"Dat door ain't gonna open itself Monroe." Don Flack said walking up to his apartment late in the evening on a Friday night. Lindsay was leaning against her door looking exhausted her heavy bag laying on the floor. She turned her head and forced a smile and pulled her bag up. "Long day?" He asked and she nodded digging her keys out and smiling as she finally pulled them out.
"You ok?" She asked and he nodded smiling at her wishing he had a right to ask her about what had happened with Danny. Everyone knew that they were dating and then all of a sudden after Danny's neighbor died it was like they couldn't be in the same room and Lindsay looked tired and sad and Danny just looked bad.
"Have ya eaten?" He asked holding up the take out he'd picked up and she moaned lightly shaking her head. "Ok Monroe I'll share." He offered and she frowned for a second like she wanted to say no but finally nodded and pushed her door open. They'd been neighbors for almost 3 years and although they visited in passing he was rarely home. He'd liked her from day one and had been annoyed when Dan staked his claim right away and like a good friend he'd stayed away from her. They got along good and he'd spent a few cases with her at work and she was hilarious and got his jokes which he loved. "Ya gonna get dat?" He asked as her home phone started ringing as she shrugged her jacket off.
"No." She said kicking off her shoes and walking into the kitchen.
"God dammit Lindsay pick up the fucking phone." Danny said voice laced with anger into her machine. "Ya punishin me I get dat." He said sighing. "I love her, I didn't meant to hurt ya." He said and Lindsay pulled the cord plugging the machine into the wall out disconnecting sending the apartment into stony silence.
"Sorry." Don said feeling bad that he'd heard what was obviously private.
"It's ok." She said sighing as she sat grabbed a bottle of water for her and a beer for him. "Thanks for supper I was starving." She admitted as he pulled boxes out.
"No problem." He said smiling as she took a bite of spicy chicken moaning in pleasure. "It's nice to eat wit someone."
"Yeah." She said nodding as she fixed her plate. "So you were on that case with the missing girl today?" She asked hoping that if she distracted him with work talk he wouldn't ask any personal questions. She liked Don, always got along with him and enjoyed working with him. He was the perfect mix of gentleman and tough guy and he was damn good at his job and funny. He made the day pass faster and she rarely saw him outside of work but enjoyed eating with him.
"Linds." He said watching her. "I gotta ask." He said and she sighed and nodded. "Ya don't have to tell me." He offered and she shrugged.
"It just didn't work." She said staring at her food her apetite gone.
"Dat why he's been out?" He asked and she looked up and closed her eyes for a second.
"Don he's your friend." She said and he laughed.
"Linds he's not really my friend." He said honestly. "I thought we were friends but he's selfish." He explained. "I try to be his friend but he ain't interested. Ya know when I got blown up he never came to see me?" He asked and she shook her head. "Yeah he's a fuck up, I've tried to be there for him and dat shit with Rikki stealing his gun got me written up, I'm done helping him and I already told him I can't be around him anymore. He takes to many chances and I'm beginning to see he's not a good person. If he'd be honest wit me, wit himself then maybe I could try to help em but he's convinced he don't need no one so no." He said shaking his head. "He's not my friend but you are. Even if ya never tell me what he did I'm still not his friend but if ya worried bout making me chose sides I chose a long time ago. The only reason I got involved to help him with dis shit about his gun being missing was cause ya asked me too." He admitted and she nodded blinking back tears.
"He slept with Rikki." She whispered the words still causing her pain. "Said I saw more than was there with us. I have been trying to talk to him but I just, he didn't want to talk to me." She said shaking her head. "I went to his apartment last night and Rikki opened the door, they got married this last weekend in Vegas." She said and Don gasped shock evident on his handsome face. "Yeah anyway he came out, followed me down the stairs, said he was going to tell me." She said exhaling. "He said he loves her, that he didn't mean to hurt me."
"Mother fucker." Don said shaking his head. "Why's he leavin you pissed messages, ya didn't do anything wrong?" He asked recalling how angry Danny sounded on the machine.
"I'm pregnant." She said looking up at him big brown eyes bright with tears. "I'm 10 weeks pregnant."
"Oh." He whispered jaw dropping slightly.
"He says it's not his." She said hugging herself. "It is, I don't sleep around." She whispered eyes filling with tears.
"Hey I know dat." Don said feeling horrible.
"We haven't been together in a while, in 10 weeks." She said wiping her eyes hating that she was crying. "Just once and before that it had been a long time and he's mad, he thinks I'm trying to wreck his relationship with Rikki."
"Unfuckin believable." Don said shaking his head.
"He said he can't tell her that I'm pregnant, that it would kill her. I told him he doesn't have to have anything to do with this baby." She said sniffling. "I can do this on my own and I don't need him. I just thought telling him was the right thing to do."
"It was." Don said softly. "Lindsay if ya need anything I'm here." He offered. "I mean I know ya can do dis on ya own, I have no doubt but we're friends and friends help each other." He said and she smiled and nodded. "Plus I'm a great Lamaze coach, I was there when all 3 of my nephews were born." He said smiling.
"I may take you up on that." She said relaxing a little. "Why, is your sister married?" She asked remembering him talking about her.
"Yeah but her husband passes out at da site of blood." Don said smiling. "One drop and he's down." He said and Lindsay smiled eyes still bright with tears. "Besides I'm gonna have more time on my hands now that they changed our schedules." He added and she smiled.
"I won't know what to do with the extra time." She said resting her hand on her flat belly. The lab had changed hours and Don was now a part of their team. They would work 3 12 hour days and only be on call on day a week due to budget cuts.
"Yeah me too." He said nodding. He'd been worried about that, he'd always thrown himself into work and now he'd have a lot less time at the station and that thought scared him a little.
"So since we're friends sharing personal things." She said smiling. "What's going on with you and Jessica Angel?"
"Nothing." He said firmly. "Ok ok." He said as she gave him a funny look. "I thought there could be but she's sleeping wit 2 guys from my precint." He admitted. "I don't care bout the past but I don't wanna date someone who wants to date other people." He admitted. "I guess I'm a one woman kinda man."
"Did you ask her?" She asked and he nodded.
"She said it's her business who she sleeps wit." He admitted. "She got pissed and said she liked them and until she had a ring on her finger she could sleep wit whoever she wanted which is true." He admitted. "I told er dat if we were dating I would want her to stop and she said she had no idea I was such a prude."
"Wow." Lindsay said cringing feeling bad for him. "What's wrong with this world?" She asked shaking her head. "I mean I know I'm from Montana and maybe we do things different there but I don't think it's abnormal to only sleep with one person at a time."
"Yeah I don't either but I think we're in the minority Monroe." He said shrugging a smile on his face. "Have ya told anyone about da baby?"
"No." She said shaking her head. "They say the rate of miscarriage is high until 20 weeks so I'd like to wait." She explained. "I know it's a bad situation but I want this baby." She whispered. "I always wanted lot's of kids."
"I love babies." Don said grinning. "I can't wait for ya to have em."
"It's a girl." She said and he frowned. "I think." She added and he laughed. "Hey what doctor does your sister use?" She asked. "I had my first appointment yesterday and I didn't like the guy."
"Oh man her name is Jenson." He said smiling. "She's bout 60 and she's real nice. I can get ya her number." He offered and she nodded smiling.