Dan wanted to take Phil's hand in his as they strolled down the street.

He would've if that wouldn't give them away. They both pretended to be happy just the way things were, being together in secret, even from their families whom they were about fifty-fifty on whether they'd support them and their relationship. It was going on five years, but nothing changed, for better or for worse. The two were just as in love as they were in the beginning, and endless honeymoon phase they were certain would keep going. It wasn't easy keeping it secret –especially being so out there on the internet, and all the speculation and accusations they had to deny despite being entirely true- but they managed enough to leave just enough room for doubt, and that was enough. They didn't like it, but neither would let the other know that.

But Dan really just wanted to hold Phil's hand.

He brought his hand up to his mouth instead to stifle a cough. The air was damp and worsening his cold. "I'm gonna die of pneumonia if we don't turn back soon."

It was one of the few parts of the city they'd yet to explore. Phil had insisted on an adventure, mainly to get Dan off his laptop for a few hours, and to spend some nice quality time together outside the flat. He scoffed at the exaggeration. "It's just the sniffles like you get every other week. Relax and enjoy the fresh air." Phil sucked in a deep breath, and Dan, humoring him, tried to do likewise through his stuffy nose, which only ended in a sputtering coughing fit. Phil sighed, genuinely sympathetic and thinking this maybe wasn't such a good idea in this weather and with Dan having a cold and everything. "Alright, two more blocks and we'll turn back."

It wasn't soon enough in Dan opinion, but he trudged on through his stuffed nose and sore throat and throbbing headache, for his boyfriend. He'd just demand cuddles when they got home: he hardly thought Phil would object.

It was one block in that they passed an alleyway between two old buildings, and it smelled. Phil scrunched his nose at the stench. "Ugh, you smell that?"

Dan halfheartedly glared at him, smirking. "No, I can only smell the snot blocking up my nostrils."

They'd stopped walking in their banter, and the street –already not very busy- was suddenly near empty besides the two of them. Cars waited silently at a red light a couple meters down, and all was quiet except for what sounded like… crying. Phil was the first to perk up at the noise, attention piqued. "Do you hear that?"

Dan shook his head, dismissing it absently. "No, I don't hear anything but the blood rushing through my ears and making my head pound." He was not above playing up his cold to turn back now: he wanted to lay in bed with his boyfriend, dammit.

Phil groaned at his boyfriend's immaturity. "A little cold doesn't make you deaf, Dan." Phil wasn't above downplaying Dan's illness, either. The noise sounded like it was coming from the odorous alley next to them. "I think it's coming from in here." He stepped cautiously into the relative darkness.

Dan whined, unable to smell the stench but having heard about it, not wanting to venture closer. "Phil, I'm sure it's nothing, let's go!" He watched as Phil stopped behind a dumpster, watched him stare with wide eyes at whatever was hidden there. Dan was getting nervous. "It's nothing, let's go!"

"This isn't nothing…"

Dan almost didn't hear him. Phil was getting down onto his knees, disappearing behind the trash. Dan grimaced and reluctantly went to join him. "What is it then-?"

On the ground was an infant carrier, and inside was a tiny, tiny baby, no more than a few weeks old. He-or-she (there was no identifying color theme to the seat or clothing) was crying incessantly, and Phil was knelt down beside it, rocking it back and forth and looking just as frazzled as Dan felt.

"What… What do we do?" Phil was, for once, looking to Dan for an answer; Dan wasn't sure he was comfortable taking that role on.

"Um… bring it to the police station?" He had no ideas otherwise. He had to figure their best bet was to bring the baby to the police and let them search for the parents, rather than look themselves and risk kidnap charges –unlikely, but possible.

Phil nodded and carefully scooped the infant up into his arms, holding her (on closer look, it looked like a girl) against his shoulder and rubbing her back, hushing her and trying to soothe the wailing infant.

Dan only watched as she started to calm down, to both of their relief. He picked the carrier up off the filthy ground. "You're… You're good at that," he smiled softly. Phil returned it silently.

They got her –it was a her- to the police, who got her to the hospital to be checked out after being out in the wet weather. The young men who'd found her had surprisingly wanted to stay with her where she went, both just wanting to see that she'd be okay. They seemed a bit fazed to the officers and nurses.

In the pediatric waiting room, Dan and Phil both reminded themselves and each other that they had no personal relation or stake in this baby, but just wanted to make sure she was going to be taken care of: as all infants should, especially after they'd been abandoned in a decaying alley like she had.

A doctor cheerfully confirmed that "Baby Doe" was just a little cold and fussy, lethargic and slightly dehydrated, but otherwise healthy. The secret couple both let out sighs of relief at the news, but knew the little one wasn't out of the woods just yet: there was still the matter of finding her parents, if it were that they hadn't just thrown her away. The thought made Phil outwardly cringe; Dan suppressed a small laugh, despite his nerves. He had to ask, "What's gonna happen with her?"

An officer took over questions. "Well, we'll try to locate her parents and ensure that they weren't the ones to leave her out in the cold like that."

"And if they did?" Phil piped quietly.

"Then she'll be sent to an orphanage, and charges will be filed against her mother and father. There's also the chance that she might not have parents to go back to, in which case the same would occur."

Dan frowned. He wasn't sure why, but he was firmly against the idea of letting the little baby be raised in an orphanage. He looked to Phil, who'd already been so good with her, and seemed just as downhearted about the idea. A thought struck: one that might solve the issue. "Phil, can I talk to you for a second?"

Phil stared at him a brief moment and nodded, letting Dan pull him aside, out of earshot of the officer. "Yeah, what?"

"What if we take her in? Just for a little while, until her parents or found, or she's alright to go to an orphanage."

His boyfriend looked dumbfounded at the idea. "Are you crazy?" he whispered harshly, worried Dan might be losing his mind or something. "We can't- We can't look after a baby!"

"We'll look into it, then! And you were great with her, and I think she'll like us –at least a lot more than an orphanage. And it won't be forever, just, maybe a few weeks or something."

Phil considered it, slowly warming up to the idea. They didn't really know how to take care of children, of any age, and he wasn't sure they would be any better than if Baby Doe was put with another random family. He looked over to where a nurse was holding her, and looking at the little girl, something in her big curious eyes melted his resolve. "Okay, let's do it." He smirked a bit. "I never thought you'd be the first one wanting us to settle down with a family. I thought you wanted to put that off until you were at least thirty."

Dan punched his arm, worried someone might've heard and draw conclusions. "It's not that –again, it's not gonna be permanent. It's just until she has somewhere to go where people will love her."