Page 72 of Nico

"I'll see you out."

"She can take the second dosage six hours from now, but the pain has eased somewhat." The doctor smiled at Gracie. "I suggest you get her that soup and put her to bed as soon as possible. She'll be out like a light in half an hour."

*****

"It's scary, isn't it?" Sadie murmured much later as they stood there watching the little girl all tucked in, with her pink elephant under her arm.

"Parenting?" Nico rubbed his hand up and down her arm. "It's a cake walk." He grinned as she lifted her head to glare at him. "Yes. It is." He kissed the tip of her nose. "But you handled everything like you were born to it."

Snuggling against his shoulder, she turned to look at the little girl and felt love twisting her into knots.

"I don't want to smother her."

"We cannot make that promise. It's the need to keep her safe all the time. To try and prevent anything from ever touching her. To keep her chained inside her bedroom." Lifting her in his arms, he made sure Gracie's monitor was on, before leaving the room and closing the door.

He did not stop until he was next to the bed.

Kneeling in front of her, he proceeded to take off her sandals. "Now I get to cater to my wife." He looked up at her as he massaged her insteps. "I love you." He added solemnly.

"I love you more." She told him huskily.

The end…