Two chapters in three days. Can you believe it? And its not summer anymore. Not for me anyway.

Thanks for the reviews, for this whole project. I wish I could dedicate the last chapter to someone, but so many of you (CTI-Jenn, afrozenheart and others) had suspicions of Jason Finch, so it seemed fitting to latch onto the little clue he and Flack dropped in interview about Vincetti. It was even great that he fooled you because in the beginning I didn't know if he would be good or bad. I went back to try and find the review that had me working this particular scene up in my head and I can't do it. It was at the beginning of the summer, in any case. Maybe it was in a reply back or conversation after.

Anyway, its a lot of fun to write this and work off your comments. You have to know they got you an additional six chapters. :p (Which probably meant an additional four or five cliffies). Sorry for the long opening. Enjoy!

Across the Line, 18

The doctor had warned her that she would be in and out of sleep as her body naturally dealt with the blood loss and trauma. Still, she couldn't help but be irritated as she slowly blinked herself awake. She wanted this whole thing to be over, but instead she had a throbbing pain in her shoulder and she couldn't stay awake long enough to keep up the banter that she was so used to having with Danny.

The time out at the cabin had exhausted her. She'd nearly run a mile out, so that meant she and Danny had to cover that same mile to and from. She knew he had been on the verge of lifting her and carrying her, but the last thing she wanted was to be carried through those woods again. She needed to walk out on her own. It wasn't just because she needed to know she did, but she wanted to erase the nightmare of Pierson-the loss of control.

Even though she trembled still as she remembered discharging her weapon, she was able to hang that on Pierson's door. Sid had confirmed he'd died from blood loss, several hours after passing out on the porch. He could have been saved. Pierson-even in interview then-had done nothing to remember his partner.

Now she wanted to put it all behind her. She wanted to enjoy this time with Danny. Months ago, as they'd found themselves sliding past friendship and into something more, before Pierson's arrival at the lab, she'd barely let herself think of him in such a way. Now it felt like they were exactly where they needed to be, a place where they had been headed all alone.

It seemed like it had been so long since they had been free to just be themselves.

Even so, the past three months of research and investigation was messing with her head as well. Left alone in the Avalanche with only her thoughts to keep her company, she found herself caught between past and present. So much of her life had been dedicated to the case surrounding Pierson. She was seeing everything, like photographs returned to her present state. A car here, a license plate, a face there. She vaguely remembered Danny pulling into the parking garage that visitors to the FBI's NY headquarters were allowed to use. He'd told her he would be right back.

No—the realization hit her hard enough to take her breath away. That wasn't just a memory. The car in the parking lot was there. She blinked and double checked, even as her hand trembled on on her seat belt.

Danny.

~ny~

"You're crazy, Finch," Danny said, even as the facts lined up fully. "You weren't working for Davis or Pierson. You've always been Vincetti's man."

Finch shrugged, the smirk on his face only confirming Danny's hypothesis. "Just hand over the box."

"And you'll just let me walk away."

"I always liked you, Messer. You know how to get things done, and you're willing to step across the lines to do it. We're alike in that respect."

It made him sick to be pinned like that. It reminded him of something Pierson had said. He'd been saved because of his link to Louie. He wondered if whoever had said it had done so to protect him, to spite Finch, or because they truly believed Danny and Louie were the same.

His early time on the force hadn't deterred such belief. Did it matter, would it ever matter, that he tried to change? Maybe he hadn't left behind the anger, but he'd left behind the desire to be like Louie long before he signed up with the force.

And seeing Louie in the hospital, watching him slowly come back to life-even Louie was different now. They hadn't talked in months, but maybe Louie had been watching out for Danny again.

"He's nothing like you."

Lindsay distracted Finch—distracted him both. Danny looked, and wished he hadn't. Standing, feet spread a part, gun held out in arms stretched, she wasn't yet steady on her feet.

"I'm glad to see you made it, Monroe. I never had a problem with you."

Distracted enough, it gave Danny the opportunity to move. The box crashed to the ground even as his gun was drawn.

"You should have," Danny said, his own gun trained on Finch. "Because she obviously stands for things you don't. It's over. You've played your last card Finch."

His gaze shot from one armed cop to the other. Finch laughed, the defeat in his eyes more like a promise. "It will never be over."

For a moment Danny saw the intention in his eyes. He was going to move to take out Lindsay—knowing Danny would stop him. Danny reacted, as Finch knew he would.

Or started to. Even as his finger tensed on the trigger an army of footsteps running their way, heavy doors openning then slamming.

Voices.

Stop right there.

Danny was saved as the onslaught of FBI arrived. Surrounded, Finch released his weapon. Lindsay stepped over to Danny and slid her arm around him.

"I called them before I came over. It seemed a simple thing to do, really. I didn't think I'd get even this far."

He returned his gun to his holster and slid an arm around her to support her. He frowned a little as he supported her more than he been prepared. "Let's get the evidence turned over to the right people so we can get out of here."

Lindsay snorted as she watched Finch being led away, and the FBI team that remained. She took in half a dozen notebooks and communication devices. "I think its going to be a little more complicated now."

~ny~

It took him one week to carry out his plan. It was all in the details, he told himself. Even though she was off work, he wasn't. The hours were long and the time of day had to be just right.

And though he didn't mind if Lindsay was a little unsteady on her feet, he didn't want it to be because of her injuries.

The sun was shining bright as they walked through the amusements. The jingle jangle of machines, the voices of the crowds, the shouts from the ride—it was all a soundtrack to his childhood and to today. He tucked her against him as they walked, not content in just holding her hand. Even after he stopped and bought them both hotdogs, he kept her close.

They said very little. For some reason, it felt right. It was easy to laugh and talk with her, but it was also natural to be quiet. There was so much to be said in the silence he thought, and turned his head slightly to press a kiss against her hair. His lips lingered for a moment as a wave of fear than gratitude passed over him.

As he leaned back, she looked up at him, her smile tender and understanding, her eyes full of hope and promise.

They walked out to the pier and looked out over the water.

This was it, he thought as he stepped back to look at her. The sun was bright, and bathed her in its gentle warmth. The breeze lifted her hair slightly. Just like that day, that day so long ago. How might have the last few months changed?

He couldn't go back to that day, and maybe not that things were slowly getting back to normal, he could accept that he'd waited. She was his now, and she was safe. She'd forgiven him, and maybe he understood her, and her drive, in a different way.

"This is so surreal," she murmured, as she turned her eyes from the sea to look at him. "Last time we were here all of this," she waved her hands toward the amusements, "was so new and different."

He grinned at her. "You had your list of facts."

"Yeah, and you made fun of me."

He chucked and lifted a hand, unable to resist the need to brush her hair away from her cheek. "Not precisely. I appreciated you."

"Uh-huh."

Her eyes danced with mischief. If he hadn't of already been, he would have fallen in love right there at that moment.

"And I fell in love with you."

His stomach hitched on a moment of panic as the smile slowly died from her lips. Pools of tears appeared in her brown eyes.

"Hey," he cupped her face with both hands, and stepped closer. "Hey—you're not backing away from me now."

"No—I just, I didn't think you would … it seems so fast."

"Not so fast. I should have made my move on you a long time ago. I've thought about that a lot over the last few months. I wanted to go back, to come here, and grab onto you and hold on," he leaned forward and kissed her, drawing her close, and letting his arms slowly close around her. "I wanted you. I loved you. I love you."

She grinned up at him, her brown eyes clear now. "Danny …"

"Don't deny it, Montana. You love me too."

"Are you sure 'bout that?" she asked in a poorly mimicked version of his accent. But she smiled, her dimples emphasizing her smile.

"Positive," he kissed her again, then leaned back. "You said so in the hospital. Don't you remember?"

"I-" she pushed away from him, or tried to, but he held on, kept her close. "I did not!"

"You did so."

"but-"

"Yeah, there's a but. I wanted to say it first, and you busted out with it," he stepped back, holding her forearms in his hands. "and busted out with it then fell back asleep, so all I could do was just stand there and be mad at you for making it anti-climatic."

Lindsay laughed then—not just a chuckle, but a full on laugh. He let go of her as she leaned into it.

The look on his face, Lindsay thought as she laughed. It was so perfect and so Danny. Her Danny.

"Oh, this hurts," she murmured—and pushed up, blinking against the tears of mirth. It only delighted her to note that he was glaring at her, full on upset Staten Island Italian. "I guess I should say it and remember it, though."

"Once you're done laughing at me."

She stepped into him, and using her one good arm, wrapped it around him. The other she rested on his hip, tucking her fingers into the loop of his jeans. She looked up at him, into that disgruntled face, and suddenly, the mirth was gone. The love swept through her and left … so much behind.

"I love you, Danny Messer."

He smiled gently and lowered his forehead to meet hers. He didn't kiss her, not at first, but seemed to take a moment to breath it in, to … relax with it.

And then the moment passed, and she had no other thought, but his lips on hers, the warmth of his kiss.

Danny.

It was that simple, and so much more.

And there on the pier of Coney Island, at the very edge of their world, far from the fields of Montana and away from the skyscrapers of their city, with the sounds of mirth and play dancing in the distance … they took their moment. They embraced it, and enjoyed it.

It was their next step together, across that line, toward their future.

~The End~

A/N note: to LilyMoonlight (again) who wanted Lindsay to save Danny too—that was for you. Now, in return we need some more CSINY fiction you please. Cowboys? Anything? :P

The final part of this chapter has been in my head since the beginning. Its good to finally get here. Its good you don't die from fluff, or at least I didn't from this amount. :p I apologize if this brought about your own postmortem. In any case, I really hope you enjoyed :). And I know you guys like the fluff. You guys are all seriously the best. Thanks for sticking with this story and helping me through the summer hiatus. Looking forward to season 8.