He stood there, in front of the apartment door. He didn't know whether to knock or to just leave. He had failed her. But he had to know how she was. He didn't care if she would hit him or push him away forever. All he wanted to know was that she was fine.
Danny finally knocks on the door.
Lindsay opens her apartment door. She stood there looking at him. After what Danny thought was an eternity, Lindsay finally gives him a faint smile.
"Come in" Lindsay said.
Danny went in the apartment but he couldn't step any further than the door. They both just stood there in silence.
"I'm sorry" Danny finally said.
"You did what you can" Lindsay tried to smile. "Who would've known that he was going to die?"
"Lindsay" Danny started.
"At least I know what happened to him, who took him, and why he was taken" Lindsay interrupted him "At least we have a starting point. A year ago we had nothing."
Lindsay took his hand and guided him to the couch so they can sit. Her touch somehow calmed him, made him feel that he was forgiven.
"I've contacted the lead CSI from Montana on your son's case, sent me a whole box of stuff, we're going to run this together" Danny said.
"Thank you" Lindsay said.
Lindsay looked at Danny's eyes. There were dark circles around them. His usually handsome stuble has grown to a recognizeable beard. She saw that he was so weak. She touched his face. Danny closed his eyes at her touch.
"I still have so many questions to ask you" Danny said.
"Peter was my friend. He saved my career. If Bozeman PD had known who Nathan's real father was, I would have lost my job" Lindsay started.
Danny only nodded his head.
"You must think badly of me now" Lindsay continued.
"Why?" Danny asked.
"You must think I'm that kind of a woman, have an affair with your married boss, get someone else to marry you to save face." Lindsay said. "I'm no longer the innocent country girl you thought I was"
Danny brushed the hair from her face. "If it's possible, I respect you more than I did then" he said "As a colleague. As a friend. You must have been a good mother"
Lindsay smiles.
"And this explains a lot." Danny continued "Why this…." he motions to the space between them "This… has never gone anywhere. You're afraid it would happen again"
Lindsay nods her head.
"I can never hurt you" Danny said.
Danny reached for his backpack. "I checked the evidence box Montana CSIs sent me, processed everything. There's one item I think we can let go of"
It was a boy's red baseball cap. Lindsay started to tear up.
"Red Sox fan, eh" Danny started. "He would've hated me"
Lindsay looked up to Danny "No" she said "he would've loved you".
Danny held her in his arms until they both fell asleep.
-0-0-0
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Your reviews have been so great. Thanks so much. But this is my first completed --- perhaps full episode-type --- story so if there are loopholes to the storyline, please feel free to point them out! Hope you guys had fun reading as I had fun writing. More to come:-)
