Slipping Into Darkness
Disclaimer:As much as I love the show and its characters, I do not own any part of it. Without A Trace belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS. Only the characters that I created are mine. So, please don't sue.
Author's Note: Sorry about the long update but my laptop was being serviced and by the time I got it back, the plot bunnies weren't playing nice with me. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. As always, R and R is appreciated and helpful. Thanks. Enjoy.
Previously on Slipping Into Darkness: "He…lp…me." Danny cried barely audible and complete darkness took over as his head lolled to the side, causing Sean and Martin to give each other a knowing and relieved look as tears stained their faces and they held Danny tighter.
Although it was very difficult for him, Danny had finally asked his friends—his family—for their help. And even though they knew that it wouldn't be an easy task, they would do whatever had to be done to help bring Danny back home—back to his lovable, caring and carefree self once again.
Chapter 20
Danny continued sleeping peacefully the rest of the night. He finally awakened the next morning at ten in the morning, causing him to look on confused and somewhat frightened but like I frightened child when he saw Sean, Martin, Jack, Jeff and Viv standing around the room, looking at him.
"What's going on? What are you doing here?" Danny said softly but like a somewhat frightened child, causing Sean to gently soothe his head.
"Calm down, kiddo. Everything's okay." Sean said caringly and then began checking Danny's vitals. "Munchkin, we need to talk." Sean said gently and then paused momentarily. "Danny, do you remember what happened last night?" He said as gently as possible.
Danny thought back on the previous night and remembered everything that happened, causing Sean to gently soothe his head when he covered his head and face with the blanket. Sean gently removed the blanket but only to find that tears now stained Danny's face.
"Shhh. Everything is going to be okay, kiddo. We're going to take care of you." Sean said soothingly as he soothed and kissed Danny's head like a child and Martin took a hold of Danny's hand in a tight, brotherhood grip, causing Danny to cover his head and face again with the blanket as he tried to stifle a cry.
"Are you going to hide from me again, buddy? Hmm?" Martin said softly but caringly as he tightened his grip on Danny's hand and removed the blanket from Danny's face, causing Danny to sniffle softly and shake his head as he tightened his hold on Martin's hand.
"I'm not hiding from you, Fitzy." Danny said softly as he sniffled and covered his head again but Martin removed the blanket once again, causing Danny to growl softly and sigh frustrated as he covered his nose and mouth with the blanket yet again.
"Danny." Martin said caringly but in a warning tone as he looked at Danny sternly.
"Look, I'm not hiding from you or anyone else, Fitzy. But I just woke up and I haven't even brushed my teeth. So unless you want to smell my fish breath, stop taking the damn blanket off my face." Danny said crossly, causing everyone to laugh very amused.
"All right, kiddo. Cool off. Let's just get you in the bathroom and I'll help you get cleaned up. Then, we'll talk. Come on." Sean said, chuckling softly, as he helped Danny out of bed and gently led him to the bathroom.
Sean helped Danny to brush his teeth and clean up as best as possible. Once cleaned up, Sean carefully led Danny to sit on the recliner.
"Sit still, brother." Martin said a bit sternly when Danny tried to get up from the recliner.
"What do you guys want? Just leave me alone." Danny said crossly as he sighed frustrated and soothed his pained head, causing Sean to gently soothe his head like a child.
"Your head feels like you'vebeen kicked by a mule, doesn't it?" Sean said sympathetically as he smiled softly and Danny nodded as he pouted like an angry child. "I'll give you something for pain, but first we have to talk and then you have to eat something. Okay?" He said caringly and Danny nodded with a heavy sigh.
"Fine. What do you want?" Danny said with a frustrated sigh.
"Like I said before, kiddo. Do you remember what happened last night?" Sean said gently but caringly.
"I already told you that I did. So what?" Danny said softly but somewhat upset, causing him to suddenly become angry when Dr. Gonzalez entered the room. "What the hell do you want? I've got nothing to say to you. And if you think that you're going to put me away in the shithole you call a psych ward, you're out of your damn mind." Danny said calmly but angrily as he glared viciously at Dr. Gonzalez.
"First off, let's get one thing clear, Danny. Whether you like it or not, I'm not going anywhere and neither are your friends. And just like you want some respect, you show me some respect and stop behaving like petulant, disrespectful child towards me and anyone else because you're only going to make matters worse. As far as I know, you're a grown man, so starting acting like one." Dr. Gonzalez said sternly but compassionately, causing Danny to look at her more furiously but not say anything when everyone gave him a serious but caring look.
"Fine. Now, as for the Psychiatric Ward, I already spoke with Sean and I've agreed not to treat you there—unless you become combative and become a danger to me, yourself or anyone else. Instead, I'm going to treat you here for several days with medication and extensive psychotherapy. That therapy will include changing your thinking about everything that's happened and making you understand and believe that you're not responsible for everything that happened. You have to understand that you were as much a victim as your friends, if not more. And I know that it seems impossible now, but you will come to believe it for yourself." Dr. Gonzalez said somewhat sternly but compassionately, causing Danny to angrily wipe away the tears that escaped his eyes.
"Calm down, kiddo. You don't have to be so defensive. But even if you are, it doesn't matter, because we're not going to leave you alone." Jeff said caringly as he soothed Danny's head like a child, causing Danny to look at him like an angry child as he pouted and struggled not to cry.
"You're not getting rid of us that easily, you little runt. So, you can fight all you want." Jack said in a mock stern tone but with a small smile, causing Danny to pout more angrily as he desperately fought to keep himself from crying.
"Stop trying to fight it, sweetheart. It's okay to cry." Viv said soothingly as she swallowed softly and gently wiped the tears that escaped Danny's eyes but he pouted angrier.
All of a sudden, Martin stood between Danny and Dr. Gonzalez and didn't seem to give a damn if he was being rude. But Danny looked at him uncertain and somewhat frightened like a lost child as he pouted and shook a little, causing Martin to hold the back of Danny's head with one hand and whisper, inaudibly to anyone else, in Danny's ear.
No one knows what Martin said to him, but whatever it was, caused Danny to quietly cry furiously and extremely emotionally but like a child and angrily pull on Martin's shirt as he shook somewhat violently.
"Danny…" Dr. Gonzalez warned very sternly but couldn't continue when Martin quickly cut her off.
"Leave him alone. He's not going to hurt any of us. And he has just as much right as anyone else to get angry, without having to worry about you or anyone else threatening to lock him up in that shit-hole you call a Psych Ward." Martin said calmly but angrily as he embraced Danny protectively tight when Danny got angrier and nearly tore his shirt from pulling on it so angrily.
"Martin, what the hell did you say to him?" Jack said gruffly but concerned but Martin shook his head.
"That's no one's business except for Danny. So, I'm not answering your question, Jack." Martin said seriously and then held Danny tighter when Danny quietly cried like a furious child again but then let his body sag in defeat as he very quietly cried extremely emotionally but like a child.
"Shhh. It's okay. It's all right. I'm not saying one word." Martin said quietly as he swallowed hard and fresh tears escaped his eyes.
"Kiddo, I don't know what's going on, but you need to calm down and breathe. Come on. Your vitals are elevated and I don't want anything else to happen to you." Sean said caringly but Danny quietly cried angrier, causing Martin to shake him gently.
"Come on, buddy. You heard your brother. Take some slow breaths and calm down." Martin said caringly but it made Danny cry angrier.
"You're an asshole." Danny quietly cried angrily and extremely emotionally like a child, causing Martin to chuckle amused and gently squeeze his shoulder.
"Thank you." Martin chuckled amused as fresh tears escaped his eyes and he gently ruffled Danny's head. "But you still have to calm down and breathe. So, here, drink some water and calm down." He said, still chuckling softly, but Danny shook his head, causing Danny to quickly grab the cup of water offered when Martin whispered in his ear inaudibly. "I thought so. Just drink it slowly before you puke on me. Then, you'll really be sorry." Martin laughed amused, causing Danny to suddenly cover his face and quietly chuckle crying but he sounded like a child.
Everyone in the room stood looking on in shock at the interaction between Danny and Martin. Martin continued chuckling softly as Danny began slowly calming. But what no one could understand, was what Martin kept telling Danny, causing Martin to laugh hysterically after he whispered in Danny's ear and Danny's covered his furiously red face as he chuckled crying.
"Martin, what the hell is going on between you two? What are you telling him?" Sean said amused, causing Danny to suddenly become serious and stop laughing as he looked at Martin uncertain.
"Cut that out. I'm not saying anything." Martin laughed amused, causing Danny to pout but nod at him.
"That's what I want to hear from you, Danny. And that's what everyone here wants from you also. We want you to feel better again and get you back to one hundred percent. That's why me and all your friends are here and we're all going to help you." Dr. Gonzalez said compassionately as she smiled kindly but Danny suddenly pouted as his features creased angrily, causing him to look down and stop looking at her that way when Martin softly chuckled amused and elbowed him weakly. "Look, regardless of how you feel about me, Danny, I'm only here to help you feel better again. That's my job and I'm going to do it even if you try everything to push me away. So, give it up, sweetheart, because you're going to keep seeing my ugly mug everyday for a long while." Dr. Gonzalez said a bit sternly but kindly and then held out her hand to Danny, causing Danny to shake her hand halfheartedly but continue looking down when Martin weakly elbowed him.
"Well, I'm going to leave now and let you have some breakfast. I'll be back later to start on your therapy." Dr. Gonzalez said kindly and she bid farewell to everyone. "By the way, don't think for another second that you're going to keep avoiding your friend downstairs—Agent Spade. Sean and I already came to an agreement and you're going to go see her after breakfast." She said a bit sternly but compassionately, causing Danny to shake his head. "It's not your choice, Danny. It's part of your recovery and I'm therefore making it mandatory for you to go see her. So, when I come back to see you, I better hear that you went to talk to her. Excuse me." She said a bit sternly but kindly.
"Sean, don't give him any sedative for the pain. I want him completely lucid when I come back to see him. Are we clear on that?" Dr. Gonzalez said seriously but kindly and Sean nodded smiling. "Good. I'll be back at one." She said kindly as she wrote in Danny's chart and then left.
After she left, Danny's demeanor quickly changed. He became withdrawn and continued looking down. And he wouldn't look at anyone anymore, causing everyone to look at him sympathetically, when a knocked suddenly came to the door—it was a food service technician with Danny's breakfast. The technician set Danny's tray on the table in front of him and then left the room.
"Come on, kiddo. It's time for breakfast. You have to eat something." Sean said caringly as he uncovered Danny's meal but Danny shook his head.
"Do all of you mind giving me a few minutes with him alone? Please?" Martin said kindly but somewhat seriously and everyone nodded and left the room, causing Danny to immediately cry quietly as he covered his face with a shaking hand.
"Are you going to tell me why you're so upset? Or should I guess?" Martin said kindly but knowingly. "You're upset about that shrink making you see, Sam, aren't you? Why? She's been worried sick about you ever since you last talked to her because you told her that you were quitting." Martin said a bit seriously but compassionately as he sat on the bed in front of Danny.
"Damn it. I can't see her like that again, Fitzy. Her arms and hands are so bandaged that you can't even see her fingers and she's got bruises everywhere. She's like that because of me—because of me. And there's not a guarantee that she can ever work again. And that's all because of me." Danny quietly cried upset, causing Martin to look at him sternly and gently force Danny to look at him.
"Hello, it's nice to see you again, Ritchie. Do you remember me? Martin? You tried to kill me and the rest of my friends." Martin said sternly, causing Danny to growl crying angrily and glare viciously at Martin.
"Don't call me that, you asshole." Danny quietly cried angrily as he glared at Martin.
"Why shouldn't I call you Ritchie? After all, you're taking the blame for everything he did. So, why the hell should I call you Danny? Hmm? You're hiding from us, your family, your friends. You're running away because you're scared and you're still letting Ritchie control you and keeping you away from us even beyond death. Well, I got news for you, Danny. You're not going anywhere and neither are we. And as far as the situation with Sam is concerned, you already heard what Sean said. The surgeon told him that the surgery went well and that although she'd need physical therapy and she'd need to wear some special braces on her on hands, there was no permanent damage. So, she will be able to go back to work, Danny. And it's okay to feel bad about the way she looks now. It's hard for all of us to see her like that. But if there's one thing we all know, Danny, especially you, is that Sam's a fighter and she doesn't let anything stand in her way. Just like she didn't give up when Barry Mashburn shot her, she's not going to give up now. And neither are you. So, do you know what you're going to do?" Martin said a bit sternly but caringly, causing him to gently force Danny to look at him when Danny lowered and shook his head as he cried.
"You're going to eat your breakfast. And then afterwards, you're going to sit up straight, raise your head and you're going to go downstairs to talk to Sam. And it's okay if you cry. No one is going to stop you. And I know you think that Sam hates you but you're wrong. She loves you so much, brother—we all do. We're going to get through this together, Danny—all of us. And soon we'll see that old Danny we're all waiting to see, running around here trying to get with every hot nurse in this hospital—especially that hot little number, Nurse Vicky." Martin said caringly, causing him to chuckle amused when Danny laughed crying, but like a child, at his last comment.
All of a sudden, there was a soft knock at the door and it opened, causing Sean, Jack, Jeff and Viv to smile as they saw Danny giggling and crying as his face reddened furiously and Martin laughing right alongside him.
Danny and Martin finally calmed down but they continued smiling amused as their faces remained furiously red.
"All right, all right. Relax before you burst a vein or something." Martin chuckled amused, causing Danny to giggle crying again. "Come on, silly. Just calm down and eat your breakfast before it gets cold or before one of those greedy vultures comes in here trying to take it away." Martin said amused as he smiled at Danny, causing Martin to shake his head smiling when the others gave him a questioning look as they smiled.
Danny continued eating as the others talked. He finished eating thirty minutes later and the empty tray was taken away.
"Well, since you're all finished with breakfast, it's time to go downstairs to visit Sam, kiddo." Sean said fifteen minutes later as he came into the room with a wheelchair, causing Danny to look at him wearily. "You heard what Dr. Gonzalez said, munchkin. You don't have a choice. It's part of your treatment." Sean said caringly but Danny looked down.
Everyone watched Danny's demeanor change immediately with the news that he had to see Sam. But since the others didn't say anything to reassure Danny, Martin took the initiative. He immediately made Danny raise his head and sit up straight. Then, he whispered quietly in Danny's ear, causing tears to escape Danny's eyes as he nodded.
"Okay, let's go." Danny said softly as he looked up and tears escaped his eyes.
"Come on, munchkin. Everything is going to be okay." Sean said caringly and then led Danny away.
"Martin, what did you say to him?" Jeff asked suspiciously as he raised an eyebrow and then smiled.
"I didn't say anything to him." Martin said nonchalantly as he tried not to smile.
"Well, you must be telling him something because you're the only one who's been able to calm him down or make him laugh." Viv said with a devious smile and a raised eyebrow, casing Martin to redden furiously.
"I plead the fifth." Martin said laughing as his face reddened more, causing everyone to laugh more.
Jack, Jeff and Viv continued teasing Martin to cut down on the tension that everyone was feeling. But while they joked upstairs, Sean wheeled a nervous Danny to Sam's room.
"How long is she going to be here for?" Danny asked with a small voice.
"She's scheduled to be in the hospital for another week. If all goes well, she'll be released and she'll have to come in for physical therapy. And I know why you're scared but don't be, kiddo. Sam's going to be fine. And she'll be back at work in no time—just like you." Sean said caringly as he gently squeezed Danny's shoulder.
"Look, she's sleeping. Why don't we just come back some other time?" Danny said shaken.
"She's not sleeping, kiddo. She's trying to look at you." Sean said caringly as they looked at Sam through the window. "She's been asking about you. She's worried about you." Sean said caringly as Danny shook a little. "Are you ready to go in, munchkin?" Sean said gently but Danny shook his head and sniffled, causing Danny to flinch and gasp fearfully when someone grabbed his neck.
"Calm down, brother. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Martin said caringly.
"What are you doing here, Fitzy?" Danny said shaken.
"I came down here because I figured that you might get scared and try to back out from seeing sam. And it looks like I was right. But you can do this, Danny. Just remember what I told you and you'll be fine." Martin said caringly but with conviction as he gently squeezed danny's shoulder.
"I…okay." Danny said sniffling as he shook.
"Okay. But you have to calm down before you go in, all right?" Martin said caringly and then noticed that Sam was looking at them and trying to get up to move.
"Don't do that, sweetheart. Just relax and breathe, okay. Danny's coming in now. Just give him a minute." He said to Sam a bit sternly but caringly as he momentarily went into her and she nodded as she relaxed into the bed, causing Martin to return to Danny's side again.
"Is she okay, Fitzy?" Danny said sniffling emotionally.
"Yeah, kiddo, Sam's okay. She's just anxious to see you so she's trying to get up. So, how about you take a few breaths and calm down so that you can go in to see her?" Martin said caringly and Danny nodded and began taking slow breaths for a minute until he calmed down but continued shaking a bit.
"Are you ready to go in, munchkin?" Sean said caringly as he embraced Danny from behind, causing Danny to only nod because he didn't trust his voice. "Okay, munchkin. Come on." He said caringly and then led Danny into Sam's room. "Sam, you've got a visitor, sweetie." He said caringly as he wheeled Danny next to Sam.
"Danny." Sam cried softly but emotionally as she tried to move her arms to hug Danny but Danny shook his head.
"Shhh. Don't move, hot stuff. Stay still." Danny said caringly as his voice shook and he carefully hugged and kissed Sam, causing her to cry more and soothe Danny's face with her own.
"I'll leave you two alone. I'll be back, munchkin." Sean said caringly as he soothed and kissed Danny's head and then left the room.
"How did it go in there?" Martin said smiling softly.
"Okay, I think. But I am curious about one thing. What have you been saying to him and why have you been able to calm him down and make him laugh and not the rest of us?" Sean said curiously as he smiled and raised an eyebrow, causing Martin to chuckle softly.
"Like I told the others, I plead the fifth." Martin softly chuckled amused, causing Sean to chuckle amused.
"All right, I get it. It's only for you two. And I don't know what you said to him, but thank you." Sean said caringly as they looked through Sam's window and watched Danny still holding onto Sam as they both continued crying. "Come on. Let's go to the doctor's lounge and give them some privacy." Sean said caringly as he smiled and Martin smiled as they walked away.
Back in Sam's Room…
Danny continued holding on to Sam and they continued crying for fifteen minutes until they finally calmed down enough to talk.
"How are you feeling, hot stuff?" Danny sniffled softly but emotionally as he held Sam and laid his head next to hers, causing Sam to move into his touch.
"I'm still in pain, but it's not as bad as before because Sean has me on Morphine. And he already told me that I'm going to be okay and that I don't have permanent damage." Sam said softly as she sniffled and fresh tears escaped her eyes, causing Danny to softly kiss Sam repeatedly and carefully hold her tighter as he sniffled softly but emotionally and tears fell freely down his face. "What's wrong, Danny? Why are you crying like that?" Sam said softly but fearfully as her voice shook and she soothed Danny's face and head with her own.
"I'm so sorry, Sam. None of this would've happened to you if I had just done what Ritchie told me. If I hadn't of said anything to you guys, you wouldn't be laying here in this hospital bed without the temporary use of your arms, Martin wouldn't of been hurt and neither would have Viv. But I opened my big mouth and Ritchie came after all of you and Sean—my family, my friends." Danny cried softly but emotionally, causing Sam to soothe him again as she shook her head.
"See, sweetie? You just said it all by yourself. Ritchie came after us. Ritchie—even after you begged him not to. And you withstood his torture but you still didn't tell him a damn thing about where we were. The only reason he found out where we were is because he followed you. So, you had nothing to do with what happened to us and you. Yes, you Danny, because he hurt you worst of all, worse than any of us." Sam cried softly but with conviction.
"That's not…" Danny cried but couldn't continue when she cut him off.
"Don't say that it's not true, because it is, Danny. Ritchie tortured you endlessly for months. He didn't give a damn that he was hurting you—his childhood best friend. All he cared about was his stupid revenge for Sebastian's death—a death that Sebastian caused himself. You didn't kill him. He knew better and he made a choice. Sebastian made the choice to go to your house that night with a gun and you didn't have a choice. You didn't have a choice, Danny. It was either him or your dad and you made the right call. If none of that would've happened, we would've never met Danny Taylor. Danny Taylor who only worries about everyone else around him and is willing to sacrifice his own life for that of his family, his friends and even innocent victims who can't defend themselves. We also wouldn't have known the charming and delectable Danny Taylor who, with his charm, woos any woman he wants, including us girls at the office." Sam suddenly chuckled crying softly but amused, causing Danny to laugh crying and kiss her repeatedly as he held her tighter but carefully and softly soothed her head and face.
"Well, it's true. Danny, you have all women at FBI headquarters swooning over you trying to get at your cute little butt." Sam teased as she chuckled crying, causing Danny to laugh crying very amused. "I'm glad to see you laughing again, Danny. That's what we want from you. We want this old Danny back—not the sad version of you who keeps running away from us." Sam said softly but soothingly as tears stained her face and she soothed and kissed Danny's face with her own, causing Danny to softly cry emotionally and hide his face on the bed. "Don't do that, sweetie. Look at me. I want to see your face, not your head." She softly cried sternly but caringly and Danny looked at her. "Why do you keep trying to run away from us?" Sam cried sternly but caringly.
"You don't understand, Sam. I feel so horrible about everything that's happened, especially after what I almost did." Danny cried softly but regretfully, causing Sam to sigh heavily and lean her head in his.
"Are you talking about what happened at the cemetery when you saw that video that that sick son of a bitch left you, telling you that he killed your father? I know, Danny. Sean and Martin told me everything. Who's for sure to say how any of us would've reacted if we had been put in that same situation, Danny? So, stop feeling bad about that and let us help you." Sam cried soothingly, causing Danny to softly cry very emotionally like a child.
"Why won't you guys hate me, even when I try everything to push you away?" Danny cried softly but very emotionally like a child as he continued holding Sam, causing Sam to kiss him repeatedly.
"Don't you dare ever say that again, Danny. You can keep being a pain in the ass to try to push us away but you'll just be wasting your time because we're going to keep coming after you, silly. Besides, who's going to be angry at gorgeous eye candy like you with those cute, pouty lips, that shaggy dog hairdo and that tight little butt?" Sam cried smiling as she raised an eyebrow and pretended to look at Danny's backside, causing Danny to laugh crying very amused as he held her.
"Enjoying the view?" Danny teased as he laughed crying and Sam nodded, causing him to laugh more and finally stop crying.
"So, Sean already told me that there's a doctor taking care of you, Dr. Gonzalez, the headshrinker." Sam said caringly and Danny nodded as he made a distasteful face.
"I don't like her. If she weren't a woman, I would've decked her. She told Sean that she was going to put me in a damn nuthouse because I was a danger to everyone and myself." Danny said angrily but like a child as he sniffled.
"We know that that's not true. Besides, Sean would never let that happen after everything that he went through to find you. And I know that you hate her, but you have to promise me that you're going to talk to her and let her do everything she can, to help you." Sam said caringly.
"But…" Danny tried crossly but couldn't continue when Sam cut him off.
"Promise me, Danny. I know that she made you mad by saying that. But the truth is that if you give her a chance, you're going to like her and that she's going to help you so much, just like us. So, I want your word right now that you're going to let the shrink help you and you're going to stop running away from us, your family. And more importantly, I want your word that you'll never, ever try to take your life again no matter how grim things feel and look to you. Because no matter how horrible you feel, we'd feel a thousand times worse if we ever lost you. You're never alone. You've got Sean and all of us. Do you understand me, Special Agent Danny Taylor? Now, promise me." Sam cried caringly but with conviction as she laid her head on Danny's, causing Danny to cry quietly but extremely emotionally as he shook.
"I promise." Danny quietly cried extremely emotionally as he shook and held on to Sam carefully, but for dear life, causing Sam to cry as she kissed Danny repeatedly.
Danny and Sam weren't aware that there were tear-stained visitors staring back at them from outside Sam's window. Sean, Martin, Jack, Jeff and Viv were standing there crying as they looked at the interaction between Danny and Sam.
"Do you think we're going to get our old Danny back now?" Martin softly cried smiling amused as he sniffled and wiped away his tears.
"Definitely!" They all said.
"Our little Danny definitely needed to see Sam. I know that it's not going to be easy—it's going to be hard and it's going to seem impossible at times, that we're going to get Danny through this. But we're not going to give up on the little guy. We're going to get him back to his old, cocky self again. Are you with me?" Sean cried smiling as he held his hand out and everyone grabbed a tight hold of it.
"You bet your ass. That pointy-eared little freak isn't going to leave us high and dry—especially not after he's left this big ass bald spot on the top of my head from making me worry so much about him." Jack laughed amused as tears stained his face and he pointed to the top of his head, causing everyone to laugh loudly and very amused.
That laughter cut Danny and Sam's affection short, causing them to laugh crying when they saw everyone at the window staring back at them. They immediately signaled to them and they came inside Sam's room.
"Come here, you pointy-eared, little freak. This is all your fault." Jack said in a mock stern tone as he smiled and pointed to the top of his head again as tears stained his face and everyone took a tight but careful hold of Danny, causing everyone—including Danny and Sam—to laugh loudly and very amused. "You skinny ass isn't going anywhere, except back to your desk at FBI Headquarters as soon as you recover. And don't think for a minute that I'm going to take it easy on you, Junior. You're going to get what's coming to you for making me go bald." Jack said a mock stern tone and then laughed when Danny laughed crying and held everyone tightly as he nodded his head nonstop.
The team continued together like that for fifteen minutes until they finally released Danny—except Sean who continued holding Danny.
"Feeling better, little brother?" Sean said smiling and Danny softly pouted smiling as he lay his tired head on Sean. "Don't worry. Dr. Gonzalez and all of us are going to help you feel good again. I promise." Sean said caringly but then Danny quietly growled annoyed as he pouted more, causing Sean to chuckle amused. "Let me guess. You don't like her and you don't want to talk to her after she was a cold-hearted bitch to you and wanted to lock you away in the psych ward." Sean chuckled amused when Danny growled again. "I understand you completely, kiddo. Believe me." Sean chuckled amused.
"What are you talking about?" Danny said crossly but caringly.
"How do you think I felt about her when I met her? I was in worse shape than you are now, after Ritchie left me for dead and I woke up here in the hospital. I was so out of control that she actually put me in the psych ward for three months and I hated her more than anything. But eventually I stopped being a mean prick towards her and let her helped me. She was a tough S.O.B with me at first but she got me through the worst time of my life and she's been a good friend ever since that. So, I want you to promise me that even though she's a harsh S.O.B. with you now that you're going to open up to her and let her help you." Sean said smiling softly as he soothed and kissed Danny's head.
"I know that you guys want the old Danny back. But I don't think I can do it alone." Danny said softly as fresh tears escaped his eyes, causing Martin to hold his hand in a tight, brotherhood grip.
"Who the hell told you that you were alone? We're going to be here with you always to give you a good kick in the pants whenever you need it. Now, promise that you're going to let the evil headshrinker help you and us too. Promise or I'll kick your butt hard right now." Martin said seriously but caringly as he smiled, causing Danny to laugh crying and nod.
"I promise, Fitzy." Danny laughed crying as he sniffled.
"Damn. And we were all ready to give him a good kick in the pants right now." Jeff said crossly as he smiled and ruffled Danny's head, causing Danny to laugh more.
"Thank you." Danny suddenly cried softly but emotionally as he covered his face, causing everyone to hold on to him.
Although they all knew that the coming days, weeks and months were going to be incredibly difficult, they were glad that they would at least face it together as friends, as family—whatever adversity they were to be faced with.
--
A/N—Will the team finally be able to get Danny out of the dark abyss that has entrapped his mind and spirit? Find out next time on the upcoming finale of this story.