A/N: Holy Crapsicles, Batman! It's an update! This chapter does not contain smut, but Vanessa does come to someone's rescue. There's a little angst, and some violence (shock!) but other than that it should not offend. Own Miracle I do not (Santa still hasn't come through), you no sue. Own Vanessa, Erica, Colleen, and Dave I do, so you no steal.

Okay, done with rambling... on with story... cough review cough

Chapter 11

Jimmy sat at the end of the bed, shivering from the cold air hitting his bare back. As he watched Vanessa sleep, he realized what he'd done. He'd slept with her, no doubt hitting both himself and Vanessa. He wasn't doing anything except setting himself up for heartbreak.

Vanessa was nothing more than a manipulative little bitch. She'd played both him and Jack, just to see what would happen. As a result, they'd turned against each other. He knew what he was doing was irrational, but it had to be done. He sat waiting on the couch until she woke up, and then he told her.

"Vanessa, I never want to see you again."

Vanessa was utterly confused. Well, not really. She knew why Jimmy had left. Not that it surprised her. She knew what she'd done, and it was killing her inside. Flopping herself back on to the bed, she cried. She sobbed to herself.

Look what you've done, she scolded herself. You've pushed away the two men who love you to pieces. Look what you've done.

Not knowing what else to do, she got into her car and drove as fast as she could to Erica's house. When Erica finally opened the door, she promptly shut it in her face.

"What did you do that for?" Robbie asked as they crawled back into bed. Erica had set Jack up with pillows and blankets on the living room couch, and had just now gotten herself ready to go back to sleep.

"Because I'm sick of dealing with her bullshit, Robbie," Erica rolled over, turned her back to him. "I mean, I'm a mom, I can't keep coming to her rescue, and I have Colleen to think about…"

"But don't you think now more than ever, Vanessa might need you?"

"No…" Erica answered, shaking her head, "no, she doesn't need me."

She could feel Robbie's eyes burning into her back. Rolling her eyes and sighing, she looked him in the face.

"Come on, Robbie she's 21, she's an adult, she's going to need to think for herself."

"Did you think for yourself when you were 21?"

"Of course I did…" Erica answered. "Robbie, I was pregnant at 21, my parents wanted nothing more to do with me, and I had another life to think about, I had no choice but to think for myself."

"Do you ever think about that night?" he suddenly asked.

"What night?"

"The night you went to my mother for help." Robbie answered, "The night you found out you were pregnant."

"All the time…" she breathed. "I was terrified. Didn't know what I was going to do. I didn't know what my parents would say, I didn't know what you would say when you found out…" her breathing was becoming erratic. "Truth be told, Robbie, I was so scared… I thought about having an abortion."

She saw Robbie's eyes go wide.

"Well, can you blame me?" she rushed. "I was terrified. After I went to your mother I realized how foolish I was being, and I decided against having an abortion." She smiled, cupping his cheek in her hand. "If I had I wouldn't have the gorgeous little thing sleeping in the next room."

Rob kissed her shoulder, and snuck a nibble.

"Do that again and you're gonna be sleeping out in the living room with Jack."

Suddenly something poked her in the back.

She glared at him as he smirked.

Not thirty seconds later he was lying on the living room floor.

"Did'ya get a little too frisky, there, Mac?" OC asked as he propped himself up on his side.

"Shut up…" Robbie turned his back.

"You're not getting any anymore…" Jack chuckled.

"Well neither are you," Robbie smirked.

"Touché," Jack closed his eyes. A few hours later he heard a tiny whimper from the bedroom across the way and footsteps toward her room.

"Don't worry, I got her…" Erica whispered. "Don't wake Jack…"

Robbie nodded and waited till she was out of sight. Silently, he crept back into their bedroom. Folding the sheets around himself, he waited until she crawled back into bed beside him.

"Ughhh…" she moaned. "I have to be up in three hours, am I ever…"

There was another whimper at the second she said that.

Rolling over, she got out of bed.

"Ricki, let me…" he said.

"No, no, it's okay…"she hobbled over to Colleen's bedroom. "Little girl nightmares, it's better if Mommy goes," she went to Colleen's bedroom and leaned over the crib. "What's the matter, baby?"

"Boogeyman…" the little girl whimpered. This had become a problem, but nothing Robbie's mother had told them was unusual. At two years old their minds began to remember things, and sometimes that memory could be twisted into something horrible.

"The boogeyman, huh?" Erica soothed. "Oh dear…" she picked the baby up and brought her over to the rocking chair she kept in Colleen's bedroom. Sitting down, Erica rocked her daughter back and forth. "Maybe we should get Daddy in here to get that Boogeyman with monster spray…"

"Monster spray?" she asked, clearly intrigued.

"Monster spray…" Robbie appeared at the bedroom door holding a bottle of sprayable air freshener. He threw open the closet armed with the spray bottle. "Ah hah… here he is!" Robbie fired off a few squirts into Colleen's closet, making it smell fresh in the process. "There… boogeyman is all gone now."

"I love you Daddy…" she cooed as she held her arms out for a hug.

"I love you too, Princess…" he kissed her goodnight as Erica put her back into the crib. With that, Erica tucked her back in and slowly made her way back through the house.

Then she noticed Jack sitting on the couch, again with his head in his hands.

Knowing she wouldn't get any sleep if she knew her friend was upset, she went to sit with him.

"What's up?" she asked him, again snaking her arm around his shoulders.

"I just…" he whispered hoarsely. "I can't stop thinking about her…"

"Jack…" Erica could see and feel his heart breaking. "You've got to let go… she's not worth it." She brought her arm back around and rubbed her eyes. "Vanessa is manipulative, and if you're worried about Jimmy and her, believe me, he'll figure it out soon enough."

He nodded and hugged her. Returning his affection, she withdrew and went into the bedroom. Glancing at the clock, she groaned. 4 AM. Oh great… she had to be up in less than 45 minutes… there wasn't any point in going back to bed.

Vanessa arrived at the rink early. She knew Erica and Dave would be out there practicing. She couldn't figure out why, but something about Dave rubbed her the wrong way. When she got there, Herb wasn't on the ice with them, and Dave was getting agitated.

"I'm sorry Dave, the baby kept me up all night…" Erica explained as she got up from a fall.

"We've done this more than 6 times this morning, Erica!" he shouted, "how hard can it be?"

"Shut up and lift me already…" she snarled. "I am not in the mood to put up with your shit."

Suddenly, as Vanessa looked up from tying her skates, she saw Dave raise his hand and slap Erica with enough force to knock her over.

Enraged, Vanessa leapt over the boards as he moved to kick Erica behind the knee. Jumping on his back, she pulled him away from Erica and got a good solid punch to his nose before Herb had the chance to intervene.

"What the hell is going on here?" Herb got in between them.

"Don't you ever touch Erica again, you arrogant rat bastard!" Vanessa shouted. "Every idiot with half a brain knows that if you tear her ACL or MCL ligaments she'll never be able to skate again!"

Herb had to restraint Dave. "I don't have time for this shit, Dave! You hurt Erica, you hurt me. I'm a wounded animal… and wounded animals attack. If you ever, and I mean ever come near Erica or her family, or Vanessa again, I will personally make sure you never father children…" he hissed, "do I make myself clear?"

He let Dave go and made sure he got out of the arena. Soon enough, Vanessa had gotten Erica into her car and driven her home. Robbie answered the door to see Vanessa holding Erica up on her feet.

"What happened?" he noticed her bruised cheek and black eye. "Did Dave drop you?"

"No, he hit me." Erica whispered hoarsely. She was so tired, she needed to sleep.

"He did what?" Robbie's eyes popped.

"Don't worry, Herb took care of it," Vanessa answered, hoping to reassure her brother from another mother. "He personally guaranteed him that if he ever came near any of us again; Herb was going to make sure Dave never fathered children."

Robbie chuckled. "Okay, come on, Ricki, let's get you inside." He positioned himself just enough to get her into the house and into her bed.

"Oh, I hurt…" she whispered.

"Ssssh, I know," Vanessa stroked Erica's hair as she placed the icepack Robbie had fetched on to her friend's forehead. "it's okay…"

Both Jack and Jimmy had a strange feeling. Something wasn't right, and they could feel it. Both on the opposite side of St. Paul, they quickly decided to carpool back to Erica's house. Knocking on the door, they both came face to face with the one person they both swore they never wanted to see again.

"Hello Vanessa…"

There... another update completed. What are Jack and Jimmy to do? sigh... decisions decisions decisions cough review cough