Author's Notes: This story is heading somewhere; I plan to write a chapter after each new episode. So this one follows last week's episode "Raising Shane." I hope you enjoy it, and thank you so much for your enthusiastic responses to the first chapter!
The Fate of Daisies
by Kristen Elizabeth
"I don't know about you, but I could use a beer."
Up until the second Lindsay's sweet voice sliced through the silence of the break room, Danny had been sitting in the dark, his feet propped up on the table, replaying every second of his encounter with Shane Casey in his mind. He'd been through it so many times, in fact, that it was almost starting to seem like a movie he'd watched, instead of reality.
She turned the light on, and he winced. "Damn, Montana. Have a heart."
Folding her arms over her chest, Lindsay shook her head. "How long have you been in here?"
He checked his watch and replied, "None of your business."
"This is really sad. I should just leave and let you wallow."
Danny closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of his chair. "You do what you gotta do."
"But I'm not going to," she finished up. "If you're on your feet in the next thirty seconds, I'll buy the first round."
He was a lot of things, but he wasn't stupid. Turning down free drinks provided by a beautiful woman definitely fell in the 'stupid' category. His feet dropped down onto the floor with two loud thumps as he dragged himself out of his chair.
Lindsay's smile was small, but triumphant.
The bar they chose was a favorite of the crime lab, more for its close location than its selection or service. But there was a good draft on tap and if pressed, they would make a plate of cheese fries that could stop a man's heart. As far as Danny was a concerned, it was an ideal place to get sloshed on Lindsay's tab.
She waited until he was halfway through his first brew before she brought up the day's events. "Rough case."
He refrained from snorting into his mug, but just barely. "Yeah. You could say that."
To his surprise, not only had Lindsay matched his order, she was actually drinking it. No whining about calories or carbs; this was a girl who liked beer. After years of dating women who would only drink Amstel Lights, it was nothing short of a revelation.
And just one more reason why he was head over heels.
"Do you feel like talking about it?"
Danny gave one curt shake of his head, and braced himself for what he assumed would come next, her insistence that he get things off his chest.
But all she did was nod. "Okay. Tell you what. I'll talk about it." She took a sip before continuing. "I hated that you had to go in that bar. I'm pretty sure I held my breath the whole time you were in there."
His Adam's apple bobbed. "Montana…"
"I just kept thinking…" Lindsay looked down into her mug. "…that if something happened to you, you'd never call me that again. And I'd…"
"You'd what?" he prompted after a minute passed in silence.
"I'd never get to tell you…things." Their eyes met, but she looked away quickly and downed about half of what was left of her beer in one gulp.
Danny released a breath. "You're really gonna leave it there, aren't you?"
"I just wanted you to know."
"Know what?" His voice raised a notch in frustration. "That there are things I need to know? But if you ain't gonna tell me what those things are, what's the fucking point of telling me they exist?"
Her eyes flooded with hot tears. "Please don't yell at me."
Guilt washed over him in huge, crushing waves. "I'm sorry. Lindsay…I'm sorry." His hand hovered over her back; he wanted to touch her, but something held him back. "Don't cry, baby. Please."
She ran the back of her hand over her cheeks. "No...I'm sorry. I shouldn't expect you to be nice to me when I'm making everything so confusing."
"Hey, I wouldn't know what to do with a woman who wasn't confusing in some way." Danny tried to smile. "I was starting to think you were too good to be true. I'm kinda glad to find out you're human, Montana."
"Very much human," she sniffed. "And completely capable of making bad decisions." Their eyes met. "Every time I tell myself that keeping our relationship professional is the best choice for us both…you go and do something like bring me flowers or…confront a crazy killer. And suddenly I have to rethink everything."
"Well." Danny lifted his beer. "Good for me."
Lindsay shook her head. "Not good for me. I'm tearing myself up over you."
"Then…stop."
After a second of silence, she reached into her pocket and pulled out enough cash to cover their drinks. "I need to go." She slipped off the barstool.
"I was thinking about you when I was in there," he said getting down from his own stool. "You're always in my head, Montana."
Standing in front of her, Danny could no longer resist pulling her into his arms. Her head fit perfectly against his shoulder, and although she tried to pull away for a few obligatory seconds, she eventually relaxed into the embrace. He inhaled the fragrant scent of her hair, and relished in the feeling of her lithe frame pressed against his.
"Why does this gotta feel so right?" he murmured.
Her arms tightened around his neck. "It's not fair, you know? I came here to be independent."
"I'm no threat to your independence," Danny reminded her. "In fact, I'm all for it."
"Then…will you let me go? Because I'm not strong enough to pull away."
He released her and took a small step back; the edge of his bar stool dug into his butt, but he ignored it. "Don't ask me to forget about this," he said, his tone suddenly as low as his mood. "'Cause I won't."
Lindsay's smile was sad. "Neither will I." She placed her soft palm against his cheek for a few torturous seconds before turning and walking away.
Danny ordered another beer. And then another. He was well into his eighth when Flack entered the bar. He had a vague memory of being pushed into a cab, and then pushed into his apartment. But when he woke up, fully-clothed and sprawled face down on his bed, all he could clearly remember was the flowery scent of Lindsay's shampoo.
To Be Continued