"Amelia Parker?" he had her chart. "I'm Dr. Meredith." He came in with her chart. "Oh" he saw Martin. "Are you Mr. Parker?" Amelia had to smile at that.

"No," Martin grinned. "I'm Special Agent Fitzgerald." He held up his badge. "Miss Parker is in protective custody, this attack is part of an open federal investigation."

"Oh I see," Dr. Meredith nodded. "Will I need to do a full kit?" he was now talking to Martin instead of Amelia.

"No, there was no sexual contact, just the battery." Martin said softly. He looked at Amelia, "I'll be just outside if you need me OK?"

She nodded but she couldn't help adding, "Don't go to far Martin."

"I won't." he smiled reassuringly at her and with a nod to the doctor he stepped out of the room and stood outside the door. He took the opportunity to call Vivian. He pulled out his phone and dialed her number.

"Johnson" he heard her familiar greeting.

"Hey Viv, it's me." He spoke quietly "How are things there?"

"Well the team is going through the building and her apartment at the moment. They found out he got into the building pretending to be her boyfriend. One of her neighbors let him in as they were going out."

"Fantastic… have we been able to ID him yet?"

"No, will she be up to working with a sketch artist?" Vivian asked.

"Maybe, she seems pretty tough." He said, thinking she was also pretty vulnerable. "What about the connect with her father?" he asked.

"We're still working on that. Maybe she could shed some light on it."

"I'll try again; she gave me a pretty detailed statement about what happened. Have we sent a team to her father's house again?"

"Sam is on her way over there now, but I don't know what she'll find now that we didn't find before." Vivian sounded tired and frustrated

"I hear you Viv," Martin said quietly. He took a breath and asked the question that had been pushing its way to the front of his mind ever since Vivian sent him home. "How's Danny?"

"He's home. I hope. He was agitated and when he left us, but he said he was going home." She said simply. "I was going to give him a few hours before I tried to call him."

"Maybe I should try." Martin said.

"Take care of Miss Parker first." Vivian said. "Well need to put her somewhere safe for the moment. Until we know who we are dealing with I wouldn't let her come home."

"Yeah you're right… here comes the doctor, I'll call you back when I have something new."

"Ok Martin, be careful." She hung up and Martin put his phone away as Dr. Meredith came out of Amelia's room. "Doctor" Martin nodded to him. "How is she?"

"I'd like to send her for some x-rays." He said quietly. "I think she's mildly concussed and her ribs are very badly bruised but I don't believe anything is broken. I've ordered her some pain medication, She was adamant about not having anything narcotic."

"She's in AA" Martin said simply.

"Aren't we all?" The doctor nodded. "You can go back in she's still quite shaken up."

"Ok thanks," Martin said and went back into Amelia. She was laying on her side her knees drawn up into a near fetal position. "Mia…" he said softly and sat down on the stool again so he was closer to her level. She looked up at him and tried to smile. "Hey how are you doing?"

"Better now." She reached out and took his hand. "He wants to take some x-rays but he doesn't think anything is broken."

"That's great news." He had her hand between his own. "Listen I've spoken to Vivian and we don't want you to go back to your place for a few days. Not until we are further along in the investigation."

"Am I in danger?" she asked her grip tightening on him.

"We're just playing it safe. Ok. So while you're having your x-rays done I'll make the arrangements." He smiled at her.

"Where will I go?" she asked.

"We have safe places. An agent will be with you at all times, trust me ok?"

She looked into his big blue eyes and she knew she could trust him. She'd known it the first time they'd met. "Ok, will you be staying with me?" she asked quietly.

"Some of the time yes," he smiled "but I'm still trying to find your father, too. Don't worry, you will be safe."

He sat and held her hand talking to her about anything and everything to keep her mind off of the events of the last few days. Just the way she used to talk to Danny on their trips to visit Rafi at Riker's Island. He walked with her down to the Imaging Department for her x-rays. While she was having her films done, he phoned Jack and they set up a safe house on a quiet street in midtown.

Amelia's x-rays came back clear and the doctor released her with orders to rest and follow up with her own doctor in a week to ten days. "These are the strongest non-narcotic painkillers available." He wrote out a prescription and gave it to her. Bill the orderly brought her clean scrubs. Her own clothes had been taken as evidence. Martin waited outside while she dressed. With his arm around her he walked her out to his car and helped her into it.

"Right, first we need to stop and get you whatever you'll need to get through a few days, possibly a week." Martin said "Then I'll take you to the safe house and make sure you're settled before I go help Sam with Thompson." Amelia sat quietly listening as he drove. "Hey," he smiled at her. "Don't worry, I'll be back to check on you!"

"I know." She said softly. They were pulling up to Amelia's building. She'd shaken her hair out and pulled it down to shield her face. Martin got out and came around to help her. She couldn't believe she was afraid to go into her own home. It made her angry and ashamed all at the same time.

Martin seemed to sense how she felt. "It's OK." He offered her his arm. She held tightly to it as they climbed the stairs. A cop was waiting by the door to her apartment. Amelia looked at Martin. "He's just keeping it secure until they can put a new lock on it." He showed the cop his ID and they both signed a log to say they were entering the apartment. Martin went in ahead of her. They had gone over the apartment and it was a lot messier than the last time he'd been there.

Amelia looked around at the mess in her normally cozy little apartment in disbelief. She was fine until she walked into her bedroom and found her "Happy Box" had been broken into and the contents ransacked. Martin stood in the doorway as she quietly gathered the bits and pieces and packed them away again. "My mom gave me this when I was five." She indicated to the box. "It was supposed to keep all of my happy memories safe."

"Is everything there?" his voice was full of concern.

She nodded and held up the teddy bear, "Tonto just needs to go back in and…" she shrugged.

"Tonto" Martin smiled "that's a funny name for a bear. Did you pick it because he was your sidekick like the Lone Ranger?"

"No," she looked at him sadly. "Danny picked it. He won it for me one afternoon at Coney Island. Here see…" she found the picture of the two of them and handed it to Martin.

He smiled as he looked at it. "He still has that smile." He said more to himself than anything.

"Does he?" Amelia asked. "That's good… I always loved his smile…" she turned away. "I guess I'd better pack." She said quietly and got a small bag out of her closet. Martin watched as she quickly packed some clothes and went into the bathroom to get her toothbrush.

"Oh God!" she said to him as she came out with a small cosmetic bag that fit neatly into her suitcase. "I just had a look in the mirror!" she shook her head.

"It's not that bad." Martin lied. It was and he knew it.

"You're a lousy liar," she smiled at him, "but thank you."

Martin laughed a faint blush creeping over his cheeks. "Well I don't want to lie to you, that's why I'm not any good at it." He handed her the picture. She looked at it again and on a sudden whim she packed both it and the bear before closing her bag. Martin smiled to himself watching her carefully packing the bear.

"All set?" he asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess…" she looked around, the place felt strange, almost alien, she didn't like it. "Will I ever feel safe here again?"

"In time" Martin nodded, "in time." He picked up her bag. They signed out with the cop at the door and offering her his arm he walked her down the stairs and out to the car. Amelia thinking about Martin's words hoped he hadn't wanted to lie to her this time.

Danny sat in the shower until the water went cold. Blindly he reached up and turned it off. Shivering he groped for his towel and with it wrapped around his waist dragged himself to bed. He lay there staring at the ceiling wishing sleep would carry him away and he'd wake up somewhere else. He wished that he'd wake up as someone else. If only... he thought to himself. His exhaustion was overwhelming and it was slowly stilling his mind. "Amelia… I'm sorry…" he whispered before sleep finally claimed him.

He slept deeply for several hours untroubled by dreams, until he awoke abruptly, his phone was ringing. He picked it up trying to get his eyes to focus. "Taylor." He answered it sleepily.

"Danny! How are you! Someone said you were sick!" he was greeted by a much too cheerful voice. It took a few seconds for him to recognize it. Sally the intern. He'd made the mistake of asking her how she was doing in law school and offering her some advice one time. She now thought he was her new best friend.

"Uh, yeah…" he rubbed his eyes and looked at his alarm clock. "I was sleeping."

"Oh I'm sorry… could I bring you some soup or something?"

"No… no thanks, I just need to go back to sleep. I'll be in tomorrow. I'll see you then." He hung up before waiting to hear her reply. He half smiled as he put the phone down. Martin would laugh when he told him. He had warned Danny about being too friendly to the interns. Martin he remembered how awful he had treated him. He rolled onto his side hugging himself. He couldn't believe he'd hit his best friend, he couldn't bear to think about Amelia. He wondered about the case. He looked at the clock again. It was nearly 6pm, he was still exhausted. I should call Viv and check in. He thought. Resolutely he picked up his phone and dialed her number.

"Johnson." She answered after only two rings.

"Viv… it's me." He said hesitantly.

"How are you?" she asked him quietly. He could hear her walking and the background noise dying down. "Where are you?"

"I'm home… I'm ok, I'm tired but…" he shrugged "I'll live… How's Martin… and the case?" he asked his voice tinged with guilt.

"Martin's fine. There have been some developments in the case… maybe you should wait until tomorrow to ask. Get some more sleep…"

He could tell something had happened and she didn't want to tell him. "No Viv what's up?" he sat up "Do you need me to come in?"

"Tomorrow Danny, tomorrow, we've got it covered." She said trying to reassure him, it didn't work.

"Nice to know I'm expendable." He said sounding like a truculent teenager.

"You're not." Vivian said firmly. "You are in no shape to be in here tonight."

"At least tell me what's happened… or do I have to call Sam or Martin…" if he's speaking to me… he added silently.

"Fine…" Vivian sighed knowing once Danny was after some information he'd stop at nothing to get it. It's what made him such a good agent. "…but not over the phone… can you meet me in…" she stopped and looked at her watch. "…meet me in 45 minutes at Vito's?" It was a little café they all stopped at from time to time.

"Yeah sure… but why?" he rubbed his face.

"Because there's a lot going on and I need to check on some things before I update you." He could hear the annoyed mother tone creeping into her voice.

"Ok Viv I'll see you at Vito's." he sounded so miserable.

It tugged at Vivian's heart. "Danny, don't worry. I'll see you in 45 minutes. I've got to check in on some leads Sam and Martin are running down and then I'll be on my way Ok?"

"Yeah Viv" He tried to sound more positive before he hung up. He went into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. His short dark hair was tousled, his eyes had deep dark circles under them and his beard was growing in quickly. He got back into the shower, wincing when he washed his hair. He remembered pounding his head on the wall. Like that was going to help! He thought as he dried himself off again. He shaved carefully and dressed in a light shirt and a pair of jeans he headed out to meet Vivian.

Martin and Amelia rode in silence. She kept her head down, her long hair shielding her face. She was trying to hide the deepening bruises from him. "Here we are." He said as he parked the car in front of a brownstone on a quiet residential street. "Just a second" He put his hand on her arm as he took out his phone. He pressed a button and it bleeped. "Franklin this is Fitzgerald, we've arrived."

"Ok" a male voice answered him. "We've just swept the area you're all clear."

"Ok" Martin answered. "We're coming in." He clicked his phone again and tucked it back into his pocket. "Are you ready?" he asked her. She nodded and he got out of the car. He looked up and down the street carefully surveying the area before he walked around and opened her door. She was stiff and sore as he helped her to stand before taking her bag out of the back seat. He helped her up the stairs. She was startled when the door opened. Another agent was waiting inside. "Franklin." Martin nodded as the man stepped aside and he ushered Amelia inside.

Special Agent Franklin closed the door. Amelia heard him snapping several locks as Martin walked her though the entry hall and into the living room. Amelia was surprised to see another young man sitting at a table with a bank of small TV screens. She looked closer and realized that he was looking at footage from cameras positioned around the outside of the house. Martin saw where she was looking "I told you it was a safe house" he smiled, Amelia simply nodded.

"This is Archie from tech." he nodded to the young man at the table. "And this is Special Agent Franklin." He introduced the agent who had opened the door. "They'll be looking after you…" he could see the fear still in her eyes. "Don't worry, we have people posted up and down the street and there will always be someone in the house with you." Amelia nodded again stunned she seemed to have lost the power of speech. "Well let's get you settled…" He picked up her bag and she followed him up the stairs. Looking around she couldn't help but think it would be a nice home if it had a real family in it.

"Here you go," he said. He'd gone into a large bedroom. It was simply furnished with a large bed, nightstand, dresser and a lamp. "Make sure you stay away from the windows and keep the curtains shut." He pointed to the windows; they were covered with blackout curtains. "…and… you have your own bathroom here…" he opened a door and switched on a light. "If you're hungry or you need anything just let Franklin or whoever relieves him know, ok?" It clicked then that he was leaving her. She didn't want him to go. She didn't know these people.

"Will you be back?" she asked him, praying he couldn't hear the fear in her voice.

"I'll check on you later." He smiled. "I've got to help Sam chase down some leads." He stepped up to her and gently brushed her hair back, "You'll be alright, I promise. You've got my number right?" She nodded. "Ok call me if you need me"

"Will you check on Danny too?" she looked up at him. "I know he doesn't want to see me." She had to blink back the tears, "…would you just let me know that he's ok? I just need to know that he's ok… then what happens to me… that won't matter anymore." She folded her arms as tightly as her sore ribs would let her, she wouldn't look at him.

"Of course it matters!" he said firmly. "And I know it matters to Danny, he's just…" he was searching for the right words. "He's just… like you he's in a bad place at the moment."

She looked at him before reaching up and gently touching his bruised chin. "He must be if he hit his friend." she said softly.

Martin took her hand gently in his and nodded. "I plan to talk to him too," he said gently giving her hand a squeeze. "Now you get some rest, and I will check on you later ok?" She nodded and reluctantly let his hand slip out of hers as he left her standing there. She stood listening as he went down the stairs and spoke briefly with Franklin. Martin, happy that everything was in place at the house left with a glance up the stairs. Amelia unpacked her bag and holding tight to the teddy bear she lay down on the bed wondering what turn her life would take next.