The Bank of LA….

Over the next few days, things evened out. They did not return to normal, because what is normal anyway? But tempers subsided largely and anger took a backseat to getting back into a rhythm. Crews eventually left Dani's side, went to the station and made his statement. He even did a turn in the box with IAD, employing his Zen wisdom sparingly to avoid provoking them further. But even IAD couldn't find anything wrong with the shoot, despite their best effort to see it in a bad light. They didn't know about the man on the sidewalk and Charlie wasn't volunteering anything not directly asked by the rat squad.

Crews slept at his home most nights, when Dani was moved to a private room, but he continued to spend the better part of his days with her. They didn't do anything in particular, but it was like sitting in the car, it was just something they did -together. Coffee and paperwork followed, but they did not speak of the shooting.

Tidwell got a handle on the press and the brass and finally got ahead of the power curve on information courtesy of some help from a very efficient Detective Jane Seever, who Tidwell still believed might be a robot, but a really good one like a Cylon. He and Crews danced around each other both assessing the competition and an uneasy truce settled between the men for the time being.

Jack Reese returned home, but was relegated to the couch, which was far more comfortable than doing penance on his knees like he had to in Catholic school. Roya's dirty looks were fewer and farther between. She tolerated him driving her to the hospital to see Dani, but in so far as Roya knew - the biggest of confrontations had yet to come. Dani simply refused to acknowledge, speak to or otherwise interact with her father and Jack was not giving an inch either. No one but Tidwell knew about their late night row and he wasn't sharing.

Charlie and Roya exchanged looks as the battle of wills entered its fifth full day and neither Reese showed any signs of yielding. Crews knew better than to push Dani, because her stubbornness matched her father's and the scowl she wore when Jack was present made Charlie think she might never speak to him again if he did.

What he was certain about was Dani's absolute refusal to talk to her father had less to do with him leaving without a word and more to do with the look of surprise that crossed her face that night in the car just before the shoot-out. It had everything to do with the Bank of LA robbery. He wanted to know what, but was smart enough to know that when she was ready Dani would tell him.

The Thursday following the shootout, Charlie arrived to the hospital to find Dani grousing about being let out of the hospital. A mousy man in spectacles who was obviously a doctor was getting a tongue lashing from Dani as Charlie stepped into the room and the doctor thought he was saved.

"You must be the husband… can you explain to your wife that we simply can't discharge her until the chest tube is removed?" the man almost begged Charlie.

"Uh….no…I'm…. we're not…. uh" Charlie stammered. "Dani can't you just wait a day or two, honey?" he hoped for a reprieve. Reese narrowed her eyes and focused her anger on him.

"This is not your decision, Crews." She snapped. "And we're not married, why does everyone think that?" looking pointedly at Charlie.

Charlie shrugged in response. "Maybe you should leave…" Charlie said under his breath to the slight doctor and the man beat a hasty retreat.

"Reese? You wanna tell me why you are taking out all your anger on that scared little doctor?" he deepened his voice to get her attention, but he knew Dani needed to say something - and not to the doctor. He was trying to avoid the confrontation he knew was coming until she was out of the hospital, but that just wasn't going to happen and Charlie knew it.

"I just wanna go home. I wanna sleep in my own bed. I wanna have time to think without having people around me 24/7, Crews. Is that asking so much?" she was winding down as she realized how petulant she sounded.

Crews stared at his partner a long moment and watched the anger fade from her eyes and she began to toy with the edge of the blanket, worrying a snag with her finger. He knew she was feeling caged and needed to be free – Charlie understood that feeling better than most. Reese was not used to other people, she was a solitary person by nature and only sought out others when she could deal with them.

All day long a police officer plays a role, for the public, for their co-workers, for themselves. Its, one part counselor, one part mediator, one part clerk typist, one part race car driver, one part superhero and they do it all knowing that any decision (including making one) can get them or someone else killed. They have to make split second decisions with imperfect data and then everyone gets a lifetime to second guess that decision. When their day ends, they want to escape the people, the pressure and the belief - that they can be all things to all people.

Charlie decided it was time he shared his struggles with her, partly so she would know she was not alone and partly to shine a light into the darkness that he battled with daily. Reese needed to know he was not what he appeared to be and that sometimes Charlie didn't like what looked back at him from the mirror.

"Look, I need to get something off my chest" he began "and you are the only person I can tell that I think might have a slight chance of understanding". Charlie pulled his chair up to her bedside, as he had on the preceding days. Dani was mute, but nodded unsure of where he was headed.

"The night you were shot" Charlie began exhaling "the night you were shot… one of those men wasn't dead when the ambulance took you away." He confessed. "One was still breathing and I let him die." Dani nodded solemnly and Charlie continued "no, not true. I didn't let him die. I helped him die, I watched him die and I was glad when he did. Do you know why?" Charlie asked looking up at her.

Dani shook her head once and laid her hand on his arm "Crews…."

"Let me finish" he said and she stopped talking. "I watched him die, didn't help him and didn't care - because of what he'd done to you, for hurting you. I know I'd be a better person if I forgave him that, but sometimes there is this well of darkness in me that is so powerful I can't control it. It's vicious and vengeful and terrifying and I don't think you should be around it."

"I think about the things I'd do to someone who hurt you and I'm not a cop in those moments Reese. That day with Roman….I was not a cop anymore….and it felt good. I don't know if I wanted to hurt those people or I needed to hurt them, but I know it's dangerous and I don't want you endangered because of me."

"What are you saying?" Dani asked quietly. "You want a new partner?"

"I want you" Crews said honestly "but what I want from you is more than I deserve, more than I should ask and maybe more than you can give" he finished.

"How do you know?" she responded quietly and he simply shook his head not willing to listen. Charlie had made his decision for the both of them. This was best. She would be safe.

"How do you know what I'm capable of?" she was truly annoyed that he would be so dismissive of their connection. "How do you know that I don't feel the exact same way? That I wouldn't have done the same things to Roman or that shooter if our situations were reversed?"

"I don't think you have that level of darkness in you and what's more - I don't want that for you" he told her seriously. "You deserve better. Someone like Tidwell who cares for you and won't endanger you would be better, safer for you. I just needed for you to know how I feel."

"Do I Crews?" "Do I know how you feel? Cause if you need to tell me how you feel, then stop hiding behind this superhero crap about protecting me and tell me what's really going on here. Because I'm pretty sure I know - you're scared." Dani was well and truly pissed now.

"So you tell yourself that it's for my protection that I'm better off, that I can't handle your darkness, but what you are really doing is hiding. You don't get to decide for me that for me, Crews." She stared at him forcing him to look away from the directness and honesty in her dark eyes. She was too much but then she was always too much and Dani Reese was exact what he wanted, troubled soul, mercurial temper, sharp wit and tongue and the soul of an angel underneath - he wanted it all, but more than that he wanted her to be safe - to be happy and for that he had to walk away.

"Dani" he started and she hit him. Her small hand connected with his face sharply and unexpectedly, just as her mother had slapped Jack Reese. She wasn't able to summon much strength in her current condition, but there was no mistaking the anger behind her eyes. She cocked her hand back again, but this time when it came forward Charlie was ready for her. He caught her wrist in his hand and stopped her. The air between them crackled and shimmered with electricity.

They stared and each other neither willing to back down. Her dark brown eyes glittered at him as he tried to keep his blue eyes cold and hard. Both were breathing hard and then he was no longer fighting with her, he was kissing her and her free hand was pulling at his shirt, urging him closer. Charlie had no real memory of actually thinking about kissing Dani Reese it just happened and suddenly it became the most important, best kiss of his entire life.

He released her wrist and buried his hand in her hair at the base of her neck, slanting his mouth across hers in a fiery kiss that had them both breathless. He broke needing air and buried his head in the hollow of her neck as he tried hard to regain some measure of the control, which she'd stolen from him. He knew it was useless – she owned him.

"Don't you ever leave me Crews" she warned "you promised." She whispered into his ear.

"You don't want me Dani, I'm no good for you." He breathed against her throat.

"Why don't you let me decide that Charlie?" she said pulling back and looking him in the eye "I can handle more than you think. I don't care that you killed Roman. It doesn't bother me that man died, I'd already shot him and if you think I wasn't trying to kill him – then you don't really know me at all."

"You promised me Crews" she chided him.

"I know honey" he said. "But I had to give you a chance to see what you were getting into" he said quietly "You said you needed to know whether your partner was a cop or a con. Some days I'm not sure. I'm not sure I'm a good guy anymore. I want to be, but some times…" he trailed off.

"We'll work on that part, Charlie." She promised. "but I know you, I trust you and you are one of the good guys that much I'm sure about." She smiled shyly at him and Charlie returned to his chair. The confrontation he feared ended better than he'd hoped although he still feared for her; Charlie vowed to himself that he'd double or quadruple his efforts to protect her.

"What's up with you and your Dad?" he probed.

He could see her shut down before he finished the question. She broke eye contact, stiffened and he could feel her leaving he moment. "Hey" he returned her eyes to his with a gently knuckle under her chin "trust works both ways."

Dani bit her lip and he could see the gears grinding in her head and sense the choice before she verbalized it. "He was there that day, the Bank of LA. He was involved. I remember things now that make me sure beyond a doubt."

"You told me that in the car" he said thinking perhaps the trauma made her forget those moments before the shooting.

"What I didn't tell you is that he came here three nights ago" Charlie stiffened and he felt suddenly angry although he was not sure why. The darkness lapped at his soul as she continued. "He came here and threatened to use his contacts in the Department to split us up."

He just stared at her, knowing there was more. With Dani there was always more. "It's not going to happen, I took care of it, but he hates you Crews…really truly hates you." She finished.

"Dani? What did you do?" he asked his voice full of concern, but he already knew. She had gotten herself neck deep in this mess of his, just like the day he'd pulled the knife on Manny Umaga, she had backed her partner. He closed his eyes and waited for what he knew was coming.

"I told him I knew what he'd done and that if he didn't leave you, us, alone, I'd use that information and put him away." She told him strongly.

"Oh, honey…" he said softly as gathered her into his arms and whispered into her hair. "Why?" Charlie question as kissed her head. "This isn't your fight" he chided lightly - deep down he was touched by her show of faith, despite fearing for her.

"You know why" she spoke into his chest.

This time when Charlie closed his eyes it was to blink back tears. He stroked her hair and held her for a few long moments. He wasn't at all sure where they stood. Charlie knew about Reese and Tidwell and though he was certain she was more important to him than life, he had no idea what she felt. He'd only kissed her twice, once after she'd woken from surgery and was so doped up she probably couldn't remember and just now.

What Crews did know was that no one had ever demonstrated the devotion and commitment to him that Reese just had. His fiery young partner chose him, above her own family, ahead of her own safety and in all those years in prison only his mother had ever believed in Charlie the way Reese did.

He was determined not to let her become a victim in whatever game this was "they" were playing with his life, but what Crews was rapidly realizing was that everything was connected, including himself and Dani Reese. Seriously, deeply and lastingly connected and it made him feel warm and happy inside and fearful beyond description - all at the same time.

"And people say I am a trouble magnet?" He joked. "When you get to heaven, Reese, I'd bet you walk up and kick Saint Peter square in the nuts." She scowled at him "You are so damned stubborn, honey."

"Says the man who won't let go of the past" she countered with an arched brow.

She so had his number he thought. "So where do we go from here?" Charlie asked.

"Home. Get me out of here, Crews" she pled with him.

Charlie nodded and went to find a doctor and get his tough, young partner released. She'd drawn a deep line in the sand. The men Jack Reese feared would view her as the enemy now too. Charlie and Dani Reese were tied tighter together now than ever before. Her choice became theirs and their connection was welded like iron. He feared for Dani, but he knew that no one else would do a better job of watching his back and he trusted no one else to watch hers.