Promise of Forever
      Chapter 17
 

Michelle screams and runs for the door when she hears the gun go off. Harley grabs her.

“Harley! What are you doing? Let me go, Danny is hurt!”

“Calm, down Michelle,” Harley says shaking her, “We don’t know what happened, just calm down, we have to listen to see who if anyone got shot, and if anyone is hurt. Just bursting into the house will not do Danny any good, even if he is hurt, they won’t let you near him and you could get shot yourself. You heard Theresa, she’s crazy.”

Michelle takes a deep breath and runs her fingers through her hair, “OK, OK, you’re right, we have to know what’s going on.”

Inside the house....

Theresa is screaming hysterically, “Oh My God, Poppy, help me, what have I done? I never meant to hurt him,” she runs to Danny’s side, “Danny, please, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean.....POPPY, he’s bleeding, help!!!!”

Bernardo comes to check Danny out, he sees that the bullet just grazed his head, and he has a bump on the back of his head from where he hit it on the mantle when he fell. “THERESA, CALM DOWN! Danny’s is not hurt, the bullet just grazed him, and he hit his head, we need to get him upstairs.”

Theresa has completely lost control, and is still screaming, Bernard is shaking her trying to get he to calm down, when it doesn’t work he slaps her. Stunned she looks at him, “I said Danny is fine, now you have to calm down, and do EXACTLY what I tell you, because if you don’t I will walk out of here and never help you again. I can’t believe what I just saw, you killed Mick, and let everyone think Michelle did it. You are unbelievable! You caused this mess from the beginning, and now you want revenge for something you think you deserve. I am sorry that I ever took your side over Daniel’s. You disgust me, but you are still my daughter and I will help you out of this mess, but you will never have Danny and if you go against my wishes at all, I will see to it that the truth comes out. Now shut up, and help me get Danny upstairs to his bed, we have to clean up this gash and get some ice on that lump on his head.”

Theresa stares at her father in disbelief at what she has just heard, but doesn’t even dare to speak, she just helps her father get Danny upstairs. They tend to his wounds and leave him in his bed still unconscious.

Michelle and Harley heard the entire exchange between Bernardo and Theresa and are in shock that he would turn on his daughter in that way, but are glad that Danny isn’t badly hurt.

“Harley, we have to get in there and get him out of that house, I still don’t trust Bernardo or Theresa.”

“It’s time to call the police Michelle, let me call Frank, and they will handle this.”

“NO! The police will scare them, and Danny could get hurt in the process. I won’t let that happen, I can get in that house without anyone knowing and get Danny out.”

“If I let you go in that house, Danny will kill me. I’m calling Frank.”

“Harley, Danny has risked his life for me more times than I can count, I have to do this for him, I can do this, but I’ll make you a deal, if I’m not out in 20 minutes you can send in Frank, deal?”

“I don’t like it, but OK. How are you going to get in there?”

“There is a secret tunnel that no one knows about, Danny took me through it once when we wanted to sneak out of the house to be alone. I can get in that way, and get into our old room and get Danny out and no one will know he’s gone.”

Harley lets out a long sigh, “OK, I don’t like, it, but I know I can’t win this argument, I don’t know who is more stubborn you or Danny, but I’m only giving you 20 minutes, and then all hell will break loose. Be careful.”

“I will and I’ll be back in 20 minutes, with Danny.”

Michelle sneaks into the house through the tunnel and makes her way to their old room, the tunnel lets out in the closet. All the way there she is praying that Danny is not only safe, but alone and awake. She gets to their room and opens the door a crack to make sure Danny is alone, she sees him lying on the bed, his arm over his face, he still takes her breath away. After she is sure he’s alone, she quietly walks to the bed to get him, she reaches down and brushes an errant curl from his forehead, thinking how peaceful he looks, he grabs her with his free hand and throws her to the bed, only then does he open his eyes and realize who he as just thrown down.

“Michelle,” Danny’s voice is barely a whisper, “What in the hell do you think you are doing?”

“Well.....I was coming to rescue you, unless you had something else in mind.”

“Not funny, are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“No, I’m trying to make sure my husband doesn’t get killed, now can we stop arguing and get out of here?”

“Well, Missy, just how were you planning to do that?”

“The same way I got in here smarty, through the closet.”

“The closet?” Danny is confused by that statement, and then a look of realization crosses his face, “The closet, I knew I loved you for more than just your body Mrs. Santos, you came in through the tunnel.”

“Exactly, now lets get out of here, before....Danny, someone is coming. come let’s go!”

Michelle pulls Danny off the bed, they close the closet door and get into the tunnel just in time to hear Theresa scream, “NO, DAMNIT, NO, this isn’t happening!”