~*~A week later~*~


“Well look at you, you’re out of bed and downstairs and everything” Brooke said while smiling at Nick who came walking out of the elevator with Dakota rested on his hip.


“Yeah, J-man gave me the okay” Nick grinned.


“Where is Ashley? It’s a really rare thing to see the two of you apart these days…”


“It’s always been a really rare thing to see them apart” Brian pointed out after walking into the building and having had heard what was last said. He had Ellie and Josh rested on each of his hips and Chris hanging over his shoulder with his arms latched around his neck firmly.


“Hey Nicky, welcome back to the downstairs world of Ramsey” Brian said while managing to pull his best friend into a hug despite having all three kids attached to him.


“Brian, is it just me or do you always seem to have a kid or two hanging all over you these days?” Nick asked amusedly.


“What can I say, I guess I am just popular with the kiddies” Brian said cheerily. “K and K were taking a little longer than necessary to get ready so I’ve kidnapped my favorite little cousin here and left.”


“Are K and K aware of that fact Littrell?” Brooke asked warily.


“Well…I couldn’t exactly tell them since the door was locked but Jerald, Tim, and Ann definitely are so it’s all good.”


“That was a little more information then we needed to know,” Nick insisted amusedly. “A simple no but Jerald, Tim, and Ann are would’ve sufficed.”


“So you never answered my question Nick, where is Ashley?” Brooke asked changing the subject.


“Upstairs busying herself with giving Bella a bath so that she doesn’t have to think about where we’re going and what we’ll be doing today. She doesn’t want anyone to know that she’s borderline emotional wreck right now but she knows that I know better.”


“Then why aren’t you up there helping her?” Brian wanted to know.


“Because she doesn’t want me to be for one she wants her space and two, I need mine too so that I can get some things done before the trial – which means I’m afraid you are about to gain another kid Frick.” Brian arched his eyebrow at him.

“What are you doing that could make you want space from Ashley? I’ve never heard that coming out of your mouth before.”


“Things for Ashley,” Nick answered, suddenly feeling pleased that Kevin had kept his secret.


“…Don’t you usually take Kota with you when you’re working on a surprise for Ashley?” Brian asked suspiciously.


“Yeah, but I’m afraid if I told Kota this she wouldn’t be able to contain her excitement and end up telling Ashley everything. Especially since she is extremely transparent to her.”


“And why don’t I know about this?” Brian interrogated.


“I am just not ready to tell people about it yet.”


“But you usually tell me everything first, Frack” Brian pointed out and Brooke took this as her cue to walk away.


“Well, you’ve been busy I didn’t want to take your focus away from the wedding.”


“I am never too busy for you, you should know that.”


“I will tell you later then…all right? I can’t tell you now because we have the kids and I need you to baby-sit for me. Please?” Brian looked at him for a long moment, and then nodded.


“Come here Kota, hop on the Brian Express and we’ll go on out to the playground.” Dakota giggled and leaned toward him and Nick brought her closer allowing her to slide her arms around Brian’s neck so that she is hanging from him.


“Where is Sarah?” Brian questioned.


“Outside playing – she took off long before all of us were even awake this morning.”


“Okay,” Brian replied and then took off toward the playground making train noises causing both girls to giggle and children and caregivers to stop all around and watch in amusement. Nick looked over at Brooke then who was only a few feet away.


“Brooke will you tell Ashley that I’ve run to the store real quick and that I will be back if she comes down here looking for me?”


“What if she asks me what store?”


“Tell her…Wal-mart.”


“And then she will expect you to be holding Wal-Mart bags when you get back,” Brooke pointed out.


“I know and I will take care of that. See you in a bit Brookie,” Nick said and then walked out of the Orphanage leaving Brooke staring after him and wondering just exactly what he was up to now.


Meanwhile out on the playground, Brian set the kids down as soon as he stepped outside.


“I’m going to be sitting over there under the tree with Howie, Lindsey, and AJ – come get me if you need me and please for the love of all things chocolate be good will you?”


“Joshy an’ I definitely will, you can counts on that,” Dakota said as she stood with her back slightly turned on Ellie who was suddenly looking at the ground shuffling her shoe in the sand.


“Dakota Ann, remember the discussion you, your daddy, Ashley and I all had?” Brian asked warily.


“Just tryin’ to be realistic here Uncle Brian.” Brian gently grabbed her hand then and pulled her a little ways from her friends before kneeling down in front of her and looking at her seriously.


“If you are going to be causing problems let me know this right now and I will make you come sit next to me while your friends play.” Dakota crossed her arms over her chest and looked away from him feeling slightly moody.


“What is the matter with you? I sat here and watched Ashley play mediator with you two a week ago and everything seemed fine.”


“You told us to be good and all I said was that you could count on me an’ Joshy.”


“You and I both know that there was a double meaning hidden behind those words, young lady.”


“Can you really blame me for nots trusting her?”


“How about you give her a chance?”


“We may have made up but you can’t expect everything to goes back to the way it was so easily Uncle Brian, lots of stuff was said, feelings got hurteded.”


“I can understand that, things are going to be a little tense at first. But you’re never going to make it better if you don’t try…you haven’t had much time together.” Dakota pulled her hands from Brian’s and crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly, the pain she went through when her father was in a coma still very evident in her eyes.


“Honey please,” Brian pleaded. “I know your daddy was hurt and it was scary but he’s better now and he wants nothing more than for you to forgive your best friend and start over. It wasn’t her fault and you know it.”


“Remember how happy you were when Ellie first arrived here?” Josh spoke up from behind her causing Dakota to nearly jump two feet in the air. She hadn’t expected him to be there, she thought it was just her and Brian’s conversation. When did he become a part of it? She glanced back at him and noticed Ellie standing behind him with her back turned and her arms crossed over her chest in the same stubborn-like stance as her best friend. He has a firm hold of her belt loop so that she doesn’t run off. When Dakota looked at her Ellie happened to be looking too and both girls quickly looked away. Chris however, stood nearby looking very bored, as he simply can’t wait for this little girl drama to end so that they can play.


“What of it’s?” Dakota asked indifferently though everyone standing there knows it happens to be a favorite memory of hers.


“You were so happy that day, everyone knew it – even I knew it,” Josh continued. “You practically glowed Dakota, remember? Like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer,” he teased and he noticed a smile starting to form at the corner of her mouth. “Remember how happy you felt to finally have a best friend and to have someone who was going to stick up for you whether I liked it or not?”


“That was the best day of my life,” Dakota admitted while stealing a peek at Ellie who she caught doing the same the both of them only looking at each other from their peripheral vision as they stare at the ground. “I gots a daddy an’ a best friend all in one day. I never had a best friend before’s…it was new an’ exciting.”


“I remember that day clearly too. You were so happy, you were so beautiful, and I was so jealous,” Josh informed. Dakota blushed slightly, squeezed Josh’s hand as he had grabbed hold of hers earlier when he made his presence known, and she turned slightly and looked at Ellie who still only stared at her through the corner of her eye.


“I never had a best friend either ya know,” Ellie informed softly. “It was new an’ exciting to me too. But really scary at the same time.”


“I couldn’ts understand why a mommy or daddy would ever want to makes their kid hurt the way you hurteded that day…it made me sad for you…it made me want to loves you,” Dakota shared as her eyes watered up slightly.


“And you did love her Kota, didn’t you? The two of you were inseparable, whether it was playing Ninja Turtles or some game of make believe…or just plain cuddling weren’t you?” Brian spoke up gently.


“I still loves her,” Dakota revealed after a moment. “She is just so…so…”


“Difficult? Stubborn? A Pain in the butt?” Chris supplied, not having any troubles what so ever filling in Dakota’s loss for words.


“Shut up Christopher,” Dakota and Ellie both snapped in unison, instantly making Chris flinch a little and him and Josh both started laughing.


“She may be all of those things that Chris said,” Josh spoke up. “But she loves you just as much anyway. She just doesn’t know how to not be selfish…we have to teach her.”

“How do you know she loves me?” Dakota wanted to know.


“Because she tells me every night, that’s how. She misses you an’ she’s lonely an’ I’m sick of bein’ in the middle.”


“Well, she hasn’t told me in a long time,” Dakota insisted while turning her back again and crossing her arms. “She said all these mean things to me an’ I haven’t heard her tells me she loves me yet. She never even telled sorry either…not really.”


“And did you tell her that you were sorry?” Chris wanted to know as he wasn’t around when Ashley tried to help them work things out last week.


“Yes I did an’ she said nothing. She just sat there quietly in Tim’s lap!” Josh gave Ellie a look then, that clearly stated all that he wanted to say: How do you expect Kota to forgive you if you haven’t even officially forgiven her yet? When she didn’t do anything, Josh lightly nudged her instantly causing her to glare at him and Josh glared back and motioned toward Dakota who still stood with her back turned. Rolling her eyes at Josh’s pushiness she moved so she stood behind Dakota and she slid her arms around her waist, rested her chin on her shoulder, and hung on her the way Dakota often does to Sarah and Dakota arched her eyebrow but otherwise made no sign that she even noticed her touch.


“I’m sorry that I’ve been such a sucky best friend lately,” She stated sincerely. “Like I saids…you were my first…I don’ts have much experience. But I do loves you an’ I do misses you very much an’ I wish you would play withs me again.” When Dakota didn’t reply right away, Ellie continued.




“I miss the days when nothing got in the way. We always had each other an’ that was enough to makes anything better.”


“I misses that too,” Dakota replied tearfully as she recalled the last time when simply having Ellie was enough.


“Then why can’ts you forgive me? Why are you being so stubborn? Sarah seems to have forgiven me for what’s happened to your daddy why can’ts you?”


“I hate to burst your bubbles but Sarah has been staying away for a reason an’ it’s not just cause I’m a pain in her butt for once,” Dakota informed. “An’ it’s not just about daddy an’ Ashee, it’s about YOU!” she added while turning around and looking at her friend.


“It’s not my fault they gots hurted! I was bein’ dumb an’ thought he’d come to sees me! You don’t know how sorry I’ve been for that, but you would if you would’a paid attention!” Ellie snapped as tears formed in her own eyes.


“No it’s not your fault,” Dakota agreed. “But it’s the dumb things that you do an’ expects me to help you with all the time that I’m mad about’s, Ellie!” Ellie opened her mouth to reply and Dakota cut her off again. “It not only gets you into trouble but it gets me an’ Sarah in trouble too an’ I’m sick of it’s! An’ not only that but YOU SCAREDS ME TO DEATH WHEN YOU RAN OFF ON US THAT NIGHT, DO YOU NOT GETS THAT? That’s what I haven’t forgiven you for. It’s NOT about daddy an’ Ashee anymore.”


“It is NOTS my fault daddy gave me his impulsive ways!” Dakota rolled her eyes.

“Those excuses are NOT allowed anymore, Ellie!”


“It is NOT an excuse it’s TRUE.”


“It is too an excuse. You use him as an excuse – you an’ everybody else says the things you do are not your fault because your daddy made you that way an’ I don’t buy that’s! You don’t HAVES to be like him, you don’t HAVES to do what he does, daddy says that everybody makes their own choices in this world an’ that means you too!” When Ellie didn’t respond Dakota continued. “You ran off cause you wanted to not because he made you do it’s. An’ you didn’t even bother to stop an’ think how that might scare your best friend did you?”


“That’s what impulsive peoples do. They don’t think.”


“But what Dakota is trying to tell you is that if you wanted to break that habit you could, Ellie,” Brian spoke up after a long while of just standing there and supervising and making sure this confrontation didn’t get out of control. “Yes you have many similar habits as your father but you have the decision to break them and create your own person just like everybody else. He has no control over that.”


“Maybe I don’ts wanna break the habits. Maybe I like bein’ like him did you ever thinks of that? The more I’m like him, the closer he is.” Ellie insisted while reaching up and wiping her teary eyes. Brian sighed softly and sat down in the grass before pulling the five year old into his lap.


“Well then how about you pick the good habits?” Brian suggested gently. “As much as your father liked to do bad things I can’t deny that he had some good in him deep inside his heart,” he added. “Some good that you had a knack for bringing out of him when he didn’t want you to.” Ellie rested her head against Brian’s chest and snuggled into him, openly enjoying the fact that he is now holding her. “He loved you and he wanted the very best for you. The last thing he wanted was for you to do bad things and get in trouble the way he did. He knew you were better than that…the very best part of him. And he turned himself in because of that…you wouldn’t want to make his good choice be done for nothing would you?”


“No…” Ellie replied softly.


“So be the very best part of him,” Brian replied. “Be good, make the right choices, and love…that’s what he wanted.”


“He won’ts even say he’s sorry to me why should I gives him what he wants?” Ellie asked bitterly and Brian having been told all about this by Jerald immediately understood.


“I am sure he will come around eventually…he always ends up doing what you want him to do.”


“An’ I can’t be your friend if you can’t promise me you’ll try an’ change Ellie,” Dakota spoke up again while looking down at the ground and shuffling her foot in the sand. “I loves you…you know that’s. But helping you do bad things makes me upset especially when it sometimes affects the future mommy that I loves. An’ knowing that you’re doing bad things upsets me too. I want you to stop an’ if you love me at’s all you will try.”


“Real friends are supposeds to accept me for who I am, no matter what.”


“I do Ellie…” Dakota said earnestly. “I loves you very much. I loves playing with you, I loves that you were my first best friend, an’ I loves that you makes everything better but I can’t handle feeling upset over the bad things I know you’re doing, it makes me feel sick…can’t you understand that?”


“She loves who you are as a person and just the way you are honey, we all do…you’ve become a very important part of our family and without you life wouldn’t be the same. You brighten up everybody’s world. But you just need to work on the choices that you make,” Brian explained.


“I don’ts know how…”


“Well lucky for you, you have all of us here to help you. We aren’t going anywhere, an’ neither is Dakota an’ she knows it,” Josh spoke up.


“Yes because that’s what family is for…they’re always here to support you and love you no matter what and I know we haven’t been taking you to see Anthony but now that things are starting to slow down I will see that Kevin, Jerald, and I start doing that again. He will help you too.”


“I miss Anthony,” Ellie said while looking up at her cousin with hope and Brian smiled at her some.


“I bet he misses you too,” he told her before leaning down and kissing the top of her head and he looked at Dakota.


“Will that be okay with you? If we all work together to help Ellie change her ways will you find it in your heart to forgive her?”


“I already have, I’m just waitin’ to hear that she’ll try.”


“I will,” Ellie sniffled. “I just want my best friend back.” Dakota sat in Brian’s lap then too and she slid her arms around Ellie and hugged her close to her.


“I’m right here,” Dakota promised. “An’ Josh is right…I won’t goes anywhere. I couldn’t – I would probably keeps a stalker-like distance from you the way he did me until I finally missed you an’ caved.”


“HEY!” Josh exclaimed exasperatedly. “I didn’t stalk you! I admired from a distance!” he insisted and Brian laughed.


“Sounds like stalking to me, Joshy-washy” Ellie said softly as she still hugged her best friend with her head rested against her shoulder and her eyes over flowed with tears. Josh glowered at her then and stood there eyeing her, waiting patiently for his beautiful batgirl to move out of the way and for Brian to put Ellie down so that he can tackle her for that. Dakota recognized the urge in his eyes as the I want to wrestle my cousin in the nearest mud puddle look and giggled amusedly after wiping her own tears away.


“Back off Batman, she’s mine.” Ellie pulled back slightly and looked at Dakota curiously, and Dakota gave her a playful look that said it all. Ellie yelped, jumped up from Brian’s lap, and took off running. Dakota jumped up and darted after her, instantly creating a game of chase around the playground and Josh stood back and watched Dakota with complete adoration in his eyes making Chris fall over and laugh. He’s seen his brother look pretty pathetic at the sight of Dakota, but this definitely takes the cake. Brian shook his head smiling and seeing that his work there was done, he got to his feet and finally went over to visit with Howie like he planned to do earlier.