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



"But daddy I wanna go withs you," Dakota whined when he told her what was going on and she clung tightly to him.


"Not this time baby okay? Daddy wants to spend sometime alone with Ashley. I know you will have much more fun here with Ellie and Josh."


"No I won'ts…not without you…" Dakota pouted.


"Sure you will honey. You will have so much fun you will forget I'm not even with you after awhile." Dakota pouted some.


"Kota please…do this for daddy will you? It would mean a lot to me and I know it would mean a LOT to Ashley…she's looking forward to this."


"But daddy I don'ts like it when you leave me…"


"I know honey, I know daddy has traumatized you when I disappeared for a long time for tour. I know this…but its not like that this time I promise you. I'm only ten minutes away and I will be back in a few hours to pick you up."


"What if meanie head Tom comes an' gets me while yer gone?" Dakota whined.


"Tom is in jail baby…remember? Daddy beat him up and sent him to jail. He can't hurt you now."


"What abouts Sean? He's not in jail." Dakota insisted.


"You will be at Brian's house baby and Brian's house is the most secure place ever. Plus Q will be there and you know how strong Q is baby."


"Will Marcus be there?" Dakota asked, looking up at him with hope. Nick knows how much she loves Marcus. She loves all of security, but like Brian is her favorite Uncle, Marcus is her favorite security. She feels the safest with Marcus.


"I'm sure he will be since he doesn't have AJ to watch over right now."


"Kay…as long as Marcus will be there," Dakota replied softly. Nick smiled at her and kissed her cheek.


"Thank-you honey. This makes daddy very happy." Dakota smiled up at him and then wrapped her arms around him for a hug.


"I loves you daddy."


"I love you to baby girl…very much. You can call daddy anytime you want to okay? It doesn't matter what it's for and I will make sure both Uncle Kevin and Uncle Brian know this."


"Kay," Dakota replied. He kissed her on the cheek one last time, then he pulled away and pulled Sarah into a hug next.


"Bye sweetheart. I will see you in a few hours," he told her, and he looked at her with hope in his eyes, hoping she will talk instead of writing her answer down. No such luck. Bye Nicky. Loves you, she wrote. He smiled at her and kissed her cheek.


"I love you too honey." He stood up then and he walked over to Kevin and Brian. He talked to them for a couple of minutes, then he went out into the lobby where he told Ashley he would meet her at. When he got out there, he saw her just coming out of the elevator with Laney and Kori.


"Hey Kori…what's up?" Nick asked curiously, as he wrapped his arms around Ashley's waist and pulled her near, and he kissed her cheek.


"Not much. Just got off the phone with Wiley. He's going to be here in an hour or so."


"Well that's cool," Nick replied, and Kori nodded.


"I hear you two are going to your house for dinner."


"Yup. I can't cook for the life of me though, so we're going to have to have take-out. But I figured I could make it up to her with other things," Nick explained, and he brought his lips down to Ashley's neck and placed delicate kisses on it. Kori laughed and shook her head.


"Spare me the details. I don't need to hear what you do with my sister." Ashley stuck her tongue out at Kori and Kori laughed and did the same right back. Nick smirked.


"Anyway what are you gonna do?"


"Probably take Spencer and go with Kev to Brian's house, if he doesn't mind."


"I'm sure he won't. He'll probably need all the help he can get with all of those kids." Nick replied. "But anyway, we've gotta go. So we'll see you later on tonight."


"Okay, bye - don't have too much fun now, ya hear?" Nick chuckled.


"We'll try not to."


"I'm serious. I like you and all, your good to my sister. But don't make me have to kick your ass for being stupid Carter." Kori warned playfully. Ashley rolled her eyes, though deep down inside she can't help but like having a sister to look out for her again. Laney chuckled.


"I would listen to her if I were you, Nickolas. The last man who pissed her off ended up with a broken nose, remember?"


"Ah, but you wouldn't let her give me a broken nose, Laney would you? Your supposed to protect me from that." Nick replied confidentially.


"Hmm…I dunno dude. You know Id protect you in a heartbeat, but if you do something that you know your not supposed to do, I think I will have to step aside and let her beat you up a little bit. Cause you know better and I'm also supposed to protect Ashley as well," Laney replied, a grin on his face. Nick scowled and then looked down at Ashley.


"Ready to go?"


"Mm hmm" Ashley answered, and she took his hand and pulled him out of the Orphanage before Kori could threaten him anymore. When they got to Nick's car, Nick went around to the drivers side and got in and Ashley got in the passenger's side and they drove off, both of them unaware that they're being watched. The person watching them picked up their phone and dialed a number. Their phone rang a couple of times, then someone picked up.


"Hello?"


"Hey Sean, it's me Jeff. I just thought I would let you know that Nick and Ashley have left the Orphanage."


"Where are they going?" Sean asked anxiously.


"I have no idea."


"Are they alone? Do they have any bodyguards with them or any of the other Backstreet losers?"


"No its just them."


"Follow them."


"I'm already on it, boss." Jeff replied, driving down the road behind Nick.


~*~*~*~*~*~


Meanwhile, at the restaurant, AJ and Brooke have already ordered their food and the waiter had come out and lit their candle as it is pretty much dark out. The lights to the porch are turned out, and there are Christmas lights up.


"So…what are your plans for thanksgiving?" AJ asked curiously, trying to make conversation to help her relax. He can tell the romantic setting is making her nervous.


"My entire family is meeting at my parents house. We're going to have dinner and stuff…it's tradition."


"That's cool…and your family lives in New York?"


"Yeah…so I'll be leaving the same day you leave to go to Kentucky."


"Who is going to stay here and run the Orphanage? You know…since Riley is coming with us"


"Doctor Johnson and some other people who work in the hospital wing. Doctor Johnson is planning on giving the kids in the Orphanage a Thanksgiving Feast since he doesn't really have much family to go home to that day. His Brother is going to come to the Orphanage to spend the day with him." Brooke explained.


"What happened to Doctor J's family? No one ever told me that story…and I've always been afraid to ask him because it seems like a sensitive subject."


"Well you know he used to live in Oklahoma right?"


"Yeah…"


"Well a monstrous tornado…one of the worst ones they've ever had in Oklahoma attacked their town. Doctor J, his brother, and sister were home alone. Their father was at work, and their mother was on her way to pick him up because they only had one car," Brooke began explaining. "Doctor J rushed his brother and sister down to the basement and he did everything he could to protect them. But…only him and his brother managed to survive. His sister was badly injured…she was only seven years old. Doctor Johnson, was thirteen, his brother was eleven. She had a very severe cut in her side and he didn't notice until the storm was over because he was lying on top of her and his brother, and was sheltering them from flying objects and protecting them from flying away from him. When the storm was over, they were stuck inside their basement until someone would come and rescue them - their house was completely destroyed. While his eleven year old brother tried to dig his way out, Doctor J tried his very hardest to help his sister…there was nothing he could do…by the time help came and they got her to the hospital she was dead on arrival. As for his parents…they never even made it home. They were on their way home when the tornado sucked them up and spit them right back out again like they were nothing…police found them underneath their smashed up car - both dead. So Doctor J was left on his own to take care of his little brother. He was devastated…and he blamed himself big time for the loss of his sister. He hated himself for not being able to save her. He felt so helpless…So, in result, he became a doctor…so that he would never make that mistake again."


"Oh my god…" AJ replied softly. "That's horrible. What happened to him and his brother then? I mean, he was only thirteen…so it's not like he was able to manage a house and all of that stuff all on his own or anything…"


"They went through many different foster parents and Orphanages through out their life…they ran away a lot too when they learned that they were going to be separated. He would not have that. He was not going to be separated from his brother. By the time he turned 18 he was able to live on his own and become the guardian to his brother. He was able to get a job, an apartment, and study to become a doctor." Brooke explained.


"Wow…" AJ replied.


"Yeah, and that's why he and Kori really hit it off the first time she arrived at Ramsey," Brooke replied.


"He understands her. He understands what its like to be a runaway, he understands what its like to be the oldest, what its like to have to rebuild your life all on your own…and even though they aren't really buddy buddy, he even understands Ashley too. He understands why family is so important to her. He understands what its like to watch a family member die right in front of you." She added, then suddenly the waiter came out with their food. He placed both plates in front of them, asked if he could get them anything else, and then went off to his other tables that he was assigned to. Brooke and AJ were silent for a couple of minutes as they sat there eating, then AJ spoke up again.


"So what about Christmas then? What are your plans for that?"


"I have no idea…"


"I see." He was silent for a couple of minutes before speaking up again.


"What do your parents do for a living?" He asked curiously.


"My dad is a lawyer and my mom is a first grade teacher. She's who I got my love for kids from…"


"Are you an only child? You've never talked about your siblings before."


"You've never asked," Brooke replied, smiling at him some.


"I have an older brother - he's 2 years older then me…I love him to death. He's always been very protective of me."


"What's his name?" AJ asked curiously.


"Jaime."


"So…if he's protective of you…would he kill me if he knew you and I are on a date right now?" Brooke laughed.


"Only if you give him a reason to," she replied.


"Duly Noted," AJ replied. "I would never do anything to hurt you Brookie," He reassured gently. Brooke didn't reply, she only looked down at her food and continued to eat. She wants to believe him…she really does. But…she can't.


~*~*~*~*~



Meanwhile, Nick and Ashley were just arriving at Nick's house. Nick pulled out the remote that opens up his gate and he pushed the button. The gate opened up and he drove in. When he was all the way in, the gate began to shut behind him. He pulled up to his normal spot in front of his house and he parked his car. After doing that, he turned it off and got out and Ashley did as well. She walked around the car and met him in front of it and he took her hand as he holds the bag of KFC in his other, and he brought her inside his house, shutting the door behind him.


"So where should we eat our lunch baby? On the beach or in my backyard? We could either sit in front of a fire out there and cuddle…or we can eat our dinner and then sit in the hot tub. Your choice…" He asked, a grin upon his face.


"Hot Tub," Ashley answered, wrapping her arms around his waist and she leaned up and placed soft kisses on his neck, and she brought her hands up under his shirt and gently rubbed her hands over his chest. "Definitely the hot tub…" She told him softly. Nick chuckled.


"Baby girl your gonna make your sister beat me up one of these days…"


"Well Nicky, as long as you keep your friend to yourself, you'll be fine." Ashley replied, laughing a little.


"You say that like it's an easy thing to do…and while kissing me the way you're…it's pure evil I tell you." Ashley laughed again and took his hand into hers, before leading him out to his backyard.


"My sister isn't as scary as she makes herself sound. Trust me."


"She gave Scott a broken nose," Nick reminded.


"She isn't going to hurt you baby, I promise. She knows how much you mean to me. She knows you would never hurt me, and she knows your responsible enough not to go all the way with me until I'm 18. She was just playing with you. If she ever really beats you up it will be because you've intentionally hurt me. You would never do that would you honey?" Ashley asked. When they got outside he put the food on the lounge chair and he wrapped both of his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. He rested his forehead against hers and gazed Into her eyes lovingly.


"Never," he promised, and he brought his lips down on hers in a soft kiss. "Id rather die then hurt you." He whispered between kisses.


"I trust you," Ashley replied softly, before kissing him back. When they pulled away a couple of minutes later, he looked over at the food.


"I forgot paper plates," He announced.


"Forget them," Ashley replied, not wanting him to leave her outside alone. She went over and sat on the lounge chair with the food and she looked at him and pat the seat in front of her. He went over and sat down too and she began to open up all of the containers and put spoons and forks in them.