A/N- Okay, so I could give you some lame excuse as to why I haven't updated, but I will spare you that, and say life is crazy. And of course, I'm sorry. I hope that you all will like this story. I am envisioning maybe two or three more chapters in this story before I wrap it up. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and thanks as always to my amazing beta, Marue61. She got this back to me quickly, despite a family emergency. Thanks again! And I want to thank all of you who have read and reviewed and continue to do so. It really means a lot to me. But enough rambling, and on with the show.
Mac Taylor knew something was amiss in his lab. It was nearly four thirty and the hallway in front of his office suddenly looked like a major highway. People were coming and going at an alarming pace. Add that to the fact that Danny, Lindsay, Stella and Hawkes had all been acting strange and impatient all day. More intriguing was the fact that Don Flack had been hovering around the lab for the majority of the afternoon.
Sighing and scratching his head, Mac tossed the file he was investigating on his desk and tried to piece together the strange behavior of his team. It wasn't until he saw Lindsay, Stella and Liz heading towards the locker room that he had a general clue about what was going on. He was still putting the final pieces together when there was a gentle knock on his office door, directing his attention to Peyton who was standing in his doorway looking more gorgeous than he had ever seen her.
Peyton watched from the door with great satisfaction as his eyes raked over her body. His focus shifted from the generous neckline of the sleeveless silver vest-like top she wore down to the tight leather micro-mini skirt that she had bravely worn at Stella's encouragement. She laughed softly as she watched Mac unconsciously loosen the Windsor knot in his tie. Her voice was soft, low, and teasing as she spoke, "Well, well Detective Taylor, I do believe you are speechless."
Mac smirked at her as she approached him and pulled her down into his lap once she was close enough to reach. He spun the chair around so that they were looking out over the New York skyline, and so that they had some privacy from anyone who might be gawking in the hallway. He dropped a quick but lingering kiss on her lips and then spoke, "Well what do you expect Dr. Driscoll? I have never seen you in anything quite like this before." He lovingly ran a hand across the exposed skin of her thigh.
"I wasn't sure if you would like it or not. You are usually so reserved." Peyton couldn't believe that they were talking about this. They never had conversations that involved feelings and they never discussed Mac's general lack of outward emotion.
"Peyton, I try to keep things lowkey, but that doesn't mean I am dead."
She laughed at that. She was enjoying this side of Mac, the touchy, feely, open Mac. She smiled as she spoke, "So my very alive boyfriend, I thought that I might be able to convince you to have dinner with me tonight. And if I try really, really hard I was hoping that I could convince you to spend the night with me at my place."
Mac could feel his resolve slipping as his body temperature and blood pressure both continued to skyrocket. Slipping his hand a little further up her expose thigh, he gave a gentle squeeze, before capturing her lips in a bruising kiss. One that was full of dueling tongues and passion. Peyton was breathless and disappointed when he pulled away just as abruptly as he had started the kiss. He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and spoke, his voice deliciously husky, "I was kind of hoping we could skip dinner and go straight to spending the night."
Peyton squeaked as he nipped at her earlobe after he finished his counter offer. She shook her head and tried to calm her rapid heartbeat as she spoke, "Only if you promise to feed me at some point. I skipped lunch and I am starving."
"I think that can be arranged. Are you ready to get out of here?"
Peyton couldn't help but laugh. She was going to owe Stella something big. She never would have guessed that a short skirt would have turned Mac Taylor into a sexually charged college boy, but she rather liked this particular side of him. She placed a kiss on his lips and then spoke, "No. I promised Liz I would help her get ready for her big date tonight."
Mac's disappointment was evident on his face even as he spoke, "So that is what has been going on all afternoon. Well, hurry back. I don't like the idea of sharing you this evening."
She smiled a broad smile and shook her head at him. "Mac, you are a constant surprise to me. I will come get you when we are done."
Mac nodded and watched entranced as she turned and sauntered out of his office, the rhythmic sway of her hips doing things to him he didn't know a woman still could. Yet as she disappeared around the corner to the locker room, the implications of her words set in. He smiled reflectively at the knowledge that Liz Warren was dating again. He knew the case, knew the demons that she battled, and he was awed by her strength to try again. His mind refocused on Liz, he rummaged through the stack of unsolved case files on his desk and retrieved Liz's file. He opened the folder and began to dig through the past.
"Messer, please explain to me why your girlfriend had to pick the opera? Why couldn't it have been a nice ballgame or even some horrific Broadway show?" Don asked as he pulled his undershirt over his head and towel dried his hair once again before reaching into his gym bag setting on the bench in the locker room to retrieve his aftershave.
Danny threw the hairbrush he had absent mindedly been dragging through his hair into his open locker and then turned to look at Don, tossing his towel at the other man as he spoke, "Aw, quit your whining, an opera date is better than no date." Danny retrieved his button down shirt and slipped his arms through the holds. As he began to work the buttons he spoke again, "Besides you are missing the point." Danny paused to emphasize his words, gesticulating as he spoke, "Opera, equals opera dress. I mean you worked the subway surfer case. Lindsay in that blue dress, man I can't even begin to tell you the wonders of that dress. Trust me, opera dresses are gold."
"Dude, you are shallow."
"Right, whatever. I can tell you are thinking about Liz and that dress right now," Danny said as he gave Don a good natured shove and finished buttoning the buttons on his dress shirt.
"Yeah, yeah. Moving on. Tell me how did things go with your pop when you and Lindsay were out on the island? I heard what Lindsay told Liz, but I want to know the real story. How big of an ass was Sergio?"
"He reached new levels man. I mean he suggested that the only reason Lindsay and I were living together is that she is pregnant. He really thought that the only reason I was still with her was that I had knocked her up." Danny's anger was evident in his voice and in the velocity with which he flipped his collar up so that he could begin to slip his tie around his neck.
Don studied his friend as he slipped his dress shirt on and began working the buttons. He measured his options and decided that his initial response would offer no comfort to Danny. Don Flack hated everything about Sergio Messer. He was a loathsome bully, a mean drunk, and too quick to take a short cut. He had been blessed with things he didn't deserve, a loving if not often misguided older boy, a passionate, loyal, younger boy, and the love of a woman who was truly one of a kind. Yet none of those were things that Don dared to mention to Danny. So he finally responded, with a shrug, "Ouch. That's gotta hurt."
Danny snorted in response and spoke as his agitated fingers flailed in an attempt to tie his tie, "Yeah. Real loving father I got. He also managed to call me a screw up because I haven't been put back on the promotion grid yet. Then the real icing on the cake was when he referred to Lindsay as a nice piece of ass, even if she is a cop, as if that is some dirty thing." Danny finally gave up on the tie, letting it hang loose at his neck.
Don noticed that Danny was digging in his locker again, and wondered what he was looking for as his friend spoke again. "I hate that old bastard, but I gotta say that the visit wasn't a total waste."
"Because of Louie?" Don asked as he absentmindedly moved towards Danny while buttoning his right cuff.
Danny finally stopped rummaging and softly said "boom" before palming whatever he had been looking for and then turning towards Don. "No, because he helped me realize something that I had never really thought about before. The whole visit really helped me clarify some things. That's why I went and got this yesterday."
Don was in the process of buttoning his left cuff when he looked up at Danny and his eyes focused on the object that had been thrust in his face. Don's eyes widened in disbelief at the open ring box. The shock of the diamond engagement ring caused Don to stumble and then hit the wood bench he was standing in front of. He was so disoriented that he couldn't stop himself. Don found himself staring at the ceiling, he had fallen over the bench, yet the only thing he could think of was what he voiced, "You bought an engagement ring?"
Danny laughed as he watched his friend scramble to his feet. He understood the shock, he had surprised himself when he had walked into the jewelry store and started looking at rings. Yet he knew in his heart that it was the right thing to do. He had everything he could ever want in his life and it was because of Lindsay. Sure the thought of marriage still terrified him, but he also knew that the thought of not marrying her, of letting her slip through his fingers was even more terrifying. He returned his focus to Don Flack who was staring bug eyed at him and spoke, "Yep. So what do you think?"
"Have you lost your ever loving mind? This is you we are talking about. Mr.-I-don't-Cuddle. Mr.-Confirmed-Bachelor. Mr.-Marriage-scares-the-living-day-light-out-of-me. How the hell did this happen?"
Danny shook his head, he still didn't understand it himself. He was all of those things but he knew that this was the right decision. "I don't know man. I guess I just fell in love. I ain't sayin' I'm gonna ask her right away. I'm just sayin' I know that I can't stand the thought of her not being there. It's permanent and right now permanently waking up next to Montana sounds pretty damn good."
"Wow. That was almost poetic. Wow."
"Tell me about it," Danny said as he clasped his friend around the shoulder. "Now tell me what you think about the ring. Think she'll like it?"
Don looked down at the three quarter caret, emerald cut diamond, set in a white gold setting with two smaller emerald cut diamond baguettes. His face broke into a broad smile as he spoke, "She is going to love it." Don patted Danny on the back and then stepped away. He slid his tie on and began to work the knot as he spoke, "Does this mean you are going to turn into a big mushy married man on me?"
Danny put the box in the pocket of his suit jacket and then deftly finished tying his tie. "No. It just means that I am smarter than you. Besides I wouldn't talk about mushy if I were you. I mean I ain't the one making bedroom eyes and falling all over myself for a woman I ain't even kissed yet."
Don slipped his suit jacket on and then fixed the collar of his button up shirt to extend over the lapels. "You have to admit she is one damn fine woman."
"That she is, my friend," Danny said as he too shrugged on his jacket.
"Besides, as of last night I have kissed her once."
"What? When? Well, how was it?"
Don laughed at his friend who was overeager and dying to hear details. Grinning, he zipped his duffel bag and as he spoke he shoved the bag in Danny's locker where he was planning on leaving it until he returned later to grab it. "Wouldn't you like to know? Sorry Danno, I have a strict no kiss and tell policy. If you want details, get your woman to get them for you." With that he turned and headed for the door, leaving Danny to follow hot on his trail, muttering obscenities.
Peyton approached the women's locker room with a self-satisfied smirk. She was quite pleased with herself. Yet the commotion coming from behind the door drew her out of her own mind. She was about to walk in when she heard a voice cry out, "Owww, damn it, that hurt."
Confusion and suspicion caused Peyton to propel herself through the door. She laughed as she entered the room and saw what was going on. Stella was standing over Liz with a straightening iron, trying to flatten the thick mass of hair that was attached to Liz's head. Liz kept reaching up to run her fingers over the hair that was straight, making it fuzz and curl once again. Stella was growing impatient and this last time had smacked Liz's hand away, causing her to cry out.
Stella laughed and showed no remorse, "Keep your damn hands out of your hair until I finish or you are going to be a curly fuzball for all I care." Stella noticed Peyton as she walked in and set a cosmetic bag on the bench. "Peyton, you look fine. Wait until Mac sees you.
"He already did," Peyton said with a smile.
Lindsay turned from the mirror by which she was standing with a curling iron, trying to accentuate her natural curl. She smiled when she saw Peyton. "And you are still walking? I figured he would have had you in that third floor supply closet."
Peyton laughed and then spoke, "Oh, believe me, he was angling for it. We are headed home after this, he's spending the night..."
Peyton's sentence was cut off by a chorus of "oohhh."
"Oh, bloody hell, will you all quit? What do you want me to do?" she asked, her words sounding harsh, her voice conveying amusement.
"Makeup. Lizzy can carve up a human body and put it back together looking flawless, but she can't get make up on her face to save her life," Lindsay said as she slipped bobby pins into her hair to secure the partial updo.
"Thanks, Linds, with friends like you, who needs enemies."
"I speak the truth, you know it."
"You speak something."
"Down girls, you are supposed to be supporting one another tonight, not tearing each other down," Stella said as she perched on the bench next to Liz as Peyton began applying makeup to her face.
Petyon smiled as she saw Liz tense, "Relax, I am not going to make you look like a whore. We are just adding a little to accentuate the features Don already loves. The goal is to drive him crazy, not drive him away."
Liz smiled at her words and relaxed enough to allow her to easily access her face without trying to fight tense muscles.
"Yeah, we have to get Liz her first Flack kiss tonight," Lindsay said with a smile as she turned from the mirror, looking flawless.
Stella smirked from her perch on the bench as she watched Peyton's masterpiece unfold. "You didn't tell them? Shame on you, Lizzy."
Liz smile ruefully. She had met Stella for coffee earlier in the day. The two had been sharing war stories about their pasts and about the recovery process. Liz found it comforting and in a way it was like opposition research for Shel. She had to know what Stella's fears were in order to help her friend land the date he so desperately pretends he doesn't want. During the meeting, she had let it slip that she and Don had shared their first kiss.
"You kissed him last night, in my apartment, and you didn't tell me?" Lindsay's voice was shrill and accusatory.
"I was going to but I never got the chance."
Peyton smiled as she added blush to Liz's cheeks. "Close your eyes," she said as she began to apply eye shadow. The command was quickly followed with another request, "Well we want details."
Liz smiled as shook her head, "I don't kiss and tell."
"Yeah, right. Spill it Lizzy, what was it like? Was it everything you hoped for?" Lindsay poked her friend and she sat next to her on the bench and waited for details.
Liz laughed and shoved Lindsay's hand away. She shook her head ruefully and spoke, a ridiculous grin gracing her face. "It was all that and more. He was so sweet, and it was just, well it was amazing."
"Oh, you sound like a love sick teenager…its great!" Stella said with a laugh.
"Well I am happy for you. And I am all done," Peyton declared as she stood and backed away, surveying her creation.
Liz stood and moved to stand in front of the mirror. She was quite pleased with what her friends had done. Peyton's makeup was understated and flattering, highlighting natural cheek bones and drawing out her eyes. Stella had made her bushy, curly hair look tame and elegant by straightening it and flipping the end up just a little. She smiled brightly and then turned to her friend. "Oh girls, thank you so much. I look beautiful."
"Come on, Cinderella, we've got to get you dressed. Your prince charming is waiting," Lindsay said as she held up the garment bag that contained her dress.
Don was pacing in the small office that Danny shared with Lindsay. Danny just laughed at his friend as he swiveled in his desk chair. As sad as it sounded Danny was pleased by the nervous energy that his friend exuded. Don Flack was always so confident, so sure of himself, so calm. It was nice to see that he could have all of that confidence shaken by a woman. It made him a little more human, a little more real. But he was definately not going to mention that to Don. Instead he just laughed at his friend.
"You know it wasn't so frikin' funny when Monroe turned you down, or when…" Don said with a vicious element to his voice, but the rest of the statement died on his lips as Lindsay and Liz came into view in the hallway. "Jesus," was all that Don could muster as Danny rounded his desk and came to stand next to his friend.
He clasped Don on the back and then said, "And that my friend is the beauty of the opera dress. Damn, Liz is one fine woman."
Don gave his friend a shove, "Keep your eyes to yourself. That is my woman."
"And you can have her. I am quite happy with the one I've got," Danny said distractedly as he took Lindsay in. She was looking flawless in an emerald green silk chiffon dress with a draped v-neck and waist. The only thought in his head was how that dress would look sliding to the floor. Shaking the thought from his head, he focused back on the task at hand.
He looked back to Don, who was staring, mouth slightly hanging open. He had to admit he agreed with the sentiment. Lindsay had told him that they had helped Liz pick a dress. He just didn't realize how great a dress it was going to be. She was always the more sophisticated of the two women. She was a classic beauty and despite her rural upbringing always had an air of class that surrounded her. The illusion was complete in that dress. It moved with her as she walked, and it fit like a glove, drawing attention to her curves.
Don couldn't get over the neckline of the dress. The straps seemed to disappear from her body, giving the illusion that nothing was holding the dress up. That illusion was placing sweet and tortuous pictures into his head. He vaguely noticed Danny leaving the office to greet the two women in the hallway. Don followed in a near trance.
Lindsay smiled as Danny approached her. He looked good enough to eat in the blue suit and simple white dress shirt. He had worn a silver silk tie that looked beautiful with the color of the suit. Lindsay's laughter filled the hallway as Danny took her hand in his and twirled her about, before pulling her into a tight embrace.
"You look handsome, Cowboy," Lindsay whispered into his ear, causing him to shudder.
"Well you look sexy. I can't wait for this thing to be over so I can take you home," he whispered back before he pulled away.
Lindsay just shook her head and waited for Liz and Don to finish greeting each other.
Don couldn't stop staring, much to Liz's delight. When he finally regained higher brain function, all he managed was "Wow."
Liz laughed and stepped closer to him, slipping an arm around his waist to hug him. She felt him sigh and relax a little as he returned the hug. "I take it that you like it then?" Liz whispered in his ear before she pulled back.
He gave her a look, his eyes dancing with humor as he leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Hell, yes."
She smiled as she shook her head at his honesty. She was enjoying his reaction. She was also enjoying him. He was wearing a suit as usual, but this one was expertly cut. It emphasized the well defined muscles in his chest and arms, and the pants were the most flattering cut she had ever seen. She would have bet three months pay that when he turned around she would be granted an excellent view of his well-defined and sculpted derriere. She noticed that Lindsay and Danny were still lost in their own world so she decided it would be the perfect opportunity to slip him the little gift she had for him. She began digging in her clutch. "I have something for you," she said as her fingers locked around the desired item.
"Yeah? You really didn't have to do that," Don said with a sly smile.
"We'll see if you still say that after you see it. Here," Liz said as she opened her palm to reveal a Chap Stick brand lip balm.
Don chuckled and then ran a self conscious hand over his mouth, before he accepted the gift.
"I noticed last night," Liz couldn't help but blush as the words came tumbling out of her mouth, "that your lips were a little chapped. I know you work a lot of cases outside, so I figured the blasting heat in the summer and the blistering winter wind cause you to have, you know, chapped lips. It was a stupid idea wasn't it?"
Don just shook his head, slipped the cap off the tube and then applied the balm to his lips. He re-capped it and then placed his finger under her chin to tilt her head up so that their eyes met. "No, it wasn't. It was sweet, and a little homey. I like it," he said with a smile. He leaned in to place a kiss on her lips, but felt her tense and then registered the onlookers behind the lab windows. He settled for placing a kiss on her cheek, near her lips. "Better?" he asked as he pulled away.
Liz felt the mega watt goofy grin that graced her face, but couldn't shake it. "Much."
Lindsay cleared her throat and gave her friend a knowing smirk. "Are you two ready?"
"Very," Don said his eyes never leaving Liz.
Sheldon Hawkes couldn't believe his eyes. He was standing behind the glass in the lab watching the two couples get ready to head out for their dates. He shook his head and swallowed a laugh as he noticed Liz slip Flack the Chap Stick. Yet as he watched the detective lean in for a kiss he felt a pang of jealousy in his gut and his protective instincts rise.
But even as he was thinking the thoughts he heard the sighs of the two women standing next to him. He rolled his eyes and turned to shoot Stella and Peyton a look.
"Shel, don't be like that," Peyton said as she squeezed his arm. "Come on, you have to admit that was very romantic."
"Yeah, I mean come on. He is sweeping her off her feet," Stella said with a dreamy smile.
"That, is precisely what I am worried about," Shel said running a hand over his head and worrying momentarily about Liz's heart. He looked into the hall and noticed Mac standing near the entrance to the lab with his jacket thrown over his arm. "Speaking of sweeping people off their feet, Peyt, I do believe your white knight has arrived."
Peyton turned to follow his line of sight and smiled as she saw Mac. "I do believe you are right. I will see you two tomorrow." She was just about to pass Sheldon on the way to the door, when she stopped, placed a friendly kiss on his cheek and then whispered, "Go on, here is your chance, ask her out."
Sheldon watched dumb struck as she walked past him. I'm going to kill Liz, I am absolutely going to kill her, and then do the autopsy myself so that I get away with it.
"Shel, are you okay? You look like you have seen a ghost," Stella asked, her voice leaden with concern.
Shaking the murderous thoughts from his head, Shel turned, fixing his gaze on her. "Yeah, everything is fine. Just trying to remember if I shut the oven off this morning. If not, it's too late by now."
Stella laughed. She recognized a lame attempt to cover emotions when she saw one, but she let it slide. Instead she changed the subject, "So I've been meaning to mention this to you, and seeing as how it is just you, me, and Adam around here tonight, why not? Liz tells me that you are quite the dancer. She said that you two used to go out all the time in medical school, and that in addition to having some serious moves, you're also a great teacher. Anyway, I was wondering if you would be so kind, if maybe next time we both have a night off, you can show me some of your moves."
Sheldon, worked to school his face to hide any trace of the surprise he felt. Surely, this woman was joking, he seriously doubted that she needed his help when it came to the art of clubbing, but he was also not stupid enough to turn down the prospect. He was now torn between wanting to kill Liz for telling Peyton, and wanting to kiss her for planting the idea in Stella's head. That woman. Sheldon was not surprised to hear his internal voice speaking about Liz. She tried his patience, yet she was the best friend a person could ever have. Focusing back on the woman in front of him, who was growing impatient for an answer, he spoke, "Sure, sounds great. I think that Liz probably over exaggerates my skills, though."
Stella looked at him, surveying his muscular body and delectable frame, and shook her head. "I doubt it. But enough play, we have to get back to work. You want fibers or DNA?"
"Fibers," he said, clearly realizing that the moment, however fleeting it may have been, was over.
Danny was content, hell, he was more than content. He was perfect. He was in heaven. He and Lindsay were walking arm in arm, pressed as closely together as possible, his suit coat draped around her shoulders. His belly was full, the city lights were casting a romantic glow. It was almost as romantic as the night they had walked around the edges of her family ranch, with the light of the stars guiding their way. Danny placed a quick kiss on the top of her head, and slid his hand into his pant pocket to find the ring box inside and spoke, "This was one of your better ideas, Montana."
Lindsay sighed into his body, bringing them even closer together, "I know. Dinner was fantastic and we might as well not even be here. Don and Liz are so in their own little world."
Danny made a noise that sounded like a snort, "That is one way of puttin' it. And it sounds a lot more romantic that what I was thinkin'."
"Danny. You were the one who wanted to get them together in the first place."
"I know, I know. Hey what do you say, we take a stroll through the park on the way to the theatre?"
"Yeah. Did you know that one of those books I bought when I first moved here said that Central Park is one of the most romantic spots in New York?"
"I thought we threw all of those away."
Lindsay sighed and then smacked him on the shoulder, "We did Mr. Sensitivity, but I was just thinking. It could be you know, a nice romantic setting for Don and Liz."
"Yeah, for Don and Liz," Danny muttered disbelievingly under his breath, but agreed when Lindsay shot him a look. The two stopped walking and waited for the other couple to catch up with them.
Liz was smiling her goofy smile. She could tell, it was the smile her brothers always made fun of, the one that she wore when she was ridiculously happy. And yet she still felt that nervous edge, the one that she had worn since the day she had been attacked, the one that kept everyone and everything away. Yet even as she thought the words, her body melted a little deeper into Don's side, allowing him the pull her closer into his body, as his arm remained wrapped around her side. She had lied and said she wasn't cold earlier when he offered her his jacket, because she was afraid that having his scent, his warmth, his presence, that close to her skin would induce the panic attack she had been waiting for. Yet the evening had been drama-free. Dinner had been a luxurious affair with four courses at a fancy restaurant the name of which she could not even pronounce. The stroll they were currently taking was like something out of the cheesy romantic comedies that are a guilty pleasure of all women. She and Don were walking slowly, enjoying each other's company, and she was letting him regale her with his knowledge of the city and the local sights. Yet even as she felt relaxed with his arm around her, and she prided herself on the fact that she hadn't flinched when he had pulled her close, she still felt uneasy. She knew that she felt uneasy because he didn't know about her attack. She knew, as Stella had urged, the time was coming close, when it would become the wall between them if she did not tell him. Yet the fear of rejection and disappointment prevented her from being able to do so.
Liz looked up at Don and withdrew from her self-reflection, only when he stopped his story about a man dressed as a knight found dead in Central Park, to ask, "Doc, are you okay? You seem a little out of it. Am I borin' ya here?"
Liz smiled the goofy smile again. The very idea of what he was suggesting was ridiculous. "No. Sorry, Don, lost in my own silly head again."
"Well, I just wish you would tell me what is goin' on in that pretty little head of yours, Doll. You look so conflicted. Did I do something wrong?"
Liz stopped cold at the suggestion and mentally berated herself for even giving him cause to think such a thing. She placed a hand on his chest and then spoke, with serious eyes, "No, Don, you've done nothing wrong. You've been a perfect gentleman. This is just me wrestling with some personal demons."
"You know, we could fight 'em together if you would just tell me what they are."
"I know. I just, I can't. Not yet."
"Doc, you keep sayin' that, but when is it going to be the right time? If we are going to do this we gotta do it right. You've gotta be all in." As Don spoke he looked into her eyes trying to gauge her reaction. He nearly winced when he saw the deer in the headlights look she was giving him, and he plowed on, trying to clear up his words. "I'm not sayin' its gotta be tonight, I'm just sayin' sooner rather than later, cuz Doc, I'm fallin' fast here and I don't wanna get hurt anymore than you do.
Liz felt torn, it was so hard to put her past to rest, and yet she wanted to move on so badly she had never met a man quite like the one before her. She stood on her tip toes and placed a quick kiss, the briefest of touches, on his lips. "Soon. Okay, it will be soon, I promise."
Don nodded, smiled at her and then began to move them towards where Lindsay and Danny were waiting both smirking at the stolen kiss. Danny shot Don a sly look, and was a little puzzled when his friend shot him a warning look that clearly said "Drop it", the look usually reserved for one of the Flack sisters. He shrugged it off as Lindsay spoke, "Danny and I were thinking, since we have a little while before the opera starts, we could walk through Central Park. You know, once in the park with out dead bodies and crime scene tape…." Lindsay's sentence petered off as she noticed the look of terror descend upon Liz. She flinched, pulled away from Don, and then froze, rooted to the spot, terror evident at the mere suggestion.
Liz was overwhelmed. She couldn't set foot inside that park. She hadn't set foot in it in years. Her mind couldn't focus, couldn't process the words that were being spoken around her. She was vaguely aware that someone, with small hands…Lindsay, was moving her backwards towards a bench that she and Don had passed. Yet all she could see, here, feel were things from the past, her younger self, jogging, listening to the regulated sounds of her breath, her feet hitting the dirt path, then stopping to tie her loose shoelace, then the feeling of someone grabbing her, screaming, her own voice, screaming, and then nothing, blackness. It was only the sound of her name, soft and low, and full of concern that brought her out of the familiar nightmare.
Don Flack sighed a small breath of release as he saw Liz blink and recognize where she was and who she was with. He felt his heart loosen slightly from the vise it felt like it was in. He wanted to touch her, to rub soothing circles on her back, but he did not dare.
Liz's voice was shaky, and disoriented, "Where?"
"Danny and Lindsay are walking through the park. We're going to meet them at the theatre as soon as you are feeling up to it. Can I ask what happened?"
As the words sunk in, and she stared into his eyes, Liz realized that Stella was right. She had to tell him, she had to trust him. She saw concern and care in his eyes and she knew she had to give herself the luxury of being fully loved by this man. She sighed, gathered her courage and placed her hand on his cheek, loving that he unquestionably leaned into the touch. "Tonight." She had to clear her throat to be heard before she continued, "After the opera, we'll talk. All my mystery past will be revealed."
Don smiled, a tentative yet bright smile. "Thank you for trusting me."
Liz smiled despite the acid she felt churning in her stomach. He was just so damn earnest, so effing perfect, that she didn't know what to do with herself. She leaned forward and placed a deep kiss on his lips. He responded in kind, trying to reassure her with his kiss. When they pulled away they were both breathless.
Don spoke first as he stood up and offered her his hand. He then placed his jacket over her shoulders. "Shall we go on to the opera then?"
She nodded and allowed him to puller her close and place an arm around her. As she rested her head against him she spoke, "Yeah. Might as well get it over with. The opera, that is, not the date," she added with haste, not wanting him to misinterpret her words. "The date has been great, I just really, really hate musicals."
Don laughed, glad to see that the kiss had melted the tension and that they were back on track, even if the black cloud of her past was hanging over them both. "Me too, Doll. Me, too."
"I can't believe I didn't think about that. How could I be so stupid?" Lindsay fumed as she and Danny walked through the park at a fast clip. She was frustrated, aggravated, and feeling guilty.
Danny sighed. There was no way to defuse this situation; he just had to let her ride out the emotions. He hated when he couldn't do anything about the situation. "Montana, you can't guard her 24/7. I know that you are feeling guilty, but Liz is a big girl. She can and always has been able to take care of herself."
Lindsay shot him a look that could have killed, if looks had such powers. She walked faster and spoke animatedly. "I know that Danny. But damn it, she shouldn't have to. She's been looking out for everyone else her whole life. I mean her childhood ended at 14. You, Mac, and Sheldon, all think that she is this responsible, this caring, this adult, because of what happened to her here in New York. But she hasn't been a child since her mom died. She raised those boys, took care of her father, worked to be perfect in school. She was a miniature adult. She never had a serious relationship with a boy even before that night. She wouldn't let anyone in. She couldn't afford the energy it took to care about, to love, someone else. In some ways I think the thought of another person who would rely on her was too terrifying. But she has never relied on anyone else. She's always been able to take care of herself Danny. That is what scares me."
Danny pulled Lindsay close to him. She seemed to slump, shrinking into painful memories, events which she longed to change but was powerless to do so. He held her close wanting to pull that pain out of her.
Liz was grateful for the steadying quality of Don's hand on her arm as they stood in front of the opera house. She plunged her hands into the pockets of his suit jacket and was a little surprised when her hands hit objects in both pockets. In her right she smiled as her hand wrapped around the Chap Stick she had given him earlier. She had filed his smile and his look of indecision before he kissed her on the cheek instead of the lips, as he had obviously longed to do, away for later. Yet she was a little surprised to feel her hand connect with a pack of cigarettes in his left pocket. She hadn't seen him with a smoke since that first night they had met and he never tasted of smoke when they kissed.
She looked at him with a thoughtful look and wondered what had caused him to start smoking. Self-consciously she wondered if the stress she undoubtedly put him through was making him smoke more. She knew that she had started when she was in college. She had hidden it from Lindsay, but all the stress of caring for her family, of giving up her dreams for them, of having to be the perfect person had lead to the habit. The stress of medical school had caused her hidden habit to become a compulsion and her residency had turned her into a near chain smoker. It wasn't until Tom had caught her behind the barn lighting a new Lucky Strike off of the still smoldering one hanging from her lips after their father's funeral that she quit. His shock and indignation at her pack a day habit had shamed her into quitting. Of course, she had never shared that story with anyone. It was her moment of weakness, the one that she allowed to penetrate the fortress that she had put up around herself when she was fourteen. Not to mention it would have destroyed the perfect picture she had worked so hard to cultivate. No one outside Tom knew the level her addiction had climbed to. Even Lindsay only knew that she had smoked occasionally when she was in med school.
Drawing herself from her own self-destructive thoughts, she realized that Don was silently contemplating her. Not wanting to even imagine what was going through his mind she decided that idle conversation was needed. Following her own curiosity, "What made you start smoking?"
"Huh?" Don asked confused, and a little curious as to what started the conversation.
"What made you start smoking? I was just curious. I know how I got started, but what about you?" she asked as she shook the pack of cigarettes that she had taken out of his pocket and then put back again.
Don ran a hand through his hair and then looked a little embarrassed. "Oh, I started when I was on my first beat. My training officer, Gavin Moran, was a smoker. I sort of picked it up when I was with him. All of the beat cops smoked, it was just something you did. Then when I made detective it was suddenly unacceptable for the job, so I quit. I didn't start again until after the explosion last spring. And for the record, those aren't mine. I quit again after the night I met you."
This surprised Liz, after all she would have figured the stress she had put him through would have increased his habit, not kicked it.
He smiled and ran his hand up and down her arm, "Yeah. You were right, and my doctor was right, and Hawkes was right. I am lucky to be alive, I shouldn't kill myself by choice. Those are Danny's. He still smokes occasionally. The plan was to see if you ladies would want to get drinks after the opera. We used to enjoy a smoke together after a night of drinking. Danny still enjoys his anyways."
Liz smiled at that. It was easy to see that Danny was a smoker. He was guarded, he was stressed, and he had started as a teenager. It was a tough habit to kick entirely and she knew it. Some people are stress eaters, others are stress smokers. But she was more focused on what had caused Don to pick up the cancer sticks again. "You don't like to talk about the explosion do you? I mean that day at the zoo with your sister, you were really upset when she mentioned it."
Don sighed, and Liz wondered momentarily if she had crossed a line she hadn't known about. Don was tense, but as abruptly as it had happened the tension was gone.
He smiled a sad smile and linked his hand in her as he spoke. "You've got your secret demons and I've got my not so secret ones."
She nodded in understanding. It was something that would have to wait. She would have to be as patient as he had been.
Their moment of understanding was coming to a natural close and she was grateful because only minutes later Danny and Lindsay arrived arm in arm laughed at some mutual joke.
"Everything okay?" Lindsay asked as the couple joined their friends.
Liz looked at Don and smiled. Oddly enough it really was. "Yes. Don's a great blessing. I'm really quite lucky," she said as she looked into his eyes and then stood on her tip toes to place a kiss on his cheek.
As she pulled away she missed Danny's eyebrows cocking at Don followed by a wink. When she did look again Danny's face was alight with laughter as he spoke, "Well then are we ready to enjoy a fun filled night of screeching?" Lindsay smacked him lightly in the stomach. "I mean the opera?"
Liz laughed and Danny was happy. His goal had been reached. "After you two," he said as he held to the door open for Lindsay and Liz.
"I'm sorry," Lindsay whispered as she entered the building.
Liz rolled her eyes. "Shut up. You didn't do anything wrong, moron."
Danny and Don shared a laugh at her response as they entered the building and rejoined their dates.
"Well one thing you can say about you ladies is that there is never a dull moment," Danny said as he and Lindsay moved towards the staircase leading to the mezzanine.
"You got that right, Messer. Never a dull moment," Don said as he drew Liz in the same direction.
Both women answered in unison. "Shut up."
Danny and Don's laughter filled the atrium as the four ascended the stairs.
Don Flack was bored. He couldn't help it. If the singing had at least been in English, maybe, but Italian was lost on him. He turned his head to his right hoping to find Danny equally as bored, only to see him intently whispering in Lindsay's ears. He mentally cursed his friend, who could understand what was going on, and had the benefit of having an excuse to whisper sultry translations into his girlfriend's ear. He turned to his left to see if Liz was as interested in the opera as Danny and Lindsay appeared to be. Yet as he took her in he tried to stifle a laugh. She was already squirming in her seat and it was only halfway through the first act. He knew at that moment that no matter what she told him after the show, he would be there. Nothing could shake the foundation they had laid in the few short weeks he had known her.
"Thank God that is over," Liz whispered to Don as they left the theatre clutched close together and waited for Danny and Lindsay to meet them in the lobby.
"I know what you mean. I think my mind atrophied in there."
Liz gave him a surprised look and laughed. He was always surprising her and she found that she often underestimated him. She saw Danny and Lindsay as they moved towards them and was suppressed to see the love and passion that emanated from the couple as they moved. Lindsay was as close to Danny as she could get and still be able to walk. The couple was completely engrossed in themselves. Liz smirked as she saw the sultry look that passed between the couple. "Looks like they weren't quite as bored."
"Yeah, who knew that the opera was such an aphrodisiac."
"Mac and Peyton."
"Ahh, Doc. That is pictures I don't really need or want that are now burned into my mind."
"Sorry, but it is true."
As Danny and Lindsay approached their friends, they managed to focus on the world again briefly. Danny waved at another couple and motioned them over. Don was shocked to see his sister and her husband. Particularly since Maggie looked down right miserable, dressed to the nines and still pregnant as a cow. Though he decided to keep that sentiment to himself.
Don reluctantly removed his arm from Liz's waist and drew his sister into a hug, placing a kiss on her cheek as they pulled apart. He congenially shook Sean's hand, yet shot him a clearly disapproving look.
Maggie smiled as she saw Don's arm return to its previous location at Liz's waist. "It's good to see you again, Dr. Warren. This is my husband, Sean. Sean this is Dr. Liz Warren, the one I was telling you about." She added a wink to Don, which made his insides quiver in dread. That look from his sister was never a good sign.
Liz leaned in closer to Don, pressing more of her body against his, in an attempt to take his mind off his sister's meddling. "You, too, Maggie, though I must say, I am a little suppressed to see you out. You must be very uncomfortable."
"Yeah, Mags. Pregnant as a cow and sweatin' through the opera. Didn't think it would be something a woman in your condition would be wantin' to do," Danny said in an attempt to ruffle her feathers.
"Classy, Messer, classy," Don muttered as he shook his head.
"Watch your mouth, Messer, that's my wife your talkin' about," Sean said with a smile as he pulled Maggie in for a kiss.
"It was an unfortunate necessity. When your husband gets asked to the opera by the firechief, to sit in the private box, no less, you have to grin and bear the unpleasantries," Maggie said with a smile, rubbing her growing stomach.
"I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't listen," Sean said with a blush as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.
But the implication of Maggie's words were not lost on the other two couples. Don placed his free hand in his pants pocket and tried to hide the eagerness he felt as he spoke, "This mean what I think it means?"
"Nothing is official yet," Sean said but his sentence was cut off.
"Come on, Honey. Don't be so shy about it. We had dinner with Commissioner Barber and his wife and we are going for coffee afterwards. Joyce just had to run into the restroom. But things have been going well and you've fast tracked the promotion grid. I think we are going to be having a conversation about being made Station manager for the company."
Don smiled and rocked on the balls of his feet. "Congratulations, Sean. Pop and Ma will be over the moon."
"Yeah, well. Nothing is official yet," Sean added a little nervously. "But thanks. Well, Maggs, we should go. The Commissioner is waiting and the sooner we get this done, the soon I can get you off your feet."
"You let me worry about my feet and you worry about your career. Bye guys, and Donny, I will be expecting details, tomorrow," Maggie called over her shoulder as they moved in the direction of the Commissioner.
"This is perfect. This is exactly the kind of thing they need, help put them on their feet, get them out of that tiny house just in time for the new baby," Don muttered aloud as they moved towards the front door.
Danny, Lindsay and Liz all shared a smile. It was easy to see that Don Flack was a family man. The kind of man that puts those he cares about ahead of everything.
"Yeah, it will be. And maybe Don, Sr. will forgive him for snatching away his youngest daughter and then knocking her up three times," Danny said with sarcasm. It was a badly held secret that Don Sr. had a love-hate relationship with his last son-in-law.
"I wouldn't hold my breath. It will help, but at the end of the day he still wears the wrong uniform."
Lindsay shook her head. "That's terrible."
"But true. Enough about my family. It looks like you two enjoyed yourselves," Don said with a sly smile causing Lindsay to blush.
"Yeah, we did. What about you?" Danny asked unfazed by the implication.
"It was okay," Liz said lacking enthusiasm. Truth was her mind had wondered through so many topics she wasn't even sure what the plot of the opera had been.
Lindsay shook her head and shot Liz a look that clearly said "you're hopeless." But she soon returned her single minded focus to Danny. "Well, it's been a great night but I am wiped out. I think its time to call it a night. What do you say?" she asked though clearly focused on Danny.
"Sounds good to me," he replied. They managed to pull themselves away from each other long enough to look at Liz.
"You guys go on. Don and I are going to grab a cup of coffee," she said. After seeing the blatantly sexual and intimate looks that were going between Danny and Lindsay she wrapped herself tighter into Don, said a silent prayer for courage, and added, "At his place. In fact, I think I am going to spend the night there. So you two can have the apartment to yourselves and you can finish your night properly." She added a good-natured wink at Lindsay.
The statement seemed to get the attention of everyone in the small group. Causing a looked of concern to rise on Danny's handsome face, a twinge of guilt in Lindsay's gut, and a flutter of anticipation in Don's heart.
"Liz, are you sure? I mean we're not trying to kick you out of the apartment." Lindsay said with a laugh.
"Yeah, no reason for you to run and hide," Danny added.
"I'm not. Don and I aren't ready to say good night yet, and the two of you look like you will be lucky not to jump each other on the subway. So Don and I can do our thing and you can do yours and I can avoid the sounds of the bedframe bashing into the wall."
Lindsay blushed and Danny laughed. Don was a silent, constant force beside her. Yet Liz could feel the rapid beat of his heart as she was pressed against his side.
Danny, sensing the need to take charge of the floundering group, took Lindsay's hand and then spoke. "Okay, well then. Good night I guess. See you guys tomorrow."
Don took Danny's lead and spoke, "Alright. How about breakfast at Patty's, say 9:30?" Upon seeing Danny's nod, he ploughed on, "Great, 'night then."
And the couples parted ways, Danny and Lindsay heading for her apartment, Don and Liz heading for his apartment.
After a block in silence, Liz finally found the nerve to talk as he expertly hailed a cab. "Is this okay, I mean, me spending the night? If not I can call Shel and he'll let me crash there."
Don turned to face Liz and closed the distance between the two. He let his hand slip up and cup her cheek. "Doll, it's more than okay. We need to talk, and the option of getting to hold you, for a little longer, after that, well how can it not be okay?"
Liz smiled and leaned into his touch. She felt her last resistance melt into that caress. The flood gates opened, and she knew, without a doubt, that this was the right thing to do. She was overcome with emotion, with a desire to reveal her past, to seek comfort in his arms. To welcome the future, whatever it may be, as long as it involved those mystical blue eyes, and strong, warm arms.
"Let's go home," she said as an uncontrollable tear rolled down her cheek.
"Let's," he said as he placed a quick kiss on her lips and opened the door of the cab for her.
A/N- So I know it is sort of a cliff hanger, but I had originally planned this and the next chapter to be one, but it ran away from me and would have been too long. I will try to update soon. But in the mean time, please review and let me know what you think.