Title: Revenge is best served Blue
Chapter 25 – Darkness Falls

"I hate this waiting," Danny whispered to Maria who sat beside his bed as he recovered from his 'false' injury.

"I saw that wince."

"Yeah, Jenkins slightly swerved to the left when I went right. At least nothing was broken," Danny retorted with a slight smirk. "Boys okay?"

"Yeah. I think they're vying for the next Oscar in the Drama category."

"Just as long as it works."

"Think she's here already?"

"Oh I know she is. She found a way in that no one has thought of. That's her game. She'll gloat about it for a while and then try to make her move."

"She'll need an exit strategy."

"And I'm hoping that by the time we see her, we'll have all those covered off."

"She could just try to take you out in one last blaze of glory," Maria told him with a small huff as she leaned in a bit closer. "I know this is all fake but…seeing you lying here is kinda unnerving. When you were lying in the road…I briefly thought about what it would be like without you in my life."

"Peaceful?" Danny countered in a low tone as her dark eyes lifted and locked with his. "Joking aside. Sorry."

"Did I ever tell you what I wanted to when I retire?"

"Figured you were a lifer."

"You got that covered for both of us," she replied with a small laugh.

"What are your big plans?"

"I wanna be living in a little house, on a beach…in Aruba," she started to tell him as her eyes shone and her smile widened; something that instantly warmed his heart. "Where I'm going to own a Tiki bar that specializes in fancy drinks and Puerto Rican food. Silly right?"

"Not something I would have pegged you being the owner of…but sounds fun," he told her with a warm smile.

"Yeah, I'm gonna call it Tiki Riki," she concluded with a small laugh. "What about you?"

"Future plans…those changed of course so I uh…don't look that far into the future. Although…I hope on occasion I'll be fortunate enough to be sitting by your side at that Tiki Bar."

"And when it's not on occasion?" She dared to ask as his brow slightly furrowed.

"Maybe I'll be behind the bar…serving."

She looked at him in quiet surprise as his lips drew into a thin smile as her hand dared to reach out and give his a quick squeeze. "Sounds…just about right. But only if you can mix something other than a gin and tonic."

"More of a scotch on the rocks kinda guy."

"That could go with Puerto Rican food."

It had been a while since he had just had a relaxed conversation with a woman but he reminded himself that this was his partner and so talking to her about normal stuff was just well…normal. Dr. Day had told him not to make it weird or awkward.

"Hate this…waiting," Maria broke the silence that had started to grow.

"She's close," Danny replied with a small frown. "I know it."

"Me too. And so far nothing. And that worries me," she offered in a soft whisper as his eyes looked up and locked with hers.

XXXXXXXX

"They thought they could keep me out…" Sia whispered as she slowly trudged through the empty tunnel toward the small grate; her heart rate starting to gain momentum with each fateful step.

How do you know they're not expecting you? Her mind argued back in tormented silence. But she knew they would be, or could be. And even if not, an NYPD Detective was hit in the street during an open case, they would have come kind of uniformed protection in the hospital just to be safe.

You have no escape route, her mind mentioned to her once more as she felt her whole body offer a shiver as the air around her started to cool.

"I know what I'm doing!" She hissed in a hushed tone into the dank air around her; wanting to silence her brother's voice now inside her head.

I would have brought Danny to me! Not gone to him! You need to keep the game on your terms….your lair, you needed to bring him to you!

"I need him dead to silence your voice!" Sia yelled and then quickly scolded herself for her raised voice as she neared the entrance that would take her into the basement of the busy hospital facility.

You better care! You need to live to carry on our legacy!

But that thought instantly stopped her in her tracks and filled her heart with sadness. The few times she dared to complete a mission at her brother's urging, deaths as of yet unidentified, she had him to praise her and share in her victory with her. But that was now gone. And the fact that Danny Reagan was alive was another reminder that her brother was dead and her life was no longer complete.

"I have to finish this…once and for all…then I'll have peace," she uttered as her fists balled and her eyes closed for a few brief seconds. She thought back to happier days when she was first free of the foster home and it was just her and Thomas; life was carefree and peaceful.

But as soon as he allowed her into his dark obsession, things changed and she was forever ruined. For a few moments she thought about giving herself up…turning herself over to the system.

To be what….laughed at? Mocked? Ridiculed? REHABILITATED! Thomas's voice shouted in her head. Her balled fists started to beat her thighs as dark, watery eyes opened and then quickly narrowed.

"Shut…up!" She hissed through a clenched jaw as she spun around and quickly pulled out a sharp buck knife and started to pierce the stagnant air. "Where are you you bastard!" Sia growled before the musty particles in the air started to grab at her throat and make her cough and sputter.

She finally stopped and leaned against the cold, stone wall with a racing heart and flushed face. "I must…finish this…for us," she uttered in finality as she pulled herself away from the wall and then continued along her path. She finally reached the rusted gate and in a matter of minutes, had broken through and started to make her way toward something that, while still a part of the hospital, lay defunct…dormant…unguarded.

"The dumbwaiter," she whispered with glee as he dark eyes sparkled with anticipation. She carefully checked her few bits of gear and then started to unscrew the four corners and within minutes was inside and slowly climbing upward.

"They won't know what's coming…until it's too late!"

XXXXXXXX

Danny slowly pushed himself up from the cramped bed and headed toward the window to look down. Since he was in the ICU and "supposedly" very injured he couldn't take the chance of walking around outside. They had posted what they felt was right for the situation – two uniformed guards, one by the door and one by the nursing station; anything more would spook Sia for sure and they needed to catch her without her being able to put any kind of escape plan into motion. A few others would just casually mill around downstairs and if she was outside watching would have seen various family members come and go. Danny didn't want the boys around but he knew if they weren't inside, she would be spooked for sure.

So they were both brought inside and then carefully taken down to the basement and into a waiting ambulance that was sent to a fake call with its lights and sirens blaring. Once out of any kind of view, they would be taken to Frank's place to wait with the others, only Frank and Jamie would be left onsite for the takedown.

"You think she's already on site?"

Danny turned to see Jamie enter the quiet room and then nodded before he looked back outside. "She's here…either in disguise or…"

"Or what?" He prodded as he neared.

"Or she doesn't care and she's gonna take as many with her as she can in one final blaze of glory."

"Sounds depressing," Jamie signed as Danny turned around to see his partner now in the doorway.

"That's what she wants and I'm ready for the game to end."

"Yeah but on our terms," Maria reminded him as she remained in place.

"Maddie's with Anthony right now. She said that nurse friend of Sia's…she was released on bail and her body was found floating under the East River bridge."

"Everyone she cared about is gone."

"Unless Sia did that herself before she came here," Jamie pondered.

"Which makes her even more reckless. Literally nothing left to lose now," Maria reminded them. "As you said…everyone she cared about is now gone," she concluded as she looked right at Danny. "She's not planning to escape. She knows once she's spotted, this whole place will be on lockdown and she'll be trapped."

"Better to die on her terms than to be put into a cage," Jamie stated softly.

"There is no other way. It had to be on our terms," Danny reminded them. "If she did it her way…"

"You'd be dead by now," Maria interjected somberly.

"But…I also hate this waiting," Danny replied with a small huff as he rubbed his face and then pulled back to look outside. "Just want this to be over already."

"Soon enough," Jamie stated as he turned to take his leave.

XXXXXXXX

"Hey was just coming to see you," Jamie stated as Anthony neared him; both of them a few meters from the entrance to Danny's room and not really paying much attention to what would take place behind them a few moments later. But they would feel it.

"She must be close. Found one of the night guards in the boiler room. He didn't make it."

"Who do we have monitoring the hospital security?"

"Lemme check. Anything else on the nurse?"

"Actually found something else," Anthony started. "But Danny might want to hear this."

XXXXXXXX

"You okay?" Maria asked Danny as he looked at her with a determined expression and nodded slowly.

"You?"

"I also hate this waiting around."

"Something else we have in common," he joked.

"Is that all?"

"Well maybe our love of stupid movies."

"That last one wasn't that stupid."

"It was," he gently chuckled. "But it was fun and the boys liked it also. They want another home cooked meal a…" he started and then stopped in haste.

"Danny…"

"I don't want you to feel obligated…"

"Cooking for you and the boys would never be considered a chore."

Then before he could say another word, she leaned in closer and planted a small kiss on his cheek and pulled back with a smile.

"I had to do that before I lost my nerve. I'm sure it wasn't the right thing to do but…" she started only to have him take her cheeks in his and kiss her quickly on the lips before he pulled back with a surprised look on his face.

"That was a…"

"A mistake! But don't worry…it's one you won't have to live to regret!"

Both of them turned to see Sia Wilder walk through the door, sporting a short blond wig and nurses smock. It was only seconds before she pulled out two objects and tossed them both into the air before any guns could be pulled. At first they both looked like grenades but only one was a live grenade the other was a concussion grenade – but both would render all in the surrounding area serious damage.

"LOOK OUT!" Danny shouted as he tried to push Maria out of the way; Jamie and Anthony now a few seconds away from the doorway.

One of the grenades bounced toward the main doorway entrance she had just come through and the second into the heart of the room – leaving them all little room to escape.

Doom was inevitable.

"For you Thomas…" Sia uttered as she stood in place, closed her eyes and let the world around her explode into panicked screams and brilliant shades of yellow and orange before deathly black enveloped them all.

Darkness had fallen.

A/N: I just loved the Tiki bar/future convo that I had to include that in there for some future musings. And oh yikes! Well you knew there had to be a big spectacular showdown but is it over just yet? Please do review before you go and hope you all are still liking this story and thanks so much!