To Walk a Different Path [2/2]
Title: To Walk a Different Path (2/2)
Fandom: CSI:NY
Pairing: Lindsay/Flack (UST)
Spoilers: None
Word count: 672 this part
See part 1 for additional header info.
Lindsay was grimacing down at the lab table when Don came in. He raised his eyebrows. "That's not a good news sort of look."
"There is nothing on these clothes." She sighed, staring at the shirt in front of her like it would miraculously sprout evidence. "Either he changed clothes to commit the murder, or..."
"Or he didn't do it?" Don shook his head when she looked up. "Mr. Lee's alibi checks out."
"Dammit." She leaned onto the table with both hands. "I was so sure."
"Yeah, well, we all were." He watched her start to fold and stack the clothes that were laid out on the table. "Hey, I'd been meaning to ask. How's Danny doing?"
"He's good." He wondered if he was imagining the hesitation in her voice. She didn't look at him. "He's still coughing a lot, but I think he's over the worst of it. He'll probably be back at work tomorrow."
"Good."
She reached across the table for a pair of pants. Sliding him a glance, she asked, "Is there something else?" Her eyes were wary, almost nervous.
There was no reason they should have this conversation at work, but somehow tracking her down off the clock seemed like a worse idea. "Actually... yeah." He lowered his voice, hoping no one walked in. "Look, Linds, about what happened the other night --"
"It was just mistletoe."
The immediate response took him aback. "Right," he agreed automatically. He stared at her, trying to read her expression and getting nothing. "So... we're good?"
"Of course." The smile she gave him was tiny but real.
He felt his shoulders unknot, just a little. "Good." He glanced away, fingers tapping on the table. "I'll, uh, I'll see ya."
"Bye." She gave him another quick, tight smile and turned back to the clothes, her head down.
Don headed for the door. He still felt... off. Weird. He stopped with one hand on the doorframe and turned back. He looked at the woman standing at the table. Really looked at her. Sighing, he said quietly, "Except... it wasn't just the mistletoe."
Her hands stilled. He couldn't see her face, but her shoulders were drawn in, tense. After a long moment, that tension released as she sighed. "No," she agreed quietly. She faced him, hugging herself. Her eyes met his. "It wasn't."
The silence that followed her statement was broken only by the pounding of Don's heart. Did she really just... "Lindsay --"
She shook her head. "Don..."
"I'm not asking for anything here," he assured her. He realized as he said it that it was true. He felt his way along carefully, searching for the right words. "I just want to be honest with you, and if I'm honest... There are times when I wish you weren't my best friend's girl."
She let out a slow breath and gave him a small, sad smile. "Yeah."
He swallowed hard, forcing a wry smile. "Another life, right?"
To his surprise she chuckled a little. "Parallel universe, maybe."
His eyebrows crept up. "Parallel what?"
"Parallel universe." Her smile was a little more natural. "There's a theory that there are an infinite number of universes parallel to our own. Similar but different in some way, branching out from every decision we make. So theoretically there are an infinite number of New Yorks, an infinite number of crime labs, an infinite number of you and me..."
Don got it. "And theoretically, one of those pairs of us..."
"Exactly. Probably more than one," she added a little ruefully.
He couldn't help but chuckle. It was weird, but... "I like that," he admitted.
"Me, too."
They shared another smile. Don tapped the doorframe with one hand. "I'm gonna go. Let me know if you find anything." He nodded to the table, indicating the case.
"Sure." She looked more relaxed as she turned back to her work.
He felt the same, walking down the hall. He felt lighter. Not happy, as such, but... content, maybe. He could live with this.
Fandom: CSI:NY
Pairing: Lindsay/Flack (UST)
Spoilers: None
Word count: 672 this part
See part 1 for additional header info.
Lindsay was grimacing down at the lab table when Don came in. He raised his eyebrows. "That's not a good news sort of look."
"There is nothing on these clothes." She sighed, staring at the shirt in front of her like it would miraculously sprout evidence. "Either he changed clothes to commit the murder, or..."
"Or he didn't do it?" Don shook his head when she looked up. "Mr. Lee's alibi checks out."
"Dammit." She leaned onto the table with both hands. "I was so sure."
"Yeah, well, we all were." He watched her start to fold and stack the clothes that were laid out on the table. "Hey, I'd been meaning to ask. How's Danny doing?"
"He's good." He wondered if he was imagining the hesitation in her voice. She didn't look at him. "He's still coughing a lot, but I think he's over the worst of it. He'll probably be back at work tomorrow."
"Good."
She reached across the table for a pair of pants. Sliding him a glance, she asked, "Is there something else?" Her eyes were wary, almost nervous.
There was no reason they should have this conversation at work, but somehow tracking her down off the clock seemed like a worse idea. "Actually... yeah." He lowered his voice, hoping no one walked in. "Look, Linds, about what happened the other night --"
"It was just mistletoe."
The immediate response took him aback. "Right," he agreed automatically. He stared at her, trying to read her expression and getting nothing. "So... we're good?"
"Of course." The smile she gave him was tiny but real.
He felt his shoulders unknot, just a little. "Good." He glanced away, fingers tapping on the table. "I'll, uh, I'll see ya."
"Bye." She gave him another quick, tight smile and turned back to the clothes, her head down.
Don headed for the door. He still felt... off. Weird. He stopped with one hand on the doorframe and turned back. He looked at the woman standing at the table. Really looked at her. Sighing, he said quietly, "Except... it wasn't just the mistletoe."
Her hands stilled. He couldn't see her face, but her shoulders were drawn in, tense. After a long moment, that tension released as she sighed. "No," she agreed quietly. She faced him, hugging herself. Her eyes met his. "It wasn't."
The silence that followed her statement was broken only by the pounding of Don's heart. Did she really just... "Lindsay --"
She shook her head. "Don..."
"I'm not asking for anything here," he assured her. He realized as he said it that it was true. He felt his way along carefully, searching for the right words. "I just want to be honest with you, and if I'm honest... There are times when I wish you weren't my best friend's girl."
She let out a slow breath and gave him a small, sad smile. "Yeah."
He swallowed hard, forcing a wry smile. "Another life, right?"
To his surprise she chuckled a little. "Parallel universe, maybe."
His eyebrows crept up. "Parallel what?"
"Parallel universe." Her smile was a little more natural. "There's a theory that there are an infinite number of universes parallel to our own. Similar but different in some way, branching out from every decision we make. So theoretically there are an infinite number of New Yorks, an infinite number of crime labs, an infinite number of you and me..."
Don got it. "And theoretically, one of those pairs of us..."
"Exactly. Probably more than one," she added a little ruefully.
He couldn't help but chuckle. It was weird, but... "I like that," he admitted.
"Me, too."
They shared another smile. Don tapped the doorframe with one hand. "I'm gonna go. Let me know if you find anything." He nodded to the table, indicating the case.
"Sure." She looked more relaxed as she turned back to her work.
He felt the same, walking down the hall. He felt lighter. Not happy, as such, but... content, maybe. He could live with this.