Thanks guys for all your reviews on all the earlier chapter. And I'm really sorry for keeping you waiting so long. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

AN: In this chapter I caught up an idea by Michaela Martin. I read her story "A Tanglewood Girl" a while ago; I'm pretty sure some of you guys did it, too. I really liked the idea of a tattoo the girlfriends of the Tanglewood Boys got to show that they "belong" to one specific Tanglewood Boy. Though the whole thing isn't mentioned a lot or exactly in this chapter, I just wanted to let you know this, because I don't wanna cause any trouble around here.

As in Chapter Four the flashbacks will be in italics.

I'm looking forward to your reviews...

Chapter Five

To tell the truth he would surely never forget this face, because he'd seen it before… Of course this was one thing he couldn't tell Mac now although he had to.

It was just one more thing of his past. His and Louie's to be exact! Just one more thing Mac wasn't aware of now. But sooner or later he was sure he had to tell him.

Danny sighed.

"Drop your weapon or I'll shoot your lovely girl." Danny heard the voice from behind. He turned around to face him. He took a deep breath as he looked in one familiar face.

"Now… well hello Messer!" Danny's opponent smiled devilishly.

"James!" Danny said disparaging and lifted his weapon again. He could kill him any second, but he hesitated.

"Long time no see, huh? How things are going?"

"What do you want?" Danny asked. James Clark stood right in front of him. He held a weapon, too. He looked straight into Danny's eyes.

"First of all, that you drop your weapon as I said before. Then we can talk."

"No way man."

"You really want to see her hurt, don't ya?"

"Don't you dare to hurt her, James."

"You know me better than this, Messer. You know that I can and that I will do it, if this is necessary. But…" He paused. "…maybe I'll just have a little fun with her."

Danny closed his eyes. He believed every word James had said. He'd seen it before. To be a girl near James, especially when she was James' girlfriend, was like walking between living and dying. Danny sighed. He tried to slug down his anger, to calm down a little bit.

"If you'll ever touch her, believe me I'll kill you!" Danny said.

"I don't think so. So if you don't mind, drop your weapon. I won't say it again." He released the safety catch of his weapon.

"Fine" Danny hissed finally.

He tried to keep his fears of losing Lindsay shut in the back of his mind. Yes, he knew this guy. If he'd told that he would shoot, James definitely would. He couldn't risk that and play the hero when Lindsay was around and could so easily get hurt. Danny lifted one hand and kneeled down cautiously. He tried to keep his eyes on the man who'd caused so much trouble in his and Louie's past. More than once he was involuntary witness of James' doings. Sometimes he had still nightmares from most of them.

Danny laid the weapon on the floor and came back to his feet.

"Now we can talk." James said finally. "Well, old buddy. How ya doin'?" he grinned.

"It's not your business anymore" Danny said harsh.

"Cool down here, Messer. Don't try to play a hero. Remember what I said? If I were you I would remember the things we've done in the past."

Danny stayed silent.

"I'd say we have a deal here, right?! This or your girl gets hurt."

"Keep her out of this." Danny screamed.

"Whoah, it seems to me that our little Danny Boy, who'd always said that girls were just for fun in his life, has a crush on his co-worker. What changed your mind, Messer?"

"Fellows like you did."

"Ouch… You're breaking my heart, Danny. After all we've been through."

"Don't talk to me like if we were friends. And you should know that the days of Tanglewood are numbered. Sonny Sassone isn't the head of the Tanglewood Boys anymore. He'll rot in jail for what he'd done. And very soon, so are you." Danny was angry. He pointed a finger on Clark.

As he wanted to take his finger back, James took the finger in his hand and broke it. Danny tried to hide the pain but he failed and let out a painful cry. Tears came to his eyes as he was on his knees. Then he felt the cold steel of the gun on his temple.

"You son of a bitch!" he hissed.

"Now listen very carefully, Messer. Actually I really don't give a damn thing 'bout ya and your life. I could end this here any second and you would never see your girl again. Understood?"

Danny nodded.

"I just wanted to let you know that we still have a score to settle. You know what happened when you were supposed to be on watch on this night?"

Danny nodded again. Yes, he knew.

"You can't blame me for your businesses." Danny said. James shook his head and brandished with his gun.

"My girl got shot. You were supposed to tell us if anything would go wrong." he screamed at Danny.

"It wasn't my fault, James."

"I loved her. She was expecting my baby. She was mine."

"She wasn't yours. She only belonged to herself. You cannot speak of someone as your property. It doesn't work out that way."

"What are you talking about? You know how the Tanglewoods are dealing with something like that. And if not, you should ask someone who knows our way. Your brother Louie will know."

This was it. As he heard his brother's name Danny couldn't get cool down again. Ever since that happened to Louie he wanted to blame someone for it. Although he could take those thoughts aside as good as it gets. Lindsay had always helped him dealing with this. She was his confidante and she would always be.

"How do you dare to say his name? You know what happened to him."

"Danny?" Danny turned his head in the direction Lindsay's voice came from. He begged she wouldn't show up now.

"No" he whispered. Then he looked up at James, who was smiling. "Keep her out of this!" he begged. He wasn't sure why but he felt something coming. Something that would change his and her life pretty soon. And it scared the hell out of him. He doesn't wanted to lose her. He closed his eyes as he heard her scared voice again.

"Danny, are you alright?" He felt the gun on his temple again.

"Tell her that you're alright!" James commanded.

"The hell I will!" Danny hissed.

"Too bad."

"Danny? Dammit. Where are you?"

"He's here." James answered. Danny closed his eyes.

"I'll kill you, James. Keep her out of this."

"Danny!" Finally she was standing right in front of the two men. "Let him go!" she commanded.

"No way"

"Don't…" Danny was hit with the gun. Lindsay watched the whole scene scared like hell. She was pale; she was shocked and she was afraid that Danny could get killed. God, a few minutes ago both of them were smiling and laughing. And now? How could this escalate so quickly?

"What do you want?" Danny heard her shaking voice. "Leave him alone!" Slowly he opened his eyes. His head hurts like hell. His finger was nearly numb. He felt his warm blood running down his head.

"Lindsay" Danny shook his head. "No" he looked straight into her eyes, begged that she would leave. He saw the concern in her eyes. Then he formed with his lips. "Just leave!"

Lindsay shook her head. "I'll never leave you!" she whispered. She nodded and smiled slightly. Danny did it, too.

"Well I really hate to disturb this little, very romantic situation, but Danny and I we have some business to do here." James said and lifted Danny back to his feet. "If you'll excuse us"

Lindsay pointed her gun at James. "No way. You're not going anywhere"

„Well, then we may have a problem here, cause if you're not gonna let us leave…"

"Lindsay, do what he'd said. Just let us go!"

Lindsay shook her head. Tears came to her eyes and fell down her cheeks. "No" she said. Danny wanted to hold her close, make her pain go away, but he couldn't. He hated this guy for doing this to her. All that he wanted was killing James Clark right here, right now.

Lindsay released the safety catch of her weapon. "Just… let… him… go" she repeated very slowly.

"You're really stubborn, little girl. He cannot save you. He will hurt you. Remember my words. He was ever this kind of guy. He'll never change." James said.

"I don't believe you and I don't care. He has changed a lot since we first met. Believe me."

Danny couldn't resist but to smile. He blushed slightly. Yeah, Lindsay made a better man out of him. The old player Danny Messer was gone the very first moment she came into his life. She completed him … in many ways.

Liked it??? Please review. Uh just another little, but very important thing... ya it'll be continued...