A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you to all you lovely reviewers out there! Wow. Your amazing comments still manage to astound me, and I can't believe that you're still hanging on for more with this story! Merci beaucoup, mes amies!

Now, I bet you're wondering what's with the hold ups with not only this story, but also with High School Daze (for those of you who are also regular readers of that one). Well, the simple truth is that life ain't so hot right now, and things have been a bit stressful. I've got sick family members in and out of the hospital and my best friend just had major back surgery. Plus, with the holidays coming up, there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day for my stories on top of work and everything else. I've been writing when I can, and it's definitely been a great way for me to unwind a little, but unfortunately there just hasn't been a lot of time. I really appreciate your patience and I will try not to keep you waiting too long, although I can't really make any promises at the moment.

That being said, I've had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I think that once you get started, you'll see why. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

He'd been setting the table for dinner when he'd heard the knock at the door. Peering into the kitchen, he saw his mother keeping a watchful eye on the array of pots and pans bubbling away on the stove.

"Can someone please get the door?" she bellowed without looking up.

Knowing his father was puttering around in his workshop out back, Danny had volunteered.

"I got it, Ma!"

He hadn't known who to expect when he opened the door, but it hadn't been her. Girl Guides selling cookies? Avon ladies peddling their wares? Maybe. But Lindsay Monroe - the woman who had engulfed his thoughts all afternoon? That was definitely a surprise, and a good one at that.

"Montana?"

"Hey, Danny."

"What are you doing here?" he asked, smiling broadly and stepping outside to join her on the tiny front porch, the cool damp of the wooden slats seeping through his socks. Although she was trying to hide it, he could see the flurry of emotions behind her eyes and he reached out, brushing a stray curl from her face. "You okay, Linds? What's the matter?"

"Danny… we need to talk."

Uh oh. Warning bells started going off in Danny's head. Those were not the words he wanted to hear from her. In his experience, those words were the prelude to other, more unpleasant words. Words like: "This isn't working," or "It's not you. It's me." He'd already heard the latter phrase from her once. He didn't think he could bear to hear her say it again.

She must have seen the panic on his face because she quickly closed the short distance between them and pulled him into a tight hug. "Oh... no, not that kind of talk." She squeezed him around his waist, gracing him with a beautiful smile. "Sorry, Danny. I just realized how that must have sounded. It's nothing like that."

Letting out a sigh of relief, he gave her a lopsided grin. "No? Okay then. You talk, and I'll try to remember how to breathe."

"I'm so sorry," she said again.

"S'alright," he assured her. "You just scared me a little, that's all." He snaked his arms around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your unexpected company?" She pulled back and looked up at him with one eyebrow raised. He rolled his eyes. "What's up, Montana? How'd you find me?"

"Well, I was in the neighbourhood -" This time it was Danny's turn to raise his eyebrows, "- and I remember you said your parents lived around here, so I drove around hoping I could find you. Saw your bike parked in the driveway."

"Stalker," he quipped, laughing when she punched him in the arm. "Ow! What was that for? Jesus, you never heard of a phone? You could have called me and saved yourself the hassle."

"I tried but you weren't answering," she replied.

Danny patted down his pockets in search of his phone. Finding them empty, he suddenly remembered, giving her a sheepish grin. "Left it in my jacket. It's upstairs in my room."

"Aw! You still have your own room at Mommy and Daddy's?" Lindsay teased.

"You bet I do," he said, his voice dropping into a low, husky growl. "You wanna come check it out? I'll give you the grand tour. You'll like it - there's a bed and everything."

"Danny!" she giggled as he lowered his head to brush his lips against her neck. "Danny, stop. I really did come here to talk to you."

"So talk. I'm listening," he mumbled against her collar bone.

She tried to concentrate; they needed to talk. But she was finding it difficult to remember exactly what it was she wanted to talk about at this particular moment. Danny could be very persuasive when he wanted to be.

"Mmm," she sighed as he grazed his teeth across her pulse point. Talking be damned, she wanted him now. Her hands slid under the hem of his shirt and she lightly traced her fingers along his spine. Her breath caught in her throat when he responded by daring to let one hand skim down past her belt and into her back pocket, cupping her ass with his palm. "God, Danny, stop… we can't do this here."

"Can't do what here?" he asked, his mouth moving up her neck and she felt his tongue flick out to taste the spot behind her ear. "We're not doing anything wrong, babe. I'm just saying hello to my girl." She blushed and gripped him tighter and he pulled back, smiling down at her. "Hi, beautiful."

She bit her lip before returning his smile with a shy one of her own. "Hi."

"See? Perfectly innocent."

"Mmm… perfectly," she sighed, butterflies fluttering wildly in her stomach as he bent his head to capture her lips in a kiss. It was soft and surprisingly sweet, his lips moving slowly against hers. She thought she'd had him pegged her first few months in New York. He was a bad boy; a player. She'd never have imagined in her wildest dreams that there was this whole other side to him; one that was far more tender and affectionate than she'd ever given him credit.

"Daniel! Who's at the door?" The voice from deep inside the house drew the pair of them from their intimate moment. Danny pulled back from their embrace, an apologetic smile on his face as his mother's voice, lilting with the faintest hint of the accent that belied her Italian heritage, came closer. "If it's someone selling something, tell them we're not… Oh. Hello."

Lindsay smiled at the woman staring back at her through the screen door. She was small and had a pleasant plumpness to her and an amiable face. She could see traces of Danny's features in his mother, although she was dark where he was fair, with penetrating hazel eyes and espresso-black hair streaked with hints of grey. She held a long wooden spoon in her hand and the apron covering the front of her clothes was stained with dollops of what Lindsay could only assume was the marinara sauce that Danny always spoke so highly of.

"Ma, this is my partner from work, Lindsay Monroe," he said, gesturing to Lindsay with one hand and pulling the screen door open with the other. "Linds, this is my mother, Maria Messer."

"Hi, Mrs. Messer," Lindsay said, extending her hand for Maria to shake. "It's really nice to meet you. Sorry for just dropping by like this." Maria looked from one to the other of them, narrowing her eyes at Danny before she turned to Lindsay and smiled warmly.

"So, this is the partner I hear all about? Let me look at you," Maria said, shoving her wooden spoon at Danny. Bypassing Lindsay's outstretched hand completely, Maria cupped her face in her hands, her palms surprisingly soft and warm. She smelled deliciously of home cooking and Lindsay suddenly felt a sharp pang of homesickness for her own mother, 3000 miles away in Montana. "Daniel, you didn't tell me she was so pretty!" Maria exclaimed, pinching Lindsay's cheeks. She let go and turned to Danny, taking her wooden spoon from him and reaching up with her free hand to cuff him on the back of the head. "What's the matter with you? Where are your manners? You make this poor girl stand out here in the cold? And where are your shoes?"

"Sorry, Ma," Danny said, blushing furiously as his mother glared at him. Lindsay bit her lip to keep back the giddy laughter she felt bubbling up inside of her at seeing Danny Messer – her tough New York City cop – being told off by a woman half his size.

"So you should be," she snapped. She turned to Lindsay and smiled. "Have you eaten?"

"Oh, no. I don't want to intrude. I just came to talk to Danny…"

"Bah," Maria scoffed, waving off Lindsay's protests with a flick of her wrist. "Don't be silly. There's always room for one more at dinner." She took Lindsay by the arm and led her into the warm, inviting hallway, leaving Danny standing alone and completely mortified on the front porch.

"Um… well, thank you," Lindsay said, shrugging out of her coat and kicking off her shoes. "I am a little hungry."

Maria nodded her head in satisfaction. "Good. You young people today, you never eat enough. It's not healthy. Just look at my boy," she said, jabbing her spoon in Danny's general direction as he closed the front door behind himself. "He's skin and bones."

Danny rolled his eyes at his mother's theatrics and took Lindsay's coat from her, hanging it over the banister of the stairs leading to the second level. "Ma, I'm perfectly healthy. I eat just fine. And I'm not skin and bones. I just… I work out."

"Hmph," Maria huffed. "If I saw you more than once a month, Daniel, you'd be much more well-fed," she called over her shoulder as she marched away toward the kitchen.

"I'd be a fuckin' lard-ass, is what I'd be," Danny muttered, placing his hand on the small of Lindsay's back and gently guiding her down the hall.

Nearing the kitchen, Lindsay paused, causing Danny to bump into her. She turned, smiling at him as she ran her fingers up his chest then back down to his waist. Roughly, she grabbed his belt and pulled him closer, standing up on her toes so she could whisper in his ear.

"For the record, I like your body just fine, cowboy," she purred, reaching around and pinching his ass before she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and flounced into the kitchen, leaving Danny speechless and slightly dazed.

At the stove, Maria was ladling ribbons of cherry-red sauce over a mountain of pasta and Lindsay's senses were overwhelmed with the sights and sounds of home. The kitchen was small but cozy, and although it was cluttered with dishes piled high after a flurry of cooking, she had the distinct feeling that Maria Messer ran a tight ship and before the night was over, she was sure everything would be put back in its rightful place.

"Garlic bread needs cutting," she said to the room in general, "And someone can pour the wine."

"I'll help with the bread," Lindsay said, stepping up to the counter and eyeing the large loaf that Maria had just pulled from the oven. She saw Danny enter the kitchen, his eyes slightly glazed over and a smile on his face as he caught her eye. "Knife?" she mouthed, cocking her head inquiringly, and he nodded his head to the drawer on her right where she found the bread knife. He winked at her before he grabbed the bottle of wine that had been opened earlier to allow it to breathe and moved off to the dining room to fill the glasses.

"So, you work with my Daniel?"

Lindsay nodded her head, carefully slicing through the crusty loaf and setting the pieces on the plate Maria had left on the counter. "Yes. I do."

"You were here with him the other day," Maria continued. "Rita Pascuzzi said she saw Daniel with a woman partner. Although I think she said your name was Linda."

Lindsay smiled at the mention of Danny's nosy neighbour. "Yes, that was me."

"Hmm. It's so sad about that Vanzella boy and his wife. They were a nice young couple. He and Daniel were very close growing up. It must have been terrible to find them like that. But he won't talk about it. Not to me, anyway."

Lindsay set the last slice of bread on the plate and turned to Maria, giving her a small smile. "He will when he's ready. It's just… I think it's a lot for him to process right now. I know how important it is to talk about things like that, things that hurt you… but he needs to do it in his own time."

"Has he talked to you?"

Lindsay chewed on her lip and nodded her head. "A little."

"Well at least he's talking to someone," Maria sighed, turning her attention back to the bowl of pasta and sprinkling a handful of fresh herbs on top. "Do you like what you do?"

"Very much," Lindsay said, slightly relieved at the change of topic. "It's not always easy, but I couldn't see myself doing anything else."

"It's very dangerous?"

Lindsay wasn't sure if it was truly a question or a statement, and she looked up to see Maria staring back at her, her hazel eyes beseeching her to tell the truth.

"Well… it can be, I suppose," Lindsay said carefully. "But we take every precaution when we're working with dangerous chemicals in the lab and…" she trailed off, realizing that Danny's mother wasn't worried about the scientific aspect of their job. She smiled at Maria and laid her hand on the older woman's arm. "Danny is very careful, Mrs. Messer. He's very good at what he does. And besides, he's got all the rest of us to help watch his back."

"I worry," Maria sighed, resting her hands on the counter and lowering her head. "I worry so much about him. Especially… especially after…" She broke off and shook her head, taking a deep breath. She looked at Lindsay, giving her a watery smile. Lindsay didn't need for her to fill in the blanks. She knew exactly what Maria was referring to; the previous year a single incident had nearly cost one son his life, the other his job and his freedom.

"How is Louie these days?" she asked quietly.

"He's doing well," Maria replied, wiping her eyes with the hem of her apron. "He's still got a few years left, but he's taking the time to do some classes over the internet. He wants to get his high school diploma."

"Wow. That's great!"

Lindsay knew that after taking a beating from Sonny Sassone and his gang in order to clear Danny's name of the murder of Salvador Zabo, Louie had spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital recovering from his injuries. After he was well enough to be discharged, he was sent to a minimum security prison upstate to serve a commuted sentence for his part in the crime, his time substantially cut back thanks to the glowing letter of recommendation he'd received courtesy of Mac Taylor.

"Yes, it is," Maria agreed. "He and Daniel are even talking again. He hasn't been up to see him yet, but I know that one day he'll swallow his pride and visit his brother."

"He will. I'll make sure he does," Lindsay said and Maria beamed at her. Lindsay was taken aback as Danny's mother stepped forward and quickly embraced her in near crushing hug.

"You're a very nice girl, Lindsay," she said. "I wish Daniel would get off his lazy butt and find someone like you to bring home to me one day."

After filling the wine glasses, Danny had busied himself with finishing the job he'd started earlier and setting the rest of the table. His family wasn't one for big, elaborate displays for family meals, but his mother was very particular about how things were done, and even though the table was simple, he knew he had to get it right or he'd never hear the end of it. Especially now that they had a guest.

This wasn't exactly how he had pictured it, he thought with a sigh. Actually, he wasn't sure he'd ever pictured what it would be like to bring Lindsay home to meet his folks. He'd never allowed himself to think that far ahead, not wanting to be disappointed if things between them never got off the ground. But now that she was here, he wished he'd had more time to prepare. He wished he'd showered and changed – not shown up to answer the door with his face covered in scruffy stubble and wearing the same days old shirt he'd grabbed from her hamper this morning as a last resort. He wished he'd had a chance to prepare Lindsay for the whirlwind that was Maria Messer. And he wished that when he'd introduced her to his parents, he'd been able to say openly and honestly that she was his girlfriend.

Placing the last plate on the table, Danny turned and peered through the doorway into the kitchen. He blinked hard, not sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Was his mother… hugging Lindsay? He shook his head and rubbed his eyes with his fists before cracking them open and looking again. They had pulled apart now, but they were standing side by side at the kitchen counter, laughing at some joke he hadn't heard.

He leaned against the doorjamb, content to just watch the pair of them for a moment. She looked so at ease, here in the kitchen he'd grown up in. He smiled, lost in thought, his mind wandering off into what was, for him, uncharted territory. He'd never felt like this before; never even been close. Being around her his palms got sweaty, his heart started to race and he found himself having to fight off the near constant desire he had to touch her, even if it was just to stroke her hair or hold her hand. This was something brand new to him, and he was both excited and terrified by the whole thing.

What if he wasn't any good at this? What if he couldn't be the guy that she wanted him to be? That she needed him to be? Despite the turmoil that surrounded him – Tommy and Joanie, his ransacked apartment, the rat-cicle in his freezer – he was actually the happiest he'd been in a very long time - possibly ever - and he knew that had everything to do with the woman who was chatting animatedly in the kitchen with his mother.

"Who's the cutie?"

Danny turned to see his father emerging from the laundry room where he'd just been washing his hands in the wash basin after spending the afternoon working in his shop.

"My partner, Lindsay."

"Oh… the Montana girl," Joseph Messer said, nodding his understanding. "Damn. I was kinda hoping you'd finally grown up and decided to quit messing around and bring a respectable girl home to make your mother happy."

Danny rolled his eyes at his father, the pair of them quickly stepping up to help bring the dishes to the table as Maria called out that dinner was ready to be served.

Dinner was wonderful. Danny's parents were warm and inviting, and Lindsay was immediately set at ease. Sitting across from Danny, she'd blushed when she felt his foot seeking hers under the table. Glancing up at him, he'd been deep in conversation with his father, but he'd seen her watching him out of the corner of his eye and given her a wink, causing her blush to deepen profusely.

Maria had been blissfully unaware of the silent, flirtatious exchanges going on between the two of them, delighting Lindsay with stories about Danny growing up as she heaped more and more food onto Lindsay's plate. Finally, Lindsay had eaten her fill and set her knife and fork aside, sitting back in her chair and letting out a contented sigh as she rubbed her full belly.

Once everyone had finished and the table was cleared, Lindsay shooed Maria from the kitchen, volunteering Danny and herself to do the dishes. They transferred the leftovers to containers, setting them in the fridge and then Lindsay began washing, leaving Danny to do the drying and put the dishes away. They worked quickly and efficiently, and Lindsay was surprised by the feeling of contentment that welled up inside of her as they completed what would otherwise have been a simple domestic task. Usually she hated washing dishes, but with Danny hovering around beside her, chatting and joking with her, it felt completely different. She marvelled at how ridiculously happy she felt to just be with him, to have him near her.

She set the last pot in the sink, running the hot water and squirting a small dollop of dish soap into the steamy depths. Knowing that there was no use scrubbing the dried-on marinara sauce, Lindsay was simply going to let it soak. Once the pot was full, she reached to turn off the tap and felt Danny's hands sliding around her waist, pulling her flush with his body. She felt his breath on her skin as he swiped the hair from her shoulder and pressed a series of soft, fluttering kisses to the back of her neck.

"You done?"

"Mmm," she sighed in acknowledgement. "Gonna let it soak."

"Good." More kisses followed, his lips slowly moving from the back of her neck to her ear. He took her lobe into his mouth and sucked gently before releasing her, sending a delicious shiver down her spine as he blew lightly against the damp skin. "So… you want that tour I mentioned earlier?"

"Danny," she began to protest, "Your parents are…"

"Do you know what time it is?" he interrupted. She turned her head to look at him, her confusion evident on her face. He smirked back at her before placing a delicate kiss to the corner of her mouth. "It's 7 o'clock."

"And?"

"And at 7 o'clock every night the world stops for one hour so my folks can watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!" He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, letting one hand slide up her front until he was delicately cupping her breast through the fabric of her blouse. "I could fuck you senseless right here on the kitchen table and they wouldn't bat an eyelash."

The combination of his words and the rough timbre of his voice had her knees wobbling and she leaned back into him to stop herself from collapsing right then and there. His careful touches and the sheer desire in his voice, paired with the low, dirty chuckle at her reaction had her insides twisting with longing for him.

"I want you, Lindsay," he continued, his hand gently kneading her breast. "I've been thinking about you all day. Don't make me beg. It won't be pretty."

She giggled, turning in his arms and sliding her hands up his chest and around his neck. "Actually, that's something I'd kind of like to see," she teased, lightly stroking the hairs on the back of his head with her fingers. "How badly do you want me?"

"So bad, Linds," he growled, tightening his grip on her waist and slowly grinding his hips against hers. "So fuckin' bad."

"Where can we go?" she asked, breathless as Danny once again lowered his head to tease her neck and jaw with his mouth.

"Anywhere you want, baby," he murmured. "I don't care. I just want you."

Lindsay considered her options. She wanted him, and she wanted him soon. As in, right now, if possible. But she knew she couldn't do it with him in his childhood bedroom while his parents watched their nightly programs one floor below. They could go back to her apartment, but that would mean waiting, and she didn't think she would be able to make it all the way back to the city without spontaneously combusting. She touched upon an idea that was sort of half way between the two of them, surprising herself with her boldness. It definitely wasn't the kind of thing she would have even considered two years ago. But here, now… with Danny's hands slowly exploring her body through her clothes… she was game for anything.

"Baby, take me out to the truck," she whispered in his ear, smirking to herself as Danny stopped, seemingly frozen at her words. "We'll find someplace quiet, somewhere private."

He pulled back, his face flushed and his eyes wide. "You serious?" he asked, barely daring to believe what he'd heard. Was she really suggesting what his lust-fevered brain thought she was suggesting?

"Never been more serious in my life, cowboy," she replied. She reached into her pocket, taking out the keys to the Avalanche and dangling them in front of his face. "Go get your coat. I'm leaving in two minutes with or without you."

He was gone in a flash, thundering up the stairs to grab his jacket, checking his pockets for everything he needed: phone? Check. Keys? Check. Wallet? Check. Condoms?

Condoms. Shit. They'd have to make a pit stop at the drug store before they went on their way, but that was no big deal. Better to be safe than sorry.

He made his way back down the stairs, smiling at the sight of Lindsay standing in the hall, already in her coat and shoes, waiting for him. He slid his feet into his sneakers, lacing them quickly, then poked his head into the living room where both his parents' eyes were fixed to the television as Vanna White pranced across the screen, turning letters as she went.

"We're going out for a bit," he said.

"Have fun," Maria said, her eyes still focused on the screen. "You have your key, Daniel?"

"Yeah, Ma. I got it," he said, opening the door and ushering Lindsay outside.

"Bye Mr. and Mrs. Messer!" she called out over his shoulder, hearing grunts of acknowledgement from the living room, followed by Maria's voice yelling at the television that the contestant should have listened to her and bought a vowel.

"Wow," she said as they walked side by side down the front path to the waiting Avalanche. "You weren't kidding. We could have set off a bomb in there and they never would have known."

"Told ya," he said. She unlocked the Avalanche using the fob and as they approached it, she surprised him by handing over the keys.

"This is your neighbourhood, Messer," she explained, settling herself in the passenger seat while Danny held the door open for her. "I'm putting myself in your hands."

He grinned at her before he shut the door and walked around the front of the truck, getting into the driver's seat. He buckled his seat belt and slid the key into the ignition, slightly startled when Lindsay raised the centre console that divided them and slid across the bench seat to sit right beside him, buckling herself in and letting her small hand rest casually on his thigh. He could feel her warmth pressed against his side and on his leg through the fabric of his jeans and he had to take a few deep breaths before he had composed himself enough to be able to drive.

"We, uh… we gotta make a stop first, babe. Hope that's okay," he said as he manoeuvred the truck through the quiet streets, flickering lights from front windows indicating that the Messers weren't the only family glued to the television at this time of night.

"Where?"

"Um… I need to get some… protection."

"I thought you always had a few with you for emergencies," she giggled, letting her hand slide a few inches further up his thigh. "What happened to always being prepared?"

"I only carry one in my wallet, Linds," he said, "And in case you forgot, we kind of used that up during our last emergency."

"How could I forget?" she murmured, squeezing his leg tighter in her hand. "You were so amazing, Danny. You made me feel so good." Danny's eyes widened as she leaned closer, her lips brushing against his ear as she proceeded to tell him exactly how good he made her feel and all the things she wanted to do to him once she got him all to herself.

"Fuck," he breathed, turning to look at her while they idled at a stoplight. "Fuck… if I'd known you had a mouth like that on you…" He shook his head, breathing deeply once again and trying to think of anything other than the way her hand was creeping closer and closer to the front of his jeans, which were steadily becoming far too tight.

"What would you have done, Danny?" she whispered, smiling coyly at him as her fingertips brushed against his fly. "Tell me."

"Shit…" he gasped, her fingers deftly massaging him now, electrifying his body with her touch. "I would have… I would have… oh, God. Lindsay… you're killing me; that feels so good. But you gotta stop. I can't drive while you're doing that."

"Then find somewhere to pull over," she said, not letting up.

"But we don't have…"

"There," she said, pointing just up the road where, to his great relief, was the illuminated sign of a Walgreen's. Danny pulled to the side of the road just down from the storefront and Lindsay mercifully pulled her hand from his crotch, pressing a kiss to his cheek before unbuckling her seat belt.

"You stay here… keep the car warm for me." She slid across the seat and opened the door. Before stepping down onto the sidewalk, she turned and smiled at him. "What size?"

"Linds, just give me a minute. I'll go in."

"Don't be silly," she smirked. "You don't want to go walking around Walgreen's like that," she said, gesturing to the prominent bulge in his pants. "Now tell me what size?"

Danny rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh as he felt his cheeks burning at her question.

"Um… large is fine."

"Really?" she asked, cocking her head at him. "I wouldn't have guessed that." He knew he must have looked ridiculous with his mouth hanging open, completely taken aback by her comment. He felt his gut twist and the heat in his face increase at the teasing little smile on her face. She slid across the seat, taking his face in her hands and brushing her lips softly, tantalizingly against his. "I'd swear you felt like extra large to me, baby."

"Fuck!" Danny gasped as she grasped him firmly one last time before sliding back across the seat, stepping down onto the pavement and closing the door behind her. Walking away, she turned and smiled at him over her shoulder, giving him a flirty wink before disappearing into the store.

Danny leaned back in the driver's seat, his hands clasped firmly around the steering wheel, closing his eyes and taking deep, steadying breaths to try to calm himself down after she'd gotten him all riled up. Who knew that his sweet, shy, unassuming girl from Montana could say and do all those things? He'd never have suspected she'd had it in her to talk dirty to him the way she had, and it sent shivers throughout his whole body at the thought of her delivering on each and every one of the promises she'd whispered in his ear.

Hearing the door open on the passenger side, he smiled. "That was quick. You get what you were looking for, babe?"

"Sure did, sweetheart."

Danny's heart leapt into his throat and his eyes flew open at the deep male voice that rang loudly in his ear. Before he could turn to see who was beside him, he heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked and felt the cool metal of the barrel pressed hard against his temple.

"Eyes forward, Messer," the voice said, twisting the gun slightly, the hard metal scraping against his skin and sending pain shooting through his skull. "Now drive."

"Okay. Okay," Danny said as calmly as his shaking nerves would allow. "Just stay cool. No one has to get hurt." He hazarded a quick glance at the store and his heart sank. Through the large front windows he could see Lindsay standing in line at the checkout, a happy little smile playing on her lips as she waited patiently to make her purchase.

"I said fucking drive!" the voice shouted, and Danny was granted a temporary relief from the pressure of the barrel against his head. That is until his assailant brought the butt of the gun crashing down against his cheek. He heard a sickening crack and his face exploded in pain, spots forming in front of his eyes and he felt something warm trickling down his jaw.

He raised his hand, wanting to assess the damage, but he felt the gun once again grinding into his temple and he heard the voice, now a sinister whisper in his ear. "Drive, or I swear to God I'll gut your little girlfriend just like I did to that Vanzella bitch."

Taking one last glance at the store, he saw Lindsay stow her wallet away in her purse and accept the plastic bag from the cashier, her purchase complete. She looked up, the smile on her face faltering as she stared back at him, shock and fear slowly dawning in her eyes. As he put the car into gear, he saw her frantically trying to push through the crowd of shoppers milling around the checkout. Before she could make it out onto the street, he had stepped on the gas, pulling out into traffic and disappearing into the night.

So, there we go. Some fluff, some (hopefully) fun moments with Danny's mom, a little teaser of smut and most importantly, some angst!

Your reviews and support are amazing, and they really, really make my day a little brighter... and my days could definitely use a little brightening right about now. Please feel free to let me know if you liked what you read. :)

I'm hoping to get at least one more chapter up before the holidays, but in case I don't – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!

*rhymes*