So sorry I didn't update my other chapters yesterday for those of you who read those stories. My life has decided that I don't need spare time anymore. So, I'll probably be updating those next week. However, this story has fourteen chapters already written. Enjoy!

Chapter Ten "Nothing and Everything"

Danny wasn't sure Steve spending so much time with Mia was a good idea. From their conversation last night, Steve was frustrated and didn't see any sign of that changing any time soon. Danny had been aware of Mia's guarded personality before he even introduced her to Steve. He had hoped that Steve would be the one to bring her out of herself. From the sound of things, the opposite was happening.

And then there were the conflicting reports. Danny didn't want to think of what might have happened to Mia that she either blocked it out of her memory or intentionally left it out. His one reassurance was that if something more had happened it would have showed up in the medical report. Still, something didn't add up.

Danny was pulled out of his thoughts when three very different looking men walked in. Danny was, at first, surprised, but he quickly realized who they were. Despite the fact that not one of them looked or dressed like another, they all had the same eyes. Mia's eyes.

"Detective Williams?" the older, more well dressed man asked.

"Yes," Danny replied. "You must be Morgan." He shook his hand and looked at the others.

"We were told we could be of assistance," Morgan said.

"Of course." Danny nodded and motioned toward the conference room. The three brothers walked ahead of him, and the older two seemed to be competing, trying to stay one step before the other. Danny hoped they wouldn't prove to be difficult.

When they all sat down, Danny told them about his concerns. "I've been looking through all the old case files," he said. "According to LAPD, Ricky Durante has connections here, so we think he's around for more than just your sister.

Morgan nodded as if he already knew. "At this point," he said. "The DA doesn't care whether they get him there or here, so long as he's put away."

"You knew about this?" the second brother asked with an angry tone.

"What is it you think I do for a living, Kirk?" Morgan responded, equally agitated.

"Hey, hey," Danny said, putting his hands up to stop them. "How much do you know about the case?" Danny asked.

"Everything they sent you, I'm sure," Morgan replied. "I wasn't allowed to be involved when it came to Mia, but the drugs and weapons were fair game. That's what we want him on anyway."

"Then I guess it's not worth much to ask you about the first attack?"

"What do you mean?"

"There are things in the original reports that don't add up. Crime scene photos and evidence don't match Mia's statement."

"So you think she lied?" Kirk asked, the tone still present.

"Not necessarily," Danny said. "She may have lost consciousness, blocked it out, or thought it didn't matter, but everything matters. Every detail. You guys were close with Durante while he was seeing Mia, right?"

They all nodded. "He was like our brother," the younger one said. His name was Zach, Danny remembered.

"But it was all a lie," Kirk said, shaking his head. "We don't actually know anything about who he really is."

"Anything is helpful. What kind of food he liked. What he liked to do in his free time. I mean, I know it's not much, but it's something."

"He likes Chinese food," Zach said suddenly. "Like insanely. But I guess you have a lot of that around here."

"When you knew him, did he talk about going to Hawaii?"

"No," Morgan said. "He had a lot of business trips, but he said they were all over the place. I don't think he ever said he was going to Hawaii."

H-5-O

Steve and Mia had been quiet since the ride to the school. They sat at lunch, not making eye contact, trying to act like things were normal. But they both knew something had to give. Finally, Mia decided it was about time she said something.

"I'm sorry about earlier," she said quietly, almost acting like she hadn't said anything as she stared down at her plate.

"What?" Steve asked looking at her.

"I didn't mean to be so... detached," she said, still not meeting Steve's eyes. "I know I haven't exactly been very helpful."

"Helpful in what?"

He was going to make her come out with it. This wasn't what Mia had planned. A general apology was one thing. Confessing her feelings was another. And she wouldn't do it.

"I haven't made this easy for you, okay?" she said. "And I didn't want to do that."

"But that doesn't mean you're going to change."

Mia finally met Steve's eyes. "What is this? I was trying to apologize."

"No you weren't. You were trying to keep me at arm's length." Steve looked out the window for a second. "And I'm getting a little tired of it," he said, turning back to Mia.

Mia bit the inside of her mouth to keep from saying something that would escalate this "conversation." She knew Steve was frustrated with her, but she had no idea how much.

"You want to help me?" Mia said.

Steve nodded.

"Then try to understand. With me it's all or nothing. And nothing's a hell of a lot easier than everything. Especially now."

She was talking about many things, and it seemed as though Steve understood what she meant. His eyes changed from their previous intensity to a hard indifference.

"Rachel's here," he said tonelessly.

Mia looked to the door to see her friend coming toward them. Steve got up and collected the leavings of their lunch.

"I'll be around," he said and left.

Mia looked down at her hands on the table. She wanted to call after him, to say she didn't really mean it, and she was sorry. But when she looked up, Rachel was sitting across from her.

"Are you all right?" Rachel asked.

Mia found that the lump in her throat prevented her from speaking. So she only shook her head, and the hand Rachel placed over hers wasn't as unwelcome as she might have expected.

H-5-O

Rachel waited. There was little other option. She had a feeling she had just walked in on something more than a casual lunch. Mia was visibly upset, and Rachel could see in the way Steve walked away that he was too.

It struck Rachel as ironic that she had come to comfort her friend over something that happened days ago and might end up dealing with her present relationship troubles. For, Rachel had no doubt that's what the problem was. She knew how much Mia and Steve liked each other from things they had said after their first two dates. But since Saturday night, she hadn't heard any more.

After considerable pause, Mia pulled her hands back and dropped them in her lap. She looked up and met Rachel's eyes, knowing she had to tell her what was going on, but hardly knowing how.

"I think I know what it's like now," Mia said.

"What what's like?" Rachel asked softly.

"To crush someone."

"Mia... What happened?"

"You know, it didn't start out this way. I wasn't always like this. I wasn't always so... heartless."

"You are not heartless. Why would you say that?"

Mia let out a humorless laugh. "I can't think of anyone's feelings but my own, and not even my own very much." Mia brought the heel of her hand up to her eye and tried in vain to stop tears from flowing. "You know, this whole time," she went on, "Steve has only been trying to help me and I... I just threw it all back in his face."

Rachel reached over and took Mia's hand again and held it between hers. "Mia, you have to recognize your feelings. You can't just act like they don't exist. Trust me."

Mia met Rachel's eyes again, understanding what she meant. "What made you change?" she asked.

Rachel blinked several times as if trying to keep back strong emotions. "A good man," she finally said with a small smile. "And Steve is a good man, Mia. You just have to... let go."