Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

Sigh. I was so disappointed by 'Sweet Sixteen'. Is it too much to ask for them to have a conversation? Sigh. Anyways, here's another chapter in the lives of our favorite detectives. I'm just going where inspiration takes me. Thanks for all the reviews! Don't forget to let me know how you find this one. :D

Hawkes stood outside the crime lab, undecided about whether he should go in or not. Technically, he wasn't supposed to be here, cause it was his day off. He usually enjoyed days off. They were a rare blessing in a job that held no hours. It allowed him to sleep in, read, watch errands or do most of the stuff he wasn't able to do when he was on the clock.

But this afternoon, he found himself dying with boredom in his apartment. Nothing on TV was appealing, he didn't feel like reading a book, and he had finished running all his errands that morning. He jumped up, grabbed his jacket, phone and keys and went for a walk.

For an hour, he walked aimlessly around the city. He didn't have a destination in mind. He just allowed his feet to move around. Then suddenly, he found himself standing in front of the lab.

If he was going to be completely honest with himself, Hawkes knew exactly why he was there. He wanted to see Cassie. Problem was, he wasn't sure what he was going to say to her.

He knew he caught her off guard last night when he kissed her. He didn't blame her. He was caught off guard too.

He liked Cassie. He liked that she was intelligent and funny and sassy and strong-willed. He liked that she made him respond in ways that no one ever had before. She was also great company and the fact that she was beautiful was an added bonus.

Hawkes stood there for a long time, feeling like an idiot. He wasn't sure what to do. Should I go in or not? What if I see her? What do I say to her? Being confused was a relatively new experience for Hawkes. He was often the kind of guy who was sure of himself, who always knew what to do in every situation. But he had never been in a situation that involved Cassie Simmons before.

Hawkes pulled himself out of his reverie and retraced the steps back to his apartment. He didn't want to face Cassie without understanding exactly what it was that he wanted. She deserved better than that.

That same afternoon, Danny and Lindsay were holed up in their shared office, catching up on the mountain of reports and paperwork that they had accumulated in the past few weeks.

Danny groaned and pulled his glasses off, rubbing his hand across his eyes in exhaustion. "Damn. I hate paperwork."

Lindsay glanced up sympathetically and eyed her own desk with distaste. "I know." She shook her head and wondered aloud, "How in the world did we manage to not finish these many reports?"

Before Danny could answer, Marty Pino knocked on the glass doors.

The two detectives looked at each other in surprise. Shrugging in surprise, Danny raised his hand and motioned for Marty to come in.

"Hey, guys," Marty said. "Are you busy right now?"

Danny and Lindsay took one look at the papers on their desk and at each other. Both answered at the same time, "No."

Marty caught their train of thought and laughed. "I hear you guys. Listen, I'll make this quick." He looked around furtively, to make sure that no one could see them.

Danny was amused by Pino's theatrics. "What's the matter, Pino? Someone after you or something?"

Marty looked back at them and took a deep breath. "I actually need your help with something important, but it's a secret okay?"

Lindsay was intrigued. "Sure, Marty. What is it?"

Marty repeated firmly, 'I mean it. This is really, really important and I need to know that you guys won't tell anybody." He turned to Danny, "You can't tell Flack and especially Hawkes," and then he turned to Lindsay, "and you can't tell Stella, Jordan and especially Cassie."

Danny and Lindsay exchanged a look, confused by the urgency of Marty's request to keep this conversation hush-hush. Lindsay asked gently, "Why are we not allowed to tell them Marty?"

Marty snorted, "I know for a fact that there are no secrets inside this lab, especially with you guys." He started ticking off his fingers, "First, you can't tell Stella cause she has a big mouth but if you ever tell her I said that, I will deny it vehemently and find a way to hurt you guys. You can't tell Flack, cause he has a big mouth too, but you can tell him that, cause I already told him that before. You also can't tell Jordan, cause she's with Flack and we both know there are no secrets between two people who date. And you especially cannot tell Hawkes and Cassie because this is about them and if they find out that I told you two, they would kill me. Do you understand what kind of a combination that is? Cassie will find the most violent and painful way to murder me and Hawkes will help her hide the evidence. Now do you understand why you cannot tell anybody?"

The two detectives looked a bit dazed by Marty's lengthy explanation and they were silent for a moment. Then Lindsay smiled and said, "So this is about Hawkes and Cassie, huh?"

Marty nodded, "We never talked, okay?"

Lindsay nodded, "Got it."

Marty saw the smirk on Danny's face and said pointedly to Lindsay, "And this one?"

Lindsay assured him, "Don't worry. I promise you he won't tell."

Marty nodded, relieved. "Okay, so are you guys ready for this?"

At this point, Danny let out an exasperated sound, "Alright, already, Pino. Get to the point."

Marty took a deep breath and started his explanation. "Okay. See, remember how Hawkes and Cassie got into a big fight last week?" Both detectives nodded. "Well, we all know that they made up already and they're okay with each other. They get along and stuff." He quickly told them the rest of the story, explaining the strange friendship that he and Cassie had, what happened last night when Hawkes walked Cassie home and the conversation he and Cassie had earlier in the morgue. "I came here the first chance I got cause I needed help."

Danny asked, "What kind of help do you need from us?"

Marty answered quickly, "I need you to help me get them together."

Lindsay smiled, the wheels in her head already turning. "Okay. So let me get this straight. Cassie likes Hawkes." Marty nodded. "And Hawkes likes her back." Another nod from Marty. "And you need our help getting them together." She grinned widely, "Awesome."

Danny interjected, "Hawkes kissed her?"

Marty nodded again.

Danny let out a whistle. "Wow! This is huge. In the time that I've known him, Hawkes has never so much as looked twice at a girl. He doesn't even go out much and he mostly spends his time alone."

Marty agreed emphatically. "Exactly. Which is how I knew that he really should get together with Cassie."

Lindsay smiled again, "Sounds do-able. Since they like each other already, we just need to give them a push in the right direction. Make sure they spend a lot of time together, right?"

Danny and Marty nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Marty looked at both of them gratefully. "Thanks, guys. I'll help on the Cassie end and you guys get Hawkes, okay?"

Danny answered, "Gotcha, Pino."

Marty turned back one last time and warned them again, "Don't –"

Lindsay and Danny chorused, " – tell anyone." They laughed and Lindsay said, "We know, Marty. Now get back to work."

Marty chuckled and headed back down to the morgue.

After the Carl Meyers incident, word got around the station house that Jordan Addison was dating Don Flack. It wasn't such a big deal if two cops who were partners were seeing each other. Hell, it's happened before. Having a partner meant literally trusting a person with your life, which makes it easy for them to jump from a working relationship to something else. It was also difficult to spend most of your time with a person of the opposite sex without developing feelings for each other. So it was hardly a surprise when Flack and Jordan decided to start seeing each other.

Still, Flack and Jordan got the customary talk from Chief Roberts. The talk was similar to what Danny and Lindsay got from Mac. Keep it professional while on the clock, whatever you do in your own time is no one's business.

Flack and Jordan nodded their heads like the good cops they were. What Chief Roberts was saying was not different from the agreement they had between them. They assured him that they would do their best and that they wouldn't let their relationship get in the way of their jobs. Chief Roberts wished them both the best and sent them back to work.

It didn't stop the rest of the people in the station from teasing them about it. Since Jordan had been at the job for less than a week, many people had yet to meet the woman who managed to snag one of the most wanted guys in the NYPD.

By the end of the day, Jordan had heard so many teasing remarks that she was glad when the time came for her and Don to go home. She was a bit quiet as they walked down to the parking garage.

Flack noticed her unusual silence. Jordan wasn't a talkative person by nature, but he sensed that she was thinking about something. As they drove to his apartment, he slid a glance at her and said, "Something on your mind?"

Jordan looked at him for a moment and then shook her head. "No, I'm alright."

Flack said quietly, "It's okay you know, if you wanna talk to me about what's bothering you."

Jordan sighed and smiled slightly. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just a little overwhelmed by all the attention we got today."

"Is it making you uncomfortable?" Flack asked uncertainly.

Jordan smiled at him reassuringly. "I'm okay. I guess I just need to get used to it. I never really knew that seeing my partner could be such a big deal for some people."

Flack sighed in relief. This was something that can be fixed. "Don't worry," he said, reaching for her hand. "It'll die down in a while. You know how people are."

"Yeah," she agreed. Switching topics, she asked him, "So what are in the mood for tonight?"

Flack thought for a minute. "No preference, really. I just want to spend time with you, I guess."

Jordan teased him, "Don, we've been together the whole day."

Flack answered, "I've been wondering about that. Does it bother you that we're together all the time?"

Jordan looked at him. "Why? Does it bother you?"

He shrugged. "Not really. Cause when we're together at work, it's work, y'know? I'm with my partner, not my girlfriend so it's different."

Jordan was secretly relieved. Although they only started seeing each other, she did worry about how Don would feel about being with her all the time. She didn't want him to feel too crowded or tied down. "Same for me, I guess. When we're on the clock, it's all about work." She fiddled with her seatbelt and added, "But, you know, anytime you want to go and hang out with Danny and the other guys, it's okay."

Flack smiled at her and said, "You getting rid of me already?"

Jordan laughed, "You know what I mean."

Flack laughed with her and answered, "Yeah, I do. Same goes for you. You need girl time, just let me know and I'll even call Lindsay and Stella and Cassie for you." He reached out across the car to pull her closer.

She readily slid across the bench seat of the SUV and snuggled up to him as he drove. She traced her finger lightly on the muscles of his strong thigh, which flexed repeatedly as he drove. "So what are you in the mood for tonight?"

Flack looked down at her with a glint in his blue eyes, "Lady, you don't wanna know what I'm in the mood for right now."

Jordan blushed and retorted, "I meant food."

Flack laughed and said, "Oh! Food. Yeah, that." He thought for a moment and said, "How about I make you dinner?"

Jordan looked up at him in surprise. "You cook?"

Flack nodded proudly. "Yeah. I pop something in the microwave and it comes out all nice and delicious."

Jordan burst out laughing and said, "Alright, so it's pizza, then."

Flack laughed with her and said, "Sounds good."

By seven in the evening, Danny and Lindsay still hadn't left the lab. They made an agreement during lunch that they would get rid of all the paperwork cluttering their desk before the day ended and they were sticking to that promise.

They decided to order a pizza for dinner. They both figured that they would be there for a while and they were both hungry. At seven-fifteen, their pizza came and they went to the break room to eat. They ate enthusiastically, talking about the work they did for the day.

After demolishing the pizza, they sat comfortably on one of the couches in the break room, with Lindsay's feet curled into Danny's lap.

Lindsay set down her soda can on the floor and shifted position on the couch so that she was sheltered under Danny's arm. "How's your progress on those reports?" she asked, tilting her head to look into his tired blue eyes.

Danny smiled down at her. God, he loved her so much. She was the only one who could make staying in the crime lab to do reports remotely worth it. The only thing that kept him going that entire afternoon of slogging through paper was the thought that they would get to go home together that night. He answered, "I'm nearing the end. Just two more forms to go. How 'bout you?"

Lindsay said, "I finished the last before the pizza came." She slid him a teasing grin, "Just waiting on you."

He laughed as he remembered the time when she said the exact same words to him, back when they were racing with each other to analyze a piece of evidence and she beat him to it. He kissed her softly, "You don't have to wait for me, you know."

Lindsay pulled herself up so that she could wind her arms around his neck and kissed him back. "I know, Messer. It's just that it gets awfully lonely in the apartment without you."

Danny laughed, a warm feeling of contentment passing through his very bones. "Well, why don't you help me with the last two forms so we can get out of here?"

At that moment, one of the night shifters came in and saw them cuddling on the couch. She laughed and said teasingly, "God! Get a room, you two! You're at work!" She waved and walked out of the break room.

Danny called after her, "Just so you know, we're off the clock already."

Lindsay smothered a grin and got up. She turned back to grasp his hands and pull him back to their office. "C'mon, Messer. I'll help you with those forms so we can go home."

Danny got up and placed his arm around her shoulders. He asked, "Home to your place or home to mine?"

Lindsay thought for a moment, "We stayed over at my place last night."

Danny nodded his head and said, "Right, so I guess it's my place for tonight."

As they entered their office, Danny casually said, "Linds, I've been thinking."

Lindsay stopped and turned to him. This must be serious. He never calls me by my name unless it is. She placed her hand on his arm and asked, "What is it, Danny?"

Danny shuffled his feet and mumbled, "Why don't you just move into my place?"

Lindsay wasn't sure she heard him correctly, "What?"

Danny immediately backed off. "You don't have to, if you don't want." He started babbling, "It's just that we pretty much spend the night at each other's place every day and every day there's one apartment that's just useless but it's okay if you don't want to and you probably think it's too soon, but I kinda like the idea of us living together, but like I said if you don't want to it's okay, well, there…" He trailed off, looking at her uncertainly.

Lindsay couldn't help it. She laughed at the expression on his face and slipped into his arms, hugging him tightly. She pulled away after a moment and looked into his eyes, which were now very confused.

She teased him, "So you want me to move in with you?"

Danny looked tentatively at her and said, "Only if you want to."

Lindsay asked him, "Are you sure, Danny? This is a pretty big step for us."

Danny took a deep breath and said, "Well, if you're not ready for it, then it's okay with me. But I'd like it if you would move in with me."

Lindsay smiled lovingly at him and said, "You said that four times already."

Danny looked back at her in bewilderment, "I'm not quite following you, Montana."

Lindsay grinned at him and said, "You told me four times that it's okay if I don't want to."

Danny frowned. "Oh."

Lindsay grinned again and said, "What if I want to, is that okay, too?"

Danny broke out into his usual cocky grin, "Definitely."

Lindsay laughed and pulled his head down for a kiss. "Let's do it then."

Danny hugged her tightly and said, "I love you, Montana."

Lindsay whispered against his neck. "I love you too, Danny."

They managed to finish their reports on time and leave the lab in another half an hour. As they walked home, Lindsay asked Danny, "By the way, how come I'm moving into yours and you're not moving into mine?"

Danny, as always, had a practical answer to her question. "Well, for one thing, my place is much closer to work. Plus, we don't have to pay for rent cause the apartment is paid for already, so we get to save a lot of money since we're only paying for utilities and stuff."

Lindsay stopped and stared at him, "You own your apartment?"

Danny shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I try not to advertise it. My dad actually bought the apartment for me when I turned legal. Despite what people say, he was always happy that I didn't go into the family business. He always told me that in his time, he had no choice cause that's the way of life back then. So, when I graduated from the academy, he bought me this apartment, to get me out of the old neighborhood."

Lindsay slipped an arm around his waist as they resumed walking and looked up at him, "I guess there's so much I don't know about you, especially about your family."

Danny smiled at her and said, "Don't worry, Montana. I'll tell you more about them soon. Don't want to scare you off just yet."

Lindsay laughed and said, "Hey, I'm not going anywhere."

Danny tightened his arm around her and said, "Good. I kinda like having you around."

They were back at his place in another fifteen minutes. Danny tossed his keys on the counter, checked the mail and then followed Lindsay into the bedroom. She was already in the bathroom getting ready for bed.

By the time she came out, she was wearing one of his shorts and her tank top, looking absolutely delicious. Danny hurriedly took his turn in the bathroom, emerging in nothing but boxer shorts. Lindsay was already in bed, waiting for him.

He lifted the covers and slid in beside her. He reached out for her and she came to him willingly, fitting the contours of her body to his. He stroked her bare arm as she drew invisible tattoos on his bare chest.

Then Danny leaned up and propped himself up on one elbow so he could look down at her. "I got a great idea, Montana." He was smiling wickedly.

Lindsay looked at him, intrigued. "What?"

Danny explained excitedly, "See, I'm thinking, this is a great time to get back at Flack for making us help Jordan move in."

Lindsay followed his line of thought and laughed as she said, "Alright, tomorrow, you find out when his day off is and I'll ask Jordan to help us so that he can't say no."

Danny grinned smugly and said, "Great." He leaned down to kiss Lindsay goodnight and soon, he forgot about everything else.

Well, this is it for tonight. I'll have more by tomorrow. :D How did you like this one? No Hawkes/Cassie interaction just yet. Hawkes is still trying to figure out what he wants. Please don't forget to review:D Thanks and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :D