Mary was just about to take another sip of champagne when the hand not holding the glass gently touched her stomach. She choked into the glass. "Oh God," she said in quiet desperation.
"What is it?" Danny asked looking worried and confused at the same time.
"There's something I have to tell you!" Mary replied almost in tears.
"Hey," Danny said reaching over and gently touching her face, "its okay, whatever it is you can tell me, I'm here for you."
"Danny, I'm, I'm pregnant." Mary said quietly, she didn't move her head, but her eyes saw his face.
Danny was confused, that he was angry, she was pregnant and she didn't tell him? 'Who the hell does she think she is doing something like that to a man?'
Then out loud he said, "No, the baby's is not mine, it can't be there is no way!" He waited expecting a reply, but he didn't get one. He looked up to Mary, but she wasn't there.
Mary was racing through the casino towards the front doors; there was nothing she could do about the tears streaming down her face. Danny McCoy was her best friend, had since they were toddlers. She knew his every mood, his every stare, his every face. And the one she had just scene at the table was one she had only seen once before. The time when Danny beat up her father that was his face of pure rage and hatred no questions asked.
Continuing her retreat towards the sanctuary that lay on the other side of the hotel doors Mary ran into three women, but she didn't know who they were or did she? "Why is Mary running out of the casino with tears streaming down her face?" Sam asked both Nessa and Delinda simultaneously.
"She's just overwhelmed with joy!" Delinda joked, she was a lil' tipsy!
"I don't know, but I have to go ladies I'll see you later." Nessa left the other two and headed towards Mystique. She walked through the back entrance and found Danny still sitting at the table.
"Danny, why did I just see Mary running out of this casino with tears streaming down her face?" Nessa asked him in her don't piss me off tone of voice.
"She's crying? Good, she should be cheating on me like that. Nessa she had the nerve to tell me she was pregnant and she expects me to believe that the child is mine?" Danny was now standing up glaring with all of his power at Nessa.
"Nessa?" Gary called from the entrance of Mystique, "they need you out on the floor now!" Nessa stepped forward raised her right hand and brought it crashing across Danny's face. SMACK! A large red hand print was left on his face as Nessa turned and walked out to Gary. "What was that for?" Gary asked her.
"Did you not see Mary just run out of here in tears?" Nessa asked him.
"No!"
"Well soldier boy in there is responsible for it; can you talk to him, see if you can get anything out of him?"
"Yeah!"
"Thanks," Nessa then left and headed to the floor.
Gary walked into Mystique and up to Danny. "Something you wanna talk about marine?"
"No, my problem isn't with you."
"Then who is your problem with?"
"Mary and how she can't just stay with one man!" Danny exclaimed.
"I'm sorry did you not hear anything that I told you before you came in here?"
"I'm gonna kill Luis," Danny started towards the exit of Mystique but was stopped by Gary, "let me go!"
"No!"
The next thing Gary knew blood was dripping from his nose, Danny had punched him!
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gary calmly asked Danny.
"Nothing!" BANG!
Gary punched Danny in his face, causing Danny's nose to bleed!
"What the hell?" Danny exclaimed! "How did you, but you-"
"Yeah well just because I'm gay doesn't mean I can't hit people when I need to, now what the hell is wrong with you?"
"Nothing I just don't want to talk about it!"
"Danny McCoy, Mary Connell just ran out of here with tears streaming down her face and you expect me to not try and get you to talk about it?" Gary replied; both hands on his hips, his eyebrows rose looking down on Danny.
"Something happened, that I don't want to talk about."
"What you mean the fact that you were the only one who survived?"
Danny looked up at Gary confused, "How did you know?"
"Small world isn't it McCoy."
"I should've done something more, something to save the others." Danny completely lost all control and broke down. Tears began pouring out of his eyes like torrential rain and sobs racked his body as if every few seconds an earthquake tore through him. Whatever Gary was getting ready for it wasn't this. Sitting down next to him and putting an arm around Danny's shoulder Gary said.
"Danny there was nothing that you could do, now I think you need to go apologize to Mary."
Danny suddenly looked very vulnerable, still sobbing, but with less tears in his eyes, he made eye contact with Gary, "I can't be dad yet, Gary, I'm not ready. I, I – I can't do it, I won't be able to do it!"
"Danny that is something that Mary and you are going to have to decide for yourselves. I can't make that decision for you and neither can Nessa, nor Ed, nor Sam or Delinda. It's all you and Mary. And Danny, raising a child is an honor; it's a gift that is given to those who feel that they can most likely do it, granted it doesn't always work like this. But Danny you and Mary are meant to be together, you've been best friends for years. Now is the time to take it up a notch. Get married have a family; with the white picket fences and the dog and kids and the Sunday dinners."
"But what if the baby isn't mine?" Danny now looking incredibly worried.
"Don't worry about that Danny, and trust me the baby is yours!"
Something didn't seem write to Danny and then it clicked, "Gary, how did you know about the family and the Sunday dinners that Mary wanted?"
Gary looked at Danny and smiled, "A girl's gotta have somebody to tell her secrets to! Now go on, leave. Mary will probably be back at her place crying on the bed, go!" Gary pointed to the door of Mystique, "Go get her!"
Danny looked back and Gary. "Thank you!"
"Don't worry about it, besides somebody has to give you straight guy's clues on how to treat women! Oh and Danny, chocolate works well!"
A smile broke across Danny's face. "Thanks, I'll uh, keep that in mind!"
Across town Mary Connell was curled up against the door crying, exactly like when she got the letter from Danny. 'How could he be so cold?' She thought berating herself as to what she could have done to soften the aspect of telling her now fiancée that she was pregnant. "Nothing, there was nothing, he asked what was wrong and I answered. That is all there is to it, if he can't handle that then he shouldn't be considered a man!" Mary smiled to herself as she said that out loud.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Mary heard and knocks and felt the vibrations go through the door and into her back. Slowly standing up, she put her eye to the peephole, but something was blocking it, very cautiously she opened the door, but kept the chain on. Mary gasped, this she hadn't expected.
Danny felt an uneasy feeling of déja vu come over him. Standing in the doorway to Mary's place, with a bouquet of red roses and a box of chocolate. It Brought back memories of two nights; probably the best two nights of his life now that he's thinking about it, but his thoughts were interrupted by the door opening and Mary peeking her head out. Then he heard her gasp. The closed again but only briefly as she took the chain off and let him in.
But before he could step inside, she was there standing in the doorway acting as another door. "Danny, I want you to know, I'm pregnant with your child, and nobody else's yours, since you've been gone there has been nobody else!"
"Mary, I'm sorry for the way I acted at dinner. But Mary I don't think I'm ready, not for this; I can't be a father, not yet, damn it Mary we used protection."
Mary looked at Danny and knew he meant it. In his eyes she could see his fear, but she could also see his love for her. "Danny, it's okay. And there is only one way we can handle this, one step at a time, just one. And yes we used protection, but we both know that it isn't 100 effective now and we've been blessed with this chance to raise a child. Danny, I'm not going to be able to do this alone I'm going to need your support for this."
"I know, it's just going to take a while to get used to it," slowly slipping past Mary and into her apartment Danny found a vase to put the flowers, once his task complete he opened the box of chocolate. "May I bribe forgiveness out of you Miss Connell with some chocolate."
Smiling and looking down she replied, "Well, you'll have to follow me first," Turning around and walking slowly into her bedroom she motioned for Danny to follow. Picking up the box of chocolate he followed. When he entered the bedroom, head into the bathroom. Feeling concerned he followed and watched as she attempted to wash the smudged makeup off of her face. Walking up behind her, he took the washcloth from her and gently scrubbed the make up off her face. Once his task was complete, he spun her around and gently pressed his lips to hers in lovingly gentle kiss.
And with that Danny McCoy and Mary Connell went into the bedroom and the rest is now history!
Okay, so I've reworked this chapter a bit…just to allow for the sequel, I know after a god knows how long hiatus from fan fiction. I'm BACK B! And Las Vegas (the show) is the first show I'm set to conquer, so be ready for it!
