Sean paused in punching Ashley and turned to look at his daughter who now stood in the middle of the stage with Josh rooted protectively at her side. He arched his eyebrow at the sight of her and then narrowed his eyes.


“Ellie what the HELL are you doing back in here?” he demanded.


“DON’T HURT HER DADDY PLEASE, I LOVES HER!”


“Goddamnit Ellie!”


“You said you wouldn’t hurts anybody that was family to me an’ you lied to me!”


“I have NOT lied to you, you ungrateful little shit I’ve spent the whole night trying to keep your goddamn family safe!”


“Ashee is part of my family too.” Sean paused for a moment as he considered that.


“She wasn’t part of the agreement! She isn’t a Littrell or a Richardson.”


“Doesn’t matter she is My Daddy Kevy’s baby sister at heart you can asks him an’ he’ll tell you so.”


“She is right,” Brian added hoping not to draw his little cousin’s attention to the fact that Kevin is missing for as long as possible. “We are all one family here Sean, you destroy her and you may as well destroy us all.” Sean let out a low growl of frustration at the sudden interruption of his plans and he grabbed Ashley by the scruff of the neck.


“Trevor come over here and take Ashley up to the control room, please! I need to get Ellie out of this building!” Trevor looked at one of the other baddies and motioned for them to come take over in holding Nick down and when he did he did as Sean asked of him and went over and retrieved Ashley from him. He pulled her hands behind her back and handcuffed them together before lifting her up over his shoulder and taking her up to the control room where he could handcuff her to another desk like Marcus and Q currently were. Ellie who wondered why Kevin hasn’t begun lecturing her looked around and realized he wasn’t there and she looked at Sean accusingly.


“What have you done to my Daddy Kevy?” she demanded.


“I didn’t do anything but It doesn’t matter he is in special care and will be as good as new in no time,” he told her irritably. “Eyes on me Ellie, don’t you dare look around or I will spank that butt of yours like I very well should do for running off on me” He told her not wanting her to take notice in the dead bodies all around. She obeyed him keeping her eyes on him as he walked toward her knowing he must have a very good reason to keep her from looking around. When he reached her he lifted her up into his arms and he gently pressed her face into his shoulder before pulling out his cell phone and hitting the number 2 speed dial that he had set Detective Stabler on. As he pressed the phone to his ear he looked at Josh.


“Go see your father boy, now.” He ordered and Josh who only had eyes for the gun in Sean’s hand turned and immediately obeyed going straight for Brian who pulled him into his arms.


“Why are you back? Are you out of your mind?” Brian whispered in his ear.


“No, Ellie is. When Elliot snuck in the building to rescue us kids and Doctor Johnson she decided she would rather run off and come back here and ‘save Sean’.”


“And you followed her?”


“If I didn’t who else was going to make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid?”


“Me, your grownup father who can handle a situation a lot better than you can and the other adults in here too. You shouldn’t have missed your opportunity to get out of this building Josh.”


“Ellie is much too important to me to just let run off like that,” Josh insisted softly. “An’ besides, I didn’t like the idea of leaving when my dad is stuck in here knowing I might never see him again.” Brian’s eyes instantly filled up with tears as Josh has never once called him dad – not really anyway and he pulled Josh into a hug and kissed his forehead softly. “I love you dad.”


“I love you too Joshua…” Brian told him softly and he inwardly cursed at himself. If he doesn’t get his little boy out of this building alive it will kill him. He will just take comfort in the fact that he is Ellie’s cousin just as much as he is. When Sean managed to get a hold of Detective Stabler, Brian tuned in to listen to him.


“Get your ass in here and get my daughter out of this building!” he ordered without so much as a single greeting and when he felt Ellie’s face leave his shoulder he lightly pushed it back down and kept his hand rested on it.


“I WAS in there to rescue her and she took off on me!” Sean paused for a brief moment upon hearing this information but then went on deciding he doesn’t care. He didn’t come anywhere near this auditorium at least. They must not know about Trevor’s secret entrance – good.


“Fine…then come in here and get her again!”


“I’m not going to do something just because you tell me to, Sean. You may think you’re in control in there but you have no control what-so-ever out here do you understand me? I make the decisions.”


“Oh so would you rather her stay in here and witness all of this violence? This is not a place for a five year old, Stabler!”


“Well it’s good to hear that you actually do care somewhere in that black heart of yours.” Sean was beginning to get frustrated at the fact that Detective Stabler wasn’t doing as he asked and holding Ellie was preventing him from really going off on him – that frustrates him even more. He turned to look at his hostages who sat there quietly listening and his eyes fell on Jerald.


“Yo, Richardson! Get over here and be an Uncle already will you? I need my fucking hands free!” Jerald narrowed his eyes at him but got up and went over to him nonetheless.


“I’m a better Uncle then you are a father any day Sean and I’m the one who has to pick up the broken pieces when you ruin everything so show a little respect” he said and then took Ellie from him and walked off after pressing her face in his shoulder and sheltering her from all of the bad things around them. Sean ground his teeth together as he heard Detective Stabler snicker and then placed his phone back to his ear.


“What happened to Kevin, Sean?” Detective Stabler demanded when he heard Sean’s breathing on the other end again. “I assume since you’re turning Ellie over to Jerald, that Kevin isn’t available?”


“Accidents happen,” was all Sean said as he eyed Ellie warily.


“Your accident or someone else’s?”


“Of course it wasn’t me!” Sean shouted irritably. “I promised her I wouldn’t hurt him, didn’t I? I wouldn’t screw that up he is too damned important!”


“Hey, like you said accidents happen right? It was just a question Sean…don’t get so defensive.”


“I just want to make it perfectly clear that it wasn’t me Detective! Do you understand me?”


“Loud and clear. If it wasn’t you Sean then how about you tell me who it was?”


“Some fucker who is dead now so don’t worry about it.”


“Well I sort of have a huge concern here Sean and I’m sure if you want what’s best for Ellie you would be concerned too. If Kevin is hurt he will need medical treatment and if he’s stuck in there how will he get it?”


“I ordered my men to bring me a few doctors and he was taken to the hospital wing for surgery. He’s fine. Like I said, don’t worry about it.”


“How were they able to get in there when the front door to the auditorium is boarded shut for the hurricane?” Detective Stabler asked even though he knows he isn’t going to get a real answer out of him.


“DON’T FUCKING WORRY ABOUT IT!” Sean shouted this time. “Your only concern should be getting my daughter out of the building! NOW!”


“I am not going anywhere’s daddy! An’ you can’t make me! Not unless you takes me outta here yourself!” Ellie spoke up again.


“You will let the detective take you out of here Elenore, or I will spank that behind of yours how about that?” Sean threatened and he turned and gave her a look that he knows for a fact scares her. Ellie cringed at the look but otherwise showed no other sign of noticing it.


“Well then I guess you haves to spank my behind till it’s black an’ blue daddy cause I’m not going anywhere’s! I will only find my way back in an’ you knows it!”


“YOU HAVE NO FUCKING BUSINESS IN HERE, ELENORE!”


“SAYS YOU! I WON’T LETS NOBODY TAKE ME OUT OF HERE….UNTIL I TALKS TO MY DADDY KEVY AND KNOWS THAT HE IS ALIVE AN’ WELL!” she quickly made up. That will buy her some time…it will take him awhile to make that happen.


“That is not possible right now he is in surgery!”


“How do you knows? How long ago did you send him away daddy huh?” Sean let out a low growl and then said into the phone.


“Listen for your phone Stabler I will be calling you again!” He said and then hung up. “Didn’t I make it perfectly clear that you weren’t to look around Elenore?” He demanded. “Cover those eyes of hers Richardson what are you thinking?!” Jerald rolled his eyes and gently turned Ellie around and pressed her face into his shoulder protectively.


“I can’t help it if your daughter is as stubborn and hard headed as her biological father.” Sean scowled and then turned to Trevor to confide in about this Ellie mess.


Meanwhile up in the control room, Ashley who was placed on the floor and handcuffed to a desk like Marcus and Q reached over to Marcus who she was closest to and she took his hand into hers seeking his comfort. Marcus squeezed her hand gently and even brought it to his lips and kissed it softly.


“What are you doing up here sweetie? I thought Elliot, Nick, AJ and I taught you better than this?”


“You two looked like you needed some company,” Ashley teased somewhat.


“You know what you should’ve done, is strangled Trevor with those handcuffs. I’ve only wanted to do so all night.”


“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but…Trevor isn’t exactly the bad guy here” Ashley said softly. “I mean of course he is…he’s been haunting my nightmares for years and has tormented me greatly in the past but he’s changed a LOT. He doesn’t want to be here…and as long as you don’t piss him off or lay so much as a finger on Sean, you are okay.” Marcus reached out and placed his one free hand against her cheek and gently caressed it.


“I’m just thankful you are okay…”


“Nicky isn’t…” Ashley said softly and she turned and peered out the open door toward her boyfriend who remained on the stage with one of Sean’s cronies guarding him. “He’s taken so much for me tonight…I don’t know how much more he can take.”


“For you…he would take it all sweetheart.”


“That’s what I’m afraid of…”


“If I can just get myself out of here…then I could get down there and shake things up for Sean…maybe even light a fire under Laney and Drew’s asses to get them moving. I can’t believe they’re just sitting there.”


“Laney took a bullet in attempt to help me,” Ashley informed him. “And Drew has come close to taking another one for the second time in one day... and there are guns all around. They’re under a lot more pressure than you realize. It’s a lot more tense down there then it looks.”


“Any ideas on how to get out of here? Q and I have been trying at it all night maybe an extra mind will do us some good.”


“Is there anything around this control room that could be used as a weapon?”


“Yes, Sean and Trevor took us down with tazer guns and then left them sitting over there. We figured we could give them a taste of their own medicine…but so long as we’re cuffed to these desks we aren’t going anywhere…so it would be pretty much useless.” Ashley thought for a few moments, and then turned and looked back down at Nick whom she wasn’t surprised to see staring back at her. Their eyes met and she immediately fell into a private conversation with him. Q and Marcus sat and watched them knowing them well enough by now to know that they’re communicating. They watched as she lifted her handcuffs up casually, acting as if she were tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear and she gave him a questioning look and then get up and reach over and grab the Tazer Guns that Trevor had so conveniently put her by before discretely showing them to Nick. Nick arched his eyebrow in surprise and gave her a look that clearly said is Sean really that stupid?


He has his moments, and thank god he does she told him. Nick discretely brought his hand up pretending to scratch the tip of his nose but Ashley however saw him pointing toward Laney and Drew before giving her a look that she would understand and Ashley nodded before looking at Marcus and Q who were sitting there silently watching them in amusement.


“Well? What has the world’s cutest couple come up with?” Q asked quietly. Ashley blushed somewhat and then quietly began to explain to them the discussion she and Nick just had.


Meanwhile, Nick eyed the guy who was supposed to be keeping an eye on him and was pleased to see that he had abandoned his job and started talking to a fellow baddie. He turned his head toward Laney and Drew to get their attention when he came face to face with AJ who is sitting beside him and had been staring at him.


“What are you and Ashley up to now?” he whispered in his ear and Nick arched his eyebrow. AJ rolled his eyes.


“Oh come on Nick. I know the two of you well enough by now to know when you’re doing that thing you do.” Instead of answering AJ’s question Nick looked over at Laney who was now looking at him as he was not too far away to hear them whispering. Laney gave him a questioning look and then deciding that instead of making Laney move closer and risk Sean noticing, he would play a game of telephone. He leaned closer to AJ and whispered quietly in his ear.


“Ashley, Q, and Marcus are all handcuffed to a desk. They have access to Tazer guns but need to break free of the cuffs. Any form of input would be helpful. Pass it on.” AJ raised his eyebrow then wondering just exactly how they got access to Tazer Guns but deciding that it wasn’t an important question and time was everything at the moment, he casually laid back against his mother as if it were such a natural thing to do and Laney who was sitting beside her leaned closer so AJ could whisper in his ear. Nick watched in the corner of his eye as AJ repeated what he had told him and then Laney said a few things before sitting up and quietly consulting with Drew. Meanwhile as this was going on Ellie continued to argue with her father despite Jerald’s best efforts to keep her under control. She was on fire though and nothing was going to stop her from doing what she came back to do.


“I WANT MY DADDY KEVY, AN’ I WANTS HIM NOW!” Ellie roared and she stomped her foot to show just exactly how angry she is right now. Sean groaned and rubbed at his temples as he was slowly getting a headache. There was a time when his five year old wouldn’t dare talk to him like this…and then he had to go and get soft with her – it’s all her damn fault.


“Eyes on me Elenore,” Sean ordered when he decided it was no use trying to get her to cover her eyes. Ellie focused on him then like he said for her to do and she looked at him with such a deep loathing that it cut right through to his soul.


“You promised me daddy,” She told him crossing her arms over her chest.


“I promised not to hurt anyone with the last name of Richardson or Littrell and the friends that you listed and that is it young lady – and I held up on my end of the deal but I don’t think I can say the same for you. YOU promised me you wouldn’t run off anymore and isn’t that exactly what you did to Detective Stabler earlier?”


“You have NOT held up on your end of the deal!” Ellie snapped angrily. “Kota is hurting very badly right now daddy!”


“I didn’t touch Dakota!”


“YOU DIDN’TS HAVE TO!”


“DON’T SHOUT AT ME YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BRAT, I AM—“


“--I AM EVERYTHING BUT UNGRATEFUL DADDY, I’VE BEEN NOTHING BUT GRATEFUL TO YOU!” Ellie interrupted while suddenly breaking down into sobs. “EVEN WHEN YOU HURTS ME BADLY I’VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU! MORE THAN ANYTHING! DON’T YOU SEE THAT?” When all Sean could do was stare dumbfounded at her and showed no sign of responding Ellie went on. “I STICK UP FOR YOU WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE TELLS ME YOU ARE A BAD MAN! I TELLED THEM YOUR CHOICES WERE BAD, NOT YOU! I WROTE A STINKIN LETTER TO THE STINKIN PRESIDENT WITH SARAH’S HELP, BECAUSE I WANTED TO SAVES YOU! I GOT IN A FIGHT WITH MY BEST FRIEND OVER YOU AN’ I RAN AWAY FROM ELLIOT, MY MOST FAVORITE DETECTIVE IN THE WORLD TO COME BACK AN’ SAVES YOU! SO DON’T TELLS ME I’M UNGRATEFUL DADDY, DON’T!”


“I don’t need saving Elenore, I’m the grownup here NOT you! It’s my job to protect you – a job that I’ve had a lot of practice in as of late, no thanks to you!”


“Uncle Jerry an’ Cousin Brian once telled me that sometimes grownups get so carried away that they don’t see’s the bigger picture.” She felt Jerald gently rub her back soothingly as she stood in front of him with her back to him. “An’ they also telled me that sometimes they need their kids to knock some sense into them – an’ that’s exactly what I am gonna do.”


“No, I’m going to get that blasted Backstreet Boy on the phone for you so you can talk to him and then I’m sending your butt back outside with the Detective. Do you understand me?” Sean asked firmly, trying desperately to take control again.


“I am not’s going anywhere daddy. I am going to stand right here where I belong – between you an’ my adopted family. Send me out but I’ll come right back an’ you know I can.” Sean let out a low growl of frustration and Ellie continued. “An’ besides...to get me out, Elliot has to come in. How would you pull that off without getting caught?” she challenged. Sean scowled as he realized that sadly enough, his five year old has a point. The only person in this building he can trust with his daughter other than himself at the moment would be Trevor and there is no way he is sending him back out there alone again. But he can’t very well leave the hostages either. Ellie smirked as she watched her father search desperately for a loophole.


“Face it daddy, I’ve just become your biggest problem” she told him seriously. “One that isn’t going anywhere without a real good fight.” Sean stared at her for a long moment feeling completely at loss and then he turned to Trevor and whispered very quietly so that Ellie wouldn’t over hear.


“What am I going to do? She can’t be in here, she just can’t.” While the two stood there contemplating on the best way to deal with Ellie, they were completely oblivious to the scheming going on behind their backs.