: : Can You Hear Me Now? : :
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"Someone is gonna have to get out there." Don Flack said peering out of the pane-less window down at the blood that spattered the nose of Lady Liberty.
"I'll do it." Danny stepped forward and clicked open the case that held the rigging.
Everyone looked on, all with the same thought floating in their heads, it was Stella that voiced the concern. "Danny, are you sure you're ready for that?"
"Whatcha mean Stel?" Danny asked looking up at the radiant Greek woman.
She gave him an incredulous look. "Your hand Messer, it was only about a month ago it was shattered to pieces."
Danny let out a bark of a laugh. "Stel, I got this, and it wasn't shattered just slightly fractured."
"Messer." Hawkes warned the doctor in him coming out. "You sure that's a good idea?"
"You want to do it?" Danny asked incredulously.
"Not particularly, no."
"So….."
Stella was deep in thought. "Do a pull up, and hold it." She said nodding to the railing. He did, and a few more after that.
"Good enough Stel?"
"Fine, go dangle off the Statue of Liberty."
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Lindsay neatly tucked the can of condom spray into Danny's lab coat pocket. He let out a hum of humoring laughter. Lindsay turned her back on him to go back to work, but she could still feel his eyes on her. There was a clink of latex covered glass on the work station and suddenly she could feel his breath on the back of her neck. He was standing behind her. His fingers gently brushed her much shorter hair away from her ear and leaned in close. "Montana, if you think we're using this shit…."
Lindsay began to giggle. "I'm not the one that is out of….."
"You're the one that will be putting your body on the line." Danny cut her off
"How's that?" Lindsay asked turning around and crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"You're the one that'll end up with a bun in the oven." He whispered, a teasing glint in his eyes.
"And that wouldn't affect you?" Lindsay asked with raised brows but still smiling, hey if he was going to go at this conversation with a tone of amusement so would she.
"You telling me you think that shit would actually work?"
"Oh, definitely not, but that doesn't mean I don't have back up."
"Do you?" Danny asked in a hushed voice suddenly becoming a little more serious.
Lindsay looked Danny square in the eyes. "Yes I do, but we really shouldn't be having this conversation here." They were in one of the smaller more secluded labs, but they were still in the lab, and the one big rule in their relationship right now was trying to keep their personal lives personal, and just focus on work when they were at a scene or in the lab.
"Yea right." Danny nodded then moved so that Lindsay was sort of caged as they turned back to the computer. "So your place or mine tonight?" he whispered in her ear.
There was a knock at the door, and they jumped apart as Mac entered. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked an amused smile playing at his lips.
"no not at all." "Just showing Danny some of the.." they spoke at the same time and broke off as Mac raised his hand to silence them. They both looked sheepish, like a child caught with their hands in the cookie jar before dinner.
"It's fine." Mac smiled, "just try and keep it out of the workplace." Danny and Lindsay looked at him in shock. They hadn't said a thing to him about anything other than the case. "What?" Mac chuckled lightly, "You don't think I saw this coming two years ago?"
"Two years ago Mac?" Lindsay asked a little skeptically. "I've only been here two years." And frankly I hated his guts for the first 3 months.
Mac looked at her for a second. "Yea, now you have an update for me?"
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Lindsay met Danny at his place shortly after 9pm. He had come straight from the hospital, and she from the lab. They were both due back by 9 am the next morning. They both slumped onto the sofa her head dropping onto his shoulder. "You tired babe?" Danny asked stretching a little.
"A little, just getting reacquainted to Mac's pace."
Danny snorted at that. Yea, Stella had been running the lab for the last few weeks, and times were a little more laid back, a little less rushed, but still just as busy. With Mac being back, the pace quickened. "Yea." He agreed. "So everyone knows now."
"Yea, and apparently we were very obvious." Lindsay giggled through a yawn.
"Montana, if you want to crawl into bed you ca-"
"I'm not tired." Lindsay said readjusting, "I'm recharging my batteries, second wind will kick in with food."
"That I can help with." Danny said smacking her thigh and pushing himself up and jogging to the kitchen.
"That so, whatcha got?" Lindsay asked stretching out and taking up the whole sofa.
"My ma's lasagna." He pulled a tray out of the freezer.
"mmmmm." Lindsay moaned pushing herself off the sofa and taking a seat on a stool at the counter.
"Linds that sound." Danny said through gritted teeth.
"What about it?" Lindsay laughed "I moan and you get all hot and bothered." Danny smirked. "That's a neat little trick, I'll have to remember that."
"You heard Mac." Danny warned. "Outside the lab."
"Well what fun is that?" Lindsay pouted then cracked a smile. Then conceded at the look he gave her "Yea I know."
"So about what we were talking about earlier." Danny started.
"The condom spray is in the trash." Lindsay laughed. "If you want it-you still owe me a dumpster dive."
Danny shook his head. "Not what I mean sweetheart, and isn't there a clause that all bets are off after a year?"
"No, and I know, just trying to relieve the tension." Lindsay smiled. "And yes Danny, I am on birth control, so even if it you know (Lindsay made a popping sound) we should be ok."
Danny chuckled at that. "I feel like we should have had this conversation a little sooner."
"Probably, but, we are good." Lindsay assured him leaning over the counter and kissing him.
"Good because…." Danny trailed off. Lindsay could read him like a book, they were brand new, and knowing him, kids had not been on the life plan in a while if ever; and frankly she wasn't ready for them either.
"Yea, me too."
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: : The Deep : :
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It was a beautiful Saturday morning. The air was perfect September warm, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the smell of coffee oozed out of the coffee house a few blocks away from Danny's place. They had gone out when Danny realized he needed to do some grocery shopping and there was absolutely no coffee in his entire apartment.
Danny and Lindsay sat in the comfortable mid morning sun sipping their coffees on the outdoor patio. She sat there looking on that the man she had sworn she would not fall for and pondering how far she had really fallen, how far she could feel herself falling.
"What's up babe?" Danny asked noting her gaze on him. But before she could answer their phones gave simultaneous bleeps. "Got to head down to the harbor, floater in the east river." Danny sighed
"Get to the lab and prep for floater from east river." Lindsay chuckled after reading her text.
"Well, that's a late start for a Saturday, I was expecting a scene hours ago."
"It was nice while it lasted." Lindsay smiled getting up and tossing the garbage into the trash. She turned around, cupped Danny's cheek, pushed up on her toes, and kissed him completely. "I'll see ya in a few hours."
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Danny was packing up his bag before heading out to Staten Island for Sunday night dinner when he heard footsteps halting at the door, which was odd, since as far as he knew it he was the only person left of the team in the building. Hawkes stood slung up in the doorway. "What are you doing here man?" He asked.
"Just wanted to make sure everyone was cool."
"Everything worked out."
"Good."
"You should be home in bed by the looks of it."
"I just wanted to make sure that…." Hawkes was struggling to find the words.
"Ey, hey, forget-about-it." Danny said patting Danny on the back, "all in a day's work. Right. You'd do the same for me. No?"
"Well…" Hawkes dragged it out as if he'd really have to think about saving Danny's life.
"Ahhh," Danny laughed throwing an arm around his pal as they got on the elevator.
"You up for a beer, some Sunday Night Football?"
"Man, I wish I could." Danny said honestly. "Got dinner at my folks tonight."
"Such a good little boy." Hawkes teased.
"Yea, yea, yea. Go home, crawl into bed and watch the game." Danny said giving him one last pat on the back before taking off in the direction of his bike in the parking garage.
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It was about 9:30 when Lindsay's phone let out a shrill ring. She groaned rolling over on her bed and grasping the cell. Lindsay smiled seeing Danny's face, this wasn't work, her night off was remaining that way. "Hello?"
"Hey Montana," she could hear the smile in his voice. "What you up to tonight?"
Sunday's were usually spent apart, what had him calling on her now? "Nothing much just doing some light reading."
"Reading huh, would you like some company?"
"I could use the company." Lindsay concurred.
"Then let me up babe."
"What? You're here? Already?" Lindsay gasped jumping up and peering out her window down six stories to the street below. Sure enough there Danny stood illuminated under the street lights looking up at her with a little wave.
"Yea already." Danny laughed. And it looks like it's gonna rain."
"Go to the door." Lindsay instructed padding to the intercom in her slippered feet. She buzzed him in then waited in the doorway watching the elevator for his arrival. The doors pinged open and Danny stepped off. The moment he laid eyes on Lindsay his face split into a genuine smile, her smile. "What brings you to my neck of the woods cowboy?" Lindsay asked before he swept her up into a kiss. "Mmmmm. Hi." She giggled.
"Hey." He said placing a kiss to her nose causing her eyes to flutter before putting her down on solid ground. "Missed you."
"Missed me? You saw me just a few hours ago."
"Not the same." Danny shook his head. And it was true, his mother kept asking questions at dinner about his new girl, were they still going out? What as she like? Was she the one? When was she going to get grandchildren? Danny laughed a few off with the help of his dad, but when he spoke about Lindsay, and remembering that look she gave him earlier in the lab, and the knowing spook he felt in his gut followed by his heart kicking in and saying it's okay, he just, needed to see her-tonight.
"Yea you're right." She smiled up at him. "Let's get inside." She nodded to the door, "Before Connie starts spying on us."
"Too late." Danny followed her into the apartment and plopped down next her on the couch just inside the door. "She's been spying on us since before there even was an us."
"More like you, man she has the hotts for you." Lindsay teased. Her round elderly neighbor was like a surrogate mother out here, but she had a mouth on her, and a way of making even the most manly men blush.
"It's a shame then that I got the hotts for you." He said before sealing his lips to hers in a blazing kiss. She leaned back onto the couch and Danny crawled on top of her.
"Mmmm, from where I sit, it's not a shame at all." Lindsay giggled as Danny went to work on her neck. They continued to make out like teenagers, after about 10 minutes they moved the party to the bedroom.
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Exhausted and utterly fulfilled Lindsay curled up next to Danny on her tiny little bed. She had every expectation of falling asleep within moments, but a thought popped into Lindsay's head, a thought she could not shake. The look Danny had given her earlier in the lab. The stop goofing off comment. "I made you uncomfortable earlier didn't I?" Lindsay asked looking up at Danny.
"What's that Linds?" Danny asked rolling over and propping himself up on his arm so he could look at her. The comment seemed a little out of the blue.
"Earlier." She started pushing herself up and leaning on her elbows "in the lab when we were analyzing the syringe."
"Oh." Danny said in understanding, "You took me a little off guard."
"That all?" Lindsay asked a little nervous about what was about to come
"Yes and no." He sighed "It's just sort of hitting me, ya know, we've been at this almost 5 months."
"Is that all?" Lindsay laughed.
"Give or take a year or two of foreplay." Danny chuckled looking down at her. Damn this woman was not going anywhere, and for the first time in his life that thought didn't spook him, at least not that much, not that he was going to let on. After all it has only been 5 months.
"No wonder the novelty hasn't worn off yet." Lindsay jokingly gasped.
"Novelty?" Danny asked with raised brows. "Montana, Babe, you haven't seen nothing yet." He grinned wickedly.
"That so Messer?" Lindsay teased. "Well.." she looked at the two of them and around the room, "Do you need a power bar or something?"
Danny cracked a devious smile then, moving swiftly, he was on top of her pinning her hands above her head. "No I do not need a power bar." He spoke deftly before heatedly kissing her. The kiss had her arching up into him, her hands straining to get away, to touch him. She began to giggle.
"Aright Danny, what'd ya have in mind?"
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: : You Only Die Once : :
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Definitely put in overtime, the next paycheck would be nice. A warrant had been issued for the mechanics arrest and Danny and Lindsay were on their way to the locker room to grab their stuff before heading out. Lindsay punched in the key to her locker. "You know, I can't remember the last time I had a date with a car that didn't end in the back seat."
Danny looked up from his stuff at her. "Excuse me?" She cocked an eyebrow "Just how many back seats have you been in Miss Monroe?"
She gave a short girlish bark of laughter. "Oh, you can be so easy sometimes."
"Yea, yea, the nights still young, we could still end up back there."
"With evidence Danny? Really?" Lindsay asked sarcastically.
Danny smirked in her direction. "We could find another backseat. How 'bout the company car?"
"Maybe one day." Lindsay thought aloud as she closed her locker door and she and Danny moved to leave the lab. "But neither of us has access to one tonight."
"Oh well."
Danny laughed. "So Montana, where'd this knowledge of cars come from?" Danny asked as they began to walk towards the subway.
"Two older brothers, and a mother and sister that desperately wanted me to be a girl. I rebelled." Lindsay beamed thinking back to the arguments and comments made when she was a kid. "the boys were more fun."
"And the number of backseats?" Danny asked again trying to be sly.
"Danny Boy." Lindsay sighed with a smirk. "You don't want that number anymore than I want yours, let it be."
"Didn't think about it that way." Danny said it dawning on him. "Yea let's leave it be." Lindsay chuckled and slipped an arm around Danny's waist, there was a chill in the air and Danny was always warm. "Bat mobile is still better."
"Would you give it up?" Lindsay laughed.
"No," Danny laughed, "Just admit, I'm right."
"I can't do that."
"Why, I mean come on the Speed Racer doesn't even have a movie. Batman has a cartoon strip, an animated cartoon and half a dozen movies."
"Half of which suck."
"Bite your tongue." Danny gasped.
Lindsay stuck her tongue out at him. "Speed Racer Movie is in production, and there is a video store up the street from my place, we'll go and see how many of the batman movies really stink."
"And if they don't we're renting and watching."
"Fine." Lindsay conceded, "Candy's on you, and I'll be watching for that field forensics kit."
"You do that babe." Danny chuckled popping a kiss to Lindsay's temple as they entered the subway station.
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