Faulty Wiring

By: ioanhoratio

A/N: This takes place just before season 4's DOA for a Day. I was playing around on my computer and came across a few stories I had started but hadn't finished. This one was almost done so I decided to go ahead and finish it. It is in three parts (and don't worry all three parts are finished so I won't leave this story hanging LOL!) and it is the first story I've written that takes place before season 5. It weird for me to not write DL as a married couple. Any hoo, this is not a particularly happy one, if everyone recalls the debacle that was season 4, but I hope you enjoy it.

"Who would be sending Lindsay flowers?" Danny griped as he paused in the hallway, looking into the glass surrounding his and Lindsay's office.

"What's that?" Hawkes asked when he realized that Danny was no longer walking with him down the hallway.

Danny gave him a confused look and mumbled, "'Scuse me just a sec." He then pushed the door open to the office and strode purposefully over to Lindsay's desk. He frowned at the bouquet of spring flowers. They were beautiful and obviously expensive, and were arranged in a glass vase that clearly communicated a deep relationship. Danny fingered one of the petals and his frown deepened. 'Who the hell would send my girl flowers?' he thought bitterly, his jealousy drowning out his reasoning. The fact that he hadn't been a very good boyfriend since Ruben's death didn't factor into his current reaction.

Danny ignored common sense, and began poking around the flowers to find the card. He told himself he just wanted to make sure the flowers weren't meant for someone else, and wound up on Lindsay's desk by mistake. His search came up empty and he sighed in frustration.

"Danny?" her voice called from behind him.

He whirled around, surprised at being caught unaware. He cringed slightly, knowing she had to have seen him messing with her floral arrangement. "Hey Linds," he said, trying to keep his voice light.

She didn't so much as smile at him. "Is there something you needed?" she asked, her tone chilly.

"No...ah...I was jus' lookin' at the flowers...they're ah...they're really pretty," he stammered out.

She gave a derisive snort, but her tone was anything but humorous when she answered, "Yes they are."

When she gave no indication of explaining where they had come from Danny felt his frustration grow. "That's it?"

"What's it Danny?" Lindsay tiredly questioned, pushing past him to walk over to her desk.

In Danny's current state, his emotions were nearly uncontrollable; the lack of sleep, the weight of guilt and shame, his questioning of his worthiness in life had led him to a dark, destructive place. As a result his irritation bloomed into an irrational anger.

"Somebody's sendin' ya flowers an' I'm jus' suppose to be ok with it?" he barked, "No explanation to me? Nothin'? You were pissed at me last night for no reason, an' then today you act like I did somethin' wrong. What's your problem?"

Danny watched as the indignation on Lindsay's face changed. He was itching for a fight, and was surprised when instead of anger, he saw her expression close off. For a moment he saw hurt in her eyes but that too was soon buried behind a mask he hadn't seen since the trial in Montana.

Danny immediately regretted his words, especially when Lindsay calmly reached into the top drawer of her desk and tossed a little white envelope onto the desk in front of him. Her name was neatly scrawled across it. He didn't move.

"Go ahead," she said, indicating the envelope with a nod of her head.

Danny hesitated. He knew he'd messed up.

"Go ahead Danny," she said evenly, each word carefully enunciated, "read it."

When he still didn't move for it, Lindsay picked it up off the table and pulled the card out of the envelope and pressed it into Danny's hand. She quickly controlled her features, and with her head high, stoically exited the room.

Danny wished he was able to put the card down, and just run after her to apologize, but he couldn't. He was making a mess of everything, of everyone's life. Nothing was clear to him, except the fact that he wanted to know who sent her the flowers.

He looked down at the card.

"Shit."

to be continued...