The usual disclosures apply. Thanks for all of the feedback thus far. Angst won't be sticking around for long, I promise. ;)

30 Minutes Later

At only 8 am, it was looking to be another terribly dull day. Danny stepped off the elevator with an enormous yawn, stretching his arms high above his head. Things had been slow in the crime lab lately; apparently criminals didn't care for the cold. This left him bored and restless, and in this state of idle, he concocted a plan.

This plan involved the one person who could always, without fail, add a spark to his drab workday. He was going to ask Lindsay out to lunch: his treat, and this time he wasn't taking no for an answer. It might be the only opportunity for them to share some one-on-one time for awhile. Although he didn't know exactly when, or why, he knew she was going back to Montana for a brief time. All he wanted was to show her his support and friendship; nothing more, nothing less. Beyond the reassurances and casual façade she had put up lately, Danny knew Lindsay was troubled. She would need lots of strength in the coming weeks, and he happened to have a little gift that might help her achieve that. He was going to give her his dog tags – those medallions he wore day after day, providing him with a sense of security and fortitude. What could be more fitting than to give her those objects he carried so close to his heart, as a subtle reminder of her own similar place in his life?

And after all, what harm could a little lunch do? Maybe he could even get her to relax around him – friend to friend, they could chat over a nice meal together. Danny smiled to himself as he strode down the hall. Yes, he would manage to lasso her, like the cowboy she always said he was. The thought put a spring in his formerly sluggish step, and he began to whistle softly.

Unfortunately, though, lunchtime was still hours away. For now, Danny headed off to retrieve his lab coat and then get to work. He could hope for a noontime break with Lindsay, but this morning was going to be spent pouring over hair and soil samples, analyzing data and scouring print outs.

Upon arriving in the locker room, he noticed that his locker door was slightly ajar. The damn lock always caught, and if you didn't push up just so while slamming it shut, it wouldn't close correctly. He knew that when he had left the evening before, the door was firmly closed So who had been in his locker? His mind reeled with possibilities, although he was hardly concerned about it. Maybe it was Adam playing a practical joke, or Hawkes leaving a note about their case. Probably no big deal, he thought, though he remained curious.

Peering in, he saw nothing out of place. Even his handball gloves were exactly as he had left them last Friday after the impromptu game in the alley with Flack. There was his lab coat, and every other mundane item he stored there. Nothing was new… except for a small cassette tape resting on the shelf. He picked it up for a closer look, and written on the label was his name.

In Lindsay's handwriting.

Danny bit his lip in confusion. They hadn't worked on the same case in weeks, so this most likely wasn't anything job related. She had obviously come into the men's locker room the night before or early that morning in order to plant it. His eyes widened as the revelation hit him: this tape was important. Ignoring the gnawing sense of anxiety that was growing in the pit of his stomach, he pocketed the tape and headed for the AV lab. She had likely used one of the small tape players to record her message, and he would need one to play it back.

Once there, he quickly scanned the names on the sign-out sheet to see who had borrowed the recorders. Sure enough, there she was: Lindsay Monroe. Today's date. Out: 7:31am. Returned: 8:04am. She had stood in this very spot just thirty minutes before. Considering the time involved, it occurred to him that whatever was on this tape had taken her quite awhile to record. The tapes themselves only held about ten minutes. So unless she had walked on her hands, backwards, to the AV lab, those twenty-three extra minutes must have been spent thinking or practicing. This was a significant matter.

Danny scrawled his own signature down on the clipboard and snapped up one of the devices, his anxiety growing. Now he just needed to find a quiet, private place to listen. The locker room was not a good choice; people were filing in for the day and would be going in and out continuously for another hour or so. His so-called office wouldn't allow him any solitude; Mac would be stopping in without fail. There was not a single place in the lab that would work – he needed to get out of there.

The very instant the idea popped into his head, his feet were moving, carrying him back to the elevator he had exited only minute ago. He pressed the button to take him to the basement; the building's garage where all the department vehicles were housed. Danny selected the usual black SUV with tinted windows and hopped in the drivers seat. Instead of putting the keys in the ignition, he extracted the tape recorder and mini cassette from his pocket. He wasn't going anywhere right now.

There was almost an eerie quiet down in the garage, with only occasional footsteps or the echo of a voice punctuating the silence. He popped the tape into the slot, but then his courage failed him. He rested his head against the steering wheel, wondering what this could possibly be about. Was she leaving? Had she already gone? What if she wasn't coming back? Was she in some kind of trouble? Or, dare he hope that she had confessed her feelings… the feelings he knew, without a doubt, that she had for him? The same ones he had for her, though he believed his were to the nth degree compared to hers. She possessed his mind completely, and he sure didn't mind, even if she just left him confused and befuddled. What the hell was this tape about?

There was only one way to find out.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered, and pressed 'play'. Sure enough, Lindsay's voice began to fill the small, dark space of the truck's cabin. Her voice always had a way of making his heart jump, and this morning was no exception.

"By the time you hear this, I'll be on my way to Montana…"

Up next: 1 Hour Later. And yes, you'll hear more of the tape later. )