Necessary Roughness: A Surprise

Nico - Danni Established

Continuation of For You I Will and Falling Star

Disclaimer: I don't one them, never Will, but I can make them like puppets in the stories that I weave. . .

Six Months After the Car Accident

"Doc I want to start training again for next season I think I am ready." a young man told his doctor, his therapist at that.

"Why do you think you are ready?" Danni Santino asked her client, Terrance King.

"I messed up." he confessed, his head still down, "But I can make it right, I can be the stronger person."

Danni closed her eyes and gave a sigh of relief at hearing those words pass the lips of a young man she thought she had lost the fight for. Terrance King had come from a spoiled, rich super athlete to a real man, finally! Her auburn hair was pulled up today, and her wine colored top merely accented her already dark tanned skin, but it was her smile that made the ever so exuberant TK feel confident about getting back in gear. He saw this woman as his own personal savior; after all she saved him from not catching a ball to his entire gun shot ordeal, and now she had helped him with the biggest battle of all, drug abuse and what it cost him. He was still a Hawks athlete, but that was only after Danni and Nico went to bat for him, and begged Marshall Pittman to keep him on, not to mention the sorry SOB owed both of his 'surrogate parents' seeing as he had wire tapped the very office that he was sitting in. When the clock chimed the top of the hour, TK and Danni slowly got up from their positions and she walked him to the door so he could catch is ride to the stadium; His first session for training had been set up for today.

"You coming today Doc?" he asked, his own eyes hoping that she was, he wanted her to see him play, much like a youngster wanting the approval of his mom.

` "I was about to head that way as soon as I lock up and set the alarm." she said giving him an encouraging smile.

"Glad I told my ride that you would give me a lift then." he said making his way to the front of the house, ignoring her shocked and bemused expression, "See out front Dr. D."

Danni shook her head as she shut her office door to the outside and made her way to interior of her home. Her dark orbs scanned the kitchen, now clean and sterile after her significant other cleaned up after breakfast. She gave a small chuckle to the term 'significant other' but continued on her trek to the front door, where she grabbed her purse and her coat, it was after all the dead of winter in New York, and the first snowfall had fallen just a few weeks ago, covering the whole state in fluffy white powder. Setting the new alarm system, something else her significant other insisted upon, she closed and locked her door, all the while checking her purse for her keys and her cell phone which had two text messages on it, one from each of her children. As her and TK made their way to the stadium, they made small talk on multiple topics of conversation, and TK could not help but tease her about dating a man he had nothing on.

"Doc you got to tell me, what is his weakness?" TK joked around with her, but with a roll of her eyes as she exited off the freeway told him that she would never tell, ever.

"TK you should know by now that I don't tell my own secrets." she answered him, "Let's focus on your recovery and your training, who is going to be working with you?"

"Your 'friend' has not told me." TK muttered as they neared the stadium, "I will find out today as soon as we get there."

Danni snorted at the man's obvious displeasure, but she had to admit that it was on some level funny. Nico had for all intents and purposes, turned into a very irritable man when it came to any team player's safety or medical care. After the shooting, and then the accident he had all but began to live in his office, only coming out late at night, a young woman pulling him by his arm toward his car. The young woman was described as having auburn colored hair, dark eyes, and had a penchant for getting the head of Security to do what ever she wanted. No one knew her name because for some reason every time a player bribed one of Nico's men to show them the footage of the woman that could tame Nico Careles the footage suddenly disappeared. They had kept their relationship a secret, but some speculated that Danni and Nico had something going on; if what happened at the hospital was any indication, but no one ever called them on it, except for a certain Assistant GM who could not keep his nose out of it. Everyone believed that they were close, best friends even, but no one noticed the subtle changes except TK who was around them the most; He was her main client on the team. TK shockingly kept his mouth shut on what he perceived to be their relationship, but he always kept an eye trained on Danni for any sign that Nico was upsetting or neglecting her, this was his second mom after all. Pulling into a parking space, ironically behind Nico, TK jumped out before Danni had even shut the engine off, and he bolted for the training room, without so much as a goodbye.

"Could of said thank you." Danni mumbled getting out of her warm car and now into the chilly New York air.

"Who didn't say thank you?" a voice to her right asked, effectively startling her out of her own skin.

"Why do you have to sneak up on me?" she asked him as he chuckled at how he still managed to sneak up on her, even though he was loud enough to make his entrance known.

"Again, who did not say thank you?" he asked as he walked side by side with her, his hand present on her lower back, a gloved hand so it seemed.

"TK," she answered as he opened the door for her, "Practically jumped out when I put the car in park."

"I am sure he is just excited to be getting back in the game." he said, his voice low, almost seductive, "Are you staying or just dropping off?"

"Staying." she answered him, just as quietly, following him to the elevators, "I promised him I would watch his first training session."

The elevators doors shut and she leaned heavily into his side, his own arm coming to wrap around her shoulders all the while his lips placing a kiss on the crown of her head. The elevators had no cameras so they were safe to indulge in some PDA even if there was no 'P' in the term. Both were willing to come out in the open about their relationship, but they were having just too much fun getting under everyone's skin, usually laughing about it when they returned either to her home or to his after she dragged him out of his office late at night. What really mattered to both of them was that they loved each other and they did not care who knew, but there was always a little thrill running through both of them when they had to be secretive, it all added to the excitement about being in love. For sure the children knew that they were in a relationship; They told them about a month into it, Danni and even Nico clearly not wanting the two most important people in her life not knowing. To be sure in the last six months they had their disagreements, and both had issues to work on, but those issues had been ironed out and now they had a clear path to each other, something not many people had. They had paved the way since that night before TK's accident, and while they were still journeying down that unknown rode called love they had made a solid foundation. Once the elevator doors opened, their positions had changed back to his hand on her lower back as he led her down the endless corridors and to Coach Parnell's office.

"Dr. Danni, Nico." the coach said as he and Donnelly turned to greet the two new comers, but then turned serious, "Is he ready doc?"

"I think he is." Danni began, hearing the quiet snort that came from Matt, hence her squinting at him, "Excuse me?"

"We don't need an 'I think' Danni, we need a straight yes." Matt chided emphatically, "Is he ready or not?"

"He believes he is and only he knows the limits to his body and his own mind." she bit out, her eyes sparkling with anger toward this man who had changed ever since TK's accident.

"He was on drugs." Matt continued, clearly not throwing in the towel, which had Nico's hackles rise.

"Dr. Santino has been working with TK on his former habit, and with the inclusion of several drug tests over the last few months he has stayed clean and sober," Nico said, eyeing Matt with cold stare, "Let the Doctor finish her assessment Donnelly."

"As I was saying," Danni continued, strictly looking at the coach, "He believes he is, and I plus Nico have been working with him near around the clock the last five months in order to get him back, I believe he has changed and this time for the better, and we all need to give him this chance."

"Pittman will be here to watch his progress." Nico added, and a shocked Danni looked to him, in which he gave her an apologetic look, "He wants to see if his star is up to speed."

"I agree." the coach said, giving Matt a look that said to keep quiet as the younger man was about to say something, "His first practice is in ten minutes, I have the head trainer working with him, so let's see how he operates."

As the meeting dispersed and Matt stomped out, the others around the room each gave a short prayer up to the heavens that today turned out all right. Nico's obsidian gaze turned to Danni and with a silent question, she began to leave the room, Nico hot on her heels. He felt the tension and anger radiating off of her body in waves, mostly directed at her former lover, but some was directed at him, after all he did not tell her that Pittman was going to be there. For such a small woman, one that was in high heeled knee high boots for that matter, she could move, and he was having to walk fast to keep up with her. He barely had time to get in the elevator before the doors shut with her in them.

"I am sorry." he answered her silent fuming with, "I just found out about it about an hour ago and by then you were already in a session with TK."

"I will be civil, but that is all you are going to get." she gritted out, the anger in her voice enough to go to his very center.

"That is all I ask, trust me I still want to pound his face in." Nico answered quietly, his dark gaze resting on her angelic face, one that was full of fury.

"He breached my office, my clients personal lives, and my personal life Nico." she said, her own dark gaze meeting his as they stepped off the elevator on the ground floor, "I will not forgive him for that."

"And you shouldn't." Another voice joined the party.

"Mr. Pittman." Danni answered, her tone slightly clipped, "I apologize but Coach requested me on the field, so I can watch TK."

"It is fine Dr. Santino, please continue with where you are going, but I must steal Nico from you for a little bit." the older man said cryptically.

"Of course." Danni snorted and continued walking, Nico watching her retreating form with a longing that rivaled that of a starved man.

"Nico with me." his boss barked as the elevator doors opened again, "Let's get a better view."

The view from the training facility seats was not breath taking unless you were staring at the only woman that was on the field. Marshall took a seat and Nico seated himself beside him, but where as Marshall's gaze was on his star player Nico had his gaze set on the lovely Doctor. She was breath taking in her dark skinny jeans and brown heeled knee high boots, as well as her merlot colored top, at least what he could see anyway. In her haste to leave the coach's office, she had forgotten to grab her jacket and now one of the players gave her their's to wear, and it swallowed her whole frame. His whole body ached with the fact that he had not seen her in over twenty four hours, and now that he had her in his sight he wanted to be down there with her, not up here with a man that, for Nico, betrayed the very glue that held his team together.

"Quit staring at your girlfriend and listen for a moment." Marshall muttered, tired of watching his former best friend making goo-goo eyes at Dr. Santino.

"What Marshall?" Nico growled out, breaking his gaze on his most beloved treasure, "What do you have to say to me that you already haven't."

"I am sorry." Marshall said quietly, shocking his companion, but he did not see it as Nico's mask was back up in a millisecond, "I am sorry for the wire taps."

"Why are you sorry now, after everything you did to this team, what you did to Danni, and what you did to me?" Nico asked.

"I have been seeing a therapist." Marshall answered, "He says even if I can't mend the fences, I can at least apologize."

"So you are just trying to make yourself feel better." Nico snorted about to stand up, "Mr. Pittman if there is any kind situation that requires your attention I will gladly call you, but until then I have work to do."

"Take care of this team Nico, most of these boys need you and they need Dr. Santino." Marshall said quietly to his former team mate as he retreated down to the field, "You will be all they have left."

Nico made his way down to the practice field and to where he wanted to be in the first place, next to Danni. The players were coming back from a work out and TK had a grin plastered on his face, he had made a perfect time in everything. Danni was clapping for him and jumping up and down when Nico came up next to her.

"He did it?" Nico asked her, his hand finding her lower back like always.

"Perfect scores in everything the trainers through at him." Danni answered looking up at his coffee colored eyes that were twinkling, meaning he was up to something, "What did 'he' want?"

"Not important." he smirked at her, "But you know what is important?"

"What?" she asked, her own eyes squinting up at him.

"This." he answered and leaned down to take her lips in a kiss that was seared in passion.

Her arms went around his neck while his arms went around her waist dipping her slightly. The cheers, and whistles and cat calls all faded into the back ground as Danni focused on the kiss. He had kissed her like this several times during the last week, but this one seemed more demanding, more possessive then anything, but she felt the compassion and love down to her soul. Air became a necessity and as they parted lips and he set her up right again, they turned to face the faces of every single team member and trainer. Through the crowd only one frown stood out, and that was Matt; His face was beat red and Nico could see the steam coming out of the other man's ears. All the other players and trainers and even coach were clapping and whistling. Danni could not help the smile that split her face as her 'boys' came over to hug her, some of them picking her up in a monstrous bear hug. Above everyone's heads the sky seemed to celebrate with them as the relationship that was held in darkness came to light and the sun shown down on the practice field of the New York Hawks. TK was clean and he was thriving on and off the field, and as for Nico and Danni they were not only thriving as employees of the Hawks but they had found the missing half to their hearts, and that was the point all along.

Author's Note: This is not the end, except for this story. I am about to be in the middle of a hurricane guys so this will have to tide you over for now. I have at least two more coming up, but just not tonight. If someone could let me know how this couple turns out Wednesday night I would appreciate it. Reviews are welcome!

FireFly85