Disclaimer: Do not own CSI or any of its characters.
Chapter Two - A little more of the story is introduced here, told you the first chapter was just a set up.
Lindsay knocked cautiously on the glass door of Mac's office and waited for the older man to wave her in. Stepping into the office she clasped her hands in front of her and walked up to his desk. "You wanted to see me Mac?"
He nodded. "Yes, Lindsay. Please sit down."
Lindsay did as she was told, feeling the bubble of nervousness well inside her. "Is everything ok Mac?"
He smiled at her from behind his desk and nodded. "Everything's fine Lindsay, don't worry." She relaxed a bit into her seat and crossed her legs, placing her hands on top of her knees, waiting for Mac to speak. "Lindsay, you know the Vitch case?" She nodded. "Well there's been another murder, similar to the Vitch case. Jack Tane murdered two days ago, same MO, same signature mark found at the scene."
"A daisy." She interrupted him and he nodded.
"Yes. And we have a suspect as you know; Raphael Moretti. Only problem is we haven't got much on him. And as Tane was the DA's nephew, there's been a lot of pressure put on us to get enough evidence to convict him. We know he has ties with the lead gangs around here, his family is well connected,"
As he talked about connections her mind wandered to Danny and his family connections. They rarely talked about his family because Danny got so angry. She had only ever met his mother in their yearlong relationship; he always had an excuse as to why his father and brother weren't around. Sighing she tuned back into Mac's voice.
"We have suspicions that he is dealing black cocaine, but no proof. And if the murders of Vitch and Tane are anything to go by, Moretti is taking down the other lead drug dealers and their ranks one by one. But, once again, there is no evidence and we really need to get him before he can do it again."
Mac stopped talking and stared at Lindsay wondering if she had kept up. Taking a deep breath she leant forward and unfolded her legs. "Mac, I know all this. What I don't know is why you're telling me?"
He flashed her an apologetic smile. "Well, the only chance we have of getting more evidence before he strikes again is to send in an undercover police officer." He waited for the truth to dawn on Lindsay, when it finally did she stood up and turned walking to the couch at the back of the room before turning back to face him.
"You want me to go undercover?" She asked incredulously.
Mac opened his hands. "You've done it before Lindsay."
"Yeah! As a spur of the moment thing, when there was no other alternative. Don't we have trained people for this Mac? I can't do this!"
He looked up at her seriously and stood walking around the side of the desk. "Why not, Lindsay?"
Mac's chest instantly tightened, he had hand picked Lindsay to become one of his team, she had looked so impressive on paper. And she had proven to be just as impressive in person. Over the years she had been part of his team she had took down many guilty suspects, tackled them to the floor and endured many dangerous situations. She had never before struck him as a person who ran away from a situation, and he had complete faith that she could handle this. The only thing that had changed over the years was her relationship with Danny. And he hated to admit it, but if her refusing to do this were down to Danny, there would be trouble.
She looked at him, her arms folded across her chest. "I'm not trained, I'd mess it up!"
He shook his head and smiled at her. "You wouldn't, Lindsay, I have complete faith in you. Of course if you don't want to then that's fine, I can ask someone else." She stared at him and he bowed his head a little. "We do have trained people you're quite right, but most of our undercover police officers are males, and those few females we do have are on other operations. And after assessing and watching Raphael we decided a female would be the better option, but, Lindsay, it is up to you."
She stared at him for a long time, and he could see in her mind she was summing up her situation. Finally after moments of silence she spoke. "How long?"
"Well, hopefully just three weeks, we are hoping to have him way before that. But if not, until we catch him." Mac's answer, as always, was honest and straightforward, and she appreciated that.
"What will I be doing?" She smiled at Mac, indicating to him that she was already on board and willing to do this. He smiled back and grabbed a folder from his desk. Making his way over to her they sat on his couch as he opened the folder and began to empty its contents.
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Danny made his way into the break room to find Stella filling up her coffee cup and flipping through a magazine. "Ah, Miss Bonasera, the reason for my bad mood this morning."
She turned with a classic Stella smile on her face and pointed at the chocolate muffin waiting in the middle of the table. He grinned and took it with a nod of thanks toward her. He joined her at the coffee counter and grabbed a mug before filling it up.
"So, how you doing this morning Stell?"
She nodded sipping her coffee. "I'm good, Danny. Drowning in cases but good, how about you?"
"Yeah, I'm alright I suppose. What are these cases then? We tied our last one up last night so I'm free for a bit if you want any help?" He took a bite out of his muffin before offering some to her.
She politely refused and flipped the page of her magazine, lifting up the cover he smirked as he saw it was 'Forensics Monthly'. She swatted him on the arm before giving him a nod. "And, yeah, you can help me on my cases. Well, until Mac sends you out again."
Danny laughed and turned so that his back was against the counter and he could look out into the lab area through the glass windows. As he peered into Mac's office he saw Lindsay and Mac on the couch, talking intently. Raising the cup to his lips he turned back to Stella. "Do you know what Mac wanted to speak to Lindsay about?"
Stella finally stopped reading the article and turned to face Danny. "Yes, I do."
Danny stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. "You're not going to tell me, are you?"
She bit her lip a bit and shook her head and grabbed her cup to walk out of the room. "You're best asking Lindsay." She smiled at him and then she was gone. Leaving him standing in the middle of the break room completely and utterly confused.
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It was four hours later when Lindsay finally popped her head around the lab door and smirked at Danny, bent over the table, his back to her as he closely examined the pink jumper laid out before him. Sneaking quietly behind him she leant in close to his left ear and put on her best southern drawl.
"Hey sugar, looking for a good time?"
He grinned and turned to face her. "With you, miss? Definitely."
"Ten to eight!" She laughed a little and a small smile remained on her face as she shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. "You free for lunch?"
Danny yawned and looked at his watch before nodding and shoving his glasses further up his nose. "Yeah, sure. You want to go out?"
She sighed. "Yeah. Reckon you can take forty-five minutes?"
He grinned at her and gently placed one of his hands on her hips. "For you I can take an hour!"
She couldn't help but beam at his charm, "Good, cause I was thinking, sandwiches from Robbie's?"
"Oh!" He closed his eyes and pursed his lips. "That does sound good. I think I'll have the chicken salad." He began to take his lab coat off and hung it up as Lindsay led him out of the room. "No. No. I'll have the meatballs with cheese. No, steak and onion!"
Lindsay laughed and grabbed his hand pulling him into the elevator. "Come on, just decide when you get there!"
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Twenty minutes later Danny stormed across the lobby floor closely followed by Lindsay who was practically jogging to keep up.
"Danny!"
They skidded into the elevator and both quietened for the journey up the many floors. Lindsay reached her hand out and placed it gently on his elbow but Danny shrugged it off, his anger evident to everyone in the elevator. Anger bubbling inside of her too, Lindsay turned away from him and faced the doors with her arms folded across her chest. Finally the doors pinged open and the two forced their way out. As soon as they were out the door Danny took off down the corridor with Lindsay once again at his heel, snapping at him.
"Danny, for god's sake, will you let me explain?"
"You don't need to explain, Lindsay." He quickened his pace and she dropped back, finally stopping the chase and letting him walk off. She watched him round the corner and disappear before turning and heading back to their office that they shared.
She knew he would come back, there was no way he was finished with her so she sat it out, typing emails and reading up on cases. But it was no use; her mind kept travelling back to the sandwich shop.
They had just sat down and Danny had asked her what the talk with Mac was about. She had barely begun to explain, all she had told him was she was going undercover and he had flipped out at her. Throwing his sandwich down on the table he had snatched his jacket and walked out with her closely following.
She rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand and groaned with frustration at the man she loved. Placing her head on the desk she ran her hands through her hair trying to work out some of the aches in her head. That's when she heard his soft voice.
"I can't believe you've agreed to this."
Her head shot up and she saw him stood at the doorway his face etched in worry, concern and pain. She stood and walked around their desks to face him, and he stepped in to meet her in the middle of the room, letting the door close behind him. She looked up at him and his arms came around her waist, pulling her close to him. She sighed as she wrapped her own arms around him, relaxing into the hug. They stayed like that for a moment until she felt his hot breath on her ear.
"You're not doing it."
She pulled away from him but kept her hands firmly on his shoulders. "Excuse me? Since when do you decide what I do and don't do?"
He sighed and let go of her waist, stepping back a bit. "Since you're my partner, and my girlfriend. Lindsay, I'm not letting you do it ok? End of story."
She released her breath in an indignant huff. "No not end of story at all! I'm my own person, Daniel Messer, and I've agreed to it. No man has stopped me from doing what I want in the past, and he's certainly not going to now."
He growled in his throat and sucked in his breath between his teeth. "Lindsay, you're not doing it, you're my girlfriend and I say you're not doing it."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "So, because I'm your girlfriend, you get to own me? I'm sorry I must have missed that memo." They were both silent until she sighed. "You know what, Danny, if you think you own me then you clearly don't know me that well. Maybe we shouldn't be doing this."
She turned and walked back around to the other side of the desk feeling the sadness and anger burn her chest until it became almost overwhelming and she had to grip the desk for support.
"You don't get it do you?"
His voice shocked her and she turned to face him, her eyes desperate and pained. "Get what, Danny?"
He stepped toward her and she could suddenly see the fear in his eyes. "That Holy Golightly case two years ago was unbearable, I have never been more afraid in my entire life. I was sure I was going to lose you, and that was before we even became…a couple. Now I'm afraid every day."
She stared at him as it all suddenly started to make sense and she reached out to grab his hand. "Danny that was two years ago, how can you still be afraid?"
"Because," he rubbed his forehead before he leant down and kissed her, quick and passionate, and then he pulled away just enough to look into her eyes. "Because what we do is dangerous, Montana, and I think that any time of any day I could lose you, but I manage to keep sane knowing that you're working with good people who will look out for you, and more often than not me, who would die before I let anything happen to you."
She was silent as she watched him empty his fears to her, she watched as his grip on her hand tightened and his eyes closed before he carried on.
"But if you go undercover, I have no control, I have no security to know you're safe, Linds. All I will know is what I get fed by Mac and Stella and that won't be enough, I won't be able to handle it. I'll go crazy without you."
She chuckled a little and squeezed his hand. "Detective Messer, who knew you could be such a romantic?" He rolled his eyes and a smirk slowly spread onto his face. "Danny, listen to me, I'm going to be fine, I have to check in with Mac daily and all I'm doing is working in his pizzeria as a waitress, nothing more."
He stared at her, all the seriousness back in his face. "Raphael Moretti?" She nodded and he raised an eyebrow. "Sure I can't talk you out of it?" She shook her head and he groaned a little. "Fine. But I want you to know I'm against this idea, but as there's nothing I can do, I guess I have to accept it."
She smiled and raised her lips to his in a whisper of a kiss. "I love you."
He nodded and brought her in for a hug. "I love you too."
Ok. End of Chapter Two.
What do you think?
I do have about the seventh chapter of this fic because I wrote that first, as it came into my head but I am writing it in time order.
My lovely Beta Mel60 did advice me to post the middle chapter first as it makes more sense and suspense..but...I had already posted lol...sorry Mel.
But yeah...please let me know what you think!!
REVIEW!
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