Danielle wasn't quite sure what she expected when they landed, but it wasn't the smooth gliding touchdown. "Wow, that was way better than the takeoff."

Jacob laughed as he unbuckled his belt. "Well, when you’re not in hostile airspace, you can afford to have smooth landings and takeoffs."

Dani cocked her head at him and narrowed her eyes. "You know what? I'll leave those experiences to you. I'm pretty much done with all of this."

Justin laughed as he stood and stretched. "I would hope so."

"Keep saying that. I swore off it years ago, and I still get roped into doing shit like low-level drops into hot landing zones." Jared threw his comment into the conversation as he walked by.

"You loved it. Admit it." Jade stood and reached to the ceiling stretching. "Good grief, Jacob, get decent seats in these damn planes, would you?" She rubbed the small of her back and groaned, arching into the pressure of her hands.

"Yeah, I'll get right on that." Jacob rolled his eyes and made a hand gesture sending his team into a flurry of activity.

Danielle longed to stand and stretch, but her feet weren't going to allow it. Joseph walked to the back ramp and opened a large box. He flipped a lever seconds before the back ramp started to drop. As the ramp opened, he jumped off the aircraft and walked away. Danielle glanced from him to Justin who watched his brother leave. "He's not very social, is he?"

"He's come a long way, actually."

Justin's words were nearly extinguished by her father's shout. "Danielle?"

She leaned forward, still strapped in her jump seat. "Here!"

She grasped at the clip, but Justin's fingers beat her to it. She shouldered off the harness as her father slid to a stop in front of her. He enveloped her in a crushing hug.

"Oh, my God. I thought I lost you."

"I'm okay. I'm here." Danielle coveted the display of emotion. She absorbed her father's embrace and whispered words.

"I had no idea how to get you back." He pulled away and cupped her face in his hands. "My God, what would I have done if I lost you?" He pulled her into another hug.

"You couldn't have lost me, dad. We didn't say it." Her tears streamed down her cheeks, but her comment made her father laugh.

"I'll never be ready to say it." He sat back and swiped at his own tears. "Are you hurt?" He ran his eyes over her, landing on the huge black socks that covered her feet. The fact that they were bandaged under the socks were obvious.

"Cuts and bruises. My feet are tender." Danielle mentally rolled her eyes at the understatement. "Justin and his family." She waved at the men who were working to release the straps from equipment. "Jacob's team. They got me out."

"And it was all my fault." Her father's voice cracked.

The crestfallen expression that overtook his face planted a worry deep inside her. "Really? Did you hire that man to kidnap me? Did you tell them to fly me to Libya? Because if you did, Dad, we need to work on the hotel accommodations."

He looked up at her bewildered. "You aren't responsible for what happened any more than I am. I'm assuming the man you suspected was the leak?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I turned everything I had, and everything you'd dug up, over to Guardian. I haven't been to the office or taken a call since they brought me here to D.C." He drew a deep breath and scrubbed his face with his hands. "I suppose I should tend to those matters."

"I think you need to rest first." Dani put that comment out there. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days, and probably hadn't.

He smiled. "I'll rest when I get you home."

Dani knew her eyes popped open to the size of silver dollars. "Umm..."

"I'll be taking her home, sir." Justin's tone left no room for argument.

"Really?" He slid his gaze from Justin to Danielle. "Just how serious is this?"

"As serious as it gets," Justin responded for her.

Danielle smiled up at the man she loved. "I love him. He loves me." She swung her eyes to her dad. "I agree. This is as serious as it gets."

Her father stared at her for several long seconds before he spoke, "Cherish every moment you have together. Don't let this slip through your fingers." He stood, the ramrod straight posture he'd usually carried returned as he glanced around the aircraft. He spoke so everyone could hear him, "Thank you for what you did. For what you risked to bring my daughter home. I am forever in your debt. If any of you need anything, for any reason, ask, and it's yours." Danielle watched him as he went around the hold of the aircraft and shook each person's hand. He made his way back to Justin and held out his hand. "She's my daughter."

Justin took his hand and shook it. "Yes, sir." They stared at each other for several long moments before her father nodded his head and dropped Justin's hand.

"Dinner. Tuesday night." He nodded toward Justin. "You can bring him." He pivoted on his heel and walked out of the aircraft passing a behemoth of a man in an expensive tailor-made suit and a person she recognized, Jewell.

"Justin." The man extended his hand and then pulled Justin into a bear hug that would have broken every bone in Danielle's body. She gazed, wide-eyed, at Jewell who sat down beside her.

"That's Jason." Jewell tossed the words out as if they explained everything. Danielle pulled at the bits of conversation where Jason was mentioned. She whispered, "CEO?"

"Yup." Jewell acknowledged.

Jason finally let Justin go after several murmured comments between them. He twisted and faced her. "Danielle, I presume?"

Dani shook her head. "No."

The look of shock on his face was worth the effort it took to keep the smile off her face. Justin's and Jewell's laughter caught everyone's attention. Jason took off his glasses and pinched his nose while he shook his head. When Jewell managed to quell her laughter, she repeated Danielle's comments to the other's who'd gathered. Jason dropped his head back and said in a clear voice, "Dear God, did you have to put another wiseass in our midst?"

The laughter that had started to subside peaked again. Justin bent down and lifted Danielle out of the jump seat. It felt fabulous to be off the nylon strapping.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jason's gravelly voice asked as Justin turned.

"Home."

"Not so quick. Everyone is going back to Guardian first. Danielle needs to sign some nondisclosure agreements, I need to talk with Chief, Dixon, and Drake after we all debrief. Doc, that new Ortho specialist will be at the offices in four hours. I want you in on the interview. Let's wrap it up here and get going." It was as if the man cracked a metaphorical whip. The casual packing became an intense explosion of activity.

Jewell and Jade walked out with Justin and Danielle as he carried her down the ramp. "So, you aren't getting back to New York tonight." Jewell reached into her pocket. "This is a key to the apartment Zane keeps. He has some friends that make use of it from time to time. It is small, but it’s clean. Should have a fully stocked refrigerator, too. I'll text you the address when you get done with the debrief. The little old lady that lives next door is sweet. When you leave, knock on her door and give her a bag full of groceries out of the fridge, would you? She loves the creamer, so make sure you put at least one of them in there. That's the payment for staying at the apartment."

"Being nice to an old lady?" Justin asked as he lowered Danielle into the car. He caught her eye and made a face before he lifted away and looked at Jewell. "I don't understand."

"She is a sweetheart, and she lives on a fixed income. We go over about once a week and make sure she has enough. When people stay there, we ask them to check on her and give her a bag full of groceries."

"We'd be happy to check on her. What's her name?" Danielle asked when Justin got into the driver's seat. Jade and Jewell got into the back seat, and they pulled away. Danielle noticed three other large black vehicles waiting.

"Mrs. Henshaw," Jade responded. When everyone glanced at her, she frowned. "What? She's a cool old lady. Nic and I stop in a couple times a month. Her family doesn't visit." She shrugged her shoulder as if it was no big deal. Dani saw the smile that spread across Jewell's face. She reached over and placed her hand on Justin's thigh. He glanced over at her and winked. Yes, she was going to love this family.