I still don't own Dirty Dancing or any of it's characters, blah blah blah…

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Chapter 4

"Honey have you seen my cufflinks?" Scott called down to me from up in the bedroom.

"I think I saw them on the dresser," I yelled back.

After several moments of silence I called up again, "did you find them?"

"Yeah thanks!"

"Hurry up alright, we're going to be late."

"I'll be down in a minute!"

After his final call I sat in the living room waiting for him to come down. I couldn't believe that ten years had already passed since that unforgettable summer at Kellerman's with Johnny, in some ways it only felt like a few days and in some ways like an eternity. After I'd found out that I was pregnant in my first year at Mt. Holyoke I thought my life was over, I'd tried for months to get in contact with Johnny with no success and was finally forced to face the reality of raising a child alone. At first I'd decided to drop out of school and move back home but Daddy wouldn't hear of it, he insisted that I continue on with my studies and make something of myself so I would be able to provide for the child that was growing inside me. I'd managed pretty well up until my water broke on my way to class one warm and sunny May morning. The school nurse had rushed me to the hospital where I remained for the next few days and when I was finally allowed to go home Scott was the first to be at my side to help.

I couldn't believe how great he'd been through all of it, I mean I was pregnant with another mans child and he'd been nothing but sweet to me about it. I think most men would've turned and ran the moment they found out, but not Scott, he was the perfect gentleman and had been by my side every step of the way.

Once Daniel had been born daddy arranged for a nanny to come to my apartment during the day to take care of him while I was in school. That was another shock for me, I couldn't believe how great daddy had been about it all. I mean he'd never been a fan of Johnny's, that was no secret. So I thought he'd be furious when he found out about my situation, but in fact it had been quite the opposite. I mean I think he was disappointed and all, as any parent would be, but he'd handled it really well and had been there for me through it all, and ever since, little Danny had become an extremely important part of my parents life.

Scott and I were married the July of '67 just shortly after we'd graduated. I was 21 by then and really looking forward to finally having some time to spend at home with Danny, he was growing up so fast and I felt like I was missing it all by being in school all the time. Scott had been brought on by one of the most successful law firms in New York City right after graduation and they'd arranged our entire move for us, even setting us up in an apartment in Manhattan. Things couldn't have been more perfect, although in the back of my mind I'd always secretly wished that I had been able to tell Johnny about the little miracle we'd created together.

Danny grew up before my very eyes and I was always amazed how smart and talented he was in so many areas, the most important being dance. Although it wasn't really a surprise, I was still amazed at his natural instinct for it, he just seemed to know things, and it all came so natural to him. By age nine he was already at the top of his dance class and his teacher couldn't stop raving about him, she knew he would go far, just as I did.

Although Scott and I had never had any children of our own he'd always treated Danny like his own flesh and blood. Early on, Scott and I had decided not to tell Danny about Johnny until he was old enough to understand, so as far as he was concerned Scott was his daddy and that was all he needed to know.

"Ok, I'm ready," Scott finally emerged from the stairway dressed in his black tuxedo, white dress shirt and black bowtie, he looked so handsome he nearly took my breath away.

"Wow, definitely worth the wait!" I exclaimed, knocking myself out of my day dreamy state and coming back to reality from being so absorbed in my walk down memory lane.

"Is everything alright?" Scott asked as he came up beside me laying a gentle kiss on my cheek.

"Fine," I smiled back, "let's get going or we're going to be late for our own anniversary party."

He smiled back at me wrapping my long black coat around my shoulders, "can you believe it's been six years already?"

"Six of the happiest years of my life," I replied smiling back at him and placing a light kiss on his lips, "I just hope we'll be this happy for the next six."

"That's a promise Baby," he grinned, "that's a promise."

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"Somebody help us!" I screamed as loud as I possibly could but it still only seemed to come out as a mere whisper amongst all the noise around me. "Please," I pleaded, "you have to help him."

"Maam, we're doing all that we can, you just need to sit still and let the paramedics work, you need to let them do their job."

I looked up into the eyes of the fireman hovering over me, his face was stern but comforting at the same time and I could tell that he was serious about me keeping quiet. Tears began to stream down my cheeks as I sat there unable to move, my neck ached and my legs felt so cold I could barely move them. The most movement I could manage was simply tilting my head to the side hoping to just get a glimpse of Scott in the seat next to me and when I finally did I almost wished I hadn't. Blood was splattered all over the windshield of the car and was smeared hideously over the steering wheel, Scotts arms hung limply at his sides while his head rested back against the blood soaked headrest. I let out a tiny gasp of anguish at the site of the man I loved sitting motionless beside me, "maam please sit still," the fireman asked softly as he cut my seatbelt causing it to slump down in my lap.

"Please," I pleaded, trying to hold still and let him work, "please help him."

"We're doing all we can maam," I heard the fireman's words at first sharp and clear but then almost as sudden as they began, they faded till I almost couldn't hear them anymore and then before I knew it, then entire world disappeared into blackness.

The next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed, I tried to open my eyes groggily staring across the room at what I could only make out as a shadow sitting the chair against the wall, "ma?" I asked dazedly.

"Oh Baby thank god!" I heard the relief in my mothers' voice as she stood and walked quickly to my bedside, "we've been so worried," she gasped, grabbing my hand causing me to wince in pain, "oh Baby I'm sorry," she apologized laying my hand gently down on the bed.

"What happened mamma?" I asked in confusion not being able to recall the events of the past few hours.

"Just rest now sweetie, we can talk later alright?" I could tell by the sound of her voice that she was hiding something, something wasn't right and I knew she was keeping it from me, I needed to know what it was or I'd never be able to rest.

"Ma what's wrong? What aren't you telling me?"

I stared blankly into my mothers tear filled eyes and waited for an explanation that I somehow knew I didn't want to hear. Finally she sighed, and uttered some of the scariest words I'd ever heard in my life, "I'm sorry Baby."

"Oh god!" I breathed barely able to contain my horror at what she wasn't saying, "no Mamma no!" I shrieked as the tears began to fill my eyes and stream down my face.

"I'm sorry Baby," she repeated barely able to speak through her sobs, "but there was an accident, you and Scott were on your way home from the anniversary party and…"

Her words trailed off to a deafening silence leaving me no other option but to ask, "Ma where's Scott?"

"Oh Baby," she whispered leaning over to hug me tightly, "he didn't make it honey, he's gone."

I didn't reply, my hysterical sobs had completely overtaken me so I couldn't even think straight.

"Oh honey, it'll be ok," my mother tried her best to comfort me but it was hard being that she was in so much grief herself at that moment, "your family will be there for you, we'll pull you through."

I continued to sob hysterically into my mothers arms, I felt as though my heart had been shattered into a million pieces in an instant and didn't believe that anything in the entire world could ever repair it. Scott had been my entire world up until that moment and I hadn't ever imagined my life without him, just the thought of going on alone was too scary to fathom, I'd just as soon wallow in self pity for the rest of my days.

But then my mother said something that completely snapped me out of my hysterical state, "Baby you need to be strong honey," she patted me lightly on the back, "you have to be strong for Danny, he'll need you more than ever now."

After hearing that comment I knew she was right, Danny was the most important thing now and I had to be strong for him. I took a deep breath in trying to put on my bravest face and replied, "you're right ma, I know you're right," but my tears continued to come, as hard as I tried I truly didn't know if I was going to be able to be that strong through this. Scott was my rock, he always had been, I'd never had to worry about being the strong one 'cause that was always his job and he was good at it. But now it was up to me and I just had to keep telling myself that or I'd never be able to make it on my own, I'd never be able to continue to raise Danny the way he deserved to be brought up. And I absolutely had to do that, I needed to do that, for him, he would be my reason to go on. My reason to fight. My reason to live.