"Want some?" He held the dish under my nose.

"I can't really eat at a time like this." I shot him another death glare.

"Nick, man, you have to find out for sure. What if it's just some fans warped idea of a way to meet you?"

I considered for a moment.

"That's sick. Leaving a baby here...with me! Me, of all people. Just to meet me? That's stupid!"

"Stupid yes, but possible." Tony licked his fingers and set the plate down on the table. "However..."

I glanced up as he paused for effect.

"What if she is yours? What are you going to do?"

I looked down at the baby, who was now wriggling furiously and starting to softly cry. Tony knelt down beside her and unbuckled her, expertly unwrapping her from the layers of blankets to reveal a chubby, gorgeous, little baby girl. She was dressed in a light blue sleeper with a picture of Winnie the Pooh on the front. Her eyes were big and blue, chubby cheeks, and a head full of blond fuzz. She looked startlingly like me as a baby. I gulped.

"She was getting pretty warm." Tony started tickling her, trying to get her to smile. I stared at him in amazement. He wasn't the kid type, if you know what I mean.

"I had sisters. I helped." He explained.

"I had sisters too." I started to protest and then shut myself up. I wasn't around for Leslie and Angel much. I'd been on the road through much of their younger lives. I didn't remember the baby stage very well at all.

"Here, hold her." Tony held the baby out to me. "She won't bite. You hold her and I'll see if there's any diapers or bottles in her bag."

So I hesitantly took her while Tony rummaged. She was soft and cuddly and she smelled so good. Like powder. I turned her to face me and started to coo at her. Yes, I cooed. "Hey Daniella. Dani girl."

"She's so got you." Tony smirked and handed me a bottle. "Give her this and then you'll need these." He slapped a diaper and a package of wipes down on the table. Dani jumped in my arms, so I rubbed her back and whispered some, hopefully, soothing words help calm her down.

"I'll head out and leave you guys alone. Give you a chance to get to know each other better." Tony grinned. "But take my advice Nick, this one time, take my advice."

I nodded. "What else can I do?"

"Nothing." Tony ruffled Dani's wispy blonde hair and left to gather his things together.

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

Dani and I spent the rest of the afternoon waiting. For her mother. For anything. I had convinced myself it was all a sick joke. Someone would be back for her later. I was sure of it. So we walked, paced, rocked and worried. Well, I worried. She was crying some so maybe she was getting worried too. I know I would be if faced with the prospect of spending my life with me as my father. I tried giving her a bottle a couple of times, but I wasn't too successful, I don't think. She sure wasn't content after having it. Around 7pm, I called my doctor at the hospital.

"Hey Doc. Haywood!"

"Nickolas! What can I do for you tonight?"

"Well..." I hesitated. Dr. Haywood had known me all my life. He was sure to disapprove of what I was about to tell him. "I think I need to have a blood test."

"Why? What have you done to yourself, Nickolas?" Yup, definitely disapproving.

"Please don't say anything to my family. Not until I know for sure." I begged.

"I promise. Now what is wrong?"

I explained the situation to Dr. Haywood. He told me I was right to follow Tony's advice. Who knew? For a guy that didn't look like the brightest bulb in the pack, he usually had some good advice. We scheduled an appointment for the next day and that was that.

The rest of the evening we spent waiting in vain for Dani's mother to return. I was still stupidly sure she would come back. No one would be stupid enough to leave their child with me. Not anyone that knew me anyway. But no one came. No one called. Well Mom called. That was awkward. She asked how I was. What was I supposed to say? "Great! You know that grand-daughter you always wanted? You got her!" I stuck Dani's soother in her mouth and prayed she would be quiet until I got off the phone. When I was I gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You're such a good baby." I was cooing again.

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

We were both getting tired and I had no where for Dani to sleep. I walked around, Dani fussing on my shoulder until I finally decided we would be crashing on the recliner. Comfortable for me and, hopefully, for her too. I settled back and propped up the leg platform. I yawned as I lay back and Dani did too. She snuggled her tiny face in my neck and went right to sleep. I pulled the blanket around her, making sure she was covered and warm. She was making sleepy baby noises and it made me smile.

Tony was right...again.

She so had me.