Into the Blaze

Summary: After a fire destroys the New York Crime Lab, CSI investigator Danny Messer wakes up the next day to find that the crime lab is fine, but realizes that none of the other investigators show up for work. Instead, there are new CSI investigators he has never met, and they, too, haven't heard of him or of a fire ever destroying the crime lab. Later D/L.

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: NY or any of its characters.

Chapter One: The Burning of the New York Crime Lab

It was just any other normal day; Danny Messer would wake up at five in the morning, get ready for work, and then arrive at the New York Crime Lab. And that was how it had been; he arrived early, actually, meeting up with CSI investigator Lindsay Monroe. They talked for a while, but when Detective Stella Bonasera came rushing over to them and people in the crime lab started hurrying down the hallways was when everything changed. Lindsay turned to Stella, with a concerned look on her face. "What's going on?" she asked her.

"There's a fire," replied Stella, signaling them to follow her. "It had started on this floor, but how it started, we don't know."

Danny swallowed hard. They were thirty five feet above the ground, would they be able to evacuate before the fire found its way to them? Or would they breathe in too much smoke and then die? He tried not to think about it, but the thought only came back to him when he saw the fire progressing down a hallway. And Mac's office was in the middle of it.

"Stella, has Mac already made his way downstairs—"

Lindsay's question was only answered by a frightened scream. "Mac!" She looked at Lindsay. "When I came to get you guys, he was in his office, I don't know if he's still there."

"Well, come on then!" Lindsay said, taking Stella's hand. "If we hurry, we should be able to get him."

"I don't know Linds," said Danny doubtfully, looking at the fire.

"This isn't the time to argue," replied Lindsay as she ran down the hallway. "We either save Mac or leave him here to die!"

"What if he's not there?" asked Danny, but his question was ignored. He watched, scared stiff to the place, hoping that they would be safe from the fire. Please God, he prayed, let them be safe.

"Danny, what are you standing there for?" a familiar voice asked. He turned to see that it was Don Flack. "The fire's in that direction!"

"Stella and Lindsay went to see if Mac was in his office," said Danny, turning around again to watch the increasing fire.

"Mac's already outside!" said Flack. "I came back to get you three…"

As Danny heard that Mac was already outside, he charged for the office, calling out to Lindsay and Stella. They both heard their names and turned back to run towards him as they saw Danny was signaling them over to him. Stella was faster than Lindsay and made it over to him safely, but the fire had made its progress and part of the roof had fallen, catching Lindsay to be blocked both ways by fire. She called frantically, "Danny! Stella!"

"Lindsay, don't worry, you'll be fine!" Stella yelled to her. She turned to look at Danny and in a lower whisper, but loud enough so he could hear her over the blaze, she said, "What are we going to do?"

"You're going to go with Flack and get out of the building," said Danny with a cough. "Mac's outside already, you two just get yourself safe."

Stella looked at Danny, not wanting to leave his side, but then finally nodded. She ran over to Flack, telling him what Danny was going to do, and—though Flack argued and said they should stay and help Danny and Lindsay—he finally agreed to leave the building. As they left, Danny looked around frantically for a fire extinguisher, anything that could put out the fire. "Don't worry Montana," he yelled above the blaze. "I'm gonna get you out of this, okay? Just don't worry."

A scream sounded from her as more of the roof caved in. "Hurry Danny!" she cried. "Help!"

"Don't worry, I'm getting help now!" he reassured her. "Just hang in there!" He looked around, seeing nothing in sight to help put out the fire or even a person to call for help. He and Lindsay were all alone.

"Danny!" yelled Lindsay.

"Don't worry, Montana, don't worry." He was trying to reassure both himself and Lindsay. He stood in the hallway, looking at the expanding fire. It was getting hot and sticky, and he knew if he waited any longer they would either burn to death or die from breathing in too much smoke. He could hear coughs coming from Lindsay and he, too, was coughing. The room now spinning and he fell down with an immediate smack to the floor. This was the end, he thought. He would die in this crime lab, leaving his love to die in the fire. He struggled to keep his eyes open and he thought he could hear a voice, but it was Lindsay, and he said, "Don't worry," and then everything went black.

More chapters to come! This is my first CSI: NY fic, so please be nice and I hope you enjoy it! And review, please!