rated * adult themes, violence
Reflections of the Past
by Treanna
Part I
Dan Mangan listened for a moment to the laughter that came from the lunchroom. Five women sat in the room and although he could not hear what they were saying their laughter filled the hall.
“Being nosy, are we?”
Dan turned and smiled at Jim. “I was just curious what five women would have to laugh so much about.
“Must be men I would imagine.” Jim smiled. “When Trixie laughs like that, it usually has something to do with us poor males.”
“Then we had better disappear before they see us or it might lead to more laughter.”
Jim nodded. “How about a coffee in my office? I am not game to go in there until they leave.”
Dan smiled. “I am with you, mate.”
* * *
“He did what?” Honey laughed.
Trixie grinned. “I refuse to say it twice. Jim will kill me if he finds out I already told you once.”
Niki laughed until tears streamed down her face. “I don’t think I can ever look at my boss the same way again.”
“I am just wondering if I could persuade Mart to...” Diana mused.
“Don’t tell him,” Trixie chuckled. “You can not tell him you got the idea from me.”
Di laughed. “No, I want him to think he came up with the idea himself. It will be more fun that way.”
Tiffany put up her hands. “T.O.” She laughed. “Remember, I have never been married so I shouldn’t even be listening to all this.”
“When you meet the right man, you’ll be prepared.” Di laughed and Niki smiled.
“Well, I saw the way you swooned over that handsome policeman that came to Trixie’s wedding. Now, what was his name?”
“Tony.” Tiffany sighed. “He was drop dead gorgeous. But he never even noticed me.”
“How do you know that?” Trixie asked.
“He is still dealing with getting over his broken heart over you.”
“Rubbish.” Trixie smiled. “He never had a thing for me.”
“Only totally!” Honey smiled. “But you were so stoked on my brother you never even noticed.”
Trixie looked at the faces around the table. “You are serious, aren’t you?”
Niki nodded. “Yeah.”
Trixie put her hands to her face. “I never knew.”
Tiffany patted her hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll help him forget about you if I get the chance.”
Trixie smiled. “Well, Miss Art Teacher, you may get the chance. Tony has been talking about leaving New York and settling down in a small country town. And, he has already spoken to the police station in town.”
Tiffany sighed. “My prayers have been answered.”
“Now, all we need to do is find a man for our Niki here.”
“Who said I was looking?”
“Well, apart from watching the gorgeous Daniel Mangan, I haven’t seen you eyeing anyone else.”
“Oh no!” Niki gasped. “Do you think he has noticed?”
“He is a man.” Trixie laughed. “I don’t think they know how to notice. And besides your husband died a long time ago and Sam could do with a daddy.”
“I know, but it’s complicated.”
“Sam is only four and loves Dan to pieces. You are halfway there already.”
Niki just smiled. But inside her heart broke. How could she tell these wonderful people the truth? And would they still want her around if they knew?
Part II
Niki sat at her desk. She was tired but she had only two more letters to type and then she was finished. She smiled slightly.
“What possessed me to invite Honey and Brian to dinner?” She thought. Going home and cooking dinner for two extras was not the way she had planned the evening. But, she knew that company was what she needed at the moment.
Just then she heard a loud chuckle coming down the passage and she smiled knowing who owned it.
Sam came tearing around the corner on Dan’s shoulders.
“Ride Uncle Danny.” He again chuckled and Dan turned twice around before dumping the little boy gently onto the chair in the room.
Sam jumped up and hurried over to his mother.
“Mummy, can Uncle Danny come and have dinner with us tonight? Please.”
“It’s okay, Niki. He came up with that himself.”
Niki looked up at him and smiled. “You are more than welcome to join us. Honey and Brian are coming, too.”
He smiled and Niki’s heart did a flip-flop.
“Then I accept,” he told her. “How about I take this rapscallion with me until dinner so you have a little time to yourself.”
“Yeah!” Sam yelled. “Can I, Mummy?”
Niki nodded. “Dinner will be about 7.30.”
He smiled. “We will be there.”
Dan picked Sam up again and they headed down the passage.
Niki finished her work and headed home. She was glad she had partly prepared the dinner before she left. So first, she went into the bathroom and ran a long hot bath. Sinking into it, she sighed. A bath was a luxury now that Sam was older. Whenever she got into one there would be a knock on the door or he would be up to something. Something that she would not be happy about. As she lay she thought about her life living at the school. A secure job, a lovely home and a safe place for Sam to go to school with friends to play with. She frowned.
She didn’t want anything or anybody to spoil that.
Shifting herself out of her melancholy mood she climbed reluctantly out of the bath and toweled herself dry. Wearing the towel she headed for her room.
But what to wear! Her dresses would be too formal and her trackies too casual.
She finally decided on a pair of black flared pants with a black top encrusted with golden threads.
She looked at herself critically in the mirror. Of medium height, she was in no way overweight, but on the other hand, not overly skinny. She had curves in all the right places. She looked at her hair. A natural blond, she wore her hair mostly in a bun on her head when at work, but tonight it fell around her shoulders like a veil. As she turned it swung just below her shoulder blades. It had a slight curl to it, more so if it was cut short.
Troubled blue eyes stared back at her. She would have to be more careful. If Dan knew how she felt, what would he say? She would hate the relationship between Dan and her son to suffer.
Shaking herself again she turned around and headed for the kitchen. Just before 7.30, Dan and Sam arrived.
“Have you eaten?” She asked her son and he nodded.
“Uncle Danny let me eat with the other boys,” he told her.
“Then it is time that you got ready for bed, son. Go and put your pajamas on and I will be in a minute to read to you.”
“Can Uncle Danny read to me?”
Dan smiled. “I have read to Bobby before. I can do it if you like.”
She smiled. “Thanks. As long as you don’t mind.”
“Uncle Danny loves me,” Sam said as he hurried off. “Come on, Uncle Danny.”
Dan smiled and winked at Niki. “I had better go before he decides to choose ten stories instead of one.”
When he left Niki put her hands onto the bench and sighed.
He is much too gorgeous, she thought. I had better watch myself. I can’t afford to be hurt again.
The doorbell ringing put thoughts out of her mind and she hurried to answer it
* * *
“Only four stories,” Brian laughed. “With Bobby it was at least ten he would choose.”
Niki smiled. “It is usually that with me. But Dan wore the poor tyke out and by the time he got to the end of the first Sam was already asleep.
She put the coffee tray down as Dan looked up.
“Do you mind if I put the television on? Trixie sent me a message saying that there was a special announcement on at nine.”
She nodded as she headed back to the kitchen. She came back in with a tray of cakes. She put them down as the announcer began to speak.
“Last night, two prisoners escaped from the high security area of California State Penitentiary.
"Apparently, they escaped by cutting a hole through a wall and escaping in a laundry van. They are still at large and neighborhood residents are urged to stay indoors until further notice.
"Both are considered dangerous.
"The men are James Martinez and Paul Saunders."
A gasp came from the lips of Niki as all heads turned to her. Her face paled and Dan only just made it out of his chair to catch her as she fell into a dead faint.
Part III
The voices seemed muffled at first but slowly she could understand them. She felt someone holding her wrist.
“Is she okay?”
“Looks like she just fainted.”
“It must have something to do with the news report.”
“She will come out of it soon and we can ask her.”
She knew she had to open her eyes.
As she did she looked up into worried dark eyes.
“Niki, are you okay?”
She looked over to Brian and smiled. “Just feeling a little woozy.”
She tried to sit up but Dan held her gently down.
“Just rest for a minute and then sit up. Okay?”
She nodded.
“Something on the television upset you?” Brian asked. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She nodded. “But not now. Not when Sam could walk in. And I don’t think I could repeat it twice.”
Brian nodded. “How about we have a meeting before work in the morning? We can get everyone there then and the boys can look after Sam.”
She nodded and smiled her thanks. She then sat up gingerly with Dan helping her.
Honey patted her hand. “Sweetie, we will leave now and let you get some rest.”
“I think I will stay here,” Dan told Brian. “I am not too keen on leaving Niki on her own.”
“Good idea.” Brian smiled. “I was going to suggest that someone stays.”
“I can,” Honey told them.
“No one has to,” Niki protested. “I am fine.”
“Well, fine or not, I am going to sleep here tonight to make me feel better. Okay?”
Before she could say anything Brian stood up. “Then Honey and I are heading home. We will see you both in the morning.”
“I’ll see you both to the door,” Dan told them.
When they had gone, Niki stood unsteadily to her feet. She picked up the cups and headed for the kitchen. Dan found her there washing them.
“Young lady, I think that the dishes can wait until the morning.”
“Dan, it is sweet that you want to stay here, but there is one problem. Sam only has one bed in his room. I have ordered another, but it is not here yet. And the lounges are only two seaters.”
Dan smiled. “I can sleep on the floor. I have done before.”
“It is really hard,” she told him. “And it is going to be a cold night.”
She thought for a moment. “Why don’t you share my bed? We’re good friends and I would not sleep knowing you are uncomfortable.”
Dan watched her face for a moment. “You know, I wouldn’t try anything.”
She blushed and he took note of it. “Of course you wouldn’t. I would never expect you to..."
“You are like a sister to me,” he told her and she forced a smile on her face.
“Then that is settled. I have a tracksuit that belongs to my brother you can borrow if you like. It will be more comfortable than your jeans. It is in the linen cupboard.”
He nodded. “I will go and get it and get changed while you are changing.”
But before he did, he helped her to her room. When he left, she quickly changed into her pajamas and jumped into bed. She had just laid down when he appeared.
“I just checked on Sam and he is sleeping peacefully.”
“Good.” She smiled. “He has always been a good sleeper.”
He turned the light off and a minute later she felt the bed move as he slipped in beside her. She heard him yawn.
“Thanks, Dan.”
“You are welcome, Niki. I am glad I could be here for you.”
Long after his gentle snoring told her he was asleep she lay awake. She was so grateful that he had stayed the night but having him beside her was sweet torture.
But what would he think of her tomorrow when she told them all the truth. Would he want to still be around her. And it was with that thought she fell asleep to dream of past and how it had affected her.
“Mummy, wake up, I’m hungry.”
Niki moved her head slightly but something was stopping her movements.
“Uncle Dan, can I have a glass of milk?”
“Sure, squirt. Mummy will be there soon to give you breakfast.”
“Okey-dokey.”
She heard his feet scamper out of the room and all of a sudden she realized why she couldn’t move. She was laying on Dan’s shoulder and his arm was around her.
She raised her head slightly and looked into smiling dark eyes.
“Good morning, Niki.”
She shot up, her face blushing. “I am so sorry, I didn’t know that I had--” She put her hands to her blushing cheeks.
Dan sat up and laughed. “It’s okay, Niki. Nothing happened.”
“I know, but...oh, what will Sam say to everyone?”
“Leave Sam to me.” He got out of bed and stretched. She couldn’t help but stare. “Does this sleepover come with breakfast?” he asked.
She quickly swung herself out of bed. “Of course it does.”
“It’s okay. You shower and get dressed, and I will rustle up breakfast.”
“I can do that. You don’t have to.”
He smiled down at her. “I am very good at breakfasts, Niki. Don’t worry I won’t burn anything.” He was gone before she could say another word.
Niki sat on her bed for a moment reliving the feeling of being in his arms.
“Stop it, girl,” she chided herself. “Get a grip. There is no way he could ever be interested in you.” She stood up and grabbing her clothes headed for the bathroom.
Part IV
Niki looked around the sea of faces and sighed. She knew they were all her friends but what would they think of her when she told them the whole story.
“One more to come and then we have everyone here.”
Tiffany looked around the room. Trixie sat beside her husband, Di and Mart, Honey and Brian. With herself, Dan and Niki everyone was there.
Just then there was a knock on the door and a dark head appeared.
“You can’t start the party without me, can you?”
“Tony!” Trixie exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
“Niki rang me this morning and asked if I could be here. She said I might be able to help with something.”
All eyes turned to Niki as Tony sat down. She again sighed.“Last night there was a bulletin about two missing prisoners.”
Tony nodded. “I was the arresting officer for one of them. Paul Saunders is a nasty piece of work. He held up a number of convenience stores and at the last one shot a security officer in the back after taking his gun. The officer had a wife and two kids, who now don’t have a husband or father anymore.”
Dan turned to Niki and saw the play of emotions on her face. “You know him don’t you, Niki?” he asked softly.
Niki nodded. “He is Sam’s father.”
A gasp went around the room. “You told us his father was dead,” Honey said.
“I had better start at the beginning,” Niki told them. “It is a long story and that is why I wanted everyone here to explain it all at once.”
“Go ahead, Niki,” Dan told her.
“I had known Paul since high school. He was a bit of a rebel then, but not really bad. We dated on and off. He had a lot of girlfriends but he always wanted to spend time with me. He invited me to the senior prom and I accepted. My mother was not keen because she did not like him much. My dad died when I was very small so there was only my mum and me.
"I remember spending hours looking for the perfect dress. We didn’t have much money but I finally found a dress I thought that Paul would like.”
She stopped for a moment and everyone could sense that something awful was about to happen.
“After the prom, Paul took me to a deserted part of town. He wanted to spend time just with me and talk. He had brought two cokes with him and we drank. The coke made me feel really disorientated. I knew that Paul was getting heavy with me but I suddenly didn’t have the strength to fight him. But I do remember the pain and the fear.
"Afterward, he drove me home and kissed me goodbye as if nothing had happened. I can’t even really remember how I got inside and into my room. But I woke up the next morning with a terrible headache and the knowledge that he had....”
She stopped. Trixie and Di were sat on either side of her. They reached out their hands and held onto hers. She looked into their eyes and saw the tears there.
“Six weeks later I discovered I was pregnant. Paul was livid. He wanted me to have an abortion, but I couldn’t. Two weeks after that, Mum found out she had cancer, and a month after Sam was born she died. I sold a lot of our things to pay for the funeral. Paul was arrested a few weeks later and by then I had got the job here under the name Mrs. Niki Bennet which was my maiden name. The wedding ring I wear is my mother’s. It is one of the only things that I kept. I know that I deceived you all, but I was afraid if I told you I was a single mother and my son’s father was a convicted killer you would not have hired me.”
She smiled at Jim. “I now know that it would not have made a difference to any of you. But if you feel that I have deceived you and want me to leave I will understand.”
Jim stood up and walked around the room. He turned to Niki. “Do you think he will head here?”
She nodded. “If I know Paul, he’s found out where I am and will do everything in his power to come and see his son.”
“Then we had better get some extra security around here until he is caught. Tony, you know him, can you stay around for a while?”
“I have a few weeks leave up my sleeve. I will explain what has happened so there shouldn’t be a problem. So can someone put me up for a few weeks?”
“We have a spare staff apartment. You can stay there. It is fully furnished, but you will need to share the kitchen and laundry with Tiffany and Dan.”
“No probs.” Tony smiled. “I will head back to New York in a little while and come back before tonight.”
“Thanks Tony.” Trixie smiled.
Niki looked over at Jim. “I can’t ask you to put all your lives at risk for Sam and me. We can go somewhere else.”
“You didn’t ask Niki, we offered,” Jim corrected her. “You are part of our family now and we will protect you and your son until he is caught. Okay?”
She nodded as she reached for a tissue that Honey handed her. Jim looked over at Trixie and then smiled at her.
“I have work to do, so we men will leave you women to talk.”
The other men took his cue and also stood up. When they had left Trixie smiled at Niki.
“It is all right now, Niki, they have gone.”
Niki put her head in her hands as the tears ran like rivers down her face. And the four other women, crowded near her for comfort, cried with her.
* * *
“I am going to stay with her until this creep is caught,” Dan told Jim as they sat in his office drinking coffee. “I just need to borrow a camp bed.”
“No probs, but where did you sleep last night?”
“I shared Niki’s bed, but I don’t think that it is a good idea again.”
Jim raised one eyebrow. “Who made that suggestion?”
“She did. It was a cold night and she only has her bed and Sam’s. She didn’t want me to sleep on the floor.”
“And was that hard?”
“I told her she was like my sister.”
“Did that work?”
“Totally, until I woke up this morning with her in my arms.”
Jim smiled. “Help yourself to whatever you need, man. I wouldn’t want to be in that situation either.” He looked over at Dan.
“What?”
“So, do you still have sisterly feelings towards my secretary?”
Dan sighed. “I have so much else to think about at the moment. Ask me that when this creep is back in the slammer.”
Jim smiled. “I will, mate, I will.”
* * *
“I was so embarrassed waking up in his arms. I couldn’t believe that I had rolled over and moved into his arms. And then when Sam came in I could have disappeared through the floor.”
Tiffany smiled. “If it had been Tony I would have not been embarrassed. I would have been ecstatic. And the fact that he is going to be here for the next four weeks. Maybe I can persuade him to transfer here.”
Trixie smiled. “I don’t think you would have to persuade him too much, Tiffany.”
“Thanks for being here for me,” Niki told them all.
“Isn’t that what friends are for.” Honey smiled at Niki and she smiled back.
* * *
He sat drinking coffee in a small roadside diner. He wore dark glasses and his hat was pulled low over his eyes. No one even noticed him.
He smiled as he took out a picture of a small boy sitting on a pony.
“I will be with you soon, son. And then me and your mama are going to have some fun together before I take you away with me.”
He stood up and headed out to the car he had stolen earlier. The owner was somewhere laid on the road behind him. Hopefully no one would find him for a while. He got in and turned the car towards Sleepyside. “Only a couple more days, Niki, and we will be together again.”
Part V
Trixie walked towards Jim’s office. She could see Niki sat at her desk and the frown that covered her face.
“You’ll get wrinkles.”
Niki looked up. “What?”
“Frowning so much.”
Niki smiled. “I guess there is a lot on my mind.”
Trixie sat down. “Wanna talk. Are you worried about Paul?”
“A little. I am hoping that the police catch up with him.”
“But that is not what is causing you to frown.”
“You know Dan well, don’t you?”
Trixie nodded.
“Has he, I mean does he...”
Trixie smiled. “Spill it.”
“When he stayed with me last night, he offered to make breakfast for us saying he was good at it. It was almost like he was used to cooking breakfasts for other women.”
“And you want to know if it is true or not.”
She nodded.
“I cannot honestly tell you. Dan has always been a little wild and I know he has been out with a large amount of girls. But I cannot see him as a womanizer and if he has spent the night with any of them, I have no idea. Are you that interested in him?”
Niki got up and went to the filing cabinet. She put some paperwork in then turned around.
“I don’t really know, Trix. He has been so nice to Sam and me, but I am scared to even think about Dan as more than a friend in case he doesn’t feel the same way. When he told me last night I was like his sister, I was mortified. I was hoping he had at least more feeling for me than that. But obviously, he doesn’t.”
“Or maybe he was just trying to put your mind at ease. I know that he is borrowing a camp bed so he can stay with you tonight again.”
Niki nodded. “He told me he would stay with me until Paul is caught.”
“Then stop worrying and if anything is meant to happen it will.”
“I haven’t, you know, been with anyone apart from the night Sam was conceived. I never felt like I wanted to be with anyone else. The first time was too horrific. But when I am around Dan, I feel like he could be the one that I could...”
Trixie smiled. “I hope it works out for you. Dan needs a nice girl to settle down with and I couldn’t think of anyone nicer.”
Voices down the hall stopped their conversation as Jim and Dan came into view.
Jim reached down and kissed his wife lovingly.
“I just have to sort a few things out with Dan, sweetie, and then I am finished for the day. You go home now, Niki, and I will see you in the morning.”
“I will be over after dinner,” Dan told Niki.
She smiled. “You can come and have dinner with us if you want. Sam would love it.”
He smiled and Niki’s heart flip-flopped. “Then how can I say no? There is still a lot of books Sam has that he wants me to read.”
When Jim and Dan walked into his office and closed the door, Niki turned to Trixie.
“Thanks for the talk. I feel better now.”
Trixie stood up and smiled. “Come on, I will walk you to your cabin.”
Getting Sam to bed that night was a little harder than normal and it took five stories before Sam finally fell asleep.
Dan sat down in the lounge with Niki and she handed him a coffee.
“Thanks, I am really thirsty.”
“I feel that way when Sam is not sleepy.”
“You have raised a really good kid there, Niki. And doing it on your own as well.”
“Thanks, but I think a lot of his behavior is because of you and Jim and the others. He loves it here and I always know he is safe.”
“I still think that his mama had a lot to do with his upbringing. We just put the male part of it in.”
“And you have done it admirably.”
He smiled. “You haven’t had it easy have you, Niki?”
“When my mother was around my life was okay. Losing dad so young meant I didn’t have a lot of male influence in my life. And mum worked a lot to keep us going. When she died, a little of me died with her. But coming here was the best thing that ever happened to me. I love it here and I felt safe.”
“Until now?”
She sighed. “Paul will stop at nothing to get to Sam and me. I am afraid someone will get hurt in the process. I still think that going away would be a good idea.”
Dan reached over and took Niki’s hand. “This is your home Niki and not one of us would want you to go away. We are a family here and we will do everything we can to protect you and Sam.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He then got up suddenly. “I think we should get some sleep.”
She stood up and picked up the tray. “Goodnight, Dan.”
“Goodnight, Niki. Sleep well.”
When she left, Dan sighed as he walked over to the bed he had made up earlier.
She stood by the window and let the tears fall slowly down her face. The rain outside made her feel more miserable as she walked to her bed and sat down. She was scared for the first time in four years. She put her hand over her mouth to muffle the sobs not wanting to wake anyone up.
When the bed moved and an arm slid around her waist she looked up into dark worried eyes.
“It’s okay, sweetie. I am here.”
She let the tears fall in earnest then. Leaning her head against his shoulder as he put his other arm around her and held her close.
As the tears began to slow he pushed a handkerchief into her hands and she wiped her face.
“Feeling better now?”
She nodded as she moved slightly away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to wake you.”
“I wasn’t asleep,” he told her. “I just felt that something was wrong and I came to check. Why were you crying, Niki?”
She shrugged slightly. “I think it was the rain. Rainy nights always make me sad. My daddy died on a stormy night when another car spun out of control and hit him. And the night my mum died it was dark and stormy too. Sometimes I really really miss her. Especially now. She would know what to say to make me feel better. She always did.”
“I miss my mother, too,” Dan told her. “Sometimes I forget what she even looked like, but then I see my Uncle Bill again and I remember. They were alike in a lot of ways.”
“It is good you have your uncle. I wish I had family.”
“You do.” He ran his finger gently down her cheek. “You have Sam and you have all of us and we won’t let anything happen to either of you.”
She looked into eyes full of compassion. “I don’t know what I would do without you, Dan.”
“You never will have to find out, sweetie.”
When he moved towards her she instinctually closed her eyes. And when his lips touched hers, ever so gently, she felt safe again.
He moved away and she opened her eyes and looked deep into his.
“Dan,” she whispered, and for him that was enough.
Drawing her back into his arms his lips again found hers. But this time, she opened her mouth under his and let him take possession. He pushed her gently until she was laid on the bed.
The ringing phone made Niki jump and Dan sat up again. She quickly stood up and went to the phone in the lounge room.
“Hello,” she panted breathlessly.
“Hello, sugar snaps.”
“Paul,” she gasped.
“So you remember me, sugar snaps.”
“What do you want, Paul?”
“Well, sugar snaps, I thought I would let you know I am heading your way to come and see you and my son. I know how much you enjoyed the night we made him and how sad you must have been that it didn’t happen again. So, I am on my way to make sure that I correct that.”
“Paul, you need to turn yourself in.”
His laugh filled her with dread. A strong arm moved around her waist and she leant against him.
“Please, Paul.”
“Must go, sugar snaps, but I will be there soon and we can party.”
“Paul, Paul,” she called to a dead phone.”
She dropped the phone as if it was hot and turned into Dan’s arms.
“He’s coming, Dan. He’s coming.” She began to sob uncontrollably.
Dan picked her up and took her back into her room where he held her throughout the long rainy night.
Part VI
Niki woke up the next morning to the sound of rain on her roof. She turned over but her bed was empty. She heard laughter coming from the kitchen and the smell of bacon cooking. She got up and stretched. She was tired, knowing that she had only slept briefly through the night.
She pulled on her robe and slippers and headed towards the kitchen. Dan was turned towards the stove cooking bacon and eggs in a pan.
“Mummy, you woke up.” Sam hurried over and hugged her. Dan turned around and smiled.
“Good morning, sleepyhead. You look like you need coffee.”
She nodded and he placed a coffee in her hands.
He then turned to Sam. “How about you go and get dressed and then we can have breakfast together. Okay sport?”
Sam nodded. “I am a big boy now and I can get dressed all by myself.”
He hurried off and Dan walked towards Niki. He took the coffee out of her hands and drew her into his arms.
“You didn’t get much sleep sweetie, did you?”
“Neither did you,” she answered him back, her voice muffled by his sweatshirt.
“I wish I could have done more.”
She looked up into his face and smiled. “Having you hold me in your arms last night was the best thing you could ever have done. I would have been so scared on my own.”
She was surprised but delighted when he reached down and kissed her thoroughly. He looked into her face and smiled as he ran a finger down her cheek.
“When this is all over, I think that you and I need to talk. Okay?”
She nodded.
He let her go and walked back to the stove.
She sat on a chair and watched him as she drank her coffee.
“You are good at making breakfasts, Dan.”
He laughed. “I have never had a complaint before.”
“You must have made it for a lot of others.”
He turned slightly and looked at her. She felt slightly embarrassed as she concentrated on her coffee.
“Niki, look at me.”
She looked up.
“I don’t profess to be a saint, but neither am I as bad as some make out. More than half the conquests I supposedly have made are all in their heads. I have been a great part of the local gossip ever since I came here and I suppose I always will be. Not many have forgotten the black jacket and the gang I came from. Only my true friends know me for who I am and I hope I can count you amongst my closest.”
“So do I.” She smiled. “Look at me. I sound like a jealous girlfriend or something.”
He moved towards her and kissed her again. “I promise you, that you have nothing to worry about and I kinda like the idea you are jealous of women in my past.” He kissed her quickly again before heading back to dish up the bacon and eggs and butter the toast.
Sam came in then and for a little while the fears of the night disappeared as the sun shone through the clouds.
* * *
“Ahhhh.” The sigh came from four women in the room.
“Oh, that is so sweet.” Honey sighed again. “Dan gets my vote for the sweetest guy for this week.”
“And holding you in his arms all night,” Trixie sighed. “And not trying anything is a double sigh moment.”
“Well, I have to tell you about my night,” saidTiffany. “Now, with Dan taken, there is only the gorgeous Tony and myself alone. Last night, silly me, burnt my finger on dinner. He put it under the tap and where it burnt, he kissed it to make it better for me.” She sighed and the others sighed with her. “And then last night we were watching a scary movie. It thundered and I jumped. He put his arm around me for the rest of the movie.”
“You must have been disappointed when it finished.”
She smiled. “I had actually dozed off on his shoulder and I woke up when he gently kissed my nose and called my name. Oh, if only he had carried on and kissed me more.”
Niki smiled at her friend. “Maybe you need to make the first move. He may not be sure how you feel.”
“I haven’t really had time for lots of boyfriends,” Tiffany told them. “With studying and working part time, boys became a lesser priority. So, I’m a novice at this dating stuff.”
“So am I,” Niki told her. “But I think it is built in or something, because I certainly knew what to do at the time.”
Trixie laughed. “Well, I am NOT going to tell you what I did last night.”
Honey and Di laughed with her. “Neither are we,” they said in unison, which brought laughter from the others.
Dan and Jim walked past the lunchroom.
Dan smiled. “It is nice to hear Niki laughing again.”
Jim smiled as he walked into his office and headed for the coffee. He poured two cups and handed one to Dan who sat down at his desk drinking the coffee with satisfaction.
“I suppose she is telling them about what happened last night,” Dan sighed.
“It is something that girls do when together,” Jim told him. “Though, I don’t suppose Trix will be revealing what we did last night.”
Dan laughed. “How is the baby making going, mate?”
Jim leant back and grinned. “Practice makes perfect and are aim is that when we decide to have kids, we’ll get it perfect.” He then leant towards Dan.
“Now, Daniel Mangan, how about you tell me what happened last night?”
Dan leant back and smiled. “All of it.”
Jim nodded.
“I had just got into bed last night when I thought something was wrong. So I.....”
* * *
He lay on the bed and smiled. Sleep was not something that came easy to him because his mind was full of what he was going to do. The cute chick beside him knew who he was, but, wanting to be bad, she had picked him up and even paid for the motel room for the night. He would go a little further with her and then dump her somewhere along the road. He knew she would scream kidnapping, but he didn’t care. He would ditch her car further along and get another. Ever closer to his dream. Ever closer to his son. Ever closer to Niki. Ever closer to Sleepyside and his revenge.
Part VII
“That smells heavenly.”
Dan looked up and smiled at the woman beside him.
“Mr. Maypenny taught me a lot of things, but making hunter's stew was one of my favorites.”
“You still miss him, don’t you?”
Dan nodded. “It is a year since he passed away and what better way to celebrate his life than for all of us to come to the cabin and have hunter's stew like we used to when we where kids.”
“Thank you for inviting Sam and me.”
He reached over and took her hand in his. “You belong here as much as I do sweetie.” He looked around at the sea of faces. “It was good that the rest of the boys went on a field trip with Tiffany and the rest of the teachers. And even Tony volunteered his services.”
“Well, they are going to the biggest police station in New York.”
Dan grinned. “It was a good idea of Tiffany's to suggest it as an outing. The boys were so excited.”
“Well, hopefully they all end up on this side of the law and not on the other side.”
“If Jim has anything to do with it, none of these boys will ever be anything but the best they can be.”
“He is wonderful.” Niki nodded. “He has such a huge heart for these boys.”
“These boys are sure lucky,” Dan told her. “I wish there had been something around like this when I was a kid. A lot of my friends would have had a chance instead of ending up in prison.”
Niki sighed. “Maybe Paul would have--” She stopped and smiled slightly. “How much longer until it is ready. I am starving.”
“Get the plates ready. I can start dishing it up in a few minutes.”
Hearing the laughter, he crept towards the noise. The smell of the food was delicious but that was not the thing uppermost in his mind. He pulled himself through the scrub on his stomach until he had a clear view of the cabin and the grounds around. He smiled when he saw Niki and his son. He knew it was not the time to act with so many people around, but he listened, hoping for a way to get to them.
Jim looked around. Something was disturbing him but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He looked towards the trees sensing they were being watched. He caught Trixie’s eye and she moved closer.
“What is up, hon?”
“I don’t know,” he told her. “I feel like we are being watched.”
“As long as we make sure Niki and Sam are not alone we should be okay.”
He nodded. “Maybe I’m just jittery.”
She put her hand in his. “You are not usually wrong. Let’s just keep it quiet and keep our eyes open.”
He nodded again and she got up and headed for the table. “Anyone for chocolate cake?”
Mart smiled as Sam sailed passed him again.
“Hey, how is SuperSam?”
Sam stopped and grinned. “Good, Uncle Mart. But missing my dog.”
“What dog?”
“Superman had a dog when he was a kid, but Mummy says that this superboy can’t have one.”
“Maybe I can help persuade your mummy that Superboy Sam needs a Krypto, too.”
Sam hugged Mart. “I would love a white puppy called Krypto, Uncle Mart.”
“Well, Sam it is your birthday in a couple of weeks, so let me see what I can do.”
“I love you, Uncle Mart.”
“I love you, too, squirt.” Over Sam's head he saw Di smile at him and he smiled back.
Maybe, it is time we stopped practicing and maybe started making babies, he thought.
* * *
Niki watched as Dan made sure everything was clean and tidy before he closed the door of the old cabin. He picked up Sam on his shoulders and, taking Niki’s hand, headed back to the school with the others.
He waited another half an hour before crawling out and running for the cabin. He was surprised, but delighted it wasn’t locked. He looked in the cupboards and found tins of food and bottles of cool drink. Even though it was warm, he drank thirstily. After eating his fill he looked around the cabin and then headed upstairs where he felt it was safer. He lay on the bed and thought well into the night. Now he had a plan. And tomorrow he would set it in motion. Soon his son would be back with him where he belonged. With that he fell asleep.
Part VIII
“Well, that about wraps it up.”
Tony looked over at Trixie and smiled. “With Dan staying at Niki’s every night and the rest of us making sure that she is safe during the day, I hope that Paul doesn’t get within a cooee of her.”
“Well, he can’t be too far away now. The reports of stolen cars and the girl that claims she was kidnapped, even though she paid for the motel room, point him closer in our direction.”
Tony laughed. “I didn’t believe that report either, Trix. When he took off with her car, she would have been plenty mad and had to say something.”
Trixie smiled. “Hopefully, she will be a little more picky next time she picks someone up in a diner.”
Tony drank the last of him coffee and grimaced at the coldness of it.
“I could do with another one of these. How about you, Trix?”
She nodded. “There is something I want to talk to you about and now is as good a time as any.”
He watched her for a moment and then nodded. “I’ll go get the coffee. We shouldn’t be disturbed for a while.”
A few minutes later they were sat down on the lounge.
“Okay, Trix, what gives? You have been really cagey around me the last few days and I am unsure why.”
Trixie sighed. “Do you remember before all this happened the girls and I were having a gabfest?”
He nodded. “I remember all the giggling.”
“Well, I was told something then and at first I didn’t think it possible, but now I am not so sure. And I am not one that will dwell too long on it.”
“Obviously, it concerns me.”
She nodded. “If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?”
“I have never lied to you before, Trixie. You should know that.”
“But have you ever kept anything from me?”
He sensed suddenly where this was going. “Like what, Trix?”
She looked down at her cup for a moment, unsure how to ask him.”
“What, Trix? It can’t be that bad.”
“How do you feel about me, Tony?”
“That’s a strange question, Trix. You are a great friend of mine. You always have been.”
“But when we lived in the unit together, did you have more than friendship on your mind? I mean did you feel more for me than friendship?”
He frowned. “Why are you suddenly asking me these questions and who gave you the idea?”
Trixie smiled slightly. “It doesn’t matter where I got the idea from. But I really need to know.”
“Why?”
“Tony, why are you answering my question with a question? Tony, please tell me.”
He stood up and walked over to the window and took a deep breath. Then he turned and smiled down at her.
“Trixie, I want to tell you a story and you must promise not to interrupt.”
She nodded.
“Once upon a time,” he began.
She smiled.
“There was a cop in New York,” he continued. “His partner had been reassigned and he was told that she was a rookie fresh from the academy. He was not too happy thinking she would be a real loser. But what he found was a girl that really knew her stuff. From the first time they worked together he realized that she was good. Actually terrific at being a cop. She had moved in with two other cops and when she offered him a room, to share the expenses, he gladly took it, thankful to move out of the dump he was in.
"Over the next couple of years he learnt a lot about this young lady. About her family and friends and about all the cases she had solved as a young girl. He also learnt an awful lot about a special someone who she would talk about constantly. A red headed gentleman who had captured her heart at thirteen and still had it. Now, this cop watched this girl flourish and he knew that it would be so easy to fall big time for her. But he also knew that he could never have her heart because it was already taken. They remained good friends and the cop realized that one-day she would fully belong to another man so he never let her see how much she meant to him. When she was sad, it hurt him immensely and the day he told her to go back to the arms of the man she loved, it was the hardest he had ever had. Especially when she turned up at work dressed to kill. He just wanted to steal her away, but he knew he couldn’t. So he had to smile and let her walk out of his life.”
When he looked over at Trixie, he saw the tears that had formed in her eyes.
“I never knew,” she sniffed,
He smiled as he sat beside her and took her hands in his. “Then I hid it well, Trixie. If you had found out, it would have been hard for us to work together.”
“I know, but--”
“No buts, Mrs. Frayne. You are happy and that is all that I ever wanted for you.”
“Is that why you want to move to Sleepyside?”
He smiled as he shook his head. “All those years, you talked so much about it, it made me want more than just a job. The few times I have been here, I have really loved it and, as long as it doesn’t bother you, I would love to move here.”
Trixie smiled. “Tiffany would be ecstatic.”
Tony laughed. “Now, that is one cute woman.”
“She thinks you are pretty hot yourself.”
“I think that I should explore this relationship more closely. Maybe I can find true happiness here in all ways.”
Trixie squeezed his fingers. “Without you I don’t think that I could have survived New York. Thank you for being such a good friend.”
“I hope I always will be, Trix.”
She reached over and hugged him and he hugged her back.
Tony smiled as he stood up. “I have work to do.”
Just then there was a knock on the door and Jim put his head around.
“Finished?”
Trixie smiled at him. “Just. I have to go and see Niki for a minute and then you can walk me home.”
“Gladly.”
After Trixie left, Jim turned to Tony.
“Did she talk to you?”
Tony nodded. “I had no idea she knew.”
“I told you that one day she may ask you and I have a feeling the girls told her.”
“They did.”
“You are a braver man than me, Tony.” Jim smiled. “I could never have let her go.”
“Well, she was never mine, Jim. You had her heart since she was thirteen and no one could ever break that bond. I knew that from the first week I met her she was in love with you.”
“It was the same for me.” Jim smiled.
“But, James Frayne, you ever hurt her and you will have me to answer too.” The cold glint in his eye told Jim he was serious.
“I never intend to, Tony. Hurting her would be like putting a knife into my own heart.”
Tony was satisfied. He grinned. “Now, Jimmy boy, tell me a little more about that cute art teacher you have.
Jim grinned back. “Interested, eh?”
Tony smiled. “Hm, a little.”
“Okay,” Jim said. “She is twenty-three and has been with us since the beginning. She has a huge family, with three brothers and two sisters. She...”
“Now are you sure everything is in order?” he asked and the other nodded.
“The listening device is safely hidden under her desk so you can hear everything that goes on in her office.”
He laughed. “You are the best cousin. The next time I rob a bank half of the takings are yours.”
The other smiled. “You are on dear cousin, you are on. Now I had better go or I might be missed.”
Paul smiled. Having a cousin working at the school was the icing on the cake.
* * *
“Hey Niki, can you help me for a minute? I have to move a desk and there is not one strapping man around when you need one.”
Niki looked up and smiled at Di as she stood up. “We know we can do these things but it certainly doesn’t hurt the ego of the males when we say we can’t.”
Di laughed as they headed out of the office.
“Mummy, can I...” Sam stopped when he realised his mother wasn’t there. He sat on her chair and waited.
It was then that the phone rang.
Sam picked it up and said importantly, “Can I help you?”
“Well, I hope so young man. I was looking for a Niki?”
“Niki is my mummy.”
“Then the puppy must be for you.”
“What puppy?”
“Oh I have spoilt the surprise,” the man lamented. “Your mummy had bought a puppy off me for your birthday.”
Sam squealed. “What is the puppy’s name?”
“It is a little white dog that your mummy called Krypto.”
“Like Superboy's dog.”
“He looks a lot like him.”
“Can I see him?”
“Well, that is what I was ringing your mummy about. The little puppy is lonely and I was hoping that she could pick him up today or I might have to give him to some other boy.”
“But mummy is not here.”
“Hmm,” said the man. “Well, how about you come and pick him up. I am sure your mummy wouldn’t mind.”
“But I can’t leave the school.”
“Well, how about I bring him to you. I can meet you at Mr. Maypenny’s cabin in a few minutes if you like.”
Sam smiled. “Well, it is not really far off the school.”
“Good boy. Now don’t tell anyone. It will be a surprise.”
“Okey-dokey.”
Sam put down the phone and with a laugh hurried off.
“Phew.” Niki smiled. “That desk was heavier than it looked.”
“How about we go and get a coffee and something decadent to eat. I think we need it.”
Niki laughed. “I am with you.”
Dan walked outside and sighed. He needed some air. Having over a dozen boys follow him around all morning was definitely tiresome. But all the same he loved it.”
He saw Sam appear from inside and hurry towards the woods.
He knew Sam should not be alone so he followed him.
Sam was only little but he was quick and Dan had a hard time keeping him in sight.
When Sam emerged at Maypenny’s, Dan watched as he went inside. He waited for a couple of minutes thinking he had just forgotten something yesterday. But when he didn’t appear he headed over.
He opened the door and walked in. He was about to call his name when something struck him across the head and he fell unconscious to the ground.
Sam cried and Paul looked at him with a smile. “It is okay son. Now we can call your mummy and she can come over and see us.”
Even though Dan was quite tall and muscular, Paul was able to drag him over and pull him up onto the bed downstairs.
He then picked up his struggling and crying son and put him next to Dan on the bed.
He watched as Sam put his head on Dan’s shoulder.
“Who is he?”
Sam looked up at him. “He is my uncle Dan. He has been sleeping in mummy’s bed and the lounge room since you ran away from prison.”
“So you know who I am?”
Sam nodded. “Mummy told me and showed me your picture.”
“What did she tell you?”
“That you had done something bad and had to go to prison but that you still loved me and one day when you were gooder you could come and visit. But you aren’t gooder yet or you wouldn’t have hurt Uncle Dan.”
Paul looked down at the little boy and laughed. “Believe me boy, if I was badder your mummy would have to bury your Uncle Dan. Now, how about we see what your mummy is doing.”
Paul first bound Dan’s hands and feet and then went and sat at the table where he picked up some earphones. He smiled and then put them down.
He then picked up his cell phone.
Niki was typing when the phone rang. So she just punched the speakerphone.
“Katie Winthrop School for boys. Can I help you?”
“Well, hello, sugar snaps, how are you?”
“Paul, where are you?”
As she began to talk Trixie and Jim walked to the door. Trixie put her finger to her lips and Niki nodded.
“Actually, I am just a little way from you and I have a present for you. Can you come and get it.”
“Paul, you know I won’t. Please give yourself up.”
He laughed. “Well, here is your present anyway.”
“Mummy.”
Niki gasped. “Honey, where are you? Are you okay?”
Sam began to cry. “Mummy, Daddy hurt Uncle Dan. He hit him on the head and now he won’t wake up.”
Niki’s face paled.
“Paul, what do you want?”
“I want you here in half an hour, or your son and I will go on a little trip and you will never see us again.”
“Where are you?”
“Maypenny’s shack. We are all nice and cosy here, so don’t bring anyone else because I can see all sides and if you do, your pretty boy Danny won’t be so pretty anymore.”
The phone went dead and Niki gasped.
Trixie had quietly gotten on her knees and had seen something under there.
She quietly moved to the door with Jim behind her. Niki made noise to mask their moving. Then she hurried outside as they headed for the kitchen.
“Trixie, what are we going to do?” Niki cried. “If I don’t go alone, they will kill Dan.”
Trixie nodded. “Just leave it all to me. You head off now and I promise you we will be behind you. We won’t let anything happen to you, Sam or Danny. Okay?”
Niki nodded and Trixie hugged her. “Now go and be careful.”
As Niki hurried away, Trixie turned to Jim.
“Honey, get everyone here. I will follow Niki and make sure she is okay. Remind them about the blind spot. And tell them not to tell anyone else where they are going. I smell a rat.”
She then kissed her husband and hurried out. Jim grabbed his cell phone and began to ring, his mind on his wife and his friends.
Niki stood outside the door for a minute, her heart hammering against her ribs. It took everything inside her to open the door and walk in. It took her a moment to adjust to the light.
It was then that she saw Dan lying on a bed with Sam sat beside him.
She took one step towards them but was stopped as a strong hand grasped her arm.
She looked up into a sneering face.
“Well, hello, sugar snaps. I am glad that you listened to me and came alone. It would have been a shame to splatter Dan’s brains all over these nice wooden walls.”
“What do you want, Paul?”
He pushed her until she was sat in a seat only a few feet away from Dan. She looked into his eyes and saw the anger brewing.
“Well, my lovely lady, I was determined to come and see you and have a good time together. I also wanted to meet my son and take him on a holiday with me.” He laughed. “A permanent holiday.”
She looked up at him. “You can do what you want with me, but leave Sam alone. He is only a little boy.”
“I intend to do with you as I will, but I am afraid the rest is non-negotiable.”
He looked over at Dan and grinned. “I hope you have enjoyed the fun you have had with my girl, Danny boy, but I can assure you now that it won’t happen again.”
“You touch her and I will,” Dan growled.
Paul smiled. “You will what? You forget that you are the one tied up and I am the one with the gun.”
“Paul, Dan and I never--” she stopped as her hair was grabbed and she was pulled back viciously.
“Don’t you dare lie to me, girl! Sam already told me about him sharing your bed.”
“We did share a bed, but it was because I needed comfort. Nothing happened.”
His hand in her hair tightened and she cried softly.
“You leave my mummy alone!” Sam yelled and Paul put up his hand to hit him.
“You shut up, boy, or I will make you.”
“Please, Paul,” she begged.
“You say you haven’t slept with him, but I don’t believe you. I can see how you feel in your eyes. You are in love with him, aren’t you?”
Niki looked over at Dan and smiled even through her pain. She knew it might be the only time she could tell him.
“Yes, I do with all my heart.”
Dan’s eyes opened further and then softened. He was about to speak when Paul backhanded Niki across the face sending her sprawling to the ground.
He dragged her up and pulled her towards the stairs. “Then you will pay for that, girl.”
Dan watched helplessly as Niki was dragged struggling to the top floor.
He had to think and fast.
He looked over at Sam’s frightened face.
“Sam, you need to listen to me.”
Sam nodded.
“There is a knife strapped to my left boot. Get it for me, but be very quiet.”
Sam nodded as he pulled the knife from its sheath.
“Now, I need you to be a strong boy and cut the ropes on my hands”
“I can’t,” Sam sobbed.
“Yes, you can, son. I need to help your mummy.”
Sam looked at Dan and then nodded.
It seemed to take for hours before Dan finally felt the ropes give way. He sat up quickly and began to untie his feet.
“I hurt you, Uncle Danny.”
Dan looked down at the cuts on his wrists.
“You are a brave boy, Sam, for cutting the ropes and these are only little scratches.”
Dan stood up and took Sam’s hand. He led him to the cellar door.
“I want you to go down here and go out the little window that is there. Run straight towards the tree that is laying down and you will find Auntie Trixie there. Tell her what is happening.”
Sam nodded and hugged Dan. “I love you, Uncle Danny”
“I love you, too, champ. Now off you go.”
Dan watched him leave and them grabbed his knife. He walked slowly up the stairs.
He looked over the railing. Niki was laid on the bed and Paul was stood above her shirtless. He had closed the curtains and had a single candle burning beside the bed.
“The last time, sugar snaps, you disappointed me. But this time you have had more experience and I know you won’t disappoint me again.”
Niki turned and saw Dan. He shook his head and he knew she understood.
“I’ve already told you that Dan and I were not together like that. Why don’t you believe me?”
“Because I saw the way you looked at each other. You never looked at me that way.”
“You raped me.” She sat up and looked at him.
He leant close towards her. “You were asking for it, dressing up like a tart. You were begging for some of me.”
She shook her head. “You wanted me to have an abortion. And then you denied that Sam was yours.”
He then laughed as Dan slowly moved up the stairs, knowing every creak and movement.
“He is the image of his old man now, though, isn’t he? I can’t deny him now. Now, I am going to give you a real good time, sugar snaps, and I should let you know that I now like it really, really rough.”
He pushed her down as Dan moved. Paul saw the movement and turned just as Dan hit him a glancing blow to the head. He fell backwards knocking the candle onto the bed.
“Get out of here!” Dan yelled to Niki as the sheet caught fire and the flames moved across the bed.
Niki leapt up as Paul grabbed for her. But Dan stopped him and Niki tore down the stairs as Trixie and Tony burst into the front door.
“Dan and Paul are up there and there is a fire!” Niki cried.
“Get her out of here,” Tony called as he hurried up the stairs.
Trixie grabbed Niki and dragged her out of the door as the glass shattered in the top windows. The roof by now was ablaze as they hurried towards the other Bob-Whites and Tiffany.
“Where’s Tony?” Tiffany cried and a huge cracking sound made them all turn to look at the building as the roof collapsed.
Niki fell to the ground in tears.
“Danny,” she cried brokenly as Sam hurried over and sat beside her.
It was a couple of minutes later that arms surrounded her and she looked up into eyes that she never thought she would see again.
“Dan, how? I thought you were dead.”
He smiled through his soot-smudged face.
“Tony pushed us all through the top window just before the roof collapsed. He is now being ministered to by a grateful Tiffany, and Paul is being trussed up tight by Jim and Mart.”
“Are you okay?” She searched his face.
He nodded. “A few cuts and bruises although I think I will feel a lot more bruising when I get up in the morning. A part from that, I am fine. But boy, I could use a good cup of coffee.”
The statement caused Niki to fall against him and sob uncontrollably.
“Shock,” Brian whispered as he put a hand on Dan’s arm. “Let her cry and then we will head back to the school. We have a few loose ends to tie up.”
Dan nodded as he held her closer in his arms, smiling as Sam put his arms around him. To Dan it felt like he had finally found home.
Epilogue
“Can you believe that Ashley was Paul’s cousin?”
Di shook her head. “She was such a good worker. I still cannot believe she was feeding him information since you arrived and sending him pictures.”
“And to put a listening device under my desk was a shock too.”
“I don’t think she is going to enjoy prison too much. An accessory to attempted murder and assault will give her a hefty sentence I am sure.”
“Poor Jim is still in shock. He does such wonderful and thorough background checks. Nothing indicated that she was related to him.”
Voices coming down the hall made Niki look up and smile. But she was surprised when her son, all the Bob-Whites, along with Tony and Tiffany appeared.
“Something must be up or you wouldn’t all be here,” Niki told them and Tony nodded.
“Something has happened and I wanted to tell you and Sam together.”
Niki looked up in fear. “Has Paul escaped again?”
Tony shook his head. “But it does have something to do with him.”
Niki looked at Dan as he sat beside her and took her hand in his.
“Dan, tell me what is wrong?”
Dan looked over at Tony and he nodded.
“Honey, yesterday Paul got into a fight with another inmate. The other inmate had a knife and Paul was killed.”
Niki was silent for a moment trying to fathom it all.
“My daddy is dead.” A tiny voice spoke and Niki looked up, drawing the small boy onto her lap.
“Yes, sweetie, he is.”
“Then he can’t be badder anymore, can he?”
“No, he can’t, honey.”
She saw her son frown for a moment and then he looked up at Dan.
“Uncle Danny, now I don’t have a daddy anymore, would you be my new daddy?”
Niki gasped. “Sam.”
Dan squeezed her hand and then smiled down at the little boy.
“I would love to be your new daddy, Sam. That is, if it is okay with your mummy?”
Dan looked up into surprised eyes and smiled.
“Well Niki, would you consider me a good daddy for your son?”
Niki fought the tears as she smiled. “I couldn’t think of anyone else I would want to be Sam’s new daddy.”
Dan moved towards her, at the same time waving his hand at the others.
Tony grinned. “Hey Sam, how about we raid the icebox and find us some ice-cream?”
“Yippee!” Sam yelled. “A new daddy and ice-cream. This is the bestest day ever.”
When everyone had gone, Niki touched Dan’s face gently.
“Dan, are you sure?”
“More sure than I have ever been before. But there is one problem.”
“What is that?” she asked worriedly.
“In order to be a good daddy, I will have to move in with you and Sam. So the only way I can accomplish that is to marry you. Will that be a problem for you?”
Niki smiled as she moved her mouth to within a breath of his.
“I GUESS I CAN LIVE WITH THAT.”
The End
Thank you thank you Niki for your wonderful editing skills and your humungous amount of encouragement. I couldn’t have finished this without you. Hugs.
This has been playing on my mind for a little while now and wanted to write it. Hope it is believable. Hugs.
Hugs and thanks to my wonderful talented editor who makes my dreams become realities.
I have no idea if there is a state pen in California but for my fanfic there is. Thanks to Niki for your support and help and for also allowing me to use your name.
This is the story after a hand that is never empty. Hope you like.