Okay, here is the answer to the million dollar question that I have gotten over and over...and I find it funny becuase we are not even to the third season and you are asking questions about the fourth season...but yes, you will see Rikki. In what fashion will you see her? Well I just hope that there is a following by the time we get to that point for you to find out. Rueben makes an appearance here in a few chapters for the first time.

As always, reviews are appreciated and craved. Enjoy.

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The time between when Danny told Mac that he would take the week off, to when he and Lindsay sat in the stands at Yankee Stadium nine days later on Friday, went by like a bad music montage from an 80s movie.

Seeing the apartment in Danny's building and accepting it.

Bringing boxes from the old places they had to the new one all week long. Seeing them disappear from one place and start stacking up at the other.

Manhandling small pieces of furniture up the stairs from his place to the new one because the elevator was out of order for the day.

Danny kissing Lindsay good bye at the front door in the mornings when she left for school and then starting to move stuff again while she was gone.

Visiting Louie at the hospital and talking with his mother.

Danny and Lindsay sitting in the new apartment leaning against boxes on the floor and eating pizza.

Danny visiting her kids on the last day of summer school.

Danny emptying boxes while talking to friends who stopped by.

It was a good week.

**

"What made you get tickets to tonight's game?" Lindsay took a huge bite out of the hot dog that she was holding.

"Our new apartment is coming together. I am going back to work on Monday. Mommy and Pop are going to move Louie closer to where they are so that they can visit him more often and take some of the burden off of us." She started to protest but he stopped her. "We are going to be stuck in one of three apartments with most of our friends all day tomorrow and probably into the night. I wanted to get out into the open air with the woman that I love." He kissed her cheek once…then again…then one more time before turning back to the game.

**

What did we do before cell phones? How did we ever get through life without texting, push-to-talk and camera phones? Saturday, moving day would not have worked at all if cell phones were not in existence. Photos were sent back and forth all day about what went into the dumpster and what went into the new place. Flack was the supervisor in Danny's old apartment, Stella was in charge at Lindsay's old place and Lindsay took charge of the new apartment.

First thing they did Saturday morning was to empty Lindsay's apartment of everything but the bed, living room couch, TV, and chairs at the counter. Her parents would be staying there at the beginning of August for graduation.

"Lunch break." Danny called following the last box from Lindsay's into the apartment. They munched and crunched on pizza and were formulating a plan for emptying Danny's place downstairs.

"It's gonna take almost all of us to get that pool table up that elevator." Danny looked at Hawkes, Adam and Mac as he talked.

Lindsay wanted to have some fun. "Danny I thought we agreed not to move the table. It came with that apartment, it should stay there."

Any other conversations that were going on became silent. Flack's eyes were as big as a dinner plates, he knew how much Danny loved that table. Lindsay hadn't looked up from her pizza and kept eating. Flack looked then to Danny for any kind of clue.

Danny was busy flipping through all of the conversations they had and he didn't remember anything about this decision. Mac could see the confusion on the younger man's face.

All day long, anyone who brought anything into the apartment was told to keep the middle of the living room open. It was assumed by all that it was because the space was for the pool table.

Danny could feel all eyes on him as he tried to come up with a way to talk about this.

"Monroe, I don't remember us talking about that. I remember talking about the couches, dishes, and how we were going to set things up, but I don't remember anything about leaving the pool table behind."

"Huh." She smiled. "Must have been a dream I had or just something to keep you on your toes." Her eyes went to his.

"Keep me on my toes…can I talk to you for a minute please?" Napkin was thrown into the empty pizza box in front of him on the counter and he headed to their bedroom. Lindsay looked at their friends who now looked more relaxed, but she put her own napkin down and followed. The door closed behind her and she was instantly facing the wall pinned against it.

"You had me going out there." The length of his body pressed her to the wall and it was doing amazing things. "You want to tease me, keep me on my toes, then bring it on, but I'm going to get you for that Monroe, big time." Before she could come up with something to say, he had her turned and on the receiving end of a bruising kiss and grabby hands.

And then he was gone.

She had to take a few minutes to calm the fire that was surging through her and she needed to smooth down her clothes.

**

The water was hot and bubbly in the tub, and it felt so good on her muscles. The day had taken a lot out of her.

Danny walked Stella and Flack out of the apartment just before the clock chimed 11, calling that he would be back in a bit. She took the opportunity to fill the tub and sink into it. She thought about all the things they got done and that made her more tired. The majority of the boxes were empty. Stella and Lindsay emptied them as soon as they walked through the door practically. The kitchen was completely set up. Most of the clothes were put where they needed to be put. The furniture was laid out the way they wanted it. It felt like home.

"That's what I'm talking about." Danny stood at the bathroom door staring at his girlfriend neck deep in bubbles. Instinctively she went to cover herself but then relaxed.

"I didn't hear you come in."

He thumbed over his shoulder. "Door doesn't squeak. Floor doesn't creek. I'm gonna have an easy time getting in late at night without you hearing me." She hadn't shooed him away yet, so he took a step into the bathroom.

"Stella and Flack get away?" Her eyes closed as he sat down on the toilet.

"Yes, and I locked up the place downstairs and put the key under the super's door. We not only have two places again." She still hadn't protested so his fingers started drawing designs in the bubbles.

"My place will be gone as soon as the end of September, only two more months." Her eyes were still closed but she could feel the water moving from his fingers. "If you are wanting to get in all you have to do is ask."

"Boom." He was half stripped with his shirt over his head, when her eyes opened.

"I don't remember you asking if you could get in with me."

Muffled from under the t-shirt she heard "Ms. Lindsay Monroe, can I get into the tub with you?"

She was going to have to control her laughter before she could answer him. "I don't know, why would I want to share all this nice hot water and bubbles with the likes of you?" Laughter came again when his hands slumped down and his shirt still hung over his head.

"You lettin' me in or not?" It was still muffled.

"Yeah, come 'ere."

She scooted up enough to let him in behind her.

"Is it hot enough?" He hissed and groaned every inch of the way while he slid in behind her from both the heat and the sore muscles. When he touched her shoulders she leaned back against him, head coming to rest on his collarbone.

"You have one more day off. What are you going to do with it?" Danny loved it when she was completely relaxed, her words slurred and sounded so sexy.

"I thought I might have an old fashioned movie day in my new place with you. I already called my parents and told them that we would not be coming out for dinner. I am going to hang out here with you and do NOTHING."

She slid against him. "Sounds wonderful."

**

**

"Honey I'm home." Danny was checking the mail as he walked in at the end of July. "You got a letter from Montana." He chuckled. "You got a letter from yourself. Hello?" A yellow sticky note on the TV caught his attention. 'Up on the roof.' The mail was forgotten because 'Up on the roof' meant short shorts, tank top and lots of tanned skin.

**

Behind a well warn copy of "Ten Little Indians" Lindsay soaked up the sun. It was a new habit. School work towards graduation was taken care of in the morning and reading in the sunshine or errands in the afternoon. Danny appreciated the tan lines.

"Hello, Ms. Monroe."

"Hey, how was today?" An old boarding pass marked her place in the book and it was set down.

"It's over, I'm home." He sat on the end of the lounge chair that they found for her to use. "You good?"

"Flack was here for a while. I think that he is starting to go nuts not being at work."

Danny laughed at her. "He stopped by the lab. I almost didn't recognize him in shorts standing there. On the court sure, but in the lab, it just looked wrong."

"He's got what, about a month before he's on desk duty and then two weeks after that he's back full duty." Lindsay tried to remember what she was told earlier in the day.

"Sounds 'bout right." He sat up straighter. "You get it done today?"

"Yes." She rolled her eyes at him.

"You have them check everything?"

"Yes." Her answer was a little more forceful.

"So, its official?"

"Yes, its official. I will be getting my degree in education in a couple of weeks."

He pushed his glasses up his nose. "Really?"

"Yeah." She was really proud of herself.

**

More comfortably dressed for the heat of summer, Danny returned to the living room to find Lindsay reading her card.

"Who's it from?" He asked.

"My parents, it's my first "congratulations on your graduation" card." He could see how much graduating was going to mean to her.

"Hey, how about some ice cream. I'm gonna run down and get some of that Ben and Jerry's that you like so much." He was out the door before she had a chance to answer.

**

"Bonasera."

"Stell, I need your help." Danny filled her in and found out she was a lot more help that he could even fathom.

Armed with bags of supplies he headed back up to the apartment. Lindsay was deep in her book when he returned back into their apartment.

"Hey, I got ice cream, cookie dough, beer, a couple of movies and if there's something else you want I can go get it."

**

Danny could hardly contain himself. He sat in the sea of people waiting to hear the names of their loved ones as they graduated.

Lindsay crossed the stage tall and proud. Danny and her parents were somewhere in the crowd and she wanted to shine. As soon as her hand touched her diploma and turned to go down the steps and saw and heard nine people making a lot of noise. She found where Danny was sitting and around him she saw his Mom and Dad, Stella, Sid, Flack, Adam, Hakes, her parents and Mac. The site of them brought tears to her eyes and she waved her diploma their way before returning to hear seat.

A lot had changed in the past year for her. She walked away from a job that she loved. She moved away from her past, her home town and her family. She moved away from her support system to a new job, life, city and way of thinking. She met Danny and fell in love and with him she got a very unconventional extended family. And she loved every single one of the more today that any other day because they had come to be there with her and celebrate. Tears again filled her eyes again, sitting somewhere behind her was her new family.