by E. M. Leya
"True." They understood each other in a way that only someone who had been through what they had could. She knew the darkness that would always linger in their memories. Even though their experiences were different, she understood the feeling of having no control. Of being at the mercy of someone else who hurt you all of the time. He was thankful she didn't have to suffer as long as he had but hated she had to go through it at all. "I'll always be honest with you. I promise."
"Thanks, and it's the same with me. Though I'm going to be so busy with school I probably won't know anything that is going on here or back in California. It's going to be strange not having a team around for a change. The guys have been there since I was kidnapped. They're family."
"Distance doesn't matter. They're still family and always will be." He smiled as Xander walked into the room.
"Ready to go?" Xander asked.
"No, but I know we have to." Faith stood and stepped closer to Danny. "Give me a hug."
He did and wrapped his arms around her. "Take care and learn a lot. You're going to be a great doctor."
She smiled as she pulled back. "I need to be a great student first, but thanks. I will keep in touch. I'll call you tomorrow and make sure we have all of each other's information. I'll probably sleep late since our flight doesn't get in until late tonight."
"Whenever. I have your number if I don't hear from you." He turned to Xander. "It was nice to meet you. Thanks for all the help you gave us taking down Larry."
"We didn't do much. It was your team who got him." Xander took Danny's outstretched hand. "You take care of these guys. Don't let them get too serious. Keep them smiling, okay?"
"I will do my best." He smiled as Matt and D walked into the room.
Matt came to him. "Take care and know we are here for you if you need anything. If you get tired of these fools, you always have a place to stay in California."
D shoved Matt playfully. "Don't steal my team."
"I'd never…" Matt winked at Danny.
"Thanks for sharing your daughter with me. She's pretty amazing," Danny told Matt.
Matt wrapped his arm around Faith's shoulder. "She is, isn't she?" He kissed her hair. "I'm happy to share her with you. I'm glad she had someone to talk to while we were here and wasn't stuck with all of us the whole time."
Faith rolled her eyes.
"We better get going. The airport here can be a pain." Xander hugged D. "Stay safe."
"You too." D stared into Xander's eyes for a moment and something passed between them that Danny didn't even try to understand. The two were closer than brothers. "See you soon, right?"
"As soon as I can get away." Xander nodded.
After a short silence, Matt gripped Xander's arm. "Come on. I know you hate leaving, but we have a flight to catch."
Danny watched from afar as the three of them left. He would miss them being around, but not as much as D would. There was a connection there he found himself jealous of. He wanted a friendship like D and Xander shared. He had a good friendship with Jessica, but it was nothing like theirs, and what he shared with Marshall was on a whole different level.
"You okay?" Marshall came up behind him, wrapping his arms around Danny as he leaned his head against his shoulder.
"Yeah, just going to miss them."
"Me too. But Xander and Matt will be back soon. Xander and D make sure they see each other often."
But it was Faith who he'd miss most, and nothing would bring her back right away. She was going to college. He forced the thought back and turned in Marshall's arms. "How's Gary getting along with everyone?"
"Great. I think he'll fit right in. I can't say I'm happy about being forced to see a counselor but since I have to, I'm glad it will be him. He's been grilling Patrick about the stabbing, wanting to know everything about it. If we're not careful, Gary might end up going on stings with the guys." Marshall smiled. "You want any cake before it's gone?"
Danny shook his head. "I've had more than enough food for the night." He'd made a huge Italian dinner for everyone and had picked at the food all day as he cooked. He could probably go a week without eating again. "Did you get some?"
"Two pieces." Marshall smiled.
"Good. I think I'll tell Patrick and Rani to take it with them when they leave. Someone will eat all the leftovers at the STK house." Danny stared up at Marshall. "Do you work tomorrow?"
"Yeah. I need to go in for a few hours, but I won't be late. You can come if you want."
"Maybe." As much as he liked being with Marshall, he also loved being home to cook and take care of the house while he was gone. They were still working on remodeling the basement, so even once he had the upstairs clean, he could head down there and do what he could to pass the time. What he loved most was being able to welcome Marshall home when he came through the door each night. It was the one thing that really made him feel like they were a couple. The smile on Marshall's face each time he saw him warmed his heart and reminded him how much better his life was now than it had been.
"Did you and Faith have a good visit today?"
"That depends. It was good to have time before she left to talk, but we discussed what might happen in court and what I need to be ready for. She told me that even if Larry pleads guilty and doesn't force a trial, I need to make sure to do a victim statement at his sentencing. We talked about a lot of stuff, most of it depressing, but I'm glad she's been through it so I know what to expect. She was a lot younger than me, but what she couldn't remember, Matt and Xander filled in." His stomach churned every time he thought about being face to face with Larry again, but it was unavoidable. He had to face him or he would never move past what was done to him.
"I wish we knew what was going to happen. It's been a week. You'd think we'd hear something." Marshall sighed.
Other than the police telling them that Larry had been caught, and the media hounding them for interviews, they hadn't heard anything. The only reason they had as much information as they did was that Marshall and Jeremy had hacked into the police database and found out all they could. Larry was under guard at the hospital still, suffering issues with his blood pressure being high on top of healing from the castration. His cousin Dale was finally out of ICU and well on his way to recovery. Both men would be in jail soon, then on to prison once the trials were over. If it went to trial. Danny leaned his forehead on Marshall's shoulder. "I just want this over."
"So do I, baby." Marshall kissed his cheek.
"Hey, you two, no fair slipping off for alone time when you have guests." Jessica walked over to them, followed by Gary and Rani.
"The food was delicious. Thanks for cooking for me," Gary said.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. How do you like the team?" Danny asked, curious about Gary's impression now that he'd met everyone.
"I'm amazed at the complexity of your group. Whoever put all this together planned it out well. They took everything into consideration. I was a bit worried at first about the security of information and the risk of arrest, but after talking about the finer details, I'm not as uncomfortable with things. I'm fascinated with your skills and how you find these people. You really are saving lives." Gary looked around at the group gathered. "I'm hoping my skills won't be needed for anything serious in the future, but I'm looking forward to having an hour to sit and talk with each of you once every month or two."
"If nothing else, he's got some cool video games in his office," Danny quipped.
"A man after our own hearts." D laughed. "Too bad Faith's already left. She could give him a run for his money."
Gary grinned. "Faith's an amazing girl. I'm looking forward to talking to this woman who has counseled her since her kidnapping. Maybe she can give me some advice to help me know better how to get someone to open up."
Danny blushed.
"Faith didn't talk at first, either." D gripped Danny's shoulder. "It was Xander who really helped her. Also her bond with Beau and her sudden passion for medicine. I think having a goal h
elped give her something to focus on. She clung to Beau and learned everything he could teach her. That's why I really want to push you to follow your dreams, Danny. Find what you love and go for it."
"I am. I'm going to go to school to be a chef as soon as this stuff with Larry calms down." Danny took a deep breath. "I just don't know when that will be."
"Just don't forget us once you have your own restaurant." Jessica nudged him.
"I'll always be happy to cook for you guys. Jess can do the baking and I'll do the cooking." He wrapped his arm around her. "You were the one who inspired me. I owe you."
She kissed his cheek.
"Well guys, I need to head out," Gary said. "I have a client at seven in the morning tomorrow." He turned to Jeremy. "Let me know when you want me to start seeing your team and I'll add them to my schedule."
"Our team," Jeremy said. "You're now part of us. This means, if you need someone to talk to, you're stuck with me. Or I guess you could call Katie in California and talk to a real therapist."
"As I said, I'm looking forward to that call, even if it's not for her to get into my head. Just let me know when I can set you guys up and I'll work it out. If you need anything before that, call me. I'm able to take emergency sessions if needed." Gary turned to Danny. "I'll see you on Tuesday."
Danny nodded.
Jeremy and D walked Gary out, and Danny turned to start picking up dishes that were scattered around. Adding Gary to the team seemed right and he was glad they'd chosen him. He wasn't sure how long he'd need to see Gary on a professional level, but he liked they'd stay friends even after.
"I'm going to head out." Rani smiled. "Thanks for a great dinner and good company."
Marshall hugged Rani. "You know you're welcome over here any time."
Danny nodded. "I agree. I've either cooked or have leftovers, so there's always food. If you have time, drop by. Make sure you take the leftovers with you tonight. Let the team enjoy them tomorrow."
"You two are the best. I'll bag stuff up." Rani waved as he walked out.
It took only ten more minutes before everyone else left and the two of them were finally alone.
"Leave the mess until morning. We can pick it up then." Marshall took Danny's hand. "I'm tired and lazy."
Danny sat down on the couch beside Marshall. "I owe you. If it wasn't for you, I don't know where my life would be. You've taken me in, shown me love, introduced me to your friends, and given me a life I probably would never have if you hadn't been the one to save me."
Marshall shook his head. "You saved yourself. I was just the first person you saw. I'm glad I was. My life was empty before you. I'd sit here at night, thinking about my past, dreading my future. I focused on work and nothing else. You've changed all of that. You've made me look forward to the future. Our future."
Danny leaned in and kissed him. With Larry caught, he was starting to do the same thing. He was looking forward, focusing on his dreams and desires. He was trying to forget the past, the pain, the fear, and see that the world wasn't a dark and scary place where he always had to be on guard. Marshall would always be his safe place when the darkness moved in, but he was finally able to look ahead and see where life might take him. A year ago, he figured he'd die in Larry's house, now he looked forward to many years of freedom and learning to live.
As he relaxed in Marshall's arms, he smiled. All he had to do was get through the court cases and his life would be near perfect.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Tears rolled down Danny's cheeks, but he ignored them. It was finally over. He'd given his victim statement earlier in the day, and now, he watched as Larry was led out of the courtroom to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Marshall's hand pressed to his back, but he didn't say anything, which was good. Danny didn't want to talk right now. He just needed a minute to sit and absorb what he'd just heard. Life in prison wasn't what he'd expected, but he was extremely happy with the sentence. Even without the other two boys he'd been held with giving any sort of statement, the judge had seen the evil that was Larry Burns and taken away any chance of freedom he might have again.
It was a just sentence.
Danny wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "We can go."
Marshall nodded and stood. He was the only one there with him. Danny had told the rest of the STK team to stay away, not wanting to risk anyone linking them to being anyone close to him. Protecting the team was more important than having support. He knew they were all paying close attention and were there for him even if it wasn't in person.
As they walked out of the courthouse, reporters with cameras crowded around them. He shook his head, refusing to comment. He'd decided he'd said all he had to say in court and he didn't want to say more. As far as he was concerned, this put an end to his nightmare, and he wasn't going to keep it going by giving the media any statements.
Marshall stayed with him, pushing past the reporters, telling them to leave them alone.
Danny just ducked his head and let Marshall lead him to the car. It wasn't until they were safely locked inside it that the reporters finally backed off.
"They'll probably follow us home." Marshall sighed as he pulled the car out of the stall.
"We've gotten good at ignoring them." Danny closed his eyes, letting the stress of the day leave him. "Thanks for being there with me."
"There's no way I was going to let you face that alone."
"He looked sick."
"It's the effects of the castration."
"Good." Danny was glad that was another way Larry would suffer.
"You want to go somewhere besides home and avoid the press?" Marshall asked.
"No. I want to go home. I have one more thing I need to do before I can let this all go and put it behind me." He kept his eyes closed, schooling his face to not show how nervous he was about that one more thing. It was something he hadn't brought up to Marshall yet, though he doubted Marshall would complain. He wanted to get past his phobia of sex. Even if he had to be the one in control, he needed to prove to himself that he wasn't broken and that he could live a normal life, have a normal relationship. He wanted to give Marshall all of him and stop holding back because of his fears.
"What's that?" Marshall asked.
Danny opened his eyes. "I'll explain once we're home." The last thing he needed was to start talking about it now with Marshall driving. He didn't want to cause an accident. He also didn't want to get Marshall's hopes up because Danny wasn't sure he could follow through with his plans once they got home.
He'd talked to Jessica about it. He feared he'd hurt Marshall the way Larry hurt him, but she assured him that wouldn't happen. Marshall wanted this and knew how to do things so it wasn't painful. She'd reminded him that Marshall loved him and nothing the two of them had done up to now had been anything like what he'd faced when Larry touched him.
If he could get past this one roadblock in his life, he figured he could live a normal life. There were still things he couldn't do, things he doubted he ever could, but this one thing was important to him. It was important to them, even if Marshall said it wasn't.
His phone buzzed and he glanced down to see a text from Jeremy congratulating him on Larry getting life in prison. He smiled and returned one thanking him and the whole team, then shut off his phone. He didn't want the distractions.
"You're worrying me. You seem tense. You sure you're okay with everything today?" Marshall glanced over at him while they waited at a red light.
"Yeah, just getting used to the idea he's really going to be locked up forever. Seeing him was hard, especially when he smiled at me with that evil look in his eyes, but I'm glad I stood my ground. It was good to see him looking so weak." He rubbed his palms on his pant legs. "Now maybe I can let it all go."
"I'm here for you."
"I know. Thank you for that." Danny reached over and rested his hand on Marshall's thigh. "I couldn't have seen it through without you."
"And Faith." Mar
shall smiled.
"And Faith." She'd called him almost nightly to check in with him and help get him through the nervousness and worry. She seemed to know what he was thinking or feeling even before he did, putting words to emotions he couldn't understand. She'd probably done more to see him through this than Gary had. Meeting her was a blessing he would never forget.
As they pulled into the driveway, Danny glanced next-door at the house where he'd been kept. He seldom paid it much attention, but today, he did. He'd spent years there, wondering if he'd ever be free. He'd cried himself to sleep, wishing he could die. But it wasn't the house that caused it. He didn't see the structure as evil. It had been Larry. It was Larry who hurt him. Larry who made him suffer.
"I'm surprised they haven't put it up for sale yet," Marshall said as he opened Danny's door.
He hadn't even realized Marshall had gotten out of the car. "I hope whoever buys it makes it into a loving home."
"Me too." Marshall offered his hand. "Let's get inside before the media vans start showing."
That got Danny moving. He didn't want to deal with them. Taking Marshall's hand, he stood and let him lead him into the house. Once inside, they sat on the couch together.
"So, the team and I got you something. I wanted to wait and give it to you today because I wanted it to be part of you finally being free and starting to live again. Not that you haven't started that already, but I felt like today was significant." Marshall reached for an envelope that was tucked inside a book that sat on the coffee table. "I hope you like it."
Danny smiled as he took the envelope. "Thanks, but you guys didn't have to do this."
"Believe me, we'll benefit from it." Marshall grinned.
Danny opened the envelope and took out a paper. He read through it, tears stinging his eyes as he realized what it was. "Hawaii?"
"I figured after all of this we could use some time away. I've always wanted to go to Hawaii, and now, I have someone to go with. We'll go in December and get out of the cold and snow here for a week. You want to go, don't you?"