AN: Thanks for the reviews!

I'm so sorry about the absence of an update yesterday :(. I woke up really late and had a clarinet lesson and was revising, and I ran out of daylight, literally, I was up till 2 in the morning revising. Anyway, I'll try and not repeat that without some notice beforehand.

Warning: The f-word is used in this chapter.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything

Chapter 7

Lindsay sighed and blinked slowly as she felt sunlight stream between the thin curtains onto her eyes. She shook her head, realizing that she'd have to get up sooner or later. She turned her head slowly to the alarm clock that would be standing on the side table, surprised when she found that it wasn't.

Then she remembered that she wasn't at home anymore, but in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Literally. She then rolled her shoulders and raised her left arm above her eyes, squinting as she tried to read the time on her watch. 7:30.

At seeing this, she literally flew out of bed, and threw on the first thing she could find, almost tripping as she made an attempt to run and pull on sweats at the same time. No no no, it'll take at least forty-five minutes to get to the main centre, and Mac said eight o'clock. Crap!

She speeded out of the door, banging it into the wall in the process. Not that she cared. Just as she was about to reach the cabin door, she realized that her three co-workers, who were dressed similarly to her, standing in the front room, waiting, for her, presumably.

"Oh, hey, uh sorry guys, I guess I overslept, anyway, let's go!"

They all shrugged indifferently, but looked on at her in concern, knowing that she most likely hadn't slept because of the nightmare. Seeing the concern plastered all over their faces, she rolled her eyes, slapped on a fake smile, and said, "Come on guys, I'm fine, let's go, we're already late."

Unconvinced, but eager to have breakfast, the trio followed her through the thick Montanan forest.

40 minutes later…

Mac tutted, and checked his watch for the fifth time in five minutes. He, Stella, Adam and Hawkes were all waiting in front of the main centre for the four people that made up the rest of their team. He huffed, and turned to the tall Greek women next to him.

"Where the hell are they?" he asked, knowing that she wouldn't have a straight answer, "They were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago."

Stella chuckled at the usual stressed out Mac, "Oh give them a break, they probably got lost on the way or something. They'll be here soon. Besides, we're here to relax, so don't stress so much."

Mac rolled his eyes at Stella's diplomacy, "Why do you always have to be so reasonable?"

Stella laughed, finding the whole situation quite humorous herself, and simply replied, "It's part of my charm, I guess."

They heard the rustling of the trees, and then voices that accompanied the four figures that had just arrived.

"We're so sorry Mac," that was Jess

"Yeah, we didn't mean to be late," that was Danny.

"It's just 'coz Lindsay-"Flack added, promptly being cut off.

"Lindsay nothing. Sorry Mac, it won't happen again," that was Lindsay, not wanting even more people to be concerned for her.

"You're damn right it won't," Mac replied, agitation leaking into his voice. "You guys are late one more time, and its desk work for a week, got it?"

"Yes sir," the group of four chorused.

"Don't call me sir."

The group were sitting at a rectangular table, with Mac at the head. Lindsay was sitting next to Jess and Stella, though not really close to them, opposite to Danny, much to her distaste.

"Come on Linds, talk to me," Danny pleaded.

No reply.

"Linds."

Again. no reply.

"Montana, come on."

Lindsay lifted her head from her breakfast,, which made Danny happy. Yes, I got her to talk to me.

"Don't call me that."

She looked back down. He huffed in exasperation.

"Oh come on Linds, your givin' me nothing here," he pleaded.

She suddenly snapped, and looked up at him, her eyes blazing. "Nothing, nothing? What was a month of ignoring my phone calls, giving me lame excuses as to why you couldn't go out with me, and practically using every chance you had to avoid me huh? Was that not nothing?"

Danny sighed, and looked into her eyes, "Linds-"

"I'm not finished," she snapped. He promptly shut his mouth.

"I tried to be there for you Danny, and you shut me out. Actually no, not only me, you shut out everyone. Mac, Flack, everyone that wanted to be there for you. Hell, your mother even phoned me up and asked why you hadn't talked to her in three weeks. I've never even met the woman, and she was telling me that she thought you were dead! Is that really how you treat the people you love? You've got to start realising that what you do affects the people around you, Danny, and what you did, by shutting them out, was hurt them.

"And yes, I understand that you were hurting over losing Ruben, and you felt guilty. But you didn't even let me help you. Hello, Danny, remember me, the girl who saw her best friends get shot right in front of her eyes? I know survivor's guilt, Danny, I've lived through it for the past thirteen years, and it eats you up on the inside. But what helped was surrounding myself with people that I loved, who I knew I could count on. But no, in your world, all that mattered was Rikki!"

His eyes shot to hers, filled with surprise and guilt.

"What, you think I didn't know? I have been cheated on before, you know, and it's pretty damn obvious when my boyfriend rushes me off the phone, and I hear a woman's voice on the other side of it. So what was it? Did you pity her, was that it? Were you feeling guilty, and you wanted to repay her the only way you knew how? Or you just sensed a damsel in distress in need, like you did with me two years ago, and comforted her the only way you knew how? Were you even thinking of me as you fucked her? No, of course not, what am I thinking? It's Danny Messer, New York's playboy, incapable of a monogamous relationship. I guess I should've listened to the rumours, but I thought you were different from that. You had shown me that you were. But I guess I was wrong."

Danny blinked, once, twice, three times, at the speech that Lindsay had given him. He really hadn't realised what he had done. Wow, am I really that selfish?

"Linds, please, just-"

"No, Danny, no," she hissed. "It's never going to be okay that you cheated on me, and never even thought to tell me."

It suddenly went silent on the table.

Conversations stopped.

Cutlery clattered onto plates.

And six pairs of shocked eyes stared at the two people in front of them.

Dun dun dun. Lame ending, I know, but I couldn't resist, I just love all DL-related drama! I know that Stella and Jess already knew about the whole cheating thing, but I thought it'd be more dramatic to have them all shocked.

I know, I'm mean, ending it there, but I promise a new chapter with more DL interaction will be posted tomorrow, but for now, I'm leaving it there. hehe

Anyway, review!

rhcprule