Chapter Forty Seven
By the time it was time to go Ashley had finished doing both Dakota and Elenore's hair. Kevin had come in the room with four other security guards - Laney, who is Nick's bodyguard, Drew who is Howie's, Raul who is Brian's, and Q who is Kevin's. Howie walked in with them as well, as did Brian and Riley.
"Hey guys," Nick greeted them and Ellie cocked her head to the side as she looked at the four other security guards who walked in. There are WAY too many big guys in this room….
"Kevy…" She whined suddenly. Kevin looked at her to see her bottom lip starting to quiver and she looks like she's about to cry.
"Aww…honey I'm right here, it's okay." He told her and he went over and gently scooped her up into his arms. She slid her arms around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder as she looks at the four strange guys that she still has yet to be introduced to.
"Who they Kevy?" she asked softly.
"Those are my four buddies Drew, Q, Laney, and Raul. They're bodyguards too just like Marcus. You're safe with them too I promise." Elenore didn't reply, she only rested her head against Kevin's shoulder and held onto him tight. He may say that they're safe, but they all just look big and scary to her. Marcus is okay…but four is just too many. Nick looked over at Ashley. He knows if Elenore is freaking out, she's gotta be pretty terrified as well. He went over and sat next to her on the bed and wrapped her in his arms protectively.
"Laney, Q, Raul and Drew this is Ashley. Ashley, that's Laney - my bodyguard who you will be seeing a lot of, that's Q, Kevin's bodyguard, That's Raul who is Brian's, and that's Drew who is Howie's." Nick introduced, pointing to each guy as he mentioned them. They've all been informed of Ashley's situation and know not to go too close to her just yet.
"I know they all look really big and scary right now, and I know five of them is quite a lot for you to handle but I know that in time you will eventually feel comfortable around them. They're great guys and they're very loving when you get to know them - like teddy bears!" Riley laughed a little and wrapped her arms around Raul. Being Brian's best friend for years - and now his girlfriend, she's gotten to know all of the security very well - Raul and her are pretty close.
"Very comfy teddy bears," she added, and Raul chuckled and wrapped his arms around her in return, hugging her back.
"I likes Teddy Bears, Kevy," Elenore whispered quietly, though they can all still hear her. Kevin chuckled a little.
"I know you like teddy bears sweetie - you've got lots of them in your room don't you? And one very big one too." Elenore smiled a little at that.
"A big teddy bear huh?" Laney asked smiling a little and Elenore looked over at him and smiled back, though she never let go of the death grip she has on Kevin.
"Uh-huhs. Kevy bought him fer me."
"Well that's very neat. Everybody deserves a big teddy bear. What'd you name him?"
"Mr. Stuffles," Elenore answered quietly.
"Well that's a very unique name. I like it." Elenore smiled at this.
"She likes Ninja Turtles too. I bet you and Q would get a long pretty well. He likes them as well."
"Oh yes I love the Ninja Turtles! I don't miss a single cartoon and I've got a collection of every action figure there is."
"He's like a big kid at heart Ellie, you'll love him." Elenore beamed a little and she loosened her strong hold on Kevin a tiny bit.
"Anyway, who all is coming to the mall with us?"
"Just you, Q, Laney, Nick, Ashley, Dakota, Elenore, Kori, and Spencer are going. The rest of us are staying here - unless you want us to go." Brian answered.
"Nah, I think that's enough for now. I think Ashley needs some time to get used to having the security team around - it might be best to start off with just two for awhile." Nick explained, kissing Ashley's cheek and hugging her close to him.
"Kay, so when are we going?" Laney questioned, as he lifted Dakota up into his arms and hugged her tightly when he felt her hug his leg. She LOVES security - each and everyone of them but Laney and Marcus are her favorites.
"Right now if that's okay with Kevin - and we still have to go into Kori's room to see if she's ready too."
"Yup it's fine. I'm ready when you're."
"Daddy can I takes Lily withs us? Please?"
"Honey I don't think the owners of the mall will like that too much."
"They don'ts have to see her…I can keeps her in my hoodie an' they'll never knows we gots her." Nick chuckled and looked over at Brian who was standing there holding Tyke and had an innocent grin on his face.
"What? Why is everyone looking at me?" He asked innocently. Nick shook his head.
"You influence my daughter way too much. She's turning into her crazy uncle."
"Not my fault the kid loves me," Brian replied, shrugging.
"Yes huh, cause you're the one who bought her the puppy to begin with." AJ replied, rolling his eyes.
"She loved me before the puppy too, you know."
"Dakota loves each and every one of her uncles in her own little way. She looks up to all of you and has a little bit of all of you in her." Riley replied, deciding she would be the peacemaker before it got worse. She knows how the boys are once they get into it. "You've all been around since she was just a baby. You're all very important to her."
"So daddy can I? Can I takes Lily? Please?" Dakota spoke up again.
"Not this time honey. If the owners of the pet store see her in your pocket they might think you're stealing her. It would just be best if you kept her here."
"But daddy she'll be lonely!"
"No she won't Kota, Tyke and I will keep her company I promise." Brian reassured quickly, suddenly sensing a very rare temper tantrum from his niece coming.
"But I WANTS to take her withs me! I don'ts go anywhere without her! She's my baby!"
"She's not coming, Dakota." Nick told her simply.
"Oh yes she is!" Dakota insisted, and she slid down from Laney's arms and walked over to Lily who lay on the bed watching everybody very curiously. She hugged her close to her.
"Dakota Ann…what has gotten into you?"
"I WANTS to take her with me!"
"Well I am sorry sweetie, but we don't always get what we want. She's not coming this time, end of story."
"Yes she is, daddy!"
"No she's not. And you had better stop acting this way or you will be staying here also."
"NO!" Dakota shouted at him suddenly. Nick looked at her with a raised eyebrow for a few minutes.
"Fine then stay here." He told her firmly, and he looked at everybody else. "Come on, lets go." He told them. He helped Ashley up from the bed and took her hand and she began to lead her out of the room, everybody else following. Dakota stood there watching them. Her daddy isn't serious. He isn't really going to leave her here all alone is he? She set Lily down on the bed and watched as everybody walked out of the room and shut the door behind them. She stood there waiting for him to come back in and tell her that he is just joking. When he didn't, she went and opened up the door and peeked out to see him half way to the elevator already.
"DADDY NO! PLEASE DON'TS LEAVE ME, PLEASE!!!!" She shouted after him, suddenly beginning to cry and he turned around and looked at her.
"Are you going to leave Lily here then?"
"No!" she told him stubbornly, though tears were staining her little cheeks.
"Then you can stay here, Kota." He told her, and he turned and started to go again but she fell to her knees and began to cry harder.
"Daddy pleeease!!" she begged through sobs, and Nick sighed, his heart breaking into million little pieces as he hears his baby cry. He can't do this. He stopped in his tracks and looked at Kevin.
"Nick, don't. Kota doesn't throw temper tantrums all the time but she still needs to learn that when she does she can't get away with it."
"I can't do this Kev…it's breaking my heart." Nick told him softly and he handed Ashley's hand over to him before turning and going back to his daughter who was lying on the floor by now crying hysterically - crying like he had left her in the middle of a huge crowd at Disney World. When he got to her he opened up the bedroom door and started in there.
"Get in here Dakota Ann, now." He told her softly, though she can hear the seriousness in his voice. She got up from the floor sniffling and she followed him in there and he shut the door behind her. He crouched down in front of her so that he is eye level with her and he gently took her hands into his.
"I'm going to give you one more chance to make the right decision, honey. Will you, or will you not leave Lily here?"
"But daddy I wants to take her…please…"
"I already told you that you couldn't and I already told you why. They don't allow puppies in the mall honey otherwise I would be more then willing to take her a long with us. I love Lily just as much as you do and I don't want to leave her just as much as you but we have to. They're not going to let us in that mall if we have her."
"But she'll gets lonely without me," Dakota sniffled, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. "An' she'll be sad because she'll be left all alone. Just like me…"
"I haven't left you alone yet honey. You still have a decision to make here. Don't you want to go to the mall and shop in hot topic with Ashley? Don't you want new clothes? And don't you want to help Ellie pick out her new puppy afterwards?"
"Yes but…"
"Lily will be fine I promise baby. We can leave her with Brian and Tyke. Brian will keep her company he knows how to take care of her."
"Can we buy Lily something too?" Dakota asked softly. "Can we go to Petsmart on the way back an' buy her a new collar with her name on it?"
"If you agree to leave her here and if you're a good girl the entire time we're in the mall we will go to Petsmart and buy Lily lots of new things."
"Kay…" Dakota replied softly and she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He slid her arms around her waist and hugged her back as he kissed her cheek.
"That's a good girl…daddy doesn't like it when his baby throws tantrums. Just because your best friend does it, it doesn't mean you should too. You know Ellie doesn't ever get away with it." Dakota didn't reply, she only rested her head against his shoulder and he stood up with her and brought her over to the bed where she had set Lily down. He scooped her up into his arms and carried both Dakota and Lily out of the room. Once out in the hall he discovered that everybody has gone downstairs to wait for him. He went down there too and when he got there he found them all standing in the lobby waiting on him. When they did he took Lily over to Brian.
"Kota was wondering if you still wanted to baby-sit for us while we're gone."
"I would love to Kota," Brian replied, taking Lily from Nick and holding both Chihuahua's close to him. "I will take very special care of her I promise. She won't be lonely at all the entire time you're gone."
"Kay," Dakota replied softly and he kissed her forehead and smiled at her with one of his silly grins causing her to smile too but only a little bit.
"Her toys are upstairs uncle Brian."
"Okay, I will remember that." Brian replied dutifully and Nick hugged Dakota tighter as he turned his attention on everybody else. He noticed that Kori is now standing there next to Ashley and she is holding Spencer.
"Ready?" Kevin asked, and Nick nodded and followed everybody out the door. He followed Ashley and Laney over to his car as he placed soft kisses on Dakota's forehead. When he got to the car he buckled Dakota into her seat and then shut the door and got in the drivers seat while Ashley sat in the passenger's seat and Laney sat in the back next to Dakota. He started the car and headed out of the parking lot and in the direction of the mall - Kevin, Elenore, and Q in Kevin's car and Kori and Spencer in Kori's car. When they got there they went inside the mall.
"So what should we do first?" Nick questioned, as he was back to holding Dakota again. She has her arms wrapped around his neck, and her head rested upon his shoulder and she is refusing to let Nick put her down or hand her off to anyone else - not even Ashley. She just wants her daddy.
"Well I was thinking while you all were in Hot Topic, Q and I could take Ellie to the pet store to look at the puppies," Kevin spoke up.
"Okay, that's cool. Kota do you want to go with them?"
"No daddy I wants you," Dakota whined, holding onto Nick tighter.
"Okay, okay." Nick replied gently and he rubbed his hand over her back as he took Ashley's hand in his other and intertwined his fingers with hers. "We'll meet you in the pet store when we're done then, okay?"
"Okay," Kevin answered and he turned and began to head toward the pet store with Elenore in his arms and Q at his side, and Nick, Ashley, Kori, and Laney went the other way. When Elenore, Kevin, and Q got to the pet store, Kevin put her down and took hold of her hand and he led the excited little girl to the back of the store where the puppies are. When they got back there she began to pull Kevin a long as she peered into the little glass windows where all of the puppies are at. Suddenly she came across the pugs and she peered in at them.
"Kevy I wants a pug, pleeease?" she asked suddenly, and she looked up at him with a big grin.
"A pug? But I thought you said you wanted a golden retriever like Chance."
"No I changed my mind."
"Okay, well which one do you want?"
"I don'ts know, I likes them all." She answered, peering in at them once again and Kevin chuckled. He looked over at the big circle thingee in the middle of the floor where the store owner sometimes brings dogs out to run around in.
"What if I can get someone to bring out all of those puppies for you to play with, Ellie? And you can decide which one you want then? Do you want me to do that?' Elenore looked up at him excitedly.
"Really Kevy? I can plays with all of them?"
"Well I don't know yet sweetie, but I can ask."
"Okay," Elenore replied and Kevin reached for her hand again. She took it and allowed him to bring her over to the front counter.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter
Enjoy =)
Enjoy =)
