Chapter 19 – December 19, 2006

Lindsay woke the next morning with a cramp in her neck and leaning against something. It took her a few minutes to remember where she was and why she was curled against Danny's chest. Apparently, they'd simply fallen asleep.

"Danny," she said softly, bouncing her body in order to shake his. "Time to get up."

He groaned but opened his eyes to look down at her. "You're still here?"

"Actually, that's my question. You're in my apartment."

He grinned lazily. "No wonder it smells like you."

She wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not, but decided to take it as such. "Thank you. Now, you need to go home and get ready to go into the lab."

"You're going to have to move first, Montana," he said, the smirk obvious in his voice.

Lindsay did as he asked, pulling herself up and sitting straight against the back of the couch. "You okay to see yourself out and lock the door behind you?"

"You want me out of here that bad?"

She smiled. "I was telling the truth with what I said last night, I want to work at a relationship with you, but my back muscles are killing me and it would probably be safer that I let the water deal with the aches and pains instead of you, huh?"

He nodded, though filed that away for some other time. He stood, rolling his neck on his shoulders and wincing slightly as it cracked. "I'll see you at the lab," he said in parting, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek. He would wait to actually kiss her until she made the first move. This relationship was going to completely be done on her terms.

"I'll be there in 20 minutes. Pick up breakfast?" she asked, her eyes pleading.

There was no way he would say no and nodded with a roll of his eyes. "Yeah."

She smiled. "Thanks." Then she was skipping off to her bedroom.

They were driving to a scene that afternoon when Lindsay broke the comfortable silence. "I talked to Jordan the other day."

"Jordan?" Danny asked.

"The little girl from the Christmas pageant? The one that wanted to sing but was so afraid?"

"You talk to her?"

"Gave her my cell number at the end of the night after the ice cream. I figured if she needed any other advice on how to work with stage fright she could call."

"You talk to her often?"

"Often enough. She likes having a woman in her life I think. It's nothing against her parents but they're working to make ends meet and they're not around that often. She's smart enough to know her sister's probably not the role model she wants…"

"I get it, Linds," he said with a little bit of a laugh. "What did she say?"

"She said she'd always wanted to go to a ballet. Her dream is to see the Nutcracker."

"I'm assuming there's a reason you're brinin' this up."

Lindsay sighed. "I got tickets."

"Huh?"

"To see the Nutcracker, I have tickets. Stella said that a girlfriend had given them to her because she was going to take her sister and her sister's daughter but none of them could make it. Stella passed them on to me."

"I don't do ballets, Montana."

Lindsay sighed. She'd seen this coming and really hadn't gotten her hopes up that he'd be joining them. "I know, but Jordan asked her parents and they said she could go with me."

"So you're tellin' me you're takin' little Jordan to the Nutcracker tonight?"

Lindsay shrugged. "She wants to see it and I think it loses some of its charm when you watch it for the first time when you're older."

"You've seen it?"

"As a kid and only once. I'm sure this will be as awesome an experience for me as it will be for her. I just didn't know what to do with the third ticket."

Danny shrugged. "Sell it to a scalper when you get there," he suggested.

Lindsay laughed at the thought of her, dressed for the ballet, selling her ticket to a sketchy looking man on the street. "Are you sure you want me doing that?" His protective streak was legend and she'd take any opportunity possible to rib him about it.

His nose wrinkled. "Now that you mention it, no. Keep away from 'em scalpers."

She laughed again. "Got it. Do you think you could drop us off though? I'm sure her parents would be much more comfortable if she was travelling with someone they trusted."

"You want me to pick you up too?"

"It starts at seven so we should be done by ten at the very latest. Do you mind?"

"Nah, 'course not."

Lindsay smiled, settling back in her seat, happy and content for the time being.

Where the hell did I put my shoes! Lindsay was frantically racing through her apartment, looking through the entire apartment looking for the pair of shoes she'd set out before her shower to wear. Her dress was simple, white with a flowing skirt and gauzy sleeves. The shoes she'd chosen weren't heels, but flats. She decided they'd probably be a better bet than heels to try and keep up with Jordan.

The little girl had called half an hour earlier, just to double check that they were indeed going. Lindsay laughed and told her for the millionth time that she didn't have to work and she definitely wasn't going to cancel for anything else. The resulting squeal had Lindsay holding the phone away from her ear.

A knock came at her door and she jumped slightly in surprise. Then she groaned, she still couldn't find her damn shoes! She threw the door opened, double-checked that it was indeed Danny, then returned to racing around her apartment.

"Linds? You okay?"

"I can't find my shoes," she called back from the bedroom.

Danny glanced around the room, finding the toe of a shoe sticking out from under the coffee table. He lifted it and it's partner from under the furniture. "These shoes?"

She poked her head out the door, her eyes zeroing in on the flats he held out for her. "Thank God. I was afraid we were going to be so late picking Jordan up."

"We're good," he said, standing still as she used his shoulder to slide one shoe on. That was when she noticed his attire.

"Where are you going?" she asked, eying the suit up and down.

"To the ballet."

That took her by surprise. "I thought you said you didn't do ballets."

Danny shrugged. He'd gone home for the night – with the exception of picking up Lindsay and Jordan – and realized that spending the night alone suddenly wasn't that attractive. He'd brave the ballet for time with his Montana. "Changed my mind."

"You don't have to do this, Danny, I'm sure Stella's friend won't mind us not using that third ticket."

He held her coat open for her to shrug on and turned her to face him so he could do up the buttons. "I don't have to," he agreed, the implication obvious. "You look gorgeous, by the way."

She blushed. "Thank you, but don't change the subject. I'm not going to make you do something you don't want to, Dan."

"I want to spend time with you. If it means I have to sit through a ballet, then so be it." He had ulterior motives. There was nothing better for him than seeing her face light up, whether it was out of excitement or out of triumph.

"Danny…"

"Humour me, Montana. Let's go pick up Jordan before we really are late."

Jordan was just as surprised as Lindsay was when she found out that Danny was going to see the ballet with them, and she shrugged it off much faster than Lindsay did. She bounced the entire way through the performance, excitedly squealing softly and whispering to Lindsay. She may have been twelve in body, but the little girl sure wasn't on the inside tonight.

She was chortling happily as they sat for intermission before suddenly declaring she had to use the bathroom. Lindsay and Danny both laughed before the girls left. The old lady beside him leaned over.

"That's a beautiful family you have there," she said. "I remember the times I used to bring my daughter to see this."

"Now you don't?"

The woman shook her head sadly. "She moved away after college. She comes to visit for Christmas, but my husband and I still come to watch it. I wouldn't take what you have there for granted, young man. One day you may be in my position."

Danny smiled. "I'll keep that in mind," he promised.

Since Danny prided himself on being a gentleman, he walked Lindsay up to her apartment door.

"You know, you being there made Jordan's night," she said, digging in her purse for her keys.

"She's a good kid," he agreed. "I think you've become her hero over this little stunt, Montana."

Lindsay blushed. "She deserved it. Did you see the look on her face when those dancers came across the stage? She looked like there was no where else she wanted to be."

"You made a little girl's dream come true," he told her frankly.

She blushed harder. "I did, didn't I? Thank you for sitting through that. I know you didn't want to be there."

Danny shrugged. "Wasn't so bad and if you tell anyone I told you that, remember, I am a CSI, I can hide your body."

Lindsay laughed at his empty threat. "I won't tell a soul," she promised anyway. Then she smiled shyly. "Good night, Danny."

As he had that morning, and almost every other time they'd said goodbye, he kissed her cheek. "Good night Linds."

She played the happy woman until her door closed firmly behind her. She'd told him she was ready for a relationship, but he continued to hold back on her. She'd figured that those words would have at least earned her a kiss, but she hadn't gotten more than his goodbye kiss on the cheek. Sure, it lingered long enough for her to know she wasn't just a friend to him, but she wanted more.

Stripping down and getting into her pyjamas she flopped on to her bed with a sigh. She wanted him to make the first move, but if he didn't hurry up he wasn't going to give her much of a choice. Shaking her head, she snuggled under the covers and allowed herself to drift off.

Much like the previous chapter, this morphed into something unplanned, but I'm not against the way it turned out.

For those who are counting…. December 21st is the day Lindsay's hopes come true!

And a very heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been diligent in reviewing. Most of them brighten my day significantly, even if it's already been a bright day. Hugs to you all and Chocolate Kisses!

Oh, and how would you guys feel about me starting another story… just a short little thing, I promise! Would you be mad because that means I'm working on 3 stories at once?? Can I lure you in with the prospect of the possibility of Danny being a Daddy? And this one's not the sequel to Family Matters either. I don't believe I've finished posting that one yet….