Title: Your Clothes

Author: LeaGranger aka spikesbitch

Rating: PG-13 at the moment but quite possibly could be R.

Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure Las Vegas is not mine.

Chapter 1

"McCoy," Danny answers in that all business tone of his, one that never fails to remind me of his history with the marines.

I watch him silently as the conversation begins to play out, his face etching with worry before his cold expressionless mask slips over it. It was the same mask he always uses when something has happened and he doesn't want me to worry about it. He doesn't know that, that mask scares me more than any of his other expressions.

"Okay. Sure. I'll be right there."

Danny snaps his phone shut, staring at me wide-eyed and disbelieving for a couple of seconds before bursting into action.

"It's my dad," he explains, standing from the sofa, looking frantically for his keys. "There's been an accident. I've got to go to the hospital. You can –"

"I coming with you," I state firmly, jumping up. As soon as I had heard the words "dad" and "accident" a horrible creeping feeling settled in the bottom of my stomach. Larry had been more of a father to me than my dad had ever been. Ever since I could remember he had always been offering me a shoulder to cry on and when Danny asked him if I could move in with them Larry had taken one look at my face and started to make room for me, no questions asked.

"No, its okay," he tells me, finally locating his keys on the mantel.

"I'm coming," there was no way I was going to back down from this. Seeing he was about to argue I look up at him, letting the fear and worry shine through. "It's your dad, Danny."

Danny stares at me for a second, studying my features for a second. I don't know what is was, but something in me and completely caved. "Okay, let's go."

Stopping only long enough to grab my handbag and for Danny to slip on his shoes, we head out the door, both lost in our own thoughts, too scared to vocalise whatever we were thinking.

The trip to the hospital is one of silence. I stare at Danny as he guides the car through all too familiar streets. His jaw tight, knuckles white on the steering wheel as his mind reels through all possibilities we may discover on arrival at the hospital. I want so bad to reach out and offer him any kind of comfort but something holds me back.

Maybe it was because he had closed himself off so successfully. Or maybe it was because I was in such desperate need of comfort myself. Whatever it was I couldn't seem to bring myself to breech that physical divide that we had unconsciously put around ourselves.

Due to the time of night it doesn't take long to find a park. Danny turns off the ignition but makes no move to get out of the car, instead staring blankly and silently at the wall in front of us.

"Everything's going to be okay," I whisper, not sure who I was trying to comfort, me or Danny. Not exactly believing the words I was using.

Without looking at me, Danny's hand finds mine our fingers automatically lacing together. "Do you promise?" he whispers back, sounding for all the world broken.

Part of me shatters for him. I had been there when his mother had died and I knew exactly what that had done to him. While, whatever was happening with his father may not be quite as serious, I knew Danny was thinking the worst. While Danny and Larry weren't as close as they had been before Danny left for the Marines they were still the closest father and son I had ever known.

Despite knowing all this I still couldn't bring myself to lie to him.

"You know I can't promise that."

"I know," Danny whispers. He remains silent before finally turning towards me. He suddenly looks so much older than he had previously. "We should go in."

I nod. Relieved that his tone had returned some of its usual strength. Throughout my life I had become accustomed to Danny exuding a certain amount of togetherness. A togetherness that he had been rapidly losing since the dreaded phone call. I wasn't quite sure how I was going to deal with this if Danny completely lost it. I wasn't sure that I would be able to bring him back from that before he did something stupid.

As we exit the car, Danny's hand reaches for mine once again, his fingers lacing in mine as he pulls me close. Walking up to that hospital, not knowing what to expect was one of the heartbreakingly scariest moments of my life. It was like a nightmare. Danny's dad never got sick. I couldn't even remember when he last had the flu. To be rushing to the hospital after a mere "there's been an accident" just felt surreal.

Walking into the emergency room we were hit by a wave of activity. Nurses hurried from patient to patient checking details and symptoms, while parents and loved ones paced the ugly linoleum. Danny's grip on my hand tighten for a second before he started to head over to reception.

We were only halfway there before we heard our names being called.

"Danny! Mary! Wait a second."

We both turned, stunned to see Jamie Shrapnel, rushing across the room, dodging a bored toddler as she raced across the room in nurses scrubs. Jamie had been on the cheerleading team with me in high school and we hadn't see her since she left for college just after graduation.

"Jamie?" I question, slightly incredulous.

I feel Danny glance down at me and I know that he hadn't recognised her. Typical, Jamie always used to stay over when we had big competitions coming up. She was probably the only girl on the team that Danny hadn't slept with or dated. Something, I knew he had done out of respect for my friendship with her.

"Yeah," Jamie replies shortly, obviously not in the mood for small talk. "Listen, I can't tell you too much, but Larry was stable when I last saw him. He's pretty bad. When he gets up to intensive care I'm pretty sure the doctors will only let family see him. You might want to lie and say you're married or something so Mary can see him." She pauses for a second seemingly taking in my attire. "You aren't married right?"

I shake my head, my mind spinning with the speed that she had been talking. I remain silent for a second desperately trying to take in all she had just told us.

"Intensive care?" Danny asks, unable to hide the concern in his voice.

"I really sorry, Danny. I can't tell you much. I'm only a nurse. I've probably said enough to get me into trouble already. I'll get one of the doctors to come and talk to you."

"It's okay," I tell her before Danny can put his foot in it. "It's not your fault."

"Sorry, guys," she replies. "I've really got to go. Hectic as hell in here. I'll talk to you when I've finished my shift. Wait here and I'll send a doctor out."

Before we can even thank her Jamie is rushing off back in the direction she came, gazing haphazardly around the waiting room, looking extremely stressed and bothered.

Slowly I turn around to look up at Danny. His face as white as a ghost, his jaw tight, eyes darting restlessly around the room. He's barely holding it together. I know he wants nothing more than to break down letting go of his stress, his fear, his dread. But he can't do that. There's too much marine in Danny for that to happen.

Staring up at him I realise that I have no words that will comfort him. Even if I did I don't think they would help him any. Instead I remain silent, gently extracting my hand from him to slip both my arms around his waist in a comforting hug. I feel him relax into me slightly, letting me share some of his worries as I press my cheek against my chest. As Danny's arms come around me to return the hug I find myself believing for the first time that there was some semblance of truth in my earlier words. Perhaps, just perhaps, everything was going to be okay.