Title: Bring me to life

Chapter 9 and LAST

Genre: Drama, angst, hurt/comfort (emotional)

Characters: Danny, Aiden, Stella, Flack, Mac, Hawkes and Louie Messer

Pairing: none

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine and the title is from Evanescence

Summary: the aftermath of Danny's suicide attempt

Spoilers: Tanglewood, What you See is What you See, minor information from Trapped and Run Silent, Run Deep (regarding background of Danny and his brother's relationship, only)

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Chapter 9

"They don't answer they phone. They always answer their phone, even in the middle of something. Louie, do you know if Sonny has been released yet?" he fearfully asked.

Louie shook his head slowly.

"I don't know, lil' bro', what are you thinking of?"

"A trap," Danny whispered. "A trap."

Louie closed his eyes. Would Sonny never let his little brother alone? But as he thought more about it, he realized that, maybe, it was not because of Danny that Sassone had decided to strike again. Maybe it was out of revenge, because Taylor and Bonasera had been the ones to catch him and throw him to jail.

When he opened his eyes again, they fell upon his brother's shape. Danny was sitting down on the couch, his head between his arms, looking down. Louie did not even have to ask to know he was thinking everything was his own fault.

Quietly, Louie sat down beside his brother and threw an arm around his shoulder, pulling him slightly towards himself. Too lost to do anything about it, Danny let himself be handled by his older brother and, as soon as he felt the solidness of Louie's chest, Danny lost it. He passed his arms around Louie's neck and hold onto him. He was shaking and nothing seemed to penetrate his mind.

"Hey," Louie said in firm voice. "I know what you're thinking bro' and I can tell you, you're wrong. It has nothing to do with you."

"How can you say that? I'm the one who run from Tanglewood and now they're making me pay through my friends."

Louie shook slightly his head and detached himself from Danny, holding him at arm length.

"Dan', Sonny has always prided himself that he was never going to get caught by the cops. But he was. Your friends did catch him and that was bound to make him angry, to make him want revenge. If he's the one to have set up a trap, trust me it's because he's angry with them, not because he wants to make you pay for anything."

Listening to his brother and being able to see his logic, Danny nodded. Okay, maybe the situation was not his fault. That was a good thing but it did not make him less worried. If Mac and Stella had been caught into a trap, their lives were in danger and he had to do something.

"I have to go," Danny decided suddenly, getting up.

"What! Hey, wait a minute, lil' bro'! You can't go there! You know that no cop was ever able to confront Tanglewood and saves one of their victims once they had been chosen."

"But who said anything about a cop going there" Danny asked, a wicked smile playing on his lips as he was setting up his mind.

No one, no one could touch his friends without having to answer him. Sonny Sassone was no exception and he was not afraid of him anymore. That he outed him to his boss and Stella was one thing, and he already did like it, but that he threatened his friends' life, that he could not accept.

Louie looked at him for some time, trying to determine what he was thinking. After a while, he nodded thoughtfully.

"No cop is going there, today," Louie whispered. "Only Jack Messer's two boys. And it's not going to be pretty," he finished.

Both brothers smiled to each other knowingly. Oh yeah… it may have been a long time ago but they had been in a helluva lot of fights when they were younger and, every time they fought together, they were the winners. There was no reason today should be any different.

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When Mac opened his eyes, he could not recognize where he was. He took some time before remembering that he was abducted. He could feel his wrists tied up behind his back and his ankles in front of him.

Taking a look around him, his eyes fell upon Stella who was still unconscious. With an effort, he was able to move enough to be at her side and shook her awake. She woke up with a start and Mac could see into her eyes a flash of fear as she took in the situation.

"Where are we?" she whispered fearfully.

Before Mac had time to answer, another voice did. "Right in the trap I set for you."

Both detective were startled and turned in direction of the voice.

"Sonny Sassone," Mac murmured.

"I told you I would not stay in jail for long, didn't I? And now it's time for me to have my revenge. What a shame you did not tell anyone where you were going!"

With that Sonny laughed, confident that nothing could ruin his plans. Of course, the main reason he was so sure of himself was the three other guys on the place.

"I'm sure people are already wondering were we are," Mac answered. "Police is going to show up in no time"

And he really wished he could believe that, but Sonny was right. There was no way anyone could know where they were, not before it was too late.

"Cops would never be able to stop me," he said as he reached for his gun. He was so certain he had everything planned that he did not hear that someone was approaching and that was the reason he was so startled to hear someone speak behind him.

"So, it's a chance I'm not here as a cop, isn't it."

Sonny spun around, as did Mac and Stella and the other people in the room. All eyes were set on Danny Messer, who was wearing an evil smile. Mac and Stella could simply not believe their eyes. Not only because there was no way Danny could have know where they were but because of the way he was clothed and the way he was acting.

Firstly, he had quitted his eternal suit and wearing an old, ragged, jeans and a shirt way too big for him, dedicated to some metal band neither of them could recognized. He had exchanged his glasses for lenses and had his gun out, as well as a knife. Both Stella and Mac could see him behaving as if he was perfectly comfortable with the situation.

Danny, for his part, was anything but comfortable. He feared for his friends' life as well as his brother's. He was not used to wear that kind of clothes anymore, and wanted nothing more than getting rid of them, but he had no choice. He could not possibly have come to fight in a suit. And maybe, the look on his friends' face, when they saw him like this, was worth it… or could have been worth it if he had not been so damn scared.

"Danny Messer," Sonny snickered once he got past the surprised. "I'm stunned. Did you really come here on your own?"

"Not really, no."

"Oh… so you did bring the cavalry. Who? You're little friend the cop? Or maybe the other Miss I've seen with you. Oh! I would not complain if it was her, she's hot."

Danny did not answer but grinded his teeth. He could not bear Sonny speaking like this about Aiden. Fortunately, it was the time "cavalry" chose to make himself known.

"Not even remotely close, Sassone," Louie stated, coming out of the shadow to take place just at his brother's side.

"How touching!" Sonny exclaimed. "Family reunion…. You both finally set things right between the two of you? My, my, today is really full of surprises!" Sonny smiled before continuing. "But I'm sure you're not here to chit chat. So, you came here to save your friends, Danny, that's so kind of you. A shame you're gonna die for it, isn't."

"You wish," Danny snickered.

And that was the beginning of the fight. A chance Danny had had a good rest in the night, otherwise he was not sure he would have made it in one piece. Sonny was a hell of a fighter, as were his little friends. But, fortunately, Louie and him were pretty good themselves and, more than anything, they knew how to fight together. And, in less than ten minutes, both Danny and Louie were breathing hard, but at least they were standing… contrary to Sonny and the rest of the Tanglewood boys who were there.

Taking in the situation in front of him, Louie turned towards his little brother.

"You okay?" he asked, slightly worried because of the effort Danny had to put into the battle.

Danny smiled broadly. "Better than I've been in a long time," he admitted. "I feel.. Alive again. Maybe I should thank Sonny after all."

"Welcome to life, lil' bro'," Louie whispered, confidant that his brother was back to normal. Maybe Danny was right; he should thank Sonny.