AN I have no idea if I like this chapter…but here it is anyway. lol Let me know if it works or if I'm way off base.


Lindsay entered the small establishment and marvelled at the deep colours. It was amazing how beautiful it looked on the inside when outside it looked like every other building on that street. She glanced around taking in the paintings hung on the wall, the small fireplace in the corner, the limited amount of tables and the handful of intimate booths. Finally her eyes rested on the hostess, "Hi I'm supposed to meet…" She started.

The woman smiled, "Follow me."

Lindsay didn't really have to time to think about how the hostess could know who she was meeting she was still too busy taking in the character of the place.

Rosie saw her before Danny did, she watched as Tonya lead Lindsay through the dinning area to the back booth. "Oh Daniel, she's gorgeous." She breathed.

He stopped what he had been saying and turned in his seat. The simple black dress she wore with a deep green wrap took his breath away. He stood and smiled at her when she got to the table. Without a thought he put a hand gently on her hip and leaned down to kiss her cheek, "You look stunning." He said into her ear.

She hadn't expected that, not at all. This close contact with him was completely foreign and so welcome she almost didn't recognize the feeling that went through her entire system. She smiled up at him, "Thank you," She said sincerely, "I'm sorry I'm late."

"Don't worry about it," He said as he slipped the wrap off her shoulders and hung it on a hook by the table. He resisted the urge to run his fingers over the exposed skin on her shoulders and neck, but now more than ever he wanted to know what she felt like.

Finally tearing her gaze away from him she noticed the older woman get up from her seat. "Hello?" She said with curiosity in her tone.

Danny recovered and put his left hand on the small of her back, "Lindsay this is Rosie, the woman solely responsible for getting me on the straight and narrow."

Rosie waved away the compliment and took Lindsay's hand to shake it warmly, "He doesn't give himself enough credit, I just steered him in the right direction."

She instantly recognized the admiration and affection in the way he described this woman. She smiled warmly, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Rosie looked up at Danny and winked, "Now Daniel, how did you manage to convince such a sweetheart to go out with you?"

He ducked his head and put a hand to the back of his neck, "Rosie!" He hissed.

Lindsay laughed, "I don't think I've ever seen you blush like that." She observed.

Guiding her to her seat Danny glared at Rosie who beamed at him, "Stick around hunny I have plenty of stories." She said then turned to leave, "I'll go get you some wine."

"Plenty of stories huh?" Lindsay teased as she watched him take a seat across from her.

"She exaggerates," he brushed it off, "only believe the stories that make me look good."

She leaned on the table her chin resting on her hands, "So that's all of them then."

He grimaced and shook his head, "You have no idea. Anyway," He decided to change the subject, "What would make you late, you're usually ridiculously on time."

Sighing she sat back and rolled her eyes, "Annie."

"Who's Annie?"

"Someone from high school who always manages to tell me every time she gets pregnant," Lindsay said with a roll of her eyes, "She feels it's her job to remind me that my biological clock is ticking."

His eyes went wide, "I don't hear any ticking. Can that clock tick before your fifty?"

Lindsay laughed, "It can if you're from a small town where a woman's duty is to get married out of high school and pump out babies like a factory."

Rosie showed up just then with a bottle of wine she eyed Danny as she poured, "Are you being nice?"

He scoffed, "Stop it Rosie I'm always nice."

Cuffing the back of his head she clicked her tongue, "Don't sass me Daniel." She said then put the bottle of wine on the table, "I'll go make sure Tony isn't spitting in your meal."

Lindsay grinned, "I really like her."

Rubbing the back of his head Danny tried to look serious, "She's the only one who's allowed to do that."

"What? Call you Daniel or cuff the back of your head?" She casually took a sip of her wine.

"Weren't you talking about being a baby factory?" He countered.

"Oh no not me," Lindsay shook her head, "I tend to disappoint that stereotype, Annie thinks I'm running from responsibility by moving here."

"By taking a job as a criminalist solving crimes and otherwise making sure the streets are safer?" Danny said with a laugh, "Oh yeah you reek of irresponsibility."

"Doesn't matter what my job is, I should be a wife and mother or I'm not reaching my full potential." Lindsay mocked, "I know it shouldn't bug me that she says this stuff to me, but it does."

"Narrow minded," Danny said, "She's probably jealous. You got plenty of time to do all those things."

Leaning back on her elbows her wine glass in both hands Lindsay regarded him for a minute, "What about you?" She finally asked.

He was slightly uncomfortable under her probing gaze but refused to break eye contact with her, "What about me?" He feigned ignorance.

"You ever think of little Messer's running around?' She asked.

He almost spat out his wine but managed to swallow it, "Whoa there Montana," He licked his lips, "It's probably not a good idea for me to pass on my genetics to some unsuspecting child."

Lindsay smiled and appraised him in a glance, "Oh I dunno, I kinda like your genetics. At least they look pretty fine from my vantage point."

"Careful there," Danny said with a lazy smirk, "I might think you're flirting with me."

"Don't know where you'd get that idea," She returned his gaze with a wink. "So I have a question for you."

"You know every time you say that I get caught up talking about interesting sexual practices, we've covered phone sex and threesomes what's next?"

"While discussing sex with you is highly enlightening that's not what my question was going to be about." She said

"Highly enlightening?" He raised an eyebrow, "What? You put yourself in a black dress and get all freaky on me?"

"Would you prefer that I giggle and hang on every word you say?" She asked.

"Yeah and if you could possibly drop your IQ and lighten your hair colour it would be greatly appreciated," He countered. "Although, I wouldn't say I'm complaining."

"Well then aren't you a tease." She inwardly berated herself for allowing the conversation to continue the way it was. This wasn't like her at all, but there was something about him that just opened up an avenue of her character that she didn't even know she had. It was warm, enticing and all together way too sensual to ignore.

He shook his head, this was gonna get worse and frankly if they kept on with this topic of discussion he'd get himself in trouble, "So," He cleared his throat, "About that question."

"Why the interest, all of a sudden, in me outside of work?" She asked, "Not that I mind, but it kinda came out of left field."

"Interest bothers you?" He asked the question to buy him some time.

She leaned forward, "No Danny interest doesn't bother me. I just want to know the motivation. I don't want you to think I don't trust you, but I have to admit part of me wonders if I'm just a conquest."

"You know for having a higher IQ I hope you don't mind me saying that you're slightly daft Lindsay."

"Excuse me?"

He leaned forward on the small table bringing himself quite a bit closer to her, "You don't fit the profile of a conquest."

"Elaborate." She was intrigued now.

"For starters there's the aforementioned giggling and hanging on my every word. You're usually laughing at me and proving me wrong. This is a very bad move for a conquest. And honestly I don't waste this much time and effort to get to know somebody I don't genuinely…" He stopped.

"Genuinely what?" Her eyes implored him to continue.

He swallowed, "Uh c-care about." He looked down.

Her heart swelled so much it may burst out of her chest. She smiled and reached out to touch his face lightly, "Ditto." She said.

He looked up at her, "You might regret that one of these days."

"I could say the same for you." Lindsay said with a grim nod.

Rosie showed up at that moment followed by Tony with two steaming plates of food. The conversation changed between them to lighter topics of work, colleagues and how good the food was. When Rosie returned to clear their plates Lindsay looked at her and smiled, "So tell me Rosie, how do you know Danny?"

Danny coughed, "Uh, Linds, she's busy you know, working and uh…"

"Tonya," Rosie called, "Bring these plates into the kitchen." She instructed then pulled a chair up to the table. She pulled a baseball out of her apron anticipating this conversation like she was want to do. She slapped Danny's hand when he reached for it and handed it to Lindsay. "He broke my front window with that." She said.

Lindsay took the ball tossed it in the air and caught it. She eyed Danny with a smile, "You broke her window?"

He nodded, "Line drive, I woulda got a home run too if she hadn't dragged me out of the game by my ear." He said inadvertently reaching up to touch the lobe in memory.

Rosie scoffed, "You broke my window boy and you had to pay for it."

"I had dishpan hands for three months." Danny exclaimed.

Lindsay just watched the banter between the two enjoying being able to see a side of Danny that never came out at the lab.

Rosie ignored him and looked at Lindsay, "I had his skinny butt wearing a large apron standing over the sink on a stool cause he wasn't tall enough. He dropped his glasses in the water twice."

Lindsay burst out laughing at the blush that highlighted Danny's cheeks, "Ah I bet you were too cute." She tried to picture him as a kid and got hit with a fit of laughter again.

He grinned, "You know I don't know if I like you giving her reasons to mock me." He said to Rosie.

"Can't help it that you set yourself up gorgeous." Rosie said as she stood, "Keep it," She said to Lindsay when she went to hand the baseball back, "You can chuck it at him when he misbehaves."

Lindsay threw the ball up and smiled, "Good idea."

"I'm starting to regret introducing you two." Danny said with a frown.

"No you're not." Lindsay tapped his leg with her foot enjoying the warmth of his calf on her foot she left it there.

Trying not act affected by the contact he changed the subject, "You ready for me to take you home?"

Looking at her watch Lindsay's eyes rose in shock, "Is it really almost midnight?" She asked as she stood.

Danny reached for her wrap and put it on her shoulders, "Time flies." He said into her ear his hands ran down her shoulders lightly.

She looked up at him and almost gasped at how close his face was, "When you're having fun." She said quietly.

He licked his lips and stepped back, not wanting to give Rosie any more fodder to tease him, "Yeah, that."

After saying goodbye Danny took Lindsay home. When he pulled in front of her building he shut the car off and looked at her.

"I want to invite you in but," Lindsay's voice trailed off.

Danny inhaled sharply, "Uh yeah, probably not a good idea."

She looked over at him and smiled, "I really had a good time."

Returning the smile he leaned closer to her and took her chin in his fingers, "Me too."

Her eye lids fluttered shut in anticipation. She could feel his breath on her face and could hardly take the wait for his lips to finally make contact with hers. Even though she had been anticipating it she gasped at the contact. His lips were soft and gentle at first, and then when she tilted her head to the side giving him better access to her mouth the kiss intensified. Once she allowed his tongue entrance she was pretty sure they should pull apart soon or they'd be giving the foot traffic in front of her building a bit of a show.

She pulled back and bit her bottom lip, "Wow." She really wanted to invite him in now even though the rational part of her mind was telling her she'd regret it.

His eyes were on her lips first then made their way back into her gaze. As if reading her mind he leaned forward and kissed her lightly, "Don't." He whispered against her lips, then pulled back. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She nodded grateful and rather stunned at his restraint, "My turn for coffee." She said as she opened the door to step out of the car. She leaned down, "Bye."

He gave her a small wave, "Bye." After her figure was safely inside the building he ran a hand over his face. "What the hell are you doing Messer?" He asked himself, before easing his way back into the late night traffic.


AN Before anyone rags on me for small town generalities I would like to point out that I live in a town of fifteen houses. I'm single, unmarried and told about ticking biological clocks on a regular basis. This is what I'm basing Lindsay treatment on. Just figured I'd clarify.

Anyway, read and review please.