It was late when they finally arrived at the cabin in Black Lake. Lindsay had fallen asleep about two hours back and was currently curled up in the passenger seat, snoring softly. Danny had been thankfully that she had drifted off for two reasons; one was because she had been so tired she was going to drop, and two was because it gave him the opportunity to study her.

He couldn't figure out what this hold was that she seemed to have over him. He had known beautiful, intelligent women before, had been good friends with a couple and dated more than his fare share, but they had known the score. He didn't do commitment and he was upfront about it.

The problem was with Lindsay the score card didn't stand a chance in holy hell of surviving. She was beyond the rules, an anomaly that refused to be stuffed into an easy category, and Danny liked things in his personal life to be easy and uncomplicated.

Now here he was, stuck in at a remote cabin with her for the next few days. He hoped his self control held out. With a sigh he ran his hand through his hair and then leaned over so he could shake her gently.

"Hey Montana, ya gotta wake up for me. We're here."

Lindsay came awake slowly, groaned, and stretched so that her shirt pulled tight and accented the outline of her breasts. She withered like a cat trying to shake off the last vestiges of slumber and Danny was momentarily struck dumb.

"It's late," she commented, her voice husky from sleep. Danny blinked at her like she was speaking a foreign language. He shook himself. Enough of that Messer, he warned.

"Yeah it's late. Why don't you go on inside and I'll get the stuff."

Lindsay shook her head. "No, I'll help. There is too much for you to carry in by yourself."

They had stopped at a mega-store they had passed on the way up and stocked up on foodstuffs and some spare clothes. Neither of them knew how long they would be here and they hadn't wanted to have to recycle the same two outfits. Besides, Lindsay had needed something besides her heeled work boots and the trainers she had packed in her emergency bag. She had settled on a pair of stylish pink and tan flip-flops, which she had on at the moment. They looked a little silly with her work clothes but at least it got her out of her heels.

Lindsay felt cramped in the confined space of the truck and stretched again when she got out, arching her back and lifting her arms high above her head like she was going to jump off the high dive. She turned slightly so she could also work the kinks out of her side and caught Danny looking at her. He quickly looked away, but not before she had caught the look in his eyes. He had looked, hungry. She shivered and walked around to the back of the truck.

"Here you take these and I'll get the heavy stuff," he said, thrusting their duffels at her. Her lips quirked into a grin.

"Is this macho crap because I'm a girl or because you are too tired to pretend to be politically correct?" Danny paused and gave her the once over.

"Both," he said and grunted. He had just pulled the heavy cooler he had bought to hold the perishables and was trying to heft it towards the door. He managed to wrestle it up the three wooden steps to of the porch and to the front door when he realized that he had left his keys in his right-hand front pocket. He groaned.

"We going in?" Lindsay asked from behind him. He scowled.

"Yeah, just give me a minute. I gotta get the keys outta my pocket." She huffed in frustration.

"Here, let me do it." Before he could blink she had come up beside him and thrust her hand into his jeans. Danny froze.

Her hand was there for only a second but it conjured up all of those dangerous mental images that he had been trying to repress. To his own chagrin she didn't even seem to notice that he was fighting a losing battle with his libido as she opened the front door.

He followed her, watching the sway of her hips as if mesmerized and shook himself. He tore his attention away from her and took a look around the cabin. It wasn't what he had expected.

"Rustic must mean something different in Montana," Lindsay commented.

The cabin was beautiful, with a large stone fireplace in the middle of a well appointed living room. The sofa, love seat, and single arm chair were dark tan and looked deep enough to sink into. Natural wood gleamed around them, from the walls to the oak floor and there were knickknacks everywhere.

Lindsay and Danny made their way deeper into the room and headed towards the kitchen. He placed the cooler on the cool floor and looked around. The kitchen was medium size and functional, with gleaming chrome appliances, beige tile, and wooden cabinets.

"Gives a whole new meanin' to back to nature don't it, Montana," he said and whistled appreciatively.

She rolled her eyes. "I can't believe this is what Flack considers camping. I've been in hotels that were less comfortable."

"You complainin'?" She walked into the kitchen and ran her hand over the marble top of small island in the middle.

"No, just commenting. You city folk are wusses." Danny crossed his arms, licked his lips, and cocked a bemused eyebrow in her direction.

"I suppose you have been out in the big bad wilderness with just a blanket and some beef jerky."

"It's called hard tack and yeah, something like that."

He had a mental flash of Lindsay standing naked in a field with a blanket draped over her shoulders. He mentally cursed. He had to stop doing this to himself.

"I'm gonna get the rest of the food. Why don't you check to see what kinda sleepin' arrangements we're gonna have to come up with."

She nodded and started towards the back of the cabin while Danny went out to the truck to get the rest of their stuff. The night air was brisk and it did wonders for his overheated thoughts.

He went around to the back of the truck and grabbed the rest of the bags, closing the tailgate. He felt much more in control of the situation by the time he had cleared the door and put all the groceries away. When he was done it occurred to him that Lindsay should have been back by now. Curious he walked into the back to where the bedroom and bath were located. He entered the darkened room and grinned.

Lindsay was laying on the huge king size bed on top of the light green comforter and she was fast asleep. Shaking his head he silently crossed the room and gently pulled the comforter and sheets out from under her so he could cover her. She stirred slightly and blinked at him drowsily.

"Danny?"

"Shh, go back to sleep," he whispered. Her eyes drifted shut.

"'Kay," She rolled and took his hand with her, tucking it between her breasts. Danny stopped breathing.

"Nice hands, strong, feel good on me," she mumbled. He nearly choked.

"Linds, I need that back," he said and tried to pull away. Her grip tightened and he almost howled in frustration.

"Don't go, feels nice."

He was dead and this was hell. He knew that it had to be hell because only the devil would torture him like this. She drifted deeper into dream land and he slowly but surely was able to extract his hand.

He sighed in relief when he finally regained his freedom and headed for the door.

"Oh Danny," he heard her mumble in her sleep, he froze in the door way and looked back. She had a small smile on her face and her hand…Sweet Jesus he had to get out of here. Danny bolted for the living room and sank down fully clothed onto the sofa.

He was in for another sleepless night.

Lindsay walked into the bedroom and was surprised yet again by how comfortable this cabin appeared to be. This was the only bedroom as far as she could tell and the bed dominated most of the room. It was a huge king size bed nestled in a hand carved wooden bed frame that lifted it a foot off the ground.

The frame was custom made and had the skyline of New York before 9/11 carved in the headboard. She ran her hand over the twin towers and across the tip of the empire state building before moving around to the end of the bed.

The baseboard had an NYPD shield carved in it with the words, Fidelis Ad Mortem underneath. She smiled and traced the words with her fingers. It was the motto of the NYPD. The translation from Latin was literally, Faithful Unto Death.

Her mind caught on those words and she replayed the events of the past few months coming to rest on Aiden Burn and Don Flack. She couldn't help but think that the words were appropriate, especially in Aiden's case; who literally had been faithful unto her death. Even without having ever known her she knew that people like Aiden were a loss that this world could ill afford.

Saddened, Lindsay let her mind drift to a replay of the last few days and the thought occurred to her that her team was no slouch in the faithful department, either. They had stuck by her and Danny in a way that a lot of co-workers wouldn't dream and she was thankful.

With a sigh she turned away and surveyed the rest of the room. It was painted the same pale green as the comforter on the bed and the only other piece of furniture in the room was a bureau made of the same kind of wood as the bed frame.

Lindsay kicked off her sandals and dropped the scarf she had been wearing all day on the floor next to them, and laid down on the bed. She sank into the comfortable mattress and instantly felt the tension of the day leave her.

This was perhaps the nicest bed she had ever had the pleasure of sinking into. Her eyes felt heavy and fluttered even as she fought to keep them open. She needed to go and talk to Danny first, but her body had other ideas. She fell asleep still wearing the clothes she had put on this morning. So much had happened since then that it felt like a lifetime ago.

As exhausted as she was it wasn't long before she slipped deep enough into her slumber to dream.

In her dream she groaned as Danny slipped into bed beside her and started trailing kisses down her neck, to her breasts.

"You are so beautiful," he said and Lindsay moaned in her sleep when his mouth found her nipple. He was trailing opened mouth kisses lower, down the valley between her breasts, past her ribcage, over her abdomen and lower still but for some reason he wouldn't put his mouth on the ache between her legs.

Suddenly she felt something tugging under her back and frowned. She came partially awake and questioned the man who had previously been making her body sing.

She thought she heard him tell her to go to sleep, but that couldn't be right. She reached out and found his hand, smiling as she clutched it to her breast.

It felt so good to have his hands on her and she fell back into her dream. Finally he found the ache she needed filled and slipped his fingers into her. She murmured his name in her sleep and followed her dream lover into oblivion.