A/N: Hey! Thanks for the reviews! Appreciate it so much! You guys are awesome and don't worry, I'm still writing, just a busy person ya know! Keep reading and I'll keep writing.

One Last Wish in Las Vegas

Total Vaughn Lover

Part VI

"Belle is in custody," Danny reported as he walked through the door after leaving the frightened and mournful looking girl in the downstairs interrogation room, the door barred by two more intimidating looking guards.

"Took you long enough," Ed admonished him, barely looking up from his desk that was scattered with brochures from countries around the world.

"Looks like the Delines are going on another vacation," Danny thought to himself as he noticed his boss sift irritably through the colorful booklets. And as usual, the head of security was doing it during business hours.

Danny didn't have the heart to tease him about it though. The only thing he could see in his mind was Belle, and the way she'd obediently went into the room then freaked out when Danny had introduced her to his guard buddies then left her there with them.

He could still hear her begging him not to leave her with two huge strangers. That since she'd cooperated, he shouldn't feel that she would run the moment he looked away.

Unfortunately he didn't believe her.

And 2nd, even if he did, if wasn't like Ed wouldn't catch him doing it. Early in his career, Danny had learned that whenever he felt like he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't be doing, Ed was usually watching him as he did it.

Still he felt extremely guilty and that had to be the only reason he had completely been oblivious to the fact that Ed had been continually speaking to him.

"Danny? DANNY?"

Danny blinked his eyes when he felt his body was being shook. Immediately, he broke out of his thoughts and at the same time, he bit hit tongue till he could taste blood. "Ow, look at what you made me do, Ed!" Danny groaned and blindly reached for the tissue that Ed had pulled out of his kleenex box for him. He gently dabbed his tongue, which he realized a second too late was a dumb thing to do. Now he had cotton mouth and he didn't even have a cold.

His boss was giving him strange looks but he acted like he didn't notice.

Until his boss called him on it case he couldn't stand not saying anything when his protégé was acting so…stupid.

"Danny, what did you do today? Did you take a stupid pill or something?" Ed asked in his mafia-era voice, "Or was breaking up with my beautiful Delinda that traumatizing for you?"

Danny raised his head and glared at his boss. He noticed there was a teasing twinkle in the old man's eyes, as if he actually believed Danny McCoy would admit that had it been the case.

But then Danny noticed Ed was holding his hand out to him as though he were expecting something. Which changed his choice of words from an explanation of his feelings to, "what?"

"You did take a stupid pill this morning," he heard Ed grumbled under his breath. "The I.D to that girl we've got, you did get it from her, didn't you?"

Danny thought quickly and prevented his doubt from showing on his face. Yeah, he remembered her handing it to him, but what had he done with it after that? He began digging into his pockets and then felt his hands encase a small leather object.

Had to be her wallet.

"Uh yes, I've got it. Name is Belle Sears , she's seventeen according to this card. It looks like some kind of medical card, it lists all her allergies and what sickness she has," Danny began, reading off the plastic card in his hand. "And really Ed, I don't think she'll try this stunt again. She was near tears when I left her in the interrogation room." Danny explained but not very haughtily though had he caught anyone else, he would have been.

"I'm sure I would have been able to read but thank you. Go ahead and give it to me and I can take care of it from here," Ed said then, reaching for the card. Something felt wrong in Danny's body and he actually kept from giving it to his boss, despite the consequences that could result of his disobedience. He just didn't feel right about subjecting the teenage girl who could have keeled over from his treatment to Ed's bad cop routine.

Not that he believed Ed would be able to keep it up long enough to act like he was going to break her arms. Not when he took one look into her big hazel eyes.

"Danny, the card, you're wasting my time and hers."

Danny still couldn't bring himself to give it to him.

"McCoy, what are you waiting for? I thought you'd appreciate that I'm willing to take this girl off your hands cause that would leave you to go and make up with your uh….best friend," he gave him that," that's right, I heard that conversation about dinner," glance.

"No wait, Ed…I have this gut feeling, and it's telling me that I shouldn't let you do this," Danny said after a beat. "This is my job, let me take care of it."

Ed looked in disbelief at Danny. "WHAT?"

"Ed…before you get upset, please, just listen to me. I think I can handle her."

Ed was past upset. "Handle her? You think you can handle her? It only took you," he looked at his watch, "three hours to get her here!"

"That wasn't because I was incompetent, I kept getting interruptions…distractions."

"EXACTLY!" Ed cried triumphantly, shooting his fist into the air. "Which is exactly why you are going to step aside and let me take care of it."

"Ed…I'm serious," Danny pleaded, not sure why and certainly not sure how he was going to take care of it himself, but he just couldn't give him the upper hand.

Not this time.

"I'm serious too, McCoy, this is not an argument."

"Yes it is," Danny stated then went over to make sure the doors were closed and also to make sure no one was watching or listening to them. Then he marched over to his boss who looked ready to kill him. And being former CIA, he probably knew ten ways he could without even leaving the room. And saying what he was about to say could only be taken as he wanted to edge him on. "Ed, you're probably going to shoot me for saying this but, that girl, Belle Sears , I think she's a girl from the Last Wish Foundation. She may not be the one my buddy came in talking about today….then again, I can be totally and completely off but…just looking at this medical card indicates she's probably terminally ill. I know how you work and I'm not about to let you go and terrorize that poor angel because the casino industry doesn't think seventeen year olds shouldn't be allowed to gamble. If the media got a hold of this, you have no idea how many customers we would lose."

"The media won't find out about it."

Danny grew quiet, knowing Ed could make anything seem like it didn't happen. "Yeah…but someone could and you could still loose the business and be put on charges, even if I know the rep who spoke to you this morning." Danny was subtly hinting that he could leak it and since Ed didn't pull out his handy revolver, he assumed the protégé was about to get his first break of the day.

Ed sat down at his desk and clicked a button so that this private screens displayed the scene of the interrogation room. He immediately heard Danny sigh and from his profile, the handsome employee of his could only be accused of infatuation.

"Ed, just look at her. I don't think telling her if she talks, she's meat is going to work. If she steps a foot out of line against she's toast is not going to do much more than give her some scary nightmares," he crooned, his heart really going out for this girl.

"Sounds like you're sleeping with her," Ed teased then finally gave his, "oh what the hell, "sigh," "Danny, you really think you can handle her?"

Mr. McCoy came to attention as though he were still in the Marines.

"Even if I tell you that I'm pretty she is the Last Wish girl and I knew that the moment that situation happened with your best friend the valet?"

Danny gulped, hoping Ed didn't notice it. Now more than ever, he wouldn't forgive himself if he didn't take the responsibility. "Yes." At the same time he was wondering why Ed had failed to mention he'd known.

"Good, then you do it. Go ahead and let her know that though we sympathize with her sickness, there are some things we can't allow," Ed instructed him, "but leave the bad cop out of it. It still needs A LOT of work."

"Right," Danny stated firmly. "Thanks Ed…"

Ed just stood and watched with that stern expression, slightly worried as he watched his best partner exit the room. He only prayed Danny knew what he was getting himself into, especially in rebound mode. And with a girl that could die any minute.

00000000000000000000

"Made it alive out of there, did you Danny?" a silver-haired co-worker joked as he saw Danny walk down into the security's main floor.

"Yeah, that's twice in one day," Danny called back, grinning. "You should buy me a couple drinks tonight."

'If we were drinking tonight, but you made a dinner date with Mary didn't ya?" his co-worker reminded him in a teasing way.

Man, did everyone know his business today?

"Right, well tomorrow then. Or I'll get back to you. Right now I've got a job to do and I have a thought," Danny replied somewhat distractedly as he pulled his phone out.

"Okay Danny," his friend said, no longer looking at him but at the screens reporting a possible cheating scam.

Danny immediately pushed the speed dial for Mary. She picked up on three rings.

"Hi Danny!"

"Mary, yeah, it's me. Listen, there's something I need help with. I need you to think of anything a kid under eighteen would consider a fantasy vacation, but something that you can put together really fast."

"Um..well, I'm working Danny and to get all that…" then she paused. She was visualizing the object of her affection with brown eyes filled with desperation, showing so openly how much he needed her. "Did you get that girl? Is that why you need me?"

"Mary, you know me so well. Can you get away? I had to convince Ed to let me take it on and so..I can't screw up."

"I can get away, just tell me where you need me," she replied in her 100 best friend mode.

"Mary, you're the best! This shouldn't take long. And after this, I'll take you out to dinner, maybe I'll even buy you a few drinks," Danny beamed.

"Let me help you first and get you back on Ed's good side, then you can bribe me all you want," she said in her all-business tone, which she knew drove Danny wild!

"Um..well, I guess we can talk about that later," Danny agreed half-wishing he could continue to flirt with his model-perfect bodied bf. "Can you met me in the interro room in five minutes? I'm going to ring Delinds, Mike and Nessa and oh yeah…Sam."

"Okay, and if I bump into them before you do, I'll let them know," Mary offered then paused dramatically. "So Ed isn't going to grant her wish…but he is a good man allowing the Montecito employees to assist in getting her an alternative."

"Actually, that's my idea. Ed expects me to just tell her off so that she'll know not to come back but I can't be so scary to cause her a heart attack," Danny whispered. "I just couldn't do that. I mean, I just learned that the girl is dying. If we can't let her in the gaming area, we can at least be part of making her second fantasy come true."

There was a pregnant pause that actually made Danny feel as though Mary was going to report him. And to a point he supposed he could understand Mary love her job and would never forgive himself but…

"Well, I guess you're the good man then," Mary sighed distractedly. "Listen, I'm going to finish up here. I'll meet you in five minutes."

"Okay, thanks Mary."

Danny took a moment to really appreciate what risks she was taking for him. After a few phone calls to his good friends, Danny was ready to head back down to the girl he'd just left crying forty-five minutes ago."

"Oh mom, I hope you're watching cause I…I really can't screw this up," he prayed as he descended down the stairs. And in a way, he felt he couldn't screw up for his mother who was undoubtedly watching over him even when he didn't ask her to.

0000000000000

Yes! New chapter finally! I know, so sorry, I'm working on pacing myself. Please review to let me know you're still reading so I'll know I have to update again real soon.!!!!

Happy new year guys and thanks for your support last year.

Total Vaughn Lover