Drew had been barely able to move. Nino was gone. Every inch of her body hurt. She felt a stabbing pain ripple through her rib cage as she tried to sit up. She would have cried if it hadn't hurt so much.

The effects of her drunken state had long worn off. She vividly remembered the scene. Nino's anger, his rage that he pummeled upon her. She made her way to the mirror. Face swollen, eyes black and blue. Not one part of her body had been spared. She could taste the blood the seeped into her mouth.

She closed her eyes. Opening them again hoping to see a different image. No such luck though. Still the same battered and beaten girl before her.

Somehow she managed to dress herself. The pain causing her to almost pass out. Nino had just about beaten her within an inch of her life. Hell he probably thought he had.

She knew that she needed to be gone before he returned. She had had enough of Chicago too. It was time for her to be moving on once again.

To a place where Michelle Bauer would never find her.

Drew was still fixated on the fact that Michelle was the root of all her problems. Michelle had cost her Jesse, cost her Mick and Nino. Well actually she never truly had had Nino. She had been a convenient substitute for what he really wanted.

Nino had wanted Michelle from the first day that he had seen her. The first time that Mick had introduced them. Drew had watched Nino's eyes traveling up and down Michelle's slender body. But she had attached herself to him none the less. It was her way of staying close to Mick. She was intent on stealing him back from Michelle or die trying.

Drew did everything in her power to draw Mick's attention away from Michelle. It was like Jesse all over again. Mick couldn't see past Michelle. No matter who approached him she always came out on top.

It hadn't taken Michelle long to tire of Mick though. He had served his purpose for her revenge against Drew. She wanted nothing more to do with him. He had other ideas though. Mick saw Michelle as his one and only. He wasn't letting her go that easy.

He was certain to be sure that she knew he was always lurking in the shadows watching and waiting for her. Michelle had even gone as far as to file harassment charges against him. Unfortunately nothing had ever came of them.

Mick dogged her morning, noon and night. Never letting up on her. Drew stood on the sidelines observing. Silently cheering. She was happy to see Michelle squirm. Happy to see her getting paid back. She didn't have a clue who she was messing with when she had taken on Mick.

Michelle Bauer had lived a safe suburban life back in Springfield. She had no idea what was tied to the Santos name. Drew had. She knew all too well the misdeeds of the Santos Family. That hadn't mattered to her. She wanted Mick. She wanted everything he stood for because in her own way she was very much like Mick. An outsider always looking in on the party she hadn't been invited to attend. She felt a kinship with Mick Santos. A strange bond. Funny thing was she hadn't felt that bond when she looked into his brother Danny's eyes that night. Which had somewhat surprised her. She was certain that Mick and Danny were one in the same however she saw Michelle in Danny's eyes. That was the same look that Jesse always had.

Drew found herself laughing. Pain surrounded her but she laughed none the less. Nino had lost Michelle again. To another Santos. How fitting she reasoned. "Serves you right you bastard!" she said slowly inching her way down the staircase.

No one at the on going party even noticed her battered and broken form inching it's way to the door. The cool night air sent chills through her. She grabbed for the railing of the steps outside. Her head was spinning. She couldn't focus on anything. Everything was just a blur then it all went black as she tumbled down the stairs landing at Nino's feet.

Nino scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his car. He felt like he was reliving a very bad dream. This time the only thing missing was all the blood.

Reaching the Emergency Room entrance, Nino found a wheel chair. He gently placed Drew in it and wheeled her right to the door. Just his luck an orderly was smoking a cigarette outside.

"I just found her lying on the street," he lied.

"Let's get her inside," the orderly said snuffing out his smoke.

Nino dropped back into the shadows as Drew was wheeled inside. Just as he had done some many months before with Michelle.

Danny let himself be led away from the desk. The doctor lightly touched his arm as he motioned for him to have a seat.

Danny couldn't stop thinking the absolute worst. Hysteria was now replacing terror. This was surreal.

"Where is she?" Danny asked not meeting the man's eye, "What's happening here?" He was so used to being able to control everything in his life. Danny was in command of most things that happened around him. He had learned over the years how to use the money, power, and prestige to his greatest advantage. Yet now being a spectator was unbearable.

"Things are a little more complicated then we first thought."

"What…what's that supposed to mean? Is she going to make it?" Danny choked on his last words.

"To be honest it's pretty touch and go right now." Danny grabbed the arms of the chair hard. He felt the life draining from him. This couldn't be happening. Why was he having such a grave reaction to this? He barely knew this girl.

That really wasn't true though. In the short time that he had known her he had fallen head over heels. Drew had been right when she said that Michelle was a magnet. His magnetic attraction to her was evident. He surely didn't want to lose her now just as they were getting started.

"What do you mean touch and go?" Danny whispered.

"I mean that she's severely under weight and dehydrated which only complicates matters now."

Danny couldn't stop himself from remembering the other night when she had fainted. He should have taken her to the hospital then. He should have never listened to her. He was certain that something more had been wrong then what she let on. So twice now he could have stopped all of this from happening and he had missed the opportunity. He could have kicked himself.

"What happened in there?"

"Well her body went into shock. She lost a tremendous amount of blood. That coupled with the facts I just mentioned makes for a dangerous combination."

"What are you doing for her now?" Danny sat rubbing his chin. Trying like hell to concentrate on everything he was being told.

"Right now we are doing our very best to keep her stable. We are pumping blood in as fast as we can. I am hoping that will elevate some of the shock her body is experiencing. We are also pumping her body full of fluids."

"So after all of that, what then?"

"Well I still need to have a head CT and those x-rays."

"Can't you do that now?" Danny implored. He wanted to be sure that Michelle was taken care of completely.

"Slow down. One thing at a time. Slowly bringing her body back is the most important thing. I don't need her slipping into a coma."

"Coma!" Danny felt his heart about to beat out of his chest.

"That is a distinct possibility given the circumstances. I want to be sure that we have done everything to ensure that won't happen before we start doing any other tests."

Danny fully understood the doctor's point. He didn't want to jeopardize Michelle's health anymore then it already had been but he couldn't sit idly by and wait.

The shrill ring of his cell phone broke the silence of the hallway.

"Excuse me," he said to the doctor. "Yeah," he growled into the mouthpiece.

"Daniel," the voice on the other end belonged to Dietz.

"What? I really don't have time right now!"

"I think you should make the time for this," Dietz returned.

"I said NOT NOW!" Danny hung up the phone before Dietz had a chance to respond.

"Damn you Danny," Dietz remarked, "There's something you needed to know about Carlos." Dietz tried Danny's phone again. His attempt was met with a prerecorded message that the caller was unavailable.

Dietz hurried to his room to pack some things before he headed for Chicago. Danny would need all the help that he could get.

"I'm sorry for the interruption," Danny said returning his attention to Michelle's doctor.

"Quite all right."

"Can I see her?"

"Certainly. We are moving her to the ICU right now. You will need to wait until she's settled but after that you can see her."

"Great." Danny shook the man's hand. "I meant what I said before spare no expense when it comes to her care and treatment. I plan on taking care of it all."

"I will be sure that everything that can be done is."

"Thank you again." 

Danny walked the halls to the cafeteria. He glanced at his watch. It was after four in the morning. This was the second night in a row he had had no sleep. He was running on pure adrenaline.

The cafeteria was dimly lit. He paid for his coffee and sat down at a table closest to the windows. The street below was alive with people. The bright street lights and car headlights illuminated the sky almost as if it had been day light.

He did his best to make sense out of this confusion in his head. His gut told him that Nino had been behind this all of this. Nino Rivera was capable of anything. He sure as hell didn't trust him. From the merry-go-round he felt he was riding with him about Mick's murder to knowing that Nino always wanted what he couldn't have made Danny all the more sure that Nino was to blame. To blame for everything.

When Danny closed his eyes, Michelle's face appeared before him. Her big brown eyes laughing when she had smiled at him. He could still smell the sweet scent of her cologne, taste her delicious lips when he kissed her. This couldn't be over yet. It just couldn't. He wouldn't let it be.

He knew that she had suffered greatly. Having your boyfriend commit suicide and to be the one to find him well that must have been complete and utter devastation. He understood now the haunted look in her eyes at times. She was most definitely reliving that moment again and again.

He checked his watch again. Enough time had passed. He wasn't about to sit there any longer. He wanted, he needed to be with her. He had to hold her hand. Let her know that nothing and no one was ever going to hurt her again.

Danny approached the nurses station of the ICU. His mouth was so dry he was barely able to speak, "Excuse me?"

"Can I help you?" the sturdy nurse returned.

"I'm looking for Michelle Bauer."

"Visiting hours have long since passed." she commented returning to her paper work.

"I know that." Danny did his best to hold his temper. "I was told that I could see her."

"By who?"

Danny had been so engrossed in the doctor's explanation that he hadn't even bothered to find out his name. "I don't remember the doctor's name right now. She was in a serious car accident tonight. He said the I could sit with her for a while." Danny could hear the despondency in his own voice. He was having trouble remembering that it was him doing the talking. No one listening now would have believed that this was the same Danny Santos from even days ago. All of his forcefulness and take charge attitude had been stripped from him the minute Michelle's life hung in the balance.

"I don't know anything about these arrangements." the nurse wasn't about to budge.

"Just page her damn doctor. He will tell you everything." Danny paced running his hands his coffee colored curls. "Listen," he said slamming his fist against the desk, "I am going to see her no matter what you have to say about it!"

"If you don't leave right now I'm calling security."

"Like I fucking care!" Danny propelled his hand hard against the phone's receiver before she had the chance to reach for it, "I'm not playing here lady," his voice was a hoarse violent whisper, "I want to see Michelle Bauer!"

"Dr. Edwards," the nurse said breathless paralyzed by fear.

Danny looked up to see the man he had been speaking with earlier coming toward them. Immediately he left the nurse and strode towards him.

"You really have to stop abusing my staff Mr......," Dr. Edwards searched for Danny's name.

"Santos. Danny Santos."

"Mr. Santos. I understand that you are anxious about your friend's condition but you aren't making many friends this way," Dr. Edwards had to smile though. He did remember what it was like to be young and in love. Had it been his lady love going through this, he was most certain that he would be acting the very same way.

Danny inhaled deeply as he pushed open the swinging door leading to Michelle. The room was quiet. The only sound was the faint noises of the monitors. He silently wished this all was a very bad dream that he soon would wake from, yet he knew that wasn't about to happen.

She was so fragile lying there. He watched as the IV's delivered the blood and fluids that Dr. Edwards had spoke of. Danny pulled a chair closer to the bed. It wasn't until he took her hand in his that he felt the tears falling. He was unable to control them. They fell in a steady stream leaving wet circles on the hospital sheets.

Finally he got a good look at her. It was then that he could see how underweight she was. It had to be at least 20 pounds or more. Why hadn't he noticed that before? What would have caused her to stop taking care of herself. He knew that being pre-med was surely hectic but this didn't make any sense.

Danny sat there starring at Michelle. The wound on her head was now bandaged. She had bruises and cuts along her arms and neck. What a horrible experience it all must have been. He kicked himself once again for not turning his car around the minute he had remembered Nino. So much of this could have been avoided Michelle would have been in his arms right now instead of fighting for her life.

"Michelle," he whispered moving closer to her, "Michelle baby, you listen to me. I know things are really bad right now. I know that you are hurting, but I promise you that I won't let anything hurt you again," Danny's voice was barely audible. He was choking on the tears he was trying so desperately to hold back.

"I don't know what brought us together. I really don't care what it is. I know one thing for sure. I can't let you go. You have to come back to me baby. I just found you. I can't lose you too." Danny smiled as he wiped the tears from his eyes. He stroked her cheek. She felt so cold to him. Fear engulfed him again. Why was it that everyone in his life that he loved, he lost? Loved, Danny thought to himself. How could he love this girl? He barely knew her. Funny thing was though the minute he laid his eyes on her he felt he had known her all his life.

Michelle stirred slightly giving him hope that all might not be lost. He took her arm in his grasp feeling her pulse beating beneath his fingers. She had to make it. There was no other way this could turn out. But Danny knew this time even being a Santos didn't guarantee him anything.