Dark Division - Dani Ch. 06

"I took out one of the humans and then they were all alerted. I barely made it out of there. I decided to...well, fuck...I'm so foggy...decided to hang out then come in with big guns, but they've turned a bunch in town...and I led them here. I led them to Stan. Vince...I put him in danger, my Stan. He's like my brother." With those words, Dani drifted again into her own thoughts and tears poured from her eyes.

"Dani...hey...come on, be the tough agent for me again...come on. They followed you and what happened?" Vince held her gaze. It was killing him to see those beautiful eyes filled with tears and turned red from the liquor and the crying.

"They got him. I came home and he was in my bed, my old bed...but it was wrong - blood, so much blood everywhere. He was bitten all over Vince, Stan was bitten. He was covered...they tortured him. He was so sad when he looked at me, and crying in pain. I'm so stupid."

Dani's words chilled his blood. Vince looked at his partner and the sobbing woman in front of him clutched at his shirt before falling into his arms. Nick got up to grab the coffee realizing that Stan being bitten could only end two ways and neither would mean he was coming back to Dani. He only hoped she knew that somehow, because seeing her like this was tearing at him and more would just kill him.

"You're not stupid. You didn't know Stan couldn't handle it. Where is he now baby?" Vince asked the question as Nick sat a hot cup with milk and sugar in it before Dani.

"With them. He asked me to end it, but I was too weak. I told him I loved him and he asked me to make the pain stop. I couldn't. I just held him, and he was so limp and weak. I just prayed for strength." Dani took the cup of coffee being offered to her by Vince now.

"Did he bite you baby? Tell me did he bite you." The fear at the possible answer was written all over Vince's face.

"No. When I was up holding him, he was turning and I tried to keep him here, but he escaped. I...I warded the house Vince, he can't come back in. It's ancient, but nothing non-human can come in. If he's fed, he's turned now...so he has to die. But, Vince, I can't. I can't kill him...I love him. He's my brother man." Fresh tears sprang out and she fell into his chest.

"You know if he hasn't fed on a human, then he can live as a vampire under CIA watch, and just be careful. We might be able to save him." He tried to give her hope even as he looked at Nick knowing what the reality was.

"He left me a message out back yesterday. It's too late. My Stan is gone, I've killed him."

"What do you mean a message?" Nick asked her.

"Look out the kitchen window." He jumped up opening the curtains. An old woman's body hung on a crudely made cross with a large white sign covered in black spray painted writing. It read simply, 'Come join us or end up like her. Love you, Stan.'

"It's Mrs. Cavanaugh from the bakery where I bought Stan's birthday cake last week. She has bite marks on her." Dani was cold as she spoke not wanting to remember finding the sad old lady, who she saw as a grandmother outside the circle of sigil lines.

"What do you need from us?"

"I need you to kill them all, even him. I know if I try I'll just end up joining him, and I can't do that. I can't be one of them. I can't say no to him though. He's my Stan." Dani looked up at him smiling as her drunkenness changed to a heavy buzz with the few gulps of coffee settling in.

"Alright, but we should wait until tomorrow morning. We need to get the jump in daylight if there's a lot. Do you mind if we crash here since it's warded?" Vince asked trying to sound encouraging even though his heart was breaking to see her this way.

"Okay, I'll sleep in the guest room though, I couldn't...I couldn't clean my room."

"It's all good Dani, why don't you finish your coffee and I'll clean your room. Then, we can sit together for a bit and watch TV or something." Nick tried to be calm and reassuring still as he took in just how truly wrecked Dani was. He couldn't help but reflect back on the conversation he had at the lake case with Stan. It almost haunted him now that Stan was gone and Dani would have to work alone.

"Sweetheart, look at me. Have you slept in the past few days?" Vince could see the fatigue in her eyes, and he couldn't miss the bloodstains down her clothes. He was fairly certain that Dani had been right here in this kitchen drinking for two days after she warded the house.

"Not really."

"Have you even showered and changed, let alone eaten?" He couldn't believe he didn't see it when they first came in. He was so focused on taking care of the problem, now he could actually see just how broken down she was.

"No, I remember calling Paul, but I guess I've just been here drinking." She looked at him as if realizing how bad this was for the first time.

"Alright, baby, we need to get you into a hot shower. Nick and I will clean your room and grab you some clothes. Where are your clothes, in there?" Vince loved her and he needed to take care of her that was his job to love her even when she didn't love herself.

Nick stood by drinking his own coffee and admiring this side of his partner. It reminded him of his dad when he was little and he hadn't seen Vince like this virtually ever. Sure he had cared for some witnesses on cases, but to care for her like this, it was a new level especially since they had never really been together as a couple. They had only really slept together once for god's sake, and here he was ready to take her into the shower.

"I'm fine. I can wait 'till this is over." Dani protested, emptying her coffee cup ready to stand up.

"The hell you can. Let me take care of you and then you can sleep and be ready for what's coming. Don't fight me on this baby." He had the tone now and Nick knew no one resisted Vince when he had that tone.

"Okay. My clothes are on the right side of the dresser, please don't open the left that's where Stan kept his and he might need them if he comes back." She looked at Nick her eyes held knowledge although she still hadn't reconciled herself to the truth.

Vince picked her up in his arms after she indicated the downstairs bathroom was around through the hallway. She put her arms around his neck looking into his eyes with gratitude and dare he think it love. He turned on the shower and stripped her down helping her inside. He told her to start rinsing and he would go up and get her shampoo and such.

When he emerged, he toed off his boots and threw his jacket on another chair heading up to find Nick. Once he walked into the bedroom, he found Nick standing in a lit room just looking. The scene was gruesome. Light grey sheets were in front of them with blood streaked all over them. There were handprints in the blood and he wondered who they belonged too. The blood had long since dried and he saw then that it was on the walls too.

Bloody footprints led away from the bed towards the door. There were several sets, some in shoes, but two were distinctly bare feet which he presumed were Stan's.

"Well, start wherever, I need to take her shower stuff down so she can get that crap off of her." Nick nodded at his partner's words watching Vince disappear into the adjoining bathroom. He came out a minute later and headed down the stairs.

Nick busied himself with gathering the sheets and pillows and taking them downstairs to throw out. There was no way they were getting that blood out. He heard the shower running as he bagged them up and tossed the bag outside. He knew someone had to stay with her, so he didn't mind the cleanup. He hadn't seen her this bad. It just wasn't the same Dani he knew.

Vince was inside the bathroom with the door shut just absently watching as Dani showered. He thought getting in with her would be too much, so he didn't dare. She seemed to go through the motions okay, but stayed silent. He was perfectly content to be with her. Ten minutes later and she opened the door, her hair dripping, and he couldn't help but think back to that first night they had together and how that had driven him crazy.

"Better?"

"Not sure yet. Can you hand me a towel?" Vince stood up grabbing a towel from the rack and passing it to her. She started to dry off and he heard a knock behind him on the door. He turned and opened the door a crack, seeing his partner on the other side.

"Clothes." Nick passed him a folded pile and gave him a small smile before Vince closed the door again. He looked at her as she dried off and waited. She stepped out of the shower and nearly fell in exhaustion.

"Hey Whoa, I got you. You have to eat you know, booze doesn't count. Let's get you dressed and we'll figure out something to make." Vince held her against him unwavering. She stood up and he dug through the pile handing her a pair of panties...boyshorts like she always wore. She smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder to steady herself as she pulled them on.

"Thank you Vince. I'm sorry you have to see me like this." She looked so sad as he passed her black yoga pants. He watched her stutter as she tried to put them on and he turned placing the rest of the pile on the sink and sank to his knee. He lifted her leg as she balanced against him and he slid the pants on.

"I'd rather see you like this than never see you at all. And with not talking to you for a week now, well I've missed you Dani." He repeated his actions from the first leg on the second pulling them up above her knees and she was able to finish the job.

"I missed you too, but I just couldn't hear your voice. It was too much. And ...and..." Vince handed her a t-shirt Nick had pulled. No bra was in the pile, which he figured was to be expected, and the black t-shirt was some way of Nick at least keeping her modest. It played off her eyes nicely when she pulled it down.

"I know. It's okay beautiful. I'm here now." He almost handed her the socks, but decided it was safer to just go back to his knee and help her.

"I need you Vince, but I wish I didn't. Vince everybody I care about dies, even you guys shouldn't be here." It clicked in his head then. It was the story of his life. Dani was his double, the other half of him in so many ways.

"We've almost died a few times, so no worries. Besides, I told you before whatever you need I'm here for you. Even if it can't be like I really want."

"I never asked you to be this good to me Vince. I always told you that I couldn't be with you like that."

"I know, and that's my burden, not yours. Ugh, enough serious talk, let's get you food." Vince helped her out to the kitchen where Nick was putting away a bucket. He carefully tucked his gloves and a sponge into the trash can closing the lid down. He used them to clean the bloody footprints off the floor and didn't want Dani to see the crimson stains.

"Hey, so what have you got to eat, because I for one am starving." He went to the fridge and took a look. Luckily, there was enough for them to cobble together a dinner.

An hour later and they were all pleasantly full and Nick curled up on the couch while Vince forced Dani to go to the guest bedroom.

"So, we'll go in the morning together?" Dani asked him with a heavy look in her eyes.

"Yea, now you just get some sleep so you're well rested okay." Vince smiled at her as he sat on the edge of the bed. Dani's eyes had deep purple circles beneath them and he watched as they started to close softly. Vince leaned down and placed a soft kiss to her temple before he stood up to head out and crash on the other couch.

"Vince?"

"Yea?" Her weak voice stopped him.

"Will you stay with me?" He sighed as he looked at her. There was no way he could say no to anything she needed, including this.

"Sure." Vince pulled off his jeans and socks before turning off the bedside lamp. He slid into the bed slowly next to her pulling her frame against his chest so he could wrap his arms around her. His nose filled with that soft smell of her shampoo and it relaxed him instantly. Having this woman in his arms brought him peace and Vince drifted off easily as he laid there listening to her soft breathing.

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