Author's Note: My Dear Readers, I am so apologetic for not updating this story before now. If you are a writer, you understand that the story doesn't flow just because you want it to. Don, Danny, and Nicole have caused me quite a bit of frustration over the last month and for that, I am truly sorry. What follows is just another road towards the final culmination of the journey, which I actually do know where it will end. It's the getting to that destination that is proving difficult. I seem to have misplaced my GPS. So, please enjoy this chapter, and I give you my word that I will not allow Don, Danny, and Nicole to stay so long as this rest area. All the best, Cat.

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"Morning, Sunshine." Danny smiled as Nicole opened the door Saturday morning a month later. Her beautiful long blond hair pulled into a tight ponytail, her smooth porcelain skin freshly washed and without a stitch of makeup, she looked stunning, but her eyes told him she wasn't in the mood to play.

"Messer," she just shook her head. "Come in. The coffee's almost done and Don should be down in a few minutes."

"I caught you before your morning coffee? Things could get ugly and I don't have my service weapon with me. I'll watch my step." He laughed and watched her smirk slightly before she turned away. "How are the wedding plans coming?"

"How's Katie?" She quipped back as she placed his coffee in front of him.

"Touché, Nick." He smiled. He didn't care about the wedding plans anymore than she cared about his girlfriend. Since he'd missed their engagement party, Nicole had become civil towards him, no longer warm and friendly, apparently annoyed at him or suddenly aware of just how he was attempting to win her back. "Sorry about the Donovan case. I heard you took a plea."

"That's public record."

"It can't go down as a win."

She laughed as she sipped her coffee. "Danny, I win every case that I set out to win and a plea is still less time than a conviction, so I count it as a win."

"What about when your client is guiltier than sin?"

"They are still innocent until proven guilty." She laughed again, more than used to Danny Messer attempting to push her buttons. "Let's just call a truce and change the subject."

Don listened to them banter back and forth from the stairs and he smiled. Since the engagement party, Nicole had been shutting Danny down, barely talking to him unless they were in public, and spending more time at home. "Morning, Messer."

"Morning, Flack. You ready for a few hoops this morning?" Just then the phone rang. "Oh, or not."

"I got it." Nicole smiled and kissed the top of Don's head, but that smile was gone when she came back to the table. "It's your father, Baby."

"No love lost between you and Dad, huh?" Danny could see her normally sparkling blue eyes were dark.

"No. He doesn't like that his future police commissioner is marrying a defense attorney. We used to get along, until Don put this ring on my finger."

"Well, look at it from his perspective, Nickel. Donny goes to moves up in the department and who does he take with him but a beautiful leggy blonde who puts the perps back on the street. It doesn't really look good."

"What are you saying?" She glared at him as she stood up. "I shouldn't marry Don because of my chosen profession? Let me tell you something, Messer, just because you don't like what I do doesn't mean that I don't have a place in the criminal justice arena! You know what, get out!"

"Whoa, Nicole," he put his hands up, "all I'm saying,"

"Get out of our house, Messer." She opened the front door.

"Hey, Nikki," Don came running into the room, "what's going on?"

"Danny was just leaving. He'll meet you at the basketball court."

"Yeah, I think I better." Danny stood up. "Look, Nickel, I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry."

"You should have thought about that before you opened your mouth." She slammed the door behind him.

"Baby," Don placed his hands on her shoulders, "what happened?"

"Danny still has issues with me being a defense attorney." She pulled away. "Everyone seems to have an issue with me being a defense attorney."

"I don't." He came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, kissed her shoulder, and felt her sigh. "You know that he loves pushing your buttons, Babe."

"Yeah, I know."

He kissed her shoulder again. "Want to come watch me kick his ass on the basketball court?"

"That might actually make me feel better." She smiled slightly and leaned back against him. "I'm sorry I blew up."

"Don't be. Danny needs to learn when you're in the mood for his witty quips and when my father calls is not the time to bring up the fact that you are a defense attorney." When she turned around to face him, her radiant blue eyes actually reflected a look of love that he'd never seen directed at him before, and he kissed her. "I love you."

He almost never said it first, barely said it back to her, so to hear him say those three words with a beautiful and tender look in his eyes, almost brought her to tears. "I love you."