-1Disclaimer: I don't own these people.

Author's Note: Okay, bringing in Danny here, quickly, for a short, sweet, chapter. Next one will likely be when it all hit's the fan. I'm done for a couple days … I won't bother you guys for a day or two! My muse was just snapping at me.

CHAPTER 6

Danny Messer

Another shitty day. Seems I got a lotta those since everything went to hell - Louie, Aidan, Flack, Montana. Today was no exception - a little 8-year-old girl caught in the crossfire of her parents domestic dispute. Wife finally grows a pair of her own and shoots at her husband, only she hits the kid instead. Lovely.

"Yo Messer!" I turn to see Flack running to catch up as I head toward our building. When I say running that's a good thing … wasn't sure Donny Flack would ever be doin' that again.

"What's up?"

Flack narrows his eyes, does a slow walk around me.

"What the hell you doin?"

"Lookin' for any misplaced lingerie."

"Aw man, quit the crap already. I swear I didn't know it was there."

"You sure it wasn't another genius effort in the 'alienate Montana' plan?" I roll my eyes at this, although I know where it comes from. I was pretty cold to her after I had to end things.

"Just because I don' wanna date her anymore doesn't mean I'd be that much of an asshole, Flack."

Flack's all serious suddenly. "But you do wanna date her Danny, that's the problem. You just got that 'I don't wanna hurt anymore' bullshit goin' on. But you're miserable and hurting anyway. What's the point?"

"Explaining ain't gonna make a bit a difference to you. You wouldn't understand." What I don't say is that I'm sick of losin', all the time.

Flack's still shakin' his head. "I understand that you're a dumbass."

Before I can respond with some patented Messer wit, he's gone, and once again, I feel like a schmuck. It's complicated. When I thought I might have lost Lindsay that day … I couldn't even deal. Aidan, Louie -I loved them both, but Montana, she was fast becoming part of me, the part that would have died with her.Sad thing is, Ithink part of me has died anyway.

Well, enough Hallmark card bullshit, time to head inside.

I head inside and see Hawkes down the end of the hall. He's a good guy, though he and Lindsay seem a little tight lately, you know what I'm sayin'? But they're just friends - Lindsay certainly can use 'em after the crap I put her through.

I'm about to give a shout out to theDoc when I see the lady in question come out of a nearby room, nose in a file. She runs right into Hawkes. Both startled, they laugh and he helps her pick up her papers. She apologizes, touches his arm. He smiles, says something else, and puts an arm around her for a quick hug. They continue down the hall together, chatting, a friendly hand touching an elbow, the small of the back, the shoulder.

It's then I realize it - standin' in the middle of the fuckin' lab.

They're sleepin' together.

TBC