Author's note - Thanks for the reviews! Love the feedback. I don't know about you all but I'm dying for the show to come back so I hurried to finish this up... Cuz there is going to be a lot more inspiration in the weeks to come! Hope you enjoy this.

Mindy fell into her normal post breakup routine, but this time, it was all by rote. Homely pajamas, check. Blanket and pillow on couch, check. Bowl of ice cream and Kleenex, check check. No wine this time, but even if she had any in the house, her stomach was too tied up in knots to drink.

She cried a little, but not over Cliff. Her tears were full of frustration, disappointment, and a little bit of loneliness. Something else, too... She couldn't place where the sadness was coming from. She just knew there was a sense of unease, of emptiness, and it wasn't because her cute boyfriend broke it off. She knew he wasn't the "one," whatever that even meant, but she never expected it to last.

She felt like something major had cracked inside her, and it didn't make any sense. She could have just told Cliff what he wanted to hear, and everything would be fine. But she couldn't say the words, say that she had no feelings for Danny, even if she was mixed up about what those feelings were. She was afraid, too, scared and worried about what would happen to her friendship if all this came to light.

So she sniffled and flipped channels, landing on some nature show featuring wild cats and some kind of deer. It was not her usual fare but it was there. And she would have kept crying and eating ice cream and being introspective, watching lions mate, if not for the banging on the door.

Her heart leapt, because she thought for it was Cliff coming to apologize, and even if he wasn't Mr. Right, he would distract her and she wouldn't have to be alone with her damned thoughts. She sprang up, trying to fix her hair and hoped she looked quirky cute like Zooey Deschanel, and looked out the peephole.

It wasn't Cliff.

It was Danny. Angry Danny. Glaring directly into the peephole Danny.

Mindy's heart was suddenly pounding. Almost in response, Danny banged on the door again. She felt frantic. Obviously, this was fallout from the dinner, but what could have made Danny so mad at her? She fumbled with the door latches. "Hang on!" She squeaked.

Finally she flung open the door. "What's going on? What's wrong?" She asked, trying to quell the waves of panic and nausea.

Danny just stood there, fury and pain in his eyes, jaw clenched and hands in tight fists. He tore his eyes away from Mindy and pushed past her into the apartment. Mindy closed the door and turned to find Danny had spun around and was now inches away. She shrank back against the door.

"What did you tell her, Mindy? What did you say?" He spat out the words in a clipped tone, his breath hot on her face.

"What are you talking about, Danny?"

Mindy had never seen him this worked up. She had made him angry plenty of times before but this was the worst - and she hadn't even done anything.

"You can't be satisfied ruining your own fucking relationships, can you? You had to go and ruin mine, too!" His voice was like a deep growl. Mindy felt the sting of tears in her eyes and closed them tightly. "Ouch." She whispered.

He turned on his heel and walked away, findings Mindy's overstuffed chair and collapsing in it, face in his hands. It was like he deflated, all the anger dissipating.

Mindy stepped hesitantly towards him, still very confused. "Danny?"

He looked up at her, dropping his hands in his lap. "Denise broke up with me. She wouldn't tell me why. She just kept telling me to talk to you." His voice was no longer furious, just broken.

"Oh God, Danny. I don't know what she's talking about. I didn't tell her to break up with you! I swear I didn't!" Mindy was horrified. She couldn't tell him about the confrontation with Denise - it had already ruined her relationship with Cliff, and it looked like she was about to lose Danny too.

Danny hung his head and shook it slowly. "I don't know what happened. It was going great. She's smart and funny and pretty... and she liked me." He put an odd emphasis on the last word. "At least... I thought she did." He looked up and his eyes were so sad that Mindy felt her heart break. Her own eyes were brimming with tears.

"She made me a little happy, Min." His voice cracked on her name. "What... Why?"

Mindy grabbed his clasped hands in her own. "Danny, Danny, I did not mean to break you up. I would never say or do anything to hurt you like that. I want you to be happy." She felt a tear slip down her cheek. "Please believe me. Please."

Danny just looked at her. He pulled his hands free and leaned back in the chair, grasping the arms and staring up at the ceiling. Mindy felt the panic come back.

"Oh come on, Danny. If you'll notice I'm not having so great a night either." Mindy gestured at the carnage around her.

Danny glanced around, taking in the melted mint chip, the Kleenex and magazines tossed around. He looked at Mindy, actually seeing her for the first time, with no makeup and ratty pjs.

"Cliff?" He questioned softly.

"Yep, I ruined my own fucking relationship, just like you said." Mindy's tone was bitter.

"I'm sorry." He didn't sound sorry. "What happened?"

"You don't want to know."

"Min."

Mindy met his eyes. They were still hurting, but there was something else... He was putting some puzzle pieces together. She swallowed hard.

"What the hell aren't you telling me?" Danny's voice was softer but the question very pointed. She wasn't going to escape this unscathed.

"Danny, really it's not..." Danny reached out and grabbed Mindy's wrist, pulling her slightly closer.

"Something happened, Mindy, and both of us were broken up with tonight because of it. I'm the only one who doesn't know what that thing is, and I goddamned deserve to know. Was it Denise and Cliff? Did they... did something go on between them? And when the hell could it have, anyway?" Danny was grasping for an answer that made sense.

Mindy closed her eyes. She couldn't tell Danny and yet, she couldn't not tell him. He was right, he did deserve to know, as crazy as it was. She just couldn't look at him.

"No, geez, no." she laughed hollowly. "Not them, Danny. Us."

Danny made a kind of strangled noise in his throat. "Us?" He managed to croak. "Us... us?" He weakly gestured back and forth from himself to Mindy.

"It's stupid, Danny. It's crazy."

Danny waited but Mindy wasn't saying anything. He tightened his grip on her wrist just a little.

"Okay..."

Mindy took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Danny was watching her intensely and she wanted to squirm, run, hide somewhere he couldn't find her and make her say it out loud. She knew he would laugh and mock and somehow that terrified her, hearing Danny scoff at the idea that they were in love. That she was in love with him... Oh God. Oh dear God. She was in love with him.

Suddenly air refused to pass through her lungs and she felt like she was about to faint. This is insane, she thought, I'm not... I can't be... but... I am. And suddenly that realization gave her strength.

"Denise... She thought we were a couple. She asked me how long we have been... in love." She just said it simply and swiftly and then, it was out there. The crushing weight on her chest was lifted.

Danny's face paled. "Wha... what?" He stammered, releasing Mindy's wrist. She pulled it back and rubbed the spot where Danny had gripped it, glad to have something else to look at besides his face.

"Yeah, I know." She forced a light tone and continued. "I told her that was crazy, Danny. That you... You don't love me." Her voice cracked. "And I told Cliff the story and he..." She couldn't go on.

"Wh...why would Cliff care what Denise thinks?" Danny asked her quietly.

"I don't know, Danny." Mindy felt the panic rising again. "I guess he thinks... he thinks... that I'm in love with you."

There was a terrible heavy silence in the room and Mindy felt like screaming SAY SOMETHING but yet, what would he say that wasn't going to make it worse?

She slowly raised her eyes to meet Danny's. His expression was unreadable.

"I said it was crazy..."

"Mindy." His voice... It was deep and gravelly and she couldn't focus. Could he hear her heart pounding, she wondered. Blood was rushing in her ears.

"Just answer me, Min."

"What?" Had he asked her a question? She hadn't heard.

"Seriously?" Danny had an incredulous look on his face. "You're gonna make me ask you again?" Mindy just nodded, confused. Danny reached out for her hands, grasping them gently, leaning forward.

"Are you?" Danny hesitated. "In love... with me?"

Mindy felt a rush of adrenaline. She had not expected that question, or the hopefulness in his eyes. She exhaled slowly, set her jaw and answered.

"Yeah." And then she burst into tears.

Danny released her hands, which she then buried her face in, heaving big sobs. Danny moved to the couch and folded his arms around her, pulling her against his chest, as the sobs wracked her body. Finally she was cried out. He held her head, laying his lips against her temple, murmuring her name.

"Mindy, Mindy, Mindy..."

"I'm so sorry Danny. I didn't mean for this to happen."

He softly kissed her temple. "Mindy, please don't apologize."

He moved down to lay a kiss on her cheekbone. "I am.." Down her cheek between words. "Crazy..." Another kiss on her jawline. "In love..." Finally he reached her lips, just brushing them before speaking. "With you."

Mindy's breath was hitched. She pulled back slightly, wiping at her nose and eyes.

"Danny, I'm all snotty and I think you're gonna kiss me."

Danny gently pulled her hands away. "You're right. And I don't care."

And kiss her he did.

Epilogue

Mindy arched her back and stretched, then curled back in her warm cozy bed. Beside her, lightly snoring, lay the man it turns out she really was in love with after all. She felt lightheaded. Suddenly a giggle escaped her lips, waking Danny.

"Hey."

"Hey." Mindy snuggled up against his warm skin.

"You know, this evening had an entirely different ending than I anticipated. Your double dates always end terribly." Danny murmured into her hair. This made Mindy giggle again. "I didn't expect this to happen when I came over..."

"Yeah, you did."

Danny laughed, pulling her closer against him. "I did not! I wanted it... for a long time. But I didn't know."

"Yeah, you did..." teased Mindy.

"OK..." Danny found her mouth again and she laughed against his lips.

"Mindy?"

"Yeah, Danny?"

"I'm really glad you invited us to dinner tonight."

"Me too, Danny."