A/N: Apologizes for the long wait. I started typing this up and got side-tracked by both work and a writers roadblock. Since I'm gone pretty much all weekend, this is being posted now. Enjoy!
THE MORNING AFTER - CHAPTER 6
"You wanted to see me?"
Mac turned slightly. "Shut the door, Danny."
The younger man did so without question, puzzled as to what his boss wanted. He sat down on the red leather couch that always occupied the office, keeping his cobalt eyes on Mac. Several days had passed since Lindsay's terrifying nightmare, but they were no closer to catching the rapist. Danny knew something was amiss, but he held his silence for the time being.
Mac took a seat across from Danny, fiddling with some papers. "How is Lindsay doing?"
"Not well. She's still strugglin' to understand that she's pregnant. I want to help her, Mac, but she's beginning to push me away. It's like whenever I say something, she backs off and literally yells at me t'leave."
"Common symptoms of rape," Mac sighed heavily before changing the subject. "I called you in for an important reason. I'm going to have to ask you a few uncomfortable questions, but it might help us in Lindsay's case." He stared at the young man levelly. "We found a second sperm donor on the bedsheets, but the sample is too weak and we cannot recall DNA from it. Danny, if that semen belongs to you, it could mean that you are the father of Lindsay's child. Did you and her have sex anytime prior to the rape?"
Danny nodded awkwardly. "About a week before she was attacked. I used protection and-" The impact of Mac's words suddenly hit him like a thunderbolt, and he jumped up from his seat, clutching the elder's shoulders tightly. "You…you think it could be mine?"
A rare smile creased Mac's features. "Unfortunately we won't be able to tell until the child is born, but there is a good chance that you are the biological father. Depends on if fertilization took place."
Danny's heart felt slightly lighter, and for the first time since the rape he saw a sliver of hope in an otherwise dark tunnel.
What if Mac was right?
What if the child was his?
---
Matt watched the young woman fiddle with her keys. In the two months following his evil crime he had become reclusive, but his vicious hunger and want of power had brought him to this apartment building, seeking out another victim. He enjoyed the feeling of domination as he watched his prey suffer, knowing there was nothing they could do to stop him.
He hid in the shadows of the corridor, keen eyes on the small figure as she managed to unlock her door. Swift as a flash, he was behind her, taking her by surprise the same way he had done to Lindsay. The woman's eyes bulged out of their sockets as she stared into the sneering face of her attacker, and he quietly shut the door behind him.
As the city slept under a full moon and the uncharted vaults of the sky, no one knew that murder was being committed.
---
Lindsay again found herself trapped underneath Matt. Once more she struggled bravely, but nothing had changed since the last nightmare: she was frozen in place, unable to fight her powerful opponent.
Blackness still enveloping his face, Matt let a snarl reverberate in his throat. There was something terribly familiar about his voice. "You're not goin' anywhere, Montana."
She could literally feel her blood become as cold as ice. Despite the threat being no more than a whisper, it rang like twin bells in her ears. Her head swept back and forth, as if refusing to believe the awful truth.
"No…it can't be."
She stared in wild horror as Danny's features appeared in the sparse light. Lindsay's heart stopped for a split second, and he leaned in closer, breath hissing onto her skin. His normally gentle eyes were now filled with evil, so powerful that she could not tear her stare away from them. With a sneer, Danny allowed his hands to roam her body, ignoring her pleas and clearly enjoying her suffering. A mixture of helplessness and rage flowed from Lindsay's eyes; she so desperately wanted to defend herself, but just as it was with Matt, Danny had the advantage of size and strength. Lindsay was powerless to stop him.
Finishing his wicked exploration, Danny shifted his gaze to her, smiling evilly as she continued to sob. She knew what was coming, and so she closed her eyes in preparation, swallowing all her fear and laying still. There was no use in even attempting to move; she was once again at the complete mercy of her attacker.
---
Morning sunlight pooled into the bedroom as Mac and Stella stood over the body of the young woman splayed out on the sheets. It was a similar scene to that of Lindsay's apartment: a blood-soaked mattress, evidence of sexual activity, and a severely beaten victim. This time, however, the victim was dead.
Stella placed her kit down gingerly. "Looks like we got a rapist on our hands."
"Could be the same person who raped Lindsay," Mac's eyes grew hard for a second, and Stella bent down to examine the body.
"Bruises are consistent with Lindsay's. The door isn't forced open, so maybe she let the killer in."
Mac remained silent and scanned the nude woman, noting the twisted look of agony on her face. His solemn gaze shifted to the bedside table, where a small purse immediately caught his attention. Shifting through it, he noticed a cellphone resting in the side, and with a glove he took it out. He showed the object to Stella, who nodded approvingly.
"Let's hope this cellphone leads us to our rapist."
---
"No!!"
It was déjà vu for Lindsay. She sat bolt upright, panting heavily and covered in a thin layer of sweat. Chocked sobs escaped her throat as she shook violently, trying to rid her mind of the horrendous nightmare.
The door flew open, and Danny was immediately at her side. "Montana, what happened?"
She took one look at him and scurried out of the bed, pajamas clinging to her clammy skin. He took a step forward and she took a cautious one back, holding her hands up in defense.
"Get away from me!"
"Montana, I'm not goin' to hurt you."
Though she wanted to fight back, Lindsay was terrified that he would try and rape her again. Despite the large room – and Danny now standing still – she felt as if he were trapping her. She cowered in the corner, shielding her face with her hands and pleading with him to stay back.
"Don't come any closer, or I'll call the police!" Her voice was shaky, and Danny knew that despite her current position, she was only trying to present a tough front. Not keen on scaring her even more, he walked backwards out of the room, holding his palms up as a signal that he meant no harm.
A massive shudder ran through Lindsay's body as he proceeded out of the room. She rocked back and forth, hearing the front door click as Danny closed it behind him.
---
Outside the apartment, Danny's hands immediately started to tremble. He had never seen Lindsay so terrified, so fragile. The second he had appeared, she went berserk. She had a slight stomach to her now, but that did not stop the symptoms from controlling her brain. Danny yearned for his Montana back. He wanted the girl who seemed so focused on solving a case that she often stayed in the lab until the late hours, trying to piece together evidence. He wanted to come home to her, to share a meal with her, to lay with her in his bed, arms wrapped tightly around her waist and kissing her neck, as if laying claim to her. That was the Lindsay Monroe he so desperately wanted back.
Sighing deeply, he leaned against the wall and slid down, burying his face in his hands. Never had he felt this powerless. The rapist was running free – where he had no idea – and Lindsay was not only suffering from a horrific rape, she was pregnant as a result. Mac's words suddenly echoed in his mind for a brief moment, and his heart fluttered with hope. Could Lindsay be carrying his future son or daughter? It was the only positive note in the situation, and Danny tried to focus on that. He knew he had a good chance of being the father, but what if…he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thought. No, Messer. Don't start thinking like that. Help Lindsay through this first. That's what important.
---
Lindsay's hand trembled as she reached inside the drawer of the bedside table. The rape was slowly but surely taking over her conscience, and she felt trapped inside her own body. She knew if she told her fellow colleagues who raped her, Matt would return and finish his revenge. She had hoped it would not come to this, but realized she had no other choice.
Loading a bullet, she clicked the barrel shut and placed the gun to her temple. Cursing as her limbs shook, she steadied her arm and took a deep breath. I'm not fit to live, she thought to herself. I've brought shame to everyone around me, and I don't want to be like this anymore.
---
Danny had sat outside for around five minutes when a horrible train of thought caused his palms to become sweaty. Suicide was very rare for rape victims – but it was not unheard of – and he scrambled up from his sitting position. He twisted the doorknob, burst into the apartment, and headed straight for the bedroom in one swift motion.
---
Holding the air inside her lungs, Lindsay's index finger snaked over the trigger and tugged.