Author's Note: Changed a bit of the dialogue to clarify what I intended in Lindsay's reaction to Danny finding out about her sister. DistractedlyHere, whose name belies her astute attention to detail, pointed this out. Thanks DistractedlyHere and all the other readers who keep me on my toes! This is why I like the reviews, they make my writer tighter!

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 Connection

At 4:00 in the morning, Danny finally sat up in bed and admitted that he was not going to get another wink of sleep. He decided to take a hot shower and do some thinking. As the hot water ran over his groggy head and tired muscles, thoughts kept swirling in his mind, like Lindsay's guilty and tearstained face, 7 young women all murdered in exactly the same way, 6 in Bozeman, Montana and 1 in New York. Almost all had the same M.O. except 6 were in Bozeman and 1 was in New York. The last one in Bozeman had been married. That was the really puzzling fact about the last Bozeman murder. How does it all fit together he wondered? Then his thoughts went back to the picture of Lindsay and her married sister and then to the married murder victim, then to the picture of Lindsay's married sister and then to the married murder victim. Then he almost retched in the shower as it came to him.

He quickly jumped out of the shower, toweled off and threw on some clothes. He grabbed his gun, phone and keys and ran out of the apartment. He had to get to the briefing room and check the file on the last Bozeman murder victim. He knew he could confirm his suspicions through that file. That is the only file he hadn't read over with a fine tooth comb. He had intended to but he had decided to take a break after reading the first five and go check on Lindsay. That is when he had found her crying and subsequently he had taken her home. He had been so preoccupied with her that he had completely forgotten the file.

When he arrived at the briefing room he strode over to the board and looked at the morgue picture. It sickened him to finally see the likeness to Lindsay. It was there around the chin and lips. The hair was a shade lighter than Lindsay's like in the picture Lindsay had of the two of them. That's what the guilty look was all about. It was all too surreal. Oh God Lindsay, what must you be going through! Why hadn't she told him?

He flipped open the file and began reading through the notes. The victim was found at 1661 Gateway #3B at 3:00 am, a the home of Detective Lindsay Monroe, Bozeman CSI. He read further through the notes. Victim was found by her sister, Detective Lindsay Monroe of the Bozeman CSI after returning from an 11 pm call to a crime scene. He skimmed through the notes detailing the conditions of the victim etc. Okay here it is. Per the orders of Detective Bill Pressman, First Grade, Bozeman CSI, Detective Lindsay Monroe has been removed from the case due to conflict of interest.

He remembered her vehemence in wanting to catch this perpetrator. That is why she hadn't told him, because it is standard operating procedure to be removed from a case once it is determined there is a personal connection. Damn Montana, this is a really gusty and suicidal move! She had crossed the line and her career could be over. He had to talk to her.

He looked at the clock. Oh good almost 7:00 am. She should be here any minute.

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Lindsay's alarm went off at what seemed like 10 decibels above normal. She crawled out of bed, started the coffee maker and gulped down four ibuprofen pills. Damn, this was going to be a killer of a day. One hot shower and a cup of coffee later, she felt some semblance of wakefulness. She dressed quickly gathered up her stuff, locked up and headed out to work.

Forty-five mind-numbing minutes later she arrived at the lab. As she walked past the briefing room, she saw a very tired and irritated looking Messer waving her inside. She mouthed coffee at him but he opened the door and said "Now Monroe." He had never spoken to her in that tone of voice, curt.

"Hey, Messer, you look like you changed clothes but like you haven't slept," she joked trying to lighten the mood, even though she felt as heavy as a brick herself.

"You look real rested yourself, Monroe," he said sarcastically taking in her washed out appearance.

Gosh what was up with him?

"Monroe, if there is any reason at all you should not be on this case you need to tell me now," his voice was quiet but deadly serious.

She licked her lips nervously, "You found out." she said weakly almost glad that he knew but realizing she should have been the one to tell him.

"Dammit, Lindsay, I'm a CSI, didn't you think I would find out?" he spat at her as he tossed Laurel's file across to her. "What did I say about making it personal?"

She knew that was a rhetorical question.

"Do you realize this could be a career ending move for you?"

He stared hard at her and she stared back biting her lip in consternation.

Just then Mac stuck his head in the door and said curtly, "Lindsay, my office, now!"

She heard Danny swear under his breath as she headed out the door after Mac.