Not Always What They Seem
Chapters 11 - 15
 

The semester ended a few weeks later. Danny and Michelle went to campus together to see their final grades. They had been posted on the Psychology department bulletin board according to the number that each student had used for the inkblot experiment. Even though it would not affect her GPA, Michelle still worried about her grade. The midterm hadn’t gone as well as she had hoped, so she knew an A was out of the question. However, she wanted to at least make a strong finish in the class. “I hope I didn’t embarrass myself,” she thought, as Danny drove around campus looking for a place to park.

“Hey Babe, I’ve got an idea,” he told her as they walked into the building.
“What?”
“How about we look up each other’s grade instead of our own? We can tell each other what we found.”
“Pretty confident are we, Danny? What do you want to do, show off?” she teased.
“No, I just want to help.”
“Help break it to me gently if I failed, right?” She smiled at his efforts to shield her from even minor stress. Her psychology grade paled in comparison to what they had already shared together. “Sure, go ahead. Do you remember my number?”
“Michelle, I haven’t forgotten anything about the day we met.”

Michelle found Danny’s grade, then walked over to an empty section of the lobby to wait for him. She was watching the mass of bodies jockey for position around the bulletin board when she felt a pair of familiar arms encircle her waist from behind. Michelle giggled as his lips traveled down her neck to her shoulder.

“Hi,” he whispered in her ear as he slowly began to rock the two of them back and forth.
“Oh jeez, how bad is it?”
“You’re perfect, do you know that?”
She smiled, but he was now making her very nervous. “Come on, Danny. How’d I do?”
With his arms still wrapped around her, Danny turned Michelle to face him. “You got a B, sweetie. I’m sorry that the midterm screwed up your grade.”

She hugged him in sheer relief. “That’s all right. You’re better than an A anyway. You, Mr. MBA, got an A-.”
He gave her a quick kiss. “Sounds like we definitely have something to celebrate.”
“What did you have in mind?”
Danny leaned toward Michelle and spoke in a low voice. “I’m sure we could think of something,” he said, with a suggestive gleam in his eye.
“Why Daniel,” Michelle replied in a playfully parental tone, “I thought you were such a proper Catholic young man.”
“I was an altar boy, not a priest. That’s my cousin’s department.” He brought his lips to hers for a longer moment.

“Danny, not yet.” Michelle wanted to be with Danny, but it was important to her that they wait. She hadn’t slept with Jesse that often, and she was aware that Danny had more experience in that area. Plus, her relationship with Danny was much more intense than her time with Jesse had ever been. Michelle wanted to be emotionally and physically ready when she and Danny decided to take that next step. Her cheeks flushed slightly at the thought of discussing this in public.

“I want to be with you, Danny, I do, but I need some more time. I want our first time to be special.”
Danny hugged her to him. “Michelle, I love you and I’ll give you all the time that you need. Our first time will be special, I promise.”
“Would you settle for a celebratory dinner at Company?”
He gave her a huge smile. “Michelle, we’ll never have to ‘settle’ for anything.”

As the months went by, Danny and Michelle continued to walk the very unconventional line that existed in their relationship. Michelle hated the mob, both for its violence and for the strain it put on Danny. Danny hated having to tell Michelle about that part of his life at all, but he knew she had a right to know how it would influence her life and his. While they both knew they would never be a “typical” couple, they refused to let the Mafia completely dominate their time together.

Like most people, Danny and Michelle went out to dinner, to the movies, and took long walks together. They’d hang out at Millennium with Drew and Bill, who had recently become quite close. During these moments, Danny and Michelle followed a strict “no business” policy. The subject of Danny’s family was completely off-limits. If something about that subject needed to be dealt with, the two of them would agree on a time and place to discuss it later, even if later only meant fifteen minutes from then. Michelle cherished these “average” experiences and she knew that Danny did too. She was aware that Danny had been spending more and more time with his mother. This concerned Michelle, but she fought to keep her fear from overwhelming her. Whatever this change meant, she held fast to the belief that she and Danny would face it together.

One night, he unexpectedly appeared at her front door. After a kiss and a hug that both lasted longer than their usual “hi,” he stepped back and held her hands.
“We need to talk,” he said softly. “Alone.”
Hearing Rick and Abby in the kitchen, Michelle turned and led him up the stairs. “In my room,” she said.

Michelle opened the door to her room and walked inside, still clutching Danny’s hand behind her. With one hand, she threw a pillow off of her bed and sat down. He joined her and they sat face-to-face. Danny grabbed both of her hands and held them tightly. Michelle was desperately trying to be strong and brave, but on the inside she could feel herself shaking with fear. Every instinct in Michelle told her that this conversation would be much more serious than either one at the cemetery or the park. All she wanted to do was bury her head under that thrown-away pillow and make what was about to happen go away forever. Instead, she sat looking at Danny and forced herself not to move from that spot.

“Sweetie, some things are going on in my family right now. I came to tell you that you might not hear from me for awhile.” He gave her hands a hard squeeze.
“Why? For how long? What’s going on? Are you in danger?” Michelle’s words were very measured as she tried to control her emotions, but she could tell that she was losing the battle.
“I don’t know for how long, Michelle, but you know that I will do whatever I have to do to keep myself safe so I can come back to you. The rest of it is very complicated.”

As soon as she heard his last word, she knew he would tell her nothing more. Thinking about him leaving her to walk into this unknown void of blackness made the last of her resolve crumble. Tears began to pour out of Michelle’s eyes in long streams.
“Danny, I’m scared! Please don’t leave me!”

She fell forward under the weight of her sobs and his arms were there to catch her. This must be what death feels like, he thought, because it was killing him to see her like this and know that he was causing her pain. Danny had to be strong for her, no matter how much it hurt him. He rocked with her, rubbed her back, and whispered soothing words into her ear until she calmed down. Michelle felt the tension in his arms ease as he began to rise off the bed, and she gripped his shirt like a vice.

“Danny,” she pleaded.
He came back to her, took her face in both hands, and captured her eyes with his.
“Michelle Bauer, I love you! Trust me, I AM coming back to you!”
He kissed her good-bye and felt tears on both of their cheeks. Then he was gone, and Michelle knew there weren’t enough pillows in the world to hide her anguish under.

They had been the longest two weeks of Michelle’s life. She hadn’t seen or heard from Danny since that night in her room, not even catching a glimpse of him around campus. It was as though he had dropped off the face of the earth. Michelle’s highlighter made childish strokes across the page of her textbook, as though it was a coloring book. She was sick with worry about Danny and completely useless in class.

“Screw organic chemistry!” The book traveled across the room with such speed and force that it hit the wall and bounced before landing on the floor. What’s happening? Where is he? Is he hurt? Is he dead? Please God, let him be all right. This sequence of thoughts played continuously in her mind, and she was fearful that it would never stop.

Luckily, no one was around to witness her meltdown. Rick had been working double shifts at the hospital, Abby was out of town on an extended speaking tour, and Meta was busy with babysitting and her social activities. Drew and Bill were still in the “kissy-face” stage of their relationship and hadn’t yet come up for air. Had this been any other situation, Michelle would have been ticked off that her family and friends had left her to deal with it alone. Now she was glad that they had. Everyone liked Danny as a person, but Michelle saw the questions about his background that jumped around in the backs of their minds. She had enough questions of her own right now. She didn’t need anyone else’s.

She got up off of the living room couch and went to the front door. I’ve got to get out of here and find something to do before I lose what’s left of my mind, she thought. Shopping could be pretty mindless, and mindless was definitely what she needed. Michelle decided to check up on the latest sales in the newspaper before she left, so she reached outside to grab it from the porch. As she turned around to go back in the house, she unfolded the newspaper and was met with the shock of her life.

CARMEN SANTOS KILLED IN MAFIA HIT
Carmen Santos, head of one of Springfield’s largest crime families, was gunned down yesterday outside St. Michael’s Church after attending a Mass said by her nephew, Fr. Ramon Santos. Mrs. Santos’ son Daniel was with her at the time of the shooting, but he was able to escape with only minor injuries.

“Oh my God! Danny!” she screamed. Michelle wondered how minor Danny’s injuries were, but she gave thanks to God for sparing his life and kept on reading.

Sources say an unidentified person in a black sedan with tinted windows opened fire as Mrs. Santos stepped outside the church. She sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was killed instantly. An associate of Mrs. Santos shot at the car as it sped away. Police believe Mrs. Santos’ murder is linked to a Mafia dispute over the sale and distribution of illegal drugs in Springfield. Their investigation is still in its preliminary stages.

Michelle was completely stunned as she read about the gruesome way in which Carmen’s life was ended, but nothing could prepare her for the horror she felt when she read the article’s final sentence.

Speculation has it that control of the powerful crime syndicate will now pass from mother to son.

Michelle immediately flashed back to the conversation in the park. Danny’s time had come. She crumpled the newspaper into a ball as she slid down into a heap in the middle of the open doorway. In an exhausted whimper, she began to repeat something over and over again.

“No Danny, no. Please no.”

Danny felt strange sitting in his mother’s seat of power. He had known this day would one day come, but now it was actually here. Carlos and Bernardo Sandoval had made their move. Danny had hoped that by helping Carmen with the business, he could present a stable structure to the other families. This would have allowed the drug question to be settled through economic incentives and arrangements instead of bloodshed.

What Danny hadn’t counted on was Carlos. In spite of what had happened between he and Teresa, Danny had been able to forge a very delicate truce with Bernardo. He was a businessman and, as long as the deal was financially beneficial to his family, Danny had thought Bernardo would be receptive to other means of income besides drugs. All of Danny’s groundwork had been destroyed as soon as Carlos had come to town. Carlos had convinced his brother that nothing Danny could offer would be as lucrative as the drug trade. Carlos had aligned the other families against Carmen and declared that if she didn’t open her distribution network willingly, it would be opened by force.

Danny popped two pain pills in his mouth and chased them with a mouthful of water, although he would have preferred using tequila or scotch. His back and shoulders still hurt from the impact of Jimmy shoving him back inside the church and he also had one hell of a lump where his head had hit the floor. As he fell backward, Danny had seen Dietz lunge to protect Carmen, but he wasn’t fast enough. After screaming at Jimmy to get off of him, Danny had scrambled to check on Ray, then saw his mother's limp body sprawled on the sidewalk. The police were still “investigating,” but Danny knew that Carmen’s death was a message from Carlos and the others.

Now he was alone. Danny prayed that God had been merciful enough to reunite his parents, Mick, and Caroline. Pilar had remained in Spain. He had felt horrible about denying her the chance to say good-bye to Mama, but Danny knew it was far too dangerous for her to come home. Pilar knew that Danny was keeping things from her, but he would deal with her questions later. She was safe and, for now, that’s all that mattered. Ray was taking care of Abuela. That left only one other person for Danny to worry about.

He could still hear Michelle’s sobs on the night he left her. The sound made Danny want to rip his own heart out, but he knew that Carlos and Bernardo would use anything or anyone to get to him. Until he figured out a way to handle all of this, he couldn’t see her at all. Even though they were now apart, Danny still wasn’t taking any chances. He had asked Jimmy to keep an eye on Michelle and, if a safe opportunity arose, to give her a message. In the middle of this thought, Danny looked up to find Michelle’s bodyguard standing before him.

“What are you doing here?” Danny thundered. Why aren’t you near Michelle?”
“Danny, I don’t know where she is.”
He was across the desk in seconds, his hands squeezing the breath out of Jimmy’s body. “What do you mean you don’t know where she is? Find her!”

Jimmy gasped for air as he spoke. “She’s not at her house. She hasn’t been to class in days. I couldn’t find her at Cedars, Company, the lighthouse, or any of the other places you mentioned. Is there anywhere else she might go?”

Danny released his hold on Jimmy, thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered.
“There’s a pond near the northern edge of Laurel Falls. She goes there when she needs to think.”
Jimmy straightened his jacket and tie. “I’ll get right on it, Boss.”

Danny flinched on the inside when he heard Jimmy use the official term of respect, but on the outside he was very much a Santos.
“Jimmy?”
“Yeah Danny?”
“I love you like a brother, but if anything happens to Michelle Bauer, I won’t think twice about killing you.”

Michelle watched as the wind made tiny ripples skirt across the pond. Just a short time ago, she had been an ordinary college student whose biggest concern was how to finish her pre-med courses early so that she could get into the accelerated medical school at Johns Hopkins. Now her boyfriend, who just happened to be in the Mafia, had disappeared and she later found out that he had been named head of an entire crime organization! Michelle had to laugh in spite of herself. When did life become so complicated? She made a mental note to write Webster’s and personally ask that the word “complicated” be removed from all of their future products.

It was now three weeks since she had seen Danny and almost a week since his mother had been murdered. She loved Danny with her entire being, but the circumstances of their separation had drained her both physically and emotionally. She didn’t know what to believe in or hope for anymore.

“Michelle?”
The sound of her name startled her, and she turned to see a dark-haired man wearing a jacket and tie. She got to her feet and started to quickly backpedal away from him.
“Stay away from me!”
“Michelle, I’m not going to hurt you.”
“H-How do you know my name?”
“A friend sent me to find you.”
“I don’t believe you! None of my friends know about this place.”
“This one does.” The man took a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket. “I was told to give this to you. I think you’re going to want to read it.”

With trembling hands, Michelle accepted the note from the stranger. As she opened it and began to read, the man heard her breath catch in her throat.

My Sweet Michelle,
By now, I’m sure you have seen the newspapers and you probably have lots of questions about what is going on. The night I had to leave you was the most difficult night of my life. I want to be with you more than anything in the world, but things in my family are very dangerous right now. While it may not seem like it, I’m trying to create a legacy for you, me, and Caroline’s memory. The only thing that is keeping me going is knowing that you are safe. I think of you night and day and I can’t wait to hold you in my arms again. Don’t give up, Michelle. I will find a way to make this all work out.

All my love,
Danny


Michelle felt tears in her eyes for the millionth time in three weeks, but these were tears of joy.
“Thank you! Thank you so much! Please tell me what is going on. Is Danny OK?”
“I can’t tell you what’s happening, but yes, Danny is safe. He loves you and misses you very much.”
“Please tell him I love him and miss him too”
The man smiled. “He knows that Michelle, but that’ll be the first thing I’ll tell him.”

Michelle hugged the stranger, her fingers clenched around Danny’s note as through her life depended on it.
“Michelle,” he said gently, “I need to take the note back.” Danny was so fearful that Bernardo and Carlos would harm Michelle that he had ordered Jimmy to burn the note as soon as Michelle had read it. He didn’t want there to be a single shred of evidence that they had been in contact with each other.
“Take it back? Why?”
“Danny told me to tell you it’s…”
She finished his sentence. “Complicated.”
"How’d you know?”
She smiled. “Lucky guess.”

Michelle’s eyes darted furiously back and forth across the page as her brain committed Danny’s words to memory. She then folded it and reluctantly surrendered it to the man.
“I don’t even know your name.”
“I can’t tell you that or anything else about the business, but I will tell you this. I’ve known Danny Santos since I was five years old. He’s a good man, Michelle and I know from recent personal experience that he will do anything to keep you happy and safe. Trust in that, and trust him.”

Michelle’s fairy godfather then turned and disappeared.