Author's Note: Okay, this is where things get a little screwy, so hold on to your hats… The sequence of events is present-past-present… If confused, let me know.

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Lindsay surveyed Danny's apartment after somewhat forcing her way through the door. It was completely dark, as was normal for this time of night, but something didn't sit right with her. Using every amount of CSI knowledge she had, she scanned the room again. There, on the coffee table: three empty beer cans, lined up like prisoners on their way to an execution. She swung around slowly to give Danny an Are you kidding me? look that made him grin sheepishly. "I wasn't expectin' company, c'mon." He motioned towards the kitchen, pulling her with him when he saw Lindsay was still surveying his home. "Geez, Montana, give me a break. I'm a bachelor, remember?"

Lindsay shook her head, shucking off her coat as she followed her partner into his spotless kitchen. "Yeah, but the rest of your place is immaculate, except for the living room." She took a double take at his face and Danny groaned inwardly. Yeah, I had to work with observant people. "Danny, when was the last time you actually slept in a real bed?"

Danny snorted and grabbed two bottles of water from his fridge. "'Matter of fact, I was gonna re-inhabit my bedroom this evenin', until you decided to invade my home." He handed her the water, standing so close that his chest nearly brushed hers. He didn't miss the look she gave him as he took a swig of the cool water, closing his eyes as he swallowed. He wiped his mouth with his arm and grinned crookedly. "Thanks a lot, Monroe."

She rolled her eyes, disguising her nervous heartbeat. "Yeah, you're welcome. Now, about this headline," she picked up the piece of paper where she had placed it on the kitchen table, "The victim was identified as one Allison Julianne O'Brien, Staten Island. Same woman…girl…person whose grave you were kneeling at this morning. You want to fill me in on the details or should I—" Lindsay trailed off as she heard mild swearing coming from the living room. She looked up to discover she was the only one in the kitchen.

"Danny?" Lindsay carefully made her way from one room to the next, keeping an eye out for a pissed off cop. She knew she was pushing buttons: that much was obvious. Lindsay knew she would hate it if someone she barely knew came bursting into her apartment at eleven 'o' clock at night to ask her about a painful memory. Danny hadn't pressed her for information when she couldn't give him a straight answer; why did she feel it necessary to bother him?

"Because you're jealous that maybe, just maybe, he loved her best, and still does."

The little voice inside her head just wouldn't let her be, and Lindsay shook her head, still searching for Danny. "Messer? You jump out at me and I'll shoot you." Lindsay caught the sight of something odd out of the corner of her eye and turned. A door was open and light was pouring from a not- so visible source. "Danny?"

"Yeah, I'm in here." His accent was thick, a characteristic that something was wrong. Lindsay cautiously stepped over the threshold of what looked to be a bedroom. Danny's bedroom, by the looks of it. Easy, girl. She peeked around the closet door, the source of light she had spotted earlier. As quickly as she had put her head around the door, the rest of her body followed and her hand clapped to her mouth, poorly hiding a snort of laughter.

Danny Messer sat on the floor of his closet, legs splayed out in front of him. He looked like a four-year-old that had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar; only instead of cookies, there were pictures. And letters. And newspaper clippings. Danny looked up through his glasses at his visitor, a defeated look on his face. "It's all here. Stuff my ma sent me after she died. I didn't even remember I still had it until this mornin' in the graveyard." He sighed and tilted his head back, resting it against the wall hidden by clothes behind him. His eyes shut briefly and all of a sudden he was rushed back seventeen years.

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"Hey," he whispered, anxious not to awaken his parents, "What are you doin' here?"

"I heard about Louie and I thought you could use a friend."

Danny smiled at Allie's quick and needed response. He shook his head slowly, pulling her towards him in a hug. She wrapped her arms around him in and squeezed. Craning her head, Allie's hazel eyes sought out Danny's blue ones. "Wow, you must really need some comfort. You haven't hugged me like that since I let you copy my homework for a week straight."

Danny laughed softly, resting his chin on Allie's head. "Yeah, well, you always know just what to say to make me feel better." He pulled away momentarily, studying her face. "Who told you about Louie?"

Allie rolled her eyes and pushed Danny back, so the back of his legs collided with the bed. She cocked her head at him, crossing her arms. Her pretty face was full of annoyance and frustration. "Mikey, who else? He left not five minutes after getting back from Costello's. I swear he went out to help whatever Sonny and Louie were up to." She sighed and turned back to the window. Danny could see her clothing clearly now: she was wearing pajama shorts and his sweatshirt. He smiled wryly; she must have stolen it from him when he wasn't looking. "Is that mine?" He interrupted her silent anger quietly, motioning to the Yankees logo on the front of the sweatshirt.

Allie grinned back at him, nodding. "Yeah. You left it the last time you came over." She pulled out the elastic in her hair, shaking auburn locks around her shoulders. Danny felt a sudden tension deep in his gut, and he gulped. How did I get caught up with such a babe? Oh yeah, she's the girl next door. Whoops.

Danny was snapped out of his reverie by a soft blow of fabric on his face. In his dazed state, Allie had removed the sweatshirt and thrown it at him playfully, meaning to surprise and startle him. She grinned cockily at him, mirroring his crooked smile. "Geez, Messer, way to pay attention when someone's talking to you. Keep that up and I might have to hurt you." She walked towards him from the window seductively, hips swinging with every step. He forced his eyes to look away and licked his lips. Allie didn't miss the action and grinned again, this time a predatory edge to her smile. Before he knew what was happening, Danny felt her arms circling his neck and her body press against his.

"W-what did you say? I was distracted." He smirked at her, eyes growing darker with every passing moment their body heat was being shared.

She raised an eyebrow in sarcastic disbelief. "That was the point, stupid." Without further preamble, Allie pressed her lips lightly to his, not quite asking, not quite taking. She was doing exactly what she had planned on doing: distracting him from the frustration brought on by his brother.

But Danny had a new frustration, one a little south of his waistband. Allie was his best friend, confidante, and fellow conspirator when they were younger. Sure, she was definitely his type and it was a running family joke that the two of them should just hurry up and get married, but Danny had never thought she was that interested; especially not with the fact that her own brother had been converted to a thug by his kith and kin. But here she was, kissing him, in his bedroom, both of them only partly dressed. It was more than Danny could stand. He deepened the kiss by snaking his hands to rest lightly behind her head, cradling it so he could better explore. Allie let out a soft sigh, enough to get him even more interested. He ran the tip of his tongue lightly over her bottom lip, asking. She gave in slowly, a tease or hesitation, he couldn't be sure. It was all he needed. His tongue quickly found hers and twined with it, allowing him to explore her mouth further. Allie's hands in turn had wrapped themselves tighter around his neck and it felt to her like she was holding on for dear life. It wasn't until she realized they had moved and it was now her knees pressed against his bed that she halted the proceedings.

"Danny, we gotta stop," she whispered, hating herself with every syllable. The confusion in his eyes made her uncomfortable and she ran a hand through her hair. "It's not that I planned to come over here for a make-out session. I just thought you'd need a little distraction to get your mind off of Louie. I had no idea it was that bad though," she smirked and sucked in her breath. Danny closed his eyes and shook his head, like a dog ridding its ears of water. "No, it's fine. Really." He offered a small smile, which she returned quickly. Biting her lip, Allie moved around him and towards the open window. She was climbing onto the fire escape when she heard her name.

"Allie," Danny began, unsure of how to say what he wanted to tell her. Aw, fuckit. "You did take my mind off of Louie. Just thought I should let you know." He winked at her and she turned bright red. Allie was grateful for the darkness as she rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Glad to see you're back to normal. See you tomorrow." She waved gently and began her descent down the fire escape, quickly crossing the alley that separated their houses and climbing up her own fire escape into her own room.

Danny watched her go until he realized his tease to her had been the truth. Being kissed by his best friend really had allowed him to forget about his pain with Louie. He lay back in bed and stared at the ceiling, grinning. Can't wait to see what school's going to be like this year.

---

"Danny. Danny. DANNY!" Lindsay wasn't used to being blocked out, especially by a colleague of hers. He seemed to wake up out of a dream, starting as though she had taken him out of a deep sleep. Lindsay wearily shook her head, puling gently on his arms. "C'mon, let's get some food in you. Then we'll talk. How 'bout that?" Her eyes didn't allow room for argument and Danny nodded as he let himself be led out of his bedroom, into his kitchen and plunked at his own table. Had he been in full sanity, he would have found it all very insulting. Now, it was just exhausting. Very exhausting, in fact.

"So, how about some toast and scrambled eggs? My specialty. Do you have any milk? Oh, there it is. You know, Danny, in Montana, the cows all—" Lindsay stopped short for the second time that day as she realized Danny Messer, scientist and detective, was finally getting what he deserved.

A good night's sleep.