Fic: [NR] Order Brings Chaos [1/1]
Order Brings Chaos
Word Count: 1,108
Rating: PG
Pairing: Nico/Dani friendship (hint o’more?), hint of Dani/Matt mistake
Spoilers: References 1x12
Disclaimer: don't own. Don't profit. Don't … a lot of things
Summary: Santino’s actions surprise him. Instead of him reaching to steady her, she reaches for his arm and looks up at him.
Author's Note: I have too many NR fics running through my brain. This one started and I thought it might go further but then another post-finale fic started and that one has more potential. I like where this one stopped so I believe it needs to end there.
As always, I blame brokenroots and goodisrelative. But the faults in this story are mine and mine alone. With maybe a dash of Nico to blame. :-)
He takes one look at Donnally coming down the stairs and keeps his eyes focused on Santino. He doesn’t want to see the smugness in the other man’s eyes and he knows the pain in Santino’s is going to need someone to steady her. He’s closer than the man on the stairs and if he takes a bit of pleasure in knowing, planning, that, he doesn’t let it show in his voice, eyes, or actions as he delivers the news.
“TK’s been shot.”
Santino’s actions surprise him. Instead of him reaching to steady her, she reaches for his arm and looks up at him. “You didn’t fail him.” She whispers so Donnally doesn’t hear.
Nico looks down into her eyes. He doesn’t believe that: there was a hole in his security somewhere and he will find it. He will make sure the man responsible pays: he was already in police custody, his men had seen to that right after the single shot.
Santino set things in motion again with her next words. “Matt, Nico is taking me to the hospital. You need to round up the players. I want everyone at the hospital in two hours. Nico’s men will help with that but I need you to make sure everyone is accounted for as they come in.” She looked over at the stairs.
Donnally looked ready to argue but he sighed and went up to get his shoes.
Santino took out her phone as she went to get her purse. She was soft with her kids but firm. She told them what she knew and closed her eyes. “Yes, I’ll tell him. And I’ll call as soon as I know more, Ray Jay. Do not repeat this to anyone. I mean it.”
She looked up at him as she came back near him. She faltered a step and he reached out to steady her. It was the only visible clue he saw that told him she wasn’t as calm as she portrayed herself to be. Her eyes told him, as he looked down, that the pain was swamping her but she was strong enough at the moment to keep going.
“The shooter is in police custody. There is video and he will get what is due to him.” Nico stated quietly.
Santino nodded and opened her mouth to say something but Donnally was coming back down the stairs. He went to hug Santino and she sidestepped him. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours, Matt.”
Donnally frowned and walked out of the house. “Be careful, Dani.”
Santino looked up and when she teetered on her heels she reached for Nico’s arm. It wasn’t the alcohol she had drunk. He saw her tears falling and just kept her steady as they made their way to his car.
“He’s in surgery, Doctor Santino. He will pull through. This is TK we are talking about.” Nico stated quietly as he started the car.
Santino nodded. “Vivica? How is she?”
“At the hospital. She hasn’t talked since the shooting. From what I have been told, she was there, front and center, but not next to TK. He had just spotted her at the club.” Nico told her.
“And what will happen to the club?” Santino asked.
“It will be shut down. Whether they reopen with metal detectors is something else. I do not think any of our players will be back there regardless.”
Santino wiped her eyes and looked up and over at his profile as he drove. “While I know you will second guess your security measures and look for holes, this isn’t something you could have prevented, Nico, even if you had been there. You and I both know if someone is determined enough, you can’t stop them.”
Nico kept his eyes on the road and didn’t even nod his head to acknowledge her words. He might know that in concept, that didn’t mean he believed it at this particular moment. His weakness had caused this and he would figure out how.
Santino sighed. She recognized his stubborn ignoring now. She reached over and put a hand on his covering the stickshift. “This did not happen because of your weakness. Besides, you stood up to her. You told her no, so she isn’t even your weakness anymore. You are dealing with her.”
He did look over at her with those words. His eyes narrowed but the woman kept her hand on his and her eyes locked on his. He cut his eyes back to the road, his mouth set in a frown, not liking having to be the one to look away, but as he was driving it wasn’t like he could keep up the staring contest.
“Nico, control is an illusion we create to keep order. Nothing in this world can be controlled forever. And no person can be controlled by someone else. You can anticipate. You can plan. You can even act with only a bit of knowledge. But plans and predictions, and even some actions only take us so far.” She squeezed his hand then let him go and turned her head to look out her window.
“Is that why you try to control Donnally and myself?”
Santino understood he was lashing out. “No. I control you because you are chaos and disrupt my ordered world. Donnally, well, he’s fun I can control and it is not fair to him.” She sighed. “I’ll cut it off again and this time stick to it. He’s not serious and I’m done needing to move past my ex.”
Nico blinked, surprised she had admitted as much to him. “I am not chaos. I provide order and fix the chaos.”
Santino chuckled, still keeping her face averted. “You do provide order for the players and fix the chaos they create, but you still create chaos in my life. All hours of the night, you create chaos for me.”
He supposed it was true: he did use her to help create that order so it probably did throw her life into chaos. He would have to keep that in mind in the future. He did not like adding chaos in anyone’s life.
Santino sighed and looked over at him and admitted, “But your chaos is something I can finally see I need, Nico. It gives me a life where I am needed and instrumental in helping others outside of my family. It gives me purpose, Nico, and I won’t trade that for less chaos, so don’t even think of protecting me from you.”
Nico eyed her, not entirely sure what to make of her words: just more to think about later.
Word Count: 1,108
Rating: PG
Pairing: Nico/Dani friendship (hint o’more?), hint of Dani/Matt mistake
Spoilers: References 1x12
Disclaimer: don't own. Don't profit. Don't … a lot of things
Summary: Santino’s actions surprise him. Instead of him reaching to steady her, she reaches for his arm and looks up at him.
Author's Note: I have too many NR fics running through my brain. This one started and I thought it might go further but then another post-finale fic started and that one has more potential. I like where this one stopped so I believe it needs to end there.
As always, I blame brokenroots and goodisrelative. But the faults in this story are mine and mine alone. With maybe a dash of Nico to blame. :-)
He takes one look at Donnally coming down the stairs and keeps his eyes focused on Santino. He doesn’t want to see the smugness in the other man’s eyes and he knows the pain in Santino’s is going to need someone to steady her. He’s closer than the man on the stairs and if he takes a bit of pleasure in knowing, planning, that, he doesn’t let it show in his voice, eyes, or actions as he delivers the news.
“TK’s been shot.”
Santino’s actions surprise him. Instead of him reaching to steady her, she reaches for his arm and looks up at him. “You didn’t fail him.” She whispers so Donnally doesn’t hear.
Nico looks down into her eyes. He doesn’t believe that: there was a hole in his security somewhere and he will find it. He will make sure the man responsible pays: he was already in police custody, his men had seen to that right after the single shot.
Santino set things in motion again with her next words. “Matt, Nico is taking me to the hospital. You need to round up the players. I want everyone at the hospital in two hours. Nico’s men will help with that but I need you to make sure everyone is accounted for as they come in.” She looked over at the stairs.
Donnally looked ready to argue but he sighed and went up to get his shoes.
Santino took out her phone as she went to get her purse. She was soft with her kids but firm. She told them what she knew and closed her eyes. “Yes, I’ll tell him. And I’ll call as soon as I know more, Ray Jay. Do not repeat this to anyone. I mean it.”
She looked up at him as she came back near him. She faltered a step and he reached out to steady her. It was the only visible clue he saw that told him she wasn’t as calm as she portrayed herself to be. Her eyes told him, as he looked down, that the pain was swamping her but she was strong enough at the moment to keep going.
“The shooter is in police custody. There is video and he will get what is due to him.” Nico stated quietly.
Santino nodded and opened her mouth to say something but Donnally was coming back down the stairs. He went to hug Santino and she sidestepped him. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours, Matt.”
Donnally frowned and walked out of the house. “Be careful, Dani.”
Santino looked up and when she teetered on her heels she reached for Nico’s arm. It wasn’t the alcohol she had drunk. He saw her tears falling and just kept her steady as they made their way to his car.
“He’s in surgery, Doctor Santino. He will pull through. This is TK we are talking about.” Nico stated quietly as he started the car.
Santino nodded. “Vivica? How is she?”
“At the hospital. She hasn’t talked since the shooting. From what I have been told, she was there, front and center, but not next to TK. He had just spotted her at the club.” Nico told her.
“And what will happen to the club?” Santino asked.
“It will be shut down. Whether they reopen with metal detectors is something else. I do not think any of our players will be back there regardless.”
Santino wiped her eyes and looked up and over at his profile as he drove. “While I know you will second guess your security measures and look for holes, this isn’t something you could have prevented, Nico, even if you had been there. You and I both know if someone is determined enough, you can’t stop them.”
Nico kept his eyes on the road and didn’t even nod his head to acknowledge her words. He might know that in concept, that didn’t mean he believed it at this particular moment. His weakness had caused this and he would figure out how.
Santino sighed. She recognized his stubborn ignoring now. She reached over and put a hand on his covering the stickshift. “This did not happen because of your weakness. Besides, you stood up to her. You told her no, so she isn’t even your weakness anymore. You are dealing with her.”
He did look over at her with those words. His eyes narrowed but the woman kept her hand on his and her eyes locked on his. He cut his eyes back to the road, his mouth set in a frown, not liking having to be the one to look away, but as he was driving it wasn’t like he could keep up the staring contest.
“Nico, control is an illusion we create to keep order. Nothing in this world can be controlled forever. And no person can be controlled by someone else. You can anticipate. You can plan. You can even act with only a bit of knowledge. But plans and predictions, and even some actions only take us so far.” She squeezed his hand then let him go and turned her head to look out her window.
“Is that why you try to control Donnally and myself?”
Santino understood he was lashing out. “No. I control you because you are chaos and disrupt my ordered world. Donnally, well, he’s fun I can control and it is not fair to him.” She sighed. “I’ll cut it off again and this time stick to it. He’s not serious and I’m done needing to move past my ex.”
Nico blinked, surprised she had admitted as much to him. “I am not chaos. I provide order and fix the chaos.”
Santino chuckled, still keeping her face averted. “You do provide order for the players and fix the chaos they create, but you still create chaos in my life. All hours of the night, you create chaos for me.”
He supposed it was true: he did use her to help create that order so it probably did throw her life into chaos. He would have to keep that in mind in the future. He did not like adding chaos in anyone’s life.
Santino sighed and looked over at him and admitted, “But your chaos is something I can finally see I need, Nico. It gives me a life where I am needed and instrumental in helping others outside of my family. It gives me purpose, Nico, and I won’t trade that for less chaos, so don’t even think of protecting me from you.”
Nico eyed her, not entirely sure what to make of her words: just more to think about later.