Living With my Partner

[Montana]

Ellie's note: Okay, this was fairly popular on fanfiction.net, so I'll try it here. The law says that I don't own CSI: New York, but the voices in my head tell me that I do. This is a pretty innocent DL. Sorry if some of the characters are OOC. It has spoilers for Run Silent, Run Deep and later, spoilers for All Access. You've been warned. Hope you guys like it. Please forgive any grammatical errors

Chapter 1

“Yeah well screw you, Fitch!” Danny Messer yelled as the door slammed behind him. Not paying the rent his ass. The rent had been coming in every month andFitch knew it. It was only this month that Danny had to pay late due to Mac’s taking him off the case with the Tanglewood boys. The owner of the apartment had it in for Danny. It was well know that Fitch was a dealer and wasn’t too happy about having a cop in the building.

Danny plopped down on the cement steps outside the building. He needed somewhere to stay, but with Louie in the hospital, his parents six feet under (Alex’s note: yes I made this up. I have not seen an episode where Danny has mentioned his parents so I figured it was pretty free. Please forgive me if I’m wrong.), and the rest of his relatives somewhere in Italy, he had no family to stay with. Mac would probably let him stay with him, but Mac had already been doing so much for him lately. Flack was out of town and Stelle, well, she’d moved in with that painter guy. Of course, there was Lindsey…

He picked up his cell phone and dialed her number. “Hello?” asked the familiar voice.

“Hey Montana,” he greeted. He could just see her rolling her eyes. She hated that name.

“I have a name, you know,” she told him. He smiled. He loved to tease her, but he and the country girl had become friends over their months of working together. “What’s up?”

“Not much,” he said nonchalantly. “I mean other that getting kicked out of my apartment.”

“What?”

“Yeah, well, the owner is Fitch Jordan,” he told her, sure she knew the name by now.

“The drug dealer?” she sounded surprised. Well, she’d never lived in the Bronx before apparently.

“Go figure, he doesn’t like cops,” Danny said. “Anyways, I hate to invite myself over, but can I stay at your place for a few days? Just until I find a new apartment?”

A brief silence followed. “Sure,” she sighed. “Do you need directions?”

Danny whistled as he sat his suitcase down. Lindsey’s apartment was pretty nice, actually. Hardwood floors, silk white curtains, sanitary. “Not bad,” he said, thinking of the cement floors, falling-apart blinds, and water damage of his old apartment. Not to mention the rats. At least this place was clean. “How is it that we work at the same lab, and yet you end up in a place like this?” He raised his eyebrows suspiciously. “You’ve got a night job, don’t you?”

She laughed. “I don’t have a spare bed, but I think there’s the sleeper sofa.”

“Couldn’t I just crawl into bed with you?” Danny flirted but Lindsey knew he was just playing around. “Right.” He feigned slight disappointment. “Back to the couch.” He removed the cushions and unfolded the mattress. “Ta-da!”

“So Fitch Jordan said he was kicking you out because he doesn’t like cops?” she asked.

“No, actually he said I wasn’t paying my rent,” he said.

“But you were?” she persisted.

“I was about a week late this month,” he admitted.

“Because Mac took you off the case.” I stab of guilt hit her as she remembered that she was the one who identified his print on the cigarette at the scene. “So this is my fault. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said. “You did what you had to do. And if you hadn’t, believe me, you’d be in a lot more trouble than I am right now.”

She paused before speaking again. “How’s your brother?” she asked, casting a sympathetic glance at her friend.

Danny shook his head. “Not to good.”

“Has he woken up yet?” she asked. From what she’d heard, Louie had been beaten nearly to death by a fellow Tanglewood boy for protecting his brother. He had made his fair share of mistakes and hadn’t exactly been the best brother, but with the condition he was in right now, she assumed it would be pretty difficult even for Danny to hold a grudge against him. He had been in a coma since he was admitted to the hospital.

“No.” His eyes started to well up, something she had never seen with him before. “They say he’s not going to make it.”

“Don’t just give up now,” she said. “Anything can happen. For all you know he’ll be up and walking around by the next time you visit him.”

“He’s in really bad shape,” he argued. “He’s lucky to have made it this far.” His voice cracked slightly and he paused to gain composure. “No way he’s coming out of this.”

She wanted to tell him it would all be alright. She had not known Danny for a year, but already considered him someone she cared deeply about. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“It’s not your fault,” he said. He let out a yawn that was clearly forced. “Look, I’m really tired. I think I’m going to turn in for the night.” He rolled over and turned off the lamp at the side of the couch. Lindsey did the same.

Neither of them had found a comfortable position when their pagers went off. Both sat up wearily. “50 bucks says it’s Mac,” Danny mumbled putting his glasses on.

[Doreen]

Haha, nice story.

If you're planning on a sequel, I'll be one of the first to read it.

[Montana]

I've got another chapter. I was just waiting for a review
Chapter 2

As Lindsey turned the ignition to her black Honda Accord, the voice of Kenny Chesney blasted through the speakers. “You gotta be kidding,” Danny said. “Country music?”

“So?” she asked naively.

“Country music is the one for of music I can not tolerate,” he complained.

“Country music is life,” she said.

“Sure,” Danny agreed. “If your life consists of boozing, getting laid, and suicide.”

“So you’ve heard ‘Whiskey Lullaby’?” she asked excitedly. “That’s my favorite song. I think I’ve got it on cd…”

“No!” Danny cut her off.

“What kind of music do you like then?” she asked.

“Rock,” he said. “Nickleback, Creed, Nxess..”

She turned to look at him. “Really?” the car started to swerve a little.

“Hey Montana, keep your eyes on the road,” he warned.

“You struck me as a rap/hip-hop kind of person,” she said after refocusing.

“Why?” he asked. “Because I live in the Bronx?”

“No,” Lindsey said. “Well, that was part of it.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he laughed. “I get that all the time.”

“Well, how about we compromise?” she suggested. “Today, you have to put up with my music and tomorrow, I’ll pit up with yours.”

Danny glared at the radio, sighed, and agreed.

“Turn here,” he told her. “This is the place.”

“Have I mentioned how much I hate back-seat drivers?” she asked, annoyed.

“I’m in the passenger’s seat,” he grinned. She shot him a dirty look and parked the car.

Stella raised her eyebrows at Danny as he and Lindsey got out of the car. He realized how it might look to her. “I got kicked out of my apartment,” he explained to his dirty-minded colleague. “I’m staying at Lindsey’s for a few days.”

“Whatever you say,” she flashed a Stella-knows-all smile at him.

“Where’s Mac?” he asked. And the vic?”

“This way,” Stella guided, ducking beneath the police tape. Danny and Lindsey followed.

The crime scene was the Avenue A movie theatre. The vic was still in his seat, with a single bullet hole through his head. “Frank Cary, age thirty,” Mac explained as they came in. “Looks like he was shot from up there.” He pointed to the projection room.

“Nobody heard the shot?” Danny asked.

Mac shook his head. “Looks like he had a silencer.”

“But you haven’t found the weapon yet,” Lindsey concluded.

“Who wants to check the garbage?” Mac asked sarcastically. No one volunteered. Finally Lindsey said:

“I guess that would be me again.” She wondered if this new-girl-checks-the-trash thing would ever wear off.

“I’ll be in the projection room,” Danny said.

The killer had been very careful not to leave prints. Danny checked the floor, the walls, the rolls of film, but found nothing, not even a shoeprint. It was like no one had even been there.

With one last-hope hunch, he removed the lid to the air vent. Out fell a rifle, silencer still attached. He took the evidence and returned to the auditorium.

Lindsey returned at the same time, slightly dirtier than before. “I found a ski mask, gloves, a pair of socks.” She mentioned the last a bit incredulously. That’s why I didn’t find any shoeprints, Danny thought. This guy is pretty good. “But no gun.”

“What about you?” Mac asked Danny.

“No fingerprints,” he said. “But I found this.” He showed the others the gun.

“Great,” Mac said. “I’ll see if we can match the bullet to this gun.”

“So what’s the word, Sid?” Danny asked as he entered the morgue.

“No more than the obvious,” Sid said. “Your vic was killed by a single bullet to the back of the head. Here.” He handed the younger man the bullet. “Stella says you’ve moved in with Lindsey,” he added knowingly.

“Damn, word travels fast at this place,” he laughed. “I’m staying at Lindsey’s until I can find a new apartment.”

“I see,” the medical examiner said, though clearly he didn’t. “You know, I always knew you two would be a great couple. I have an excellent sense of matchmaking…”

“No, you don’t understand,” Danny explained. “There’s no couple. I’m just staying there as a friend. Two beds.”

“Of course,” Sid said. “You don’t want to rush into a relationship, naturally. I remember when my third wife and I were dating and she first moved in…”

“Thanks for the bullet,” Danny called as he left.

Bang! The bullet left the gun and landed right in the center of it’s target. Lindsey set down the gun and went to pick it up.

“So what’s with you and Danny?” Stella asked.

“What about us?” Lindsey countered, trying to sound oblivious. She was really getting tired of the questions.

“Rumor has it you’re moving in together,” the Greek specified.

“You mean the rumor you started?” she said. “I guess you could say that if you want a really juicy story. He’s only staying a few days.”

“Are you sleeping with him?”

“He hasn’t even stayed the night yet!”

“Well, are you going to?”

“What kind of questions are these?”

“I couldn’t blame you if you did,” Stella continued. “I mean, Danny’s pretty hot.”

“I guess he’s okay,” Lindsey answered. “Look, I gotta get this to the lab.”

Stella smiled at the younger CSI as she left. It wasn’t usually like her to start rumors about her co-workers; she knew it was a dirty little deed but she couldn’t help herself this time. They were so perfect for each other and everyone else knew it; and by the time Stelle was through, so would they.

“Mac!” Danny called after his superior. “Wait up!” Mac turned around as he caught up to him. “I wanted to thank you for proving my innocence.”

“No problem,” Mac said, patting him on the back. “Couldn’t lose you, could I?” His tone softened. “How’s Louie?”

“He…hasn’t woken up yet,” Danny said. “The doctors say he probably won’t.”

“Must be pretty hard,” Mac sympathized. “I heard it through the grapevine that you had to move in with Lindsey.” Mac was the first to bring it up without making it into something bigger.

“That’s not because of—“

“Mac, I got the result on that bullet,” Adam interrupted. He opened the file to show them. “It’s a match.”

“Great, thanks Adam.” Mac said. “Did you get who the gun was licensed to?”

“Yeah, some Fitch Jordan.”


Ellie's note: more coming!

[Doreen]

Tsk tsk tsk... naughty Stella.

[Montana]

“I just can’t get rid of you can I, Messer?” Fitch remarked smugly. “What’d I do this time?”

“This your gun?” Danny asked, showing him the gun.

The drug dealer shrugged. “So?”

“This gun was used to kill Frank Cary last night,” he told him. He shoved a picture of the deceased at him.

Fitch shoved it back. “Never seen him before.”

“Then what was a bullet from your gun doing in the back of his head?”

“No idea,” Fitch replied coolly. “I let one of my homies borrow it. Maybe you should be asking them.”

“Who borrowed it?” Danny asked.

“You’re a Crime scene investigator,” Fitch said. “Go investigate the crimesce and find out.”

“That’s what I’m doing,” he answered. “Now who borrowed the gun?” His voice was harsher, more demanding the second time. Fitch didn’t buy it.

“Ooh, I’m scared,” he teased. “Think you’re tough, Messer?” He smirked. “How’s your brother?”

“Shut up,” Danny warned.

“I gotta say, he had it coming.”

“I said shut up.”

“I mean, what was he thinking? You can’t just screw up your life and then try to be a hero…”
Danny knocked over Fitch’s chair sending him tumbling to the ground. He knew, just outside, Mac, Stella, Hawkes, and Lindsey were undoubtedly watching this could cost him his job, but he didn’t care. The guy deserved it. “I said shut up! Don’t you ever talk about my brother like that!” He stood over him with one foot on his chest and spit in his face. (Alex’s note: Any one seen Far and Away? Think like Joseph did to Stephen).

Mac ran in to restrain him before he went any further. “Danny, don’t,” he mumbled. “He’s not worth it.”

“I didn’t do nothin’! Nothin’! and he tries to kill me!” Fitch yelled. “You gonna let him get away with that? Fuck, what’s the world coming to?”

“Let it go,” Mac whispered.

Danny broke free of his grip and stormed past him and out of the room. He stormed down the hall, pushing anyone who was in his way out of it. Many of his colleagues called after him, but he didn’t turn around. “Screw them,” he muttered angrily. “Screw all of them!” He pushed past the main doors and left without a word to anyone at the lab.

Ellie's note: Well, I might get some reviews about how unrealistic this was, but it’s fiction so it doesn’t have to be completely realistic (not that I am turning down constructive criticism. I like a nice suggestion every now and then). Anyway, I had to have a chappie where Danny loses it. This one is really short! Probably the shortest I’ve ever written.

[Doreen]

Kinda OOC for Mac, but it's good!

[Montana]

yeah, Mac's not my best. Danny's my worst, tho in my opinion. He's kind of hard to capture. Hold on I'll be right back with chapter 4.

[Montana]

Chapter 4

“Hi, I’m looking for Louie Messer’s room,” Lindsey said to the hospital clerk.

“Louie Messer…” the clerk repeated as she searched for the name. “Oh, right. Him.” Her face saddened as she remembered. “Pretty sad story. Room 330. I don’t think I’ve seen you before for him. Are you his girlfriend?”

Lindsey shook her head fiercely. “I don’t even know him. I work with his brother.”

“Yeah, I know who you mean,” she said. “Nice-lookin’ guy. Came in pretty upset today but I can’t say I blame him. Must be pretty tough watching his brother die like that. I watched my dog die once. Of course, it’s not the same, but…”

Lindsey stepped into the elevator before she could finish. So Danny was here. That’s what she’d figured. Where else would he be? He wouldn’t just go back to her apartment. No, it was because Fitch was trash-talking about Louie that he had gotten angry, so chances are he would go visit Louie.

When she first walked into the room and saw Danny’s brother, she couldn’t speak. He was bruised and cut in every place imaginable. Just seeing him made her realize that what Danny and all the doctors said was true. This guy really didn’t have very long. He was so pale and his short, raspy breaths were so infrequent that when she first saw him, the only thing that told her he was alive was the constant beet of the heart monitor.

“Thought I’d find you here,” she said quietly. He turned around. His eyes weren’t just misty this time. Tears were sliding quietly down his face. Lindsey was overwhelmed with sympathy. “I didn’t know…I didn’t know he was this bad.” She sighed, frustrated. “What am I doing here? I’m really sorry to intrude. I’ll just be going now.” She turned to do so.

“Don’t,” she heard him say behind her. She turned around. “I could use the company.” She walked over beside him. “He was trying to protect me. Did you know that?” she nodded. “He was trying to protect me. Gawd, he’s so stupid.”

“You’re his little brother,” Lindsey said softly. “Anybody would do that for their little brother.”

“It’s my fault,” he said.

“Don’t say that,” Lindsey pleaded. She hated for him to blame this terrible act on himself.

“He wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me.”

“Accidents happen, Danny,” she consoled. “It’s not like you planted the cigarette on the body, or even hoped it would end up there. This isn’t your fault. Sonny did this to him out of his own decision that you could not have affected.”

“I guess I’m fired, huh?” he asked sheepishly after the awkward silence had faded.

“You should be,” she admitted bluntly. “Under any other circumstances, you probably would be. But no.” He looked at her, surprised. “Mac says you should take some time off, though. In fact, he’s pretty insistent.”

“What?” Danny asked. “He took me off the last case. He can’t do this again.”

“He said you weren’t ready to be back on the job today, and you need to take some time off for yourself,” she explained. “And frankly, I agree with him.”

“You don’t understand,” he argued in vain. “I can’t just stay at home doing nothing. I need to work. It’s the only thing that gets my mind off of this.”

“That’s what he said,” she told him. “I can’t overrule a superior’s decision.”

Before he could argue, the heart monitor changed from producing several steady beeps to one ear-piercing pitch. Danny looked around frantically. “We need a doctor.” He swung open the door and yelled “Somebody get a doctor!”

Lindsey could do nothing but watch. Watch this man she had only heard of before slip away. Watch her friend make frenzied calls for the help he could not receive. Watch the doctors try to revive their patient to no avail.

Minutes after the doctors had removed his body, Danny still stood in Louie’s room paralyzed, numb. Lindsey stood beside him, feeling a mixture of shock and failure. Shock because of what she had seen. Failure because she could not stop the pain that Danny was going through. Neither of them cried. Neither of them could.

“Come on, Lindsey urged, not finding the words to comfort him. “Let’s go home.”

[Doreen]

I think you got Danny here just right ;D

[Montana]

Chapter 5

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Lindsey asked skeptically.

“I’m good,” mumbled her roommate. This was really unlike him. Sometimes during lunch break, she, Danny, and Stella would go out to eat together. Danny would order practically everything on the menu and would eat all of it too; she and Stella would always joke about how jealous they were. Now, he hadn’t eaten in the past two days…since Louie died.

“Come on, I can’t eat all this stuff myself,” she said. “I’ll gain like fifty pounds!” He didn’t laugh. He didn’t even smile. She understood—he wasn’t quite in the mood; but gawd, she missed his smile.

“So you’re just going to die with him?” she asked, trying to sound very insightful and wise. “Fine. Don’t know who’s going to pay for the double funeral, but fine.”

“I don’t need a shrink,” he said.

“I’m not shrinking you; I’m telling you to eat.”

“I can handle this on my own,” he bluffed.

“Yeah, and you’re doing a damn good job of it too, Danny!” She raised her voice angrily.

“You wouldn’t understand,” he said callously.

“No, I wouldn’t,” she agreed. “Would it make me a better person if I could say ‘I know what you’re going through’? Am I a bad friend because my brother didn’t die? Well, I’m sorry. I’m sorry my brother teaches third graders and has never been beaten by a fellow gang member. Maybe if Louie hadn’t been in any fucking gang, he wouldn’t have been beaten to death either!” As soon as she said it, the indifferent expression left his face and she could see the pain she had caused him by saying that. “Danny, I’m sorry…I didn’t mean that.” It didn’t seem to help whether she meant it or not. Thankfully, her cell phone rang to spare her the awkward silence.

“Hello? Yeah…alright, I’ll be right there.” She hung up. “They found Fitch’s buddy,” she said. “I gotta go.”

Since her partner (obviously) was taking some time off, Lindsey was making the first interrogation she had ever done on her own. The lucky suspect that would be interrogated this day—Cesar Marchetti, Fitch’s friend. Cesar played tough guy, just as Fitch had, but seemed a bit more intelligent. Which makes him more likely to cover up so intricately, she observed silently.

He whistled as she came in. “Finally, I get a hottie! Thought I’d be stuck with Grandpa again.”

“Do you know Frank Cary, Cesar?” she asked bluntly, ignoring his flirtations.

“So much for introductions,” he sighed.

“Do you know him?” Lindsey repeated.

“Yeah, I do,” he admitted. “Owes me two grand.”

“Not anymore,” she said. “He’s dead.” Cesar seemed unaffected by the news. “Two thousand dollars is a lot of money. Almost enough to kill over.”

He leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. “Almost.” He emphasized the word.

“So you almost borrowed Fitch Jordan’s gun which was almost found at the crime scene and almost fired a bullet into the back of his head,” she countered.

“I’ll be honest with you,” he said. “Since you’re so pretty. I would have done it. But somebody stole the gun and did it for me.”

“What did you need the gun for anyway?” she asked.

“Had to shoot my dog,” he lied.

“You needed a silencer to kill your dog?” she asked suspiciously.

“No, man, I told you I wasn’t the last one to use the gun,” he explained. “Whoever stole it got the silencer.”

“We can trace back to where that silencer was bought,” she warned him. “So if I go to this place and ask for the surveillance tapes, you won’t be on there buying the same silencer found on the murder weapon?”

He shifted uncomfortably. “I want a lawyer,” he said.

She looked up at the officer supervising the interrogation. “Make sure Mr. Marchetti gets a lawyer,” she commanded. He nodded.

When she walked out of the interrogation room, she was met by a woman a little younger than herself, obviously close to tears. “Are you the woman handling the Frank Cary case?” she asked. Lindsey said that she was and asked theother for her name. “My name’s Lila Cary, I’m his sister. That man in there, is he the one who killed him?”

“He’s a person of intrest,” answered the CSI, not wanting to stir the woman’s anger. “Do you know something that might help in the case?”

“No…well, yes…I mean, I don’t know,” she stumbled. “I didn’t think it was very important.”

They sat down on a couple of seats in the hallway and Lila began. “Cesar has been coming on to me for some time. I’m not interested and I’ve told him that, but he doesn’t stop.”

“What does this have to do with Frank?” she asked.

“Frank and I were in and out of foster care when we were kids,” she said. “Frank made it his job to protect me. So when Cesar started flirting with me, Frank got angry. He was going to try to help me get a restraining order, but…”

“But Cesar got to him first,” she finished.

“Does that help at all?” Lila asked.

“Definitely,” Lindsey assured her. “It gives more motive. I’ll do what I can.”

“Thank you,” she said a little emotionally before leaving.

“Hey, Lindsey,” Mac called as he passed her. “Why don’t you join me for lunch today.

She hesitated, trying to remember if she had anything planned. “Sure,” she replied finally. “I guess that would be okay.”

They ate at the Cyprustree Café, a cute little café in Chelsea. Once they had sat down and ordered, Mac said “You sounded a little upset over the phone today. Something wrong?”

“Oh, that,” she recalled. “I got into a little fight with Danny.” Mac remained silent, as if urging her to elaborate. “Well, he hasn’t been eating since Louie died. I was kind of worried about him. I told him to eat and he accused me of shrinking him; he said I didn’t know what he was going through. So I kind of snapped at him.”

“Well?” Mac prodded. “Do you understand what he’s going through?”

“No,” she sighed. “And that’s the point. He’s really hurting and I don’t know what to do for him. Every time I try to talk to him, I snap. And I’m afraid he’s thinking of hurting himself. Or some one else.”

“Sonny’s in jail,” Mac reminded her. “Danny can’t reach him from there.”

“He’s so angry, Mac,” she said. “And I can’t help him.”

“Maybe you’re already helping,” Mac said.

“How?” she asked.

“Just by being there,” he explained. “Danny thinks, very highly of you and if I know him, it helps just knowing you’re there for him. But he’s not going to get over this overnight. In fact, he’s never going to get over it; after a while, he might move on with his life, but even that will take some time. Just hang in there.”

Lindsey paused, thinking over something he just told her. “What do you mean, he thinks highly of me?”

“I think you should figure that out for yourself,” Mac smiled.

[Montana]

Chapter 6

Danny hadn’t cried over Louie’s death. He had cried a little while he was still in the hospital, but after Lindsey had caught him, he decided it was a sign of weakness and would not allow himself to. He hadn’t allowed himself to do much lately; feeling, eating, sleeping, and really living were all forbidden. He’d had a pretty good defense, but it was beginning to break down.

He was sitting on the couch alone, with nothing to occupy his mind, in the most vulnerable position to succumb. Tears started to well up again. He blinked them back as always, but they kept returning. All he could think was Louie. Louie when they were kids, Louie in the hospital, Louie dead, what hell Louie’s funeral would be. The tears poured down his cheeks. For once, he didn’t care.

He cried for about an hour after which he was strangely relieved, but very tired. What the hell, he said to himself. If I’m going to cry like a baby, I might as well sleep like one. He leaned his head back on one arm of the sofa, propped his feet up on the other, and slept until about noon of the next day.

When he woke up, he was covered in a red flannel throw and Lindsey was gone. She left a note saying:

Danny,

Sorry I left without saying good-bye. Emergency break in the case. The

Chinese take-out is still in the fridge if you find you’re ready to eat today.

Don’t forget, the funeral service is at two (if you’re awake by then). Oh, and

Flack is home. Maybe you should talk to him. It might help.

Danny snorted at the last part. At least she had not suggested he see a shrink. There was just something disturbing about explaining all your problems to someone you don’t even know. Couldn’t be too healthy for the shrink either.

He glanced at his watch. It was twelve-thirty; he had about an hour before he had to go. And if he didn’t want to have another crying fit, he’d have to find something to do. Something drew him to the fridge, which he opened to find the all-you-can-eat buffet Lindsey had ordered yesterday. His stomach growled with desire. He grabbed all of it and took it back to the sofa. Equipped with all the food he would need for the day (or so he thought), he grabbed the remote control and was set to veg.

He flipped to a local news channel, hoping to hear what this emergency break in the case was all about. A pretty reporter with shoulder length brown waves and brown eyes (the same features as Lindsey, he thought) was reporting the case. “It seems that Cary’s sister, Lila Cary was romantically involved with a person of interest named Cesar Marchetti. Surveillance tapes at an ammunition store in Queens shows the two embracing as Marchetti leaves the store. Marchetti entered the store to buy a silencer for the gun which he claims to have borrowed to shoot his dog.”

They played the clip of Cesar walking outside the store, Lila wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him squarely on the cheek. Danny recognized these two. Cesar was Fitch’s top cronie—and he was never without that girl at hi side. That would explain the connection between Cesar and Cary. Maybe big brother found out and threatened to separate them. So to show that they could not be parted, the killed him together. He stopped himself. This was not his case. He had to remember that. He flipped the channel to wrestling and focused on his food.

He was still hungry when he finished, but it was twenty-five till two and he had to go. He didn’t bother changing. With the others at work, the only other person who would come to Louie Messer’s funeral would be the minister.

And Aiden, apparently. He was surprised. Aiden had always been a good friend, but he hadn’t seen her since she’d been fired.

They didn’t speak to each other until after the service which wasn’t very long. With only two people attending, the minister merely said all his prayers and the casket was lowered into the ground.

“How you holding up, Messer?” she asked afterwards.

“I’m alive,” he shrugged. “A little surprised at seeing you.”

“I saw Louie’s name in the papers,” she said. “Wanna talk about it?”

“What’s the problem with you women?” he asked. “Always trying to get people to talk about their problems. Montana’s doing it too.”

“Montana?” Aiden raised an eyebrow. “A new girlfriend?”

“No, she’s the girl who…she’s a new member of the CSI team. Her name’s Lindsey, but I call her Montana ‘cause she’s from Montana.”

“Makes sense,” Aiden nodded. “So if two people say you should talk about it, maybe you should talk about it.”

“What’s to talk about?” Danny asked. “Louie died. End of story.”

“I mean feelings, Danny.”

“Oh, gawd, feelings? Not feelings! Come on, Burn, I thought you were better than that.”

“Spill.”

“I don’t know…” he began awkwardly. “I mean, I didn’t feel anything at first. I was just sort of…”

“Numb?”

“Okay, I’ll go with that. Then yesterday, I was home alone, and it just exploded. I started to feel guilty and then I just got angry.”

“At Sonny or Louie?” Aiden asked perceptively.

“At Sonny,” he answered immediately. Then hesitantly “Well, maybe a little at Louie. For dying on me.”

“And today?”

“Numb again,” he said. “And hungry. Thankfully, Montana ordered enough Chinese take-out yesterday for a hundred so there was plenty left over.”

“Wait. You live with this Montana girl?”

Danny flushed, embarrassed. “For now. I got kicked out of my apartment and had no where else to go.”

“What about me?” When he didn’t answer, her eyes lit up. “You really like her, don’t you?”

The answer slipped out without him thinking about it or even meaning to say it.

“Yeah.”


Ellie's note: so how was it? not sure if I got Aiden right. I had to base it on all these fanfics I've read. I've only seen maybe 2 episodes with her in them.

[freewilly1991]

just one question.
is this the last part or are there coming more?

[newyorkbound]

umm...there is more, but I just got bored with posting it. It's on www.fanfiction.net/~dantanashiper but the name is changed. It is now "Next Time". Not my best one though. You should read "Forget the Past" for a good fic.

[freewilly1991]

where's "Forget the Past" about? also dantana or something else
my favorite on fanfiction is "montana" but it has a lot of chaptures!(149)