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Author's Chapter Notes:

The only chapter title I remember - lol. And of course I remember this one, it's kinda TMNT related - haha. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Usual junk. :P Thank-you!

 

Doctor Johnson who sat quietly on Brooke’s bed with Julie and Ellie placed in his lap watched the rest of the kids as they sat in a semi circle on the floor talking amongst themselves. Dakota however, was the only one not sitting in a circle she was currently lying with her head in Josh’s lap holding Bella who was busy babbling to herself. As he watched them he worried. He had just gotten off of the phone with Detective Benson who explained what they were going to do. It’s great that they’re going to be rescued and all, the kids really need it and he doesn’t know how much longer Bella’s somewhat good mood will last and well, he’s not Ashley. Dakota may be doing a really great job right now but it’s easy to see that Bella is confused on why her mommy isn’t near and hasn’t gone into her full blown I want my mommy tantrum simply because Dakota is a familiar face. But once she starts to get tired and cranky…well…he is just glad rescue is on its way. Plus, she is the only one with food available to her at the moment too. Any longer and he might have to give the kids baby food and candy. But the fact that there are a lot of men in the building with guns and they’re going to have to put the kids in open fire just to get them out terrifies him. If only Brooke had metal armor in this handy dandy office/bedroom of hers he could then dress the kids in it and ensure that they won’t get killed if shot at. Sighing heavily, he kissed the top of Julie’s head and she snuggled into him some more.


“So kids, I have something that I need to tell you” He spoke up after a moment deciding he best prepare them. They all looked at him curiously then as he spoke.


“As you all know that was Detective Stabler I just got off the phone with. We’re going to get a visit from him soon and we are all going to have to be very quiet and sneaky as he leads us out of the building.”


“Hear that Ellie?” Dakota spoke up. “You are going to have to be quiet an’ sneaky an’ not running off to your evil meanie head daddy.”


“Dakota, enough” Doctor Johnson told her sternly and he turned Ellie to face him gently taking her by the arms.


“But she is right Ellie. There will be no running off do you hear me? Elliot is risking a lot by coming in here for us let’s not make it any harder on him.” Instead of answering, Ellie stared right through him with a blank look on her face as if she doesn’t even hear him.


“You best hold onto her doc, because you know she isn’t going to listen. She doesn’t care about anybody else but herself” Josh insisted.


“That’s not true,” Dakota insisted softly and Josh looked down at her incredulously. Her mood swings are beginning to drive him nuts.


“She loves me, I know she does. Somewhere deep inside…”


“Obviously not enough,” Josh replied while staring at Ellie’s back. He is not at all happy with his cousin right now and he has every intention of making her see just exactly how disappointed he is. He knows it will get to her the most coming from him.


“At some point tonight you are going to have to make an important decision Ellie. It’s either Dakota or him. And if you are the person I thought you were in that closet a few months ago when we were kidnapped together I know you will make the right choice.”

“That is not fair Joshy!” Ellie sobbed and she turned and looked at him. “You are asking me to gives up a very big part of me!”


“I am not asking you to do anything anymore. Brian told me you can’t make people do what they don’t want to do. It has to be their decision.”


“And what about Kota Ellie?” Ryan spoke up for the first time as he sat there holding Laila in his lap who is practically asleep by now. “Your best friend who has been here for you through everything? Sean may be a big part of you, he may be your dad, but can you say he’s been here for you through everything the way she has?”


“If he loved you the way you keep going on about he wouldn’t have handed you over to Kevin and he wouldn’t have beaten you and done bad things to you,” Sarah added.


“He gaves me to daddy because he loves me!” Ellie snapped refusing to let anybody tell her otherwise. “Because he knew daddy Kevin could love me the way he didn’ts know how! An’ the next person to try an’ tells me otherwise gets punched!”


“No one is punching anybody,” Doctor Johnson insisted intervening on what was an innocent intervention before it becomes worse.


“But the point is, Dakota has always been here for you no matter what when you’ve needed her the most whereas Sean has only been here for you when you’ve put yourself in danger again,” Ryan spoke up again.


“Except for that one time when he took Ashley right?” Ellie snapped somewhat.


“I was angry ats you but I never stopped loving you!”


“An’ neither has he.”


“But don’t you get it Ellie?” Sarah spoke up again. “It isn’t enough, he is always going to be angry he is always going to do bad things, and he is never going to be here to hold you and hug you and give you the cuddles like you so desperately need! Dakota on the other hand always will you just have to let her!”


“He has too given me love an’ attention an’ I have pictures to prove it!”


“When your mommy wasn’t around and that one day when he was saying good bye to you that’s it. All the other times he used you like a punching bag. Dakota and Uncle Kevin would love you all the time day and night no matter what, no questions asked.”


“And Cousin Kevin would never treat you the way I’ve seen Sean treat you with my own two eyes, Ellie!” Josh added. “I promised you I would help you save him when this is all over but you can’t make me believe in your dreams about him when I saw him do the things he did to you with my own two eyes, Elenore! All I see when I look at him are nightmares and really bad memories!”


“But no matter how bad an’ dangerous he is, he an’ I still haves something special, Joshy!” Ellie argued tearfully. “An’ you know it! Why do you think I can feel him all the time?”


“Something special or not, it’s not enough Ellie I am sorry. He is always going to be bad.”


“No he won’t because I’m going to change him,” Ellie insisted. Josh sighed heavily.


“Ellie you are a little girl – Trevor can’t even get through to him, what makes you think you are going to?”


“Not alone he can’ts. But maybe if he hads me to help…” Josh rolled his eyes.


“Suppose you and Trevor succeed and do get through to him do you really think he is going to be allowed to take you and you are just going to ride off into the sunset together and live happily ever after? I hate to ruin your dreams cuz, but I just can’t let you get your hopes up like that!”


“I don’t want to leave Daddy Kevy,” Ellie insisted while rubbing at her watery eyes. “I just want to stop Daddy Sean from hurting the peoples that I love,” she added deciding she would do what Ashley does and call Kevin Daddy Kevy and Sean Daddy Sean. Things get a little confusing for her when she tries to call them both daddy. She looked at Dakota then, meeting her best friend’s eyes.


“If you an’ Daddy Kevy could teaches me what love is all about, why can’t Daddy Sean learn too?” She pleaded.


“Because maybe Sean has been angry an’ without a daddy to loves him for a lot longer than you.”


“So?”


“An’ maybe it’s just too late Ellie…” Dakota added softly.


“I refuse to believe that,” Ellie insisted.


“And I refuse to let you get your hopes up only to have them crushed Ellie,” Josh added firmly.


“Too late.”


“Even if you do change him it’s not going to stop Detective Stabler from arresting him,” Ryan told her needing her to understand this. “It’s not going to cancel out all of the bad things he’s already done. He can’t go unpunished Ellie.”


“I can lives with that,” Ellie said after a moment as a single tear rolled down her cheek. “But at least Ashee would be safe, Kota, Sarah, Bella, Nicky an’ everybody will be safe an’ happy an’ we can fight for Daddy Sean’s life. They’ll lock him up when we win and—“


If we win,” Ryan interrupted.


“If we win an’ things will be okay again. I’ll have my daddy Kevy an’ I will finally be able to move on.”


“Those are some really big dreams Ellie…” Doctor Johnson spoke up again after just sitting there listening to the argument.


“One’s that are going to come true.”


“Well you can take that up with Detective Stabler once we are rescued.” Ellie grew very quiet again as she sat there gazing at Dakota who still lay there with her head rested in Josh’s lap staring back as they all waited to be rescued.



~*~*~*~*~*~



Meanwhile, as Detectives Stabler, Tutuola, and Benson stood just outside the Orphanage door on the playground they were in the middle of putting on bullet proof vests and making sure they were fully armed and prepared for anything.


“How did you arrange this with Doctor Johnson, El?” Detective Benson questioned.


“He has Brooke’s office door locked but he says she has an extra key in the flower pot beside the door. We’re supposed to get it and let ourselves in.” She nodded and then reached out to the door knob ready to go in and get this rescue mission started when Dr. Huang’s voice from behind them interrupted them.


“Olivia, Elliot wait.” The three Detectives turned and looked at him curiously and saw that he was walking up to them with a backpack in his hands.


“What’s that?”


“The Captain wanted me to give this to you. It has enough bullet proof vests for all of the kids, and Doctor Johnson inside it.” Detective Stabler took it and put it on.


“Anything else?”


“Nope that’s it,” Dr. Huang answered and Detective Benson reached out and twisted the door knob to the door quietly open and the three Detectives began to quietly make their way inside leaning up against the dark shadowed walls. The three of them ventured through the hallway quietly keeping their eyes and ears open for any sign of danger until they suddenly came across the bathrooms. Detective Benson who is moving sideways along the wall in front of Detective Stabler paused abruptly causing him to run right into her as he’d been looking the other way at the time.


“What is it why have you stopped?” He whispered quietly but as soon as he did he realized his feet were wet. He looked down to see that they were standing in a large amount of water. Without so much as a word she pushed open the door to the boy’s bathroom and with him having her back she cautiously went in there with both of their guns at the ready. They checked all of the stalls making sure no one was hiding and when they didn’t find anybody Detective Stabler who stood back to back with his partner arched his eyebrow.


“What do you suppose happened in here?”


“Someone very violent and angry happened in here,” She stated the obvious while eyeing the razor blade on the floor and all of the blood. She went over and got a paper towel from the dispenser and then went on over and picked up the razor blade with it. She wrapped it up and then returned to Detective Stabler and stuck it safely in the small pocket of the backpack so they could give it to the forensic team. They looked around then to see if there was any other evidence that could be carried out of there and when neither of them found any, Detective Stabler gently took her arm.


“Come on, the kids” he reminded and then headed out of the bathroom joining Detective Tutuola who had been quietly watching them at the door and keeping look out for danger at the same time. Once they were back out in the hall and in the dark shadows again they continued to cautiously make their way to Brooke’s office in the lobby.


~*~*~*~*~


Meanwhile as Doctor Johnson did everything he could to prepare the kids for the very important mission of getting out of the building safely, Dakota and Ellie continued their silent stare down. Unknown to everybody else, the two friends were having a Nick and Ashley or Kori and Scott moment and having a private conversation with their eyes.


I only loves you an’ want you to be safe, Kota.


An’ you don’t think I want the same for you?


My Daddy will keeps me safe.


From everybody else but can he keeps you safe from himself too Ellie?


He loves me Dakota She insisted silently and she gave her an exasperated look. She doesn’t know how many times she has to go over this.


That is not what I asked. Ellie gave her an irritated look and Dakota went on as if she hadn’t seen it. He may loves you, but he is also just like you - or you’re like him – neither of you can control your actions all the time Ellie an’ you knows it. She waited and when Ellie gave her a blank look in response she sighed softly. Ellie please don’t do anything stupid. If you loves me at all you won’t.


You are wrong.


Ellie please


I am not my daddy Kota an’ I can proves it.


Fine proves it then an’ let me drag your turtle butt out of this building when Elliot comes.


I can’t make sure you an’ Ashee an’ everybody is safe once outside of this building Kota.


It’s not up to you, you’re just a kid Ellie.


It is too up to me, he’s my daddy. An’ if I don’ts do it he’ll puts himself in deeper cause that’s what we impulsive people’s do.


He has Trevor.


Who is obviously nothing withouts me Ellie rolled her eyes. She looked away from Dakota then so they were no longer making eye contact. Nothing she says is going to get her to see reason and she is tired of arguing with her. Dakota recognizing this evasiveness right away rolled her eyes and she opened her mouth to shout her opinion at her instead when suddenly Detectives Stabler, Benson, and Tutuola entered the room and her friends around her including Ellie instantly shot up and ran for them as a feeling of relief flooded the room.


“Hey kiddos…is everybody okay?” Detective Stabler asked while kneeling down in the middle of them all with Ellie now sitting upon his one knee and he looked at all of them with his practiced eyes for anything that might be out of place or injured.


“They’re okay considering all things,” Doctor Johnson answered in a very doctor-like tone. “Physically anyway…I don’t want them anywhere near this building anymore though. They need to be taken out of here and be fed and paid special attention to. Bella especially because she’s already starting to miss you know who.” Detective Benson frowned in a very maternal like way and went to take the baby from Dakota and in that same instant Dakota gently pulled her out of her grasp as Doctor Johnson spoke.


“Don’t take her from her that will only trigger the tantrum. Kota is familiar and safe and keeping her content right now.”


“And we don’t want any tantrums. Now would be the worst possible time for one” Detective Stabler reminded her warily. He turned his attention back on the kids then as he held Ellie with one arm and opened his backpack with his free hand. “I have these really neat vests in here that I want all of you to wear okay? It is very important that you trust me in this,” He explained gently while pulling out the bullet proof vests and handing them out. As each kid was handed one minus Laila who was simply assisted in putting it on instead, every kid looked at theirs curiously except for Ryan who didn’t need to be told twice and put it right on.


“What are they Elliot? How come we haves to wear them?” Dakota asked curiously as Detective Tutuola helped her and she watched as Detective Stabler put the last of the vests on Ellie the only one who hadn’t gotten one yet as she still sat on his knee.


“Because all of the cool kids are wearing them, that’s why” he answered casually and he winked at Ellie who snuggled into him.


“I haven’t seen my Uncle Aaron wearing them an’ he’s the coolest kid I knows.”


“Your Uncle Aaron is behind then. Perhaps you should show him how ahead of him you are when we take you to him shortly,” Detective Tutuola told her with a small grin. “He’d probably get a kick out of that. I know he misses you, he was just telling us how very special you are earlier.” Dakota’s entire face lit up then upon hearing that her favorite Uncle in the whole world aside from Brian had been saying nice things about her and misses her; which had been Detective Tutuola’s plan along. He wanted to give her something to smile about. “He was?”


“Oh yeah,” Detective Stabler agreed. “He was going on and on about how his niece can do great things. He wouldn’t let anyone tell him otherwise.” Dakota beamed.


“I wanna sees Uncle Aaron,” She informed. “Rights now. Is Aunt Angel rescued an’ safe too?”


“Well why don’t we go see huh?” Detective Tutuola asked while gathering the four year old up in his arms as she still held Bella protectively and he winked at her causing her to just glow in excitement. He shifted her so that she was straddling his hips in front of him with Bella between them and he gently made it so that Bella was nestled comfortably into his chest and sheltered with his leather jacket. Bella who quietly sucked on her binky eyed Dakota as if afraid she might leave her alone with this strange man that she doesn’t know and the threat to scream at the top of her lungs the moment she does is written all over her face. Dakota who knows Bella enough to recognize it leaned forward and kissed her forehead softly before rubbing her nose lightly over hers and Bella instantly relaxed at Dakota’s touch. She even reached up and tangled her fingers in Dakota’s hair as their foreheads touched and gazed up at her contentedly as Dakota gazed back. As soon as Olivia had Sarah and a sleeping Laila in her arms and Ryan at her side, Doctor Johnson had Julie and a very quiet Spencer, and Detective Stabler had Ellie in his arms, Josh hanging on his back and Chris’s hand they all headed for the door.


“Remember kids…be quiet and use stealth,” he reminded them quietly and when he saw that they all understood he led them out the door closing Brooke’s office door behind them quietly. They ventured through the halls without so much as a whisper and with the grownups leading the way the kids that weren’t currently being carried walked sideways with their backs pressed up against the wall so that they were in the shadows and out of view of the cameras. They’ve done this so much with Ellie that it’s a piece of cake to them. They made it half way there without so much as a problem until they suddenly rounded the corner and ran right into Damien who stood at the end of the hall in the direct path of the playground door. Everybody froze including him who looked just as surprised to see them as they were of him but only for a brief moment before his face broke out into an evil smirk.


“Going somewhere Detectives?”


“As a matter of fact, we were. And I’m afraid you are in our way,” Detective Tutuola answered.


“No…you are in this building causing trouble, that would mean you are in my way. And we can’t have that, now can we?” Damien pointed out and just as soon as Detective Stabler saw that he was reaching for his gun his own was out in a second and while he pressed Ellie’s face into his chest and the boys held onto him he began firing it. All chaos broke loose then as Bella and Laila started screaming and crying and the other Detectives joined in after throwing kids into Doctor Johnson’s arms and ordering him to get out of the way. Damien darted behind a wall and a few other men came out of nowhere and began firing back.


“Shit!” Detective Stabler shouted and Ellie squirmed from his arms. “Ellie! Ellie! Get behind that wall!” he barked while gently putting Josh onto his feet and nudging Chris over. “The three of you. Now!” Not needing to be told twice, Josh grabbed Ellie and Chris and darted behind the wall where Doctor Johnson was already at with the rest of the kids and they watched with wide eyes as Detective Stabler shot his gun at the men and even killed some. Ryan wrapped his arms around Ellie from behind and pulled her out of view so she wouldn’t have to see. Ellie not being able to hide the thrill of having Ryan grab her from behind and pull her into protective arms slid her own around him in return and held onto him tightly. She let him protect her for a few moments but soon enough all of the commotion was getting to be too much and the stress of being separated from Kevin was getting to her as well. She needed to get to him, she needed to make sure he was okay, and she needed to stop her Daddy Sean from ruining EVERYTHING. It was ALL up to her. With this thought on her mind again she yanked herself free of Ryan, cast a quick wary glance at the busy detectives, and then ran the other way.


“ELLIE!” Ryan and Josh shouted and it was Josh who darted after her. Ryan started to follow as well when he heard a sharp screech from behind him. Knowing that it’s his sister he paused abruptly and looked at her to see her about ready to fling herself from Doctor Johnson and run after the only family member available to her right now. She can’t. He can’t let her run out of the shelter of the wall what if a bullet hits her? No. He turned back around and went and took Laila from Doctor Johnson who clung to him and began to cry all over again. Ryan kissed her forehead softly and rubbed her back.


“It’s okay…it’s okay sis I’m not going anywhere, I’m right here,” He reassured her though he cast a worried glance toward Ellie anyway and saw her disappear inside an air vent and Josh, though yelling at her the whole time climbed up and followed her closing the vent behind him.


“Liv take the kids and Steve and get them out of here!” Detective Tutuola ordered as he had Detective Stabler’s back and Detective Benson was guarding Doctor Johnson and the children. They had taken down most of their attackers and had only a few left. Seeing that the other two had it taken care of, she grabbed Dakota and Bella into her arms and then grabbed onto Doctor Johnson’s arms. “Spencer grab Steve’s hand, kids each of you grab a friend’s hand and don’t let go! Follow me!” she explained and in all of the chaos she didn’t think to make sure they have everybody. The kids did as they were told and each grabbed a hand and she led a chain of kids and Doctor Johnson toward the playground door keeping them well out of the way of the gun fight going on. Detective Stabler happened to glance at them out of the corner of his eye and notice two were missing.


“ELLIE! ELLIE WHERE IS ELLIE??” He shouted, turning to look toward the wall he sent her to and Detective Tutuola grabbed him and yanked him out of the way dodging a bullet by mere inches.


“ELLIOT PAY ATTENTION BEFORE YOU GET SHOT!”


“ELLIE IS MISSING! SHE ISN’T WITH THE REST OF THE KIDS SHE IS STILL IN THIS BUILDING!”


“I GET THAT ELLIOT, BUT IF YOU DROP YOUR DEFENSES NOW TO LOOK FOR HER THEY’RE GOING TO SHOOT YOU, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?” Detective Tutuola shouted at him all the while not letting him go and not taking his eyes off of the baddies as he shot at them. Detective Stabler, though distracted as he now was reluctantly turned his attention back on the baddies. Meanwhile, as Detective Benson rounded another corner with Doctor Johnson and the kids the door was now in perfect view, but so was Damien as well. Damien lifted his gun to shoot at her but in that same moment she shot at his leg causing him to howl with pain and with that moment of distraction she continued to lead them all to safety, all of them making it out of the building before he could recover from the sudden pain.

Chapter End Notes:

~Lenni~