"Here," Danny whispered to Lindsay, as he handed her a bottle of water. "It's been a while since either of us have drink any thing."
"Thanks," Lindsay said, as she took the water from him. "So how far did the others get?" Danny shrugged as he sank down next to her, resting his back on the desk. "You look beat?"
"Just tired, that's all." He quickly looked up at the sound of footsteps coming towards them and they both looked up to see Hawkes standing over them. "Hey, Hawkes. How ya doing?"
"Good," he replied, as he looked down at his fellow CSIs. "I just came over to check out on you guys. You look beat."
"Yeah, we kinda are, but we'll be okay. What can we do to help?"
"Well, we are just about to call it a day. We're going to start processing the evidence from inside the vault in the morning and start tracking down Stan's buddies. Mac wants you guys to go home and get some sleep. He doesn't want to see you in the lab unless you guys gets some sleep."
"Sounds good enough for me," Lindsay said, as she looked up at them. "What time is it any ways?"
"Around seven," Hawkes said, as he looked around.
"Seven," both said, as they looked out to see that there was still light out. "You have got to be kidding us. It felt like it was still longer in that vault."
"Go home," Mac said, as he came up to their sides. "Eat some food, sleep, and we'll see you both back in the lab bright and early. This is your case. So you'll get to help solve it."
"Like why the boxes were smoking and caught fire," Lindsay said, as Danny and Hawkes helped her to her feet. "Don't get me wrong, that was cool to watch, but it was kinda scary to be in there."
"I bet it was," Hawkes whispered, as he looked over at them. "Come on, we'll get you guys home."
"Home, sounds good. Food sounds even better."
"Good, let's get you home and get some food into you, before you pass out."
"I won't pass out." She teetered on her feet and Danny caught her arm before she fell. "Okay, maybe a little."
"You guys have been up way too long without any food in your system with little oxygen and no water. We're going to have you guys checked out first before you can go home."
"Oh, great," Danny muttered, as he looked over to see the paramedics coming towards them. "More needles."
"There not that bad," Lindsay whispered to him, as the paramedics began to check them over. "They probably won't need to take any blood from us." She winced when the paramedic touched her wound. "It's okay, just a wound." He quickly lifted up her shirt to check her wound. "It's okay."
"You sure?" he asked her, as he looked up at her. "Cause we don't want you to be in pain."
"Yeah, I'm fine," Lindsay replied, as she brushed his hands away. "I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, she'll be okay," Danny said, as he came up behind Lindsay and put a hand on her shoulder. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah, I'm ready. Been ready for hours." She then turned and followed him and Hawkes to the door. "So homeward?"
"Yep." Danny held the door open for her and she stepped outside. She shot a glance back inside the bank to see Mac go up to talk to Stella. "Hey, it's okay." Danny gently grabbed her arm and pulled her attention back to him. "They'll call us if they need us. But right now, all we would do for them is burden them. We're exhausted from the stress of being locked in the vault. We'll be better tomorrow after a full night sleep. Mac said that this case is still ours. So we'll be able to work on the evidence and do all the stuff we normally do."
"I know, it's just something we normally do." She leaned up against him, as a wave of fatigue went through went through her body. "Okay, so home."
"Sounds about right," Hawkes said, as he hailed a cab. "Let's get you two home. Do you guys need me to take you home or do you think you guys can get each other home?"
"I'll get her home, Hawkes," Danny answered, as he shot his friend a smile. "I promise. Then if I can remember where I live, I'll get myself home."
"You two be safe," Hawkes called to them, as they slid into the back seat of the cab, and he leaned into the cab and gave the driver Lindsay's address. "See you tomorrow." He then shut the door and the cab took off for Lindsay's apartment. Hawkes then smiled to himself as he watched them go. "Let's hope they have a good night." He then turned and went back into the bank.
"Ow," Lindsay whispered, as she leaned up against Danny's shoulder, as she pressed her hand against her wound, causing Danny to glance down at her.
"I thought you said it was okay?" he whispered, as he gently pulled her hand aside to see faint blood on it. "Linds?"
"It's just bleeding, that's all. If I had made a big deal about it, then Mac would have sent me to the hospital and we wouldn't have been able to work on the case."
"Lindsay, if you're more injured that what we thought, you could be in serious danger."
"I'm find. I just need to change my bandage and get some sleep." She sat back on the seat and looked out the window. "We need to solve this case."
Danny let out a sigh when he realized that she wasn't going to let anything get in her way of not solving this case. "Fine, we'll check it once we get to your place." The cab slowed to a stop and he looked out the window. "And it looks like we're here. Come on." He quickly paid the driver and they soon were out in front of the complex. "LInds?" He grabbed her arm when she didn't answer him and she jumped. "You all right?"
"Yeah, just sleepy, that's all," she responded as she got her keys out and opened the door. "Come on. It's cold out here. Plus I'm sure you're hungry, and I've got food."
"Ah, food, how can I resist." Danny smirked as he followed her inside. Inside her apartment, she quickly shed her coat and quickly went into the kitchen. "Linds?"
"I'm just getting something to drink," she replied as she came back with a couple of bottle of water. "Sorry, got a little thirsty."
"Hey, come here." Danny came up and took the bottles from her hands and she quickly looked up at him. "You're about ready to drop. You're shaking. Come on. Let's get some food into you and then put you to bed."
"Food does sound good." She took a step back towards the kitchen only to stumble and she crashed into Danny. "Sorry."
"It's okay." He slid an arm around her waist and held her. "It's been a long day for the both of us. Why don't you go and get ready for bed. I'll fix us something to eat."
"You'd do that?" she asked, as she looked up at him.
"Yeah, go on. Just don't expect a full seven course meal." She shot him a smile, as she headed down the hall towards her bedroom. "Okay, Messer, now what do you know how to cook?"
Lindsay took a quick shower and switched into a pair of loose jeans and a black t-shirt, under a University of Montana Sweatshirt when a loud noise came from the kitchen. She padded barefoot towards the kitchen to find Danny holding his hand under running water. "You okay?" she asked, causing him to turn to look up at her. He shot her a smirk. "You know how to cook right?"
"Yeah," he said, as he came up to her side. "It's just that I'm tired and I figured that I fried my hand first before picking up the pot."
"Smart, Messer," she replied, as she moved past him and peered into the pot. "Ah, mac'n'cheese, very yummy."
"It's quick and easy." Danny closed his eyes and quickly opened them. "And you have to remember, I'm tired, and I don't know your kitchen."
I'm not judging. It's food and it's not burned. I give you points." She then moved closer to him and placed a hand on his chest. "Most men I know, can't cook. They tend to live on take out."
"Not me, I can cook, but not when my brain is screaming at me to crash."
"You should go home, Danny, and get some sleep."
"I will, as soon as I'm sure you're okay." He gazed down at her. "You changed your bandage."
"Yes, dad," she smirked. "I did. Come on, let's eat before it gets cold. Then we can sleep. So that we can go to the lab tomorrow and catch the bad guys."
"Sounds like a great plan, but first I got another plan." Danny lowered his head and gently kissed her. Lindsay's hands went to his chest and he slowly broke it off. "Just for a thought. Come on, let's eat, so I can go and get some sleep."
"Yeah, let's do that." They eat in silence and then she escorted him to the door. "Are you sure you can make it home okay?"
"Yeah, I'm a grown boy, 'mom' I'm sure I can make it by myself," he teased as he turned to look at her. "But I do have to say that it was fun being trapped in the vault with you. I don't think it would have been as much fun with Flack or anyone else."
"Even when I panicked?" she asked, as she began to fiddled with the bottom of her sweatshirt.
"Yeah, even when you panicked, 'cause that gave me a reason to do this." He reached out, tipped back her head, and gently kissed her. "Have a good night, Linds. I'll see you bright and early at the lab. You better not be late."
"I won't." Then he was gone. Lindsay shut the door and locked it. She leaned against it for a few seconds and smiled, before heading off to bed. She was exhausted beyond belief. The moment her head hit the pillows she was out.
Danny hailed a cab and went headed home. By the time he was home, he was home, he was asleep. He entered his apartment, locked the door behind him, and fell asleep on the couch, not caring where he was sleeping, only that he was sleeping and that he was out of the vault.
TBC
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