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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Chapter Fifty Three



After hearing Kori sing those songs, Ashley herself was having a very hard time not crying - infact, she wasn't able to succeed in the process like her sister was. Tears fell from her eyes and she looked up at Nick. He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close and he kissed her forehead softly before whispering in her ear.


"Come on…" he whispered softly and he ushered her away from Kori's door and toward the elevator and Laney followed. When they got to the elevator and the door opened for them they went inside and Nick cupped her cheek and gently lifted her face so she is looking him in the eyes.


"Are you okay baby?"


"Yeah…fine. I just wasn't expecting to hear that…" Nick didn't reply, he only leaned down and brushed his lips lightly over hers and she rested her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arm around him as he stood there holding Sarah in his other arm. When the elevator reached the first floor and the doors opened, Nick, Ashley, and Laney walked out and Nick took Sarah out onto the playground. When they got out there he set her down on the ground.


"Go get your friends honey," he told her, and she ran off toward the tree that the other girls are sitting under and playing trolls at. A few minutes later, all five girls were joining Nick, Ashley, and Laney at the door.


"Hi ladies, why don't you come into the playroom with me, hmm? I miss all of my little girls." He told them, flashing them all his famous smile and turning on his charm just for them - though he didn't realize it was having such an effect on his actual girlfriend too who was standing next to him and watching his every move with a love struck expression on her face. The little girls giggled and blushed and they followed Nick, Ashley, and Laney into the building after Nick had taken one quick glance around the playground making sure Tom wasn't out there trying to lure another little girl into their bedroom. When he saw the kids were safe and that Jennifer Brinkman and Susan Biggs were out there supervising, he went inside. When they got into the playroom everybody looked at them.


"Nicky will you play dress up with us? Please?" Sarah asked hopefully and Nick grinned at all of them and allowed the five little girls to drag him off to the dress up area. Laney chuckled and walked back to the adults and Ashley went over to Dakota and Elenore who were still in the reading center.


"Ashee!" Dakota exclaimed happily when she saw her coming and Ashley smiled at her lovingly.


"Hi sweetheart," She greeted gently, and she set Abbie down next to Spencer who immediately began to play with her. Dakota reached for Ashley and Ashley scooped her up into one arm and Elenore in the other before lying down on the bean bag with the girls snuggling with her.


"Will you reads to us Ashee? Please?"


"Mm hmm. What shall I read?" Dakota and Elenore looked over at the books for a few moments indecisively, than Elenore pulled out The Very Hungry Caterpillar By Eric Carle.


"This one! Please?"


"Yeah!" Dakota agreed and Ashley took the book from Elenore and looked over at Spencer.


"Come here sweetie, do you want me to read to you too?" Spencer crawled over to Ashley, allowing her to pull him into her arms also so that he is lying in the middle of the two girls and they all snuggled together, the two girl's heads rested on each of Spencer's shoulders so they could all see the pictures and Ashley began to read to them.


"I see Nick got dragged away by all of his little wives," Brian commented, watching his best friend with a smirk as he played dress up with the girls.


"Yup, it's pretty funny watching him put on his charm for six and seven year olds. It's a weird change from watching him at meet and greets and such anyway." Laney replied. Riley laughed a little.


"Ah man, those little girls love him. All he has to do is smile their way and they melt."


"What does Dakota think about that?" Marcus asked, looking over at the four year old who was engrossed in the books that Ashley is reading her. He had backed off a little bit since Ashley was over there, but still made sure to keep a close watch on the kids just incase.


"She's fine with it as long as she doesn't have to sit there and listen to them talk on and on about how cute her daddy is," Riley replied, smirking a little. "She says they're really nice girls but she doesn't like hanging out with them - too girly girlish for her."


"Yeah I'll bet," Laney replied, chuckling a bit. Brian looked up at Riley who was standing next to him - she had just recently come in the playroom shortly after Nick did but she hadn't yet sat down because she had to go over and talk to a child first about something. He smiled up at her and pulled her down into his lap and he enveloped her in his arms and hugged her tightly. She rested her forehead against his.


"How are you?" He asked her, now looking at her with concern. Riley shrugged.


"Doesn't matter," she answered softly. Brian frowned some.


"Of course it matters…why would you go and say something like that?"


"Maybe because it's the truth?"


"Riley…"


"Brian can we please not talk about it? Please?" She asked, looking at him and he noticed a single tear rolling down her cheek. She then got up and walked out of the playroom again. Brian groaned.


"I hate it when she holds her feelings in," He complained.


"It's too painful for her right now Bri…you've gotta understand that she loved him and what he did to her was downright horrible. It's going to take time for her to get over it."


"Well she's not going to get over it by holding it in like that. She's not going to get over it pretending that everything is all right." Brian replied, and he got up and walked out of the playroom and into the lobby. He looked over at Riley's front desk but surprisingly didn't find her there like she usually is when she's trying to work herself into overload. He thought for a few moments, than he turned and went to her office that she usually goes into, to be alone. When he got in there he pushed the door open and looked in to find her sitting at her desk, her face buried in her arms.


"Brian, go away."


"No." Brian replied firmly and she looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, her face caked with tears and runny eyeliner.


"I may be your girlfriend but that doesn't change the fact that I am your boss. I'm not in a great mood right now, I wouldn't make it worse if I were you." She warned.

"What are you going to do about it? Fire me? Because your pissed off at your husband your going to fire me for being the only one that cares?"


"If I had that kind of privilege, maybe." She replied stubbornly. He knows she doesn't mean it. Brian chuckled a little bit and he went over and wrapped his arms around her as he stands behind her and he rested his chin on her shoulder.


"Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?"


"But I could always talk Brooke into firing you. She takes my opinions very seriously you know."


"She takes mine very seriously too," he replied, leaning down and placing soft kisses on her neck. "And besides, you wouldn't last a day without me here."


"Wanna bet on that Littrell?"


"If you insist, but I happen to be pretty good at betting I'll have you know. I kicked AJ and Howie's ass in the last one." Riley looked up at him with narrowed eyes as she tried her very hardest to be angry with him but she knows she can't. He knows how to take a bad situation and make it all better just by being himself.


"Your such a jerk," she pouted.


"But you love me anyway," he replied, leaning down and brushing his lips softly against hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. After a few moments, he pulled away.


"But since you don't want me here and since you can go through a whole day just fine without me I will go now. Maybe Brooke will allow me to take a day off or something since you need to be by yourself and all," he told her and he began to walk toward the door. Riley glared at him, now really becoming angry with him.


"You can't just fucking kiss me like that Littrell and then walk away from me like that! Get your ass back over here, now!" She told him, immediately going into scary boss/angry girlfriend mode and he can see the fear in her eyes as she really believes he is going to leave and take a whole day off when she really does need him right now - badly. Brian chuckled a little.


"Good thing we didn't bet," he replied, and he walked back over to her. He took her hand and pulled her up from the chair and he sat down before pulling her into his lap so she's sitting sideways. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close, resting her head against his shoulder.


"Your not very nice," She told him, tears rolling down her cheeks as she finally lets go and lets all her anger and heartbreak over Chase come pouring out. It's only taken a whole day for her to show any kind of emotion for it at all except for when she was in pain from hitting her head. Brian reached over and grabbed a tissue and he wiped the eyeliner and tears away from her cheeks the best that he could and he kissed her forehead softly.


"I wish you wouldn't cry and get yourself so worked up over him…he's not worth it baby, not worth it at all."


"I just wish that I wasn't so stupid…I just wish I didn't fall for something so stupid. I should have seen it all a long…but I was blind and stupid and tried SO fucking hard to make it work, Brian. I LOVED him and here all a long all I was to him was a worthless slut who was only kept around for good home cooked meals," Riley replied, crying all over again.


"Your not stupid Ri…stuff like that happens all the time to people. They get so blinded by love that they can't see the bigger picture even when it's right in front of them. Its happened to me, it's happened to everybody. Hell it's happened to Nick a hundred times until Ashley came a long. It doesn't mean your stupid…love just plays tricks on you sometimes." Brian explained, hugging her close to him and gently placing his hand at the back of her head and making her rest her head against his shoulder. "And your not a slut…and your not worthless either. Chase was an asshole for saying that. You're so important to me, I have been in love with you from the very beginning and I could care less if you cook for me. I'll cook for you for the rest of your life if you want me to…it doesn't matter. As long as you love me."


"How can I tell if you really love me?" Riley asked, sniffling a little bit as he had finally gotten her to calm down some and he wiped her cheeks again. "How do I know that it's not just love playing another trick on me? Chase had me fooled all a long…why should I believe that your not eventually going to end up hurting me too?"


"Because baby I would cut off my own hand before I ever hurt you," Brian replied sincerely. "You could ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that you're my entire world, Riley. You're all I ever think about, dream about, talk about…you could even say that I am obsessed with you. Cause it's the honest to god truth. I knew the moment I laid eyes on you when Nick introduced us that you're the one I had to spend the rest of my life with."


"I don't know if I can believe that right now Bri…I've been hurt way too much…I don't know if I can trust love ever again."


"It's okay if you don't believe me right now. I know you've been through so much but if you just gave me a chance I would prove to you that I am so much better then Chase I really could." Riley didn't reply, she only slid her arms around his neck and rested her forehead against his and he brushed his lips softly against hers.


~*~*~*~*~*~


Meanwhile, in the playroom, Nick's cell phone suddenly rang. He reached into his pocket and he pulled it out to see that it's Lou. Nick raised his eyebrow and he suddenly stopped breathing.


"Oh god…why is he calling me? What did I do now?"


"Who?" Kevin asked, looking over at Nick worriedly, as he has a feeling he knows exactly who he is talking about.


"Lou," Nick answered softly.


"Shit…" Kevin muttered. "Nick you and Ashley haven't been kissing in public were you??"


"No!! We've been very good about it I swear!"


"Um…" Ashley started, shifting in her chair uncomfortably as she knows that's not entirely true. "We did kind of forget where we were earlier when we were in the mall…and were flirting…he didn't kiss me though - just on the cheek but that's it."


"You had better answer it and see what he wants Nick…or he will for sure be pissed," Howie replied gently. Nick turned on his phone and put it to his ear.


"Hello? Nick speaking…"


"Have you seen the newspapers, magazines, and MTV lately?!?!" Lou's voice spoke through the phone so loudly Nick had to pull it back from his ear slightly.


"Well it's good to hear from you too, Pearlman."


"Who the hell is this child that's been seen EVERYWHERE with Kevin?? And what is this I hear about you adopting Dakota?!?!"


"Elenore is a child in the Orphanage…and she's become rather attached to Kevin so he's been here ever since she arrived and has pretty much gotten himself a job here as her caregiver. We take the kids with us when we go out…is that such a crime? It's our job."


"It is when rumors are going around about two Backstreet Boys being fathers! Turn on a TV some time, open up a magazine it's EVERYWHERE!"


"Relax Lou. Only half of that rumor is true. Only one Backstreet Boy is a father." Nick replied, rather smartly.


"Which is who?"


"Me," Nick answered simply. "I adopted Dakota about a month ago," he added now looking pretty damn proud of himself.


"And did the thought ever occur to you that you're a Backstreet Boy? Or did that stupid Orphanage you work in every day make you forget? Did you ever stop to think about what it would do to your Backstreet Boys career?" Lou asked very calmly but Nick can hear the anger in his voice.


"Yes actually, to be honest it did. That thought ran through my mind a lot Lou, and it was a very hard decision to make but in the end I couldn't be anymore proud of myself. I love Dakota and I can't imagine life without her. My Backstreet Boys career will be just fine so why don't you take that large stick out of your ass and relax some? Doesn't it hurt?"


"Don't talk to me like that. I am your manager I deserve respect."


"Well you know what? I'm not that little 13 year old that you once discovered at the beginning of Backstreet I'm 20 years old now - 21 in a couple of months and I deserve respect too. I deserve to be treated like an adult who can make his own decisions."


"Fine. Whatever. But just so you know, there is going to be an interview tonight at seven thirty that I expect all five of you to be at."


"WHAT?!?!"


"You heard me. We've gotta stop this rumor some how, fans are wondering what in the world is going on."


"Did it ever occur to you that we could be busy working at that time?"


"You promised me that that Orphanage wouldn't interfere with your music career, Nickolas. That is the only reason I allowed you to work there." Nick groaned and it took everything in him not to shut his phone off and throw it across the room out of anger.


"Where at?"


"Ellen."


"Fine. We'll be there on one condition."


"Which is?"


"You let us bring the kids with us."


"No. They're the ones who got you in this mess in the first place. You can just leave them there at that Orphanage where they belong."


"Then you have no deal. We aren't going to that interview and the fans will just have to go on wondering until they come across one of us and ask questions." Lou sighed impatiently.


"Fine. Then they can sit in the back room but they had better not go out on that stage, Nickolas! If they ruin your career…"


"They're just kids for Christ's sake Lou, innocent kids! What harm could they do?"


"Obviously a lot since rumors are going around!"


"Whatever. You really need to calm down before you have an ulcer - or a heart attack, or whatever. Are you through with lecturing me? Because if it's okay with you, I've gotta go."


"Just make sure you all are at that interview."


"We will be," Nick replied shortly, and he hung up his phone and looked at all of the guys annoyed.


"Where is this interview going to be at?" Kevin asked, sighing in frustration.


"The Ellen Show…it shouldn't be too bad. Ellen is cool. If the kids do end up coming onstage you know she'll be totally cool about it."


"Yeah…they might have to come out onstage with us," Kevin replied, looking over at Elenore nervously. She and the kids are still lying in Ashley's arms and she's on her tenth children's book by now, all the others that she has read in a pile on the floor and Elenore had fallen asleep. Josh and Chris are sitting behind her leaning against the bean bag with their chin rested in their hands and they're listening to the story also.


"Lou will throw a fit if we don't at least try and keep them backstage. We'll bring the bodyguards with us and they can baby-sit for us. Hopefully Ellie will cooperate."