Chapter One:

Lindsay was sure that it was just one of those typical arguments couples had. She was curious, he was withholding information, they bickered, then she got a call. It'd be worked out and all would be well with the world (she laughed inwardly, having thought this while processing a dead male who's…organ…was ten feet away from the body: unattached.) It wasn't serious. Danny had received a phone call from a woman she didn't know and he wouldn't tell her who. "All in good time," he said. Which, as she thinks about it now, makes sense. They'd only been dating a few months. There was still a lot to uncover.

The next morning, she made her way into the lab, stopping short to see Danny conversing with, she assumed, the woman that he was on the phone with the night before. She ducked out of sight from both parties and listened behind a door, biting her lip. "You know, I'm no expert," she jumped and turned to glare at Mac who had been walking from the break room at the same time. "But isn't trust key to a healthy relationship?"

"I trust him," she whispered, turning back to look at the scene. "I'm just curious." And meanwhile, Danny and the nameless woman with dyed blonde hair, a small frame, and lines creasing her forehead, began to talk louder.

"Why isn't she in school, Melanie? S'she sick? Someone hurt her?" His voice sounded concerned, but Lindsay briefly noticed, she was glad to now have a name with the face.

"She's fine. She kicked one of the boys in her class for trying to…" this Melanie took a breath "to kiss her." Danny snickered. "It's not funny, she's suspended for the rest of the day and tomorrow! And I gotta go in half an hour!"

"Mel, I'm still at work. What am I gonna do, huh?"

Lindsay narrowed her eyes.

"Look, I don'know. You work it out. They don't have a day care around here?"

Day Care?

"Hell if I know…where's she at anyways?"

"In the car."

"In the car!" There was a groan, the kind of groan that spelled frustration. Lindsay started making her way out of hiding. "Bring 'er in, I got stuff for 'er at my place."

"You're a life saver."

"Yeah, yeah. Have fun with yer' ma." A scoff and she saw Melanie walking away.

She waited a minute before "Danny?"

Danny turned around and blinked at her, rubbing his forehead. "Yeah, Montana?"

"I uhm…I couldn't help…I mean I guess I could…but I heard and I'm a little confu-"

"You were eavesdropping." She glared

"Well what was I supposed to do?"

Danny sighed. "I'm not mad at you, I'm just clarifying."

"Could you tell me what that was all about?" Was that desperation? No, no way. Ok, yes. Yes, it was.

Something registered in Danny's eyes. Realization that she was absolutely clueless, maybe?"Right. Well…you see…it all started about si-"

"DADDY!"

Daddy?

Danny turned away from her and squatted down to the ground in time to pick up a small girl with dark blonde hair, sapphire eyes, and pale skin. Said girl took one look at Lindsay and ducked her head into Danny's neck, cheeks turning pink. The loud scream had gathered a small group of people in the hallway now. Among them were Mac, Stella, Don, Adam, and a few lab technicians. Both Danny and the little girl started to visibly fidget.

Daddy…

Wait…

Lindsay looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Danny gulped and looked back, eyes only shifting to look at everyone else now staring him down.

"Linds, everyone, this is Angie. She's five years old, just south of 3 feet, and me and her share 23 chromosomes."

"And a mean left hook!" Angie had picked her head up off of Danny's shoulder to look at him. "Right, Daddy?" Danny bit his lip, trying to suppress a laugh.

Daddy…

Lindsay's eyes softened and her mouth was partially agape in what was probably shock. She looked around. Don didn't seem too phased at all, she couldn't tell what Mac was thinking (as usual,) and Stella had her hand on her heart and a smile on her face. Adam seemed slightly dazed and two of the lab techs appeared as though they were repressing "awe's."

"Danny," she spoke quietly at the same moment that Mac and said his name sharply. Danny looked first at her and then at him, fear shining in his eyes.

"In my office." Mac's voice seemed to have lessened in harshness when he scanned the small child.

Danny looked at Lindsay again, saying, quite firmly " I'll tell you everything later" and that was clearly the end of the conversation. He let Angie down and grasped her tiny hands in his, following Mac down the corridor.

Everyone slowly went back to their work until all that was left standing was Lindsey and Adam. She was staring down the empty hall and jumped when Adam cleared his throat.

"I got some DNA off of that sample you gave me…"

"Sample," she muttered, turning to look at him and trying to focus. "right…well, lead the way."