A/N: Same disclosures apply as in chapter 1. Thanks again (as always!) to Dream, whom I'm beginning to think I share a brain with. Please read and review – but above all enjoy!

Danny looked at me,

"You okay?"

I nodded at him that I would be and watched, rooted to the floor, as Danny followed Adam out of the lab. After I could see him no longer, I made my way over to finish scanning the evidence into the computer. The spot on my back was still warm from where his hand had been minutes earlier. I sighed softly, remembering how comforting it had felt.

Being alone caused my mind to wander back to this morning and the scene; I could still smell all the blood and dying flesh. The nausea started all over again, but I managed to get it subside after a few minutes.

While I worked, several questions flew through my mind. Things like - why was this scene affecting me more than other scenes that I had worked? It's not like I'd never seen a dead child before, or large amounts of blood. There was nothing specifically about this scene that should have caused the flight response, but yet it did. Maybe I just wasn't ready to process it yet, I though wearily, feeling as though I hadn't slept in days.

Danny returned a little while later, brushing me gently as he passed by, sending waves of shivers up my spine and flames throughout my body. He was carrying a folder which, I assumed, held a lab report from Adam on the wonky finding he got.

The things that man did to me, even if they were only in my mind; my dream from this morning played in fast forward through my mind.

"Lindsay…"

"Lindsay…"

I realized that, while I was contemplating a cold shower on my break, Danny had pulled up a stool and had been talking to me.

"Earth to Monroe…" I heard him say, "You payin' attention?"

"Sorry," I said sheepishly, feeling the redness creep into my cheeks, "What were you saying?"

He gave me a look, but didn't push it. Thank goodness for small favors.

"Turns out that the sticky substance that was found on the entry way doorknob was sap." He finished with this Cheshire cat like smile on his face.

I cocked an eyebrow at him and started to turn back to the computer,

"Danny…" I said cautiously, "Sap isn't unique like DNA. You do realize this right?"

He spun my chair back around to face him, the smile still on his face.

"Yes, Monroe I realize that." He dramatically paused before continuing, "What if I told you that this particular sap came from a tree that's not native to New York?"

"Really? Not native to New York? Hmmm..." I looked at him while I processed this new information. "What kind of tree does it come from then and how would it have gotten to our scene?"

"According to Adam," Danny said, referring to the report, "It's an Arizona Cypress or Cupressus arizonica. It's a member of the evergreen family and is native to warmer regions."

He handed me the report, and I read it over quickly.

"According to this, it isn't native to any of the upper Eastern states. It looks like the closest state that we could find it naturally would be Virginia."

I closed the report and looked at Danny, who gone over to the computer and was now printing out the crime scene pictures that I had abandoned. I watched him for a few minutes. He was wearing a pair of khakis, which if I do say made his butt look incredible. He had paired these with a light orange dress shirt; the collar and top button undone so that you could see the top of his white undershirt. He looked so sexy, undeniably sexy and I don't think he even tries; it just oozes from him continually. I'd be willing to bet that even if he had the flu, he'd look gorgeous.

I'd heard the rumors that surrounded him, and seen the way that the lab techs gazed after him, giggling like school girls. I, however try not to believe gossip because you never know how much to believe and well, Danny didn't seem to either notice the lab techs or he didn't care.

I was surprised at how caring Danny had been, I had been weak in front of him and instead of him using it to his advantage – he had been…supportive, and concerned. It was definitely a side of Danny that I wasn't used to seeing. Was it possible that I had broken through Danny Messer's exterior?

The computer beeped at me, signaling it was ready for the next item, causing my focus to return to the task at hand. We continued to work in silence for the next hour or so, until I saw him move towards me out of the corner of my eye.

"I heard that," he said, as he leaned on the counter next to me.

I looked at him, and those baby blues locked onto my eyes.

"I didn't say anything." I told him, slightly confused. A state now that I think about it, seems to be a permanent state whenever we're near each other, "I think you're hearing things Messer."

"Your stomach said you were hungry," he said smiling, "Let's go grab something to eat."

He touched my elbow, as if to guide me out of my chair.

"And since when are you fluent in stomach?" I asked, allowing him to move me.

"Since you got here." He said with a smile.