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

Chapter 8: The Trap

The days that followed were filled with tension. The NYPD intensified their search for Vega, but he was elusive, always slipping through their fingers. The threats continued—texts, letters, graffiti scrawled on Maria's car—but Vega himself remained in the shadows, taunting them with his silence.

Maria stayed at Danny's house most nights, grateful for the protection and comfort he provided, but the fear still lingered. She couldn't shake the feeling that Vega was waiting, biding his time for one final move.

Then, one night, everything changed.

It was a quiet evening at Danny's place. The boys were still away at college, and the house felt calm and safe. Maria was in the living room, flipping through a case file, when her phone buzzed with a new text.

She glanced at it, her heart stopping when she saw the message: It's time, Detective. Say goodbye to your partner.

Before she could react, the front window shattered.

Maria ducked instinctively as glass rained down around her. Her heart pounded in her chest, the world narrowing into a sharp, terrifying focus. She could hear the crunch of footsteps outside, the unmistakable sound of someone approaching. Vega.

"Danny!" she screamed, scrambling to her feet and pulling out her gun. Her mind raced, adrenaline surging through her veins as she positioned herself behind the overturned couch.

Danny burst into the living room, gun already drawn, his face a mask of fierce determination. "Baez!" His eyes scanned the broken window, immediately taking in the threat. He rushed to her side, crouching behind the couch next to her.

"He's here," Maria whispered, her voice trembling but controlled. "Vega's here."

Danny's jaw tightened. "We're not going to let him get away this time."

The sound of footsteps grew louder as Vega advanced through the backyard. Danny moved swiftly, signaling for Maria to stay low as he peeked over the edge of the couch, his gun aimed toward the window.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the dim light, silhouetted against the broken glass. Carlos Vega. He stood just outside the window, holding a gun aimed directly at them. His eyes gleamed with a sinister satisfaction, his lips curled into a mocking smile.

"You really thought you could hide from me, Baez?" Vega taunted, his voice oozing with malice. "I told you—I'm always watching."

Danny's grip on his gun tightened, and Maria could feel the tension radiating off him. "Get out of here, Vega!" Danny shouted, his voice steady and commanding. "This ends now!"

Vega's laugh was cold and hollow. "Oh, it'll end, Reagan. But not the way you think."

Without warning, Vega fired a shot, the bullet ripping through the room, shattering a picture frame on the wall behind them. Maria flinched, her heart racing. She fired back, but Vega was already moving, disappearing into the darkness outside.

"We need to move," Danny said urgently, grabbing Maria's arm. "He's trying to lure us out. Stay close to me."

They moved in tandem, slipping through the house toward the back door, their guns ready. Danny's mind was racing, calculating Vega's next move. He knew this wasn't just a random attack—Vega had planned this, meticulously stalking Maria, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And now, the moment had come.

As they crept toward the door, Danny glanced at Maria, his expression grim. "We're going to end this tonight."

Maria nodded, her resolve hardening. She wasn't going to let Vega control her life any longer. She had been living in fear for weeks, haunted by his threats, but now it was time to take that power back.

They stepped outside, the cool night air sharp against their skin. The backyard was eerily silent, the shadows long and distorted. Danny's eyes scanned the darkness, his senses on high alert.

Then, from behind a row of bushes, Vega appeared again, his gun aimed directly at them.

"I told you, Baez," Vega sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "You're not getting away from me."

Danny didn't hesitate. He fired, the sound of the shot echoing through the night, but Vega ducked, the bullet missing by inches. Vega returned fire, forcing Danny and Maria to take cover behind a large tree.

"We need to split up," Danny whispered urgently. "We can flank him, catch him off guard."

Maria's heart raced, but she nodded. "Okay."

They moved in sync, breaking off in opposite directions, using the shadows for cover. Maria's pulse thundered in her ears as she circled around the yard, trying to keep her breathing steady. She could hear Vega moving, the crunch of leaves under his feet. He was close—too close.

Suddenly, she saw him, his figure barely visible through the bushes. Without hesitation, Maria raised her gun and fired. The shot hit its mark, grazing Vega's shoulder. He let out a grunt of pain, but before Maria could move in, he spun around, his eyes wild with fury.

"You're going to pay for that!" Vega snarled, raising his gun to fire at her.

But before he could pull the trigger, a second shot rang out, and Vega staggered, his gun falling from his hand. Danny emerged from the shadows, his face set in grim determination, his gun still smoking from the shot.

Vega collapsed to the ground, clutching his side, gasping for breath. His eyes flicked between Danny and Maria, the realization sinking in that he had lost.

"You should have stayed away, Vega," Danny said coldly, stepping forward, his gun still trained on the man who had tormented Maria for so long.

Vega coughed, blood trickling from his mouth as he tried to laugh. "This isn't over, Reagan… Baez. You'll always be looking over your shoulder."

Danny shook his head, his voice low and dangerous. "No, this is over. You're done."

Within moments, the sound of approaching sirens filled the air as backup arrived. Officers swarmed the backyard, securing the scene and taking Vega into custody. As Vega was dragged away in handcuffs, his eyes never left Maria, the hatred in his gaze burning bright until the very last moment.

After the chaos subsided and the police had cleared the scene, Maria stood in the backyard, her heart still racing. The danger had passed, but the adrenaline was still coursing through her veins. She felt the weight of the past few weeks crashing down on her, the fear, the uncertainty, the constant threat that had hung over her like a shadow.

Danny came up beside her, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. "You okay?"

Maria nodded, though her emotions were a tangled mess inside her. "I am now," she said softly, glancing up at him.

For a moment, they stood there in the quiet, the tension between them shifting into something else—something deeper. Maria looked into Danny's eyes and saw the concern, the care, the love that he had tried to keep hidden for so long.

"Thank you," Maria whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "For everything."

Danny's hand moved to gently cup her face, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. "You never have to thank me, Baez."

Before she could think, before she could second-guess herself, Maria closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his in a kiss that felt both inevitable and overwhelming. Danny froze for a heartbeat, then responded, wrapping his arms around her as the world faded away.

For the first time in a long time, Maria felt safe. Truly safe.

When they finally pulled apart, Danny rested his forehead against hers, his breath warm against her skin. "We're going to be okay," he whispered.

Maria smiled softly, her heart full. "Yeah. We are."

Together, they stood in the darkness, knowing that no matter what came next, they would face it side by side.