Okay, this is totally random. Yes, I know that more than one person works a night shift. I also know it would probably be more than three people. And no, I have no idea what time shifts start at the NY lab or how long they go. Suspend reality, folks, because this one's a doozy!

Marty Pino was in the episode "Trapped" He's so darned cool I had to put him in a fic.

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

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Danny Messer hated the night shift.

Lindsay Monroe hated the night shift.

Yet somehow, they both ended up working the five to five shift.

It was spring in New York, and a massive thunderstorm was kicking up its heels. Lightning licked at the New York City skyline, and thunder rattled the windows. Rain was beating down in sheets.

But even with all that nasty weather, the lab was surprisingly quiet. There hadn't been any calls, and Danny had been at work five hours. He had no idea what he was going to do with himself for seven more.

"Hi." Lindsay Monroe sat down next to him in the bullpen.

"Hey. Bored yet?"

"Extremely." Lindsay leaned back. A bolt of lightning lit the sky. "Oooh, that was a close one. I love thunderstorms. Out in Montana, you can watch them come in. You can see where the rain starts. And the lightning, it's ground to cloud, and big bolts, too. Seeing it come off the mountains, it's something else."

"I like watching the lightning," Danny said. "Unpredictable. Force to be reckoned with." They watched the storm for a few minutes.

"I'm bored," Lindsay announced. "Let's do something."

"Like what? Run random samples through the GCMS? Face it, this is the first time we've been ahead of the game in a long time, and as a result, there isn't anything to do." Danny took a swig of his soda.

"I think Marty Pino's working tonight."

"The Giants fan?" Danny asked. Lindsay nodded. "He's downstairs alone? That's no fun."

"Let's go see if he's got anything exciting happening," Lindsay suggested.

Danny stood up. "Why not? Beats sitting up here alone." He started for the stairs. "Rather take these than end up stuck in an elevator with you, Montana."

"Really? 'Cause I could think of ways to keep us occupied in an elevator," Lindsay offered suggestively.

He grinned and wrapped an arm around her. "Oh yeah?" He kissed her on the lips.

"This is highly unprofessional," Lindsay whispered.

"Who's gonna tell?" Danny replied.

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Downstairs, Danny heard the faint strains of Van Halen. "Never would've pegged Marty for the classic rock type," Danny noted as he pushed open the door to Autopsy. "Hey! Anyone home?"

Dr. Marty Pino jumped sky-high. "What the hell, Messer?" he demanded, grinning.

"Jumpy, much?" Lindsay asked him.

Marty spread his hands wide. "I'm down here where the dead bodies are. When a disembodied voice breaks the silence, yeah, I tend to get a little jumpy."

"Nothin' to do upstairs," Danny said. "Thought we'd see if anything excitin' was happening down here."

The ME shook his head. "Jack squat," he replied. "Bored outta my skull. I rearranged the autopsy tools, but there's only so many times you can do that. I also put Sid's cassettes outta order. He'll flip when he gets in tomorrow."

Danny and Lindsay laughed. Sid Hammerback was very territorial about his music. "You'll be the next body in the cooler, Marty," Lindsay teased.

Marty grinned. "There ain't room. I checked when I got out from my nap."

"Did you just say…got out?" Lindsay asked.

"Yeah," Marty smiled.

"Out from where?" she asked.

He grinned and walked over to the cooler. He pulled one of the tables out of the wall and nodded to the blanket-in New York Giants colors, of course- that was inside. "Quietest place in New York, right there."

Danny wrinkled his nose. "That's sick, man."

"Hey, you asked," Marty shrugged. He slammed the table shut, coinciding with a crack of thunder. "So what should we do?" he asked. "Cockroach hunt?"

"Ew," Lindsay said.

"I remember when I was little, me and Louie- that's my brother-" Danny clarified for Marty- "would play hide and seek when it stormed. We'd flip off all the lights in the house, and he'd have a flashlight, and I'd hide, and then when he found me, instead of tagging me, he'd shine the flashlight. Except he always did it in my eyes."

"Cool idea, Messer," Marty said. "Let's do it."

"Do what?" Danny asked, confused.

"Play hide and seek." Marty handed Lindsay and Danny two flashlights from some extra crime scene kits.

"Are you serious?" Lindsay asked the young ME.

Marty nodded. "Sure. Why not? Nothing better to do."

"Do you know how much trouble we could get in? Mac would draw and quarter us!"

"What the Boss Man don't know won't hurt him," Marty countered. "It's eleven at night. He's not due in till at least four. That gives us five hours to play."

"I'm in," Danny said immediately. Lindsay glared at him.

"Danny!"

He grinned. "Come on, Montana. Lighten up. Have some fun." He flicked on his light and waved it in her face. "You know you want to," he said.

"Maybe she'll rat on us to Taylor," Marty accused jokingly.

"No way!" Lindsay grabbed a flashlight. "Let's do this. Who's it?"

"One," Marty said.

"Two," Danny replied.

"Three," Marty finished.

"Not it!" everyone yelled at the same time.

"Lindsay was last. She seeks first," Marty said. "What's our boundaries?"

"Not outside. Not in the garage. Not in the precinct," Danny ticked them off. "That leaves the lab upstairs and Autopsy. Oh, and no elevators."

"Fair enough," Marty said. "Do we have a base?"

"Mac's office," Lindsay decided.

Danny smiled at her. "Hey, now you're getting in to it."

"I can have fun, you know," she told him.

He grinned. "Yeah? Count to a hundred. Then come looking." He waved to her.

Marty hit the lights. Autopsy was blanketed in darkness.

The game had begun.