Mentions of child abuse in this chapter. I'm sorry about the lack of Mac-Danny interaction, but I make up for it in the next chapter, I promise!
Danny cringed under the glare weighing on his back. Mac was standing nearby, throwing surreptitious glances every so often. They had been working graveyard shift and were now well into early morning, when the city truly started to wake up again. He stretched, his neck clicking as he flexed it, aching from being still for so long. Speed glanced up from where he was looking at a piece of evidence and grinned, the reaction slowed from exhaustion.
Finally, around midday, Mac sighed "Alright everybody. We're not getting anywhere, so let's take a break and assign another team to watch over the case until we come back. Don't come back for at least a couple of shifts. I'll page you if anything comes up" Danny looked vaguely surprised. It usually took both Stella and Aiden cajoling and sniping for Mac to call a break, unless he could see the team were truly exhausted.
He turned to the other Miami CSIs "I've still got my apartment here. You can take the bed there, if you want" He handed Horatio his spare key "You know where it is, Speed"
Aiden shot Danny a disapproving glance "You're not sleeping?"
"I might head back to the apartment, but I've got to meet up with my sister first, I've practically been ordered to have lunch with her"
"Jenna?"
"She knows her way around me like the back of her hand. She's a bully" He pulled out his phone "Jenna. You working?"
"No. You know the little bistro near my old office? We can go there – my treat" a giggle "And tell your friend, Flack, that while he's cute he's not my type. Ciao!"
"Right" he flipped the phone shut, and then turned to Flack "You were hitting up on my sister?"
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Jenna grinned delightedly and held out her arms as Danny approached. He squeezed her close to him; he had missed her more than he'd like to admit. She planted a kiss on his cheek as they parted, pulling down her long-distance glasses so she could see him properly, eyes shining behind the lenses.
"How long has it been?" He asked.
"Seven months. Far too long" She said seriously, as they tucked themselves into a booth at the back of the little café "How have you been, Danny?"
"Good" He said, but Jenna tilted her head and raised her eyebrows in a stern expression "I've been much better" he admitted finally.
"You're still desperately nell'amore with Detective Taylor, I suppose" She commented off-handedly, peering at him over the top of the menu.
He spluttered, and struggled for an answer, a rare occurrence from the typically sharp CSI who usually had at least a couple of retorts on hand. "Can we not talk about that now?" He finally managed.
"Of course"
As the food arrived, the subject changed to Jenna's fashion designs and her six months in Tuscany. She listened attentively as he told her about Miami, and one of the cases that stood out prominently in his mind.
"It turned out that the kid did it. He shot his father because he knew that if he didn't the father would have killed the baby" He sighed "He got off lighter than if it had been cold blood. He was defending his baby sister"
"Just like we did" Jenna provided softly. They had suddenly left the domestic discussion of work far behind.
"I didn't protect you" he said guiltily.
"I was only three years younger, Danny. And while I always used to think that you hung the moon, I couldn't sit by and watch you try to handle our father on your own"
"I can't help but feel that we caused half of that anger"
"We provoked him so he wouldn't go after mother or our brothers. So what, they're true" She wiggled her fingers "'Messer's now, I don't care. I would rather have ripped my own heart out than let them suffer as children and I know you feel the same way"
"When did you get so smart?" He asked her.
She grinned "I'm your sister. It's my job to make you see sense in the place of our madre" She sat back "So. Are you going to talk to Mac about why the hell you haven't told him anything, or shall I have to go back and repeat my earlier performance?"
"Your earlier performance?" Danny's eyes narrowed.
"I...er..." She coughed guiltily "I spoke to Taylor about Tanglewood. He loves you, Danny. I could see it in his face"
"He doesn't..." Jenna slipped out from her side of the booth and sat next to Danny, resting her head on his shoulder as she spoke.
"You could do anything and I'd still love you, Danny. Taylor feels the same way, he just doesn't know it"
"I'll talk to Mac, Jenna. If it'll get you off my back"
"It'll be better afterwards, so I'll leave you alone when you're safe with him" She said firmly.
"Ho mancato questo."
"Hmm?"
"We haven't talked like this since we ran from our father"
"Yeah" Brother and sister sat in silence for several minutes more, just soaking up each others' presence.
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Danny walked into the lab the next day, grinning brightly. Aiden looked up, and smiled back. A smile from Danny was infectious, and she hadn't seen that expression on him in a while.
"You're happy. So who's the lucky girl Danny?" She waggled her eyebrows at him, and he chuckled.
"The 'lucky girl' is my sister. And I'm happy because I caught Speed and Horatio making out. I never knew somebody could blush so much"
"Speed and Horatio? That's..." Aiden's eyes glazed over "Wow"
"And" Danny waved the file, smiling like the cat that got the canary "I got the identity of our vic finally. Dominick Dayson. His father's on his way in"
nell'amore: In love
Ho mancato questo: I missed this