Summary: Just a short Danny/OC love story. Continuation of 'Time to say Good-bye' : Includes a surprised Danny, a confused Rachel, an unexpected reunion and a night they'll never forget…

Disclaimer: Danny's not mine, Rachel is (I'd prefer it to be the other way round, but unfortunately I have no influence over that)

Author's Notes: I noticed that there are very many Danny/OC stories on at the moment. And although I really love (almost) all of them, I decided to write my own… It's is a continuation of 'Time to say Good-bye'.

I just had to write it, and I think you must have known I would…

C'mon it's me…;-) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to Marialisa who betaed it!

Reviews would make me very happy :-)

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The sky was dark grey and promised the imminent arrival of the years first snow fall. It was already dark and the only lights to be seen were from those in the windows and in the shop decorations that reminded everybody that Christmas was just a few days away.

Rachel Hammond pulled up the collar of her new, black winter coat and lowered her head as thick snow flakes started to fall onto the slippery sidewalk. She increased her pace as she headed towards her favourite coffee shop; when she finally walked through its door she was covered in snow and despite the fact she had been wearing a scarf, a few drops of melted snow had managed to slip past her collar and were now running down her back.

Rachel brushed off the snow and found herself a table. She took off her coat, ordered a cup of her much loved cappuccino and then reached into her handbag and pulled put the day's paper.

She had hardly started to read when a female voice – which sounded strangely familiar, but which Rachel couldn't quite place – called her name.

"Rachel? Rachel Hammond? It can't be!"

Rachel jumped and turned around to look into the petite, pretty face of a woman about her own age; the face was framed by long, dark hair. It took a moment for Rachel to place the face. "Elena." She couldn't believe it. "Elena Delgado."

The other woman grinned. "It's been a long time…" Without waiting for an invitation Elena sat down on the chair across from Rachel, her grin still in place and curiosity evident on her face. "How have you been?"

Rachel sighed. She hated having to explain herself, and Elena was bound to ask. They had been at Law School together, for a few months anyway, until Elena had decided that it wasn't what she wanted to do and she had given up studying law for a job with the NYPD.

Rachel had lasted a few months longer before she too had quit. She knew she had been good, and that none of her friends had ever understood the reason why she had abandoned her studies; when anyone asked she simply told them that she had needed a change in her life. She knew she could have gone to another college – actually that had been what she had planned, but somehow, instead, she had ended up in advertising. Finding that she enjoyed the work and that she was very good at it she had stuck with it and abandoned any idea of going back to Law School.

Rachel finished explaining about how she had ended up in advertising before asking Elena, "Where did you end up?"

"FBI"

Rachel shook her head, disbelievingly. "No."

"Yes", said Elena and her hand disappeared into her pocket only to appear a moment later holding her badge.

Looking at the three capital letters that confirmed Elena's story Rachel couldn't help the giggle that escaped her.

"What?"

Still grinning Rachel shook her head and pointed at Elena's badge. "I'm sorry, but you a Fed? I can't believe it."

Elena shook her head. "You haven't heard the best part, yet."

"What would that be?"

Elena pressed her lips tightly together, trying not to smile as she asked; "Guess who I have the pleasure of working with?"

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. She had the distinct feeling that Elena was itching to tell her. "Can't think of anybody."

Elena waited a moment before she exclaimed: "Mr. Danny asshole, I-can't-keep-my-pants-on Taylor himself."

Rachel nearly choked on her cappuccino at the mention of the name. She found she was lost for words for a moment, while her mind raced: C'mon, say something. Rachel knew that Elena was staring at her waiting for a reaction. Just say anything…

"Danny works for the FBI?"

Obviously, stupid – couldn't you have found something sillier to say?

"Yeah, he does. We're both working for the missing person's unit; actually I don't really have much time because we're working a case at the moment but give me your number, I'll call you some time and we can go for coffee."

Elena handed her a notebook and Rachel automatically wrote down her telephone number even though her thoughts were still focussed on Danny. She gave the notebook back to Elena; who grinned at her and then suddenly stood up waving at somebody. "I'm over here! Come on, there's someone here you'll want to see."

Before Rachel could turn around she heard a male voice saying: "Elena, Jack's just called. Martin and Sam have found our girl; she was…" The voice trailed away; Rachel slowly turned her head to find herself looking into a familiar pair of dark brown eyes that stared back at her, disbelievingly.

"Rachel?"

It took a moment before Rachel was able to say something. Instead she kept staring at the man who was now standing next to her table; he was taller and better looking than she remembered him. "Danny…"

"It's been a while", Danny said, seeming very unsure about what to say. He looked from Rachel to Elena, back to Rachel and to Elena again. "We… uh… we gotta go. Jack's wants us to come right back to the office." Turning to Rachel he smiled hesitantly and said: "Uh… it's been… uh… good to see you again, but…"

"… you have to go, I heard", Rachel ended the sentence for him. "Go ahead, and… Danny?"

"Yeah?"

"It's good to see you, too."

He offered her a bashful smile and turned to go, Elena following him. "Bye Rachel. I will call you some time, probably in January, if that's okay?"

Rachel nodded slowly and watched as the two FBI agents left the shop, wondering if Elena had noticed the strange atmosphere that had developed as soon as Danny had shown up. Rachel and Danny had been best friends for a while but that had been after Elena had left Law School, and although she had stayed in touch with Elena for few months, Rachel had never told her about her close friendship with Danny.

The reason for that was simple; when they had all started at Law School, Danny and Elena had dated. It had ended after less than a month and Rachel had never found out what had happened between them but she did know that the break-up had been acrimonious and that after the break up Danny and Elena had stopped speaking to each other.

Obviously they were speaking again now.

Rachel didn't want to think about it. She knew all too well that Danny had fancied Elena from the beginning and although Rachel hadn't seen him in ten years – ten fucking years! – Rachel hated the thought of them two of them being together again.

She couldn't quite believe it but she realised that even after ten years the thought of somebody else being with Danny still made her jealous.

With a sigh Rachel told herself to forget about this encounter; it had taken her years to forget Danny and she didn't want to let this meeting disturb her carefully constructed peace of mind.

………………

Despite her determination not to, Rachel found herself thinking about Danny a lot over the next few days. She was relieved that he was still alive; the last time she had seen him he had seemed to be trying to drink himself into an early grave. However, in the coffee shop he had looked healthy and as good looking as she remembered, with his messy dark hair and his gorgeous smile, and she couldn't help being reminded of how much she had loved him.

Of course, he had never known.

Rachel had often wondered if things might have been different if she had told him how she felt about him.

One Monday evening, a few days after the encounter in the coffee-shop, Rachel tried to distract herself from her thoughts about Danny by watching TV when her phone rang. She wasn't in the mood to answer it and so she let the machine pick up the call.

"Rachel… its Danny. Danny Taylor."

At the sound of his voice Rachel's whole body tensed up and she reached over to grab the phone. As her hands closed on the receiver she suddenly felt scared and she put the phone back waiting for Danny to leave his message: "… I know you probably don't want to see me, but there's something I need to give to you. Can we meet some time? I really wouldn't feel comfortable giving it to Elena. Please think about it, and call me back."

He left his number and then hung up. She cursed herself, suddenly feeling stupid for not answering the phone. It had been good to hear his voice again; she would have liked it to last a little longer…

God, Rachel – you've been through all of this before. You can't afford to get into this again! She tried to convince herself, but she knew that the truth was that with a single word Danny could easily wrap her around his little finger without even noticing it.

It took two hours before Rachel gave up trying to put Danny out of her mind; she picked up her phone and dialled the number he had given her. He answered after the second ring: "Taylor."

"Danny? – It's Rachel."

"Rachel." He sounded relieved and she inhaled trying to get control over her nerves. "Did you get my message?"

Obviously, Rachel thought, feeling a little more relaxed, especially since she was sure that she could detect a hint of insecurity in Danny's voice as well. "Yes", she said. "Although I have to admit I was surprised to hear from you."

Danny hesitated a moment before he answered. "I know. But I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since we met the other day and so I convinced Elena to give me your phone number."

"Really? Because if that's the case it took you long enough to call me." Look who's talking, Rachel. At least he has called at all.

Danny ignored her comment. "So… if you got the message you probably know why I called."

Rachel nodded although she knew – of course – that he couldn't see her. "You want to give me something. Whatever it might be…"

"It's… uh… something that belongs to you, actually. You left it at my place when you… well… when you left."

Rachel couldn't ever remember hearing Danny speak so hesitantly before. The Danny she remembered spoke quickly and confidently. But she wasn't doing any better when she replied: "Okay… you're making me curious. We could go out for dinner if you like."

"Sounds good to me…" Rachel was almost sure she could hear from Danny's voice that he was smiling now. "Just tell me the time and the place and I'll be there."

"What about… uh… tomorrow?" Was this too early? Did it make her seem too eager to see him? Quickly, so there wouldn't be much time to think about that, she continued: "There's a restaurant, I go to every now and then. They've have Indian food, I don't know if you like it…"

"Just give me the address and I'll be there." Yes, he was definitely smiling now – she could hear it!

TBC (Soon, of course)