Author's Note I: Thank you to all that have been waiting patiently for an update. I think I have a handle on the next part of the story so I'm posting again. Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! And for all you out there reading but not reviewing, thank you as well.

Author's Note II: Special thanks to my hard-working beta, MariaLisa. I have been inundating her lately and I clearly owe her BIG! HUGS!!!

DISCLAIMERS: I do not own any of these characters from CSI:NY however any other characters are mine!

The New York Experience: Part I

A man loves his sweetheart the most,

His wife the best,

But his mother the longest.

-Irish proverb

Finally emerging from the climatic induced haze, Lindsay lazily asked, "So what do you want to do today?"

With half-closed eyes and a smile upon his lips he murmured, "I'm doing it!"

Lindsay giggled softly as she caressed the hair on the back of his neck, "No, really."

He gave a slight groan as he replied, "OK! Eat!"

He heard a small exasperated sound emanating from her throat.

"Whaaatt? I'm hungry… I've been working up an appetite here!" he protested in mock indignation.

Lindsay flung the covers off her body and rolled out of the bed.

"Messer, I swear you have a two-track mind… sex and food!" she retorted as she made her way to the bathroom.

And that's a bad thing?

He propped himself up on his elbows and appreciatively watch her naked form disappear into the bathroom.

"Baby… a man's gotta satisfy his appetites," he teased back.

He heard her slightly disgusted snort and dropped back upon the bed with a groan, running his hands up over his face and through his hair.

"I want to do something very ' New York' today," she called to him as she turned on the shower.

"Like what?"

"I don't know… you're the native New Yorker…surprise me!"

"How about we watch the Knicks game on ESPN?" he suggested hopefully.

The only answer was the slink of the shower curtain rings sliding across the rod and he figured he'd better get his ass in there quickly, before she used up all the hot water.

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

"So where are we going?" Lindsay asked curiously as she and Danny boarded a downtown bound subway. Her cheeks were flushed from the chill in the air and the brisk walk from her apartment to the subway.

Danny peered at her through his slightly fogged up glasses. He grabbed a subway bar with one hand and clasped his other arm around her waist as the subway began its transit to the next station.

"It's a surprise, Montana," he smiled conspiratorially.

A slight lurch threw her into him, her hands on his chest, and his arm tightened around her waist while they rode the sway of the subway until they reached their stop. Once at street level, they briskly walked through the lower end of the financial district to Whitehall Terminal.

"What? We're going for a ferry ride?" Lindsay asked incredulously as she spied the ferries moored along the dock.

"Yup, the ultimate way to see the sights of New York!" Danny crowed obviously pleased with himself.

Lindsay laughed and shook her head slightly as she looked up at the beaming Danny.

"You're taking me sight-seeing?"

"What? Ya don't want to see the sights?" he replied teasingly as he stopped suddenly and gave a characteristic Messer shrug.

Lindsay furrowed her brow in slight frustration, "When I said something very New York, I just didn't expect sight-seeing."

"Well, these ferries are no ordinary sight-seeing ferries, they are as New York as it gets! There's been some type of ferry operating between Manhattan and Staten Island since the 1700's. C'mon." he grabbed her hand with boyish enthusiasm and pulled her toward the terminal.

He pulled her along behind him as he wound his way among the other passengers, through the terminal, across the upper gang plank onto the deck of the ferry.

Almost as soon as they boarded, the low hum of the idling engines erupted into a rumble and the water began to churn and boil. The ferry laboriously pushed back from the terminal until it was free of the paralleling bumpers and then accelerated to its cruising speed.

Danny found a spot on the upper deck and pulled Lindsay into his arms as they watched the skyline of Lower Manhattan emerge from behind the receding glass walled terminal. He swept his hand with a flourish across the horizon.

"Eh, Montana, what do you think about that?"

"Breathtaking!" she exclaimed.

"Ya really think so?" he asked with a mixture of surprise and pleasure in his voice.

She looked up at him and caught the emotion in eyes. She slid her free hand up his chest and lifted onto her tiptoes to brush a quick kiss across his lips. His arm slid under her coat and around her waist to hold her in place against him.

"Of course, I always think the New York skyline is breathtaking."

"Really…that's not what you said the last time I called your attention to it," he challenged playfully.

"As I recall, you were putting it up against a wheatfield!" she retorted firmly.

"But c'mon Montana… a wheatfield? There's really no comparison," he exclaimed as he threw his head back in laughter.

"Then why did you offer it up as one," her eyes narrowed a bit.

His eyes focused on her set jaw as she stiffened slightly in his arms.

"Hey, hey, hey… what gives Montana? Ya know it was just a joke!"

"Yeah, I know," her voice tight with emotion. "but sometimes if it's a tough day, or I'm working an ugly case then I get especially homesick and I guess it was just one of those days. I didn't want to hear anyone messin' with the wheatfields… it hits too close to home."

"Okay, I get it," he murmured against her hair as he pulled her into a tight hug. His thoughts played along her last statement… it hits too close to home. It had never crossed his mind that Lindsay might not think of New York as her home now.

Messer, maybe this isn't such a good idea.

"Hey, tell me about the skyline," she drew his thoughts back to her now smiling face.

He began pointing out notable buildings in the skyline and adding little snippets of information on them.

"And right there is where the World Trade Center stood," his voice took on a somber tone. "Everyone in New York lost someone that day whether they knew them personally or not."

Her eyes were on his face now, taking in the trace of redness around the rims of his eyes as he stared at the gaping hole in the skyline.

"Who did you lose?" she asked softly.

He shrugged.

"You know… friends and acquaintances on the force… and then Mac's wife, Claire. I barely knew Mac then, but he was devastated.

His misty eyes were trained on her now and she could clearly read the pain in his eyes even through his glasses. He pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and index finger pushing up his glasses up to his eyebrows. She slid a hand around to the back of his neck and caressed it. He pushed his glasses back up on his nose with an index finger.

As he looked back at the skyline, there was a hitch in his voice, "And my cousin, Michael… he was a fireman and we were like brothers. My aunt… his mom… worked in the towers; my uncle has never been the same. These are Michael's dog tags from his days in the service."

He pulled them out from under his sweater and she fingered them gently.

"My uncle gave them to me at their funerals. He said he couldn't take the memories but he wanted someone close to Michael to have them, in remembrance."

Danny let the tags drop into her hand as he placed his hands on his hips, pressed his lips into a thin, bitter line and looked back at skyline. When he spoke again it was in a tight voice.

"The cruel irony of it all was that his mother fell on her knees and kissed the ground the day his carrier docked after his last tour of duty."

"Danny, I'm sorry..." she soothed as she slid her other arm up around his neck and pulled his head into her shoulder. Both of his arms slid down low around her waist and drew her into the arc of his body. She felt his hot tears trickle along her collar bone, while his cold nose sent a slight shiver down her spine.

When his emotion was spent, he gently pressed a kiss into the crook of neck and lifted his head clearing his eyes of any remaining tears with a thumb and index finger.

"I'm sorry this wasn't much of a sightseeing trip."

She shook her head and placed her hands on either side of his face, "No, no…. this was perfect. Sharing part of yourself with me… that's special and just the kind of sightseeing I'm into."

She pressed a gentle kiss against his lips and he felt a bittersweet emotion swell up inside him as he realized he couldn't bear to lose another person close to him, especially Lindsay.

The change in the whine of the engines indicated the approach to St. George Terminal.

"C'mon," he said as he released her waist, grabbed her hand, and tugged her along behind him. As was the custom on the Staten Island ferry, all passengers disembarked even if they were returning immediately to Manhattan, so Lindsay was surprised when Danny continued through the terminal and outside to the curb to hail a taxi.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously for the second time that day.

"Again Montana, it's a surprise," as he opened the door of the waiting taxi.

"Aw come on, just one little hint," she teased as she snuggled into him in the back of the taxi while he settled an arm around her shoulders.

He gazed down at her twinkling eyes, her rosy nose and cheeks and the delectable cleft in her chin that deepened as she smiled persuasively up at him.

He dropped a quick kiss on her nose, "Okay, we're going to eat the best Italian food found anywhere on the island."

"I should have known it would involve food!" she retorted as she playfully swatted his arm.

"Ow Montana… be nice to the man who knows his way around the neighborhood!"

"Okay so tell me about the neighborhood," she dared him to speak of his past.

He didn't disappoint her as he pointed to a passing park and launched into an entertaining tale about his little league days. He had her laughing so hard over the image of little kids trying to manipulate oversized gloves to catch fly balls and not trip over their own feet in the process that she didn't notice the taxi stopping in front of a well kept home until he helped her out of the taxi and onto the sidewalk. She gapped at the line of homes up and down the street in surprise and uncertainty. He was smiling at her but his eyes were unreadable

"I thought we were going to eat," she said faintly.

"We are… my ma cooks the best Italian meal on the island; she even puts the little, old, Italian ladies to shame," he stated proudly as he tried to pull her up the walk toward the house, but she didn't budge a step.

"What… your mom… we're going to see your mom… I'm going to meet your mom?" she exclaimed.

" Montana, what's up? You seemed so curious about my family; I thought it'd be…"

"But Danny," she interrupted quickly looking up at him in consternation. "You didn't give me any warning… I can't meet your mom without any warning… I'm probably not even dressed properly." She knew that sounded lame but it was the first thing that made its way from her brain to her mouth, even though it was doubtful that it was a thought worthy of her brain.

"Lindsay, c'mon it's just my ma… and you look great… in fact better than great!" he added as he took in her form fitting, ribbed, deep purple turtleneck, slim cut jeans, belted low on her waist, and her high heeled, black boots.

She tucked her hair nervously behind her ear and he felt trepidation at her hesitation. His family certainly wasn't the all-American family; maybe this lighthearted attempt at introducing them to her wasn't the right approach after all.

She took a deep breath and stepped closer to him while she clasped the lapels of his coat in her hands, her breath warming his face as she expressed her concerns more softly this time. "Danny, I'm just surprised that's all. You never talk about your family and then boom you spring this on me. It is not like me, to go into a situation so…. unknown, so unprepared."

He fixed his blues eyes on her, matching the softness in her tone, "I know Lindsay, but this is who I am… I like to do things on the fly… I didn't do it to throw you off, I swear. You said you wanted a New York experience and I want to give you an experience that reeks of New York… not some experience that any tourist can have, but what it means to me to be a New Yorker."

She gazed at him tenderly. No matter how much he flew by the seat of his pants, his heart was always in the right place; it was the least she could do to meet him halfway and it was true that she was curious about his family.

"Okay," she relented.

"Good, because Ma's expecting us," he exclaimed with a relieved sigh.

"What? She knew but I didn't!" Lindsay protested.

"Baby, I had to let her know we coming, so she could start cooking!" he flashed an innocent smirk at her.

"Always thinking with your stomach, aren't you?" she tightened her grasp on his coat lapels a little tighter and pulled him in for a quick kiss.

"No, not always" he mumbled as his arm snaked around her waist and the other hand cupped the back of her neck under her hair.

"Aye, Danny!" A lilting voice interrupted the kiss that had turned from affectionate to passionate in mere seconds.

Lindsay gave a small start as Danny emitted a slight chuckle in the back of his throat; they both turned toward the source of the interruption.

"Ma!" Danny exclaimed affectionately as he intertwined his hand in Lindsay's and walked up to the house.

Lindsay only had a few moments to take in the appearance of Mrs. Messer before they ascended the front porch; she was nothing like Lindsay expected. For starters, her voice bore a soft, melodic Irish accent and she stood only slightly taller than Lindsay. She sported a slim and trim frame with burnished copper hair falling in waves around a face which curved into high cheekbones and a wide mouth which bore a delighted smile at their arrival. However it was her eyes that captivated Lindsay. They were Danny's eyes; a mesmerizing, crystal blue that conveyed intense emotions and compelled you to know more about the owner.

"Danny, I've been missing you."

Danny gave her a kiss on the cheek and a tight one-armed hug. Mrs. Messer responded by placing her hands on either side of his face and looking deep into his eyes as she exclaimed, "Aye, you look so healthy and happy!"

Before Danny could reply, she released him and turned to Lindsay bestowing a dazzling smile before taking Lindsay's free hand in both of hers.

"You must be Lindsay."

Danny squeezed Lindsay's hand, as a wide smile creased his face, "Yeah Ma, this is Lindsay Monroe. Lindsay, this is my ma."

She sighed softly. "I've been waiting so long to meet you."

"Mrs. Messer I'm so happy -- " Lindsay offered with a shy smile.

"No, no, "she shook her head emphatically, "Mrs.Messer is my mother in law, Danny's nonna, I'm Caitlin, please call me Caitlin."

Lindsay enjoyed the way her tongue clicked against the back of her teeth as she repeated the name, "KAYT-lin."

"Nice to meet you Caitlin,"

"Danny has been speaking of you since he met you at the zoo!"

Lindsay's eyes danced in amusement and her mouth formed a small 'o' as she stole a quick glance at Danny just in time to catch a scant blush creeping up his neck. She'd never seen him blush before; she filed all this telling information away for future consideration, discussion, and possible teasing.

He rubbed a hand along the back of his neck as he ducked his head toward the house.

"Ma, I smell something delicious… let's go in."

"Yes, let's go in," she agreed, dropping Lindsay's hand, stepping over the threshold and motioning them inside.

"Come into the kitchen, whilst I finish dinner and we can get to know each other."

She led the way through a comfortable and homey living room and dining room through a swinging door into the kitchen. When Lindsay entered the kitchen, the overpowering aroma of garlic, tomatoes, and Italian herbs tantalized her. She had never been in a working Italian kitchen before and the experience fanned her minute pangs of hunger into intense cravings for marinara and pasta.

"Mmmmhh! Ma you may not have an Italian bone in your body but you cook like you do."

Danny grabbed her into a tight squeeze planting a grateful kiss on her cheek. As he released her, she turned to Lindsay, her blue eyes dancing.

"Lindsay… in case you haven't noticed Messer men love their Italian food! When I married Joe thirty plus years ago, his mother took me aside and said if I wanted my marriage to last that I would have to learn to cook like an Italian! Aye, and here me, an Irish woman through and through, cooking like an Italian."

Lindsay laughed as she glanced knowingly at Danny. "Believe me I have noticed. And it certainly smells like you've mastered the art."

Caitlin smiled in appreciation, as she motioned to Danny, "It is an art, indeed…. Danny, open the wine and let it breathe."

Danny turned to the butcher block in the middle of the kitchen as Lindsay settled herself on a stool next to it.

While he tended to the wine he asked casually, "So is Dad coming home for dinner tonight?"

Caitlin bustled over to the sink to drain a steaming stock pot of water as she answered.

"I called him at the shop after you called me and he said he would try to get away in time for dinner."

Danny uncorked the wine, laid the cork across the top of the wine bottle, braced his hands against the butcher block and stole a quick glance over at Caitlin who was now shaking a colander of pasta.

"So things haven't changed much I see."

She turned with a shrug of her shoulders and a slight furrow between her eyebrows as she met Danny's gaze. "I don't know Danny… you know how it 'tis if he comes, he comes otherwise we eat without him."

Lindsay caught the "As usual," Danny muttered low under his breath and noticed how he was gripping the edge of the butcher block. She laid a hand on top his as he shook his head slightly. The smile on his face didn't quite reach his eyes as he turned to her and asked, "Ya gettin' hungry?"

"How could I not be hungry?" she smiled at him with a questioning arc of her eyebrows.

He shrugged his shoulders in acknowledgement of her silent question but changed the topic of conversation.

"Ma, anything else I can do to help?"

"Set the table and I'll bring in the food."

Danny dropped her hand and headed into the dining room through the swinging door.

"Let me help," Lindsay said as she stood up and held out her hands.

Caitlin deposited the steaming bowl of pasta in one of Lindsay's hands and the bottle of wine in the other. Lindsay pushed her way through the swinging door with a toe of her boot in time to see Danny finishing off the table by putting the wine glasses in place.

Caitlin followed behind with the remainder of the food. She was just indicating where Danny and Lindsay should sit when they heard the thud of a door.

"That would be Joe."

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

Author's Note III: This is my first time introducing a new character so let me know what you think. Always SJ