(A/N): Alright, so anyone following me as an author will be able to tell that my muse jumped on the Bones bandwagon pretty hard haha, but this was always in the back of my mind, I swear. So, despite the long wait, here is the next chapter! Woo! Throw a party! Anyways, hope you like it, I will try to update quicker than I did this time, and I still do not own Necessary Roughness. A little swearing/cursing, but hey, the rating covers that, I think.
Family
Chapter 5
Nico smiled at Dani's enthusiasm as she showed Ray Jay and Lindsay all around the facility so well-known to the other four, with the two teens awed by almost everything they laid eyes upon. For a few moments, they forgot all differences and situations, happy to just be wandering the place as one big, happy family. Ray Jay was holding Victoria's hand whilst Lindsay had linked an arm through Dani's, with Juliette holding Dani's free hand. Nico walked slightly behind the rest of his family, happy simply because his wife was. He freely admitted that he didn't know the two Santinos particularly well, but his wife loved them, and they were her children too, so he was already halfway to loving them like he did Victoria and Juliette. Not that he would ever say anything of the sort out of their home. He did have a reputation to uphold after all.
They entered the field from the player's entrance and sat at the coveted fifty yard line well in advance of the start of the game, as they always did. Victoria inevitably would need the toilet before the game, and if all three Careles' were there, then they liked to get there in advance so that Nico could sort out any potential problems and return to his family before the game began. Dani's role was a little trickier, but they made it work.
Dani sat in the middle of their seats with Ray Jay on one side of her and Victoria on the other. Lindsay sat beside Victoria, with Nico on her free side, and Juliette sitting on the other side of Nico. Both adults never cared about sitting next to one another at games or anywhere else in public, but they knew that the kids needed to sit beside at least one of them, so the seating arrangements were consciously carried out to make that possible.
Ray Jay stiffened, causing Dani to look at him in alarm. "Ray Jay, what's the matter?"
"I, uh, I just saw dad." Ray Jay mumbled, trying to protect Dani without lying to his mom. Dani placed a hand over her son's, squeezing it gently to assure him that she was alright before following his gaze to see her ex-husband sat far to the back of the stadium with a blonde woman that Dani assumed was Tallulah, especially if the slight baby bump was anything to go by. She fought the urge to smirk. The years had not been kind to Ray, and she found herself incredibly thankful that she had Nico. Ray was very much in the past for her, as far as feelings went, but she was glad that should she need anything, her husband would do anything and everything she asked of him.
"Oh. Is that Tallulah?"
"Yeah. She looks sad, I guess." Ray Jay commented slowly, eyes still fixed mainly on his dad. He glanced at his mom, eyes concerned. "Mom, you never really answered us when we came home. Did dad hit you?"
"Ray Jay, I won't talk about anything like that with you." Dani told him gently but firmly, feeling Nico's eyes on her back, there instantly should she need him. "He's still your dad."
"But mom…" Ray Jay's eyes caught Nico's over Dani's head and almost flinched at the warning the older man was sending him, warning him not to press that line of inquiry. "Never mind. I'm just happy we're back home with you."
"Me too, Ray Jay, me too." She pulled Ray Jay in for a quick hug before the game began and the players emerged from the locker room. Startled, she stood up from her seat as TK ran over to her, shooting the entire family a wide smile before addressing Dani with a worried frown.
"Dr. D, Booz won't come out of the locker room. He wants to speak to you."
"Alright thanks TK. Nico, can you watch all the kids whilst I go sort this out?" Dani asked quickly. Nico nodded with a small smile.
"You know that isn't an issue. TK, can you escort Dani to the locker room, please? You don't have to wait with her. Booz would never hurt her."
TK nodded immediately and helped Dani over the barrier and onto the field, rushing with her into the building and the locker room. Nico caught the Coach's eye and gave him a slight nod, indicating that his wife would sort the issue before sitting back and realising that Lindsay was watching him. "Lindsay."
"Uh, Nico, does this happen often? Mom or you getting called out to deal with whatever all the time?" Lindsay burst out, not looking irritated but rather curious.
"Yes. It is our jobs to be available whenever we are needed. Rarely are we called out together though. When we are, Xeno will be home to watch you, as he has for Tori."
"Oh. Okay." Lindsay nodded and settled down into her seat, slurping on a soda that they'd bought at the concessions stand. Nico felt another set of eyes on him and scanned the crowd, stopping when he reached the angry gaze of none other than Ray Santino.
…
Once the game was over and the Hawks had won yet another game that season, Dani and Nico led their four charges to the locker room where all the players were, plus a few fans that had won the chance to meet the players that day and a few reporters, including Vivica. Dani offered TK a sweet smile as she hugged him tightly and handed Victoria to him. Holding the child to his chest, TK locked gazes with Nico and an unspoken agreement passed between the two men before TK continued on to where Vivica was stood.
"Viv." TK stated, trying to get her to face him. "Vivica."
"What, TK?" Vivica ground out as she turned to face him, blinking in shock at the sight of Victoria nestled into the wide receiver's arms, looking comfortable there.
"You never gave me a chance to explain, so I'm clearing everything up. Viv, this is Tori. Victoria. She's Dr D's and Sneako's chicklet. She gets worried when TK don't text back, don't you?"
"Yes, but T, I just do that 'cause I love you." Victoria replied sweetly.
"Aww, love you too, chicklet."
Vivica stared at them in shock. "TK, I…"
"Now, I didn't do it to make you feel bad, Viv. Well, okay, maybe a little bad. You shoulda trusted me, that's all. Now, I has to get our mascot back to momma and dadda bears before ole TK gets eaten for dinner." TK teased, turning away from the reporter with the child and heading back to where Dani and Nico stood with Ray Jay, Lindsay and Juliette talking to a few of the players.
…
Dani laughed as Booz engulfed her in a tight bear hug, thanking her for helping him before the game. All of the players were very hands on with their thanks and appreciation, though all were respectful. They always had been with her, and she could never understand why anyone would feel threatened with them, as they'd been nothing but kind to her, even on their first meeting with the therapist. Booz released her just as she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned slightly, blinking as she came face to face with her ex-husband, who looked absolutely furious. She flinched a little, a residual action from years past that she hadn't realised she still had. She'd only flinched from Nico when they first known each other, and she'd never flinched from him when they'd added a personal capacity to their relationship, so to do so was a bit of a surprise to the doctor. "Ray." She breathed out, feeling eyes on her that she deduced were from Nico and a couple of the players. Lindsay was off talking to Juliette and Ray Jay had gone to get an autograph from a player the other side of the room.
"Dani." He growled back, his face like thunder as he stepped into her personal space, towering over the short woman, despite not being as tall as Dani's husband. "What the hell are you doing here? You know the Hawks are my team!"
"Ray, don't start." Dani implored, seeing TK approaching with Victoria. Instantly, she redirected her attention to the wide receiver with her daughter. "Terrence, take Tori to Xeno now!" She called out. TK paused for less than a second, glancing between Dani and Ray before adjusting his grip on the child and hightailing from the locker room as fast as he could, faster even than when he had the ball in a game. Ray glanced at the back of the retreating wide receiver before glaring at Dani, stepping even closer.
"Was that the evidence of your whore ways?" He hissed out dangerously. Dani's jaw dropped open in shock as she was gently pushed back and Booz and Bobby Caldwell stood in front of her.
"Don't worry, Dr Careles, we got this." Bobby assured her with a slight smile before turning to face Ray, who looked incredibly confused.
"Who's Dr Careles?"
"I am." Dani stated from where she stood behind the two players, wondering where her husband was.
"You remarried? You bitch!" He yelled, heading to barge past the two players, only to pause as he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. He turned to find a tall, handsome, dark haired man stood behind him, looking infinitely more deadly than Ray would ever hope of looking, let alone actually being.
"Do not talk to her like that." Nico stated calmly, though he felt anything but calm.
"Oh, and who're you to try and stop me?"
"I am Danielle's husband and head of security here at the New York Hawks. You will not harm Dani or her children in any way, whether physically or emotionally. No, I think we have been more than accommodating to your slanderous comments for long enough. These men will escort you to your car." Nico gestured to two burly security men that had approached them from behind. "Just one thing though." He swiftly punched Ray in the face, breaking his jaw and causing his nose to bleed. "That was for hurting her." He muttered in the man's ear, careful not to let anyone else hear his words other than Ray. He then gestured to the men to remove the angry Santino man, stepping away slightly before walking around the players to reach his wife.
Carefully, he took her into his arms, holding her close as she almost collapsed into him, pressing a kiss to her hair and rubbing her back in reassurance. "Ssh, it's alright Dani."
To Be Continued…?