"Lindsay, you and I will look at this goo on the vic's hands. Danny, you and Hawkes start looking at the clothes, see what trace you can pull. Flack, go back to the vic's place, se if you can find anything." Stella issued orders quickly and efficiently. Her team nodded and went about their tasks. Lindsay half-expected everyone to put their hands in and yell "Break!" She smiled at the thought as she bent over the goo. The NYPD forensic football team. Right.

"Got something!" Lindsay triumphantly held up a strand of hair, covered by the goop they were examining. Stella smiled proudly, clapping the younger woman soundly on the back. "Great job, Linds," She gingerly took the hair from the young CSI and put it on the scanner. "Let's check for DNA, shall we?"

Lindsay leaned against the table, flexing her hands. The small motions she had been making with the tweezers had given her a cramp, and it hurt. Bad.

"Y'all right there, Montana?" Danny smiled up at her from where he was looking at the vic's shirt across the room. She smiled back half-heartedly, too happy and tired to care about the nickname. "Yeah," she sighed, "My hands are killing me. I think it's from all those reports I had to write. I've never had to take work home with me before."

Danny smiled kindly at her before resuming his work. He could think of several other things Lindsay could be doing at home with her hands, and none of it was work- appropriate. Stop that, he muttered under his breath to his over-active imagination. More and more, he had been having odd dreams about his colleague, making it difficult to look her in the eye when he came into work. You know you're in trouble when your dreams about her are so bad you feel ashamed even when you're not in the same room as her.

"Well, Lindsay, congrats! I do believe you found what we were looking for!" Stella looked at the piece of paper she held in her hands, examining the outcome. Hawkes stopped working on the vic's pants to cross the room and join Stella in looking at the results. Danny smiled encouragingly at Lindsay and shifted his weight in to his arms, propping himself up on the table by the palms of his hands. The action made his biceps stand out and Lindsay had to close her eyes to stop the rush of thoughts invading her brain. She smiled wearily and leaned back. Maybe now they could wrap up this case. "Thanks, Stel. I guess it's a good thing that I'm good with my hands."

Silence in the room made Lindsay open her eyes in confusion. Her co-workers were staring at her with wide eyes and she clapped a hand to her mouth when she realized what she had said. "N-no, wait, I…" She never could get through awkward moments without stuttering.

Danny's laughter quickly filled the room. "OhmyGod, Montana! That's rich!" He collapsed into the chair behind him, sides shaking mirth. Hawkes smiled sympathetically while Stella didn't bother to hide her amused grin. "Wow, Linds, I had no idea."

"We all heard it! It was a confession! Lindsay Monroe admitted to bein' good with her hands!" Danny removed his glasses and wiped tears from his eyes, trying desperately to block the images bombarding his mind's eye. She's never gonna live this one down.

He's never going to let me live this one down, Lindsay thought morosely as her eyes shut again, this time in horror. She opened them quickly when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Stella was grinning down at her. "Why don't you go home? We can finish up here." She bit her lip at the gratitude and relief on Lindsay's face and let the younger woman push past her to head for the lab door. Lindsay was bound and determined to walk out of the room with her head held high until she caught a word of what Danny was telling the person on the other end of his cell-phone.

"Yeah, Flack, you're never gonna guess what Lindsay said after you left!" He listened for a moment before chuckling. "Trust me man, this definitely wasn't somethin' you wanted to miss."

She was out of the building before he hung up the phone.

---

"Okay, I think this is the place." Danny looked up the apartment steps at the numbers on the door. According to Stella, this was where Lindsay lived. Danny bit his lip and shoved the bit of paper Stella had written the address on in his jeans pocket. He honestly felt like an asshole after laughing at Lindsay's slip-up this afternoon and was looking to apologize. If he ever wanted a chance with this woman, laughing was probably not the best way to go. Although, he allowed himself a brief grin, she has to admit that was pretty funny. And she looks so damn cute when she's embarrassed. He sighed and started up the steps. She's gonna slam the fuckin' door in my face.

---

The loud rap on the door didn't make Lindsay happier in the slightest. She was curled up on the couch, watching Breakfast at Tiffany's, eating her weight in chocolate ice-cream and feeling very put out with the world. She seriously considered just letting whoever was at her door knock himself to death, but her polite upbringing wouldn't let her. She groaned and climbed off the couch. A look through the peek hole made her wish she had screwed over the whole answering the door idea in the first place.

"What do you want?"

Danny winced at the angry tone in her voice and looked at the little hole in her door, knowing she could see him. "Could you open the door? Please?" That way, it's easier to slam the thing and feel better.

He wasn't kept waiting. Lindsay flung open her apartment door, glaring at him. She looked up and down the hallway before narrowing her eyes at him again. "How the hell did you get up here?"

He grinned sheepishly, brushing his jacket out of the way and revealing his flashing detective's badge underneath. "You'd be surprised how many law-fearin' people live in your building."

Lindsay rolled her eyes and leaned against the doorpost. "Well, that's not abusing your power at all."

"Well, I wanted to apologize for laughin' at your previous…statement, and I knew you wouldn't buzz me up." There, I said it. Now slam the door in my face so we can both get on with our lives.

Did Danny Messer just say he was sorry? "Really?" Lindsay stood up straight and ran a hand through her hair. She realized mid-strand that she must look like shit. Her face immediately grew hot and she grimaced inwardly. "T-that's nice of you."

Wait, she's still talkin' to me? Danny stuck his hands in his pockets nonchalantly. "Yeah, well," he was struck dumb for a moment when he saw her face flush. Damn, she's hot. Spotting the half-eaten container of ice-cream on the coffee table behind her, he grinned. "I've got an idea. Why don't we go get a drink and forget about this whole thing?" He flashed a crooked smile in the hopes to persuade her further.

Lindsay was speechless. It was the smile that did it. "Uh, okay." She looked down at her wardrobe and winced. "I look like shit though."

Danny shrugged. "You can shower. I'll wait." When she still didn't move, he carefully removed her from the doorway by placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her around. After kicking her door shut, he steered her through her apartment until they reached the bathroom door. "Here y'are."

Lindsay blinked and looked at him dazedly. "Thanks." Another smile and her kneecaps melted.

She waited until she heard him sit on her couch before springing into action. She leapt into the bathroom and turned on her shower, allowing her breathing rate to slow down. As the room began to fill with steam, she stripped down and quickly got under the hot water, attempting to relax. Okay, so, he's here. In your apartment. Easy girl. She tried not to think about the fact that she was naked in the same building as Danny when the power decided to have a mind of its own.

Danny wasn't surprised when the lights went out. It was mid-February, after all. What he was concerned about was the shriek he heard come from Lindsay's bathroom. He leapt up from the couch and walked swiftly down the hallway, coming face to face with the bathroom door. Out of the corner of his eye, Danny could see the corner of her bed. The thought of Lindsay Monroe's bed being within stepping distance made his pants distinctly uncomfortable, and he rested his hand on the knob of the bathroom door briefly. Okay, Messer, you've got two options. One: you can go in there, possibly catch her naked, be branded as a jerk but have taken a chance or Two: you can call through the door and check if she's okay, be a wuss, but stand as a friend. In Danny's mind, it wasn't a hard battle.

He opened the door slowly, giving her a chance to cover up if she needed it. He cautiously stuck his head in. Lindsay was no where in sight, but he could hear faint sounds of movement coming from behind the shower curtain. Are you sure she's okay? The little voice inside his head was taunting and he licked his lips anxiously. Softly shutting the door behind him, he walked up to the shower and stood there awkwardly, feeling like a twelve-year-old.

"Danny?" Lindsay's soft voice made him jump and he swore loudly. He could hear her faint laugh through the curtain and he ran a hand nervously through his hair. "Are you okay?" she called over the water, smiling. It's about damn time he did something brave.

"Yeah, I think you gave me a heart attack. How did you know I was in here?" He fiddled with his jacket before finally removing it and placing it on the counter. It was hot in that room with all that steam. Gah, steam. Steamy, wet Lindsay, just an arm's length…NO! He shook his head, trying desperately to clear his thoughts.

Lindsay laughed again, throwing water over the curtain. "I could hear you breathe. She could hear Danny's brain whirling as he struggled to wrap his mind around the concept. "My senses are heightened in the dark."

Holy shit. I wonder exactly what senses she's talking about. He tugged at his shirt, feeling the fabric stick to his dampened skin. "Okay, well, your power went out so…"

"Way to go, Captain Obvious." He could hear the smile in Lindsay's tone. "Now, what exactly are you going to do about that fact?"

His mind and body went numb for approximately a millisecond before going into action. His shirt and undershirt went into a pile on the floor, followed quickly by shoes, socks, jeans, and boxers. He was praying that he hadn't misread the seductive tone in her voice or the way she had lightly brushed against the curtain, barely touching him. He carefully pulled back the curtain and stepped into the shower, cautious not to startle her too much.

His eyes had adjusted to the darkness and in the faint light Danny could see that Lindsay's back was too him. She was facing the showerhead, letting the hot water run down the front of her body. It was almost too much for him to take in slowly, so he didn't. Without wasting much time, Danny came up behind her and placed his hands on her breasts, gently toying with her nipples. Her sharp intake of breath made certain parts of him jump and he lowered his head to run his lips along her neck.

"What's the matter, Detective Monroe? I thought you were good with hands." He softly nipped her shoulder, applying just enough pressure to get another hitch of breath, another gasp to get him even more excited. He felt one of Lindsay's hands press against his cheek and he closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of her soft skin against his.

Lindsay brushed against the stubble on his cheek, loving the feel of his hands on her. "Mmm, I like your hands better." She leaned back into him, feeling his hard-on against her thigh. Moving ever so slightly, she shifted, allowing him to slip between her legs and ass cheeks. Danny's breathing became shallower and she smiled, knowing full well what she was doing to him. "But don't let that get you too cocky, Detective." His growl in response made her shiver and she let her head rest against his shoulder.

"Linds, I can't…not…help…" Danny's breathing was labored and he was forced to let go of her momentarily to spin her around so she was facing him. In one quick motion, he pressed his lips to hers, a chaotic motion confined to one simple gesture. Lindsay whimpered at the sudden contact, immediately wrapping her fingers in his hair. He felt around with his hands, looking for a surface to push her against, grunting with pleasure when his hands came in contact with the tile wall. He quickly used his body to press hers against the slippery wall and Lindsay's legs wrapped themselves around his waist of their own accord. He slowly slid his hands down her body, around her breasts, across her waist, to explore his favorite part about women. Lindsay's responses only encouraged his actions, and he swiftly ran one finger across her clit. She tensed and shivered and Danny grinned into her neck. "Like that? Let's see if I can't get a better reaction from you." He kissed her shoulder as he slipped two fingers inside of her, immediately hitting the perfect spot. Lindsay's mouth sought his as she struggled to hold back. Danny sensed her reluctance to let go and thrust another finger in, this time adding his thumb to rub in little circles across her clit. "Go, Lindsay. Let go." She gasped into his mouth as his hand shifted, and then her body shuddered with her release. "Oh, Danny," she breathed, so softly he barely heard her. But hear her he did, and he immediately hitched her higher, determined to make her feel that way again.

Danny could feel her warmth press against him and he very near lost it. "L'oh il mio Dio…quanto bello…Li desidero." A steady stream of Italian was pouring from his lips and Lindsay pulled him tighter to her.

"I have no idea what any of that means, but if you're not in me in five seconds, I'm not going to let you live to explain it." Her words were muffled by his tongue and Danny groaned: he knew what she meant perfectly. More than happy to oblige, he slid into her slowly, savoring the moment. Her hips clenched around his length and Danny bit his lip at the feeling. Thrust after thrust, inch by inch, both of them could feel the brink looming. Lindsay rested her head against the wall, allowing him full access to her breasts. He carefully took one nipple in his teeth, sucking. The feeling of his mouth sealed the deal and Lindsay moaned his name. She saw a bright light, followed by a wave of pleasure so strong, she was positive the neighbors could feel it. Danny felt her go over and he switched nipples, prolonging her happiness. Within seconds he felt himself let go and he pulled her face down for a kiss, gently tracing her lips with his tongue. They stood in the shower for a few minutes, holding each other and exchanging gentle kisses.

Without warning, the lights returned. Lindsay blinked slowly, amazed that she hadn't dreamed all of it: Danny Messer was indeed naked in her shower. "Lights are back."

He smirked. "Good job, Captain Obvious." He let her down slowly, not wanting her to slip. "Do you forgive me?"

It took her a moment to realize what he meant, but Lindsay smiled at his innocent face. "Yeah, I think you're forgiven. But what about those drinks?"

He smiled and tilted her face up to his. "I think," he kissed her forehead, "the drinks," her eyelids, "can wait," her cheeks, "for now." her chin, "Right now, I'd love to say I'm sorry a few more times and forget about formality." He softly took her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked on it a moment before allowing his tongue to delve in and explore her mouth. Small hands on his ass made him look up in surprise. Lindsay's eyes were full of mischief as she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, not bothering to reach for a towel. "Okay, but only because you're handy to have around."

Danny grinned sexily as he caught on to the stressed word and Lindsay squealed happily as he chased her out of the bathroom and into her bedroom.

---

"I don't understand it. Danny never apologizes." Flack scratched his head as Stella took his phone away from him after he tried to call his friend. She shook her head slowly, smiling. "Well, maybe he just needed someone to give him a little hand." She winked at Flack's stunned face and he held up his hands in a don't-shoot gesture.

"Somethin' tells me I don't wanna know."