Mary had just finished washing her face when she heard a soft knock. When a check of the peephole revealed a very contrite looking Danny, she smiled and opened the door to let him in.

"You're in your pajamas already."

"It's my day off, Danny."

"Yeah, I know, I just…it's only 8:00."

Mary shrugged as she took the large white bag Danny had brought with him and began digging through it.

"Mmmm, Okada?"

"Yeah, I figured you hadn't eaten yet."

"But, Danny, you hate sushi."

"Yeah, I ordered a burger from across the street."

Mary smiled and shook her head as he held up a smaller brown bag, already stained with grease. She leaned up to give him a soft kiss on the lips while taking the bag from his hand and setting it on the counter next to her own. "Apology accepted," she whispered.

Peeking inside Danny's bag she couldn't help but make a disgusted face. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to eat a salad every once in awhile."

"It might…"

Mary swatted him before turning to grab two plates and a couple of bottles of water from the fridge. Danny helped her move all the food to the dining table and they each dug into their respective meals.

"So, you want to tell me what's going on that's got you so upset?"

Danny sighed as he stood up to help Mary clear the table. Once that was done he took her by the hand and led her to the sofa to fill her in on the latest developments with the Masquerade Group.

"Omigod. Ed must be out of his mind with worry."

"Yeah, I've never seen him like this."

"So what's the plan? I know Frank's been watching her when she leaves the hotel, but I would assume Ed would want someone with her 24/7."

"Yeah, he doesn't want her to leave the Montecito unless she absolutely has to. He's also decided he wants Frank to be more involved with trying to track these guys. Apparently, he's got connections the FBI could only dream about."

"So he asked you to stay with Delinda, right?"

"Yeah. Listen, Mary…," Danny tried to think of the right words to reassure her.

"Danny, it's okay. I'm not upset."

"You're not?"

"Ed asked you to do this because he trusts you, Danny. And I trust you too."

"It's not me you have to worry about," Danny said under his breath.

"Are you saying that it's possible you might succumb to Delinda's charms?" Mary had a teasing tone in her voice as she pushed his body so that he was lying on the couch.

"NO! Of course not. Never," Danny told her as he helped her straddle his hips.

"Well, then. I'm not worried." Mary removed his tie with one swift tug and started on the buttons of his shirt.

An adorable pout settled on Danny's face and Mary leaned down to nibble gently on his bottom lip. "But, we've only been back together for a month and now I won't get to see you as much."

Mary sat back up and Danny noticed the worried lines now creasing her forehead. "It won't be for long, right? I mean, with all of you working on it, you'll find these guys." Her mood seemed to have shifted with the thought of being away from him.

Danny sat up so he could look straight into her eyes, his hands cradling her face. "I promise it won't be for long. And I'll see you as much as I can, okay?"

"Okay," Mary whispered.

Danny leaned in to continue their kisses before Mary stopped him.

"Danny, wait. When do you get off?"

"In about 30 seconds if you keep doing that little thing with your hips," he said, trying to capture her lips again.

Mary couldn't help but giggle as she leaned back and rested her hands on his legs so her face was just out of his reach.

"I meant work, you perv. I don't want to get into something that we're not going to have time to finish."

Danny smiled before responding. "Actually my shift ended half an hour ago, but I have to be at Mystique when they close to pick up Delinda."

"Hmmm, that gives us a little over three hours," Mary considered this in her head as Danny's hands found their way to her pajama top and worked the buttons through the holes.

"…and you really need to get some sleep too, Danny."

"Sleep is overrated," Danny mumbled as he removed her top and moved his hands from her hips to her breasts, softly outlining them with his fingers.

"Says Mr. Crankypants," Mary chided with a smile, straightening her body again so he had better access. Once she was close enough, Danny lavished her neck with attention as his hands unconsciously squeezed the soft and supple flesh of her breasts.

"Ow," Mary gasped as her hands gripped his shoulders.

"What's wrong? Was I too rough?"

"No, it's just…they're really tender for some reason."

Suddenly concerned, Danny looked at her. "What does that mean?"

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, Danny. It's probably just from lying on the massage table for so long today."

"You sure?" Danny lightly ran his hands up and down her sides, still fearful of hurting her.

"I'm positive, but maybe we should lay off the girls this time around."

"Awww, but I love the girls," he playfully whined, as he moved his hands back to her hips.

"And, believe me, the girls love you…," Mary trailed off as she felt her throat tighten with emotion. For some reason the thought of Danny not being able to touch her made Mary want to cry. "…just for tonight, okay, baby?" Danny noticed the crack in her voice and he suddenly turned serious.

"I was just teasing, sweetie. I would never do anything that might hurt you. You know that, right?"

"I know, I'm just..." Unable to put her feelings into words, Mary kissed him again until they both became lost in each other.

---

Danny straightened his tie as he stepped off the elevator on the main floor. He felt refreshed considering he'd actually been able to get a couple of hours of uninterrupted sleep. Making his way towards Mystique, Danny mentally prepared himself for dealing with Delinda. She'd definitely been taking the whole 'kidnapping' thing in stride, even giving him a seductive wink in their earlier meeting when Ed mentioned Danny would be staying with her.

Once he arrived, it only took a moment for Delinda to make her way from the back with her purse. "Thanks, Miguel. See you tomorrow," she told the bartender before winding her arm around Danny's waist and leading him out of the restaurant.

"So, you get to take care of little old me while Daddy hunts for the bad guys?"

"This is serious, Delinda. It's not some sort of game."

"Oh, I know it's serious, Danny. But it doesn't mean we can't have a little fun." Danny suddenly felt Delinda's hand on his backside and he yelped as she gave him a hard pinch.

"This is going to be a nightmare," was the last thought that rang through Danny's mind before they exited the casino.