DISCLAIMER: even if airplanes in the night sky were like shooting stars and I had a wish right now, wish right now… these characters aren't mine nor will they ever be, same goes for the song. =)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: So I'm just realizing how Lindsay sided this story is, but what ev. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, enjoy chapter 9.
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: : JAMALOT : :
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Christmas was everywhere. Decorations in the windows, in the streets, santa's all over the place, some of them packing(one actually flashed his glock when a someone passed looking like they were going to steal). Christmas in New York, it was interesting. Thanks Giving had been OK. She spent it with her Uncle Freddie and his family, even though Sid, the M.E. had offered a spot at his family's table, she respectfully declined, she wasn't going into that home alone. He was a tad creepy. She still missed her family. Her parents, her siblings, her in-laws, out here it was quiet. But eh.
It wasn't the same everywhere. The day after Danny had come in with a black eye. He was mum on how it had happened, but that didn't mean Flack wasn't going to get it out of him. Or Lindsay for that matter. It didn't matter that it had faded, there was a goal to get the story out of him by Christmas. Lindsay was getting in on this whole lab betting pool thing. If the city was going to pay them next to nothing then they would find an enjoyable way to make a few extra bucks.
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While walking back Danny called up to the department psychologist to make an appointment, get some information on writing. They seemed to be dealing with a sociopath or something any little thing would do, but he had close to two hours before the meeting so he figured he might as well as read a little of this book: it was supposed to be the best new thing. It was good, it was real good. He was 50 pages into it fast. He wasn't pulled out of the story until Stella and Lindsay stopped in front of the office. "So Flack's going to talk to Polly Part 'em. He's in for a treat. See ya in a bit Stel." Lindsay was smirking as she entered the office not really noticing Danny.
He had been sitting there reading something until she sat down. "Polly Part 'Em?" Danny asked looking up and put the book down in his lap. Lindsay looked up, small smile on her face. It was one of those nick names that threw minds into the gutter. "Yea."
"Don's a lucky guy." Danny said as he sat back propped he feet up on the desk and picked up the book again.
"Nah, he's not gonna get any, she's got a thing for Mac."
"Really?" he said not looking up from his book.
"Yea, even asked Mac to help her… uh. strip out of her uniform earlier."
"What?" that got Danny's attention. "On Mac? That's new."
"Jealous Messer"
"Not jealous, just impressed, Mac huh." And he put his nose back into the book as Lindsay started to flip through DNA and Blood Samples.
"What are you reading anyway." Curiosity getting the better of her.
"A psycho-sexual thriller our vic was writing. Listen to this: 'her mouth tasted of my sister.'"
"Oh, now that's just wrong."
"But it intrigues no?"
"Just go back to your reading Messer." Lindsay was thoroughly disgusted, just ewe.
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The case was at a standstill and Lindsay was ready to head home. But before she did she decided to check her e-mail and was in the middle of shutting everything off when her phone buzzed. She really didn't want to be pulled onto another case after today's shift. She was however, happily surprised when the screen read Eleanor Cell. A smile crossed her face. She hadn't talked to Eleanor in ages, at least not since just after she moved out to new York. "Hey Ellie."
"God Linds is that name ever going to wear off?"
"Probably not, so what's new?"
"Oh nothing too much, Cheyenne is loving kindergarten, and Noah is walking finally."
"Thought that kid was never going to walk, be a couch potato his whole life like Uncle Bob."
"Oh please that's an image I do not need Linds, my son will not be a couch potato, actually right now I'm ready to throw him into football. The way he's running and banging into things." Lindsay smiled at her friend's insanity. She was twirling in her seat, and noticed Danny as he came in and took a seat at his desk to do some paper work, which she really should be doing.
"Oh God Ellie, he's barely 2! But hey, Doug would be happy. I'm surprised he doesn't have Cheyenne in Powder Puff or at least Cheerleading."
"Well….."
"Oh, please Eleanor, don't tell me, after everything we went through, wow, I just hope it's changed since our day." Danny's ears perked up, Lindsay a cheerleader, interesting, but he wasn't listening.
"I don't know Linds, I can still do the double back bend can you?"
"Oh hun, you KNOW I can still do that."
"Oh. So the new guy does he like it?"
"Oh geeze Elle, I swear, are you pregnant again? because seriously your mind hasn't been that far in the gutter since well you were 4 months along with Noah." Again Danny's ears perked up, uh oh these girls were going to THAT kind of girl talk.
"No not yet."
"Yet? Does Doug know about this?"
"Not yet?"
"Good luck swinging that." Lindsay heard a crash on the other side of the line then a wail and a chuckle.
"Shit, Noah, what did you do to your sister!" Eleanor screamed at the phone. Lindsay pulled it away as to not to go deaf. She looked at Danny who had looked up, he to heard the screaming. He shook his head. "Monroe, do all Montana women scream like that?" He laughed missing the gutter worthy turn it could make.
"Wouldn't you like to know" Lindsay smirked back at him. That threw him for a minute. What did she just say, and not even blushing. "What would I like to know Linds?"
"Oh, nothing Ellie, sorry I was talking to a co-worker."
"The ass?"
"Well, duh." They both laughed
"Alright Linds, I have to go and patch Cheyenne up, her brother decided to take a pool cue to his sister's head."
"Oh god, well take care of her, and forget football sign the kid up for tee-ball. He sounds like a slugger." There was another crash, and Lindsay tried to hold in a laugh. "Elle, go take care of your monsters', I'll talk to ya soon."
"Yea, Bye Linds."
"Bye." She hung up and swung around so that she was sitting at her desk. She put her phone down and reached for a file so she could get a little paperwork done. Only Danny caught her eye before she could start.
"Montana? What was with the turn to the gutter? Not that I mind, of course."
"Huh?" Lindsay blushed slightly when she realized what he was referring too, it didn't register at first as to whom she was being smart with while on the phone, she just spoke to him as she did her brothers. "Sorry, whenever I talk to Elle, things seem to go in that direction." She apologized, hoping he would drop it, it was unlikely, but worth a try. He didn't mind, he actually seemed to enjoy it.
"Oh really? So do they?"
"Do they what Messer?"
"Scream like that." Lindsay blushed, good lord why did she have to let that slip. "I think they do by the way your cheeks are changing color like that."
"Shut-it." she laughed a little embarrassed laugh. Just then, Flack walked in, about to knock but thought better of it.
"Uh, what did I just walk in on?"
"Nothing," Lindsay insisted, but Danny kept the shit-eating grin on. "I'm just thinking about making Danny's eye black again."
"Oh Monroe just had a phone call that took her back to the gutter." Danny informed.
"Whoa, Monroe didn't think your mind went there."
"After her comment with that sex tape! Really."
"Never heard the full story." Flack shrugged, "What's the story?" Danny was about to start telling the story but Lindsay cut him off with a cough and a sharp look. "Eh she's quiet, you know what our mother's always used to say, it's the quiet ones you have to look out for."
"Well thank you Messer for that description of my life."
"Aw, no problem Monroe, now come out for some beer and pool with us."
"Three's a crowed." Lindsay informed them.
"Yes but four's a hell of a time, come on Lindsay help me whip these guys asses again." Hawkes said as he joined the group in the bullpen.
"See Lindsay, now you have to come." Flack said. Giving her those deep blue puppy dog blue eyes.
"Alright Don, I'll come, now stop before you hurt yourself." She laughed as she threw her file back on the pile, and got up with the guys to head down to the locker room to grab their stuff. They headed over to Sullivan's and Danny picked up the first pitcher. The group staked out a pool table. 3 pitchers and 2 games later, Lindsay and Hawkes had slaughtered Danny and Don. Time and time again.
"A'right, I'm calling we switch the teams up." He called out after Lindsay sunk the 8 ball for the win once again.
"Alright, how are you two going to split us up?" Lindsay asked, leaning against the pool table with her hand on her hip.
"Coin toss?" Danny said pulling a quarter out of his pocket. "Now heads I get Hawkes, Tails I get Montana."
"Why am I tails?" She asked trying to sound put off.
"Because Linds, you have a tail. And Hawkes well Hawkes is all brains."
"I resent that." She glowered at him.
"Yea well after that conversation earlier, I'm sure you'll forgive me." He flipped the coin. "Tails, Monroe, you're with me." Danny claimed.
"Lucky me. You know you really do need to be punched again"
"Why, I didn't out a pregnancy you were trying to hide." Danny said taking a swig of beer, his last comment not registering in his brain until Lindsay jumped up in victory!
"Ha, I win!" she shouted.
"What!" Don and Sheldon bellowed, "No, who gave him the black eye!"
"My cousin Karen." Danny said turning his head down in embarrassment.
"You were punched by a girl?" Sheldon asked almost snorting some beer out of his nose. Money was handed over to Lindsay.
"No, A pregnant, moody, hormonal Italian woman who thought she could hide a 5 month bump."
"Oh Messer." Lindsay laughed.
"What at least she was pregnant, instead of just fat."
"Nice." Don nodded clapping his friend on the back.
"So lucky me, my team mate gets beaten up by girls and can't see straight." Lindsay griped.
"No Lucky me." Said Hawkes, "Don at least is still able to shoot."
"Yea, yea I get to hold my team up." She laughed as Danny looked at her in disbelief.
"Okay, I am not drunk, I simply wasn't putting in an effort before."
"Well then why don't you, and break." Lindsay laughed. He did so sinking 2 solids.
"Maybe you were right."
"Monroe, I am always right."
"Keep dreaming Messer."
"So Monroe, were you really a cheerleader?" Danny asked as Don pulled back to take a shot, which he missed.
"Did you listen to my ENTIRE conversation today."
"Bits and pieces. So were you?" he asked
"Damn it Danny you did that on purpose." Don said as he watched Lindsay slide up to the table and take two shots before she turned back around to the boys.
"Yea, I was, does that do anything for ya?" she asked eyeing Danny and Don over. They both immediately gulped, she chuckled and turned around for some intelligent conversation with Sheldon only to find him with his eyes wide in surprise as well, "Oh, geeze not you too!" They were half way through their 3rd game at the new set of teams (which was actually quite even, 1-1) and still joking with each other when Lindsay's phone went off, she looked down to see that it was Kevin.
"Hey, Baby." She answered/slurred slightly as they had gone through about 6 pitchers together.
"Hey hun. Where are you?" Kevin all but laughed. Her companions for the night echo a hey baby- behind her as she shooed them off. "Who was that?"
"Uh, just some co-workers who find it enjoyable to tease the living daylights out of me." Lindsay laughed as the guys all made a move to feign hurt.
"So you're out with co-workers, huh, where?"
"A place called Sullivan's, don't worry it's a cop bar, I'm more than safe."
"Well ok, have fun, and call me when you're sobered up."
"Yea whatever bye baby."
"bye." He hung up, and she turned around to see the Danny and Don going at it over some topic, and Sheldon trying to subdue. "What the hell are you two girls crying about now?" she asked as she approached.
"Lindsay, Flintstone's or Jetson's?" Danny asked
"Flintstone's why?"
"See I told you Don, the Flintstones win."
"Whatever Dan I got Sheldon on my side. And we all know he's the genius in the lab"
"Alright Boys, do we need to get out a tape measure or can we continue to play pool?"
"Ouch Monroe, that hurts, 'specally since you're the reason for the break."
"Oh, please Messer, we take time out for you to hit on the bartender, you can let me talk for 2 mins."
"Ah, yes but I brought back beer." Danny smirked. "Alright Dan, if we get going again, I'll get another pitcher." That seemed to do it. And yes halfway through that pitcher all but Sheldon were pretty tipsy. Sheldon had to sink the last 6 balls.
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Lindsay fumbled with her keys, as Connie from next door made her way down the hall. Connie was an older woman, in her 60's that had a good amount of bite in her for an older woman. She had taken a liking to Lindsay a few weeks ago. She kept an eye out for her, almost in an aunt like, second mom kind of way.
"Lindsay, honey, are you plastered?" she asked as Lindsay fumbled with her keys again.
"No, not plastered Connie, just a little tipsy."
"Don't tell me that ass of a man your dating left you to get home alone." Connie questioned concerned. She never made any point in hiding her dislike for Kevin, they had only met twice in the hall, and each time he seemed to blow her off, or rush Lindsay into the apartment, making up excuses. A nice man would at least say hello, make small talk, but no, Kevin, hated older people, he hated nosey neighbors, he wanted to be left alone.
"No, not Kevin, I went out with some people from work tonight, and yes, they offered to help me up here, I declined."
"Well, alright then, but take some aspirin before going to sleep dear, take it from a woman who has had her fair share of hangovers." Connie winked then went into her own apartment. Lindsay finally unlocked her door as Connie finished talking, and then fell into her apartment, just keeping her balance, she really didn't realize just how much alcohol she had had. She padded her way over to the kitchen, grabbed a LARGE glass of water and then 4 aspirin, she took two and downed the water before refilling it, taking a sip then putting it on her night table next to her bed. She lay the extra to aspirin down next to the glass. She then stripped down to nothing but her panties and crawled into bed. She needed to sleep this off fast. She was in the middle of a case after all.
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"Morning Danny." Lindsay said as she flung her coat on. Her head was still thudding from the night before and Danny looked like he was in similar shape.
"Morning Monroe, where you heading off to?" he yawned
"Ugh, the arena, need to find a new source of DNP. What's going on with your case?"
"Nothing much, the rug my guy was found wrapped up in, he stole it from his brother."
"Big Labowski Fan?" she joked, which Danny chuckled at as well.
"You know that's just what I said."
"Great minds think alike. Well good luck."
"See ya around Linds."
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Danny walked in a few minutes later his nose buried in a file as he sat down. Not even looking at anything else or acknowledging Lindsay. She called him twice and got no response. Finally she crumpled up the paper she had written his messages on and chucked it at is head. That seemed to get his attention as he nearly jumped out of his seat when it hit him square between the eyes.
"Jesus Monroe, what was that for?"
"You're messages Messer, I'm not your secretary." She said as she turned back to her research.
"Aw, now see that's a thought." He smirked as he un-crumpled the paper.
Cindy called, said it's urgent
She called again
And again
And again
Call the woman back please!
"She seriously called five times?"
"No, about a dozen, I just stopped taking them down."
"Great." Just then Danny's phone went off again. It started singing Talk by Coldplay. A good song but coming from Danny's cell phone it seemed a little hilarious, granted when Jenna called Lindsay's cell still blared "I'll be there for you."
"Danny, if it's her answer it. Believe me it gets worse."
"Really and how do you know that?"
"Because if I have to talk to her one more time today I'll make your life a living hell, you can be sure of that." She said as she gave him one swift kick to the shin under the table
"Whoa, okay, okay I'll answer it." he held his hands up in defense. "Hello."
"Hey Sweetie, why haven't you been answering your cell?"
"Sorry I've been busy on a case, what's up?"
"Well, my parents are in town and they would really like to have dinner with us tonight."
"Cindy, isn't that a little soon?"
"Danny, we've been dating for four months! That's a long time."
"Yea for an eighth grader."
"Danny, what is wrong with you it's just one dinner, can you please make it?"
"I'll try, but I'm working a case."
"Can't you get someone to cover you, what about that Lindsay person, she can cover for you. Or Don?"
"First of all, no she can't as she is on too, and Don isn't a CSI, so he can't if you want me there it'll have to be with the possibility of me being called out."
"Fine, make a bad first impression, I just thought you cared enough about me to do this right." She slammed the phone down.
"Wait Cindy. Shit." He said as he ran a hand down his face, he wasn't the meeting parents kinda guy. Girls did not take them home to Daddy.
"That was not a good shit." Lindsay said without looking up.
"No, no Linds, it wasn't."
"Sorry, what did she want anyway? If you don't mind my asking."
"Me to go to dinner with her parents."
"and you don't do that." She stated
"How would you know?"
"Messer, I wasn't born yesterday, I may have grown up in Bozeman, but we're not as backwards as you would like to believe. You're not the kinda guy girls bring home."
"See you get it, why can't she?"
"Because she wants to believe she has tamed the bad by out of you." Lindsay joked, she couldn't withhold the laugh at the end.
"Ha Ha Monroe, you're a riot."
"It's true though."
"And how would you know?"
"2 brothers, Messer, you learn things, that and thin walls." She said as she moved to get coffee from the break room she couldn't take looking at research any longer. "You want some coffee Danny?"
"Yea, I have to wait on a warrant any way, black, one sugar please."
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Lindsay soon realized she had yet to call Kevin back. She fumbled for her cell then quickly dialed his number. "Hey Linds, sober yet?" he asked, and she hoped to god he was joking.
"When have I not been." She teased back
"I don't know you were slurring last night."
"Oh, please, I was still whipping those guys asses in pool, I was not a goner." She laughed.
"So just guys, no women with ya?"
"Nah, just Don, Danny, and Sheldon."
"You know I'm not all that comfortable with you hanging out with just men."
"Kevin, they're coworkers. Completely harmless, we've been over this.'
"Yea, I know, but I still feel uneasy."
"There is nothing to worry about."
"I don't know, that Danny guy has his eyes on you a lot, and I don't like the way I hear him talk to you."
"Kevin, please he watches out for me, and he teases me, that's how we work together, believe me I can handle myself when it comes to Messer's witticisms."
"Okay, I just, I care about you Lindsay, I don't want to see you get hurt."
"I'll try not to." Lindsay smirked into the phone. "So, my case wrapped and I'm off for the night, you busy?"
"Not in the least, feel like meeting me for Dinner at El Matador?"
"Uh, sure, give me an hour?"
"No problem Linds. I'll see you then."
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Lindsay had rushed home to freshen up for a date with Kevin. Glancing over at her schedule she cursed herself for not remembering she was on call that night. Oh well. She threw on a new pair of black pants as well as a revealing tank top, that was tasteful, and could easily be converted into work wear should the need arrive. She grabbed a blue sweater and threw it in her bag before checking hair and makeup one more time before meeting Kevin at a restaurant just outside Central Park. He was already there looking fantastic as usual. She greeted him with a peck on the lips and a hand on his chest, he hugged her tight, "Well hello."
"Hey." She sighed back. "I'm sorry, but when I went home I noticed I'm on secondary call."
"Secondary, that's better than primary."
"Yea, yea it is." They sat through dinner no problem, talked about this and that, books he was reading, and stuff pertaining to his classes. They then made their way back to his apartment where Lindsay found herself in a very heated make out session. Kevin had her pinned under him on the couch, her shirt had been removed. He had just reached her belt buckle and his tongue was plunged into her mouth when her cell went off. She sighed, and he groaned, knowing it could only be one thing. She had to go to work. He rolled off her as she sat up and reached for the phone. It was from Mac. Meet Sheldon and I at …'
"Let me guess it's Messer again." He groaned. Kevin did not like the guy, he met him once or twice when he picked Lindsay up for lunch at the Lab, but the guy seemed to be bad news. He had an accent that could only mean he grew up in a bad part of town, and the way he carried himself. The guy was uncivilized, even for a civil servant. Granted there were better ways to serve the city in Kevin's eyes but he wouldn't let Lindsay know that.
"No it's Mac, Sheldon, and a dead stripper, so I have to go"
"Dead strippers really need your time?"
"Kevin, any person who is murdered deserves my time, that's what I do, stripper or not. Plus if it weren't for strip clubs the economy would be in shambles." She laughed at his disgust. "What? It's true, put naked women anywhere, and people come flooding to the area, to either watch or join."
"And how would you know that?"
"Sociology babe, it's not all chemicals and experiments, it's about the mind as well."
"If you say so." He said as he watched her pull her black lace tank back on followed by a blue sweater she raked out of her bag, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail, which was usual for her work attire now that it had grown out some, and zipped up her coat.
"I'll call you when I get a minute." She said as she leaned down onto the couch and kissed him lightly on the lips, pulling away before he had time to deepen it. "Talk to ya soon."
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