A/N: okay, this chapter is a bit sad, and it's focused entirely on Danny… I hope you'll enjoy it and won't hate me for this sadness!

Special thanks to PeggsterLover for her patience and inspiration ;-)

Disclaimer: I don't own them and never did.

Chapter 5

Danny was still out of work, but he felt almost completely recovered now. There was a thing that was still bugging him though. The more time passed, the stronger it grew. He wanted the criminals to be punished. He wanted to make sure that they would pay for what they had done to Nicholas… and all the other innocent people they had killed, obviously. He still had nightmares about that day. There was always Nicholas' absent stare, troubled and erratic breathing and blood, the amounts of which seemed to multiply every time he saw that dream. And it always ended with death. His best friend's death in his arms. Danny felt that if he didn't do something, he would just go crazy.

He talked to the Andes about what they had found out about the gang. It obviously didn't give him any useful information, since a) too much time had passed since the day of their "investigation"; and b) they hadn't really investigated that much.

One day, however, he saw a person who might help him. The Met Sergeant joined him at the graveyard, and they just stood there in silence for a while.

"Why are you here?" Danny asked quietly, not moving his glance from his friend's fresh grave not far from his mother's.

"Just came here to…" the other man paused. "We were friends, too, you know. With Nicholas. Later on we went our separate ways but…" he noticed Danny wasn't really listening, just nodding to the words. The Met officer sighed. Of course, he had a reason to be there. In fact, he had promised to come to Sandford once in a while to check if Danny "wasn't alone", as Nicholas had put it.

"Are you alright?" he asked, feeling a bit guilty. Danny finally looked up at him.

"Yeah, I guess so," he answered. "It's just that… I need some time to get used to… everything".

The other sergeant nodded. Danny looked at the gravestone once again and started to walk away. The Met officer hesitated for a few seconds before joining him. Butterman didn't seem to mind.

After a while Danny stopped awkwardly and looked at the other officer.

"Listen, I'm sorry I don't remember…"

"It's Travis," the other man managed a small smile.

"Danny," he forced something that looked like a smile, too, as he shook the other sergeant's hand.

"Have they been caught?" Danny asked after a silent moment. Travis flinched.

"No".

"Why?" Danny's tone was somewhat accusing. "They don't seem to be hiding or anything".

"It — it's a bit more complicated than that," Travis stuttered.

"Is it?"

"Look, Danny, you should stay away from this. It's for your own good".

"What is it with this case?" Danny asked, trying his best I-can-see-right-through-you face.

"I can't tell you. We should just all do what we are supposed to, that will serve the greater good".

Danny shrugged. He hated that expression. The last thing he had been supposed to do for "the Greater Good" was killing his best friend. He hadn't done that, but the friend was now dead anyway. Cruel irony.

"Our people are working on it," Travis tried to sound reassuring.

"The same people who failed to warn us about the bomb?" Danny's voice cracked a bit at that question. If only they had known earlier… just a little bit earlier… everything would be alright now.

"We're doing all we can," Travis felt uncomfortable. He didn't know what to say.

"Well, this is me," Danny suddenly proclaimed as they approached a house.

"Oh… Then…"

"Goodbye, Travis," Danny cut off abruptly and marched to his doorstep.

"See you some other time!" the Met Sergeant exclaimed. Nicholas wouldn't be happy with this state of things…

"Yeah, see you," was the barely audible reply.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A few days later, Danny turned on the TV, just in time to see a news report about another explosion in a hotel. It was not that far from Sandford, and something was telling him it was the same gang. Without thinking much he got into his car and drove to the place.

As he drove past the remains of a building, he saw quite a few people around. Now he needed to talk to them…

After about two hours of asking questions and listening to confusing and sometimes frightened replies Danny figured out that the gang apparently had separated so that they could hide easily. He even found out where some of them might be. He decided to follow one of them, ho seemed to be hiding alone for now. He didn't know what to do next. Maybe he'd just beat up the wanker. Or maybe try to find out the whereabouts of the leader… and then… Danny didn't know, but at least he had a plan for now. Either way, the evil must be punished. Nicholas would be proud of this rightfulness.

The hideout was a basement of an empty building. Danny went in without a doubt, but as he was descending into the darkness, he started to think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea. Maybe he hadn't thought it all through. Just as he began to consider turning back, something landed heavily on his head, and the darkness wrapped around him.