"Mum I'm worried about dad!" Lexi whispered as he passed. "He was in the surgery with Josh and I swear I thought he was gonna kill him. I mean LITERALLY kill him! Honestly he had this weird look on his face like he'd completely lost it!"

Alice looked at Ethan.

"Don't worry about Danny honey. He's fine. He probably misunderstood what was said. He's abit stressed out at the minute that's all." and no doubt Josh had exacerbated the situation!

"Do you need me to sort you a bag for hospital?" Alice asked.

"No mum it's ok I did. Or me and Ethan did. I need more pyjamas tops with bottoms down the front. The drip goes below my collar bone so it'll be easier if I have buttons." Lexi said.

"Ok baby I'll sort it." Alice told her.

"It's not hurry I've got like 4 and Ethan gave me a couple of his old shirts not that I'd wear them. Just saves you running around and washing them all the time."

Danny appeared at the door. All 3 people looked at him. He wore a funny look on his face. Sort of like aloof but at the same time he looked angry. He was twitching too, his hands. And Danny never twitched.

"Ethan can we talk?" he asked politely.

Everyone looked at each other at his tone.

Ethan got up. Alice put her hand on his wrist. He looked at her smiled and winked. She nodded slightly

"Sure Danny."

"Thank you." he replied in his polite tone.

Danny and Ethan walked outside. The voice in Danny's head fired questions at him to ask. Be quiet be quiet be quiet! He thought angrily.

They stopped on the veranda. Ethan jammed his hands in his pockets.

"I thought we could talk about what happened last night. Of course I couldn't mention this in front of Alice and Lexi."

"Of course!" Ethan agreed.

"You mentioned you saw Alice being attacked by Tristan."

"Yeah." Ethan replied.

"You never mentioned how."

"Didn't I?" Ethan asked evasively.

"No." Danny scrutinised him.

"When I got there he had Alice against a wall. Said if she didn't tell him where Lex was he'd hurt her and the baby I stepped in."

"And how did Alice end up on the floor?"

"I lost my temper, we fought. Alice tried to stop it. He hit her. She fell to the floor. As I was bent over her he grabbed my head and hit it off the operating table."

Danny nodded like it made perfect sense. Took a step towards him. "Now how about we try for the truth huh?" he asked coldly. The voice was screaming at him to lose it. To throw Ethan against the wall. Demand answers why is he lying. Lies lies lies! It screamed. BE QUIET! Danny shouted mentally.

"So I'm a liar then?" Ethan asked just as coldly.

"Yes, and I wanna know why. Unless you heard something you shouldn't!"

Ethan frowned. "Like?"

"You tell me!" Danny said.

"I have no idea what your talking about!" Ethan said innocently.

"I know Josh was with Alice."

Danny watched Ethan's face for any change. He was completely calm his face betrayerd nothing.

"Not while I was there!"

"Don't lie. He told me he saw you!" Danny snapped breathing heavily. Calm Danny calm down yeah!

"You believe him over me?" Ethan asked insulted.

"In this matter yes. He has no reason to lie. You might have!"

"What the hell you on about, he has every reason to lie!"

"Tell me Ethan." Danny warned.

"I have."

"I meant the truth!"

"Your not interrogating me like this!" Ethan said angrily.

"I wouldn't have to if you told me the truth!"

"What exactly did he tell you?" Ethan asked.

"I'll tell you what he said when you tell me what went on."

"I already have." Ethan said calmly.

"No Ethan you haven't so quit lying and tell me what you heard!" Danny yelled.

Ethan's face turned hard and his eyes turned cold. "Don't shout in my face like that. If your trying to convince me to tell you anything it won't happen if you do that OK!"

"Tell me then!" Danny said coldly.

Ethan looked Danny in the eye. "No." he said simply.

He went to walk away. "Tell me Ethan." Danny grabbed his wrist.

That's right the voice said lose your temper. You know you want to!

Ethan shook his head. "You wanna know ask someone else!" he yanked his wrist away. "Your losing it Danny. Pull it together yeah!" Ethan walked away.

Danny shook his head and out his face in his hands. Sat on a chair. If you'd pushed him far enough he would have told you. Your not assertive enough. Your not a man. You should have battered Josh for what he said Danny! Then he'd never do it again. And your kids don't respect you. Lying and hiding things! Alice too. the voice mocked him.

"Oh God shut up!" he muttered it was muffled in his hands.

Alice walked out onto the veranda and saw Danny's face in his hands. He was sat on a chair. She walked over to him.

"You ok honey?" she put her hand on his back.

He jumped and exhaled a breath. "My nerves are shot!" he told her quietly.

He raked his hands through his hair.. She sat beside him and lifted his arm, snuggled into his side.

"Alice I think I'm going insane. Genuinely cracking up!" he said seriously.

She moved back and looked at is face. "Danny honey you'll be fine."

"Alice I'm really not fine. I attacked Josh and I was erratic and nearly aggressive around Ethan just coz he wouldn't tell me something." he looked around and lowered his voice. "I hear voices in my head. Taunting me. Telling me what to do. What to say! Honestly I think I'm mentally unstable. I'm scared I'm gonna snap!" he rubbed his eyes with his fingers then rested his palm on his forehead. His expression was one of complete worry.

"What brought this on?" she asked.

He looked at her then shook his head. "Nothing in particular."

"What did he say to you?"

"Who?" Danny asked.

"Don't mess me around. The only person who makes you so mad you lose it completely is Josh. Now you tell me your cracking up. And you've been restraining yourself so much recently. I'm not stupid Danny."

He was silent for a moment. Gazed into her deep ocean blue eyes. "He told me that you wanted him in the surgery last night and offered….favours for his bone marrow."

Alice jumped away from him. "Are you believed him?" she asked incredulous. Her blue eyes were filled with pain. She felt ill.

"Of course I don't. I know you'd never do that to me! I know you'd never put yourself through it. I went to swing for him when he mentioned it. What is getting to me more is the fact that Ethan is lying to me about it."

He hit his fist off the bench. Then looked at it shocked.

"See what I mean Alice. I didn't even know I was gonna do that till I did it. I'm acting on impulse at the minute. My restraint is all gone. What happens if I hit one of the kids?"

"Your not capable of that Danny! We're safe with you!"

He rubbed his face. "Tell me what happened Alice. Please I need to know!"

"With you like this? I can't! like you said you've lost all control. If I tell you what happened you'll go kick off and go down there and it'll wreck everything." she stood up. "So I can't."

"Alice not knowing is making me worse!" he said frustrated.

"Not knowing is best for you in your current state of mind!"

He stood up. "What happened to all your secrets and lies crap. So you can keep secrets but I can't?"

"Calm down honey." she said softly.

"No I won't you're a hypocrite. You wanna practice what you preach Alice!"

"O you wanna start trading insults. How about you had no reason to keep that stuff from me. I have a reason. You keep telling me your cracking up and you want me to give you even more stuff so send you insane! You wanna know so badly fine! He told me unless I was nice to him he wouldn't give Lexi his bone marrow. And he would beat me up and leave me and Daniel for dead. Does it make you feel better knowing now DOES IT?" she stormed into the house and slammed the front door.

Danny stood there he knew it! He fists slowly clenched. He has gone too far! That's it Danny keep the anger stroke it make it burn hotter till it consumes you. You wanted to kill him since the first time he touched her at 15. You've got your chance go down and hurt him. Badly. It'll make you feel better. He felt himself walk mechanically to the top of the stairs.

Ethan opened the front door. Stood at the doorway.

"Danny." he said.

Danny shook his head, like he'd been in a trance and looked at Ethan.

"You were better off not knowing. No good can come of you knowing." Ethan said softly

"Leave me alone Ethan!" Danny told him.

"I can't." he said.

"Why?"

"Coz judging by the look on your face as soon as I leave you'll be down there to kick his face in!"

"He deserves it!" danny said angrily.

"Oh he deserves that and more but prick your ears Daniel. He told me if you found out what happened down there he'd withhold his bone marrow. So if you mention one word. Lay one finger on him he won't do it! He's got you exactly where he wants you. Between a rock and a hard place. He's messing with you head and your letting him. Your playing straight into his hands!"

"He's got it coming after what he said!" Danny paced the veranda like a caged lion.

"Sticks and stones danny."

"More like trees and boulders!"

"He's winning you Danny. This is all a big game to him! He doesn't care about lexi. He's trying to destroy you. What I don't understand is why your letting him. You don't even see it either. Another thing I don't understand is why he's even here coz he has no intention of giving Lexi his bone marrow! I've been wracking my brain trying to figure it out!" he shook his head realising he'd gone off track. "Anyway Danny sort it out, tough it out! Fair enough your losing it but don't show him that. He's getting far too much satisfaction!"

Danny stopped pacing and looked at Ethan. "I'm sorry about before Ethan." he exhaled. "But you are right I'm losing it!"

"Well toughen up! Lexi needs her dad strong! How is she supposed to deal with what she's going through when she sees her dad coming apart at the seams! Do it for your baby Danny!"

Ethan saw Danny's back straighten and his face return to normal.

"God your right. With everything that's happened I forgot what she's going through. This isn't about ME! It's about her! Thank you Ethan."

Danny hugged him tight.

"Thank God you're here to remind me of the important stuff huh? I love you son."

"Don't worry about it Danny!"

A/N danny is bk to normal but for how long hmmmm will he snap eventually? keep reading to find out x