Took me a bit longer to write this. Mainly because I wanted to wait for the last episode and also the last Nico files. this chapter might contain SPOILERS to some extend. Not too many, not too much, but you'll see. Just wanted to warn you.

Thank you so much for the great reviews, I hope you keep them coming. I love hearing your thoughts on this. It might give me ideas as well ;)

Chapter 3: Nico(s) touching

Since Jeanette had come back Dani had forgotten all about her problems with Nico. She had focused more on her relationship with Matt and her friendship with Jeanette. It was easier that way and also she had barely seen Nico around. Since the new general manager was in place he seemed always gone. T.K. had told her that he had invited Nico to dinner for something he had helped him with. He hadn't been very specific and Dani knew that Nico had most likely sworn TK to secrecy.

Matt was off on another assignment the new manager had for him and she and Jeanette had decided to go out for dinner. They had barely entered the restaurant when her friend grasped Dani's arm and stage whispered :" Isn't that tall, dark and mysterious over there?"

Dani followed her eyes and found Nico sitting at a table in a corner, having dinner while he read something on his Ipad.

"Yes, but let's not go over there," Dani requested.

"Why not? Trouble in paradise because you're with Matt?" Jeanette grinned cheekily. Dani knew she would lose this battle with her friend or dish everything that she thought she knew- but she wasn't so sure she wanted her friend to analyze the situation. She didn't know Nico and she didn't know what kind of man he was and so it would only be too easy to mistake his most recent behavior for jealousy, when Dani was sure it was something else.

"Fine, let's go over and say hello," Dani sighed and didn't miss the surprise on her friends face at her sudden change of mind. Then however she smiled brightly and walked ahead of Dani to Nico's table.

"Hello there Mr. Mystery man," Jeanette greeted him and Nico slowly looked up. He looked surprised at first but recovered in a split second and his face first became expressionless, then it changed to friendly but reserved Nico.

"Good evening Ms. Fiero," he said with a small smile and nodded as he got up. "Doctor," he nodded in Dani's direction once he towered over them.

"Hi Nico," Dani replied and smiled back at him.

"Seems like you were also in the mood of Mexican tonight," Jeanette took over once again and even flirted a bit with Nico.

"I am in the mood for Mexican every Friday," Nico confirmed with a smile and seemed to flirt right back in his subtle Nico ways.

"So Tuesdays it's Italian, Fridays Mexican," Dani spoke up and included herself in the conversation again before they really started to flirt and would forget she was there.

"Something like that," he replied with the same smile. Then it changed a bit, to more reserved and he took a step closer to his chair again. " Enjoy your dinner ladies," he said and it was obvious that he had just dismissed them and wanted to sit back down. Dani felt both relieved and disappointed and fought hard to keep her smile in place as she opened her mouth to say goodbye. Jeanette was faster however.

"Oh, we can't leave you here all by yourself. You don't mind, don't you?" she said and had sat down before Nico could reply. He let out a breath of resignation , which didn't go unnoticed by Dani and caused her to feel another stab in her chest. What was going on that Nico didn't want her around anymore?

"Of course not," Nico said as he sat down as well. Dani remained standing and contemplated for a second where she should sit down. There were two empty chairs left at the table. One next to Jeanette, the other next to Nico. Her first instinct was to sit down next to Jeanette, because it felt safer and less awkward. Then however she thought about the fact that she would have to sit across from Nico all evening and that felt even weirder. So, she took the seat next to Nico, opposite of Jeanette, so she could talk to her friend while blocking out the guy next to her.

Nico waved the waiter over once they were all seated. " Two red wines and one water," he ordered, "and the menus for the ladies , please."

"Your usual, sir?" the waiter asked referring to the wine.

"Yes, Hernando," Nico nodded and the waiter was off again.

"You always know what others want?" Jeanette was back to flirting with him.

"No, but I know that pregnant women shouldn't drink," Nico deadpanned and while Jeanette gaped at him in disbelieve, Dani started laughing.

"What..how... who?" Jeanette stuttered and couldn't believe that he knew that she was pregnant when she had known for only two days.

"You bought the test with the good doctors business credit card, since you forgot yours in Spain, I assume. Lindsay doesn't have a boyfriend at the moment and from what else I have seen it's highly unlikely that it was for the doctor herself so that leaves only you," Nico enlightened her. As he spoke Dani stopped laughing and blushed bright red when she realized that not only Nico had to know that she had got a prescription for the pill from the doctor, paid by the Hawks, but since Matt paid everything with his credit card sponsored by the Hawks, he must know about the condoms, too. How awkward was that!

"Remind me to talk to you about this later," she muttered in his direction, a threat swinging in her voice.

"I told you what a check for first round picks includes. Doctors and staff is considered first round picks," Nico shrugged and thanked the waiter when he brought their drinks.

"Have you already decided what you want to eat?" the young man asked and both Dani and Jeanette placed their orders.

"So, Nico, what have you been up to? I haven't seen you around Dani's since I am back," Fiero asked.

"I've been busy. Lots of changes at the Hawks," he said without giving too much away.

"Yes, professionally and personally, I hear," Jeanette giggled in Dani's direction, who only rolled her eyes. Nico didn't reply at all, but just took a sip of his red wine.

"How long will you stay?" he asked her then. While Nico interviewed her friend without that she even realized it Dani listened intently to the conversation and tried to hear the things Nico wasn't saying. He knew his way around Spain and Europe and Dani realized that he must have been there already. He knew certain restaurants and places and in a way you only know when you've been there in person. She also noticed that he cleverly avoided answering any of Jeanette's questions while she tried to flirt him into giving out information. However he didn't give anything away, not even if he had been there or how long he had stayed in Spain. Dani knew that Nico only gave information, no matter how small and insignificant, out to people he knew and trusted. She had realized it last week when she had found the coach drunk in his office and he had let it slip that Nico had found him pretty much in the same state the night before and had driven him home. He had mentioned Nico singing and had told her the story about Nico and the Mellow Ds. Afterwards he had sworn her to secrecy, because even in his intoxicated brain he had known he was in trouble if Nico ever found out he had told her the story. Dani had kept a close eye on the coach and had talked to him the next day when he had been sober. As far as she knew he hadn't had a drink since then.

"Matt told us you handcuffed TK today," Dani heard Jeanette say and realized they must have changed the topic.

"Oh, did he," Nico said, making it apparent that her boyfriend wasn't his favorite person.

"And TK told me that it wasn't the first time. Something you want to share, Nico?" Dani used the opportunity to tease him with one raised eyebrow.

"Their pranks had gotten out of control and TK always needs to learn the hard way," he shrugged unimpressed and didn't comment on her allusion.

"TK stopped because you handcuffed him?" Dani asked disbelievingly and snorted.

"He gave me cigars as a present later," Nico tried to fool her, but Dani saw right through him, because his eyes twinkled in amusement. There was more to this story.

"And? Did they explode?" she asked with a smile as she turned in her seat so she could see him better.

"No, they did not, neither did the box," he shook his head and smiled back.

"But?" she dragged the word out and kept the eye connection with him.

"There was a banana stuck in my exhaust and there was a guy with a mask and an ice hokey stick lying on my back seat, " he admitted.

"I knew it" Dani exclaimed and placed her hand on his arm conspiratorially.

"I caught it both before though," Nico clarified, his smile gone and he pulled his arm away. Dani's smile wavered, but she tried to keep it in place even when he rejected her that way.

"Your dinner," the waited interrupted them and placed the plates in front of Dani and Jeanette, while Nico started eating his salad again.

"Oh, that looks delicious," Dani said to break the awkward silence and kept her eyes on her friend.

"Yeah, but the smell..." Jeanette pressed out and then darted from the table in direction of the toilettes.

"Seems like the baby doesn't like fish," Dani muttered, feeling sorry for her friend as well as feeling annoyed and awkward because she was alone with Nico.

"What are you thinking of TK's sudden recovery?" Nico asked her and switched back to save business-related topics.

"I'm glad he's feeling better, but something tells me that there's more to it," she shrugged, not really keen on discussing her job on a free night.

"He's been eating his pain killers like candy," Nico shocked her by saying.

"What? Is the coach aware of that?"

"No, but your boyfriend is, he's been getting him the prescriptions from the doctor," Nico told her, annoyance more than clear in his voice.

"I'm sure he isn't aware what this could lead to," she defended Matt.

"He's been in the sports business for too long to not know it. But his job is to keep the team up and running and as assistant manager even more so. He's making good career choices, " Nico made his point clear without spelling it out. He believed that Matt put his career before the well being of the players. She didn't want to believe it.

"He's helping the Hawks and he is successful with his buying strategies," she tried to argue Matt's case again.

"He's bypassing and betraying the coach, putting unnecessary pressure on the players and ultimately hurting the team," Nico didn't hold back this time.

"Then why don't you stop him like you used to?" she hissed at him. It was that or yelling.

"Because right now with the new general manager applied by the league, I'm in no position to ... at least not without ruining his career forever and hurting other people," Nico said insistently and the way he looked at her made it clear that with "other people" he meant her.

"I'll talk to him," she said as her eyes softened and once again her hand was placed on his arm. This time however he didn't pull away, but allowed her to get lost in his eyes for a moment.

"Dani, I think I'll go home. I don't feel that well," Jeanette burst their bubble a second later when she swayed back to the table.

"Ok, then let's get you home," Dani said and got up, removing her hand from Nico's arm.

"No, you stay and enjoy your dinner. I'll take a cab," Jeanette protested.

"I'm not leaving you alone right now, girlfriend. I will just take dinner home with me and re-heat it," Dani insisted, also because after she realized that she had actually got lost in Nico's eyes, she knew she shouldn't be alone with him and red wine.

"Feel better ," Nico told her after he had once again waved over the waiter and the young man had brought back Dani's food in a takeout box.

"Thank you, Nico," Jeanette replied meekly.

"We should talk about all this, Nico. We have to find a way to help TK," Dani said .

"I will find a way," he assured her and dismissed her at the same time.

"See you tomorrow," she said and made it clear that the discussion wasn't over.

"See you tomorrow, Doctor," he smiled knowingly, amused that she insisted on this. He shook his head slightly as he watched her walk away with her friend and knew that he had to do something. He couldn't go on like that... all this couldn't go on like that.

The next day Dani drove to the Hawks facility as soon as she could. She and Nico needed a strategy how to get TK off the painkillers, how to do damage control because of the new general manager and how to help the coach and Matt to get along. Dani knew Matt didn't mean any harm, he just wanted to help as much as she did, he only had a different opinion on how to help than Nico or the coach.

She entered the office building and made a bee line around Matt's office, because she didn't want to get distracted by him. And he was very good at distracting her, she thought with a smile.

Then however she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Nico coming out of his office with a woman she hadn't seen before. She was dressed in a black, tight etui dress and a grey jacket. Her long dark curls were falling loosely over her shoulders as she walked in front of Nico out of his office, an amused smile on her face that mirrored the one that Nico wore. She was beautiful. The realization didn't disturb Dani too much, because she was too distracted by the way her breath had got stuck in her throat. She pressed herself into the nearest corner so they wouldn't see her. When they had passed her and Dani tried breathing again it brought tears to her eyes because it hurt too much. Her chest was too tight all of a sudden, her throat was closed and her eyes stung. Dani slumped against the wall behind her. Nico had called the beauty Vera and he had his hand placed on her lower back while they walked out. Dani knew Nico and she knew that he had to have a connection with this Vera. She hated that woman. And she hated him, for what she wasn't sure yet. She couldn't analyze her own feelings right then, because she was hurting too much to even think.

TBC