Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story, they all belong to CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer. Bummer. Also, all song lyrics belong to The Moody Blues, not me, again.
Spoilers: Just to be safe, know what's going on up to "Sleight of Hand". I don't think there's any spoilers, but you never know.
A/N: This is my first fanfic, so please be nice. Reviews are greatly appreciated, and constructive criticism is welcomed. Also, this is un-beta'd so all mistakes are my own. Hopefully there won't be too many of those!
A wonderful day for passing my way.
Knock and my door and even the score
with your eyes. It's lovely to see you again.
Dark cloud of fear is blowing away.
Now that you're here, you're going to stay.
"Montana, come here for a second will ya?"
"Danny, I'm working, please, I can't just come at your beck and call."
His only response was a smirk aimed at Lindsay and she felt her heart miss a beat. Did he know he was doing this to her? He must. He reveled in his ability to make her shudder every time he stood behind her, his ability to make her feel weak at the knees with a grin, that cocky grin, the one she knew so well. The one he was giving her now. She gave in.
"What is it? And it had better be to do with the case." God, she couldn't even look at him without feeling the heat rise. How long would it be before this feeling faded, she wondered. She hoped it never would. It had been five months since he had come after her to Montana, and captured her heart for good.
"And if it isn't?" He was still grinning as he stepped up behind her and swept her into his arms. She let out a squeal of surprise and then a sigh as he held her close.
"If it isn't then I get to choose the restaurant for dinner. And no Italian."
"Well, then I guess this completely wipes out my plans. See, I was going to tell you I'd pick you up at your place and we'd head off to dinner. Or is that not allowed?" Lindsay couldn't help a smile creep up into her face as she thought about the night he might have planned.
"Fine. Pick me up at my apartment at 7:00. I expect a fantastic dinner Messer. Now I have to go drop off this case report with Mac." She slipped away with a smirk on her face that told Danny it was going to be a long night.
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Mac looked through the doors of his office and saw his two CSI's talking, standing close. Ah, the benefits of having glass doors and walls. He was just glad that these see-through walls offered him no more a view than he wished. The two young detectives were very good at keeping their relationship discreet while at work.
Everyone in the lab had known that Danny and Lindsay would eventually end up together. He was just angry that he had missed the office pool pick by one day. Darn Stella, she always seemed to know more about those two then him. And of course, she had picked the correct day, although now, he wondered how fair that might have been. After all, she was rather close to Lindsay and obviously had inside information. He grimaced at the thought.
"Hey Mac, here's my final report on the DB at Central Park." Lindsay said as she walked through the door to Mac's office.
"Thanks Lindsay, just put it on my desk, and then go home. Get some sleep; you've worked a long double shift now." Mac responded, filing his own paperwork in a cabinet behind his desk.
"Thanks, Mac! See you Monday!" Lindsay said, as she bounded out of his office, smile on her face. She was off, finally! Ready to go home, maybe have a shower, watch some television, get changed, and get ready for her dinner with Danny later that night. She looked at her watch. 3:45. that gave her a little over three hours. Plenty of time to get ready without being rushed. Hmmm, perhaps a bubble bath...
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Danny saw Lindsay walk out of the locker room and quickly ran in after her. He changed quickly and sprinted back out, earning him a bewildered look from Hawkes. Oh well. He clocked out and ran to the subway, anxious to get back to his apartment. He needed to make everything perfect for that night. He had stocked up on food and drinks the day before, so he had no need to leave for supplies. This was going to be a day Lindsay never forgot. He was going to make sure of that.
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Lindsay stood in the lobby of Danny's apartment, hands on her hips. "Why are we going up to your apartment Danny? We're never going to get to dinner reservations if we waste any more time. I did not get all dressed up for nothing!"
Danny had to admit, she did look beautiful in that dress. It was chocolate brown, just like her eyes, accentuating her curves in all the right places. He could stare at her all night and be happy. But that would defeat the purpose of the dinner.
"I'll just be a second, Montana. I forgot my wallet, I can't go without it, so do you wanna make it easier and just come up with me, or do you wanna stand here and pout while you wait for me to come back down?"
She grunted and jerked her head, which Danny assumed meant she'd go up with him. Good. He took her by the hand and led her into the elevator, his heart pounding so loud, he was sure she could hear it. God, was he ever nervous, and he found himself hoping this was going to work out the way he'd pictured it in his head a thousand times. He'd been dreaming about this moment ever since he had hopped on a plane and flown half-way across the country just to hold her hand. He swallowed and tried not to imagine the scene if it didn't go as planned. He'd worry about that later.
Danny walked along the hallway, dragging Lindsay along with him. She came, although grudgingly, complaining the whole time about them missing dinner reservations. But she didn't know that there were no dinner reservations. He had set this up, just to get some alone time with her, to do what he had wanted to do for a long time, since he had first admitted to himself that he loved her. Wow. He loved her. That was a strange thought, coming from Danny Messer. Who would've thought he, Daniel Joseph Messer, would be thinking about falling in love, settling down, starting a family. This girl had sure done a number on him.
He opened the door, and flicked the lights on. He barely registered the look of shock on Lindsay's face before he pulled her in after him and shut the door.
"I thought we'd stay in tonight." He whispered in her ear as she got to take a good look around.
"Oh Danny, it's beautiful, how did you...?" She was speechless as she looked at the scene. He had candles scattered around the room, table set, and had freshly cooked Italian pasta of various types sitting on the dining room table. He had obviously just finished before he came to pick her up.
He wandered around the room, lighting the candles and dimming the overhead lights. When he was done, it looked like a scene out of a movie, with rose petals littering the tablecloth and the cutlery set out on cloth napkins at an angle.
"What do you think? I got Max from a couple doors down to finish cooking this food while I came to pick you up. I thought we'd stay in tonight."
Lindsay's shocked expression told him all he needed to know. He pulled her over and sat her down at the table, ever the gentleman. He turned to walk to the other side of the table, but Lindsay grabbed his hand.
"Danny, it's absolutely beautiful, I have no idea what to say, so thank you. It's the most romantic thing anyone has done for me."
Danny kissed her hand as he felt his cheeks heating up. Wow, he never blushed, yet here he was, going bright red for the world to see. Or maybe not, the lights were dim after all.
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Lindsay stood up and started to pick up the dishes in front of her, but after a stern word from Danny, she desisted. He was even cleaning up everything, all in an attempt to make her have an amazing night. Well, he had certainly succeeded. Lindsay was blown away by the food; she would never have thought that he could cook. Maybe she should ask Max just how much he had "helped". But she wasn't going to worry about that just now. She looked at Danny, and felt her heart swell. How did she get so lucky as to have this man care for her like he did? She would never understand it, only be grateful for it.
Danny walked over to the table, and then hesitated. "Lindsay, I was going to wait until after dessert, but I can't. I have something to ask you."
Lindsay felt her heart pick up its pace. What is he talking about? What could possibly be so important as to throw a hitch into this beautiful night? Lindsay wondered. She tried to shove worst-case scenarios out of her head. Surely nothing bad? She swallowed, eyes closed for just a moment in anticipation of what he was about to say to her. And then her heart stopped. She had opened her eyes to find Danny, kneeling before her, reaching for her hand. She willingly gave it to him, wondering if he was about to do what she thought he was.
"Lindsay Monroe, I have waited a long time to do this." He inched forward slightly. "Since that first day at the zoo, you have captured my every waking thought. I love you. Now, Ms. Monroe, will you marry me?" He held up the ring he had had sitting in his pocket all through the dinner. It had been his grandmother's, a family heirloom, if you will. It was an astonishing white gold band with a beautiful inlay of diamonds circled around a centerpiece. It was in great condition, and Danny was happy, knowing that he had just offered it to the one woman who made him complete.
He was startled to see tears flowing down her cheeks, had he done something wrong? Was she going to give him the answer he was dreading?
"Hey Montana, no need to cry." He gently touched her chin and wiped away the tears with his thumb. He looked in her eyes and said, "Take your time. I'll be here, by your side, always."
And that was it. Lindsay heard those words and the dam broke. Tears were silently streaming down her face as she struggled to respond.
"I thought you'd never ask. Yes, I will marry you."
As she looked into his eyes, she couldn't explain the feeling she had; it was as though she was floating on clouds, with the only visible image being Danny's eyes. Those bright blue irises, glistening with tears, holding her steady; showing her just how much she meant to him.
"I love you Lindsay."
"I love you too, Danny. More than you'll ever know."
She leaned in to him, getting down on the floor beside him; she didn't think she could stand for even a moment anyway. He gently slid the ring on to her hand, it was a perfect fit. Then they leaned toward each other, lips just barely touching. As Danny kissed her, he felt his control slip away. He was crying just as much as his Montana now, but he could care less. As they shared a kiss so full of love and compassion, Danny couldn't help but think. This was where his Montana belonged. Here, in his arms, and he was never going to let her go.