See prologue for story information and disclaimer.

Chapter Six

Danny was confused when he left the lab that day. He was pretty sure Lindsay wasn't mad at him anymore, since she didn't seem to mind him coming to dinner with her sister and Flack. On the other hand, she had barely said two words to him the rest of the day. Mac had the entire team working on the Bozeman Strangler except Lindsay. She was helping the night team on their cases. She did their lab analysis and paperwork. They were each so busy that he hadn't been able to sneak in a moment alone with her.

He had been helping Stella and Hawkes process the evidence from Rebecca Saunders' crime scene. The travel records hadn't yielded anything relevant. So far, the evidence hadn't either. He was at his wits end. He wanted to find something conclusive and solve the case so Lindsay could be safe. Instead, he felt useless. The only thing he could do was wait until the next day when the rest of their results would be finished. He sighed in frustration and headed for the locker room.

He gathered his things from his locker and was about to leave when Stella entered the room.

"Hey, Danny."

"Hi, Stel," he mumbled. He really wasn't in the mood to chat. He really just wanted to find Lindsay so he could at least feel like he was being useful by not leaving her alone.

"I just saw Lindsay in the elevator. She said she'd meet you in the lobby."

Danny perked up. He wouldn't have to go looking for her then. "Thanks, Stella."

She smiled. "Thought that might cheer you up," she said, sounding like she knew something Danny didn't. "I hear you two are having dinner with Flack and Lindsay's sister."

"Yeah, at this little Italian place near Flack's. It's pretty decent food."

Stella smiled knowingly again. "Well, I won't keep you then. But we'll have to have a little chat later about these living arrangements you came up with."

Danny nodded, not at all looking forward to that conversation. As the locker room door shut behind him, he swore he could hear Stella chuckling to herself. That woman scares me sometimes.

When he got to the lobby, Lindsay was standing by the elevators waiting for him, just like Stella had said.

"Hey, Montana."

"Hi, Danny," she said absently. "Let's get going. I'm starved."

Danny nodded, his good mood fading away. She didn't sound mad, exactly, but she didn't sound like she wanted him around. Playing off her mood, he didn't say anything. He simply followed her to the subway.

The car they got into was pretty empty, for the subway, but still Danny didn't say anything. Lindsay had her eyes closed, leaning the back of her head against the window behind her. She looked like she had a headache, and Danny wondered if she'd rather go straight home. She probably does, but she sure as hell doesn't want to you to your home, Messer.

The silence was driving Danny crazy. He had to say something before he started thinking in the third person again.

"You still mad at me, Montana?"

She cracked an eye open and smiled a little.

"No, Danny. I'm not mad, but next time you want to make significant decisions for me, remember to ask first."

Danny nodded and smiled. His good mood was returning. Lindsay wasn't mad and he was going to dinner with her. Okay, so Flack and her sister will be there, but this is almost like a date anyway.

When they got to the restaurant, they saw Flack and Sarah sitting at a little table for four near the back. The two were smiling and laughing like they'd known each other for years.

"Well, you look happy," Lindsay said as they approached the table.

Sarah smile and hugged her sister. "I had fun today. I didn't bring a lot of stuff, so Don took me out shopping."

Don? Danny thought. Nobody calls him Don. He shot Flack a meaningful look, which was promptly ignored. However, Danny did catch a hint of redness around Flack's ears as he pretended not to notice Danny. So that's how it is.

Sarah was telling Lindsay all about how Flack had taken her to all the stores she'd wanted to go to and how he'd sat patiently while she'd tried on all the clothes she'd liked.

"Then, we went to the men's section and I bought him a very nice tie, as a thank you."

"Wait, wait, wait," Danny interrupted. "You bought him a tie? And he let you?"

"Yes, is that so shocking?"

"Of course, it is," he said, very sincerely surprised. "He never lets anyone buy him ties. Aiden bought him one once as a joke, because it was the ugliest tie she could find. But other than that, no one's ever bought him a tie. He's very particular about his ties."

Flack kept giving Danny his Shut-up-idiot look, but Danny ignored him.

"I like giving ties," Sarah said. "I always bought my Dad's ties. I thought Don would like a tie. Didn't you like it?"

Flack's glare disappeared when she turned to him and a genuine smile appeared. "Yes, I did like it. Of course, I did. Messer's just being a brat."

Danny laughed, but since the waiter came over, he decided he'd let Flack off the hook on this one. Finally, I can get him back for every time he's teased me about Montana.

-----

When they'd finished dessert, the girls went to the bathroom and Danny turned to Flack.

"You've got it bad, man."

Flack looked at his drink and the redness appeared around his ears again.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Messer."

Danny laughed.

"Flack, she bought you a tie. And you liked it. She's going to keep buying you ties and you don't seem to mind. You went shopping with her willingly, for Christ's sake. You've got it bad for Montana Jr."

Flack was about to deny it again, but then the girls returned.

"You ready to go, Don?" Sarah asked.

Flack nodded, while Danny mouthed 'Don' at him, along with another meaningful look. Danny saw that Lindsay noticed what was going on between him and Flack, so he whispered 'I'll tell you later' in her ear.

They paid for dinner and said their goodbyes, leaving Flack and Sarah to walk back to Flack's place, while Danny and Lindsay headed for the subway again.

"So, what was all that stuff with Flack about?" she asked.

He laughed. "He's got it bad for your sister."

"Really?" She looked puzzled, as if she was trying to see it and failing.

"Really. Look at the evidence. She calls him Don. No one else does. She buys him ties and he likes it. And the man volunteered to go shopping with her."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

He rolled his eyes and looked pointedly at her. "A man doesn't just go shopping with anyone, Montana. Clothes shopping means he cares."

She laughed, the tinkly laugh that he couldn't get enough of.

"I'll keep that in mind, Messer."

Danny grinned. "Do you need to go to your place to pick anything up?" he asked.

Lindsay shook her head and patted her bag. "I grabbed the extra stuff I keep at the lab. You can help me move stuff tomorrow."

"Alright, straight to my place it is."

Twenty minutes later, Danny was offering Lindsay a beer while she put her things in his spare room.

"I think I'll just take a shower and go to bed, Danny. It's been a stressful day."

He nodded and they said goodnight. Cracking open a beer of his own, he sat down on the couch. He turned on the TV in hopes of drowning out the sound of the shower. He tried to pay attention to the game show, but all he could think about was that Lindsay was naked in his bathroom.

Oh God, he thought, as completely inappropriate images of joining her danced through his mind. I'm never going to get through this.