A/N: Same disclosures apply as in all other chapters. Please enjoy and review.

Chapter 14

Danny and I walked into the lab, straight towards Mac's office. Being as his office was a room surrounded by clear glass, he might has well have been in the middle of the floor. He was watching us approach and waved us in once we were near the doors.

"Danny, Lindsay." He nodded, "Everything ok? What happened over there?"

Danny looked at me, as if he wanted approval from me for him to tell him. I nodded slightly. My head still hurt, and at the current moment was throbbing.

"Lindsay passed out." Danny stated, "But she came to fairly quickly and didn't hit anything. I checked her out and she is fine."

"I have some vacation time coming," I didn't give Mac a chance to say anything, "and seeing as you're pulling me from fieldwork, wouldn't it be more prudent if I just disappeared?"

Mac eyed me for a moment; as if he was letting my words sink in one at a time. He looked at me, then to Danny and then out the window; my eyes followed his throughout the path. My head was still throbbing, but the pills I had took were starting to dull it down.

"What did you have in mind Lindsay?" Mac said as he turned back to me, "Where would you disappear to?"

"Well," I drew it out, "I'd been planning to go back to Montana on my vacation. I know the area like the back of my hand, it'd be nearly impossible for someone new not to stick out."

Mac looked back out the window in his office. He seemed to be weighing his options. If he didn't let me go, I'd be stuck in the lab under constant surveillance which could allow for a breach. However, if he did agree to my plan, I'd be very out of sight and out of familiar territory to Mac.

"Lindsay," Mac said, "You do know that Montana would be the first place someone would go look for you if they were intelligent and did their homework."

I nodded and smiled broadly. I had already formulated a plan for this avenue of thinking. I had run it by Danny and he thought it was brilliant.

"So how do we get around that particular problem?" Mac asked, his curiosity was obviously aroused.

"Well," I said sitting closer on the edge of my seat, "we play shadow games."

"Ok."

"There are a couple different ways we could do it." I continued, hoping I sounded more fearless and confident than I felt, "We either list my name on multiple passenger manifests on different modes of transportation. We use them all – car, plane, train, boat – any method of transportation out of the city to multiple destinations. Then I either fly out under my real name or we don't do any of that and I fly out in disguise and under a pseudonym."

"Ok." Mac said shaking his head, "Those are some very well thought out plans. But say on the off chance this loony does find out where you went and follows you. We have no jurisdiction in Montana. You'll have limited protection and we'll be hours away."

"Well," Danny said, "I have some vacation coming up too. What if I just happened to get onto the same plane and we landed at the same airport?"

"I wouldn't be completely alone Mac." I said quickly, but not quite meeting his eyes.

"I see." Mac said his tone completely calm and unreadable.

"Mac," Danny said, "You know that this is a good plan. It leaves everyone here available to work solely on the case without worrying if Lindsay is ok. It eliminates her from the equation; at least in a direct way."

I knew Danny was pleading the case for me but I also knew that Danny was one of Mac's best investigators. I was finding it more unlikely by the minute that Danny would be allowed to go. They would probably make some rookie detective tag along with me; leaving Danny here to help solve the case.

"Mac," I started.

"Lindsay," He interrupted, "It's a good plan. Very well thought through; it's the execution of the plan that concerns me."

There was a pause.

"Let me think about it ok?" Mac continued, "I'll give you my decision by the end of the day."

My face fell. I knew it. I could feel it.

"Thanks Mac." I said, standing up, heading towards the door.

"Lindsay."

I turned around to see Danny still seated, and Mac looking directly at me.

"I didn't say no."

I managed a smile and headed out the door. When Danny didn't follow, I assumed that he wanted to talk to Mac in private or vice versa but either way it was probably about me. I just hoped that Danny didn't try to persuade Mac further or worse arguing with him about the situation.

I headed towards my desk to grab my lab coat. The minute I entered the trace lab, I was shooed out by a very persistent Sheldon Hawkes.

"Hawkes!" I said loudly, "What are you doing?"

"You don't be in there Lindsay." He said sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Um, did I get fired and someone forget to tell me?" I said laughing nervously, "Mac pulled me from the field, not from working evidence."

"Yes, but seeing as this case has ties to you," Hawkes continued, "We don't want to mess this up with the lawyers calling conflict of interest."

"Great. Wonderful. Happy freaking day." I was seeing red, "So what am I supposed to do? Make my office a protected little bubble and sit, twiddling my thumbs until everyone else deems it safe for me to come out again?!"

Sheldon rounded his shoulders and gave me a look that clearly said don't kill the messenger. I knew he didn't deserve the anger I was releasing but I just couldn't contain it any longer.

"I'm going across the street to get a cup of coffee." I said with my voice laced with sorrow, "would you like one?"

Sheldon hesitated.

"I think you should stay in the building Lindsay."

I looked at him.

"I'll take that as a no then."

I turned on my heel and walked away. My feet carried me to the elevator and my finger pushed the button all the while my brain was screaming you idiot, don't you realize these people love and care about you? They are just trying to keep you safe?

Shut up brain.

My feet put me on the elevator and again my finger pushed the button for the lobby. Once I was off the elevator, I stopped. I sat down in one of the chairs reserved for visitors.

"What am I going to do?" I said softly to myself, "I've got some psychopath connected to me but I can't do anything to help with the investigation in or out of the lab.

Maybe I should just take off where no one could find me. Just buy a plane ticket and go, say nothing to anyone. That wouldn't work, my team would find me. They are just that good.

"LINDSAY!"

I turned at the sound of my name to see Mac, Stella, Hawkes, Flack, and Danny burst out of the elevator into the lobby. They stopped in their tracks when they saw me just sitting there. I got up and walked over to them so that we didn't cause a scene and we stared at each other for a few moments before anyone said anything.

"Sorry." My apology was simple.

"Lindsay," Mac said, "Adam needs your help in documents."

"Got it."

I got back on the open elevator and the rest of the team piled in behind me. I felt incredibly embarrassed about what I had done. When the elevator arrived at the lab's floor, I hung back allowing everyone else off first before I followed suit. I headed down the hall towards the documents lab, ducking into the locker room hopefully unnoticed.

I sat on one of the long benches and felt the tears welling up in my eyes. I couldn't do a long crying jag as someone was bound to check up on me.

"You ok?" I heard the familiar voice ask.

I hadn't even heard someone come in.

"Sorry." I apologized.

Stella put her arm around me and squeezed gently.

"I don't think you have anything to be sorry for." She said, "Do you want to talk?"

I thought about it and shook my head no.

"I'm sorry Stella," I said my voice still thick with crying, "It's all still jumbled in my head, I wouldn't know where to start but thank you for always being there and being my friend."

Stella gave me another squeeze and slipped out as quietly as she had come in. I wiped me eyes and splashed some water on my face. I quietly exited the locker room and made my to the documents lab.