A/N – Sorry this has taken so long to update. I'll post more frequently now. Unless season six provides some D/E inspiration, then this fic will just follow the storyline from season five. Elena and Danny are figuring out where to go next in their relationship now that Carlos is out of jail. So this chapter and the rest of this fic takes place after The Beginning from season five.

It was almost noon and Danny's eyes were crossing because he'd been reviewing phone records for over two hours. The team had what they thought was a break in an old case, but the phone records from the lost cell phone weren't panning out. Looking up restlessly, he rubbed his eyes and then ran his hands through his hair as he let out a heavy sigh.

"Nothing, huh?" Martin said, looking up from the center table.

"Not a damn thing," Danny replied as he turned toward Martin in his chair.

"Me, either. I think this lead was too good to be true."

Danny nodded. "Nothing like false hope to break up the monotony of a slow week," he responded in an agitated tone.

Hearing the agitation in Danny's tone, Martin asked, "You've been looking a little tweaked lately. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's…it's…" he started, but then stopped himself.

Regarding Danny closely for moment, Martin finally responded. "Still worried about Elena's ex, right?"

Nodding, Danny turned back toward his computer. "That's definitely part of it," he agreed quietly before focusing on the phone records again.

That was part of it. He knew that Carlos was out there somewhere waiting for them to let their guard down. He knew that Elena was worried about this as well, because she wouldn't let Sophie out of her sight. If Sophie wasn't at school or locked in her apartment with Elena's mother, then she was under Elena's watchful eye. Danny completely understood Elena's over protectiveness, but it also made it frustrating because he and Elena were barely ever alone together.

He'd gone over to her place a few times since Carlos got out of jail -- usually after work, always making certain that Carlos wasn't watching. He'd eat dinner with them or watch a movie. After Sophie would go to bed, he and Elena would spend time talking or making out on her couch, but they never went further than that. Elena didn't feel right about sleeping with Danny, in any capacity, with Sophie in the next room. Danny understood this completely, but it hadn't made the situation any less frustrating.

Frustrating. That was the perfect word, Danny thought. He worked with Elena everyday. Every morning, he'd watch her walk into the bullpen and smile sweetly at him. His first instinct, the instinct he had to quell every day, was to stand up and pull her into his arms. Everything about her made him want her. She was beautiful and had a way of flirting just by looking at him. And if she'd find a way to touch him, even inadvertently, it was all he could do to control himself.

Danny shook his head. He wasn't sure how long he could go on like this. He'd thought about leaving the team more and more. He wasn't sure he and Elena could stay together if they continued to work together. Maybe if he left the team, then they could finally have a real relationship

Elena was tired again. She hadn't been sleeping well since Sophie had been kidnapped. After they got Sophie back and Carlos was in jail, she started to sleep a little better, but that's when the good dreams started. Instead of nightmares about Carlos, she started to have fantasies about Danny. The memories of their few encounters before Sophie's kidnapping would invade her dreams.

Nervously, Elena took a deep breath before knocking the door.

After waiting a few moments, the door finally opened. Taking a short, unsure breath, she smile slightly when she saw Danny's confused face.

"Hey," he greeted in a hesitant tone.

"Hey," she replied.

Frown firmly in place, Danny asked, "What…what are you doing here?" His eyes scanned the hallway to see if Sophie was in tow, but it was just Elena.

"I, um, I, can I come in?" Elena asked.

Shaking his head, Danny stepped out of the way quickly. "Sure, of course. Come in. I'm just surprised to see you on a Sunday. When we had dinner on Friday you said you had a busy weekend with Sophie."

"I did. I mean, I do, but I just…" she started, but then got distracted as she looked at Danny. He was dressed in a white v-neck t-shirt and dark track pants. His hair was a mess and he hadn't shaved all weekend. Elena wasn't sure if she'd ever seen him like this before and she found it completely sexy.

"You just what?" Danny asked, trying to refocus her attention.

Looking into his eyes, Elena smiled slyly. "I just wanted to see you."

Danny smiled. "Well then, I'm glad you stopped by, but I'm surprised Sophie's not with you."

Smiling shamefully, Elena shook her head as she turned so he couldn't see her face.

"What?" Danny asked, voice full of amusement.

"They're at church," she replied in a small tone. "Every Sunday morning, my mother and I take Sophie to Sunday school and then church afterward, but this morning I ask my mother to take Sophie because I had an errand to run."

Danny eyebrows raised as Elena's motives became clearer. "Errands? Is that what I am? An errand?" he asked as he walked toward her from behind.

"What was I supposed to say to her? Forgive me mother for I'm going to spend the holy day in sin?" she asked as she felt Danny's arms wrap around her waist. When she felt his breath and lips on her neck, she couldn't help but inhale sharply.

Danny laughed against her neck. "Honor thy mother--"

"Shut up!" she said, turning quickly in his arms. Before he could utter another word, her lips were on his and she was pulling him toward the bed in the small studio apartment.

She pulled him down on top of her as her back hit the unmade bed. Kissing deeply, they tried not to rush. Their time alone together always seemed so limited, so they often found themselves caught up in their moments together instead of really enjoying them

Feeling Elena's hand travel down to the top of pants, Danny stopped abruptly and looked at her. "How much time do we have?" he whispered in a breathless tone.

Taking a second to catch her breath, Elena shrugged, "A couple of hours."

Smiling, Danny took hold of both of wrists and pushed them over her head.

Her breath catching in surprise, Elena frowned as she looked up into his intense, but playful gaze. "What're doing?" she asked.

Dipping his head down for a moment, he nipped at her neck which sent a noticeable shiver down her spine. "A whole two hours, you say?" he responded as he met her eyes again. "I think…I think we should take our time…this time."

Completely entranced by the look on his face and the sound of his voice, Elena just nodded and then surrendered to him.

An hour and a half later, Elena collapsed against his chest after what she was sure was her fourth orgasm. Both breathing heavily, they didn't speak for few moments as they lay naked in his bed sans sheets and pillows that were discarded to the floor in the frenzy of their lovemaking. Danny ran his hands up and down Elena's back that was slightly slick with sweat. She responded with a purring moan and by nuzzling deep into his chest, not making any attempt to move off of him—still feeling him inside of her.

"You okay?" Danny asked, his fingers still grazing the small of her back.

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed.

Danny smiled. "That's good. You don't have much time left, you know. I don't want you to fall asleep."

He could feel her smile against his skin. "Is that what you've been doing for the last hour, trying to keep me awake?" she responded, sounding just on the verge of satiated sleep.

"You could say that, but that last time was all you."

This time, she laughed as she pulled herself up slowly to face him. "I was just making the most of my time."

At first, he tried to think of a smartass comeback, but then he caught sight of her face. Putting her long black hair behind her ears, he took her face in his eyes. "You're beautiful," he said as he pulled her closer to kiss her lips. Then he rolled her over so that he was now above her. "I don't want you to go," he stated with a slightly pleading look in his eyes.

Inhaling slightly, she had to force herself to remember her priorities. "I have to meet Sophie," she replied in a quiet tone.

Shaking his head knowingly, he said, "I know, but I just want you to know that I want this and much more than this. I, um, I love…I love being with you. And even though I'm okay with the way things are right now…I just want you to know, for the record, that I want more."

At that moment, Elena felt exhilarated and scared all at the same time and she couldn't hide those conflicting emotions on her face.

Seeing her reaction, Danny moved off of her and rolled onto his back. Running a hand through his messy hair, he apologized, "I'm…I'm…sorry. That was too soon…I'm not used—"

Taking hold of his arm, Elena pulled him closer and then leaned up to kiss him softly. "That was the nicest thing I've heard in a really long time," she said, her eyes moistening with tears. "You're so…so good to me and Sophie…and I can't tell you how much that means to me. Please be patient, Danny."

And he was, so patient. Even after they got Sophie back, and Elena purposely pushed him away, he'd understood. He hadn't pushed her and more than that, he'd remained her friend. Now that Carlos was out of jail, they'd had to tread quietly. Yes, she'd invited Danny back into her and Sophie's lives, but she'd also put boundaries between them to protect all of them.

Still lost in thought as she pretended to busy herself putting away files in the file room, she was startled as she felt someone brush against her. Just feeling him ever so briefly, she knew it was Danny – his distinctly male scent now unmistakable to her now. She smiled as she caught sight of him walk past her and finally stopping on the other side of the file cabinet.

"Keeping a safe distance?" she said as she kept her eyes on the folders in front of her.

Smirking, Danny nodded. "You have no idea," he responded in a low tone as he opened the file drawer.

Hearing his low, seductive tone coupled with just daydreaming about one of their encounters made Elena feel instantly aroused. She had an almost uncontrollable urge to be close to him.

"Hey," she said as she finally looked up him. "Do you have plans for lunch?"

Glancing up from the file he had been pretending to inspect, he answered, "I figured we'd grab something and eat in the break room…like usual."

Biting her lip, she arched her neck back as if to ponder a thought.

"What do you have in mind?" Danny asked, voice completely curious.

Elena smiled. "Maybe we could go to your place…for lunch."

His eyebrow arched, he smiled in returned. "My place?"

Elena nodded in reply.

Shutting the cabinet quickly, Danny immediately rounded the file cabinet. "Let's go," he said as he took her arm.

This made Elena laugh as she stopped him by taking his hand. Looking around to make sure no one had entered the room, she leaned into him. "Easy, Danny. Why don't you go ahead and I'll meet you there," she responded in a cautious, but still seductive tone.

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she knew she'd made a mistake. The playful look in Danny's eyes was immediately replaced with confusion and, even worse, hurt. Then just as quickly, the expression on his face changed to something colder.

Taking his hand away, he stepped back.

"Danny--" she started.

Raising his hand to interrupt her, he said, "Just…I'm sorry. Look, I'm not interested in doing this with you."

"Doing what?"

"Having some clandestine relationship. Hiding the way I feel. I have no problem with keeping things professional here," he said as he looked around the office. "I mean, we need to keep things professional if we're going to keep working on the same team, but outside the office? We should be able to leave here together, Elena."

"Danny, you know why—"

"Carlos?"

"Yes. He's out there, Danny. I don't want to do anything to put you or Sophie in danger. We can do this…be together…without him knowing."

"If he comes near you or Sophie, he gets arrested," he responded emphatically.

"I know, but that doesn't apply to you, Danny. He could do something…and I wouldn't forgive myself—"

"Don't worry about that," he said as he leaned into her.

"How can I not worry—"

Brushing his hand against her face, he repeated, "Don't worry about that. If we're going to do this, then it has to be real. It's the only way I can do this…be with you. Do you understand?"

Hearing the gentleness in his tone, her knees felt weak. She could only nod in reply as she felt him take her hand and squeeze it before walking out of the file room.

XXX

For the rest of the day, they worked separately – careful to stay out of each others' way. When they weren't working an active case, Elena liked to leave promptly at five for Sophie's sake. She gathered her things and rose from her desk. Walking towards the bullpen, she announced, "I'm headed home."

Viv had already left, but Martin and Sam both replied in unison, "Good night."

"'Night," Elena responded as she hesitantly walked toward Danny's desk.

Feeling her presence next to him, he looked up at her. "See you tomorrow," he said in a quiet tone.

She smiled slightly as she averted her eyes from his gaze. "Okay," she said as she started to walk away. After barely taking a step, she turned on her heel to look back at him.

"What is it?" Danny asked, wondering what she was thinking.

"Um…if you're not…I mean, if you don't have to work much longer, maybe I could wait for few minutes and we could leave together? I'm making Sophie's favorite tonight, chicken tacos. She'd love to see you and I'd love to spend some time with you," she offered, her voice a mixture of worry and want.

Glancing away from her a moment, Danny hesitantly typed something on his keyboard. Then he looked back up at her and gave her a small smile. "I'm ready now. Let's go," he said as he rose from his chair and grabbed his suit jacket from the back of his chair. Putting it on, he turned around, "Night, guys," he said."

"See ya tomorrow," Martin said.

"Good night," Sam responded.

"Ready?" Danny said, as he put his hand against the small of Elena's back, just for moment.

Elena just smiled and nodded as she started walking, feeling Danny's presence as he fell in step beside her.