Disclaimer: Unfortunately, they're still not mine. Lyrics are from Opeth this time. And this song is not hard metal in case any of you who recognize the band name were wondering.

A/N: So, thanks for all the reviews! That was the largest number I've had for a single chapter so far! I'm not sure whether it was because of my pleading, or because you wanted to convince me not to kill off Danny. Please people, what about Jason or Joey??? Anyway, please enjoy the final chapter of this story. There will be an epilogue coming after this, but I'm not sure how long it will take. Hopefully that will answer all questions you have left over. Enjoy!

I can't see the meaning of this life I'm leading
I try to forget you as you forgot me
This time there is nothing left for you to take, this
is goodbye

Summer is miles and miles away
And no one would ask me to stay

And I should contemplate this change
To ease the pain
And I should step out of the rain
turn away

Close to ending it all, I am drifting through the
stages
Of the rapture born within this loss
Thoughts of death inside, tear me apart from the core
of my soul

At times the dark's fading slowly
But it never sustains
Would someone watch over me
In my time of need

Lindsay opened her eyes and blinked once. She was staring into the eyes of a paramedic, who took the opportunity to shine a flashlight beam into her eye.

"Hey!" Lindsay cried out in indignation. "That's bright!"

The paramedic leaned over and told someone that she would be just fine, that there was nothing to worry about. Lindsay looked over and saw that the person the paramedic was talking to was Mac.

"Can I go now?" Lindsay asked politely.

The paramedic nodded once and Lindsay jumped out of the back of the bus and followed Mac over to where Stella was standing.

"Where's Danny?" She demanded. "Did you find him? Have you been in there yet?"

Mac looked at her with a pained expression on her face. "We've been waiting for the fire department to clear the area. They'll find him Lindsay. Don't worry."

"I know they'll find him, Mac, but will they find him alive? We both know that there's a good chance he'll be coming out as a body!" Lindsay screamed this and collapsed into Stella's arms in tears. "He can't be dead. He can't be."

All three detectives looked over to the building behind them. Stella's personal opinion was that there was no way anyone could have survived the blast. The building was leveled, except for a pole sticking out of the building. It looked like the pole had prevented that part of the building from collapsing completely. But Stella held little hope. There were patches of flames dancing around, firemen desperately trying to put them out before they reached all the flammable material nearby.

Lindsay's knees buckled as she took in the scene. How could Danny have survived that? There was nothing left. Nothing at all. She sobbed, shoulders shaking as Stella tried to comfort her. But that was a battle Stella knew she would never win. So soon after Lindsay surviving a near-death experience, she was kidnapped and managed to escape, moments before the building blew up, leaving Danny behind. How do you comfort someone going through that?

Why me? Joey saved me, because Danny told him to. Danny could have been safe. It's my fault he was still there. Why didn't I get him loose before I went to get help, I should never have left him. This is all my fault. Lindsay's thoughts were flying around her head, trying to decipher what had happened.

She looked up when the Chief firefighter came over to talk to Mac.

"We've secured the area as much as we can. We're going to search for the two men still inside. You're welcome to join us if you want. We could use some help locating them."

Lindsay jumped to her feet. "I'm going." She said.

Mac looked at her and said bluntly, "No, you're not. You need to rest; you were just caught in an explosion and hit your head hard. I don't want you wandering around an unsafe building."

Lindsay's expression shot daggers at Mac, and he recoiled from the look she was giving him. Not many things scared him, but this look was one of them. Her voice was shaking as she replied to Mac.

"I was in that building with him, and escaped moments before it blew up. If you think that I am going to stand by and watch, then you are seriously senile. I don't care if it means I lose my job. I'm going in there."

Mac looked once more at her face, sighed and nodded. Lindsay walked off in the direction of the building without another word.

She led the Chief towards the pole where Danny had been handcuffed, the one part of the building that hadn't been completely flattened. She held onto her hope. There was room for him to still be there. She quickened her pace and started to run.

As she entered the rubble, she called out. "Danny! Danny, it's me, can you hear me? Danny, where are you?" She waited impatiently for the firemen to remove a few pieces of rubble, opening a pathway into the building.
Lindsay saw a shadow and ran to it. She stopped at the pole, looking at her feet. Joey was lying about eight feet away and Danny was right at her toes. He was still handcuffed to the pole. His eyes were closed, and for a moment, Lindsay's breath caught. Her lungs felt like they had been set on fire, unable to move them, a burning feeling present every time she tried.

As Mac, Stella and the fire Chief came running up to where Lindsay was collapsed, holding tightly to Danny's slim form, they glanced at each others' faces, relief present.

For Lindsay had seen the telltale sign of Danny's chest moving up and down. While he was unconscious, he was still alive. He was still with her.

---------------

Flack greeted Stella and Mac at the door to the Lab. Stella gave him the run-down, telling him about the rescue. "Joey and Danny are in the hospital. They're both in critical condition, Joey isn't expected to survive. Danny is hanging on for the time being. Lindsay is there with them." Stella finished, looking up at Flack. He nodded once, and then responded with some information of his own.

"Mac, Jason is willing to flop on Sonny. He wants to testify against him, in return for a lighter sentence. He says he's got enough dirt on Sonny to put him away for good. What do you think?"

Mac was silent for a moment, thinking about it. "I think Jason deserves a second chance." He said finally. "I'll put in a recommendation to the DA, and we'll get it done. There's a patrol car out, ready to pick up Sonny now, and there's a state-wide APB out on his car as well."

Flack nodded, and couldn't help but feel relieved that his little brother might get out of this without too much jail time. He still had a chance to turn his life back around.

Mac veered off to his office to go take a call from the DA, while Stella and Flack headed into the lab. Stella began to work on processing the evidence that she had collected at the building. She started to put the pieces of the bomb back together, with some help from Flack.

"Sonny isn't as smart as he thinks he is. He didn't care about leaving fingerprints on these bomb pieces. We've got him!" Stella said gleefully, giving Flack a hug.

Flack's arms wrapped around Stella automatically when she hugged him, but now, he was having trouble removing them from her. He didn't want to give up the touch that was giving them a physical connection. Then he noticed that she wasn't fighting either. They stayed like that for a few moments longer, before Stella whispered into Flack's ear.

"I don't want to let you go."

She had said the one thing that Flack was thinking, and he gave her a gentle squeeze. "Neither do I. But, Mac needs these results. Why don't we grab a drink when this never-ending shift finally ends?"

Stella laughed weakly. "I'd like that."

The two of them walked out of the Lab, in the direction of Mac's office, hand in hand.

---------------

Suspect Sonny Sassone has been located, in a dark blue Ford pickup, license plate number A2T9B1, heading South on the Interstate. Requesting backup to apprehend suspect.

Flack heard the call over the police radio, grabbed his coat and sprinted out the door. Stella would have to tell Mac where he had gone.

Flack ran to his unmarked car, turned on the lights and siren, and peeled out of the underground parkade faster than he thought was possible. It didn't take him long to get to the Interstate. He joined the squad cars and radioed his progress to them.

Thankfully, Sonny decided to pull over without incident, and Flack took the lead in approaching the car. He unholstered his sidearm and placed his hand around the grip, ready to pull it out if needed. Then he stepped up to the car.

"Sonny Sassone, place your hands on the wheel where I can see them. No sudden movements."

"What seems to be the problem officer?" Sonny asked, playing dumb.

Flack was starting to grow agitated. "Step out of the vehicle."

Sonny did so, and Flack whispered in his ear. "I would have thought you'd learned your lesson the first time around. Don't fucking mess with us, we will bring you down."

"I ain't got nothing to worry about. Not as long as it's you who's trying to bring me down." Sonny answered with a sneer.

Flack slammed Sonny up against his pickup truck. "You're going away for life. Sonny Sassone, you are under arrest for murder in the first degree, aggravated assault, parole violation, conspiracy to commit murder, and attempted murder. Don't worry. I'm pretty sure we'll nail you on at least half of those charges. That's already life in prison, in case you were wondering."

Sonny glared at Flack and then, suddenly leaned forward and spat. Flack calmly wiped his face clean.

"Now, why'd you have to go and do that? That's a lot of paperwork for me. See, I have to add assaulting an officer of the law to your long list of charges now." Flack gave Sonny an evil grin. He was going to look forward to this trial. He was going to be on that witness stand, ensuring that Sonny never stepped foot outside a jailhouse again.

---------------

Lindsay stood in the waiting room to the ICU, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She hadn't been allowed in to see Danny since she got there. She could only look through the window into the room, but she couldn't see much. There were probably a dozen hospital workers, flitting around Danny's bedside and the bed next to him where Joey lay. The more time that went by, the more scared Lindsay became. The small glimpses of Danny that she could catch when the doctors moved only served to scare her more. She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes, trying to remember what it felt like to have Danny holding her.

Lindsay felt a hand on her shoulder and for just a moment, indulged in the fantasy that it belonged to Danny, that it was him comforting her.

Then she opened her eyes and looked at the person standing behind her.

Stella's kind eyes looked into her face. Lindsay would have cried if she'd had any tears left, but her eyes were too dried out from all the crying she had done while in the waiting room.

Stella looked at Lindsay, and her heart broke to see her friend like that. She looked so lost, and she looked like she had been through a huge ordeal, which of course, she had. Her hair was tussled, thrown haphazardly into a ponytail, and her makeup was gone, the only marks on her face were tear-stains. Stella pulled her into an embrace and whispered the good news into her ear.

"We got him Lindsay. We got his fingerprints on the bomb, and Jason's testimony. We can get that DVD decoded, and we can get not only Sonny, but all the Tanglewood Boys. They'll never be able to come after anyone like this again."

Lindsay nodded, unable to muster up the energy required to speak. She was happy, really, she was. But the only thing that mattered to her at that moment was Danny.

Stella sat her down and Lindsay complied. She was so exhausted that within minutes, she was sound asleep. Stella looked at her sleeping form and prayed that Danny would be okay. Because if he wasn't, then she doubted Lindsay would ever be the same again.

---------------

"Lindsay. Come on, Lindsay, wake up."

Lindsay opened her eyes and peered around the room she was sitting in. She slowly sat up; trying to work out the kink in her neck she had received from sleeping in that chair.

The first thing Lindsay noticed was that the room was silent. Everyone from the lab was there, but nobody was speaking; they were only looking at her.

"You can go in and see him now Lindsay." Mac said. Lindsay tried to read his look, but he gave away nothing.
With everyone looking, she opened the door to the ICU and walked in, to Danny's bedside.

There was already an empty chair next to him, and she accepted it, sliding herself next to the man she loved. She was scared to touch him. He had so many tubes and medical machines hooked up to him, that he looked like the bionic man, only halfway through completion. The heart monitor said he was alive, but Lindsay couldn't help noticing the pale complexion of his skin, and she tried not to relate it to the dead bodies she saw all the time at work.

She reached forward and gently put her hand in Danny's. "Hey. Danny, it's me. I'm here for you. Now don't leave me okay? You've made it this far. Don't leave me." Lindsay's voice was shaking and it was unusually high-pitched. She could feel more tears making streams down her face as she looked at him. She leaned forward and her shoulders started shaking. She shut her eyes in an attempt to block the tears, but it was to no avail. They spilled over anyway as she held onto the hand of the only man she had ever considered marrying. It just wasn't fair! They were happy, he had asked her to marry him, and she had heard the sirens, meaning they were safe. She remembered the feelings she had at that moment. It was unbelievable happiness. It seemed so distant right now, and she wondered if she would ever feel happy again.

"Lindsay?"

Lindsay kept her head down; sure she was imagining the voice of the speaker. It was probably Mac, or Flack, speaking to her, sounding so unsure. So why had she heard the distinct drawl of a Staten Island accent?

She lifted her head and saw Danny, eyes squinted open, and hand clutching hers. A grin spread over her face so fast, she was sure it was going to break her jaw. Danny lifted his hand and touched her cheek. Lindsay closed her eyes relishing his touch and she placed her hand on top of his.

"I'm here. I mean, what kind of a guy would I be to leave my fiancée behind huh?"

Lindsay couldn't speak. Danny was alive, and he wanted her. They could be together. They could be happy. Lindsay leaned forward and kissed him gently.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

It was at this point when the rest of the team, who were still waiting in the side room, decided to come in and see Danny for themselves.

Lindsay smiled as she looked around. She was so lucky right at this moment. How Danny had survived, she would never know, but she could only thank whatever entity had helped him with it. She looked around the room, at her friends, and then she looked at Danny. She grasped his hand once again, another smile breaking out over her face. She looked into Danny's eyes and she saw that goofy smirk slide over his face. After all they'd been through, this was it. It was over. They'd taken it one day at a time, and now, as the day was about to begin, they were ready – ready to be happy.

A/N: Just in the event that you don't know what the ICU is, it's the Intensive Care Unit, where people who need constant monitoring go. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know that it's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, but I ended up giving you your happy ending! Thanks to all of you who have read and reviewed this story, you've been great, and thanks to all of you who are just reading too! There will be an epilogue in a little while. That should tie up all the loose ends I've left behind.