Notes: Since this chapter is done, you get two updates in one day (thanks to Mariel)! That's very unusual for me lately! I know the last chapter was from Danny's POV, and I've been switching between Danny and Katie, but this chapter is also from Danny's POV. You'll see why as you read it. Also, several weeks have passed and I've skipped a few episodes. This is a Post-Viuda Negra and Post-The Innocents fic.


While unbuttoning his dirty, blue shirt, Danny hit Katie's cell number on his speed dial.

"Hey," she answered before the phone had the chance to ring a second time.

"Hey, yourself. How are you doing?" he asked as he shrugged off the nearly ruined shirt.

"I'll be much better if you tell me you're on your way home from the airport," she replied hopefully.

"Well, I'm not exactly back yet, but the case is over. We got our guy back, and his nutty wife is in a Mexican jail," he said, while removing his also dirt-caked jeans.

"So she was up to no good, huh?" Katie asked in a playful tone.

Laughing lightly, Danny grabbed the bag that he'd brought back to his room. Deciding to make the most of his day off in Mexico, he'd bought a pair of swimming trunks from the hotel gift shop. "Not only was she up to no good, but she was downright evil. She actually made the kidnappers cut off her husband's finger to throw us off her scent. She's one cold-blooded senora."

"Sounds dangerous. Are you okay?" she asked in a worried tone.

"Yeah. No worries. I'm safe and sound back at the hotel," he responded, careful not to expound on his earlier motorbike escapade while rescuing Mr. Costin. "As a matter of fact, we can't get a flight out until tomorrow so I'm stuck here for another 24 hours."

"Poor you," Katie countered sarcastically. "Sounds like you're getting an early start on our Mexican vacation. How will you ever entertain yourself down there?"

Putting on his sunglasses, Danny looked at himself in the mirror. Wearing the new swim trunks and a t-shirt, he looked much more like a tourist than a federal agent. "Well, Jack isn't exactly a barrel of laughs, but I plan on making the most out of our little detour."

"Should I be worried?" Katie asked jokingly.

"Nah. We've been up for the last two days. Most likely, I'll be asleep in the next hour, but I'm going to enjoy the sunshine until then."

"Good for you," Katie deadpanned. "Think of me freezing up here. They're calling for a mix of sleet and snow tonight."

"If it's any consolation, you'll be with me in my thoughts. I'll be back before you know it. Just think of it as me scoping out our next vacation destination."

"Just make sure that's all you scope out," she said jokingly before adding, "Hey, I miss you."

"I miss you, too. I'll see you tomorrow, baby."

"Bye."

"Adios," Danny said before hanging up the phone. He did miss Katie, but he was definitely looking forward to sitting out in the sun for while.

XXX

Walking towards the pool, Danny smiled when he saw Jack sitting under the shade of an umbrella. Noticing that Jack had dozed off, he quietly pulled the extra lounge chair from under the umbrella. After taking off his t-shirt, he laid down and took a deep, relaxing breath.

Minutes later, a very attractive waitress in a very small bikini approached Jack and put an icy Corona on the table next to him. Pushing his sunglasses on top of his head, Danny smiled at that waitress.

"Hola," he greeted.

"This must be for you?" she asked in English, referring to the club soda she had on her tray.

"I took the liberty of ordering for you," Jack said wearily as he sat up in his chair.

"Gracias," Danny said to the waitress, taking the club soda from her. She flashed him a sweet smile before he watched her walk away. "You even had her put an umbrella in it," he said to Jack.

"I'm thoughtful like that," Jack said, taking a sip of his beer. "You know what isn't thoughtful?"

"What?" Danny asked, glancing over at him as he put his sunglasses back on.

"You, returning to work with a perfect tan. You actually brought swimming trunks with you?" Jack asked in a disbelieving tone.

Danny laughed. "No. I bought them at the gift shop. I wanted to blend in," he said as he looked at Jack who had changed into a clean pair of jeans and a t-shirt, but still looked like an FBI agent on a stakeout. "And I wasn't going to waste this opportunity. But what does that have to do with being thoughtful?"

Jack grunted. "Plenty. You go back to New York with a tan, and I'll never hear the end of it from Sam. She already complains I never send her on anything but cold weather assignments. Our having to stay here an extra day will be bad enough; you returning with a tan will only add fuel to the fire."

Danny threw up his hands in mock defense. "Hey, is it my fault she didn't pay attention in high school Spanish? I think not," Danny replied. "And besides, I doubt it will be that noticeable. Don't worry so much." That said, he settled back into his chair, and tilted his face towards the sun.

They sat in silence enjoying the sun and warm air for close to an hour. Over the course of that time, Jack couldn't help but notice the stares Danny received from just about every female tourist that walked past him. Every so often, Danny returned the gaze and said a friendly 'hello', which often elicited a giggle from whoever was passing by.

"Maybe I should head back to my room so you can actually make the most of this."

Smiling, Danny looked over at Jack. "No need. I have absolutely no desire to make the most of anything."

"Really? Because you could probably look up Marissa from last night. She seemed pretty interested in your line."

"That was just to get her to talk to me about driving the Costin's. I don't have any interest in that either, but I still have her number, if you'd like to call her. She likes gringos."

"Thanks for the tip, but I'll pass," Jack said in a slightly grumpy tone. "So clearly, you're still seeing Ms. Mason."

"You could say that," he answered definitively.

"It's serious?"

Danny smirked as he, once again, realized how little Jack knew about him. He'd barely talked about Katie to Jack or anyone on the team since she'd come back from London. If Viv and Sam hadn't occasionally asked about her, they wouldn't have known anything at all.

"Yeah. It's pretty serious. We're talking about moving in together."

"Really? That's kind of wacky family to get involved with. Isn't her mother still at some lockdown facility? And wasn't her father just paroled?"

"Yes, but the prison thing is actually the one thing we have in common with our families," Danny replied with a smile.

Jack laughed. "Touché. I hadn't thought about it that way. How are you getting along with Mr. Mason?"

"Surprisingly well. He actually seems to like me now."

"You've treated his daughter very well. He should like you."

"So what about you?" Danny asked, because he figured he didn't have anything to lose, and Jack was being fairly open.

"What about me?"

"You should get back out there," Danny said as he looked at all the different women that surrounded the pool. "You can't keep that ring on forever."

Jack shrugged, and looked away. "It's not that easy. I mean, clearly, it's easy for you, but when you get past a certain age, and you have an ex-wife, and two daughters you barely get to see, it's kind of hard to find time for someone new."

"It doesn't have to be someone new," Danny muttered under his breath.

Jack heard him anyway. "You're full of advice today," he said, as he rose from his chair.

Danny looked up at him, hoping he hadn't gone too far. "You leaving already?" Danny asked in a disappointed tone. "I'll shut up if you don't want to talk."

"No, actually, I've enjoyed the talk, but I need to get some sleep. I'm going to head upstairs. Please don't stay out in the sun too long. It's only been an hour and you look like you've been here a week." He smiled briefly. "I can already hear Sam now."

I'm going to stay down for a few more minutes. We don't get many days like these up north," he said. He settled back, feeling like a kid again, soaking up the Florida sun.

"See you in the morning," Jack said as he turned and walked away.

"Yeah. In the morning," Danny replied, closing his eyes.

XXX

A few weeks later, Danny found himself back in chilly New York – his day in a Mexico a distant memory even though Sam had done her best to make him feel guilty about it for days afterward.. Standing under the hot spray of the shower at 6:30 in the morning, Danny tried to wake up to face the day. Leaving his warm bed with Katie curled next to him had been hard enough.

When he finally felt ready, he turned the water off and grabbed a towel. After fastening the towel low on his hips, he opened the shower curtain to find Katie sitting on the bathroom floor looking very green.

Stepping out of the tub, he bent down next to her. "Are you all right?" he asked as a brushed her hair out of her face.

Still seeming half asleep, she answered, "I…um…I must have eaten something bad or maybe it's the flu. I woke and felt sick."

Her voice sounded weak. Putting his hand on her forehead, he checked for a temperature. "You don't feel too warm," he said as he stood and wet a washcloth in the sink. Kneeling next to her again, he gently placed the washcloth on her cheek. "What'd you eat last night?"

"Not much, actually. I didn't have an appetite. I don't know what is wrong with me, but several students in my class have been out sick. That must be it. You should probably stay away from me."

Shaking his head, Danny replied, "Not a chance. Come on. Let's get you back to bed." Helping her to her feet, he guided her back to the bed. After securing the washcloth on her forehead, he asked, "Anything sound good? I think we have ginger ale in the fridge."

Katie shook her head. "No thanks. I just want to go back to sleep for a while. I have class this afternoon. I can't miss it."

"Okay. I'll leave the drink by the bed, if you want it. If it is the flu, you need fluids, right?"

"I think so," she answered wearily.

"Go back to sleep. I'll call you later this morning to make sure you're okay."

"Okay. Thanks, Danny."

"Sleep well, baby."

Danny left for work. By afternoon, he'd wished that he'd caught the flu himself. The day had started with the team looking for a missing man, but the ante had been risen when they'd discovered a load of child pornography in his home. When they'd discovered him in a hotel, his story led to another case, involving a missing girl. It was this girl's story that had made Danny sick. Her parents had died, leaving her in the care of an uncle who had made money off of her by putting her into a child sex ring. When she'd become too old, the uncle had wanted to sell her to someone else. Just thinking about it had made Danny want to come out of his skin. He had tried to keep his feelings well hidden, however. In fact, when he'd explained to Elena what might happen to the girl once her uncle didn't want her anymore, he had been matter-of-fact and unemotional. He'd explained the unspeakable options with such ease that it had scared him. As he'd ridden home on the subway late that evening, he'd started to re-think the law career that he'd back-burnered just weeks ago. Anything would be better than looking through that stack of missing and exploited children again

After he got home, he immediately took an unreasonably long, hot shower. In some way, he was trying to wash away the stench of all he saw and heard that day. When he finally got out, he dried off and then immediately collapsed into bed next to Katie. He'd spoken to her earlier in the day before their case took the dark, unexpected turn.

"Hey," she mumbled as she scooted herself towards the middle of the bed to fit in the crook of his arm.

"Feel any better?" Danny asked in the darkness as he snaked his hand around her waist to pull her closer.

"A little," she replied, still half-asleep. "I tried to wait for you, but was just so tired."

"That's okay. I'm tired, too," he said, knowing that he'd be reliving this last case in his mind all night long.

"We need to talk in the morning," Katie said as she drifted back into sleep. "Be sure to wake me."

"Okay," he replied. As he kissed her neck, he felt her body relax into a peaceful slumber

XXX

The next morning, Danny quietly showered and dressed as Katie slept. He didn't want to wake her if she was still feeling sick. As he sat on the bed to put on his socks and shoes, Katie woke up in a shudder, like she was waking from a bad dream.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she looked at him with sleepy eyes. "You were supposed to wake me."

"I couldn't do it. You looked so peaceful. And I figured if you have the flu—"

"I don't think I have the flu, Danny," she replied quietly.

"So you're feeling better?" he asked as he glanced back at her.

"Yeah, I guess, but there is something we need to talk about. Do you have a case this morning?" she asked as she ran her fingers through her tangled hair.

"No. We finished last night," he said solemnly.

"Is everything okay?"

"It will be, but let's not talk about it. What have you got?" he asked as he turned on the bed and faced her.

She smiled. "I'm not sure, but when I felt so bad yesterday I tried to figure out what was wrong. It didn't really feel like the flu."

"What'd it feel like?"

"Um…well…after I thought about it yesterday, I realized that I'm kind of late."

He was about to ask late for what, but then it clicked. As soon as the realization hit him, his stomach knotted up and his heart started to beat faster. "How late?" was all he could manage to get out.

Inching closer to him on the bed, she answered, "Almost a week. I bought a pregnancy test last night."

"Was it positive?" Danny asked as if on automatic pilot.

"Um…well…I didn't want to take it alone. I wanted you to be here. I'll take it now, if you have time," she said, her voice a mixture of uncertainty and excitement.

Swallowing hard, Danny nodded. "You should take it now. We need to know."

Before getting out of bed, Katie leaned in to him and gave him a kiss. "I love you."

Closing his eyes for a moment, Danny kissed her back. "I love you, too," he said as he forced himself to give her a supportive smile.

After giving her a few minutes to prepare the test, he walked in to the bathroom and sat next to her on the edge of the tub. "How long?"

"Um…five minutes. We should know in five minutes," she said, taking his hand in hers.

Danny nodded and then asked the next question with out even thinking. "How'd this happen? I mean I've been picking up your birth control prescription for the last few months. You've been taking it, right?" he asked as he thought about their sleepy conversation about having babies a few weeks ago.

Glancing over at him, Katie frowned. "Of course, I've been taking it."

"Well then, how?"

"I'm not sure. A couple of months ago, my doctor changed my prescription because I'd been feeling kind of depressed. She said my hormone levels were probably affected by the pill I was taking. So there were a few days where I didn't take them."

"Why didn't you tell me? Did we have sex while you weren't taking them?"

Tears filled her eyes as she let go of his hand. "It was when we weren't seeing a lot of each other so I didn't tell you, but yes, we had sex. I thought we were okay. I mean the timing—"

"You should have said something. I would have used a condom or we could have stopped before…" pausing, Danny shook his head. "We agreed that you would take the pill. We were very responsible about the whole thing, as I recall," he said, knowing he sounded way too harsh, but feeling frustrated and scared all the same.

Katie wiped her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair in complete frustration. "It was a mistake. I can't believe you are acting like this. I thought—," her statement was interrupted by the beep of the egg timer next to the test. Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself off the edge of the tub as Danny nervously chewed the inside of his cheek.

Danny watched as she looked down at the test. Letting her finger trace over the small device, he saw a few tears escape her eyes as she slightly gasped for breath.