A Question and the Answer

Danny propped himself up on his elbow and stared down at the beautiful woman in his bed. Even two years ago, he wouldn't have thought he would be content with just one woman. Mallory had changed all that though. He had known her for five years now, although they had only been together for about a year, and he couldn't imagine his life without her in it.

She lay face down at the moment; sprawled across three-quarters of the bed. The sheet had pulled down so it just barely covered the rise of her buttocks. He wanted to run his hand across the satiny skin that was exposed to his gaze, but was loathe to wake her. He shifted on the bed, intending to get up before he gave into his baser instincts, and froze when her hand gripped his leg. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked sleepily. She ran her hand up his leg, cupping his balls when she reached high enough.

Danny smiled down at her as she rolled her head to look up at him. "I was going to let you sleep."

"I'm awake now so you might as well stay." She rolled over, baring her breasts to the room and drawing his eyes to them. She grinned when she realized what had happened, not at all perturbed to have his attention wander. "I'm sure you can think of something to do."

He leaned down and kissed her, but didn't allow her to draw him in deeper. "I was thinking we could go out and do something today," he said.

Mallory frowned. He had never turned her down before. She reached for him and Danny leaned into her caress, but didn't pursue the invitation. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing. I promise." He kissed her again, making sure that she pulled away first. "We so rarely get a day where we can go out and enjoy the city together. I just..." He brushed her hair away from her face. "I'd just like to go out and do something. Go somewhere I can show off my beautiful girl."

"You're on call," she reminded him.

"That just means I have to stay in the city and keep my cell on." He snuggled down next to her. "Where would you like to go?"

"Anywhere I want?" she questioned a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Within reason," he clarified. "I am not spending the day shopping. What about going to the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building?"

"Too cliché," she answered. "South Street Seaport?"

"No shopping," he reminded her. "Madame Tussaud's?"

"You'd never hear your cell if it went off while we were there. What about the Intrepid? We keep talking about going, but we haven't yet."

Danny nodded. "Sounds good. Why don't you shower and I'll see about some breakfast?"

Mallory got out of bed and sauntered towards the bathroom, turning to ask over her shoulder, "You're not going to join me?"

"Tempting as that is, I'll see about breakfast while you shower," Danny answered as he got out of bed. He pulled on a pair of cut-off sweatpants and wandered into the kitchen, rubbing his hair. He wasn't very good when it came to fancy meals, but he could generally throw something together for breakfast. He poked around for a few minutes, discovering that he really needed to a) go shopping and b) clean out his fridge. After a few more minutes of looking, he decided on a meal. He had the ingredients to make waffles and it wouldn't be the first time he had cooked frozen bacon. He flipped the radio on, leaving it tuned to WPLJ (obviously Mallory had listened last), and started cooking.

By the time Mallory joined him in the kitchen; he had finished the bacon and was patiently watching the waffles. He put his free arm around her shoulders as she snuggled against him. She fished a blueberry out of the ones he had salvaged and ate it, before asking, "What did I do to deserve this?"

"Consider it part of the groveling from yesterday," he replied. "Wanna get us plates? And pour coffee or juice?"

She poured him a cup of coffee and orange juice for herself, before moving to get out plates and syrup; as familiar with his kitchen as her own. Danny was just dishing up the waffles as she finished. "Anything else?" she asked.

He set the plate on the table and hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her to him before kissing her passionately. "Just that," he told her when he released her.

Mallory blinked her eyes, staring at him for a second, than swallowed hard. "Um," she responded.

Danny grinned and pushed her gently towards a chair. "Sit down. Eat," he instructed, enjoying her brain meltdown.

Mallory pointed her fork at him and glared. "That wasn't nice."

"Kissing you wasn't nice?" he asked. "I'll have to remember that for the future."

"You know what I mean. Making my brain melt and then expecting me to calmly eat breakfast wasn't nice," Mallory responded as she poured syrup on her waffles.

"You seem to be doing just fine. Coherent sentences even." He grinned when she stuck her tongue out at him. "Now that's mature, Mal."

Mallory shook her head as Danny joined her at the table. "Gotta admit, you can't cook dinner, but I love your waffles, and, yum, blueberries."

Danny grinned. "Nice backhanded compliment, Mally." He glanced around the room. "I need to go grocery shopping."

Mallory giggled and replied, "You always seem to need to go shopping, even when you just went. We can do that tomorrow if you want, the store's closed."

"Maybe," Danny said. "I'm not sure I'm feeling that domestic. Eat up so we can go."

After breakfast, Mallory cleaned up the kitchen while Danny went and took his own shower. After getting dressed, he paused with his drawer open, staring for a minute at the ring box that he normally kept tucked under his clothes. With one final glance, he shut the drawer and turned away, only to return a moment later and pull the ring out, tucking it in his pocket. Even if he ended up not asking her today, he was still prepared.

When he re-entered the kitchen, Mallory was just wiping down the counter, her hips moving to the beat of the song on the radio as she sang along. He grinned at the sight, pausing to enjoy the show. Reaching into his pocket, he fingered the ring that he had slipped in there. Maybe today he would find the right time.

Mallory turned as she finished the counter, but instead of stopping in embarressment, she added a little bump and grind to her movements. Danny crossed the room as the hard rock segued into something softer and gathered her into his arms. She stiffened for a moment, then relaxed as he began to sway to the music. She snuggled up against him as his arms tightened around her.

As the song finished, he put his finger under her chin and tilted her head up, kissing her sweetly. "I love you," he whispered.

She frowned in puzzlement, but responded, "I love you, too. What brought this on?"

"Sometimes I don't think you understand how much you mean to me," he explained, then grinned. "Enough of this mushy stuff. Let's go see military things!"

Mallory laughed and allowed him to pull her from the room. He paused at the door to grab a jean jacket to cover his holster and gun. He smiled at Mallory as she joined him at the door. She had dressed in a pair of low rider jeans and a red tank top after her shower after pulling her brown hair into a ponytail, now she pulled a jacket on over top. Then the two of them went out into the crisp September air that had changed so abruptly overnight. The tempature had plummeted overnight so the summer-like day they had enjoyed the day before had been replaced by a more traditional fall day. Both of them were glad for the jackets they wore. Hand in hand, they walked up the street to the subway station.

They exited just up the street from the docks; Danny keeping his hand on the small of Mallory's back as he followed her up the stairs. When they reached the street, she paused to breath deeply, causing him to grin. "You are the only person I know who enjoys the smell of exhaust," he said as he pointed her in the right direction.

"No, more relief of being out of the subway." She shuddered. "I feel claustrophobic in there with all the tourists."

Danny guided her down the street towards the Intrepid. "You're a tourist today, babe," he pointed out.

Mallory made a face at him, sticking her tongue out. "I am not a tourist. I'm a New Yawker."

Danny laughed at her exaggerated accent as they joined the line to get on the ship. Around them more obvious tourists clicked pictures and Danny shifted so the person next to him didn't brush against his gun. He slung an arm around Mallory's shoulders and nudged her forward as the line moved, keeping an eye on the people around them. He wasn't expecting trouble; was hoping not to encounter any, but he wanted to see it before it came at them.

When they reached the security guards, he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and flipped it open as Mallory began to empty her own pockets. Ever since 9/11, security had been even tighter at all of the tourist places that might conceivably be terrorist targets. "I have to run your number," the guard said as he took Danny's shield. "You carrying?"

Danny moved his jacket aside so the guard could see the hip holster. "Just my duty piece. I'm on call."

The guard nodded and motioned to Mallory, who had stopped after gathering up her things. "You can keep moving, miss."

"Is it all right if I wait for my boyfriend?" she asked, pointing to Danny.

"Yeah, I guess," the guard answered. He pointed for Danny to move off to the side, still on the outside of the security barrier while one of the other guards ran his badge number.

Mallory grinned from the other side of the metal detector, obviously amused by what was going on. It took longer than Danny had expected, but after about ten minutes the guard was back with his shield and his ID. "Sorry about that," he apologized as he handed it back to Danny.

Danny shrugged as he took the wallet back. "You were just doing your job," he said.

The guard flipped a switch and waved Danny forward, watching to be sure no one else slipped through with the detective. Once Danny had crossed over and the metal detector was back on, a couple of the guards shook his hand. "You two have a good visit," the first guard said, nodding at Mallory.

Danny grinned, thinking of the ring in his pocket. "We will," he answered, taking Mallory's hand. They waved as they walked off.

Mallory shook her head as they started up the walkway to the ship. "Ten minutes to prove you're a cop. That's pretty bad, Finnegan." She poked him in the side, giggling when he flinched away.

"No tickling," he warned. "It's not nice."

She slipped her arm around him, sliding her hand into the back pocket of his jeans. "Okay, no tickling," she promised. With her free hand, she picked up a few of the brochures that were sitting at the entrance. "Where do you want to go first?"

Danny plucked the papers out of her hands and put them back on the table. "Why don't we just wander?" he replied. "I'm not in any hurry, are you?" When Mallory shook her head, he paid their entry fee and they stepped onto the ship. They decided to visit the flight deck last, even though that's where you entered the ship and moved quickly down into the Marine Berthing.

Mallory grinned as they stepped into the sleeping area. The racks were crammed together and it was obvious there was no privacy. "I bet Patrick's glad he never went Navy," she commented as they walked almost sideways to get through.

"He did a what? Five year hitch as a Marine?" Danny asked. He knew what Patrick had done, but he also knew Mallory was proud of her cousin and liked to talk about it.

Mallory shook her head. "Four years in the Army. Not really for any reason other than to kill time until he could apply to the Academy. He was a mechanic." She frowned. "I think he's still in the Reserves and has just been lucky enough not to get recalled." She took his hand and tugged him forward. "Let's see the rest of the ship."

He let her lead as they wandered through the galleries of the hanger deck, pausing when something in one of the exhibits caught their eye. It was nice not to have to watch the clock, but to just be able to stroll leisurely and enjoy the day together. Mallory hurried them through some of the exhibits; she really didn't like seeing the information on the Kamikazes, but was fascinated by the Prepare to Dive one which explored the history of aviation and maritime innovations.

They moved up to the Islands and Bridges; walking along "vulture's row" and looking at the length of the Intrepid, before turning to Manhattan and pointing out places they recognized. Danny took her hand as he led the way up to the Navigation Bridge, where they learned how the ship had been navigated and looked over the charts, radar, and communications equipment which all had been restored. On the Bridge, they both paused to talk to the volunteers, interested to hear the stories since many of them wore badges that read I served on the USS Intrepid.

Danny hung back as they stepped out onto the flight deck of the Intrepid again. He knew there were two planes that Mallory really wanted to see; the Tomcat that her favorite movie had made famous and the Army AH-1G Cobra gunship that her cousin, Patrick, may have worked on while he served. He just wasn't sure which she would head for first. He also knew that he wanted her to be by the Cobra when he asked her the question. Patting his pocket to make sure the ring was safe inside, he trailed after her as she began to weave her way among the tourists towards her goal.

As she walked around the Tomcat, he stuck his hands in his pockets and hung back just watching. After she made a complete circle and her way back to him, he grinned. "'I feel the need, the need for speed,'" he quoted at her.

Mallory rolled her eyes in response. "That's the only thing you remember from that movie?" she asked as she slipped her arm through his.

Danny shook his head as they began walking away. "No, there is that line you mangled the first night we, um," he glanced around at the families and kids that surrounded them, and said, "you know."

Grinning, she responded, "No, Danny, I don't know."

Leaning closer, he whispered in her ear, "the first night we made love. The 'take me to bed or lose me forever' line."

Giggling, she said, "Oh, that line."

Shaking his head, he kissed the side of her head. "Where's the Cobra?"

"I don't know. I didn't see it," she answered.

Spying one of the volunteers, he motioned for her to stay put and headed over there. A moment later, he was back, explaining, "It's inside. You want to go back to look for it? We must have missed it the first time."

"If you don't mind," she replied.

Danny smiled as Mallory looked up at the Cobra. She had read the placard beside the helicopter aloud to him and he had replied with something that had obviously made sense since she didn't question it. Now she stood with her back to him, looking up at the machine. He dug the ring out of his pocket, made sure no lint was sticking to it, and made his move. Coming up behind her, he slipped an arm around her waist and gently drew her back against him. She glanced back and once she saw it was him, she relaxed against him, snugging her body against his. "Having a good day, babe?" he asked softly.

She nodded, resting her head against his chest. "I can't think of anything that would make it any better. It's been practically perfect. No calls, no interruptions, spending it with you."

He palmed the ring so that when he brought his hand around it would be presented to her. "I can think of one thing," he replied. As he spoke now, he held his hand out, "Will you marry me?"

Mallory gasped and stared down at the diamond in his palm. "Are you serious?!"

Danny laughed softly. "Okay, not the answer I was expecting." She hadn't pulled away so he tightened the arm he had around her. "Yes, I'm serious. I've been thinking about it for a while. Believe it or not, I've had the ring for about three months."

"Danny, I..."

He turned her in his arms, careful not to drop the ring. "I love you, Mallory Sullivan, and I have never even considered asking another woman this. Please spend the rest of my life with me." He tilted her chin up so he could kiss her gently. "Please?"

Mallory looked into the blue eyes that stared down at her, waiting patiently for her answer. Danny had his faults; he had a temper, he had a past, he hadn't come from the loving family or stable background that she had, he was a cop, but she loved him. "Yes," she whispered.

"Yes?" he repeated. "Did you say yes? You said yes?"

She nodded. "Yes. I said yes."

Danny wrapped his arms around her, laughing happily as he spun her in a circle. "You said yes!" he exclaimed. He looked at the tourists who had paused to see what was going on. "She said yes!" he informed them.

Mallory couldn't help it. She had never seen Danny quite so gleeful and she burst out laughing. "Put me down," she told him when she had control of herself again. "Before I hurl on you or you drop my ring."

"Your ring!" He opened his hand and breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it was still clutched tightly inside. Taking a hold of her left hand, he carefully slid it onto her finger. "I can't promise that I will be a perfect husband, but I will be the best husband I can be."

She looked down at the ring for a minute and then up into his eyes again. "I love you, Danny. Your best is all I ask of you."


Author's note: I took some artistic license with this because of three reasons, 1) its been many, many years since I've been to the Intrepid and I don't remember exactly what everything looks like, 2) I couldn't tell from the website how you walked around all of the ship and 3) the Intrepid was not open at the time this story takes place.

If you're interested in looking at the website: http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/pages/ussintrepid and I highly recommend visiting if you get a chance. I know I enjoyed my visit.