A/N: So, just a little something that came to me about 34567 years ago when watching 'Silent Night'. I'm just lazy and didn't type it up until Megs suggested I wrote a onshot for the episode and I was like... Actually.... I may just have one in the archives. It is actually sort of connected to the 'Open and Shut' oneshot I posted a while back. The muse demanded more DL scenes during season three. (yes, while we're in season five... TEH season.) Anyway, I digress. Basically the connection is Lindsay and Stella's 'argument' they have... But well, it's not really an argument as such... Anyway. Here's some old school DL.
Enjoy. x
"Hey Montana."
Lindsay turned with a fake smile plastered across her face, "Danny… Hey."
He narrowed his eyes as she sat opposite him. "S'a' matter? You alright?"
She sighed heavily and shrugged softly. "Just having a tough day."
Danny nodded and licked his lips before turning his attention back to the flakes of paint in front of him, scattered on his desk.
Silence fell between them for a few minutes before Lindsay sniffed noisly, despite trying desperately not to draw attention to herself as her fingers furiously flew over the keys on her keyboard. Danny sneakily peered over the rim of his glasses and saw a stray tear slip down her cheek. He sighed heavily as he tore his eyes away from her and turned his attention back to the speck of paint.
"Remember when me and Stella had that argument about that woman who ended up being the perp… Grace?"
Danny nodded as he looked up. He sighed heavily at the sight of his broken partner sat across from him. "Linds… you okay?"
Lindsay wiped her tears away. "We kind of had another one… Me and Stella."
Danny sighed and stood up from his desk and moved around to her's. He took her hand and pulled her up from her seat. "Why?" he asked as he sat them on the sofa in their shared office.
She hesitated for a minute before resting her head on his shoulder and letting out a heart-wrenching sob.
Initially it startled him. To hear something so raw being released by someone that constantly fought with her inner demons to keep everything bottled up, was something he wasn't expecting. He let out a breath as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "I got'cha Montana, you let it out. I got'cha."
Her sobs and devastating wails soon subsided as she wrapped her slender arms around his waist and nuzzled into his side. "Why?" she murmured as she rested her head on his chest. "I don't understand why."
"Why? Why what?" Danny asked as he wiped a tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "Why do you two keep having bust ups?"
"No," she sobbed, "Why was I the only one?!"
"Only one what?" Danny asked calmly.
Lindsay shook her head "I don't… I can't… I want to… but…"
"You don't gotta tell me, Linds." He whispered into her hair as he pressed a kiss to her temple. "Please just let someone in. It's killing me, seeing whatever it is haunt you. I want you back. I feel like I've lost my best friend, and all I want is to help you, but I feel so inadequate. It doesn't even have to be me that you let in Linds, just let someone in, please?"
She sniffed. "I… I survived…"
He placed his index finger on her lips. "I can see it in your eyes that you're not ready to tell me yet." He said. "I know I've been pushing and asking you to let me in. But I should know you well enough to realise that you'll let me in. You'll tell me in your own time."
"I want it to go away. Make it go away." She almost pleaded with him.
Danny pressed a kiss to her cheek, before wiping her tears away. "I would, but only you can fight what it is you're running from. I'm behind you, Linds. As your partner; as a friend; as something more if you want that. I'm here and you can rely on me – you know that. Just don't push Stella away. I know you two don't always see eye to eye on things, but right now I think you need all the support you can get, Linds."
"How do you do it? Know all this?" she asked incredulously. "You don't even know, but it's like you just… know."
"I know you." He said. "More than I think you realise. I've seen that sparkle in your eyes disappear over the last year, ever since the Tanya Reynolds case. I've watched you spiral, and it kills me that there's not a damn thing I can do about it."
Lindsay sighed.
"But, I've come to realise that there's only so many times I can beg you to let me in, so instead I'm gonna sit back, and you know what…?"
"What?" Lindsay asked.
"I'll be there to catch you when you least expect it." He smiled as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll always come through for you, Linds. You need me; I'm there. Remember that."
Lindsay, despite her tears smiled at him.
"I think Stella's in her office." He said as he cleared her face of tears with a tissue from the Kleenex box sat on the table in front of them. "Go and talk to her, Linds."
Lindsay sighed as she extracted herself from the grip she had around him, and wiped her eyes as she stood up to rid her face of any tears he had missed.
She smiled as she moved towards the door. She opened it slightly, before turning and moving back to where Danny still sat on the couch. She lent down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips before whispering, "Thank you."
"For what?" he asked.
"For being you." She smiled weakly and touched the side of his face and gently rubbed his rugged skin with her thumb.
As she walked away with her coat in her hand and a new spring in her step, Danny took a deep breath, feeling good at the fact he had successfully gotten through to her.
And he was one step closer to having Lindsay Monroe back.
For good.
R&R? It's much appreciated :)
