A/N: In which Danny does NOT take a cold shower. Thanks to LinDannylove for the prompt!
He's worried about Linda. The whole ride to the hospital, then getting checked out, she keeps asking him to take her home—that she wants a shower.
He's been avoiding the house since she was kidnapped—he didn't think he could handle walking in there and knowing she wasn't home. So he's cat-napped at the precinct, taken cold showers in the precinct dorm, and prayed harder than he has in years.
Now, finally, it's just her and him in his car, going home. "Jamie and the detectives cleared the house; it's safe to go in. Jamie is down the street in an unmarked car."
She nods and reaches for his hand again as he parks the car. "Promise you won't let go?"
"I promise, babe. Though, I do…need to get out of the car now."
He double-times it out of his seatbelt, door open, out of the car, slams the door closed, over to the passenger side, door open…but he wasn't fast enough, and she's teary and wide-eyed with panic.
She'd seemed so…strong, hopeful, unhurt?...when he found her in that hellhole, and maybe it's just shock wearing off, or she feels safe now so she can finally break down, but it's worrying him.
"Linda, babe, look at me. You're safe. I'm right here. It's just you and me, babe. I'm here."
She goes to launch herself at him, but her seatbelt is still buckled, and she whimpers when she can't move. Because of the ropes and the gag, Danny thinks bitterly, thinking of all the ways he can get revenge on the b $+ rd$ who kidnapped her.
"Easy, Linda, it's okay, you're safe with me, Let me help you." He unbuckles the seatbelt and suddenly has an armful of teary, hyperventilating wife.
Danny sets her down gently—he needs one hand free for his gun just in case, kisses her head. "It's okay, babe. Jamie's been watching the house. We're safe."
He keeps one arm around her shoulders as they walk toward the house, feeling her stiffen when they get to the steps. "Linda, I need you to open your eyes and look at me. Who am I?"
"D…Danny?" she chokes out.
"Yes. You're safe. We're going inside our house —just you and me, and we're going to get you nice and relaxed, okay? ESU was already out here; they dusted the whole house; no one was inside here. Jamie changed the locks, too. We're safe."
She nods, but doesn't budge an inch as he unlocks the door.
When they're inside he locks the door—and the chain he'd asked Jamie to install earlier.
He clears the first floor with her still trembling behind him, then goes up the stairs—always staying in front, but making sure she sees with her own eyes that the house is safe.
He goes into their bedroom, grabs fresh clothes for both of them, then goes into the bathroom and starts filling the tub. "The boys think you're at the spa, okay? So we're going to take a nice, hot soak—I've had nothing but cold showers at the precinct the whole time I was looking for you, and you want to get freshened up before we go to family dinner, right?"
She nods, but she's shaking, and he fears for a split-second that they actually did hurt her, that she either doesn't remember (he doesn't know how long she was unconscious) or is afraid to tell him, and he reaches for her hair, curses when she flinches. "Honey, it's just me. You're safe now. Do you want me to leave so you can get undressed?"
She shakes her head and starts taking off her clothes woodenly.
In a few minutes they're both in the tub. His mind isn't going to those dark places of—Did they do this or this or this to her?—because she's attached herself like an octopus to him, begging him to not let go.
He kisses her head, rubs her back. "Linda, you're safe, babe. I'm not going anywhere. They can't hurt you anymore. I promise. Try to relax, babe."
She shivers, and he adds more hot water. "Hon, I need you to talk to me."
"I…didn't know what they were gonna do to me. One of them talked like he wanted to…rape me, but the other said they just needed to scare me not hurt me, and…they, they didn't touch me once they had me tied up in there, but I was so scared, and…"
She bursts into heart-wrenching sobs then, and he holds her tight until the water's cold, then gets them both cleaned and dressed and in bed for a nap before family dinner.
"No one's ever gonna hurt you again, Linda, I promise," he says, and feels her relax completely as she falls asleep in his arms.
He prays he can keep that promise.