CHAPTER THREE

An: Thanks for the nice reviews. I'm sorry that it took so long to update, but I had to work and I have had exams … Hope you like it.

Danny was staring at a mother walking with her young son. Aiden walked up to him and gave him a cup of coffee, she made for him. He gladly accepted the coffee, took a quick sip and kept staring at the kid. "Sometimes I wish I was that young again." Aiden smiled. "thinking there's no bad in the world, nothing to be worried about, no…"

"No nothing" Aiden finishes his sentence, which made him turn towards her.

"So, you went to see Flack?" he asked in a serious but soft voice. Aiden nodded and said she told him everything she knew. What time Danny came to see her, how long he stayed,…

"I can't believe this is happening Aiden. I mean, just yesterday I was informed of maybe getting promoted and now it's all down the drain."

"No it's not Danny" She tried to comfort her friend, but she knew he was right. Guilty or not, it doesn't matter, it would surely end up in his file. Still she tried to reassure him. "Hey, we'll get you cleared. But if there's anything that could help, if there's something you want to tell me that you haven't already."

"What's that suppose to mean?" he didn't even give her time to explain it. "Danny, I didn't..Danny" He got into his car and left at a high speed.

Later that day Stella came to see how Aiden was holding up. She knew how frustrating it was to try to clear someone you care about and not finding the right evidence. But before she could reach her office, she ran into Mac.

"Stella, got a minute?"

"What's up? Any news?"

"I still haven't found the mysterious ex boyfriend. And guess what. Our witness has vanished without a trace as well."

"Hmm, what are you thinking?"

"I don't know: or there really is an ex boyfriend that paid a visit to our witness and he got spooked or .."

"No, Mac no. This is Danny we're talking about." "I know" Stella could see how this case was getting to Mac. Because he was the one who always had faith in Danny, even when Danny screwed up once, Mac kept believing in him.

"You getting any sleep?" she asked concerned, as she always did when she noticed he wasn't feeling himself. Or when he got involved with a case. Just as he was about to answer her, his phone rang.

"One of the hairs matched a Steven Vaughn. Apparently he did some time for beating up his former girlfriend."

"Could be the ex boyfriend"

"Could be our killer." Stella nodded and while she left for Aiden, Mac went to pick Steven up with the help of detective Flack."

Knock knock

"Yeah." Aiden yelled while she was going over the evidence again. "Any news?"

"No not yet, but that's not why I came." She looked confused at her superior.

"How are you holding up?" Stella asked in a soft and caring voice, like she wanted Aiden to hear in her voice, she could trust her and tell her how she really felt but Aiden answered

"I'm fine" a pause fell then she went on. "No, actually I'm far from fine. I… I don't know what to think. I mean I know Danny's innocent, he would never hurt someone he…I…I know he's innocent."

Stella slowly approached her and laid her arm around her, telling Aiden, that everything would be okay and that she believed he was innocent. The moment was interrupted by a phone call from Mac, telling her they weren't able to find Steven yet but they were able to connect Stephanie with him.

"That was Mac, they haven't found Steven yet, but there is a firm connection between Steven and Stephanie so, it's look for Danny."

Aiden arrived a half hour after the phone call from the bartender, telling her that Danny was very, very drunk and he wasn't in any condition to get home by himself.

She took a deep breath, then she entered and pulled Danny, who was chatting with two beautiful girls, aside. "What the hell are you doing, you need to clear headed now" Danny looked confused and took another sip from his drink. Aiden could feel her blood pumping in her veins. She took his drink from his hands and gave it back to the bartender.

"I didn'tt finished that yet." But she gave him a very angry look "Okay, no problem. I did, I'll just order a new one." He laughed at her and yelled for another drink but the man behind the bar wouldn't give him any.

"We're going." Aiden pulled his arm and made him follow her but first he wanted to give the two girls, he met that night a kiss, which made her even more furious. "I'm sorry ladies, I have to listen to the mrs." And he pointed at Aiden.

By the time they arrived at Danny's apartment, Danny still wasn't sober. She had to help him with the stairs and with getting the door open. Once inside Danny started to babble guilty he felt about what happened. Aiden stepped closer and tried for the second time to comfort him. They starred in each other eyes and suddenly Danny didn't seem to be so drunk anymore. He let his hands rest on her shoulders and kissed her. Aiden participated for a minute, then realized he was drunk so she pulled away. "You're drunk" She said but Danny wouldn't let her go yet. " I love you"

Aiden smiled and told him to get some sleep. By the door Danny kissed her again, still claiming to love her. "Danny stop it." But still he didn't want to let her go. He didn't want to be alone, but the truth is he was so drunk he didn't know what he was doing anymore. It took a slap from her hand to realize that.

"I'm sorry" He said in his most genuine voice. "It's okay" She helped him into bed and stayed the entire night, holding his hand.