DISCLAIMER: How do I put this? Oh Yea! I own nada. =)

A/N Love all my readers and reviews to death, and for that it is my goal this summer, (With finding a real person job) to update as much as possible. i.e. no more than a week between updates, I can't promise anything, but I'm sure gonna try. So, on with the story. =) Enjoy.

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: : Zoo York : :

Goodbyes were hard. There was no other way to put it. Here Lindsay Monroe was ready to move across the country chasing a dream she had since the age of 8, but she couldn't let up on the grip she had on her mother. Finally, after checking and double checking the car to make sure she had everything, and multiple goodbyes, Lindsay had to leave or risk missing her flight to New York.

Her father drove the truck away from the Monroe Family Ranch, while Lindsay watched her childhood home fade into the distance. Who knew when she'd be able to see it again, 6 months, a year, or more. That thought alone killed. She was going to miss so much! She swiped tears from her eyes and continued to look out the window, but, it wasn't sly enough. Jim Monroe had seen his daughter wipe her tears away. He looked forward at the road before even daring to speak. He knew his middle daughter better than all his other children, and he knew tears and weakness was not something she willing shared, with anyone. It was hers to bear, and didn't want to bring anyone down with her. Oh yes, she put up a good front, but he knew exactly what she was doing when she locked herself in her room and blasted her music. She cried.

She hadn't showed much sadness over leaving last night at the Bon Voyage Party they had thrown for her, it had been happy bubbly Lindsay spending one last amazing night with her family and friends before starting a new job. Today she had choked up a bit, but the tears were coming. And as father and friend it was his job to make sure she left Montana looking forward to a new start.

"I'm proud of you Pumpkin." Jim said glancing over at Lindsay quickly. She gave him a small smile, and a few tears fell, but her eyes were drying behind them.

"Thanks Pops. I'm going to miss all of this though."

"You'd be crazy if you didn't. New York isn't going to have this kind of scenery. I mean look at those wheat fields." Lindsay laughed, her father-the rancher.

"Oh I'm sure they'll have some wheat fields." She thought, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Guess so." He smirked. "No view like it though."

"I know, but the sky line of New York does give it some stiff competition."

"There's my girl, already going New Yorker on me, Don't forget your roots honey."

"Couldn't even if I wanted too." Lindsay joked before looking out the window again. "Tell me I'm doing the right thing in transferring." She asked suddenly.

"Sweets, this is probably the best thing for you." He admitted to his daughter honestly. "You have a great opportunity to really do something with your life. You were never meant to be a big fish in a little pond."

"So a small fish in a big pond?" Lindsay asked.

"You have something to prove, you always do your best when you're fighting for something. You're not going to be happy here, you need to be challenged." Jim told her. "Plus it's a fresh start." He said watching as Lindsay tensed up as they drove past THE diner. "Leave the ghosts here Linds."

"Don't worry Dad, I am." Lindsay assured her father. Her past ghosts were coming nowhere near New York. She was leaving them in Bozeman, and moving on with life. They hadn't caught the guy that took the lives of her 4 friends in 9 years, her hopes were low that they ever would, so the only thing left to do was move on.

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Danny stepped off the elevator onto the 35th floor: the New York Crime Lab. He started down the hallway to his office when a faded Chicago accent assaulted his ears. Turning ever so slightly Danny came to face to face with his boss, Mac Taylor.

"Messer, we got a crime scene at the Bronx Zoo."

"The zoo?" Danny questioned. "Who kills someone at the zoo?" he said to himself pivoting around and following Mac into the elevator.

"And I need you to be on your best behavior, I have Lindsay starting with us today." There was a twinkle in Mac's eyes. Yea, Danny Messer be nice to the new hire, in his dreams, one could only wonder what tricks the kid had up his sleeves and was Lindsay Monroe quick enough to hold her own. The day would tell.

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What a day. That was all Lindsay Monroe could think of when she finally got home. Slumping into the first cushioned spot there was. She had to have been on her feet for at least 14 hours, and she needed better shoes. Stella had that much right, as for the power bars, tomorrow would tell. Lindsay really just hoped Stella was an honest person unlike that head case Messer. But you know what, it was only day one, and she wasn't going to let anything get to her. No, if Messer wanted to start up a little rivalry, if he saw her as competition: Good, she'd show him just how competitive she could be. As if on cue her phone range. The Screen read Home.

"Hey Mom," Lindsay answered.

"How did you know it was me?" Wendy Monroe asked, she had called on the home line, but there were 3 people still living in the house.

"Oh Mom, you want to know all about New York and worrying that I didn't make it home, Dad goes to bed about 2 hours ago, and Charlie? Really it's too early for a drunk dial, and too late for any kind of advice."

"Oh, how well you know us." Wendy said, her voice dripping of sarcasm. "So how was it?"

"Not bad, actually worked on a case in the zoo, some guy got mauled by a tiger."

"And that's your job."

"When it looks like it could be a mob hit."

"Oh no, Linds, I don't need another thing to worry about."

"Don't. Why would I ever get messed up in that?"

"Ok, good to know, so how are the people you work with?"

"Well," Lindsay started, that could be a long ranting conversation but as before rookie pranks were not going to get to her. "My boss is great, has me shadowing him in some instances, and the others are all pretty nice, very helpful." Yea they were helpful, directed you right to a cliff, no, nope, she wasn't going there, this job was going to test her and this was test one: recover from rookie mistake.

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"So that new chick is kinda cute." Don Flack said as he took a shot, his ball missing the pocket. He and Danny were playing a game of pool at the dimly lit police bar Sullivan's.

"Which one?" Danny asked lining up his shot, than taking it. His ball sunk into the pocket. "The girl from Montana?" He asked walking around the table to his next shot.

"Yea." Flack said taking a sip of his beer.

"I guess." Danny said striking and missing. "though she looks like she should be teaching the 1st grade."

"Judging the book Danno?" Flack laughed.

"Nah, she's got spunk, I'll give her that." Danny said leaning against the table and eyeing up a skinny blonde at the bar. She caught his gaze and smiled back. "but, I don't know,"

"Give her time?" Flack asked, knowing he wasn't being heard as the blonde sauntered over and introduced herself to Danny.

"Yea Sure." Danny said before they turned their attentions to the girl, who introduced herself as Cindy, and her friend.

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