Joey sat in the hotel bar waiting for Chris to come down and meet him for a drink. It was the day before Thanksgiving and they had the day off. No shows for the next couple of days. Many members of the crew went home to be with their families, and some families came out and met them on this stop of the tour. Joey didn't want to go home and he didn't want any family on the road with him just yet. This was the first Thanksgiving that he and Danielle would not be spending together. And from his informant he found that she was going home to Minnesota to be with her father and brother. Which he expected, as that's where he spent the last two Thanksgivings. And where he should be this year too.

Chris came up from behind Joey and slapped him on the back as he sat down on the barstool. His family was coming in the morning. "Hey man," he said to Joey.

"Hey," Joey replied.

Chris ordered his drink and turned to Joey. "So what do you know?"

"She's in Minnesota," he replied. "I'm debating on going out there tonight."

"Think that is wise, man?" Chris said taking a drink from his glass. "You two have very different renditions of what happened that night. Hell, Justin STILL isn't talking to you. JC and Lance are really beginning to wonder what the hell is going on."

"They don't need to know anything. Justin will get over it. Chris, he KNOWS how much Danielle and I belong together. I don't know what the hell he is thinking taking sides with Carter," Joey fumed. "What pisses me off more is that she won't even answer her phone, or return calls and she's STILL with him. I can't believe he's still with HER, after she cheated on him and all."

Just then Joey's cell phone rang. "Yeah," Joey answered. "Are you sure? Really? Fucking great. Let me know when you hear more." And he hung up the phone.

Joey took a drink of his beer and slammed it down on the counter. "Well! He's there with her! That son of a bitch is there with her!"

"Did you really think that he wouldn't be?" Chris asked.

"I just don't understand it Chris. How can she stay with him? How?" he fumed.

"Joe, look," Chris began. "Maybe it's time to move on. She obviously has. Whether any of us like it or not, she's still with Carter. Maybe that's what she wants?"

Joey shot Chris a glare. "What the fuck are you talking about? Are you taking his side now too? She belongs with ME!"

"I know! I know! And no, I'm not taking his side. But, she'll eventually come to her senses, don't you think?" Chris asked.

"Damn right she will," Joey said. "Damn right she will."

Back in Minnesota. . .

Nick and Danielle had just arrived at her father's house, jet lag and driving taking its obvious toll on Danielle.

"I knew I shouldn't have read that magazine while you were driving," she said meekly. "I get motion sickness so bad, and now I feel like shit."

Nick opened the back of the SUV and pulled their bags out of the back. "I told you not to read it. I knew you would get sick."

She stood there sucking down the rest of her water from the bottle and grabbed one of the bags. "I know, I know. I'll never learn."

They each grabbed a bag and went into the house. "Hey! Anyone here?" she yelled.

"I'm here!" she heard her brother yell from upstairs. "I'll be down in a minute. You didn't bring that crappy boyfriend of yours did you?"

She laughed, "No, I left the crappy one at home and brought a good one."

"Nice sense of humor," Nick whispered to Danielle, rolling his eyes at the exchange between her and Shane.

She just smiled and turned around at the sound of her brother's steps coming down the stairs. He picked her up in a bear hug and squeezed his sister tight. When he let her down he turned to Nick and extended his hand.

"Good to see you again, buddy," Shane said shaking Nick's hand.

"You too, Shane," Nick replied smiling. "How are things?"

"Good, just gonna go play a pick up game out on the lake. You guys wanna come?" Shane asked.

"Are you really?" Danielle asked. "Who all is going to be there?"

"Everyone, dumbie, you wanna play?" he asked.

"Are my skates sharp?"

"Of course."

"Nick? Do you wanna watch?" Danielle turned to Nick.

"Watch? Watch what? Skating?" he said.

"Hockey, my love. Wanna watch?" she answered.

"Watch! Hell, he can play!" Shane whooped.

"Play? What?" Nick looked confused.

Danielle's eyes lit up and she grabbed Nick around the waist. . . "Yes! You are totally going to play! Shane has tons of extra equipment!"

"I thought you weren't feeling well," Nick began.

"I'm FINE now. . . let's go!" Danielle exclaimed.

Nick reluctantly followed Danielle and her brother down to the lake's edge, where they had a warming house built with the hockey equipment inside. Danielle and Shane got all dressed and helped Nick on with the skates and some pads.

"Is it safe to be out there? I mean, the lake IS frozen right?" Nick asked.

"It's fine," Shane replied. "See? Out there, we've got a rink all cleared away, the snow is the border. You know how to skate right?"

"Pshh, of COURSE I know how to skate," Nick said. "Lead the way."

They all stepped out on the ice, and Nick promptly lost his footing and fell on his rear. Danielle laughed and helped him up. "Come on, let me teach you how to walk, Carter."

Danielle and Shane led Nick to the rink where a huge group was already skating. Many of them friends of Shane's that hadn't seen Danielle in years. All were happy to see her and she was greeted with hugs and taps with their hockey sticks. Nick was getting the hang out of the skates, it wasn't too hard skating. But going backward? Now that was another story.

Danielle played a bit and decided she wasn't in as good a shape as she thought since she was getting motion sickness again, and sat out the next few plays. She watched the boys skate circles around Nick and he tried with his best effort to keep up, but handling the puck proved to be too much for him. She laughed, but loved that he was being welcomed into the family by her brother. She loved watching them interact together on the ice, and she could tell that Shane really was warming up to Nick in a brotherly kind of way. She had another wave of sickness and decided to go in and get something to drink. Some ginger ale should do the trick. She waved to Nick, as he was clearly stuck playing with the boys, and he held out his arms as if to say, 'you're leaving me out here?' She smiled and nodded and skated back to the house. Nick just shook his head and laughed. As much as he was struggling to keep up with the rest of them, he was still having fun. It was nice to be able to do things with people outside of the group. And these guys didn't know who he was, or cared who he was.

Danielle went inside and sat down on the couch. She got out her purse and grabbed her pocket calendar. She looked over the weeks and counted the days carefully. She felt a fear and a shiver run down her back as she dropped the calendar back in her purse. She then looked out the window and saw that the boys were going to be out there for awhile. She grabbed the car keys and set out for the store. If her calculations were correct, she needed answers right away and all the stores would be closed tomorrow. She started up the car and drove out the long driveway. She couldn't believe she was actually on her way to buy a pregnancy test.

By the time Danielle returned from the store, Shane and Nick were back inside. Nick had taken a hot shower and was lying in the big recliner chair, nursing his wounds from attempting to play hockey with Shane and his friends.

"Hey baby," he said peeking over his shoulder at her. "Where did you disappear to?"

"Oh, I just ran to the store real quick but I'm back now!" she told him scrunching the bag with the test into her purse. She moved over to the chair where Nick lay and he took her arm and pulled her onto his lap on the chair.

"I'm broken, babygirl," he pouted, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"They pretty rough on you, rookie?" she smiled.

"That's an understatement," he smirked. "I even took a hot shower and I'm still freezing from being out there. And I'll let you in a little secret. . ." he paused.

Danielle raised her eyebrows anxiously awaiting his response, "and that is?"

". . .I can't skate," he replied. "In fact, if my life depended on playing hockey, then I'm in big trouble."

She laughed at him and wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him tight. She kissed his cheek and he moved his lips quickly to her mouth, where the two shared a deep, exchange.

When their lips parted, Nick held onto the side of her face with one hand and stared into her eyes. "You know, we could take this upstairs," he whispered.

Danielle sat and stared back at him for a moment, her heart pounding hard. And before another moment passed she had jumped up off of his lap, almost pretending that their exchange never took place. Nick lowered his head in disappointed while her back was still to him. They hadn't been intimate in weeks, and as much as Nick tried to pretend to Danielle that it didn't matter, it kinda did. He felt lonely inside without having her wanting to be with him.

She just needs time, he keeps telling himself. And he was trying to give that to her.

"Danielle?" he began, getting up out of the chair.

"Nick?" she quickly turned around. "I'm sorry."

"I know," he replied staring at her.

"Quit staring at me," she told him irritated.

"Why? Is there something else that I'm supposed to do?" he said back.

"I just need some time, Nick. Please."

"I know, and I think I've been giving you that. You need time? I wait," he said plainly walking into the kitchen.

She stood there motionless and watched him walk away nonchalantly. She didn't like this to be the cause of tension between them, but she just wasn't ready to start being intimate. She knew Nick would never hurt her, but she could still feel how awful Joey felt. And the thought of Nick touching her where she was violated, made her sick to her stomach.

Speaking of, she wasn't feeling that great. She watched Nick rummage through the refrigerator, and decided she would excuse herself.

"Nick? I'm really not feeling that great, would you mind if I went and laid down for awhile? Will you be okay down here?" she asked.

He turned around concerned. "You're still not feeling well? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, it's probably just a combination of all the travel we've done today and being tired. I just need to lie down," she told him.

"Want me to lay down with you?" he asked.

"No, that's okay. I just need like, a half an hour," she replied.

"Alright," he said cautiously. He moved toward her and she let him take her in his arms. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her gently. "You know I love you, right?"

"Yes," she replied into his chest with her eyes closed.

"I'm not mad, you know that, right?" he asked.

"I know," she told him. "I love you too."

"Good," he said kissing the top of her head. "Now go. . . your dad will be home soon and then you need to start getting stuff ready for the bird tomorrow."

"Very funny," she said smirking. "You're going to be doing as much work as me."

"Hey, I'm all ready to go," he teased.

They giggled together and she gave him a quick kiss on the lips and then parted from him and went upstairs, grabbing her purse on the way.

Danielle spent more than a half hour in her old room. In fact, she was up there for more than two hours before she finally emerged. Nick figured she needed more sleep than they both thought and so everyone just decided to leave her alone, even after her dad came home.

She collected herself together to face everyone. She wasn't ready to tell anyone the real reason she held herself away for the past two hours and she hoped that her eyes only looked puffy enough to make it look as though she had just woke up, and not because she was crying.

Her test showed what she had feared. She was pregnant. She was pregnant, and she didn't know how to tell anyone. . . especially Nick. She knew that now was not the time to tell anyone. She wanted to get through Thanksgiving, and then think of a way to break it to Nick once they got home. So she put on a happy face and pretended like everything was okay, all the while being scared to death inside.

Nick could tell something was wrong with her, but he figured it was just one of her normal mood swings that she had been having as of late. He didn't push her to talk because he didn't want to upset her. If she wanted to talk, she would talk to him.

They spent the next couple days enjoying the time with Danielle's brother and father. They had a nice Thanksgiving dinner and watched a lot of football. Well, the boys did. Danielle slept through most of the football.

By the time they got back to Tampa, they were both exhausted. As restful a trip it was supposed to be, it ended up being more stressful than relaxing. Much different than the trip they took there last summer. Nick made her promise that they would have her family to Florida the next year cause winter in Minnesota was too depressing. They both laughed, and Danielle agreed.

First week of December, 2001. . . Tampa

Danielle had just come home from her doctor's appointment, where she found out she was three months pregnant. Her clothes were still fitting okay, but she could tell that her tummy was just beginning to pudge. Not noticeable to anyone but herself, but she knew she wouldn't be able to hide it for long.

She pulled into her driveway and saw the Escalade was already there. She smiled to herself, knowing that seeing Nick would make her feel better. But she also felt her stomach drop, knowing that she needed to tell him about her pregnancy. And now was as good a time as any.

She entered the house and called for him.

"Up here!" he yelled back. He was up in her room, and she went upstairs to see him packing some of his items into his bag. She immediately felt the fear within her. What was he doing?

"What are you doing?" she asked, the slight hint of fear in her voice.

"Just grabbing some stuff I might need," he replied.

"For what?" she pressed.

"For Sweden? Baby? Remember?" he said.

"That's now?" she asked.

"In a couple weeks," he answered, then stopped and looked at the shocked look on her face. "Did you completely forget?"

"Honestly?" she asked. "Yes. I'm sorry. I just don't know where my mind is."

"I'll be back for Christmas though, so don't worry," he told her.

"I'm not worried about Christmas, it's just that. . ." she took a deep breath. "Well, I'm going to miss you. A lot."

He stopped packing and looked at her. "Something's going on with you."

"What?" she said startled. "What? No, I'm fine."

"No. No, you're not. You're a mess. Look at you! Baby! You're sweating and your hands are shaking!" he grabbed her and sat her down on the bed. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

She immediately started crying. She had to tell him. She had to tell him now. She shook her head, "I don't know if I'm okay."

"You're scaring me, baby. What?" he asked, holding onto her shaking hands as he sat next to her on the bed.

"I have to tell you something," she started.

"Okay," he said slowly. "What?"

"I don't know how to tell you this, so I'm just going to tell you," she said through her tears. She took a couple deep breaths to regain control of her emotions. She looked in his eyes and squeezed his hands tightly to try and shield him from the pain of the next words that she would speak. "I'm pregnant, Nick."

Nick sat their stunned. He couldn't think of anything to say. He just sat there his eyes growing wider searching her face for something other than what she had just told him. He saw her eyes start to fill up with tears again, and he let go of her hands and got up from the bed and began pacing.

"I don't understand," he said out loud, not focusing on Danielle anymore, but on the floor, the wall, the air. "We were always careful. ALWAYS careful. How?" He turned to look at Danielle, "we were always careful! How did this happen?"

"Nick," she began. "Please come and sit down."

"No! I'm not going to sit down! YOU ARE PREGNANT!" he yelled. She began to cry again and he saw how his reaction was upsetting her. "No, baby! It's not your fault, I just don't understand. They say those things aren't 100% but what are the chances they actually fail? You'd think we would have known if one was leaking or something. . ." he trailed off.

"NICK! STOP!" she yelled through her tears.

"No, it's fine. It will be fine. We'll think of something, here. This is a good thing, right? It's supposed to be a good thing, right?" he started babbling again.

"Nick! SIT DOWN, please," she demanded.

He stopped his rant and saw her eyes pleading with him to listen to her. "What?"

She didn't wait for him to come to her, she knew he would start off ranting again, before too long. She took another deep breath before continuing, "Usually, it's a good thing.

"But Nicky," she teared up again. "I hate to even tell you this."

"What's wrong? Is something wrong with the baby?" he asked with urgency.

"No, nothing like that. As far as I know, the baby is fine. I was just at the doctor," she reassured him. "But, Nick. The baby isn't yours."

And with those four words, Nick felt like he was hit with a brick. "Not mine? What the fuck do you mean, Danielle? What the fuck are you talking about, DANIELLE?!"

He grabbed her off the bed by the arms and shook her slightly, "Not mine?!" How could she tell him something like that? There's no way she could have cheated on him. She would never do that. So how? And that's when it hit him. He loosened his grip on her arms and looked at the pain and sadness on her face. She looked back at him and saw him figuring out everything in his head.

"Oh baby," he tilted his head to her with pity in his voice. "No."

She nodded her head, "I'm afraid so."

"No. NO! NO! NO!" he yelled whipping himself away from her and grabbing the sides of his head with his fists. He looked up to the ceiling and yelled, "It wasn't bad enough, huh?!"

"I'm sorry, Nick," she cried. "I'm so sorry."

He didn't even know how to respond. He knew this wasn't her fault. But he didn't want to believe it. He didn't want it to be true.

"Are you sure?" he asked her, slightly turning his head back towards her with his back still to her.

She nodded. "Yes. I got my period the day after we were in Milwaukee, and we haven't made love since. There's only been one since then, and well, you know. . ."

"I could kill him, Danielle."

"I know," she replied. "But, what's done is done."

He turned back to her. "Okay, here's the deal. He's never gonna know about this. As far as anyone is concerned, this baby is mine."

"What are you talking about?" she asked him with confusion.

"If you think, I'm going to let that son of a bitch anywhere NEAR you or this baby, then you're crazy," he told her. "We'll deal with this. We'll deal with this, somehow."

"I'm almost four months, Nick," she said. "I'm going to be showing soon."

"We'll deal with it," he repeated.

But not right then. Right then, all Nick wanted to do was get out of there. He knew this wasn't Danielle's fault, but he couldn't deal with it right then.

"I gotta go," he turned to her.

"Right now?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think I'm going to head to Sweden early."

"What?!" she cried.

"Baby, I HAVE to," he reassured her. "I need to have some time to think about this. I need to figure out what we're going to do."

"I'm having this baby, so you can forget about. . ." she started.

"No! I would never ask that of you. I mean, I need to have time to think about what we're going to do to deal with this together," he cut her off.

"What am I supposed to do while you are gone?" she asked.

"Just stay close to home, and don't tell anyone else. Yet," he answered.

When Nick left her house that day, it was very unsettling. He was mad, then he was supportive, then he wanted to run. And he was running. Just like a man, she thought. Why did she expect anything else? To think he was going to stick around? He'd never be able to get past the fact that she was carrying Joey's baby. A baby conceived in the worst way. And what happens when this baby comes out with dark hair and dark eyes? Pull that off as Nick's? Was he crazy?

Elsewhere. . .

Joey was on the phone with his informant.

"She was at the doctor huh? Well, I guess that confirms what we found out about the pregnancy test she bought, huh?" Joey held the phone to his ear as he gazed out the window of his hotel with a smile. "Well? Aren't you going to congratulate me?"

Chapter 24
Chapter 22
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