Chapter Forty Four
"Can you unhandcuff me now Sean? These things are really starting to nag," Trevor whined from the back seat.
"Oh. Right." Sean replied and he dug through his officer uniform until he found the key to the handcuffs. When he did he got up on his knees and he leaned over the seat. Trevor held his hands out to him and Sean un-did the cuffs.
"What are you planning on doing to that woman?" Doug questioned, as he kept his eyes on the road. "Where do you want me to go?"
"Uh…I don't know. I haven't thought that far yet." Sean replied, sitting back in his seat. Trevor rolled his eyes.
"You didn't plan this all out very well, did you."
"I wasn't planning on taking the woman, it just happened! And why don't you just be grateful I rescued your ass, hmm?"
"Dude, chill, I'm grateful. I'm just saying - you had better stop and think about all of this. There are a lot of angry police offers after us now."
"Since you didn't mean to take her, why don't we just dump her off on the side of the road or something? She's no use to us is she?" Doug questioned.
"Not on the side of the road…they might be after us. We've gotta get a good distance between us and the police station first."
"So where do I go then?"
"Go to the lake. The one we used to hang out at and do drugs and shit."
"Okay," Doug replied, and he headed in that direction.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, in the trunk of the car, Casey remembered her cell phone. She pulled it out of her pocket and she turned it on and dialed Detective Benson's number. It rang only two times before it was answered.
"Hello?" Came Detective's Benson's voice on the other end.
"Olivia, it's me." Casey replied.
"Casey! Are you okay? Where are you at? The whole station is going crazy trying to think of a rescue plan!"
"I'm in the trunk of their car. I have no idea where they're taking me."
"Did they hurt you at all?"
"No not yet."
"Elliot she has her cell phone! Go trace her and see where they're headed. Hurry!" Casey listened as Detective Benson gave orders to her partner. Casey remained on the phone talking to Detective Benson for ten minutes until suddenly she felt the car come to a stop. Before she even had the time to react, the trunk opened, and three guys peered in at her.
"Casey?? What is going on??" Detective Benson's frantic voice was suddenly heard over the phone.
"I'll be taking that now, thanks." Sean said, taking the phone from Casey and he turned it off and threw it into the lake. Trevor reached in and lifted her out of the car and Doug grabbed her hands and pulled them behind her before using the handcuffs on her. After doing that he shoved her to the ground.
"You've been great help but we don't need your assistance any longer." Sean told her and he, Trevor, and Doug got back in the car and drove off leaving Casey Novak stranded there all alone and without a cell phone to call for help.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile at the bowling ally, the adults were still playing their game - but getting close to finishing up and so were the kids. Nick and Ashley were still sitting on the two person chair, Ashley now snuggling close to him, her head rested against his chest and he has his arms wrapped around her. He had taken off his leather jacket and placed it over her because she was shivering slightly.
"We win!" Josh whooped suddenly, as him, Chris, and Spencer had just beaten Elenore and Dakota. Chris grinned widely, as he high-fived Josh, then Spencer.
"Okay, girls, you better have your favorite toys awaiting us when we get back."
"No!" Elenore exclaimed, though the adults can't hear them over the bowling balls hitting the lanes and all the constant chatter going on. "Yer NOTS gettin' my Care Bears or Ninja Turtles!!!!"
"Yeah! Yer NOTS gettin' my Care Bears either!" Dakota agreed.
"Yes we are!" Josh argued. "We made a deal! An' we won, so we get your toys!"
"No!" Elenore declared, stomping her foot angrily. "Yer NOTS gettin' 'em! I'll tells Kevy you's stole 'em!"
"You sure lie an awful lot," Chris put in. "No wonder nobody but these people like you."
"Hey! Ellie doesn't lie - much!" Spencer defended his friend. "An' neither does Kota!" Chris rolled his eyes.
"Figures you'd say that."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Spencer demanded.
"You got a crush on her, dummy!" Josh stated flatly. Spencer's face turned beat red.
"I do not!" Elenore looked a bit hurt at that, but shook it off quickly and went back to defending her toys. So Spencer doesn't love her back, big deal. Why would anyone love her? It's just her. She's nobody special.
"Yer NOTS gettin' my toys, Joshy!" She affirmed.
"Yes, I am!" Josh shot-back. "That was the deal! Don'ts be such a sore loser Elenore!"
"We wons first time!" Dakota piped up. "So it even nows!"
"We didn't bet on the first game!" Chris exclaimed. "Get a grip, and fork over the toys!"
"NO!" Elenore shrieked, causing Nick and Ashley to glance over briefly. "I'S WON'TS LETS YOU HAVES 'EM!!! I'S WON'TS!!!!!!"
"YES YOU WILL!!!!!" Josh shouted back, shoving her slightly. Elenore shoved him back a bit more forcefully.
"NO!" Dakota and Christopher quickly stepped between them - neither of them wanting for their friends to end up grounded again.
"YES!" Josh hollered. "WE WON 'EM FAIR AN' SQUARE!!!"
"I HATES YOU!" Elenore screeched.
"GOOD! I HATES YOU TOO!!!!" Josh yelled angrily. Dakota and Chris kept pushing their friends apart from one another. Elenore gave an angry screech then, and broke free of Dakota's grasp immediately running for Kevin in tears.
"KEVY!!!!!!! TELLS JOSHY HE CAN'TS HAVE MY TOYS!!!!!!!!!!" Kevin and all the other adults looked over at the kids, confused. What in the world was Elenore talking about? Dakota glared angrily at Josh.
"I hates you!" She told him firmly. "You mades Ellie cry!" She hurried off after her friend. Josh grumbled something under his breath, but not loud enough for anyone else to hear. Kevin, meanwhile, was trying to calm down a hysterical Elenore.
"Ellie, Honey, tell me what's wrong - calmly."
"We mades a bets withs the boys an' whoever wins gets the others favorites toys!" Elenore explained. "Buts I don't wants him to haves my toys! Tell him he can'ts, Kevy! Tell him he can'ts!" Kevin sighed and glanced over at his cousin, who also sighed.
"C'mon. Let's go," Brian said, standing up and taking Dakota's hand in his. Him and Kevin led the girls back over - Kevin carrying Elenore, who refused to let him put her down - to where the boys stood awkwardly.
"What's going on over here?" Brian asked, eyeing Josh and Chris, knowing Spencer wouldn't willingly upset the girls.
"They won't give us their toys," Josh answered, avoiding eye contact somewhat. "We made a bet and they lost and are being sore losers!"
"It seems to me, you're being sore winners as well," Brian stated.
"We are not!" Josh argued.
"Good winners, Josh, don't care if a bet gets called off or not," Brian told him. "They're just happy to have won, and congratulate the people who didn't win, on a good game."
"Well, they rubbed it in before when they won!" Chris pointed out.
"Yes, well, a bet hadn't been made for that game," Kevin piped up. "There will be no toy betting from here on out. It'll just upset everyone - especially the ones who don't win - in the end."
"That's NOT fair!" Josh exclaimed. "There was NO stupid rule about it before, so they HAVE to gives us their toys!"
"NO!" Elenore yelled, from her safe perch in Kevin's arms. Her face was streaked with tears, and her eyes were a little puffy from rubbing them to try and be rid of the unwanted tears.
"YES!" Josh yelled back.
"No," Brian said sternly. "Nobody is giving anybody else their toys, unless they absolutely want too. And obviously, no one wants too, so no toys will be given up, Joshua."
"Why am I the only one in trouble!?!?!" Josh shouted. "They're just as guilty! They made the bet too!"
"No one's in trouble," Kevin replied. "We're just telling you all, that no one is giving up their toys."
"Figures you side with the girls," Josh grumbled. "All they gotta do is cry an' tattle an' they get their way."
"Josh...." Brian trailed off, noticing something else seemed to be bothering the tough guy more than just the called off bet.
"I'VE HAD IT!!!!!" Josh shouted, kicking whatever he could that wasn't human. He continued to freak out, as Kevin quickly ushered the other kids - Dakota, Spencer, and Chris - away from where they'd been playing, so Brian could handle the situation.
"Hey - Hey!" Brian exclaimed, gently grabbing hold of the tantruming little boy - lifting him up off the floor. "Calm down." Josh kicked and screamed and writhed for a little bit more, before finally calming down - though, tears streamed down his face. Brian set Josh back down, crouching down to his height, and holding onto his shoulders gently. "Now, what's wrong, Bud?"
"She hates me!" Josh told him through tears - but not loud enough for anyone else to hear.
"Who hates you?" Brian queried. "Kota?" Josh nodded.
"Buddy, she always says that," Brian reminded him gently. "She doesn't mean it. But she says it because you always pick on her."
"She meant it this time! She did! An' it's all Ellie's fault!" Josh declared, hiccupping somewhat. "She made Dakota hate me even more than before!"
"Hey, Ellie's not to blame," Brian replied. "But Ellie is Dakota's best friend, and best friends stick together. Just like you defend Chris when someone tries to pick on him. It's the same thing as Kota and Ellie."
"Well, it's not fair!" Josh wailed somewhat, letting his tough facade go for the moment. No matter how tough he tried to be, he was still just a little boy - a little boy whose feelings were currently hurt at the moment.
"I know, I know," Brian soothed, pulling the lad into a warm embrace. He rubbed Josh's back, as he attempted to comfort him as best he could. "It'll be okay, Buddy. You'll see." Josh wrapped his arms around Brian's neck, not caring who was watching or how he looked at the moment. His heart was broke and it needed mending - badly. Brian hugged him a bit tighter, and kissed his head before standing up with Josh in his arms. Luckily, the boy had already changed out of his bowling shoes, so he wouldn't have to worry about setting Josh down to take them off. He brought him over to the rest of the adults then where Nick and Ashley now were, asking Dakota just exactly what happened.
"I think we should head back to the Orphanage now. We're done with the game anyway."
"Yeah, you're right." Riley agreed and everybody began to clean up. Nick helped Dakota get her bowling shoes off and put her own shoes back on, than he also helped her put her hoodie on and zip it up before standing up with her and handing her to Ashley. After doing this he gathered his, Dakota's, and Ashley's shoes and he took them back to the counter. When everybody was ready to go they gathered into the cars they came in, all of them being thankful that it's no longer raining. When they did they went back to the Orphanage. When they got there Nick took Ashley and Dakota upstairs.
"Alright Kota, lets get you in your pajamas now," He told her.
"Do I have to gets in bed daddy?" Dakota asked, somewhat pouting as she sat on the floor and scooped Lily into her arms and she excitedly greeted Dakota.
"Not yet, but you need to get ready for it," Nick answered while going into the closet and opening up her dresser. He pulled out her pajamas and brought them out. She set Lily down and got up and went over to him and he sat down on the floor in front of her and began to dress her in her pajamas. When he finished he pulled Ashley's headwrap out of Dakota's hair.
"Ashee," Dakota suddenly said when he finished.
"Hmm?" Ashley asked as she lay on the bed comfortably.
"Will you do my hair likes that tomorrow too?"
"I sure will, you just have to remind me okay?"
"Kay," Dakota smiled, and she again scooped Lily up and took her next door to Elenore's room. She found Elenore sitting in the middle of her bed with all of her Ninja Turtles and Care Bears out in front of her as if she's protecting them incase Josh comes in and tries to steal them. She went over and crawled on the bed next to her. Meanwhile in her room, after cleaning up the mess Lily made on the floor while they were gone Nick washed his hands and then went and lay on the bed next to Ashley. He leaned down and kissed her lips softly before resting his head in the palm of his hand and he lay there watching her as she look up at him in return. Just then, Riley and Brooke walked in, Riley holding her cell phone in her hand.
"Nick come out in the hall with us for a minute please, we have something important to tell you," She announced.
"Is everything okay?"
"No, not really." Riley replied. Nick looked down at Ashley. He leaned down and brushed his lips softly against hers one more time.
"I'll be right back honey, stay here okay?"
"Kay…" Ashley replied skeptically. Nick got up and went out into the hall shutting the door behind him.
"What's going on?"
"Sean broke Trevor out of jail."
"WHAT?!"
"Yeah…earlier tonight. He attacked a police officer and made him give him his clothes so that he could walk into the police station pretending to be one and he helped him escape - one of the officers saw right through his act though and went and got Detective Stabler. He had to use Casey Novak as a hostage in order to get out of there without them shooting him."
"Oh god…do they still have her? Is she okay?"
"She's fine now…they dumped her off at a lake handcuffed and without a phone to call for help. So she got up and started walking toward the station but luckily Stabler had managed to trace where they were at before Sean had thrown her cell phone into the lake. They met her half way there and brought her back unharmed."
"Oh jeez…what are they gonna do about it now?"
"Well they're still trying to find out where his new hiding place is at. Until then they really can't do anything."
"Well that's great…Ashley was unsafe before with just Sean out running about…do you have any idea how dangerous it is with the two of them put together?"
"I know…it's bad…that's why I am begging you Nick, please try and get Ashley to tell you if she knows anything about Sean's other hiding places - or any other information that could help us. It's important that we know. And you also need to go back to not letting Ashley wander around this Orphanage by herself. She isn't safe anymore. Doctor Adams knows this Orphanage inside and out."
"Oh don't worry you don't have to tell me that twice."
"If it gets really bad Olivia and Elliot are going to come and stand guard at this Orphanage. We may need all the security that we can get." Brooke replied.
"I can maybe try to get my bodyguard to come down here and help me protect Ashley too… he'll be willing to follow me around everywhere - it's his job. Even when we leave the Orphanage. If the other guys are here we could probably get all five of our bodyguards watching her."
"That works too. Whatever it takes to keep her safe, do it. But no matter what she is not to be left alone."
"What about Kori?"
"We just need to warn her about it but I think for the most part she can take care of herself. She did after all, break her ex-boyfriend's nose just to make sure he was on our side. I think she can protect herself pretty well if she's aware of the situation. She seems like someone who will kick your ass if you get on her bad side."
"Okay, well Ashley is in there by herself now, so I should really get back in there. Is it okay for me to tell her what's going on?"
"If you can do it without her panicking, but Id say no. She fears Doctor Adams way more then she fears Sean for some reason so I think she'd be better off not knowing unless she absolutely has to."
"Okay…" Nick replied, and he opened the bedroom door and walked back into his room to find Ashley now sitting up in bed watching the door. She doesn't like being left by herself - not even if Nick is just right outside the door. He went and sat next to her and he pulled her into his arms holding her close protectively. He lay back against the pillows allowing her to snuggle up against him and he kissed her forehead.
"Nicky…is everything okay?"
"Mm hmm," Nick answered, hugging her even tighter.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive baby. Riley and Brooke just wanted to talk to me about Disney World plans. They had an issue they needed help working out."
"Oh…" Ashley replied softly, and she looked up at Nick worriedly. She knows him just as much as he knows her and she too can tell when he isn't being honest. She knows he is hiding something from her.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
It was co-written with Lenni
Enjoy =)
It was co-written with Lenni
Enjoy =)
