AN Yes it's true here's another one…inspired by a number of fics I've been reading lately. I haven't forgotten my other D/L writings but this just forced me to write it so I did. As always, read and review…I live for it. lol

Disclaimer: Don't own them, wish I did…moving on.

All It Takes
© Dream 2006

Touch

It is amazing what touch can do to a person. It has been said that babies thrive on it, actually needing it to survive. There are varying levels of touch and depending on who delivers it there are varying levels of reaction to touch.

Danny Messerand Lindsay Monroewere co-workers. Sometimes theywere partners on a case. Neither knew much about the other except that they were both very passionate about their jobs. Sometimes they clashed, sometimes they got a long, but for the most part they were indifferent to each other.

Until…they touched.

Not just any kind of touch either. The every day kind of accidental touch happened all the time, no this time it was different, this time something ignited in both of them that, it can be said, may not have ignited if they had not touched.

However let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Lindsay Monroe was finally starting to feel like she belonged in this lab. New York was so different from Bozeman which was a welcome change; she'd left for a reason. She liked the camaraderie at the lab and found that she fit in rather well, except…

"Hey Montana whatcha got?" Danny strode into the room like he always did, as if he owned it.

She sighed and rolled her eyes to look up at him, "You really have no intention of calling me by my name do you?"

He smirked, "It doesn't look like it."

"Fine," She sighed, "What I've got is absolutely nothing." She threw her hands up, "There isn't a fibre or hair on these clothes that is foreign."

"Well now that is odd," Danny mused, "The vic was definitely redressed, maybe she was dressed in something new after she was killed."

"It's possible. I haven't gone through her purse yet," Lindsay indicated the posh bag that was to her left, "I might find something in there."

"I'll call Flack and have him meet me at the scene," Danny said, "We'll comb around it and see if we can't find something else."

"Okay, keep me posted." She said without looking up as she carefully pulled out the contents of the purse and placed them on the table.

Four hours later she was exhausted but feeling a bit better. She had found a sticky substance on the inner lining of the purse and had sent it to trace. Lolling her head from side to side she closed her eyes. Her stomach growled at the same time as her phone rang. She looked at the number and smiled, "Hi there."

"I'm thinkin' it's about time you ate something." The voice on the other end said.

She smiled, "My stomach couldn't agree with you more."

"Well then I'll be waiting for you outside the lab in twenty minutes."

"See you then," She looked at her watch, yeah she could have everything cleaned up by then.

Flack and Danny were walking towards the lab building as Lindsay exited, "Woo hoo, you dress up real nice Montana."

Lindsay rolled her eyes at Danny, "Thanks pervert."

He feigned hurt, "See I try to compliment you and you shut me down."

"Someone's got to," She retorted.

Just then a guy, about 6'2" with light brown hair and broad well-built shoulders, got out of a vehicle, "Lindsay are you ready?" He asked.

She smiled at him, "Of course Jesse."

"O'Malley." Danny nodded at the off duty officer. He had never really had a problem with him but all of a sudden felt some contempt toward the guy. He wasn't sure why.

Jesse nodded back politely at the two men, "Detectives." Flack just smirked and watched them; the looks they were giving each other reminded him of jungle cats circling each other for the same prey.

Lindsay instantly felt uncomfortable for some reason and just wanted to leave. She smiled at Danny and Flack, "I'll see you guys later," Then just as she was about to step toward the vehicle Danny grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. "What the hell?" She exclaimed feeling a breeze whiz by her.

"Watch it!" Flack called loudly in the direction of the breeze, "I swear those bike messenger are a damn hazard."

Danny had an arm around her waist and his hand on her arm, "You okay?"

Everything was foggy, it sounded like water was rushing through her ears. Her whole body was up against his side and her hand was on his stomach. She forced herself to ignore how fast her heart was beating, "Uh, yeah, yeah I'm fine."

They didn't move just stood there looking at each other. Then Jesse cleared his throat, he had made his way around his car and put a hand out to Lindsay, "Thanks Messer."

Reality hit them both and they stepped away from each other. Danny cleared his throat, "Right, yeah, no problem."

Lindsay took Jesse's hand and allowed him to lead her to his car. She got her seatbelt on and stared straight ahead desperately willing the blood to stop rushing through her ears and her heart to stop beating so fast.

Danny watched Jesse shut the passenger door and regarded Lindsay's profile. His mouth felt dry and his head was swimming. He could still feel her fingers on his stomach, why? His phone rang jarring him out of his reverie; he put it to his ear as Jesse's car pulled into traffic. "Messer."

"Hey baby."

He frowned in spite of himself, wait, hadn't he been waiting for her call all day? He forced a smile and continued walking with Flack into the building, "Cindy hi."

"Are you done work yet?" She asked.

He sighed and rubbed his hand over his face, "Almost, give me an hour kay?"

"Okay, don't be late I miss you."

"Yeah, yeah, me too, see you in an hour." He hung up the phone and looked at Flack, "Sorry."

Flack regarded his friend, "Where did you meet her again?"

"Who?" Danny asked as he subconsciously crossed an arm over his stomach, when would the feeling of her fingers leave?

"Cindy," Flack said with a smirk, "Your girlfriend? The chick on the phone?"

"Since when has Lindsay been out with Jesse O'Malley?" Danny asked instead of answering.

Flack shrugged, "Hell if I know, lab gossip always goes over my head. Why do you care?"

"I don't," Danny said a bit too quickly for comfort, "I was just wondering." He didn't care, did he? Why would he, he had a girlfriend, it shouldn't matter. It didn't matter of course, he had just been up too long and was tired. Yeah that was it; after he saw Cindy tonight everything would be fine.

Lindsay had been dating Jesse O'Malley for over a month now. She hadn't thought it was pertinent to share that bit of information with the lab; it was her own private business after all. They had met at the precinct after she had interrogated a suspect. There was nothing fantastic about their relationship, they got along and enjoyed each others company. It was comforting and simple; she enjoyed that, didn't she? Then why couldn't she get the feel of Danny's taught stomach out of her mind?

There's something about touch that just affects people in a way that is impossible to explain. A mother's soft touch on her baby's skin, the rough touch of brothers as they play fight, the inadvertent touch of two co-workers who had no idea they would react to each other.

AN My plan is to incorporate a theme for each chapter...we'll see how well I do at that. Let me know what ya thought.