A/N:Thanks so much for the reviews! I love them and you don't know how much I appreciate them!

Danny Messer watched from behind the glass as Lindsay interrogated D.J. Pratt. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest and his legs parted in a strong stance. He listened as Lindsay cooly asked him about Tanya. He didn't want her to go in there. She didn't know what he was like; what he had not only done to all of his victims, but what he had done to Aiden's career.

As the interrogation went on, his muscles relaxed some what as he noticed how in control she was handling it. Maybe this was going to be okay, he thought cautiously. Until she stood up to leave when Pratt grabbed her wrist and muttered something to Lindsay that Danny couldn't hear.

His blood boiled as he stepped closer to the glass and was relieved when the tall Hispanic guard yanked him away from Lindsay and dragged him out of the room. Danny walked out of the back room and made his way toward the interrogation room just as Lindsay was walking out. Her head was ducked and the case file was pulled against her chest. "I saw you in there with Pratt." He called out to her.

She looked up and nodded. "Yeah," she began. "Then you know that not only does he have an alibi for that night, but he's got a valid excuse for having sex with her." Her tone was icy and laced with disgust.

Danny watched her closely and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried for her. She hardly went home lately, staying over hours and throwing herself into the case. She was getting too involved and really, could he blame her? Case after case of women being raped, killed and all roads leading back to the same man, yet they could never get him.

"Listen," she continued after he watched her in silence for a few minutes. "I'm going to go meet up with Stella." She shook her head, her eyes drifting around the room. "Maybe I'll go and talk to some of her friends. I just . . . ya know, but I don't see her as a prostitute."

Danny nodded. He wasn't working the case with her, but in the break room they had discussed it once or twice. She was throughly involved in this case, no doubt about that. Not once giving up. He watched her check every piece of evidence two, three times over, just to make sure she didn't miss anything. Danny admired her dedication, but even he had to admit that there was a fine line between dedication and obsession.

He watched her leave, walking down the hall until she was out of site. Danny shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans and let out a low sigh. She was getting too involved, he apprehended with a frown. He didn't want to see her get too wrapped up in this case and he defiantly didn't want to see her do something that she would later regret.

Turning on the balls of his feet, he walked toward AFIS to see if they had anything pertaining to his case.

Lindsay glanced around at her surroundings, taking in the lived in dormitory of NYU. The student's littered the hallway and flyers, post-its and different kinds of ads stuck to the walls. She ran her tongue over her lips absentmindedly as Stella reached over and knocked on the door of Tanya's roommate, Sarah Isaacs.

After her interview with Pratt, Lindsay had wanted to race out of the room and find Stella as fast as she could, but Danny had met her when she walked out. She didn't like the way he looked at her. Like he, for some reason, felt sorry for her. She didn't want his pity.

Lindsay was drawn back to reality when she and Stella heard the faint sound of a woman speaking to them through the hard wood door. "Who is it?" She sounded young and a little anxious.

Stella turned to look at Lindsay and the two women shared a looked. It was obvious that with the death of her friend, Sarah wasn't taking any chances with her safety. Lindsay found herself thankful that the young woman was taking such precautions. "It's the police." Stella voiced. "We're with the crime lab and we were just wondering if we could ask you a few questions about Tanya?"

Lindsay noticed that she was peaking through the door's tiny peephole. "Can I see some badges?" she inquired, her voice a little louder. "Please." She added quickly.

Both women reached for the badges on their belts and raised them to the door for the student to see. Hearing a mumbled string of curses, the door swung open. Standing in the door frame was a petite girl that looked to be in her early twenties. Possibly the same age as Tanya, Lindsay observed. Her hair was cropped short and she wore black trimmed glasses that were perched on the bridge of her nose. She stepped aside and let the officers in.

Lindsay turned to see that she didn't close the door fully, but simply left it ajar. Her arms instinctively went around her torso. "So, what do you want?" she bit off with a shrug of her shoulders. "I've already been through all the questions that you . . . you people have asked. What more do you want?" her tone of voice was so bitter, so accusing, that it was one of the things that tormented Lindsay.

Lindsay breathed in deeply. It was visible that the younger woman was angry at the sudden death of her friend and she was looking for someone to blame. Lindsay couldn't condemn her for grieving. "We," she paused briefly, trying to figure out the right way to phrase her words. "Have reason to believe that Tanya was a prostitute." She spoke lightly.

Sarah's face fell. She shook her head. "How did you find out about that?" she ducked her head and whispered as if there were more people crowding the cramped space. Before giving either investigator a chance to respond, Sarah spoke on her friend's behalf. "It was just a short term thing. She just needed the money. That's all."

Lindsay was crestfallen. So Pratt wasn't lying? Well, it was very well possible that he could have been lying, but he had a legitimate alibi and excuse for being with Tanya the night of her murder.

Damn it.

"Okay, here we go."

Lindsay jumped at the sound of a male voice breaking her train of thought. Turning in her seat, she watched as Danny made his way toward her with both hands tightly gripped around Styrofoam cups. He was heavily concentrated on not spilling the liquid. Her lips curved into a small smile as he set one cup down in front of her.

"Coffee, two sugars, one creme." His face was beaming, lightening up his strong facial features. Lindsay noted how proud of himself he looked and with a shake of her head, she laughed softly.

"You know what I take in my coffee?" she asked, running her hand over her face tiredly and resting her hand on the back of her neck. She titled her head slightly as she observed him with a teasing glint in her eye.

Danny pulled up a chair beside her and started at the task of removing case files away from her. "Well," he began, looking over at her "When you make it habit of making six cups in one night, a person can kind of notice a pattern."

Danny began to stack the folders into a neat file on the far side of the desk as she watched him attentively. "What are you doing?" she asked. "I appreciate the coffee, but I'm trying to work." She spoke and all the while he had a that stupid smirk plastered to his face. And Lindsay couldn't find it in herself to be angry at him.

"You work way too much." He told her as he sat down and brought the cup to his lips. She didn't speak, feeling that he wasn't done talking. He wasn't. "Besides, your beginning to look as if you haven't slept in a few days and I think that you need to go home and rest." He advised with a raise of his eyebrows.

Lindsay tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear and looked between the coffee and him. "So this was just a bribe." She nudged her head to the hot liquid in front of her.

With a shrug of his shoulders he grinned, showing off his perfect teeth. He had a great smile, she observed. "My little way of telling you to get lost." He lifted the cup toward her in a mock toast. "Take it however you want."

This time, Lindsay laughed. It felt good to laugh; she really needed that right now. This case was all that she thought about lately. Evidence, victims, suspects. It was draining her and she really just needed to stop. "Your concern is touching." She giggled as she grabbed her coffee and took a small drink.

He shot her a toothy grin and said nothing. It didn't really bother Lindsay too much, however. She was content to sitting in silence with him. "She was a prostitute." She said, bringing him to light regarding her case. The mood of the conversation took a complete turn as Danny shook his head and Lindsay continued. "We talked to her roommate again today and that's when she told us that Tanya was having a hard time paying for college and she needed a little extra cash. Apparently her parents cut her off." She explained desolately.

"I don't know what to do." She carried on. "I mean, he was my main suspect, we found his semen inside of her." They both knew whom she meant when she said 'him.' Danny didn't interrupt her and she appreciated it. Lindsay placed the cup down in front of her and ran her fingers through her hair. "We're back at square one."

He watched her closely. "Don't give up." He vocalized softly, giving her arm a slight squeeze. "You're a great CSI and I know that you will be able to get this guy." He paused for a moment, and he regarded her thoughtfully. "Maybe he isn't your guy."

Lindsay knew that in the back of her mind that it was possible. That D.J. Pratt was possibly innocent, but in two similar cases there was nothing indicating that he was the killer. Just the known fact that he had intercourse with the woman. She nodded her head slowly and with a sigh, she added. "Thanks for the coffee, Danny."

He offered a small smile before pushing the chair back and coming to his feet, the coffee cup still clutched in his hand. "No problem." He tossed the cup into a nearby trash bin and turned to look at her before walking out of the room. "Go him. Get some sleep. You need it."

Lindsay chuckled. "Thanks."

He walked out and left down a corridor that led to the exiting stairwell. Her gaze drifted to the stack of case files that sat across the table from her. She was grateful that she and Danny had become friends. She laughed to herself at the thought of when she first moved to New York and beginning the odd one out. That didn't last long as she saw herself becoming more and more apart of the lab.

That's when it hit her. She couldn't go home, not yet anyway. She had to see someone, talk to them first. It may not help, but it was worth a shot.

Lindsay glanced down at the blue pen smears that gracedthe palm of her left hand.It was the address that she has spent at least twenty minutes looking up. She didn't want to go around the lab, asking everyone insight if they knew her address number. It would have drawn too much attention to herself.

Yup, she nodded to no one in particular. This is the place. Raising her hand, she knocked on the door. She hoped and prayed that this wouldn't lead her to another brick wall. That was the last thing she needed. And Lindsay prayed that she didn't resent her.

In the midst of her worrying, the door swung open and she was face to face with a stunningly beautiful woman. Lindsay was taken back because, somehow with the name Aiden, she just assumed that she would be a tomboy, wearing big baggy sweats and cropped hair. But that certainly wasn't the case. She was sheek, poised and even though she hadn't said anything yet, she radiated attitude. The kind of woman that came to mind when one though of the big apple.

"Yeah?" Aiden Burns finally spoke, her voice thick with an accent that reminded her of Danny.

After a moment, Lindsay shook her head. Having found her voice, she said, "I'm Lindsay Monroe. I work with the crime lab and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?"

So, that's the end of this chapter. Please let me know what you think! The reviews rock! It inspires me!