Messing with Donnie

By: DemonClowSorceress

Disclaimer: Perception is not mine.

Set during 2x03 "Blindness" between Daniel's conversation with Natalie and the change blindness experiment.

Enjoy the scenes! I sure enjoyed writing them!

The sound of insistent knocking distracted Kate from the crime novel she was attempting to read. Sticking a bookmark in the page to mark her place, she got up and headed for the front door. "Who is it?"

"Kate, it's me."

"Daniel?" She undid the locks on her door and opened to reveal her favorite college professor standing in the hallway. "Daniel, what's wrong? It's ten o'clock at night."

He immediately stepped into her apartment and started pacing in her living room. Clearly whatever he had to tell her was big; Daniel was a bundle of manic energy whenever he had an idea that could make or break a case. "I know how to get Donnie to accept my change blindness theory."

The very mention of her ex-husband had Kate scowling. "Daniel, I hate to state the obvious, but he's not going to change his mind that easy."

"What if we prove it's possible to experience change blindness, up close and personal?"

"An experiment?"

"Exactly," Daniel nodded. "He can't argue against a demonstration, can he?"

"He certainly will try his best." But Kate liked the idea herself. Donnie would see that Daniel was right, and plus, if they did it right, they could have a little fun. She was still pissed at the fact that he brought up Daniel's condition in court during the Billy Flynn case. "What did you have in mind?"

The smile on Daniel's face was nothing short of diabolical. "I've got a couple students who'd love being part of a cognitive experiment. We get someone to ask Donnie directions, and while he's focused on the map, we switch the first person out with another similar-looking person."

It was so simple and yet so clever, Kate was both impressed and astonished. "Daniel, you are a genius."

"So I've been told," he said with a modest shrug and a tiny smile. "We need to make sure he's properly distracted so he won't notice the switch - "

"He won't if we use hot girls," she said with the bitter confidence of prior knowledge.

"Oooh-kaaay." Daniel nodded slowly, caution clear in his eyes. The expression reminded Kate that Daniel didn't know the details of her divorce. She started to apologize, but Daniel swiftly continued speaking. "I have two students who look similar enough in appearance that we can pull this off. How about you call Donnie and set up a meeting for tomorrow morning?"

She nodded. "I'll meet you at the south courtyard?"

"Sounds good."

Daniel was engrossed in a sudoku when Kate arrived with coffee and tea. He pulled out of his headspace when he felt a presence against his left side. Pulling off his headphones, he looked over and smiled. "Good morning."

"It's shaping up to be that way," she agreed, holding out one of the two cups she carried. "Chamomile, no milk no sugar. How long have you been out here?"

"Half an hour. I like early morning air." Daniel accepted the cup and gratefully took a sip. The tea's warmth seeped through his body, banishing the chill he hadn't noticed. "When's Donnie due to arrive?"

"In about fifteen minutes. Are your students ready?"

"And willing. They were very happy to help once I told them I was playing a prank as well as making a point." His grin reappeared. "Kids, right?"

Kate smiled back. Pulling his headphones back over his ears, Daniel concentrated on his puzzle again, leaving Kate to keep a lookout for Donnie. He could feel her warmth like a small space heater beside him, and the smell of whatever subtle perfume she wearing was distracting him from his puzzle.

Then, too soon and not soon enough, he felt her hand touch his arm. "Here he comes."

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