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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Chapter Sixty Nine


By the time the elevator door had opened, Kevin and Howie stepped out of it only to find Nick, AJ, Riley, and Ashley there waiting for them. Brian is still in Brooke's office discussing things and has no idea this is going on and the others left the kids in the playroom with security. Kevin sighed in frustration as they all surrounded him at the elevator so that he couldn't get past and Howie remained behind him blocking the elevator.


"What'd you do, D, tattle on me? What are we Josh and Ellie's age?"


"I thought everybody deserved to know how incredibly stupid you're being. You're lucky they didn't bring Ellie out here. They should have. Would you leave her if you saw her throw a huge tantrum after learning what you're about to do to her?"


"It's for her own good!" Kevin replied, becoming very aggravated.


"How exactly is it for her own good?" AJ wanted to know.


"She deserves better. She deserves someone that would be able to protect her better!" AJ snorted.


"My…someone is beginning to sound a lot like Nick around here. I won't mention any names though."


"This is different and you know it!" Kevin snapped.


"How is it different? It looks like the same old stupidity to me," Riley spoke up. Nick frowned some, though he held his tongue. He knows this is for Kevin's sake and he also can't help but admit that its true. He was being stupid, and now Kevin is.


"Nick didn't lose Dakota like I lost Ellie!" Kevin shouted, suddenly breaking down into sobs. "He wasn't standing in a parade at Disney World with Dakota standing RIGHT there in front of him under HIS care only to have her snatched away from him without even knowing it! But I WAS! After I had promised her that I would protect her! But I didn't! I failed her and she deserves MUCH better then me!"


"Okay, honey, but listen to me. We were all at fault today of what happened. We all should've been watching them better." Riley spoke up again very gently and she moved forward and placed both her hands to his cheek, gently making him look her in the eyes.


"You don't understand…" Kevin replied, shaking his head as even more tears fell from his eyes. "She was my responsibility. She relied on me and I feel like I've failed her. I feel like I don't deserve to have her. I broke my promise to her. I don't deserve to have such a big responsibility."


"If you walk away from her tonight Kevin you will be breaking the only promise you made to her that ever really mattered." Howie spoke up again, and he moved in front of him so that he could look him in the eyes too. "You promised her that you would never leave her. That is her biggest fear ever is losing you. Could you live the rest of your life knowing that you broke such a big promise to her? Could you--" Howie was suddenly cut off by a lone cry, coming from the playroom and they all recognized it as Elenore's. She must've just realized that all of the grownups were gone except for security.


"NO!!!!! I WANTS MY KEVY!!!!" She suddenly came running out of the playroom and she looked around the lobby for Kevin. AJ, Howie, Nick, Riley, and Ashley all turned their heads and looked at her and Kevin took this as his opportune moment. He grabbed up his bags and started toward the door very quickly. He knows this is going to be even harder now that Elenore was just on the other side of the lobby. She noticed him going toward the door and she saw the bags in his hand and her eyes widened in fear.


"KEVY?!?!? KEVY?!?!?!" She shouted in a panic and she took off running toward him "NO!!!! YOU CAN'TS LEAVE ME KEVY, YOU CAN'TS!!!!" She sobbed, and she took a run for it toward him. "KEVY NO!!!! PLEASE!!!" Kevin suddenly turned around, his cheeks all tear-streaked and he dropped his bags before dropping to his knees in front of her and she went flying into his open arms. She threw her arms around his neck and held onto him with all her might.


"I have to Ellie…I have to…" he told her, suddenly crying himself.


"No Kevy you can'ts!!! You promised me that you wouldn't, you PROMISED!"


"I know honey but you don't understand. You deserve much better then me. I've failed you Ellie…and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…I promised that I would protect you and look what happened…you were kidnapped right under my nose and I didn't even know about it! You deserve much better."


"Kevy no…please…"


"I'm sorry Ellie…some day you will understand…and hopefully some day you can forgive me." He told her softly, and he stood up.


"Kevy NO! Pleeease…."


"Bye Ellie," He told her softly, and with that he picked up his bags and he walked out of the Orphanage. Elenore began to sob harder and she made a mad dash for it out into the parking lot after him. He was just putting his stuff in the car when he saw her coming out.


"KEVY NO!!!!!!!! PLEASE DON'TS LEAVE ME, PLEASE!!!! I NEED YOU!" She wailed.


"Ellie I already told you that I had to. Just go back into the Orphanage sweetie, you can't be out here alone," Kevin insisted, not even looking at her as his heart was shattering into a thousand little pieces by now.


"NO!!!" She shouted, stomping her foot on the ground. "I WON'TS let you leave me, I WON'TS!"


"You don't have a choice Elenore. Get into the Orphanage, NOW!" He ordered, becoming frustrated as she is making this very hard for him. He got into his car then and shut the door and he started the car up, pulled out of his parking spot and he drove away.


"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!" Elenore shrieked, and she began running after him.


"Elenore stop, get back here please!" Riley begged, tears streaming down her own cheeks as she began to run after her. Elenore paid no attention. She only ran after the car. She is NOT going to give up that easily. She followed the car all the way out of the Orphanage parking lot and into the street calling after Kevin and begging him to stop but when he didn't and he was getting too fast for her to follow she stopped in the middle of the road. She dropped to her knees and continued to sob. Kevin kept on driving, looking back at her through the rear view mirror, his heart broken by now. He only made it as far as the stop sign, then he suddenly stopped. Elenore looked up when she heard the car stop and she looked at it with hope. Suddenly the car door opened and Kevin stepped out of it and he looked at the five year old that he loved very much.


"Ellie…come here baby…" he called to her. He didn't have to tell her twice. She got up and she ran toward him. He crouched down, holding his arms open for her and when she got to him, she flew into them, wrapping her arms around him putting a death grip on him and he enveloped her in a tight hug. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm so very sorry…." he told her, crying also.


"Don't leave me Kevy please, you promised!"


"I know I promised honey…I know. I don't know what I was thinking…I was scared and upset. Grownups get scared too…they make mistakes too…and I promise you I will never make that one again. Ever."


"I loves you Kevy…."


"I love you too. With all of my heart…" he told her softly in her ear, and he stood up with her. "Come on…its cold out here. Lets get you back in the Orphanage." He carried her over to the car then and got inside it with her in his lap. He shut the door and started up the car then and he began to turn it around and he headed back to the Orphanage. Elenore turned in is embrace, wrapped her arms around his neck and she buried her face in his shoulder and sniffled. When Riley, who was by now standing in the street where Elenore had stopped and cried, saw him coming back she turned and headed back toward the Orphanage too. When he got there he parked his car in his usual spot and he got out with Elenore still clinging tightly to him and he grabbed his bags out of the car and he headed toward the door. AJ came out from standing in the doorway with the rest of the guys and he went and took Kevin's bags for him so that he could hold onto Elenore better. Kevin followed him and Riley inside while placing soft kisses on Elenore's forehead and when he got in there he found that Dakota, Josh, and Spencer were all standing there waiting to see what was going on - all of them very worried about their friend. He noticed Dakota holding Li'l Rok. He went over to her and gently took the pug from her and he handed her to Elenore. Elenore hugged him close to her, as well as Kevin.


"Come on baby…its way past your bed time," he told her gently and he carried her off toward the elevator. He pushed the button and waited for it to open. When it did he disappeared inside it with her. Nick looked over at Dakota who stood there now only holding Lily.


"Come on Kota, its your bedtime also," he told her softly and he went over and scooped her and Spencer up into his arms. He and Ashley volunteered to baby-sit him while Kori went out with Wiley for awhile so they could spend sometime with each other before he has to go back to Jersey in the morning. He looked at Ashley then who was standing next to him holding Sarah. He took her hand and lead her toward the elevator also. When it opened they went inside it and the door closed and it took them upstairs. When they got up there he took them down the hall to their room and when they passed Kevin and Elenore's on their way past they noticed Kevin lying in bed with Elenore with the lights out, Elenore snuggled close to him with her thumb popped in her mouth and Li'l Rok lying next to her and the two of them are watching some kind of Disney movie. Nick brought Ashley, Sarah, Dakota, and Spencer into his room and he put Dakota and Spencer down. Since Dakota is already in her pajamas she crawled into bed and Spencer crawled into it next to her. Nick looked at Sarah then. He took her from Ashley and he went and peeked out in the hall and noticed Laney now dutifully sitting out there.


"Lan I need to take Sarah into her room and get her into bed. Can you come in here and keep an eye on Ashley and the kids?"


"Sure," Laney answered, and he walked into Nick's room while Nick walked out. He took Sarah into her room next door and he helped her into her pajamas and he lay her in bed and covered her up. He sang to her and stayed with her until she was asleep, than he walked out of the room, turning off the light but leaving the door open. He went back into his own room and he looked at Laney.


"Kay…I can take over now. I left Sarah's door open…can you watch her door too tonight?"


"Of course," Laney answered. "Q will be out here soon also, so he will be able to help."


"Kay, cool." Laney walked out of the room and Nick shut the door. He looked at Ashley and the kids to see Spencer and Dakota both lying in bed - Dakota with Lily snuggled in her arms. Nick went over and shut the light off before turning the lamp on and he went over and sat next to Dakota and he began to sing 'Anywhere For You' to them. By the time he finished, both kids were asleep. Nick went and turned the TV on low and he turned the lamp off so that was the only source of light. Then he turned and looked at Ashley who is lying across the foot of the bed. He went and lay next to her, resting his head in the palm of his hand and he gazed down in her tired eyes.


"You and I should probably get to sleep too…we had a very long and eventful day…"


"Stay up and talk to me for a little while Nicky…please?" Ashley asked softly.


"What do you want to talk about?" He asked curiously.


"What are we gonna do for the Holidays? Thanksgiving is in 2 weeks…."


"Well, I talked to my family…it'll just be me and my brother and sisters…cause as you know our parents are going through a very rough divorce…and Brian's mom has invited us all - the entire Backstreet clan and Denise up to Kentucky for both holidays. So we're spending both thanksgiving and Christmas up there."


"When did you get a chance to talk to your brother and sisters? And when did you all get a chance to make these arrangements?"


"Today while we were waiting for Detective Stabler to tell us the rescue plan."


"Oh."


"You'll have fun up in Kentucky during Christmas. It should be snowing up there around that time." Ashley smiled a little bit at this.


"I've never had a white Christmas before…"


"Well, now you will." He told her. The two of them were silent for a couple of minutes until Ashley suddenly broke it.


"Nicky?"


"Hmm?"


"Do you think you could do me a favor?"


"Anything baby, what is it?"


"Could you maybe find out if anyone is living in my parent's house?"


"Sure baby…but how come?"


"Cause I wanna know….and I wanna know what they've done with all of my parent's old stuff…all of my stuff…and Kori's…"


"Kay…I will ask Elliot to look into it for us."


"Thanks Nicky," Ashley replied softly, and he leaned down and brushed his lips softly against hers. The two of them lay there talking for an hour, then when Ashley had fallen asleep Nick moved her up by the kids and he covered them up. Soon as he did he got out of bed and he went to the door. He peeked out of it and saw Laney and Q sitting out there talking quietly.


"I'm going to go talk to Kev for a bit…can one of you come in here and watch them?"


"I will," Laney answered, and he got up and went into the bedroom as Nick once again walked out of it and he went next door to Kevin and Elenore's room. When he walked in there he discovered Elenore sleeping and Kevin lying there watching her. Howie is sitting in there with them, as well as AJ. He went over and sat next to Kevin and he wrapped an arm around him.


"Feeling any better?" He asked him softly. Kevin nodded.


"I feel really stupid…I bet you guys hate me now…and I don't blame you for thinking that I'm stupid…"


"We don't hate you," AJ replied. "We wouldn't be sitting in here with you right now if we did. And we definitely don't think you're stupid. We just think you were acting stupid. There is a difference."


"I honestly don't know what I was thinking…I really don't."


"You were scared and you were upset. It's perfectly understandable…but you don't have to leave Ellie because of it, Kev. You do deserve her. She loves you an she needs you. God obviously knew she needed you…he brought her to this Orphanage on that particular day that you just happened to be here and the first person she saw was you and ever since then she insisted upon clinging to you. He obviously wanted you to have her."


"I know…and I will never be so stupid like that ever again. I love her….I can't leave her. I am bound to her…" Kevin replied softly and he scooped Elenore into his arms cradling her, being sure to be careful not to wake her and he leaned down and kissed her forehead softly. "I'm just scared that I won't be able to protect her…I'm scared of losing her. I'm disappointed in myself for not watching her more carefully this afternoon…"


"That wasn't entirely your fault Kev…trust me. We all weren't paying much attention…we let the parade draw us in. It was a mistake…we all make them…and we all learn from them too. We just know now that we have to pay more attention."


"But what if I mess up again?" Kevin asked tearfully.


"We won't let you," Nick replied, hugging Kevin tighter. "I promise." They were all silent for a couple of minutes as they sat there watching Elenore sleep peacefully in Kevin's lap.


"Where is Brian?" He asked softly.


"Down the hall in Josh's room. He and Riley are putting him to bed…and they're going to spend the night with him tonight." AJ answered.


"Where was he when I was in the middle of being incredibly stupid?"


"In Brooke's office…he wanted to talk to her about something. He didn't tell us what it was though," Nick answered, shrugging his shoulders.