Huge thanks to anmodo for betaing this chapter and thanks to everyone that has reviewed.

Chapter 3

Blowing into his hands as he tried to counter the bitterly cold weather, Danny stood nervously outside a Cuban café waiting for Alex. He looked down at his watch – she was only a few minutes late – then why did it feel like more? He looked up and smiled as he saw the person in question running down the street towards him. He noticed how athletically she moved, running so easily it appeared as though she was floating. She was so unlike other women he dated and the start of the relationship was so unlike his previous relationships. He could count on one hand the number of women he hadn't slept with on the first date. But Alex was different. It wasn't because she was frigid – in fact, she appeared to be quite the opposite. But under the cocky, hardcore, gun-welding exterior, he knew there was a soft vulnerable person who wanted something more than a one-night stand. She also appeared to be someone that might understand the demons of his past because she seemed to have them, too.

"Hey Danny. Sorry I'm late. Traffic was a nightmare," Alex said barely out of breath from her three block run. "Have you been waiting long?"

"No," Danny said, as he couldn't help grinning. Looking into her sparkling green eyes that matched her personality – so full of life, he couldn't resist anymore as he leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "How are you?"

"Even better now," Alex said as she flashed a flirtatious smile at Danny. "What about you?" she asked as she tried to remain calm and sound normal. She could hardly contain her excitement at their obvious growing chemistry. Before it had been a nervous chemistry as though they were two kids on their first date, but now it was growing into a strong sexual tension but with the added interest of wanting to get to know this man with the warmest smile that she had ever seen.

"It's freezing out there shall we go inside?" he asked as she guided her into the door by putting his hand on the small of her back.

Danny felt himself begin to relax as he walked into the café. Something about the atmosphere of the place and the company made him feel more relaxed than he had been since the shooting. He had been to the café regularly and knew it well. He quite often stopped here on the way from work, especially after a tough case. It had a relaxed atmosphere, but it was very Cuban and he hoped she didn't find it intimidating, but something about her personality told him that she wouldn't. Maria Rodriguez, the owner of the café, rushed out to meet them.

"Danny, come sit, let me fatten you up. Why don't you bring a girlf-" Maria said in Spanish, but she stopped as she saw Alex standing next to Danny. "Aren't you going introduce this lovely girl next to you?"

"Oh," Danny stuttered nervously, Maria was like family to him. "Sorry this is Alex, Alex this is Maria," Danny said as he nervously got the introductions under way.

"Great to meet Maria, Danny has told me so much about you," Alex replied in Spanish. She noted Maria's and Danny's slightly shocked expressions, "I learned Spanish at school," she explained.

Maria smiled at Danny and his latest catch. Danny had never brought any of his girlfriends to see her; she hoped that this meant something. Alex appeared to be intelligent and thoughtful – someone that Danny needed. She showed them to a secluded table and hoped their relationship would blossom.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack sat at his desk late into the night pouring over what seemed in be endless paperwork, but something kept on distracting his thoughts. Something kept pulling him back to sixteen-year-old cases. Cases that happened in a different country, in a time when the world was a different place, where the enemy was known. He closed his eyes and booted up an old case file not bothering to try and stop the now frequent flashbacks. Flashbacks that had started with her death but now were of his mistakes. How he could've done things differently. Would she be alive now? Jack held his head in his hands as he remembered when they had threatened him. How they said they would deal with things. How after they had set their wolves on her… she had taken out several of their people before they finally killed her. He knew their methods wouldn't involve his family; he knew they would directly hurt him. Since that day he vowed that he would protect his team, but he had failed. He had failed with Sam, he had failed with Viv and he had failed with the boys. But he wasn't going to let them take one of his team from him - he had already lost one of them – he wasn't going to lose another.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex fumbled at the lock as Danny continued to passionately kiss her. After several attempts, the door finally swung open. She kicked the door closed behind them as they stumbled across the room stripping off their clothes as they moved, not caring where they fell just wanting to remove the physical barrier that separated the their bodies. Finally making it into the bedroom, their bodies found each other in the darkness as though they were always meant to be together.

Danny woke as the warm winter sun moved across the room. Running his fingers through her soft hair, it was dark brown but with streaks of blond in it as though she spend time outdoors, he gently kissed the head that lay on his chest. She looked much younger while she was sleeping, but remained just as beautiful. Forcing himself to tear his eyes away from the beautiful girl that lay in his arms, he tried to learn about her. The room he hadn't care to look at last night was tastefully decorated – as Sam would say it had a woman's touch. He noticed a couple of framed photographs and squinted as he tried to look at them. The one he could see was of Alex with her arm around a guy – from the similar features – he guessed it was her brother. Feeling her stir against him, he prayed that his phone didn't ring for the first time in many morning afters. Usually at this point, he would have made his excuses and left. He didn't mean to be heartless, but he just couldn't cope with the other part of relationships. He couldn't cope with people wanting to get to know him. He didn't want… he didn't know how to answer their questions. Why couldn't they leave the past were it belonged… in the past. But as Alex woke and looked him through sleep hazed eyes – he thought… he hoped that this relationship would be different. He hoped that it wouldn't be as short lived as every other relationship he had in his life.

"Morning beautiful," he said as he pushed back the lock of hair that fell across her face,

Alex slowly woke enjoying feeling the warmth of another person. Slowly opening her eyes, she rolled over resting her arms on Danny's chest so she was looking down on him. She blinked a couple of times to check that she wasn't dreaming. But she wasn't – it was really Danny. She leaned down and kissed him, "Morning handsome." And then glancing out of the window, she stated, "It's a beautiful morning."

Smiling, he replied, "Believe me I know." Running his hands down her toned back, he thought it truly was a beautiful morning not just because he was waking up with her, but also because he'd had the best nights sleep since the shooting. Taking a moment to really look at her body in the morning light, he frowned as he saw the scars that marked her body; he knew gunshot and stab wounds when he saw them.

Noticing that Danny had caught sight of the scars that adorned her body, Alex shuddered a little. She was afraid that now that Danny had seen them, he wouldn't want her anymore. He wouldn't want a girl that was maimed. Turning away from him, she hugged her arms around her body to hide brutal marks that her job had left on her. But she knew that these scars only ran skin deep unlike the scars that ran deep in her mind – the scars that still affected her emotionally everyday. How she'd pushed the limits everyday just to get anyway for the nightmares that haunted her. How, if she was allowed to go to therapists, it appeared that they were more messed up than she was – but this was because of years of learning how to fake it. How she felt that if she totally opened to these 'therapists' she would lose it. How she had found the best therapist in the wave because when she was out surfing nothing else mattered. When she was sitting 'out back', she felt as though all the crap that was going on in her life couldn't affect her there. And now the first guy that she thought she had a chance with was about to walk out on her. She clenched her jaw as she refused to let the tears fall.

Feeling ashamed that he'd stared at the scars that marked Alex's body a little longer than he should have, he noticed the apprehension in her eyes. He didn't have a mark on his body from the shooting yet he still bore the emotional scars – not that he would tell anyone. He turned and gently wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the neck.

"I know they are ugly, I understand-" Alex started.

Danny turned her face to meet his and gently kissed her on the lips, silencing her. "They're beautiful," He said as he sadly traced one of the scars that ran down her ribcage. "They're even sexy, but I still want to kill the person who gave them to you."

As Alex heard Danny's comforting words, she felt a tear roll down her face and felt herself collapse into his strong arms. She felt him rub her back, and she knew that the scars that had affected all of her other relationships didn't affect Danny; he loved her the way she was. She smiled and moved her face up to meet his where she laid a kiss on his lips. She noted that he also had scars that marked his body- he had a past that marked his body, maybe he would understand the past that had marked her mind.

Danny gently returned the kiss; it wasn't the sex-mad, frenzied kissing of last night, but the coming together of two souls. He held her closer; he knew this was one relationship that he wanted to work. "Anyway they barely show," he said referring to the scars again. He felt Alex pull away from his arms and looked up in concern, hoping that he hadn't done anything wrong. "Are you alright? Did I do something wrong?" he asked

Alex stood and grabbed Danny's shirt and put in on, she turned and gave him a flirtatious smile, "Nothing's wrong, you did absolutely nothing wrong. I just need coffee." Alex said as she walked towards the kitchen – thinking she needed a moment alone but also hoping that Danny would follow her.

Danny threw on his pants and followed Alex into the small kitchen. He looked around the apartment that he had seen so little of last night. He noticed more framed photographs of her family and friends, he felt a small pang of jealously as he realised how close she was to her family. But yet she had an obviously painful past and now he knew it probably wasn't related to her family. He wondered what made her chase her demons in her sleep. Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he continued to look around the apartment, where his eyes rested on a collection of surfboards. "You surf?" Danny asked as he glanced over at Alex as she made the coffee.

"Yes, what gave it away?" Alex joked as she followed Danny's glaze to her surfboards.

Danny smirked, "I was just wondering why you needed five boards?"

"Different waves, anyway half of them I got free," Alex replied.

"How did you get free surfboards," Danny asked with interest.

"Sponsors," Alex looked at Danny raised eyebrows. "I nearly turned professional," she explained.

"What stopped you?"

"Work," Alex replied looking down not wanting to explain further. "Anyway didn't you see them last night?" Alex said changing the subject but she flashed Danny a flirtatious grin.

"I was a little distracted by a certain surfer girl," Danny replied as he wrapped his hands around her hips.

"Anyone I know?" Alex toyed.

"I think you know her. She's 5'6", gorgeous, intelligent," Danny said whispering into her ear. "And she's standing right in front of me," Danny finished as he pulled Alex into his arms. Never before had he prayed about relationship, but never before had he felt so strongly about anyone in this life before now.