Author's Note: Another one of my favorite chapters. Little gems of wisdom about life that I've had to learn along the way. Enjoy!

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.

Stella

"Hey you two," said Stella as she poked her head around the door.

Before Danny turned around to greet Stella, he looked down at Lindsay and caught her eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, thanks."

"We'll talk later okay?"

She nodded.

"Hey Stella," Danny greeted her.

"Anyone in here a size 2 and in need of some street clothes?" inquired Stella cheerfully.

Lindsay greeted Stella with a great big smile and a hug after Stella pulled the rolling suitcase over to the bed.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm doing alright, you know a little sore." Lindsay said and dropped her eyes a bit.

Stella was just the person she needed to talk to. She needed Danny out of here though.

"Danny, could you run and get us a couple sodas, please?"

Stella exchanged a look with Danny and nodded him off.

"Cuppla sodas comin' right up," he replied and walked out of the room.

"So what gives," Stella asked as she caught Lindsay's eye.

"Stella," Lindsay began haltingly. "I'm so unsure of myself and… what to do about..."

"What to do about what?" Stella encouraged as she sat on the bed facing Lindsay.

"Danny wants me to stay with him at his apartment and I want too so badly. But I'm not sure I can give him what he expects. I'm… I'm not even sure what he expects." Lindsay trained her eyes worriedly on Stella.

"Lindsay, I don't think Danny expects anything from you, except for you to get better. He wants to be there for you and help you work through this. If you could have seen how frantically worried he was about you last night, you'd know that." Stella reassured Lindsay.

Lindsay nodded with tears in her eyes. "I don't want to screw this up with my issues; I don't know if I can handle it. When I was joking around with him earlier, he said something that triggered me back to last night and I didn't know if I was going to come out of it without breaking down. It was so unnerving."

Stella licked her lips nervously. She was venturing into territory that hit close to home for her. "You know, Lindsay, you've been given a gift."

"What?" Lindsay asked in surprise.

"Sure, some monster accosted you in your home but you know what, you survived." Stella's voice was becoming a little emotional now. "And not only that, but the person who attacked you was some stranger, not someone who you loved and trusted. You haven't had your world shattered in that way. The person who cares about you most is still here, willing to be by your side and help you through this. I say, don't turn away from him but run toward him as fast and hard as you can and don't ever look back."

Lindsay was staring at Stella now and registering what she was saying. She saw the tears in Stella's eyes about to spill over and she leaned forward impulsively to hug Stella. "Stella, I'm so sorry, you're right. I never thought of it in that way. And I am so sorry to bring those memories back up for you," referring to Stella's previous so-called boyfriend who had beaten and held Stella captive in her own apartment until she had managed to free herself and fatally shoot him."

"That's okay," Stella said as she drew back and wiped her tears from her eyes with her index finger.

"I guess you never really get over the trauma do you?"

"No you don't. I'd be lying if I said you did. All you can do is move forward from here in a positive way and don't let this event define you for the rest of your life."

"I'm just so scared." Lindsay said with tremulous sigh. "It seems like there are reminders everywhere."

"There are now, but once you begin to deal with it, you'll become stronger and the reminders will lessen."

"Stella, maybe I should stay with you. You know so much about it."

"Lindsay, I'll be here whenever you need to talk, but I think you need to be with Danny. Frankly he needs you as much as you need him. Don't shut him out. Take it as slow as you need to, but don't shut him out, let him in as often as possible. That man has a heart of gold and he's offering it up to you on a silver platter. If you really care about him, like I think you do, then you'll take it with all the love you have in your heart and then some."

"Okay," Lindsay said through the tears in her eyes. Stella was right. Fear was not the base emotion from which to operate your life.

"Now go shower and get dressed. I've got to get to work and I hear somewhere in this hospital there is a handsome young detective waiting to take you home with him." Stella added playfully with a wink.

"Thanks, Stella," Lindsay said gratefully as she gave Stella one last hug and hopped her way to the bathroom dragging the suitcase behind her.

There was a handsome young detective waiting to take her home with him wasn't there! I'm going home with Danny Messer, she sing-songed in her mind.

When Lindsay emerged from the bathroom, a half an hour later, Danny was sitting in a chair waiting and Stella was gone. He looked at her as she hopped over to him on her one good foot. He noted she had those same form fitting yoga pants and zip up jacket she had worn in her apartment when he had made her dinner. Her face still looked pale but her eyes were shining brightly and he never realized how wavy her hair was when she was fresh out of the shower.

When she reached him, he stood up. She was just inches from him and he could smell the fresh scent of soap. He never knew the smell of soap could be so intoxicating. He held his breath expectantly and she took his hands in hers. With that sweet smile that never failed to make his heart flip she said softly, "Let's go home."