DISCLAIMER: I have nothing, I own nothing, if its real it was unintentional, and its just fake and imaginary, and enjoy
A/N: First: thank you to all my readers AND ESPECIALLY my reviewers, you guys keep me going. Second: I don't want to offend anyone, but I think some of my comments could go that way, however, most of the time I am poking fun at traits I have or my sister-whom Cindy sort of resembles. Oh and a 7th grade teacher I royally hated-it's not personal unless you are her which I highly doubt. Any way I know present City of Dolls Enjoy!
.
.
.
.
: : CITY OF DOLLS : :
.
.
Winter was here, even if it was only early November. The snow was falling in thick clumps, landing and sticking to everything and anything. Kids were playing out in the streets, windows shown warm rooms, kitchens with mom's finishing up warm supper stews that would put the cold right out of you after hours in the snow. Mom. Yea, he had to call her, get some good food in him soon. His girlfriend couldn't cook worth a damn, she even screwed up Ramen Noodles and lit her microwave on fire.
Danny Messer stepped out the doors of his apartment building and locked the doors, it smelled like the holiday season was nearing. Just as the lock clicked closed a snowball hit him square in the back. Another one hit a second later. He never should have taught that kid how to pitch. Ruben. Danny shook his head. Turning around Danny placed his gloved hand on the railing and bounded down the steps, a clump of snow forming in the crease of his thumb and forefinger. "Ruben, buddy, I'd play with ya, but I gotta work. Catch ya later kid." He said to the 8 year old boy that lived down the hall.
"Yea, sure Danny, but I got you." The boy laughed while bouncing around.
"That you did bud." He said as he passed the kid, a handful of snow still in his hand. He went and patted the kids head as he passed, a friendly uncle-like trait Danny had picked up with his growing attachment for the kid. Ruben was welcomed to a head full of snow.
"Not Cool Mister!" He called after Danny and threw a snowball that landed short.
.
.
.
Ms. Drake was no help. And Danny was just plain irritated. He never had meshed well with Jr. High School teachers. They never liked him, he never liked them. Something about that age group, and she ware just as much eye make-up as the 7th and 8th grade girls leaving for the day. It just didn't seem right. If it really was just a doll, why the hell would their victim hang on to it?
"Maybe this isn't about the doll at all." Lindsay said turning towards him, "Maybe he just used it to defend himself." Granted she too didn't like the woman all that much, she seemed smug, but innocent until proven guilty.
"Nah, the grip was way too tight." he said a smile breaking over his face, "ever been to the scene of a shooting where the vic's hand is actually frozen in place?" She shook her head no, "You can actually take the gun and slide it right into the palm." He said taking her hand and gripping it ever so slightly. "Perfect fit. Means he was struggling with his attacker for the gun. Same thing happened here." He said still not letting go of her hand.
Their eyes met for a second contemplating not only the case, but how awkward yet how completely right holding hands actually felt. Were their hands really a perfect fit, it felt that way to Danny, but it was strange. He really wasn't one for holding hands, girls hands were always to fidgety or to loose, it was strange but yea it was a perfect fit.
The same thought was running through Lindsay's mind. Did he really just say perfect fit? That's just, just, god is eyes are blue, no, he's and arrogant SOB, and needs to be forgotten about. She would not let herself fall for a guy at work especially a guy with Danny's reputation, he wasn't a player per say, but he wasn't really boyfriend material, he was, or so the rumors go a date em and ditch em kinda guy. Although Cindy had been around for a while, at least before she(Lindsay) came to the city.
She had taken calls for Danny from her. The woman seemed a nice enough, though she sounded blonde, can someone sound the color of their hair? She had that oh so sweet Miss High School sound to her, the cheerleader, type. But they had a few conversations, much to Danny's dismay. Cindy liked to talk to whoever would listen, and then even if they didn't listen. Realizing Danny still had her hand in his she quickly pulled it away and headed back in the direction of the car.
"You hungry?" Danny asked from behind her.
"No I have to get back to the lab."
"Yea yea yea, me too, me too." Did he really just ask Lindsay Monroe out? No he and Aiden had grabbed numerous bites together and never started anything up. But there was something about Lindsay that made him want to know more about her. That and he was a guy, he needed to eat
.
.
Lindsay called the Drake household and asked if she could talk to Abby about Sophie, her mother agreed and was going to bring her in, it was the last thing she had to do for the day, and then it was a night out with Kevin. On her way down to the precinct, Lindsay stopped in the locker room to freshen up before heading downstairs to ask this little girl some questions. She was surprised to see Danny at his locker, which happened to be right next to hers, halfway done buttoning up a fresh new blue button up. He looked good, smelt good too.
"Hot date Danny?" she asked keying in the code to her locker.
"Something like that, I guess." He chuckled, "Actually can I ask you a Question."
"Yea" she said absentmindedly as she went about fixing the smudges under her eyes and unclipped her hair. He watched as the brown locks fell to her shoulders. Lindsay ruffled her hair and started to pull it back before looking at him. "What's Up Messer?"
"What is it with women and anniversaries?" he asked in annoyance. Really this was like the 8th anniversary Cindy had him celebrating (they'd been dating 3 months)
"Depends, how long have you been seeing her?"
"About 3 months, but it's not that."
"Oh and what is it Messer?" She asked intrigued, but then not, she could hold a first sex anniversary over his head. She looked him straight in the eye. Damn those brown pools were deep, Danny thought.
"It's the anniversary of the day..." He said as he ruffled his hair, "I told her she was beautiful."
"Oh Messer you old softy."
"Shut it Monroe. I don't even remember it and yet I have to take her out to a fancy dinner tonight. It couldn't just be pizza, beer, and a game."
"I'm with ya there" Lindsay laughed. She wasn't all flowers and chocolates, sure she liked them, but the whole romance thing could be easily overdone. She preferred the easy hanging around of a relationship, the constant dates and getting all put together was just exhausting. Danny smiled at her, from what he knew of Lindsay Monroe, she didn't seem like the kind of girl that had to be dotted upon. "yea, I wouldn't celebrate that as an anniversary, little crazy, but it could be worse though."
"Really how?"
"You could have to call her Precious." Lindsay winked at Danny before heading out of the locker room. Danny chuckled to himself, now that was somewhere he wasn't going to go. He grabbed his bag and headed for the door himself, he did after all have a beautiful woman waiting for him.
He got to the elevator just as the door were about to close. He jogged a few steps then slipped, he missed the elevator, but kept some of his balance. it wasn't graceful, but at least no one was around to see it. Or so he thought. "Smooth Messer." Lindsay laughed as Danny tried to regain balance.
"Thanks Monroe, so what are you up to tonight?" He asked making small talk while they both waited for the next lift.
"Ah, I have to interrogate a little girl about her doll, then mhmm mhh."
"What was that last part, I missed it." He teased,
"Then I have a date."
"Oh so I'm not the only one with a hot date, so why the mumble?" Lindsay flushed pink.
"Is it someone I know!"
"God No!" Lindsay laughed. "Like I'd date any one that's friends with you."
"Oh nice Montana."
"Exactly, no he's a Lit professor at Chelsea."
"Is he going to quote poetry to you?'" Danny continued to poke at her.
"No, we're going to a movie." She said before the doors dinged open and they both made their way into the precinct. "Have fun tonight."
"You too"
.
.
The next day Danny whistled a tune as he skipped up the stairs to the front door of the crime lab. He punched the up button of the elevator and rocked back on his feet. The night before had been a good night. Granted yes, he wasn't entirely sure about all these anniversaries. Cindy, he found that night had curled her long blonde hair, took the time to do her makeup, and slipped into a salmon dress that left little to the imagination. Not that Danny had needed an imagination after their second date all those months ago, still she was beautiful. Dinner went by quickly. They barely made it home before the clothes came off. It was a good night in Danny's mind.
.
Lindsay was in a similar mind set as she made her way into the building as well, although she didn't have the leap in her step that Danny did, as she noticed from down the street, she had had a great night. She and Kevin met at a little foreign theater in SoHo. They had been dating for about a month and a half, and well sex was still quite new to them as a couple, with their schedules seeing each other wasn't always easy. That night it was slow and tender and Lindsay couldn't help but feel more like a woman as she approached the elevators where Danny stood. Kevin had been reading those cosmos that now littered her apartment.
.
They rode up the 32 floors in silence still basking in memories of the night before. However, both bubbles were burst when the bell dinged, the door opened, and there stood the boss. "Dig deeper."
.
Lindsay was immersed at going over the files and data again as Danny pulled out the fingerprint. He was staring at it intently with a flashlight on it. He barely heard Stella come in.
"You're gonna have to do more than stare at it." She audibly whispered into Danny's ear. Lindsay looked up at the two then went back to work.
"I'm waiting for it to talk to me."
"Oh, then you might want to buy it a drink first." Stella teased causing Lindsay to hiccup a laugh. "It's not the print itself, maybe it's something in the print." Stella repeated his words from 4 months previous right back to him. Ah ha. Running it through the machine, it came back with Rhodium.
"Boom." He said to the room.
"What'd ya get Messer?" Lindsay asked as she moved to see the screen
"Rhodium, used in jewelry plaiting."
"Wasn't Ms. Drake loading jewelry projects into her car yesterday?"
"Hence the boom Montana, feel like a trip?"
.
.
Outside the door was a welcome mat was well as two pairs of boots. Seeing them Lindsay went to take off her own shoes, much to Danny's surprise. "What are you doin?" He chuckled as he pointed to her feet, "You don't have ta do that."
"I was taught if you show someone a little respect you might get more than what you came for." She said as she put her boots down on the ground next to the small pink ones that must belong to Abby.
"You play good cop, I'll be bad cop, Gonna keep my shoes on." He said knocking on the apartment door.
"Guess you didn't grow up with hardwood floors." She said as they waited.
"No I didn't actually. Bronx marble." He told her
"What's that?" Lindsay asked taking the bait. She knew it was bait a second too late.
"It's linoleum." He smirked before rapping on the door. Lindsay couldn't help but smile: the bastard, he would dress up linoleum into Bronx marble.
.
.
That woman was a smug little bitch, that knew way too much. So much for manners. Lindsay had one shoe on already and leaned onto Danny for support while slipping the other boot back on. "Thought you were gonna play good cop?" he asked looking down at her. She had sort of attacked the woman in there with incriminating questions.
"There is something about that woman." Lindsay replied, a tone of disgust, really, what was it with junior high teachers, were they stuck in that same weird place as junior high schoolers? And what was with all the eye make-up. Ugh. She knew something.
"Yea I know she had all the right answers eh?" he said as he subtly checked out the slight bit of cleavage Lindsay let show. It was currently maximized by her bent position.
"Danny." She said, and he shook himself out of his boob zone
"Yea."
"Let's see if she has an answer for this." She smirked pulling a bloody doll's eye out of the welcome mat.
.
.
"Linds, you heading out?" Danny called seeing Lindsay come up the stairs to the elevator from the locker room, he had just finished tying a scarf around his neck.
"Yea Danny." Lindsay confirmed. "Not looking forward to this subway ride."
"Want a ride. I got a truck for the night." Danny offered.
"It's out of your way." Lindsay said declining the offer; she didn't want to be an inconvenience.
"Not by much, and I'd be even more up to it if we grabbed a slice on the way over."
"It's always about food with you isn't it?" Lindsay looked over smiling.
"Sometimes, come on Monroe." He said leading her into the elevator and pressing the button to the parking garage. "I had to cancel my plans for tonight and I've been Jones-ing for pizza from this one place in Queens."
"Okay, yea, thanks Messer."
"I aint buying your slice." Danny joked. Lindsay laughed and shoved him.
"I meant for the ride."
"No problem." Danny said giving her a quick wink.
.
.
The pizza was awesome, Lindsay definitely had a new New York favorite. Although, Danny said if she enjoyed that she needed to visit Ray's with him. It being late when Danny pulled up to Lindsay's building Danny threw the car into park and walked into the building with her. "Messer, you don't have to walk me in." Lindsay laughed. "I am a big girl."
"Really?" Danny asked, not to subtly letting his eyes roam over her and linger on her butt since he was climbing the stairs behind her. "You look rather tiny to me." Lindsay threw a glare back at him. Did he really just check her out, cause she could feel eye's lingering on her rear end.
"You want some coffee?" Lindsay asked when they finally got to her door. He had come all the way up here; it would almost be rude not to offer him anything.
"Nah, I'm good." Danny responded watching as Lindsay unlocked the door. "Good night Lindsay." He said, "See ya in the morning." Lindsay was a little caught off guard, did he really just call her Lindsay. Like her given name, Lindsay, not Monroe, not Montana, but Lindsay.
"Yea, Night Danny." Lindsay said leaning against the doorframe, she watched him step aside to let an older woman pass and said hello before heading down the stairs. The lady approached Lindsay, and was about to pass when she noticed the young lady.
"Oh, you're not Jenna or Mary." The lady stopped.
"No, I'm Jenna's new roommate." Lindsay said to the woman.
"New roommate. Mary get that job then, Oh Sorry honey, I'm Connie Johnson, I live next door."
"Lindsay, Lindsay Monroe." Lindsay said as she smiled at the woman.
"Well Lindsay, I'm guessing the good looking thing that just past is your friend."
"Yea well, coworker."
"You are a lucky girl. What is it that you do?"
"I'm a criminalist with the NYPD." Lindsay responded, leaning against her door.
"Well aren't I lucky, my son will be pleased to hear I have a cop living next door to me, I swear if the boy asks me one more time to move where the sun shines year round in a community full of decaying old bags I'm gonna slug him one." Connie said as she swung her fist. She was a feisty round little thing with bright blonde almost white hair and thick yet hip glasses.
"Ha, yea I get that, my brothers are scared shitless about me being out here in New York."
"Ah, so you're not from here, the accent gives it away."
"No, I'm from Montana." Lindsay smiled. "Where is it your son lives?"
"South Carolina, bastard state of the United States if you ask me." The woman griped. They were a problem child, holding up the declaration of independence, the first to secede from the union all that good stuff "Well, dear, it was nice chatting with you, but I must be off, stop by whenever."
"Same, it was nice to meet you Connie"
"Be good Lindsay, and by the way, snatch up that cop boy of yours fast before I do." She winked as she unlocked her apartment.
"Eh, my boyfriend wouldn't be too fond of that."
"Boyfriend, honey that boy better be George Clooney, in order to make up for the Brad Pitt that just left." Lindsay simply laughed and went back into her apartment to catch a few zzzzz's, tomorrow was going to be a long day.
"Did I hear Connie out there?" Jenna asked plopping down onto their couch with a pint of ice cream.
"Yea, she seems nice." Lindsay replied dropping her bag on the floor and joining her roommate on the couch.
"She is: makes kick ass brownies." Jenna winked
"Would those be special?" Lindsay asked skeptically, but intrigued just the same.
"Well, actually, I think they did have pot in them come to think of it." Jenna laughed. "Yea, but she's cool, let me crash with her when Eric was all well stalking me, even talked to him, he kind of backed off after that too. She's like my New York Mom. Just you wait she'll get right into your personal life."
"She already has." Lindsay admitted grabbing the spoon from Jenna and helping herself to some Ben and Jerry's. "She told me to snap Det. Messer up."
"NO! HE WAS HERE! And you didn't tell me!"
"He just dropped me off."
"He walked you to our door."
"How do you know that?"
"I heard a man's voice, but it was too late when I got to the door." Jenna held her foot up to show Lindsay. The big toe was rather red, and the nail was chipped.
"You stubbed your toe running to the door. Why do you want to see him so bad?" Lindsay asked her friend.
"I need to put a face with a name, and if Connie gives her blessing…."
"And what about Kevin?"
"Kevin's a rebound, he's gone in another month or two." She waved off.
Lindsay's voice held a sarcastic tone when she laughed her "Thanks babe."
.
.
"Hey mom." Danny said when the phone was picked up at the other end of the line.
"Daniel Messer, you have the nerve to call after you cancel dinner plans with your family."
"You taught me well ma." Danny laughed. His mother was a small yet loud little Italian woman, and one hell of a cook. Danny's stomach let out an almighty growl thinking about it, it didn't matter that he pretty much ate an entire pizza by himself, his ma's food was that good.
"Your case solved?"
"Yup, why do you wanta know?"
"So that I know you missing dinner went to good use." Maria Messer shot at her youngest. His brother was MIA, Danny was all she had besides her husband Sal and well the entire extended family that was on the right side of the law. But she enjoyed seeing her baby boy once a week. "And you know you're gonna be at every Sunday dinner for the next month."
"Making it a punishment Ma? I might rebel."
"No you won't Daniel."
"How do you know?" Danny asked like a petulant child.
"Two words." Maria said. You could hear her smile over the telephone line. "Chicken Parmesan."
"Okay, you got me there." Danny smirked. His Ma was good. She had to be with three brothers, two sons, and well an entire family of smart asses. "So, how was everything?"
"Same, you didn't miss anything, however, next week may be another story."
"Karen still not say anything?" Danny asked about his cousin. She had a bump that could only be hiding a baby, but had yet to mention it to the family.
"Yea, the news is going to have to break next week." Maria said slipping into family gossip with her boy. Who knows maybe one day it would be him they would be talking about like this. A mother could only hope.
.
.
A/N: Hope you liked, love you all Gigi,
oh stay tuned. Were getting into the more fun episodes! =)