to lose you too. Don’t you think losing Dad was enough?” he asked, and then turned and stormed off. Jerald sighed heavily, glanced at security who was busy boarding up the door and Brooke who just stood there listening to the whole thing. She reached out and gently squeezed his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look and he went after Kevin to the playroom where he could let Ellie know that he is back.
Meanwhile over in the hospital wing, Doctor Johnson was standing in the lobby discussing something with Cyndi the receptionist when suddenly Annabelle walked in carrying Julie on her hip – the two of them are wearing hoodies and are soaked from the rain. Doctor Johnson looked at them upon hearing the door open and he sighed with relief and rushed over to them. He gently grabbed Annabelle’s face in his hands and claimed her lips for his in a kiss.
“I’m here, what was the big deal that you had to call me and demand me to get over here straight away huh?”
“I would have thought that would’ve been pretty obvious,” Doctor Johnson answered and he indicated toward their wet clothes and the storm outside.
“You wanted to pull me out of my safe home and into an approaching hurricane, Steve?”
“I wanted you to be here with me, Anna” he insisted softly. She looked up at him with concern when she picked up on the tone in his voice.
“But you will just be working the whole time sweetie; this is without a doubt going to be the busiest time for you.” Doctor Johnson gently took Julie into his arms instead and he slid his arm around Annabelle’s waist and pulled her closer as he rested his forehead against hers.
“It will give me peace of mind if you are in the same building with me. Please understand that…I lost most of my family in a disaster when I was a kid. I don’t want to lose you and Julie too.” Annabelle gazed up at him in silence for a few seconds as she thought about that. She knows this hurricane has to be torturing him right now. It’s almost like reliving the tragic day he experienced as a child all over again. Annabelle suddenly wanted to make it easier for him as much as she possibly could. She placed her hand to his cheek and pulled his lips down onto hers for a soft kiss.
“Where do you want us to go Steve? I don’t want to be in your way.”
“Brandon will be here any minute now to take you over to the Orphanage. Brooke and caregivers are in the process of getting all of the children into the auditorium where there aren’t any windows. You will be safe there. Are your parents both at home and protected?”
“Yes they didn’t like the idea of me leaving the house I had to reassure them I was going to see you and that you would keep me safe.”
“You are right about that I am going to keep you safe…no matter what.” He rubbed his finger over her cheek in a gentle caress and then he looked down at Julie who has her arms wound tight around his neck in a death grip and her head rested on his shoulder.
“Hey angel,” he greeted gently and he delicately swept strands of her hair out of her face and looked into her scared eyes. “You get to go over to the Orphanage where there is a giant slumber party going on…and there are a lot of really nice kids over there. Won’t that be fun?”
“I want to stay with you,” Julie insisted and she tightened her hold on him.
“I’m sorry sweetie but I’m going to have my hands full tonight. You can spend the day with me at work some other day okay? I Promise.”
“No…now.”
“Julie,” Annabelle lectured somewhat and Doctor Johnson shook his head.
“No honey it’s fine, she’s just scared” he insisted and he got down on one knee before placing her on his other and he gave her the bravest smile that he could muster.
“I love you angel,” He told her gently.
“I love you too,” Julie replied quietly and she placed her hands to his cheek and stared back at him pleadingly. “Please don’t make me leave you, please…I won’t feel safe without you.”
“Not even if you are with me?” Brandon suddenly spoke up and she looked up at him as he joined the three of them and he knelt down in front of Doctor Johnson before delicately smoothing his fingers through her curls. Julie offered him a weak smile. She sure does love her Brandon, but at the same time not even he can replace the secure effect that Doctor Johnson has on her. “I promise to take very good care of you.” Julie frowned again and she turned and buried her face in Doctor Johnson’s shoulder and she tightened her hold on him as if fearing Brandon might try to pull her from him. Doctor Johnson sighed softly.
“I can see she is going to need a deeper persuasion…why don’t you go ahead and take Anna down there and I will bring Julie shortly?”
“Okay,” Brandon nodded and Doctor Johnson stood with the little girl as she clung tightly to him and looked at Annabelle who was eyeing her daughter skeptically, clearly scared about parting from her. Doctor Johnson placed his forefinger and thumb to her chin and pulled her in for one more meaningful kiss and then he gave her a reassuring look.
“I won’t let anything happen to her. I will have her to you shortly okay?”
“Kay…”she replied softly and she looked at him and her daughter for a few seconds more before allowing Brandon to take her hand and lead her to the Orphanage. Doctor Johnson looked down at Julie then just quietly thinking about what he could do to persuade her that she will be safe. When he thought of something, he headed for the Orphanage and when he got there he found Nick in the lobby helping Brooke carry boxes of food to the auditorium – just the man he wanted to see.
“Hey Nick”
“What’s up J?” Nick asked curiously and he paused and looked at everybody’s favorite doctor curiously.
“Does Dakota still have those walkie talkies of hers?”
“Of course, they are one of her favorite toys. Why?”
“Can Julie and I borrow a couple of them please?”
“Sure, I have them in the auditorium with me…just follow me,” Nick told him and he continued his journey to the auditorium with Doctor Johnson now following him. When they got there Doctor Johnson looked around to see sleeping bags set up in special spots that the kids have chosen for themselves and Peyton and Ashley are arranging a big game of some sort to keep them all busy. Nick set the box of food where Brooke wanted them and then went over to his and Ashley’s stuff and he found Dakota sitting Indian style on her sleeping bag with her walkie talkies lying in front of her. She obviously dug through his backpack and got them. He knelt down in front of her and she looked up at him quietly.
“Kota baby…do you think you could lend Doctor J two of your walkie talkies? I know you were probably planning on having you and your friends play with them but you will still have plenty to go around I promise. So how about it….can you share?” Dakota looked up at Doctor Johnson for a moment as he stood there holding Julie and Annabelle had joined his side. She nodded and pushed two of her walkie talkies out to Nick. Nick took them and handed them to Doctor Johnson who knelt down with Julie sitting on his knee again. Julie looked up at him curiously.
“Kay, here is the plan honey” He told her gently. He was very careful not to call her angel in front of Dakota in fear that he might remind her of her aunt and set her off. “What if I give you one of these really cool borrowed walkie talkies while I take the other with me while I go work in the hospital and whenever you feel the need to talk to me you can do so via walkie talkie?”
“I can talk to you whenever I want?” Julie asked softly.
“Absolutely…if I don’t answer right away it’s because I’m in the middle of an emergency but I will be sure to the very second I get the chance. Okay?” She looked up at him in silence for a few short seconds and then nodded quietly though no one could mistaken the fear in her eyes. Doctor Johnson slid his arms around her waist and hugged her close to him protectively causing her to snuggle into him comfortably. He rubbed his nose lightly over hers for an Eskimo’s kiss, before resting his forehead against hers.
“I love you so much Julie. Everything is going to be okay, I promise.” Julie stared into his eyes in silence as she took in his reassuring words. Doctor Johnson is the safest man she knows and if he tells her everything will be okay, it has to be the truth.
“I love you too Stevie,” She whispered and she kissed his cheek softly. He couldn’t keep his sister safe…he’ll be damned before he lets anything happen to Annabelle or Julie. He sat there holding her for a long moment, and then stood up with her after handing her a walkie talkie.
“I need you to go see mommy now.” Julie reluctantly allowed him to hand her over though she eyed his every move. After several hugs and kisses good bye and lots of reassuring words he took one look around the room full of people gathering together for safety – orphanage children, all of the Backstreet Kids, all of his co-workers, the ones he considers to be his family…and their family too all in the same room – everybody who is supposed to be there is. A comforting feeling rushed through him as he took in the no-window room. This family…his created family is going to be safe…he thought as he walked out of the room and headed back to work. In his heart and mind he was sure of it - he wants it to be true. But he couldn’t be any more wrong as he and everybody else are unaware of the danger looming closer than they ever imagined it capable of getting. Just waiting for the right moment to strike…
Author's Chapter Notes:
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