"Hello?"

"Nick honey! You've been a busy boy lately!"

It was Bec, my personal assistant/secretary/person who kept my professional affairs straight and made sure I showed up where I had to when I had to. Her name was really Rebecca, but I had always called her Bec.

"What have you heard, darling?" I flopped onto the couch and flicked on the TV.

"Oh not much..." I could almost see the grin on her face as she paused, "Just that you're a dad now! What the hell, Nick?"

"It's a long story Bec." I laughed at her outburst.

"Well I need to hear it buster. Are you around tonight?"

"I'll be here. Dani's sleeping right now. She needs to have dinner when she gets up. I'm exhausted." I yawned for emphasis.

"Okay, well I have your schedule for the next little while, you need to know that. We got you booked on the Today show..."

"You did? I didn't really think you'd be able to get me on there."

"They were very interested, Nick. They thought it would be a good human interest thingy."

"Cool. Good work, Bec."

"You're welcome, Mr. Carter. I also want to meet your little girl, so I'll be over later tonight."

"Alrighty Bec, I'll have the tea on."

"You know it Carter. And makes lots, I want the whole story!"

I started laughing. "Gotcha Bec, lots of tea and the whole story."

"And the baby! You make sure she's up!"

"She'll be up! Catch ya later!"

"See ya Carter!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remembering Mom's advice to sleep when Dani slept, I flaked out on the couch while some stupid family drama droned on the TV in the background. I was so easily tired lately. Ever since Dani entered my life. It didn't seem like we were doing much, but she was obviously keeping me busy and on the go. I got at least an hour, maybe two in before I heard Dani's whimpers from upstairs. And of course, someone had to pound on the front door at the same time. I jumped up and ran to the door, ready to tell off whoever was waiting outside. I pulled open the door and shoved my head outside quickly.

"I don't want anything..."

"Hey Nick. Grouchy much?" Bec was waiting outside, her arms full with her briefcase and a brightly coloured package tied with ribbons.

"Hi Bec. I just woke up...Dani's up..I gotta get her." Dani wails were getting louder.

"Go get her, dork. She's crying. I'll set up at the table." Bec walked in and shoved me towards the stairs as she made her way to the dining room.

Dani was still wrapped in the towel and struggling furiously to free her arms and legs from it. I couldn't tell if she was crying because I hadn't picked her up yet or because she was frustrated with her efforts to release herself. I picked her up from the crib and removed the offending towel, laying it across her crib.

"There you go baby girl, how's that?"

Dani's wails slowed down to sniffles and a gulping breath, her face buried in my neck. I let her calm down for a bit more, just holding her and swaying back and forth until she quieted.

"That's better. Did you have a good sleep?"

Dani answered with some babbling.

"Me too, we were both tired." I laughed as I answered her. "We've got company baby. Let's get you all changed and dressed. I gotta show you off."

I picked out a cute sleeper and got Dani ready as fast as I could.

"Okay baby girl, ready for visiting?" I ran my fingers over her hair to smooth it down and kissed her cheeks. "You're beautiful, baby." We turned to leave the room and I was startled to hear soft applause.

"I'm ready to vote you for Father of the Year Nick, you're a natural." Bec said, admiringly.

"What are you doing up here?" I grouched at her, good naturedly.

"Wondered what was taking so long. And then I couldn't hear little Miss Carter crying anymore...I got curious."

"We were fine."

"So I see. You're wonderful with her."

"I try."

"I'm giving you a compliment, smile." Bec teased.

I gave her one of my cheesy, big ass grins and gestured to the door. "I won't be Father of anything if I don't feed this little girl. Care to join us for some formula?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bec and I sat in the living room while I gave Dani her bottle. I repeated the story of how Dani arrived in my life once again.

"God I couldn't imagine doing that to my child." Bec visibly shuddered and clutched her mug of tea closer to her chest. "Just leaving her on some stranger's doorstep..."

"Well, we had met before, obviously." I pointed out.

"Yeah, but she didn't know you, not really. She didn't really know who she was leaving her daughter with. Man, imagine if you were the same fucked up mess you were when you got the chick pregnant with her..." Bec shuddered again and I just went silent.

"I didn't mean...God, I'm sorry Nick."

"No, it's alright. I just didn't realize so many people knew how messed up I was back then."

"We all did Nick. None of us knew what to do to help you. It was like you didn't want to be helped."

"I don't think I did..back then anyway."

"But you're alright now, right? Let's not dwell in the past."

"Sounds good to me."

I hefted Dani to my shoulder and she offered a loud burp as I patted her back. Bec laughed out loud.

"Yep, definitely your daughter!"

I grinned. "She's a Carter, through and through!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay, you'll be on Today in one week, next Thursday. They were wondering if you would have Dani on air?"

I looked down at Dani, happily playing with her musical mobile, reaching up with her tiny hands, trying to grasp the dangling toys. She was burbling and giggling to herself, having a wonderful time.

"I suppose, if she's alright, not sick or anything."

"Okay, some celebrities are unsure because of stalkers and stuff, and in your case, her mom most likely will see her. What do you think about that?"

"I..." I hadn't really given that much thought. "I guess...I don't know. She'll know she's okay." I shrugged.

"She may also suddenly fall in love with your money. She may want to fight for custody."

"But she left her on my doorstep! They wouldn't give her custody!"

"She's still the mother."

"And I'm her father." I said stubbornly. "I love her."

"I know Nick. I just want you to be prepared for what might happen if you take her on camera with you. Give it some thought."

"She might come back still, even without seeing Dani on TV."

"True, but TV might just make her move faster. Just think it over before you agree, okay hun?"

I nodded, my glance straying to Dani again. If her mom came back for her, she'd better be ready for a fight because I wasn't about to give her up without one.