DISCLAIMER: not mine, not mine. Not not mine, not not mine. (extra pts to those who know where that came from)
A/N: So, so sorry it has taken forever to get this one put together, but as a bonus you get about 4500 words and another flashback turned present, and some walruses. =D
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: : BAD BEAT : :
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Had to love getting called away from a date to go into work. Nice. And tonight was suppose to be somewhat, well special. It had been close to a month since Lindsay and Kevin started dating, and nothing. Nada, the guy hadn't even tried to get to second base. And honestly, Lindsay was starting to think it was something to do with her.
Jenna talked her down off THAT ledge. It was all Kevin. She met him, like really met him about a week ago, and she made her decision about him. He was a professor, a little bit pretentious, a little more prudish, and completely full of himself AND yes he was too nice. He was showing off.
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"It's not you." Jenna said the minute the door snapped shut behind Kevin.
"What?" Lindsay laughed
"It's not you, I'd be surprised if he's ever used that thing" Jenna gestured at the door Kevin had just left through. "Next time I meet before I give any kind of advice."
"So what?"
"So, you like him right?"
"Yea." Lindsay confessed, after 3 weeks of dating she could say she really liked Kevin.
"Well then, give it another week, then confront him about your needs." Jenna winked. "He strikes me as the kind of guy that took mom's advice to heart and then some. You know, if you have premarital sex, you'll go to hell."
"He is catholic." Lindsay said thinking back to a conversation they had a few days ago when chatting about Sunday plans.
"See, give it a week, then it's time to talk."
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Well they talked 3 days ago, and decided that tonight was going to be the night, however a murder in Manhattan called Lindsay away from her date at 9:30 pm. She walked up to the apartment and saw a shotgun sized hole in the front door and the db on the ground, his face completely blown off.
"Ewwe." Lindsay scrunched her face up upon seeing the scene.
"Note to self: don't check the peephole after beating the shit out of someone." Flack joked to Lindsay as she came through the door.
"No kidding." Lindsay said moving into the apartment.
"Hey Lindsay." Mac said noticing the new arrival to the scene. "Why don't you grab a mess kit, and I'll meet you downstairs."
"Let me guess." Lindsay smirked, pulling her hair back and wrapping an elastic hair band around it. "I'm hitting the dumpster." She smiled blowing the short tendrils that didn't reach the ponytail out of her face. Mac shrugged. Yea she was hitting the dumpster. "Messer, isn't by any chance on this case is he?" Lindsay asked her boss, "He did lose the other night, and owes me a dumpster dive."
"Nope, sorry Linds, he's got the night off." Mac smiled
"Okay, see ya down there in few." She grumbled swiping the jumpsuit Flack was holding out for her. "Remind your buddy he owes me a dumpster dive." She warned him.
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Arriving back at the lab Lindsay made a beeline for the locker room, but Mac stopped her first. "Lindsay, give this to Danny for me will ya." Mac said handing Lindsay a five dollar bill.
"Okay." She answered, slightly unsure as to why Lindsay was the middleman in this transaction. Whatever, she had to shower, she smelt of garbage, but that's what she gets for shifting through trash. It took her close to an hour to get the smell out. Walking down the hall to the bull pen she noticed a vase of red roses, sitting on the desk, her pace slowed, but no they were probably for Stella, she wasn't a roses kind of girl, and red, after a month, really. Yea they were for Stella. She sped up and pushed through the door.
Danny was leaning back in his chair, feet up on the desk watching the news on the tiny little TV that was kept in the office. He looked away from the screen when he heard the door creak open. "Ey Monroe." Danny acknowledged her and the scent of vanilla and lavender covering the well-known scent of dumpster. "Mac have you on dumpster duty again?" he smirked. Yea, he was suppose to owe her a dive. That wasn't about to happen any time soon.
"But of course." She replied with a Miss Congenuality-esq head bob and smile.
"Well, those flowers came for you." He nodded towards the massive bouquet. "Might help mask the stink."
"You know, you really are charming." Lindsay said sarcastically while plucking the card out of the holder.
"Easy there Montana, I got a girlfriend." Danny teased her.
"Yea, and I'd. Actually no I won't be selfish here, we'd all appreciate it if you told her we weren't your secretaries." She said, before turning her attention to the card.
Dearest Lindsay,
Missed you last night, try again tonight?
Love Kevin….Yea they'd be trying again. Lindsay needed her sugar, and soon or she'd be forced to resort to B.O.B.
"It's not that bad." Danny said looking through his messages and counting the ones that came from Cindy.
"Dude, even Mac has noticed something."
"No Mac would say something to me." Danny said shaking his head.
"Oh, and speaking of Mac." She said reaching into her pocket and pulling out the folded $5 bill he had given her. "He asked me to give this to you."
Danny looked at the bill for a second before it clicked. He won: about a month ago he, Mac, Don, and Stella had made a bet as to when Lindsay would finally crack and complain about the rookie treatment. He looked up and flashed her his patented Messer grin. "Thank You Montana." He cheered
"Thank you for what?" She said irritably
"You complained today didn't you."
"About wha….oh you jerk!" She shouted realization dawning on her "You had a bet out on me."
"Everyone goes through it Monroe."
"Ass."
"What was that Monroe." Danny asked feigning ignorance. Just then, Flack walked in and slapped a $5 on Danny's desk.
"Damn Messer." Flack swore. "That's 3 in a row, you suck."
"Thanks so much Donald." Danny said pocketing the money, this had been his third win, he'd been right on Aiden, Hawkes, and now Lindsay as well.
"Whatever." He grumbled to Danny then turned on Lindsay: "MONROE! You couldn't last another week and a half!" Flack threw his hands up in mock anger. "Geeze." He said walking out of the office.
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"Adam, when you're done with that I have a pair of slacks I need ironed." Danny called to the new lab tech working on his video. Chad would not have been that tech savvy.
"I have no response to that." He replied taking the tape and popping it into the VCR on the TV behind them. "Okay, time to find out what Tara Stansfield didn't want the world to see." He said hitting play. This should be good, however a walrus mating documentary came on.
"Walruses, seriously?" Hawkes asked watching for a moment, before the video changed into a sex video featuring Tara herself.
"Those aren't walruses." Danny piped in, chancing a glance at the other two men in the room. Looking back at the video all three heads tipped to get a better view. Little did they know that Lindsay Monroe had walked right by on her way to start on the 911 calls from her case.
She glanced into the room she was walking past; then, curiosity getting the better of her took a step and leaned back. Now that's interesting. She thought. Intrigued she entered the room and came up behind Danny and Adam finally getting a decent look at what they were doing not just the audio.
"Footage from your 30th birthday party Messer?" she poked.
"Walrus documentary, actually."
"It's Tara Stansfield, our victim from the park." Hawkes clarified.
"Who's the other Walrus?" asked Lindsay, her head tipping with all the guy's. They stood there watching the porno for a good 5 minutes. The sex tape was incredibly hard-core, and was getting more intense as it played. The position of the "walruses" in the video changed and there was an audible cringe from the viewers.
"That cannot be comfortable." Danny said an expression of pain painted on his face. All the heads tilted more to get a better angle on the image.
"Trust me it's not." Said Lindsay without thinking. All heads turned to her and she slapped her hand to her mouth and clamped her eyes shut as tight as they could willing herself to disappear. I did not just say that, I did not just say that, I did not just say that. Was the thought that kept repeating in her mind, but oh she had just said that.
"Well well Miss Monroe." Danny started eyeing her up and down before being cut off by an "eh hem" from the doorway. Mac and Stella had appeared in the doorway somewhere in the last 5 minutes or so. Shock registered on every face before they all hopped into frantic action. Not that it really mattered. They knew what the group was doing, but it was the thought that counts. Adam popped the video out of the player and handed it to Hawkes who was saying to Danny that he thought it could be the anchorman. Lindsay agreed with them then headed to the door her face flaming red.
"Linds, feel like joining Flack and I to a poker game, pick up our possible murderer?" Stella asked, eyeing up the guys, specifically Danny: he had that smirk on his face. Lindsay was going to be in for some serious taunting if she didn't get out of the lab and quick.
"Yea, just get me out of lab for a little while." Lindsay whispered.
"Oh that was my intention." Stella smirked wrapping an arm around her coworkers shoulder and led her out of the AV lab.
"Thanks." Lindsay sighed. She was so, so thankful for Stella at this moment.
"So….." Stella started as they neared the car where Flack was parked, "Did you really? Just between us girls." Stella assured her seeing the skeptical look on Lindsay's face. Lindsay bit her lip nervously for a second before nodding. "Monroe, you are not who I thought you were." Stella said flabbergasted.
"What it was college." Lindsay said opening the door to the car and climbing into the back seat.
"What was college?" Flack asked curious. Lindsay's face was flushed, and Stella was giggling.
"Nothing." Lindsay said hoping to end all new questions. Stella looked back.
"Really? I mean…"
"Yes, Stel, really, AND after, it took us awhile before we could again." Lindsay explained trying to keep Flack from completely comprehending what the women were talking about.
"Did you break it?" Stella asked gleefully.
"Almost." Lindsay said thinking back.
"Okay, what are you two talking about!" Flack asked. He really wanted to know, this conversation, whatever it was, it had to be good, both women were smiling, and laughing and…
"No." Lindsay said a chuckle escaping her. "Although, knowing Messer, you'll know by the end of the day."
"Danny knows, but you won't tell me. I've never been a dick to you." Don said annoyed
"Yes, and I thank you for that, however…."
"Lindsay said something she probably shouldn't have and that's that."
"Thanks Stel." Lindsay said a little sarcastically.
"No problem kiddo."
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"Hey Kevin, thanks for the flowers." Lindsay smiled. She had hung around outside the lab, she'd been gone a good two hours, but, she still couldn't go back in yet. The "trust me" comment was still too recent. An extra ten minutes would be fine.
"Hey Sweetie. Did you like them?"
"Loved them." Lindsay giggled girlishly. "So later."
"Later." He concurred. "oh, shit, I have a night class."
"So much later." Lindsay rationalized. This could look like a late night booty call.
"I'll call you when I get out of class, and well grab a late dinner. Then back to my place."
"Sounds good Kevin." She hung up and entered the lab.
"Monroe, you finally facing everyone again." Mac asked matching Lindsay's step as they walked down the hallway. Maybe 2 hours 10 minutes was too soon.
"Yea, whatever, I'm sure they all slip up too, it's all a matter of time." Lindsay smirked.
"Revenge." Mac chuckled.
"What goes around." Lindsay laughed turning towards the bull pen, "Karma's a bitch."
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"Donny, man you coming tonight?" Danny called as he passed his buddy on the way into his office.
"You honestly think I'm gonna miss this one!" Flack asked laughing. "You square everything away with your girlfriend?"
"Yea, she aint coming, can't stand the gore. I'll make up canceling on her later."
"Alright, Good luck with that Danno, See ya in a few hours."
"Got it bro." Danny called laughing, as he entered the office. Oh tonight was going to be a good night. As a group, they worked in a gruesome field. So spending an evening watching the goriest, most disgusting movies currently being made shouldn't sound like a good time, but, it kinda was. Sitting in the office was Lindsay Monroe, she had been working with them for about 2 months now, and although she had her moments, nobody really knew too much about her. She came from Montana, she was good with blood spatter analysis, she enjoyed reconstructions, she lived with her friend from college, apparently liked that FRIENDS show since it was her ring tone, and today didn't get all flustered when confronted with porn, slightly throwing her straight laced image out the window—well a little.
"So Montana, you like Saw?" Danny asked plopping down into his desk chair.
"Saw as in the tool/weapon, or last year's sleeper hit now in its 2nd intensely gory installment."
"Sleeper hit." Danny smirked, "You a fan?"
"Um, yea." Lindsay said looking up for the first time from her paperwork. "Why?"
"A bunch of us from the lab are going tonight, thought you might wanta join us." Danny shrugged.
"Oh, I don't know…." Lindsay trailed off.
"Don't know what Lindsay?" Stella asked as she came into the bullpen.
"She doesn't know if she wants to go see Saw II with us tonight."
"What and miss out, nuh uh sweetie, Messer here has pretty much put himself in the dog house with his girlfriend to come see it with us, so you're coming, think of it as a celebration to the end of new girl treatment." Stella said squatting down and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"Wait, when did we agree to that?" Danny asked
"She finally complained today." Stella said, "You won Messer, you should know, when the payout happens, the rookie treatment ends."
"Man," Danny jokingly whined. "so what do ya say Monroe?"
"Oh, ok, what time are you going?" She gave in.
"We're heading over in 30 minutes, pack up."
And pack up they did. Lindsay, having been itching all day thanks to the fabric of her back up shirt, ran down to the locker room to change, she had clean clothes specifically for dumpster diving in her locker. She quickly changed into a well-worn pair of jeans, gym shoes. While tying her shoes Danny Messer entered going towards his locker, which, incidentally was next to hers.
He stopped where he was when he spotted Lindsay. She was wearing a black tank top and jeans bending over tying her shoes, her hair falling in her face blinding her vision of the man's arrival. "Sexy Monroe." Danny smirked leaning against a locker and watching as Lindsay blew the hair out of her face and looked up.
"It doing something for you Messer?" Lindsay asked with a wicked smile of her own as she stood up and adjusted the thin elastically material. Danny's eyes lingered. "Guess so." Lindsay laughed grabbing a bleach stained gray zip sweater out of her locker and pulling it on. "You gonna stare or are we going to see a movie?"
"I was not staring." Danny retaliated. "just trying to figure out, if you really aren't as straight laced as you seem."
"Uh huh."
"Woman, please. Or better yet, trust me." Danny said throwing on a t-shirt and grabbing his jacket and wallet from his locker and jogged a few steps to keep up with her, making it to the door just as she was about to open it, which he helped hold open for her. "you were in the way."
"You coulda ask me to move."
"Eh, the view was nice." Danny grinned
"See staring-." Lindsay sung.
"Looking-." He poorly imitated. "Speaking of, nice ass Monroe, you do those Tara moves often or….." He said leaning back and taking another look. Lindsay laughed knowing he was joking and gave him a whack in the stomach. "Ugh. Ok, done." He gasped out. For a tiny little thing she really could pack a punch.
"Good." Lindsay laughed as she and Danny approached Stella, Hawkes, Flack, and Mac.
"You two change clothes and are in good moods…did you two do it?" Stella asked
"Ewe." Lindsay said looking Danny over and wrinkling her nose.
"Ewe? Hey, I'm a catch." Danny said in dismay.
"Yea you may catch something….." one of the playboy-bunny-esq lab tech girls said under her breath as she walked by. Flack having heard it had to hold his side he laughing so hard, as were the rest, Lindsay just looked at him, one eyebrow cocked.
"No." Danny said solidly. "No on so many levels." He shouted at the girl's back.
"Danny man, you gotta watch how you reject the lab techs." Don gasped coming up for air.
"Ok, we're gonna be late, so can we get the story as we walk." Stella laughed tugging at the back of Danny's shirt as he continued to shake his head and stare at the girl who was ruining any positive rep he may have had. "So story?" Lindsay giggled.
"Bitch."
"Great start Danno." Don chuckled, "ok, he's steamed, so, you know how some of the temps are: Blonde, fake hair, fake tan, occasionally fake boobs if they can get someone to pay for them, well, some take a liking to our Danny boy here, I don't get it." Don summarized. "Linds, you're still relatively new, what have you heard about him?" Flack asked.
"Oh, you want to open that bucket?" Stella started.
"Oh, but Stel, you know it's all in good fun." Hawkes ribbed "I can start…"
"Doc don't you dare." Danny warned.
"I plead the 5th." Lindsay said refusing to answer, tit for tat, hopefully Danny would drop the whole trust me thing.
"At least I have one friend here." Danny said glaring at Doc who was busting up laughing.
"Ok, whatever, so this girl has a thing for Danny boy, and is putting the moves on, and Danny's not having any of it. And…"
"And I had a cold, and sneezed, and told her to back off she might catch something, and now apparently I have VD." Danny shouted although they were in the elevator and no one but the five of them could hear. Everyone started laughing. The poor guy. "and I don't know why this is all on me, Monroe made a nice comment earlier." He scoffed.
"Hey!" Lindsay shouted turning on her heel to face Danny. "I held back earlier, oh the lab…"
"Yea you held back earlier." Danny laughed cutting her off, "So did ya really do it."
"Do what Danno, I got some info in the car about whether or not it really happened I just don't know what IT is."
"You know we found that weather girls gone wild porno on our vic." Danny smirked. "Well Montana here seems to be a little knowledgeable on one of the positions. A position that makes us all know exactly what Montana girls do when they're bored."
"Think you're cute huh Messer?" Lindsay asked. "The syphilis going to your head."
"Monroe, you broke some poor guys…." Don asked trailing off, Lindsay looked back at Stella, she had just whispered some additional information into his ear.
"No." Lindsay said promptly. "Almost, and it was his fault, now we're done with this. I was in a good mood and you people are ruining it." She said stepping off the elevator and heading out of the building.
"Ouch, ok Monroe. I can be a friend." Danny laughed and jogged to catch up to her. He tossed an arm around her shoulder and steered her out of the building and towards the theater. "We gotta stick together in this war against the evil plastic lab techs."
"They do gossip a bit too much." Lindsay thought out loud. "And I don't care if it's illegal for a man and a woman to have sex in anything other than missionary in Montana, doesn't mean I won't and doesn't mean I'm a country bumpkin."
"That's a nice little rant there Montana." Danny chuckled, "Is it really illegal to…."
"Yea." Lindsay laughed.
"Hey Mac, You know you hired an un-convicted felon." Danny called back the boss.
"That so?" Mac called ahead.
"If it's written about as one of the stupidest state laws and it's not enforced it's not a crime." Lindsay called back, and smacked Danny upside the head for bringing it up. "I thought we were gonna stick together here and you go in do that. Do you want me to start spreading Messer has VD stories cause I can." Lindsay threatened.
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They arrived at the theater and stocked up on popcorn, soda, and candy, no one had had a real meal, and well junk food is just so gosh darn addicting. The theater was crowded, but they found a 6 seats row, Don, Danny, Lindsay, Stella, Mac, Hawkes all filed in and got comfy in their seats as the previews began to play.
The movie started: Lindsay began to squirm as the first victim attempts to cut a key out of his eye. "Montana, you gonna be squirming through the whole movie?" Danny leant over and asked.
"No…" Lindsay said before jumping slightly when the Venus flytrap snapped shut and the first death took place. "Just warming up to watching it."
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"They say don't use the key someone is gonna use the key." Don said to Danny.
"OH!" everyone said
"That's eerily familiar." Lindsay laughed slightly after the character was shot through a peephole.
"You laughing Monroe?" Danny asked chuckling himself and flashing her that grin
"What am I not allowed?" Ok that smile, no wonder he had lab techs falling in love with him. Maybe she too was crushing on him, but eh, he was Messer, he was right earlier-friend.
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The movie drew to a close, the bathroom was revisited again, and then boom PIG! Danny and Lindsay both jumped, and Danny began choking on popcorn. Lindsay began laughing again as she patted his back and passed him her soda because his was already gone."Ok there Messer?" Lindsay laughed, flashing him her own version of the grin. Friends.
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Leaving the theater Lindsay dialed Kevin, seeing that she missed his call from half an hour ago. "Sorry baby, you done with school."
"Yea, where have you been?" He asked.
"Oh, a bunch of us from work went to see a movie."
"Oh, which movie."
"Saw II." Lindsay answered plainly. "don't worry it's not one we would see together."
"Saw, you like that shit?" He asked, a tone of disgust evident in his voice.
"Yea, its good to be able to laugh at this stuff, you know it is kind of frowned upon when we do that at a scene."
"That's disgusting."
"Sorry, so, you want to grab some dinner?"
"I just ordered some carry out, meet ya at Wok Man down the street from my place in 20?"
"See ya there."
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"Hey Cindy." Danny grinned.
"Danny." She said sharply, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "How was the movie."
"Awesomely gruesome." Danny said. "Look Cindy, it was a team building thing, everyone went."
"I've already heard it." She snapped.
"I know, so how was your night."
"Lonely."
"I'm sorry, but I'm here now."
"You really think that's going to work on me."
"It was worth a shot." Danny grinned hazarding a step closer. Cindy didn't look away.
"Danny." She whined but didn't step back. Danny took another risk and leant in and kissed her. Hard. She reciprocated.
They shuffled into Cindy's apartment and slammed the door shut. She may have been lonely before, but she sure as hell wouldn't be lonely anymore tonight. Danny was going to make sure of that.
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Lindsay left Kevin's apartment early the next morning, he had an early class and she had to get home and clean up before her night shift. She could go over last night a million times and not come out with an answer. Kevin was a great guy. He treated her well, he was chivalrous, kind, good looking. But las,t night. Well there weren't fireworks. Not even sparklers.
She stopped at a bakery on the way home and picked up some coffee and a pastry for her and Jenna. There was going to be a massive girl talk this morning. She let herself into the apartment, sure enough there was Jenna watching the news. She turned a knowing look on her face. "Well someone didn't come home last night and I know for a fact you were out of the lab by 7."
"Yea, I was at Kevin's." Lindsay said slumping in the seat next to her friend.
"And…..?"
"And….well." Lindsay scrunched up her face.
"That good huh." Jenna said laughing. "Sorry Sorry." She apologized seeing Lindsay's face. "It'll get better."
"Oh and how do you know?"
"Um it was the first time. When has it ever been great for you on the first time? I know its never been mind blowing for me."
"Jake Watson." Lindsay said fondly thinking back.
"Oh that boy turned you into a nympho."
"No he did not." Lindsay shot back. "He just made me a lot more sexually confident." Lindsay started giggling halfway through. She couldn't even say it. "Yea, he came up yesterday."
"What to Kevin! No wonder the poor guy couldn't perform."
"No, not to Kevin, at work, one of the cases involved a porno and…."
"And what!" Jenna asked excitedly.
"And I got pulled in to watching it and a particular uncomfortable position was used and it slipped."
"The one where you broke his penis! Your coworkers know."
"Sort of." Lindsay said scrunching up.
"How do they sort of know."
"Well, ok Danny said that it couldn't be comfortable, and I answered with a 'trust me it isn't." Lindsay said blushing just thinking back to it.
"Oh Lindsay, you just handed that guy ammo."
"Yea I know, but we reached a truce."
"That won't hold up." Jenna said laughing. "Okay, so Kevin needs to get better in the sack."
"Yea, but as said it was our first time."
"Cosmo."
"Drink, magazine, or Kramer?" Lindsay asked.
"The magazine you dork." Jenna chastised throwing a pillow at Lindsay. "Guys pick it up and read it, it's like a guilty pleasure."
"And you think that will work?" Lindsay asked skeptically.
"Well, it's worth a shot!"
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A/N2: thanks for reading, love you all, be back (real) soon, Muah xx