AN: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and alerts on the previous story, Just One. This is another story that jumped out at me.
Z.

I hate you.

Those were the final words his Montana screamed into his face before she stormed out in to the concrete labyrinth.

Taken aback by the situation, Danny Messer, the lab's resident playboy, decided to run the images before his girl stormed out. Never in his life had he encountered problems with the opposite sex, save his mother, but then, never in his life had he met someone who fitted in his life perfectly.

The day started out perfectly fine, waking up on the couch, his arms wrapped around a half naked Lindsay. He smiled as the conversation played in his mind.

"Stop that" she muttered.

"Stop what?" he asked, bemused that his girl talked in her sleep.

"The staring" she replied.

"It's hard not to" he retorted as he tightened his grip on her waist, effectively pulling her closer.

She laughed as his stomach growled in the midst of the serene room, contrary to the sounds and actions of the previous night.

He pulled her down as she got up to make breakfast, capturing her lips with his until they both needed oxygen.

He touched his lips absent mindedly remembering how her lips felt against his. His thoughts broke off as lighting streaked through the sky, dark clouds rolling in as if it wanted to suck the life out of the entire city.

Every worst case scenario played in his mind as rain drops splattered on the window, like the constant beat of her heart. He thought of how he might never kiss his girl again, or how he could never feel her arms around him when he comes home after pulling a 15-hour shift. He thought about the unspoken words that he wanted to say on numerous occasions, but never found the strength to.

Danny Messer was afraid. Not afraid of the crazy stunts he pulled while chasing suspects or the phone call saying that Louie's dead, not anything except not seeing her again. He was so deep in his thoughts that the knocking on the door blended into the background, until the knocking was joined by a tiny cry, a cry of his name that pulled him out of his reverie.

He walked across his living room where he could bet that he has a better chance of associating every object than the Yankees winning the World Series.

He unlocked a good 3 locks on the door before opening it, can never be too safe, he thought. What his eyes fell on wrenched his heart out, both just standing there, until like a prayer, he said her name.

"Linds…"


P.S. Reviews are again, greatly appreciated.