The next morning, Ashley and Howie were up first. When Nick and Danielle came downstairs they saw Howie and Ashley lying on the couch watching MTV. Howie was running his fingers up and down Ashley's arms. Ashley looked up and kissed him on the lips. Danielle cleared her throat and Ashley and Howie looked up at her.
"It's about time you two got up, we were about to leave to go to the mall without you", Howie said. Danielle rolled her eyes.
"Yeah it really looks like you are ready to go to the mall!", Danielle said. Ashley had completely forgotten that she and Howie were undressed from the neck down. Ashley put on Howie's shirt and they both got up to go get dressed.
A couple minutes later they came back downstairs.
"Are you two ready to go now?", Danielle asked as she grabbed her car keys off the table.
"Thanks but I'll take my car", Ashley said in a sarcastic tone. Nick and Danielle walked out to Danielle's car. Suddenly Danielle saw her old boyfriend driving by slowly in his car.
Ashley and Howie were inside when they heard the gunshot and a scream. They both bolted out the door and stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Nick lying in a pool of his own blood.
"Howie go call 911 and tell the ambulance to hurry", Ashley exclaimed. Ashley ran over to Nick's side and felt for a pulse.
"He's still got a pulse but it's very weak", Ashley said.
"Nick don't leave me!", Danielle screamed.
"C'mon Nick fight it's not your time to leave", Ashley said as she started to cry. Soon they heard the ambulance in the distance. Danielle cradled Nick in her arms and kept telling him not to leave. The EMT's jumped out of the ambulance and put Nick on a stretcher.
"Danielle you are coming with me and Howie. You can tell me what happened on the way there", Ashley told her. Howie gave Ashley her car keys and they all got in her car and started to head toward the hospital. Danielle told them how Richard had pulled up in his car and how he pulled out his gun to shoot her but Nick jumped in the way to protect her and he ended up shooting Nick instead. When they arrived at the hospital Ashley walked up to the front desk to ask where Nick was. Ashley walked back over to Danielle and Howie.
"Ok this is what the nurse told me. Nick is up in surgery right now and the doctor's will let us know when we can go see him", Ashley told them, "So let's just sit down and try to compose ourselves". Danielle laid down on one of the couches and cried herself to sleep hoping her precious Nick would be ok.
Four hours later, the doctor came out. "You can go see him now. That boy is very lucky, the bullet almost hit his heart. He'll be alright but he might be in the hospital for a couple of weeks".
"That's ok doctor, just as long as he's alright", Ashley said putting her arm around Danielle to reassure her. They all walked into Nick's room and sat down in the chairs. Ashley walked over to Nick's side and ran her fingers through his sandy-blonde hair.
"Nick, Danielle is here to see you", Ashley whispered in his ear. Danielle walked over to his side and took his hand. "Nick if you can hear me squeeze my hand". Nick did as he was told and he slowly opened his eyes as well.
"Hi baby", Nick said smiling.
"I thought I was going to lose you", Danielle said as she bent down to kiss him. "Guys do you mind if I stay with Nick until he goes home?". "Sure we don't mind. When you're ready to come home call us, ok?" Danielle nodded her head and Ashley and Howie left to go home.
When they left, Danielle got up and walked over to Nick's bed and kissed his cheek gently. He opened his eyes and smiled. "Nick I need to tell you something." "What? What do you need to tell me?", Nick asked.
"You know that night we made love?" he nodded his head. "Well I just wanted to tell you that I'm pregnant." Nick looked up at her and smiled. "I know, Ashley told me that you were." Danielle's eyes widened. "I'm not going to make a big deal about it", Nick said, " When this baby is born she or he will have the best parents and godparents." "I already asked Ashley and Howie if they would be the godparents and they agreed/" Nick smiled at her. "Oh Nick I love you so much" Danielle said as she kissed him on the lips.
3 weeks later Nick was discharged from the hospital. Ashley went to pick them up to take them both home. When they all got home Howie and Ashley had prepared a big welcome home dinner. "Hi Nick!", Ashley said hugging him. "Hey Ash how ya doin?" "I'm fine how are you?" "A little sore but I'll survive!" They all laughed and sat down to eat dinner.
Later that evening Howie and Ashley went to bed early leaving Nick and Danielle alone in the living room. "Nick I'm so glad you're alive.", Danielle said wanting to kill Richard so badly. "Danielle I have a question for you" "mmm?" "Who was that person who tired to kill you?" "Ok Nick, I'll start from the beginning. I met Richard at some club in LA and he seemed really nice so I invited him over the next day. Soon after that out relationship grew and we started dating. Little did I know he was an alcoholic. One night I came home and he was really drunk. He asked me where I had been and before I could answer him he hit me across my face then he just kept punching me till I was like a bowl of jello on the ground." Danielle started to cry and Nick cradled her in his arms. He knew it was too much for her to handle. "Shh it's ok baby you're here with me now and I promise I won't let anyone hurt you EVER again."
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