Where Did You Come From?

The last four days was absolute bliss. We spent most of our time naked together, only dressing once while I signed my contract and had lunch with Greg, Rob and Gale. It was so great to get almost four whole days where we didn't have to go somewhere or do anything. Phone's discarded while we invested our time in each other- growing closer than ever before.

I felt his lips, softly kissing my neck and back as I stirred from a deep sleep, smiling at his touch. I rolled over, meeting his lips with my own as he pulled me close to him. He smiled at me- his crystal blue eyes shining as he looked at me with admiration.

"Truck is all packed baby. You sure you don't wanna drive your car back?" He asked me for the twentieth time in the last few days and I shook my head.

"Back home i have one..." I shrugged.

"What do you drive?" He asked and I shook my head as I got up, pulling clothes over my bare skin. "Rock star like you.. lemme guess. A Lamborghini?" I laughed, shaking my head again. "Bentley?"

"How did you know to get me a mustang?" I asked and he shrugged.

"You mentioned several times how much you loved American muscle cars..." he shrugged- watching me as I brushed my long hair and threw it up in a messy bun and started making the bed soon as he stood. "You like it right?"

"Oh yeah. It's my baby. I love that fucking car. But we are only gonna be gone, what? Like three months-ish?" I shrugged as I looked around the room for the last time. "Rather ride with you and know shes here waiting on me when we get back."

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"You ever gonna tell me? I give up." Norm frowned as we pulled into the garage of his home in the lower east side, Chinatown New York City.

"I did. You don't believe me." I replied with a chuckle. It took us an entire day to get here- almost sixteen hours- and it was late in the night when we arrived. And... for sixteen hours... he nagged me on and off about what kind of car I drove.

"The Scooby-Doo van right?!"

"You're an idiot." I shot back as we grabbed our things and eye, heading inside. Eye meowed loudly as I let him out of the carrier- immediately running to the litter box. We could of flown but Mingus has a cat who hates it- hence we drove. "I own a 1986 Volvo 240." I told him and he frowned.

"You own it... or drive it?" He asked me with a puzzled look on his face.

"Technically just own it. Its completely restored. Runs great. But I keep it safe." I shrugged, grabbing my bags to head upstairs. Norm followed me with his own as we dropped them on the bed.

"It was your dads right?" He asked, looking up at me as I folded a shirt and I nodded. "I see why you don't drive it."

"This car thing is really bugging the piss outta you isn't it?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Not anymore. I get it now."

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I spent the entire next day enjoying the city with Nina- reaquainting myself with the busy street life. We got stopped a few times for autographs but mostly it was pretty carefree. We got our nails done, got our hair trimmed and went to the movies. As we were leaving the theater I asked her if she was ready to go home and she nodded.

When we arrived at her house my sister was being put in the back of a cop car- cussing and screaming as they shut the door. My mom was brought out next, on a stretcher- oxygen mask on her face. I wanted to ask the police what happened but the voices from the ambulance began echoing in my ears.

"She crashing. Shes crashing." They repeated as the doors closed and the vechile screamed to life, flying away as I locked eyes with my sister and she nodded. Whatever happened, happened.

"Go upstairs and pack a bag kid. You can come have a sleepover at my house tonight." Nina excitedly ran inside while I got the mental fortitude to talk with an officer.

"Your mom overdosed. Your sister called it in. When they arrived they got her breathing and your sister went after the paramedics. Begged them to let her die. She needs a psych evaluation. She will be at Sinai for the next seventy two hours. Your mother is in critical condition. Same hospital."

I gave the officer my information and thanked her for the information- letting her know I would have Nina in my care. Nina was beaming and chatting along about everything as we walked a few blocks from her home and I stopped, unable to continue.

What was I gonna do with a kid? A kid I barely knew. I didn't know if she had allergies, medical illnesses, her favorite food or her bedtime. My heart was racing as I slid down the wall, sitting on the pavement inches from a homeless man sleeping on a trash bag. Nina watched me, still talking away, but I could tell she knew something was very, very wrong.

I pulled out my phone, dialed Norm and impatiently waited for him to pick up.

"Daryll Dixon's phone. Mingus Speaking." Ming answered and I smiled. I completely forgot it was their day out.

"Hey Ming. Its Dani. Your dad around?" I asked and heard some static for a moment before Norms deep, raspy voice was on the other end.

"Hey beautiful. What's up? We were waiting to see if you wanted pizza or chinese." I could hear the smile in his voice while he spoke and I could almost see him, standing shirtless in the kitchen- cigarette between his lips- staring at menus.

"The cops gave me Nina. At least for the next few days. Norm... I'm freaking out. Can I bring her back with me? I was gonna go go my place but I gave Alex my keys and its getting dark and what if I feed her pizza and shes allergic and she dies?" I whispered in the phone, speaking quickly and lighting a cigarette as I watched Nina play on her phone as she sat on the steps of a building a few feet from me.

"Baby, where are you? You're freaking out." He told me and I nodded, not that he could hear it. "I'm coming. Where are you?"

"Still in Harlem. Few blocks from my moms. I'll grab a cab I'm just... I don't know what I'm doing." I admitted.

"Come home. She can have the guest room. For as long as she needs it." He said softly. "Its all gonna be okay."

I hung up, standing up and hailed a cab- calling Nina to come along. It had been a long time since I had to be responsible for someone and it was really effecting me. Along the way she assured me that pizza won't kill her, she is only allergic to bees and she was glad I was in town because the last few times mom overdosed she had to stay in a group home. Thats why Alex came home from LA. She found out.

Norm and Ming were beyond welcoming to her. Let her chose dinner and pick a movie- Nina fell in good with our house dynamic. She was a sassy little thing that hurled jokes at everyone like we did this everyday. She took after her father so much- and I wondered if anyone ever told her. He died right after she was born, a gunshot wound to the head- robbery gone bad.

"Wait right here. I have something for you." Norm told her, going upstairs for a minute and coming back with a large cardboard box. I smirked, knowing exactly what it was. He worked hard on it for weeks.

Nina opened the box, tears immediately ran down her face as she pulled out the funko pops one by one- all signed. Norm even got a page of a script and had Rob and Greg sign it. And of course, a picture he had the baby color- using my makeup as finger paints.

"You ok?" He asked and she nodded, examining everything again and again. "Maybe next season you can come to Georgia. See the set. Meet some people. I told them you are their biggest fan." He said gently as more tears fell.

"Can you guys hold onto this? My mom...." she began and Ming jumped in.

"Nina... I promise you I will hold it and keep it safe. I promise. And I live close so you can come over every day if you want and see it. I will protect it. Okay?" He reassured her as she hugged him tightly. "We're family and you need support. It's what we do." He whispered as she thanked him over and over again.