(A/N): Here is the next one! I hope you all like it! They just seem to live from situation to situation, don't they? Ah well. Let me know what you think and I still don't own Necessary Roughness, otherwise it would still be on tv, I swear.

Family

Chapter 6

"Oh god." Lindsay gasped out as she slammed the bedroom door shut and blinked furiously, trying to get the image of Dani and Nico making out in their king sized bed from her retinas. Ray Jay stepped up to her, placing his hand over hers on the door handle. "No, don't go in there Ray Jay!"

"Why not? It's just mom's room." Ray Jay frowned at his sister as Juliette walked towards them, carrying Victoria on her left hip, both clad in pyjamas, even though Lindsay and Ray Jay were fully dressed. It was Monday morning and they had school after all, even though it was barely past six in the morning. Juliette was nineteen and so didn't have school, despite knowing she'd have to go over different college courses with Dani at some point and Victoria didn't go into school until ten.

"What's going on?" Juliette asked curiously, setting Victoria down onto her own feet.

"Uh, they're uh, busy." Lindsay tried to explain without being explicit, partly for her own peace of mind and partly to keep what they were doing from the four year old's ears. She frowned at Juliette, recognising the t-shirt the other girl wore as one that Dani had owned over ten years earlier. "Is that mom's shirt?" She asked, gesturing to it.

Juliette glanced down at the worn grey AC/DC t-shirt that was too big for either owner of the shirt. Juliette nodded with a slight shrug. "Yeah, I stole it about five years ago and never gave it back. Aunt Dani doesn't mind. Why?"

"No reason, I just knew I recognised it." Lindsay pursed her lips a little, but made no other comment.

All four outside the door jumped as the handle gave way under Ray Jay and Lindsay's hands and the door swung inwards, revealing a dishevelled but presentable Nico with a blushing, also dishevelled Dani stood directly behind him. Both were still in their pyjamas and Nico looked fairly amused that they'd been interrupted that morning. "Was there a family meeting Dani and I were not aware of?" Nico asked, watching each of the four in turn. Lindsay flushed and looked away, Juliette smirked at him, Victoria was busy running past his legs to Dani and Ray Jay just looked uncomfortable.

"Not that I'm aware of Uncle Nico, but then Tori and I only just showed up here." Juliette shrugged. "Oh yeah, meant to ask, can I have some of your DNA please?"

Dani let out an amused snort at Juliette's bluntness. Nico rolled his eyes. "You get me some of yours and I'll get someone I trust to do it, Julie. They'll have the results in 24 hours after I drop the samples off, alright?"

"And I'll go with him to make sure that everything is done right, Julie." Dania assured her, knowing the teen's next worry. Juliette nodded, trusting the couple.

"Thanks Uncle Nico, Aunt Dani. So, Ray Jay, Lindsay, want me to drive you both to school?" Juliette asked with a grin, ignoring the warning look she was receiving from Nico and the log-suffering sigh from Dani. "I have a ragtop. Marshall didn't take that off me when he disowned me."

Ray Jay ran to the hall window that overlooked the front drive. Juliette had had to move her car the day before so that Nico and Dani could get their cars out of the garage, so neither Lindsay nor her brother had actually seen it yet. He let out a low whistle at the Ferrari sat in the driveway. "Woah, that's so cool! Yeah I want a ride in that!"

"Juliette, drive safely. I mean it." Nico warned, causing Juliette to roll her eyes.

"Always, Unc, always."

…

"Do you think we're doing the right thing?" Dani asked Nico as they walked down the hallway of the Hawks training facility together. Dani had been in appointments with the team all morning whilst Nico had dropped Victoria off at school and Juliette had opted to stay home for the day, researching local community colleges that she could take classes at. She'd meant what she'd said and intended to prove it. "I mean with the kids, and Julie, and… Will it always be this hectic?"

"You know our lives are hectic already, Dani." Nico reassured her in his own, unique way, placing a hand on her upper arm. "Look, Lindsay and Ray Jay have settled down as well as they can in such a short space of time, Juliette is acting surprisingly grown up for her, and Tori is as scarily smart as ever. Our kids are good."

"You said, 'our kids'. Oh, Nico." She pressed her lips to his insistently, happy that Nico considered her children his own as well, despite sharing no DNA with them. Nico caught her waist and deepened the kiss, the married couple only breaking apart at a loud throat clearing. The pulled apart to see a grinning TK stood staring at them, arms crossed.

"So, once you two have finished, how 'bout you follow ole TK to the training room? Coach is 'bout to introduce the new trainer. But really, carry on." He gestured towards them with a laugh that quickly faded as Nico took one threatening step towards him, though his arms were still around his wife's waist.

"Mr King, I suggest you go now before I have to let go of my wife and come after you."

"Why you gotta be hating on TK?" TK whined. "It could've been someone else who caught you, not just little old me."

"Terrence, we will be there in a moment, but really, you need to go now." Dani told him firmly, keeping a firm grip on Nico's upper arms. "Nico, you cannot make Terrence disappear. Tori wouldn't like it."

TK disappeared around the corner quicker than lightening, making Dani and Nico burst out laughing at his terrified expression. Nico wouldn't really make TK disappear, but the wide receiver didn't need to know that. "Alright, we had better go and see Coach's announcement."

"What do you know about this new trainer?" Dani asked as they fell back into step side by side once again, turning the corner in unison.

"Not much." Nico shrugged. "We will soon find out."

"Yes, we will." They came to a halt at the entrance to the main training area, close to where TK stood, the other players hiding snickers at the worried looks he kept sending the married couple. Coach Purnell sighed at the snickers, knowing, or at least guessing, what had the players laughing. It was always the same. TK would do something to irritate Dani, Nico or both, and then would spend the rest of the day running and hiding from them in fear of retribution. Clearing his throat, the coach turned to face the crowd that had gathered in the training area, consisting of everyone from players to janitors, with only the owners absent from the meeting, which was good as far as the coach was concerned, considering the latest rumours that should Marshall or Gabrielle Pittman actually show up, Dani would kill the pair of them upon sight.

"Alright everyone, now then, quiet down!" He yelled, gaining a respectful silence instantly. "Now, I know we were all saddened by Danny G's retirement, but, we have ourselves a new trainer; Matthew Donnelly." He gestured to a fair haired, well build man in his early thirties in a suit beside him. Matt stood forwards a little, waving almost awkwardly.

"Hi, uh, you can all call me Matt."

"Sure, whatever, Mattie D." TK called out, gaining instant cheers at the nickname. Dani and the coach shared an eye roll. The players gave nicknames to everyone. Coach was usually 'coach' or 'coach P', Dani was usually 'Doctor D' or 'Doctor Dani' and Nico was usually 'Sneako'.

"Uh, well, I…" Matt trailed off as the players began to disperse back to their training schedules set up by the retired trainer, as they had for the last few hours of not having a trainer physically there with them. Booz called out as he headed for an exercise bike.

"Hey, Dr Dani, is our appointment still at three?"

Dani smiled, stepping over to the sweet player. "Yes, it is. Try not to be late, alright?" She teased gently. Booz smiled sheepishly.

"I'll do my best, ma'am."

"That's all I ask, Booz, really." She placed a hand over his on the bike and nodded reassuringly before stepping away. She turned and found herself face to face with Matt, who stuck a hand out with a wide smile, a little smugness seeping through. Warily, Dani took the offered hand and shook it, taking back her own as soon as she could. A familiar feeling washed over her and she knew that Nico was watching them, close enough to intervene should he have to, but far enough away that Matt wouldn't notice his presence.

"Hi, I'm Matt, as you probably already know."

"Dani. Dr Dani Careles." She sent him a small, polite smile. "I'm the team therapist."

"Ah, a head shrinker." He smirked at his phrase, missing Dani's eye roll and Booz's snicker from the training bike. "Well, I don't usually do this, but, Dani, would you like to have drinks with me later?"

It was Dani's turn to smirk as she took him in, knowing that he was confident in her acceptance of his proposition. Clearly, the new trainer hadn't even bothered to check her left hand, let alone simply ask her. "Well, whilst that sounds… nice, I think I'd rather stay at home with my husband and children."

"Uh, what? You're… married… with… kids?" Matt spluttered out, much to the amusement of all within hearing range.

"Yes. Four children." Dani added, not being able to hold in her amused snort any longer as Matt's mouth opened and closed in a similar fashion to a goldfish. Nico stepped up to the pair, impassive as always, though Dani could see the amusement in his eyes, along with a slight thankfulness, most likely for Dani including Juliette into their seemingly ever growing list of children. "That is, if you don't count the players, who all act like children." She added, sending a sharp glance in TK's direction, who nodded proudly at the distinction.

"Are there any problems here?" Nico asked calmly.

Matt shook his head. "Uh, no, just, a shock, that's all. Didn't expect such a beautiful woman to be married with four kids. I'm Matt." He held his hand out, but dropped it when Nico only stared at the proffered hand with thinly veiled disgust.

"Nico Careles, I work security for the Hawks. Sort of."

"Careles? Uh… You two?" Matt asked incredulously.

Dani bristled. "So what? And yes, for your information, Nico and I are married, thank you." Her phone rang and she glanced at the screen. "It's Julie." She informed Nico before moving away and answering it out of earshot of the players and Matt. Nico opened his mouth but was cut off by his own phone ringing. Ray Jay. He also excused himself to take the call. Matt then turned to TK and opened his mouth to speak, when TK's phone went off.

"Ah sorry, Mattie D, but I gotta take this. It's my number one girl, Tori." TK informed him swiftly before answering it with a loud, "Chicklet!"

Matt looked around, utterly confused as all three finished their phone calls and met back in the middle of the training area, quite close to the players and Matt, who decided to shamelessly listen in.

"Okay, Juliette has some college options ready, and I told her I'd look over them with her during lunch today." Dani informed her husband quickly. Nico nodded with a slight smile.

"We need to nip over to Ray Jay and Lindsay's school. Apparently, your ex-husband is causing quite the uproar." He returned, sighing sympathetically as Dani threw her hands into the air in frustration with her ex.

TK shrugged. "Well, Tori asked me to tell you both that she's been switched up another grade and the teacher needs to talk to you both when you pick up the chicklet later."

"We only saw them this morning, and we've already heard off three out of four of the kids." Dani let out with a sigh, only to roll her eyes as her phone chimed, indicating a text message. "Correction, four out of four now. Lindsay text me. We need to get there now, Nico. Ray's started threatening people."

"We can be there in ten, Dani." Nico promised, grabbing his wife's hand as they both rushed from the room, Nico throwing a parting instruction to TK before they disappeared round the corner. "Behave yourself whilst we're gone Mr King!"

"Why does no-one trust me without one of those two around?"

TBC…?