Title: Drunken Consequences

Author: Kas

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

Rating: PG

Word Count: 4, 086

Warnings: Implied language and sexual situations.

Summary: Alcohol can make you do the stupidest – or best decisions.

Author's Note: For Hanily

The morning rays of sunlight beamed through the curtains, filling the room with bright light. Lindsay Monroe let out a small moan of displeasure as she rolled onto her stomach. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and then closed once more, refusing to adjust to the light as a full blown headache began to set.

Groaning, Lindsay forced herself awake, wincing as she sat up. Now fully awake, she took in her surroundings and her heart began to race as she realized she was not in her home. The room's décor was male with dark wooden and leather furniture. Crushed beer cans littered the floor and a pair of black boxers hung from a doorknob.

Lindsay's head continued to throb as she slowly turned over to see whose bed she accompanied. It took a second to realize that she was in her boyfriend's apartment as she took in the sight of her his tattoo and naked backside. Her eyes flitted to the clock on the nightstand; it was half past eight in the morning.

Not wanting to wake up Danny, she slowly crept out of bed in search of her clothes. Lindsay found her panties and bra not too far from each other; her jeans and tank top were another story. Another five minutes had passed before she found her jeans and tank top which were near his dresser.

As Lindsay zipped her jeans and slipped her tank top on, the gleam of something gold on her hand caught her eye. She paused; her tank top was barely on as she brought her left hand closer to her face and she let out a gasp.

It was a wedding band.

The pounding of her headache increased tenfold as her brain slowly digested that a wedding band was adorned on her previously naked ring finer. All of a sudden, the memories from the night before came flooding back with a vengeance.

Lindsay sighed as she gathered her belongings in the locker room at the crime lab. It had been a long week, and an even longer day. A case that had supposedly grown cold became hot – very hot and every spare minute from the last two weeks had been spent in regards to the case. As she tied her hair back into a small pony tail, she heard the door open and a familiar scent came over her.

"Danny…" Lindsay smiled as she felt the pressure of her boyfriend pressing his body against her back. Strong arms wrapped around her and closed her eyes as Danny pressed small kisses along the nape of her neck.

"Ready to go Montana?" Danny questioned as he continued to nuzzle her face. He ran his arms down her bare arms to her abdomen. He fingered the hemline of the olive green tank top she wore, and her muscles flittered beneath his touch.

"Mmm…as ready as I will ever be," she replied, turning to face Danny. Looking up at him, she placed her hands on his chest, feeling his heart beat faintly. She dropped her head into his chest and let out a small groan. "After the day I had, I could use a stiff drink."

"I know of another stiff thing you could use…" Danny trailed off with a mischievous grin.

Lindsay shook her head and playfully swatted his shoulder. Reaching for his hand, she nodded her head towards the door. "Is that all you ever think about?" she wondered incredulously.

Danny grinned once more and shrugged. "You act like it's a bad thing."

"Yeah, yeah, come on Messer, the night's awaiting and we're not getting any younger."

Lindsay cheered as she successfully knocked back another shot of tequila. She slammed the glass down and grinned at Danny.

"Nice try Montana but you won't be able to out shot me," Danny shouted over the music as he began to pour another shot of Jack Daniels. He quickly downed the shot and tried not to grimace as the alcohol burned down his throat.

"Wanna bet?" Lindsay questioned, her brow arched. "I might just surprise you."

"I don't doubt it but this… nevermind, what are the terms?" Danny questioned; her comment had piqued his interest. The twinkle in Lindsay's eyes caused Danny to swallow hard. It seemed, as if his girlfriend was up to no good.

They had emerged from the bar in the wee hours of the morning. On top of Lindsay's head was a plastic tiara that Danny had managed to swipe from a bachelorette party. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Danny's waist as they stumbled onto the street.

"I told you I would win," Lindsay replied matter of factly. "Ready to pony up to your end of the bargain?"

"Yes your royal highness. I will do whatever you want for twenty-four hours," Danny drunkenly slurred.

"Anything?" Lindsay repeated hopefully.

Anytime, any place, Monroe," Danny confirmed with a wink. As they waited for the street light to change, Danny pulled Lindsay into a kiss. Lindsay's fingers curled underneath Danny's ribbed top as his lips crushed hers.

"Where to now, your highness?" Danny mumbled as he continued to kiss his girlfriend. His hands again slipped underneath her top, skimming the bottom cup of her bra.

Lindsay let out a fit of giggles as she pulled away. "Now, now, I may be drunk but I am lady." She attempted to walk away seductively, but failed. Instead, she tripped over her own feet and fell onto the sidewalk. Danny couldn't help but chuckle as she let out a stream of colorful words.

"A lady, huh?" he questioned as he too stumbled towards her.

"That I am. Now where oh where…" Lindsay shouted, her arms wide open, "is my prince charming?"

"I don't know about him, but the big bad wolf is here," Danny slurred as he reached down to pick her up off the dirty New York sidewalk. Lindsay grabbed hold of his hands and as Danny hoisted her up, she gazed upwards, looking at their surroundings in an attempt to figure out their location. Her gaze fell upon one of the buildings and she smiled as she wiggled out of his embrace.

"Marry me, Messer."

"Oh god, oh god," Lindsay rambled as she realized that she and Danny in their drunken stupor, had gone to City Hall and professed their undying love for each other and were married by the justice of the peace.

A deep snore shook Lindsay out of her thoughts and she turned to Danny who had rolled onto his back, his left hand splayed on his chest. Lindsay rushed over and straddled him, not caring that he was naked underneath. "Wake up! Wake up Danny!" Lindsay repeatedly shrieked as she shook the sleeping figure.

Danny let out a groan before opening his eyes. "What the," he began confusedly before his gaze fell onto Lindsay. "Montana?" His eyes raked over her form and an easy, lazy grin formed on his face. "Mornin'."

"We're married!" Lindsay yelled as she groped for his left hand. Finding it, she thrusted it into his face. "See!"

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Danny asked, not looking at his hand right away. "Montana, are you still drunk?"

"I am not drunk, look at your hand!" Lindsay shrieked once more as she smacked him in the chest.

Danny let out an expletive as he winced in pain. Obliging with Lindsay's order, he lifted his hand to his face and promptly swore to the heavens once more as he shot out of bed, causing Lindsay to topple onto the floor.

Lindsay let out a grunt of pain and Danny cast an apologetic look before turning back to his hand. "How in the hell did this happen?"

"Gee, thanks for helping out the missus," Lindsay muttered as she stood up. "And how in the hell should I know? We were both drunk."

"Way to state the obvious, Montana," Danny retorted. He ran his hands through his hair as a look of hope splashed on his face "There has to be a way to fix this. Can't we get an annulment or something? Doesn't this happen to celebrities all the time?"

"I don't know… can we? What is the law in New York State concerning annulments?" Lindsay questioned as she paced up and down the bedroom.

"Lindsay, you're pacing is not making this – or my hangover, any easier," Danny commented.

Lindsay shot him a glare that equaled instant death. "Not the time to joke Messer," she growled as she searched around the room. "Is there a marriage certificate?" she wondered. "I haven't been able to find one."

"You mean this little paper?" Danny questioned, holding up a folded piece of white parchment. "It says that on July 27, 2007, Daniel Messer and Lindsay Monroe were united in marriage before, Honorable John Black."

"Oh god, I think I am going to be sick," Lindsay moaned as she scrambled towards the bathroom.

Danny winced as the sounds of Lindsay throwing up echoed from the bathroom. Standing up, he reached for the nearest pair of pants he could find before grabbing his cell phone.

Hours later, Danny and a still quite ill, Lindsay sat in their boss' office who listened quietly as they told their tale.

"So let me get this straight, you guys made a bet and whoever won the bet, had to do what the other said and Lindsay, you ordered Danny to marry you?" Mac repeated slowly.

"I…well…I…" Lindsay sputtered. "It's not like I put a gun to his head or something!"

"I know you didn't," Mac replied. "But it just shows that good things never arise when alcohol is involved," he sighed. He tapped his pen against his desk, swallowing hard. "I must ask – did you… uh, consummate the union?"

Neither party answered right away but Lindsay's reddened his face and Danny's coughing fit gave Mac his answer. "The annulment…it'll be hard to get with that now factored in. But I can still try to make a call and see though. No promises. Okay?"

And all the newly married couple was nod.

After leaving Mac's office, they both stood in the corridor, words unspoken as they stared at each other then breaking their gazes to watch the people as went about the business of the day. The atmosphere was thick with tension, something Lindsay never thought would be between them since their relationship had matured, but now, she wondered if she really knew the man she loved. Resolving to move past this, Lindsay started to pull off the band as Danny looked on, an eyebrow furrowed. She could feel his eyes on her as she worked to get the tiny piece of jewelry off, finally lifting her own sights to his, seeing the questionable gaze.

"What?"

"You're not going to wear it?" he asked as he moved closer to her. Despite this being a huge mistake, Danny was somewhat hurt at her efforts to just discount it.

"Are you kidding me, Danny? We couldn't have possibly…"

"Would it be so bad, Linds? I mean, we liked each other well enough, right?"

Lindsay noticed his hands going in his pockets and the rocking on his heels, as well as the strained expression he now wore. Yes, she liked him well enough, maybe even loved him, but marriage? That was an institution that she wasn't quite prepared to commit to just yet.

"Danny, we have to look at this logically, okay?"

"Logically? And what would that be, Lindsay? We got married, and if what Mac says is true, we are going to be stuck with it," Danny replied as he took a step back. The confrontation that was in the air was getting to him and he felt the need to get away, to think more. The hangover was still sticking with him, and the morning's events hadn't made it easier to think clearly.

"How about we just go about our day, and well, not think about it," Lindsay offered as she slipped the band off completely. "And we can talk about this more tonight. After we see what Mac could help with."

"Sounds like a plan," Danny answered stonily as he dropped his eyes to the floor. Lindsay stood expectantly and his head popped up, his eyes brimming with hope. "What?"

"You're not going to take it off?

"Why should I? I'm a married man," Danny smirked as he nodded to a passing tech, "This will be the talk of the lab."

"If I can remember correctly, Messer, you were the first to offer up an annulment," Lindsay reminded curtly.

"Fair enough," Danny countered as he snatched off his band, shoving it down in his pocket. He moved past her without another word spoken, and she stared after him. Suddenly, the love that flowed through them on countless other times was nonexistent.

"Danny?"

"Later, Monroe."

Left standing in the corridor alone, the cold tone coursed through her and she winced, watching him turn the corner. Sighing heavily, she threw her hands up as she started in the other direction, her mind running through the possible ways out of this. There had to be a way out.

Danny gazed out into the New York skyline, his thoughts far away from the scene he was now covering. The morning of revelation and fighting coupled with his hangover had taken a toll on him, but now that he was in the brisk air of a cool summer New York afternoon, the fog in his mind started to dissipate, allowing him the moment to think clearly. Granted, what they did was, at the very least, foolish, but deep down, he knew that Lindsay had meant more to him than anyone before. If he was going to be very truthful to himself, the idea of marriage had popped up more than once in the quiet moments , mostly when he gazed at her while she slept, seeing the happiness and the peace that now took residence upon her. More than anything he wanted to make her happy, because that is what she had done for him by merely smiling at him.

"I just wished that was enough," he mumbled as he heard footsteps behind him. Straightening himself, he cleared his throat and turned, seeing Stella as she approached, a knowing smile coming to her face. Danny threw her a cocked grin and gestured to the scene, "Any thing I need to know?"

"Well, if you are talking about finding a murderer, then yeah," Stella quipped, tilting her head. She narrowed her eyes, and approached further, "Something's up, Messer. Spill with it."

"What makes you think something's up, Stel?"

"Ah, let's see, the hint of dismay in your eyes, or maybe it's the time of reflection that you were having a second ago over there? C'mon, Danny, it's me, Stella. You can tell me anything."

Danny sighed heavily, letting the camera hang around his neck, peeling off the latex gloves and then reached into his pocket, retrieving the ring. He held it up and then looked to Stella to see the wild gaze that returned as it dawned on her quickly what he was showing her.

"It's amazing how one piece of jewelry can really screw up a man's emotions," Danny intoned sarcastically as Stella stood , her mouth agape. She could scarcely believe that Danny was standing before her, holding a wedding band.

"Tell me you didn't."

"It was a bet, a foolish bet."

"A bet? Let me guess, alcohol was involved, right?" Stella asked, cocking an eyebrow knowingly. Seeing his demeanor change, she glanced away, a chuckle coming from deep within. "You got married off of a bet, a drunken bet?"

"Yeah, Stella, and now, Lindsay is looking for a way out of it," Danny answered , his temper starting to flare. This wasn't helping one bit.

"And you're not?" Stella asked, her eyes falling on the simple gold band. "Danny, marriage is a big deal. Are you sure that you are ready for it? And what exactly does Lindsay really think of it?"

"That, I don't know, but Stel, I think I could get used to it. Honestly, I know I love her, but…"

"If there's a but behind those words, then this was a huge mistake. Danny, you gotta know what you want out of this with Lindsay, if it's just for fun, then deal with the hand you are dealt. But, if this is for real, and you love her as much as you say you love her, then go for it. I'm sure that you have your ways of coming across to Lindsay. And, I have seen the way she looks at you."

Danny scoffed. "Really?"

"Yeah," Stella answered with an easy smile. "Talk to her, truthfully, and I guarantee that you will know what to do."

Danny nodded as he slipped the band back into his pockets and smiled appreciatively to Stella and again gestured to the scene before them. "Guess it's time to get to work."

Stella laughed as she turned to move, "In more ways than one."

"Lindsay? Lindsay?" a voice said from behind her. She pulled herself out of her thoughts, turning to see Sheldon as he stood above her, an evidence envelope in hand. She had been delegated to the trace lab in light of the evidence coming in from a big scene in Manhattan, waiting patiently as it started trickling in. In all honesty, she was glad that she wasn't in the field today with what she had been through in the span of twelve hours. She was constantly bombarded with the thoughts of her marriage to Danny, and consumed with finding a way out of it. So much so that she barely paid any attention to the other techs in the lab. The solitary atmosphere, however, had given her a chance to actually clear her mind of the idea of a marriage not intended and focused on what really mattered. Danny. But now, as Sheldon stood expectantly, she realized that her renderings would have to wait.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sheldon. What can I do for you?"

"This came from the triple at the bodega this morning. See if you can match it to anything we have in the database for me?"

"Let me see," she said as she took the evidence envelope and extracted the sample. She felt Sheldon's gaze on her and smiled as she prepared to place it on the slide, "Do I have something in my hair?"

"No, no, you don't," Sheldon replied as he looked to the microscope. "Is everything going alright? Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" she asked, not looking up. A sudden chill ran through her as the thought of Danny confiding in him rose. This was something she wanted far away from the lab.

"It just seems like you aren't here."

"I'm perfectly fine, Sheldon," Lindsay lied as she finally looked up. "Honestly. Now as for your trace, I'm going to have to put it in the mass spec. That might take a while."

"Okay, just page me with the results," he stated with a smile as he started to leave. He stopped short and half turned, as Lindsay sat still. "Just know this, Lindsay; the truth is the most important of tools. Utilize it well and believe in it."

Lindsay turned and smiled back at him, giving him a slight nod, "Thanks, Sheldon."

"No problem, page me."

"Gotcha," she returned as she retained her focus on the microscope more, an easier smile gracing her face. Instantly, she knew what she had to do, and how she really truly felt about Danny, and the possibility of this marriage actually working. That is if Danny hadn't decided to change his mind. She could only hope that she hadn't screwed this up completely.

"I heard congratulations were in order," a voice called out.

Lindsay came to a halt; after running Sheldon's evidence, she had made it her mission to find Danny. 'My husband,' she thought to herself. The word still seemed foreign to her but she liked the way it sounded. She turned to person and turned pink before offering a shy smile. "Hi, Stella. So I take it you heard."

Stella nodded as she approached the younger woman before offering her a hug. "How are you doin' kiddo?"

"It's been a day … more like a lifetime," Lindsay admitted.

Stella nodded once more, crossing her arms. "I can imagine. So…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Lindsay let out a sigh before throwing her hands in the air. "I have come to a decision… only I haven't been able to find Danny… I have been looking for him for the past half an hour.

"What have you decided?" Stella questioned, her eyebrows arched in worry.

Lindsay let out a smile and dug into her jean pockets and fished out her wedding band. "I think you should start calling me Mrs. Danny Messer."

She found Danny in the locker room, toying with the wedding band. He sat hypnotized, watching it roll back and forth between his thumb and index finger.

"Hey you," she replied softly. Danny looked up at her, his gaze darkening.

"Hey," he grumbled back. "You've got divorce papers for me to sign already or something?"

"Actually, it's the opposite…" Lindsay began; the sound of Danny's cell phone ringing interrupted them.

Danny quickly answered his phone. A few moments passed before he looked at Lindsay again. "It's Mac. He wants us in his office."

"I spoke with a judge in Brooklyn – an old friend of mine about what happened and the circumstances in which they happened. She is willing to issue an annulment," Mac replied. "You would have to leave to Fed Plaza now."

Danny let out a huge breath before looking at Lindsay. "Wow." He turned to Lindsay. "I guess you got what you wanted."

"Actually," Lindsay began, standing. "That's not what I wanted at all. Truth is I love you Danny. We've been together for what now, a year? We have been through so much and I can't imagine…" her voice trembled. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me," Danny replied. "You're my rock babe." He stood up as well, walking over to her. He brushed her hair, tucking it behind her ear. "So, you sure you really want to do this?"

"Yes," Lindsay breathed, staring deeply into his eyes. "Marriage is hard work, but I want to be your wife." Danny dipped his head and gently pressed his lips against hers. Lindsay let out a small squeak and she wrapped her arms tightly around Danny's neck, pressing herself closer to his body. Danny ran his hands down to the small of her back.

"Excuse me for interrupting," Mac replied. "Should I call Judge Lazarus and cancel?"

Danny pressed a kiss on top of Lindsay's head. "Yeah."

They walked hand in hand through Central Park before stopping before a crowd that circled around a small band of violinists. Some groups of people chose to sit and stand, listening quietly. Some groups left the circle to dance on the side.

Danny paused, causing Lindsay to halt. He extended his hand to her. "Shall we?"

Lindsay smiled shyly before taking it. They swayed quietly beneath the twinkling stars and full moon that graced the now blackened New York City sky. "Mrs. Messer…" Danny breathed as Lindsay nuzzled his neck.

"Yes, Mr. Messer?" Lindsay teased back.

"It dawned on me that we never had a honeymoon," Danny replied looking at his wife. 'My wife,' Danny thought and his heart swelled.

"Uh, I am pretty sure we did, Danny… I have the hickeys to prove it," Lindsay blushed.

Danny shook his head. "We were beyond drunk. We deserve to have a proper honeymoon, babe. I am talking about champagne, strawberries, palm trees, the works. Whatever you want."

"Are you sure you want to hold up to that end of the bargain?" Lindsay teased, her eyes sparkling.

"Now where did I hear that before?" Danny teased back. He pressed her hand to his lips and kissed it. Lindsay playfully punched his arm.

"Hey, hey," Danny raised his hands defensively. "Babe, I didn't say no before and I am not going to start now."

FIN.