Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for Seasons 2 & 3, up to and including "Silent Night".

A/N: Thanks to all my readers who offer support and information and feedback, and thanks to all those who just read and (I hope) enjoy the story. We're back to Bozeman, Montana!

Disclaimer: No infringement of copyright is intended. All characters originated with CSI:NY; all song lyrics are from The Beatles.

It's A Long Journey Home

Chapter 42: Things to Do

Come on, let me through

I've got so many things I've got to do

I've got no business being here with you

This way

By 7:45, the Monroes and Danny were at the hospital, making the final arrangements to keep Lindsay safe. John Monroe met with Danny in Chris Marten's office to go over their part of the plan.

"So, are you going to play the Fed card?" Danny asked, moving around the office restlessly, fiddling with things on the shelves and the desk. " 'Cuz I gotta tell you, the whole New York City cop schtick didn't do a thing for me."

John sat behind the desk and watched the other man with his usual cool detachment. "Well, Messer, not everyone thinks New York is the centre of the universe," he said wryly.

Danny flashed him a quick grin, "That's because they are lacking some essential information."

John raised an eyebrow, "Like what?"

"That New York is the centre of the universe," Danny pointed out logically.

"At least when I flash a badge, people have to listen, at any rate until they find out I have no authority. So let's make sure that we take them down in one move, okay?" John didn't crack a smile, but his posture eased a bit. This was going to work.

"Yeah. I'm looking forward to it," Danny's smile turned grim.

The two men finalized their game plan, and then went back to Lindsay's room to check that the rest of the plan was in place. Danny moved straight to Lindsay's side, looking her over carefully to make sure she was okay.

The bruises on her face had gone from black to green and purple; the abrasions were fading slowly. She had a sling holding one arm to her body, and a brace on her leg keeping her ankle stable, but she was sitting up talking to her brothers. Danny swallowed hard; she had been so lucky he couldn't believe it. She should have been a smear on the sidewalk; he and John had looked at the accident site the day before and if the truck had hit her one second sooner, or a few inches either way, she could never have survived.

Her hair was a mess, she was wearing a faded blue hospital gown, and there were dark marks under her eyes. And yet, when she grinned up at Danny, he thought she had never looked so beautiful. He reached for her hand and without thinking, bent to kiss her cheek, but she raised her head so that their lips brushed instead. He nearly jumped back from the electric buzz.

Jamie cleared his throat, "We ready to go here?"

John nodded, "Messer and I'll go to the police station; keep them busy. You guys get the peanut on her way. We'll meet up in two hours. Mick, you got the supplies?"

Mick tore his disapproving glare from Lindsay, whose eyes had not left Danny's face since he had walked into the room. "I've got enough for an army for a week; after that, Messer'll have to go hunting."

Lindsay threw Mick a mocking glance, "First of all, enough to feed whose army for a week? You've never seen this one eat!"

"Hey, Monroe, you calling me a pig?" Danny interjected.

Lindsay ignored him, although she squeezed his hand, "Second, what makes you think I need a man to go hunting for me? Who bagged the first moose three seasons ago?"

Jamie touched her arm gently, "I don't think you are going to be lifting a rifle any time soon, peanut."

She snorted, "Just watch me! I'll be hiking circles around city boy in no time!"

Danny watched her in fond amazement as she chipped back at her brothers, throwing every teasing comment back effortlessly. He could see that she was in pain; her eyes were shadowed, and she moved her feet restively, as if she wanted to be up and going. He knew that mood of hers well, sometimes finding it hard to keep up with her when she started moving. However, she was doing a good job of hiding her physical discomfort.

"Let's go, Messer. Operation Gadfly commences now," Special Agent John Monroe ordered, after checking his watch. "Eight hundred hours. We meet at ten hundred hours." He looked over sternly at his younger brother, who was doing his best not to giggle. "That's 10:00, Mick, you got that?"

Mick gave him a mocking salute, "Sah! Yes, sah!"

John sighed ostentatiously as he stood up and shrugged into his suit jacket. He was going in looking official this time, even if he didn't have official FBI standing in this case. He knew his supervisor would cut him some slack if he asked. Family was something Special Agent Morales understood.

All three brothers left the couple a few minutes to say goodbye, but Danny was very aware of their presence out in the hall, and tried to restrict his goodbyes to a careful hug, a kiss on the cheek, and an admonition to be careful and do what she was told.

Lindsay clung to him a moment, then let him go with a tremulous smile. "Danny…" she hesitated, then went on resolutely, "Be careful yourself, Danny. Someone out there is scared and vicious. He won't hesitate to go after you."

Danny grinned, "Hey, your mom told me I was her hired gun. Don't you know we never die?"

She pulled him close for another of those knee-buckling, heart-stopping kisses, only letting him go when he gently pulled away.

"I'll see you at ten hundred hours, right, Montana?" His warm husky voice stayed with her when he walked out of the room.

Danny met up with the brothers in the hallway outside Lindsay's room. "She's scared and she's hurting. Be careful with her, okay?" He directed the comment at Jamie, the oldest brother, who looked back solemnly.

"As careful as she'll let us be, man. You just watch out and make sure you show up, okay?"

Danny shook hands with both Jamie and Mick, and then followed John out the hospital and down to the car he had rented when he flew home. John cleared his throat as they climbed in, "I have to tell you something, Messer."

Danny shrank in his seat, but tried not to show it, "Yeah?"

"John McKim showed up at the hospital about six hundred hours this morning."

Danny could feel the spit drying in his mouth. "Why?" He could barely get the single word out.

"He wanted to talk to Lindsay alone. We didn't let him," John said quickly. "Jamie and I stayed in the room with them, let Mick get some breakfast."

"What did he want?" Danny stared out the car window, refusing to meet Lindsay's brother's eyes.

John sighed, "Danny, you have to realize – I went to school with the guy. I've known him my whole life. Lindsay was his partner; he taught her how to stay safe out there."

"What did he want?" Danny repeated, grimly.

"He wanted Lindsay to go away with him. He said he could keep her safe. And he probably could," John said quietly.

"Safe as the grave," thought Danny, biting his tongue and closing his eyes. It had been about 6:00 this morning that he had felt the world move beneath him. Maybe it really had. Maybe it had left him floating in space.

"As long as he isn't the one trying to kill her."

John sighed, "I know, I know. He's not in the clear. But he's not a likely suspect either. He wasn't even in town when the original shooting happened, and he's a good cop, man. He knows the town, knows what's going on."

Danny opened his eyes and looked at John incredulously. "If he knows people in this town so well, how come he doesn't know what is going on in this case? You'd think he'd have worked it out by now. Why would he need to take Lindsay away to keep her safe? He could just solve the case."

John Monroe nodded thoughtfully. "I don't know. But I trust him, Danny. So does Lindsay."

Danny clenched his jaw. He had known that breakfast was going to kill him; it was choking him now. "What did she say?"

John glanced over at his slightly green passenger, wondering if he was going to have to pull over to let him out on the side of the road. "Sorry?"

"When he offered to take her away? What did Lindsay say?" The words bled out of Danny.

"We couldn't hear." John thought a moment, then offered, "She laughed."

They were pulling up to the police station, and Danny took a deep breath and swung out of the car almost before it stopped moving, walking quickly towards the building.

"Hey. Hey, Messer!" Monroe grabbed his arm and jerked the angry young man back around to him.

Danny glared at him, "What?"

"Look, I don't need a cowboy in there. If you can't hold it together, you're out, got it?" Monroe got right in Danny's face, breathing heavily, speaking under his breath.

"Fuck you, Monroe! You wouldn't even be here if I hadn't let you in on it. Just because you're used to bullying provincial cops on their own turf doesn't mean you scare me. We're doing this my way, and if you don't like it, you can just suck it up!" Danny didn't bother to keep his voice down at all, his accent strong and obvious in the quiet Bozeman street. Passers-by stopped and stared openly at the two angry men, and one man hurried his young children across the street, away from the fight everyone could feel brewing.

Once again, John Monroe stood down, letting go of Danny's arm, and shrugging, smoothing his suit jacket. "We'll finish this later. We have work to do."

"Any place, any time, Monroe," Danny muttered, but followed the agent into the station. Looking up, he could see people moving oh so casually away from the front-row seats to the show they had enjoyed at the window. The two men were certainly going to be the centre of attention.