Comfort
Summary: DannyStacie. One-shot. When something terrible happens to Albert, Danny and Stacie find comfort in each other. Please review, this is my first Hustle fic! Vikki xxx.
Stacie Monroe led on the sofa in the lounge; the only light came spilling from the lamp on the table beside her. She was reading from a glossy magazine, her forehead wrinkled in concentration as she scanned the articles in front of her. Danny Blue stood in the doorway, watching as the shadows flickered over Stacie and the waves of her silky dark hair. In the soft light she looked even more beautiful to him than ever. She looked up at him and pulled herself into a seating position; the spell was broken. Danny took a few steps into the room and draped his jacket over the back of a chair.
"You're back early." Stacie commented, closing her magazine and placing it on the coffee table.
"Didn't like to think of you here by yourself." He said in a softer voice than the one he usually used. Ash was taking a break away after their last successful con and Albert was spending the evening with old friends of his leaving the place empty apart from Stacie.
"I'm a big girl now Danny, I can look after myself." She said.
"It was pretty quiet down at Eddie's to be honest." He confessed, taking a seat at the other end of the sofa.
"Do you want to open a bottle of wine?" Stacie asked, pushing herself from the sofa. Danny nodded and was about to kick off his shoes and make himself comfortable when the phone began to ring intrusively. As Stacie was already on her feet she went to answer it.
"Hello?" She said a little cautiously, it was late and they weren't expecting anyone to call.
"Good evening, this is Dr Morgan from City Hospital. I'm calling about Albert Stroller." Stacie beckoned Danny to join her at the phone; her facial expression told him that something was wrong. 'Albert' she mouthed to him and Danny nodded his understanding gravely.
"Mr Stroller has had a heart attack. At the moment he is stable but tonight will be a crucial one for him." Dr Morgan explained.
Stacie hadn't realised how hard she was gripping the phone until now.
"Can…can we come and see him?" She asked.
"Yes." The doctor paused. "But he is going to need a lot of rest if he is going to fully recover."
Stacie nodded even though the doctor couldn't see her. "Thank you for calling and letting us know." She said, before letting the phone drop back into the cradle.
"What's happening?" Danny asked concern clearly etched into his face.
Stacie turned to him, trying to hold back the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.
"It's Albert. He's had a heart attack. He's at City Hospital."
Danny took a few moments to process the information.
"Is he going to be okay? Can we see him?" He asked, the words tumbling out of his mouth in a rush.
Stacie shrugged her response to his first question. "If we go now then yes we can."
Danny moved towards the door. "Then what are we waiting for?"
Stacie shrugged again, reaching out for her handbag and jacket.
"I'll drive." Danny said, sensing the state Stacie was in. He slipped his arm around her waist and led her down the stairs.
When they arrived at the hospital Danny approached the receptionist: a pretty blonde woman in her early twenties. Normally Danny would have at least tried to get her phone number but tonight was different; Albie had to come first.
"Can you tell me where I can find Mr Albert Stroller?" Danny asked her, while Stacie waited nervously by his side.
The receptionist directed them to the Intensive Care Unit where Albert was currently being treated. They headed up the many flights of stairs together; Stacie was wishing she had put on some more sensible shoes.
"Are you okay?" Danny asked.
Stacie nodded. She knew she'd feel better once they had seen Albert. When they finally reached the ICU they approached the nurses station and asked to see Albert. Due to what had happened Albert had been given a side room and a male nurse showed them the way. Stacie entered the room first with Danny following close behind. Albert was hardly recognisable as the man the grifter they all loved and respected. Stacie felt more tears threaten to fall as she lowered herself into the chair beside the bed. Danny stood close behind her, looking down at Albert and the many wires and tubes that connected him to a million more machines.
"Albie?" Stacie whispered, reaching across the bed to take the elderly man's hand in her's.
"Stacie?" She heard the softly muttered reply. She nodded in response. "And is that Danny?" Albert continued. "I'm surprised he isn't out there with all the pretty nurses." He attempted to laugh weakly.
"I'm hurt that you'd suggest such a thing." Danny replied, playing a long with the joke.
"Are you okay?" Stacie asked him; being serious now.
"You won't get rid of me that easily." Albert said but was prevented from saying anything more when a nurse entered the room.
"We're going to have to ask you to leave now." She told Danny and Stacie. "Mr Stroller needs to rest."
Stacie leant over to kiss his cheek before she and Danny left the room, making promises to see him tomorrow.
"Do you think he's going to be okay?" Danny asked Stacie as they leant against the wall out the Intensive Care Unit.
Stacie shrugged and took a deep breath. "He seemed just like his old self but he looked so pale and fragile."
Danny nodded, looking at the floor. "I know. It doesn't seem right does it?"
Stacie shook her head. "Should we call Ash? And what about Mickey?"
Danny shrugged. "I don't what they can do." He looked at his watch. "Its getting late Stace, let's get home and we can decide what we want to do there."
Stacie nodded and they left the hospital together.
Stacie managed to hold her emotions together until they got back home. Danny unlocked the door but turned around to see that Stacie had broken down in tears. In all honesty he felt like doing the same thing. Albert was such a part of the team that it was hard to process what had happened.
"Come here." Danny said, shutting the door after them and enveloping Stacie into a tight, warm embrace.
She sobbed into his shoulder while Danny rubbed her back and muttered soothing words that even he did not believe. Eventually he managed to calm Stacie down enough so that she took her jacket off and sat on the sofa.
"Do you want something to drink?" Danny asked, neither of them felt like eating. "Tea? Coffee?"
Stacie wiped her eyes with the now rather damp tissue.
"What about that bottle of wine?" She asked.
"Good idea." Danny said, heading out into the kitchen to retrieve the bottle and two glasses. He poured them both large glasses of the blood red liquid and passed one to Stacie who sipped it gratefully.
"Maybe we should phone Ash and Mickey in the morning, you're right there's nothing anyone can do tonight." Stacie said, her words making her dissolve into fresh tears.
Danny took her glass from her hands and placed both of them on the coffee table, out of harms way. He wrapped Stacie up in his arms again until the tears abated a little.
"Thank you Danny." She said when she had regained her composure and was reaching for her wine.
Danny placed his hand on her forearm. "You don't have to." He said. They were all like family and when something like this happened they were all there for each other.
"You look tired." Danny said a while later as Stacie was draining the last of her second glass of wine. "If you want to go on to bed I'll stay up to see if the hospital calls."
Stacie shook her head. "I know I couldn't sleep even if I tried." She said, leaning back and rest her head on Danny's shoulder.
"More wine?" He asked, reaching forward for the bottle. He looked at Stacie before he poured and could see tears forming in her beautiful eyes again. He put the bottle down and reached out to cup her face in his hand.
Neither of them were quite sure who initiated it but minutes later their mouths were pressed close together while Stacie's hands tangled in Danny's blond hair and his hands roamed underneath her silk blouse. Stacie lead the way to her bedroom, clothing being discarded item after item as they moved. The wine and the shock of that evening meant they needed escape and they found it in each other.
It was the morning after the night before and Danny awoke with a strong sense of guilt in his gut. It was nothing compared with the beginnings of a hangover he always got when drinking red wine on an empty stomach. Stacie stirred in her sleep beside Danny and he panicked, he didn't know whether he should still be in her bed when she awoke or not. He couldn't believe they had ended up in this situation. Then it came crashing down on him; Albert. He scrambled from the bed, nearly breaking his neck as he untangled himself from the sheets. Danny quickly dialled the number they had been given at the hospital and tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for it to ring. While he was put on hold, Stacie came out of her bedroom, wrapped in her sheet. Danny found it hard to look at her, especially after last night. He was relieved when his call was finally answered.
"Hello, I'm calling to ask about Albert Stroller." He said.
"He's stable." Came the reply. "He's doing well but will need to stay in hospital for a few more days and he will need lots of bed rest when he does get discharged."
"Okay, I think we can cope with that." Danny smiled at Stacie who had been listening in.
"Visiting hours start a ten if you want to come along and see him."
"Thank you very much." Danny said before hanging up.
"I'm so relieved that he's going to be okay." Stacie smiled.
Danny nodded. "Me too." He paused. "Stace, I think we need to talk about us."
"I know we do Danny." She sighed. "Albert is our first priority right now though. I'm going to go and shower."
Danny tried and failed miserably to conceal his hurt expression. Stacie walked over to him and kissed his cheek.
"Once we know Albert is going to be fine, then we can concentrate on us." She said before heading for the bathroom.
Danny placed his hand where Stacie had kissed him; maybe there was hope for them yet.