DISCLAIMERS: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and the wonderful writers for CSI: NY. Any resemblance to scenes from the episodes is included for clarity and continuity and I do not claim any of those as my own work. However everything else is mine.

The Date

Lindsay decided to treat herself and take a taxi to work. She wanted the quiet time to think even though a taxi wasn't the quietest place it was still quieter than the subway. She hailed one not far from her building and sank back into the seat after giving the driver the address of the crime lab. So much had changed in the last couple of days. Before then, even though she had been extremely attracted to Danny, she didn't think she'd ever have the nerve to actually 'be' with him. He was so handsome, self-assured, vibrant, alive and experienced. She felt so naive and girlish around him most of the time. That's why she subconsciously pushed herself in the lab, to show him that she could be on par with him at least in one area. But after the last two nights, she felt very comfortable and confident about being with him. It may not work out in the end that was always a given at the start of any relationship but she felt they had a good start and she was very excited to see it through. Oh and this morning, her body burned and her stomach fluttered when she recalled how she had kissed him first and he had responded, how his hands felt on her body and the things he said to her. It was all so amazing and exciting. She could hardly wait until tonight. All too soon she was at the crime lab and back into the work world.

The first order of business was the meeting with the departmental psychiatrist. It was as Danny said, merely routine. In fact she wondered if she weren't a little too bright and cheery for someone who had been in a bomb blast just two days ago. But the meeting went well and she was confident when she left that no follow up visits would be required.

She headed to her office to do paperwork until she was called out on a case with Hawkes and Stella. As she and Hawkes processed the double murder which looked on first glance as a murder-suicide she had to focus to keep her mind on the processing. Finally they had gathered all the evidence and headed back to the lab to begin analyses and fingerprinting. While she was waiting on test results she went to the break room to get a quick bite to eat. It was already 2:00. As she was leaving, her cell rang. It was Danny.

"Hello"

"Hey, how are you faring without me there to watch your back?" Danny said with a chuckle.

She laughed. "Is this a trick question, Messer?"

"Just answer the question m'am and no one will get hurt,' he replied in mock seriousness.

"Well in all seriousness, I'm probably faring better than if you were here."

"Ouch that hurts Montana."

"Just being honest. I'd hate to be totally distracted by you and miss a key piece of evidence."

"Hmmm… that's a big compliment coming from you Montana."

"Danny" she paused because she didn't know if she should say what she was thinking but she decided to go for it. "I miss you."

"I know. I miss you too. Hey I'll pick you up at 6:30 for dinner. Wear something nice. We're going to a really nice place."

She giggled. "Okay, I'll see you tonight."

"Bye,"

The day could not pass fast enough. When she finished for the day she sprinted for the subway. Her cell rang as she was going through the turnstile. She answered it quickly without looking at caller id.

"Montana"

"Hey Danny"

"Listen something last minute came up at the hospital with Louie. I have to run by there and sign some paperwork. I hate to ask you this but can you take a taxi and meet me at the restaurant tonight."

"Sure, sure no problem. Give me the address." She scribbled it down quickly. "Got it."

"Okay can't wait to see you."

"Me too."

"Alright bye."

"Bye."

When she arrived at her building, she raced up the stairs to her apartment, ran through it to her bedroom and threw open her closet. What to wear, what to wear. Her mind raced as she pulled things out holding them up to herself in the mirror. Finally she decided on a simple black dress that wasn't too tight but hugged her curves intimately. She didn't have much time left. She threw everything else back into closet and slammed the door shut. She didn't know if they were coming to back to her place or going to his but she wanted it to be neat just in case. She showered, dressed, swept her hair up casually on the top of her head leaving a few tendrils to hang seductively around her neck and dabbed on just enough makeup to give herself a little sparkle. A spritz of her favorite perfume and she was ready. She looked at the clock, 6:15. Perfect timing.

BRRRINNGG! Her apartment phone rang and it startled her to actually hear it. Who could it be? She rarely got calls on that phone; it was probably just a solicitor. She didn't have time for that now anyway. She was going on the date of her life with the man of her dreams. BRRRINNGG! It rang again as she gathered her stuff to go. BRRRINNGGG! She was really going to have to get rid of that phone, the ring was annoying. BRRRINNGG! She heard the answering machine pick up as she unlocked the door.

"Hi, this is Lindsay, leave a message." BEEEEEP!

Oh shoot, her cell she ran over to the counter to retrieve it.

"Lind---say," a male voice sing-songed softly and menacingly from the answering machine.

Kids playing a prank she thought as she walked to the door. But the next words stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Do you miss her… you know Laurel?"

Lindsay's mouth went dry and her heart pounded. Her hand shook as she picked up the phone.

"Who is this? Is this some kind of sick joke?" she demanded angrily into the phone.

"I'm hurt," the voice replied mockingly. "I loved her as much as you did you know. It is a shame it had to end so badly."

No, no, no, this could not be the person who raped, tortured and murdered Laurel. Her mind couldn't fathom that. Now the room spun dizzily. She barely heard the caller's last words as the phone slipped from her hand and everything went black.

"Sweet Dreams, Lind---say." CLICK!

When she came to, the apartment was dark. The back of her head ached and when she felt carefully around the area, it was wet and sticky. She stared at the blood on her fingers not quite comprehending what had happened. She remembered the horrible call and she must have knocked the back of her head on the table as she had fainted. She picked herself up from the floor and walked numbly into the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face and clean up the back of her head. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was deathly pale and her eyes were huge and unseeing.

She walked into the bedroom, opened her closet door and reached far back into it to pull out a shoebox and sank to the floor, her body supported by the doorjamb of the closet. With a shaky breath, she opened it and on top of the pile of pictures, newspaper clippings and other mementos she saw the last picture taken of her and Laurel together. The picture was a close up of her and Laurel, their arms around each other's waists. Laurel was beaming, with good reason too, because it was taken on her wedding day. She was so beautiful in her wedding dress and so radiant with thoughts of her new husband and beginning their new life together. Lindsay had been the maid of honor. She had been so happy for Laurel. It had been a magical day and then it had all been shattered one short week later. Then the tears began to flow. She couldn't stop them. She curled up in a ball on the floor of the bedroom and sobbed. She sobbed like she hadn't sobbed since Laurel's funeral. She couldn't believe the feelings could still be so fresh after 2 whole years. She'd really thought she had put this behind her.

Then she got angry as she thought about the caller. How dare he! He dare he even call and speak to her about Laurel! He hadn't known her at all. The killer had never been apprehended. If this caller was indeed the killer, all he had done was take the life of a woman who was kind, sweet, beautiful and vibrant, but not before he had tortured and raped her. She felt the bile rising in her throat and she ran to the bathroom and retched into the toilet. Afterwards she leaned back against the bathtub and wiped a spot of vomit absentmindedly from her good black dress.

Oh my God, she was supposed to meet Danny! What time was it? She ran into the bedroom and looked at the clock. It was 10:30. Why hadn't he called her when she hadn't shown up at the restaurant? Maybe it was because since she hadn't called him and she hadn't shown up that he thought she had had second thoughts. Maybe he had changed his mind about her. What could she possibly say to him that would explain to him what was going on without making him think she was a total basket case. I think my little sister's murderer called me tonight. That didn't sound too promising.

BRRINNGG!

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted. Thank goodness it was her cell phone and not her apartment phone. Her heart started beating rapidly, her breath quickened and her palms started to perspire. She wiped her palms nervously on her dress as she picked it up and looked at the caller id. She breathed only a tiny sigh of relief. It was Mac.

"Hello."

"No, I'm awake."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there as soon as possible."

She hurriedly changed her clothes to something more appropriate for processing a crime scene, gathered her stuff, locked up and headed off into the night.

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Author's Note: Sorry I had to put in the dark stuff but there had to be an awfully good reason why Lindsay would stand Danny up like that. Needless to say I was not happy when the writers of the show did this. They can't dis' Danny like that and make Lindsay look that bad. So now you know why I had to write this fanfic and totally justify Lindsay's behaviour!

But please keep reading and reviewing because the dark stuff only makes the good stuff that much sweeter when you come out on the other end. S.J.