Rascal flatts - It's not just me

Hold me now and tell me that you do believe
In a soul, a soul mate
And tell me, and tell me, tell me

Tell me that you live for love
That forever is never enough
That you've waited all your life to see
That you want so badly to believe
Tell me that it's not just me

(X)

"MISSY!" Ethan and Lexi both exclaimed.

"Well this is an enthusiastic welcome!" Missy declared as Lexi dived into her arms.

"How are you here?" Lexi asked incredulous.

"I drove." Miss said with a laugh. "I was gonna go sperm and egg route but you're a paramedic. Not as funny."

Ethan looked at her.

"I knew you'd be ok Ethan. All these pessimists were convinced you were gonna die. Not me." she said happily. "I knew you wouldn't let it beat you son."

"Miss a bomb went off at Jo'burg airport!" Lexi told her.

"I know evil swines. They've hurt so many innocent people. Maybe me if I….." she trailed off as she realised. "Oh no." she whispered.

"Your name has been listed as missing. Presumed dead. Dad knows."

"Oh no!" she repeated. Put her hand on her head.

"He's in bits Miss. And I have a feeling he's gonna ring Shauna."

"He can't do that! She'll go mad. She's not as strong as me and your mum. She lose her mind!" she gasped. "Look Ethan I'm so glad your ok." Kissed his cheek. "But I gotta go. You owe me a hundred rand by the way." she winked. "See you Lex. Love you both!" she hurried from the room.

"How the hell do I owe her a hundred rand?" Ethan asked Lex.

"I have no idea but thank God she's ok huh?"

"Yeah. Your poor dad!" Ethan murmured.

While Lexi and Ethan were talking Missy was in a taxi on her way to Leopards Den.

(X)

Danny sat in the house. All the kids were snuggled up in bed. Asleep. He was sat in the living room with his phone in his hand. Summoning some courage to ring the number in his hand. He took a deep breath a dialled the number. It rang. He had what he was gonna say all planned.

"Hello." Shauna said.

Whatever he was gonna say was wiped from his mind by her happy tone.

"Um, hello Shauna. It's Danny."

"O Danny, hello how is everyone? You, the kids, Miss?"

"Um, not too good right now to be honest." he told her.

"Danny what's wrong?" she asked worried.

"Look Shauna. There's been a terrorist attack on Jo'burg airport." he breathed heavily. His voice grave.

"O is that it. Thanks for getting in touch I was gonna see if me and James could come down and visit."

"Shauna." he quieted. "Look Missy," his voice broke on her name. "She was at the airport." he swallowed a sob.

He heard her gasp.

"Is…is she badly hurt?" her voice shook. He could hear the pain in her tone.

"Shauna," he quieted again.

"Oh no Danny don't tell me that. Please don't tell me she's gone too!" Shauna said heart breaking on the phone.

"I'm sorry Shauna."

Shauna was silent. Laboured breathing over the phone then,

"O God not Missy too!" her voice broke even more as her tears fell faster. "I can't believe that the two of them are gone. This is so horrible. My two best friends are gone!" she sobbed.

"I know." his tears fell too. "I love her Shauna and she's gone."

"This isn't fair Danny. To lose both of them so close."

Danny had to go. He really couldn't talk to anyone right now. "Look Shauna but I've got to go. I'll ring you back ok. This is really hard!"

"Ok Danny." her tears evident in her tone.

He disconnected the call quickly. So she couldn't hear him break down. His heart was obliterated. He thought the worst thing he'd ever go through was losing Alice. He was wrong. This hurt just as much.

He escaped to his room and may down. Closed his eyes tightly.

(X)

Missy was pissed. "You'd be quicker if you drove backwards!" she told the taxi driver.

"Do you wanna get out and walk?" he asked.

"It'd be quicker!" she retorted.

She was stuck in a traffic jam. It took over an hour to get home. Paid the driver and left her case at the bottom of the veranda. Jogged up the stairs. She walked past the phone book and saw it open on Shauna and James' number.

"Oh no!" he hasn't rung her yet has he?" she muttered.

"Danny!" she said trying not to shout too loudly in case she woke the kids up.

She knocked on his bedroom door. Waited for a reply. Got nothing. She popped her head in. saw he had a pillow bunched under his head. With his arms wrapped around it tightly. Tear tracks had made trails down his cheeks.

"Oh Danny honey." she whispered. "I'm sorry!"

His eyes were closed. He began muttering in sleep. "Miss…sorry…plane." he frowned. "hot!"

"Danny." she whispered. Knelt by the bed.

"Danny!" she said louder.

He opened his eyes. Smiled at her a slow sleep smile. "I'm dreaming." he murmured. He was looking at an angel. Who looked concerned. She was so beautiful. Cheeks flushed. Brown eyes twinkling. Her face serious. She knelt by the bed her face close to his.

"No Danny, your not. I'm here. I need to know have you rang Shauna?"

He sidled closer to her. Their faces almost touching. "Why waste a dream talking about Shauna?" he whispered. Pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. Her breath tickled his cheek.

Wow this dream is vivid. He thought. Her skin soft as velvet beneath his lips. Her warm breath tickled his cheek. He could even smell spearmint polo's.

"Dammit Danny wake up! Have you rang Shauna?" she asked sharply.

He started coming awake slowly. "Miss?" he asked breathless.

"I'm here Danny. Safe. Unscathed.

He sat up and pulled her close for a bone crushing hug. Needing to feel her in his arms. Only when he felt her arms around him did he truly begin to believe that he was awake and she was truly here!

"Aah, ribs!" she chuckled.

"Thank God. I thought I'd lost you. It almost killed me!" he said quietly.

She pulled back a little. "Did you phone Shauna?" she asked seriously.

"Oh no!" he exclaimed. "I did!"

Missy looked pained. "She's gonna have you, you know!"

He caressed her cheek. "I'm so happy your ok!"

"Focus Danny. Damage limitation time! Do I ring Shauna or do you?"

"Might be best I ring her to start with to warn her then you talk to her." he said.

"You're a brave man." she said with a smile. Handed him her phone. He scrolled through her phonebook. Pressed ring on Shauns.

Held Missy's hand as it rang. He still couldn't believe that she was here. His heart still pounded with the relief of having her near to him.

"Hello." a heartbroken voice asked.

Danny squeezed Missy's hand letting her know Shauna was speaking.

"Shauna it's Danny."

"O God what now Danny. I dunno how much more I can take so if it's bad don't tell me please!" she said voice breaking again.

O he was so dead!

"I might have been a little bit ahead of myself before. In my defence I thought it was true and you gotta know Shauna I'd never wanna hurt you. Your like a sister to me."

"What?" she asked confused.

"Someone wants to speak to you."

He handed the phone to missy.

"Hey Shauna Missy here." she said softly.

"But your dead." her voice wobbled.

"Obviously not Shauns."

"DANNY!" Shauna yelled. She was cursing and vowing vengeance.

Missy grimaced and held the phone away from her ear.

"Ow Shauna you just deafened me in one ear!" Missy declared.

"He told me you were dead!" Shauna said coldly.

"To be fair he thought I was!" Missy told her.

"It's no excuse for telling me!" she retorted.

"You'd be pissed if he didn't Shauns."

"Do you realise what I went through?" Shauna asked.

"Actually yes I got the call about Alice remember!" she said sadly.

"Yeah." Shauna said in sympathy.

"At least I came down to you and broke it to you in person too!" Missy told her.

"God Miss it hurt like hell thinking you were dead. The way you died too. I tried to imagine you kicking ass but all I could see…."

"Shauna don't think about it. I'm absolutely fine ok."

"I felt so alone though. Bereft. Your on orders. I die next. Then you!" Shauna said seriously.

"What?" Missy exclaimed.

"You heard me Miss. You die last!" Shauna repeated. As serious as ever.

"Not so I live longest? So your not alone eh?"

"Too right!" Shauna declared.

"Look it's late over here. I'll phone you tomorrow ok Shay."

"Kay Miss. Thanks for phoning straight away. And tell Daniel to sleep one eye open coz next time I see him he's dead! And of course I'm so happy you're here. I do love you Miss. I don't tell you enough but I do."

"I might help you with your mission. See you Shay I'll tell you about Ethan later. Bye mate. And I love you as well."

"Bye Miss."

Melissa disconnected. Looked at Danny grinning. "O you are so dead when she sees you!"

"I heard her war cry!"

Missy nodded.

"Why didn't you go to the airport Miss?"

She patted her hands on the bed. "I went to say goodbye to Ethan. A proper goodbye like you said. You hurt me Danny. I know the truth now though. I'm not your family." she said sadly.

"You are Miss. You are my family."

"How could you say that to me then Danny?"

He put his arm around her. And pulled her close to him. She was too upset to fight him.

"I'm so sorry Miss." he put his hand on her face and turned her cheek so she faced him. "I love you so much." he paused. "Sometimes when I'm hurt I lash out at the people I love. Especially if I think they are doing something I think is wrong. I'm not an easy person to love Miss. I'm opinionated, stubborn and just plain stupid sometimes. But I'm also loyal, warm hearted and when I say I love you it means forever!"

He sounded so sincere that Missy just melted. "Danny your wrong." she told him. "Your very easy to love."

"But I am a pain in the neck huh?" he conceded.

"Too right!" she replied smiling.

"Look can we talk about this in the morning?" he asked.

"Yeah." she said standing up.

He grabbed her hand. "Where are you going?"

"We should take this thing between us slowly!" she said seriously.

"To hell with slow. I know I love you. I know you love me. I nearly lost you today. I thought I had lost you. And all I could think about was about the things I hadn't said or done."

He pulled her don towards him so she was sat on the bed again. Kissed her softly. "We love each other Miss."

"And you hurt me today Danny. Don't push me please."

"Miss I don't wanna wait. I wanna be with you however long we have."

Missy's eyes narrowed. "You always get your way don't you?"

"Not with you." he told her. "Stay with me. Please Miss. Just so I can hold you close."

He pleaded with her with his eyes. She felt herself melting. "Ok then." she whispered.

He grinned and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"I am sorry Miss. And I do love you."

I love you too Danny."

He smiled because he knew.

A/N they r happy agen. all made up. poor shauna and danny actually bt all is fine. will it stay this way tho? hmmmm who knows keep reading to find out :D x