AN: Continued thanks to my beta, Kerry Blue, and continued assurance that I do not own the show or any of the songs I mention in any way, I merely own the random thoughts that come out of my head, but I doubt they're worth much.

Just FYI, it might seem like this chapter is the end of the story, but I assure you it's not. We've got a ways to go yet. Anyway, on with the show...

Chapter Two: Love Will Keep Us Together / Captain & Tennille

Sheldon knocked lightly on the door to the women's restroom, thankful that there was no one in the hallway to witness his actions. When he didn't get a response, he slowly pushed open the door. "Lindsay?"

"Yeah, I'm here." When he heard the sound of running water, Hawkes pushed the door open further until he could see Lindsay standing at the sinks washing her mouth out. He was grateful that he could talk to her from the doorway because he really didn't want to have to explain the situation to someone if they walked into the restroom and found him there.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. It's nothing, really, I just shouldn't have had that hot dog for lunch." Lindsay wet a couple of paper towels and wiped them across her face.

"This isn't about a bad hot dog and you know it, Lindsay." He met her eyes in the mirror and was struck by the terror he saw there. Why would this be causing her this much distress?

"It can't be, Sheldon. It just can't be. Not after all this time."

"It can be and it is." He glanced out into the hallway. "Look, this isn't the best place to be having this discussion. Take a few more minutes and then meet me in my office. If you're not there in ten, I'll send Sid after you." At least she managed to grin at that. Hawkes stepped back and let the door swing close. Well, this day was certainly turning out to be more interesting than he had anticipated…

Five weeks ago…

Danny hoped fervently that this worked. He knew that things hadn't been the best between him and Lindsay lately and that they couldn't continue as they had been. If they did, they would find themselves being more like friends who happened to have kids together than two people who loved each other so much that they couldn't stand to be apart.

This was probably what Mac had been worried about when he had asked Danny if he would be okay with Mac recommending Lindsay as the best person to succeed Mac as head of the lab. His mentor hadn't even had to say why he thought Lindsay was better for the job than Danny. More than anyone else, Danny knew that he wouldn't be suited to the job and he didn't take it as an insult that Mac hadn't even offered. He actually just felt pride that his wife was Mac's first and only choice.

No, the only concern Mac had seemed to have was how Danny thought they would handle the shift in positions on a personal level, and Danny had assured him that there would be no problem in that area. And there wasn't, at least not in terms of Danny resenting having to report to his wife. Jokingly he would tell people that he did that at home anyway, but in seriousness he would say that he didn't have a problem with it because he knew Lindsay well enough to know that any decision she made was the best one for the lab as a whole. Sure, there had been and would be bumps in the road. Nothing was perfect and their tempers combined caused sparks even back when they were equals in rank. But it was nothing they couldn't handle.

The problem that they hadn't anticipated was losing their sense of being a couple, and he sometimes thought that they would have reached this place eventually whether or not Lindsay had taken the promotion. The new position just sped the process up a little. A lot of couples with kids probably faced these same issues, focusing too much on their role as parents and not enough on their marriage. And with three active kids they would have years before it would be back to just the two of them in the house, and he didn't think their relationship could wait that long to get back to what it once was.

So that's why he had concocted this whole crazy plan. What had possessed him to do this he had no idea, but as the jazz music flowed from the nearby stage he nervously watched the door. He had had an early shift that day and so he didn't even know for sure that she had read the paper like she tried to do every morning. Reading the newspaper front to back was a habit she had had long before they had even met, but sometimes it had to be skipped when circumstances didn't allow her the small pleasure. And if she hadn't read the paper that morning, then this whole plan would fall apart and he would have a very confused wife at home in an empty house right now.

So he waited with high hopes, and then she walked into the place. He knew her smile in an instant, the curve of her face. She spotted him and grinned and his heart flipped like it hadn't done in awhile. He stood as she approached the table and leaned down to greet her with a kiss. "You got my message."

Lindsay smiled and took off her coat, obviously enjoying the effect the dress she was wearing had on him. "Yeah. You're lucky, the kids were good for me this morning and I had the time after they left for school to read thoroughly." She sat down in the chair that Danny pulled out for her and waited until he was seated again before continuing the conversation. "Speaking of the kids, where are they?"

"The girls are having a sleepover with Kaile at Stella's and Dominic went to a hockey game with Mac and Don before crashing at Mac's place. We've got the whole night to ourselves."

She smiled at him and he thanked God for this woman. "I'm impressed, Detective. The personal ad in the paper was clever and this whole thing obviously took some planning." She took a sip of her wine and then looked at him more seriously. "So…is there a special reason why you set this whole thing up?"

He reached out and covered her hand with one of his. "The special reason is that it's been way too long since I've done something for you that was just because and not for any holiday or anniversary. I haven't been a good husband lately and this is my attempt to change that."

She was vigorously shaking her head before he had finished speaking. "You haven't been a bad husband at all, Danny. If anything, I've been a bad wife." She drew in a breath. "I'm starting to think I shouldn't have accepted the head honcho job. I'm just not ready right now. Maybe it would be a better fit when the kids are older and can fend for themselves more easily."

Danny squeezed her hand. "Let's compromise and say we've both been neglectful of one another recently. As for the job, you should stay. You're great for the lab, Lindsay. We just made the mistake of thinking the new position wouldn't mean too many changes in our lives, so we didn't know how to handle it when everything did change. I know we can make this work if we put our minds to it. You and me, Montana, we can do anything if we do it together."

She wiped away a few tears. "You're amazing, you know that? I've been freaking out about this whole thing as I tend to do when I bottle things up inside, and you allay my fears in a matter of moments." She laid a hand on his cheek. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"If I try to list all that you've done for me, Montana, we'll be here all night." He turned his head slightly and kissed her palm. "Let's just start by making a pact. At least once a month, you and I set aside some time just for us. It doesn't have to be this structured, it can just be us putting Dominic and the twins to bed early and we order pizza and rent an old movie. Whatever it is, we make sure to set some time aside to escape from our everyday lives and just enjoy each other."

"Sounds like a plan," Lindsay said, leaning over to give him a kiss. He knew they hadn't resolved everything, but his heart felt a lot better at having gotten this whole thing out in the open.