Authors Note: Little bit of a shorter chapter here but I wanted to get something posted. University has finished for the summer so I should have plenty of free time for updating now. Thanks to everyone for their patience and special thanks to; Runner043, jessicaflack, afrozenheart412, CSI4lyfNCIS13, lily moonlight and brinchen86 for their reviews on the last chapter.

Chapter 14

Lindsay arrived at work and went straight to the staff room, sitting down with a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper that one of the other teachers had left. There were only two other people in the room besides her so she was able to enjoy the last few moments of peace she had before her day really began. She was half way through an article about a man who was believed to be responsible for the murder of three women in the suburbs when someone slid into the seat beside her.

"So how did Friday night go?" Jess asked and Lindsay lowered the paper to look at her friend.

"It was good, Danny took me to Alexander's," Lindsay told her.

"That's a pricey place, my parents took me there a little while ago, the food is gorgeous," Jess said with a smile.

Lindsay nodded. "I know, I wanted to tell him that he didn't have to take me to expensive places but I thought maybe that would offend him."

"Well, he obviously wanted to make a good impression, he must really like you," Jess stated and Lindsay smiled looking down at the table for a moment.

"I had a really good time," she said as another teacher walked into the room and sat at the table with them. Lindsay changed the subject; she wasn't comfortable talking about her private life around people that she worked with. Jess was different, she was more a friend now than a colleague but she couldn't say the same about the rest of the people she worked with, at least not yet. "How was your weekend?"

"Boring, spent most of it grading papers and putting together lesson plans," Jess replied with a shrug. "I was thinking, there's this new diner just opened up around the corner from where I live, I was thinking we could go and see if it's any good?"

"That sounds great, I really do have to get out of the house more," Lindsay said with a smile and a nod. "When were you thinking of going?"

"I was thinking maybe Thursday, we can go straight from here," Jess told her.

"Thursday it is," Lindsay confirmed and Jess smiled as she looked up at the clock, Lindsay followed her gaze. "I guess it's time to head to class."

They stood up and Lindsay took her cup to the sink, washing it out and leaving it on the side to dry. Jess was waiting for her by the door and the two of them left together. Jess waited until they were out of earshot of the staffroom before resuming her questioning about her date.

"So are you going to see him again?" she asked.

"I think so, I hope so," Lindsay answered and then bit her lip. "My dad won't like it."

"Why not?" Jess questioned.

"He's not the type of man my father usually tries to set me up with. He's a business man and most of the people he's introduced me to have been other businessmen, or sons of businessmen. There's usually some advantage for him in it as well as them having money and education. Danny isn't any of those things, he's smart and funny but as far as I can tell he doesn't have a lot of money behind him or a first class college education," Lindsay explained shaking her head at the stupidity of it. She knew it shouldn't matter how much money a person had or which school they had attended but in her father's world, those were some of the things that mattered the most.

"But you like him," Jess said, "and that should be the most important thing. It's early days yet though, wait and see how things work out with Danny and if it turns into something serious then you can worry about what your father will think about it."

"That's the plan," Lindsay said. "I'd better go and get set up for class, I'll see you later."

"Have a good class," Jess called to her as she began to walk away. Lindsay turned and gave her a smile and wave as she continued toward her classroom.

Mac knocked on the door a second time before it opened to reveal an anxious looking Stella. She looked surprised to see him but smiled and stepped back gesturing for him to come in. She closed the door behind him and looked at him expectantly; she almost seemed to be bracing herself for bad news.

"What can I do for you today Captain Taylor?" she questioned and Mac frowned at the use of his title. She hadn't called him that for a long time, they had decided early on that it would be best to be on a first name basis when they met so that if anyone was listening in they wouldn't immediately know he was a cop.

"I just came to see how you were doing," he said. She looked surprised again and he wondered, not for the first time, if anyone had ever shown her real kindness at any point in her life, she always seemed stunned whenever he offered her some.

"I'm alright," she told him.

"Really?" he questioned. "Because you looked like you were expecting a psychopath when you opened the door."

She smiled and seemed to relax a little. "I guess I'm still a little on edge, can I get you something to drink, tea, coffee?"

"A coffee would be great thank you," he said as he sat down on the couch and she nodded after a moment and went into the kitchen. It was a few minute before she came back in with two coffees and handed one to him as she sat down beside him. "Have you decided what you're going to do now that you don't have to worry about Frankie?"

"Actually yes, I got a job," she told him and he raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "Working at the women's shelter around the block from here, it's not much and it doesn't pay great but it'll be good work. I start on Monday."

"That's great Stella," Mac replied and she smiled and nodded her head.

"It feels like a good way to give back," she stated and he looked at her confused. "I spent so much time with Frankie, I let him get away with doing horrible things to people for far longer than I should have."

"You were also the person that stopped him," Mac said and she looked down, her expression disbelieving. "You gave me everything I needed to bring Frankie down; I couldn't have done it without your help."

"Maybe," she said, he could tell she wasn't convinced but if this job could help her feel like she was putting things right then he was happy for that at least.

"Perfect timing," Jess said as she stepped out of her classroom and saw Lindsay walking towards her. She balanced the box full of papers she had on her hip as she locked the door and then dropped her keys into the box.

"How was your class?" Lindsay questioned.

"Same as always," Jess said. "Is that all you have to take home with you, hardly seems fair?"

Lindsay glanced at the folder in her hand that contained the papers she needed to grade for her class and smiled. "For now, I should have done them over the weekend really. I have more papers due in tomorrow so I'm pretty sure I'll have a box just like that one."

"All evens out in the end I guess," Jess said as the two of them began making their way toward the exit. They left the school, ignoring the group of young men that were by the school gates who had a few crude remarks to throw their way but were harmless enough in the end. The streets were relatively quiet considering the time of day and the two women walked along slowly.

"So I take it your only plans for tonight are grading papers," Lindsay said and Jess looked at the box under her arm and sighed.

"Yes, but once these are done I shouldn't have any more to do in the next few days so it'll be worth it if I can get it done tonight," Jess said once again shifting the box as her arm began to ache from carrying it. They reached the crossroads where they had to go their separate ways and after a quick goodbye Jess headed down the street toward her house.

"Jessica, sweetheart, that looks heavy," her mother said as she stepped through the front door.

"It's not as heavy as it looks, just some papers I need to go through," Jess told her putting the box down on the table with a slight thud. "Where's dad?"

"He had meeting this afternoon, he's not going to be back until late," her mother said and Jess nodded.

"Just me and you for dinner then?" she questioned.

"That's right, your father told me not to wait for him, just to have something ready for him when he gets back," her mother said. "It's a good thing you got home when you did, it'll be ready in about twenty minutes."

"I'll just take this upstairs and then I'll come down and set the table," Jess told her, picking up the box again and heading for the stairs.

David Messer had grown up in a small, house with his older brother and his parents. They'd had very little, to have food on the table three times a day and to keep the roof over their heads was considered an achievement. He could say now that his parents would have been proud of him, even if they weren't here to see what he had made of his life. It wasn't much, a little pizzeria on the corner of a street not too far from the one he had grown up on but it was enough, it was enough for him.

It was a quiet night, he'd had a lot of customers earlier but the place was empty now. There were only two other people working, both of them in the kitchen but he knew they'd be sat by the back door, having a drink and talking while they waited for another order to come in. The door opened and David looked up to see his nephew walking toward him.

"Hello Uncle David, it's been a while," Louie said with a smirk.

"Yes it has, what do you need?" David asked.

"I'm hurt; can't a guy just visit his uncle once in a while?" Louie replied, his hand on his chest as he feigned hurt.

"Yes he can, but you never do unless you need something," David said.

"I'm looking for Danny, he's not as his apartment so I figured he was probably here," Louie told him looking around the front of the pizzeria. "This place looks different, you done something since the last time I was here?"

"Had the walls repainted a while ago," David said and Louie nodded. "Danny isn't here, he's running a delivery for me."

"Great, when you see him tell him I was looking for him," Louie stated turning to leave.

"What do you need him for?" David questioned.

Louie stopped and turned back to him with a shrug. "He's my brother, I don't need a reason to see him, other than wanting to say hello."

"Whatever it is you're up to Louie, leave Danny out of it," David told him and Louie smirked again.

"See you later Uncle David," he said, giving the older man a wave as he walked out of the pizzeria. David stared at the door long after he'd gone, he knew both his nephews well and he'd always been able to tell when they were up to something. Danny had worked so hard to get away from the gang, to live an honest life and he didn't want to see him dragged back by his brother. He'd just have to keep a closer eye on them both from now on.

TBC