Everything was dark; his body felt distant as if he was an empty case. Suddenly he felt scared, his heart began to race he tried to breath but he couldn't something was blocking his airway. He started to groan but it scratched and ached in his throat. Danny was hurting his body was coming back to him and it was as if someone was stabbing him with a white hot dagger over and over again. When he opened his eyes tears streamed down his face, he wanted it to stop

Suddenly there was a hand gripping his tightly, and a hand caressing his face. Then he heard it. The voice that he had been missing for longer then he could recall. "Danny, baby calm down, just breath. Shh... it's okay I'm here." Lindsay said softly while stroking his hair.
Lindsay's face came into focus and his body seemed to relax. The memories of the last couple weeks came flooding back to him all at once; Danny squeezed his eyes shut and let the tears roll down his face. Lindsay's grip on his hand grew tighter, as she tired to comfort his trembling body.

"I've called the nurse, they are going to come and give you something for the pain ok. It's going to be ok. Danny, look at me?" Lindsay was speaking softly as to not scare him; Danny looked up at her with tears on the rims of his blue eyes. "You're ok. I'm here, and I'm not leaving. Ever." Danny's nodded as a single tear fell. "Ok."

Lindsay stood stroking his hair waiting, their eyes were locked on each other. Nothing needed to be said, they both shared the same thought 'God, I missed you. I love you.'

They were interrupted when a small nurse came in to the room, "Sorry love, did you call?" she had a small voice, but friendly voice.
"Yeah, he's awake. He's been pulling at the tube. Did you page Stevens?" Lindsay said, never taking her eyes off of Danny.

"I did, he should be here shortly. Mr. Messer, you gave us quite the scare. Are you in any pain?" Danny nodded, he afraid to move his body in case the white hot daggers came back again. "Ok sweety, we're going to take care of you. We can take that tube out as soon as Dr. Stevens gets here, ok? Just try and relax for me, I'm going to get you something for the pain." She turned on her heel and left Danny and Lindsay alone once more.

"Everything's going to be ok. Just keep fighting for me ok?" Lindsay picked his hand off the bed and kissed it; as she did a single tear fell from her eye. For the first time in the last two months, they were happy tears.

"Danny, we were starting to worry." Dr. Stevens said as he came into the room and approached the bed. " How are you feeling? Crappy? In a lot of pain?" Danny nodded in reply. "Ok, that's going to be expected; you had some severe infection, we had to debreed a large area of your wounds. We'll give you some morphine. Ok, why don't we get that tube out. Ok Danny, you remember how we do this?" Danny nodded and squeezed Lindsay's hand, she could tell he was afraid. "Ok then Dan, on three. One...two...three.. and blow." Danny did and he exploded into a fit of coughing. The contractions of his stomach muscles however sent shock waves through his body. He resisted his urge to throw up, he knew nothing was in his stomach and it would just induce more pain. Dr. Stevens put a hand on his shoulder to calm him. "Ok...Ok... just try and relax, just breath. Come on Danny."

Lindsay was above him again as she took his face in both her hands, "Hey, just relax Danny, baby breath. Shah... relax your body." Danny was looking in her eyes but he felt so weak, he was struggling to keep them open.

Danny's body was thrashing as he coughed, everything ached. In the corner of his eye he could see Dr. Stevens injecting something into his IV tube, a nurse came out of no where with a suction tube and was sticking it in Danny mouth. Suddenly, the pain was lessening and he was breathing again.

His body seemed control itself again, and he could feel himself drifting away. Lindsay sat on the bed beside him and leaned down and kissed his forehead, and picked up his hand and squeezed it.

"Sleep Danny, I'll be here when you wake up again. I promise." As Danny was quickly falling asleep, he reached out his hand and lay it on Lindsay's growing stomach, and Lindsay placed her hands on his. Danny fell back to sleep with a smile on his face.

The New York air was cold, it chilled down to the bone. Breath froze as it left it's vender. The sun was rising and with it brought warm colours that danced across the New York skyline like paint on canvas. As the sun peaked over the horizon, the city was saturated in orange light. At six am, this is when New York City is the most like a new born child; ready for everything. A new beginning.

Danny sat in an old chair with a blanket wrapped around his still weak frame, watching the colours dance around the sky from his balcony. He had been out of the hospital a month, he felt as though things were starting to happen for him. He could feel himself getting stronger everyday, although he still needed help with most tasks, the pain being to great to bend certain ways. Returning to work at this point was not an option, which he was thankful for, he knew he wouldn't be able to handle it. The long hours, working in the lab, it was not something he needed right now. He spent most days sleeping and doing his physiotherapy.

Most mornings he spent here, he did not know what the purpose was. He could not sleep in, he would wake at five am, and move to the balcony, careful not to wake Lindsay on the way. It was if he sat there waiting for someone to tell him the reason he survived, if you can call it that. His life has changed so drastically in the following five months since he was shot. Danny was so used to his room at the hospital that when it was time to leave, he was excited but terrified of what lie on the outer walls of his hospital room. He played strong, but Lindsay knew better. She listened when he complained about his recovery, she rubbed his back at night when he couldn't suppress a groan from the pain in his abdomen. She just knew.

His guilt however was another pain; Lindsay was seven months pregnant and she was beautiful. Every time she had to bend down to pick something up because he couldn't do it without retching out in pain, his heart hurt. He didn't want help, he wanted to get his life back. He wanted Lindsay to be the beautiful mother to be, and he wanted to do things for her. Things that he could have done without a hitch before, but now were hour long tasks.

As the colours began to light up the sky, Danny felt Lindsay come outside and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and kiss his neck. She leaned on him, gently so she wouldn't hurt him, her arms around his neck warmed his entire body.

"Baby, what are you doing? Come back to bed." Lindsay whispered in his ear.

"Hey, I just... it's so beautiful." Danny said, without taking his eyes off the sky above them. He felt grateful for her being there, but guilty all the same.

"You okay?" Lindsay had concern in her voice as she came around in front of Danny into the chair beside him; she placed a hand on his thigh, and leaned into him.

"Yeah, I guess. Linds, I'm sorry." He turned toward her so he was facing her. Lindsay looked confused.

"What? Why? For what?" Lindsay said as softly as she could with a bound of confusion in her tone.

"You shouldn't have to take care of me, I'm useless. I don't want you to waste your time. I just... I'm sorry... This must be so hard for you." Danny was now looking at his hands unable to look her in the eye.

"No... no, Danny. This is hard for you, and I am sorry. You are not useless. Don't ever say that ag..." Danny cut her off before she could finish.

"No I am! I want to take care of you, I want you to be happy! I can't do anything. You spend all day helping me pick things up and wash my hair and..." This time, Lindsay cut him off by taking his face in her hands and kissing him as hard and as passionately as she could. When they broke, Lindsay pressed a finger to his lips so that he could not speak first.

"Listen to me, and listen good. You are not a 'job' for me to take care of. I LOVE YOU. I take care of you because the thought of not taking care of you, makes me loose my breath. I am happy when I am with you, I help you pick things up, because the sight of you in pain breaks my heart. Danny, I don't do this because I have to, I do it because I want to. This is not hard for me, and I am truly sorry if you have been feeling guilty about that. I had no idea how hard this must be on you, and for that, I am so sorry. Please don't ever think that." When she finished she was still holding his face. Danny's eyes were squeezed shut, he was terrified if he opened them he would loose all control. He took a long, deep breath and opened his eyes to find that he and Lindsay were both crying.

"I love you so much, you know that right?" Danny said, bringing his hands up to Lindsay's face and wiped away her tears. Lindsay nodded in reply and forced a weak smile. "I know it... Danny?" Lindsay said pulling him closer again, he looked up at her trying to hold his composure. "yeah?" he replied.

"I wash your hair so that I can get you naked in the shower." She said with a wide smile on her face. They both laughed through their tears and held onto each other as if they were going to loose each other if they let go.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." Danny said as, this time, he pulled her into a deep passionate kiss.

"So Cowboy, I know you're pain... but do you think you have anything left in you?" Lindsay said with a smirk on her face, Danny smiled and kissed her again.

"I think I could manage... lets go back to bed." He held out his hand to her, she took it kindly and together they stood and he wrapped his arms around her as they walked into the apartment and into the bedroom.

Danny turned before going into the room and looked back at the skyline. "Thank you, Aiden." He said to himself. Someone had finally given him the answer he was looking for. The reason he survived.

Hey Guys, I think I could so a continuation story. I haven't decided yet. Tell me what you think! I want Reviews!!