Coffee with a friend

by TTFN

Lindsay and Sheldon talk, post 4.16

"Coffee With A Friend"

Show: CSI:NY

Characters: Lindsay/Hawkes, Friendship

Set: After 4.16, Right Next Door

Rating: T

Summary: Lindsay and Sheldon talk, post 4.16

Type: One-shot

Disclaimer: Not mine nor shall it ever be

AN: I decided to write this little friendship fic between Lindsay and Hawkes, because I can't seem to find any and I thought I'd write one as I love the dynamic between them. Also you need to know is that only Mac and Don know about Danny and Lindsay dating.

Hawkes was walking home after closing the case that he was working and looked through the window of a coffee shop as he walked past, one that wasn't far from the lab, and noticed a familiar figure sitting in the corner staring at her coffee. Hawkes raised an eyebrow at the figure thinking that she had left to go home a long time ago and would be at home by now, not sitting alone in a coffee shop, and began to wonder if she was alright, having noticed the tension between her and Danny for awhile and not really knowing what that was about as they had always worked well together, the only time they didn't was when Lindsay first started working there. As Hawkes looked at Lindsay and noticed her dejected look that she had about her, the last time he saw her like this was when he found out about her past in Montana. With a deep breath Hawkes turned around and walked into the coffee shop, got himself a coffee and walked up to her, placing his cup in front of the stool beside hers

"This seat taken?"

Lindsay frowned when she heard the voice, not expecting anyone to speak to her, but was glad that it wasn't the one that she feared to hear, not ready to hear that voice. Lindsay shook her head and waved her hand for him to take a seat.

Hawkes sat down and began to take a sip from his cup as he looked at Lindsay at the corner of his eye and frowned "You ok?"

Lindsay let out a sigh and shook her head "No not really" Lindsay said with a shake of her head

"What's wrong?" Hawkes asked, the concern for her evident in his voice, "Do you want me to call Danny?" Hawkes asked knowing that yes they might be having some sort of fight at the moment but at the end of the day they were friends, maybe more but that hadn't been confirmed at the moment it was just lab gossip.

Lindsay shook her head and let out a sarcastic laugh "No, he's the last person that I want to see at the moment"

Hawkes was surprised at the venom that Lindsay had in her voice when she answered him and wondered why she wouldn't want Danny around "Why?"

Lindsay turned and faced Hawkes for the first time, and that's when Hawkes noticed the dried tear tracks, the red eyes and the puffiness around the eyes, all signs that told him that she had just stopped crying recently.

Lindsay let out a breath "Because he is busy"

"I'm sure that what ever it is he is doing he'll drop it" Hawkes said knowing that Danny had left the lab before he had

Lindsay shook her head "I doubt that"

"Why?"

"Because he's with Rikki"

"Rikki?" Hawkes frowned wondering where he heard that name before "Ruben's mom?"

Lindsay nodded "Yeah" Lindsay said and realised that she needed to tell someone what was going on unsure how long they she would be able to keep it in.

Hawkes let out a breath "Well it's been tough for her lately and Danny" Hawkes added knowing that he had lost his friend when the boy died.

"I know"

Hawkes nodded knowing that Lindsay had some idea on what Danny was going through, with having lost three of her best friends. "They're probably helping each other through it"

Lindsay shook her head "Well last time I checked sticking your tongue down someone's throat didn't rate on the grieving process"

"What?" Hawkes asked wondering where she was going

Lindsay continued as if she hadn't heard Hawkes "I just wish that he had ended it with me before they slept together"

A look of surprise came across Hawkes face as he took in what Lindsay had told him, that yes the lab gossip was right, and that Danny had cheated on Lindsay. Hawkes knew that Danny was a player but he had never cheated on someone, always ending it before he moved on. Hawkes shook his head as he tried to take in what Lindsay had told him "Did Danny tell you about the two of them?"

Lindsay shook her head "No, he didn't"

"Then how do you know?"

"Because I saw them together earlier, and trust me they are sleeping together"

Hawkes nodded, understanding that if anyone knew the looks between someone who was sleeping with Danny it would be Lindsay. Hawkes shook his head as he realised that it was over between the two of them and that Lindsay wouldn't be taking Danny back, and if she did it wouldn't be any time soon. Hawkes couldn't believe that Lindsay was talking about the same Danny who flew across the country to support her during the trail and waited for any chance that they could move on pass the friends stage, something everyone was waiting for and had actually happened but no one noticed if it had been a lot of pools would've been cleaned up, had cheated on Lindsay. Hawkes knew something had changed between Lindsay and Danny after Ruben died, they weren't as flirty with one another, which was something that should've brought them closer with Lindsay having been through something similar herself had seemed to have torn them apart. Hawkes looked Lindsay and let out a breath, not knowing what to say so settled for

"I'm sorry"

Lindsay shrugged "It's not your fault"

"True, but I am sorry that your hurting at the moment"

Lindsay just nodded.

Hawkes took a sip of his coffee and watched Lindsay out the corner of his eye "I'm surprised your not a bar drinking"

Lindsay gave Hawkes a small smile "Don't think I didn't think of doing that but there was two reasons why not. The first I'm not in the mood to be hit on and if I was drinking I might end up doing something I regret in the morning. And secondly I'm on call tonight" Lindsay said finishing off with a shrug.

Hawkes nodded understanding that the first reason sounded good enough but knew that if she was on call that it meant more than likely that she would be called in, it was like fate or something, you feel like crap and you have large crime scene to process.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hawkes asked after a few minutes of silence

Lindsay let out a sigh knowing that she did need to talk about it more but also knew she wasn't ready to "I do but I don't think I'm ready at the moment"

"Ok, then. But you know that I'm here if you do"

Lindsay gave Hawkes a smiled "I know and thank-you"

Hawkes nodded and then proceeded to wrap one arm around Lindsay's shoulder and pulled her into him and Lindsay rested her head on his shoulder "That's what friends are for"

Lindsay couldn't help but smile into Hawkes's shoulder

A thought came to Hawkes "Does Danny know that you know?"

Lindsay shook her head "No, he didn't see me" Lindsay continued after a breath "We're on opposite shifts for the next week so I won't have to see him"

Hawkes nodded, glad for that fact

Lindsay let out a breath "Then we both have a day off after that, so I'll talk to him then, that way we can keep it out of the lab"

Hawkes nodded knowing that would probably be the better idea as long as Danny doesn't try and confront Lindsay at work or try to switch shifts, Hawkes made the decision to try and work with Lindsay as long as he can so he could buffer between them until they talked. But he also knew that it was going to be very interesting at the lab once it got out that Danny and Lindsay were together but weren't anymore because Danny had cheated on her.

They sat there in silence for a little while before both spoke and they sat and watched people walk pass and Lindsay continued to sit with her head on his shoulder.

"So do you want me to go and punch him one?"

Lindsay smiled, knowing that Hawkes is against violence unless it's in a boxing ring, then shook her head "No, it's ok it won't change anything"

Hawkes nodded "Well I'm sure Flack would help if you change your mind"

"Your probably right about that" Lindsay muttered to herself, but Hawkes heard her but didn't say anything to the alert her that he had heard himself.

Hawkes was about to say something when Lindsay's cell phone went off and Lindsay moved to check it

Lindsay frowned and shook her head before putting her cell phone back on her hip "A DB at 53rd"

Hawkes nodded and watched as Lindsay got her things together "You going to be ok?"

Lindsay let out a sigh "I will be"

Hawkes nodded knowing that Lindsay would be ok eventually and that she's a survivor.

Lindsay turned to leave the coffee shop to go to lab to pick up her kit and a vehicle before heading to the scene but stopped to look at Hawkes "Can you keep this to yourself until Danny and I've talked?"

Hawkes nodded "Not a problem"

"Thanks Sheldon" Lindsay said using his first name, something she rarely did

Hawkes smiled "Anytime Linds"

Lindsay nodded and then left the coffee shop leaving Hawkes with his thoughts on how Danny could do this to her and that there would be a nice long line to kill Danny for what he had done, with most of whom knew how to either cover up a crime scene to make it look like a suicide or an accident. Hawkes got up to leave, Hawkes continued to think to himself that Lindsay would want this out of the lab for as long as possible but knowing Danny the way that he did that Danny would some how bring it up at the lab considering how closely they work together. The last thought that Hawkes had as he left the coffee shop was that Danny had just lost the best thing that had ever happened to him.

3