AN: Thank you all so much fo your wonderful reviews, they all made my day! I'm so sorry that it took me so long to get chapter 4 up. I had some trouble getting it started. But thanks to my wonderful beta editor Dana, who helped me get over my writers block. Thanks again for the reviews. Enjoy the new chapter. Please R & R.

Chapter 4 – Couldn't Wait 'Til Monday

The sun crept through Lindsay's windows, gently waking her from a peaceful sleep. The sounds of the city were calling her into reality. She stretched and rolled over to smile at the morning sun, remembering the night before. Remembering his smile, his cologne, the way he moved, and that kiss, she giggled like a school girl who just found out her crush liked her too. She wondered if he had called her yet. He was probably like most guys and waited a few days before calling. She quickly scrambled out of bed and headed into the kitchen to see if Danny called.

The sun crept through Danny's windows, gently waking him from a deep sleep. He groaned and pulled the covers over his head, attempting to go back to sleep. It had only been a couple of hours since he had fallen asleep. He had spent most of the night thinking about Lindsay. 'Lindsay. Oh, she's a new world of beautiful.' He thought to himself, still half-asleep. He smiled slightly remembering the night before--her smile, her perfume, the way she moved on the dance floor, and her kiss. It must have been a bolt of lighting that made him shoot out of bed. He walked into his living room and checked his messages, just in case she had called him. He smiled as he retraced his steps from his tango with Lindsay. He felt like a lovesick puppy, but he wouldn't trade those feelings for anything in the world. He wanted to talk to her so badly. He missed her voice. He missed holding her. He had to call her. He walked over, grabbed his phone, and began to dial her number.

For the past half hour, Lindsay had checking her phone to see if Danny had called her. Why was she acting like this--she knew he was probably like most guys and never called the next day. Even when she knew he liked her, he still drove her crazy. As her mind went quiet for a moment, her cell phone began to ring, causing her to jump. She walked over and answered it.

"Monroe." She answered professionally as always.

"It's Sunday, Montana. You don't have to work." He said with a laugh.

"Wow, you aren't like most guys; you actually do call the next day." She said playfully.

"I want to see you again." He continued, seriously.

"Can't wait 'til Monday, Messer?" She said teasingly.

"Funny, Montana. So you wanna go out with me again or not?"

"Of course I do. When?"

"Tonight."

"You don't waste anytime, do you?"

"No. Dress nicely, but not too fancy." He started. She could hear the smirk in his voice. "I'll pick you up at five thirty." With that, he was gone.

"I really have to make him work on his goodbyes." Lindsay said, slightly disappointed.

It was 5:25pm, when Lindsay was putting the last curl in her hair. She had unlocked her front door a few minutes earlier for Danny. She prayed she wasn't over dressed, wearing a rose spaghetti top with a matching sweater, a knee length black skirt, and black strap sandals. As she began to put on her lipstick, she heard a knock at the door.

"Its open." She shouted.

Danny opened the door, wandered into Lindsay's apartment, and closed the door behind him. Looking around for Lindsay, he realized that she was most likely in the bathroom. He sauntered down the hallway to the bathroom. Leaning against the doorframe, he watched her finish her beauty process. 'God, she's beautiful.' Danny thought to himself, causing him to smile. She smiled up at him from the mirror, as she finished.

"You are perfectly on time. I'm impressed." She said as she walked over to him and kissed him gently, but quickly on the lips.

"I'm impressed at the fact that you could be wearing sweats and still be so gorgeous." He said, following her out of the bathroom.

"So where are you taking me, anyhow?" She asked as she grabbed her keys, phone, and purse.

"To dinner and a show." He said with a smirk as he escorted her to the elevator.

"Now Danny, you're not taking me to a biker bar for dinner, to see some guy get the tar kicked out of him as a show, now are you?" She asked jokingly.

"I was thinking a little Italian place for dinner, and Broadway, but if you prefer biker bars, then that's where we'll go." He said playing along with her. "By the way…Come sei bella." He whispered into her ear, as he held her in the elevator.

She turned and looked up at him. "What does that mean, and what language is that?" She asked curiously.

"It's my other language, Italian, and it means you are beautiful."

"You can speak Italian?" She asked amazed.

"Yes, both my parents are Italian." He said with a smile.

"You never cease to surprise me, Danny Messer." She said with a smile.

"You do like surprises, right?"

"Yes, otherwise I wouldn't have agreed to this date." She said with a small laugh as she walked off the elevator.

Danny followed her off the elevator, quickly caught up to her, and took her by the hand out to his car, a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse. He opened the door to the car for her, and jogged around to the other side, got in, and started the car. She smiled as he put the car in gear, took her hand in his, and gently caressed it as he drove.

"Danny, where are we going?" Lindsay asked, not recognizing the area.

"Little Italy." He said with a smile.

"Little Italy?"

"Yes, that's where we are having dinner." Danny said as he pulled into a dark alley. "Well, here we are." He continued as he got out of the car and walked around to open Lindsay's door for her.

"Danny …is this place ...safe?" Lindsay asked, nervously looking around the dark, sinister alleyway.

"You are perfectly safe. I would never let anything happen to you." He said, taking her in his arms. "They would have to kill me first." He continued, and then softly kissed her lips. Then Danny escorted her into a building through the back door.

They entered an old kitchen, which smelled like marinara sauce. A woman in her late sixties looked up at the couple, and squealed upon seeing Danny.

"DANIEL!" The woman shouted, and quickly ran over to him.

"Marcella. You look beautiful as always." He said as he hugged her. "Marcella, this is Lindsay." He continued, introducing Lindsay. "She's the one I told you about." He leaned over and whispered in Marcella's ear.

"It's very wonderful to meet you." Lindsay said graciously.

"I'm Marcella Boniti. I own the restaurant, and I have known Daniel since he was in diapers." She said with a happy smile.

"Marcella, don't be tellin' her that!" Danny said as he blushed, making Lindsay giggle. "Is our table ready?" He asked.

"Of course. I may be old Daniel, but I'm not that old!" She said, then proceeded to rant in Italian, as she led Danny and Lindsay to their table.

"Danny, there's nobody here." Lindsay said softly.

"I know, they're closed on Sundays. Marcella owed me a favor." He said pulling out her chair for her, at a table decorated with a wine bottle candle and a deep red table cloth.

"So Daniel, what kind of wine would you and your lady like this evening?" Marcella asked, handing them both menus.

"I think we'll have the Nebbiolo." He said, smiling at Lindsay.

"You got it, hon." She said as she walked off.

"So what is Nebbiolo?"

"It's a light, red wine from Tuscany. I'm sorry if Marcella frightened you. She is kind of a scary woman, but harmless." He said with a laugh, and then opened his menu, as Lindsay proceeded to do the same.

"Um…Danny…" Lindsay said nervously.

"Yeah?"

"It's all in Italian." She said with a small smile.

Danny laughed. "I'll translate…What do you think you might want?"

"Um…how about the third one down in the center column?" She asked.

"That is Cacciatora alla Fettuccine, the sauce has tomatoes, garlic, onion, and wine and usually contains meat served over fettuccine pasta. That is one of the best dishes here."

"Then, I will take your word for it and that's what I will have." Lindsay said with a smile, as Marcella brought the wine and two glasses.

"Grazie, Marcella. Prendo questa due cacciatora alla fettuccine, grazie Marcella." Danny said trying to show off.

"Oh Daniel, you can still speak Italian!" She said kissing him on the cheek, causing Lindsay to laugh.

"Marcella, I'm on a date …so do you mind?" Danny said, slightly irritated.

"Oh right, you won't hear another peep out of me." Marcella said, then scurried off to the kitchen.

"Sorry about that." Danny said, wiping the lipstick off his cheek.

"It's okay. There is a guy in the local pizzeria back in Montana who is lot like Marcella. So, I understand your feelings." Lindsay said with a smile, taking a sip of her wine.

"So, tell me about what life was like back in Montana for you." Danny said, settling back into his chair.

"Well, my parents own a ranch, so I grew up working cattle and horses. I knew how to ride a horse at the age of four. I have one brother and one sister. My brother Bryan is the oldest, then me, and finally my sister Kaylee. I went to Bozeman high school, and the University of Montana. I worked for the Bozeman crime lab for three years before I moved out here. My father died two years ago. My mother still runs the ranch back in Montana with my brother. My sister lives in Texas where she's going to school to be a dentist. Now I'm here. I hope that works for you." She explained when the food finally arrived.

"That was more than I expected. I'm so sorry about your dad, Linds." He said with deep concern.

"It's okay...wait…you called me Linds!" She said surprised.

"Is that okay?" He asked fearing he had overstepped his boundaries.

"It's perfectly okay. I actually prefer it." She said, as she tasted her food. "Danny, this is so wonderful." She continued.

"I'm really glad you like it. This is one of the best Italian places in all of New York." He replied between bites.

"So tell me about you." She said, then took another bite.

"I grew up just five blocks from here. Marcella was my babysitter. My mother is wonderful, you'd love her, but my pop is one of the reasons I became a cop. Long story with that one, but I'm not exactly sure you're ready to hear just yet. I have two brothers, Tony and Louie, and three sisters, Melina, Lauren, and Annabella. I don't really talk to my family that much, mainly cause they aren't exactly happy at the fact that I became a cop, except for my mother and my grandmother. They have always been proud of me. Tony got married and hasn't spoken to me since his wedding, and Louie calls from time to time, and my sisters still kinda talk to me, but it's usually only on special occasions. Now, my family is pretty much everyone in the lab. Stella is like my step mom, I respect Mac like a father, and Hawkes and Flack are like my brothers." He replied finishing his meal.

"Danny, I'm so sorry to hear about your family treating you like that. I'm glad to hear that everyone at the lab means so much to you. It kind of surprising from what I have heard about you. So, I have one question for you."

"What's that?" He asked, slightly nervous.

"One of the girls at the fundraiser told me I should be careful, because you're quite the playboy. Is it true?" She asked cautiously.

"It used to be. I was somewhat of a playboy, I guess. But all that changed when I met this one girl. You." He replied with a coy smile.

"Me?"

"Yes, you. I realized I wanted you and only you." He continued.

"Why me? Danny you're gorgeous and you could have any girl you wanted at the snap of your fingers, so why did you choose me?" She asked, curiously.

"Well, it's plain and simple. You won me over by the way you handled that tiger on your first day here." He said with a laugh, reaching over and grabbing her hand.

"You were so mean to me that day!" She said, playfully slapping his hand.

"But I think I've made up for it, haven't I?" He asked, giving her a sad puppy face look.

"Maybe." She said, not giving into his look.

"Maybe! Come here you!" He said, standing and pulling her up into his arms. "How about now?" He said, kissing her deeply.

"Uh huh…" She managed to stammer out.

"Good." Danny said as he looked at his watch. "But we gotta go. Marcella, how much do I owe ya?" Danny asked, helping Lindsay with her sweater.

"Oh Daniel, you know better than to even begin to offer to pay me. Now get outta here, you're gunna be late if you don't." Marcella said, rushing them toward the back door.

"Thank you so much for dinner. It was wonderful." Lindsay said sweetly.

"Prego, my dear. Daniel, you bring her back anytime, and hold on to her, she's a keeper. Now go!" Marcella said, pushing them both out the door.

Danny opened Lindsay's door for her, and then quickly ran around to his side and got in the car. He started the car and quickly drove off for Broadway. As he drove, he held her hand and continued with small talk about dinner. Pulling in front of the valet parking lot, he got out and handed the valet his keys, took the ticket, and held out his arm for Lindsay as he led her into the Broadway Theatre.

Lindsay smiled seeing all of the people and the booklets for the musical Rent. Mac had told her it was the prime show to see in New York, if you could get tickets. Rent only shows about eight times a year, for only one night each of those times. She was finally getting to see a true New York Broadway show, with a born and bred New Yorker, Danny. Danny picked up a booklet as an usher helped them to their seats.

"I hope you enjoy the show. It's one of the hardest shows to get tickets to. I got to see this show when I was in high school; that when it first came out. It was so powerful, still is, but this is probably my most favorite musical. Don't tell anyone that I like musicals. They won't look at me the same." Danny explained to her with a smile.

"I would have never thought you would be a man who would like the theater." She said with a smile.

"My grandmother used to drag me to them. At first I thought they were stupid, but then they grew on me. Now, I respect and appreciate them, and I even enjoy most of them." Danny said, taking her hand in his.

"That's really amazing. Honestly it is. My dad used to take me to one each spring, before he got sick. Oh look it's starting." She said sadly, then quickly ending the subject.

Danny didn't want to press the issue, so he just gently squeezed her hand and watched her expression as the curtain came up, and the actors began to sing 'Seasons of Love.' He watched her quickly wipe a tear away as they began to sing. He prayed that he hadn't caused her pain by bringing her to the one thing that reminded her of her father.

As the show continued, he saw her begin to laugh as the 'Tango: Maureen' scene begin to play out.

"Bring back memories?" She leaned over and whispered in his ear, causing him to shudder with delight.

"You have no idea." He turned to whisper to her, realizing that she was still leaned over. He decided to take advantage of the situation, kissing her softly. The applause caused them both to come back to reality.

Lindsay smiled over at Danny as the cast began to perform 'La Vie Boheme.' "We should perform this for the NYPD talent show." Lindsay whispered, trying not to laugh.

"Oh, I'm sure that our team would totally go for that." Danny whispered back with sarcasm. "Flack and Hawkes breaking out into song--now that's funny." He continued doing his best not to laugh.

Danny could see a small tear drift down Lindsay's cheek as the scene for 'Without You' played out. He wrapped his arm around her protectively.

The show came to an end; the audience began to stand in applause. Danny smiled as Lindsay applauded excitedly with the rest of the audience. As the house lights came up, Lindsay grabbed her purse and sweater and began to head toward the exit with Danny.

Once in the car, Lindsay leaned over and kissed Danny softly on the cheek.

"What was that for?" Danny asked, starting the car.

"Just for you being the perfect guy you are." She replied sweetly.

The ride to Lindsay's apartment was spent in silence, but neither one of them could remove the smiles that were plastered to their faces. Nothing could be said that could make the moment more perfect.

As they arrived at Lindsay's apartment Danny turned off the car, and walked around to the other side of the car to open the door for Lindsay. He escorted her all the way up to her front door. She leaned against the wall next to her door, with one of Danny's arms blocking her in, she stared deeply into his soft blue eyes. No words needed to be said; he leaned down and kissed her softly, yet passionately. He slowly pulled away from her, and kissed her forehead softly.

"Goodnight, Linds." He said and began to start off toward the elevator.

"Danny…" She said softly.

"Yeah?" He asked, turning to look at her.

"Would you …um…want to come in for a little bit?" She asked gently.

"Lindsay…" He said as he rushed back over to her, kissing her deeply, and then pulling away slowly. "I would love to, but we both know where that would lead, and this is one thing I don't want to rush. It's too wonderful, and I'm terrified I'm gunna screw things up if I do. So I must say goodnight, but can I pick you tomorrow for work?" He asked thoughtfully.

"You're right, and yes, I would love for you to pick me up for work tomorrow." She said with a small smile.

"It's a date then. Arrivederci, amore mio." He said as he started back down the hallway, but stopping and turning back to her. "How do you like your coffee?" He asked.

"Umm…French vanilla crème and sugar." She replied slightly confused.

"Okay. Arrivederci." He said then disappearing on the elevator.

"Goodnight, Danny." She whispered into the night.

AN: Coming up next Morning Coffee, andDanny with Aiden...Oh the Drama...