Author's Note: Caution-- I'm not nice to Danny in this chapter. Thanks for the reviews so far. I hope you enjoy this installment. As always, please R and R if you like it, don't like it, etc. All feedback is welcomed and appreciated.

Chapter 8

Martin had fallen asleep shortly after Danny but he continued to hold Danny's hand tightly in his own. The two bodies continued sleeping until Sean came back into the room an hour later to wake Danny up.

"Danny, I need you to wake up. Come on. I know that you're tired but you have to wake up, okay?" Sean said gently as he gently squeezed Danny's shoulder, causing Danny to groan weakly and slowly wake up.

"You lied. You said that you were going to…" Danny said weakly but couldn't continue when Sean quickly shook his head and gestured for Martin with his eyes, causing Danny's eyes to bug out a little.

"Shhh. Martin's okay, all right? He's just sleeping because he got pissed off earlier and tried to flip some chairs over. So, Dr. Foster had to give him a sedative. He'll be sleeping a lot for the next day or two but he'll be okay. I promise." Sean said caringly and then put his index finger on his mouth to quiet Danny.

At that moment, Martin began waking up, causing Sean to shake his head at Danny and remove his index finger from his mouth. He carefully sat Martin up when Martin began hissing and swearing.

"Take it easy, kiddo. You fell asleep sitting. That's why you're soar right now. But I'll get a heating pad for you in few minutes. Just relax and try not to move around." Sean said kindly as he smiled softly, causing Martin to nod.

"All right, quiz time. Can you tell me your name, where you're at and the year?" Sean asked as he checked Danny's eyes with his penlight.

"Danny Taylor, in the hospital, 2006. Can I go back to sleep now?" Danny said annoyed, causing Martin to gently squeeze his hand.

"I'm sorry, Danny, but not yet. Do you know why you're in the hospital?" Sean said gently, causing Danny to swallow hard all of a sudden and not answer his query. "Danny?" He said concerned as he looked at Danny.

"Why won't you answer Danny? Come on, brother." Martin said calmly but fearfully, causing Danny to shake his head and squeeze his hand as if to reassure him.

"Don't be scared, Martin. I'm okay. I'm just tired and I want to go to sleep." Danny said softly as he swallowed hard again and his lips quivered.

"It's okay, Danny. We're going to get that bastard and he's going to pay for what he's doing to you." Martin said softly but with conviction, causing Sean to look at them sympathetically.

"I think you two have a lot of talking to do. So, I'm going to go see Dr. Foster about Danny's progress and I'll be back later to check on Danny again. And I'm also going to let your other friend know that he can come in already because he wanted to know when Danny was awake. But, Martin, I don't want you two fighting again--especially in front of Danny. Are we clear on that?" Sean said a bit seriously but caringly.

"They're not going to fight, Doc. Martin already promised me he wouldn't." Danny said softly as he held Martin's hand tighter. "Isn't that right, Martin?" He said with a raised eyebrow.

"I gave you my word, Danny." Martin said with a heavy sigh as he tightly squeezed Danny's hand.

"Good. Then, I'll have Vicky come in here in a minute and put on a heating pad. Keep it on until it gets cold and let Vicky know so she'll put another one. I'm also going to have her give you something for the pain because your ribs and back are probably going to hurt more. I'll be right back." Sean said kindly and then left the room and went to the nurses' desk to speak with Nurse Vicky.

Out in the hall, Jack continued eyeing Sean as he talked to his nurse and signed some paperwork. Once done, he walked toward him and Jeff.

"You can go in now, he's awake. But try not to make him anxious. I'll be back in a little while but if you need anything before that, have one of the nurses page me or Dr. Foster." Sean said kindly.

"Where is Dr. Foster? I thought it was my understanding that he was the one treating Danny? But I don't see him anywhere. It seems to me that you're the only one working on his case." Jack said somewhat irate but calmly, causing Sean to sigh obviously frustrated.

"Dr. Foster is primarily in charge of Danny's case but he was called down to the emergency room and left me in charge until he gets back." Sean said somewhat irate.

"How long does Danny have to stay here for?" Jeff asked somewhat concerned.

"Dr. Foster will be up here later to discuss that, but I can't answer that for you now. Right now, Danny's still under observation. So, it'll be up to Dr. Foster when he can leave." Sean said kindly but with a tinge of ire directed towards Jack.

"Why is that? It doesn't seem to me like he's the one treating Danny." Jack said calmly but somewhat crossly, causing Sean to sigh angrily.

"Look, if you have something to say, Agent Malone, say it. Because you've been a pain in my ass since you got here and I don't know why. All I've done is treat your agents with dignity and respect--which is something that you're apparently not capable of. Or is it custom FBI training to threaten and abuse your agents like you do? Well, you know what? It's not all about you, Malone. The only thing that I care about right now is your agents' well-beings and I'm going to keep doing my job and treating them with Dr. Foster. If you don't like it, tough. But while they're here and so are you, I'm not going to let you treat Martin or Danny the way you do. So, get off of your damn high horse and cool off. This world doesn't revolve only around you." Sean said calmly but furiously and then stormed off without giving Jack a chance to retaliate.

"Who does this fucking prick think he is? I'm going to figure out what he's up to. And when I do, he's going to regret ever meeting me. But for now, let's go in to see Danny. I'll deal with that bastard later." Jack said irately.

"Come on, Jack. Let's just get in there with Danny. He's got some explaining to do." Jeff said concerned, causing Jack to sigh heavily and nod so they went in.

"Hey, Jack." Danny said with a sad smile when Jack and Jeff entered the room, causing Jack to smile softly and carefully take a hold of Danny's left hand in a brotherhood grip.

"Danny-boy, how are you feeling? You scared the hell out of me." Jack said with a small smile, causing Danny to tighten his grip on Jack's hand.

"What do you want to know?" Danny said knowingly but sadly as tears escaped his eyes.

"I want to know everything--how you met him, who he is, why you said he found you again, when he found you, how he found, how he's threatening you and what he's done to you until now, Danny. But I swear to you that we will catch him and anyone else working with him and they'll regret the day they ever screwed with my family." Jack said gently but with conviction, causing Danny to cry softly but somewhat like a child as he shook.

"Danny, it's okay. We're going to take care of you. But you need to tell us everything about this guy and whoever is working with him." Jeff said gently but compassionately.

"His name is Cesar Ricardo Escobar but everyone calls him Ritchie." Danny softly cried somewhat fearfully like a child as he tried to slow down his breathing and his racing heart.

"Shhh. Calm down, kiddo. It's okay. How do you know this 'Ritchie'?" Jeff asked gently.

"We grew up together in Miami since I was four years old and Ritchie was five. He's a few months older but we became best friends from the beginning. We were never apart. It was like we were joined at the hips and he would always beat up anyone who tried to mess with me." Danny cried softly as he sniffled and tried to calm down a bit.

"You said before that…that you…that you killed his brother in self defense. How did everything happen?" Martin asked very gently, causing Danny to hold their hands tightly as he tried stifle a pained cry--a pain caused more by that memory than his actual injuries.

"Calm down, brother. But you have to tell us." Martin said gently but caringly as he tightened his hold on Danny's hand.

"Ritchie had a brother named Sebastian. After my parents died, I started hanging with the wrong crowd. I began stealing everything I could find. Sebastian would follow me, and even Ritchie sometimes, around and do the same. I was with 'bastian one day when we saw this guy in a monkey suit and a long overcoat. The guy had his back turned to us, so we thought that we could steal his wallet and haul ass. But that stupid plan bit us in the ass." Danny suddenly chuckled crying, causing the guys to look at him concerned.

"Are you okay, kiddo? What happened?" Jeff asked gently but concerned as he soothed Danny's head gently but like a child.

"That's the day I met Andrew Taylor, my dad." Danny said proudly as he cried smiling. "It turned out that the man in the monkey suit was well aware what we were up to. He just wanted to bust us because of the robberies we'd gotten away with. Right when we were getting ready to pick his pocket, he turned around and aimed his gun at us. But he quickly put it away when he saw the scared shitless looks on our faces." Danny chuckled crying.

"What happened next?" Jack said with a small, slightly amused smile as he continued to hold Danny's hand in his own.

"He grabbed both of us but Sebastian managed to get loose. He begged me to go with him but I nearly pissed my pants when Andrew grabbed me tighter and told me that I wasn't going anywhere. So, Sebastian ran and left me there." Danny chuckled softly but amused as he sniffled.

"Did he let you go after that?" Martin asked gently, causing Danny to chuckle crying and shake his head.

"Hell no. It turned out that he was an FBI agent. He took me to the FBI headquarters down in Miami and put me in an interrogation room. He grilled me for four hours on where I was going to end up and how my life would end on this earth if I didn't change my ways. And he wouldn't stop until I pissed my pants and wouldn't stop crying." Danny cried smiling.

Flashback…

Agent Andrew Taylor had been very rough on Danny over the last four hours and now the kid sat in the corner of the floor, crying and shaking uncontrollably as he held his head and soiled his pants. He was sure that Danny had gotten the hint, but boy was he wrong.

Danny was terrified, but not because of Andrew's words. No, he was afraid because this man reminded him of how his father would yell at him before he'd beat Danny with his fists, belts, hell, anything the bastard could find. That's why Danny was crying now. He was afraid of this man because he was sure that a beating would come next, causing Danny to shriek violently and cover his face to protect himself, when Andrew hovered above him and squeezed his shoulder gently.

"No! No, please I'll do whatever you want but don't hit me! I won't behave bad anymore! I swear, but please don't hit me! Please!" Danny shrieked and cried frantically as he shook violently and crossed his arms in front of his face to protect himself, causing Andrew to carefully cross his arms across his chest and hold him carefully but tightly.

"Hey, calm down, son. I'm not going to hit you. What's wrong with you?" Andrew said sternly but very concerned.

"Yes, you are! You're just like him before he used to beat me! Please don't hurt me! Please!" Danny cried terrified but like a child as he coughed.

"Calm down right now, kid. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm only being stern with you to make you understand what your life is going to be like if you keep on stealing like now. But just because I talk to you like that, it doesn't mean that I'm going to hurt you. Now, calm down." Andrew said sternly but concerned, causing Danny to calm down five minutes later.

"Please, let me go." Danny sobbed softly but like a child, causing Andrew to release him and sit him in a chair that was at the table.

"Here. Calm down and drink this." Andrew said concerned as he gave Danny a cup of cold water and read his file, causing Andrew to sigh heavily. "It says that you lost your parents in a drunk driving accident. But it also says that there was physical abuse in your family. Did your father abuse you? Is that why you got like that just now?" He asked concerned but a bit sternly.

"That's what I told you." Danny sobbed softly as he continued to shake and cough a little.

"Well, I don't do that to my own kids and I'm not going to do it to you." Andrew said with a heavy sigh and then put the file down. "Who's taking care of you now?" He asked a bit sternly but caringly.

"They got me with this foster family, The Riveras. But they don't care about me. All they care about is the money the government gives them. They don't show me any love even when I try to be good." Danny sobbed somewhat angrily as he sniffled.

"Well, I'm going to tell you what, Danny. I'm giving you two choices today. You can either spend the next ten years in prison or you can come live with me and family and we'll be your foster family. Look, as far as I can see, you have two paths--prison or the morgue. It's up to you. But, if you choose to live with us, there will be rules that you will have to follow. Is that understood? So, choose now Danny. Do you want to move in with me and my family?" Andrew said a bit sternly but caringly, causing Danny to look at him and see only sincerity in the man's eyes.

"Okay." Danny cried softly but somewhat like a child, causing the agent to take his small hand in his big one in a brotherhood grip.

"Okay, Danny. I'll go make some calls. But remember that there will be rules. Come on." Andrew said caringly and Danny nodded crying, causing Andrew to lead him out of the interrogation room.

End of Flashback…

"So, you went home with him and turned your life around. Meanwhile, Sebastian continued his thieving ways on the street. So, what happened?" Jack asked compassionately.

"Andrew took me home and he was rough the first few months but then I grew to love him like a real dad. He told me that I was his son and that that would never change. That's the day he and his wife, my mom, told me that they had adopted me. I was so happy. And everything was great but then Sebastian showed up one night." Danny cried softly again.

"Sebastian found out where I lived and broke into the house. He figured that Andrew had money, since the house was big. But 'bastian wasn't a smart thief, he was greedy. He didn't care if he was quiet or not and dropped a vase on the floor. That's when my dad Andrew woke up and saw him in the living room. I woke up and got scared to hell because he had a gun. I begged him to put it down but he told me that I was a traitor for leaving him." Danny softly cried sadly.

"'bastian said that I was going to pay but that he wasn't going to kill me. He aimed the gun at my dad but I grabbed dad's gun from his holster and shot him dead. I'd begged him to put it down but he didn't listen. That's the day me and Ritchie went from being best friends to worst enemies. The next night, Ritchie tried to shoot me for killing Sebastian but my dad's partner stopped him and they put him away for three years. But my dad moved us from Miami and brought us to New York." Danny quietly cried upset but tried to control his breathing.

"Shhh. Calm down, brother. Just breathe nice and slow. You said that he found you again. How and when did that happen?" Martin asked gently.

"I don't know how the hell he found me. I was always careful not to go back because I didn't want him in my life again. But he found me anyway--six months ago. And he hasn't left me alone since because he says that I haven't finished paying my sins--for killing 'bastian. And that he's going to kill all of you and make me watch. Then he'll kill me afterwards." Danny cried softly but somewhat fearfully as his teeth chattered.

"Shhh. That's enough, Danny-boy. Just rest for now. Just, calm down, kiddo." Jack said caringly but fear was clearly evident in his voice.

"No, I have to keep going or I won't tell you anything again." Danny quietly cried fearfully like a child.

"Shhh. Okay, but you have to calm down. That's good. Just breathe nice and slow. Come on. Nice and slow." Martin said caringly but fearful, causing Danny to hold them tighter but breathe. "Now, what about your injuries?" He asked gently but concerned.

"I already told you about the cattle prod. But that's not the only thing he's done to me." Danny quietly cried fearful.

"What do you mean, Danny?" Jack asked somewhat sternly but fearfully.

"When he first found me, he came to headquarters claiming to be my brother, so security let him in. We talked and he said that he'd changed his life around and that he was a church man now. He said that he wasn't mad at me anymore about Sebastian because he came to understand that Sebastian was the one who'd gone after my family. I was so damn stupid that I fell for his bullshit story and that's when my freaking hell on earth began." Danny quietly cried emotionally and somewhat fearfully as he shook a little but breathed.

"What do you mean, Danny? What happened after you guys talked?" Jeff asked concerned.

"It was a Friday, so he convinced me to go have something to eat with him. Well, like an ass, I went with him to some restaurant near my house. We ate, but he must've slipped me something because when I woke up…When I woke up, my arms and legs were strapped to a table--it was a cold, metal table--and the only light shining was on top of me on the ceiling." Danny quietly cried fearfully like a child.

"What happened next, Danny?" Jack asked calmly but he tried hard to hide his excruciating fear from his voice as he tightened his hold on Danny's hand.

"Remember that I called you, Jack, and I told you that I needed a Monday off because I was sick and you said okay?" Danny quietly cried upset like a child, causing Jack to nod as he tightened his hold on Danny's hand. "Well, the truth is that Ritchie had beaten the hell out of me that Friday night when he tied me to that table. He threw ice-water on me and then shocked me with jumper cables. But it didn't stop there. He…he…kept throwing water on my face by the gallons like he was trying to drown me or something. And then he made me stay awake all night. He didn't care that I had vomited and even soiled myself. Every time I'd lose consciousness, he'd throw ice-water and shock me until I woke up. Meanwhile, he kept telling me how he's going to kill all of you and how I'm going to watch him do it. Then it'll be my turn to pay for killing 'bastian." Danny quietly cried fearfully but like a child as he shook violently, causing Jack and Martin to tighten their holds and Jeff to soothe his head like a child.

"Shhh. That's enough, Danny. That's enough. You don't have to say anything else. Just relax, breathe. Nothing's going to happen to us. And we're not going to let that sick bastard hurt you again." Jack said strong and with conviction.

"Damn it. You don't understand. He knows who all of you are and he has your pictures. He says that there are people watching you until he gives the orders to kill all of you. This is all my fault." Danny quietly cried fearfully and terribly upset as he shook violently, causing Martin to grab his face with his hands.

"Listen to me, brother. You have to calm down. We're not going to let that son of a bitch hurt you anymore. And we're sure as hell not going to let him or anyone else hurt any of us. So, don't be afraid of that sick bastard anymore. Right now all I want you to do is calm down and get some rest, okay? Just get some sleep. We're not leaving you alone. We're staying right here with you." Martin cried sternly but caringly as he held Danny's face in his hands and tears stained his face.

"But I'm scared, Fitzy. I don't want anything to happen to any of you. Why can't you guys understand that?" Danny quietly cried upset but like a child, which was causing Jack, Martin and Jeff to worry.

"We know that you're scared, but you're safe now. Do you understand me? You are safe. Nothing is going to happen to any of us or you anymore. And I swear that we're going to catch that sick son of a bitch and anyone else he's working with. But you need to calm down now and go to sleep." Jack said sternly out of fear, causing Danny to stop struggling and sag in defeat.

"You don't understand anything." Danny quietly cried like a child, causing the guys to panic when he let go of their hands and began sucking his thumb as he tried to bawl up protectively.

"Oh, shit." Jack, Martin and Danny said fearfully when Nurse Vicky suddenly showed up in the room with Sean and Dr. Foster.

"I told you not to upset him but you didn't listen. Now, get out." Sean said sternly as he glared at Jack, causing him to take a breath when Martin looked at him somewhat angrily.

"I'm not talking about you, Martin. But I do need you and these guys to get out because we need to run some tests on Danny and we also need to calm him down. Don't worry. I'll let you come back in after we're finished, okay? But right now, Vicky's going to fix you up with a nice heating pad and medication that I ordered, all right? Come on. Go on." Sean said caringly but then glared at Jack without Martin noticing.

"I can't leave him…" Martin tried but Sean quickly cut him off.

"He's not alone, Martin and we're going to take care of him. Go on." Sean said a bit sternly but caringly as if he were talking to a child, causing Vicky to take a gentle hold of Martin's hand.

"Come on, Agent Fitzgerald. Let's take a look at those ribs. And you two come with me also. Come on." Nurse Vicky said kindly as she smiled softly, causing Martin, Jack and Jeff to follow her wearily.

But before he left, Jack looked back at Sean viscously and Sean did the same. One way or another, he was going to figure what Sean was really up to. And when he did find out Sean's game, not even the heavens above would be able to save him from Jack's wrath.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------