Author's Note : Hey,... My intention was to finish this whole story before I post it. But my PC was playing sick this morning and just in case this current project of mine gets swallowed up into the bowels of Cyber knows where, I've decided to post it as I go along.
I have been naughty and have not thanked you personally for the reviews that you all gave for the last few ffs. So to : webdlfan, dannymesserforever11, heatqueen, afrozenheart412, bluelilyrose, unlikelyRLshipper, Im-just-peachy, laurzz, csimesser1, Rouge903, rapidtetv, Linoria and freeCat1714, I hope this next ff do not make you run away and deprive me of your reviews. I hope you'll enjoy it. A little bit different (setting, wardrobe, profession, kinship and mode of transport) but it is DaLinds all the way.
Disclaimer : YN ISC nwo ton od I. Even written in a mirror image, I do not own CSI NY.
Summary : Once a upon a time, there was Danny and Lindsay. They met and fell in love.
XOX
Once upon a time, when the word 'hot' only referred to the heat of the day or the warmth of the soup and had nothing to do with the description of the strong, able-bodied, valiant, brave and handsome knight living next door, there was a little village called Csiny.
(AN : 'Csiny' - pronounced anyway you like it coz I have not figured out how it should sound like.)
It was a quiet and peaceful village but as low crime do not mean no crime, they had their fair shares of murders, homicides. arson, theft, acorn snipers and all the works.
It was in this very village that a well respected and loved physician lived. (Actually he was a Medical Examiner. But the profession didn't register till very much later so they were simply called physician). It was either a physician or wizard (and we all know the fate of wizards and witches at that time – they always end up as the 'Guest of Honor' in a not so friendly camp fire gathering).
Anyways, Dr Sid Hammerback had four children. Though they lived in a small castle that had ten sleeping quarters, two large halls, a dining room, one bright airy kitchen and a rather large basement, it was still a humble abode to him. There was no Olympic size swimming pool, just a pond where some fish, frogs and a turtle reside.
As time went, his wife left him. And he was in despair for he had loved his wife strongly. For the record, she didn't have an affair, she died of heart failure. The children grew, naturally. Duh! His late wife had warned him on her death bed that as children grow, they will find their own love and path. And nothing will stand in their way. Especially if the object of adoration, has a similarity to the sun's heat or the warmth of the soup of the day. (AN : Clue – think of the temperature level when the present CSI team lift their shirts and flash their badges).
Now. Let's get back to the story, shall we?
His eldest daughter was a beauty named Stella. With hair as wild as the rose bush out back, she was the first to leave him. She had scores of admirers, suitors, woo-ers and the village fire brigade volunteers who adored her. But when she met The Sheriff of Labtown, Sir Mac Taylor, her heart was set. She wanted a man with honor, integrity, intelligence and a large desk. They got married and lived happily in the next village. A two days ride away, on a one-horse open cart.
His second daughter, Jessica, has a beauty that drove men wild with desire. But her heart, eyes and furry handcuffs were only for one man. The strong, able-bodied, valiant, brave and handsome knight living next door, Sir Don Flack.
She has been in love with him for the longest time. She always made sure that he could see her through her bedroom window. And he too had his telescope (a birthday present from his astronomer Uncle. What did you think I meant by telescope? Naughty, naughty you!) focused on her bedroom. They both have a passion for nature and wild forest romps. They had just gotten engaged and had gone on a ..er...an expedition to explore the world yonder. (Hammerback's back garden was just not big enough).
His third child, Adam, was his only son. A true scholar, intelligent and possessed the ability to tear and put anything back perfectly. Maidens swooned and sighed whenever he walked pass. They called him adorable and sweet. Cute was unheard of at that time. They giggled and squeed uncontrollably if ever he looked their way. They threw their bodies at him. Tempting and luring, but alas, he had only eyes for certain kind of bodies. Dead ones. Like his father, he was studying to be a physician.
Then, there was Lindsay. The reason for her father's joy but also headache, at times. Also the reason of why I'm writing this ff.
His forth and youngest child, she has a great sense of humor, kind, helpful, smart with a side order of a wild streak. Lindsay may not boast of being tall or has great beauty or possessed the dark and voluptuous hair like her sisters but she has her own endearing qualities.
Lindsay was petite, utterly adorable and has short hair. Have I also mentioned that she has held the position of the town's Slingshot Champion for five straight years? Lastly, when it came to horse riding, our girl was nicknamed Ride Like The Wind.
She had seen the way men drool after her sisters and wondered if there's anyone out there who would ever look at her that way. Stella and Jessica were, respectively, twelve and ten years senior to Lindsay's age. But her sisters had always included her in their talks and thoughts of the opposite gender. They love their little sister very much and helped her in her growing up years since their mother left them.
Lindsay remembered Stella advice very well. They were at a fair. It was just before her sister saw her destiny, as he stood in front of her. Arms folded cross across his chest, legs apart, lips pursed and eyes serious from studying the scene in front of him. Then suddenly he looked straight and their eyes met.
Stella grabbed her sister's arm as her eyes were glued to her destiny.
"Lindsay. Listen. It doesn't matter how many drool over you. It won't work if your heart know it's not the right one. And when the right one comes OH MY OH MY OH MY OH MY! Oh no! Oh yes! Heislookingthisway!.OH MY! Heiscomingthisway. I love you Sis, but could you kind of make yourself scarce right now?"
That was the last time Lindsay saw her eldest sister as a single person before she and Sir Mac Taylor were practically joined at the hip.
Jessica also gave her some advice. They were in Jessica's room when they had their sisterly talk. Lindsay wanted to know how would she know when the right one comes along, since Stella didn't get to tell her that part.
"Linds Honey, you'll know. He doesn't have to be tall. Don was very much shorter than I was when he moved in next door. But I fell for him there and then. Your man doesn't need to have thick, dark, black hair that you could thread your fingers through and drives you wild when his eyes darken at that erotic move. Do you know that Don's eyes could turn several darker shades of blue? He wanted to cut his hair off once. He heard that some women find bald men sexier. I showed and convinced him just how much I appreciate his hair. Hmmmmmm, THAT was fun..."
"Jessie?"
"Ooops! Sorry! Right. Next. The way he speaks. It doesn't matter if speaks funny just coz he is from elsewhere. OH Heavens! You don't know how sexy it is when Don sometimes whispers in his native language in my ear. It brings delicious tingling shivers down my spine. There was once, we were in Dad's office and he.."
"Too much info!"
"Huh? Oh! Sorry about that. Don't worry Honey, you'll know when you meet the right one... Oh! I see Don at his window! Do I look alright? Sure? Oh My! He just flashed me his... OHH! I've never seen it so big like that! .. OOOooooohhhh! Unbelievable! WOW! I gotta go Honey... "
Lindsay felt a breeze passed her as her sister whizzed through the door. Lindsay got up from her chair and peeked out the open window. She squinted just in case. But her eyes widen when she saw Sir Don Flack standing by his open window. Especially at what was in his hands. He needed both hands to hold it up.
He was flashing a really big piece of paper with the words 'WILL YOU MARRY ME?". That was the last time she had a sisterly talk with her second sister.
Lindsay gave up on Adam. Whenever she tried to talk to him he always said the same thing. "Over my dead body." Not that he meant his own but he was always working on a corpse. Anyway, the smell and sight was enough to turn Lindsay away. Also, his answers were never what she asked for.
She wouldn't ever ask her Dad again, The last time she did, he started crying and muttered "Our baby has grown up!" while he clutched her late Mom's portrait to his chest, for the rest of the day.
Lindsay was not in any hurry to meet anyone or settle down anyway. She's young. She's free. She still has not perfected her eye batting skills yet.
XOX
One day, while taking a walk after the rain, Lindsay came upon her brother's friend, Sheldon. He was collecting water samples in test tubes to check the water quality to ensure it deemed safe for the town's health. Dr Sheldon Hawkes was a Guidance Counsellor, by profession, in the local school. He worked part-time with the Csiny Water Authorities to make extra cash. He had his eye on a shiny, red, one horse powered convertible carriage.
"Hey Shel!" Lindsay yelled from the top of the hill.
Sheldon looked up and signaled her to join him at the water's edge. Happy to be in his company, Lindsay started down the slope. Sheldon has always been patient with her. Teaching her anything she needed to know, answered all her questions, stitched and patched her up whenever she fell off a tree or cut herself somewhere.
Adam loves her but as most (not all) brothers were/are, would never really give their little sisters any correct or direct answers. And they wonder why their dates always run away after calling at the house. Muahahhahahaha!
Anyway, to Sheldon, Lindsay was like his own little sister. Coming from a family of fourteen boys, he definitely needed a sister to shower his sweet and patient disposition on.
"How was your rain walk?" He asked as she drew closer.
"No chance of that. Dad caught me sneaking out the window. His lecture on the dangers of pneumonia went on and on till the rain stopped. I only escaped when he turned around to drink some water." She pouted.
"So what have you been doing since?" Sheldon glanced her way as she climbed on a flat boulder and sat on it. She started plucking out the weeds from around it.
"The usual." She shrugged.
Sheldon finally turned to her, tilted his head, pursed his lips and jerked an eyebrow up.
"What? I need all the practice. The slingshot competition is just three months away."
"Please don't tell me you've been using your sister's admirers as targets. Again."
"Of course not!" She gasped. "Anyway, there aren't any more since Jess got engaged. And Adam's giggly and sqeeky Fan Club won't be around for two weeks, since they know that's how long he will be away."
"So how do you practice?"
"I drew little bull-eyes on Dad's old underwear, strung them up across the garden and shoot!" She dimpled. She rubbed her face when a gnat flew by and ended up with a smudge of dirt on her nose.
"Here." Sheldon handed her a square line. "There's dirt on your nose. We don't want you looking grubby, do we?"
She walked to the water's edge to wash her hands and face before taking it to wipe.
"Hah! Who cares? No one ever notice me anyway." She mumbled.
"Are we back to the discussion on low self-esteem? One more time and I may have to start charging you by the hour."
"I understand Dr Hawkes." She replied but her attention was on the lake.
"For the last time, let me remind you that you have your own special charm. Some day, someone, will see that in you and love you for what you are. Beauty isn't everything. Sex is."
"What?"
"Just checking if you are listening since your eyes seemed to be glued at whatever is behind me."
"How come there's ripples on the water?"
Sheldon turned to where she pointed and smiled.
"Lindsay. If I were your Fairy God-person and could create you a man of your dreams. I could make him walk out of that lake ... "
"Fairy God-person?" She fell off the boulder laughing.
"Hey! This is a fairy tale we are in okay?"
"Okay? Does the word even exist yet?"
"Don't get smart with me. Just tell me what you would like in a guy." Glancing at the water again, he added. "Quick!"
Recalling what Jessica told her that day, she rambled points off her fingers to suit her own taste.
"Let's see. Number one. No need to be tall. I don't fancy having to stand on a box or stool just to kiss him.
"Number two. No need to have dark hair. The color of our wheat field in the sun will do. Not too short coz I may want to try running my fingers through them and see if he..."
"Just what you want, not what you want to do!" Sheldon interrupted.
"Number three. No need to speak my language. Just enough so that we don't need a dictionary or translator to understand each other. It would kind of kill the moment if we were to be doing ... you know.
"Number four. Eyes. Anything but bloodshot red. Hmmm.. I guess... blue. Yes, blue. Blue like the sky on a clear summer day when the white fluffy clouds floats like ..."
"Anything else?" Sheldon gave an over dramatic sigh.
"Number five. Glasses. I have always have an unexplainable weakness for them. They just gives me a guaranteed exclusively 'e's-all-mine kind of feeling!"
"Forget anything?"
"Oh! Courtesy of your lessons. Number six. To love me for what I am."
"Good. Now stand back while I conjure such a man for you."
"Shel? I think you've been spending too much time by the water's edge. It's making you kind of .." She made circular motions next to her head with her finger.
"Shhh." He glared.
She rolled her eyes.
"Oh Yeay I raise and wave my test tube high..."
"Test tube?" Lindsay fell off the boulder again.
"Will you keep quiet?" She covered her mouth to smother her laughter at his order.
"Oh Yeay I raise and wave my test tube high, I summon all seas, lakes, rivers and streams, Conjure up my sweet Lindsay a guy, That befits all her fantasies and dreams!"
Sheldon lowered his raised arms and clapped three times.
"Pssst! Is it too late to add 'naked' to my list?" she whispered.
A quick tilt of his head made Lindsay set her gaze on the water. The surface suddenly broke and there emerged a figure.
Lindsay's mouth gaped like a basking shark during feeding time. It was Sheldon's turn to chuckle.
The figure began swimming towards them in slow motion. (AN : Actually not in slow motion but when one is in awe, all things seems to move s-l-o-w-l-y, right?) Upon reaching shallow waters, he stood and strut towards the edge of the lake. He was glistening from head to OMG! Those abs! The sun's rays bounced off every droplet that was deliciously caressing down his sleek shirtless body. The soaking wet material of his ...
WAIT!
(AN : For the sake of our (mine especially) sanity and focus in continuing this ff, I have to make a minor wardrobe adjustment. As you know, fairy tales are usually set in early times. And the attire of men at that period consist of tights or hose and short shirts.
Forgive me but I rather dress them in jeans. Why? Imagine Danny, Flack, Hawkes, Adam and maybe Mac, in tights. Also imagine what happens when they go for a swim in those tight fitting leg-ware. Need I say more?
To make up for it, I promise to have them shirtless at times. I am not a meanie to deprive you from indulging in the Art of Droolism.
So, without further adrool, oops! I mean, ado, let's get back to the story, shall we? Thank you.)
The soaking wet material of his jeans clung to his bulging sinewy leg muscles that showed strength and jaw-dropping awesome-ness. The heavy material forced his muscles to work harder as he took steps towards the mesmerized Lindsay (and you, I hope).
Breaking the haze that surrounded her, she heard Sheldon's far away voice. Actually, he was right beside her yelling in her ear, but our girl was kind of too busy ogling, to notice.
"Meet my old friend and long time neighbor from Newland of York." He said out loud.
The man in question came to stand a foot in front of her. He smiled and spoke with an accent that, that, that ...What was it that Jessie said? Something to do with spine?
"Hey. That'd be me. Danny. How you're doing?"
Lindsay could only blink at him. She was blinking at a very fast rate. Actually she was trying to bat her eyes at him but it just went out of control!
Seeing this, Danny reached into his pants and brought out a cylindrical shaped object. Sensing a movement from him, she looked down and gasped at what he was holding.
Unscrewing the lid of the mind misleading-shaped container, he took out a pair of glasses. He put it on and took a step closer to invade her personal space. (Yesss! We have contact people!) Lifting her chin with the crook of his finger, he huskily whispered.
"Let's have a closer look at those beautiful brown eyes of yours, shall we?"
Lindsay's reply was totally out of character, by her own standards and would probably knock her head against her bedpost later after Sheldon kindly gives her a play-by-play of her actions.
"Oh My Geek!" She gasped before fainting in his arms.
TO BE CONTINUED
What do you think? Should I continue? I hope you had fun reading it. Thank you.