Yay chapter 9! Enjoy!
By Monday Isabelle was in full rehearsal mode and refused to leave the practice facility Nico had found for her, so Dani waited for Nico to show up and give her a ride so she and Isabelle could have their scheduled appointment.
"You're sure it's not a problem, I can drive myself?" Dani asked as she slid into Nico's car.
"It's fine, I was on my way anyway. She may refuse to leave but she can't refuse to eat so I have to bring her food." He said with a shrug.
"She's really into this isn't she?" Dani asked with a smile.
"She wants it to be perfect." Nico said. Dani nodded and the two settled into comfortable silence as they made their way to Isabelle.
The practice building was large and indiscrete on the outside but as Nico opened the door for her Dani saw it was full of life on the inside.
Polished hardwood floors shined under florescent lights and three of the four walls were lined with mirrors. Dani smiled as she spotted Isabelle at the front of the room, a group of about thirty girls behind her, running through some kind of dance routine.
"We can wait for her over here." Nico said, placing his hand gently against her back as he guided her to a set of three plush chairs that sat in the corner.
Dani smiled at the contact but resisted the urge to lean into him; she was here for a patient she had to act at least a little bit professional.
After a few minutes passed Isabelle waved to them and sent the group on break.
"Food!" She yelled as she raced over to Nico. She took the bag of food and sat down, cross legged on the third chair.
"Thank you Nico." She said, opening the bag and pulling out her lunch.
"Do you want anything Dr. Santino?" Isabelle asked, rooting around in the bag for something she could offer.
"No I am fine Isabelle." Dani said with a smile.
She could tell she'd been practicing for a while already today. Her long black hair was pulled up in a ponytail with a few stray pieces hanging around her face. She had on an old t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants she'd cut off at the knees, both of which were a bit rumpled from the dancing she'd been doing.
"How long have you been here?" Dani asked.
"Today? I've been here since nine." She said, taking a sip of water and smiling.
"And you've been going non stop?" Dani asked, glancing at her watch which read two fifteen.
"No, I take breaks. But I'll stop eating so we can talk." She said, Dani shook her head and smiled.
"No that's okay, you keep eating I don't mind." Dani said.
"I'll be back in an hour." Nico said, smiling at Dani as he stood. "Behave." He directed at Isabelle. She gave him a smirk as he walked by.
"So Nico drove you here?" Isabelle asked after he left.
"Yes, I told him I could have driven myself but he said he didn't mind." Isabelle smiled and nodded.
"So are you excited about the audition Friday Isabelle?" Dani asked.
"Extremely, it feels so good to be rehearsing for something again, like I have a purpose ya know?" Dani nodded.
"I can tell that you're doing much better. I think if everything goes well with the audition Friday maybe we can talk about getting you set up with another show for the producers sometime soon." Isabelle's eyes sparkled hazel.
"That would be wonderful. I really do feel much better Dr. Santino. After I had that, breakdown, last week, I don't know, it was like getting a weight off my shoulders I felt so much better after." She explained.
"You took a big step that day Isabelle and I think that's what helped you get to where you are now, ready to perform again. But we still have to take baby steps which is why Nico suggested the audition for halftime talent. It'll be with people you know in an environment that's secure but you'll also have the unknown element of making it through." Isabelle nodded in understanding.
"If everything goes well then I think we can move onto something a little bigger."
"I'd like that." Isabelle said with a smile.
The hour passed by quickly and eventually the group of people Isabelle was working with started filing back in. Nico arrived a few minutes later and Isabelle gave Dani a quick goodbye and then headed back to practice.
"Where are the auditions being held exactly?" Dani asked Nico as they pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway.
"At the practice field." He said, "You'll be able to make it right?"
"Of course, I just want to make sure I end up in the right place." Dani said with a smile.
"Good, I think Isabelle really wants you there." He said, glancing over at her.
"You'll be there too?" Dani asked.
"I have to be."
"Oh, I forgot, you probably have to make sure there aren't any crazies in the mix right?" Dani asked with a smile.
"Yes," Nico said, smiling back "But I also have to be there for Isabelle. I made her a promise a long time ago that I'd always be there to see her perform. Of course once I got shipped out I couldn't be at all of her shows but I'd send her letters and wish her luck or a gift or something, just to let her know I remembered. It's been years but I try to be there when I can." Dani smiled at the knowledge.
"So you were there when she had her panic attack?" She asked, Nico sighed and shook his head.
"No, I wasn't, and I didn't get to tell her I wouldn't be. I got pulled out of state last minute for something and I wasn't able to tell her. I was supposed to be there." Dani nodded and filed that information away for later.
Nico walked with her up to her door when they arrived back at her house. She was just about to unlock the door when it swung open under her hand.
"Dani!" Janette smiled and glanced at Nico.
"Janette what are you doing?" Dani asked, pocketing her keys.
"I came to chat and you weren't here so I let myself in, you should really find a better place to hide your spare key." Janette said handing it back to her, Nico smiled.
"Um, I am gonna head back inside, you two take your time." Janette smiled at Dani as she shut the door.
"She's observant." Nico said.
"To observant." Dani countered.
The silence quickly skewed into awkward territory and neither Dani nor Nico had any clue how to fix it.
"I'll see you on Friday." Dani finally said, offering a smile. Nico nodded and smiled back.
"Friday."
He turned and left and Dani wanted to turn around and hit her head against the door. How had that conversation gone so wrong?
They were fine until Janette opened the door and then decided to 'leave them alone'. Dani shook her head and vowed to send Nico an apology, she couldn't let the awkwardness take over.
"So, did you and Nico have a nice little moment?" Janette asked as Dani joined her in the kitchen.
"No." She said, sliding into one of the barstools at the island.
"No? Why, what happened?" Janette asked.
"I don't know, you left and it just got awkward, I didn't know what to say."
"You don't say anything honey, you kiss him and leave." Janette said with a smile, Dani rolled her eyes.
"Dani would you at least entertain the possibility of being in a relationship with him, for like two minutes?" Janette said with a groan.
"I can't okay. I broke the rule with Matt and look how messed up that got, I can't afford to do it again with Nico, if that doesn't work out I'll never be able to set foot into the Hawks facility again." Dani said, resting her head in her hands.
"But you won't know if it'll work or not until you try." Janette said with a smile, Dani didn't answer and Janette gave a dramatic sigh.
"I am going to kick your stupid 'rule' in the balls! Dani you can't do this to yourself, you clearly have feelings for him, just let it happen." Janette argued.
"You don't know that I have feelings for him." Dani said.
"Yes I do, you should have seen the way you were looking at him, Dani I know that look okay, you just need to admit it, get it out in the open."
"Okay, let me convert into sixteen year old for a few minutes and entertain your idea." Dani said, taking a quick drink.
"That's all I ask." Janette said with a smile.
"Yes, I do have feelings for him, yes I think he's an incredibly attractive man and yes I've lost an hour or two thinking about kissing him." Janette smiled.
"Sweetheart you're an adult, you can entertain a thought more drastic than kissing right?" Janette said with a laugh.
"Please don't go there right now." Dani said, shaking her head.
"Dani come on! The guy is gorgeous; he's probably an excellent kisser and amazing in bed." Dani closed her eyes and shook her head, prompting Janette to laugh.
"For the past two weeks I've been able to keep my thoughts to strictly kissing, thank you for blowing the barrier I put up against anything else." Dani mumbled.
"You're more than welcome sweetie." She said, patting Dani's shoulder.
"Alright look, if only because I really want to end this conversation. I will do what you ask. I'll let it play out and see where it goes. However I am not going to be the one to initiate the relationship, if he cares about me that much, he'll make the first move." Dani said.
"He doesn't seem to me like the kind of guy who would make a first move." Janette said.
"Well he'll have to, that's just how it works." Dani said, a hint of finality in her voice.
"Sounds like a plan babe." Janette said, raising her glass for a toast. Dani smiled and tapped her glass against Janette's and then smiled as she downed the contents.
By one o'clock on Friday Dani was on her way to the practice field for auditions. Technically they didn't start until two but she wanted to be there early to talk with Isabelle and make sure she was okay.
The parking lot was empty as she pulled in, a few cars scattered here and there but not as many as normal.
She passed Matt in the hallway as she made her way to the field, he waved at her and she offered a quick hello and they moved about their business.
"So how are things with Matt?" She prided herself on the fact that she didn't jump as much as normal.
"Alright I suppose." She said as Nico fell into step next to her. "We haven't seen each other that much but it's been alright." She added, Nico nodded but didn't comment.
"Is Isabelle already here?"
"Yes, she's been here since nine." He told her.
"Since nine, why?"
"She wants everything to be perfect."
Dani nodded, "I am sure she'll be fine, she's a wonderful singer."
"Yes, but you've never seen her perform before." Nico said, passing her a smile.
Dani felt her heart speed up as she passed a smile back and then turned her eyes back in front of her.
She decided, on an impulse, that she'd conduct a little experiment. It wasn't that she didn't believe Nico had feelings for her, she did, but she wanted to see how far he'd let it go in a public place.
She reached out and laced her fingers through his, something small and mostly indiscrete.
Out of the corner of her eye she gauged his reaction and what she saw made her smile even more. Two simple looks crossed his face, one of contentment and the other of pride. When combined together they meant so much more than a simple look of love, at least to Dani.
They held hands the entire way out to the field, and Dani had never been happier.
A few people littered the stands, mostly big wigs for the Hawks who were there to watch and make decisions but a few of the players stuck around to watch. When Nico spotted Terrence he gave her hand a quick squeeze and then dropped it. She understood, technically there was nothing but occasional flirting between them at the moment. There was no point in having Terrence spread rumors.
"Where's Isabelle?" Dani asked as she looked around the field. There were two other groups of people who Dani assumed were also auditioning but she couldn't find Isabelle.
"She's coming." Nico said, glancing in the opposite direction. Dani turned her head and smiled as Isabelle raced up to them from the other end of the field.
"Hi!" She said brightly, wrapping Nico in a hug.
"Isabelle, you look great." Dani said, examining her outfit. She wore black combat boots, with the legs of tight gray jeans tucked inside them, and a short, gray military jacket which closed tightly at her waist. Her long dark hair fell in curls around her shoulders and she was smiling from ear to ear.
"Where did you get this?" Dani said, as she reached out to touch the jacket.
"Costume store on Broadway."
"I assume this has something to do with your audition?" Dani asked with a smile, Isabelle nodded.
"Are you ready?"
"Yeah, I am so excited, it's gonna be amazing." She said, bouncing on the balls of her feat.
"You're scheduled to audition last." Nico told her.
"Perfect." Isabelle said, "I've gotta go warm up, they're gonna start soon, I'll see you after." She said, giving Nico another hug and then rushing off.
"Should we go sit down?" She asked Nico nodded and they walked up the bleachers, taking a seat a few rows behind Terrence who turned around to wave quite enthusiastically at her.
"You're sure she's ready for this?" Nico asked as the first group began taking their spots on the field.
"I am positive, she'll be fine." Dani said reassuringly, he nodded and they both turned their attention to the performance in front of them.
The first two groups were good but not overly amazing. The first group was all dancers who did a great job with their number but it wasn't something Dani could see as a halftime show. The second group was a band who did wonderful playing their song, Dani had to put them as number one at the moment, but she had yet to see Isabelle.
Dani watched as she emerged from the tunnel, a marching band following close behind.
"She got a marching band?" Dani asked.
"She asked for one, you have no idea how hard it was to find one who was willing to play though." Nico said.
Dani smiled as she watched Isabelle take her place in the center of the field, the marching band lined up behind her. The small crowd quieted down and she watched Isabelle count them off and the band started playing a version of Run the World by Beyonce.
Dani smiled and laughed as she watched ten dancers run to join Isabelle on the field, all girls, all dressed exactly the same as Isabelle.
Dani watched in amazement as Isabelle sang and danced her way through the number. Halfway through another ten girls rushed out of the tunnels to join the dance. Dani could see the happiness on Isabelle's face; she was truly in her element here. Eventually ten more girls made their way down the bleachers and out onto the field. All thirty dancers, plus Isabelle, dressed in the same costume and dancing perfectly in synch. The players who had stayed behind were on their feat cheering and Dani offered Nico a proud smile as the song came to close. The players cheered and applauded as Isabelle, the dancers and the band took a bow and then made their way back through the tunnels to the locker room which was being used as a holding room for the groups.
"Should we go see her?" Nico asked.
"Of course." Dani said with a smile. They were halfway down the bleachers when Terrence caught them.
"I know I am not supposed to know so I shouldn't say anything but that was to good to not comment on. Your sister's got mad skills Nico." Terrence said, a huge smile playing across his face.
"I mean, I can't say nothing bad bout' Beyonce cause she's crazy good but Isabelle could give her a run for her money."
"Thank you Terrence." Nico said, nodding in appreciation.
"You should tell her if you see her Terrence." Dani said. He glanced between Dani and Nico to make sure they were both serious.
"Yeah, I definitely will." He nodded and then turned back to the other players.
"Isabelle told me they met." Nico said to Dani as they started walking back inside.
"I wondered why you didn't ask how he knew she was your sister." Nico nodded and guided her into the locker room.
Isabelle spotted them right away and rushed towards them, wrapping them both in a hug.
"Was that not amazing!" She said as she squeezed them both. "God I forgot how much of a rush that is." She smiled and let them go.
"How did it look?" She asked.
"It was wonderful Isabelle, really." Dani said
Nico pulled her into a hug and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "You did great Belle." He said quietly.
"And I didn't freak out at all; I was totally calm the entire time." She said proudly.
Dani smiled and patted her on the shoulder, "You accomplished another goal Isabelle, you got yourself back out there." Isabelle smiled and nodded.
"So you think I am ready to perform for the agents again?" She asked hopefully.
Dani glanced at Nico for his opinion; he spent more time with her so he would know how she was doing in private as opposed to the sessions with Dani. When he didn't protest she nodded.
"Yeah I think you are."
Isabelle squealed and wrapped them both in another crushing hug.
Alrighty! I hope you enjoyed it! Not sure why I decided to use Run the World by Beyonce, I guess I just figured it was a song about strong woman and I always kind of think of Dani when I hear it since she's kind of the only woman in a man's world, she kicks ass though! lol.
Anyway, Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, keep sending um in, I really enjoy hearing what everyone thinks!
I am gonna try to keep updating as often as I can but I'd expect at least a week between chapters, with the holidays comming up things are getting a bit busy but I am gonna try and update as regularly as possible.
Thanks for reading everyone!
~Tara~
