Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY; they are the property of CBS.

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Chapter One: Mornings Suck

Mornings suck.

Danny Messer yawned and pushed his glasses up his nose. Not for the first time in the two hours he'd been awake, he wished he had just written up the damn report when Mac had asked him to. Instead, he promised Mac, "First thing tomorrow," to which Mac had responded, "See you at six a.m."

"Right. Six. Got it,' Danny said with a nod…then he saw the look on Mac Taylor's face and realized the head man was not joking. "Mac…seriously?"

"Seriously." Mac tapped his watch, then disappeared out of the lab, his shift done for the night, leaving an annoyed Danny Messer behind.

Danny swore a four-letter blue streak.

"Whoa!" Lindsay Munroe's voice rang out. "That's gotta be a record!"

Danny whirled around. Lindsay was standing there, coat on, her bag slung across her chest. "You got somethin' to say, Montana?" Danny demanded.

"Yeah…you've got an attitude the size of the Rocky Mountains," Lindsay shot back, stunned by Danny's demeanor. "And don't call me Montana, damn it."

Danny took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Sorry, Lindsay," he apologized.

"Rough day or what?" Lindsay asked, slightly less irate.

"Yeah. I'm up to my damn ears in lab reports. I don't want to stay late, 'cause I'm not getting overtime for writing these up. So Mac wants me in at six."

Lindsay winced. "Ouch. That sucks," she said apologetically. "Hey, I'm in at seven. How 'bout I bring breakfast?" she offered. "Like…it might be Egg McMuffins or something, but it'll sort of be food."

Danny considered it. "Sure. Yeah, why not?" He grinned. "It's a date."

Lindsea rolled her eyes. "You wish, Messer." She strode by him and out the front doors.

Danny waved after her, "See you at seven, darling!"

"Shut up!"

Now, less than twelve hours later, Danny stood in the entryway of the New York Crime Lab, waiting for the elevator. He shivered. It was getting to be winter in New York City. Some people said New Yorkers knew nothing of winter…those people didn't have any clue what they were talking about.

The elevator ding mixed in with the sounds of screeching tires. Danny narrowed his eyes in confusion and turned around.

A green Dodge Stratus pulled up outside the lab. Danny saw black marks where the tires had skidded against the pavement. "What the hell?"

The passenger door opened, and someone tumbled out of the car. The Stratus sped off into the New York morning, turned down a side alley, and screeched out of sight.

"Jesus." Danny dropped his shoulder bag in the hall and darted outside. He started down the steps when he froze. His heart stopped.

The someone that had been thrown from the car was wearing Lindsay's jacket.

Danny nearly tripped taking the rest of the stairs two at a time. "Montana!"

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