Well, the "I believe I can fly" thing is a private joke with my best friend but it matched with the timeline. Anyway, I hope you'll like this new chapter and thanks a lot to the ones who left me such nice reviews and encourage all this story long

Chapter 11

Danny rolled over and rested his head on his folded arm. "Hey there", he replied gently looking deeply into Calista's sleepy eyes, "How did you sleep?"

"Mmmh, like a baby…Actually, I haven't slept like that in ages…" Calista said, stretching out. Danny smiled at her and they both shared an awkward look. Finally looking away, Martin's sister raked a hand through her hair, "Can I use your shower?" she asked.

"Oh…yeah…sure…the bathroom is on your left" Danny replied, watching her wrap a sheet around her waist and get up, picking up her clothes that were lying on the floor. He sat down on the edge of the bed and crossed his hand behind his head.

"Danny, what have you done?" he talked to himself. It was a mistake, a huge but so beautiful mistake…He couldn't deny it: he didn't regret a single minute spent with her or the way she made him feel. For a night, with their bodies entangled and his head buried in her warm neck, he had forgotten about his past, about his mistakes, about Rafie rotting in prison, about the shooting, about Martin…he had forgotten everything. Calista was a runaway and within a few hours, she had taken him with her. Now, it was time to stop running and face the reality. He couldn't start a relationship now, not without apologizing to Caitlyn first, not without sorting things out with Martin and Jack, not with Calista.

He got up, put his boxers and a t-shirt on and headed towards the kitchen, making the lousy coffee of which he alone had the secret. A few minutes later, he saw Calista entering the kitchen barefoot.

She sat down on the stool and zipped her boots up, fidgeting. "This dress is so uncomfortable, I don't know what I was thinking when I put it on yesterday."

Danny looked her up and down and grinned. The dress hugged the beautiful curves of her body perfectly. He had noticed it, so did many men in the bar that night.

She narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't thinking of that Danny…"

Yes, she had wanted to feel pretty, beautiful, to feel eyes on her and yes, she had enjoyed seeing heads turn towards her while entering the bar. After the conversation with her mother, all she had wanted was to get noticed, to see she existed through someone's else's eyes. But honestly, she hadn't imagined that night could've finished that way. She was tired of all the meaningless sex-based relationships she collected since she was 15 but when she had seen Danny, smelled his cologne, looked into his eyes, she hadn't been capable to resist the need to be touched, to be kissed, to be wanted…to be loved even if it lasted only a few hours.

"Want some coffee?" Danny asked.

"Yes, please."

That was the hard part for Danny. The dumping part. He had known three types of dumped women. The first ones were ok; almost relieved because, like Danny, they didn't expect anything from the night they had spent together. The second ones made a scene and ended up calling him names. The last ones said nothing but couldn't help hurt and disappointment from flashing through their eyes. That was towards them that Danny felt the worst.

"Look Calista…", he began, words not coming so easily. "What happened last night…"

"You're not good at doing that"

"Doing what?"

"Ditching chicks you've just slept with. Let me guess, you're the type of guy who sneaks out in the middle of the night…"

Danny frowned, he didn't want to hurt her…Actually, he liked her, liked her a lot. To his surprise, she burst out laughing,

"You look terrible! Danny, I don't expect you to marry me…We're grown-ups, we both had a bad day, we needed some consolation, we spent the night together. Period. End of the story. It was 

great," she paused, her cheeks turning pink, "but it was a mistake. I'm your friend's sister, your big boss's daughter and my life's a real mess. I can barely take care of myself, I couldn't build anything right now."

Danny looked at her and pretended to be upset, "Are you dumping me?"

"Yes I am and your coffee is disgusting."

She smiled as Danny laughed, "Yes, I know…Sorry for that…"

"I like you" he couldn't help but tell her.

Calista looked down, "You don't know me."

There was something sad in her voice that made him feel like stroking her cheek. He didn't do it though but merely looked at her with sweet eyes. "What happened between you and Martin? I can't believe he has such an amazing sister and has never told me about it…"

Calista took a sip of coffee and grimaced, "I assume he was ashamed of me. I've told you, I'm trouble…I stole a car, I drove under influence, I vandalized several houses with my friends, I got fired from two high schools, I got fired from college later…well, you see, that kind of little thing. I was a bad girl," she emphasized the word 'bad'. "I can't blame Martin, he's a Fitzgerald, and he has a reputation and a name to defend…"

Danny thought about Raffie. Had he disowned him because he was ashamed of him? Because his brother's past could stain the perfect image of Danny Taylor, Special Agent of the FBI, he had tried to build during all these years?

"But I knew he loved me…" she carried on, "until I left."

"Why did you leave?"

Calista opened her mouth but said nothing. She shook her head, "You know, my messy life is not supposed to be an after-lovemaking topic of conversation…" she joked, trying to change the subject.

"Why did you leave?" Danny asked again, softly, carefully.

"There is something you have to know about my parents: they always win…always, one way or another," she paused, "I don't wanna talk about it…" Her eyes went dark, almost black.

"Alright…" Danny replied gently.

"Can I ask you somethin'?" she said, putting her hair in a high ponytail.

"Sure."

"Can I…ehm…give you a call once in a while? I'd like to know if Martin is ok…I can't ask my parents, I don't trust them…they hadn't even told me that Martin had been shot…I know you don't really get along with him anymore but I just wanna know how he's doing…he's a great guy, you know...I just wanna know how he's doing…"

Danny seemed to think for a minute, then headed towards the sideboard, took a sheet of paper and wrote his number. He gave it to Calista, "you call me anytime. I'd like to know how YOU doing…"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine"

"Will you?"

"I came back for my brother. As long as I know he's ok, I'll be fine. You know Danny, whatever happened between you two, he's still a good man, I know he is. He's just fundamentally good. He'd give everything for the people he loves. I remember…"



Calista was playing absent-mindly with the golden necklace she had received for her 16th birthday. It was a gift from her parents, a very expensive gift used as compensation for not being there for their daughter's birthday. The necklace was large, bright and flashy and Calista told herself one more time that her mother definitively didn't know her or her tastes. "Even Cleopatra would be ashamed to wear such a thing," she laughed, disappointed and bitter, and threw the jewel on her bed.

It wasn't the first time she spent her birthday without her parents, but that time, it was different. Martin wasn't there. He was in college in Seattle, studying for his exams. He had given her a call but she needed more, she wanted her big brother to be there, she wanted him to make her laugh, to make her forget she had be let down by her parents…once again. She turned on the radio, let herself fall on her bed, her arms wide open and started singing the latest hit song at the top of her lungs:

See I was on the verge of breaking down
Sometimes silence can seem so loud
There are miracles in life I must achieve
But first I know it starts inside of me, oh

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it

I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly

Calista heard someone banging at her door and got up to open it. She grimaced when she saw Paris's face. She assumed she was there to ask her to turn down the volume, as she had done so many times before but she was wrong.

"Someone left this for you" she said, giving the teen a large box.

Calista looked at the housekeeper and for a brief moment, she saw a smile playing over her lips. 'Birthday's miracle'?, she asked herself.

"Thanks Paris…"

"Could you turn down the volume? I'm going crazy" Paris added.

She wasn't completely wrong after all. Calista sighed and came back to her bedroom, puzzled. There was a letter on the box and she hastened to rip the envelope open. Inside she found a small note and recognized right away his brother's handwriting.

Hey sis,

Let me guess, you're in PJ's, you hair is a mess and you're locked in your room singing a soppy song.

Calista stopped reading and looked around as if somebody was watching her. After making sure his brother wasn't hidden somewhere, she went on reading.

Not too bad huh? I know your birthday sucks, your life sucks and the whole world sucks…I was 16 before you, remember?…I also know you're mad at Mum and Dad and I understand, believe me I do, but I don't want you to sulk in your room. Get up, grab a shower and put on the dress in the box. Be ready at 7 and don't be late!

Martin.

Ps: I saw the awful necklace Mum bought you. Don't feel obliged to wear it.

The young Calista grinned and took the dress out of the box.

"At 7 o'clock, he came to pick me up in a limo and we spent the evening together in a restaurant." Calista finished her story, "He was in the middle of his exams and had to take a flight back to Seattle early in the morning but despite it, he had come back in New York just to spend my birthday with me. He had planned everything and it was the most beautiful birthday I've ever had…"

Danny smiled sadly. He missed Martin, more than he thought, more than he could admit.

"I can't promise you I will make up with him but…I'll watch over him. I won't let him get hurt…again" Danny swallowed hard.

"Thanks" Calista whispered and they both kept silent, thinking about Martin.

"Well, I think I'd better go before becoming too emotional" Calista said, breaking the silence. She walked to the living room, put on her long winter coat that was lying in the sofa and looked at Danny.

"Hum…It was…great…"she laughed awkwardly, "I'll give you a call"

Danny nodded, smiling and saw her stepping forward to give him a sweet kiss on his cheek. "Bye Danny"

"Take care" he cupped her face and watched her walk out of his apartment. Somehow, Calista Fitzgerald had entered his life.

XXX

A week had passed. Danny and Martin had developed a brand new routine, namely no greetings, no eye contact and almost no talking. If they needed to converse for work, they always tried to be as quick as possible and as curt as possible. The tension between them hadn't gone unnoticed by their co-workers – well, they could've seen it with half an eye – but Jack had decided to let them work their problems through alone. However, he couldn't let this situation drag on forever and he knew that if they didn't sort things out fast, he would have to take a tough call: asking one of both to leave.