A/N: I realized with some shock that I haven't written anything since last november, so here is my attempt to try and write again. I think it's quite a shaky start and hopefully it strengthens out soon. I haven't been following with the 3rd season of CSI NY, so this is going to be rather independent. I'm open to criticism, don't really care if it's constructive or not, and compliments. Haha.
This is unbeta-ed and I don't own any of the characters portrayed in the TV show. Without further ado...
The Process of Thawing Ice
She had wanted freedom when she chose to move to New York. At that moment she had felt that life was about making the right choices, and at that moment she boarded the plane she had convinced herself that the right choice was to gain freedom from her past. Lindsay Monroe had decided that moving to the other side of the country was the best way to attain freedom, since taking herself away physically was always the best thing to do.
Being a rather stubborn lady, she had almost succeeded in losing the grip hold the past had on her. Almost. She scheduled her trip such that her first morning in the city, she would be working. When she survived the day with more ease than she thought she would've, Lindsay congratulated herself by unpacking her luggage. The only difficulty she had faced was the cocky, arrogant man she had to share a lab with. He seemed bent on making her stay in NYC unpleasant- playing practical jokes on her, purposely bumping into her in the lab, and making fun of her town.
Bozeman, Montana was still her town, and she didn't know if it would ever not be her town. It really didn't help that that man, Danny Messer, had started calling her Montana with a vaguely insulting tone the second day of her job. It was as if no other place in the world could measure up to New York City in his eyes.
She had to agree, though, that New York was a pretty amazing place. Bright lights, tall skyscrapers, and the people who never slept intrigued her. What intrigued her the most, however, was this man. His accent was horrible at first, but gradually it had grown on her. The way he said "Montana" was annoying, but then it started sounding more affectionate than depreciative. These days, Lindsay felt uncomfortable and a little hurt if he didn't call her by her hometown at least once a day.
Lately, she was feeling more hurt than she ever had her entire stay in New York. Stirring the spoon in small circles in the coffee cup, watching the dark liquid turn languidly, Lindsay sighed. She knew it was her own doing that had pushed him away, and a part of her wondered if it would ever be the same again.
"Lindsay."
She turned her attention away from the steam rising gently above her cup and focused on Mac.
"There's a DB in Central Park."
"Alright, I'll go grab my kit."
Mac gave her a small smile, "Grab Danny along the way." She sighed again and downed the remaining coffee in the cup.
Danny had nodded his head in acknowledgement when she entered their office. "We've got a scene in Central Park." Her voice was soft, almost timid. However, she was Lindsay, and was sure to manage to place a little stubborn confidence in her sentence.
Getting up reluctantly from the reclining chair, he drawled, "Well, what are we waiting for?" and walked towards her. Their journey to the elevator was silent, with occasional stolen glances at each other. Danny licked his lips, stuck his hands in his pant pockets and rocked on his heels. Lindsay clasped her hands before her and stood straight as a stick.
He felt discomfort itching its way across his chest and coughed to clear his throat. It sucked that their friendship had mutated into an icebox – hollow and cold.
After their little confrontation outside the interrogation room where she had essentially given him the "it's not you, it's me" speech, Danny had started to doubt himself. He wasn't sure that he was attractive enough for her, and he wasn't sure if he was good enough for her. When Lindsay had confessed that she liked him, it was with such pain in her eyes he wondered if she was just cushioning his fall.
The elevator doors slid apart and they stepped out, falling into step with each other. For a brief moment, Danny felt that the freezing icicle stabbing at him had melted.
"Do you want to drive?" He asked her, using the pad of his thumb to push the bridge of his glasses up.
She smiled at him, a shy little girl smile, "Why not we drive one way each?"
He tried grinning at her, and hoped he hadn't failed, "Sure."
Danny had driven the SUV while she fiddled around with the radio controls. Finally she found a country station and relaxed, sinking into the seat. She smiled when he rolled his eyes at her. Perhaps things were sliding back into place.
The gray of the city faded into lush greenery and Lindsay knew they were approaching their crime scene soon. Something about the green carpet grass and the twanging of acoustic guitars reminded her of Montana, so she stared at the hem of her cardigan as Danny parked the car.
The crime scene was tragic because of the pristine setting. Spring was nearing; hence the flower buds were making an appearance amongst the green leaves of the perfectly trimmed bushes. Unfortunately, the tranquil beauty of the garden was disturbed by a dead body leaning face down into a particularly prickly rose bush. Lindsay pursed her lips as she ducked under the yellow crime scene tape and started snapping photographs. She paused to appreciate, briefly, as Danny bent down to set his kit on the ground and open it.
"I'm gonna go look at the perimeters, see if I can find anything? You'll process the body?" She asked him, and passed him the camera.
Taking out his finger print brush, Danny nodded and looped the camera strap around his neck. He didn't know if he should be thankful that they were able to work professionally, even with the tension frazzling their minds.
They worked meticulously, and soon the sun had begun to set.
"Lindsay?" He called out in her general direction.
"Yeah?"
Danny started packing up his kit, "I think we're about done here."
She gave him a tiny smile and counted the number of evidence bags she had in her hands before stashing them into her kit. Walking past him, Lindsay reached into his pocket and grabbed the SUV keys. "It's my turn to drive."
Slowly, the glacier bridging the distance between them was thawing.
A/N: I hope it wasn't too lame or anything. Do review (and if possible give ideas)! Thanks.
