Thank you guys so much for the amazing reviews and response to the first chapter--and so sorry for the wait on the update! It's funny how easy it is to get your characters into trouble--then you have to have the right words and actions to get them out!

Oh, and obviously, I don't own CSI NY, or any of the products, games or anything official mentioned in this chapter. I don't even have stock in the companies. And if I did ... well, I'm just glad I didn't.

A/N: Edited on May 21, 2009 to bring story into Season 5. Fits between Sex, Lies and Silicone and Enough. What? You don't remember meeting Lindsay's grandfather? Where do you think Lindsay was for Cost of Living? … you'll just have to wait and see. Not there yet.

Chapter 2:

Lindsey stared at the hand that held the gun. It had the smoothness of youth, the edge of work, and the grip of experience.

He wasn't a tall man. He was left handed. The sleeve of his coat, a rough and battered leather, covered his arm. She didn't know, couldn't tell his strength.

"I don't want to hurt you or anything—"

A teenager, she realized. There was definitely youth in that voice, past puberty, conditioned with the knowledge of the streets. But there was still a quality within it—and with that, came mistakes. Desperation.

"You're the one with a gun trained on me." Lindsay watched Danny's eyes trace over the gun.

"Just give it to me and I'll be done, man."

With Danny … Lindsay heard it in the voice. He wasn't going to give Danny time to get out, a chance to remember him. Faced with a gun to him, he would most likely panic. Fire. He just wanted time to get whatever he thought was there and get out before someone came running.

She looked around, noted the metal handing rods that were still attached to the walls. She carefully stepped over and lifted the long rod up; grateful for the department store gig she'd had in college. Good ol' Sears.

"What? We've cleaned this place out," Danny's New York accent was stronger than ever.

"Open the drawer. The middle one. Slowly," he stepped into the room so that Lindsay lost sight of him.

"There's nothing here, man."

"Take the drawer out and set in on the desk," he stepped closer to the desk. "Just do it!"

Carefully she unsnapped the holster and stepped closer to the doorway. Her right hand held the long bar over her shoulder.

Danny obliged enough to pull the drawer out, and then made an effort in yanking it back a few times for show and noise.

"Come on, copper. You're one of those scientist freaks. Just do it, or I will. Which means I'll be stepping over your dead body to get there."

For a moment, Danny just looked up, met his gaze. Please don't do something stupid, Danny … Lindsay silently begged, and nearly sighed with relief when he used both hands. He glanced up, briefly met her gaze.

Suddenly she knew what Danny wanted. What he was waiting for.

He pulled at it again, and struggled with it, distracting the gunman with both sound and his own frustration. Lindsay stepped in, unnoticed.

Arm still back.

"Now set in on the desk."

"You should know, my partner is perfection at the whack a mole."

"What?"

Lindsay swung her arm forward, watched as his neck bowed back and he slid to the floor. She kicked at his gun, held her weapon steady as the gunman groaned and slowly started to turn over.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," she stepped forward and placed a foot to his back, to thrust him back down. Danny came around and knelt to deal with cuffing him. She watched his long fingers as he worked, but kept her gun trained.

"The whack a mole?" she asked. "Why couldn't you have mentioned that I can beat you at the shooting range?"

"That's not something I'm willing to spread around."

"Well, where do you think I learned to shoot?"

Handcuffs secured, he turned his head to look up at her. "Don't tell me. Out on the prairie with the gofers poppin up and down."

The laugh bubbled out of her. "No. Try Duck Hunter. Super Nintendo. Top score in the family."

When he shot her a look she simply grinned. "So? I was a huntin' girl. Gotta problem with that, Messer?"

"Not at the moment. Our guy here, though…" Danny pushed himself up and helped the now shackled gunman to his feet. "Come on, fella. I think you owe us a few answers."

"I'm not saying anything without a lawyer."

"Oh really? Us two scientist freaks? We already got enough on you to keep you around for a long time. Why don't you just go ahead and tell us what you wanted."

"Not until I sue your—"

Danny let go and Lindsay winced as he hit the floor with a thud and started cursing them again.

"Danny."

"Oops," he shrugged and stepped forward, sliding those long fingers around her neck and drawing her close. "And you're a liar, Ms. Monroe."

"What?" distracted, she slid into the kiss, like ice sliding into a drink. Smooth and deep … just like that.

It settled her, she thought, sliding her arms around him. She could have lost him. Really lost him.

When he leaned back, she found herself just looking into his eyes, absorbing the blue. Taking just a moment to know that they were safe. They were real.

"You better call backup."

Danny stepped around the gunman who was complaining again. Funny, she'd tuned him out for awhile there. She pulled her phone out, keeping an eye on him, even as she watched Danny walk around the desk to look at the drawer.

She watched as he picked it up, held it to the light.

So that she was the one who saw it.

"Danny—on the bottom."

He turned the drawer over and grinned. That satisfied Messer grin. "Well, look what we found. Looks like our boy was here for a reason after all."

This chapter, by the way, is dedicated to Lilymoonlight who challenged me to write Lindsay saving Danny... I've been trying to work this in for awhile now! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.