Huge thanks to anmodo for continuing to beta my fics. Also thanks to everyone that has reviewed.
Chapter 2
Forcing himself to concentrate on the road, Danny's mind had other ideas. He kept on replaying the conversation he had with Rafi earlier over and over again. Rafi was definitely hiding something from him – but what was it? He hoped that Rafi wasn't using again, but he had been wearing long sleeves – Danny mentally slapped himself for thinking the worst because it had been freezing outside—so of course his brother would be wearing long sleeves. So lost in his own thoughts, he nearly drove past his apartment. Pulling his car to an abrupt stop, Danny looked at his rear view mirror and smiled as he saw Megan's car stop behind him.
"You know I've been following you for the last ten blocks," Megan said as she got out of her car and leaned on Danny's.
"Oh sorry," Danny replied still lost in his thoughts. "Sorry baby, I was just thinking."
"No worries. So what's up?" Megan asked as she noticed how lost Danny looked.
"Nothing," he replied as he held open the door for her as they walked into his apartment building.
"That's bull. I know it wasn't the game because the Mets won. I know it's not work, otherwise you wouldn't be here right now. So it has to be your brother?" Megan asked gently as she ran her thumb across his cheek.
"It's nothing," Danny repeated as he held open his apartment door for her. "So how did the debriefing go?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Boring," Megan replied as she turned wrapping her arms around his neck and lightly kissed him on the cheek. "I mean there are only so many times you can play solitaire."
Danny lowered his head so it was resting on Megan's – not knowing what else to do. He couldn't expect her to walking willingly into the mess that was his family life. Once, he'd found himself telling her about the abuse, the group homes, the years of disinterest, and she hadn't run a mile, she had simply pulled him into an embrace and rubbed his back. But this was different. Rafi was now in their lives again.
He reluctantly pulled away from her and collapsed on the couch resting his head in his hands.
Megan watched Danny for a moment before walking over to the small kitchen area. "Want a drink?" she called out as she opened the fridge. She looked over to see Danny tiredly nod.
"So what's up?" Megan asked again as she collapsed onto the couch next to him.
Danny looked up. "I don't know why you drink that stuff. It's not as if you need to go on a diet," Danny said of the can of diet coke that Megan had just finished.
"I prefer the taste; anyway stop changing the subject, what's up?" Megan asked as she slowly ran her hand across his back.
Danny looked across at Megan and knew he could trust her. He knew she wouldn't judge him. He knew that she would do everything she could to help him. But would it be fair to involve her in his mess? He didn't want to lose her but at the same time he couldn't stand by and watch his brother destroy his life.
"It's- it's my brother," Danny started nervously as he raked his hands through his spiky hair. "I don't know, I think, u-mm I think."
"You think he's using again?" Megan asked gently.
"I don't know, yes, maybe. I mean he was wearing long sleeves but it was cold and I don't know, Megan I really don't," Danny said, trying not to trip over his words.
Megan put her arm around his shoulders and pulled him into an embrace. "I don't what should do, but I'm sure you will figure it out," Megan said as she ran her fingers through his hair and gently kissed his forehead. "Whatever you decide to do, I will support you. If you need any help, just ask."
Danny relaxed into Megan's embrace. It felt strange to feel so at ease with someone. Throughout his life he had never completely trusted anyone – even holding back from the team. He was always waiting for someone to screw him over. But he knew Megan wouldn't and she said she would help. She was also probably better at getting information out of people without them realising.
"I understand if you don't want to, but u-mm," Danny paused. He didn't know why he felt so nervous – this is Megan. Megan knew everything about him. Megan knew about his past, she knew about Rafi's past, she wasn't judgemental. "I'm thinking about have lunch with Rafi and his family. I-I was wondering if you would come, you know u-mm—"
"I would love to," Megan replied as she studied his face. "But you want me there for another reason, don't you?"
"I'm sorry. You've got a break from work and I am asking to get involved in this. I'm asking you to do the kind of stuff that you do at work. I'm so sorry, I-I just wasn't thinking," Danny said rapidly apologising.
"Danny," Megan said gently shaking him. "Danny, listen to me. I am really touched that you don't want me to do work on my time, but its part of me - Its instinct. So I will be more that happy to be a second pair of eyes and ears."
"Thank you Megs, thank you. I really don't know how to repay you," Danny said as he felt himself relax. "With your observation skills, well it will be a hell of a lot of easier to find out what is going on with Rafi."
Cupping her hands around his face looked into his eyes. "There is nothing to repay, I'm just helping my sexy FBI boyfriend out."
Danny smiled feeling relieved that he had shared it with her. "So you like the whole guys with guns thing?" Danny toyed as he pulled her closer to him.
"Well I like the guns and I really, really like this guy," Megan said as she turned and started to kiss him passionately.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Blinking a couple of times, Rafi reluctantly found himself returning to the world of consciousness. Trying to ignore his pounding headache, he looked around as he tried to figure out were he was. Danny would have never gotten himself into this mess – Danny was far too observant. He recalled flashbacks of the game, joking with Danny but these soon turned into painful flashbacks as he recalled the images of his father. As his eyes travelled across the room, he felt his heart skip a beat as his eyes rested on figure in the corner of the darken room. It couldn't be his father – his father was dead. His father was dead, his father had killed his mother and damn near killed Danny. Rafi closed his eyes as he remembered that phone call—the phone call that changed his life forever. He remembered racing into the hospital to be told his parents were dead – but he couldn't find Danny. Finally after what felt like hours, he found his brother curled up in a storage room shaking. He'd felt his heart break were he saw the tears and the bruises that marked his brother's body. Slowly walking into the room, he had gathered his baby brother into arms and held him. He remembered rocking Danny to sleep as let his own tears fall. He'd cried for his mother, he'd cried for the marks that his father had left upon Danny. The final action of his father's life was to turn and blame Danny for the accident and hit him.
The slowly dripping of water pulled him out of his thoughts. He had abandoned Danny before; he hadn't looked out for his baby brother in the past. He may not be able to change the past but he could change the future – he would protect his baby brother from the monster that was their father. Drawing a deep breath, he was determined not to show fear in front of this monster. He watched as his father walked across the room, twirling the knife between his fingers.
"I see you are awake, you weak excuse for my offspring," Marco Alvarez yelled slapping Rafi across the face. "Now where is that pathetic brat of a brother of yours?"
Rafi tried to look his father in the eyes, but he found his eyes watering as he followed the knife's movements. "I told you before. I have no idea where Danny is, I haven't seen him since we were kids," Rafi lied.
"Do you have a family?"
"No," Rafi lied again not wanting any danger to come to Sylvia and the kids. He knew if anything happened to him, Danny would protect them. Danny was a FBI agent and probably would do a far better job in protecting them than he had ever done.
"So you are a pathetic loser who has no one and has been in and out of prison?" Marco sneered.
Blinking back the tears that threatened to fall, he tried not to show that he was terrified. But he wouldn't let his father see this. He wouldn't let his father hurt Sylvia and the kids. He wouldn't let his father hurt Danny and his girlfriend. "I have no one and, yes, I have just been released from prison."
Marco turned away from his son and picked up a syringe. Rafi was no longer an asset to him. Once Rafi knew death was impending, maybe he would give him more information on where Danny was. It wouldn't stop him from killing the useless excuse for a son, but it may change his method.
"Where is Danny?"
Feeling beads of sweat running his back, his eyes darted around the room for a way of escape. He thought of Sylvia and how she was the first he'd trusted, how she made him laugh. He thought of his kids. How Nicky was excelling at school – he didn't have his mind, he had Danny's. He thought of Danielle and how she laughed when he held her in his arms. He thought of Danny, and how he was so proud of his little brother. He hoped Danny's new girlfriend was the real thing. Danny had been so happy at the game when he was talking about this Megan. He watched as the syringe of the murkily brown liquid make it slowly towards his arm.
"I-I have told you before, I have no fucking idea where Danny is. I wish I did because I would like a couple of words with him," Rafi snapped back trying to disguise his fear. Flinched as the syringe pricked his skin, he knew this was it. He briefly closed his eyes, as he began to see the flashbacks of his life. He saw his mother nervously flitching with his clothes on his first day at school. He saw his mother bringing Danny home for the first time. He remembered the first time he played baseball with Danny, meeting Sylvia for the first time and how she lit up the room. How he felt he was walking on air when he first saw Nicky and Danielle. But this was the end, his life was over, he just hoped that the people he left behind would be all right.
"I have just injected a lethal amount of heroin into your veins. You will soon be dead," Marco laughed. "So is there any thing you want to say before you die."
Rafi felt the drug flowing through his veins, he felt his heart rate rapidly increase – this was the end. "I have seen Danny since we were kids and y-you know what I-I'm d-damn proud of m-my little b-brother. I-I am s-so proud o-of how he h-has t-turned his life around, I-I proud o-of the person h-he has become, in spite of everything you did to him," Rafi stammered as he felt his chest become painfully tight. This was it. Rafi thought as he allowed a single tear to roll down his face, this was the end. He closed his eyes and took one final breath and slipped into an eternal slumber.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Danny lay with Megan in his arms in a peaceful slumber that wasn't plagued by nightmares that it had once been. The shrill of his cell phone pulled him from his peaceful dreams. Blindly, he fumbled for the screaming receiver.
"Taylor"
"Is this Special Agent Danny Taylor of the FBI," the slightly official voice on the other side of the phone asked.
Danny sat up nervously. "Yes."
"Is your brother Rafael Alvarez?"
"Y-yes," Danny stammered, faintly aware of Megan sitting up beside him.
"Your brother-"
"Where are you?" Danny demanded. He scribbled down the address the cop had given him and started pulling on clothes.
"Danny?" Megan asked she voice laced with concern.
Danny bent down and cupped her face in his hands. "Baby, it's nothing. Go back to sleep."
"Danny," she chastised lightly.
Danny sighed and rubbed his face. "That call was from an NYPD cop. H-he was calling because something has happened to my brother."
Megan stood up and through on some clothes. "Shit, Danny are you ok," Megan asked quickly as she tried to find her cell phone and gun in the dark.
"It's my brother, not me," Danny replied in a short tone. Turning around, he saw Megan getting changed as well. "Megs, what are you doing?"
"I'm coming as your back up," Megan replied, wincing when she realised how sharp she sounded.
"What?" Danny asked in a confused tone. "Baby, I asked you to help before, but this is too much. It could be dangerous."
"I have probably been in more fire-fights that your whole team put together. I have probably killed more people that your whole team put together. Danny, I can handle myself and anyway you asked me to help you and your brother, so I am fulfilling my promise," Megan replied as gently as possible.
"A-are you sure," Danny asked nervously.
"I said was, didn't I?" Megan replied as she grabbed the car keys from him. "I'm driving and before you ask, you're not in any state to drive, and secondly I drive a hell of faster than you."
"Okay," Danny managed; feeling glad he had Megan has his back up. He knew she had military training. He knew she had trained with the SAS and Delta force. She was just about the best back up he could have and she was his girlfriend.
The drive to the address was quick but silent. Danny barely noticed the streets that dashed passed. He barely noticed the people spilling out of the bars and clubs enjoying themselves. He dazed state collided into his reality when the car skidded to a halt. Danny paused for a second before he jumped out briefly checking for his gun and badge.
"Looking for these?" Megan called out and holding up his gun and badge.
"Thanks. Fuck, how the hell could I have walked out with them?" Danny cursed.
"Because you're not thinking straight," Megan said as she looked at Danny. She saw the lines of tension on his forehead, the tense jaw. "But if it was me, if this my family, I wouldn't be thinking straight either. That's why I am here."
Danny took his badge and gun from Megan, thanking her again. He strode towards the squad car that was parked besides the building. Flashing his badge, he walked towards the more senior looking of the cops. "Special Agent Danny Taylor of the FBI and this is Officer Megan Jackson of the FCO. You guys called me about fifteen minutes ago about Rafael Alvarez."
The cop put his coffee down on the squad car. "He's in here."
Danny drew a deep breath and walked into the cold, dank building. Feeling the walls close in him, it was becoming harder and harder to breath. He didn't think he could go on, he didn't think he wanted to know what lay at the end of the corridor. He didn't want to see his brother like this, he didn't want the last memories of his brother to be like this – but he owed it to Rafi's family. Turning the corner, he felt as though he was going to collapse, this couldn't be happening. He was the FBI agent, he was the one that was in the line of fire everyday, and it should have been him, not Rafi. Looking down at the floor, he shook his head as he saw the empty syringe on the floor. Rafi had it all, and he had thrown it away. He was vaguely aware of the cop talking to him, but he couldn't comprehend what he was saying.
Standing next to Danny, Meg listened to the cop telling them it was a drug overdose. With Rafi's history, it was a closed case. But something wasn't right. "I think you should investigate this as a murder," Meg said after listening to all the details.
The cop and Danny turned around to face her. "Ma-am, with his history with drug abuse-"
"Sure he had a history. But where are the other track marks? How many suicides or junkies cut their throats? And I think Rafi is left handed," she countered with palpable confidence.
Danny stared at his brother as his vision cleared and Meg's word penetrated his brain. How could he think it was a suicide? His brother was clean. He'd promised Danny that he was clean. The shallow, non-fatal cut across his throat and the fact that he had shot up in his left arm proved to Danny that his brother had been murdered.
