DISCLAIMER: None of its mine
A/N: I'm so glad all of you got where I was coming from with Kevin! Yay, ok so on with risk!
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: : RISK : :
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Lindsay got off work early that morning, and was grateful for it. She had the rest of her day fully planned by the time she got off the subway and rounded the corner to the dry cleaners. She would pick up her dress, head home, take a nice nap, eat something, jump in the shower, do her hair and make-up, slip in her outfit, and be out the door with time to spare. She had a full 4 hours to bathe and pamper. She was going to look gorgeous. She permed her hair into large round curls. (really it was something that had to be done, with her career, she didn't have time to deal with the long straight hair, curls were just easier). She took her time with her makeup making sure she was the best she could possibly be. Then, slipped into a striking navy silk dress that she bought for her brother's wedding a few years ago. She didn't know why the old dress called out to her, but she just wanted to wear that dress tonight.
She had just stepped into a pair of black pumps when the buzzer at the door sounded. Kevin was here. "I'll be down in a minute." She called through the speaker. She grabbed her case, just in case, purse, and pulled on her black dress coat. Taking one last glance in the mirror, she had to admit it: She looked damn good.
"Hey Baby" Lindsay said as she walked up to Kevin who was leaning impatiently against his car. She gave him a quick peck; he did look pretty-good in a tux, granted he was almost always in a suit.
"You look nice, the case ruins it though." He smirked. Ok, that's not the reaction she was going for and blew off the comment about the field forensics kit. She was on call.
"I told you I was on call tonight, but whatever, I tend to get called in more when I'm not prepared, so I figure being prepared may stop me from being called in, it's worth a shot."
"If you say so, let's go, we have reservations at 7." He said opening the door for her. The restaurant was nice granted it was rather fancy, and Lindsay was more of a simple girl, no matter how well she knew her way around a wine list. They left the restaurant at 8:30 and walked over to the theater for the opera. They took their seats, which were actually quite great.
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Danny was on his way home, it had been a hell of a day. Getting called in at 1am and going for 18 hours straight, it was a rare occasion that cases could be completed in less than a day, but it worked for him. He was on the train back to his apartment. The train was still remarkably full for the hour of night; it was nearing midnight, granted it was a Friday night. Danny did a once over of the train. A lot of younger people no doubt going out for a night on the town, a few homeless guys that found enough money to get them on the train to warm up from the cold, and a few couples. Danny's eyes landed on a young Asian girl who kept looking up at him and smiling. He smirked to himself, then went back to looking out the window, she was young, real young, college young.
Something on the tracks caught his attention though. It look like a body thrown across the tracks…..strike that: it was a body thrown across the tracks. He banged in the conductor's door next to where he was standing. "Stop the train, there's a man on the tracks open the door." He said whipping out his badge then slamming on the emergency breaks.
The train stopped just shy of the kid. Danny leapt down from the train, careful of the tracks, and looked for a pulse, the kid was definitely dead. The first cop on scene brought Danny a camera, as the rest cleared the platform and roped it off. Those on call tonight were called in. Danny was just about finished snapping overalls, and examining the body when he heard gravel crunching along the tracks. He looked up to see Mac approaching.
"18 hour shift wasn't enough, now you're catching bodies on the way home?" Mac asked as he approached.
"No, no, it's more like the bodies are catching me." Danny responded standing. Taking in Mac's full appearance for the first time, his was in a full monkey suit. Black bow tie, tails, the works. "wow, look at you. You're all gussied up."
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Lindsay had to admit it was ok, for the first hour, afterwards she felt herself start to get antsy. At intermission, she felt her phone go off against her upper thigh. Great a scene she thought however, she might have also been a little relieved.
Kevin noticed her pull out her phone and frown a little when she looked at it. "Sorry Kevin, looks like I have a seen." She said trying her best to sound disappointed.
"Let me guess, Messer, and Flack." He said bitterly, ever since he met them and then Connie, he was more jealous than ever. Did she really like THIS guy? She had been wondering it lately. He wasn't anything special.
"Mac, Stagnetti, and a dead college kid from your campus, excuse me." She spat fed up with his shit as she went to coat check to grab her bag and case.
"Lindsay wait, can't someone else go?"
"No, they can't I'm on call, Stella worked a double into today, and Sheldon worked a triple, we are swamped, give it a rest."
"Yea and what about Messer?" he bit. Lindsay just shook her head, yea Messer was on the scene with her. "He's there isn't he. Now you're lying to me!"
"Lying to you please, I said it was Mac, what does Danny have anything to do with it!"
"Lindsay quiet down, people are looking." He tried to shush her.
"Quiet down seriously Kevin, it's always about image with you isn't it, what do I fit the profile? Bring home a little country girl, I'll stay home take care of your kids, cook, clean and be at your beck and fucking call!" Lindsay was shouting again. This was the end of Kevin and she knew it, but he was pissing her off, so let him be embarrassed.
"Lindsay language." He said trying to grab her hand.
"Don't touch me." She said yanking her arm away. "Not that you really even have, we've had sex what 4 times in 5 months, that's what a girl really wants. Connie was right I should have listened to her from the beginning. So you know what, fine. Me and you, we're done, take you insecurities and your story book ending and shove them where the sun will never fucking shine." She said as she grabbed her coat and case, walked out the door, and hailed a cab.
She heard the mutterings behind her back and a few good for you's directed in her direction before she slipped into the taxi and told him what subway station she needed to get to.
"Young lady, I can take you all the way home, you don't need to get on the subway, its freezing down there this time of night."
"Oh, no it's for work, I have a case down there." She simply smiled
"A case?"
"Yea, I'm a criminalist with the NYPD, that station is gonna be closed for awhile."
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"Alright here we are. Good luck." He said as she paid him and headed for the stairs. He was surprised to see how easily the police officers just nodded at her then very nicely lifted the tape so she would not have to duck completely under. What a nice girl.
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Lindsay took a deep breath before she descended the stairs just to the platform, just getting through the station she got a few wolf whistles. Whatever. One of the officers helped her down onto the tracks and she started toward where Danny and Mac were looking over the body. Gravel and train tracks are not the easiest thing to walk on so Lindsay was looking down making sure she kept her footing as she approached the two men.
Danny heard the crunching and looked back, knowing Lindsay was meeting them, however he had not expected to do a double take upon seeing her. She was all done up as well. She was a knock out in a blue silky dress, low cutting, black lace, heels, and legs. Just wow. He stood, he had to, he had almost lost his footing when he whipped around to get a better look at her.
"Well Hello, Miss Monroe." He said giving her the once, and then twice over, he noticed her try to hide a slight blush when she went to put her case down next to Mac's. Danny got a decent view of her cleavage before she stood back up. "Wow, you clean up nice. Did you go to the mayor's party also?" he asked
"I was at the opera." She said with a smile moving around him to the other side of the kid, now that is more like the reaction I was going for earlier she thought.
"I am hanging out with all the wrong people you know that?" Danny asked Mac, who simply laughed, Lindsay too had been watching him then with a small laugh she carefully squatted down,
"So this is our subway surfer?"
"Uh huh," Mac nodded, "as far as I can tell he didn't fall from the top of the subway car. There are no injuries consistent with a fall from that height at that speed. He didn't bounce, flip, ricochet; when he landed he stayed put, all inconsistent with the fall from the top of a moving subway train."
"So he was subway surfing, but he didn't die doing it."
"Pushed, fell, thrown, whatever, this kid came off the train in front of mine so someone on that train must have seen something." Danny summarized
"I'll start with the body." Mac informed watching Lindsay shiver, "You two start with the person who watches everyone get on and off the train."
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"Okay so the conductor was just starting his shift, he won't be off until 6am, and has instructions to go to the precinct." Danny snapped his phone shut, looking over at Lindsay, she pulled her coat tighter shivering, her teeth actually starting to chatter. "Chilly there Montana?" Danny teased then he pulled her into his body to keep warm. In any other circumstances, she would have pulled away, but Danny was warm, so she snuggled in slightly.
"You wear next to nothing in zero degree weather and tell me Messer." She chattered out. He let out a light chuckle and pulled her even tighter, rubbing his hand up and down along her outside arm.
"Aright aright, let's get you some warm clothes. Want a ride home?" he asked.
"I don't want you going out of your way." She chattered.
"Yea, but I don't want you taking a cab or the train dressed like that. You'll freeze, get harassed, or worse."
"So nice of you to worry." Lindsay teased, but the cold wouldn't let the chatter stop.
"Alright I get it Monroe your cold." He teased opening up the passenger door of the avalanche for her and helping her into the cab. "So Kevin take you to the Opera?"
"Yea, five month anniversary or something." Lindsay said allowing the warmth of the car to heat her up.
"Or something, a woman who doesn't know an anniversary, must say Montana, you surprise me sometimes." He chuckled, and laughed even more when she gave him a glare. "Ok, quite often." He responded to her unspoken question.
"That's better Messer." She joked. The truck pulled up in front of her apartment building. Danny went to unbuckle his seat belt to help her out of the car, but she stopped him. "It's okay Danny, I can get out just fine." She said with a laugh. She opened the door and let out an involuntary gasp when the frigid air hit her bare legs. Danny laughed to himself, but watched as Lindsay made her way up the stairs to the door.
At the door, she let out another gasp. There was Kevin waiting in the doorway. Danny having been watching to make sure Lindsay was inside and safe, noticed her step back and a man appear from the doorway. It was Kevin, he observed from the distance.
"Lindsay, I'm.." he started
"Don't ." she cut him off "just don't" she said shaking her head and moving to enter the building her keys had just turned the lock when Kevin grabbed at her wrist yanking her back to him. She gave out a slight yelp - it was painful, and slightly surprising. Kevin was strong, and that look in his eyes told her if they weren't in public things could be very bad for her.
Danny heard the yelp and turned around to see Lindsay being yanked back. He threw the car back into park and popped jumped out of the cab "Linds, you alright?" he asked getting ready to move nearer to the couple.
"Yea Danny, I'm fine, I'll see you in the morning." She said a little too enthusiastically.
"If you're sure." He said stepping back towards the car.
"Yea, I'll be good." She told him as she turned back to Kevin who looked angrier than before.
"What the fuck Lindsay, what was with the scene earlier, what was with leaving like that."
"I think I made it quite clear in that 'scene.' Here's a thought, you like operas and plays, why don't you over analyze that scene and maybe you'll come to the right conclusion." She snapped.
"Lindsay, I just, I'm your boyfriend, shouldn't I come first?"
"What the hell Kevin, is this 1950 or something."
"What's that got to do with anything!"
"I said it earlier and I'll say it again, I'm not at your beck and call, I'm sick of feeling guilty because I can't make it to something, and the jealousy is too much. We are done Kevin, over, no more. Go find little miss fucking perfect because I'm not her, never will be, so fuck off, and leave." She finished as she turned to leave. Again he grabbed her arm this time with even more force. "What the fuck Kevin, let me go." She said as she attempted to get out of his grasp.
"Lindsay I will not be dumped." He said as he held her tighter. "Especially not by someone like you." He ground out.
"Like hell you aren't." She spat as she stomped on his foot, and then kneed him in the crotch. He let go so he could attempt to get over the pain. "What are you whimpering over anyway, there's nothing there." She said moving behind the doors to her building and slamming them shut. True colors come out in the end.
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When Danny woke the next morning, he knew he was running a little behind. He quickly dressed and headed out the door. He stopped and grabbed coffee on the way and arrived at Lindsay's block in only 30 minutes. Maybe they wouldn't be late. He buzzed her door. "Montana you ready?"
"Almost Dan just a few more minutes." She said sounding out of breath.
"Then buzz me up its freakin freezing out here." A second later, he heard a buzz and headed up the 7 flights of stair (the elevator had an out of service sticker on it.) He had the coffee in one hand and knocked with the other.
"It's open Messer." She shouted through the door. He tried the door and it did swing open.
"What the hell Monroe, you never leave your door unlocked." He scolded her
"Geeze Messer, I knew it was you coming up, I unlocked it when I left the intercom." She said coming out of the bathroom and pulling her hair out of the ponytail she had had it in.
"Still, a murder happens a few blocks from here and you leave your door unlocked."
"Chill Dan, it was the 3 minutes it took you to get up here."
"Fine, but please be careful." He pleaded.
"Yea yea, I promise." She took pity on him. "Do you always get this protective?" she laughed and took the coffee he offered her and moaned as the hot caffeinated liquid slid down her throat.
"Damn Monroe." Danny teased at the sound that she elicited. Just then, there was a knock at the door. But Lindsay was already on the other side of the apartment putting on her shoes, "Can you get that?"
"Yea sure." He said moving to the door, noticing it was Connie, he opened the door "Well well if it's not Ms. Connie, How you doing sweetheart?" Danny asked the aging woman.
"Not bad Messer, you certainly know how to greet a lady." She said as she moved into the apartment. "You're mother taught you well." She said patting his shoulder.
"That he does." Lindsay smiled as she took another sip of the coffee Danny had brought. "Where did you get this anyway, it's amazing."
"Uh Bakery down the street from my place."
"Well it's amazing." She smiled again, "What can I do for ya Connie?"
"Oh honey, I set the tour up for Sunday, that okay?"
"Yea, I'm even off, what time?"
"It starts at 11, so we should head out no later than 10:15."
"Sounds good."
"Aright honey, I see you have to get to work, talk to ya later."
"Will do Connie, have a nice day."
"You too, and Danny, always a thrill." Danny smirked as he closed the door behind Connie. Lindsay continued to rush to finish getting ready.
"Chill Montana, he ain't going anywhere."
"I know, I just hate being late." She said as she snapping the door closed behind them and locking it. Danny glimpsed her wrist when she turned the key and immediately noticed the darker coloring of the skin.
"Hold up Monroe." He said to stop her from starting down the stairs.
"What is it Danny?"
"You know what, let me see that wrist." He said picking up her arm, then pushing the sleeve back carefully, revealing a purple and blue mark that encircled her wrist. "Did Kevin do this to you?"
"Yea, he didn't like the idea of being dumped." Lindsay smiled then headed down the stairs leaving Danny at the top.
"Linds." Danny sighed then ran after her catching her after only a floor.
"Danny I'm fine, besides its only a little bruise that will be gone in less than a week I'm fine, he on the other hand, will be singing soprano for about a month." She smirked.
"Atta, girl." He said with a smirk on his face. "I still don't like the bruising."
"It's nothing Messer, seriously I've been abused by 2 older brothers for most my life, if I complain over this." She said raising her wrist up to him, "then how would I have ever lived through the dive I took off the roof of the barn." She smirked. Damn Charlie.
"You jumped off a roof?" Danny asked climbing into the driver's seat and starting the car.
"So our vic was subway surfing." She slumped back defiantly.
"You're full of surprises Monroe, you know that?"
"I try, besides, it's not like you haven't done your fair share of stupid stunts as a kid."
"And how would you know that?" he said glancing over in her direction.
"You seem the type, come on, my brothers had me believing that if I jumped off the roof with a plastic grocery bag it would work like a parachute, now if you don't have a story better than that…." She trailed off challenging him to up her crazy little stunt.
"Your brothers gave you a hard time growing up huh?"
"I can hold my own, now stop changing the subject."
"Alright, well, it wasn't a roof, but it royally pissed my mother off." Danny laughed remembering the story. " My brother and I did get picked up by the coast guard this one time…"
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"Mr. White?" Lindsay asked as she and Danny approached a man One of the cops said was there to talk to them.
"That's me." He said coming taking his attention off a nearby hooker.
"Hi, I'm detective Monroe, this is detective Messer."
"Nice to meet ya, now what is it you need me for?" he asked.
"What d you know about subway surfing?" Danny asked
"Standing on top of a moving train. Yea, subway surfing was much more popular late 80's early 90's but we still get these doot-da doo's every once in awhile." Danny let out a small snicker, Lindsay was slightly confused to say the least.
"Doot-da-what's?"
"Doot-da-doos." The conductor repeated, "you know idiot, moron, knuckle-heads. Where you from Jersey?" Lindsay let out a small disgusted groan. Montana was better than Jersey, it was an insult, even if you weren't a native New Yorker.
"Forget about that," Danny said taking the attention off of Lindsay, the conductor was eyeing her up, and they needed to stay on task. "We think a kid was surfing on the rear car of your train last night."
"You sure it was my train?"
"Yea, had to because the kid was lying across the tracks and I was riding the train behind yours so if another train had passed he would have been sliced in half." Danny informed
"It's the risks these kids take huh?"
"Yea."
"I don't get it."
"Mr. White, you're the conductor, did you see anything unusual on that run?" Lindsay asked, now her turn to keep the interview on schedule.
"Honey, I see unusual on every run, it's a subway, you want unusual you can find it."
"Well do you remember anyone causing any trouble? Any doot-da-doos get you attention?" she said smiling as she said the last part.
"Very Nice." He complimented her, "She used it in a sentence and everything." Mr. White said to Danny who laughed and nodded, that's his Montana, she's a quick learner don't underestimate her.
Once they were out of earshot of Mr. White, Lindsay turned to Danny. "New Jersey! Really?"
"Nah Montana, not at all."
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They made their way out to Chelsea University around 10 am after processing the train car. They passed the building Kevin's office had been in and then into the busy residence hall. Kids were everywhere. Throwing footballs, talking, yelling, coming, going. "Brings back memories no?" Danny asked as the approached the kids door.
"Yea, but I remember sleeping in later on Saturdays."
"After meeting Jenna, I can see why." Danny said with a smirk. They reached the door labeled Randy Williams and Perry Lohmann. Danny knocked once, there was a loud groan from the other side of the door. He knocked again, with a little more force than before.
"Chill out!" came a girls voice on the other side of the door. Danny knocked again, "Alright, god what time is it." the voice came again as the door was yanked open to reveal a young girl in nothing but a bra panties and a little t-shirt that left nothing to the imagination. She eyed Danny up and down, and Danny being surprised stared at her, she was young, but damn. Lindsay cleared her throat to bring Danny back to the world of the living. The man could be shallow. Danny glanced over at her, she looked angry, but there was humor, behind the anger. He pulled out his badge. "We're looking for Perry Lohmann, Randy Williams' roommate."
"What's happened?" she asked with a slinky smile.
"That's what we're here to find out." Lindsay said with a smile.
"You, mind if we come in?" he asked. She started to close the door. Danny pushed it open to find a dark haired by mostly naked with one arm still restrained in a black lace panty. "Perry Lohmann, subway surfer wake up, we need to talk." Danny said as he approached the kid in the bed with his shield out. Lindsay followed Danny into the room but stayed put at the door next to the girl with a smile. Yea, morning of shame, she'd been there. Reminded her of good ole Jamie Montgomery. Danny turned back to Lindsay with a what the hell kinda posture. "You're a lucky boy." The kid, unstrapped himself, and rubbed his eyes, 'Can I use the bathroom? I'm a little hung over." He said climbing out of bed, and pulling on a t-shirt.
"Make it quick." Danny said gesturing across the hall to the bathroom.
"You can have a seat." Lindsay told the girl who was still hovering near the door, she was gonna sit and give them some answers as well. Danny had been looking around the room.
"Love what you did with the place." Danny said tossing some pizza aside. Lindsay watched the kid move toward the bathroom. He got to the door, his hand lingering over the handle before he took off down the hallway. Lindsay was right behind him, hot on his heels. Luckily, there were many people in the hallway, and a phone cord to duck under. Lindsay grabbed his t-shirt, the kid tried to get away, he wiggled out of the t-shirt, but Danny was right behind her, and as Lindsay tried to keep her balance (she was in heels), she felt Danny come up behind her, steady her with hands on her hips, and move past to tackle the kid to the ground. Danny had the kid face down on the ground with an arm behind his back, when Lindsay walked over to them, juggling the t-shirt. Danny looked up to see her and smiled as the kid lost the flight response.
"Nice collar Monroe." He said eyeing her up and down again. She laughed under his gaze as the kid gave a grunt.
"Aright, kid, let's go." Danny said helping the kid off the floor and walking him back to the dorm room.
"Thought I did something wrong." The kid muttered under his breath.
"You did, you ran."
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Danny and Lindsay left the dorm and headed out the door, thank god it was Sunday and teachers weren't on campus, well, one teacher. Danny noticed her tense as they stepped outside the dorm.
"Monroe, you okay?" He asked; he got no response, so he tried again, and again nothing. Finally he did the near unthinkable, he used her first name. "Lindsay." He said as they made it to the quad, slightly grabbing her hand, not forcefully, as Kevin had, but sensuously. "Lindsay are you okay?" He questioned again.
"Yea, sure why?"
"Because I asked you three times, and you seem tenser."
"Okay, sorry, just," she raised the hand he still held up so that the coat and shirt rode up to show a glimpse of her bruise. He cringed slightly at the sight of it, but he tugged her so that she fit under his arm, which was now hanging around her neck as they walked back to the car.
"Don't worry about it Linds, we got your back, and well Connie, she scares me sometimes." He laughed.
"Yea, the woman is insane, completely hated Kevin from day one too. Guess I have to listen to her about men more often." Lindsay winked.
"Guess so Monroe, now let's get outta here. This place makes me feel old."
"Really, I thought you enjoyed the eyes Celia was giving you." Lindsay teased.
"Haha, laugh it up." He said letting go of her and heading over to the driver side of the car, "You're a real riot Montana."
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Hoops on Saturday. The case had wrapped up perfectly, he could still meet the guys at the YMCA for a few games of hoops. They got together with a bunch of NYPD guys from the force, as well as a few FDNY, Basketball was friendly competition, but when baseball season rolled around, all bets were off.
Danny pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and an old giants t-shirt before heading out to meet the guys. A few had assembled already and were playing around before everyone else showed.
"Hey Messer, didn't think we'd see ya here today, heard ya found a body on the subway."
"Yea, damn kid was subway surfing. You missed out though, pulled Monroe from a date at the opera. The girl has some nice legs."
"Damn, she was suppose to hold off until a day when you weren't on to pull out all the stops for me."
"Donny, what would that girlfriend think of ya?" Danny joked.
"Had to bring the girlfriend in didn't ya?"
"Still not gonna give me a name, come on, is it someone on the force?"
"Messer, let's just play some ball." Flack said getting up and joining the rest of their Saturday night guys. They played up to 35, and called it a night, they had mixed up the teams, and at the end of the night, Don's team beat out Danny's but Danny was able to wind down and could actually sleep. He headed home and showered before falling into bed and passing out from sheer exhaustion.
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