Chapter 8
Danny took a moment to calm the rage that was coursing through him. So that was Kate's husband. No wonder she said that things were nicer without him around.
He had been sleeping when heard heard glass breaking. Then came the raised voices, what sounded like a skin connecting with skin and some odd thumping. Getting up, Danny wasn't overly concerned. He had been living in an emotional stupor and nothing seemed to register. Even Kate's voice and Grace's cries seemed to come from a long ways off. Emotionally it felt safer than having to actually deal with life.
But then he saw the stranger with Kate. He had his hands around her neck and was strangling her, her hands clawing at his hands, her face beginning to turn bright red. The man had already hit her, Danny could tell. One eye was already swollen and her lip was bleeding. She hadn't been slapped like Danny's daddy used to do to him, no open handed slap did that much damage. Only a closed fisted punch could explain her injuries.
Danny suddenly saw red. The next thing he knew he had a knife in his hand and it was pressed against the man's throat. He would have killed the man without the slightest provocation, of that, Danny was sure. No one should ever mistreat a woman, especially not someone as compassionate and caring as Kate.
Turning back to Kate, Danny saw that she had slid down the wall, her hands covering her face as she quietly sobbed. Something in Danny broke then. All his self pity and sorrow melted away. He was finally aware that there were other people in his life. Seeing Kate crumpled on the floor was shocking to him. She had always been calm and reassured, cheerful even. To see her hurt like this.....
"Are you okay?" he asked as he knelt beside her, avoiding the broken glass. It was a stupid question, but he didn't know what else to say.
She looked up at him, her eyes red, her face streaked with tears. One eye was already swelling shut. Wordlessly she shook her head. "You are not the only one with a rotten life," she whispered hoarsely.
The statement was made tonelessly, without any hint of accusation, but it cut right through Danny. He had been wallowing for days in his own self pity. He had given no thought to Kate or Grace, or the burdens that Kate was under. She had been abandoned out here. Left to fend for herself, taking care of invalide and an infant all on her own. And when he was finally recovered enough to be of use to her he had shut her out, not even bothering to speak to her. He wasn't much better than her husband, Danny realized, but he would make it up to her, he promised himself.
Danny hadn't even thought of the necessity of leaving the China. She had tried once or twice to talk to him about it, but he hadn't listened. What had he cared about leaving China? He was better off dead, right? At least that was what he had thought.
He cared now. He cared because he realized that it wasn't just him anymore. There was Kate and Grace to think about too. With all the knocks life had given him, he had never let it beat him down - until now. He had survived an abusive, alcoholic father, made it through flight training and lived through combat. He had lost Rafe once already, he could survive again. He would get Kate out of China and he would get on with his life.
A new resolve filled him. Kate and Grace needed him, almost as much has he had needed them weeks ago. It felt good to have a purpose again. Rafe, Evelyn and the baby were his past and he wasn't going to dwell on them anymore. His future was getting Kate and Grace to safety. After that, he'd just have to wait and see.
"I'm sorry," was all that he could say.
She shook her head again, buring her face into her knees, her silently shaking shoulders tugging at his heart. He couldn't just let her sit there like this.
Looking at the room for the first time, Danny noticed it's lack of comforts. There was an old stove, one shelf that held a few plates, glasses and a pot, and a table with two chairs. That was all that was in the room. The only two doors led back to his bedroom and to the outside. He had never stopped to think about their living conditions before, but they were decidedly more primative than the embassy that she was used to living in, he was sure.
"Where do you sleep?" he asked without thinking.
Kate looked up at him, giving him a look that told him that she thought he was crazy for asking such a question. She simply shrugged before putting her head back down.
It didn't really matter, anyways. Danny just wanted to find some place where he could take care of her and comfort her, as she had comforted him. Now that he actually looked at her he could see how exhausted she was.
"Never mind," he said as he slid is arms around her shoulders and under her knees. "Come here." Before she could protest, he hoisted her off the ground and into his arms. Walking carefully, Danny carried her to the bedroom where he placed her onto the bed. After pulling the covers over her, he sat awkwardly next to her holding her hand.
"You shouldn't have done that," she told him. "You could have hurt yourself more."
"I'm fine," Danny reassured her. "You don't weigh much more than Grace."
They sat there in silence. Kate's tears were slowing, but Danny could see that she was trying to hold them back. "Can I get you anything?" he asked. Kate shook her head slightly. "How about some water?" He tried to get up but she wouldn't let go of his hand. He felt helpless. He wanted to do something for her, but he didn't know what.
Her hand was squeezing him tightly. Danny watched as she tried to swallow. "Would you..."she glanced up at him quickly before looking away.
"Yes, anything," Danny encouraged her desperately.
She looked up at him again, her eyes filling with tears. "Would you....hold me. Please?" she whispered, her voice breaking on the last word.
Danny just sat there for a moment, stunned. His pause was long enough for Kate to think that she had overstepped some boundry. Quickly she let go of his hand and turned away from him, embarrassed by her request and the neediness behind it. It had just been so long since she had been touched by another person. What right did she have to ask this of him? She berated herself. They barely knew each other. He didn't owe her anything. She tried to control the sobs that were welling up in her chest. She now felt not only miserable but embarrassed as well.
Kate stiffened when she felt Danny's weight shift on the bed, then he lifted the sheets and she felt his warm body spoon up against hers. One of his arms slid under her pillow, the other wrapped around her waist.
"You don't have to.." she tried to tell him, trying not to let her back touch him.
"Sh," he told her. "I just thought you might want some company," he said, repeating her words to him earlier. Kate let out a shuddering breath and finally relaxed against him, still trying to control her sobs. They continued to well up until her shoulders began to shake with the effort to repress them.
"Sh, it's okay," he whispered into her hair. "Everything will be alright. I'm here," he reassured her. "And I'm not going anywhere."
Danny didn't know what he was saying. He was just trying to comfort her, but it was exactly what Kate needed to hear. With a sob she turned into his embrace and pressed her face aginst his bare chest. Danny arms held her close as he let his body absorb her tears as she finally let everything out.
For the first time in years Kate felt comforted and safe. And for once, she knew that she wasn't alone.
Danny took a moment to calm the rage that was coursing through him. So that was Kate's husband. No wonder she said that things were nicer without him around.
He had been sleeping when heard heard glass breaking. Then came the raised voices, what sounded like a skin connecting with skin and some odd thumping. Getting up, Danny wasn't overly concerned. He had been living in an emotional stupor and nothing seemed to register. Even Kate's voice and Grace's cries seemed to come from a long ways off. Emotionally it felt safer than having to actually deal with life.
But then he saw the stranger with Kate. He had his hands around her neck and was strangling her, her hands clawing at his hands, her face beginning to turn bright red. The man had already hit her, Danny could tell. One eye was already swollen and her lip was bleeding. She hadn't been slapped like Danny's daddy used to do to him, no open handed slap did that much damage. Only a closed fisted punch could explain her injuries.
Danny suddenly saw red. The next thing he knew he had a knife in his hand and it was pressed against the man's throat. He would have killed the man without the slightest provocation, of that, Danny was sure. No one should ever mistreat a woman, especially not someone as compassionate and caring as Kate.
Turning back to Kate, Danny saw that she had slid down the wall, her hands covering her face as she quietly sobbed. Something in Danny broke then. All his self pity and sorrow melted away. He was finally aware that there were other people in his life. Seeing Kate crumpled on the floor was shocking to him. She had always been calm and reassured, cheerful even. To see her hurt like this.....
"Are you okay?" he asked as he knelt beside her, avoiding the broken glass. It was a stupid question, but he didn't know what else to say.
She looked up at him, her eyes red, her face streaked with tears. One eye was already swelling shut. Wordlessly she shook her head. "You are not the only one with a rotten life," she whispered hoarsely.
The statement was made tonelessly, without any hint of accusation, but it cut right through Danny. He had been wallowing for days in his own self pity. He had given no thought to Kate or Grace, or the burdens that Kate was under. She had been abandoned out here. Left to fend for herself, taking care of invalide and an infant all on her own. And when he was finally recovered enough to be of use to her he had shut her out, not even bothering to speak to her. He wasn't much better than her husband, Danny realized, but he would make it up to her, he promised himself.
Danny hadn't even thought of the necessity of leaving the China. She had tried once or twice to talk to him about it, but he hadn't listened. What had he cared about leaving China? He was better off dead, right? At least that was what he had thought.
He cared now. He cared because he realized that it wasn't just him anymore. There was Kate and Grace to think about too. With all the knocks life had given him, he had never let it beat him down - until now. He had survived an abusive, alcoholic father, made it through flight training and lived through combat. He had lost Rafe once already, he could survive again. He would get Kate out of China and he would get on with his life.
A new resolve filled him. Kate and Grace needed him, almost as much has he had needed them weeks ago. It felt good to have a purpose again. Rafe, Evelyn and the baby were his past and he wasn't going to dwell on them anymore. His future was getting Kate and Grace to safety. After that, he'd just have to wait and see.
"I'm sorry," was all that he could say.
She shook her head again, buring her face into her knees, her silently shaking shoulders tugging at his heart. He couldn't just let her sit there like this.
Looking at the room for the first time, Danny noticed it's lack of comforts. There was an old stove, one shelf that held a few plates, glasses and a pot, and a table with two chairs. That was all that was in the room. The only two doors led back to his bedroom and to the outside. He had never stopped to think about their living conditions before, but they were decidedly more primative than the embassy that she was used to living in, he was sure.
"Where do you sleep?" he asked without thinking.
Kate looked up at him, giving him a look that told him that she thought he was crazy for asking such a question. She simply shrugged before putting her head back down.
It didn't really matter, anyways. Danny just wanted to find some place where he could take care of her and comfort her, as she had comforted him. Now that he actually looked at her he could see how exhausted she was.
"Never mind," he said as he slid is arms around her shoulders and under her knees. "Come here." Before she could protest, he hoisted her off the ground and into his arms. Walking carefully, Danny carried her to the bedroom where he placed her onto the bed. After pulling the covers over her, he sat awkwardly next to her holding her hand.
"You shouldn't have done that," she told him. "You could have hurt yourself more."
"I'm fine," Danny reassured her. "You don't weigh much more than Grace."
They sat there in silence. Kate's tears were slowing, but Danny could see that she was trying to hold them back. "Can I get you anything?" he asked. Kate shook her head slightly. "How about some water?" He tried to get up but she wouldn't let go of his hand. He felt helpless. He wanted to do something for her, but he didn't know what.
Her hand was squeezing him tightly. Danny watched as she tried to swallow. "Would you..."she glanced up at him quickly before looking away.
"Yes, anything," Danny encouraged her desperately.
She looked up at him again, her eyes filling with tears. "Would you....hold me. Please?" she whispered, her voice breaking on the last word.
Danny just sat there for a moment, stunned. His pause was long enough for Kate to think that she had overstepped some boundry. Quickly she let go of his hand and turned away from him, embarrassed by her request and the neediness behind it. It had just been so long since she had been touched by another person. What right did she have to ask this of him? She berated herself. They barely knew each other. He didn't owe her anything. She tried to control the sobs that were welling up in her chest. She now felt not only miserable but embarrassed as well.
Kate stiffened when she felt Danny's weight shift on the bed, then he lifted the sheets and she felt his warm body spoon up against hers. One of his arms slid under her pillow, the other wrapped around her waist.
"You don't have to.." she tried to tell him, trying not to let her back touch him.
"Sh," he told her. "I just thought you might want some company," he said, repeating her words to him earlier. Kate let out a shuddering breath and finally relaxed against him, still trying to control her sobs. They continued to well up until her shoulders began to shake with the effort to repress them.
"Sh, it's okay," he whispered into her hair. "Everything will be alright. I'm here," he reassured her. "And I'm not going anywhere."
Danny didn't know what he was saying. He was just trying to comfort her, but it was exactly what Kate needed to hear. With a sob she turned into his embrace and pressed her face aginst his bare chest. Danny arms held her close as he let his body absorb her tears as she finally let everything out.
For the first time in years Kate felt comforted and safe. And for once, she knew that she wasn't alone.