Hostage

Chapter Five

Zebraboymom

Disclaimer: They do not belong to me. Just…

Author Notes: Time to watch Nico and Marshall work together.

Marshall and Nico spent the next half hour working out a strategy. They stood bent over the table Dani was sitting on and discussed their strategy. Dani had never had a chance to watch Nico do what he did best. She had to admit he was sexy when he was working like this.

She watched as he took off his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. It occurred to her that she had never seen him this way before. He was always so buttoned-down. The shoulder holster for his gun showed off just how muscled he was under that coat he always had on. With his arms exposed for the first time since she'd known him she was able to view the muscles in his forearms. They stood out as he leaned over the table and looked over the plans Marshall had brought of the stadium. She smirked. Nico probably knew the whole place by heart, but he was looking and listening intently to Marshall.

She smiled when he stepped closer to her and slid one arm across her waist. He reached under her top and began to make slow circles on her skin. Dani shivered and looked sideways at him. He returned the look and she saw something incredibly possessive in his gaze. Instead of making her angry, it made her shiver again. This man…

"Okay, we need to get moving."

Nico reached in the holster and checked his gun. He pulled an extra clip out of his coat pocket and put it in his pants pocket. Placing his hands on either side of her face, he pulled her to him for a kiss. When he released her, he ran his thumbs across her cheekbones in a tender caress.

"You can't come. You know that. Right?"

Dani rolled her eyes.

"I thought you said I had mad ninja skills."

"You do, but I haven't taught you how to shoot a gun yet, so you're staying right here until it's over. Understand?"

He was still cradling her face in his hands. Dani nodded her head fighting to keep her emotions under control. Nico caught a tear that managed to slip out and slide down her cheek.

"I will come back for you, Danielle. I promise you that. When I do, I plan to start a real relationship with you. No more just friends. I want to court you and love you and make a life with you. Got it?"

Dani just nodded. The man had rendered her speechless. That was something no man had ever achieved with her. She reached her hands up to wrap around his forearms and smiled at him.

He pulled her to him again and captured her lips with a kiss Dani could feel all the way down to her toes. She couldn't remember a time a kiss had been able to move her so much. When Nico stepped back he released her and captured a lock of her hair.

"Stay."

"Yes, Boss."

"I like that."

Now Marshall was rolling his eyes.

"Can we please get on with this? I've got his back Doctor Santino. I promise you. We'll be back in no time."

Nico switched the frequencies on the Coms they took off the two guys currently sitting things out in the janitorial closet. They put them in and Dani followed them to the door. Nico turned back after Marshall exited. He reached out and cupped her cheek one last time.

"Be thinking about where you want to go to dinner after this."

He grinned. He actually grinned at Dani. This was a side of him she had never seen. Nico could tease? Who knew?

His face went tender then.

"It will be okay. I promise. Don't worry."

And then he was gone, leaving Dani with a mixture of fear and butterflies.

Dani began to pace the room like a caged animal. For the first time since she heard the initial shots that day she was afraid. She knew it was because Nico wasn't with her. Why are they doing this alone? It's obvious Nico doesn't trust too many people. He and Marshall are so attuned to each other she could tell they had worked operations like this many times over the years they had been in the service together. He said trust her and she did.

Her fingers trailed up to brush her lips. She could still feel his kisses. He loved her. He said he loved her. Just the idea that this man cared about her made her want to cry again, but she wouldn't. Nico wanted her to be strong and he had taught her a lot about that over the last months. She wrapped her arms around her waist and continued to pace the room.

Dani remembered what Nico said about where they were. She estimated that the locker room was two floors below them. She willed herself to hear what was going on down there. If there was gunfire, could she…would she hear it?

She thought about TK, Coach and the other players. She even thought about Matt. It occurred to her then that Gabrielle must be scared out of her mind. She knew she would be if the roles were reversed. Would they hurt her?

Fifteen minutes had passed and nothing.

Just as Dani turned to head back across the room towards the door again, it burst open and she found herself looking down the barrel of two assault rifles.

SWAT.

"Please don't shoot!"

The two officers lowered their guns and approached her.

"Lady what are you doing here?"

Dani had a sudden sinking feeling. Did these guys know Nico and Marshall were the good guys here? What if they took them out thinking they were part of this?

"You have to let someone know the owner and the director of security are on their way to the locker room. Don't shoot them!"

"Are they armed?"

"Yes, they both have pistols. Mr. Pittman is wearing a blue shirt and Mr. Careles is wearing a white shirt. Please don't hurt them!"

One of the officers talked to Dani while the other one walked away a bit and spoke into his radio, communicating what Dani had said.

"Ma'am we have to get you out of here now."

"What? No. Wait. I can't leave. I can tell you what's going on."

"All we know is there was a report of shots fired. Do you know what happened?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you."

Dani talked as fast as she could and as her story continued, the officer's eyes got bigger and bigger.

"So, you're saying you have two of them in a closet down here?"

"Of course. I'll show you."

The radio crackled to life and more messages were relayed. In a couple of minutes the room had several officers in it. Dani led them out to where they had the other two. She explained that there were only three left and how Nico and Marshall were going to handle it.

The radio suddenly sprang to life again and the words Dani dreaded came over the radio. She looked up at the officer paralyzed with fear.

"Area is secure. One fatality. Three injuries. Repeat. Area secure."

Dani started pushing past the SWAT guy standing and taking down her statement.

"Ma'am if you'll just wait, we'll have you out of here in no time."

"No you won't. I'm not going anywhere until I see Mr. Careles."

The officer tried to restrain her, but Dani jerked her arm from his grasp.

"You don't understand. I love him."

Now the young officer was confused.

"Love who ma'am?"

Dani just shook her head.

"I am not leaving here until I know he's okay. He said he would come for me."

The young man shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around what Dani was saying. Obviously there was someone downstairs she cared deeply about. He shook his head at her stubbornness and spoke into his radio. His expression softened and he turned to lead Dani to an elevator. After a short trip down, they arrived at the locker room. It was swarming with SWAT and CIA agents and Dani couldn't see Nico anywhere. TK jogged over to her and wrapped her in a hug.

"Doctor D, I'm so glad you're okay. That was something else wasn't it?"

Dani tried to hold back the tears she felt falling as her eyes flitted around the room.

"Where's Nico?"

"Oh. You mean the hero? He's over there gettin' patched up. Come on Doc. Did you know he took a bullet?"

"I was there Terrence."

Dani watched the crowd part in front of TK as he pulled her along and there was Nico sitting on a bench while an EMT redressed the wounded arm. His crisp white shirt was stained with blood and as his eyes met hers, she saw the corners of his mouth twitch in a soft smile. She rushed to him and went down on her knees in front of him, wrapping him in her arms. The EMT was trying to wrap gauze around the now bandaged wound, but Dani's assault made him drop the roll. It rolled across the floor, but Dani didn't care. She just wanted to feel for herself that he was alive and well.

"You were supposed to wait for me to come for you."

Nico's voice rumbled in her ear and those damn goose bumps were back.

"Sorry, but SWAT found me first. They tried to make me leave, but I wasn't having any of it. I'm never leaving your side."

Nico smiled at her.

"Well, you'll have to."

"What? Why?"

"Um, the paramedic would like to finish his job and move on."

TK laughed as Dani blushed and stood up, stepping away from Nico.

"I knew somethin' was goin' on with you two."

He held his hand out to Nico.

"Thanks for having my back today. If you hadn't shoved me out of the way, I might have been shot a second time. I'm sorry I froze. I just went straight back to that night and I couldn't seem to move."

"It's okay. I'm just glad I was there this time to protect you."

Nico looked at Dani as the paramedic taped down the gauze and gave him a thumbs up.

"Remember to keep it clean. A doctor should have a look at it if it bothers you anymore."

Nico shook his hand and stood up.

"Thanks."

Marshall approached them with Gabrielle wrapped around his waist.

"The PD wants our statements, but the CIA has taken over the case, so we are off the hook for tonight. We're going to head out. It's been a tough day."

Nico's eyebrows went up as if to ask Marshall where their relationship was. Marshall shrugged.

"You never truly know who matters to you most until you face something like this."

Nico slipped his arm around Dani.

"No. No you don't."

"Night Nico."

"Night Marshall."

When they walked outside and Dani looked up at the clear star-filled sky. It seemed so much more beautiful than it normally did. She breathed in the clean air and smiled at the way Nico had her hand captured in his. He walked her to the passenger side of his SUV.

"I want to know everything that happened after you left me, but right now I just want something to eat and some rest."

Dani didn't mind at all when Nico held the door open for her and after she settled in the car, he kissed the hand he was holding and tucked it into her lap. He kissed her brow and closed the door. Once he was inside the car he turned to her grinning again.

"My place or yours?"

"The kids are with Ray so you pick."

The engine roared to life and he backed out of his spot, turning east as he exited the parking lot. Dani smiled. His place. This was going to be interesting.