The hot shower had done little to clear Danny's head. It all probability it had clouded it further. In the silence of the room, the only noise was the water's spray beating off of the marble tile shower walls. It gave him the opportunity to let Melanie crept into his thoughts once more.

It was still so amazing to him that the emotions that she had conjured up in him were so strong. It was though a force completely beyond his control was propelling him forward with record speed. In every logical action that told him to run as fast and as far away from her as he could get there was an equally greater illogical reaction compelling him to run that fast back into the safety of her arms.

Danny was thankful to find the kitchen empty when he made his way there. The last thing he wanted was to run into his Aunt or even Albert for that matter. At this point he was all talked out. Talking wasn't about to change the facts of his life. Talking wasn't going to make it any easier for him to make his decisions for him. Jenny wanted him gone, hell maybe even dead from what Albert had said. The thought was something that Danny couldn't conceive of. Yes he understood her hatred of the way of life that he was trying so hard to leave behind, and yes he could even agree with the way that she despised Carmen for having things that she had lost. But her revulsion for him, it didn't make sense. He wasn't trying to take her son's place; he wasn't looking to drag Albert back into the family. All he was looking to do was find some peace. Peace that more then not Danny knew wouldn't come.

He looked at the ornate clock hanging above his head. It was well past the time he should have been down to the markets getting the orders for the day ready. All preconceived notions of what he was to be doing that morning had flown out the window with Albert's words. So many things had gone up in a puff of magician's smoke that day.

He took one last swig from his mug and headed for the door. Whether he wanted to or not there was still a business to be run, and that fact pushed him forward even when his mind was standing still.

"Reggie, where is Carl?" Danny asked half expecting to see Carl doing a dance of joy that he had dropped the ball so to speak with regards to the day's orders.

"I have no idea."

"Excuse me?"

"He hasn't been in yet today."

Danny found that more then odd. It seemed as though since his arrival that Carl was waiting in the wings to capitalize on any and all shortcomings that he happened to make. Besides that fact, it was highly unusual for Carl to not be there at this hour of the day.

"So, you are saying that nothing has been ordered?" Danny questioned kicking himself for letting this day get away from him.

"Only what we placed with the purveyors yesterday."

"So no produce, nothing for the lunch and dinner specials?" Danny said more as a statement then a question.

"I would guess no," Reggie returned not able to read Danny's expression. It was a mixture of anger and disgust.

"DAMN IT!!!" Danny slammed his hand against the metal prep table. This day was getting worse as it progressed. Where was the man with high hopes for his future? Where was the man who just this morning thought he had a future?

"I can get a list together right away if that would help," Reggie offered.

"You do that!" Danny's temper was getting the better of him. "It's going to be close but we might just make it," Danny said trying to regain what little composure he had left in him. In this instance he was as much to blame as Carl was. He shouldn't have let the morning slip through his fingers the way that he had. The time spent with Melanie added to the horrors of his conversations with Albert had put him a tight spot. One that he didn't know if he would get out of.

"Joe," Danny called to the bartender as he made his way across the room to where the man stood.

"Yeah, boss?"

"The liquor order........"

"Placed first thing this morning."

"Great! I'm glad someone is on the ball," Danny was referring to himself even though he was the only one aware of his meaning.

"It should be delivered right after the lunch rush."

"You will have enough until then?"

"Yeah. Not much call for liquor in the early afternoon. Mostly beer and that order came yesterday."

"Good. I am going to heading out for a bit if Albert or Carl should come in while I'm gone let them know that I headed to the markets."

"Sure thing."

Danny went through the motions necessary to pick up all the things that Reggie needed for the impending lunch rush all the while his mind toggled between things he had no control over. First being the thoughts of Melanie that brought him so much comfort. Second being the life that would forever have a foothold over him. It was like an ever-present fault line that had the potential to bring everything tumbling down upon all those around him. It left him with a great feeling of helplessness. More so then he had felt when he was actually living the "life". Back in Springfield, he had in one way or another been able to hold it together. But here in Texas that wasn't happening. There were far too many variables that he had no control over. And to Danny control was everything. He detested the way being at the mercy of others made him feel. His Aunt's unpredictable behavior coupled with this hold Melanie had over him left Danny reeling.

"Your order's all packed up and ready," the man from the fish market stated forcing Danny to remember the task at hand.

"Thank you so much. I know that it was really short notice."

"Not a problem."

"Well thank you again though. I do appreciate it."

"Have a nice day Mr. Sampson."

Danny felt the hairs on his neck stand erect. Mr. Sampson, he still had difficulty in responding to that name, "You do the same."

Two of the kitchen staff followed Danny to the awaiting van to begin unloading the food necessary for that day's business.

"Has Carl made it in yet?" Danny asked the chief.

"Yes, shortly after you left, he arrived."

Danny walked out of the kitchen in hunt of his manager. The fuel flaming his fire was burning brightly. He needed someone or thing to expend his anger on and Carl was a good any.

"Where the hell were you this morning?!?!" he spouted as he came up behind Carl, who was in the middle of some obscene joke with Joe.

"I had something I needed to take care of," he countered looking at Danny Santos in an entirely new light.

"More important then making sure this place was up and running?" Danny seethed

"I was under the impression that you were in charge of everything," he countered,

"So what that means that you get your salary for doing nothing?"

"Not hardly."

"Then I want to know what the hell was more important then you being here to do your job!!!!"

"It was a family thing," Carl said not divulging just whose family he was talking about.

"I don't know what kind of arrangement that you had with my Uncle but as far as I am concerned your coming in whenever it is you please....well that's not going to fly! Are you understanding that Carl?"

"Perfectly. Is there something that you would like for me to do?" he asked in his most congenial tone. One that Danny wasn't buying in the least.

"Nothing but staying the hell out of my way!" Danny scoffed off into the office hoping to hide from the world for awhile.

Ben watched the heavy iron gates close as he made his way up the drive of the Santos compound. It was nothing like he imagined. Ben had to laugh thinking that he had watched "The Godfather" far too many times.

He parked and walked up to the heavy wooden door. He couldn't stop himself from peering about the area wondering exactly where the surveillance camera was hidden.

It had been a little over a week since his first meeting with Carmen at Millennium; he was beginning to think that it all had be a rouse of some sort. That was until yesterday when he had been summonsed for lunch the following day.

He rang the bell and waited. Finally the door swung open revealing a petite young woman. "Good Afternoon," she said with a faint smile.

"I am here to see Carmen Santos," Ben replied.

"And you are?" the girl questioned.

"Never mind Rosa," Dietz said coming up behind her, "I will handle this guest," The young woman was gone as quickly as she had come.

"Dietz."

"Mr. Warren," Dietz returned through clenched teeth. This alliance that his boss had chosen to make with this man angered him. He had hoped that in Danny's absence Carmen would be relying on him not bringing in some outsider, "Mrs. Santos would like for you to join her on the terrace. If you will follow me."

Ben did just that as he took in the decor of the house. Even for him it was somber. Nothing like the dynamic woman that Carmen Santos was.

"Ah Carmen," Ben said gently kissing Carmen's out stretched hand.

"Ben. Please sit. Dietz, have the cook bring out the hors d'oeuvres."

"Yes ma'am," he strained to keep his cool. He had been diminished to a house boy at the moment. That was a far cry from the right hand man he had always been. It wasn't something that he wanted to be getting used to either.

"So glad you could join me today," Carmen said as she brought the wine goblet to her lips, "Can I offer you some wine?"

"Yes, thank you and as for my joining you today, I don't believe you left room for me to decline the invitation," Ben slyly smiled as he poured himself a glass.

"I apologize if my request was rudely delivered. That was not my intention. As I said before, I see great things for the both of us."

"So you have said. Thank you," Ben said to the man who placed the shrimp cocktail before him.

"You seem skeptical."

"Not skeptical, curious is more the word I would use."

"Have you thought anymore about my offer?"

"Being your private counsel?"

"Yes."

"As a matter of fact I have given it a great deal of thought, but I must ask why?"

"I have already explained. I see us as a force to be reckoned with."

"Yes I understand that however I believe there is more to it then that."

"Meaning?"

"Well I have done some checking of my own......."

"Oh you have?" Carmen arched one brow as she listened.

"You wouldn't have expected anything less would you?"

"Certainly not," Carmen smiled knowing that she had made the right choice when she had sought Ben out.

"I am well aware of the fact that your son Danny has run away from home so to speak," Ben smirked, "And I think you are looking for someone to help you with damage control. I am close?"

"Close enough. Yes Daniel has left the business in my charge."

"Hasn't it always been yours?" Ben countered knowing far more of the story then he let on.

"There are those who would disagree."

"Ah I see. Then let's cut to the chase shall we? And get down to what it really is you are looking for Carmen."

"You are quite forceful Mr. Warren. Please don't forget that it was I who called you."

"My point exactly. Obviously it is my help that you are seeking. I would just like to know what it is you are looking for me to do. That is not too much to ask is it?"

Carmen looked at the man who was so cock sure of himself sitting across from her. There was a part of her that was infuriated by the manner in which he spoke to her but in another it was that that had turned every one of her feminine instincts afire. She hadn't felt this type of desire in so many years; she had almost forgotten how electrifying it was.

"Fair enough." she found herself saying, "In Daniel's absence I am in need of an ally. Someone to help me keep the many things in my business in check," she said in the most abrasive manner possible.

"And Dietz isn't capable of doing that for you?"

"Dietz?" Carmen tried not to laugh. "Dietz isn't the man for the job, You are Mr. Warren. I am very careful to capitalize on the strengths of those people in my organization. Dietz is excellent at the job he has but for the task that I am about to under take I am in need a man with your talents."

"So again I ask, what is it you are exactly looking for me to do for you and your organization?"

"Boss," Dietz poked his head through the door just as Carmen was about to speak.

"What is it?" Carmen said annoyed at the interruption.

"You are needed in the conference room."

She had hoped to secure an answer from Ben before the others had arrived. She wanted to be sure that the groundwork for her plan had been laid before walking into that room.

"I will be there shortly. Make sure everyone is comfortable and I will be there when I am finished with Mr. Warren."

"This can wait," Ben said sensing the tension that filled Carmen's frame. "I can see that you have other business to attend."

"On the contrary," Carmen countered, "I can't start that business without your answer, Ben."

"Answer?"

"Yes, are you on board or not?"

"That's a difficult thing to answer without knowing all the facts."

"If your answer is yes then the facts will become self evident in a matter of moments."

Ben starred at this beautiful woman and couldn't help but wonder if he was being drawn into a black widow's web but at this point in time he couldn't stop himself. "I say lead the way."

Ben followed Carmen down a long hallway that lead to what looked to him to be a dead end. Magically the wall slid away revealing a room that resembled the smoking room at the men's club he had left behind in New York.

The walls were paneled in the deepest of cherry woods and the grand conference table was so highly polished that Ben could see his reflection as if he were looking at himself in a mirror.

"Gentleman," Carmen said as the others in the room turned to look at her and a man they had never laid eyes on until this moment.

Dietz was dumb struck as he watched Ben Warren follow Carmen to the head of the table where she motioned for him to sit in the seat that had once been Danny's. Dietz felt his blood boil in his veins. This was unacceptable not only to him but to the other's in the room as well. He had been part of this organization long enough to know that Carmen was already treading on some very thin ice. Her bringing Ben Warren into the mix was doing very little to secure her position.

"What's this about?" Nino, Bernardo's son, stood up as Ben sat down.

"Nino, sit down!" Bernardo said glaring at his son, "Let's give Carmen the chance to explain why it is that this man, a man who we have never so much as met before, is sitting the chair that was once occupied by Miguel and should rightfully house Danny." Bernardo got his point across in a way that all those around him knew his displeasure with Carmen's actions and her lack of judgment at the moment.

"We are waiting," Manuel added as Carmen eyed the men before her.

"May I offer you all a drink?" she asked in complete ignorance of the pointed remarks and questions.

"I would like one," Ben remarked. He had been in many a tight spot in his life and career yet this one felt the tightest one yet.

"Dietz," Carmen motioned for him to fill Ben's outstretched glass. Begrudgingly Dietz complied with the request all the while he watched the eyes of the men whose respect he had earned over the years laughed at him.

"I am so glad that you all could find time in your busy schedules to meet with me," Carmen smiled.

"Enough with the niceties Carmen!" Bernardo had grown tired of Carmen long ago, "Are you ready to explain what the hold up is with Daniel assuming his rightful place among this group?"

"Daniel is expanding the organization," she said vaguely while Ben stifled a laugh.

"Expanding?" Tony parroted, "What are you talking about? What expansion?"

"Daniel is looking into other avenues."

"Cut to the chase Carmen," Bernardo said dispensing with formalities, "And by all means please explain this man's presence in the room!" Bernardo's stare shot daggers in the direction of Ben.

"One thing at a time," Carmen countered, "Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Ben Warren."

"We are well aware of who he is! What's he doing here?" Bernardo was quickly losing his patience for the woman who had once been the wife of his best friend.

"I asked him to join us....................."

"CARMEN!!" Bernardo had past lost his patience for this guessing game.

"Mr. Warren will be running Sancorp in Daniel's absence." Ben tried to hide his shock as he whipped his head around to stare directly at Carmen.

"YOU WHAT!?!?!?" the men said simultaneously.

"Given his extensive background in business law, I felt that he would be an asset to both sides of the business."

"And Daniel agreed to this?" Bernardo questioned. None of this was sitting quite right. He had a knot in the pit of his stomach the size of a grapefruit. He was well aware of Danny's hesitancy at taking the place that belonged to him but he was even more certain in the fact of the love and respect that the man carried for his father still.

"Daniel left things in quite capable hands. The hands that I might add have been holding the reins for over ten years now. I don't feel the need to justify my actions to any of you," Carmen said calmly while her eyes showed the fire lurking just below the surface.

"Hands that have held them for far too long," Tony quipped, "This was never yours to run Carmen. You are where you are out of our respect for Miguel and nothing more!!"

"Haven't you all not profited from the way that I have seen fit to run things. Have we all not gained further holdings and more power?" The rage fully was encompassing her now. The lack of respect that these men held for her was infuriating.

"And the guise was that you were looking out for the best interests of you son and what belonged to him. I find that laughable!" Manuel said coming to stand along side of Tony. Neither had ever been too keen on the idea of Carmen at the helm. The longer she stood there the more they wanted her to vanish, "It's always been about you, Carmen! The power, the greed, the control that's what it has always been about for you. You hid behind the idea of grieving wife and loving mother to get what you wanted. Now it's time that we get what it is we have wanted for seven years now."

"AND YOU HAVE IT!!!" Carmen seethed.

"NOT HARDLY!!!" Tony countered.

"ENOUGH!!! All of you this is enough!" Bernardo's voice was loud enough that even the thick wooden walls couldn't absorb its resonation.

"Thank you," Carmen said misreading his actions.

"Don't thank me just yet," he shot back, "I will agree that we have prospered over these last ten years. But as I recall and if you don't Carmen let me refresh your memory. That seat," he pointed to the one that was now occupied by Ben Warren, "Rightfully belongs to Daniel. I want to see him in it! Am I making myself perfectly clear? I don't care what business he is away attending. I don't care if it brings in millions for us as a group, the next time we meet I expect your son, not this suit," again Ben saw fingers being waved in his direction, "in that chair, Miguel's chair."

"Are you threatening me, Bernardo?" Carmen asked sitting a little straighter in her seat. She had known it would come to this eventually.

"Take it for however you see it. Just know this Carmen, without Daniel....The Santos Family will be no more!"

The men filed out of the in silence, reserving comments for their own private party, which Carmen was certain to happen.

Danny sat behind the desk in the office toying with the idea of picking up the phone to call Melanie. He had promised to be in touch with her that day. By rights it would have been best for all concerned if he had silently faded from her life, but for him that wasn't an option that his heart was about to give in to. To hell with the warnings that his head was screaming, the thought of holding Melanie in his arms again was far more enticing.

Danny ran his fingers along the handset, Albert's words beckoning him........If you walk away from this girl you will regret it....regret it....regret it.........

Danny had so many regrets in his life already. Things that he felt he could have changed if he had been stronger, how things would have played out very differently if his father hadn't been killed, if Carmen would have been more interested in her role as a mother instead of a head of a crime syndicate. So many what ifs in his life so far. Funny as it was to think about, his feelings for Melanie were the first true emotions that Danny remembered feeling since the love he felt for his father. He again had a heart beating in his chest. It was no longer a rock hard lump there. Danny wasn't sure what frightened him more those feelings, being human again, or the possibility of it all being taken away once more.

There was a real threat to him and to Melanie if he chose to take that leap of faith and move forward with her. He couldn't deny that. In all fairness to her, he had to tell her the truth. It was risky given past experience as to how those around him acted once they truly knew who he was, but he couldn't keep it from her either.

He most certainly didn't want to blind side her weeks or months from now with the likelihood that the men who sat on The Commission would come looking for him. It was bound to happen. Melanie had the right to not be party to that.

What he was contemplating went against every grain that he was brought up to believe. Yet, maybe this would be the first step that Albert had been talking about.

Albert had talked about coming to terms with whom it was he was from the first moment he arrived there. It wasn't until this very second the he actually understood what that had meant. It was time for him to truly stop running. He had tried hiding behind Albert's name and that wasn't working for him. The only thing left was to come clean about who he once was and who it was he wanted to be now. And hoped that the chips fell in such a way that he could handle them.

He picked up the receiver and dialed Melanie's house. It wasn't until he got her answering machine that he remembered that she had to work. He hesitated for a moment and decided against leaving a message.

"Yes, I am looking for the phone number for the University of Texas campus bookstore," Danny said to the directory assistance operator. He knew he well could have looked up the number in the phone book but in the time it would have taken to do that he would have lost his nerve.

"Would you like me to connect you?" the operator asked.

"Yes please." Danny listened as the phone rang through.

"Good afternoon, University of Texas bookstore can I help you?" her voice was music to his ears. It conjured up all the visions of her that he was trying desperately to suppress.

"I think you might be able to. I am in search of a text on the perils of drinking too much......"

"Danny?" she questioned with her heart in her mouth.

"Do you think you can help me with such a text?" he continued with his jab.

"Very funny," she countered.

"Well, I thought so."

"I bet you did. You are never going to let me live that down are you?" she asked.

"NEVER!" he laughed.

"So what can I really help you with?" Michelle held her breath. A call this early had been unexpected, but secretly she did her best to hide her pleasure.

"Nothing really," Danny said faltering on the real reason for this call. Just hearing her voice again made him wonder if he could really do this to her.

"I'm glad you called," she said, "I wanted to thank you again for last night. I really did enjoy myself. I know things were kinda rocky there for a while but all in all it was a nice evening. Besides it was nice getting to know you a little better last night."

Getting to know him? Danny laughed to himself. He had been so evasive it amazed him that she thought she knew anything about him.

"I enjoyed myself too. You are a very special person. You deserve to have the very best," Danny sighed looking for the inner strength he needed to pursue this, "I think that before we take this any further........."

"Yes," she countered waiting for the other shoe to drop. It had happened so many times before that why was she holding her breath now? It wasn't like she hadn't seen this coming all along. She had just been a fool to let herself be lulled into thinking that it wouldn't.

"Well.....I just think there are some things we need to get out in the open. It's important."

"Sure."

Danny could hear the uncertainty in her voice. He could only imagine what she must have been thinking. The little she had divulged about her past experiences made him all the more sure that she was waiting for him to break her heart.

More then anything he wanted to say something to allay her fears, but what? How could he let her know what was in really his heart and still drop the bombshell about his past on her later? He needed her to hear and fully understand what he was going to explain to her. He couldn't let that be clouded by the fact that he had these overpowering feelings for her. He sensed that if she knew what his true feelings were, she would have walked through fire to be with him. And as much as that notion filled him with such elation, he couldn't let that be the case.

For this all to work in his mind, Melanie had to walk into their relationship knowing all there was to know about him. Danny knew the risk he was taking. He only could hope that it was a calculated one. A risk that would be well worth the payoff he would receive.

"Would you like to meet for dinner?"

"Yeah that would be fine,"

"What time should I pick you up?" he asked.

"I'll just meet you at the club," Michelle countered not wanting to be as his mercy when he gave her the boot.

"No really, I'll pick you up. I promise this is a night for us. No business." Danny feared that he had lost her already.

"That's very nice of you but I know you are busy with the club. So just let me meet you there," she stood firm in her desires.

"Okay," he finally relented. "But I promise no business."

"That's fine."

"See you around seven then?" Danny asked doing his best to pin her down.

"Sure," she returned in the most noncommittal why she knew how.

"Bye," he said as the dial tone resounded in his ear, "DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" None of this was looking all that good.

Michelle felt the tears welling behind her eyes. Why she had agreed to this evening she didn't know. It was like a replay of a very bad movie. It had sounded like Jesse all over again.

She could still hear his words when he told her they needed to talk. That there was something important that she needed to know.

Michelle could only imagine what it was Danny would be telling her that night. Did he have a girlfriend or god forbid a wife back home?

Michelle found herself chuckling amidst her tears. The only thing different about this go round was that there would be no Mick.

The knot in Michelle's stomach grew tighter as the hands on the clock overhead inched closer to closing time of the bookstore. Ever since she had gotten off the phone with Danny she hadn't been able to concentrate on anything except what he had wanted to discuss with her. It was hard to miss the foreboding nature of his tone. Her body had gone cold when she heard him speak those fateful words 'There's something important we need to talk about' after that it was as if she was in auto drive. Nothing said from then on made any difference or even registered with her. The old demons surfaced with vengeance.

"Melanie," Tony Rodgers voice poked at her inner thoughts.

"Yes?" she questioned trying to keep up the appearance that she wasn't falling apart inside.

"Would you mind locking the door? It's that time of day again."

"Sure thing."

"You know if you have something to do this evening you can head out," he offered, "I can handle closing up."

"No," she said quickly. The longer she stayed there the less time she would have alone to torture herself with the things she imagined that Danny would be telling her.

"Are you sure? Is everything all right?" He had noticed that since early afternoon her mood had darkened.

"I'm fine."

"There's nothing you want to talk about?" he asked seeing her transformed back into the lost soul that he had hired not so long ago.

"Not really," she said.

Tony took that less then certain answer as his indication that she needed to talk, "Put those down," he said pointing the to register drawers she was carrying making her way into the back room.

"I was just getting ready to balance them," she commented in a questioning tone.

"That can wait. I think we should talk."

There were those words again. Why was it that men always used them? Even in this context they sounded ominous.

"About?"

"The fact that since early this afternoon you look like a storm cloud took up residence over you head," Tony tried to make light of the situation. Michelle wasn't seeing the humor though.

"It's nothing."

"Like I really believe that."

"Believe it. I'm just having a bad day."

"Melanie, please tell me what's going on with you."

"Nothing," she strained holding back the tears that threatened to escape her soft milky brown eyes.

"Honey," Tony Rodgers gently placed his hands over hers, "You're not fooling this old man, now please what's the matter?"

The softness of his voice was all Michelle needed to hear to let the floodgates swing open and the tears come rushing forward. Easily he took the young girl in his arms holding her tight as the sobs continued.

Finally she pulled back and brushed away the remnants of her tears, "I'm so sorry," she apologized.

"Nothing to be sorry for," he assured her. "Now please explain to me what are all the tears about."

"Nothing."

"Please......I may be old but I am by far senile. Those were hardly tears associated with nothing."

Michelle searched for the words. She knew how utterly ridiculous the thoughts would sound when she formed them into verbal sentences. She had so little trust or faith in love anymore. It was a shame at the tender age of nineteen she was already so jaded to what was to be a wonderful experience. In the case of hers it had been anything but.

"I'm afraid that things with Danny Sampson aren't going to turn out the way that I had hoped."

"Why is that?"

"I can feel it in my gut."

"Your gut huh? You know those gut feelings have been known to be wrong at times."

"Oh really?" she said disbelieving.

"What makes you think that things aren't going to be the way that you thought?"

"Let's just say I have been down this road before."

"What road?"

"The one that ends with me being told that they love someone else."

"Why would you say something like that?"

"Because it happened. And right under my nose as a matter of fact. So this time I just want to be prepared."

"You can never be prepared for something like that. Even if you think you are.....you aren't."

"Gee thanks. That's really what I wanted to hear."

"Sorry but it's the truth. If you really think that you can steel yourself against the hurt it's not going to happen. What is life without love and sorry to say this but life is cruel at times and love is how you learn that rule."

"So what's so great about falling in love then? If all it ends up doing is hurting you?" she asked in all seriousness.

"Just because you were hurt once doesn't mean you are destined to be hurt always."

"Yeah but there is no rule that says you won't either," Michelle countered.

"No......but you have to have faith and take that leap."

"What if I can't?" she said barely above a whisper.

"Well then I guess you might take the chance of missing out on something incredible. Or you could save yourself a bit of hurt again. There aren't any guarantees if that was what you were hoping for."

"You don't have to tell me that. I learned that lesson all too well a long time ago," she stately somberly.

"So if you know that then what's the problem?"

"The problem is that I don't enjoy having my heart ripped out and stepped on!"

"How do you know that's what's going to happen with Danny?"

"I just do!"

"You women," he scoffed, "You think you know everything about us. Well let me let you in on a little secret missy......you don't. So before you go feeding that boy to the wolves might I suggest that you hear him out?"

"Very funny!" she countered.

"Well it's the truth. You already have the whole scene playing out in your head right now. I can see the wheels turning in your head as we speak. So when you do see Danny he has no way of breaking free of the scenario that you have already scripted for him. He's doomed before he even opens his mouth."

"That's not true!" Michelle said even though the words were a lie. Tony Rodgers was so right with his comments. She had done just as he said. Over and over again in her head she had played out every possibility that could have arisen in her conversation with Danny. All of them ending with the worst case.

"Melanie, please don't lie to an old man. An old man whose been married for forty-five years to boot. I know what it is I speak. I think it has taken my wife nearly thirty of those forty-five years to stop doing that," he chuckled which forced Michelle to do the same despite herself.

"I just don't........"

"Want to get hurt," he finished her sentence for her, "I know. But honey you are hurting and right now you don't even know if you have reason to. You already have your mind made of that Danny Sampson is the devil incarnate. That's not fair to you and especially not to Danny."

"I wish I knew how to stop feeling this way though."

"I can't answer that for you. All I can say is have faith. And please don't read anymore into what he says then what actually comes out of his mouth. See the difference between you women and us is we aren't that deep of thinkers. There aren't any hidden messages in what we say."

"Oh there aren't are there?" Michelle joked

"No there aren't," he asserted again. He watched as the tightness in he features had faded a bit. That maybe he had been able to ease her mind just a bit, "We feeling better now?"

"Maybe a little."

"Good."

"Oh wow look at the time," Michelle looked at the face of her watch. It read quarter to seven.

"Oh my.....we have been chatting awhile."

"I am supposed to meet Danny in fifteen minutes. I'm never gonna make it."

"Go get out of here. I'll lock up. And remember what I said. Don't doom him before he even gets out of the gate."

Danny checked his watch for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. It was going on seven thirty and Melanie still wasn't there. He knew the way they had left things on the phone that afternoon hadn't been good.

He had tried to break away later in the day to go to the bookstore to see her but the opportunity had never come. It was one thing after another that day.

Jackson's daughter had called to say that her band wouldn't be able to perform that night due to an illness of one of its members. That left him scrambling for entertainment for the night. Luckily Matt had agreed to come in and DJ again. It really wasn't what he wanted but it was highly better then having no entertainment at all.

All in all Danny wasn't sure if this night had been worse then any of the others so far it was just that tonight he had far too much on his mind.

He wasn't exactly sure how to tell Melanie what it was he knew he had to. What could he say? How could you start a conversation like that? Could he just come right out with it.....say hey you know what I used to have people killed for a living but I gave it up?

Danny found himself laughing at the thought but how far from the truth was it really?

"Danny," Albert said as he entered the office, "Are you all right son?" Albert noticed how quiet, even more so then usual, that he had been since their discussion earlier in the day. Albert was secretly pleased that Jenny had opted to remain home that evening. He wasn't in the mood to run interference between the two.

"I've been better," his tone still a bit cold.

"I can imagine. But I really think that you are over estimating the repercussions of what happened here the other night. I highly doubt that anything will come of it."

"I'm glad you can live with that lie but I can't."

"It's not a lie. Danny we have been living here peacefully for fifteen years now. That's not about to change."

"It all changed when Jenny took it upon herself to start shouting the Santos name from the rooftop."

That's a bit of an exaggeration don't you think?"

"Not from where I am sitting. This is my life she is messing with."

"As well as our own," Albert countered.

"Then why is it I am the only one concerned about this?"

"There isn't any need for concern!" Albert stressed again.

"I'll remember you said that when the men of The Commission are standing at the door of this club looking to bring me back to the fold."

"I won't let that happen Daniel."

"Like you have a choice!!!" Danny quipped, "Albert, exactly what power do you think you hold anymore? I mean you don't. So stop kidding yourself into thinking that you do!"

Albert was taken aback by his nephew's vehemence. This was a side of Danny that he had not yet seen. And one he didn't particularly care for at the moment.

"So what is it you want then Daniel? By the tone of your voice and the sharpness of your words, you are by all means ready to take the place that belongs to you. So I say be my guest. But if that's not what you want then you better get off that high horse and find a way for us to work together to ensure that you aren't forced into that seat!" the vacant way that Albert looked Danny up and down demonstrated to him that his uncle still had the makings of Under Boss left in him.

"If I wanted that seat do you think I would be here right now, trying to come up with a way to explain the unexplainable to Melanie?"

"What?!?!" Danny's comment had thrown a curve ball at Albert.

"You heard me. I have to tell Melanie the truth. The whole truth. It's time I did what you said. Stop running right?"

"Yes, that's what I said but I didn't think you were ready to do that? I didn't think you were ready to see that look in her eyes. That is what you told me when you first met her. That you didn't want her to go running screaming from the room. What changed your mind now?"

"The fact that I can't build something on a lie. I have done that for the better part of my life. I can't do that with her. She deserves more then that."

"You love her...I can see it in your expression. Are you sure that you are willing to take such a risk? You could have a good life with her without ever letting on about the past. She doesn't need to know."

"You are joking right? How am I supposed to explain the men who inevitably will come knocking on my door? What am I supposed to say oh hey by the way I am the head of the biggest crime syndicate in the mid west. I just needed a breather."

"Daniel stop with this nonsense. You yourself told me that you had everything under control. That Carmen wouldn't be a problem. So in a sense you have none either."

"That was before my dear Aunt decided that spouting off my name in a room full of people was a good thing."

"Can we please give that a rest already?" Albert had grown tired of Danny's insistence on that point.

A knock on the door startled them both, "Come in," Danny said expecting to see one of the staff but instead saw Melanie standing in the doorway.

"Hi," his voice caught in his throat, "I didn't think you were coming.

"I was delayed at the store."

"Well, if you two will excuse me I will be making my rounds," Albert slipped out almost unnoticed by the pair who were starring at each other as if they were etching the impression in their memories.

The awkward silences that had taken them over in pervious occasions had come back to encircle them once more. Michelle didn't trust her voice not to crack so she remained quiet and Danny didn't even know where to begin.

"You want a drink?" he asked finally.

"Sure," she answered knowing that the alcohol might take the edge off of her nerves.

She followed him to the bar, "Joe, a white wine spritzer and a scotch neat please."

"Thank you," she said as he handed her the glass.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked looking for any excuse to avoid talking.

"Okay." Danny took her hand and lead her to the center of the dance floor. The room filled with the sweet sounds of a romantic melody. Danny let himself be pulled into the moment where it was only the two of them. There was no Commission, there was no code of honor he had grown up believing, no threat of retaliation from the men who wanted his mother gone, nothing except Melanie's soft skin next to his own, the smell of wildflowers as he buried his nose in the folds of her hair. If he could have stopped time he would have done so at this very moment.

"Are you hungry?" Danny asked when they finally parted, "I did promise you dinner."

"That sounds nice," Michelle said trying to keep all those things that she and Tony discussed in mind as she went about this evening with Danny.

"Wait here, I will be right back," he smiled as he disappeared through the swinging doors to the kitchen.

Carl watched as Danny emerged from the kitchen picnic style basket in hand. This was a far cry from the mobster he knew that Danny Santos was. The pieces of this puzzle were growing by the minute and sad to say he hadn't a clue how that all fit together. One minute he was certain he knew what angle to play and then next he was back to square one. He absently wondered where Jenny was that evening. He had hoped to be able to read more about all of this by watching her a little more closely now given what he had learned. Yet that wasn't the case. When he had asked Albert about his wife that evening he plied him with some story that she hadn't been feeling well. Knowing what he did now had his thoughts wondering exactly what he had done to his wife to keep her silent.

He watched as Danny led Melanie out the door basket in one hand hers in the other. Well it looked like he was in charge. Maybe it was time he started getting some answers to his many questions.