Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay but at least now school is out. A whole summer (or at least two months) of being able to write.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Chapter 34

Lindsay had fallen asleep about thirty minutes earlier but Danny continued to run his hand through her hair as he watched the even rise and fall of her chest. She was nestled securely in his arms and he would be quite content for her to remain right where she was for the rest of their lives. He knew it wasn't possible but at least for the meantime he could know that she was perfectly safe and protected.

The cell phone on his hip vibrated and he was glad he'd remembered to put the phone on vibrate as soon as they arrived home. He released the hold on her hair and retrieved the phone and pulled up the received text message from Mac.

How is she?

It had been a hellish day. He had tried to convince her as emotionally spent as she was after the hearing that her statement could wait but in typical Lindsay fashion, she'd insisted. Said waiting would just give her one more thing to dread doing. He knew it was going to be too much for her but couldn't argue with her. He had insisted that she eat at least a little something so she'd agreed to a bowl of clam chowder at Mushies before going to the station. She'd even managed to keep it down as she gave her statement; Danny wished he could say the same about his own lunch. He'd only made it to Atwood Junior breaking her nose before he had to excuse himself to empty the contents of his stomach. Anything left in his stomach further expelled itself when he once again listened to the woman he loved more than life itself talk about her final encounter with Atwood during her captivity.

With a sigh he typed out his reply one handed. Cried herself to sleep. Don't know how long it'll last.

A second later a reply came back. How are you?

Mac knew him well. During her whole statement, she'd managed to keep her emotions under control but Danny had been an emotional mess listening to her describe her captivity. He didn't regret listening in; he needed to know just how bad it had been for her. Partly so he could help her recover and partly to put an end to his own demons who were determined to make him imagine much worse. He was glad the mirror had kept her from seeing his reaction; because it wouldn't have helped her to see his reaction. By the time her statement was complete and Michelle Greer had stepped in to talk with her for a few minutes, he'd been able to reign his own emotions in. It made it easier to handle her own eventual breakdown the moment she was in the safety of their own apartment.

As long as she's okay, I'll be okay.

And it was true. The pain he was currently experiencing was for what she was going through. She was the one who had to endure everything and as much as he wished he could have traded places with her, he couldn't. All he could do was hold her when she needed to be held and offer what comfort he could. He didn't sell himself short as he could see how much that support was helping her but it didn't stop him from feeling woefully inadequate.

Need anything?

For this to have never happened? He appreciated all the support his friends had given them; needed their support probably just as much as Lindsay needed his. How did he delicately ask that just for the evening everyone leave them alone. He wanted Lindsay to sleep for as long as she possibly could so that she could recharge her depleted stores of energy. Plus he couldn't see how she was going to escape the nightmares reliving the experience would dredge up. She needed to rest while she could. As much as he knew she wouldn't like the idea, he'd even called his mom earlier during her statement and asked if Lucy could spend one more night with his parents.

I think we're good for now. Just gonna let her sleep.

Apparently Mac was well versed in reading what wasn't typed because it didn't take him long to reply. I'll spread the word to everyone to hold off their calls and visits for tonight. Call or text if you or Lindsay need anything.

Danny smiled reading the message. They were truly lucky, he and Lindsay. They had great friends who would drop everything in a heartbeat if they needed something. He sent his thanks via a new text message and put his phone back in its holster. Stella had called while they were at lunch to say she had gotten home safely and had elicited the same promise from them both to call her at any time if they needed her.

Planting a kiss on the top of Lindsay's head, Danny settled back against the pillow holding her comfortably close to him. She was alive and with each passing day her physical injuries would heal. As bad as things had been he knew they could have been much worse. Would have been much worse if Lindsay hadn't sent them the evidence to figure out who was behind the robberies. He had to keep reminding himself of that even though it really wasn't much of a consolation. Had he heard the full story before his visit to Atwood, the bastard probably wouldn't have gotten off so easy. He also wished he'd been able to have a few minutes alone with the son before he offed himself. Yeah, Atwood, Jr. might have been marginally more humane than his father but knowing that most of Lindsay's physical injuries had occurred at his hands didn't leave Danny feeling much sympathy toward the dead man.

A sharp knock at the front door alerted Danny to the fact that they had a visitor. He considered ignoring the summons but didn't want to take the chance on the unknown person knocking harder and waking Lindsay. He gave her another kiss and settled her comfortably before gingerly getting out of the bed. He closed the bedroom door before jogging lightly to the door before whoever was there could knock again.

It was Sheldon who sheepishly held up his phone. "Sorry, got the text from Mac about giving you guys some quiet time after I knocked. Figured it would be rude to leave before you answered the door. I'm sorry. You probably don't even want to see me but I just wanted to check on both of you. I was out at a scene while Lindsay was giving her statement but I can imagine how hard it was on the both of you."

Danny knew Hawkes still felt bad about what happened that night at the hospital. Though they had talked some the night before at Stella's going away party, it had still felt a little strained. Had it been anybody else, Danny might have sent them on their way but didn't want to hurt their friendship even more. Besides, Sheldon had once been in his footsteps. Maybe he could offer him some insight on how to best help Lindsay through this.

"Come on in. Lindsay's asleep."

Sheldon picked up a brown bag sitting at his feet. "Figured you might could use a beer or two."

Looking at the size of the bag, Danny couldn't help but smile. "One or two beers or six-packs?"

Realizing Danny wasn't mad he was there, Hawkes returned the smile. "Well, I also figured it's no fun to drink alone and I know Lindsay shouldn't drink while on her pain meds. By the way, how is her pain? Jo said she looked like she was hurting a lot at the station earlier. Are the meds not strong enough? Need me to call something different in? I can even go pick it up for you so you don't leave her."

Danny shook his head, settling onto the couch before grabbing both of them a bottle of beer from the bag. "The meds work when she takes them. She didn't take any today because of the hearing and giving her statement; she wanted a clear head. So yeah, by the time Jo saw us at the station, the pain had gotten almost unbearable for her. But as soon as she finished her statement I made her take a pain pill before we ever left. I don't know if the pain was that bad or if she was just out of it emotionally but when I got her to take the second one once we got home, she didn't protest at all."

For a few minutes, the two men sat there in silence drinking their beer. Danny was lost in his thoughts, trying to figure out what exactly he wanted to ask Sheldon. Before he could figure out the answer, Hawkes spoke up. "Mac has sealed Lindsay's statement to a 'need-to-know basis. He doesn't want Lindsay to feel uncomfortable when she comes back to work thinking we all know what happened to her. I don't have to know the details to know how tough this is for both of you. I know I didn't make things any easier that night at the hospital…"

"Water under the bridge, man. Hawkes, I'm scared. She's hurting so much and I don't mean physically. I want to make this okay for her but I'm scared I'm gonna mess up and hurt her more. What if I'm calling myself being supportive but she feels like I'm smothering her? What if I give her room to breathe and try to act like nothing happened and she feels like I don't care? You've been here before, how do I not mess up?"

Hawkes shook his head. "I might not be the best person to ask. Obviously I didn't do such a hot job figuring out what Kara needed. I had the same fears you are talking about and to be honest, I don't think I knew how to read Kara's needs the way you seem to know Lindsay. I've watched the two of you together and I've seen the way Lindsay looks at you. She trusts you in a way I don't think Kara ever did with me. I don't know if it has anything to do with you being married but she's not only comfortable with your touch but seems to almost need it. Don't get me wrong, I think you're probably going to experience both ends of your fears before all is said and done. There may be times when she feels like you are smothering her and other times when she feels you aren't there enough."

"So it's a no-win situation?" Danny set the empty bottle down and reached for another one. He sounded so forlorn that Hawkes wished he had some magical cure for him.

"Only if you give up which I don't see you doing. I think maybe I did. Maybe she and I both did without realizing it. I felt like I was reaching out to her but she wasn't receptive, however maybe there were times she was reaching out to me and I didn't see it."

Danny's ears turned red as he worked out how to ask the question he really wanted to ask. "When it comes to being intimate, do I listen to what she says or how her body reacts?"

His beer to his mouth, Sheldon had to struggle not to choke on the drink. He looked at Danny trying not to sound judgmental. "It's a little soon to worry about that isn't it? Her injuries alone suggest that."

Danny set his beer on the table. This conversation was going to be awkward; he wasn't the type to kiss and tell but he really needed the advice. "I agree that it's too soon, but Lindsay…" He trailed off, too embarrassed to continue. "Okay, see, it's like Lindsay… I mean…. Damn it, why is this so difficult?"

His friend took sympathy on him, recognizing that it wasn't easy for Danny to talk about it but obviously needed the advice. "Let me see if I understand what you are not saying. Lindsay wants to be intimate but you aren't sure it's the right thing?"

Danny nodded glumly. How had it been so much easier for Hawkes to put into words? "I think she feels like it'll help her get past what happened or maybe she just thinks it'll make things seem normal again. She's scared I'm going to reject her because of what happened. I don't want to feed those fears but at the same time when I touch her in certain ways and her body is clearly screaming that it's not ready, what choice do I have?"

Before Sheldon could even think of an answer, screams from the bedroom interrupted them. Danny was on his feet in a flash rushing into the bedroom. Sheldon followed but hovered at the doorway. He wanted to help but didn't want to intrude.

Lindsay was sitting bolt upright in the bed, tears once more streaming down her face. Though her eyes were opened and her screams loud and piercing, it was obvious she was still sound asleep locked in an apparent nightmare. Danny sat on the bed beside her trying to gather her in his arms. In her dreamed-locked state, Lindsay fought against him, hitting him squarely in his chest several times before he locked her arms tightly between his body and her own. The whole time he was offering her reassurances and comfort, much the way he had earlier that day in Judge Hendricks office. Once again, it didn't appear that she heard him but this time didn't even seem to be taking comfort in his embrace. Nothing he said or did seemed to be making a difference. Finally he looked to Sheldon for help.

"It's more than likely a night terror instead of a nightmare. Just keep talking to her until it's over."

It took about ten more minutes before her screaming subsided and another ten minutes after that before she slumped back against him. Satisfied that the night terror had ended, Sheldon spoke again from the doorway. "Looks like the worst of this one is over. I'm not going to lie to you, this may just be the first one of the night. I'm going to get out of here now so the two of you can rest while you can. I'll put the rest of the beers in the fridge and lock the door on my way out. If you need anything, call. As for your earlier concerns, my best advice would be this. Nobody loves her the way you do. Trust what your instincts tell you to do about listening to what her body tells you. But just remember to keep reassuring her every step of the way so she doesn't feel like you are rejecting her. You two will work this out better than Kara and I ever could."

"Thanks man." Danny was glad Sheldon had dropped by but was also glad their friend realized when it was time to leave. He had settled back on the bed, holding and watching her. After a few minutes her eyes fluttered open.

"Danny? Where am I?"

"In bed, Babe. It's okay. You're safe. I'm right here."

She glanced around taking reassurance in the familiar surroundings. Then she looked back up at him. "What time is it?"

Glancing around her body to look at the alarm clock he sighed. "A little after seven. If you are awake, you should probably eat a little something. I know you haven't had much of an appetite but you gotta keep your strength up. I could make you a grilled cheese sandwich and some soup if you would like."

Remembering that Lucy had been so excited about that very meal just the other night, Lindsay gave a small smile. "Are you going to cut the 'crusties' off?"

Danny chuckled warmly. "Babe, if you want me to, I'll bake a loaf from scratch without any crusties to even worry about. How about it?"

She considered his offer. "Can I have cream of mushroom instead of tomato?"

"I think I can swing that." Danny kissed her warmly, wanting to reassure her that his love hadn't changed from hearing what had happened to her and to reassure himself that she was still here for him to do so. "You were so wiped when we got back that you fell asleep with your clothes on. Why don't you get something more comfortable on while I fix supper?"

She nodded and then seemed to listen carefully. "Why is Lucy so quiet? She's not asleep already is she?"

"I called Ma and had her pick her up and take her to their house. She'll be fine." Seeing she was about to protest, he placed a finger over her mouth silencing her. "Remember when I had the flu earlier this year? We sent her to my parents because it was easier for you to take care of your big sick baby without your real baby running around and because we didn't want Lucy getting sick. Think of it this way. I can take care of you better if I know Lucy is being taken care of plus we don't have to explain to her why Mommy is screaming in her sleep from a night terror."

Lindsay bit her lower lip. "I had a night terror?"

Danny nodded. "It was pretty scary for me to see, it would have terrified Lucy. Do you remember any of it?"

"No, I never do." Lindsay admitted. "I used to have them quite frequently after the shooting at the diner. I never remembered having them but I saw the effects that they had on my family. I'm glad Lucy isn't here to see them. I'm sorry to put you through them. I'm sure it's just a side effect of giving my statement today. I know you worried it was going to be too tough on my but I had to do it; putting it off wasn't going to make it any easier."

Danny kissed her again. "I know. I just hate seeing you in any kind of pain."

"I know." Lindsay conceded. "But you being here makes the pain a little more bearable. Thank you for being here for me."

He pressed her close to him for several more minutes. "I wouldn't be anywhere else."