Three days later, Danny was staking out an abandoned warehouse with Martin. They were waiting for their suspect to return so they could pick him up to interrogate him. "Man, this guy is never coming back here…I feel like we've been waiting all day," claimed an agitated Danny.

"We've been here 45 minutes," replied Martin.

"Still…it's a waste of time. He's not coming back here."

"Jack disagrees with you. So, we'll give it at least another hour."

Just after Martin replied, Danny's cell phone rang.

"Taylor," he answered.

"Hey. Is this a bad time?" asked Kathryn excitedly.

"Uh…not really…just having the most boring afternoon in history. I'm on a stakeout. What's up?"

"We got a guilty verdict in the Hanes case. He's going away for 7-10," Kathryn exclaimed. The Hanes case was the date rape case she'd been working on for weeks. She was advised not to prosecute because the case was hard to prove, but Kathryn found that he had a history of unreported violence against women. She convinced several women to testify against him.

"That's great, babe. I'm happy for you. We'll have to celebrate tonight."

"Thanks. I'm on my way to pick-up Michael. Call me later if you are going to be really late. I love you."

"You, too. Bye."

"Bye."

Danny put away his phone and continued staring at the warehouse. Martin, realizing Danny wouldn't volunteer any news, asked, "How's Kathryn? Sounds like she had good news."

"Oh yeah, she got a conviction in the Hanes date rape case. She worked really hard on it."

"That is good news. Does she ever lose a case?"

"Rarely. She knows her stuff," he answered. "As good as she is, sometimes I wish she could walk away from it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I just worry about her and Michael," Danny admitted in a rare self-reflective moment. "Her father offered her a work-from-home job as a legal consultant with his Web company. It would be nice to know she is safe at home with our son rather than dealing with rapists on a daily basis."

"I can understand that. But, I can also understand her wanting to chart her own course. Nepotism isn't all it is cracked up to be," Martin said with a knowing glance.

"Yeah…I guess," Danny replied realizing that Martin knew all to well what it's like to work in his father's shadow. "And I don't want her to do anything less than what makes her happy. She thinks I would never give up this job, if I had the same opportunity."

"You wouldn't, would you?" Martin asked surprised.

"Sure I would…I think."

"Oh please, Danny. You live for this stuff. I mean not 'this stuff'," Martin said looking around the empty parking lot. "But the interrogations, reuniting families, helping people…I think that would be tough for you to leave behind."

"You think? Maybe you're right, but having Michael has really changed the way I feel about everything. It's been…amazing."

Martin nodded, "I can imagine."

They stopped talking when they saw a car drive up to the warehouse. Danny compared the picture with the man who exited the car. "That's our guy. Let's go."

They got out of their car with their guns drawn and apprehended the suspect. But when they interrogated him it turned out he didn't kidnap anyone. He told them that their missing person ran away. And sure enough, they found the missing man in a hotel in New Jersey. Danny was thankful. He rushed home vowing to come in early the next morning to finish his paperwork.

"Hey, beautiful," Danny said as he glided in the door and kissed her neck as she stood at the kitchen sink.

"Hi. I didn't expect you this early," she said quietly.

"We found our guy, so I hit the road. So what do you want to do to celebrate your big win?" he asked as he sat on the floor with Michael and pulled him in his lap.

"Oh…we don't have to do anything. You're probably tired, and…"

"I'm fine…and what?"

"You…um…you got a phone call this afternoon. She was going to call your cell, but I told her you were on a stakeout."

"Who?" he asked curiously.

"Sylvia…your nephew's mother. I was surprised she even had our number. I didn't realize you were in touch with them," she replied in a concerned tone.

"I'm not really…I just…um…I've helped them out a few times."

"You've helped them? Helped them how?"

"It's nothing…I probably don't even need to call her back," Danny responded slightly annoyed.

"How long?" Kathryn asked raising her voice.

"What?"he asked also raising his voice.

"How long have you been helping them out?" she almost shouted

"I don't know…what the hell difference does it make?" Danny yelled back. At the sound of Danny's loud voice, Michael started to cry. Danny immediately walked over to him and picked him up. "It's OK. It's OK, buddy. Daddy won't shout again."

Kathryn lowered her voice as she watched Danny with Michael. "It makes a difference because you haven't told me about it. We actually broke up over this before if you remember correctly."

"That was different," Danny said as he stroked Michael's hair.

"Different how?"

"Because you didn't know about them at all. Now you know about them. It shouldn't come as a surprise to you that I communicate with them."

"It does come as a surprise. How often do you see them? And why don't they ever come here?" Kathryn asked remembering the time she saw Danny and Sylvia embracing.

"I've seen them…I don't know…once a month. One time I helped her find a place to live. Another time she needed money for Nicky's soccer camp. It's no big deal."

"Once a month? Once a month?" Kathryn's voice rose again. "I thought we weren't going to have any more secrets. I thought you promised to be open with me."

"I am open, and I'm not keeping secrets," he answered as he put Michael in his high chair and gave him some crackers.

"Then why wouldn't you say, 'Kathryn, I saw my brother's family today.' But you never said a word."

Danny took her gently by the arm and pulled her out into the living room. "I can't believe you are making a deal about this. It's not a secret. Do you tell me every person you come in contact with every day. You didn't tell me about your meeting with Evan."

"That's totally different," Kathry responded as she pulled her arm out of his grasp.

"How?"

"We weren't married at the time. We weren't even back together. And this isn't just any person, Danny. That woman has come to depend on you for herself and her son."

"Is that what this is about? Do you think there is something going on with her? Give me a break and I would appreciate a little credit."

"I don't know this woman, but I know how I would feel if someone like you was my guardian angel…always there for me when I need him. I saw her that day at your apartment, Danny. You can't tell me that she doesn't have feelings for you. Otherwise, she would have moved on by now. It's been two years since your brother died."

"So now your saying you don't trust me?"

"I'm not saying that. I just…I just don't want there to be any secrets."

"Fine. I'm sorry if you feel I was keeping secrets. Next time, she calls me I'll be sure to report in with you first," Danny said as he walked back to the bedroom.

Kathryn sank into the couch and covered her face as tears stung her eyes. This is the part of Danny she still had a problem with. In the back of her mind, she always thought that more secrets would surface. He still didn't understand the importance of sharing everything, and he was relentlessly stubborn.

Danny stalked back to the bedroom and took off his suit. He decided to take a shower to wash the day away and clear his head. He didn't want to hurt Kathryn, but he also wanted to protect her from his brother's life. It bothered him that she would automatically assume that Sylvia had feelings for him, but truthfully, he had noticed that Sylvia was interested in him. Her hugs lingered longer than they should. She would often dissolve into tears willing him to hold her. He had to work to keep distance between them because she was always asking him to be more a part of Nicky's life. He would always be there for his nephew, but he couldn't be there for him every day. Danny knew he had to stay true to his own family, Kathryn and Michael. And Kathryn was right. Sylvia should have moved on by now. But no matter what, Danny knew he would never compromise his relationship with Kathryn. When he got out of the shower, he knew he owed her a more sincere apology. He had to work harder to be more open.

He walked into the kitchen and saw Michael eating dinner in his high chair. Kathryn was on the phone. Danny sat in a chair next to Michael. When Kathryn got off the phone, she said quietly, "I didn't feel like cooking. I ordered Chinese. I hope that's OK. It will be here in an hour."

"That's fine. Thanks," Danny answered as he helped Michael by tearing up his chicken strip. Then he stood up and walked towards her. "I am really sorry. I know you're right. It's just sometimes it's hard to talk about. My brother and his problems aren't your problems. I don't want you to worry about my nephew or his mother. But I shouldn't have kept it from you."

Kathryn bit her lip to hold back tears as she heard the sincerity in his voice. "You still don't get it, do you? We are in this together. Your life is my life. Your history is my history now. It's our history," she said as she looked at their son.

"It's not right. You shouldn't have to suffer the baggage of my past."

"That's not your call. That's what marriage is, baby. I love all of you. Not just who you are now…but who you were…and who you will become," Kathryn explained as she put her arms around him.

He held her tightly for a few minutes until Michael became restless for a lack of attention. Then he pulled away and kissed her on the forehead before addressing his son. "Hey, buddy…are you almost done? I'll start getting your bath ready."

And with that, they went through their nightly routine. They put Michael down, ate Chinese take-out and ended up falling asleep in each others' arms watching the evening news.

Note: I promise all of this is leading to the main plot. Thanks for all the helpful reviews!