Author's Note: NeverMindDream the second half of this chapter was inspired by you and Danny's Diary!

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. Everything else however is mine.

What Is 'It'?

After Lindsay's heart rate slowed to a calmer pace, she got out of bed, pulled on her yoga pants and went in search of coffee. She was determined that she would keep herself busy today, to keep the memories of the attack at bay.

Danny had thoughtfully set out an almost empty can of coffee on the counter with a note on top of it. As she read the note, she smiled because the note was rather long for Danny; she knew how much he hated to write.

M-

Going to work was NOT what I wanted to do today! I'm sorry there is only cold pizza to eat but I was lucky and found some coffee. Call the market down on the corner to have groceries delivered. I run a tab with them. Their number is on the refrigerator. Cleared two drawers for your clothes, unpack, make yourself at home. Will call you later.

D-

P.S. Take it easy today.

As she started the coffee, she thought about her and Danny, really thought about them, together. She didn't have a clue where all this was going with Danny. He was being incredibly sweet and thoughtful, he seemed to genuinely care about her and want to be with her. She knew she cared about him and loved being with him. That's all she could be certain of right now. The rest, if there was more, would have to be revealed in time. Meanwhile she was going to take Danny's note to heart by unpacking, stocking the place with groceries and doing something really special to show him how much she appreciated him being there for her.

First order of business was a shower. As she hopped into Danny's bedroom, to get some clothes, she actually saw it for the first time. Last night she had been half asleep and this morning she had been ahem preoccupied. It was just as sparse as the rest of the apartment, queen sized bed with the bedclothes in a twist, a chair in the corner next to a stand of free weights and a bench press (ok, only in a guy's bedroom), closet door ajar, dresser with a couple of framed photos on top of it, your standard bedroom stuff. She hopped over to the dresser to take a closer look at the photos. One was of two boys, their arms over each other's shoulders, grins on their faces, one slightly older and taller than the other. This must be Danny and Louie as boys, she thought, as the picture was quite faded. The taller had dark hair just like Louie and the shorter had that buckskin colored hair like Danny and, as she looked closer, she could discern that trademark Messer grin on his face. Imagine that, even as a kid he was irresistible! The other photo was of a kid's baseball team. The bottom inscription said 'Summer League Champions'. After seeing the previous photo, she was able to pick out Danny immediately. He was standing front and center with that same Messer grin and his hands were resting on the hilt of a bat. She looked closely at the bat. Even though the picture was old, she could make out the red and black rings around the bat, at the grip. Those were the same markings as the bat the team gave her for her birthday. She remembered how surprised Danny had been when she thanked him and said what a good job he had done on it and how much she loved it. She was surprised that he had been surprised because, after all, she was a CSI and she knew his handwriting. What she hadn't known, was that it was his 'Summer League Championship' bat. Her heart puckered at the sweetness of the whole thought behind the gift.

She decided to go ahead and put her clothes away first. As she put them neatly into the two drawers that Danny had cleared for her, she came across her cell phone with the charger cord and her purse. Bless you Stella! Of course the phone was completely dead so she plugged it in and laid it on top of the dresser. Now she wouldn't feel so cut off from the outside world.

Later on, emerging from the shower, she put on an old pair of gray sweat pants with the waist band folded down all the way to her hips and a pink cap-sleeved shirt that ended somewhere around her belly button. This was her at her most relaxed and comfortable. All she needed was a little music and she would get busy with her day.

As she looked over the CD collection in the living room, she picked several and loaded the tray. Danny didn't have her favorites but he had quite a collection nonetheless. Even though she listened to a wide variety of music, there were still those favorites that she couldn't get by without. When he calls, she'd ask him to bring the stack sitting on her desk at work. As she hummed along to the music she made the grocery list and placed a call to the market.

----------------------------------------------

If Danny thought that being at work, without Lindsay there to distract him was going to be easy, he was completely wrong. Since he had spent a whole two nights sleeping up next to her and an entire day in her company getting to know her better, the only thoughts that occupied his mind for more than thirty seconds were those of Lindsay. Plus it didn't help that everyone kept asking about her. Not that he minded talking about her in a general sense, it was a little surreal that all of a sudden within a twenty-four hour period he had become the fountain of knowledge on Lindsay Monroe.

Mac caught him early in the morning.

"Hey, how's Lindsay doing?"

"She's handling everything relatively well… still gets a little freaked occasionally but nothing major," he said very casually. After their little conversation, about the love issue, he didn't want to get too personal. Even though Mac had helped him out, he still didn't care to discuss his personal life with anyone at the office. He needn't had worried because Mac was all about the job today.

"Good… can you check on the DNA results for the perp that attacked her and let me know as soon as you find something conclusive?"

"Sure Mac… and thanks for the day off yesterday." Danny added.

"Don't mention it," Mac nodded.

Of course Stella had not been as professional. And even though she wasn't an office gossip, she couldn't help ribbing him a little.

"So how's the princess in the ivory tower?" she asked quite playfully.

"What?" he said as he stared at her with his mouth agape.

"Come on Messer, you know you've been wanting to get her into your apartment ever since you started calling her Montana," she teased. "By the way, it was a fortunate turn of events that you had her key on your key ring when I went to pick up her clothes."

"Ya know we live close to one another and I'm a backup for her, in case…" he lied rather unconvincingly. Why was he even bothering to explain himself. Women! They weren't happy just messing with you physically; they had to mess with you mentally too! He had one at home doing that to him already and now he had another one at the office.

"You're a horrible liar when it comes to Lindsay, Danny, you know that," Stella said earnestly.

"I gotta track down some DNA results," he muttered as he turned his back on a snickering Stella.

Later on in the day, Sid and Hawkes were no exception. Their only saving grace was that they hadn't been at the crime scene or the hospital, so they had less material at their disposal.

"So is this going to be your regular stint now?" Hawkes inquired.

"What do you mean?" Danny replied a bit suspiciously.

"I think what Hawkes is referring to is the way you keep rescuing the Damsel-Lindsay-in-Distress," explained Sid in that rather lofty and distracted way he had of talking about things.

Danny wondered what the hell Sid was even doing out of the morgue. Who let him out anyway?

"I'm always there to help out a fellow CSI," Danny supplied in his defense. Why he was even justifying his actions to these two clowns was beyond him.

"It seems a little odd, that it always happens on your watch," said Hawkes with that little smile playing on his face that almost had you believing it was a totally innocent comment.

Watch? there was a watch! Nobody told him about a watch!

"Putting her up in your apartment is a wise move, easier to keep track of her," Sid said in approval. "You know, I remember spending a whole week in a woman's apartment and not seeing the light of day once the entire time," Sid babbled, going off on another one of his eccentric tangents.

This, Danny did not want to hear so he excused himself to track down the DNA results amid Hawke's laughter and Sid's ramblings.

When he picked up the DNA results, he shot Adam a warning look and Adam quickly swallowed any remark he had been about to make.

But towards the end of the day, Flack had been the worst, of course. He was a great guy for having your back but when the serious stuff was over and done with, almost anything was fair game. At least he wasn't playing the white knight angle.

Flack started in on him immediately, "So, Messer, I hear you got a hot babe named Montana stashed up in your apartment."

"Flack, grow up!" Danny muttered.

"You know, I hear she can take down a grown man," obviously referring to Lindsay's handling of the perp who attacked her in her apartment. "Fights like a wildcat," he added.

Danny stared at him.

"Better be careful, she could hurt you real bad." Flack had joked with that sideways grin on his face.

He knew Flack had been referring to her hurting him physically, but it did beg another question that had been rolling around in his mind all day. What was going on between him and Lindsay? Whatever it was, he thought it was great but still he didn't have a label for it. Were they dating? Nah, never even been on a proper date with the woman. Were they sleeping together? Nah, Yeah, Nah… there were too many meanings for the phrase 'sleeping together'. Table that one. Were they messing around? Nah, he didn't mess around with nice girls… just too damn complicated. Were they just hanging out? Nah, there had been too much messin' around going on. Wait, wait, wait a minute here! He was going in circles. Maybe he outta call her and see how she's doing. Hearing her voice would probably bring some logic into his thoughts. Nah… who was he kidding? He was still going to call her though. After all in his note he said he would. You didn't put things in writing and then not follow through. Women were sticklers about that kind of stuff.

She picked up after the first ring. Good sign he reasoned, she's excited to hear from him, maybe too excited, as he recalled his short but suffocating stint with Cindy.

"Hey Montana" he said in his customary greeting.

"Danny," she said brightly. It was that same tone she had used to greet her father, on the phone, at his apartment yesterday.

"Ya doing okay all by yourself?" He wasn't sure what answer he wanted to hear from this question. 'Yes' would mean she's handling things on her own which would be good, right? But maybe then she wouldn't really need him and that thought bothered him. But 'No' would not be good either. He didn't want her in angst anymore than she had to be. Damn, he was driving himself crazy.

"Yeah, I'm keeping busy but I can't wait until you come home. It's not the same without you here."

Ah, perfect answer! He didn't think anyone had ever said to him before, 'I can't wait until you come home.' Whatever doubts or confusion he had, melted away. He knew the label no longer mattered, all that mattered was being with her. Whatever 'it' was, would sort itself out in time.

"I know, I can't wait to be home," he replied with almost a choke in his voice.

"Oh and Danny could you bring the stack of CD's off my desk?"

"What there aren't enough CD's there for ya?" recovering himself and joking with her.

"No, there are plenty. I'm enjoying them now. Those on my desk happen to be my absolute favorites, that's all."

"Okay, see ya in a cuppla hours."