It was around two am when Nico woke up. The room was still dark and quiet but Dani was no longer next to him. He glanced around the room but didn't see her. He stood and stretched and silently checked all the rooms upstairs but she wasn't there. He made his way downstairs, assuming she was back in her office but he stopped when he saw her form sitting on the bench out back. He stepped up to the door and watched her for a few seconds. She was staring out in front of her but he could tell she wasn't really seeing anything, she was deep in thought.

"Hey, you alright?" She didn't jump when she heard his voice which he found odd; he didn't think he'd made to much noise.

"I am okay, I heard you coming down the steps." She said, turning her face to his and answering his un asked question.

"What are you doing out here?" He walked over and took a seat next to her.

"Just thinking." Her voice was still a bit rough from crying. He didn't ask but she knew he wanted to know what she was thinking about.

"I just feel kind of strange now. I mean, I feel better, more complete now that I know, but I also feel a little weird because I can remember having these feelings before and now I am going through them again for the same reasons. I don't know, it's just a weird feeling." She shrugged her shoulders then turned to look at him.

"I thought you had stuff to do today, how did you get here?"

"Yesterday," He said with a smile, she sighed and nodded.

"Lindsey called me when you passed out, I came as quick as I could." He explained. She sat silent for a while, a thousand thoughts running through her head but she only voiced one.

"Why?"

He looked at her as if she were speaking another language.

"Why?" He said, a bit baffled that she had to ask.

"You remember the conversation we had out here, before you're accident?" She nodded her head.

"That's why." He said simply.

"Okay then, why me?" He was a bit confused but he knew after gaining back the rest of her memories there were a lot of questions she wanted answered and he supposed this just happened to be where she was starting.

"I told you, because you know me."
"But I don't." She insisted, turning to face him.

"But you can." She furrowed her brow and shook her head, she didn't understand.

"Of all the women I've ever been with, and the list isn't exactly long trust me." She smiled a bit at that.

"You're the only one that I am comfortable letting in."
"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I have a lot of secrets Dani, I am not an open book, I put up my walls and I close myself off, I know that. And that's how I've always been, with everyone. It's why my first marriage didn't work, there were to many secrets between us." She watched him carefully as he talked.

"But then I met you and for some reason, without my consent or approval, those walls started to crack and break and you pushed you're way in. You know things about me that no one else does and strangely I am okay with that, I am comfortable with it."

"So why me?" Dani asked again.

Nico reached up and cupped her face in his hand; she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

"Because you can see behind my walls."

He rested his forehead against hers and she brought a hand up to rest at the base of his neck.

She wasn't as surprised when his lips met hers this time, and the kiss was much more satisfying than the one they'd shared two days ago. She let him wrap an arm around her waist and move her closer and she buried her hands in his hair and held him close until they broke apart to breath.

"Can I tell you something?" She asked, she was a bit out of breath and he smiled at that and nodded.

"I am scared." She said quietly.

"Scared of what?"
"Of going back to my life, of going back to normal. I am scared I won't know how to start again."

"You will, I know you will. It'll be tricky at first but it'll get easier." He said, he leaned in again and kissed her sweetly.

"Will you help me?" She asked as she pulled back a bit.

"Of course, whatever you need." She shook her head at him and laughed.

"You'll spoil me." He shrugged and kissed her again.

"You deserve to be spoiled." She smiled and held his face gently in her hands.

"I'll never be able to thank you for this, for all of it. For being with me when I didn't remember anything or anyone, for helping me get my life back." He shook his head and leaned in close.

"You don't have to thank me, you changed my life Danielle Santino, I helped you get yours back, we'll call it even." She smiled and let him kiss her again.

She wasn't sure how long they sat on the back porch. They didn't talk much, he held her close and kissed her gently and she'd never felt more happy in her life. Eventually they decided to go back inside, he followed her upstairs without question and the two lay down next to each other again. Nico pulled her in close and wrapped his arms around her and she curled up in his embrace. She felt better now, she felt safe and loved and even though she knew there were still small bits of memory she was missing, for the first time in a while, she felt complete.

- Two months later-

"Mom, breakfast!" She heard Lindsey shout for her from downstairs. She sat up and glanced at the clock, eight thirty. She sighed and grabbed her robe, wrapping it around her as she left the room. It was going to be another busy day, meetings with Coach in the morning, a session with TK and a few other patients later in the day and then a meeting with a new client before the day was over. She could hear laughter as she reached the bottom of the stairs and she smiled as she walked into the kitchen. Lindsey was sitting at the island, Nico was leaning against the counter and Ray Jay was standing by the stove, trying his best to flip an omelet in the air and catch it again in the pan.

"I told you it's about hand eye coordination Ray Jay." Nico said, Lindsey laughed as the omelet all but missed the pan and landed on the floor.

"If you guys make a mess of my kitchen you're cleaning it up." Dani said, making her presence known.

"Haven't made a mess yet mom." Ray Jay said, as he tried to flip the eggs again.

"I think yet is the word that worries me most." She said. Nico handed her a cup of coffee and pulled her close giving her a quick kiss.

"Morning." He said.

"Good morning, you trying to teach Ray Jay to be Bobby Flay or what?" She asked, nodding at her son, who'd caught the eggs perfectly this time. Lindsey clapped and gave her brother a high five.

"He started it." Nico said with a shrug, Dani shook her head and laughed.

"Alright, eat up, you'll be late for school, come on." The kids ate at record speed then grabbed their things and set off giving goodbyes to both Dani and Nico.

Dani finished off her coffee and smiled at him.

"They love having you around you know."
"I love being around." He kissed her and took her empty cup.

"Go get ready, the meeting with Coach starts in an hour."

Dani showered and changed and was offered a fresh cup of coffee from Nico when she came back downstairs. She grabbed her purse and followed him out the door and over to his car.

It hadn't taken long for Dani to realize that she'd become a bit dependent on Nico being around. While she wasn't opposed to the idea of him being at the house she also knew he had a life of his own to live and so very slowly she'd gotten used to being on her own again. The idea didn't last very long though and as their relationship moved forward he ended up spending more time with her and the kids anyway. He came over most weekday mornings now, they drove to work together and when their day was done he drove her home again. If she had other patient meetings he dropped her off and went back to his apartment and if she was free the rest of the night he'd stay for dinner and maybe longer if the mood struck him. It wasn't a bad setup and Dani loved having him around, so did the kids. Lately he'd taken to spending the night and a few days ago they'd had the conversation about him getting a 'drawer' at her place. He'd laughed at the cliché-ness of it all but took her up on the offer. Things had been going great for the past two months. Her memory was back in full and she felt wonderfully in control of her life again.

The meeting with coach didn't last too long; it was mostly to introduce the newest member of the front office. Matt had taken a very generous offer six weeks ago and had transferred out to San Francisco. Dani knew it was Nico who started the ball rolling on that one but neither of them talked about it.

After the meeting she headed off to meet with TK. He was almost six months sober now and while he was still finding it difficult sometimes, she couldn't be prouder of the progress he'd made. Their hour session flew by and when they finished she gave him a hug and told him once again how happy she was at the commitment he had and all the changes he'd made.

She spent the rest of the day sitting on the sofa in Nico's office filling out patient files and catching up on her work.

When four o'clock rolled around they left together

"So, you're new patient?" Nico asked as he pulled up to her house.

"You know I can't tell you anything." She said with a laugh.

"Yeah I know, I just know it's you're first new patient since, well since you got your memory back. You nervous?" He asked.

"Not really, I think it'll be good, getting back in the saddle." He smiled and nodded.

"Well have fun." He leaned in and kissed her and she smiled, it hadn't taken her long to get used to this.

"I'll call you when we finish." She said.

"Then I guess I'll see you later." He kissed her one last time and then watched her walk up to her house. She waved at him before she went inside and he waved back, she smiled and shut the door behind her.

A half hour later she was standing in her office waiting for her newest client. She glanced behind her at her desk and smiled. She'd gotten a new lamp, it felt cathartic and it made her feel much more comfortable. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She was back to normal now, she was back to work, in a comfortable relationship with a man she loved, her kids were doing well, her life was stable again, it was an amazing feeling.

She smiled as she heard the knock at the door; she walked over and opened it, giving her newest client a warm welcome.

She took a seat in her chair and listened closely as the client explained why they were there. She had no doubt in her mind that she could help them; it was her job after all. While she'd forgotten it for a short time she could remember now. She smiled at the client as they finished talking and nodded.

"Well alright then, let's get to work."

~ Fin

The end!
I have to thank you all for sticking with me for so long, for continuing to love and review the story, it really means the world to me. I do love our little Danico family so I am giving you all a big hug now, thanks so much for everything!
This probably won't be the last time you hear from me, I am sure I'll be visiting the NR community again soon.
Again, thanks so much for everything, I hope you enjoyed the ending, send in some reviews and let me know.
Much love to you all! :D