The hours after Danny had opened his eyes felt dreamlike, as if stuck between the real realm and his subconscious. Nothing the same, nothing felt like it as if it belonged to him. His voice was rough and his accent had changed, now it was average and low. Words took longer to form and his speech was slow. The initial tests said that as the brain healed his symptoms would be less, but waiting was the difficult part. The right side of his body was weak, barely able to lift his arm on his own, the sensation of pins and needles covered the skin causing him to gasp at sudden movements. Days of tests seemed endless as he was wheeled back and forth between departments of the hospital as Dr. Reese did her best to get a clear opinion on his recovery.

Two days later, after having yet another MRI, he found himself being wheeled back into his room, only to find it completely empty for the first time since he had woken up. Relief washed over him as a smile came to his lips. Locking the wheels of his chair, the nurse moved around him, getting ready to assist him back into his hospital bed. Putting his hand softly on her forearm, she looked up at him in surprise. Noticing he was trying to form words, she stopped what she was doing and waited for him to speak, instead he simple shook his head.

"You'd like to stay here?" She asked.

"Can you unlock... the wheel's, please?" He asked slowly as he trained with mouth to move with his brain.

"Sure. Hit the call button if you need anything?" She said pointing to the button beside the bed. "Would you like some water?" She asked before readying herself to leave the room. Shaking his head again, he smiled at her as she turned and left the room, leaving him completely alone in the center of the room.

Over the past couple months, there hadn't been a lot of time for him to sit and think. Really think. With most of his energy being spent on getting healthy, the future never paid him much notice. He had forgotten to dream about the things he was looking forward to in life. Though he was half the man he used to be, or so he thought, he knew that he needed to think about what he still had and not about what he has lost.

Taking a deep breath and holding on to what energy he had left, he pulled his feet along the floor, walking himself and the chair towards the window of his hospital room. It was spring, his favourite time of the year, a time when the world was fresh with a new season and a new start. The sun was high above the city and was warm through the window shades. Opening up the blinds, he sat in the sun letting it soak into his skin. Outside his window, he looked down and saw a little girl and a little boy playing tag in the grassy area beside the parking lot. Ducking behind trees and benches, they chased each other all the while laughing and yelling back and forth. Watching them a smile cast itself over his face and he thought of Rebecca. One day when she was big enough, she too would be running around with her blond curls in pig tails playing with her friends. The happiness she'll have in her life, and the memories they'd share brought a tear to his eye. This time however, they were tears of joy. They were tears for the moments he'd get to share with her.

"We're waiting on his latest MRI before we can make any decisions, but the outlook is good." Dr. Reese explained to Lindsay as they walked into the room together, taking Danny out of his happy moment. Turning to see them at the door, he noticed them looking at the bed finding it empty, clearing his throat he wiped the tears from his eyes as their eyes they noticed him.

"Danny, how are you feeling?" Dr. Reese asked as she walked to him, pulling a chair and sitting across from him beside the window.

"Good." He said slowly, wishing he would show them that he was good. He was happy, but his face told them different. Lindsay stood behind him massaging his shoulders.

"You seem to be doing very well. As the swelling subsides you should have an easier time with words. It may take some time though." She explained with a hopeful smile.

"It's getting... easier." He said forcing his mouth into a smile.

"I can see that. In two days you have made great progress." She smiled as Lindsay kissed the top of his head.

"Becca?" He asked looking up at Lindsay behind him.

"She's with your Mom." She explained squeezing his shoulder.

"I want... to see her." He stuttered out. Not seeing his daughter much in the past two days has begun to drag on him. Never before did he realize how much he loved and needed his family before now.

"Your Mom is going to bring her by in an hour or so, but I'll call her and tell her you are awake now." Lindsay smiles as she kisses his cheek and leaves the room to do so.

"Danny, I really want to let you know how sorry I am." Dr. Reese said softly, as Danny offered a confused look. "I feel I could have prevented this long recovery by being more thorough on your previous check ups. I'm sorry I didn't catch this sooner." Danny could tell she was truly hurting.

Sitting forward in his chair, he reached forward with his good hand and placed it softly on top of hers. "Thank... you." He said as his tongue caught in his mouth. Confused momentarily, he continued. "For saving... my life." He smiled the best he could.

"You're welcome." She excepted his thanks, and put a hand over his and held it tight. As a tear formed in her eye, she shook it off and wiped it with her free hand. "Sorry, I normally don't get so attached." She admitted with an awkward laugh. Danny couldn't help but smile as she shook off her emotions.

"Me neither." He said softly.

"Let's work on getting you out of this hospital and home to your baby? What do you say?" She said in a chipper tone reaching out her hand to shake his. Danny began to laugh giving her an enthusiastic nod.

"Deal!" He said with a smile as he reached out and shook her hand.

It's funny how fast time moves by. Minutes melting into hours and pass into days, before you notice months go by. It had become clear to Danny that things in life are not always perfect, and that they do not always go as planned. At the moment, he sat comfortably at his desk chair, looking at his computer before him, in awe of what he was seeing. The photos of his daughter over time, from a tiny baby in Lindsay's arms at the hospital, taken by her God Father Uncle Flack, to the day she began to crawl, he sat smiling at the memories, wondering where the time went.

Growing up, he was always close to his parents. Always knowing that they could trust him, it was never easy to lie. When he got sick he knew that they would find out eventually but he couldn't bring himself to tell them himself. The brain tumor damaged more then just his soft tissue, but it had forever changed the friendships and relationships with every person he knew. His best friend became more protective, Lindsay had become more invested with every ache and pain he had mentioned or hadn't mentioned for that matter. He acted like he didn't notice the side glances when he struggled, or the look of fear when he rubbed his temple with a headache. The worry they shared was a new constant in his life, something he had grown used to over the past couple of months.

One thing that remained the same, was the love his beautiful daughter. Being far to young to understand that her Daddy was sick, the snuggles stayed the same. In his time of recovery whenever he had a bad day, Lindsay would simply pass her off to him, letting them sleep peacefully on the couch together. The soft breaths of his daughter against his chest caused any pain to diminish, disappear as if it never even happened. She was his reason to live, to survive, and to dream.

"What are you looking at?" Lindsay said, startling him out of his day dreams.

"Just looking at Becca." He said calming his breathing, as Lindsay wrapped her arms around his neck from behind him.

"You do know it's five-thirty in the morning, right?" She asked kissing his neck.

"Couldn't sleep." Closing his eyes he turned around in his chair, facing his wife.

"You alright? You don't have any-" Pushing his finger over her lips, he stopped her before she even got a chance to start.

"I'm fine." He smiled, pulling her down into his lap. "I was just thinking about everything and I thought I'd look back over the past year."

"It was a pretty dramatic year." She smiled and kissed him softly.

"We did good though, right?" He asked moving his hands around her waist.

"We did good." She said kissing him again. Pulling her arms around his neck, she brought him into her only intensifying the kiss.

"I love you." He whispered tasting her tongue entangled in his.

"I love you." She replies, Danny smiles into her mouth loving that fact that she didn't say 'too' afterwards, making it mean more to him.

Danny's hands began to trace lines down her spine, as her t-shirt (that was actually his) began to feel suffocating. Pulling it up over her head, he kissed the soft skin on her chest as the air in her lungs came in shorter supply.

"I miss you." She says through a moan, as he worked his mouth around the nape of her neck.

"I'm not going anywhere." He whispered as he lifted her hips so her knees were on either side of his.

"Promise me?" She asked pulling his face up so he could look into her eyes. "Promise me you won't leave?" She knew the question wasn't rational, she didn't care.

"I promise. I'm here, for good." He said as he kissed her slowly. The speed in which they started was forgotten as they sat in their living room with Lindsay half naked, really and truly enjoying each others presence. Feeling her heart beating against his chest, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Squeezing him tight she rested her head against his chest; standing up he held her tight as Lindsay wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her to the bedroom.

Having his strength back after six months of recovery since his final surgery, he was beginning to feel more like the man she had fallen in love with. It was going to take more then a brain tumor and a mild stroke to take him down. His life was perfect, even if he wasn't, he couldn't ask for more then that. Smiling at his love in his arms, he kicked his bedroom door shut behind him, ready for his life to start again.

THE END

I fully resisted the urge to say "And they lived happily ever after"

Just so everyone knows, I was going to have him die, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I hope everyone liked the outcome. Constructive reviews are very much appreciated. Please feel free to tell me what you thinked, what parts you liked and what you didn't!

Thanks for reading!

Trix