A/N: Don't own them, don't sue. See the intro for the standard stuff. This one's just a little on the short side. Thank you to all of you who continually review. I do enjoy hearing from you. It's the only way I know if you're really reading my crazy ramblings.

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Tess stood on the front walk of her parent's house. She looked at the door not really wanting to go in. Tess knew whatever happened next wasn't going to be pleasant. She scuffed her toe in the snow. She felt much calmer after Mass. Not that everything was all angel choirs. She still had a small ember of anger waiting to flare up at Adam for interfering, but she was much more worried about talking to her father. Tess sighed heavily. No use putting off the inevitable. She headed up the walk. Tess' phone rang. Saved by the bell. Kind of.

"Hello, Don." Tess opened the door to the glassed in porch, walked in and took a seat on the glider.

"I'm in Detroit for a layover. I just got yer message. Are ya really okay?"

"Would you like to clarify that?" sighed Tess.

"There is nothing physically wrong with you or the baby," grumbled Don. "I'm not really up fer games, Tess."

"We are both fine. Except for a small bump on my head." Tess could hear Don start to ask, so she quickly continued on. "Really, I'm fine. It didn't break the skin. It just hurts." Tess rocked slowly back and forth. She closed her eyes and leaned back. "I'm sorry you flew out here over nothing."

"How's yer mom?"

"I don't know. I haven't been to the hospital yet this morning. As of last night, she's still on track to get out of ICU today. If she wakes up that is, or they bring her out of sedation. I'm still not clear on that exactly."

"It could be either. I was out for a few days and then was still under sedation," Don stated.

Tess couldn't believe how calmly he had rattled that off. And you keep thinking how crazy things have been for you. Eight months ago Don was the one lying unconscious in a hospital bed. She didn't really want to dwell on that too closely. "How long are you stuck at Metro?"

"'Scuse me?"

"Detroit. Metro Airport. How long are you stuck there?" Tess repeated.

"I dunno. It was supposed to be forty-five minutes, but I missed my connector. I think I'm due out in an hour or so."

Tess snickered. "I could drive up to Detroit and fetch you in that amount of time."

"Yer kiddin'."

"No. Actually, I'm not. Metro Airport is only about fifty miles away. But you paid for a ticket."

"I don't really care about that. Do ya really mean ya can drive here and pick me up?"

"Not any faster than you can fly here." Tess heard the front door open and close. She glanced over and saw her father standing there holding a steaming cup. He sat down on the glider, set the cup on a side table and rocked with Tess. He looked straight forward. "Just a minute. Daddy came out with a cup of something." Tess took the phone from her ear. "Hi, Daddy."

He looked over at Tess. "Go ahead and talk to him. We'll talk when you are done."

"Are you sure?" Her father nodded. Tess picked up the phone. "Don? Are you still there?"

"Was I s'posed ta go somewheres?" Annoyance was very evident in Don's voice. "Nope. Still in the airport here."

Tess sighed. "Do you want me to come up there and pick you up or do you want to fly down here?" she asked slowly.

"Is it okay for ya ta come an' pick me up?"

"I'm not made of glass. I told you everything's okay." Tess' temper started to rise.

"I meant could ya git a car? And would yer family have a problem wit it?" he growled back.

"Oh." She relaxed. "I think so. On the car, that is. As for the other? Who knows? Can I sink lower?"

"Tess, I'm going ta chalk that up ta being stressed. Ya know that's not true."

"So you say. Anyhow. I could probably come up there."

"Then I'd really like ya ta come an' git me."

"Okay. It'll take me a little bit. I need to take a shower and have something to eat."

"I'll get breakfast here while I wait fer ya."

"I'll see you soon, Don. I love you."

"Love ya too, Sweetheart." Tess flipped her phone shut and kept rocking with her hands in her lap.

"I brought you some chicken broth," Tess' father finally said. He picked up the mug and held it out for Tess. "Your mother used to drink a lot of this when she couldn't hold anything else down."

Tess took the mug and sipped it. It was still warm. Just right in fact. "Thank you, Daddy." They both rocked for a little longer. Tess drank the broth. Silence stretched between them.

"You should be getting ready soon. Your...your…" He was unsure what to call Don. "Well, Don will be waiting. We'll talk later. The three of us."

Tess looked down at the empty mug cradled in her hands. "I'm sorry, Daddy."

Tess' father looked over at her. He reached out and tucked some stray hair behind her ear. "Sorry for what, Mezem? This is not exactly how I pictured things, but I've learned this week that we don't always get what we plan." He reached over and squeezed Tess hand. "Maybe your mother will be awake later. She's getting a grandbaby. That is good news." Tess just nodded, tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. He father shook his head, wrapped his arm around her shoulders and puller her next to him. Tess laid her head on his shoulder. "Teresa, I love you. Your mother loves you. I can only guess why you didn't say anything to us sooner. I'm pretty sure I'd be right, but…" He fell back into silence. "Ultimately, Tess, it is your business. And I told your brother as much." Tess sat up and looked at him. A small smile played on his face. "Oh, there was quite an interesting discussion on that subject this morning. I'm pretty sure that Adam is still smarting from it. Stephanie worked him over good."

"Way to go Steph," mumbled Tess.

Her father tried to frown, but failed. "Well, your brother wasn't entirely wrong." Tess just looked away. "He forgets that you're thirty sometimes." He shrugged. "I can't blame him. I forget sometimes too. You need to get going. I'll have you drop me by the hospital and then you can head up to Detroit. Okay?"

"Thank you, Daddy."

He smiled. "I want to meet this man, the father of my grandbaby. I hear tell that he's a Yankee's fan," he added with a wink. "I'll try not to hold that against him."

Tess grinned and rolled her eyes. "He roots for the Rangers too."

Tess' father shook his head sadly. "Well, I guess somebody has too. At least he likes sports. Not like… Anyway, go on now." Tess kissed her father's cheek and went into the house. Her father sat rocking and staring out into the street.

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