A/N: Look at all the love for this story! You people, you blow me away. Thank you so much. I only hope you'll stay with me for the long haul. I have soooo many ideas for this fic...
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 4
"So you haven't noticed any changes in his behaviour at all?" asked Dani, looking around the office at Coach and Matt, before her eyes settled on Nico.
He looked as bemused as she was that they hadn't noticed a change in T.K. He was definitely acting strangely the last few days, and it all had to come back to the shooting, they had agreed on that much.
"Dr Dani, I'm sorry but I'm not paid to look out for signs of players acting crazy," Coach Parnell sighed, running a hand over his face. "I am here to make sure they perform on the field, that is all."
"Fact is T.K. is playing as well as ever," shrugged Matt as he perched on he edge of the table. "I figure he's grateful he can. If Nico hadn't stepped in front of that shooter..." he shook his head.
They all knew what the consequences could've been that night when a gun was pointed at Terrence. He could've died, but even if he lived, the injuries he could've sustained might well have ended his career in professional football. Nico had saved the guy in more ways the one, and Dani could not be more proud of her man. Still, the far-reaching consequences on T.K.'s psyche of being threatened and then saved, that was a whole other thing to deal with.
"Okay," the doctor nodded once. "Well, I definitely need to talk to T.K. about this. His performance on the field might not be affected now, but it will be if we don't get him to work through these feelings before long."
"I know you'll get the job done, Dr Dani," Coach smiled, even as the phone began to ring, demanding his attention.
The other three cleared out to let the coach have his privacy and Matt wished Dani luck with T.K before walking away. Left alone, Dani turned her attention to Nico who was checking his phone for the seventh time in as many minutes.
"Something's bothering you," she said, a statement not a question, because she was sure she was right. "I don't have to be a behaviour expert to know it either."
"It's Juliette," Nico confessed, letting out a long breath. "When I heard from Devin about the Pittmans divorce being back on, I wanted to check in with her, make sure she was okay. She didn't answer. I've left messages, tried all avenues, she just... it's like she's freezing me out."
Dani felt bad for Nico. Though he had been proven not to be Juliette Pittman's real father, it was clear he had always taken a parental type role in her life. He watched out for her, ensured she got what she needed, whilst her real father tended to cater only to what she wanted. That was no way to raise a child, hence the way Marshall and Gabrielle's offspring failed to understand why her drinking, drugs, and partying were really a problem until Nico got her into a rehab. Having seen the effects of a relatively straightforward divorce on her own fairly stable-minded kids, Dani dreaded to think what the all our war the Pittmans would have could do to a fragile psyche like Juliette. Dani worried for Nico too, because he could easily get dragged into the fight. At the same time, he was going to stress over Juliette, he simply couldn't help it.
"She probably just needs a little time," said Dani as she hugged her boyfriend. "I know it's a pointless thing to say 'cause you're gonna do it anyway, but you really shouldn't worry so much."
Nico had to agree that it wasn't the smartest thing Dani ever said, but he did appreciate the sentiment. Worrying about any of the Pittmans wasn't helping him. The tension and stress was very real in his shoulders and causing him pain where the bullet wounds lived. His health ought to come first, that's what Dani told him, but it was hard for Nico to care less about those he loved.
"If it makes you feel better, I was planning on heading home early." he told her, looking down into her eyes. "And for the record, I do love how much you care."
"It's what I do" she shrugged with a smile, happy enough to return the kiss he gave her. "And I am all aboard on the plan of you getting out of here early today. You work too hard."
"Said the dynamo woman," he teased her. "I'll bet you're not coming home right now, not when T.K. needs attention."
She smiled at that, knowing as well as Nico did that he was right.
"I won't be too long." she promised, before they shared another kiss and finally parted ways.
Dani watched Nico go with a wide grin on her lips. There were problems in their lives right now, and there probably always would be, but it was just a little easier with each other to lean on.
It felt strange to Nico to be coming home so early in the afternoon. Even more strange was coming to Dani's house and seeing it as his own. It wasn't that he hadn't been made to feel welcome. The kids were adjusting already, helped by the fact he had technically moved in weeks ago, albeit on what was then said to be a temporary basis. Still, Nico was concerned about Ray Jay. Lindsay seemed to take his moving in with enough grace and acceptance, but her brother just wasn't quite convincing. Nico had an idea his true feelings were not so pleasant, but he was a good enough kid not to upset his Mom if he could help it. It might be worth Nico and Ray Jay having some kind of man to man talk, he thought, as he let himself into the house.
Right now, he really just needed to relax. Dani wasn't wrong about him stressing, Nico thought, as he carefully rolled his injured shoulder and winced at the pain. A hot shower would help with the muscle aches and tension. It seemed the house was empty, and so he pulled off his tie and started on his shirt buttons before he was even half way up the stairs. It was the sound of girlish giggling that made him stop and look. Had it been coming from Lindsay's room, he wouldn't have worried, but the sound was distinctly coming from behind Ray Jay's door, which wasn't entirely closed.
Nico still wasn't quite ready for the sight of Ray Jay rolling on top of a young woman he vaguely recognised. Of course, the last time Nico saw her, she had been wearing considerably more clothes, and not looking at him with shock and panic from over Ray Jay's shoulder, as she was now.
"Oh my God!" she cried as she began scrambling further under the covers.
Ray Jay looked back at the door, similarly startled. Nico closed the door fast and turned away. Even as he heard the worried conversion beyond the door about what would happen next, he had to wonder himself how he would handle this. If Ray Jay were his son, that would be fine, but he wasn't. There was a limit to how much authority he had over Dani's teenagers, but since she wasn't here, Nico knew he was going to have to do seething. So much for coming home early to relax!
"I don't know what to tell you, Doc," said T.K. as he lounged back into the couch with his hands behind his head. "The only problem I got is the guys wondering why you just pulled me out of training like an angry Mama Bear," he said with a grin.
Dani smirked at his odd analogy, but she wasn't backing down. Terrence liked to put on a front, to hide his emotions. He did it a lot in the beginning, when she first started helping him. For a while she thought he'd got over it, but the shooting incident had really set him back. Dani knew it could've been worse, they all knew that, but she still worried he was suffering in different ways, and only wished he would admit it.
"T.K., can we please talk about the night of the shooting?" she tried again. "Talk to me about how you felt during the incident."
"What's to say, Dr D?" he asked her with a shrug. "Dude comes waving a piece in my face, I'm pissed. Nico steps in, I'm just freaked that he's dying on me or somethin', that's all."
It certainly wasn't all there was to it and they both knew it, but Dani knew there was only so much she could say here and now without leading T.K. into saying things that were not appropriate for the time or place. This would have to wait until their next session if she was going to have to push too hard.
"Do you feel guilty?" she asked out-right, wondering if that would be good enough to get him to open up.
His eyes changed at the sound of the question, his whole expression and body language, and Dani knew she hit a nerve.
"Well, I don't exactly feel great 'bout the fact a friend o' mine got shot up because of me", he said too seriously. "'Course, yours truly don't wanna be filled with holes either so… Yeah, I feel bad that Nico got hurt, but I ain't goin' crazy about it, 'cause it ain't my fault either. I didn't shoot him."
Dani heard what he was saying but she also saw the truth in his looks and way of sitting. Gone was confident brash T.K., replaced with the kid who got his hand caught in the cookie jar. Yes, T.K. felt guilty, too much so in fact. If they didn't deal with this, if he didn't admit it and find a way to get over it, they were going be back to square one in no time at all, and Dani couldn't have that, the team couldn't have that.
"Okay," she said eventually. "Thank you, T.K. We'll pick this up in your next session in a couple of days" she smiled at him.
"Whatever you say, Dr D," he grinned back at her as he got up and swaggered out of the room.
T.K. didn't just play a good game of ball, he talked a good game when he needed to as well. That didn't change the fact that Dani could see right though him. What he showed the world and who he really was, that was often two very different people where Terrence King was concerned. Bringing those two people closer together was Dani Santino's biggest task, and she wasn't done trying yet.
Nico felt just about as uncomfortable as Ray Jay looked right now. They were sat either side of the kitchen counter, neither knowing what to say for the best or even really wanting to look at each other. Nico was only grateful that Ray Jay's lady friend had chosen to make a sharp exit, and that everyone present was now fully clothed!
"So, you're gonna tattle on me to Mom, right?" asked Ray Jay eventually. "That's what step-father types do."
"Well, technically, I'm not your step-father, I'm just your Mom's partner," replied Nico, feeling a little silly referring to himself as a 'boyfriend' at his age somehow. "I'm also not one to tattle" he smirked at the childish phrasing. "How about for now we just talk about what happened today?"
Ray Jay looked away, at the counter top, at the far wall, anywhere but at the adult that wanted him to explain his dubious teen behaviour. He really hated this, though he figured things could've been worse. Busted by his Mom probably would've led to immediate yelling and attempts at grounding. At least Nico was being calm and actually talking to him like a person. Still, Ray Jay could use not getting a sex talk from anyone at his age. He knew what the deal was, but then that much ought to have been obvious from the way Nico had caught him.
"Ray Jay come on," Nico urged him then, trying to meet his eyes. "You can talk to me, it's okay. I was a teenager once too, y'know? And I'm sure that seems like it must've been a hundred years ago to you, but I do understand."
"Please don't give me the hormones and urges talk," the teen groaned, covering his face with his hand a moment. "I took sex ed, I know how everything works. I've had Mom Psych 101 me about teenage boy mentalities to sex, and I'm done with it. Okay, me and Olivia..."
"Yes, you and your S.A.T. Tutor" Nico interrupted. "Exactly what subject was she teaching you up there, because I don't think Biology comes up in those tests?" he smirked annoyingly.
"Ït just happened" Ray Jay shrugged trying not to smile at the semi-joke.
"These things usually do," Nico agreed. "But that's why you really do have to think before you act. Now, I know I'm not your father, Ray Jay, but I do care what happens to you. I also care about your mother's peace of mind. Please, tell me you're as smart as I think you are and that you used a condom?"
"Obviously," Ray Jay replied, his tone making the word rhyme with 'duh' somehow.
"Then, maybe we should not talk about this anymore," Nico suggested, letting out a breath.
He was quite relieved to hear that Dani's son was at least smart enough to be careful. Teenage pregnancy, or worse diseases that were all too easily passed around, this was not what Nico wanted to see happen in the Santino family. Dani still wasn't likely to be happy in realising her son was sexually active, but that was something to deal with later. For now at least Nico felt that he had done a decent parenting job. Considering the way he had been thrown in at the deep end today, he was really quite proud of himself, truth be told.
"So, we're done? Everything's cool?" Ray Jay checked, looking sceptical at best as he got up from his stool.
"For now, yes," Nico agreed. "But you know I'm going to have to tell your Mom what I came home to today."
That got an unimpressed groan of a reaction from Ray Jay, which honestly, the fixer had been expecting.
"I'm not gonna lie by omission, Ray Jay," he said, looking as sympathetic as he genuinely felt for the kid. "But, I will plead your case, if you answer me one question truthfully," he offered.
Ray Jay's ears perked up at that.
"What's the question?" he asked, wondering if he already knew what it was going to be about.
Nico met his eyes to watch for a genuine reaction when he asked his question then;
"What's your real opinion of me moving in here?" he asked, watching Ray Jay's eyes go a little wide, as he shifted awkwardly. "I asked you for an honest answer, Ray Jay, and I promise I won't be mad if it's not what I wanna hear."
Nico was a good guy, there was no denying that, and he'd been pretty decent in this potentially bad situation. Ray Jay also got the impression that the fixer would know if he lied, and that just wasn't worth the risk given the pull the guy had with Mom right now.
"Honestly? I wasn't so sure I wanted you to move in," he admitted then. "And it's not you, it's just... first Dad left, and then Mom got so busy with her new job..."
"And I just seemed like one more thing busting in and messing up your life, huh?" said Nico with much more understanding than Ray Jay expected. "I'm sorry about that."
"It's not your fault," the teen shrugged. "You needed help before, and I know you make Mom really happy. Plus you're way cooler than some of my friend's step-father's and stuff, so I guess I'm okay with it now."
Nico smiled at that, genuinely glad to hear that he seemed to have made some head way with Ray Jay this afternoon, even if their talk hadn't been triggered by the best of circumstances. Maybe they could work through this and move forward as some kind of family. Now the Santinos seemed to be on an even keel, that just left the Pittmans to figure out. That, Nico knew, was bound to be a lot more complex, and he did not relish the thought of dealing with it. Unfortunately, he had no choice.
To Be Continued...