Lindsay woke up in a bed that was neither hers not Danny's. Confused, she rolled over and cried out when she saw Trent next to her. He was propped up on an elbow and was obviously watching her. His dark hair was even wilder and his yellow- green eyes glinted. "Good morning, darling," he crooned, "I've been waiting for you to wake for hours."
Lindsay rolled back over so that she didn't have to look at him. "Don't be like that," Trent chided. Tears pricked Lindsay's eyes as she realized how similar this conversation was to the one she and Danny had had the previous morning.
"Are you going to kill me?" Lindsay asked, still facing the opposite wall. "Because if you are, I'd appreciate it if you'd do it now and put me out of my misery."
"Why would you ask such a question?" Trent asked innocently, "I love you."
"Stop saying that!"
"But it's true!" Trent insisted.
"No, it's not!" Lindsay spat, "If you loved me you wouldn't have kidnapped me."
"We obviously have very different ideas about love, Lindsay." Trent said quietly.
"Obviously," Lindsay scoffed, "To you love it kidnapping and killing innocent women."
"Watch your tongue," Trent warned.
"Well, it's true," Lindsay muttered.
Trent rolled her over roughly. There was an evil glare in his eyes that terrified her. "You will not disrespect me," he hissed, "Or you will end up just like my other girls." His voice suddenly adopted quiet, dreamlike, almost reverent tone. "My girls," he repeated, a smile creeping onto his face. "Dana and Michelle and Kara and Stephanie." His voice and facial expression changed as suddenly as it had before. "It was their fault!" he exclaimed, "They were disobedient! I loved them! I didn't want to kill them, but I had no choice! They did not love me!" He slapped Lindsay, as if to take his anger out on her, and she recoiled.
"I need to use the restroom," Lindsay told him timidly.
Wordlessly he pointed to a door across from the bed.
Lindsay crossed the room to the bathroom, closed and locked the door behind her and sank to the floor crying.
It was obvious that Danny hadn't gotten a minute of sleep when he entered the lab the next day. Everybody was very distraught but the whole ordeal, but Danny was obviously taking it very hard. Oblivious to Danny and Lindsay's relationship, the team assumed it was because they were partners. He had left her alone at the crime scene, after all. Nobody said a word about it, though. They just worked twice as hard to try and find her.
"How long does she have?" Danny asked Mac.
"What do you mean?" Mac was pretty sure he knew what Danny was talking about, but he didn't want to just go right out and say it.
"Before he kills her," Danny said, fighting to stay composed.
"Anywhere from 4 – 10 days, I'd guess," Mac told him quietly. "The average for the other girls was 6, from the time they went missing to the day the body was found."
"Ok," Danny said, going back to his work.
"You can't beat yourself up about this, Danny," Mac said.
"I promised," Danny said, emotion clogging his throat.
"What?" Mac asked, confused.
"I promised I'd never let anything happen to her. And then I just left her there, all alone."
"Lindsay's tough, Danny."
"I know. But that doesn't change the fact that I left her there after I promised to protect her." Tears pricked his eyes, but he refused to let them fall, especially in front of his boss. Blinking furiously he continued, "We were talkin' about how she looked like the vic, and I could tell she was a little freaked out. So, I told her I'd protect her, that I wouldn't let anyone hurt her. And then I let her down."
"I'm sure she doesn't blame you," Mac assured him.
"I'd almost feel better if she did."
"No, you wouldn't."
Danny just shrugged, not trusting his voice.
"It's not your personal responsibility to protect her, you know." Mac said a few minutes later.
"Yeah, it is," Danny insisted.
"I mean sure, you're her partner, but that's it."
"It's more than that," Danny said quietly, "Lindsay and I have been datin' for 3 months."
"Oh," Mac said lamely. "I didn't know."
"Nobody did. We were goin' to tell everybody yesterday," he paused and cleared his throat of the lump of emotion that was clogging it. "After lunch."
"We're going to get her back, Danny. You just have to stay positive."
Danny nodded. I'm so sorry Lindsay, he told her mentally, I'm gonna get you back, I promise.
Trent rapped on the bathroom door impatiently. "Lindsay," he barked. "Come out of there!"
Lindsay wiped the tears away from her eyes, stood up and studied her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her hair a tangled mess. "Lindsay!" Trent yelled.
Lindsay slowly made her way to the bathroom door and opened it. "Let's get something straight," Trent exploded as soon as he saw her face, "Your life depends on my mood."
Lindsay blinked. "So as long as I do what you say and keep you happy I stay alive?"
Trent smiled. "You catch on quick, baby."
Lindsay cringed at the endearment. Trent reminded her so much of Danny, when he was in a good mood, at least. She closed her eyes and counted to ten to calm her self, and to keep the tears from falling again. He's going to find me, she told herself, He's looking for me right now.
A/N So. There's chapter 4. Like? More soon…..
xoxo
Lia
