Disclaimer: I don�t own these characters.
The wedding was beautiful, despite everything. Danny and Michelle had stopped on the way to the chapel, and both of them bought something new to wear. Michelle selected a soft, moss green sundress, with yellow flowers embroidered around the neckline. She quickly swept her hair into a bun, and did a two minute make-up job. When she walked out of the dressing room she saw Danny standing there in a pair of charcoal grey pants, a white dress shirt, and a grey tie, with burgundy design. He looked great - not the usual intimidating Santos look he usually wore.
The wedding chapel they chose was not tacky, after all. It was simple, and actually very elegant. The ceremony was short, but they didn�t care. As long as it was legal and uninterrupted by gunshots or bomb threats, it would be fine. The ladies at the back of the chapel threw birdseed at them as the ran to the car and left to find a place to stay.
They stopped at the nearest motel. It wasn�t fancy or elaborate, but again, they didn�t care. As they rode the elevator up to the third floor, Danny told Michelle that they would drive to Lake Tahoe then next day, and get a condo or something a bit more private.
"Danny, you know it doesn�t matter where we are, as long as we�re together," Michelle said.
Danny replied by taking her in his arms and kissing her forehead, the way he�d done so many times before. "I know, Michelle, but if we�re going to be staying here for a while, then I want to find a place where we can kick back and relax."
Michelle didn�t argue. She just leaned into his embrace and let the rest of the world fade to black, as they elevator stopped on the third floor.
They made love three times that night, and it was not for lack of desire that they stopped after the third time, but rather, out of exhaustion. It had been almost 48 hours since either of them had slept. However, their tiredness did not keep them from consuming one another. Each touch was new and different, playful and emotional. Danny let go of himself completely. The wall he�d built around himself had slowly been disintegrating since Michelle came into his life, and whatever small part of it that was left came crashing down the moment he felt her body envelope him. He was lost, forever, and never wanted to be found.
As they lay in each others arms, quietly drifting into the sweetest sleep either of them had ever known, Danny whispered to his wife, "I�m finally home. After all these years, I�m finally home."
He closed his eyes and buried his face in her long golden hair. He fell asleep, feeling her breath on his chest. It was the greatest moment of his life.
The morning after the bombing at St. Michael�s, Pilar was still in shock. She and Bill were staying with Bill�s father, Billy, at his apartment across town. It was a nice, two bedroom apartment, and Bill had graciously slept on the couch so that she could sleep in the bedroom.
They would not go out, unless it was absolutely necessary. Bill made it clear that Danny did not want Carmen finding out where Pilar was staying. Pilar didn�t want to talk to her mother anyway. Billy told them he would call the hospital regularly to check up on Ray. Bill knew that eventually, Danny and Michelle would want an update.
The realization that her mother had no intention of keeping her promise to legitimize the business had taken a great toll on Pilar. She was naïve, by her own admission, and incredibly susceptible to Carmen�s manipulations. Looking back, she could not believe that she�d allowed Carmen to talk her into trying to convince Danny to stay away from Michelle. She now knew that Carmen was using her, as a means to an end.
The rival families sensed that Carmen was not as serious as Danny about ceasing the illegal activities in the Santos business. Pilar finally understood that the other families had seen the weakness in their family, and taken advantage of it. If Carmen had only gone along with Danny and kept her promise. If only she could�ve shown them a united Santos family. If the rival families had seen them as a strong unit, acting in one accord, this would not have happened. Her mother�s greed had caused this, and now Ray was in the hospital fighting for his life. Were it not for her vindictiveness, Ray would be alright, Danny and Michelle would be happy, and she herself would feel safe. She would never forgive Carmen for this.
Rick went in to the hospital early the next morning. Since finding Michelle�s note the night before, he had been restless. At 5:00 a.m., he finally gave up trying to sleep and went to work. He wanted to check on Ray.
He arrived at the hospital at 5:45 a.m., to find that Harley and Phillip�s baby had been born during the night. Phillip was beaming when he saw Rick, and proudly told him that Bradshaw Marler Spalding, or Brad as he would be called, came into the world at 2:47 a.m., weighing 7 pounds 12 ounces. He was 20 inches long, and was absolutely beautiful. Harley was doing great as well, and was already ordering the nurses and hospital staff around.
As they walked toward the nursery, Rick filled Phillip in on the happenings of the day before.
"I just can�t believe that Michelle is so blind to Danny and his family," Rick said.
"She loves him, Rick," Phillip said. "And I know what it�s like to have your family name follow you everywhere. I know what it feels like to see people get turned off by you as soon as they hear your last name."
"But the Spauldings aren�t the mob," Rick said.
"True, but Alan is my father, and it�s impossible to escape that stigma. Cut Danny a little slack. If Michelle loves him, there must be something good in him."
"I don�t trust him, Phillip."
"But Michelle obviously does, so you�re just going to have to trust her. She�s not a child anymore, you know. You can�t make decisions for her."
"I hate it when you�re right."
"I know you do, but I thoroughly enjoy it," Phillip laughed. "Besides, you�ve got enough going on in your own life. Abby just got her hearing back, and your best friend just became a father again."
"You�ve got an answer for everything, don�t you?"
"Yes, I do," Phillip grinned. "Listen, I�ve got to run home and get some things for Harley. Could you check on her in a little while, and make sure she hasn�t totally alienated the entire maternity ward?"
"Sure," Rick answered.
Danny and Michelle were in no hurry to get out of bed. They lingered there, enjoying the new facets to their relationship, reveling in the love they shared.
When they did finally make it out of the bed, the shower didn�t stand a chance. So, it was almost 3:00 in the afternoon before they left their room and checked out of the motel. They stopped at a grocery store and stocked up on the things they�d need, and then they drove to Tahoe.
It was absolutely incredible. Their love had given them a heightened awareness of the beauty surrounding them. The condominium they selected offered a gorgeous view, and Michelle said she�d be happy to stay there for the rest of her life.
"Well," Danny said, "that can be arranged, I guess."
Michelle laughed and threw her arms around him. They both knew the time would come when they would return to Springfield, but for now, the thought of never going back made them both smile.
"This is our time," Danny said as he kissed her. "For us, and no one else."
He sat in a chair, and stared at the journal he was holding. So much had happened in the past few days. The Santos family was falling apart at the seams, and he was holding a piece of information that could blow them out of the water.
What was in those pages, he wondered. What was it that Ray was so desperate to conceal, until Danny himself could know?
There was no question in his mind. He was going to have to decide what to do with the journal, when to deliver it to Danny, if Danny ever resurfaced. Ray was, after all, in a coma, and no one knew when he�d be able to speak for himself. He had to read the journal, and find out what explosive secret it held. It was the only way he could honor Ray�s request.
As he read, his jaw dropped and his heart raced. When he finished the last entry and the letter Ray had written to Danny, his hands went limp and the journal fell to the floor.