Disclaimer: I don't own anything except an old pair of doggy slippers that my real dogs chewed up. Everything in here is someone else's except Ronnie, Maddie, Indigo, Scott, Mark, Aiden, Ellen, Chris, Eliza, Bartholomew and Kayla. 'He didn't have to be' belongs to Brad Paisley and his recording company but it's still a kick ass song!

WARNING: Violence and swearing ahead.

Hero

Chapter 7

And then another, and another. Indigo keeled sideways with a dull thud, the gun scattering from his fingers. Nick eyed the dead man contemptuously before firing two more rounds in him, for Ronnie.

Ronnie's eyes fluttered open and her weak smile widened as her eyes fell on her lover, "Hey Cowboy."

Nick dropped to his knees at her side, gently stroking the hair from her pale face as, with tears in his eyes, he said, "Hey, Hellcat."

"Maddie," she questioned weakly as the sirens sounded outside.

"She's safe, love. You saved her." Nick said gently, hollering over his shoulder, "Medic! I need a PARAMEDIC!"

"You're very demanding, Cowboy," Ronnie teased softly, leaning her head into his hand.

"You'll have to get used to it, Hellcat, because when you get out of the hospital, I'm going to have to marry you to keep you out of trouble." He said with a gentle grin before gently moving her hands from the wound and replacing the padded, bloodstained strip with a fresh one from his own shirt, saying softly, "This is going to hurt, love."

"It will," Ronnie agreed, smiling softly up at him as she added, "but it's alright, because you're here now. I'm safe."

"Yea, Hellcat, you're safe." Nick said, wincing at her hissed breath as he pushed down on the wound to stop the bleeding.

The paramedics appeared suddenly in the door, and Nick was pushed to the side, but they continued to hold hands. The paramedics placed her gently on a stretcher and moved her swiftly from the house and to the ambulance, Nick jogging alongside her the whole time.

When they were loaded into the ambulance, Nick pressed a gentle kiss to Ronnie's forehead, whispering, "I love you, Hellcat, always."

"I love you too, Nick," Ronnie answered with a gentle smile, adding softly, "You're a hero, Cowboy. My hero."

XoXoXoXo

Madigan took a deep breath, a swell of nausea rising up in her stomach. Anxiously, she bit the top of her thumb, a habit she'd had since she was a child as she peaked through the curtain at the hundreds of people packed into the school auditorium.

Suddenly, behind her, she heard a deep male voice call out, "Maddie!"

Startled, she turned, a smile stretching across her face despite her nerves, as her eyes fell on the familiar figure of the Texan CSI. Easily, Nick returned the grin.

"Nervous, kid?" Nick asked gently, noting the thumb biting, a habit Maddie did only when she was nervous.

"Extremely." Maddie admitted, adding, "I think I'm going to puke."

"No you won't. You'll be fine. You will go out on that stage and sing the song that you have refused to let me know about and be absolutely fabulous!" Nick said confidently.

Maddie grinned, "Thanks, Dad."

"No problem, babe." Nick grinned, dropping a kiss on his stepdaughter's forehead before grinning, "I'm going to go grab a seat with your mom and brothers, kay?"

"Kay. Say hi to Mom, Jason, Mikey and Robby for me, kay? And everyone else."

"Sure thing, little lady." Nick grinned, giving her a wink and blowing her a kiss as he jogged back down the stairs, calling back, "Knock 'em did, Hellraiser!"

Barely seconds later, a loud voice echoed through the speakers and the crowd hushed as Maddie's high school principal announced, "And, for our last performance of the evening, please welcome-Madigan Stokes!"

Maddie stepped out onto the stage, accepting the microphone from the older woman. She couldn't help the slight laugh that escaped her lips as she glance at her rather large family sitting in the front row.

Her mom sat in the middle, her father's arm wrapped around her as the pair cheered loudly for their daughter. Her younger brother Jason Nicholas, six years younger than her 16 years, sat beside her mother, 8-year-old Michael Gilbert and 7-year-old Robert Scott beside him. Her aunts and uncles from the lab sat at her father's side, her uncle Greg standing on his chair and screaming loudly for her while his wife, her Aunt Sara, laughingly tried to pull him off the chair.

When her Uncle Greg was finally sitting back down again and the crowd was silent again, she smiled before she spoke, her voice soft, "Hello everyone. As you know, my name is Madigan Stokes. Tonight, I'll be singing a very special song that is dedicated to a very special man. My parents have been divorced since the year I was born and I haven't seen my biological father since I was 6. But that's okay.

"You see, my mom remarried when I was 5." Maddie smiled, "And the man she married is the best father any girl could ever ask for. So, tonight, I'm singing 'He Didn't Have to be' by Brad Paisley, for my real dad, Nick Stokes, the greatest man alive."

Closing her eyes, Maddie opened her mouth and began to sing, her soft, gentle voice echoing sweetly through the large hall.

When a single mom goes out on a date with somebody new

It always winds up feeling more like a job interview

My momma used to wonder if she'd ever meet someone

Who wouldn't find out about me and then turn around and run

I met the man I call my dad when I was five years old

He took my mom out to a movie and for once I got to go

A few months later I remember lying there in bed

I overheard him pop the question and prayed that she'd say yes

And then all of a sudden

Oh, it seemed so strange to me

How we went from something's missing

To a family

Lookin' back all I can say

About all the things he did for me

Is I hope I'm at least half the dad

That he didn't have to be

I met the girl that's now my wife about three years ago

We had the perfect marriage but we wanted something' more

Now here I stand surrounded by our family and friends

Crowded 'round the nursery window as they bring the baby in

And now all of a sudden

It seemed so strange to me

How we've gone from something's missing

To a family

Lookin' through the glass I think about the man

That's stand-in' next to me

And I hope I'm at least half the dad

That he didn't have to be

Lookin' back all I can say

About all the things he did for me

Is I hope I'm at least half the dad

That he didn't have to be

Yeah, I hope I'm at least half the dad

That he didn't have to be

Because he didn't have to be

You know he didn't have to be"

As the echo of her song slowly faded away, replaced by the loud, rowdy cheers of the audience, Maddie slowly opened her eyes, glancing nervously at her father. But she didn't have to worry, Nick was smiling, his eyes filled with tears as he mouthed, "I love you, Maddie. You're my hero."
XoXoXoXo

A/N Awww, it's over! Isn't that so sad? And don't you just love that ending? You better have, because I just skipped out on two hours of sleep to type up both chapters after an 8-hour shift at work and 2 and a ½ hours of shopping with a pair of whiny 13 year olds on Saturday and a 6-hour shift today as well as 3 hours of homework! But, anyway, sorry for the wait guys and thank you and lots of love and Christmas wishes to every reader and reviewer! I love you!

Merry Christmas!

'My Love,

Red