I don't own these characters, just a fan wanting to tell a story.

Danny glanced over at Maria as they drove to her apartment. She rested her chin on her hand as she looked out the window, watching the lights as they sped down the highway. The street lamps cast only a little light, but it was enough for him to see the worry and concern on her face. His eyes turned back to the road. He wondered if she knew he had heard what she had said? Maybe she had said it to mess with him, but in his heart, he knew she wouldn't do that. He turned back to her and studied her. Her mocha brown eyes were so beautiful as the lights flashed by, her lips, he had always noticed took a heart shape. He wondered why she always looked so perfect. He knew she wasn't wearing makeup right now, not at three in the morning, but she looked so flawless He pondered how long she had 'liked' him. Something in his heart had awoken, even though it was not quite two years since he lost his wife,he heard a small voice say, "It's okay to move on,"

Maria and Danny walked up the stairs to her apartment, forensics had already arrived and had started going over the place. Also, Maria had been asked if she could see if anything was missing. Maria's heart was pounding in her chest, they still don't know why the apartment had been broken into. All they knew was that the lock on the door had been forced open and a neighbor reported a man dressed in black leaving the apartment. Maria walked into the familiar rooms, she was shocked and horrified when she saw her organized rooms had been torn apart as if someone had been searching for something.

"At first we thought it was just a break in," A cop was telling Danny, "then we saw the bedroom."

"What's in the bedroom?" Danny questioned.

"I think it's better if you see it for yourself." The officer answered.

Maria and Danny made their way to her bedroom. Maria went cold, shivers went up on her spine."I WILL FIND YOU" was written above her bed, written in a red liquid, Maria shuddered at the thought it might be blood.

"Angelo." Danny muttered.

Maria nodded, "Nothing will be taken, he just wanted me." Maria answered, looking around her trashed apartment.

"Glad you are staying with me now?" Danny questioned.

Maria nodded, as she bent down and picked up a picture of Danny and herself. It was when they first became partners, she kept the photo in her room, to remind her she always had someone watching her back. The glass in the frame had been shattered, she brushed the glass away and placed the frame back on the bedside table, next to the picture of her brother.

"He knows I'm a cop." Maria breathed, the realization hitting her.

"What?" Danny questioned.

"He knows I'm a detective." Maria explained. "I have pictures, and my dress blues are in the closet, he must have seen them. It's only a matter of time before he realized I'm staying with you. He may have been abusive and drank too much but he wasn't stupid."

"Maybe he was drunk when he came here and didn't notice." Danny suggested wanting to believe that,but the more he heard and saw of Angelo the more he realized that this man was insane.

"No, if he was drunk he wouldn't have been able to find my apartment." Maria objected.

"Maria, you don't know that for sure." entreated Danny.

"Yes, I do Danny." Maria snapped."When he's drunk he is basically a two-year-old, he couldn't have done this unless he was sober." Maria sat on her bed and rested her hands on her thighs staring at the wall.

"So," Danny said softly, "what do we do?" He questioned sitting down next to her.

"I have no idea." Maria sighed, resting her head in her hands.

Danny put his hand on her back and rubbed it softly.

"It's going to be okay." He assured.

"I thought I was rid of him, I thought I would never see him again, now I don't know if he is going to appear around the corner and take me." Maria worried, her face still buried in her hands.

"You are safe as long as I'm with you." Danny promised, "You are welcome to stay at my house until all this gets cleared up."

Maria looked up. smiling slightly.

"Thanks." Maria said. "I should go and make sure he didn't take anything, if he did, it might help us find him.

It took a few hours of Maria going through her stuff to find that nothing had been taken. Danny and Maria left her apartment to go back to the house and get sleep around eight a.m. As they drove, Maria rested her head against the window. She was exhausted, she just wanted to sleep, but she was scared that if she fell asleep he would haunt her dreams. She sighed and rubbed her temples.

"You okay?" Danny questioned.

"Yeah, just tired." Maria yawned.

"Why were you and Sean up so late?" Danny asked. He wondered if she would lie to cover up what she had been discussing with Sean.

"He heard you and I talking about…about why I never pressed charges against Angelo and while we were talking about that, he asked if I wanted ice cream." Maria answered. She reached up, took her hair out of the ponytail, and shook it looe massaging her scalp.

Danny had to admit, he preferred her with her hair down. It framed her face in a very attractive way. Danny felt something fighting against the feelings he was developing for Maria. "It's only been two years, she would have wanted you to wait longer." He wanted to sigh but he knew she would ask him what was wrong and he didn't feel like sharing.

Maria stumbled to the house she was so tired, having now been awake for over twenty-four hours. As Danny entered the house he suddenly felt as if someone was watching him. He turned and saw no one, he thought little else of it and entered the house. Maria ran up to her room, changed quickly back into her PJs and flopped into was craving the feeling of covers wrapped around her and a pillow under her head.

Danny wanted to keep working the case, but he knew he had to wait until the lab got back to him about the blood sample at Maria's apartment. He decided it was best for him to try and get some sleep, he didn't know how much sleep he would be able to get in the next couple days.

Hope you guys enjoyed that chapter, I did. I want to thank the amazing danickowgirl because she is just the best who edits for me. Love you guys so much. Please review, and also if you guys have special idea that you think are good ideas I would LOVE TO HEAR THEM.

Eliza