DISC: usual mumbo jumbo
A/N: OK, finally, here it is! I wasn't 'feeling it' for a few days. There will be some unrealistic elements here. Would Mac really let two of his investigators go off for a week? Approve a workplace romance? Of course not. But that's why it's fiction, folks! Get comfy, it's a long one. Thanks so much for all of the reviews you have sent. It feeds my creative insanity!

Chapter 2 – Buffalo or Bust

Tick, tick, tick.

Here I am, watching the damn clock again, thought Lindsay. The red lights told her it was 2:48am. She had hardly slept at all, tossing and turning and worrying. Her mind was spinning a hundred miles per hour. She had so much to do – buy maps, pack, book a hotel, call her attorney, talk to Mac. The next week was going to be a nightmare, and she wished she could hit the 'Fast Forward' button on her life.

The sound of Danny's even breathing told her he was sleeping deeply. Not wanting to disturb him with her constant stirring, she slipped cautiously out of bed and went to the living room. Curling up on the sofa, she pulled a fleece blanket over her shoulders. The clock on the television showed 3:01am. Lindsay groaned. Would this night ever end?

She felt like the anger and self-pity would swallow her whole. Her father's side of the family had always been an egotistical bunch, but now things had gotten truly ugly. Facing them again was the last thing she wanted to do, but maybe it would finally bring closure. Why do things have to go so wrong, when they were just starting to go right, she wondered. She was overwhelmed by all the emotions – trepidation, rage, dread. In addition, it unearthed the raw grief she felt from losing her grandparents. They had always been so naïve about the family strife. Quietly, she allowed herself to weep.

"You okay?"

She turned and saw Danny, bathed in the glow of the hallway light. He was not wearing a shirt, a sight that still caused a twinge inside her. She held out her arm, gesturing for him to join her under the blanket. He sat and folded her into him. Sinking into his warmth, she thought: I'm addicted to him. He was her comfort, her passion, her joy. All of this provided her with a narcotic-like effect.

"Did I wake you?" She rubbed the stubble on his cheek. He was not wearing his glasses, and she always thought it made him look older.

"My body kinda knew you weren't next to me." He stifled a yawn. "You're not okay, are you?"

Lindsay shook her head, trying to deny the tears that fell from her puffy eyes, the wadded up tissues on the table.

"It's never been about the money, you know," she said. "They were my grandparents. I'd rather have them back, than have the money. But this is about standing up for myself. I can't sit back and let this go without a fight."

"You are gonna fight," he breathed into her hair. "We're gonna fight. I got your back, Lindsay."

She examined him in the dim light, intertwining her fingers with his. "I don't deserve you."

"No. You don't." Danny paused. "You deserve better."

He had a sad, faraway look in his eyes. "There's some stuff you don't know, Lindsay… from my past."

She shook her head, frustrated. "Don't you get it? Who you were back then has nothing to do with you now. Nothing you did in the past can make me stop loving you. Believe that. Trust that. Everyone makes bad choices and mistakes. It made you who you are today, and that happens to be someone I'm crazy about." Lindsay grinned, the tears drying sticky on her face. Just his presence could lift her spirit and chase away the demons.

He smiled back weakly. "We'll see if you still feel that way after being stuck in a car with me for a couple days."

"Au contraire! A car with a very roomy back seat," she purred into his ear. But she was feeling too exhausted, mentally and physically, to be frisky right now. Danny knew it, and he shook his head

"Nope, not gonna happen. You need to sleep, Linds. We gotta get up in a few hours." His strong arms lifted her up and carried her back to the bedroom. This time, Lindsay slept like a rock.

All too soon, the screeching alarm sounded. Lindsay felt Danny slide out of bed and turn off the alarm. When she heard the shower start up, she rolled over into his spot, still warm and smelling of him. She believed that life's greatest injustice was having to leave the warm bed you share with the one you love and go to work. She envisioned him soapy and wet in the steamy shower. The thought helped lift the fog in her brain. She entertained this fantasy for a few minutes, until a damp towel hit her in the head.

"Your turn. Wake up, Sunshine."

Lindsay groaned, wondering how he could alternate between sweet and obnoxious so flawlessly. She sat up and glared at Danny. "Gee thanks, Prince Charming." She tossed the towel back at him.

She sighed as she reached for her robe. "We have to have The conversation with Mac today. And I guess once he knows, everyone else will find out."

"Stella knows." Danny spoke quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"What!" Lindsay dropped the bottle of lotion she was holding. "You told her?"

"Not exactly…. she guessed. She wanted to know why I was so happy lately". He was focused intensely on the buttoning of his shirt.

Lindsay melted at that line. She plopped down next to him and nuzzled his neck. "Oh yeah? And what did you tell her?"

"That I got a new car."

Lindsay rolled her eyes, whacked his arm, and stood up. He tried to pull her back, but she shook her head. "Sorry Romeo," she grumbled as she pushed his roaming hands away. "I'm getting in the shower… alone."

Danny spoke up quickly. "She asked if it was a woman, and I told her yes. That's when you conveniently walked in the room, and my face must have shown it. Stella read me like a book".

Lindsay smiled, walked back to him and kissed the top of his head. "That's better." Seeing the puppy-dog eyes he flashed at her, she laughed. "But I'm still showering alone."

Lindsay was on pins and needles. Mac had been out of the lab all day, and she hadn't been able to talk to him. She knew he would let her go – she had finished up her most recent cases, and hadn't missed a single hour since starting in October. Plus, Mac was an understanding guy. Beneath his sometimes intimidating exterior, he had a big heart. But the question was – would he let Danny go? Not only had he clashed with Danny in the past, but Lindsay couldn't imagine him approving of a workplace romance. And how could she explain it to him? How it wasn't just a casual fling. How Danny made all the colors of her world a million times brighter. How the force that pulled them together was something greater than all of them.

During her lunch break, she was too antsy to eat. Instead, she made some phone calls: her attorney, some friends in Montana. Her attorney was an old high school friend, and was ready to go to war against Rachel Monroe, Esquire.

"We're meeting with the arbitrator on Monday. Your cousin doesn't have a leg to stand on, Lindsay. Don't worry a bit, let me handle everything. You just get yourself out here safely."

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate this." Lindsay's spirits lifted at the support.

After lunch, she pulled Danny aside in the lab, opening a folder and pretending to discuss test results with him.
"I got some good news," she said quietly, pointing to an imaginary spot on the paper. "My best friend's parents own a Bed & Breakfast ranch in Bozeman. They're closed up until March, but they are letting us stay there. We'll have the entire place to ourselves!" She beamed, thinking of how romantic it would be.

"They even said we could ride the horses!" Lindsay added giddily.

Danny eyed her warily. "Ride a horse? I don't think so."

"Oh, I forgot, City Boy! Have you ever been out west?" Lindsay questioned teasingly, poking his side. "I mean, have you ever been out of the state?"

"I've seen buffalo!" Danny retorted. Then softly under his breath, he muttered "Buffalo, New York."

"What's this about buffalo?" Danny and Lindsay jumped as Mac appeared behind them.

"Mac? Just who we were looking for. Can we talk to you for a few minutes?" Lindsay eyed the people milling around. "In private?"

Mac raised an eyebrow. "Come with me".

Lindsay took a deep breath, and they both followed Mac to his office.

Exhaling with deep sighs of relief, they walked out fifteen minutes later.

"Not so painful, eh?" Danny grinned, but she knew he had been nervous too.

Lindsay nodded, still surprised at how agreeable Mac was. It had been a little awkward, but not nearly as bad as they expected. Together, she and Danny walked to the locker room to get their coats. She looked around at what had become so familiar in only a few months, realizing she wouldn't see it for a week.

She stopped, turned to stare Danny in the eye, and asked, "You ready for this?"

Danny stared right back and responded with no hesitation. "I'm ready."

They walked out the door arm-in-arm, letting the whole lab know their secret.

A/N: UP NEXT – Danny and Lindsay get started (finally) on their cross country trek.