(A/N): Alright, so here is chapter two! Thank you to everyone who has read this so far, I love you guys! No long author's note this time, I'll just let you guys get on with this chapter!

Still don't own Necessary Roughness.

Family

Chapter 2

Terrence King let himself into the house through the front door, as he consistently had for the last two years or so. He'd been working with the Hawks for three years now, and saw Dani three times a week, twice for therapy sessions, and once for a dinner with Dani, Nico and Victoria. Dani had given up with boundaries a long time ago with TK, and the man loved babysitting the 'chicklet', whilst Victoria in turn loved being cared for by the wide receiver when her parents had to go out.

"Yo, Dr D, Sneako, Chicklet!" He called out, heading for the kitchen first. Seeing it empty, he moved to the living room instead, knowing that Dani wouldn't usually be in her office until after the session had started. Opening the living room doors, he grinned as he found his favourite people in the whole world.

Victoria looked up from the laptop, squealing in delight as she saw the wide receiver stood in the doorway. "TK!" She yelled, getting up and running to him, jumping up into his outstretched arms.

"Little Careles!" TK hoisted Victoria into the air and span her round. "How're Dr D and Sneako treating the fair lady?"

"They're good to me, T." Victoria replied, giggling as TK set her down and practically collapsed next to Dani, putting an arm around her shoulder and squeezing her to him with a wide grin.

"Dr D! Miss me?"

"I saw you two days ago, Terrence." Dani rolled her eyes, though she was smiling indulgently. "Nico said you had a crisis. Again."

TK sobered slightly as he nodded. "That I did, Doc, that I did. Shall we take this to the…" He trailed off as he finally noticed Lindsay and Ray Jay, both sat together on a sofa with notebooks on their laps, staring open-mouthed at the wide receiver and his familiarity with the house and its occupants. "Who're these kids? Dr D, did you steal them?" He asked teasingly. Dani rolled her eyes again but shook her head.

"No Terrence, I didn't steal them. They're my children. The older one's Ray Jay, and the younger one is Lindsay. They were living with my ex-husband until recently."

"'Recently'? Dr D, I saw you two days ago. Two days ago is recently, and these guys, uh, your kids, weren't here then."

"As in about three and a half hours ago, TK." Dani stated evenly, standing up and holding out a hand for TK to get up. "Come on then. Let's go discuss whatever's happened now."

TK grasped her hand and used it to help himself stand. "Okay, doc, let's go. Nico, Tori, Dr D's other two chicklets." He nodded to them and led Dani out to the office, leaving Lindsay and Ray Jay staring after them with wide eyes, whilst Nico and Victoria exchanged knowing smiles and got back to the essay.

…

"So, Dr D, tell me about the chicklets." TK stated as soon as he'd sat down. Dani sat in her usual armchair with a sigh.

"I've told you about my other kids before TK."

"I know, but I'm curious, doc. Humour me."

"What do you think I do every day?" Dani teased before sobering slightly. "Uh, Ray Jay and Lindsay Santino are my children from my first marriage. I divorced their dad about six years ago and they lived with him. I'm still not sure why they're back. Now, let's talk about you, Terrence."

"Fine doc, but don't think you're getting off that easily." TK wagged a finger at her in mock seriousness. "Okay, so this is about me and Vivica. Viv and I were doing good, until she saw me texting this morning."

"Okay, texting who?"

"Well," TK scratched the back of his neck nervously. "She thought it was another girl, but… It was only Tori. Y'know, on that number you gave her that you and Nico control? She wanted to know if I knew anything from high school science, so I texted her back. Tori gets anxious when ole TK don't text back, y'know?"

"Carry on."

"Well, Viv don't know about Tori, and she'd just text that she loved me, and y'know, I love the chicklet too, so I text it back. Well, Viv saw and hit the roof with me. I tried to explain, but she stormed out after yellin' at me." TK sighed and ran a hand over his head. "I love Viv, I really do, but…"

"But?" Dani prompted gently.

"But if she wants me to choose between her and the chicklet… I'd pick the chicklet. Every time." TK admitted slowly. "I know you have all this stuff about boundaries doc…"

"They flew straight out the window with you, Terrence. I only keep as many boundaries in place as necessary for me to keep being your therapist without breaching my ethics. I know you care about Tori, or I wouldn't let you babysit her." Dani informed the young man. "So, you chose my daughter over your girlfriend?"

"Yeah. And then Viv's been ignoring me since I called your man to tell him I wanted to talk to you, and I dunno doc… I feel like I made the right choice, but I…. I guess I wanted to explain it, and have her… I dunno… Like, I feel hurt she didn't give me the benefit of the doubt, y'know?"

"So, what are you going to do?"

TK thought about it for a moment. "Well, you and your man were bringing Tori to tomorrow's game, right?" Dani nodded.

"Yeah, though I think we'll have to get a couple more tickets for Ray Jay and Lindsay. Go on. What's your plan?"

"I dunno, 'cause Vivica'll be there for the story, as usual, so… could I maybe let Viv meet Tori? Please, doc?" TK pleaded a little. "I was gonna take Tori on another tour of the locker room. The guys all love her, and she's like our mascot, so…"

"As long as I can be there when you do, then I don't foresee a problem. And if I'm not there then Nico will be. It's not you I don't trust TK, I swear, but I won't take chances with Victoria."

"I get it doc. I was gonna suggest Xeno if you or Sneako couldn't. I wouldn't risk the chicklet for anything."

"Alright." Dani glanced at the clock. "You want to stay for dinner? I think we're just ordering pizza, and I'm sure Ray Jay and Lindsay have a million questions for you."

"Sure, I can stay. Now, I just need nicknames for these new chicklets…"

…

Nico glanced at the Santino teenagers, who looked like they wanted to talk to him or talk about him, before glancing down at Victoria, who had just finished her essay and was playing a dress up game online. Whispering in her ear to tell her to go find Dani, he waited until she'd gone before facing the teenagers. "I assume you have questions."

He resisted the urge to smirk as they jumped in unison. "Uh, well, yeah, I guess." Ray Jay stuttered out.

"Ask away. I can't promise I'll answer, but you can ask. I don't lie." Nico then did smirk at their incredulous expressions. "Lies are very difficult to keep track of. I find it easier to always tell the truth. If you still don't believe me; ask your mom."

"Okay. What's your name?" Lindsay asked.

"Nico. Nico Careles."

"No, like your full name. Nico can't be your real first name." Lindsay pressed.

Nico sighed, but nodded. "Alright. Dominic. Dominic Eugene Careles. Around here, only you two, Tori and your mom know my whole first name. I go by Nico. I prefer Nico."

Ray Jay nodded. "Okay. How long have you been married to our mom?"

"Three years, though I believe I've already told you that. Or if I didn't, your mom did. Next question." Nico glanced at the clock, figuring that Dani would most likely both order pizza for dinner and invite TK to stay.

"Do you have any other kids?" Lindsay asked.

"No. Just Tori. I do have a nearly adopted daughter though, called Juliette. She usually comes to visit every month or so. Her real father hates it, but…" Nico shrugged. He wasn't holding back any of the usual information, simply because it was all relevant should the two teens decide to stay there with him and their mother.

"Do we have to call you dad or what?" Ray Jay asked next.

Nico shook his head. "You have a father. Just call me Nico."

"When did mom first tell you about us?"

"A week after we first met. I believe that it was your birthday, Lindsay."

"Oh." Ray Jay frowned a little. "Uh, Nico, you said you were head of security for the Hawks?" Nico nodded silently, allowing the boy to continue without interruption. "How did you end up in that?"

"I know Marshall Pittman. He's Juliette's father, but I served with him."

"Which branch?" Lindsay questioned.

"SEALs." Nico replied shortly, not liking the direction the conversation was turning. "Can I ask you two a question now?"

"Sure." Ray Jay shrugged whilst Lindsay nodded.

"Why did you leave? You clearly love your mom, even though you hurt her with your actions, and I cannot believe that all there was to it was your father's words."

Lindsay flushed a little and Ray Jay looked uncomfortable. "Well…" Lindsay trailed off a little. "Dad said a lot, and repeated it, and I guess after a while… it might've been easier believing it. But dad showed us pictures, saying mom had been cheating on him." She fished around in her pocket for her phone, pulling it out and unlocking it. "I still have them somewhere."

Nico waited patiently until Lindsay found the photos and showed them to him. His shoulders instantly relaxed as he smiled at the picture. Dani was stood outside a mall with a tall, tanned man with dark hair that slightly curled at the ends. Her hand was on his arm whilst his other arm was around her waist, holding her loosely. He handed the phone back, still smiling. "Your mom didn't cheat on your dad with that guy."

"How do you know?" Ray Jay asked him with a frown.

"Because that's your mom's friend's husband, Augusto." Nico informed them easily. "If my memory serves me, your mom told me that that day she had gone out with Augusto to buy an engagement ring for Jeanette. He was seeking reassurance the entire way around the mall." Nico shrugged. "If it helps any, Jeanette and Augusto have been happily married for six years and have a five year old girl called Juliana. They live in Barcelona."

Lindsay and Ray Jay shared guilty looks, feeling especially bad that they hadn't bothered to check with their mom before believing their dad's stories. "We didn't know." Lindsay whispered out loud.

"I think… we just wanted to believe there was another reason behind the divorce." Ray Jay said finally, looking green at all the bad things they'd both thought and said about Dani over the years. "And mom became the scapegoat."

"It's not your mom's fault." Nico told them almost softly. A knock at the front door made his head shoot up. Every knock on the door that day had been drama of some sort. Reluctantly leaving the Santino teens in the living room, he walked to the front door and peered out, opening the door almost immediately after.

Juliette Pittman stood on the doorstep, suitcase in hand and red, puffy eyes. She was dressed down in a pair of jeans, a tank top, a hooded sweatshirt and brown fleece boots, hair tied to one side in a messy braid. She offered Nico a watery smile. "Hey."

"Juliette, what happened?" Nico asked incredulously, taking the suitcase from the nineteen year old and ushering her inside.

"Uhm, is Aunt Dani here?" Juliette asked shakily. Nico nodded with a frown.

"Yes, but really, Juliette…"

"I just want Aunt Dani first, that's all Uncle Nico, I swear." Juliette assured him, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

Nico nodded and walked to the kitchen, where Dani had just finished phoning for pizza. TK had Victoria sat on his lap, whilst the little girl was reading to him at the kitchen counter from a history book. "Dani, can you come here a moment please?"

Dani nodded, confused, though she moved to join him in the front hall anyway, signalling silently to TK to keep Victoria busy whilst she was gone. Her eyes fell on Juliette almost immediately and she rushed forwards, engulfing the teenaged girl in her arms as Juliette broke down into sobs, clutching at Dani for comfort. Dani motioned for Nico to go back to Ray Jay and Lindsay with her eyes before making soothing noises in Juliette's ear to calm the girl down.

Once they were alone and Juliette had calmed enough to function, Dani grabbed the younger woman's suitcase and headed upstairs to the guest room, a silent Juliette only a step behind. As soon as they'd entered the guest room and Dani had closed the door, she led Juliette to sit on the bed, sitting beside her and putting an arm around her shoulders. "Okay, what's going on, Julie?"

Juliette sniffled a little. "Dad, uh, Marshall, cut me off. Again."

"Okay. He's done it before. You've survived it."

"It's not just that, Aunt Dani!" Juliette almost wailed. "He told me that he was disowning me, that I wasn't his kid and he wouldn't support a bastard child of his soon to be ex-wife!" She burst out in a rush, collapsing into Dani's arms once again, crying. Whilst she and her dad didn't get on a lot of the time, Juliette still loved him dearly.

"Ssh, sweetheart, it'll all be okay. Did your- Marshall say anything else?"

Juliette nodded against Dani's shoulder. "He said mom had had an affair with- with Uncle Nico, and that she'd told him after all this time."

Dani hugged the nineteen year old closer to her. Nico had been upfront about his affair with Gabrielle, Juliette's mother, before they'd become involved. Dani understood, and didn't like the woman, though that was due to the woman's own failings as a mother to Juliette rather than her relationship with Dani's husband. "Alright. And how do you feel about all this?"

"I- I don't know. As a kid, I always wished that Uncle Nico would be my dad, and he's always been there for me. You have too, you know. More than my parents have. A lot more." Juliette wiped at her eyes as she pulled back slightly, watching Dani closely. "Did you know? Did, did Uncle Nico tell you?"

Dani nodded slowly. "Yes, he told me a long time ago, Julie, before we became involved. I couldn't tell you, because it wasn't my secret to tell. I accepted it because it was in the past. Nico hasn't been near your mom in that way in nearly ten years." Dani sighed, knowing she'd have to tell Juliette everything. "Last month, your mom found Nico at work. She told him that she was divorcing Marshall and that that meant they could finally be together. Nico threw her out on her ass. I think Gabrielle told Marshall as payback at Nico, and it backfired onto you, sweetie."

Juliette nodded slowly, processing everything. "You promise it's the truth?"

"I promise, Juliette."

Juliette snuggled back into Dani's embrace, resting her head on Dani's shoulder and sighing tiredly. "Will you help me, Aunt Dani?"

"With what?"

"Getting paternity results." Juliette replied sleepily. Dani tensed a little, but stroked the young woman's hair gently away from her face.

"If that's what you want, then of course."

Juliette nodded. "You're the best, Aunt Dani. You always know what to do to make me feel better. Can I stay here tonight?"

"Stay as long as you want. You're always welcome here, Julie."

To Be Continued…?