Disclaimer: Just for all legal purposes, I own nada.

A/N: You guys are lucky its rainy out here, got an update done in no time =) I believe this is the first time you will see flashback work from You look good in my shirt incorporated into the story. Put some of that story into context. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, love you. Gigi.

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: : YOUNG BLOOD : :

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: : 3:30 am : :

"Linds, we need to talk." Lindsay sat straight up. Those words never meant anything good, and at 3:30 in the morning even less so. Her heart was pounding. What was wrong? Was it a parent, grandparent, sibling.

"Charlie?" Lindsay asked trailing off, her brother sounded sober when he called her. When she was in Montana and he called this late he needed a ride. Tonight, an unexpected call, it wasn't good. "Is everyone all right?"

"What?" Charlie asked, a little thrown,

"Mom, Dad, you, Laura, Rich, Liz, is everybody ok?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"Yea, but Linds I need some advice."

"Oh, thank god Charlie, don't scare me like that." Lindsay sighed. Relieved that this wasn't anything super serious. "What do you need?" She was awake now she could at least assist her big brother with his issues.

"Hypothetically, if someone you were dating, or was married to was cheating on you, would you want to know?" he asked. Lindsay could hear him chewing his bottom lip on the other end of the phone. It was a trait several Monroe children picked up from their mother.

"Who's cheating Charlie? Is it Hank? Is he cheating on Laura, because if he is I'll be on the next plane out there and I'll…"

"Lindsay!" Charlie yelled trying to grab Lindsay's attention back and stop her rant. "Linds, it's not Hank."

"Then who is it?" Lindsay huffed. She didn't like this one bit.

"Do you really want to know, would you want to know?"

"YES!" Lindsay cried, the suspense was killing her. "And why are you whispering." She paused to think for a minute. "You followed them didn't you?"

"Yea, now answer the question." Lindsay had to stifle a laugh. She could just see her brother, squatting down to hide behind a bush, his honey colored faux hawk sticking out.

"You know the answer Charlie, I want to know."

"You sure…" Charlie asked again, making sure. He wasn't about to drop a ball like this on a person who didn't want to know, who was better left in the dark, but he had to tell her if she wanted to know. If it was better for her in the long run.

"YES Charlie, why's this so hard I mean it's not like it's me who's….. oh, it's Zach isn't it?" Lindsay questioned. It finally dawned on her. Zach was cheating on her. Charlie had obviously seen it when he was out, and had followed. Zach was cheating on her.

"Yea Linds, I'm sorry." Charlie tried to condone her.

"He's cheating on me really?" Lindsay questioned in an amused tone of voice. In the relationship, Lindsay was the one that had obviously settled. Zach was cute but he was in no way a knock out, he was interesting but, really?

"Linds I followed him and this skeezey looking redhead from the bar to an airport motel, the guy at the desk said they checked in for the night, and she was devouring his earlobe,"

"Spare me the details." Lindsay said chocking back some bile that had risen, "Thanks Charlie, Love You." Lindsay said before hanging up. What the hell just happened? Zach, the man who fought for their relationship to go long distance gives into temptation after 3 weeks. No way was she going to let him think he got away with it. She banged on the wall hers and Jenna's rooms shared and moved to the kitchen.

"What's up Linds?" a tired and yawning Jenna asked. Lindsay had woken her from up, it was either really good, or really bad.

"Oh not much." Lindsay said throwing the freezer door open and letting it slam against the wall before pulling a bottle of vodka from it and thumped it down on the counter top before fishing out a red bull and a couple shot glasses.

"Obviously." Jenna said amused at her roommates antics, this was college Lindsay coming out full swing, a pissed off college Lindsay. "And, you're a scientist, you know what mixing those two could do to…"

"Yea I know Jen, but tonight calls for it." Lindsay cut in. She turned around and handed a shot to Jenna, then clinked hers to it, before throwing it back. Lindsay shuttered for a minute then looked Jenna dead in the eyes. She too had taken her shot following Lindsay's lead. This was not a Lindsay to mess around with. "Zach's cheating on me."

"What? Why?" Jenna asked flabbergasted. It had only been 3 weeks, and he and Lindsay honestly talked about 2 hours a day, probably more now that she was out in New York than when they lived 20 minutes apart.

"Exactly what I said." Lindsay snapped, she poured another shot, took it, then grabbed the cordless phone from the holder on the wall and began dialing his cell number.

"Linds…."Jenna asked, but trailed off, she knew what Lindsay was going to do., even if it was close to 4am. The phone rang once, than twice before it was picked up.

"Hel….loh." the man on the other end was panting.

"Hi, Zach, it's Lindsay." She smiled and said in the most bublegummy voice she had. Nothing was wrong, everything was peachy keen.

"Lind-Lindsay? What are you calling at this hour? It's like 4 am in New York?"

"No, it's like 3:45, and I can hear that you're still finishing quick."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Who's the redhead Zach?" Lindsay asked straight to the point, there was no beating around the bush tonight.

"What, what redhead? Lindsay, is everything…."

"Oh everything is great Zach, I was just calling to say we're done, and enjoy your skanky redhead in the flea bag motel."

"Linnny?"

"You know," Lindsay thought for a second. "I am one of five, and Bozeman's a small town, someone is going to see, someone is going to tell me, and you didn't check into a no tell motel. Like I said, enjoy, and don't call me, ever." She hung up and threw the phone onto the counter. Turning around Jenna had another shot ready and waiting. Lindsay downed it, then breathed deeply, she was free, young and single in New York, the city was her playground.

"F.R.I.E.N.D.S?" Jenna asked. It was their coping mechanism in college, the sitcom cured all ailments, got them through finals, breakups, hangovers, and just a bad day.

"Do you even have to ask?" Lindsay asked. She was emotionally exhausted. Tomorrow would be a long day. But tonight, it was a bottle of Grey Goose, reruns, and a great friend.

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"You're bolder today." Danny observed. They had just finished meeting with Oscar Bowers. Some sick son of an ewe, that was into young, and I mean young women. It was true. Earlier in the lab she had shown him up, in the morgue she had leaned into get a better look of Sid scalping their vic, and in there with Oscar she had no problem standing up for women. Lindsay looked over at him, they were stuck at an intersection waiting for the light to change, and smiled slightly.

"Is that so?" she knew she was. Something about being able to dump Zach like that, it made her a little more gutsier. She was completely free to start fresh. And that is exactly what she intended to do.

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Danny and Lindsay had returned to the lab to go through some more of the evidence on the Kinsey murder. They both ended up in AV. Danny working on the IPOD, Lindsay working on the surveillance video. It was a pleasant quiet, just the tapping of the mouse and keys, when a sudden sound broke through…

"SO no one told you life was gonna be this way,
clap, clap, clap,
your job's a joke you're broke,
your love life is DOA
it's like you're always stuck in second gear,
when it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year,
but I'll be there for you
when the rain starts to fall,
I'll be there for you like I been there before,
I'll be there for you cause you're there for me too.'

It was Lindsay's cell phone. Jenna must have changed it sometime last night after she had fallen asleep. Lindsay had had a particularly hard night what with a trying case and the fact that her brother informing her that her boyfriend back in Bozeman had been cheating on her. They sat around bashing men, taking shots and watching friends reruns like they did all through college whenever something went wrong.

"Jenna you changed my ringtone?" Lindsay demanded slash laughed when she answered her cell phone that read Jenna Cell across the screen.

"Only for me. Special, just for us."

"Whatever, what can I do for ya?"

"What time do you get done tonight?"

"Sometime around 8, why?"

"Ok, we are going out. Think phase two"

"Okay, we ARE NOT getting drunk and going to a strip club." Lindsay laughed into the phone. The drunk and strip club peaked Danny's interest. He hid a smirk and continued to work through the ipod's information.

"Okay, not the strip club, but that's what we always did at school, and I'm off tonight, and lets go out."

"Alright, I'm in, but not just like old times, I'm not picking you up at 4 in the morning from some random guys house."

"THAT WAS ONCE!" Jenna shouted in a known teasing voice. Lindsay laughed

"I know but it's still worth mentioning. Alright Jen, I have to get back to work see you tonight."

"Bye babe." Jenna hung up, as did Lindsay. She went back to her work. Danny looked over his shoulder. She wasn't on the phone anymore. He was done with the ipod, so he figured he would figure out just how far she was on the video.

"So Monroe, is your love life really DOA?" Danny asked with his usual Messer grin. Lindsay wished just wished she could wipe it right off.

"As much as yours is Messer." She said without taking her eyes off the video.

"Ouch, aright Montana, so how you doing on the video?"

"Ok, this girl hasn't been id-ed as a resident of the building." Lindsay said as a young woman walks onto the screen. "And here she is in the lobby the same time as Jason Kinsey." She said glancing over at Danny who was concentrating on the screen.

"She looks nervous playing with her jewelry." Danny observed.

"Could be nerves, but it looks more like flirting. See how she's holding her head, how she looks at him. She wants him to look at her." Lindsay said as she leaned over to make her point not taking her eyes off the monitor, not even realizing she was leaning in at all. Danny took the hint and glanced at her before turning back to the screen as to not get caught gawking at the new girl, but damn, she was different today, bolder, more engaging, happier, she was, well a pretty decent partner. As far as Aiden's replacement, Mac had chosen well.

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Lindsay was exhausted when she got home, but a short nap, a shower, and a few shots later, she and Jenna were dolled up, and giggly in the back of a cab heading for a bar in midtown. The goal for the night, a few more drinks, dancing, and maybe a few phone numbers.

With a nod to a friend who was bouncing Jenna and Lindsay entered the dimly lit bar. The music was loud, and perfect for dancing. Several dances and a few partners later Lindsay and Jenna made their way to the bar with the guys they had met. Laughing at something Jenna said Lindsay caught a glimpse of someone she saw enter the bar. That couldn't be Messer. Lindsay thought. But before she could get a better look she was swooped out onto the dance floor again.

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"Danny, you wanna dance?" Cindy asked tugging on his side belt loop.

"What babe." He asked. He was distracted. He had noticed brunette at the bar that looked soooo similar to his new coworker. He hadn't been paying full attention to his date. He looked back at the bar, and she was gone. She could have been Lindsay Monroe, but he couldn't be looking at other women with his date here.

"Dance?"

"Yea sure." Danny conceded letting her pull him onto the crowded dance floor.

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"I can't believe we ditched them!" Lindsay laughed, plopping herself into a brightly colored booth at the all night Pancake house Jenna had found a few blocks from their apartment.

"Why's it so hard to believe?" Jenna asked giggling. "They were too frat like for us, we are not reverting to that again."

"What again, I left those guys behind after sophomore year." Lindsay continued to giggle.

"Okay, yes I had a post grad frat boy phase, so kill me." Jenna threw her hands up and surrendered when the waitress came for their orders. After the coffee was there and the pancakes were ordered Jenna sobered up a little. "You got a little distant earlier at the bar."

"What?" Lindsay asked putting down her coffee.

"At the bar you kinda just zoned into the door, and not the guys who were buying are drinks, very unlike you." It was true, Lindsay always made sure nothing was slipped into hers or any of her friends drinks.

"Oh, I thought I saw someone I knew."

"In New York? Coworker or cousin?" Jenna asked Lindsay, who blushed slightly.

"Coworker." Jenna nodded, "Cute?"

"Yes, but an asshole."

"Oh the guy who got you to make a fool of yourself in front of the boss? Intrigued. Do you like?"

"What, no, I mean there is a physical attraction there but, no, god no, no, no, no no."

"Seven no's, you're single then?" a well dressed man had come up to the table with eyes only for Lindsay. Jenna excused herself to the bathroom, and watched from the corner as the gentleman and Lindsay began talking. The line was tame, but straight forward, and Lindsay knew the signal if she wanted Jenna to cut in. It never did. The pancakes did, and the guy left, before Jenna returned.

"So?" she asked taking a heaping forkful of pancakes.

"Kevin Olsen, a professor at Chelsea University, and he has my number." Lindsay summarized.

"No red flags?"

"I'll let you know." Lindsay smirked. This could be just what she needed, either a good rebound or a profound relationship. She could go either way.

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Lindsay arrived at work a little late the next morning. She had slightly overslept, her body's attempt to lose the remaining amounts of alcohol in her system. She made it to work in record time though, only about five minutes late. As she set her stuff down and turned to check her messages Danny walked in. "Hey Monroe, showing up a little late today eh? So how was the…"

"Danny, don't finish that sentence." She said as she got up. He had nodded her to follow him.

"These are the blood results from the Kinsey foyer. Unidentifiable male. But I also ran the hair from the elastic."

"Common alleles, right?" Lindsay cut him off. "Male family member?"

"How'd you know that?" Danny asked surprised

"Something about the way her father looked at her."

"Alright, well, I brought him in for questioning."

"Okay, but you should probably take this one." She wrinkled her nose up slightly at the mention of interrogating this man. He seemed to be like the type of guy his daughter was going after. He went with that crowd.

"Why's that?" Danny asked unsure as to why Lindsay would be iffy about questioning the father.

"I have a hunch, and if the hunch is correct you'll know." She said slipping in behind the double way mirror to watch the questioning.

Danny shook his head, this woman was a tad irritating at times, but then again he found her somewhat endearing. How she came up with some of her theories had thrown him many times before, and will probably throw him again.

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Later while finishing up paperwork, Lindsay's cell phone quirked out a 'Is DOA.' She let out a laugh as she grabbed her cell phone and flipped it open, Jenna had a way like that, she had a way with cell phone ring tones. She had a text: Linds, guess it's not so DOA ;) Kevin called.

Lindsay laughed, Her smile stayed in place while doing the rest of the intensely mundane paperwork. She was so zoned into what she was doing she had no idea Danny was watching her with interest.

Danny had no idea how he felt about Lindsay. She had replaced Aiden, but that was Aiden's own fault. Lindsay had some spunk, she could bite back, and well, he had to admit it she was damn cute. Cute, girl next door, the kind of girl that mom always asked him to date. Danny shook himself out of his revelations when his own phone beeped. Cindy. Come over to night. That's all the text said, that's all it had to say.

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