Standard disclaimers still apply. :)
It's shocking, I know. I've gotten more than one update up in a span of a month:) Don't you love Christmas Break? It gives me so much time! Anyway, I have to warn you guys- this chapter hasn't been read by anyone else, and the end was written late at night so its not the best. :) Still, leave a review please and tell me what you think!
Danny had to keep himself from fidgeting as the cab neared Joe's Bar, seeing as he was so excited to see his old friend. He could hardly keep the smile off his face as he remembered all the times they had shared together in college. She was almost like the sister that he had never had.
Standing 5'10", Julie always stood out in a crowd. She kept her hair cut short and spiky, and was always experimenting with color. When they were younger, she had once dyed it green, making it look like she had grass growing on her head. She was skinny, but kept fit and healthy because she worked as a firewoman. Her features were more angular than Lindsay's, Danny noted, though her brown eyes couldn't compare to those of his girlfriend. Still, Julie was beautiful.
They had grown up together in the streets of Staten Island, doing almost everything with each other. They were near inseparable in junior high and high school, and so it only seemed natural that they went to the same college. Their families each scraped together enough money for them to go to NYU, what with Louie not going to a university and Julie being an only child. As soon as they had graduated, Julie married her professor. It was a shock for Danny because she had never told him they were dating, but the hardest blow of all was when she and her husband and moved to California.
They had exchanged letters for a while, and talked on the phone once a month, but it wasn't enough for their friendship to stay alive. After a year, all contact ceased with the promise that if either of them was ever in town they would visit. This was the first time in a long time that Danny had heard from her.
He jumped from the cab, paid the driver, and hurried out of the cold and into the bar. As he entered the bar, he searched for her figure in the smoky room. Finally, he spotted her and pushed his way through the crowd. Sitting down at the booth that Julie occupied, he smiled brightly at her. "It's been too long, Julie."
She glanced up, startled. "Danny!" Leaping up, she ran to Danny's side of the table, and hugged him tightly. "Oh, Danny I've missed you!"
His breathing hitched as she squeezed him, and he was forced to push her away. "Easy there, Jules. I'm awfully sore tonight."
As she made her way back to her side of the table, Julie looked at him with concern. "What have you done to yourself this time?"
Danny laughed dryly. "I got shot."
Julie gasped. "You got shot? How?"
"You really want to know?" She nodded, and Danny proceeded to tell his friend what had happened.
"So without even thinking you leaped in front of this girl Lindsay, and took not one but five bullets for her?" He nodded, and Julie sat in silence for a moment. "Would you do it again?"
Danny answered without hesitation. "Yes."
Julie was silent for another minute, and then murmured quietly to herself. "Who would have thought that the infamous Danny Messer would fall in love?"
Danny took a slow sip of his water- he wasn't in the mood for alcohol tonight- and looked up to Julie with serious eyes. "I think she's the one."
Julie almost spit out her drink. "You've got to be kidding me! You of all people just said that she's the "one." Danny, you're the one that always said-"
"You sound like you're upset! I'm not talking about marriage yet, I'm just saying that-"
"Yet?" Julie asked incredulously. "First you tell me you get shot protecting this girl, then you tell me you're in love, and now you're talking about marriage!"
Danny slammed down his drink on the table, and had to restrain himself from losing his temper. "I thought you of all people would be happy for me. Didn't I support you when you decided to marry that professor? Didn't I wish you the best when you left New York together? All I'm asking for the same in return!"
Both Julie and he were silent, their pride not letting them apologize for their outburst. Finally though, Danny softened. "Look Jules, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let my temper get the better of me."
"No, you were right. You took everything I sprung on you back in the day, and you deserve the same." She fell silent, and Danny mulled over how much Julie had changed over the years. Before, they would have both exploded and wouldn't have talked for weeks. Now, it had taken less than two minutes for each of them to apologize and make up.
Finally, Julie spoke up again. "I've really missed you, all these years. John and the kids are all I could have ever dreamed of, and of course I've made more friends over the years, but…" She trailed off, and Danny couldn't help but grinning.
"We have a unique relationship. You've been more of a sibling to me than my brother ever was." Julie nodded her agreement, knowing exactly what he meant.
The rest of the night they spent reminiscing about their college days, and growing up. Time slipped away from them, and before them they knew it, it was past three. The bar was closing, and many patrons waited for a taxi. As they stood in line, they each were starting to prepare for their goodbyes.
"You promise you'll come to California some time?" Julie asked again, right before they parted.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Danny flashed Julie his trademark smile, and pulled her into a hug. "You be careful going home."
"I will." He let her go, letting her step into her taxi. Closing the door, he watched sadly as his friend left once more. He hated goodbyes, but this one wasn't as hard as before; they would see each other again. Bittersweet, he thought after a moment, most definitely bittersweet.
Lindsay stumbled into the apartment at half past three in the morning. All the lights were off, and so she assumed that Danny was asleep.
She wearily set her bag down, and laid her coat on the table in the kitchen as she walked by. Grabbing a glass from the cupboard, she filled it with water. As she took an appreciative swallow, she wandered over to the phone to check the messages. The red light was blinking, and so she pressed the button, not really concentrating fully on the voice emanating from the machine.
The first was from Danny's landlord, reminding him that rent was due that week. The second was from Lindsay's sister- she was the only one in her family that had Danny's number. She was just about to turn off the machine when the third message came on. Hey Danny, its Julie…"
Lindsay listened to the rest of the message, anxiety growing with every word. Who was Julie? Why hadn't Danny told her about this girl? Was that why Danny hadn't told his parents around her? Because of Julie?
All rational thought left Lindsay's mind as that revelation entered her mind. Her conversation with Hawkes was promptly forgotten as she rushed out of the kitchen and toward the bedroom. She had always heard that Danny was a player, but he said he loved her. He wouldn't cheat on her…would he?
"Danny?" She flipped on the lights, not caring if she woke him up. "Danny…"
The bed was empty, still made from that morning. Pushing back the disturbing images of Danny and this girl that seemed to pop in her head unbidden, she quickly strode to the answering machine to hear what time the Julie girl had called.
"First saved message, sent yesterday at 7:56 PM. Hey Danny-" She swiftly turned it off, unwilling to listen to that woman's voice again. Next she pushed down her fears and pulled out her inner CSI, searching for clues that Danny might have left.
The phone. Her eyes immediately went to the phone, lying on the table beside the couch. That meant that sometime before he left, Danny had called someone. Her? She snatched up the phone and pressed the first number on the redial.
It rang seven times before the answering machine kicked in. "Hey it's Julie. Since I didn't answer my phone-"
She ended the call, confirming her suspicion that it was Julie's number Danny had called last. Again her eyes swept the room, landing on a piece of paper sitting next to the sink. How had she missed it?
It was ripped off the notepad Lindsay had placed for messages by the phone when she had first moved in. Danny's illegible scrawl was even messier than usual, obvious that he had written it in a hurry.
Lindsay-
Gone out with an old friend. Be back later.
Danny
"Lindsay?" She said aloud to herself. "Why not Montana?" Again, thoughts forced their way into her mind that made her sick. Once more she fought back her panic and dialed Danny's cell phone. Please let him pick up, please just let him pick up. It rang once…twice…three times with no answer. Frustrated, Lindsay slammed the phone down on the counter.
"Whoa there, Montana," Danny's voice rang from the hallway, making Lindsay jump. She tried to slow her breathing before turning around and looking at him accusatorily. "You don't want to…" He trailed off upon seeing her face. "Are you okay?"
She stepped closer to him, trying to smell his breath. "Where have you been?"
The question stopped him short. "What?"
"Where have you been? It's 3:45 and you just got home."
"I left you a note..." He stopped again as he saw the murderous look in Lindsay's eyes.
"Did you think I wouldn't find out?" She tried to keep her voice even, not to let her emotions show, but it was to no avail; her voice wavered in the middle of the sentence.
"Did I think that you wouldn't find out what? Where are you going with this Lindsay?" Danny asked exasperated.
"I think you know. I thought you loved me." This time her voice was low and even, and it scared Danny more than any murderer he had ever faced.
"I do love you!" Danny exclaimed loudly, growing more confused and frightened by the second. Then softening his tone, he took her by the shoulders, and looked her in the eyes. "Lindsay, just tell me what's going on here! Are you okay?"
Danny's compassion and worry was too much for Lindsay, and the tears she had been holding back suddenly flooded past her barriers. "How can you worry about me when you've been…?" She stopped as a sob forced its way up. She backed away from him, stopping as her knees hit the couch. Collapsing onto the piece of furniture, she buried her head in her hands.
Concern washed over Danny as he watched her cry. Walking over, he gently enveloped her in a hug. "Lindsay- Montana- just talk to me. What is wrong?"
Taking a deep breath to work up the courage to look in him the eye, Lindsay let everything pour out. She started with the phone call, then her jealousy, and followed with her coming home to an empty apartment, the message, and finally her fears of him cheating on her. As she finished, she prepared herself for yelling she knew was going to come. However, Danny surprised her.
Instead of growing angry, Danny simply pulled her closer and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. "Montana, there is one thing you've got to understand; I may have had a lot girls in the past, but I don't give out my heart to anyone. You've also got to know that when I took those bullets for you, I didn't think twice. And I wouldn't have done that for just anyone- when it comes to my safety, I'm a selfish guy. But I took one look at where he was pointing that gun, and my heart stopped. I knew what I had to do, and I didn't hesitate. I still remember thinking as I hit the ground- right before I blacked out- was that I did okay because you were safe. No one else, just you." He held her at arm's length, making sure she could look into his eyes and see he was telling her the truth. "I would never to anything to jeopardize our relationship, because I love you so much."
Lindsay nodded slowly, seeing the truth and love in Danny's eyes. Her feelings of idiocy and folly were increasing more and more as Danny continued to talk. He told her about his night with Julie, their conversation about love, and everything in between.
"I'm so sorry," Lindsay burst out when Danny had finished telling her everything. "I can't believe I thought you would-"
Placing his fingers over her lips, Danny silenced her. "No more of this- I'm not mad. I forgive you." He pulled her into a tight hug once more, kissed her forehead. Wiping away her tears with his thumb, he leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips. "I love you Montana, and don't you ever think anything different."
Admit it, I had you scared for a second there that something would happen with Julie. :)
Please don't forget to review!
Charlotte
