A.N. I'd like to state that I have nothing against the Red Sox or the Yankees. If you're a rabid fan, please don't hurt me if I unintentionally insult your favorite team.

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"Morning."

Looking up from dodging around the other people exiting the elevator, Lindsay saw Danny leaning against the wall across from her. "Hey," she said with a sly smile. "You waiting for me? Or the coffee?"

"Took you long enough," he replied, accepting the offered cup.

"Careful, it's hot," she warned him, heading towards the locker room. "I already burned my tongue on mine."

"Really?"

The heat in his tone made her head jerk up to him in surprise. The glitter in his eye affirmed it. Just mentioning her tongue turned him on? Seriously? A sly smile spread across her face. She could work with that.

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Jen was beginning to feel like a stalker. Her eyes followed Adam through the glass as he moved from the machine to the printer and back again. His steps were slow, sure, precise. She wanted to bite him.

Shaking her head to clear it, she decided now was not the best time to be confronting Adam. Not when she was thinking about biting him.

Instead, she took off down the hall to the break room, knowing Lindsay would be headed there soon for her mid-afternoon caffeine hit. Unfortunately, when she got there, Lindsay was not alone.

Eyeing the strange lab tech resting at the table, Jen stepped up next to the coffee pot. "Hey," she said.

Lindsay glanced up from her case file with an absent smile. "Hey, Jen. How's it going?"

"Fine. Fine." Jen slid her eyes back to the lab tech. "Danny and I solved that case."

"Danny mentioned that. Congratulations."

Jen smiled wanly. "It was hell, but it was worth it for the look on the guy's face when he figured out we got him."

"I love that look."

Jen laughed at the dreamy expression on Lindsay's face. "What're you working on?"

"Guy found dead in a bathtub, covered in honey."

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah. I'm still waiting on cause of death," Lindsay muttered, eyes still on the case file as she blindly poured coffee into a mug. Reaching out, Jen directed Lindsay's hand a little to the left. "Thanks."

"No problem." Jen held her breath as the lab tech finally stood and left the room. Quickly, she brandished her cell phone. "What is this?"

Startled at the sudden intensity, Lindsay jerked back a little, nearly dropping both her mug and her folder. "What? Your cell?"

"This text," Jen insisted, turning the phone so Lindsay could see the text she'd received that morning.

Lindsay squinted at the small screen. "Sure," she read. Her eyes lifted to Jen's. "I have no idea."

"It's from Adam," Jen said in a whisper. "It's a reply."

"To…what?" Eyes widening, Lindsay leaned forward. "Did you invite him out again?"

"Not exactly," Jen mumbled, clutching the phone with both hands and straining to read the hidden meaning in the message. "I invited him to watch the game at my place."

"The Red Sox?" Lindsay said in surprise.

Jen rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm desperate."

"I'll say." At Jen's beleaguered expression, Lindsay sighed. "What exactly did you say in the text?"

"It wasn't a text," Jen said with a sick look on her face. "I left him a voicemail yesterday."

"And he texted back?" Lindsay bit her lip.

"I know, right?" Jen's head dropped back, banging against the cupboards, but she didn't even blink at the pain. "I knew I was boring."

"You're not boring," Lindsay reprimanded her. She flipped the file in her hand closed. "Maybe he doesn't realize you're pursuing him."

It was an old argument, and Jen glared at Lindsay. "Of course he knows," she snapped. "I did everything but fall in his lap."

Clearly at a loss for words, Lindsay looked at her for a long minute before reaching for the phone. "Let me see that."

"It doesn't say anything more than 'sure.' I've read it a dozen times," Jen complained, rubbing her temple. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"I'm texting him back."

Jen straightened from her slouch, watching Lindsay's thumb fly over the keys. "Why?"

"I'm canceling your plans."

"What?" The shrill cry made Mac look up as he passed the break room. His frown made Jen want to crawl behind Lindsay. "Why would you do that?" she hissed, trying to keep her voice near silent.

Lindsay handed the phone back with a determined expression. "Well, chasing him didn't work. Maybe he needs to chase."

"Linds, he's just not interested," Jen explained. "He's never even looked at me for an inappropriate amount of time."

"Jen, you're model material. Of course he's looked at you."

Lindsay sounded so impatient that Jen forced back an affectionate smile as she spoke. "Really, Linds. I know guys and he's not going to—"

The phone vibrated in her hand. Both women glanced down at it, still hanging between them in Jen's hand. Fumbling with the clamshell, Jen flipped it open and saw Adam Ross flash on the screen.

Pressing send, she brought the phone to her ear and shared a stunned glance with Lindsay. "Angell?"

"Hey. It's Adam."

"Hey, Adam," she said smoothly, her voice smoothly hiding her nervousness. A first around him.

"Hey." He sounded nervous, though, which was interesting. "Uh, everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. Why?" She let herself pause. "Oh, canceling. Yeah. Sorry about that. New case. Big case."

"Should I plan on skipping lunch then?" he joked.

Lindsay was shaking her head at Jen's stupidity. Pulling a face at her friend, Jen turned away and forced a laugh. "No, no. Not that big. Just confusing."

"I see. Well good luck on it. Let me know if I can do anything."

The sweetness of the words made her collapse back against the counter. "Thank you, Adam."

"You're welcome," he murmured, his voice warm. "Besides, there's a game tomorrow night, too."

"Yeah, there is," she said softly.

"I should probably come watch that with you." His voice was so matter-of-fact it took a moment for Jen to comprehend what was happening.

"Should you now?"

"Definitely. The Yankees—"

"Red Sox."

"The Red Sox," he corrected smoothly, "need us to root for them." A slow smile spread across her face. "Unless, of course, you don't want to watch the game. In which case—"

"What time?" she asked innocently.

"I thought you didn't care about anyone but the Yankees," he said rather than answer.

"I don't," she murmured. She heard him let out a breath, something that served as a chuckle for Adam.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow then," he said. "Good luck with your case."

"Thanks. You, too."

"Bye, Angell."

"Bye."

Flipping the phone closed, Jen turned back to Lindsay, who had a death grip on the file. A huge grin spread across Jen's face. "He flirted with me."

"I could tell," Lindsay said, excitement shining in her eyes. Her fingers clenched even tighter around the folder. "I can't believe it worked."

"Me either," Jen whispered, eyes wide with shock and happiness. "He flirted with me."

"Yeah."

"He called me."

"Yeah."

"I love you," Jen said, leaning down to brush a kiss over Lindsay's cheek. "You're absolutely the best friend ever."

"He's the one that flirted with you," Lindsay pointed out.

She couldn't seem to wipe the grin off her face. "I know." She paused, though she still looked overjoyed when she spoke. "I have to get off the floor without Adam seeing me."

"Go around that way," Lindsay told her, her own eyes still resembling saucers as she raised a finger.

"Bye."

"Yeah."

With that, Jen left, feeling a bit dazed. And when she was assigned a homicide with Hawkes twenty minutes later, she felt better about having lied to Adam on the phone about a case.

And she did end up sending him enough trace to keep him off his lunch hour, the results of which she received less than two hours later with a new text: "Thanks so much. –Adam"

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"Who drowns someone with honey?" Lindsay asked irritably, tossing another glossy photo down on the reconstruction table.

"A sociopath?"

Stella sounded so tired that Lindsay sent her a glance from under her lashes. She watched as Stella rubbed the back of her forearm over her forehead, the circles under the older woman's eyes suddenly quite prominent.

"You all right?"

By the time Stella looked at her, Lindsay's eyes were back on the crime scene photos. "I'm fine. It's just this case. Three days and nothing to show for it?"

Lindsay knew she was lying, could see the forced annoyance in Stella's eyes when she glanced at her. Her boss had never minded going over evidence again and again. She was meticulous and enjoyed being so.

"Maybe it's not in the photos," Lindsay said, tossing the file down.

"If it was at the crime scene, it's in the photos," Stella told her absently, carefully examining one of the victim's couch.

"Maybe what we're looking for wasn't at the crime scene."

Stella gave her a stern look before picking up the next photo. "Whaddyou mean?"

Biting her lip, Lindsay considered her words carefully. "We know this guy is guilty, right? I mean, he all but chortled when we told him about Reyes's death."

"We can't convict him on gut instinct, Lindsay."

"I know," Lindsay assured her. "But we found his print, right?"

Stella raised her eyes again. "A print on the doorknob doesn't give us anything."

"But we can prove he was inside. Let's take the warrant."

"Lindsay," Stella began. "We have to build a case before we go in guns blazing."

Hiding her wince at the metaphor, Lindsay shook her head. "It's not here, Stel. What we need to convict this guy is not here. We take the warrant. We search his apartment. If we get lucky, we find the murder weapon."

"Honey?" Stella said, hoisting a picture of the sticky mess on the inside of the bathtub. "How on earth will we prove it's the same honey?"

Lindsay sighed impatiently. "Stella. We can't just sit here going over the pictures again and again. The case is aging while we argue."

Nodding, Stella tossed the photos down. "I'll talk to Mac. But if this honey disintegrates before we get there—"

"Actually, honey lasts forever," Lindsay cut in. "As long as it's not contaminated."

"I don't want to know how you know that," Stella told her, moving out of the lab.

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Picking up her plate, Lindsay followed Danny into her kitchen. "I don't think the print is going to be all that helpful unless we can find some DNA to go with it."

"It got you the warrant," he pointed out, rinsing his plate and fork.

"True. But the place was cleaner than a hospital. All we found were a few paint flecks and some dust bunnies."

"Does the paint match the vic's apartment?"

Lindsay gave him a wry look. "It matches the paint at the suspect's office." Pulling a face, he finished his dishes and took hers. "You don't have to—"

"Go sit. You need a break," he told her with a small smile.

Unable to resist, she rested her cheek against his shoulder blade for a moment, loving the feel of his muscles moving beneath his button down. Then she pulled away with a contented sigh. "Thanks," she said, picking up the bottle of wine.

"Anytime, Montana."

Shuffling to the couch, Lindsay sank into the cushions with a muffled groan. A few moments later, she heard the water turn off and Danny moving around in the kitchen. Then he was settling into the cushions next to her, leaving their wine glasses on the coffee table next to the discarded bottle.

Letting her head roll on the back of the couch, she smiled at him. "Hey."

He grinned slightly at her, amusement shining in his eyes behind his glasses. "Hey."

He raised his arm to lay it along the back of the couch and she swung her legs up to rest over his lap. Thoughtlessly, his fingers wound themselves through her hair as his other hand rested on her calf, thumb rubbing odd circles on the fabric of her pants.

"Tired?" he murmured, the fingers in her hair sliding down to her cheek.

"No, just relaxed."

Closing her eyes, she leaned into his touch, still so new and exciting. Just the tips of his fingers touched her, lightly running up and down her cheek, then down to her neck. When they settled on her chin and gently tilted her head up to him, she braced herself for the feel of his lips on hers.

It wasn't something she could really prepare herself for, the rush of sensation even such a light touch from him caused. His lips brushed hers, back and forth, before his mouth settled down for a serious kiss.

Lifting a languid hand, Lindsay found his cheek and stroked him there before sliding that hand around his neck. She pulled him closer and he came willingly, wrapping his arms around her waist.

It was gentle, tender, almost chaste really. And Lindsay needed more.

Pressing her breasts against his chest, she tightened her arm around his neck and swept her tongue across his bottom lip. He groaned and the sound seemed to ignite something. Suddenly, he was pulling her up onto his lap and tunneling his fingers through her curls.

His mouth was hard on hers, hard enough to bruise, even as his lips opened to her and her tongue licked inside. His hands roamed over her back, moving from her neck, to her hips and back again.

What had been a slow burning in the pit of her stomach transformed to a hot itch that spread across the entirety of her skin. Her swollen breasts rubbed against his chest as his arms tightened around her, but it wasn't enough. She needed more contact.

Slyly, her fingers slid down the buttons at his neck. When he didn't immediately move, she began slipping them through their holes all the way down the front of his shirt. Feeling victorious when she finished, she pulled the shirttails from his waistband and nearly groaned in relief as he helped her slide the offending garment off.

Eagerly, she brought her hands back to his chest. She made an annoyed noise in her throat when her hands met more cotton and she quickly pulled that loose as well. They broke apart as he whipped the tank top over his head and then he was back at her mouth, which was where she needed him most.

Her hands slid almost reverently over the exposed skin. It was the farthest he'd ever let them go and Lindsay felt giddy with her new freedom. A groan vibrated through his chest, and his tongue turned rough on hers.

Her hands explored the skin of his back, which was so silky she found it strange on such a masculine creature, incongruous. She skimmed her fingers up along his spine until she reached his neck and shoulders, then up and over she trailed them, so softly she was sure it had to tickle a little, to meet his chest. She wanted to grin in victory when she felt his fingers clench where they rested on her waist.

Then her cell rang and vibrated on the table.

Danny pulled his mouth away and she dropped her head to his shoulder. "No," she groaned as he leaned over to pick up the phone.

He pressed it into her hand and she lifted her head. "Thanks," she muttered, flipping it open.

"Monroe," she answered, trying not to sound breathless.

"Lindsay, sorry to call on your night off," Mac began on the other end.

Stifling a sigh, Lindsay eased away from Danny, keeping her eyes from resting on him. If she looked directly at him and all his soft, soft skin, she had a feeling she'd never be able to leave.

"It's all right. What's up?"

"DB over on Park and 32nd. Hawkes'll meet you there with your kits."

She nodded even though he couldn't see her and jotted down the full address. "Got it."

"Call me when you know something," Mac told her.

"Will do. Bye."

When she looked up, Danny was already tucking his oxford back in. She wanted to groan or sob—she wasn't sure which—but had too much pride to do more than sigh.

"I'm sorry," she said, running a hand through her hair and standing while she glanced around for her shoes.

Danny smirked. "Not your fault." She threw him a rueful grin. "He gonna be calling me?" Danny asked, watching as she slipped her heels back on.

"No, I'm with Hawkes. So, unless we get another one, I'd say you're home free."

"Lucky me," he muttered.

She sent him a commiserating glance and started to step past him. Reaching for her, he caught her and wrapped an arm around her back. He bent her back and latched his mouth onto hers.

His tongue swept across her lips and she opened on a gasp, moaning as he filled her mouth. She felt her bones turning to liquid even as her fingers clutched at the collar of his shirt. When he righted her and took his mouth away, she stayed leaning against him for a long while, trying to will her knees back into existence.

"That was just mean," she muttered, her face still buried in his shirt front. His chuckle reverberated through his chest, vibrating against her skin through the fabric.

"Just thought I'd leave you with something to think about," he teased, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

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Danny seemed to be able to turn off the heat between them at work. While she was aware he had never truly treated her as simply a coworker, she also recognized the distance he placed between them in the lab. She was sure no one could guess they were dating. Unless Flack or Hawkes told them, of course.

It was nice that he gave her this space. She knew he was instinctively protecting her from speculation and the rumor mill. His behavior indicated a level of respect for her that made her throat close convulsively when he smiled at her in passing.

The problem was she couldn't seem to turn it off. Every time he smiled at her, her knees would melt.

"Y'all right there?" Danny asked, not looking up from the elastic band he was processing.

"Yeah," she murmured, still staring at his profile.

"Then why are you staring at me?"

His eyes were locked on the elastic band, so it seemed all right to keep watching him. "I'm done," she said by way of an explanation.

He nodded absently. The thick December clouds were so heavy with snow that they hadn't seen the sun in a week. The dark light that it cast came in through the glass walls, casting weird shadows on the floor near the windows. Even with the gloom outside, he seemed to glow golden and she wondered how it was possible to look good under fluorescent lightbulbs.

Finally, he looked up and caught her staring at his arms. "Can I help you?" he asked, his voice low to avoid being heard outside of the lab.

Her eyes slowly trailed up to his, lingering over his chest and shoulders. When their gazes met, the heat flared between them and she watched his breath catch in his chest. Behind his glasses, the pupils dilated and she tried to take a deep breath as his eyes drifted to her lips.

"Three hours and twenty eight minutes," he muttered, dropping his eyes back to the elastic band.

"What?" she asked, breathless.

"Three hours and twenty eight—" he glanced at the clock, "twenty seven minutes until we get off."

They both froze, wide brown eyes locking on his blue ones. "Work," he added quickly. "Get off work."

Disappointment rushed through her. He was still holding himself back from that final step. Considering her boyfriend was notorious for being a ladies' man, Lindsay was a bit bitter that he refused to have sex with her.

Refuse was the wrong word, she knew. He was simply desperately avoiding it. The closest he'd let them come was her bra coming off the previous evening and even then he'd pulled away, asking if she was hungry, his voice cracking a bit.

She understood the convoluted reason why he was doing it, and she'd accepted the sweetness behind the gesture. But he was her boyfriend and she had assumed she'd be able to change his mind fairly easily.

To her chagrin, he remained both unmoved and far too attached to his pants.

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"You two still haven't had sex?" Jen finally surmised, quite shrilly.

Lindsay shushed her as the other shoppers turned to stare. "Thanks."

"Sorry, but…Are you serious?"

"Of course, I'm serious."

"You've spent practically every moment together for the past month."

"Yeah, I know, it's strange. Why do you think I'm talking to you about this?"

Jen shrugged, but otherwise ignored the question. "You do…I mean, you make out, right?"

"Yes. Very much so. We just haven't…"

"Ah." She nodded vigorously to show she understood. "So what's stopping you?"

"I don't know," Lindsay wailed. "He keeps saying he wants to go slow. And every time we get close, he stops. He has, like, superhuman control."

"He's the one stopping you?" Jen asked incredulously.

"Yes," Lindsay whimpered.

"But he's…Messer. He's had sex with half of New York."

"Thank you. I'm quite aware of the situation," Lindsay snapped.

Jen stopped in her tracks and studied Lindsay's face. "Not the situation, Linds. The past. His past."

Sighing, Lindsay rubbed her forehead. "That's the problem, I think. His past. He wants to prove to me I'm different."

"So instead of having sex with his girlfriend, he runs when you get close? That's his big plan to prove you're special?"

"No," Lindsay said, shaking her head almost violently. "Well, kinda. He's trying to show me he's not coming around for sex."

"What a brilliant plan," Jen muttered

"It's kind of sweet," Lindsay said, her voice dreamy and breathy. "I mean, he has this amazing passion and he—"

"Okay, tmi."

"He's trying to prove himself to me. But he's already done that a hundred times over," Lindsay told Jen, frustration making her grip the sweater so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"Have you tried talking to him?" When Lindsay glared at her, Jen back peddled. "Of course you have. Have you tried seducing him?"

Lindsay's jaw dropped. "Have you lost your mind?"

"What?" Jen asked, confused.

"How am I supposed to do that? I'd look like an idiot."

"Only if you wear an anime costume," Jen said, still confused.

"So, I do what? Prance around in a negligee and heels?"

"Why not?"

"Because I'd look stupid," she burst out. "He dates women like you. Women who could be models. Tall women with long legs and big boobs. Me in a negligee is not going to compare. My underwear doesn't even match, Jen."

Jen blinked at her before glancing at the now-staring patrons of the store. Taking Lindsay's arm, she led her further into the racks. "Lindsay, Danny's not going to be comparing you to anybody," she assured her friend gently.

"Yes he is," Lindsay said tonelessly. "It's just human nature."

"He loves you," Jen argued. "You've gotten more of him than any of those models ever did."

"Maybe he doesn't want to sleep with me. Maybe my breasts aren't big enough to turn him on." Lindsay's eyes were wide with horror.

Determinedly, Jen grabbed Lindsay's shoulders. "Lindsay. He's making out with you on a regular basis. And, frankly, he's a man. He wants to sleep with you."

"I'm going crazy," Lindsay muttered.

"Yes. This is what no sex does to you."

Lindsay snorted. "Then I would have gone crazy long ago."

"Really?" Jen raised her eyebrows. "No nookie for you, eh?"

"Not for a long time."

At Lindsay's bowed head and vague answer, Jen seemed to grow suspicious. "How long?"

"None of your business," Lindsay tried.

"How long?"

She sighed. "Three years."

"It's been three years since you've had sex?" The look of abject horror on Jen's face was amusing if not comforting.

"Yes, three years."

"Three years?" Jen asked, as if she was sure she'd misunderstood.

"Not since right after Connor." Jen's eyes widened and Lindsay wished she'd kept her mouth shut.

"Connor? As in, older brother's best friend, ex-fiancé Connor?"

"Yes."

"Connor who broke every speed limit to get to your hospital bedside?"

Confused now at Jen's shock, Lindsay folded her arms over her chest. "Yes."

"Connor the most beautiful man ever created, Connor?"

Blinking, Lindsay tilted her head to the side. "What now?"

Jen smirked at her. "Come on. You're not blind. And, apparently, you've slept with him."

Lindsay pictured Connor, never really having thought about him that way before. She supposed with his dark Irish looks, he was a pretty specimen. And maybe if she hadn't grown up with him she would have noticed at some point. Instead, sex with Connor had been anticipated with reluctance and left her feeling a bit dirty.

Shaking her head to clear it, she refocused on Jen. "Why does this surprise you? You knew I was engaged to him."

"Yes, but you said you didn't love him. You just don't seem like the type to have casual sex."

"It wasn't casual sex. We were engaged, remember?" Lindsay reminded her yet again.

"Yes, I remember. You were engaged. Got it. But you didn't love him." Jen shrugged. "I'm just surprised, that's all."

"He thought I was in love with him," Lindsay explained with a wince. "I had to."

Jen's mouth opened then snapped shut again. Picking up a shirt, she examined it carefully, as if she was taking stock of the thread count. Finally, she sighed and tossed it back on the rack.

"Lindsay, sex shouldn't be like that. It shouldn't be something you have to do."

"I know," Lindsay said, surprised. "What's wrong?"

Jen bit her lip and looked around them before asking softly, "Is this why you want to have sex with Danny? Do you feel like you have to?"

Eyes wide, Lindsay stared at her, slack jawed. After a moment, she laughed. "Are you serious?" When Jen just stared at her, the laugh trailed away. "Jesus, you're serious."

"It's just…the way you said that…" Jen paused, fingering the material of a blouse. "Have you ever enjoyed sex?"

Lindsay's eyes flitted around to make sure no one was in earshot. "Do we have to have this conversation in Jeremy's?"

"Apparently," Jen said, eyeing the blouse with disgust and dropping in back on the pile.

Distinctly uncomfortable, Lindsay lowered her voice to a whisper. "Sure, I've enjoyed it."

"But you've only slept with one guy since Connor," Jen murmured back.

"Quality, not quantity."

Jen shot her a disbelieving look. "And how many times did you sleep with this guy?"

Eyes sliding away, Lindsay picked up a cardigan and barely glanced at the price tag before putting it back down. "Why are we in here again?"

"I need something to wear when Adam and I go to dinner. Stop changing the subject."

"I don't know. A few times."

"So, after Connor, with whom sex made you feel dirty," Lindsay blinked at the accurate description. "You had sex with one guy a few times."

"That about sums it up," Lindsay muttered, shoving her hands in her pockets.

"So you've never actually enjoyed sex," Jen surmised. She stopped to look around the store. "You know what, forget this. Let's go to Bloomingdale's."

"All right," Lindsay said with an awkward shrug. When they were back on the noisy street, Lindsay sighed. "No, I've never really enjoyed sex. At first, I thought it was just because it was Connor."

"He didn't know what he was doing?"

"No, he did. That was pretty obvious. But I could never really relax. I just figured out what he liked and went with it."

Jen nodded as they moved to the curb to hail a cab. "But then you slept with the other guy."

"And I realized I just didn't like it."

The cab pulled up next to them and Jen opened the door waiting for Lindsay to slide inside before following. "Bloomingdale's, please. But you think you'd like it with Danny?"

Effectively having forgotten the driver's silent existence, Lindsay smiled wickedly at Jen. "Well, yeah."

"That good, huh?" Jen said with a similar grin.

"Better," Lindsay countered on a sigh. "How's Adam?"

Bitterness crept over Jen's features. "I have no idea."

Blinking, Lindsay sat up from her slump against the seat. "But you're going to dinner. I thought he'd made his move."

"He did," Jen assured her then pulled a face. "Kind of. He asked me out."

"But he's never made a move," Lindsay concluded, glancing out the front window as she thought. "He's really shy."

"Tell me about it." Jen let her head fall back against the seat as she groaned. After a minute of silence, she raised her head with a sigh. "Look, about Danny."

Lindsay turned to face her and furrowed her brow. "Yeah?"

"Give him time." At the look of confusion on Lindsay's face, Jen nodded. "I know. You want him now. But if he wants to wait, let him build up to it. This is the best part, Linds, the anticipation."

Wrinkling her nose, Lindsay looked away. "And he's not comfortable yet."

"The hickey on your neck last week says otherwise."

Gasping, Lindsay whirled to face her best friend. "That was not a hickey."

"Sure it wasn't," Jen said soothingly, and Lindsay rolled her eyes. "The point is that he doesn't feel as if he's proven himself to you. Apparently, he doesn't feel good enough to have you."

"But that's ridiculous," Lindsay started, only to fall quiet when Jen shrugged helplessly at her.

"Don't tell me this. I already know. You have to show him."

Lindsay nodded, mulling over Jen's words. Then her eyes narrowed at her friend. "A negligee will not help with this."

"No, a negligee will not help with this," Jen agreed. "Though I'd like to point out that this is the only case in which that holds true."

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Kavi Leighanna: Lindsay's a little stubborn. Hehe. I hope you enjoy the last two chapters!

ReJo: Poor Lindsay. She puts herself out there and then doesn't even get to jump him!

scoob2222: Adam totally needs some lovin'. Though he seems to be screwing with Jen's mind at this point.

Tenley: Poor Danny was just in a bit of shock. He probably thought he was dreaming (again). Yeah, luckily guys don't dwell on things like women do. If it had been Stella there, she never would have turned her attention back to the game like the guys did. She'd keep winking at Lindsay or watching them with a gooey expression. Lindsay should thank her lucky stars it was just Flack and Hawkes. :-p Isn't woolgathering great? That and hootenanny. Those words should be used so much more.

silverjazz: The next story is definitely DL with a bit of AJ thrown in. Don't worry. I can't seem to stop writing DL. I can't believe tomorrow is the season finale! I don't want to go into the Dark Period of summer with no CSI:NY to get me through. Sadness. This episode better not end with a DL split. That would piss me off. :-p

TBD: Now if only Danny would just get down to business. Poor Lindsay.

sp4zstyck: I'm so glad you like the story! Wow, I can't believe you read 20 chapters in one sitting. You're hardcore. :-p Just one more chapter of this one left and then it's on to the third story! I hope you decide to keep reading, despite my propensity for angst.

Devilla: DL loving coming right up! I decided that Lindsay had to be the one to tell Danny she was ready because, really, he put himself out there so many times. It was her turn. Or maybe I'm just vengeful?

ParisTorres05: I'm so glad you're enjoying the series! I hope you decide to stick around for the third part.

RachelHeidi: Yeah, there's not much I wouldn't do to Danny either, though Greg still holds the majority of my heart. Adam really does seem to throw Jen for a loop. He almost seems suave compared to her. (Dude, I've got the hose covered. We just have to find a spigot near their lawn. And I'm a master at covering the nozzle to widen the spray, so it'll take half the time to wet the TP.) One more chapter on this story and then it's own to Erase and Rewind. (What do you think of the title? I'm still trying it out.)

messermonroe: Thanks for the e-hug! That last chapter was so exciting to write. I've decided that I love fluff almost as much as I love angst. :-p I think just standing near Danny has Lindsay ready to tear her clothes off. There will be one more epic sequel, but then I've decided to stop torturing my characters and leave them with the chance for happily ever after.

Quintessence of Darkness: Seriously, how could Adam not be interested in Jen? She's beautiful, she's nice, and she's made it quite obvious she thinks he's the cat's pajamas. Any man would fall on his knees. Er, except Danny.

Muzzy-Olorea: I'm glad you liked the speech. It was difficult to delineate in words how Lindsay feels about Danny, you know? So, I'm glad it turned out well.

seren23: Hehe. I'm glad you liked the humor in that scene. Homer Simpson? Hahahaha. Thank god she didn't bring doughnuts with her. And that dog was so cute, but I always wondered where he got the dog. Eek! Don't get dragged away from Push Me! (Though I do understand the Too Many Fandoms sentiment.)

serenity2bliss: Don Flack, King of Tact. Hehe. Though he seemed to take it much more in stride than Hawkes did, poor guy. Hawkes always seems to get caught in the middle. Danny really is sweet, though he's being pretty infuriating right now. It's funny but the way Lindsay and Danny have played out their courting makes even holding hands this huge deal for them. It's so sweet and kind of pure, you know? It's almost too bad they want to tear each other's clothes off. :-p

Kaoli: I'm glad you like the fluffiness! I've realized that I'm as much a sucker for fluff as I am for angst. So the next chapter might be a bit cloying in its saccharine sweetness. :-p However, I have no regrets!

CarolinaH.Manning: I like how Danny knew that Flack and Hawkes were there but he still kissed her like there was no tomorrow. I'm trying to write out a scene with Adam as the main focus, but I keep going back to Jen's point of view. However, I can assure you there will be a scene between Adam and Jen—alone—in the next chapter.

chili-peppers: I'm glad you liked it! It was almost a relief to write such a fluffy chapter after all this angst. Though Lindsay's monologue was difficult.

The Little Corinthian: Hot DL lovin' in the next chapter. I promise. Though the M version will be posted on my livejournal rather than on this site. There better be some good DL moments in the season finale. Or Bruckheimer will feel my wrath. I'm just sayin'.

qt4good: Sorry, the way I picture Danny's apartment (and this is probably nothing like how they showed it in the episode, I can't remember) is that there's a small hallway leading into an open kitchen/dining room/ living room area. So Lindsay couldn't see Hawkes and Flack because she stalled out in the hallway. (shrugs) Yes, the vase was humiliating for Jen, but she rallied! And he examined her arm to make sure she was okay!

scoj: Hehe. Only one more chapter now. But not to worry! This story continues in the next fic, which should be up in a couple of weeks. I want to finish the first few chapters (and decide on a title) before I start posting.

Od: Yay! I'm glad you liked the fluffy! More in the next chapter!

probysgirl: More AJ and DL in the next chapter. And then it's on to the third and final fic in this trilogy, which delves into Danny's past. (That was amazingly accurate of you, are you perhaps clairvoyant?)

daytimedrama: And here is your update. Your review actually got my butt in gear. I'd been sitting around with bits and pieces of this chapter, wondering how I was going to sew it all together and then your review pops up. And I realized that I just had to tackle it or nothing was ever going to get done. And, voila! Chapter.

berta101: I can't wait for the finale either. They have to give us DL there right? I mean, their arc was a major subplot of the season, TPTB can't just ignore it. Can they? (starts to worry)

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A.N. All right, one more chapter to go!