A gentle hand on his shoulder and a quiet voice calling his name woke Danny the following afternoon. He opened his eyes and saw Steve looking back at him.

"I'm sorry, Danno. I wasn't sure if you were going to be asleep or not."

"It's fine. Was Sam picked up yesterday? How's Emily?"

"Hold on, not so fast. I want to know about you first. Your color's looking better and the swelling's gone down. How're you feeling?"

"Still sore, but my vision's getting better. Things are a lot less blurry today."

"How about your ribs?"

"Wrapped. Doc said the bruises on my stomach have cleared up enough that he didn't feel like he needed to worry about them when wrapping my rib cage."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. Your breathing doesn't sound as labored and shallow today."

Danny shook his head. "It's not. Will you tell me about Sam and Emily now?"

"Sam was picked up at home yesterday; he was getting ready to skip town. From what I understand, he's singing like a bird."

"What about Emily?"

When Steve hesitated and glanced at the door, Danny began to worry. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing's wrong; she's fine, Danno. But she's waiting outside in the hall, and she's not sure she should come in. She thinks you're not going to want to see her."

Danny couldn't believe his ears. "What? Why not?"

"Well, after her initial panic wore off yesterday, I think she realized that she handled the situation wrong. Instead of bringing the wallet and her concerns to the police first, she took them to her cousins. In doing so, she not only put herself in danger, but she also brought you back into the line of fire. She hasn't said as much, but I think she's figured that out, and now she's worried that you might not want to see her because her mistake could've gotten you killed."

"Send her in here; let me talk to her."

Danny watched his boss leave the room and saw Emily enter a few moments later. She didn't look at him, but at her hands as she wrung them nervously.

"I'm gonna be fine. You know that right?"

Emily nodded silently, still not looking at him.

"Nothing happened to me yesterday. Did Steve tell you that? He and Chin got here before anything happened." Danny paused, waiting to see if she'd turn her gaze his direction. "Emily, look at me. Did you confront your cousins yesterday?"

She offered a whispered "Yes."

"Honey, that was wrong, because you could've gotten hurt. But you also went to the police, and that was right. What started out as a mistake turned into a good thing. You saved my life, Emily, and I can't say 'thank you' enough."

xXxXx

Danny's words sunk in, and Emily slowly realized what they meant. She thought about all the times she'd wished she could pay him back for that day at the bank, then gave him a small smile.

"You don't have to say it. I owed you one from the bank, and now I guess we're even."

xXxXx

Steve stood just outside the door, feeling a little guilty for eavesdropping. But he was also glad that he had.

How often does a child make the connection between paying a debt and paying a life for a life?

Steve glanced inside and saw Emily place a child's tender kiss on Danny's cheek as she whispered, "I love you, Danny."

He smiled gently at the sentiment as he pulled his head out of the door, and crossed his arms over his chest. For the time being, things were all right. Yes indeed, they were all right.