The next evening, DNA results in, Danny and Lindsay met Flack back outside the bar George worked. The blood drops on Jacob's jacket, most likely left behind by the killer, had come back as a partial match to Casey Stratton. A close male relative.

Added to that was the video footage of all four young men heading away from the bar together- and into the park.

He wasn't surprised to see them. "Anything I can get you, detectives?" he asked them from behind the counter.

Flack crooked his fingers. "Come on, George, we don't want a fuss."

The young man grimaced and placed the glass he was holding down behind the bar. "Yeah, okay."

He walked around to the other side of the bar where Danny was waiting with handcuffs. As he snapped them around George's wrists, Trey came out from the back room and saw what was happening. Dropping a case of something that smashed as it hit the ground, he ran over to them.

"George, what the hell?" he asked, distressed.

"I killed Jacob, Trey, I'm sorry," George said, ignoring the police officers around him. "I had to. He shot Casey."

"Goddammit," Trey said. He tried to get closer to them but Flack held him back. "What happens now?" he asked the detective.

"He'll be charged with murder."

"No!" The young man fought against Flack's hold, as tears began to run down his face. "George," he called out as Danny and Lindsay escorted him from the bar. "I love you."

By the time they loaded him into the waiting police car, George was crying too. "I was just so angry," he sobbed after Lindsay read him his rights. "He killed Casey. What was I meant to do?"

Back at the precinct, Flack and Danny took his statement.

"It was meant to be fun. Me and Case and David always hung out together, you know? He was my best friend as well as my brother. When I told my parents I was gay he was the only one who didn't turn his back on me. It was only later I found out that he was gay too.

"I took the gun months ago, for protection. I didn't tell my father because we don't talk anymore. I had the gun with me that night, and when we were all wasted I bought it out and was showing it off, I guess. I don't really know how Jacob got it. We were split up as we walked through the park. I just heard the shot and ran straight towards it.

"When I got there Casey was on the ground and David was holding him, just crying his eyes out. He really loved Case, I could tell. He was the first boyfriend of my brother's that I actually liked.

"When he told me what happened I just took off. I ran after the bastard, and I caught up with him too. He wasn't even trying to escape, just walking along as if nothing had happened.

"I jumped him, tried to get the gun back, but he fought me. He punched me in the nose but I got the gun off him, and I shot him. He was trying to run away and I shot him in the back. Then I shot him again, and I- I made sure he was dead.

"I was going to go back and check on Case but then I heard sirens in the distance, and I just bolted. The next day I went back to my parents to put the gun back in the study and mum was crying. Case had died.

"I'm not sorry I shot him. He deserved to die. He killed my brother just because he was gay. He wasn't hurting anyone. He was just living his life. He was happy."

As George Stratton was lead away in handcuffs, Danny headed back to his office. He stopped in the doorway and just watched Lindsay work for a moment. Sensing him behind her, she turned around.

"Hey," she said softly, "how did it go?" She held out a hand and he took it, walking closer to her.

"He confessed."

"He killed his brother's killer," Lindsay said. "Oh Danny."

She knew, of course she knew, how this case would affect him. She stood and pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around him. They stood there, in full view of anyone who walked by, for a few long moments, and as they did, he felt his heart crack open.

"Come on," she said as she pulled away. "Let's go have a drink at Sullivan's."

He held her hand in his, searching her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"I told you Danny, it was stupid. I just freaked out a little. I just needed to know you were with me. And you are. I don't care what anyone says about us. Even if it is your annoying best friend." She rolled her eyes and grinned to show him she was joking.

"Really?"

"Really."

He watched her a little longer. "Okay then. But Montana?" He pulled her back to him as she moved to step away. "Don't ever think that somethin' you're worrying about is stupid, okay? If it's worryin' you it ain't stupid."

She smiled and nodded. Then she kissed him. "Okay, Danny."

He wrapped her hand around his, and they walked out together.

------------------------

The bar was loud, with a stereo in the corner pumping out music, a tv near the bar tuned to a game and raucous conversation between a few dozen cops, relaxing after a long shift.

Danny and Lindsay, still holding hands, weaved their way through the crowd to their usual table, where Flack was telling some kind of story. "And then I said... oh, hey Monroe, Messer," he said, interrupting himself suddenly.

"Hey Flack," Lindsay said, smiling. A spare seat was found and she sat down. Danny rested his hands on her shoulders for a moment, leaning down to whisper in her ear, making sure he got her drink order right. Then he headed off to the bar and Lindsay turned her attention back to the group in front of her.

Flack had obviously finished his tale and the group laughed while Stella and Becca, sitting next to Hawkes across the table from Lindsay, rolled their eyes.

"Hey, I heard you guys solved the case," Stella said to Lindsay and Flack. "Well done."

Lindsay smiled while Flack shrugged. "Guy confessed as soon as I cuffed him. Wasn't exactly the result we wanted."

"You put a killer away," Becca, always the hard headed cop, disagreed. "Even if he only did it because the guy killed his brother, he needed to pay for what he did."

"Yeah, it doesn't help the family though," Lindsay said, agreeing with Flack and sending him a smile. "They lost both their sons that night."

An arm reached around her shoulder, placing the beer down in front of her. She smiled up at him. "Thanks Danny."

She thought she heard Flack say something, but when she looked over at him he had closed his mouth. She raised her eyebrows. "What was that?"

He shook his head, pulling back as if to distance himself from the situation. "Nothin', I didn't say nothin'."

He glanced up behind her for a moment and she turned, suddenly realizing what had happened. She caught Danny glaring at his best friend and he turned to smile at her innocently.

She shook her head. "Daniel Messer, I told you not to say anything!"

He had the grace to look a little repentant, but she didn't believe it for a minute. When she turned around the rest of the table was laughing. Stella grinned. "About time he had someone to put him in his place," she said to the group as a whole, but Lindsay ignored her.

"Don, I'm sorry. I told him not to bother you."

He shrugged, still looking a little uncomfortable. "It's no problem, Linds."

She leaned forward. "No it's not. I won't muzzle you, Flack. Say whatever you want, I can take it. And I promise whatever Danny said, he was mistaken." She shot a glance over her shoulder, half exasperated, half loving.

"Whatever I want, eh?" he said, grinning.

Lindsay laughed. "You can try at least. But you might not want to get us on your bad side." She indicated herself, Stella and Becca, both of whom grinned and nodded.

He mock shivered. "Whatever you say, Monroe. Or should that be Mrs Messer?"

And she laughed.

---------------------------

And that's all folks. As always, let me know what you think.

Coming up next in Climb This Mountain- It's murder on the dancefloor, baby!