Author's Note: I do not own Blue Bloods or any of its characters.

Chapter 3: Unspoken Feelings

As the weeks passed, Maria and Danny fell back into their rhythm at work, but the undercurrent of unspoken feelings between them remained. Danny tried to push his emotions aside, focusing on the cases they were working on. But every time he saw Maria, he was reminded of how much he cared for her—and how much that scared him.

One afternoon, they were working a routine case, tracking down leads on a robbery, when Maria's phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"What is it?" Danny asked, noticing the shift in her expression.

Maria hesitated, then handed him her phone. On the screen was a text message from an unknown number: You should have stayed out of it, Detective Baez. I'm coming for you.

Danny's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately went into protective mode. "Who the hell sent this?"

"I don't know," Maria replied, her voice steady, but her hands were trembling. "It could be nothing… a prank, maybe."

Danny shook his head. "That's not nothing, Baez. We need to take this seriously."

Maria nodded, but Danny could see the fear flicker in her eyes. It wasn't like her to show vulnerability, but this was different. This was personal.

Back at the precinct, Danny ran the number through the system, but it came up as a burner phone—untraceable. Whoever was behind the message didn't want to be found.

As they worked through possible suspects, Maria couldn't shake the feeling of dread that settled in her gut. This wasn't just a random threat. It felt deliberate, targeted. And it wasn't long before they realized who might be behind it: Carlos Vega.

Vega had been one of Maria's first major arrests as a homicide detective. She had helped put him away for murder, and he had never forgiven her for it. Now, after serving his sentence, he was out on parole—and it seemed like he wanted revenge.

"We need to get you protection," Danny said firmly, standing up from his desk.

Maria shook her head. "No. I'm not going to let some scumbag like Vega make me live in fear. I can handle this."

Danny's jaw tightened. "Maria, this isn't just about you anymore. Vega's dangerous. If he's coming after you, I'm not taking any chances."

Maria opened her mouth to argue, but the look in Danny's eyes stopped her. She knew he was right. Vega was dangerous, and she couldn't afford to let her pride get in the way.

"Okay," she said quietly. "But I'm not hiding. I'm not going to let him win."

Danny nodded, his expression softening. "We'll get him, Baez. And until we do, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Maria smiled faintly, a rare glimmer of warmth breaking through the fear. "Thanks, Danny."

He nodded, but as they both sat back down, the unspoken weight of their feelings lingered in the air between them. Neither of them wanted to admit it, but this wasn't just about protecting Maria anymore. It was about protecting the person who meant more to Danny than he was ready to admit.