Disclaimer: I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)

A/N: Ok. This chapter is kinda short, but very necessary! Not much FM radio here, but loads of Danny and Cory! Will they come to their senses? As always, please, please, please R&R! They make my muse happy! Also the challenge is still in place...however is my 100th reviewer, i will write you (or a character of your choosing) into the story for at least one chapter!

Chapter 21.

The Haunting Past

(The following day)

When Flack woke up he just looked at Lindsay asleep in his arms. "Damn. I could get used to this. This is really nice. I've never been one to actually cuddle, but with her…it seems right." He carefully got up out of the bed, trying not to wake her. He walked into his bathroom and got ready to take a shower.

Lindsay woke up a few minutes after Flack had left. She smiled as she ran her hand over his pillow. She heard the water going in the shower and decided to surprise him. As quietly as she could, she opened the bathroom door and slipped in. She gave it a coupe of minutes, so that the air loss would not be evident, then walked over and pulled open the shower curtain.

Flack turned quickly as he felt the rush of cool air come into the shower and felt a smile come to his face at the sight of Lindsay standing there. "Wanna join me?" With a nod, Lindsay stepped in.

About an hour later, both were dressed again and getting ready to leave the apartment. Lindsay had to go home to change. Flack was going to try to catch Danny before his shift started and read him the riot act.

(Crime Lab, locker room)

Flack walked into the locker room right after Danny. "Yo. Messer! We need to talk."

Danny looked at Flack in confusion. "I didn't do anything to Montana. Why you want to talk?"

Flack just rolled his eyes. "This ain't about Lindsay, idiot. It's about Cory."

Danny interrupted him. "Look man. The woman asked for space and I'm giving it to her. Especially after what I just found out about Ortiz. I'm still feeling guilty over whatever I did to piss her off on Friday."

Flack just shook his head. "Would you like to know what you did?"

Danny got a steely glint in his eyes. "Ya mean you knew this whole time and didn't tell me?"

"Naw, man. She told Lindsay and Lindsay told me. Figured I'd give you a heads up."

"Oh." The anger directed at Flack left Danny's eyes. "So, what'd I do?"

Flack decided to be frank and just say it. "You called her a slut and then told her that she was yours. That's how you got the black eye."

"She got that pissed off at that? I'm confused, man."

"Danny." Flack let out a deep breath. "At the second murder she told us about? Ya know her boyfriend? Ortiz wrote that in the victim's blood." Flack watched as the realization sunk into Danny's head.

"Shit, man. She didn't kill me? She's got some control." Danny just shook his head in despair. "If I had any chance before….I blew it. I'm not surprised that she punched me."

"Look, Danny. I told you so that you would know and maybe apologize to her? I can't see her holding a grudge for something you said when you were drunk. Try telling her how you really feel." With that advice, Flack left the locker room.

Danny sat down on the bench and put his head in his hands. He was feeling very guilty and pissed. He just didn't know what to do. In frustration, he punched his locker.

"Locker do something to make you mad, Messer?"

Danny looked up and saw Lindsay standing there. "No, Montana. I did that all by myself. I really screwed up with Cory, didn't I?"

"Yeah. You did. But Danny, I've gotten to know her really well over the last couple of months. The only reason that you got to her was because she has feelings for you. She's just afraid that something will happen to you and honestly…I don't know if she would survive losing someone else."

Danny just put his head back down in his hands. Finally, he got up and went into the lab to continue researching the history of Armando De La Cruz.

(A couple of hours later)

Danny felt Cory when she walked into the room so he was not surprised when she sat down next to him.

"Hey, Danny. How's it going?" Cory felt awkward. She knew that she needed to talk to Danny in private.

"I'm trying to trace back what Armando has been doing for the last three years. What about you? You okay?"

"Not really, but I'm better." Cory stopped for a second, trying to figure out how she was going to say the next thing. "Can we talk?"

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

Cory looked around and realized that the room was not very private. "Not here. Maybe the roof?"

"Sure. Give me a couple of minutes to finish up here. I'll meet you up there."

Danny finished up the file he was looking at and then pressed save. "I wonder why she wants to talk to me. Maybe this is the one chance I'll get to apologize." Danny got to the roof and found Cory looking over the skyline. "Hey, Cory. What did you want to talk about?" When Cory turned around, he saw how sad she looked and immediately wanted to comfort her.

"Danny." Cory smiled, but it was a sad smile. "I wanted to apologize to you. I was such a bitch to you on Saturday. All you wanted to know was what happened, but damn my Irish temper!"

"It's alright. After hearing about what Ortiz did to you, I think I understand."

"That's just it, Danny. I've let Ortiz rule my life for the last seven years. I'm not going to keep making that mistake. Let me tell you what happened." Cory blew out a breath at that. "First, let me tell you a little more of what Ortiz did to cause me to be so…" Cory trailed off, blinking tears out of her eyes.

Danny saw the tears and didn't fight the urge to take her into his arms. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her. "Damn. She feels good in my arms."

Cory let him hug her, knowing that he was just trying to give comfort. "Danny. When Ortiz killed my boyfriend, he wrote a message to me in his blood." She pressed her face into his shoulder, drawing strength from him. "The message was 'You slut. You're mine. This will happen to any man who touches you.' I've been so scared since then that I cut myself off from my emotions."

Danny just tightened his arms around her, feeling her shudder at the memory. "That's okay. It's understandable."

"You see. You got really drunk so I took you home. When we got there, you tried to kiss me and I pushed you away. Then you called me a slut. I tried to leave but you grabbed my arm and said that I was yours. Something inside of me just snapped and I punched you. That's how you got the black eye. I'm so sorry."

Danny smiled, even though she couldn't see it. "Cory. It's fine. It's not like the eye won't heal. I was being an insecure, jealous ass. I deserved the black eye. I'm sorry that I put you through that. I just…" Danny trailed off, not sure if he wanted to tell her or not. "I just have never felt this way about anyone my whole life. When I saw you dancing with that guy, I lost it, too."

Cory pulled away from him and looked deep into his blue eyes. She could see the emotion simmering in them and felt her heart flutter at the thought. "Really? You were jealous?" Danny just nodded his head. "Oh, Danny." Cory threw herself back into his arms, not believing that it was true. "He really does have feelings for me!" She let herself be happy for a minute or so, but she knew she had to tell him everything else.

Cory slowly withdrew herself from his arms. "Danny. As happy as that makes me, I need to come clean with you."

Danny felt his heart sink at that. He knew he was about to get shot down.

"I really like you, Danny. But I'm not sure if I can go out with you." Cory saw Danny open his mouth to protest. "Wait. Here me out. There are some things that I need to tell you."

Cory wrapped her arms around herself. "When James was killed…" she began. "I was lost. He was my life, my soul mate. Um…I fell into a deep depression. I almost killed myself. I couldn't handle it."

Danny felt fear at the thought of the pain that she'd gone through. He couldn't imagine losing someone who was that important to him. He was trying hard not to think about her actually killing herself. "What happened?"

"It was about a month after his death. I couldn't eat. Couldn't sleep. I had already tried to relieve the pain through alcohol and that didn't work. So I cleaned my house. When I was done, I cleaned my gun. I just sat there after cleaning my gun and thought that it would be so easy to end the pain." Cory closed her eyes as the memories washed over her.

Danny was finding that talking was going to be hard. His throat had closed up in emotion. "What stopped you?"

Cory opened her eyes again. "A couple of things. First, Michael called me. He knew that I wasn't doing so good. Second? Pure hate. I was determined to kill Ortiz first. If I had found him in the first couple of months after James' death, it would have been a murder/suicide. I still don't understand why he's obsessed with me. It's just…I don't have the words."

Danny thought about what she said. "I might have an idea. You said that you and Ortiz were…intimate in high school. Was he your first?" At Cory's affirmation, he continued. "Maybe that is why? If he was your first, then somehow in his twisted brain he thinks that you guys are meant to be together."

Cory shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe. That kinda leads into why I keep pushing you away." Cory started pacing. "God. I should have told you this, months ago. Mac knows. I'm surprised he hasn't pushed me about this."

Danny was a little concerned. "Tell me what?"

Cory bit her bottom lip. "Ortiz is stalking me. It's been going on for five years. It started after he killed Bill, my boyfriend. He started leaving me notes and pictures of who I had been with that day. It's gotten a little better over the last year, but…."

Danny followed Cory, grabbing her arm to keep her from pacing. "But, what?"

Cory tried to avoid looking in his eyes. "After Flack got hurt, you came over. The next day I found photos of you entering and leaving my apartment and a threatening note on my doorstep. The note said, 'You bitch. You're mine. Don't forget it.' That's when I tried to push you away."

Danny's heart almost stopped when he heard that Mala Suerte had threatened him and Cory's odd behavior started to make sense. "Aw, Cory. Why didn't you tell me?"

Cory just shook her head. "It meant admitting my feelings for you. I wasn't ready to do that. Do you see why we can't date? I couldn't stand to lose you." Cory started to cry.

Danny just pulled her to him, trying to comfort her. His anger at Ortiz was increasing when he saw how broken Cory seemed to be at this moment. "I swear. If I ever get my hands on Ortiz, I'll kill myself. I don't care. He deserves it."

"Cory. Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. Remember Tanglewood? I learned how to stay alive. You're worth the risk."

Cory looked up into his eyes again. "Are you sure? Ortiz got to James and he was an FBI agent. I don't want you to take unnecessary risks."

Danny sighed and stared deeply into her eyes. "Again. You are worth the risk. I'm willing to pursue whatever we have if you are."

Cory nodded her head. "I need to take this risk. I can't let Ortiz run my life anymore."

Sighing in relief that he had gotten through to her, Danny pulled her back into his arms, silently vowing never to let her go.

A/N:

chili-peppers- (blushing furiously) diolch! she has had it rough b/c of Ortiz...he's just like a bad dream that won't go away!

the little corinthian-don't lock them in a closet! she needs comfort right now...as you can tell from this chappie, Danny is more than willing to be the one that comforts her!

kasmith101- was this soon enough for you:D don't worry, soon they'll be doing a lot more talking!

pnkrckprncss-don't worry about it, but i missed you! i'm going back to updating every couple of days again...i just can't keep ahead of myself posting every day...work has gotten crazy again! also my awesome beta is going on vacation, so i have to make sure that i allow some extra time for that...i'm glad that you like it! i decided to continue the challenge...so you still have a chance to be no. 100!

axellia-don't worry about it:) ff has been a bit...um...tempermental lately! i'm glad that you only had to work a short shift...hopefully you get more than one day off a week! did you have enough time to think about Flack in nothing but a towel? i have to admit, as must as i am in lust over Danny, the thought of Flack in just a towel, still wet from a shower just drives me to distraction! i'll have to find a way to incorporate that back in!