A/N: I had couple of questions from the last chapter so I thought I'd address them here. How did Linda and Jerry get out of prision? and How did Linda inherit the money from Hunter Hudson's will when she murdered him? The answer to both questions is this: Loophole. :) Thanks again to everyone who has taken the time to read and review. Now onto chapter 9!
A Bullet for Danny: Bitterroot
10 Days Later...
Lindsay walked down the corridor of the hospital carrying a bitterroot plant. Bitterroot was the state flower of Montana. Yes, It seemed a little a hokey she'd initially thought but then the more she thought about, the more it described her relationship with Danny. Bittersweet.
The fact that Danny was alive and well should have overjoyed her, but the thought of Louie's arrest made it seem selfish in the grand scheme of things.
Rounding the corner, she saw a guard posted outside of Danny's door. The man looked like secret service on steroids. A guard? Why would Danny need a guard posted at the door. He wasn't in danger anymore she reminded herself. One thing was certain the man wasn't from the NYPD.
"Who are you?" the man asked when Lindsay attempted to breeze past him. The first thing Lindsay noticed was his accent, it was thick and Italian. Now it made sense, the man was part of the surveillance team that Danny had been forced to live under as a child. Carmine and Mona Messer obviously had taken Danny's return from the dead to heart and were sparing no costs at using their mafia-influenced clout.
"Detective Lindsay Monroe from NY Crime lab"
"Crime lab" the man murmured, pressing a walkie-talkie to his lips. Lindsay was quick to notice that he spoke Italian, as did the unfamiliar voice that spoke back. It was Italian and female.
"Okay" the man, replied resting the walkie-talkie at his side, "Sorry, Danny's not taking visitors right now"
Not taking visitors? Lindsay's eyes narrowed, "I find that hard to believe". She knew Danny was devastated over Louie's possibility of going to prison but the idea that he wouldn't want to see her seemed ludicrous.
"Doesn't matter what you believe," the man shrugged, "But if you leave the plant, I'll make sure he gets it"
"Thanks, but I'll deliver it myself" Foolishly, Lindsay tried to side step the man and ended up in a stronghold. The man's hand was wrapped tightly around her upper arm, cutting the circulation.
"I told you, Danny ain't takin' visitors right now. If you seriously want to talk to him I suggest you try his cell"
"And I suggest you let me go before I run you in for assault" Lindsay's brown irises flashed fire as she purposely pulled back her denim jacket to reveal a shiny badge hanging from her belt.
"Let the lady pass, Angelo" A man in his early sixties appeared carrying a large cup of coffee. "Forgive my associate" he apologized, "He is just trying to protect my son". The man then wiped his hand on his tan colored trousers and extended it forward. "Carmine Messer, and you are-"
"Lindsay, Lindsay Monroe" Lindsay said letting a small smile roll to her lips, "I work with Danny"
Carmine looked at her for several moments contemplating, "You aren't from New York, are you?"
"Montana" Lindsay stated simply, "I moved here about this time last year"
"Montana" the older Messer replied, "Nice place but I wouldn't want to visit there"
Lindsay looked miffed as he opened the door motioning her inside. She had taken exactly two steps when she heard Danny murmur something about Louie being a dead man. The unmistakable sound a hand meeting the sensitive skin of Danny's left cheek followed.
"Don't you ever talk about brother that way! " Mona Messer thundered pointing a finger at her ailing son. "You should go to confession for even thinking that!" Lindsay knew that Danny had grown up in a traditional Italian-Mafia home and was used to having it rough, but seeing his own mother strike him was unnerving.
Mona Messer was a small woman with golden blonde hair making Lindsay assume that she was one to give Danny his sunlight locks and smart aleck style disposition.
Lindsay looked back to the older Messer and gave him an uncomfortable glance. Instantly Carmine cleared his throat. "Dear, Danny has company"
"Company? I thought we said no visitors, my Daniel needs his rest" Mona Messer was a prim as they came if there someone who fit the bill of Mafia princess she was it straight down to her Bronx style accent. She reminded Lindsay a lot of Doris Roberts only not as fat.
"Mom, this is Lindsay she works at the lab" Danny interjected rubbing the sore spot on his cheek.
"You brought my Danny flowers," Mona sniffed zeroing in on the plant in Lindsay's hands.
"It's a bitterroot," Lindsay said awkwardly extending her arms to woman so that Mona could see the plant.
"A bitterroot" Mona repeated testing out the phrase, "Put it over there".
Crossing in the direction that Mona had motioned Lindsay set the plant on the windowsill.
Now that she was past Mona she had a good look at Danny. Thick shaving cream covered the right side of his face. The left side, the one that Mona had so harshly slapped was clean-shaven.
He looked different than the last time she'd seen him. Healthier, she thought. There was more color in his cheeks and when he had spoke his voice sounded almost normal. The sight of his left arm being immobilized caused her to worry. Danny's left arm was in a sling and tapped tightly to his chest, presumably to keep him from moving his shoulder and jarring the spot above his collarbone where he'd been shot.
"Hi" she said shyly feeling embarrassed under the watchful eye of his parents.
"Hi" Danny replied quietly staring up at his mother through the top of his glasses.
Mona stared back heatedly until Carmine's hand fell to her shoulders. "Let's go down to the gift shop for a bit and grab a snack," he suggested sensing that his son might want some alone time with his visitor.
"But I haven't finished giving Danny his shave" Momma Messer started to protest.
"Let Lindsay do it, I'm sure that she's more than capable" With that Carmine Messer steered his wife out of the room leaving Danny and Lindsay to stare at one another.
"Welcome to Meet the Messer's. It's just like meet the parents except I'm Ben Stiller ten times over" Danny quipped watching Lindsay smile.
"S'okay, Danny. Everyone has parents, trust me"
"Not like mine" He shook his head.
Danny's gaze followed her hand as she reached for the hand razor and hand towel that his mother had left on the bedside tray
"Oh…no…Montana. Don't you even think it" he swallowed, "Nobody shaves me except-"
"Your Mother?" Lindsay finished feeling like she had the upper hand. She couldn't pinpoint it exactly but there was something about seeing Danny squirm just a bit that made her brave, not in a courageous way but in a flirtatious one.
"Oh, C'mon don't tell me that Danny Messer has never been shaved by a woman" she giggled secretly pleased over the fact that Danny was raising a curious eyebrow.
"Only my Mother" he swallowed titling back his head so that Lindsay could run the razor along the underside of his chin. "You sure you know what you're doing with that thing?"
Gently she pressed the blade of the razor to his skin and lightly pulled it across his chiseled jawbone. "I promise, it won't hurt….much"
"Watch it Montana there may come a time when you'll live to regret this"
"Somehow I doubt that" Lindsay thought secretly keeping her eyes focused on the clean path the razor was creating on Danny's face and tenderly started pulling the blade upward towards his cheek.
"I thought you said you've never done this before" Danny piped relaxing against the fluffily pillow that his Mother had brought from his apartment.
"I haven't-" Her mouth formed the perfect "O" as she felt Danny hissed. A small dot of blood was starting to form on his cheek from where she had just cut him. "I am so sorry" she stammered plucking a handful of tissues from the container next to the bed.
"One tissue, Montana just one" Danny touched the side of his face where Lindsay had cut him and drew away a small speck of blood.
"Okay" Lindsay tore off a small section of the tissue and swooped in close to Danny's face. She was so close that she could feel his breath on her own cheek. Gingerly she pressed the tissue to his injured cheek and then turned her gaze to his lips, staring at them hard.
Her insides wanted to kiss him, screamed in fact. Sucking in her bottom lip she bit it before moving in closer. Her lips were almost on top of his when Danny turned his head pulling back.
"That's not such a good idea right now with everything that's going on with Louie and all" he said weakly gauging Lindsay's expression as she straightened.
"Right of course" She supposed she deserved though after the way she'd given the brush off after the Holly case. Lindsay tucked a strand of hair behind one ear. She wouldn't tell him aloud but once again she felt like an ass. The first time she'd tried to kiss him he'd been delirious and in pain but this time he was down right rejecting it.
It's Louie he needed space she told herself refusing to believe the possibility that his feelings for her may have changed. Sighing she blew out a tense breath willing the blood to stop flowing to her face. "I need to get back to the lab, we're working a double" she said lamely as she started to scoot out towards the doors. "Stella and Flack said they'd be by to see you later"
"Lindsay" he called after her unsuccessfully. "Lindsay!"
"So how's Detective Angell?' Stella was leaning over a microscope when Flack came up behind her looking over her shoulder.
"On temporary suspension"
"I meant physically" Stella lifted her head and looked at the handsome detective.
"Oh fine she was discharged a couple days ago with just some cuts and bruises nothing serious, but uh speaking of discharge isn't Danny going home today?"
Stella looked back down at her microscope and started to fiddle with the lens, "Tomorrow I think but you can Lindsay she just came from there"
Don nodded and started across the room to wear Lindsay had her hands swarming through a large pile of confetti like substance. "Hey Lindsay how's Danny, I've been meaning to go by and see him but work's just got me swamped."
Lindsay tore her eyes away from the colorful material she been dissecting and gave Flack her most serious demeanor, "I really don't know you'll have to ask his bodyguard or better yet his Mother"
Flack snorted loudly, "I take it you've met Mama Messer then?"
"Met her?" Lindsay repeated, "the woman looked like she was ready to eat me for lunch"
"Don't take it personally" Flack told her, "She's just being protective and given the fact that Danny was nearly killed and Louie is on his way to prison, she has a reason be"
"Does the whole world revolve around Louie now?" Lindsay tossed the tweezers she'd been holding into the pan and let loose. But as soon as the words left her lips she knew they were wrong.
Flack looked shocked and Stella was glaring from where she had raised up from her microscope.
"I'm sorry" Lindsay sighed pursing her lips as she tore off her latex gloves and stormed from the room, "I want to help Danny get through this but I just don't know how"
"I'll go after her," Flack offered quickly finding himself in a trot. "Lindsay wait up!"
Lindsay stopped abruptly and protectively covered her arms over her chest. "What?"
"Look" Flack began placing his hands on his hips, "Us guys we don't like to be coddled, especially if our Mother's happening to swarming around. It kind of puts a damper on our tough guy image"
Lindsay smiled softly trying to restrain a giggle.
"Just give Danny sometime and I'm sure he'll comeback when he's ready" Flack said trying to play the part of big brother.
"Right" Lindsay nodded.
Later that evening Lindsay sat criss-cross on her bed painting her toenails. She was almost finished with the last little toe when her landline started to ring. Craning her neck, she stretched to see the words Queen's Memorial running across the caller I.D. She was half-tempted to answer it but then thought better of the idea and waited for the recorder to pick it.
"Hey Lindsay it's Danny if you're there, pick up"
Nope, Lindsay thought staring at the phone content to just listen. She heard Danny let out sigh before he continued to speak
"Okay, well then I just wanted to say thanks for the plant. I don't think anyone's ever given me a bitterroot before and it's really quite touching"
Lindsay started to laugh as she pictured Danny staring at the long pink spiky petals. She wondered if he knew that in some parts of Montana the bitterroot was considered a delicacy.
She started to reach for the phone when she heard him say something that made her heart stop.
"Anyways, there's something I forgot to tell you that night you helped bring Louie to the hospital". Another long paused followed and Lindsay heard him clear his throat as if he were gathering the courage to form words. "This isn't really something you should say to someone over the phone, least not the first anyway but…. I love you too"
"He loves me?" Lindsay murmured still staring at the phone as the sound of a dial tone buzzed in the background.