Author's Notes: This is a continuation of An Unexpected Love. It will help if you read it, but I will try to fill-in the backstory as I go. This story focuses more on Danny's perspective, and will also involve a Missing Persons case later in the story. As a result, you'll see a lot more of the main WAT characters. This story may take a few chapters for the plot to become clear, but be patient. Hopefully, it will be worth it.

Spoilers – Risen, Clare De Lune, Legacy

Disclaimer – I'm just borrowing the wonderful WAT characters.

Danny Taylor and Kathryn Kelly took a very long and winding road to marriage. When they first met, they didn't like each other. Then one night they went out to dinner and ended up sleeping together. Kathryn fell in love instantly. While deep down Danny fell for Kathryn right away, he didn't allow her to really enter his heart until later. Then Danny's secrets and drinking tore them a part, but not before she became pregnant with his child. Danny got clean, and through parenting they built a strong friendship. When Kathryn tried to move on from Danny with another man, she found she couldn't because she still loved him and only him. She finally worked through her trust issues and now they were happily married with Michael, their eighteen-month old son.

As Danny watched Kathryn sleep one morning, he silently thanked God for his good fortune. He spent so many years struggling to find happiness, and then he almost lost everything when he started drinking again. Kathryn and Michael were his saviors. He couldn't help but reach out and touch her face while she slept. He didn't mean to wake her, but her eyes started to flutter as a smile crossed her lips.

"You're going to regret this when Michael wakes up," she said sleepily as she opened her eyes.

"I didn't mean to wake you. I was just watching you sleep," Danny said quietly.

"Oh…I'm sure it was fascinating," she replied rubbing her eyes.

"It was…you're beautiful," he said as leaned over and kissed her neck.

"I'm beginning to realize the real reason you woke me," she said as she felt Danny's hand travel up her t-shirt.

Danny smiled against her skin as he kissed a path down her body lingering on her stomach.

Kathryn giggled as his fingers traced over sensitive areas of her body. Then she said, "You know I think I've married someone completely insatiable. I guess I knew that before I agreed to this, but…"

Danny looked up at her. "I'll stop. We can go back to sleep for another thirty minutes if you want," he said as he started to move away from her.

"No. No. No," Kathryn pleaded as she lightly tugged his unruly hair to focus him back on kissing the hollow of her hip bone. "Keep going. Sleep is overrated."

Danny laughed, "I don't think I'm the only one who is insatiable in this relationship."

"Well…you bring it out in me," Kathryn sighed clutching her pillow as Danny continued down her body. Then she turned into her pillow as she started to moan in pleasure. She didn't want to wake Michael.

After they made love, Kathryn fell back asleep in Danny's arms. He just continued to watch her. Then he heard the distinct sound of Michael's babbling coming from the baby monitor. He slowly extricated himself from their tangle of limbs, pulled on his boxers, and went to Michael's room. "Good morning," he said to Michael as he watched him standing up in his crib.

As soon as Michael saw Danny, he smiled broadly and started flailing his arms because he wanted to be picked up. Danny picked him up with his blanket and sat with him in the rocking chair. Michael snuggled into Danny's bare chest. Along with waking up and seeing Kathryn's face, this was Danny's favorite part of the day. He knew he could face anything as long as he had them in his life.

Danny eventually took Michael to the kitchen for breakfast. He was watching Michael eat his waffle while making coffee when Kathryn came in wearing her robe. She walked over to Michael first and kissed him on the head. "Morning, baby. Did your Daddy beat me to your breakfast?" Then she walked over to Danny and put her arms around him resting her cheek on his bare back. "Why did you let me sleep so long?"

Danny turned around and pulled her close. "You were so concerned about getting sleep. I didn't want to wake you after I woke you earlier."

Kathryn smiled. "For the record, I'm really glad you woke me earlier. It was well worth it," she said as she rose up to kiss him.

Danny pulled away. "Can you take over here? I've got hit the shower, and head in to work. Do you have time to take Michael to your mother's?"

"Not really, I have court. If I have him ready when you're ready, can you take him?"

Danny hesitated but then said, "Sure."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What is it? My parents?" Kathryn asked concerned.

Danny looked at her with downcast eyes.

"Danny, they love you."

"I don't think so. They love you. They definitely love Michael. Your father is OK with me – at least he finds me amusing, but your mother…she definitely hates me."

"That's not true, Danny. She just doesn't know you. You're not the easiest person to get to know. She's a very open person and incredibly nosey. You are a closed book and that drives her crazy, but she loves you because I love you. Now go take your shower. I'm going to clean up this mess, and I'll have him ready in ten minutes," Kathryn said watching Michael as he smeared syrup in his hair.

"I'll take your word for it," Danny said as he headed back to the bedroom.

Thirty minutes later, Danny walked up the steps to the Kelly house carrying Michael and a heavy diaper bag. To this day, he couldn't understand how such a little boy could need so much stuff. Kathryn always assured him that he needed it all. Before he could even knock on the door, Kathryn's mother opened it with a wide smile on her face. "Michael…sweetheart…Grandma's missed you."

As she reached out to take Michael from Danny, Michael hesitated clutching Danny tighter. "It's OK, buddy. I'll see you tonight," Danny said soothingly. He carefully handed Michael over to his grandmother. "He always gets this way after the weekend," Danny explained to Mrs. Kelly.

"I know. It's just a testament to the time the you and Kathryn spend with him."

Danny looked at her with a smile and replied, "Thanks, Mrs. Kelly. That's nice of you to say."

"Danny, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Maggie?"

"Sorry, it's force of habit," Danny said starting to wonder why she was being so nice to him.

"Say…do you have a second to talk?" Maggie asked.

"Um…," Danny replied looking at his watch.

"It will only take a minute. I know you have to get to work."

"Sure," he said as he walked in the door and put the diaper bag on the table. "What's up?"

"It's about Kathryn. I'm worried about her."

"Why are you worried?" asked Danny skeptically.

"I think she is doing too much. She is working so hard. She is a super-mother to Michael. And even though you are a good father…you can't be there all the time because of your job. Just last week, you were gone for three days. She was running around like chicken with her head cut off…preparing a case, taking care of Michael and the house. It's a lot of work."

"I know it's a lot of work, and I think we are doing a pretty good job. And we really appreciate your help with Michael. It's a lot easier for us to be away from him when we know he is with family."

"And I don't mind watching him at all. It's my greatest joy these days, but Kathryn is still stretching herself to thin. You have to have noticed?" asked Maggie.

Danny thought about their hectic schedules and how it was usually Kathryn who had to take care of Michael and the house. He did whatever he could, but when work called he had to go. "I've noticed that she does a lot. I don't know what we would do without her, but I don't think she is unhappy…if that is what you're saying. I mean I think she is happier now that we are together."

"Of course…of course Danny. I didn't mean to say that things were easier before. They weren't. She was just as busy…if not more. But I thought once you two were together that she would be able to take it easy…maybe even quit the DA's office."

Danny smirked slightly and shook his head. "You don't know how I wish she could, Maggie. I wish she could be a stay-at-home mom to Michael, but we can't afford it. Unfortunately, being a federal employee doesn't translate into a one-income household in Manhattan."

"She obviously hasn't talked to you."

"Talked to me….talked to me about what?"

"I don't mean to pry…honestly I don't…."

Danny smiled thinking of his earlier conversation with Kathryn. "It's OK…pry away."

"Her father offered her a good job at his company as a legal consultant. With the exception of a couple of meetings a week, she could work from home. She'd make roughly what she makes at the DA's office…and she wouldn't have to work an ounce of overtime. It would be the ideal job for her, but she turned him down without even thinking about it or talking to you, obviously."

"That's quite an offer," said Danny pensively.

"Her father isn't doing it as a favor. He genuinely needs to expand his legal department, and well…she's a lawyer. Would you talk to her?"

Danny hesitated but then said, "Of course. I'll definitely bring it up to her. But I can't promise anything. She needs to do whatever will make her happy. Thank you for telling me, Maggie."

"Kathryn will kill me for doing it, but I just don't think she wanted to bother you with it."

"Well, I will tell her to go easy on you. She'll be here this afternoon to pick up Michael," Danny said as he leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. "Thanks again."

Later in the day, Danny offered to go the courthouse to file some paperwork for a warrant in one of their open cases. On his way out the door, Samantha teased, "Someone must miss his wife to volunteer to make that trip."

"You have no idea…," replied Danny as he walked out the door with a sly smile.

Danny first looked for Kathryn in the courtroom, but the bailiff told him that court recessed ten minutes ago. He then went to her office, and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

"It's 3:00…and you are already done for the day? What's up with that?" Danny asked teasingly as he walked in to her office.

"Hey," she answered as she rose from her desk. "What are you doing here?"

Danny leaned down to kiss her and then locked his hands at the small of her back. "I was in the neighborhood, and thought I would catch you in action."

"I think the judge had a early golf game…so he let us go. I'm actually just finishing my notes, and then I was going to head out to pick up our son. You want to come play hooky with us?"

"I wish I could, but I have to get back," Danny said as he started to let go of her. Before he said goodbye, he remembered his conversation with Maggie. "Actually, do you have a second to talk?"

"Sure," Kathryn replied as she sat on the corner of her desk.

"I was…um…talking to your mother this morning…"

Kathryn interrupted, "You and my mother? Talking? What about?"

"She's worried about you. And after talking to her…so am I."

"Worried? Danny, I'm fine. I'm happier than I have ever been."

"Yeah, me too. But, maybe things could be even better if you weren't stretched so thin."

"Stretched so…?" Kathryn started thinking. "She told you about the my father's job offer. Unbelievable. Well, I told you she was nosey."

"I'm glad she told me. Why didn't you tell me?"

"If I would have considered it, then I definitely would have talked to you. But, I don't think it's a good option for me."

"It sounds like a pretty great option…work from home, good salary, legal consulting…." Danny trailed off.

"It's legal consulting for a Web design company. That sounds real challenging. That's not even my background. It's contracts and privacy issues."

"The law is the law, right? I mean you take out the scum of the earth that you deal with here…and it's not that different."

"But not as fulfilling…I mean take the case I'm working now. A twenty year old young woman goes out on a date, and her date doesn't take no for an answer. And I've got this guy dead to rights. I'm getting a conviction…I just know it. That's a good feeling."

"Like I said…scum of the earth. Kathryn, I would feel better if you didn't come in contact with murderers and rapists at all. If you work for your father, you wouldn't have to…and you could spend more time with Michael."

Kathryn stood up and crossed her arms. "More time with Michael? I think between the two us…I already spend more time with Michael. At least my job doesn't take me away from him for days at a time. At least, I can get away early a couple of days a week to see him before bed-time," she responded as her voice rose.

"That's not what I'm saying. I know you already spend more time with him. I just think…" Danny started defensively.

"Think what?" Kathryn interrupted. "I would never ask you to take a job that is anything less than what you are passionate about. I would never ask you to sacrifice that because I know how important your work is to you. And you talk about dealing with scum of the earth…Danny, I'm not tracking these guys down. I don't carry a gun. I'm not in any danger. You are. Two years ago – you almost died because of your job. But I know you would never give it up. It's part of who you are."

"I'd give up my job if it meant a better life for Michael," Danny countered also raising his voice.

"Oh please, Danny. You would not. If your fath…" Kathryn stopped herself before making the insensitive comparison.

But Danny responded, "If my father offered me a job? Kathryn, you have no idea how much it would mean to me to have the type of father who would do something like that. But I don't…and even if he was alive…he wouldn't be the type of father who cared."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"I know. Look…clearly you're not ready to give this up -- although I have know idea why," Danny said as he looked around the office. "And that's OK. I told your mother I would try. You're a great mother no matter what. I just worry about you."

"Well don't worry. I'm fine. Michael's fine. And we are good. So nothing else matters, but I do have one question for you."

"What's that?"

"Am I a great wife, too?"

Danny smiled as he encircled her waist again. "You're the best wife, Mrs. Taylor," Danny replied as he kissed her again.