(no subject)
Title: A Lonely Heart’s Sorrow
Author: Dragonfly (TBD)
Rating: T
Pairing: Danny/Lindsay
Summary: How does Lindsay move on from Danny’s betrayal?
Spoliers: Set after season 4. No spoilers for season 5.
A/N: This is my way of dealing through the muck that was season 4 and finding my own way to move past it. I hope you enjoy.
Thanks to SallyJetson for the beta.
Chapter 1: Summoned:
Lindsay stares at the empty chair at her coworker’s desk. She doesn’t know how she prefers it, empty or full. The empty chair brings her loneliness to the surface, causes her to realize once again that she hasn’t made many friends outside the team, and her family might as well be a world away. No family, no friends, no one left to love, no one to love her.
When the seat is full it only serves to kindle her ever-smoldering anger as another reminder of the hurt, pain and betrayal. Now she keeps the anger locked up, away from the prying eyes of the world, but she had let it out all those months ago when the indiscretion was first revealed, when it would not be bottled up but instead roared and burned her to her very soul. She had known that something had been wrong, but to hear the words, to know the truth, that had been a debilitating blow.
From that moment it felt like everything had changed and yet the world kept up with its maddening pace and everyone just played along, continuing on with the same old song. She was left alone, alone to walk with her head bent low, feeling a fool because everyone must have known. She avoided their eyes and what they couldn’t disguise; pity, it was always there, and that she could not bear.
So bear it she didn’t as her energy transferred to work; the upside of her life splitting in two, for her career would be a success even if her social life was at rest. Mac had hinted that if she continued, even the higher ups would be swayed, and that could only mean a promotion coming her way.
A loud knock kicks her out of her reverie as she jumps back to reality only to see her boss staring down at her from the doorway.
“Can I see you in my office for a second?”
Embarrassed at being caught in her thoughts, she tries to sort herself out once again. “Um… yes... I just need to finish this page of paperwork. I’ll just be a minute,”
“Okay, take your time.” The trace of a smile lingers on his face as he slowly walks away.
She breathes out a sigh. She hates being summoned. It always makes her feel like a teenager in the wrong.
As she enters Mac’s office, she notices that they are not alone, he is there too, her thoughts in the flesh. He has changed dramatically over the last year. After Reuben died he had entered his dark period, had pushed everyone away, had stopped looking after himself and had become a dark and moody soul. After she had found out and they had officially broken up, he hadn’t seemed much better, but now, little by little, he seems to be coming out of his fog. His hair is cut short, the bags beneath his eyes have vanished, and his overall mood has improved. He is returning to his old self, bad jokes and all. The only part of him that still shows signs of damage are his eyes, the small glint of something buried but not forgotten, but even that is getting harder to find. Part of her wonders if he is seeing someone new, if this mystery woman is responsible for bringing him back from his depths. She quickly banishes the thought from her mind, not needing to picture him with another, not again.
“I called you two in here because there is a conference happening this weekend in Boston,” Mac interrupts, “and I want you two to present your findings from the Ramera case.”
Danny crosses his arms unimpressed. “Come on Mac, these things are just a waste of time. It’s just a bunch of suck ups putting on a show to try and impress other suck ups. It ain’t the type of thing you usually waste our time with.”
“I think it could be a good opportunity. You two did some excellent work on that case and came up with some creative and innovative solutions with the evidence. It would give both you and the lab some exposure.” He turns to Lindsay, gauging her reaction. “You never know whose attention you might grab at something like this.”
She doesn’t know what to think of the proposal. It would be good for her career, and she could proudly present her blood spatter interpretation that had cracked the case, but then there was Danny, the man who had broken her heart and smashed it for good measure. She knows they can work together, can both be professionals, but they haven’t spent anytime alone together since it happened, and now she’s being expected to spend the weekend with him, in a nice hotel, not to mention the close quarters of a long car ride. But this is work, and it needs to be her priority. She can’t let him regulate her life any longer, not if she is ever going to move past it, past him, and on with her life. There really is only one choice.
“I’d be happy to do it Mac,” she tries for the confidence she isn’t feeling.
Danny looks at her before he simply nods, his previous complaints forgotten.
“Great, you leave in a couple of days. Have a twenty-minute presentation ready for each of your portions, and have a good time. Who knows, you might actually have fun.”
Lindsay rises to leave, wondering what she has gotten herself into.
Author: Dragonfly (TBD)
Rating: T
Pairing: Danny/Lindsay
Summary: How does Lindsay move on from Danny’s betrayal?
Spoliers: Set after season 4. No spoilers for season 5.
A/N: This is my way of dealing through the muck that was season 4 and finding my own way to move past it. I hope you enjoy.
Thanks to SallyJetson for the beta.
Chapter 1: Summoned:
Lindsay stares at the empty chair at her coworker’s desk. She doesn’t know how she prefers it, empty or full. The empty chair brings her loneliness to the surface, causes her to realize once again that she hasn’t made many friends outside the team, and her family might as well be a world away. No family, no friends, no one left to love, no one to love her.
When the seat is full it only serves to kindle her ever-smoldering anger as another reminder of the hurt, pain and betrayal. Now she keeps the anger locked up, away from the prying eyes of the world, but she had let it out all those months ago when the indiscretion was first revealed, when it would not be bottled up but instead roared and burned her to her very soul. She had known that something had been wrong, but to hear the words, to know the truth, that had been a debilitating blow.
From that moment it felt like everything had changed and yet the world kept up with its maddening pace and everyone just played along, continuing on with the same old song. She was left alone, alone to walk with her head bent low, feeling a fool because everyone must have known. She avoided their eyes and what they couldn’t disguise; pity, it was always there, and that she could not bear.
So bear it she didn’t as her energy transferred to work; the upside of her life splitting in two, for her career would be a success even if her social life was at rest. Mac had hinted that if she continued, even the higher ups would be swayed, and that could only mean a promotion coming her way.
A loud knock kicks her out of her reverie as she jumps back to reality only to see her boss staring down at her from the doorway.
“Can I see you in my office for a second?”
Embarrassed at being caught in her thoughts, she tries to sort herself out once again. “Um… yes... I just need to finish this page of paperwork. I’ll just be a minute,”
“Okay, take your time.” The trace of a smile lingers on his face as he slowly walks away.
She breathes out a sigh. She hates being summoned. It always makes her feel like a teenager in the wrong.
As she enters Mac’s office, she notices that they are not alone, he is there too, her thoughts in the flesh. He has changed dramatically over the last year. After Reuben died he had entered his dark period, had pushed everyone away, had stopped looking after himself and had become a dark and moody soul. After she had found out and they had officially broken up, he hadn’t seemed much better, but now, little by little, he seems to be coming out of his fog. His hair is cut short, the bags beneath his eyes have vanished, and his overall mood has improved. He is returning to his old self, bad jokes and all. The only part of him that still shows signs of damage are his eyes, the small glint of something buried but not forgotten, but even that is getting harder to find. Part of her wonders if he is seeing someone new, if this mystery woman is responsible for bringing him back from his depths. She quickly banishes the thought from her mind, not needing to picture him with another, not again.
“I called you two in here because there is a conference happening this weekend in Boston,” Mac interrupts, “and I want you two to present your findings from the Ramera case.”
Danny crosses his arms unimpressed. “Come on Mac, these things are just a waste of time. It’s just a bunch of suck ups putting on a show to try and impress other suck ups. It ain’t the type of thing you usually waste our time with.”
“I think it could be a good opportunity. You two did some excellent work on that case and came up with some creative and innovative solutions with the evidence. It would give both you and the lab some exposure.” He turns to Lindsay, gauging her reaction. “You never know whose attention you might grab at something like this.”
She doesn’t know what to think of the proposal. It would be good for her career, and she could proudly present her blood spatter interpretation that had cracked the case, but then there was Danny, the man who had broken her heart and smashed it for good measure. She knows they can work together, can both be professionals, but they haven’t spent anytime alone together since it happened, and now she’s being expected to spend the weekend with him, in a nice hotel, not to mention the close quarters of a long car ride. But this is work, and it needs to be her priority. She can’t let him regulate her life any longer, not if she is ever going to move past it, past him, and on with her life. There really is only one choice.
“I’d be happy to do it Mac,” she tries for the confidence she isn’t feeling.
Danny looks at her before he simply nods, his previous complaints forgotten.
“Great, you leave in a couple of days. Have a twenty-minute presentation ready for each of your portions, and have a good time. Who knows, you might actually have fun.”
Lindsay rises to leave, wondering what she has gotten herself into.