A/N: Same disclosures apply as in all other chapters. Read and review; Enjoy.

Chapter 12

"Did you get ahold of Danny?" Mac asked Stella as he walked into her office.

"Yeah," Stella answered him, "He's with Lindsay. She still can't remember or figure out why she freaked at the scene."

There was silence for a moment, as the two just stared at each other. There was an easy quiet about them. Stella was Mac's right hand, and had helped him through more rough times than he could count. He, however, had been there for just as many for her.

"She'll come around," Mac said, trying to sound nonchalant, "Danny will be able to coax it out of her. They have this connection…"

Mac faded off back into silence.

"Yes," Stella said with an air of absent-mindedness, "they do. She's seemed most comfortable around Danny since her first day here."

"Actually," Mac said, "I thought she was going to skin him alive after that whole "call him sir deal"; I thought that they would never be more than acquaintances."

"Mac," Stella started to say something but an urgent voice cut her off from outside the office.

"Mac! Mac!" came a voice shouting down the hall, "Mac!"

"Sheldon," Mac poked his head out of the office, "What is it?"

"These results," he breathed heavily, but his face was alight with excitement, "I ran a couple of tests on a hunch. I think I may have just narrowed our suspects down to one."

Back at the Zoo

Danny helped me down off the elephant ride, clearly to the disgust of the employee who was running the ride today. I however was very grateful, as the guy gave me the creeps.

"I don't think you were supposed to do that Danny," I said laughing, "If looks could kill, you'd be dead."

"Yeah, I'm going to let someone paw at you just because he's supposed to "help" get riders down." Danny said, once again wrapping his arm around my shoulders, "I don't think so."

"My hero." I said, feigning a southern accent and laughing again, "You forgot your cape though."

By this time, I was getting hungry and it was getting late. The sun was starting to set and the chill that had been tolerable during the day was beginning to get to me. We'd seen most of the zoo, and I was ready to leave.

"Why don't we go get something to eat?" I asked, "We could go back to my apartment and I'll cook something."

"You cook?" Danny asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm not a gourmet chef by any means," I said, "but I can hold my own in the kitchen."

"Ok," Danny said, moving so he could take my hand, "but I get to help."

"Deal. I'm not one to ever turn down help in the kitchen."

We got back to my apartment and I started pulling things out of the cupboard, freezer, and refrigerator. Lasagna noodles, my homemade sauce, ground beef, sausage…etc; everything to make a good lasagna.

"Tell me about when you were little." Danny asked as he browned the ground beef and sausage together.

"When I was little?" I repeated, "Why?"

"Cause I want to know."

"Um, I was raised by my grandmother as far back as I can remember." I said, as I helped him layer the noodles in the pan, "I never knew my parents; they left me with her when I was an infant. I grew up in Montana, as you know. Nan owned a working farm where they raised cattle and bred horses. Nan used to say that I'd been riding horses since I was so young, she was amazed I ever learned to walk."

Danny laughed; it was an infectious laughter that filled my apartment. It was comforting and reassuring, and made me feel like; this is was life is all about.

"What else?" he asked, as he added another layer to the pan.

"I attended public high school, was a cheerleader." I said, trying to paraphrase my life, "I guess I was mildly popular but I would hope no one would classify me as snobby because I don't think I was. I tried to be friends with everyone. I never really had a steady boyfriend but I did have a lot of friends that were guys. But I also had a lot of friends that were girls too."

"Did your grandmother ever say why your parents left or did you find out on your own?" Danny asked, "I don't mean to pry. You don't have to tell me."

"It's ok; I know what you're trying to do." I answered, "She didn't really like to talk about it, and I just feel like she's ashamed of them. I've never really looked into it or looked for them. I felt like it would be an insult to her. I mean, here they just up and left me with her, obviously they didn't want me so why should I go looking for them?"

"Understandable."

I turned the oven on and put the lasagna in the oven. Setting the timer, I took Danny's hand and led him into the livingroom.

"I talk to my Nan three times a week." I told him as we sat on the couch, "We're really close. She keeps asking me when I'm going to let her meet my special cop friend."

"You're gonna let Flack meet her before me?" Danny asked, holding his hand over his heart, "I'm hurt."

"No, you goof." I said, laughing, "I meant you; Nan just doesn't understand the finer technicalities of our job. Basically she just thinks I'm a cop that's also a science freak."

Danny laughed again. I love his laugh; it's one of those infectious laughs where you can't help joining in.

"I'm planning on going back to Montana for a visit in a month or two, depending on when Mac can spare me for a few days." I said, not quite meeting his eyes, "It'd be nice to be able to introduce Nan to a friend."

"Are you asking me to go to Montana with you Montana?" Danny asked.

"I know we don't know quite what we are, if anything" I said hurriedly, "But you are special to me and…"

"Don't worry Montana," Danny said, leaning into me, "I would love to."

I beamed, and leaned into Danny as well. Our lips connected, and once again the world seemed to cease. The timer on the oven went off, and I would have ignored it and everything else just to stay like this with him. He, or should I say his stomach, seemed to have other plans. He slowly broke the kiss.

"We should get that." He said, "It smells good."

"Ok," I said, sticking my lower lip out in a fake pout, "If your stomach is more important."

"Funny Montana," He said, "Haven't you ever heard the quickest way to an Italian's heart is through his stomach?"

Laughing, we both went into the kitchen.