i tried to tell you before I left/ but I was screaming under my breath/ you are the only thing that makes sense/ just ignore all this present tense

-Snow Patrol, It's beginning to get to me

Sheldon Hawkes hesitated before opening the door of the locker room, then quickly stuck his head in to check it was clear. After seeing who was inside he hesitated for a few seconds before entering. It wasn't usual behaviour for him, but then, it hadn't been a usual new years at all.

"Hey Danny."

Ever since Christmas- nearly two weeks ago- a thick tension had filled the air around Danny Messer and Lindsay Monroe. And it wasn't of the kind that would have Adam setting up a betting pool on the date of their engagement.

This tension was responsible for the shouting match Hawkes had witnessed the last time he had seen his friend. It seemed that all it took for Danny and Lindsay to start arguing these days was for the two of them to be in the same room at the same time.

Hawkes hated it- hence his new habit of checking to see who was in the room before going in.

But for the moment all of the tension seemed to have dissipated into nothing. His friend was smiling and relaxed.

"Hey Hawkes."

Hawkes clipped his pager and cell to his belt and placed his bag in his locker before following Danny out the room. Outside they met up with Flack.

"Hey, guys. Who's up for grabbing a few drinks at Joe's?"

Hawkes shrugged. "Sorry, I just came on."

Danny shook his head. "Got plans already man, sorry."

"Aww come on Messer, sure you don't need some liquid refreshment after a hard days work?"

Danny grinned. "Just not with you my friend."

He clapped his hand on Flack's shoulder, turning his head towards the front entrance. A figure was loitering near the stairs. "I gotta go. See you guys later," he said, walking away.

Flack and Hawkes watched as the figure tilted her head forward in recognition, her curls falling in front of her face.

"Hey Montana," they heard him call. "You ready?"

The rest of the brief conversation was inaudible and they turned to walk out together, Danny's hand falling to rest at her lower back.

Hawkes and Flack looked at each other. "What the hell…?"

--------------

"I can't believe you think the boyfriend did this! You saw the way he acted in interrogation!"

"Yeah I saw the way he was real shook up over his girl bein' dead on the street!"

"What, you've never seen anyone in shock before Messer?"

"Yeah, but DNA says he was with her before she died!"

"But, it wasn't his print on the lamp!"

"She just moved in, Montana! Could have been anyone's print!"

"For Christ's sake, Danny, stop calling me that!"

Silence.

Then-

"What happened Lindsay? At Christmas we finally seemed to be movin' forward, ya know? What happened?"

More silence.

Then a whisper.

"Huh?"

"I got scared okay! You scare me Danny!"

"What? Mon- Montana, look I don't know what you heard, but I ain't that person no more-"

"No! Don't you get it? You mean something to me, Danny. There isn't any going back from this."

A moment of shock.

"You think I don't know that? I'll do anythin'. Anythin' you want, Lindsay. I'm more serious 'bout this than I've been about anythin'."

A few moments later-

"I'm sorry."

"Ah, Montana. You think I don't get scared about this?"

"I think, maybe, a dinner? Few drinks, some laughs?"

"Yeah. We'll start there. Take it slow."

"Not too slow."

"Anythin' you want Montana."