Danny woke with a headache, groggy and feeling like his body was a lead weight. He groaned and shifted, finding he was on a bed, more comfortable than his last and the pillow much fluffier. There was a freshness about the room and he realised there was a breeze. He opened his eyes and squinted at the light, surprised to find it was coming from a narrow horizontal window set up high in the wall. The window was open and this was where the breeze was coming from. He sat up on his elbows and looked about his room, head still a little hazy.

The room was fairly bare, a screen in bedded into the wall opposite the bed. There was also a small table and chair in the corner, a bedside cabinet though nothing in it or on it. Danny sat up fully and marvelled at the window, though he couldn't see anything from the angle but a few clouds and grey blue sky. He swung his legs off the bed and sat a moment, looking at the screen, wondering where this new place was.

The door opened and Huggy entered, Danny stood and Huggy motioned him to move out of the room. Mo was waiting and he was led to a room a few doors down, opening it to reveal a bathroom, Danny took it to be time for a shower and shave and set to work like he had before. When he got out of the shower his clothes had been removed and he was expected to go about naked again. He shaved, bleary eyes looking back at him and brushed his teeth.

Taken back to his room Mo brought him a tray of food and set it on the table in the corner. Danny sat and ate, jumping when the voice emanated the room.

"How are you feeling Daniel?"

"A little groggy from the sedation," Danny admitted as he finished his meal and took a drink of water. "But better after the shower thanks."

"Good. Come and face the screen."

Danny stood and came to the screen and before he could be asked, he knelt down, bowed his head.

Victor told him he needed this and he was finding if he didn't think about it too much, didn't mull it over in his mind and make sense of it, that it didn't matter. All that mattered was that he obeyed. Time ticked over and the room grew duller until the spotlights in the ceiling came on, flooding the room with light again. He was taken to another toilet closet, much like the last one. This one was directly next to his bedroom. Mo brought him another meal, the lights went out and he slept.

When he was woken again he had another shower, didn't need to shave and Huggy put the belt and wrists cuffs on him. He was led this time led further along the hall into a different room. Another bedroom this time, a large one with an en suite leading off it. Wardrobes lined one wall, a small dressing table on the other, a few pictures on the wall and a large king size bed filling the room beneath the wide double window that stretched the entire length of the opposite wall.

Huggy and Mo left him and he lingered , shifting from one foot to another. The door opened and Danny turned to see Victor. Victor gave him a smile, ran a hand along his back as he drew near.

"Daniel, how do you like your new room?" Victor asked, leading him further into the room with a small press of his hand at the base of Danny's back.

"It's nice, thank you," Danny replied. "Bed's very comfortable and I like the window."

"I thought you might," Victor smiled. "Here, when ever you're brought, this is where you'll wait understand?"

Victor had brought him near the foot of the bed and Danny nodded in agreement.

"Okay."

"Good, I'm going to take a shower," Victor informed him. "I won't be long."

Danny nodded again and knelt down where we he was, receiving a satisfied noise and pat on the shoulder for his compliance. He listened to the muffled sounds of the shower running and endless noise until it stopped and he waited for Victor to re-appear.

"Fuck, I needed that," Victor wandered in from the bathroom and walked back over to Danny.

Danny didn't shift, just stared at Victor's feet where the man hovered over him.

"I've brought you a gift," Victor said, moving away.

Danny didn't stir but he was surprised. He listened to some shuffling behind him, where the wardrobes were before the brush of fingers were back in his hair. Victor sat on the bed and ran a hand along Danny's cheek, fingers under his chin, lifting his face to look at him. He held up a small package.

"You can open it when you get back to your room," he said. "For the boredom, but only when you behave and are given permission."

He smiled and Danny noted the sides of his eyes crinkled when he smiled, the way Steve's used to. He swallowed down and wondered where that random thought had come from. It had been some time since he'ds given the team any thought, especially Steve. He glanced at the package and then looked up at Victor again before smiling.

"Thank you Victor,"he said, chasing away the memory of Steve as it loomed in his minds eyes like a phantom that wouldn't go away.

"You're welcome," Victor replied and ran his thumb over Danny's cheek gently. "I'll be gone for some time and I don't want you going completely insane in my absence."

"You're going away?" Danny asked, a sinking feeling deep inside.

"Yes," Victor nodded, "Can't be helped I'm afraid. But you'll be fine."

Danny rolled his hands into fists and fought away the fear that he'd go mad if Victor stayed away too long. He remembered the last time Victor went away, how much everything had gone wrong. His fear must have shown in his face because Victor started rubbing at his temple steadily.

"Ssh, you'll be fine," Victor assured him.

"No," Danny shook his head, "I'll screw up. I hate that music, drives me crazy, it'll drive me mad one day I know it will."

"Daniel," Victor said a little more sternly but Danny was already thinking ahead, thinking back, his temple started throbbing with a 'thump thump thump', haunting like the music had begun again.

"Please, don't go, not yet," Danny said in a small voice. "A few more days, I can handle it, I'll be able to, once I settle in."

"Daniel," Victors voice sliced through his words with a cold demand and fingers wrapped solidly round Danny's chin. "Look at me."

Danny forced himself to look into Victors eyes, fearful and silently pleading.

"I won't be gone long and you know now how to behave," Victor told him. "Follow the routine, do as you are told and don't give in to your weaknesses. You wish to please me don't you?"

Danny just swallowed and nodded, Victor not letting up his grip on his chin.

"Of course you do," Victor agreed. "Now, think how happy I will be if I return to find your behaviour has been exemplary. I'll be around for longer then and it will give me a chance to reward you properly. So tell me, do you think you can do this for me?"

He loosened his grip only a smidgen, enough for Danny to reply with a quiet, solid, "Yes."

Victor smiled and Danny made a silent promise to do his very best to prevent punishment. No stupid mistakes or allowing his frustrations to manifest. He felt a pull at his chin and he had to shift up a little as Victor pulled at him, tilted his head a little more.

When Victor pressed a kiss to his lips he didn't balk at it or try to move away, just remained still as Victors lips tenderly caressed his for a mere few seconds before pulling away. He didn't know what to think as Victor let go of his chin, sat up straighter and picked up the package from the bed where he'd lain it down. Victor stood, went to the door and let Huggy and Mo enter, handing the package to Huggy. Danny stood, followed Huggy out, gave Victor a lingering look as he walked past, skin prickling where Victor reached out and ran fingers along the small of his back.

Later, kneeling in his room, he could still feel the lingering press of Victor's lips.