Police and Emergency Personnel have arrived at the apartment building where the landlord has been holding Molly hostage. A single gunshot has prompted back up officers to enter the building armed with guns and bullet proof vests. Attempts to communicate with Drake and Taylor have failed, which has their Captain worried. He too enters the building armed with a gun and a bullet proof vest.
Inside the basement Molly is almost free of her bonds. She gently rubs her wrists and lightly sobs as her legs are being untied. Two backup officers emerge and immediately take the landlord into custody. He has been shot in the chest. EMTs also join them and start to treat Molly and the landlord.
Drake stands up and turns around to see Taylor holding the service weapon she used to shoot the landlord. She is staring at the landlord, the look of shock written all over her face, and she is struggling to catch her breath. Drake slowly walks over to her. He gently takes both of her hands in his and gets her to let go of the gun. He takes it from her and tucks it away. Their Captain joins them and is relieved to see that they are both alright. Taylor continues to stare at the landlord and Drake continues to stare at her. The events that took place in the last five minutes start to sink in for both of them. She shot the landlord in order to stop him from shooting Drake. She saved his life.
"I need your gun" Captain says to Taylor. Drake has her gun and hands it over, then watches the Captain walk away. Drake puts his hands in his pockets and lets out a sigh. He looks at his partner again, and she is still staring at the landlord. The EMTs put him on a stretcher and start to wheel him away. They wheel him past Taylor, and she and Drake watch until he is no longer in the basement. While this is happening, CSU agents arrive and start processing the scene.
Drake puts his hand on Taylor's shoulder and she turns around to face him. "Let's get out of here" he says to her.
/
At the Station House, Taylor is sitting at her desk in silence. Drake finishes with his paper work and sits down at his desk which is directly across from hers. Drake is watching her, waiting for her to say something. She doesn't make eye contact with him. She has her hands folded on her desk and she is staring at them. "Internal Affairs is going to be all over this" she says softly.
"You didn't do anything wrong" Drake says. He is calm, and he clearly does not see anything wrong with what Taylor did.
"I shot a man" she says as she looks up at him.
Drake can see that her eyes are red, and she is scared. He stands up and walks over to her. He sits down on her desk and she looks down at her hands again. "He was going to shoot me. And if you didn't shoot first, he would have. Because of you, I get to go home to my wife and kids tonight"
Taylor takes a deep breath and lets it out. "We're partners. I know you would have done the same thing"
"You're right. I would have"
Drake looks up and sees his wife. Tears are threatening and she looks like she is going to collapse as they make eye contact. Drake rushes over to her and pulls her into a tight embrace. He rubs her back as she starts to cry in his arms. "Bethy, what's wrong?" he asks her as he pulls out of their embrace and holds her in front of him.
"I saw it on the news" she says as she wipes tears that have dripped onto her beak. "They showed the apartment building and they were talking about Molly, I know that's the young woman you were looking for. And the reporter said she heard a gunshot"
Drake holds his wife again and tries to get her to calm down. "It's okay. I'm okay, I promise" He continues to hold her and then whispers to her "I'll let you see for yourself later tonight." Beth laughs and starts to relax. Drake lets her go and she nods, letting him know that she's okay. "Give me a minute okay?"
Drake kisses Beth's forehead and then turns and walks back to his partner. He sits on her desk again. "I owe you an apology. And… you should listen because it doesn't happen very often"
Taylor manages a grin and looks up at him.
"I'm sorry I gave Captain a hard time last year….. about partnering me with you. You really had my back today, and I'll always be grateful for that. And I promise to always have yours"
Taylor is pleased and she nods her head. "And when Internal Affairs questions you?"
"I will tell them the truth. That you shot our perp to stop him from shooting me and our victim.
Drake stands and leaves the station with a protective arm around his wife.
/
The next day Gosalyn is home by herself in the afternoon. Drake has made good on his promise and has taken his family out for ice cream since Jessie managed a full day without her hat. Gosalyn opted to stay home. She is sitting on the couch watching Sports Talk when the doorbell rings. She raises her eyebrow. Who could that be? She wonders to herself, slightly annoyed. She walks over to the door and opens it to Tank.
"Abby's not here"
"I know" he says. "Can I come in anyway?"
Gosalyn steps aside and allows Tank into the house. He walks into the family room and sits on the couch. Gosalyn follows him.
"What are you doing here?" she asks him, still slightly annoyed.
"I'm actually here to see you. Hope that's okay"
"I guess. What's this about?" Gosalyn sits down on the couch.
"Skyler" he says so matter-of-factly.
"What about him?"
"You two aren't together, and I thought that was only temporary, but now I'm starting to think that that's not the case"
Gosalyn catches herself glaring at him, but then recovers. "It's not temporary"
"Are you okay?"
"What?" This catches Gosalyn off guard. Why is he here? What's it got to do with him anyway?
"I asked you if you were okay"
"Tank….." she doesn't know what to say, and she starts to get annoyed again. "Really?"
"Okay, look, I know that I'm not your favorite person in the world. You and I have had this boy-girl-annoying-neighbor banter relationship for years and I'm not about to put a stop to it. Skyler's my best friend, but I've known you a lot longer. So I just wanted to check on you to see if you were alright"
Gosalyn is frozen in her spot. She's never expected Tank to care so much, about anything for that matter. Although it has recently become clear to her that Tank cares about Abby. Maybe there's hope for him yet.
"Um, Thank you?" she says.
"Not the answer I was expecting, but you're welcome?"
"I'm just surprised that you have taken interest in my feelings about this. It's kind of out of left field"
"Like my friendship with Skyler" he agrees.
"Yeah"
Tank shifts on the couch so that he is facing her more. "I know it is very uncharacteristic of me, but lately I've been doing a lot of things that are very uncharacteristic of me, so why stop now?"
"Like, asking Abby for a more emotionally intimate relationship?" the words are out of her mouth before she can stop them, and she regrets saying them.
Tank smiles at the thought of Abby, and also takes joy in Gosalyn's discomfort on the subject. She visibly squirms. "She told you about that huh?"
Gosalyn looks at Tank and tries to figure out if he's angry or grateful that Abby told her about his recent request. "Abby and I talk, and she confided in me. Don't be mad at her"
"I'm not mad" he says, his tone is calm. "I just hope she considers it. I think it will be good for both of us."
Gosalyn cannot believe her ears. She listened to Abby when she said that Tank wants more in their relationship, but to hear it straight from Tank has an even bigger affect. "You really care about her"
"Yes I do, oddly enough. I've gotta say I've never expected that to happen" Tank says with a grin.
Gosalyn grins back at him. "Neither did I. I'm happy for you"
"Thanks Gosalyn" Tank shifts the focus back on her. "Is there anything I can do for you? You know, I can talk to Skyler…."
"No" she interrupts him. "Please… don't do that, that is really not necessary"
Tank eyes her curiously, wondering if he should ask her his next question. "Did you really sleep with that Javo guy?"
Gosalyn is frozen in her spot again. This time her eyes are open wide. Did he just ask me that question? she wonders to herself.
She is saved by the front door opening and Jake and MacKena running into the house, followed by the rest of the family. Tank stands to greet Abby with a soft kiss.
"What are you doing here?" she asks him.
"I came to talk to Gosalyn. I've gotta go, but can we get together later?"
"Sure" she answers him and they part with another kiss.
Abby sits down with Gosalyn while the rest of the family retreats to different parts of the house.
"What was that about?" Abby asks her.
"He came to check on me" Gosalyn answers with a weird look on her face. "Anyway, I think you should do it"
"Do what?"
"Do what Tank asked you to do, and open up to him"
"Gosalyn, I don't think I can do that." Abby squirms in her seat just thinking about it.
"Yes you can, and you have to. Tank is crazy about you Abby. Your relationship has changed him so much. I can tell it's not just about the sex for him."
"Is that what you too were talking about?" Abby says, sounding as appalled as possible.
"No, that's not what we were talking about. It's just the way he was today when he was talking to me, I could tell. He has it bad for you, and I think if you take this to the next level… trust me, you won't regret it."
"Gosalyn, you make it sound so easy, but it's not"
"It's not easy, it's hard. Really hard, but you care about him, and he cares about you, and I think you owe it to each other to make this leap"
"Okay, I'll think about it. But while I'm doing that, I think you should take a good look at your situation with Skyler."
Gosalyn shifts uncomfortably in her seat, but tries to stay cool. "Skyler and I don't have a situation."
"He still cares about you Gosalyn. That has to count for something."
/
Later in the day, Drake is walking around the house looking for his family. "Beth!" he calls out. She walks into the family room to greet him.
"Drake, what is it?"
"Where is everybody?"
Beth manages to act cool and hide her excitement while she answers his question. "Well, Abby's at Tank's, your sister took the kids to a movie, and Gosalyn is having coffee with Bree"
Drake raises an eyebrow. "Why is Gosalyn having coffee with Bree?"
"Honey calm down. Bree extended the invitation and Gosalyn accepted. I'm sure Gosalyn will tell you all about it later." Beth takes his hands in hers and continues to restrain her excitement, but it's becoming increasingly difficult. "I thought it would be nice for the two of us to have the house to ourselves for a few hours"
Drake calms down and gives his wife a seductive smile. "Oh really, what did you have in mind Mrs Mallard?" He puts his arms around her, and she reaches up and puts her arms around his neck.
"I was thinking we could…." She whispers her intentions into his ear, and his smile grows larger. He scoops her up into his arms and carries her upstairs, which makes her squeal.
/
Tank and Abby are in his room. They are both sitting on the floor next to his bed talking about events of the past week. Abby is the first to bring up the subject of his recent request.
"I thought about what you said, and I'd really like to give you what you want" she starts.
"But?" he says, sensing that this isn't going to happen.
"I need you to understand that this is really hard for me, opening up about things that are very personal for me, and things that hurt me" Abby says, she's looking down at her fingers on the carpet.
Tank picks up her hand and kisses it gently, offering some reassurance. "You don't have to do this"
"Yes I do, because I want what you want. I just haven't allowed myself to believe that. I've tried to hide my feelings because I don't want to get hurt. And…. well, with your reputation, I just assumed that you would hurt me. Get bored with me and move onto someone else."
"And now?"
"You've surprised me" she says as she looks up at him. "You don't make me feel like I'm just some girl you have sex with. And I thought that that's what it was going to be like with you. I thought I was going to be some number to you, and on some level I was okay with that because I needed that from you."
Tank has a sad expression. "I hope you don't still feel that way"
"I don't. You do things to show that you care, and that's new to me. It's not something I'm used to."
"Are you used to people mistreating you?" Tank asks, this time with a confused expression.
"Yes" Abby breathes, and Tank can see that this is very difficult for her. He sighs.
"I meant what I said, you don't have to do this" he says to her, and gently puts his hand on her cheek to reassure her.
"No, I have to. I need to tell you" she says as a tear starts to drip down her face. Tank wipes the tear away with his thumb and then leaves go of her. "You already know that my mother was in jail, and my stepfather is in jail right now"
"Yeah, for tax evasion"
"That's what I told everybody, but that's not the truth" Abby says, more tears start to well in her eyes. "He um, he abused me…. physically, emotionally and sexually, and he abused my mother" Abby can hardly get the words out, her voice filled with great emotion and pain. Tank is still and pale. He didn't see this coming. He looks like he'd been punched in the gut. "Say something" she pleads.
"Um, how long?" Tank's voice is also filled with emotion, something that Abby's never seen in him.
"It started when I was twelve, right after she married him. My mother was arrested because the police felt that she had means to stop him"
"Why didn't she?" Tank's voice quickly changes from emotional to angry.
"He abused her too. I think she was afraid of him. And I was afraid to tell anyone"
"You, you were a child. You couldn't possibly get out of that situation on your own." Tank tries to reassure her and himself. "It wasn't your fault"
"I know that now" Abby says, she takes Tank's hand in an attempt to be the reassuring one. "I didn't know that then, but I know that now. The Mallards helped me see that. And, they are the only ones that know about this. Them and, now you"
"I won't tell anyone, you have my word. You can trust me."
Abby nods her head and manages to smile at Tank.
"I really want to just hold you right now, would that be okay?" he asks her. She nods her head again and allows him to pull her toward him. He holds her tight while he tries to register what she had just told him. He brings his hand up to her head and kisses her hair.
/
Gosalyn and Bree sit at a table at the coffee house just a few yards away from the movie theater. Hayley had dropped Gosalyn off before taking in a movie with Jessie, Jake and MacKena. Gosalyn is enjoying a carmel latte while Bree has a black coffee. Gosalyn has not talked to Bree since before the Javo incident, and she's is curious about what Bree has to say.
Bree takes a sip of her coffee and looks up at Gosalyn. "How's your latte?"
Gosalyn takes a sip of her latte and wipes away some whipped cream that has remained on her beak. "It's good. I haven't had one of these in a while"
Bree smiles warmly at Gosalyn, then she goes back to frowning. Gosalyn notices and decides to take the lead. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"First I want to apologize to you. What happened at your last rehearsal, with the fire… and with Javo…"
"Please" Gosalyn cuts her off. "I'd rather not talk about that."
"I understand. I just feel responsible. As your teacher I should have looked out for you. You have every right to blame me for this."
"I'm sure my Dad does, but I don't blame you. I'm not a little kid" she snaps, taking Bree by surprise.
"No, you're not. But you are a minor, and I know now that I need to be more careful and selective when it comes to the teachers and students that I work with. And when I say students, I really hope that can still include you."
Gosalyn takes a moment to think about this. She takes another sip of her latte and looks down at the table. "I don't know that I'm ready to dance with anybody again" she says softly.
"I understand, but I was thinking more in the lines of solo performances." Gosalyn looks up at Bree, she's caught her interest. "I have a few competitions coming up, and I'd really like to work with you and choreograph some solo numbers if you are interested."
Gosalyn does not give her an answer right away, but she is definitely interested in competing again. Dancing, am I ready for this? "I'd like to talk to my Dad about this first, you know, so I'm not going behind his back"
"Understood" Bree smiles and continues to drink her coffee.
/
Drake and Beth are enjoying a nice hot bubble bath in a spa tub that they had recently installed in their bathroom. Drake is enjoying the investment more now that he gets to spend time in the tub with this wife. They are sitting across from each other, and Drake is massaging her feet.
"Mm, what did I ever do to deserve this?"
Drake looks up at her and gives her a goofy grin. "You love me"
"I sure do. Why did we wait so long to take a bath together in this luxurious tub?"
"We have a house full of kids. We're going to have to have Hayley take them out more often so I can have you all to myself." Drake reaches over and kisses his wife.
"My turn" she says. She moves so that she is behind him and starts to wash and massage his shoulders, his arms, his back and his chest. Drake puts his head back toward her and enjoys the feel of her hands on him. "How's that feel?"
"That feels good baby" he says softly.
Beth finishes and sits next to Drake. He wraps his arm around her and they sit in silence for a few minutes. Drake can sense that she has something on her mind and asks her about it. "Something on your mind?"
"Hm? No, not really"
"Tell me" he says. He knows better than to let this go.
Beth lets out a sigh and sits up so that she can look him in the eye. "I was really scared yesterday"
"I know you were. I'm sorry about that. I hate that you had to have that idea in your head for even a second." Drake reaches up and pushes her hair away from her face.
"Tell me what happened"
"Beth, no…"
"Please, I need to know"
Drake shakes his head. "Why?"
"Because, I am your wife. I deserve to know what you had to face"
Drake is reluctant, but decides to tell her about the incident with the landlord. "The landlord kidnapped Molly, and he was holding her hostage in the basement. He had her tied up in a chair and gagged. I started to untie her and the landlord was about to shoot me." Drake stops when he sees the expression on Beth's face. She grimaces, but then stops because she wants Drake to continue. "Vance shot him before he could, she saved my life."
"She did" Beth gasps and has tears run down her face. Drake reaches up to wipe them away.
"Yeah, she did. I'm lucky to have her as my partner. She's smart, she's sharp, and she's quick on her feet. So, if I am ever in a situation like I was yesterday, I want you to know that I have a partner that has my back, and I'll always have her back. Right?"
Beth quickly nods her head, she still has tears in her eyes, fearful of what could have happened and what could still happen since her husband is a police detective. He puts his life in danger in order to help others. "I'm proud of you" she says to him softly. She holds his face as he kisses her.
/
Drake and Beth walk into the foyer to greet Hayley and the kids when they arrive home. They are smiling and holding hands. Hayley is pleased that she was able to take the kids out for them. Gosalyn cannot resist her urge to tease Drake about it.
"So, how was your evening Mr and Mrs Mallard?"
Drake smiles fondly at her. He will not allow her to kill his good mood. "Kitchen" he says to her with a small hint of reprimand. She does as she's told and walks into the kitchen. Drake kisses Beth again and follows his daughter.
/
When Drake walks into the kitchen, he watches as Gosalyn quickly prepares a snack of crackers and grapes. They both sit at the table and she moves the plate between them to share.
"So, how'd your meeting go with Bree?" Drake asks as he pops a grape into his mouth, trying not to sound annoyed with her, but Gosalyn knows better.
"Beth told you, huh?"
"Beth and I don't keep secrets. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I knew you'd freak out. I didn't want you to stop me from going"
Drake tries to control the anger that is starting to build inside him. He hates when his daughter keeps things from him. He rubs his head hard. "Alright, so you met with Bree, what did she want?"
"She wanted to know if I wanted to start dancing again" Gosalyn says innocently as she starts on a cracker.
"What did you tell her?"
Gosalyn shrugs her shoulders. "I said I'd think about it, and that I wanted to talk to you about it." Gosalyn throws that last bit in there to get back in his good graces, and it seems to work.
"Gos, is this something that you want? Because if it is, I'm not going to hold you back from it"
Gosalyn thinks this over for a few seconds and grabs a grape from the plate. She didn't expect this response from Drake. She thought his overprotective tendencies would take over and she'd have to fight him on this. Instead, the ball is in her court and he is waiting for her answer. "I never thought I'd like dancing, but then it became a big part of my life, and then it lead to something dark and disturbing" Drake frowns as he watches Gosalyn relive a painful time in her life. She shakes her head and continues, still playing with the grape with her fingers. "You taught me to be fearless, I learned that from you. I wanna do this, I wanna work with Bree again and compete again." She looks up at Drake and he smiles at her. She smiles back.
"You sure about this?"
"Yes"
"That's great Gos" he grabs her shoulder and rubs it. This is a proud moment for him. "I'm gonna have a talk with Bree first."
"Dad!"
"Don't worry. I promise to be nice. I feel like it's my duty as a father to make sure that your safety takes precedence over everything"
Gosalyn glares at Drake, but then she softens. She knew that the overprotective parent was in there somewhere, and he has surfaced.