Disclaimer: I do not own Without A Trace or any of it's character. They belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and company, so please don't sue.

Chapter 10

"What the hell are you talking about? Brother? Are you out of your damn mind? Danny only has one brother and it's not Novak." Jack said angrily as he tried to grab Sean again, causing Danny to move his pained body in front of Sean so Jack couldn't get to him.

"Jack, please just leave it alone, damn it. Leave him alone." Danny cried angrily and fearfully as he held his head tightly and quietly shrieked violently out of anger, causing Sean to hold him tighter.

"Shhh. Shut up. Just shut up, kiddo. You don't need to say anything. Just calm down and breathe." Sean said a bit sternly but caringly when Danny suddenly held his head tighter and quietly screamed in agonizing pain.

"Damn it. I want all of you out of here right now." Sean said angrily as more tears escaped his eyes and he held Danny tighter.

"Hang on, kiddo. Just breathe slowly and I'll make the pain go away." Sean said as he continued to tightly hold Danny.

"What the hell is going on?" Jack said angrily when he suddenly saw Sean preparing a syringe, causing everyone to yell when Jack, Jeff and Martin aimed their guns at Sean. "Drop the damn syringe! Now!" Jack yelled viciously as he aimed his gun at Sean, causing Danny to grab Jack's wrist and aim the gun at his own chest.

"Damn it! Stop this now! If you want to shoot somebody, shoot me and leave him the hell alone! I know what you're doing and you're damn wrong, Jack! He's not the one trying to kill me, so leave him…the hell alone and kill me instead!" Danny cried angrily and agonizing pain as he began gagging violently and struggling to breathe.

But before Sean could do anything, Danny began vomiting violently as he lost consciousness and his body began convulsing, causing Dr. Foster to throw Jack, Jeff and Martin out of the room.

"Damn it. We're losing him. I'm beginning suctioning. Sean, get ready to tube him when I tell you." Dr. Foster said urgently as he began suctioning Danny.

"Like hell we're losing him. I already lost him once and I'll be damned if I lose him again. No one is ever going to keep me away from him again." Sean said angrily as he grabbed some tubing from the crash cart. "I'm intubating him. And I don't want anyone in here except us. If they want to post themselves at the door, that's fine. But their not coming in again." Sean said angrily as he quickly, but carefully as possible, intubated Danny.

"Unfortunately, I have to agree with you. Agent Taylor can't have anymore visitors." Dr. Foster said seriously as he injected medications into Danny's IV and put a nasal cannula on Danny at the highest pressure.

"I want you to monitor him and check his vitals every ten minutes. I'll be back when I can get him in to get an MRI. I'll be right back." Dr. Foster said seriously as he finished writing in Danny's chart. "Let's go, Sean." He said seriously.

When they made it out into the hall, Jack, Jeff and Martin immediately began asking questions, causing Sean to be stern with them.

"Be quiet. We were able to stabilize Danny for the moment but he had to be suctioned and intubated. And starting right now, he's not having any visitors except for medical personnel. So, you can forget about going anywhere near him again." Sean said gruffly through gritted teeth as he glared at Jack as if he wanted to chew him up and spit him out.

"Like hell we're leaving him alone. And who the hell are you? Don't think for a minute that I buy that brother crap because he's never mentioned anymore brothers. Now, who the hell are you?" Jack said viciously.

"Do not mess with me, Jack. If you think that I'm going to let you step all over me and treat me like you do Danny, Martin or anyone else, you're sadly mistaken. You don't know a damn thing about me and you better pray that nothing happens to Danny." Sean seethed viciously as he breathed angrily, causing Dr. Foster to hold on to his shoulders.

"Calm down, Sean. Danny wouldn't want to see you like this. He needs you now more than ever. You have to help him. I know that you're angry right now but all that matters is your little brother's safety and health. Arguing with Agent Malone isn't going to help anyone." Dr. Foster said sternly but caringly.

"The same goes for you, Agent Malone. Stop all this arguing and loathing because the only thing you're doing is hurting Agent Taylor. And the only thing that matters is Agent Taylor." Dr. Foster said sternly, causing him to grab Sean when he growled furiously and tried to pounce on Jack when Jack got in Dr. Foster's face angrily.

"All right, that's enough from both of you right now. And you back away from me." Dr. Foster said sternly as he glared hostilely at Jack.

"Jack!" Viv said urgently as she got out of the elevator and grabbed a hold of Jack's arm. "We need to talk. Now, Jack." Viv said sternly and seriously as she led Jack away. "What the hell is going on with you? Look, you may be angry, but right now you need to stop and take a good look at this." Vivian said sternly but with compassionate undertones as she handed Jack some papers.

Jack read through the papers—it was a long rap sheet for a Sean Rivera, A.K.A. Dr. Sean Novak. Apparently he had been convicted of repeated armed robberies, assault and possession at a young age.

Jack immediately became angry and got in Sean's face holding up the rap sheet in his hands.

"Care to tell me what this is?" Jack said through gritted teeth as he shoved the rap sheet into Sean's hands, causing Sean to see red when he saw that it was his criminal record.

"This is none of your damn business, Jack. So, stay the hell out of it." Sean seethed furiously but calmly through gritted teeth as he shoved his rap sheet back into Jack's chest.

"What's going on, Jack? Who is this guy?" Martin said seriously and somewhat angrily, causing Martin to read the rap sheet and bug out after Jack gave it to him.

"What the hell? Rivera? Didn't Danny…" Martin said shocked and angrily through gritted teeth, causing Sean to sigh heavily.

"Yes, Martin, but it's not what you're thinking. All right? Look, just come with me to my office and I'll explain everything there. Come on." Sean said kindly but with a heavy sigh.

"The only place you're going is downtown." Jack seethed angrily through gritted teeth as he took a tight hold of Sean's arm, causing Viv and Jeff to grab Jack and Dr. Foster to grab Sean when Sean pushed Jack aside angrily.

"That's enough or I'll haul both your asses down to headquarters until you both cool off." Viv said harshly and then took a breath to calm down. "Look, Jack, you need to hear him out. Things aren't what they appear to be." She said sternly but with compassionate undertones.

"I don't give a damn what he thinks. He's just a self-righteous son of a bitch who treats his agents like crap just to make himself feel better." Sean said angrily as he sighed frustrated.

"You don't know a damn thing about him or any of us? Now, what do you really want with Danny? Because if you think that I'm going to let you or anyone hurt him again, you're going to regret the day you ever met me." Martin said angrily all of a sudden, causing Sean to growl frustrated.

"You stubborn, little bastard, Martin. Damn it. I already told you that I'm not here to hurt Danny or any of you. But I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone take him away from me again. Do you understand me? No one is going to keep us apart anymore—not any of you and not that sick son of a bitch Ritchie. Why can't you understand that?" Sean said sternly out of frustration as more tears escaped his eyes and he angrily wiped them away.

"I don't think this is the appropriate place to discuss this. Now, let's go to my office and talk there." Dr. Foster said seriously as he took a tight hold of Sean's arm.

"Fine. But there's not a chance in hell that we're leaving Danny alone." Jack said gruffly as he glared at Sean.

"I told you that he's not alone." Sean said angrily but calmly as he glared at Jack.

"Excuse me. But Agent Taylor's vitals are unstable again and he's struggling to wake up." Nurse Vicky said concerned as she came out into the hall, causing everyone to rush into room fearfully.

When they made it inside the room, Danny was thrashing weakly and his vitals were unstable, causing Sean to immediately take a tight hold of Danny's hand in his own as he soothed Danny's head.

"Shhh. Hey, what's wrong, kiddo? You're safe here in the hospital with me. I promise. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you and I'll make Ritchie pay for everything he's done to you, okay kiddo?" Sean said caringly as more tears escaped his eyes when Danny thrashed weakly and his mouth gaped like a fish out of water as he tried to talk.

"Shhh. Don't try to talk, little bro. You got sick on me and I had to intubate you, but you'll be okay in a little while after you sleep." Sean said caringly but Danny continued trying to talk.

"Now, didn't he tell you to get some sleep? I heard him loud and clear. You're still not too old for a good ear pulling, Danny. Or better yet, a spanking." Viv teased lightly as she took a hold of Danny's hand in her own.

"Viv? Viv, is that you?" Danny silently cried confused, causing Sean to smile softly and soothe Danny's head when tears escaped his closed eyes.

"That's right, kiddo. You're not dreaming. Vivian's right here with you like always. Now, I wasn't going to let anyone stay here. But, what if I let her stay with you for a few minutes while I go talk to Martin and the guys? Would you like that? Hmm?" Sean asked caringly, causing Danny to weakly squeeze his hand as more tears escaped his eyes.

"And who told you that I was going to leave Danny alone? Whether you or anyone else in this hospital likes it or not, I'm staying right here with him. And there's not a damn thing you or anyone is going to do that's going to make me leave. Now go to the office and tell Jack what's going on while I stay here with Danny." Viv said sternly and with conviction as she held Danny's hand tighter.

"And both of you stop this damn bickering because I'm not going to stand for it. Right now the only thing that matters is Danny, not either of your egos." Viv said sternly, causing Sean to suddenly chuckle amused when he saw Danny's closed eyes crinkled in mirth.

"You were right, little brother. Vivian is a feisty one." Sean chuckled amused as he softly ruffled Danny's head. "All right. I'll let her stay here taking care of you until I finish talking to your friends. But you have to get some sleep." Sean said caringly but it caused Danny's face to become distressed.

"Sean, no! Don't let her stay here! Ritchie's going to kill her family! Please!" Danny silently cried fearfully as his vitals became unstable again.

"Damn it. Calm down, Danny. I know that you're scared but I won't let you down, I promise." Sean said sternly but fear was clearly evident in his voice.

"Vivian, he's scared because of you, because you're not with your family. Ritchie told him that he's going to kill all of you—you and your family, Jack and his girls, Martin, Jeff and anyone else who gets in his way. That's why he's panicking. He doesn't want anything to happen to your son or husband just because you want to be here." Sean said urgently, causing Viv to immediately take a careful hold of Danny's face.

"Now, Danny, you cut that crap out right now. You know that I'm not going to let anything happen to Reggie or Marcus. I already had them moved to a safe house with agents posted 24/7. And I called Chicago and had Jack's girls and Maria put under protective custody there. And Victor has been informed and has been moved to a secured location by armed escorts. So, calm down because nothing's going to happen to any of us." Viv said sternly but caringly as more tears escaped Danny's closed eyes.

"You see, kiddo. Nothing's going to happen to any of your friends, okay. But you have to calm down or I'm going to have to get her out of here and I don't want to do that. And I'm not stupid. I know that you're scared that that bastard Ritchie's going to get you here but you're wrong. I'm not going to let anyone near you. I'll kill that sick son of bitch before I let him hurt you again. So, just get some sleep and let's see if I can't get that annoying tube out of you. Okay? But I need you to calm down and go to sleep first because I don't want it to hurt when I take it out." Sean said sternly but caringly as tears escaped his eyes and he tightly held Danny's hand between both his own.

"Please don't leave me, you promised." Danny silently cried upset and fearfully but almost like a child as he thrashed weakly.

"Stop that. Yo no te voy ha dejar solo, hermanito. Te lo juro, como te juro que no voy ha permitir que ese maldito animal se salga con las suyas. Yo voy hacerle pagar todo el sufrimiento que te ha hecho vivir y le voy hacer lo mismo que te hizo ha ti. Y tampoco voy ha parar aunque me lo pida de rodilla." ["I'm not going to leave you alone, little brother, I swear. Just like I swear that I'm not going to let that damn animal get away with this. I'm going to make him pay all of the suffering that he's put you through and put him through it, only ten times worse. But I'm not going to stop even if he begs me on his knees." Sean said with conviction as tears of anger and hurt escaped his eyes, causing Danny's vitals to slowly stabilize.

"That's good, Danny. Just relax and stay here with Vivian and I'll be back in a few minutes to check on you." Sean said caringly as he sniffled and softly ruffled his head then he turned to Kevin, Danny's orderly.

"Kevin, stay here with him and don't leave the room. The only ones allowed near him are the people in this room. No other staff is allowed in this room and if anyone says that we sent them, get security immediately but don't leave Danny alone for a second. Is that understood? He's your only obligation right now and his security and health are the only things that matter. Is that understood?" Sean whispered seriously so that Danny couldn't here him.

"I understand, boss. He's in good hands." Kevin said kindly, causing everyone else to leave the room and go to Dr. Foster's office a few feet away.

When they finally got to the office, everyone was a bit calmer. But not Jack, Jeff or Martin trusted Sean as far as they could throw him. And the only reason they were okay to leave Danny, was because Viv was with him and they knew that she'd keep him safely guarded like a mother lion protecting its cubs.

"Now, what's this all about, Novak? Who are you really and how is it that we don't know a damn thing about you?" Jack said calmly but tersely as he glared at Sean.

"I'm sick of your attitude, Jack." Sean said calmly but irately as he tried to cool his temper.

"Sean." Dr. Foster warned seriously, causing him to huff angrily.

"Look, that's enough. I want to know what the hell is going on. And if you're really Danny's brother, where the hell have you been all this time and why hasn't he ever mentioned you?" Martin said irately and then hissed pained and angrily when his ribs retaliated and caused him pain.

"Martin, sit down before you hurt yourself. I already told you that your ribs are going to be sore for a while." Sean said concerned as he tried to sit Martin on the couch in Dr. Foster's office, causing Martin to glare at him and weakly push him away. "Sit down or I won't tell you anything. I promised Danny that I wouldn't let anything happen to you and I'm going to keep that promise. So, stop being so stubborn and sit down." Sean said sternly but understandingly as he sat Martin down.

"Good. Now, I know that you have a lot of questions. But you have to believe me when I tell you that I am technically Danny's brother no matter what any stupid social worker said or did and no one is going to keep us apart again. And secondly, I'm not here to hurt Danny. I'm here to help him and get that son of a bitch Ritchie for taking him away from me." Sean said with conviction as he sighed heavily and sat next to Martin.

"What are you talking about? If what Danny said is true, the Riveras were only a horrible foster family who never gave a damn about him even when he tried to stay out of trouble." Martin said calmly but irate.

"Danny wasn't talking about me. He was talking about our foster parents and it's true. They were bastards who didn't care about us. I was put with them before Danny and they didn't care about anything but the money they were getting for us from the government. But Danny and I hit it off from the moment we met. And even though we didn't exactly do the right things when we were together, we were always together—with Ritchie." Sean said softly as he swallowed hard.

"Wait a minute. How do you know Ritchie?" Jeff said seriously but confused.

"Ritchie didn't like me at first but Danny told him that he wasn't going to leave me alone. So, in the end, Danny convinced Ritchie to let me hang out with them. Now, yes, what you saw in the rap sheet is real. But I was just a stupid kid back then who was mad at the world because no one gave a damn about me except Danny. But then that cop busted Danny when he tried to steal from him and took him away." Sean said as his voice broke and tears escaped his escaped.

"If that's true, why do you blame Ritchie for taking him away and not Danny's adoptive dad?" Jack said gruffly as he tried to decide whether Sean was lying or not.

"There's no way that I could hate Danny's old man. He was a hard ass, but he always let me visit Danny—even though he never left us alone in the same room. He even helped me get my head on straight and got me out of that house and into another foster home with a great dad." Sean suddenly said smiling softly as he looked at Dr. Foster.

"You?" Jack said gruffly. "--'Known him since he was in diapers'--my ass." Jack said harshly but Dr. Foster only smiled.

"You're lying. His last name is Foster." Jeff said sternly.

"He's not lying. My full name is Dr. Adam Novak Foster. I gave him my first name and moved him out here after the incident with Daniel and Richard." Dr. Foster said with a heavy sigh.

"What did that have to do with you? According to Danny, his father's partner stopped Ritchie from killing Danny." Jack said gruffly but confused.

"His partner may have stopped Ritchie from killing Danny. But that didn't stop Ritchie from nearly killing me." Sean said through gritted teeth as tears of anger escaped his eyes as he removed his shirt, causing Jack, Jeff and Martin to hiss when they saw a huge scar from his chest to his belly button.

"What the hell happened to you, man?" Martin said somewhat gruffly but quite bugged out at the sight before him.

"That day, Ritchie nearly beat me to death until I told him where Danny was. He finally stopped and dragged me to Danny's house and told him that I didn't care about him and had given him up easily but he knew Ritchie was lying because I was still covered in blood. Anyway, Danny's old man tried to get Ritchie to let me go but he wouldn't. That's when he told Danny that he was going to die for killing 'bastian, his brother. But I couldn't let him kill my little brother, so I bit him until he let me go. Ritchie…Ritchie grabbed his gun and cocked it. He was going to shoot…Danny. But I…screamed and…and jumped in front of him. So the bullet got me in the chest and Danny's old man's partner took Ritchie down and cuffed him. I don't remember what happened after that. But when I woke up in the hospital days later, my dad told me that Danny was gone and that I wouldn't see him anymore." Sean quietly cried softly but angrily as he fisted his hands.

"He was so disoriented that he thought Daniel had perished and nearly died himself when he ripped off all of the tubes he was attached to. I finally managed to calm him down and explain that he had moved away to be safe away from Ritchie. But I had no idea where to." Dr. Foster said with a heavy sigh.

"Three years went by and I didn't hear from Danny again. I tried searching all our hangouts and everywhere else I could think of but I had no luck. The only thing that I was told was that Danny's old man had moved him and his family out of the state permanently." Sean softly cried angrily through gritted teeth.

"Then how did you end up in New York? And more importantly, how the hell did you find Danny? And how did that sick bastard find him also?" Martin said seriously.

"As soon as Ritchie got out, he went after me and told me that he was going to kill me if I didn't tell him where Danny was. I told him that I hadn't heard from Danny again since that night but he didn't…he didn't believe me." Sean said shaken suddenly as he wrapped his arms around his chest and shuddered as he tried touching his back, causing Dr. Foster to tightly grab a hold of his face and carefully force Sean to look at him.

"Don't do that. Do you understand me? You stay focused now. Your brother needs your head to be on straight. He doesn't need you to zone out again." Dr. Foster said harshly but caringly, causing Sean to take a couple of heavy breaths until he only shook a little and calmed down.

"You're right, I'm sorry." Sean said as he breathed shakily. "Anyway, Ritchie didn't believe me. So, he decided to do what he knew best." Sean said through gritted as he stood up and turned around, causing the guys to hiss again and even Jack to shake his head at the hideous welts and deep scars that covered Sean's entire back.

"What the hell did that?" Jack said gruffly but he couldn't hide the shock at seeing Sean like that.

"Ritchie did this and he wouldn't stop until he thought that I was dead. He tied my wrists from some rope that was hanging from the ceiling. Then over the next several hours, he beat me with bamboo stick, a whip, he burned my back with a lighter. He even threw water at me and tried to electrocute me but I still wouldn't tell him anything because I didn't know. But even if I'd had, I would've rather died before telling that sick bastard where Danny was. Anyway, I couldn't handle anymore and lost consciousness but he thought I was dead and he left me there beaten, bloodied and hung by my wrists like an animal." Sean softly cried angrily as he hit the couch, causing Jack to momentarily close his eyes and sigh heavily.

"What happened after that? How did you find yourself here in New York?" Jack asked seriously but compassionately.

"I filed a missing person's report and after talking to witnesses and suspects, the police found him in an abandoned warehouse eight hours later. He was so badly beaten and his injuries were so sever that they told me he had no chance of surviving. And I was already a doctor back then and knew that they telling the truth." Dr. Foster said sadly.

"Then, how is it that he's alive today?" Jeff said confused.

"His attack was reported on news channels nationwide. People started writing and sending donations and telling my family and I that we were in their prayers. Well, one of the calls I received was from a doctor at this very hospital. And he told me that he would treat my son free of charge for as long as necessary because he said that Sean was a very special boy who deserved the best life had to offer and that I had a job also waiting for me in New York as the resident chief of staff of this hospital." Dr. Foster said smiling softly.

"That's what he said? Just like that?" Jack said incredulously.

"I know. I didn't trust the guy either. But sure enough, a week later, our things had been packed and we were transferred here and set up in a luxurious townhouse with everything we needed including security. And with the treatments he received, Sean finally regained consciousness a month later. And we've been here since." Dr. Foster said smiling as he squeezed Sean's shoulder, causing Sean to suddenly chuckle crying.

"What is it?" Martin asked confused.

"We didn't find out until eight years later that Uncle Sam had paid for everything—the house, my treatments, everything—thanks to a very special person…Special Agent, Andrew Taylor. It was thanks to him that I'm standing here today, aside from my dad. Apparently he had good connections and not to mention, the big bucks. He was a huge benefactor of this hospital and I guess that they owed him a favor." Sean softly cried smiling, causing the guys to bug out.

"When I found out, I couldn't believe it. I tried looking for him, but all I found out was that he unfortunately lost his life in the line of duty. And that sent my mind spiraling out of control because I never stopped searching for Danny but now that I had found that out, I didn't know if he was still alive or if he'd…anyway. I kept searching for him for a long time but I could never find him." Sean said softly as more tears escaped his eyes.

"How did you find him again?" Jack asked a bit sternly but compassionately because as angry as the young man made him, he could tell that Sean truly cared for his agent and friend Danny Taylor.

"I found him…three years ago. I hadn't had any luck in my search and I was at the end of my ropes when I was watching the news and I saw this report about two agents who saved a little boy from committing suicide. And those two agents were Agents Jack Malone and Danny Taylor of the New York, FBI's Missing Person's Unit." Sean said crying softly but smiling.

"My heart dropped to the floor, I was so scared. What if this wasn't the same Danny I knew? But I had to take a chance, so I looked for the Missing Person's Unit address and went there looking for him." Sean said crying softly as he held his head in his shaking hands.

Flashback…

Sean stood nervously in front of the FBI building and although he was uncertain and scared, he managed to gather all his strength and head inside to the security desk in the lobby.

"Can I help you, Sir?" A young female secretary said kindly.

"Yes, I need to speak with an agent here, Agent Danny Taylor." Sean said kindly as he shook a bit.

"Do you have any ID and what's this in regards to?" The secretary said kindly when the elevator opened and out came Agent Taylor holding a cup of coffee. "Agent Taylor, this gentleman is here to see you." She said kindly, causing Sean to pale and shake when Danny stood before him.

"Hey, are you okay? What's the matter with you? Come on. Sit down before you fall." Danny sat concerned as he sat Sean down in the lobby couch. "Janice, get me some water for him. Now." Danny said concerned.

"Now, how can I help you, buddy? Janice says that you're looking for me." Danny asked kindly but concerned several minutes later after Sean drank the water and got some color back on his face.

"You're Agent Taylor? Danny Taylor, son of Special Agent Andrew Taylor from Miami?" Sean asked as he cried softly and shook, causing Danny to pale a little.

"Who are you?" Danny said sternly as he breathed a little faster out of fear, causing him to grab Sean when he quietly shook and cried stunned. "Who are you?" He said shaken.

"Danny." Sean quietly cried shaken and tightly embraced Danny as he shook. "Danny, how could you forget me? How could you forget me, Sean, your big brother?" Sean quietly cried emotionally out of shock as he held Danny tightly and shook, causing Danny to gasp in complete shock and bug out as he began shaking slightly.

TBC…

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A/N: As always, your feedback is greatly appreciated and helpful. Let me know if you want me to continue or not.