A/N: Same disclosures apply as in all other chapters. Please review after reading. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

Danny pulled into his parking spot at his building. He hopped out of the truck and easily jogged over to her side. He helped her out, and then grabbed her bags from behind her seat. They walked together to the elevator that would take them home, to his apartment.

Home, Danny thought, I could get used to saying that to her. He smiled inwardly, but also knew that he would have to keep his cool if he didn't want this to be a rebound relationship.

He unlocked the door to the apartment and guided Lindsay inside. He watched her face carefully for a reaction. He hoped that his place wasn't too much of a bachelor pad for her.

Lindsay's eyes scanned the room. To her surprise, the apartment wasn't cold, sparse, or uninviting like she thought it would be. Instead it was tastefully decorated, warm and inviting, but still holding that masculine quality to it.

"It's not much," Danny said, breaking the silence, "but it's home."

Lindsay looked at him,

"It's very, very nice Danny." Lindsay said, "I wished my home looked this well put together. Who did you hire to decorated it?"

Lindsay assumed that he had hired a decorator, not because she didn't think that he couldn't do it, but because she knew the long hours that their job entailed.

"I didn't," Danny said, shrugging, "I decorated it myself, made it my own. Ya know?"

"Wow" was all Lindsay could say. She had made her way over to the sofa and sat down. She was almost immediately asleep.

"Guess I'd better go take that bath," she said through half open eyes, laughing, "before I'm down and out for the count."

Danny showed her where her room was and set her bags on the bed. He watched as she pulled out a silky looking robe out of one of the bags. He started to wonder what the robe out feel like against his skin before he stopped himself.

He then showed her where the bathroom was and he pulled out a big fluffy out from one of the cupboards; he handed it to her. She smiled at him as she took it.

"I really want to thank you Danny," she said, leaning slightly in the door frame, "for everything. It means a lot to me."

He rubbed the back of his neck, one of his telltale signs of nervousness or frustration. He didn't know why she made him feel like the world was spinning ten times too fast.

"It's nothing Lindsay," he replied softly. He was about to say something else when she cut him off.

She leaned in and kissed him softly on the cheek, then rested her forehead against his.

"It wasn't nothing to me Danny." She told him quietly. Then she pulled back and closed the door.

Danny stood there, with his forehead now resting against the molding on the door, until he heard the water turn on. He pulled his head away, and in a low voice,

"Enjoy."

Then he walked out into the living room and sat on the couch. He started to flip through the channels, not finding anything he really wanted to watch. He finally settled on Bones on FOX.

Lindsay settled into the hot water. It felt good against her bruised and tired body. It was almost as if she could feel her muscles relaxing. She sighed contentedly, letting the warmth of the water surround her, letting it wash her cares away. She never realized how enchanting, not even after working a de-comp or a triple shift, a bath could feel.

Her mind, however, was working overtime. She still was having trouble believing that this had actually happened to her. How could she have not noticed the signs? How could she been involved with someone who abused their significant other? Questions continued to run through her mind, and then suddenly a whole other set of questions popped into her head.

Here she was, sitting naked, in Danny Messer's tub, and she was perfectly comfortable. She was staying with Danny, despite Stella's offer, and there was nowhere that she would rather be. She sighed, not really wanting to move but realized that the water was starting to cool. She decided that she had lounged long enough and started to finish up her bath.

Danny heard the door to the bathroom open and he glanced down the hall just in time to see a robe clad Lindsay disappear into her room.

Danny debated about whether to go and ask her if she wanted anything. He didn't want to smother her; he really wanted her to feel at home here. He also didn't want her to think that he was oblivious to her presence or that she was a burden, that he was just tolerating her living her.

He finally stood up, went into the kitchen, and grabbed a beer from the fridge. It had been two hellish days and Danny wanted to unwind. When he walked back to the living room, she was curled up in the corner of the couch, watching tv. She was wearing a pair of grey flannel lounge pants and a navy blue tank top. Danny couldn't believe how creamy her skin looked, he scanned her body slowly, starting at her bare feet and making his way up her body.

Her face didn't look as puffy as it had earlier. The medicine she was given at the emergency room must be working. However, with the swelling going down, her bruise became more prominent, if not worse. There were streaks and huge spots of black and blue. Just seeing them brought Danny's anger back to the surface, only comforted slightly by the thought that Pacey was in jail, with someone possibly doing the same, if not worse to him.
"Hey." She said, noticing him standing in the archway between the two rooms.

"Want something to drink?" He asked her softly, flashing the beer bottle at her.

"I'd love one," Lindsay said, "But I probably shouldn't, what with the pain meds and such. Got any juice or pop?"

"Wise decision. I think I've got some OJ in the fridge or something." He said turning back into the kitchen.

He handed her the glass and sat down on the couch with her.

"Thanks." She said, taking a sip from the glass. He noticed that she popped two little white capsules in her mouth before taking another sip.

"How are you feeling?" He questioned, looking at her with his intense blue eyes, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," she said, not quite meeting his eyes, "just sore. Well that, and my wrist keeps throbbing, and I feel absolutely humiliated."

"Why?" asked Danny, his voice was full of concern, "Why are you feeling humiliated? You did nothing wrong."

"I know," said Lindsay, somewhat sheepishly, "It's just that we have taken classes on this stuff. We've been trained to notice this kind of thing, and to handle it. How could I have not picked up on it?" She finally met his eyes, with tears threatening to fall from hers.

"Oh Lindsay." Danny said, scooting closer to her on the couch. "It's nothing you did. All the training in the world wouldn't have helped. You cared for Pacey," He couldn't bring himself to say the word loved, "and we are blind to the faults of those closest to us. Honestly, even though Pacey and I didn't care for each other, I would have never expected him to do anything like this."

He took her into his arms, letting her lean her back against his chest. He kissed the top of her head, smelling the soft scent of roses in her hair. They sat there for what seemed like hours, but in reality was only for a few minutes, when Lindsay yawned.

"I think your medicine is kicking in." Danny whispered in her ear, "I think it's time to head to the sack."

Lindsay yawned again.

"Nah," she said, somewhat sleepily, "I'm not really tired yet."

Danny smiled into her hair, she was a horrible liar. But he wasn't her parent, and he definitely didn't want to be, so he wasn't going to force her to do something she said she didn't want to.

"Well Montana," Danny said smiling into her hair, "What would you like to do?"

"I don't know," said Lindsay, tilting her head back to look at him, "this is your house. Tell me what there is to do around here."

He laughed.

"How you have so much energy, I'll never know." He said, smiling again. "Why don't we just watch a movie?"

Lindsay leaned back further into Danny's chest. She couldn't believe that she was so comfortable, even after everything that had happened.

"A movie sounds nice. What are we going to watch?" She asked, tilting her head back again. "I would prefer something that's not a horror or suspense, I don't think I could handle it right now.

"Not a problem." Danny said, rubbing her arms gently, "Let me get up and see what else we have."

Lindsay moved so that he could get off the couch, then she rose off the couch as well.

"Where you going?" Danny asked from the DVD cabinet, his eye following her down the hall.

"I'm just going to see if I grabbed something." Lindsay called back from the hallway. "I'll be right back."

Danny selected three movies that he thought she might want to watch and then sat on the couch and waited for her to return. He heard her padding back down the hall, but she was empty handed when she returned.

"Didn't grab it?" He inquired, looking inquisitive.

"No, I didn't." Lindsay said looking somewhat upset, "I thought I had, but oh well."

"Do you mind me asking what it was?" Danny asked.

"No," Lindsay said, the color was flushing her cheeks, "It's just this blanket that I was given to remind me of home. It's one of those like silky fuzzy blankets. Silly I know. It's just comforting to me, in some silly way."

"No," Danny said, "I understand. Look through these, decide what you want to watch, and I'll be right back."

Lindsay watched him head down the hall, and while she wondered what he was doing, she looked through the movies that he had chosen. She ended up choosing Underworld because she was a fan of Kate Beckinsale, just as he reappeared holding something behind his back.

"What do you have?" It was Lindsay's turn to be inquisitive.

"What movie did you choose?" He answered her question with a question.

"Underworld." She said, "What do you have?"

Danny pulled the object out from behind his back. He was holding a burgundy colored blanket, he handed it to her, and she was surprised. It was similar to the one that she had at her apartment.

"It's just one that I picked up for when the apartment gets cold." Danny said, seeing the look in her eyes.

"Danny." Lindsay said, "Why can't you be this thoughtful in the lab?"

Danny looked alarmed, then she smiled, and he laughed along with her.

"What?" He said, "and lose my tough guy persona? I don't think so Montana."

Danny put the movie in, and they sat together on the couch. Lindsay was covered with the blanket, leaning into a pillow that was positioned against Danny's ribs. He casually rested his arm along her shoulders.

Lindsay surprised him by staying awake for three quarters of the movie, but soon he became aware of her soft, even breathing. He shut the movie off, he knew how it ended; he went into her room and turned down the bed. Then he went back to the living room, picked up her light frame easily, and carried her down the hall. He felt her curl into him as he went into her room.

He set her in the bed, and pulled the covers up over her. He flicked out the light and partially closed the door.

He then went into the bathroom, took his shower which was more cold than warm by choice, and went to bed himself.

This is going to be a long night, was his last coherent thought before sleep took him.