Victimized Hearts - Flack/Monroe - NC17 - Interlude
Title: Victimized Hearts
Category: CSI: NY
Rating: NC17
Genre: Mystery/Romance
Pairing: Don Flack/Lindsay Monroe
Word Count: 1,601
Summary: The relationship between two partners comes under curiosity when they're both attacked. Life outside the lab has its own twists and turns that are about to be unraveled.
Previous: Part One, Interlude, Part Two, Interlude, Part Three, Interlude, Part Four,
Interlude
-Six Months Earlier-
"I feel ridiculous," she admitted, looking up at him worriedly.
"Why? You look great." He grinned back easily.
"It's not how I look, Don. I feel..." She chewed her lip. "What if they don't like me?"
He shrugged. "Then they don't like you. So what?"
"So what?" she repeated, voice raising a notch. "They're your parents!"
"Yeah. And just like always, they've got no bearing on who I do and do not date." He smirked. "Frankly, if my pops doesn't like you, I might like you a little more."
She couldn't help but let a laugh escape. "What are you, a rebellious teenager?"
He took her hand in his and squeezed lightly. "Father-complex," he shrugged off. "Now you ready or what? 'Cause ma hates it when I'm late for dinner. And it's Christmas, so she'll be even more frantic."
"I'm sure she doesn't appreciate sudden girlfriends showing up either," she murmured.
"I told her you were coming..." He lifted a shoulder. "She just doesn't know we've been together awhile already."
"How very comforting..." she muttered, following him up the snowy front steps to the door. Don rapped loudly, tipping his head to one side as if he were listening for loud footsteps. "They already got the music going... Which means my nephew is stringing popcorn for the tree." He grinned to himself and Lindsay found she couldn't hide her own smile at his cheer.
The door suddenly swung open and they were greeted with the grinning face of a younger Flack brother. "Eh!" he exclaimed. "Donnie!" He reached forward and hauled Don in for a hug.
Nodding and slapping his shoulder as they hugged, Don pulled back and wrapped his arm back around Lindsay once more. "Linds, this is my little brother Bobby. Keep an eye on him; he's always up to something."
"Ah, ma already stopped me from slipping some rum in the egg nog, what else is there, huh?" He shrugged, reaching over and taking Linsday's hand, shaking it strongly and winking at her. "So you're the one who finally roped Donnie down, uh?" He whistled. "Just looking at her I know she's too good for ya, brother."
"Yeah, yeah. You gonna let us in? It's freezing out here and we're already late."
Bobby opened the door wider and invited them inside before closing it loudly and shouting over them. "Hey, family, look who finally showed up!"
Don rolled his eyes, half-grinning. "Yeah, thanks for the introduction," he replied, shoving his brother playfully before he helped Lindsay take her coat off and hung it up next to his in the closet.
It was loud; everybody seemed to be talking at once. But it was oddly comforting, reminding her a bit of home back in Montana with all of her cousins, nieces and nephews running around while her sisters and brother tried to find peace in the chaos.
Taking her hand, Don drew her closer to the living room where every available space was filled with some person or another. "Family, Linsday, Lindsay this is the family." They greeted her loudly before going back to what they were doing. And just like Don had said, there was a young boy on the floor threading popcorn with a needle as he sat leaning against an older, stiff looking man in a large recliner.
"Come on, I'll introduce you to the all important one, slaving away in the kitchen for these bums."
She nodded to those of his family who turned to say hello as they slipped through the crowd to find his mother.
The kitchen was filled with food but only one person stood inside.
"Jacob, if that's you, you better run your butt back into that living room! You snag one more of my cookies, boy and I'll..." She turned around, spotting Don then and grinned widely, dropping her ladle to the side before she hurried over. "Donnie, sweetie!" Lifting up on her tip toes, she kissed his cheeks and then pinched them. "What have I told you about being late?" She lifted a questioning brow. "I told you six on the dot! Now, you tell me what time it says on my stove..."
"Ah, ma..." He winced as she pinched his cheek one last time. "I'm sorry. Traffic was tough."
"Yeah, you say that every year," she muttered wiping her hands on her apron. "And who's this pretty young woman? Hm?"
Don rolled his eyes. "You know who she is. Lindsay Monroe, this is Mary Flack."
"Hi, I..." She was taken by surprise when Mary suddenly hugged her and wrapped her arms around her rather stunned.
"You treat him right?" Mary asked in her ear.
"I- I try," she replied, brows furrowed.
"You're hard-working, intelligent, and faithful to my boy?"
"Yes, I suppose, and definitely."
Mary drew back and grinned at her. "I like her." She nodded and then changed the subject. "You like homemade cranberry sauce, Linsday? Because I need you to take care of it while I look over my yams."
"Uh, I... I can do that." She grinned then, suddenly feeling less like an intruder and more like a welcome guest. Looking up at Don, she lifted a brow as if wondering what he thought about it all. All he did was shrug, peck her cheek and steal a cookie from the counter before he winked and left back into the living room to chat with the rest of his family.
"So Donnie says you're from Montana," Mary said, waving a potholder in the air to get the steam out of her face as she stood at the stove.
"Yes, Bozeman." She nodded. "All my family's back there."
"You must miss them."
"I do... A lot." She shrugged. "But I talked to them all this morning and Don really wanted me here, so..."
Mary nodded knowingly. "You and Donnie have been together awhile, haven't you?"
Lindsay wasn't sure how to reply.
She lifted a brow at her. "I won't be mad. I know my boy has his own life and he doesn't have the time or inclination to call his mom and tell her every little detail." She grinned. "But when he called to tell me he was bringing someone to dinner... Well, I knew that meant that you two have something special going on." She shrugged. "My boy takes family very seriously and he wouldn't bring just anybody home." Mary stared at her levelly. "I hope you feel the same way."
Lindsay understood what she meant and nodded. "I do." She loved Don. She hadn't expected to and maybe she'd even put up a fight against it, but in the end, she couldn't stop the inevitable. They'd been together six months now and she couldn't deny the fact that she really, truly enjoyed every moment of it. Even when they were arguing over whether they should watch ESPN or Mythbusters and when he left his wet towel on her nice dry bed. She liked cuddling with him on the couch when they both got off from a long shift or spending the morning in bed on their days off. And she loved how he made her feel and making him feel that same way.
Mary took a moment before finally nodding. "I believe you do." She sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "Now, we better introduce you to my Don and get it over with. He's a sour, grumpy old cop and he might seem like he hates you, but trust me, he'll grow fond of you and you won't even know it."
Lindsay could only smile slightly. "I'll take your word for it."
"Good idea." Mary turned her head and looked out into the living room. "Don, come're and meet your future daughter-in-law."
Had she been drinking something she would've choked, instead she gaped like a fish.
"Ma..." Don Flack Jr. called back, censure in his voice.
"What? You don't think I know these things. What'd I say when I met your brother's wife Teresa, huh? I said the same thing and look at 'em now. Four kids later and-Jacob, you touch that cookie, I dare you!"
Lindsay laughed, shaking her head.
Stepping into the kitchen was both Don Flack senior and junior, staring at Mary with the same expressions, head tipped slightly to the left.
"You just met her, try not to scare her away, huh?"
Mary shrugged. "Hey, she's gonna be a part of this family, she might as well get used to this chaos now."
Don Sr. shook his head. "Just 'cause you like her doesn't mean Junior here'll keep her."
"Last I checked, I wasn't a possession," Lindsay interrupted, smiling slightly. "Mrs. Flack, I think the cranberry sauce is ready."
Mary turned to grin at her. "Oh, he'll keep her all right."
"When will dinner be ready?" Don Sr. wondered, lifting a dark brow and looping his thumb in his belt.
"Just as soon as you stop asking," Mary replied, frowning at him. "Now go play with your grandsons and keep an eye on that Jacob... Boy will be filled with candy before I pull the turkey out."
Don Sr. nodded, glanced at Lindsay and then turned to leave.
"Sorry about him," Don Jr. told her, rounding the kitchen to stand behind her, his hands falling to her hips.
"Nothing to be sorry about." Lindsay leaned into him, head falling to his shoulder. "Now if you don't like my cranberry sauce, then I'll be expecting an apology."
Laughing, he bent down and kissed her neck.
And Mary Flack silently nodded to herself, knowing she was indeed right about them.
[ Next: Part Five.]
Category: CSI: NY
Rating: NC17
Genre: Mystery/Romance
Pairing: Don Flack/Lindsay Monroe
Word Count: 1,601
Summary: The relationship between two partners comes under curiosity when they're both attacked. Life outside the lab has its own twists and turns that are about to be unraveled.
Previous: Part One, Interlude, Part Two, Interlude, Part Three, Interlude, Part Four,
Interlude
-Six Months Earlier-
"I feel ridiculous," she admitted, looking up at him worriedly.
"Why? You look great." He grinned back easily.
"It's not how I look, Don. I feel..." She chewed her lip. "What if they don't like me?"
He shrugged. "Then they don't like you. So what?"
"So what?" she repeated, voice raising a notch. "They're your parents!"
"Yeah. And just like always, they've got no bearing on who I do and do not date." He smirked. "Frankly, if my pops doesn't like you, I might like you a little more."
She couldn't help but let a laugh escape. "What are you, a rebellious teenager?"
He took her hand in his and squeezed lightly. "Father-complex," he shrugged off. "Now you ready or what? 'Cause ma hates it when I'm late for dinner. And it's Christmas, so she'll be even more frantic."
"I'm sure she doesn't appreciate sudden girlfriends showing up either," she murmured.
"I told her you were coming..." He lifted a shoulder. "She just doesn't know we've been together awhile already."
"How very comforting..." she muttered, following him up the snowy front steps to the door. Don rapped loudly, tipping his head to one side as if he were listening for loud footsteps. "They already got the music going... Which means my nephew is stringing popcorn for the tree." He grinned to himself and Lindsay found she couldn't hide her own smile at his cheer.
The door suddenly swung open and they were greeted with the grinning face of a younger Flack brother. "Eh!" he exclaimed. "Donnie!" He reached forward and hauled Don in for a hug.
Nodding and slapping his shoulder as they hugged, Don pulled back and wrapped his arm back around Lindsay once more. "Linds, this is my little brother Bobby. Keep an eye on him; he's always up to something."
"Ah, ma already stopped me from slipping some rum in the egg nog, what else is there, huh?" He shrugged, reaching over and taking Linsday's hand, shaking it strongly and winking at her. "So you're the one who finally roped Donnie down, uh?" He whistled. "Just looking at her I know she's too good for ya, brother."
"Yeah, yeah. You gonna let us in? It's freezing out here and we're already late."
Bobby opened the door wider and invited them inside before closing it loudly and shouting over them. "Hey, family, look who finally showed up!"
Don rolled his eyes, half-grinning. "Yeah, thanks for the introduction," he replied, shoving his brother playfully before he helped Lindsay take her coat off and hung it up next to his in the closet.
It was loud; everybody seemed to be talking at once. But it was oddly comforting, reminding her a bit of home back in Montana with all of her cousins, nieces and nephews running around while her sisters and brother tried to find peace in the chaos.
Taking her hand, Don drew her closer to the living room where every available space was filled with some person or another. "Family, Linsday, Lindsay this is the family." They greeted her loudly before going back to what they were doing. And just like Don had said, there was a young boy on the floor threading popcorn with a needle as he sat leaning against an older, stiff looking man in a large recliner.
"Come on, I'll introduce you to the all important one, slaving away in the kitchen for these bums."
She nodded to those of his family who turned to say hello as they slipped through the crowd to find his mother.
The kitchen was filled with food but only one person stood inside.
"Jacob, if that's you, you better run your butt back into that living room! You snag one more of my cookies, boy and I'll..." She turned around, spotting Don then and grinned widely, dropping her ladle to the side before she hurried over. "Donnie, sweetie!" Lifting up on her tip toes, she kissed his cheeks and then pinched them. "What have I told you about being late?" She lifted a questioning brow. "I told you six on the dot! Now, you tell me what time it says on my stove..."
"Ah, ma..." He winced as she pinched his cheek one last time. "I'm sorry. Traffic was tough."
"Yeah, you say that every year," she muttered wiping her hands on her apron. "And who's this pretty young woman? Hm?"
Don rolled his eyes. "You know who she is. Lindsay Monroe, this is Mary Flack."
"Hi, I..." She was taken by surprise when Mary suddenly hugged her and wrapped her arms around her rather stunned.
"You treat him right?" Mary asked in her ear.
"I- I try," she replied, brows furrowed.
"You're hard-working, intelligent, and faithful to my boy?"
"Yes, I suppose, and definitely."
Mary drew back and grinned at her. "I like her." She nodded and then changed the subject. "You like homemade cranberry sauce, Linsday? Because I need you to take care of it while I look over my yams."
"Uh, I... I can do that." She grinned then, suddenly feeling less like an intruder and more like a welcome guest. Looking up at Don, she lifted a brow as if wondering what he thought about it all. All he did was shrug, peck her cheek and steal a cookie from the counter before he winked and left back into the living room to chat with the rest of his family.
"So Donnie says you're from Montana," Mary said, waving a potholder in the air to get the steam out of her face as she stood at the stove.
"Yes, Bozeman." She nodded. "All my family's back there."
"You must miss them."
"I do... A lot." She shrugged. "But I talked to them all this morning and Don really wanted me here, so..."
Mary nodded knowingly. "You and Donnie have been together awhile, haven't you?"
Lindsay wasn't sure how to reply.
She lifted a brow at her. "I won't be mad. I know my boy has his own life and he doesn't have the time or inclination to call his mom and tell her every little detail." She grinned. "But when he called to tell me he was bringing someone to dinner... Well, I knew that meant that you two have something special going on." She shrugged. "My boy takes family very seriously and he wouldn't bring just anybody home." Mary stared at her levelly. "I hope you feel the same way."
Lindsay understood what she meant and nodded. "I do." She loved Don. She hadn't expected to and maybe she'd even put up a fight against it, but in the end, she couldn't stop the inevitable. They'd been together six months now and she couldn't deny the fact that she really, truly enjoyed every moment of it. Even when they were arguing over whether they should watch ESPN or Mythbusters and when he left his wet towel on her nice dry bed. She liked cuddling with him on the couch when they both got off from a long shift or spending the morning in bed on their days off. And she loved how he made her feel and making him feel that same way.
Mary took a moment before finally nodding. "I believe you do." She sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "Now, we better introduce you to my Don and get it over with. He's a sour, grumpy old cop and he might seem like he hates you, but trust me, he'll grow fond of you and you won't even know it."
Lindsay could only smile slightly. "I'll take your word for it."
"Good idea." Mary turned her head and looked out into the living room. "Don, come're and meet your future daughter-in-law."
Had she been drinking something she would've choked, instead she gaped like a fish.
"Ma..." Don Flack Jr. called back, censure in his voice.
"What? You don't think I know these things. What'd I say when I met your brother's wife Teresa, huh? I said the same thing and look at 'em now. Four kids later and-Jacob, you touch that cookie, I dare you!"
Lindsay laughed, shaking her head.
Stepping into the kitchen was both Don Flack senior and junior, staring at Mary with the same expressions, head tipped slightly to the left.
"You just met her, try not to scare her away, huh?"
Mary shrugged. "Hey, she's gonna be a part of this family, she might as well get used to this chaos now."
Don Sr. shook his head. "Just 'cause you like her doesn't mean Junior here'll keep her."
"Last I checked, I wasn't a possession," Lindsay interrupted, smiling slightly. "Mrs. Flack, I think the cranberry sauce is ready."
Mary turned to grin at her. "Oh, he'll keep her all right."
"When will dinner be ready?" Don Sr. wondered, lifting a dark brow and looping his thumb in his belt.
"Just as soon as you stop asking," Mary replied, frowning at him. "Now go play with your grandsons and keep an eye on that Jacob... Boy will be filled with candy before I pull the turkey out."
Don Sr. nodded, glanced at Lindsay and then turned to leave.
"Sorry about him," Don Jr. told her, rounding the kitchen to stand behind her, his hands falling to her hips.
"Nothing to be sorry about." Lindsay leaned into him, head falling to his shoulder. "Now if you don't like my cranberry sauce, then I'll be expecting an apology."
Laughing, he bent down and kissed her neck.
And Mary Flack silently nodded to herself, knowing she was indeed right about them.
[ Next: Part Five.]