I own nothing
Sequel to "Hear Your Voice."
8:15 AM
The day was finally here. Lindsay Munroe stood in line at JFK waiting to go through security. This is it, she thought, no turning back now. She was on her way back to Montana to testify against the lowlife that had killed her friends. Killed her friends and then left her alive with the memories to torture her for the rest of her life. To this day the nightmares still plagued her. They would come when she least expected it; just when she let her guard down and thought that part of her life was over, she would be swamped with the panic and terror. In a sick and twisted way she almost envied her friends their death. They were at peace whilst she lived a life running from fear.
Normally, the hustle and bustle of the airport would have made Lindsay smile. Something about everyone rushing about preparing to travel to hundreds of destinations all over the world usually gave her such a sense of possibility. Today? Not so much. She was pretty sure that this was, to date, the loneliest day of her life. She stood in line at security, waiting for her turn through the apparatus. She placed her carry-on in one of the plastic bins and her badge, shoes and cell phones in another. The guard finally beckoned to her, it was her turn to go through the metal detector. With one last hopeful glance she sighed and walked through. She had thought Danny might show at the last minute. When she had told him she was leaving the other night she had hoped he would read between the lines and come see her off. She had hoped, but she hadn't actually expected him to show. Don had probably already told him what happened by now. Recalling the events of the previous days she closed her eyes and winced.
After the bathwater had cooled, Lindsay made her way back to the bedroom. Flack lay on the edge of the bed with his back to her. Lindsay's brow furrowed at that because he usually slept spread eagle either on his stomach or on his back. Slipping into an old T-shirt she slid beneath the covers and whispered his name. No answer. She said it again, a little louder this time. Nothing. With a heavy sigh she burrowed her face into her pillow and fell into a troubled sleep. She'd just deal with it tomorrow. As it happened, that was the worst thing she could have done because the next morning when she stumbled into the kitchen Don was sitting at the table, fiddling with his coffee cup. His eyes were shuttered with a painfully determined look in his eyes that also held a healthy dose of hurt. Then he uttered the four words that she never wanted to hear.
We need to talk
She just nodded. Nodded and walked to the coffee maker to pour herself a cup as much as to collect herself and avoid the inevitable. Her hands trembled ever so slightly as she poured cream into her cup and she took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, turned and took a seat opposite him. She offered him a small shaky smile and she caught a ghost of a smirk on his lips before it was hard again.
Finally Lindsay broke the silence, Don, I...
Don't. Came his harsh reply. Just let me get this out, kay?
She nodded and looked down at her hands, blinking back tears at the hurt and anger in his voice.
I heard you. Last night? On the phone? I heard you, every word. He heard her gasp but refused to look at her, determined to finish this. Now, I think I've been pretty understanding, pretty patient even with you, and granted this is whole situation is partially my fault. I knew I wasn't your first choice. I walked into this relationship knowing I was your rebound, but I at least figured you'd have enough respect for me to be honest. I'd hoped that over time you would move on and maybe give me the chance to love you the way I want to. He paused with a self-deprecating smile. That just proves how blind love makes you. Never thought I'd be the sucker who hung onto a girl who wasn't hanging on to me. Yet here i sit. He paused again, his gaze briefly flitting to hers.
Don. She whispered.
He just shook his head and pursed his lips It's no use, Linds. I know that you don't do it consciously but you push me away. And every time you brush me off it cuts just a little deeper into a wound that never has a chance to heal. I'll tell ya though, the fatal blow was listening to you pour your heart out to your ex-boyfriend, my best friend, when you know I was asleep in your bed. You don't trust me enough to let me in, Lindsay, and at this point I'm pretty much done trying to scale that wall. So, I'm going to do what any self-respecting, red-blooded male would do. I'm gonna bow out. Because it's not fair. Not to you, not to Danny, not to Angell, and certainly not to me. I'll always be you're friend, but I just can't be your pet anymore.
Her head snapped up at that. My, my PET? What the hell does that mean? her tone uncertain
His chuckle was almost normal Just that I've been following you around, begging for affection, and waiting for you to notice me or throw me a bone.
I'm sorry. She said softly. There was nothing else she could say. As much as it hurt her to admit it, he was right. She had been treating him like that. Her eyes begged him to understand and believe her
So am I doll. So am I. He stood and pulled her into one final embrace. He could feel her body shake with suppressed sobs and before his resolve broke he kissed her on the forehead and said Bye Linds.
Then he was gone. Lindsay just stood there in the middle of her kitchen tears streaming down her face, her arms wrapped around her own body. She did the only thing she could. Walking back to her room she dropped onto her bed and cried. For the relationship with Don that wasn't meant to be, for all the lives that her problems had ruined, for the love she had lost, and for the loneliness that was consuming her. She cried until she finally fell into an exhausted emotional sleep.
Lindsay's eyes filled with tears even as she thought of it now. She had woken up eight hours later with one hell of a hangover. After wearily packing her bags she had called Danny and left a message on his mail service letting him know all her flight information. She told herself that it was just in case of emergency. She knew better. She finally made it to her gate and walked to the window watching the planes move along the tarmac. She wondered how her life had become this complicated and what had possessed her to push the love of her life so far away that it felt like he would never return. After a quick glance at the clock she sank into a surprisingly uncomfortable waiting room chair and pulled out her IPod. It was only 9:00. Might as well drown out the world, she thought. And proceeded to do just that.
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7:15 AM
The irony of life never failed to amaze him. After that late night phone call with Lindsay, his situation with Jen had been going down hill crazy fast. Everything about her was grating his nerves and he didn't even try to hide it. He had been trying to figure out the best way to tell her it was over, but as he walked into his apartment he found that she had beat him to the punch.
Messer,
This may or may not come as a surprise to you. The past couple of days have been unspeakably awkward and tense and i have to ask myself why. I assume, since I overheard her discussion with Mac, that it has something to do with a certain curly haired CSI. It seems that despite my best efforts I can't compete, and I can't compare. So, I'm done. I'm done being your bed warming, stand-in, substitute that will never measure up. I can't say that there are no hard feelings, but I'll get over it. You never let me close enough to get that attached. That said, do yourself a favor, eh? Listen to your messages and do what your heart tells you to. I'll miss you.
-Angell
PS. You have this week and next off ( I talked to Gerard). and i took the liberty of submitting a request that you be transferred back to days. Sometimes distance isn't all it's cracked up to be, and lets face it- you were never a night owl.
Danny just sat there for a good fifteen minutes, numb, contemplating what she had said. The lack of emotion on his part spoke clearly about how much their relationship had really meant to him. He felt next to nothing and that made him feel more than a bit slimy. Resignedly he stood and grabbed his cordless phone- dialing his message service curious to see what kind of message had prompted her to make such an abrupt exit. Understanding was not long in coming as he heard Lindsay's shaky almost quivering voice...
Hey. Danny. Um, I'm not really sure what to say because I'm not really sure where we stand after our conversation the other night. But, I thought someone should know my flight info just in case. I'm flying out of JFK at 9:30 AM American Airlines flight 1017 to Bozeman. I'm not sure about the return flight, it all depends on how the trial goes. Pause I wanted to say goodbye in person, but I just don't think it will work out that way. I'm sure you've talked to Don by now. I just wanted to tell you...I'm sorry.
He heard her quick intake of breath before she hung up that meant she was crying. His next message was from Flack telling him about what had happened with Lindsay. He appreciated his friend telling him personally so that he didn't have to hear it from the gossip mill. He couldn't hear anything around him, so loud were the voices in his head- jumbling his thoughts. One voice was telling him to go to the airport and see her off so that she would know she wasn't alone. Another voice was saying that if she wanted some one with her she would have said so. And yet another was screaming that she was waiting for him to make his move. Glancing at the clock that said 7:50 AM he jumped up to get in the shower. He was dressed and at the door by 8:15, and hailing a cab and on his way by 8:20. He just hoped he made it in time.
When the cab pulled up to the curb at 8:57 Danny leapt out, tossing some bills to the driver and calling 'keep the change' over his shoulder. He had exactly 33 minutes to get to her. Taking a moment to decide what to do he ran up to the nearest empty counter and asked hurriedly for a ticked on the next available flight to Bozeman. The woman behind the ticket counter gave him a bit of a strange look, but did as he requested. $ 875.00 later he was waiting not so patiently in line at the metal detectors, half tempted to flash his badge and cut the line. Luckily the line was not that long and he soon was on the other side. The TV monitors to his left held departure information and he searched frantically for flight 1017. Finally he found it: gate 10 B. People jumped out of his way as he darted through the crowd. When he spotted her he came to a dead stop. She sat on a chair facing the window, lost in thought. Even from behind, and all they had been through her beauty hit him like a kick to the solar plexus. Danny smiled as he made his way toward her slowly.
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Lindsay sat listening to her IPod waiting for her flight to begin boarding. The problem was that every song she landed on made her want to cry. It was just one of those days when every song seemed to be written about her. She finally just let it play, landing on an Ashlee Simpson song. It was all good until it go the bridge. I've been waiting all my life to finally find you-just so I can push you away. She smelled him. That unique mix of cologne and American Crew gel that made her heart swell. Their eyes made contact and the next words couldn't have been more appropriate. When you're crawling over broken glass to get to me- that's when I'll let you stay. She pulled the earbuds out of her ears, but neither made a move or spoke a word for what felt like an eternity. The world around them disappeared and all that mattered was the volumes that were being spoken in silence. The next thing she knew she was in his arms, pressed so tight against him that she could hardly breathe. Still, she just buried her face in his neck and let go of the dam that had been holding for the past three days. She was vaguely aware of the preboarding call for her flight, but at the moment all she could think was 'He came'.
Danny pulled her head away from his chest to cup her face in his hands. His eyes drank in the sight of her tired puffy eyes and face and thought she had never looked more beautiful in her whole life. It didn't matter that her mascara was running down her face and probably all over his neck. All that mattered is that she still wanted him here, and with her. One of his hands slipped behind her head to pull her closer but still maintaining eye contact. He paused a millimeter away to relish the feeling of just being close to her; the anticipation and the minty warmth of her breath mingling with his. Almost inaudibly he whispered to her I love you Montana and closed the distance claming her mouth with his in a gentle, almost reverent but no less than passionate kiss.
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Hearing his whispered words, Lindsay smiled , her parted lips allowed him entrance and he deepened the kiss without hesitation. She couldn't even think as wave after wave of emotion rolled over her. It was like coming home. Like sleeping in your own bed after a month in a Motel 6. She could feel fresh tears streaming down her face as she wrapped her arms around his waist and completely lost herself in him. After what seemed like a millennium, he pulled away to rest his forehead against hers-his eyes still closed.
I love you too. Came the reply he hadn't known he was waiting for. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips before pulling away and smiling at her.
How did you get back here without a ticket? she asked incredulously
Who says I ain't got one? he replied whipping out his boarding pass If I didn't catch you here, I was gonna follow you to Montana.
Her smile nearly stretched off her face. She couldn't believe that she had done anything to deserve this man standing before her. For a while they stood just so until they were both brought crashing back to earth by the flight attendant telling them that this was the final chance to board.
Reluctantly, they headed toward the door, and with one last searing kiss and whispered words she was gone through the door; Danny was left alone to watch her fly out of his life, however briefly. But still, a sweet smile crept into his eyes as he sat to watch the plane take off.
A/N so there it is. much less angsty than the last one. R/R. Did you like it? hate it? confused by it? let me know. There is a possible third installment in the works depending on the response. Thanks so much for reading. Oh and the song is "Love me for Me" by Ashlee Simpson. She is my guiltiest pleasure. Gotta love angsty teen rock.