Title: Their Love, Her Murder

Disclaimer: Slash. Violence. Language. Angst. Character death.

POV: Danny

Chapter Ten: Longing For Your Touch

The sun is bright in my eyes. I roll over, my back to the window. My alarm goes off. Another day of work. A day without Flack. Another day for Mac to yell at me. Should I even bother to get up? Will it be worth the time? The alarm continues its shrill music. I slap the snooze button and slowly get out of bed. My side feels like fire. I don't hesitate to take a pill. Too bad it won't make my head feel better.

I stand in the shower just letting the hot water wash over me. It feels so good. I turn the knob and the water gets hotter. My skin turns red. I hear the ringing of my cell phone as I get out of the shower. I know the ring-tone. It's the one I programmed for Flack. I don't answer. If I talk to him, I'll want to see him. And I can't see him. Not when I need to be working.

At the lab I keep to myself. I don't return the receptions greeting of a good morning. How can it be a good morning? I feel more confused about things than I did before. Before, all I wanted was to be with Flack. Every moment of every day I thought about him. Now I wanted to avoid him. All for my job. A job that could get me killed tomorrow.

"Hey, you okay, Danny?"

I look to my side. Hawkes has fallen into step beside me. "I'm fine," I lie. "Why do you ask?"

"You just seem sort of lost to me, that's all."

I fake a smile. "Just thinking about how I'd rather be in the field than stuck in here processing evidence for everyone else."

"Does kind of suck, doesn't it? But you'll be better before you know it. Maybe Mac will stick us together on the next case. He can work with Stella."

I chuckle. "Not enjoying the experience are you?"

"Don't tell her I said this but she can be a bit bossy. You'd think she was in charge and not Mac. Gets a little annoying at times. Even Mac doesn't make me do every little thing."

"I know. I've been there. It's nice to have someone to share the pain with," I joke. Stella is standing a few feet away. It doesn't appear as though she heard us.

Of course she didn't hear you. She's on the phone again. Always on the phone lately. Why isn't Mac getting on her case?

Hawkes gives me a look that says "save me" before he catches up with Stella. My stomach growls reminding me that I skipped breakfast. I detour to the break-room. A little snack and then off to work. To process evidence while everyone else has fun actually solving cases.

I grab an apple from the bowl on the table.

"Guess I'm not the only one who missed breakfast."

I roll my eyes. "Guess not," I reply as I turn to Lindsay.

She smiles. "You look good today, Danny."

I can't help feeling a bit weird. Lindsay and I aren't close. I haven't been nice to her in any way. Yet, she treats me like her closest friend. Why? I don't deserve it. I notice the soft smile on her face as she grabs an orange.

"Erm, thanks."

Maybe she's hitting on you. How weird would that be?

"I'll be joining you in the lab today. Mac wants me to process a few things."

I scowl. "I don't need help. I can process the evidence for you."

She looks a little hurt that I don't want her company. There I go again. "I'm not going to help you," she says. "Mac knows that you have a lot of evidence. He figured it would be better if I did the stuff for our case. Since it involves a judge."

How nice. She gets to work a high profile case. I get to sit around like a lost dog. I bite my tongue to keep from being rude. "Whatever," I mumble.

She opens her mouth to say something when my cell-phone goes off. I make a show of looking at the caller ID. Even though I know that it's Flack. I just let the phone ring. Lindsay doesn't say anything. Unfinished, I throw my apple in the trash.

"See you in the lab."

I leave her standing there. The chirping of my phone alerts me to my voice mail. Most likely from Flack. I see Mac talking to a detective at the end of the hallway. This causes me to pause. The detective is questioning him. I can tell from the way he's standing. The way he keeps looking at Mac.

Lindsay comes up beside me. Her gazing following mine. "He's being questioned about Flack. Everyone is."

I do my best to act indifferent. Yet, deep inside, I'm worried. Last time we talked Mac wasn't happy with Flack. Would he make Flack sound bad? No, that wouldn't be like him. That wouldn't be professional. So Flack messed up once. It happens to everyone. I pull on my white lab coat and dive into my work. It's best to just ignore the detective.

Lindsay joins me after about a half-hour. I don't need to ask her where she was. I already know. I saw her with the detective. What could he possibly want from her? She has not been here long enough to know Flack. I sigh. The pounding in my head has been there all day. Slowly growing with each hour.

I pull the bottle of pain meds from my pocket. I took one when I got up. And though I've only been at work for about two or three hours, I've already taken two more pills. Would another one hurt? I see Lindsay staring at me. So I quickly put the pills back in my pocket. She might tell Mac that I was in a lot of pain. Then he would make me take time off, short-handed or not.

Silence fills the room.

"So, have you always lived in New York?" Lindsay asks.

"Uh huh," I mumble. I try to pretend that I'm busy with work. When in reality, I don't feel like chatting. Why be friends?

"It's a major change from my home state. I think I'm getting used to it, though. The job is a tiny bit more challenging. No bear maulings here. That's for sure."

My cell phone begins to ring again. Lindsay looks up from the pile of clothes she is supposed to be processing. I move to shut my phone off.

"Why won't you answer that?" She asks. Why does she think it's her business?

"It's not important, that's why."

"You're wrong," she says. There's a slight fire burning in her eyes. What is wrong with her?

"Excuse me?" It's all I can say.

She blushes ever so slightly. "I'm an investigator. I notice things. That ring-tone always sounds when Flack is calling you. He's been calling you all morning."

Quick, think up a lie. Anything. She can't know why you're really avoiding Flack.

"Mac told me not to talk with him while I'm working. Not until he gets his badge back. Or loses it." I say the last sentence without really thinking. What would happen if he really lost his badge? How would it affect him? Us?

Hold up buddy! You're assuming there's an "us". You know what they say when you assume; you make an ass of you and me.

"Erm." Her blush deepens. "Leave, Danny. Go. I'll cover for you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" The throbbing in my head is getting worse. Is it because of Lindsay? She's not making any sense.

She looks down. "I saw you two. The other day. On the sidewalk." On the sidewalk? "Kissing."

I drop the glass tube that I was holding. I hear the glass break. A voice in the back of my mind tells me that the evidence is no longer any good. That Mac is going to fire me. I don't hear it. How can I? The pounding in my head has grown. Lindsay knows. She saw us. Has she told anyone? I'll most likely lose my job. It won't be tolerated. Will it?

You haven't said anything, stupid. Say something, damnit!

I can't say anything. What can I possibly say? There's no excuse to cover the truth. She saw us. Plain and simple. Now she knows.

"Danny?" Her voice is filled with concern. "Danny? Are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"I…" Speechless.

Idiot.

"Danny, it's obvious that he loves you. He wouldn't keep calling you if he didn't. He put his career on the line for good by kissing you on the sidewalk. Go to him. Don't stay here. I'll cover for you. Please, go."

I look up to see her smiling. In that instant I know that everything she says is true. Flack loves me. He hasn't said it, but it's there. The sentiment. All of it. Just not the words. The ache that has been inside for so long manifests itself. I have to go. I have to leave. To see him. I stand to leave. Working like a robot again.

"Uh, thank you," I manage. I leave. Not even caring that I might lose my job. I don't even say anything. I just leave.

I run.

To him.