Hallway Revisited
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, don’t claim to. So don’t sue me, eh?
Summary: Remember the hallway in LRC? (Of course you do, why did I even ask? What D/L shipper could forget?)To recreate that moment in the future, but change the ending in their memories for eternity…
A/N: So, once again, a question asked on the D/L thread at TalkCSI prodded my plot bunny into a flurry of activity. With a vengeance. At 4 am. TheCoroner, I blame you for asking the question. Lol! (The question was “If Danny were to propose to Lindsay how would he do it??”). And I must thank
moriel21, my faithful supporter, thank you for reading my stories and giving me encouragement to post them! You rock! Anyway, here are the oneshot results of a 4 am writing spree.
Hallway Revisited
The Right Amount of Time
Danny Messer pushed his chair back from the table in the interrogation room, struggling to maintain his hold on his contempt.
“Get him outta here, Flack.” Danny said disgustedly, indicating the suspect with a dismissing wave of his hand. As glad as he was to have obtained the suspect’s confession, his soul felt a bit more tarnished after learning all of the sordid details. The case had involved a complex web of adult relationships which had resulted in the suspect killing his girlfriend for cheating on him with his brother. After killing his girlfriend, he then killed his philandering brother followed by his younger sister who hadn’t told him of their affair upon discovering it.
However, one of the worst aspects of this case was that he and Montana had argued over how to handle the suspects. Danny hadn’t wanted to believe that a brother could kill his siblings over something so trivial as a girl. He preferred to think along the lines of ‘blood before broads’. Of course, he wasn’t stupid enough to use those exact words around Lindsay; he tried to phrase it a bit more eloquently. In the end, he didn’t think his phrasing would have made a difference, she was still bound to get angry with him. Lindsay had accused him of letting his emotions get in the way of his job. Danny had accused Lindsay of shutting herself off when working a case, and then added insult to injury by questioning whether she really trusted anyone, himself included. The argument escalated from there until they had both mutually walked away from it to gain perspective. She had gone to the roof in a vain attempt to get some fresh air, and he gone downstairs to try to bum a cigarette off of anyone, only to be brought right back together by Flack’s page alerting them he was bringing in their suspect for questioning.
They really had come a long way since the trial in Montana, and had worked through their issues. Danny hadn’t meant to lash out at Lindsay like that. He knew his words cut her to the core, and he felt sick at his actions. He was just so tired, and honestly, scared of wondering when Lindsay might change her mind about their relationship. He had never found this deep connection with anyone else, and it terrified him to realize how much he needed her. He wanted her to be the last person he talked to at night, and the first thing he saw in the morning. He wanted Lindsay for life.
Much to Flack’s delight, Danny had sought him out for advice on how to propose. After being soundly pummeled for laughing hysterically, Flack had worked on brainstorming a plan with Danny. Unfortunately, their planning sessions had involved much beer and pizza, so a firm strategy was never worked out. The furthest they got was that Danny just needed to speak from the heart, using it to speak right to hers. He had been carrying his grandmother’s engagement ring around in his pocket for the past three weeks waiting for the right moment to present itself. The ring was far from new or glitzy, but it felt right when he held it in the palm of his hand. It felt like it contained forever. Danny knew he had better pop the question soon, because he thought Lindsay might be getting suspicious. It would be hard for her not to notice Flack’s strange behaviour. Danny had been playing it cool, but anytime the three detectives had been in the same room recently, Flack had a big goofy grin plastered on his face while looking back and forth between the couple. Lindsay had been shooting questioning glances Danny’s way, which he had pretended not to notice.
Back in the interrogation room, Flack pulled the suspect up out of his chair and handcuffed him before handing him over to the officer stationed outside of the door. Knowing Lindsay had been watching the interrogation from the observation room, Danny glanced over at the one way mirror before following him out.
Stepping out of the interrogation room, he spied Lindsay’s back retreating down the hallway. He felt his heart lurch as he was swept with an eerie sense of déjà vu. All of a sudden he knew this was it. He couldn’t let her walk away again. He drew himself up to full height and hurried off down the hallway trying to catch up with her.
“Lindsay Monroe. Can I talk to you for a second?” He called out to her, remembering a time when he had used those same words in this same hall.
Lindsay froze as his words reached her. Her stomach clenched knowing that a confrontation was imminent. She was once again gripped by the panic which had once controlled her. Memories of an earlier conversation in this hallway assailed her, and she closed her eyes tightly against the pain they evoked. Last time he had wanted a relationship with her, but this time was he seeking to end his relationship with her after this morning’s argument? Biting her lip, she slowly turned to face him. She watched him approach, her eyes raking over him, drinking in every detail of his appearance. If these were to be the last moments she would be together with him, she wanted to remember every second, no matter how painful.
“Yeah.” She said, answering him quietly as he came to a stop in front of her.
“I have to know what’s going on with us here.” he said spreading his hands out trying to catch her eye, but she was gazing at the floor. His heart pounded in his chest as his nerves mimicked live electrical wires.
Still not looking up at him, she couldn’t see the warm look in his eye, only the stilted tone of his voice. Her eyes filled with tears as she struggled to maintain control. Lindsay didn’t want to lose her composure in front of him if he was ending what they had together.
She started to move away and in another echo of the past said to him “I can’t do this Danny.”
“You can’t do what?” he said, panic starting to rise. This is not how he had planned this conversation to go. Her words shot fear to his heart and he reached out grabbing her arm with his right hand before she could leave.
“I can’t, I can’t lose you...” was all she managed to choke out before her voice left her, trailing off at the end.
Danny had leaned forward trying to catch what she said. She was afraid of losing him? She thought he was ending their relationship? A small hope entered his heart. Here he had thought she might’ve wanted out, right when he wanted in for good. It seems they were both making incorrect assumptions.
“Linds, Lindsay, Montana!” He said trying to get her to look him in the eye. He brought his free hand to her cheek and gently turned her face upwards. Seeing the tears in her deep brown eyes was his undoing. He blinked a couple of times as his own eyes began to moisten behind his glasses. He took a deep breath and then went for broke.
“Linds, I can guarantee you that this ain’t going to be the last time we’ll fight or the last time you’ll be mad at me, though I prefer our petty arguments to this one.” he said with a chuckle. “What you and I’ve got, this chemistry here, it’s more than just physical. I sometimes wonder how I got by without you in my life. You challenge me and support me all at the same time. I love you more than I thought was humanly possible.“ He slid his hand down her forearm so that he was grasping her left hand. He let his other hand drop from her wonder-filled face and reached into his pocket before speaking again.
“I’m talking about spending some time together...” In his split second pause, a look of fear and pain flashed across Lindsay’s face. Danny hurriedly continued. “…I was thinking forever might just be the right amount of time.”
He pulled the ring out of his pocket and dropped to one knee.
“Lindsay Monroe, no,” he corrected himself. “Montana, my Montana, will you marry me?”
Lindsay stared down at him, stunned into silence. Slowly her mouth began to work as she tried to say something but her voice wouldn’t come out. Tears started to run freely down her face, as she began to nod frantically as her vocal chords finally opened to let out one small but strong “Yes!”
Danny slid the ring onto Lindsay’s finger before swiftly standing up. They came together in a passionate kiss, expressing what all the words in the world weren’t able to define. When they broke apart for desperately needed air, they embraced tightly, acting as each other’s life raft to keep them from drowning in the overwhelming sea of emotions. They stayed in that same position for several moments, just reveling in the blessings they had been given one another.
They pulled apart slightly, Danny wrapping his arm around Lindsay shoulder’s and Lindsay’s arm snaking around his waist, still holding on tight. As they walked down the hallway towards the exit to begin their life a new, Danny couldn’t help but look back over his shoulder. It would never again be the place to him where his heart had been shattered; rather, it was now the place where his heart and soul had been made whole forever after.