Taking the Good with the Bad
By: Hopeless Romatic
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own any of the characters or things in the fanfic. If I did Mary and Danny would have been together from the beginning and Mike and Nessa would also be dating! But no one listens to me!
Summary: Danny and Mary finally realize their feelings for each other, but, as underlying conflict rises, Danny fears he may never see Mary again.
Mike
"So how's life in Paradise?" Mike teased. Everyone at the Monticeno was so excited and relived that Mary and Danny were finally engaged. Nessa, Delinda, and Sam were "secretly" planning a big engagement party that everyone knew about. Mike was genuinely happy for Danny, but deep down, Mike envied Danny. Danny had found the one thing Mike needed: LOVE.
Mike had felt a void in his heart ever since his "sister" went missing. A while back, Ed had looked into her disappearance and found her a few years too late. She was already dead. It nearly destroyed Mike. He couldn't be there for his dearest family member and he felt he could never be there for any one he cared for. Mike had spent most of his time since he found out his sister died trying to discover what really happened to her. From FBI agents to shady characters, Mike did everything he could to find her killers. Until now, all he knew was that she ran away with her friends and was kidnapped while she was transporting drugs. She was held ransom when her friends only showed with half the shipment. When her "friends" couldn't come up with the other half, the drug lord killed the "friends" and had Mike's sister tortured until she was dead. Her body was found in a ditch 100 miles out of town.
The more Mike found out, the more heartbroken he became. He needed to find the man who killed his sister, but nearly all his leads had run dry. All he knew was that the man that made the final blow was a hired torturer.
Mike was getting careless in his search. He did not want Danny or anyone else to know what he was doing. But as he put in more and more hours on the street, his appearance showed his fatigue. He had to lay low for a while before he started with his next undercover plan. He had decided that he would go undercover as a big drug dealer from Ecuador. One of his Shady informants had connections to the drug underworld and Mike had the guy's only ticket out of the U.S.: a genuine U.S. passport. The shady informant was to contact Mike when it was safe to move in.
Mike's head had been spinning for weeks. He didn't know if he would make it of this thing alive. But he couldn't move on with his life until she was avenged. If Danny or Ed, or any of the girls found out about what he was planning, they would never let him out of their sight. Ed was already suspicious.
The only thing Mike could do was to get his mind off of things for a little while, and what better way than a pretty girl. Nessa was the only girl that Mike could look at and find himself lost in her wondrous beauty. But first he would have to ask her out, and Danny was better at that sort of thing.
"Life with Mary is as wonderful as ever," said Danny with a dreamy look in his eyes. They were in the security office watching the girls in the lobby.
"Glad to hear it my man. You know I've got my eye on someone special myself, and I was just wondering….." Mike saw Nessa flip her hair and was at a loss for words.
"Let me guess, Nessa, right?" There were no secrets when it came to romance at the Monticeno, and Mike and Nessa were always thought of as a couple waiting to happen.
"How did you….." Mike began.
"Everyone knows Mike, it was just a matter of time before you figured it out for yourself," said Danny.
"Ya know you sound like an old married man on his death bed, right?" Mike teased.
"Better to sound like one than to be one," Danny started walking away.
"Hey what's that supposed to mean?" Mike followed, walking toward the lobby.
"What do you want Mike?" said Danny, getting him off the subject.
"Oh yeah, right. I almost forgot. I have found my dream girl, the woman who fills my every desire, a person I can talk to for hours, the one I want to spend the rest of my life with…" Mike rambled.
"But you haven't asked her out yet," said Danny simply.
"Not yet. That's why I need you, Danny. You can persuade any women into kissing a monkey's butt."
"Yeah, but we're not talking about a monkey's butt. We're talking about you, and I'm no miracle worker." Danny laughed as Mike stopped walking.
"That's cold…. Look Danny, help me ask Nessa out, and I'll give you the PS2," Mike sounded desperate and remorseful about giving Danny the one joy in his life, but Nessa was worth it.
"With the green remote or the blue?"
"Blue."
"Throw in a James Bond game and you've got a deal."
"Golden Eye or the World is Not Enough?"
"Both."
Mike thought about it weighing the good and bad. Though he could only think of the bad right now. Then he saw Nessa in the distance and he knew he had to give it up. "Fine, but I get your Tony Hawk!"
"Deal."
"So how do you want to do this Danny?" Mike said almost afraid of the answer.
"I've got a plan," said Danny mysteriously.
Nessa
"Mary have you noticed anything funny about Mike and Danny lately?" Nessa asked. Nessa and Mary periodically would talk about the boys and their relationships. Mary knew how much Nessa cared for Mike and how much it hurt her that he was so blind to her affection. "It's just Mike normally tells me everything, but lately he's been closed off. It's like he's avoiding meand now Danny won't talk to me for more than ten minutes." Nessa figured it was just the boys planning something but she wanted Mary to say it was probably nothing. Nessa knew it was deeper than a simple plan. Mike looked sacred and distant the last time she saw him.
"Well if anything, Danny has gotten even sweeter since he proposed," Mary said dreamy eyed.
"Rub it in why don't you," said Nessa a bit annoyed.
"I'm sorry Nessa." Mary said, becoming more conscious of her friend. "I guess Danny has been sneaking off a lot lately. He did the same thing right before he proposed… He must be planning something."
"Okay, so Danny and Mike are planning something big. The question is what?" Nessa said, trying to read into the male psyche.
"Maybe it's another proposal? You like Mike right?" Mary said jokingly.
Nessa was stunned. What is the reason for Mike's sudden withdrawal was that he finally came to his senses and realized he loved her? What if he did want to get closer and Danny's sudden proposal showed him how? Did she even want to marry him? Nessa knew the answer to that, if he ever asked. There was soo much Nessa still wanted to know about Mike, but she knew enough to want to spend the rest of her life figuring out the rest.
"Nessa, Nessa! I was joking!" Mary said pulling Nessa back from her thoughts and back to the reality that Mike was as dense as ever and would not be proposing anytime soon.
"You're right," Nessa sighed.
"Look, I'll talk to Danny and tell you if it's anything to worry about okay?" Mary was still scolding herself for saying Mike and marriage in the same sentence, especially in front of Nessa.
"That sounds good. So I'll see you at Mystic tonight?" Nessa asked, getting back to business.
"Yeah, Danny and I get off in an hour before, so we're going home and changing first, but we'll be there… Hey, there's Danny. I better go talk to him about what's up. See you later," Mary walked off with such glee and happiness as she got closer to her love. Danny held red roses and chocolates for Mary. There was no particular reason for the gift, merely his heart pouring out.
Why can't Mike be as romantic as Danny? The least he can do is see the love right in front of his face. Nessa thought.
Danny
"I can't wait for tonight." Mary whispers as she clings to Danny's chest.
"This will be our first real date! I'm excited too," Danny says with a smile he couldn't hold back. Normally, he was a pretty macho guy, but with Mary… he couldn't help but show her all of himself.
"You know that we are doing this out of order. You're supposed to ask me out on a date, and then propose to me!" She laughed and Danny couldn't help but stroke her soft hair.
"Since when do we ever do what we're supposed to do?"
"True," Mary said, making Danny want her even more.
But he knew this happiness couldn't last for long, and unfortunately, today would be the start of the end.
As Mary and Danny shared their last day of happiness together, a dark hooded man lurked in the distance watching their every move.
Mary
I can't help but feel I'm being watch, but I can't tell Danny, he's too happy. Even if he thought I was in danger he would get all worked up and never let me out of his sight.
My father came by earlier. He was yelling about how ruined his life is and how I owe him. I can't tell Danny, but he wanted money that I didn't have. He was probably just drunk, but I'll feel better when I'm in Danny's arms tonight. The world seems to wash away when he's with me.
Mary's Father:
Damn it! I need that money. And all she does is sit there with that watch dog of hers! All ways smiling and happy while they make me suffer! I must calm myself. It will all be taken care of soon and my plan will finally be in action! She will never smile again after this. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
Sorry it took so long for me to update. I stopped watching the show when Danny and Mary broke up! I got really mad! but I'm better now! ... Okay, I'm not, but I hope you like this chapter! I'm still planning to continue it even though the writers are evil! lol R&R and I'll try to update faster next time:)
