A/N: Here's another chapter… Hope you enjoy…

I still don't own them.

Chapter 3

"Oh, he's still alive," the main chav raised an eyebrow, looking at a broken mess that was once a police officer, judging his state. "He hasn't got long anyway though, by the looks of it".

Danny grasped Nicholas' hand tighter, feeling anger inside of him rising to unimaginable levels. He could tell the older officer couldn't hear what the chav was saying and apparently didn't even see the captors, as his head was still turned to face Danny. The sergeant's agitation, however, seemed to have passed to him, as his eyes displayed a slightest hint of worry. Or maybe it was just Danny's imagination.

"Come on, you're going with us," the spokesman said casually. "I think your Angel here could use some time alone. To think about his actions".

Danny sniffed and looked down at Nicholas. Leave him… Nicholas had to stay awake. He needed someone to look after him. Leaving him alone was something Danny couldn't even imagine doing. The inspector looked like he couldn't understand what was going on, his eyes wide and his troubled breathing getting more rapid and shallow. The sergeant looked back up again, seeing the two speechless goons approaching him menacingly.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, trying to look into Nicholas' eyes without tearing up, "I have to go. Everything is gonna be fine, just please don't di— don't go to sleep," don't use the dreaded word, never say it!

Danny began to stand up but something stopped him. It took him a few seconds to realise that Nicholas used the last remains of whatever strength he had left to tighten his grip on Danny's hand, not wishing to let go. His eyes were struck with panic – like a small lost child who was scared to be left alone. Danny made an incredible effort to not fall to his knees and just cry, holding Nicholas as tightly as he could.

"Ni… Ni-cho-las… I—I have to…" he didn't manage to say anything audible as he pulled his hand away from his friend's weak grasp. Nicholas' eyes displayed even more panic now. It physically hurt Danny to look at him. To see practically nothing of the once strong and courageous man left in this broken shell of a body.

Gently, he took his friend by the shoulders and laid him on his side. So that he wouldn't choke on his own blood. The realisation that he was actually considering this possibility struck Danny like a brick wall. How had it happened that everything had gone so bad so fast? Just yesterday he had watched a movie with Nicholas. Danny couldn't remember what movie it was. It seemed like it was in a previous life. And now he was looking at his best friend and thinking how to position him better to prevent him from dying from something like that…

A sudden push to the shoulder broke the sergeant from his trance. Obviously, their captors didn't have the patience to wait for him to finish his thoughts. Danny was grabbed by the shoulders and made get up. He walked gingerly, telling himself to not look back. He didn't want to see the look on Nicholas' face. He didn't want to think whether the inspector would be able to stay awake without Danny by his side. Didn't want to imagine his best friend dying there alone in abandonment. And yet he did. The images ran through his mind at horrifying speed and with sickening clarity.

And yet, just as he was about to walk through the doorway, he turned his head back. Nicholas was lying so still, facing the general direction where Danny was, and yet didn't seem to actually see him. That had to be the single most haunting sight Danny had ever witnessed. For a moment he thought he saw tears escape his friend's eyes but he dismissed the thought, as the blood would probably mask everything anyway.

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Nicholas couldn't register much. He heard the voice he recognised as Danny's but couldn't make out any words. It was nice to hear the voice at least. He could see Danny's face, the picture unclear and blurry, like a bad photo taken in a rush. But he could definitely make out the two big brown eyes, shining with tears. He felt Danny grab his hand and tried to cling to it. He felt he was falling, drowning in the darkness, and the hand was the last remaining thing he could hold on to. Suddenly the two eyes disappeared from his view. There was some movement next to him, he could sense it, as every tiniest move that happened sent agony through his body. Something was happening. The waves he was drowning in got more disturbed. Danny's eyes came back to his view for a bit, which was a relief, but then they began to move away, as the hand started to slip out of his. Panicking, he instinctively clung to it tighter, trying to find Danny's eyes with his gaze… Don't leave me… He heard his friend's soft voice again. He didn't make out much again, but part of it sounded like his name. He felt being moved again, as the waves became more and more violent. Danny's leaving… where is he going? Don't go, Danny, it's dangerous… He couldn't remember why it was so dangerous to go outside but somehow he knew there was something very bad waiting for Danny. He could vaguely see the sergeant's shape before the blur grew into the complete darkness. The waves closed above him. It got even harder to breathe. Partly due to some lump in his throat (was he crying?) and partly because there was something unnaturally heavy in his chest. Some of the water he was drowning in seemed to get caught in his throat, and he began to cough, letting it spill out, hoping it would help him breathe but it just didn't. He was going to the bottom of this lake, drowning fast, and he didn't have the strength to fight or anything to hold on to anymore…

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It was only after the door had been shut behind them that Danny started to think about what was actually happening at this very moment. What was going to happen to him? He was scared. He didn't want this… He nearly started to shake his head frantically but soon forced himself to stay strong. Like Nicholas.

They got upstairs and entered a poorly lit room. Despite the light was very dim, it still made him narrow his eyes. His sight got back to him quite soon though, allowing him to take a look around. The room was quite small without any furniture safe for two old chairs. There was something else though… something that made Danny feel sick again. On the floor there were several dark spots which still looked quite wet. And red. He knew it was blood. He knew it the very second he saw it. And he also knew whose blood it was…

"So," the goons' leader started. "Let's get started, shall we?"

He nodded to his mates who came closer. Danny mentally prepared himself for a lot of pain. However, no matter how prepared he was trying to be, he wasn't ready for what happened next.

The door practically flew off its hinges, and suddenly everything became full of noise and movement. Danny didn't manage to register what was going on until all the goons were on the floor.

"Danny?" the voice was so different from the goons, so soft and caring and worried. He recognised it at once. "You alright?"

It took Danny a few seconds to actually understand that he was looking at Doris Thatcher. He threw a bewildered look across the room to see other members of Sandford Police Service taking over the situation. It was over. It was all over. Or was it?

Without uttering a word, Danny sprang to his feet and ran out of the room.

"Where's Angel?" he heard Andy Wainwright inquiring behind him. He didn't waste any time to answer. He was dizzy and unsteady on his legs. He nearly fell over on the stairs but something kept him going. His hands were shaking badly when he opened the door.

"Nicholas!" he exclaimed, but the rest of what he was going to say got stuck in his throat as soon as he saw his friend. Gingerly, he walked up to the blond man and crashed to his keens by his side.

Nicholas still lay on his side, all covered in blood, a little puddle of it still spreading on the floor beneath him, his eyes shut. He wasn't moving, wasn't shaking… Wasn't breathing.

"No," Danny felt like there was some string inside him, and now it was being torn apart. And then there was something else growing there, something that ran through his body like fire. "No!" he repeated again, this time more sharply. He wasn't letting this happen.

Taking a deep breath, he leaned down, giving the air to Nicholas. He was horrified at how cold he was but made a colossal effort to ignore that. Tears he didn't know he had left ran down his face as he kept providing Nicholas with air and pressing onto his chest. He could taste his friend's blood on his lips. It made him want to throw up but he suppressed the feeling. He had to keep going. And he did keep going, paying no attention to the sound of the others approaching and calling for him. He felt light-headed but still refused to give up, looking at his best friend's still and bloodied face and waiting for something to happen. Why was nothing happening?...