"So..." Nicky started at the dinner table, "I'm going out with this... guy, and.. I'd like some pointers."

"Never eat spaghetti. A thousand and one things can go wrong," Jamie pointed out.

"No matter how much you like the guy, never go out when you feel like-" Erin moved her hands, trying to think of the word.

"Crap?" The Reagan children and Linda wondered.

"Yeah."

"Yeah, Nicky. That's just a bad plan altogether." Danny stabbed his beans, "ask your Aunt. She did that, what? Like, eighteen times?"

The blonde smiled sheepishly, "I really liked you. And that was mostly when you had RR."

"Expect Dad, Danny, and Joe to go wacko, and check out the restaurant, the guy, the guy's family, and for them to maybe follow you." Jamie warned.

Nicky looked at him warily.

"Never date a guy who owns a car that looks like a male reproductive organ. I did that once... No matter what you wear, he's gonna want more than a banana split. And then he's gonna almost rape you." Linda kicked herself for letting that secret out.

"What?" Danny looked at her, "you never told me that."

"You were in Iraq. You had enough problems to worry about; you didn't need me adding to your worry."

After that, dinner became very quiet and awkward, but Danny wasn't going let that comment go without talking to his wife.


Linda laid in bed on her side, her back to Danny, hoping that he wouldn't bring up her dinner comment.

Danny sighed as he sat down on the bed, looking at Linda's back. "Linda," he sighed, "do you really think I was gonna let the whole 'I-was-almost-raped' thing just slide by?"

She closed her eyes and sat up, crossing her legs. "I was hoping you would."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Because you weren't here... remember when you left for Iraq, and I went to college, we agreed we could see other people... well, I was working with Tommy LaRue-"

"Wait a minute. LaRue? Tommy 'whatever has tits and a vagina, I'll chase' LaRue?"

"Yes. He was working as a janitor or cleanup person or something like that." Linda paused for a moment, pushing the tearful lump in her throat back down. "I told him he deserved to be a janitor. He told me he changed. I didn't believe him; but we started eating meals together, and he had changed... and I'm such an idiot for falling for it-" she looked to the ceiling, willing her tears to stay at bay. "So he asked if we could go out... I told him the ground rules... 'no kissing, touching, and absolutely no sex.' Then I told him I was saving myself for you." Linda smiled at Danny, who slightly smiled back.

"And what? He didn't listen?"

"No, he listened. At first. We started eating together almost every week- I made it completely clear we were not dating or involved in any way or form... we were just two friends sharing a meal together... one time, we were walking in the park together, and he started to carve our names on a tree. I told him to stop, and somehow ended up in front of the tree..." she looked away from her lap, to the far corner of the room. "Before I knew what had happened... he pinned me against the tree... He stuck his hand up my skirt, and pulled my underwear down... he fingered me, and I started screaming, and trying to get away... Two police officers were walking a beat. They heard, and came to get LaRue off me..."

Danny, silently fuming, watched Linda rub her eye as she took in a shaky breath. He put his hand on her shoulder, wondering if she was going to go on.

"I have nightmares about it sometimes... in some of them, he actually rapes me... some of them, you're there, but can't get to me, like there's an invisible field stopping you... and you have to watch me be viscously raped by LaRue... and you can't save me."

Danny had no words as Linda slowly turned to him, her tears finally coming. He held her tight, cursing LaRue; he kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger for a few moments. He felt Linda curl more into his embrace, her tears soaking his pajama top.

Linda clutched Danny's shirt, as if it were the only thing keeping her from drowning.

The detective silently vowed he'd do anything to put LaRue in jail, and keep him there. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that... do you want anything?"

Linda sat up and sniffled; looking her husband straight in the eye- albeit a very sad, heartbreaking stare- she responded, "I just want you to hold me, and never let me go."

Danny's heart broke into a million pieces, "I'll never let you go," he whispered, pulling her back into a hug. He didn't let himself sleep until he was sure Linda was sleeping. He was sure he'd do anything to ensure her happiness, safety, and everything else. "I won't ever let you go. Not ever," he whispered into her hair before sleep washed over him. Never.