Chapter Eight - Brain Food

Danny had been at the lab for about three hours when news of Lindsay's arrival reached his ears. He had been working in DNA when Flack came for an update on the case as well as letting Danny in on the news.

"Hey man, you got anything for me?"

Danny looked up from the garment of clothing he was analysing.

"Nothing, nada. Why do you look so happy about that?"

Flack laughed.

"I'm not, but I think I can assure you, your moods gunna do a u-turn in about five seconds."

"What the hell Flack?"

Right on cue Lindsay walked into the lab where Danny was working and smiled.

"Hey Don, I didn't expect you to be in today, weren't you planning on catching up on sleep?"

"Yeah that was the plan, but when the city needs me I am always willing to skip the much needed sleep!"

Flack puffed out his chest in pride while Lindsay and Danny laughed, Lindsay patted Flack on the back.

"Mac threatened you didn't he?"

Flack's pride deflated.

"Yeah. Yeah he did."

Lindsay and Danny continued laughing and Flack joined in to.

"Well I would love to stay while you two laugh at me, but I have things to do you know people to interrogate, people to piss off, the same old really."

With that Flack left Danny and Lindsay alone in the lab she smiled and stood so that she was beside him looking at what he was doing.

"So Messer, you think you can spare me an hour of your time for lunch?"

Danny laughed and peeled his gloves off.

"For you, of course. What did you have in mind?"

Lindsay smiled and helped him pack away the evidence.

"I don't mind, pizza, something from the local café you choose, be assertive I like a man who can stand his ground."

Danny laughed as he sealed the box and escorted Lindsay to Mac's office.

Danny poked his head around the door and smiled.

"Hey Mac, can I take lunch now? My case has hit a dead end, I need some brain food!"

Mac merely nodded and within minutes Danny and Lindsay were walking along the streets of New York, searching for somewhere to eat.

Lindsay linked her arm with Danny's and rested her head on his upper arm, seeing as she was shorter than Danny, she wasn't quite tall enough to reach his shoulders. Danny smiled at her actions. Eventually after having walked around the streets of New York for a few more minutes Danny stopped and looked through a café window and spoke.

"This place seems nice."

Danny heard Lindsay laugh and looked towards her.

"Danny, this is the place we always go to for lunch."

It was Danny's turn to laugh.

"Well then me saying this place is nice wasn't a lie then was it?"

Lindsay sighed and carried on laughing, she took Danny by the hand and pulled him into the café. The café owner recognised them immediately, she also noticed that Danny and Lindsay were holding hands.

"Well well, if it isn't Detective's Messer and Monroe. What can I do for you today?"

Lindsay and Danny grabbed a table and waited to speak with the owner.

"So I see that you two have finally got your acts together!"

Danny shook his head while Lindsay blushed slightly.

"Yep, and we couldn't be happier."

Lindsay smiled and Danny winked at her.

"So Barb, can we order?"

"Of course you can sweetheart, what can I get you two?"

Danny skim read the menu and answered.

"Hamburger and fries, no gerkins please Barb."

Barb sighed and wrote down the order.

"Detective Messer, you do remember what my chef said last time you ordered the Hamburger and asked for no gerkins?"

Danny shook his head and looked at Lindsay. She shook her head and answered for him.

"Danny he said that he would come out here and personally shove the gerkins down your throat. Does that ring any bells?"

Danny looked in the air, it took him a few moments and he tweaked.

"Oh yeah so he did…I'd like to see him try it!"

Lindsay and Barb laughed and shook their heads.

"Danny just have it with the gerkins and I will take them out for you, I like gerkins I will have them just please, don't make the chef mad the team like it here we would like to come back and not get thrown out as soon as we set foot in the door."

Barb laughed and placed her hand on Lindsay's shoulder.

"Oh don't worry darlin' you and the rest of your lot would be allowed in here anytime, we would just have to pass Danny food through the window, in a doggy bag."

Lindsay burst out laughing while Danny looked hurt.

"Barb please you wouldn't?"

Barb just laughed and looked at Lindsay.

"Your usual Lindsay?"

"Please Barb, and just give Danny the gerkins, I'll sort it for him."

Danny looked at Lindsay and laughed slightly, Barb left with their orders and came back minutes later with their coffee's and left to sort out another customer, leaving Danny and Lindsay alone.

"You'll sort me out? I thought you liked assertive men?"

Lindsay shook her head.

"I do, but I also like my men living, I'm not Sid you know!"

Danny laughed hard causing the people in the café to look in their direction causing Lindsay to feel a little embarrassed.

"Danny, it wasn't that funny."

Danny nodded.

"Don't doubt yourself Montana, you're a funny woman."

Lindsay blushed some more, she had never been called funny before.

"You know Danny, I don't think I have ever been told that I'm funny. I guess that's something new."

"Sure is."

Lindsay and Danny smiled.

"You know I don't think I have been this happy in a long time."

Lindsay tilted her head and looked confused.

"What do you mean? You have had relationships that have lasted a while."

Danny agreed.

"Yeah I have, but none that have you know meant a lot to me, I haven't been so hooked on someone. You're an addictive person Montana."

"Thanks, I can say the same thing about you."

Danny and Lindsay continued their small talk until their food arrived.

"Here you go, you have no idea how glad I am to see my two favourite people finally together, its been a long time coming."

"I know Barb. I've been waiting or him to get his act together and make the move."

Lindsay and Barb laughed. Then Danny spoke.

"I thought Flack was your favourite person?"

Barb laughed and patted Danny on the shoulder.

"I like to let Don think that, you know what he is like. But who have I known longer Danny? Who talked you out of a life like your brothers?"

Danny nodded.

"You did Barb, you have no idea how much I needed to hear those words back then. You probably saved me."

Barb slapped Danny on the back of the head causing Lindsay laugh.

"What do you mean probably, I DID save you sweetheart, and don't you forget it!"

Danny rubbed the back of his head while Barb walked away. He turned his attention back to Lindsay who was still laughing.

"That woman has always had a temper."

Lindsay just smiled now.

"Aw don't worry sweetheart I will rub it better tonight. So lets get these gerkins sorted."

Lindsay reached for Danny's plate and opened up his burger and pulled out the gerkins and placed them on her plate. She then handed Danny back his plate and smiled.

"Better now?"

Danny nodded and took a bite out of his burger. Once they finished their lunch Danny paid Barb and headed out the café and towards the lab.

"You know, I've still got about twenty-five minutes before I've got to be back, how bout we sit in Central Park for a bit?"

Lindsay shook her head.

"No its ok, I would rather go sit in the break room for half an hour if that's ok?"

Danny shook his head.

"Nope that's fine by me, at least I cant have Mac saying I was late back from lunch."

Danny and Lindsay laughed as they made their way into the break room.

TBC