Chapter Five - I'll Always Be There For You

Jamie had been looking for Lindsay for about ten minutes, unable to find her she tried the lab that they had all been in before she and Flack had gone for coffee, she poked her head round the door, again no Lindsay but Danny was sitting staring at the table with a glum look on his face, Jamie walked in and took a sit next to him.

"Whats eating you?"

Danny sat up and smiled at Jamie.

"Nothing."

Jamie gave him the 'Like I believe that' look.

"Spill Messer."

"Lindsay and I had a little fight, just after you left."

Jamie sighed and folded her arms on the table, making sure not to touch any evidence that was in front of her.

"She got upset because I don't take her out on dates, but I didn't know that was what she wanted, if she had said then I would've, I cant read minds."

Jamie nodded

"Maybe she didn't want to say anything, maybe she wanted you to be spontaneous and surprise her, I havent met a girl yet that doesn't like being wined and dined."

"I suppose your right."

Jamie scoffed.

"Aren't I always?"

Both she and Danny laughed, but then Danny turned serious again.

"When were you going to talk to me about Flack?"

Jamie was confused.

"What do you mean?"

Danny sighed and stood up and walked to the other side of the layout table and started to pack up evidence.

"Doesn't matter Jay. Haven't you got to get back to the DA's office or something?"

Jamie stood up and tried again.

"Danny talk to me, where did that come from?!?"

Danny's head snapped up and he looked her dead in the eyes.

"What like you talk to me?"

Danny peeled off his gloves and tossed them in the bin and walked out the lab, leaving a sealed box of evidence and an upset and confused Jamie behind.

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Later that night, Jamie was pacing up and down her apartment, she hadn't been able to think straight since Danny's outburst, she started to get upset and curled up on the sofa and cried, she and Danny rarely fought, but when they did, it lasted a couple days when they were living together they went a week without saying one word to, it was their way of dealing with the stresses of each other, and that was their ritual, but every time they fought, Jamie always found it harder each time.

"Dammit Messer, every time."

Just as Jamie was about to throw something across the room, her phone rang, not in the mood she grabbed her phone and threw it in the waste paper bin, unaware that it was in fact Flack calling.

Jamie had her hand to her mouth, she hated this, she hated the fact that she and Danny were fighting, and she had to do something about it, she grabbed her keys and her jacket, slipped on her shoes and headed out the door. Within twenty minutes she was outside Danny's apartment, banging ferociously on the door.

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Danny was sitting on his sofa with beer in hand watching the baseball, Flack had called round earlier and they were both chatting and eating the pizza they had ordered, it ended up being a little gathering, Hawkes had popped by and was enjoying the pizza and beer as well. Flack had gone into the kitchen to call Jamie, but when there was no answer he came back in with a perplexed look on her face. Hawkes noticed.

"Not in?"

"Must not be, but I'm sure she said she had no plans, do you reckon she is with Lindsay Danny?"

Danny just shrugged.

"Might be."

Hawkes and Flack looked at each other and said nothing, completely unaware of the events that had happened in the lab.

Danny was about to grab a slice of pizza when someone began knocking rapidly on the door, both Hawkes and Flack looked at Danny.

"Is this normal? Does this happen regularly?"

Danny sighed.

"Nope, about once a year will do it, you guys might want to take cover, especially you Flack."

Just as he stood up they heard the sounds of Jamie's voice through the door.

"DAMMIT MESSER, ANSWER THE GOD DAMN DOOR…NOW!!!"

"Dude is that?…"

Danny just nodded. He made his way to the door and opened it slowly.

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When Danny had finally opened the door Jamie barged past him and walked in to see Flack and Hawkes staring at her, if she was in the right state of mind the fact Flack would be seeing her in the state she was in it would have bothered her big style, but at that present moment, she couldn't give a toss.

She heard Danny shut the door and then saw him walk past her, this just infuriated her more.

"What the hell do you think you doing Danny? How can you just walk straight past me!!"

Danny turned and looked at Jamie.

"Jamie can we not do this now, I have company!"

Flack and Hawkes eyes widened with disbelief, neither were paying attention to the game anymore, something more interesting was going on right in front of them. Flack was paying the most attention.

"You're a jackass you know that, a real piece of work."

"I do now, Jamie, was the whole point in this visit you coming to lay into me, if so I am really not in the mood!"

Jamie walked right up to Danny and got up in his face.

"Neither am I!"

Danny and Jamie continued their eye contact until they heard Flack clear his throat.

"Uh guys, whats going on?"

Jamie turned her attention to Flack and smiled wearily.

"Sorry Flack, this is something me and Danny need to sort out on our own, it doesn't change anything, I just don't want you to see me act the way I am gunna act with him…it tends to get ugly."

Danny scoffed, he knew ugly was an understatement, when they were sharing an apartment a couple years back, they went through a whole set of white china, Jamie had smashed all the pieces whilst taking aim at Danny's head. She wasn't trying to kill him of course…

"Danny…can we not do this in front of your friends, I don't think they want to witness your murder!"

Jamie smiled sarcastically.

Danny turned to Flack and Hawkes.

"Guys, I hate to do this to you half way through a game, but Jay has a point this might turn ugly."

Flack had a worried look on his face, he wasn't too keen on the idea of leaving them alone together when there was obviously something big was about to go down. He turned to Jamie.

"Jay, Danny, just try to stay in one piece, I like you both the way you are!"

Jamie smiled and watched as Hawkes and Flack left the apartment, once the door was closed Jamie's personality flipped again, she wasn't backing down.

"You know, I thought I could handle anything life could throw at me, the majority of the time I can, but you, you are something that I cant handle, you're the one thing in my life that I cant control…and I hate you for it."

Danny closed his eyes and lifted his head to the ceiling, he opened his eyes and looked at Jamie the upset evident within her, he hated fighting with her. But even the best of friends fight.

"Jay…"

Jamie stopped Danny, she was crying now, she was emotional and she was going to be heard.

"Danny, just don't speak, I need you to listen to me…"

Danny nodded.

"You and me, its always been there, we never told anyone that we dated all the way through high school, we didn't tell anyone that because we knew that your girlfriend or my boyfriend would want us to shut each other out of our lives, and we agreed we wouldn't do that, we agreed that we meant far more to each than that. Friends forever I think was what we toasted to."

Jamie smiled as she remembered, she turned back to Danny her eyes red, and crying, she sniffed and smiled at Danny again, she laughed at herself.

"GOD look at me, I know this is our yearly bust up, but it really doesn't make it any easier…their getting worse…aren't they?"

Danny just looked down at the floor and then back to Jamie.

"Yeah."

Jamie laughed and began pacing.

"You know, I never thought we would fight over something so trivial mind, come on, what was that in the lab, I don't talk to you anymore? You know that's bull! You know my darkest secrets Danny, and I know all your demons, hell I've sat and had meals with them before…how can you say I don't talk to you?"

"Jay, I said it because I was in a weird place in my head."

Jamie shook her head.

"That's not why you said it. Please Danny, I need to know what you meant."

Danny sighed.

"I guess…I guess I was jealous that the reason you rang at three in the morning was to speak to Lindsay, I remember when I used to be the one you called at three in the morning to bitch about the boyfriend you just split with or because you had seen a cute guy in the café near your work."

"You used to act so annoyed when I did that, your meaning to tell me, you liked the fact that I called you?"

Danny nodded.

"It made me feel that I was a part of your life still."

Jamie's heart tore into two pieces.

"Danny, you will always be a part of my life, but Lindsay is a woman, she understands what I mean, she knows where I am coming from, you're a guy, you wouldn't as much."

Danny smiled. Jamie took a few steps towards Danny and placed her hands on his chest and looked up at him.

"I love you Danny, I loved you when we were growing up, I loved you in high school and I love so much more now, the fact that I am talking to Lindsay about my man issues doesn't mean and doesn't make you less of a friend. Danny you will always be my best friend…there is no substitute, especially considering you are one of a kind."

Danny smirked.

"I know you love me, and I know that there are obviously things that you cant tell me, and well I would rather you didn't tell me about the size of Flacks manhood…that would be wrong on so many levels."

Jamie laughed and wrapped her arms around Danny and held him tight, as did Danny.

"I'm not gunna let go Jay, now or ever, I'll always be there for you."

Danny kissed the top of Jamie's head as she nuzzled into his chest. Even though they had a sexual relationship once Jamie and Danny never rekindled their romance in that way, they tried it out but they were found that they were better off as friends, best friends and it had remained that way ever since.

Jamie started laughing.

"What? Whats so funny?"

Jamie rested her chin on Danny's chest and looked up into his eyes and smiled through her laughter.

"If someone was to walk in right now they would so get the wrong idea."

Danny and Jamie started laughing together and Danny kissed her head again. Danny and Jamie stayed like that for a few more minutes and then pulled away from each other. Then it hit Jamie.

"Aww man, I missed Flacks call, I was looking forward to that as well."

Danny smiled as he handed Jamie a slice of pizza, they had made their way to the sofa and were watching the rest of the game.

"You really like him don't you?"

Jamie turned to Danny and smiled lovingly.

"Yeah, yeah I do, I am just worried he doesn't feel the same."

Danny laughed and took a swig of his beer.

"Oh he does believe me, you should have seen him before you turned up at the lab today, what sight!"

Danny and Jamie stayed in Danny's apartment, laughing joking and making the most out of each others company. They were now closer than ever.

TBC

A/N - This chap just came flowing out of me, hope you enjoy!