Chapter 8 – Community Service

Lindsay had been so absorbed in catching up on her work that she didn't notice most of the day had already gone by. When her cell phone rang at 5pm she smiled as she saw the caller ID.

"Hey Cowboy, you hankering to see those big skies again yet?" Danny's head snapped up when he realized the nickname was not reserved for him.

"Are you kidding me Monroe? My lungs were so happy to be breathing bus exhaust again, they're practically leaping out of my chest."

She laughed and groaned at the same time, "That's terrible." She said smiling.

He was glad to hear her in a light mood, he was worried about her all day. "How's is it getting back to the grind?"

"Not bad, I even processed a bloody crime scene without vomiting." She said. Danny was starting to get uptight. What were these? Inside jokes? He knew of every scene she worked since coming to New York and she never vomited at any of them. Who was this on the phone?

"Well things are looking up then," Flack said. She could hear street noise on the line.

"How have you been spending your day?" She asked grinning at how just the sound of his voice warmed her.

"Shooting hoops with the neighborhood kids. Whipping them into humility helps keep them on the right path." She could hear the grin in his voice too. "Besides, they're the only ones home during the afternoon to play with me."

"I'm sure the department disability board would be interested to hear of your stamina. Aren't you still on paid leave?" She said playfully.

Flack? Was it Flack? Danny wondered.

"Narc on me Monroe I'm begging you. I'm dying to get back to work."

She laughed. "I know. I'm sorry. At least it sounds like you are still serving the community."

"Yeah, about that. That's why I'm calling. I need to ask a favor."

"Sure," she said spinning on her stool so her back was to Danny.

"Couple of the kids mentioned they got a big Science Fair coming up. I don't mind keeping them off the streets, giving the scared straight talk and all that, but this is out of my league. You interested in helping them build a volcano or turn a potato into a battery or whatever you guys do?"

She laughed. "Are you serious? I would love to. Any ideas yet or is it up to me?"

"Its all you Monroe."

"Ok, I can't do it tonight I will be here late, I have to catch up. But would tomorrow after work be OK?"

Great, now they're going on a date, Danny thought.

"Yeah sure, its like a month away or something, they got time." Flack said.

"Yeah but we can do some really cool things with that time, long-lived controls, deviations over time, multiple variables…." He cut her off. What kind of date was this? Messer puzzled.

"Sorry Monroe my eyes just glazed over. How late are you working tonight? I got see a guy about some paperwork If I'm at the station anyway I can give you a ride home and get you more details. As long as you don't talk about long-lived controls…I might fall asleep at the wheel."

She laughed. "Ok, ok. I'll be here tonight…" she spun back around to the lab table and looked over a few things "until about 7:30-8?"

"K, see you later."

"Bye." She said smiling at his last joke.

Danny just shook his head and returned to his evidence. What Flack didn't mention was that he was actually going to talk to Mac about the DNA and some other things that to him just weren't adding up.

At 7:35 Flack entered the lab. Lindsay was still processing evidence but was alone in this area.

"Hey" he greeted her.

Lindsay looked up from her work and beamed when she saw him "Hey." He was wearing an untucked button-down shirt and jeans. In spite of herself she felt a huge smile broaden across her face at the sight of him. It had only been about 36 hours since she saw him last but she missed him, she had gotten used to spending her days with him. Damnit, her heart sank a little, she was pretty sure she was attached.

"You need more time?" he asked seeing a myriad of papers and samples strewn about the lab.

"No. I'm just disorganized. I can go." She lined a things up into several different piles and started taking off her lab coat. To Flack she looked like a film was on her. She was professional and distant here.

They walked together to the elevator and into his car. She stretched and yawned. Her elbow on the car door, she leaned her head in her hand.

"Have you eaten?" he asked backing the car out.

"No," she replied, her eyes still closed.

"I was going to ask you if you wanted to get something, but you look exhausted." He had left her at her door yesterday, he was guessing she didn't sleep well last night.

She sat up and turned to him "No, no. I want to eat with you." She said, she clasped his upper arm with both her hands but was still slunken in her seat.

"How about we get take out in your neighborhood, and you can just relax."

"OK," She said releasing his arm.

They ate in her apartment talking about Flack's neighborhood kids, their neighborhoods, and their own times in high school. When they were cleaning up she leaned into him hugging him.

"Don, I'm so tired." She said.

"I can tell. Why don't you just go to bed?"

"Mmm." Was all she replied. He imagined it was nightmares, like his own, that kept her from seeing her bed as a haven. He stroked her hair.

He was trying to give her space. They were now back home in New York. If he stayed with her to help her sleep she could be seeing him as some walking security blanket, nothing more. As if she read his thought she opened her eyes and looked up at him. She kissed him sweetly on the lips while her hand moved up and down his back..

"I want to ask you to stay with me tonight. I sleep better when you're with me. But I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I think you think I don't know what I want. But I do. I want to be with you. But tonight I am so tired." It made sense to him, in Montana she carried everyone's weight, here when she could breath again she was exhausted. "Its just, I just…" she stammered.

He looked at her eyes. He could never refuse her anything. He kissed her.

"Its OK Lindsay. Of course I will stay. Lets just take it all one step at a time. But this step, we've already done."

She smiled and moved her hands to under his shirt. "Thank you." She needed to touch him. She needed him, she had tried to fight against it. Maybe he was right, maybe it was all the timing. Maybe if she weren't trying to deal with her father's death and all that it meant she could have built better defenses against him. She inhaled him and she felt his arms around her. Maybe she never would have been able to build defenses against him.

Flack slept shirtless in his boxers on the right side of her bed. At 3AM when he woke she kissed him sweetly. She started by gently reassuring him as she had in Montana. When the panic that woke him seemed to subside, she kissed him more passionately. She could feel herself falling for this man. She could hear her father telling her not to get attached, but she was driven from something she couldn't reason away. Her tongue was in his mouth her arms around him. He kissed her back. Her hand swept over his shoulder, his back, his side. She wanted to feel every inch of him. She knew parts of him ached, hurt, burned. She wasn't afraid of that, she just touched more lightly when she feared it pained him. He held her, unsure of himself. He didn't want to fall in love with Lindsay Monroe, he just couldn't stop kissing her. His hand slid from her back and moved to her hip. Her body shifted against his. He kissed her more deeply. Then he remember he couldn't be this man to her now. He slowed down. He stopped caressing her. He took his tongue from her mouth.

"Lindsay," He whispered. "One step at a time OK? For both of us."

She kissed him again, not because she was trying to change his mind, but because she was trying to slow down for him.

"Lindsay. I want to be with you. I just don't want to rush it." He kissed her. "But God, I want you." He kissed her again.

After she fell asleep he noticed the ring and chain had slipped out from under her top. He gently held the ring to catch a glint of street light from the window. The inscription read "Always for Nina, Gina and Maria."