Set after Lindsay and Danny's phone conversation in "Personal Foul," this is my take on how they began to mend each other's hearts. The POV alternates, take notice. Also, I do not own Danny and Lindsay, or CBS, or CSI.

Reviews are love.

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Lindsay's POV

"Do you know how hard you are to love?" I signed hearing his deep voice crackled through the earpiece, "Why dont you come over here, tell me in person?" Tensing and stopping in my tracks, I hesitated, "I gotta go." I hung up, slipping the phone into my pocket. The rain dripped from my soaked hair, my thoughts pattering as fast as the rain atop my head. Danny had changed over the past few weeks. Since Ruben's death, he seemed...distance. I tried, honestly, but I had no idea how to handle this. I was there for everything for him: Rehab for his hand, his sleepless nights filled with pain. I Loved him. God I loved him. I still did, but he was making it so hard for me to bring down those cold hard walls that protected his broken heart.

But his words tonight...we needed to talk things out because my heart, while in pieces, still was in his hands. Soaked to the bone, I began to ail a cab, deciding against it after a moment. The cabbie killer had yet to be caught, still terrorizing the city of New York. Danny's apartment was a good distance, but walking in the rain didn't really bother me. it allowed my thoughts to flow freely, swimming as the rain still pattered the cool night air.

Danny's apartment building loomed against the stormy night sky. Halfway to his buidlling, it had begun to pour harder, the first rumbles of thunder echoing through my ears. By the time I reached Danny's door, thirty minutes after deciding to go, it had truly begun to storm, the thunder rattling windows and doors, shaking my body. My feet were cold and numb, my hands were red and stiff. Trudging up the stairs to his fourth floor apartment, I knocked lightly..

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Staring at the bright-eyed boy in the picture as the thunder rolled lightly over my head, I stared off into the darkened night through the window. The boy was ten years old, my responsibility. I still hear his laughter on the other side of the hall, his feet pattering down the hall as he went back and forth between apartments playing with his friends. If I had just stopped and tended to him... My thoughts were interrupted a light knocking came to the door, "Comin'" I called, padding barefoot across the dark wood paneled floors to the door. Opening it with my right hand, the person standing before me caused a small smile to creep across my face, "Lindsay." I simple said before my ice blue eyes take in her appearance. Dripping with water and shivering, but a smile plastered across her beautiful face, I shook my head, "Ya gonna catch cold Montana, c'mon." Ushering her inside, I went to find dry clothes, bringing her back a warm towel and an old pair of my NYPD sweats and a t shirt. "Sorry, was all I could find that might fit ya, until we can get ya clothes dried out." "Danny, Its fine. I'm fine." But her shivering told me different and I shook my head, ushering her to my bathroom, "I dont want ya sick Montana, change."

I padded away to give her privacy and poured two cups of coffee setting them on the bar, and looking up as she came out. Utterly beautiful I thought to myself, "We need to talk Danny." "I know..I know..sit, let's talk." I slid onto the stool on the kitchen side and I let her take my seat, setting her coffee in front of her, and looked at her, "I'm sorry Montana..." "No Danny. Let me speak first." I watched her take a deep breathing and glanced down at the Sandoval bulletin, Ruben's smiling face on the front. "Danny..what you did to me, pushing me away like that...that was wrong. And it HURT, Danny. for the longest time, I was trying to figure out how to let go of the fact that I love you, when I can to the realization that I can't do that. But what you did, it hurts." "I know," I sighed softly, running my fingers around the rim of my mug, "I know what I did was wrong, and I'm comin' to terms with that Montana, but I didn't know how to deal with it either. I didn't. And I didn't want ya to see me at my weakest moments." In secrecy I didnt want her to see me crying, and because I didn't let her around me, I had found solace in Rikki, which was Ruben's mother. And I had come to terms that the affair was also a mistake in itself. I had Lindsay to keep me company the whole time, yet I didn't take advantage of it, and it hurt us both. "And I'm sorry for that Montana, I am. I was scared that i was gonna lose you too, and if I lost ya, I'd...be a basket case." I sighed, it was the truth, I was fearful of losing her more than anything, and by keeping her distanced I almost lost her anyway.

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Lindsay POV

"I was scared that I was gonna lose you too, and if I lost ya, I'd...be a basket case" I watched from across the countertop as he struggled to come to terms with what he had done to me, and my heart broke at the epiphany I was having. He was terrified of losing me this whole time. standing slowly, I walked around the bar and put my small hands on either side of his stubbled face, bringing his crystal blues to my liquid browns, "Danny. I love you. You about lost me, but I am ALWAYS. ALWAYS here for you, no matter what. I was mad, but I want us to work Cowboy. And its going to take time and energy, but we can do it" I felt unnecessary tears welling in my eyes as I watched him, but from his facial expressions, and how his eyes brightened..I knew we would be okay. I brought my lips to his forehead, and pulled back, his eyes closed as he finally let go of everything he had been holding in. his strong muscular arms wrapped around my body tightly as he pressed his face into my shoulder, and for once I held him. "I love you too Montana".

We sat there together for a while, he cooked omelets, and we sat and ate together, and for the first time in weeks, I laughed along side him. The thunder outside of his windows had gotten louder, and by the time I had re dressed into my own clothes, and began to leave, he grabbed my arm, "It's stormin' Montana...ya can't go home in that. Stay here. Ya can sleep in those clothes I gave ya, and I'll crash on the couch" I contemplated it over in my head for a moment, before I nodded. He was right, I'd be a fool to walk home in that mess, and Danny couldn't drive me home on his motorbike, then we'd both be soaked. I went back and redressed again into the clothes he had given me and padded back to his bedroom, "Danny, You dont have to crash on the couch. I don't mind. I am, after all, overtaking your bed." I smiled lightly and set his alarm clock for a decent time so I could get up and go change clothes for work at my place. I heard his heavy foot steps bringing him into the room, he grinned, "Ya sure Montana?" I nodded and crawled into his bed. I felt it dip underneath me as he climbed in under the covers. I turned on my side to face him, and ran my fingers over his gentle face, and kissed his lips slowly, "Good night Cowboy." I whispered as I snuggled into his chest, feeling his heavy arm draping over my side...

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Danny's POV

She was really staying with me. I had expected her to insist on going home, but she saw my side for once and decided to stay, and even didn't kick me out of my room. I crawled in bed behind her and kissed her softly, feeling her hands on my face and my heart melted. We were healing, slowly and surely we were healing. I watched as she closed her beautiful brown eyes, kissing her forehead slowly as my arm rest over her, rubbing her back. The lightning struck brightly outside of my window, illuminating her resting form, and I whispered, "I love you Montana. We're gonna be okay darlin'. I know we are." I felt her nod, and watched her open her eyes. I stroked the side of her face slowly, before I rolled over slowly on top of her and kissed her deeply, the thunder rumbling loudly. I felt her hands running along my sides as she pushed my shirt over my head, tossing it into the room elsewhere. I shivered as her hands ran over the rippling muscles in my chest and I fought with the shirt she was wearing before throwing it over my shoulder somewhere. We rolled around, removing clothes as we delved into passionate kisses.

And as we became one together, the lightning struck, illuminating everything in view...

We fell asleep together, tangled up in each other, sharing kisses as we both fell asleep. We were healing, patching up wounds that we both had caused, and I let her know that while I may not be able to give her the finer things in life, I could give her my love and adoration, my affection for her. We were riding the lightning outside, slowly healing, maturing, and...creating life in the process.