A/N: Thanks for all the support from my readers and reviewers. Here's the next part. Enjoy!

Thanks to SallyJetson fro the wonderful beta.

Chapter 3: Messages:

Danny sat in the lab examining the same pieces of evidence over and over again, hoping they would tell him something more. He took a break from his task as Hawkes walked in with a smile on his face. "So how did it go with our Mr. Michael Kennedy?" Danny asked, glad to have something else to focus on for a minute.

"Sang like a bird as soon as we told him about his blood on the rope, though there doesn't appear to be any connection to Mac's case. He said the vic kept asking to borrow money from him, but would never pay him back. Apparently he asked one too many times and Kennedy couldn't take it anymore and snapped," Hawkes paused before continuing. "I asked him about the cat and he says he doesn't know anything about it. I think he's telling the truth, Flack had him so afraid he would have given up his own mother. Any luck with the evidence?"

"No. I've looked at everything. No DNA, no fingerprints. The cat's domestic and from the looks of it was probably a stray. The cut was made with a small, unserrated blade, probably a pocketknife. The ribbon's double wired and the dye is composed of Blue #2, Blue #3 and Blue #5 as well as trace amounts of Red #3, but since there is no database for ribbons, we'll have to wait to find something to compare it to, and even then I don't now how conclusive it'll be." Danny replied with frustration.

He took off his glasses, rubbing the exhaustion from his eyes. "What I keep coming back to is why? I mean I know people do a lot of weird stuff in this city, but what possible reason could someone have for doing this?"

"Maybe they were trying to leave some sort of message. But what kind of message and who was it meant for? If it wasn't to do with the vic, was it meant for one of us? I mean we were all there last night," Hawkes pondered.

"Yeah, but it was in the car I was driving. Means it was meant for me."

Hawkes hesitated slightly before adding the thought that had come to mind, "Or Lindsay. She did come in the car with you."

Danny looked down and neither one of them wanted to continue down that line of thought. Finally Danny broke the silence, "It's probably some sick practical joke and don't mean a thing," trying to lighten the mood.

"Weirder things have happened," Hawkes agreed.

"Still… could we keep this between us for now… especially from Lindsay? I don't want her worrying over nothing."

"Sure, but let me know if anything else happens, okay?"

"Sure thing Doc. Thanks man."

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Later that day, Danny returned to his office to find Lindsay standing with her back to him as she looked for a file. He sneakily wrapped his arms around her and started nuzzling her neck.

"Mmm. Flack you better cut that out before Danny catches us."

"Hey," Danny warned.

Lindsay turned in his arms. "I'm just kidding." Kiss. "I knew it was you from the scruff." Kiss. "It doesn't scratch when Don kisses me." She then proceeded to give him one last kiss before taking her file back to her desk.

"You know that's not funny." Danny stated as he finally turned from the spot in which she had left him to return to his own desk.

"It's a little funny," She responded as she continued to complete her paper work.

"Whatever. How's your case coming?"

"We have a few leads but I don't think I can do anymore for tonight," she responded as she placed her pen down on her desk and arched her back to get rid of the kinks, Danny admiring the view as she did so. "That reminds me, what are you doing tonight, say around 7?" she asked.

"Nothing that I know of. Why?"

"Do you want to go for dinner at that new Italian restaurant?"

"Sure sounds like a plan," he answered distractedly as he finished off his own paper work.

"Good 'cause Jason invited us," she replied as she gathered her things to leave for the night.

"'kay," he responded automatically as he continued with his work. A few seconds later what she had said finally sunk in. "What? Go back. Jason invited us? Like your ex-fiancé Jason?"

"Yeah, he's in town for a tradeshow and left a message saying he wanted to get together." She replied as she put on her coat. "Is there a problem?"

"Is there a problem? Is there a problem with MY girlfriend spending time with her ex-fiancé? Let me think about that. Yes, there is a BIG problem," he steamed. "And besides, did he actually invite us, or did he invite you?"

"He invited me and I told him you would be joining us," she replied, Danny noticing that she had taken her fighting stance. Never a good sign. "As for me spending time with him, he was my friend for 30 some odd years, and only my fiancé for four. If you got a problem with that, then just don't come." She responded through clenched teeth before stomping out the door.

"Shit," was all Danny could say as his head hit the desk.