Thanks to anmodo for betaing this chapter and thank you to everyone that has reviewed.

Chapter 10

As the rain continued to pour down around them, Jack fought to save Danny's life. But without much success—as Danny's blood continued to pump out of his body with each beat of his heart. It shouldn't be Danny lying here dying, Jack thought, it should be him. The bullet was meant for him not Danny, but Danny changed all of that. Jack looked down at the blood that had began to seep through his fingers, the blood that stained his suit, the blood that stained Danny's jacket, the blood that was being washed away with the rain… Danny's blood… Danny's life.

Jack looked around. Why was the ambulance taking so long, he asked himself? Judging by the amount of blood Danny had lost and was still losing, he didn't have much time left. He looked at Danny's pale almost lifeless face, and pushed a few wayward strands off his forehead.

"Hang on a bit long Danny, helps nearly here. We'll have you patched up and back on the team in no time."

Jack glanced over and noticed that Danny still held his gun. He went to remove it gently from Danny's hand. But found as soon as he did that Danny tightened his grip and placed his finger on the trigger. Just what the hell Danny had been through in the last ten months, that even though he was on death's door, he was still on edge… he still thought he had to defend himself.

"Danny, it's okay. It's Jack. Jack Malone, your boss," he said soothingly. He doubted Danny would have strength to pull the trigger. But a few moments ago, he didn't think he would have been met with the resistance he had just experienced, when he had tried to take the gun from Danny. He felt Danny's grip over the gun relax, so he gently took it and slid it into his waistband.

Danny felt someone try and take his gun. He tightened his grip and slid his finger onto the trigger. He wasn't worried about himself… he knew he didn't have much longer. But he had to protect Jack… he had to protect him for as long as he could. He had to tell Jack to do the job he had failed. He had to tell Jack to protect them. He heard Jack's soothing voice and shuddered… it was the second time in less than half an hour that he had tried to kill him. But this could not prevent himself from doing his job, Danny thought as he relaxed his grip on his gun. He had to protect them for as long as possible. He slowly opened his eyes to be met with a very blurrily Jack. He tried not to pass out again as pain overwhelmed his body.

"P-Protect t-them," he managed to cough out.

Jack jumped slightly as he noticed Danny's unfocused eyes were looking at him. He just managed make out the words Danny coughing out along with a small amount of blood. He wasn't trying to protect himself, he was thinking about them, Jack thought. That defensive grip around the gun wasn't to protect himself, but to protect me, Jack thought. He squeezed Danny's hand gently and continued to talk in a soothing voice.

"Of course I will protect them, Danny," he paused, "its okay, Danny. You can relax now. I've got your back. You're not alone anymore."

Jack watched in stunned horror as Danny coughed up more blood before closing his eyes and falling unconscious again. "Damn-it Danny," Jack said softly as he blinked back tears. "You can't do this to me again. The team can't go thought this again. We can't lose you again!" Jack moved a shaking hand towards Danny's neck to check for a pulse. He found one but it was weak and was getting weaker by the second. At least if Danny died, he knew he wasn't alone anymore, Jack thought as he tried to draw comfort from this miserable situation.

He was in such a state of shock that he hadn't realised that the ambulance and police cars had arrived. He didn't notice the medics calling him, until one of them was gently shaking his shoulder.

"Sir we need to look at him." Jack just stared at the medic. "Sir how long has he been unconscious."

Jack continued to stare at the medic as he tried to pull himself together. "U-mmm," Jack stuttered as he stared at the other medic who was putting an IV line into Danny's hand. He returned his focus back to the question. "He was unconscious pretty much straight after he was shot. But he briefly came around a few minutes ago for a couple of seconds, but he was coughing up blood," Jack said and for the first time he noticed he was shaking. He took a couple of deep breaths, as he tried to remember Danny's information, so it might help them save Danny's life. "H-his name is Danny Taylor, h-he has no allergies and his blood type is B-."

"Thank you, sir. That will help," the medic said as he looked at the older man who was obviously in some form of shock. "I need to look at the wound."

Jack reluctantly removed his hand from the wound he had so desperately tried to stop Danny's life from flowing out of. He stared in shock as the medics attached various monitors and moved Danny's limp form onto the waiting gurney. He slowly stood up using the wall for support, and looked around. He looked down at a backpack… Danny's backpack. He slowly bent down and picked it up. He didn't want some forensic unit going through it and possibly dishonouring Danny's name. He glanced up as he heard someone calling him.

"Sir, are you riding with us?" the medic asked.

Jack stared blankly for a couple of seconds before replying. "Yes!" He replied as he swung Danny's backpack over his shoulder and jogged towards the ambulance. He had told Danny he was watching his back. He had told Danny that he wasn't alone and he wasn't about to abandon his agent now. Jack felt there was a real possibility that Danny could die on the way to the hospital and he wasn't going to let that happen… but he had no control over that. But he wasn't going to let his agent die alone… he did have control over that, and in his present state he doubted he could drive anyway.

He jumped into the back of the ambulance and tried to stay out of the medic's way. He reached across and held Danny's hand wincing how cold it felt. "Danny, hang in there okay. Please Danny," Jack said as he blinked back tears. Danny had to make it. It would destroy them if he didn't.

The ride to the hospital was unbearably tense, with Danny's condition continuing to deteriorate with each passing second. Once they arrived at the hospital, Jack stood as though he was in a trance as they rushed Danny in. He some how made it into the hospital where he slumped against a wall, not bothering to find a chair in the crowded waiting area, which he was oblivious to. He let his head fall into his hands as he tried to comprehend what had just happened in the last hour – which felt like days.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Martin somehow managed to put the phone down conscious of Viv and Sam staring at him, unable to speak he stared at the photo of his father. He couldn't believe what had just happened, or what the caller wanted him to do. He jumped slightly as he felt hand on his shoulder.

"Martin, are you alright?" Viv asked eyeing him in concern.

Still numb with shock Martin managed to reply. "Someone tried to kill my father."

"Is he ok?" Sam asked as she sat in his desk facing him.

"Y-yes," Martin stammered. "I-I just don't know what to do."

"Martin don't worry, they'll catch the person who did this and make them pay," Viv reassured.

"I know," Martin replied, "But he wants me to fly down to New Mexico. He says it is my duty as his son," Martin finished sarcastically.

Sam still eyed Martin with concern especially after the last ten months. She didn't know how much more Martin could take. She rested her hand on his shoulder. "Martin whatever you decide, we will support you," Sam said as she looked up at Viv seeing her nod at her last comment.

"My dad's been shot at, but he's ok. I-I just… I-I just don't know what to do." Martin paused, "I mean… I-I guess, I-I guess." Martin stammered, but the arrival of their fellow agent Rick Freedman, bursting in cut off Martin's last comment and thoughts.

"Have you heard from Jack recently?" Rick asked, as his glaze travelled over the remaining members of the team. He hoped that he hadn't delivered what could be the beginning of more bad news for a group of people that has been through hell in the last ten months. His glaze fixed on Martin had lived in hell for the last ten months, at this present moment looked confused and scared.

"Why?" Sam asked, her hand not leaving Martin's shoulder but her eyes were now resting on the tall muscular figure of agent Rick Freedman.

"I got reports of shots fired, and an agent down." Rick replied, pausing before he continued. "It was in the area that Jack was in. He phoned about half an hour before it happened saying he had to tie up a couple of things." He watched sadly as the expressions of horror and fear fill their faces. "U-mm it could be nothing and Jack is probably fine, so u-mm you probably don't need to know this-"

"Rick?" Viv questioned, "What are you talking about?"

Rick forced himself to look at them, he owed them had much, especially with the news he was about to tell them. "There was an ambulance, and-and, well the guy they loaded into it looked really bad, apparently. I'm sorry I don't have more. I'm sorry I don't have a fucking description. I-I just though you guys needed to know. Jack is probably fine, but after, well after, what happened I thought you guys would want to know, even if Jack is fine… even if it turns out to be nothing to do with you."

Viv placed a reassuring hand in Rick's broad muscular shoulders. "Thank you," she said calmly even though she felt anything but calm. Losing one of her boys and Jack in the same year, she just wouldn't know how to cope. She didn't know how any of them would, especially Martin, she glanced to her left to see both Sam and Martin frantically trying Jack's various telephone numbers.

"His cell is switched off and he's not answering his home phone!" Sam exclaimed.

The ringing phone on the centre table pulled of their attention towards it. Viv looked at the unmoving figures and slowly picked up the phone, her hands trembling as she did. "Agent Johnson," Viv answered amazed how calm she sounded, unlike the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Viv, its Jack" he said, as he leant heavily against the wall. "U-mm Viv," he stammered.

"Jack are you okay?" Viv asked quickly, the small statement drawing the people around her closer.

"U-mm well, u-mm yeah I-I'm fine," Jack said, "I-I u-mm, I-I just-"

"Jack are you sure you're alright. You aren't making any sense," Viv asked gently. She watched Martin and Sam look at each other in concern, before they returned their glaze back to her.

"I-I'm fine. I-I just think you should get d-down here." Jack managed to say. He couldn't tell them over the phone that the person they had been mourning for ten months was alive – he hoped. He closed his eyes as he remembered the conversation he had moments earlier.

Flashback

"Are you here for Agent Taylor?"

Jack looked up to see a woman in her early forties. He tried to avoid looking at the blood stains on her scrubs. "Yes" Jack replied as he managed to stand. He pulled out his ID. "My name is agent Jack Malone; I am agent Taylor's boss." Jack finished hoping this would let him get information on Danny's condition hoped that it would let him see Danny.

The doctor looked the man who identified himself as agent Jack Malone up and down. She doubted her information would be much comfort to him, but after hours of waiting it was at least information. "We managed to control the bleeding and get him into surgery. The bullet had done a fair amount of damage." She paused as she watched her information sink into the FBI agent in front of her. "The bullet lacerated an artery and punctured a lung. But he was lucky."

"Lucky?" Jack exclaimed as he sank into a chair. "Lucky? How can he be lucky? It took hours to get him stable enough for surgery and then you tell me he damage the bullet has done. And you call him lucky?"

"Yes I do call him lucky. For one he's still alive and secondly that bullet missed his heart by half an inch."

Jack felt as though the air had been sucked from his lungs, as he processed the last piece of information. "Chances…how long?" Jack asked barely realising that he made no sense.

The doctor tried to smile reassuring at him. "The surgery will take around ten hours." She said pausing knowing her words were not comforting. "But his chances are better than most in his condition; he's young, healthy and incredibly fit."

"Thank you," Jack managed to reply as held his head in his hands. "W-when did the surgery start?"

"It should have just started."

Jack looked down at his watch and set the count-down timer for ten hours, mesmerised by the digital numbers as they unbearably slowly started to count down.

End flashback

"Viv just get down here, it's r-really important," Jack said as once again he closed his eyes as he tried to think of how he was going to break this information to the team.

"Of course we will Jack; we will be there as soon as we can," Viv said as she looked up and noticed that Martin and Sam already had their coats on and the car keys ready. She ended the call and quickly followed Martin and Sam down to the car park. Where Martin jumped into the driver's seat and gunned the engine to life. Martin quickly pulled the car out of the garage and expertly moved it through the heavy New York traffic. Viv hesitantly asked. "Martin what about your father?"

"He can wait." Martin growled. "Jack needs us right now, so I will just have to fail in my offspring duties."

Jack and the team had stood by him through thick and thin. While as soon as the going got tough his father had abandoned him. Maybe this was the reason he felt he should fulfil Jack's request not his father's.

Martin saw a gap near grid-locked traffic and accelerated hard into it. He waited for Sam and Viv's comments about his driving but heard none. It just highlighted how serious the situation was. Since the events of ten months ago, they had become much closer as a team. Martin didn't think anyone truly understood the affect of Danny's death had on the team. But how he thought he could explain it, was as though part of them died that day. Part of them died with Danny and that part of them would never return. And now someone had tried to kill another person on the team… Martin couldn't bear to think about it. He didn't know what to do apart from drive as fast as he could to the hospital. He wanted to beat the crap out of whoever shot at his father and possibly kill them. But whoever took a shot a Jack would die.

Martin glanced to his left and realised he was just about to miss the turning for the hospital. He wrenched the steering to the left, ignoring the blaring of horns as he skidded into the hospital car park. He hit the brakes and shut down the engine. Taking a few moments to prepare himself…to prepare himself for the horrors that lay within that grey building in front of them. He knew Jack was alright but Jack had been barely coherent. They just couldn't lose another team member… another part of them. He glanced around the car to see the remaining members of the team were doing the same thing. You could have cut the tension in the car with a knife. No one wanting to know what had made their normally ice calm boss incoherent.

Viv broke the tense silence. "Shall we go in?" The only time she could remember Jack being near incoherent was when he'd told her about the boys… when he had told her about Danny. She just didn't want to imagine what event had made her boss and friend incoherent… but she couldn't stop imagining that event. Danny's death had cast long shadows over them, shadows which would never leave. She doubted she would ever able to read about a Mets game without thinking about his smiling face. At least now she could read these articles without being reduced to tears.

As they stepped out of the car, the ice cold March air pulled them all out of their thoughts. They pulled their coats tight around themselves and hurried into the hospital and to the horrors that may lie within.

Sam scanned the hospital for Jack. Her eyes rested on the crumpled form of her boss and former lover. He looked so unlike his usual strong stature that she had to do a double take. Once she was sure it was him, she rushed up to him calling his name. Her face etched with concern when he didn't respond. She nearly collapsed when she saw the state of him… when she saw the blood staining his crumpled suit. She took a couple of deep breaths and continued to approach him, fearful of what her discovery might bring. She bent down so her eyes were level with his glazed ones. She reached her hand out and laid it on his face, flinching when it came in contact with his cool, clammy skin. "Jack." She called waiting anxiously for a response. She watched as he stared at her blankly before he blinked his eyes a couple of times, as if he was completely unaware of what was going on around him. "Jack, are you alright?" she asked softly.

Jack blinked a couple of times as he tried to clear his vision. He looked at the concerned faces around tried to put a coherent sentence together. He was their boss for god stake and he has them concerned. In his present state, he wasn't fulfilling Danny's request, maybe even Danny's dying wish. He had to pull himself together even if it was just to protect them. Just what had Danny been doing… been forced to do in the last ten months. He was going to find out… he needed to find out, and he would protect Danny.

He stared blankly at the face in front of him and tried to think of her familiar name as she spoke softly to him. "Sam?" He tried.

"Yes, it's Sam," she replied her face creasing in farther concern, as Jack barely recognised her. "Are you alright?"

""U-mm, yeah I'm fine." Jack replied as he struggled to stand. He stumbled slightly and three pairs of hands reached out to catch him. Steadying himself he brushed them off. "I'm fine," he repeated as some of the authority returned to his voice.

They backed off a little but their eyes never leaving their dishevelled boss and the blood staining him. Viv stepped forward and gently laid her hand on Jack's shoulder. "Jack are you sure are ok? Have you had yourself checked out?" She paused and looked at the blood stains. "Whose blood is it?"

Jack looked down at his suit, at his hands. He looked down at the blood… Danny's blood. It slowly dawned on him what a state he must looked. "It's-it's not mine. B-but it is the reason I called you down here."

"Jack?"

Jack looked at Martin who hadn't said a word since they got here, but that wasn't unusual now. "I think we should discuss this somewhere more private." He turned and walked down the seemingly endless mass of corridors to a room, vaguely aware of the team following him. Once in the room, he closed the door behind them and prepared himself to break this confusing and troubling news. He stood looking around the room for awhile as he tried to come up with the words.

"Jack? The blood?" Viv gently prompted.

"Its-its…," Jack stammered. "Its-its. The blood-. Its Danny's."

The room went deadly silent; a pin could have been heard if it dropped, as everyone slowly digested the news. They were too shocked to comment… to shocked to question what Jack had just told them.

Finally Martin broke the silence. "Jack, Danny died ten months ago. I witnessed him being executed in front of me," Martin exclaimed. "Are you telling me that I can't tell the different between a dead person and someone that is alive?" Martin said as he turned to storm out. Had they really thought that he had completely lost it or maybe Jack had lost it? Danny was dead – he hadn't felt a pulse ten months ago. And now Jack was telling them that the blood that stained his suit was Danny's. He went to open the door and get out of this small confined space, but something was stopping him. He turned to move whatever was preventing from leaving the room to be faced with a calm looking Jack Malone. "Jack, face it! Danny is dead. He's not alive, he's dead. So just leave me alone. Stop screwing around with us."

Jack grabbed Martin the arm and slammed him against the wall. "Danny is alive," Jack yelled gesturing to his suit, he continued. "Do you want DNA proof, because if you want it, I will get it? It will prove that special agent Danny Taylor is alive."

Martin shoved Jack back. "Jack leave me alone. Danny hasn't risen from the dead. Its time we faced facts and moved on. I have!" Martin lied as he stormed out slamming the door behind him.

The room was once again deadly silence, as they reacted to Jack's news and Martin's outburst. Sam moved towards the door, but found a hand on her shoulder stopping her.

"Sam leave him. He just needs time, to sort things through."

"Jack I don't understand. If what you say is true and Danny is alive, what the hell happened ten months ago? If Danny's alive why didn't Martin say something? Why did he let us believe he was dead? And – and why are covered in his blood?" Sam said as she found herself slightly panicking. But she didn't understand why she was panicking – her best friend was alive. She just didn't understand why he had lied to them… why Martin had lied to them? She felt comforting arms guiding her to a chair. She wanted to wake up from this nightmare, but now she had… she wanted answers.

"I can't answer your questions. I don't know what happened ten months ago. I do believe what happened was staged in some way so that we all believed Danny was dead. I believe that Danny was given something so Martin couldn't find a pulse. But I also believe Danny didn't have a choice, that he couldn't contact us," Jack paused and took a deep breath. "The reason – the reason I am covered in Danny's blood is – is, well Danny saved my life."

Viv suddenly spoke up firing questions. "What happened? Is he ok? Can we see him?"

"He took a bullet for me," Jack said feeling his chest swell with pride as he talked about Danny's actions, but at the same time he felt his shoulders tense with guilt. "He's- he's in surgery as we speak." He held his head in his hands. He had told them Danny was alive, but he didn't know how… if he could break it to them about how serious condition Danny was in. That they may lose Danny all over again.

"Jack when can we see him? How serious is it? Is he going to be ok?" Viv said continuing to fire off rapid questions as her concern grew for Danny.

"It's serious," Jack winced as he looked at Sam and Viv's concerned expressions. "The bullet hit an artery and punched a lung. He will be in surgery for about-"Jack paused and looked at the digital numbers counting themselves down. "For another eight hours and forty-six minutes."

"Oh god, my poor baby!" Viv said as she collapsed into a chair, trying to blink back the tears that stung her eyes. "Do you know what his chances of pulling through are?"

"I don't know, I really don't. They fed me the usual crap; he's young, fit and healthy." Jack glanced around the room finally he just looked at his feet. "I wish I could give you better news, I wish-"

"Jack, Danny will pull through – he's strong. And what are you talking about – Danny's alive- that's the best news I have heard in ten months." Sam said slightly smiling. This was Danny – he wouldn't let a small thing like a bullet kill him. This was their Danny, he would be fine. He had to be fine.

"Just what has the poor boy been doing? Who's been watching his back?" Viv asked sadly. "We thought the last ten months were hell but at least we had each other. Who did Danny have?"

"I don't know Viv," Jack sighed, as he began to tell them about his meeting with Danny, missing out certain parts. Once he finished, he looked up at Viv and Sam's shocked faces. "This can go no farther than this room. You can tell Martin – but don't tell anyone, don't do any background checks. I don't want to put Danny in any more danger."

Viv and Sam nodded. "Oh Danny what have you gotten yourself into?" Sam said to no one in particular.

"Do you think he was working for one of the 'As'" Viv asked referring to the US intelligence agencies. As she imagined Danny in a serious dangerous undercover operation, alone and scared, with no backup, she felt a tear fall.

"I don't know. But I am going to find out and sort it out. Then we can go back to before – with Danny on the team." Jack said as he tried to reassure himself as they waited for the outcome of Danny's surgery.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What's taking so long? Why haven't they told us anything?" Sam said through frayed nerves as she paced up and down the small room. "And where the hell is Martin? He appeared to be so cut up about Danny's death and he doesn't care if Danny pulls through or not."

"Sam if they knew anything they would of told us." Viv replied gently. "And Martin is having a hard time dealing with this. He just needs sometime alone to think. He was there remember? The poor boy is confused and right now he probably blames himself not only for what for happened to himself and Danny, but what happened to Jack as well."

"I guess. I'm sorry Viv; I'm just so worried about Danny. I just want… I need to see his smiling face again. I need to see him again," Sam said as she continued to pace.

Jack sat at the far corner of the room pinching the bridge of his nose as he felt a headache coming on. He was quite relieved that Sam and Viv had sent him home to take a shower and for a change of clothes. "Sam so do we all." He said as he looked up. "But please can you stop pacing; it's giving me a headache. Danny will be alright – as you said before he's strong. He will be back in the office grinning like a Cheshire cat before you know it," he said not just to reassure Sam but to reassure himself.

The door creaked before it was opened causing them all to spin around and face the door- unconsciously holding their breath… waiting… hoping. A tall in his thirties – who they presumed was a doctor – entered. Sam rushed forward. "How is he?"

The doctor cleared his throat. "You're all here for agent Taylor?"

"Yes, how is he?" Sam asked in patiently.

"Well the surgery was a complete success and I expect him to make a full recovery."

They collectively released the breath that they has realised that they were holding. Jack cautiously stepped forward. "Can we see him?"

"Of course. But only one at a time, to begin with. He will be in and out of it, but that's expected."

"Thank you," Jack said, fighting the urge to hug him.

"I was just doing my job and agent Taylor is a real fighter."

"I know," Jack replied smiling, "but thank you."

The doctor smiled. "A nurse will be around shortly to show to his room."

Jack sank back into the chair and smiled with relief. Danny was going to be alright. There had been several terrible moments when Jack had thought the worse. But thankfully these thoughts had not come true. Danny was still on his team; therefore he was still responsible for him. He needed to find out who Danny was running from, who he was protecting them from. Then he would deal with this person… this organization. Whoever Danny was running and protecting them from was serious. They had tried to murder him and therefore he had legal grounds to follow his case through. But what if Danny was somehow involved? What if Danny was somehow involved in the attempted assassination on the Director of the DEA and the Deputy Director of the FBI – that happened barely twenty-fours before the attempt of his life? Was this purely circumstantial or was there a connection between these two events? Jack sighed. He would have to deal with these questions later; right now his primary concern was Danny's well-being. He ran his hands through his dishevelled hair, which mirrored his body.

When he had spoken to Danny, he glanced at his watch in disbelief – twelve hours ago – it felt longer. Danny looked lost and scared, to point of looking terrified. Surely… hopefully all these events weren't connected – but how could they not be? Just what had Danny got himself involved in? He remembered Danny as a twenty-six year old, young and green, but his eyes told another story. His eyes portrayed someone way beyond his twenty-six years. They showed someone had seen things that someone of twice his years. They showed uneasiness and distrust, despite his confidence façade. They showed suspicion when someone showed concern, Jack figured this was from years of disinterest, years of no one giving a damn. No one bothering to stop and take the time to get to know this young man. But he had, and under his confidence, hothead façade, he had found a sensitive, insecure young man. Who had been forced to grow up to quickly… forced to miss out on childhood mistakes… forced into adult life way to early. He considered himself one of the lucky few that had gotten though the steel exterior that Danny surrounded himself with, to see the true Danny Taylor. He had seen that fear and the insecurities in his eyes yesterday; to the point he thought he was looking into the eyes of a terrified child not his agent. This was the reason he was going to sort this mess out. No one had given a damn about Danny Taylor as a kid, but Jack did now.

He knew both Viv and Sam wanted to see Danny, but he needed to talk to him. He needed to find out just want the hell was going on--not just for Danny but for the rest of the team. Danny had been protecting the team. The same people had tried to kill him… just how much danger was the team in? Was his family in danger? There were so many questions he needed to ask Danny and so many that would go unanswered. He just needed the basic questions answered. Readers Digest bullet point answers… who… why… what. Then he would go and sort it out. He would get Danny reinstated in the FBI. More importantly, he would get Danny reinstated as Danny Taylor, who was alive and had not died on that fateful day in May. Then maybe he could relax.

He stood up. "I need to talk to him," Jack said as he glanced at Viv and Sam. "I need to find out just what the hell went on ten months ago. I need answers."

Viv stood up and slightly confronted Jack. "Leave the poor boy alone. He has just been through major surgery. He needs rest; he doesn't need to be interrogated," Viv said as she felt her maternal instincts towards Danny return. "He needs to rest Jack; can't you leave it for a couple of days, at least until some of his strength as returned?"

Jack turned annoyingly at Sam's and Viv's piercing stares. "You know if I had a choice I would wait. But I don't. Someone took a shot at us. I don't know how much danger we are in… how much danger Danny is in," he stared out onto the cold grey New York morning. "I need to sort it out. I need to protect Danny. I need to thank him."

It was sometime before a petite blond nurse came and showed Jack to Danny's room. He turned to mumble a thank you, but she was already gone. He slowly pushed open the door and exhaled sharply when he saw how pale… how young… how fragile Danny looked. He glanced across at the heart monitor and sighed with relief when he saw a strong, steady pattern. He smiled this was Danny did he expect anything less. He sank into the battered chair beside the bed and continued to smile. His agent was battered but alive. His agent would be around to put scumbags in their places again. And he was pretty sure the team now had their own personal sniper. But most importantly his team was complete again.