DISCLAIMER: Sadly I do not own CSI NY or any of the characters, no matter how much I wish that Danny Messer was mine.

A/N: Thanks for following this story and I am proud to say that the final chapter is here. Thank you so much for all your reviews and support and hopefully this last chapter will live up to the rest of the story.

SUMMARY: Stella, Mac, Lindsay, Danny, Flack, Adam, Aiden, Sid, Hawkes and some of the other kids at Staten Island Academy are on a summer vacation with a few of the teachers but little did they know, the teachers had really gained permission from their parents and had actually taken them to Florida to work in a hotel for six weeks. With arguments over who has which jobs and relationship rivalry, can their friendships survive?

TITLE: Summer Friendships and Rivalry – Chapter 9

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Previously:

"You look gorgeous." The voice was full of admiration and Lindsay smiled, she knew exactly who it belonged to.

Present:

Lindsay was dressed in a floor length, strapless, emerald green dress which was fitted around the top and flared out at the bottom. Her hair was up in a bun made of curls and she had a few loose curls hanging at the sides of her face. On her feet she wore a pair of strappy heels which made her slightly taller. She whirled round to face him and smiled. He was dressed in a black tuxedo with a crisp white shirt and a black bowtie, his glasses completed his look. She had to admit that he looked hot, in a James Bond kind of way. "Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself."

He smiled at her and winked, delighted at the small blush he saw rise in her cheeks. "So, where's Adam?"

"I told him to go inside, I wanted to wait with Aimee so she wasn't on her own. Where's Sarah?"

"She's already inside somewhere I think, she said she was sharing a limo with the 'Cheerleaders'." Lindsay smiled as he offered her his arm. "Can I escort you inside, Miss Monroe?" She nodded and grinned at him as she linked her arm in his.

"Why thank you, Mr Messer." They walked inside together then set off in different directions, trying to find their dates.

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An hour later, things seemed to be taking a turn for the worst. Becky and Brad went to dance together and came back a couple. On the plus side, it gave Aimee all the encouragement she needed to talk to Adam. He was stood near the punch bowl as Lindsay had gone to the bathroom so Aimee walked over to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around but before he could say anything, she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. When they pulled back she looked him in the eyes and confessed it all to him. "Adam, I really like you and well…it's you I want, not Brad."

"Y…you…you want me?" He couldn't believe it, he had had a crush on her for months now and all that time, she had felt the same way.

"Yeah, I really do." He smiled at her and pulled her back to him, kissing her softly. Lindsay walked out of the bathroom and smiled to herself, sure she'd lost her date but Aimee was happy and so was Adam.

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Adam and Aimee weren't the only ones that had gotten together. Aiden and Flack were also confessing their feelings. "I can't believe this, you too." Lindsay smiled as she walked over to them and they both grinned at her.

"Yeah, I thought that I had nothing to lose so…"

They both smiled and Lindsay congratulated them. "I'm happy for you and Aiden?"

"Yeah?"

"Well you and Flack are together now so, you won't mind if I ask Sheldon to dance. I mean his date's buggering off and my date's buggered off so…"

"Yeah, feel free to ask him." Aiden smiled at her then walked onto the dance floor with Flack, leaving Lindsay shaking her head. She walked over to Sheldon and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, I hear your date got lucky." He turned around and smiled at her.

"Yeah, I hear yours did too." She smiled. "D'you wanna dance?" She nodded and he took her hand, leading her to the dance floor.

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A few songs later, the principle turned down the music and got ready to announce the prom king and queen. Everyone sat down and watched as he switched on a microphone and was handed two envelopes. "Ok people, it's time to announce your king and queen." He smiled at them. "The nominations for king were; Daniel Messer, Brent Connor, Brad Wilson and Mac Taylor."

Mac's eyes widened in shock and Stella leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I nominated you and Sheldon seconded the nomination to make it valid." He smiled and mouthed a 'thank you' at her before softly kissing her lips.

"And your prom king is…" He opened the envelope and smiled at everyone. "…Daniel Messer."

Danny stood up as everyone clapped, on his way past he leaned over and whispered to Mac. "I'm glad you were nominated too." Then he got up on the stage as the principle crowned him. "Thanks everyone."

"Ok and before Danny gives you your speech, I need to announce your prom queen. The nominations for prom queen were; Clara Johnson, Sarah Lee, Nina Roseland and Aimee Seymour." Aimee looked at Lindsay and she winked at her, mouthing a 'thanks for everything' in her direction. "And your prom queen is…Clara Johnson."

Everybody clapped but Lindsay stood up and crept over to Aimee. "Sorry you didn't win, I did vote for you."

"Why did you nominate me?" She whispered back at her.

"Because I wanted to see Clara's face when she realised that you don't need her anymore. You deserved to be stood up there, not her." She wrapped her arms around her shoulders and Aimee thanked her for nominating her.

Clara was crowned and the principle told them to make their speeches. Naturally Clara grabbed the microphone and made her first. "Thank you so much for making me your queen, you made the right decision. I would just like to say a massive thank you to everyone that voted for me and it has always been my dream to be prom queen so…thank you. I want to also thank my parents for having my dress made and all my friends for backing me up and my wonderful boyfriend, for always being there for me." She smiled and then handed the microphone over to Danny.

He sighed and smiled. "Well umm, thanks for voting for me and I know you're expectin' a big speech but I don't actually have one. Like Clara said, thanks for votin' for me and I'm honoured to be your king but I do have an announcement which won't wait. Somethin' strange happened to me over summer and I became this whole different person, a better person and it was all because of Lindsay Monroe. Now I know nobody nominated her and she wasn't made your prom queen but I just wanted to say that, well…she's always gonna be my prom queen." He reached into his pocket and produced a small, emerald green tiara then looked at the principle who nodded, remembering back to the summer vacation and the way Danny had supported her through her attack. "Linds', c'mere I have to crown my queen."

Shy stood up and walked up onto the stage, staring at Danny in shock. "Wha…" He winked at her and she smiled a small, shy smile. "How did you know what colour my dress was?" He put the microphone back in its stand and smiled.

"I asked Stella." She smiled a watery smile at him as he placed the tiara on top of her head and took hold of one of her hands. He then picked up the microphone again. "I also have an important question to ask and I want all of you to hear it as proof that I am not ashamed to be best friends with a 'Geek'. Lindsay Felicity Ann Monroe, will you do me the honour of being my girlfriend?"

Some people gave gasps of shock, some people clapped, some people didn't really react and some people shouted out to her. "Say yes Linds'!" Was Stella's reply.

"Go on Lindsay, he adores you!" Was Aiden's reply.

Lindsay looked at him in shock before Aimee's reaction broke her from her trance. "Say yes, we can double date!" Everyone looked at her and Flack as Flack turned a nice shade pf pink.

"Well, a guy could get a complex waitin' for you to answer Monroe?" He looked into her eyes and she was shocked to see just how much he adored her.

"Yes." It came out as a whisper and Danny raised his eyebrows. "Yes!" This time it came out louder and he looked at her confused.

"Yes?" He still couldn't believe it.

"Yes!" He grinned and put the microphone back in the stand then pulled her into his arms as Clara glared at them. "Thank you." Was the only thing she whispered in his ear as she clung to the boy she had had a crush on since day one.

The principle walked over to the microphone and picked it up. "Aww, isn't that nice?" He cleared his throat before continuing. "Ok, well now that we've crowned your king and…queens, I'll let you get back to your prom." Everyone clapped as Danny escorted Lindsay and Clara off the stage, trying to be civil with his ex girlfriend because now he had Lindsay.

"Danny, can I talk to you for a second?" The principle smiled at him and Danny nodded, following him outside. They sat down on a bench outside and Danny looked at him confused. "I just wanted to say…I'm happy for you and well, look after Lindsay; she's been through a lot."

"I will, no more messin' around; Lindsay means everythin' to me." He smiled and then patted Danny on the back before walking back inside, leaving Danny sitting on the bench alone. He smiled to himself and looked up at the stars, wondering which one was lucky enough to get him Lindsay Monroe.

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"I thought I'd find you out here." He turned round and saw Clara stood in the doorway.

"What d'you want Clara?" He asked with raised eyebrows.

"Dan, we can give this one more go, I know we can make it work. You don't want Lindsay, she isn't your type; I know she isn't." Clara all but begged him, she had Brent now but being with him had made her realise that she still wanted Danny; Brent wasn't the guy she had thought he was.

"I do though, I used to be a shallow, egocentric prick but then I met Lindsay and I changed. She is all I've ever wanted, I just didn't realise it until I couldn't have her." His voice was softer than usual which scared Clara, knowing that he was telling the truth.

"What are you talking about?" The last part had confused her.

"I didn't ask Sarah to the dance first, I asked Lindsay but she was already going with Adam, as friends. It made me realise that I didn't want her as a best friend, I wanted more and now I have it. You really think I'm going to give all that up for another shot with you? You can beg and plead and lie all you want but we both know that you'd cheat on me again. I don't want you anymore Clara, Lindsay is the only girl for me."

"Come off it Dan, we both know that all she is to you is another notch on your bedpost and no matter how much you try to convince yourself that she's the one, when you're lying on top of her at night, pressing her into your mattress, you'll be thinking of me." Her voice was snide and low but Lindsay could still hear it from the other side of the door.

"You're sick and I wouldn't flatter yourself, Lindsay is everything to me and she ain't gonna be another notch on my bedpost; she's gonna be the last one. That's it for me, she's all I want and I'm in this for the duration now. I'm gonna be with her for as long as she'll have me so you might as well give up, I haven't thought about you for a long time Clara." His voice was strong and confident.

"You think so? I know you Dan and it won't be long before you're trying to crawl back into my bed." She narrowed here eyes, daring him to make a comeback.

"The only way you would get me into your bed is if you weren't in it and Lindsay was." She glared at him, shocked at his remark.

She didn't reply, instead she whirled around to walk away but came face to face with Lindsay. "Looks like your plan backfired Clara, that's it…game over. I won this time."

"You are nothing more than a challenge and now that he's got you, he'll soon get rid of you." She narrowed her eyes and Lindsay's smile faded, what if Clara was right?

Danny sensed that Lindsay was worried so summoned up all his courage and took a deep breath. "That ain't true Clara and you know why?"

"Go on, thrill me." Her voice was sarcastic and Danny swallowed.

"I love her and I have never said that to anyone else in my entire life…well except my ma." Lindsay's eyes widened as well as Clara's.

"D…Did you just…" She trailed off, not quite believing what she was hearing.

Danny stood up and walked over to her, taking her hands in his and smiling at her. "Yeah, I love you Lindsay."

"How do you know it is love and not just…?" He interrupted her, needing her to know his feelings.

"Linds' I can't be sure, I've never been in love before but I dream about you at night, miss you when you ain't there, think about you twenty-four-seven and well, I think maybe that's what love is." He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"You think its love now but it'll never last…you'll never last." Was all Clara said before walking back inside.

Danny looked at Lindsay and shook his head. "It ain't true Lindsay."

"I know, I heard everything you said before, I was behind the door." There was a long pause between them. "I love you too by the way." He looked down at her and grinned then pulled her to him and leaned down, capturing her lips in their first kiss. It was gentle and soft and everything that Lindsay had thought impossible coming from Danny Messer. When they pulled back, they looked at each other before Lindsay released his hands and pulled him back down to her, joining their lips in a more passionate kiss. Her hands slid into his spiky hair and his rested on her waist, holding her to him. When they broke apart again, Lindsay smiled up at him. "That was…"

"Wow." He finished her sentence for her and she smiled. "You wanna go back inside?" She nodded and he held his arm out to her but instead of linking hers with his, she pulled his arm down and took hold of his hand. Danny had never walked around holding a girlfriend's hand before, it was always arms around waists or shoulders. He used to think that the gesture was something that only 'Geeks' or 'Dorks' did but as he walked back inside with his fingers laced in hers, he decided that he would happily be branded a 'Geek' just to keep his and her hands joined together forever.

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8 Years Later

A twenty-six year old Lindsay Messer stood in the kitchen of their house on her day off with her three year old daughter, Felicita Giovannetta Messer, making a cake. She had gone to university after leaving school and studied forensic science, as had Danny, telling her that he needed a realistic career and that basketball wasn't his life anymore. They had graduated and on Lindsay's twenty-second birthday Danny had gotten down on one knee and proposed to her. "Ok sweetheart, you wanna stir it?"

The little girl jumped up and down, clapping her hands as Lindsay laughed and looked down at her. "Yay!"

"Well I don't think you can reach from down there, can you?" Felicita shook her head and Lindsay picked her up then sat her down on the counter. "Much better." She handed her the bowl and playfully ruffled her honey brown hair.

"Mommy, you'll mess it up!" The little girl playfully pouted, a pout very much like her father's, and Lindsay rolled her eyes.

"I think someone's been spending too much time with Aunty Aimee." Lindsay and Danny still kept in touch with most of their high school friends, especially Aimee and Adam, who were now engaged to be married. They also kept in touch with Mac and Stella, who were in a committed relationship but not thinking about marriage yet, Aiden and Flack, who had been married for a year and were expecting their first child, Brad, who was now a basketball coach, Sheldon Hawkes, who worked in the lab where they worked and Sid Hammerback, the coroner at the crime lab where they had worked for about a year and a half. Lindsay hadn't spoken to Clara for years but apparently Danny had seen her a few months ago when he was taking Felicita to the park. She was engaged but not to Brent, he had left her for Sarah about a month after they left school. He had told her that she had been wrong and when she had asked who he was babysitting for, he had told her that Felicita was his daughter and that Lindsay was her mother.

The front door opened and Lindsay heard Danny drop his keys into the glass bowl which was kept near the front door. "I'm home!" If she hadn't heard him come in, she'd know he was home now. Lindsay lifted Felicita from the counter and set her back on the floor when she said she wanted to go and say 'hi' to daddy. He hung his jacket on a peg near the door and smiled when he heard the familiar sound of his daughter skipping down the hallway.

"Daddy!" She wrapped her arms around his legs and he smiled before picking her up and showering her face with playful, butterfly kisses.

"Buona sera, how's daddy's little angel, huh?" She giggled and he kissed her on the forehead. "Where's mommy?"

"Buona sera padre. She's in the kitchen, we're makin' a cake." She wrapped her arms around Danny's neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Danny spoke fluent Italian, his mother being from Italy and so when they had started teaching Felicita how to speak, they had taught her Italian as well as English. Lindsay worked on the English with her and Danny taught her Italian, as well as trying to teach his wife the language too.

He carried her into the kitchen and walked over to Lindsay, wrapping his free arm around her waist from behind and whispering in her ear. "Ciao bella, come sta?"

A shiver ran down her back, she loved it when he spoke Italian, even though his Staten Island Accent made the words sound a little less pronounced. "Sto bene, grazie." She turned around in his arms and smiled. "Have a good day at work?"

"Hmm, yeah it was alright. So Flissy tells me that you're makin' a cake."

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Later that night, after dinner, they were sat on the sofa cuddled up; Danny in the middle and his two favourite girls on either side. Lindsay sighed contentedly and looked over at her daughter, who was soundly sleeping, cuddled into Danny's chest. "What you thinkin' 'bout?"

"Us, this, Flissy…even now it still seems surreal." Danny smiled at her and kissed the top of her head.

"Believe it Linds', Clara was wrong; you, me, us…this is forever." She smiled and laid her head on his chest.

"Forever and ever." As she sat there, quietly thinkin about the last eight and half years of her life, she realised that even 'Geeks' could have happy ever afters. She had a wonderful husband, a beautiful little girl, a fantastic job and a great set of friends. Clara had been wrong…this time she really had won.

Clara had cheated and forced Danny to admit his true feelings towards Lindsay. Now they had a family of their own…Clara had lost and they had won, game over.

The End

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A/N: Well what did y'all think? Hopefully this chapter lived up to expectations and I apologise if some of the Italian is off but I don't speak it so…anyway thanks for following the story and for all your reviews. I love you all and I'll try and write some more NY fics as soon as ideas pop into my head. Anyway thanks again, hopefully you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it.

Luffles and huggles until next time.

RoxxiSanders

XxxoxxX