Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY, they belong to CBS and Anthony E. Zuiker.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Lindsay Monroe was already in somewhat of a sour mood from being ditched by Danny when she arrived for work that morning. And she didn't even get a reprieve.
"Hey, uh, Lindsay," Adam Ross said when she stepped off the elevator. "Uh, Mac wants to see you."
Great. "Thanks, Adam," Lindsay said. She tossed her coat into the office she and Danny shared, not even bothering to hang it up, ran her fingers through her hair, smoothed it over, and then walked up to Mac's office and rapped on the door.
He looked up, saw her there, and motioned her in with two fingers. Lindsay took a breath. He can sense fear. Danny's words echoed in her ears. "Morning, Mac," she said evenly.
"Have a seat," Mac Taylor told her. Lindsay sat down. Before Mac could get to chewing her out, someone else rapped on the door behind them. Don Flack stepped in and started talking before Mac even had a chance.
"Mac, before you fire her or put her on probation or something, you need to know that goin' after Dan was all my idea. I was the one who called her and got the truck, and hell, I even drove most of the way. We both were worried, and we were concerned, and-"
"Flack." Mac held up a hand. "Before you dig yourself into a hole, just stop."
The tone in Mac's voice scared the hell out of Lindsay. Even Flack looked a little peaked. "I understand it was your idea. It does not excuse the fact that Lindsay ignored a direct order from a superior." He looked at Lindsay. "I applaud you for taking initiative. However, you did disobey a direct order."
"I understand," Lindsay said. "And I'm sorry." There it was. All she could say.
"Lindsay, I'm suspending you a week without pay."
Well. It could have been worse. "I understand. Effective today?"
"I'll see you here next week." With that, Mac sat down again behind his desk. "Take the time to think about what you've done, and keep an eye on Danny."
Mac Taylor, you sly dog, Flack thought. All grizzly bear on the outside. Fluffy teddy bear in the middle. Lindsay got up and Flack put a hand on her shoulder and escorted her out.
"Hey, that's not so bad," he said.
"I could've used the pay, but I'm not complaining, because I still have a job." Lindsay started down the hall, Flack following. "Flack..." Lindsay began as she entered her office. She turned to him. He was leaning in the doorway. "Danny's been pretty distant since he came back."
"I've noticed," Flack said simply.
"So what do you think I should do?" she asked. "Talk to him, or just play supportive girlfriend?"
Flack shrugged. "I couldn't tell you. I'm not you."
"But if you were Danny..." Lindsay pressed.
He smiled. "If I were Danny...I'd tell you when I was good and ready," he shrugged. "It's the way he works. Enjoy your weeklong vacation," Flack said.
"Yeah," Lindsay said. "Thanks. And thanks for backing me up in there," she added sincerely.
Flack nodded. "Yeah, no problem." Then, with a wave, he was gone. Lindsay shrugged on her coat and headed for the elevators. On the way there, she was ambushed by Stella and Hawkes. "Tell me you still have a job," Hawkes said.
She smiled. "Don't worry, I still have a job."
"I was never worried," Stella said. "Mac's all talk," she teased.
"It's just suspension. I didn't figure I'd get off scott free," Lindsay explained. "So I'm gonna go home, go back to sleep."
"Sounds good, kiddo," Stella said. "Might give you a call later, we can go out for drinks or something."
Lindsay pressed the elevator button. "Yeah, that sounds great. I'll talk to you later, then," she said waving as the elevator doors closed.
Halfway back to her apartment, she changed her mind. She had a plan. She had the taxi switch directions and take her to Danny Messer's. She used her key to get into his place, and closed and locked the door again. She looked around the apartment, and smiled. Maybe she could get Danny to open up without Flack's help.
Little did she know Flack was going to beat her to it.
Danny got a phone call from Flack. "Where are you?"
"Sittin' on a bench in Central Park," Danny replied. "It's kinda cold out here."
"We just had one of the worst snowstorms in history, Danno," Flack was rolling his eyes. "What if I meet you at Ray's for a slice?"
"Sure," Danny said absently. "I'll meet you there in about a half hour." He looked around the park. There was a lot of snow on the ground yet, but nothing like upstate. He watched a couple of teens skipping class throwing snowballs at each other. He smiled, remembering Cady and Jason.
You're doing it again, the little voice in his head reminded him. Yeah, I know, he told it. I can't help it. He got up, his jeans almost soaked through, even though he'd brushed the bench off before sitting. He looked up at the gray sky, and then started trudging for Ray's.
Flack was sitting in the back in the booth he and Danny usually reserved when they frequented the pizza parlor. He waved Danny over. They ordered their usual, and over a beer, Flack finally asked Danny the question that had been killing him.
"What happened between you and that Cady woman?"
Danny's eyes flared. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay, then I'll guess. Did you have sex with her?" Flack searched Danny's face for an involuntary giveaway. "Okay, no. Not sex. But you kissed her."
His eye twitched. Gotcha. "How'd that happen?" Flack asked him.
And so Danny recounted the entire story. How he'd woken up and hadn't had a clue who he was, where he was or what he'd been doing. How Cady had tried to help him fill in the pieces. He told Flack about Jack Holliday and Jason, and the snowball fight. "And then, man, I dunno. We were sitting on the couch...and we sorta just kissed. But, Flack, man, it wasn't like I was kissin' Cady. I was seeing Lindsay. That day on the Holly case. The first time I ever saw her in Central Park. On the stand in Bozeman. Hell, the night we had sex on my pool table."
Flack's jaw dropped. "Am I the first to hear about this?" he couldn't resist.
"Bite me," Danny responded. "And I pulled away like the couch was on fire or somethin'." He dropped his head to the table. "God, Flack. I'm not in love with Cady, I swear." He looked up at his friend. "I just respect her, that's all. All she's had to do since Jack died...she's a strong woman. She was there for me, y'know? She looked out for me, she-she helped me get my memories back." He talked to the table. "And I don't know how to explain that to Lindsay."
To his surprise, Flack snorted. "Danny. Just tell her exactly what you just told me."
Danny looked at him, eyebrows raised. "No, I'm serious. Look, I don't blame ya for kissing Cady. It was an accident. Hell, if anything, it was a good thing, I mean, you remembered your girlfriend. Under the circumstances, Lindsay is going to understand." Their pizza came, and Flack took a slice. "You're blowing things out of proportion. You keep up this attitude, and Lindsay's gonna think you slept with her, which probably wouldn't go over at all." He set his pizza down. "But now I'm curious. When did the whole sex on the pool table thing go down? How long have you two been together? Spill, man, I want details."
He finally got Danny to smile. "That," Danny said, grabbing a slice, "is none of your business. Thanks for the talk, man, but you ain't gettin' rewarded with sordid tales of my love life." Danny put some money down on the table. "I need to go. I'll talk to you later."
Flack sat alone at the table. Go talk to her, you idiot, before she dumps you. Because I do not want to have that sob talk with you. Not when it'd be over something stupid like this. He smiled to himself as he settled in to finish the pizza by himself.
