There are going to be ups and downs with these two over the next few chapters as they begin to figure out what they both need and how much they are willing to risk with their feelings.

I have an idea for the next chapter that will lighten things up a little. I think that these two are in need of a laugh or two, hopefully you will agree!

"Dr. Santino, I don't suppose I could have a word with you?"

Upon arriving at the hospital, Dani had been taken in to see Ryan. The room was quiet, with the exception of the beeping of the various machines used to monitor his vitals. She knew he was over 6ft tall, but he looked smaller and younger than she had remembered and so very still.

Dr. Bentley, The Hawks Team Dr. had come in to chat with Dani. While the injuries were pretty bad, there was every expectation that he would recover in time. Dani asked if his parents had been notified. Dr. Bentley looked down at the file he was holding.

"Yes. Nico's already called them. He sent Xeno to NJ to pick them up and bring them here, probably figured they were in no state to drive.

Dani turned her attention back to Ryan. He was only 25 years old. A child really, at least to her. For a moment she let herself think of how she would be if the call had come in and it had been about Ray Jay or Lindsay. Without even realizing she put her hand protectively on her stomach and took a deep breath. It was going to be a long night.

When Nico got the hospital and saw Dani's silver SUV in the parking lot he let out a breath that he didn't realize he had been holding. When he couldn't reach her after multiple tries, he was tempted to go to her house first to check on her, but ended up coming straight to the hospital.

He went directly up to the ICU without delay. When he entered Ryan's room, his eyes first went to Dani standing over Ryan. She was dressed casually, jeans, a sweater, her favorite black leather jacket. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders and with minimal makeup Dani didn't look much older than the young man lying in the bed in front of her.

He had been so angry that she would drive her self to the hospital. And if he was honest with himself, a little hurt that she hadn't thought to call him to drive her over. When he got to the hospital, his only thought was to make she was fine and then let her know THAT would not be happening again.

He knew she was much stronger then she looked. Once she had stood up to Coach to defend T.K, he realized how much she would always fight for her clients and her kids. He wondered what it would be like to have her fighting for them in the same way. He just wasn't sure if she could or if she even wanted too.

Dani didn't need to look up to know it was Nico, she felt him standing in the doorway. And based on the tone in his voice, he wasn't happy, although she had no idea why. She knew he would be here. After all, a Hawk's player had been involved in an incident and Nico would have been called immediately.

And, based on the 5 missed calls indicated on Dani's phone, Nico had started to try calling her about 2 minutes after she had ended her call with the State Trooper. He must have known she would head directly to the hospital.

But she couldn't talk to him and drive, so she hadn't called him back. She needed to not have Nico in her head when she had to focus on other things.

Answering the question he had asked, she looked up and met his eyes.

"Nico, now is not a good time. I'm expecting Ryan's family through those doors any second, and I'm going to have to explain to them why their son, who has been seeing me for nightmares he's been having ends up falling asleep on the Thruway and almost killing himself."

Coming fully into the room, Nico stood on the opposite end from Dani. Putting his hands in his pockets, Nico replied.

"Ryan's accident was not your fault. While it looks like he my have fallen asleep, the Police are still investigating. We should know something more tomorrow."

"Easy to say Nico, but I think you would think and feel very differently if that child laying there belonged to you."

Even as she said the words, she knew the impact they would have on him. His child. She understood a parents worry, it was there always, the awfulness of something happening to your child. She'd had 17 years to learn to live with it.

But Nico, he would be so new to this. Wouldn't really now how to handle these new feelings of being responsible, really responsible for someone. Oh he was responsible for lots of people, T.K, Booze, Caldwell, even Matt and the Coach, but this would be different. This would be his child.

She knew that he may never be able to love her in the way she loved him, but instinctively she knew he would love this child, in a way he had never loved anyone before.

The thought gave her pause and made her chose her next words very carefully.

"Nico, please, can we just talk later? I promise we are both fine and not going anywhere." She knew the Dr, wouldn't pick up on the subtle reference to "we", but she knew Nico would. The man didn't miss anything.

Nico paused and then with a nod to the Dr. started to leave the room. He needed to find a private room for Ryan's parents when they got here, and make some calls to get hotels and food lined up. That he knew he could fix. As he was about to walk though the door, Dani's soft voice stopped him and made him turn around.

"Nico? You know what I could really use? A nice hot cup of coffee, decaf, cream and sugar. I don't suppose you could use your magic and make that happen at this hour? And Nico, can you stay close, just in case I need you when Ryan's parents show up?"

He held her gaze for a moment. There would be time for talking later. Tonight was about helping the Door's family deal with what had happened. And she said she needed him, if only to be there. That was enough for him tonight.

Tonight, he was going to stick close to the two who meant the most to him. Dani and his child. Yes, there may be doubts, but he wasn't going anywhere. There was too much standing in front of him and he wasn't going to let that go without a fight.