Far Too Long

Danielle’s phone vibrated wildly against Jonathan’s kitchen table. She let out a frustrated groan and picked it up; hitting the fuck you button for the fifth time in the last half an hour. “You’re going to have to talk to him sooner or later.” Jon told her. Danielle glanced up from her bowl of Cheerios and glared at him before focussing her attention back to her bowl. The cereal wasn’t in front of her by choice. She wasn’t hungry but Jonathan had put it in front of her and threatened her life if she didn't eat. “He’s probably really worried about you, Danielle.” Jonathan told her.

“I bet he is. But does this face look like it gives a shit?” She replied as she pointed to her pale, tired looking face.

“Don't you think that you should at least tell him that you're okay? Just so he doesn't think your plane crashed or something?” Danielle, again, shot Jonathan a nasty look.

“When the hell did you jump on the TJ Oshie bandwagon?” Danielle asked bitterly.

“You know I'm not on his side on this. I just think that you should at least let him know that you're alive.”

“Fine.” She stated bitterly as she flipped open her phone and her fingers began furiously working the buttons. She slapped it closed and put it back on the table.

“What did you say?”

“I said Flight was good. Busy right now.” Jonathan nodded as he watched Danielle twirl her spoon around in the bowl of cereal he had sat in front of her. She hadn’t yet taken a bite, and he knew that she wasn’t going to. He was really worried about her. She didn't sleep at all last night. Jonathan had gone to bed at just after three in the morning and she was still up.

TJ and Danielle’s relationship had always baffled Jonathan. He knew without a doubt that TJ was crazy about Danielle even though he did some messed up things to her and Danielle always reacted in equally insane ways. Why was it that Danielle ran to him when things were going down the drain again? She had been in St. Louis for three years. Didn't she have someone out there that she could have turned to? Jonathan didn't mind that she was here; in fact he was enormously thrilled when he opened that door to see her standing on the other side. It actually took his breath away. He just didn't know why after all this time she still ran to him. “So what are we doing tonight, Jonny?” Danielle asked, looking up from her bowl. “I want to go out.”

“I don't know if that's such a good idea Danielle.”

“Okay, well thanks for that input but I think it’s a perfect idea.” She told him bluntly. “So where are we going tonight?”

“We’re not going anywhere.”

“What do you mean?! Why not?”

“Because, Danielle! I can’t go out and drink all night. I have shit to do tomorrow.” He explained to her.

“You don't have a game tomorrow. We can go out and have a few drinks or something. A few beer won’t kill you.”

“I don't have a game, no, I just don't want to go out.” Danielle’s eyes widened at Jonathan as she registered what he just said. This was not the Jonathan Toews that she knew. She had never in the entire time that she had known him heard him say he didn't want to party. He was always the first one to bring it up. Alcohol was his solution to everything. If he was happy; he drank. If he was pissed off; he drank. If he was upset; he drank. He never turned down a reason to drink; whatever it may be. Jonathan’s blackberry began beeping and he quickly pulled it from his pocket. “Listen, I have to go.” He told her as he pushed some buttons on the phone. “Do you want to come with me? I'm going to be gone all day. I don't want to leave you here all by yourself.”

“I'm fine. You go.” She told him. It might actually be nice for her to have a little time to herself without Jonathan hovering over her trying to shove food into her and constantly asking her if she's okay. This was something different about him as well. The old Jonathan never once asked her if she was okay. He just got her mind off of it.

“Dani...I don't want to leave you like this.” He tilted his head to the side as he gazed at her. “You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“Why not?!” She exclaimed. “It’s not like I'm going to hurt myself, Jon. I would only be considered dangerous if TJ was here. He’s not so you have nothing to worry about. You go! Live your life. I'm not a charity case.” Jonathan glanced at Danielle for a moment, shocked at her slight outburst.

“Danielle..”

“GO!” She exclaimed as she got up from the chair. She pulled him off of his so that he was on his feet. “Go do your thing.” She told him with a forced smile on her face.

“Alright.” He replied as he pulled her into his arms. “I’ll give you a call soon. Okay?”

“Mhmm.” She muttered as he began walking towards the door. He stopped to look back at her.

“Are you going to be okay, Danielle?” Danielle laughed quietly to herself. Was she going to be okay? Her fiancé is cheating on her with more expensive, more skanked out Jamie’s, she was in Chicago with her heart crushed to pieces in her chest and she had no idea if there was any possible way to get past this. No. She wasn’t going to be okay. Danielle nodded her head and smiled at Jonathan.

“Yah, Jon. I’ll be fine.” She told him opting for the only option that wouldn't have Jonathan worrying about her all day.

“Okay. I’ll call you later, Dani. Help yourself to whatever you need today. Make yourself at home. If you need anything...anything at all just call me.” He told her before leaving his apartment.
__________

“What the FUCK!” TJ exclaimed as she dialled Danielle’s number again and got her voicemail again. He had been calling her for about five hours and all he got from her was a lousy text message telling him that she was busy. Yah she hadn’t seen her family in a long time, but she had never flat out ignored him like this.

“What? Did your hat collection catch fire?” Patrik asked with a smirk as he made his way into TJ’s bedroom.

“Shut it, Bergie.” He retorted as he raised his phone to his ear only to get Danielle’s voicemail again. “Danielle...it’s me. Again.” He said into the phone before letting out a breath that had nervousness written all over it. He was uneasy and it was very evident in his voice. “Can you just call me when you get this? Please? I miss you baby. I just want to hear your voice. Call me back. I love you Dani.” He said before hanging up. The back of his head came in contact with the headboard as he closed his eyes.

“What's going on?” Patrik asked.

“I have no fucking idea.”

“You can’t get a hold of Danielle?”

“No. She won’t answer the phone. She won’t call me back. I just don't get it! She was so torn about leaving. She didn't want to leave me and now she's ignoring me.” TJ told Patrik.

“Well...it’s good to see that you still love Danielle after the shit you pulled last night.” Patrik said frankly causing TJ’s eyes to dart towards him. “I love Danielle.” He continued with a hint of anger in his voice. “She deserves better than what you did to her last night.” TJ removed his hat from his head and ran a hand through his fading blonde shaggy head of hair.

“I didn't sleep with that chick.” TJ stated in defence.

“I know that. But you made out with her all night. You had your hands all over her. You bought her drink after drink all fucking night!”

“What’s your point?!” TJ yelled out of frustration. He knew full well what he had done last night. He didn't need Patrik repeating it all.

“My point is that you’re feeling guilty. You're worried about what Danielle is doing because you fucked up last night.” TJ’s head hit the headboard again. He knew that Patrik was right. He was feeling guilty. He loved Danielle more than anything. He would go to the end of the world and back a million times over for her. No one meant as much to him as Danielle. He woke up this morning and couldn't believe that he had let that woman throw herself at him all night. He woke up this morning and he hated himself.

“You need to get your head on straight. You know she won’t forgive you if you screw up again.” Patrik told him before he left the bedroom. TJ knew that Patrik was right. He knew that Danielle would never forgive him if she thought he was seeing someone behind her back again. Last night meant nothing to him and he had to tell her that. If she found out from someone else it would crush her. He had to be the one to tell her.
__________

Danielle rose from the spot on the couch she had been sitting on all day when she heard a quirky knock at the door. She looked through the peep hole and saw a blonde, curly headed Patrick Kane standing on the other side. She grinned and shook her head as she opened the door. “Hi Patrick.”

“Hey yourself.” He responded as he raised his arm to lean against the doorframe with that smirk forming at the corners of his lips.

“Uhm, Jonathan isn’t here right now. He..”

“I know.” Patrick stated. “I'm here for you.”

“You’re here for me?” Danielle asked as she raised her eyebrows at him.

“Mhmm.” He mumbled roughly as he walked past her into the apartment. “Go get yourself ready. I'm taking you out.”

“Oh. Well that's awfully nice of you, but I don't want to..”

“Yes you do.” He told her confidently.

“No. I don't.” She insisted.

“You've never been to Chicago before. What kind of a guy would I be if I sat at home by myself knowing that you were here by yourself and you hadn’t seen the city yet?" He questioned. The tone of his voice told Danielle that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Go on!" He told her with a smile as he pointed towards the hallway.

“Alright.” Danielle told him. “It might be nice to get out of here. I actually have to buy something to wear. I don't feel like wearing this forever.” She continued as she made her way towards the guest bathroom. Patrick craned his neck and watched her walk away. He always got what he wanted. He knew that Danielle would be a challenge...but he never backed away from a challenge.