Ch 20 The Reason Is You

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI:NY or any of the shows cast or plots therein. If I did, the whole world would know about it. That being said, any similarities between this story and any plots in the show is merely coincidental, or added in for clarity. I also don't own Hoobastank or the song, "The Reason".

A/N: A zillion apologies for the lateness of this update! Life and computer problems got in my way and I had to put writing on the back burner for a bit. My muse seeming to have gone off to join the strike didn't help either.

A/N 2: As always, a huge thanks to SallyJetson for the beta! You rock chica!

"I've found a reason to show,

A side of me you didn't know,

A reason for all that I do,

And the reason is you."

-Hoobastank "The Reason"

"Danny," she gasped, his mouth licking and sucking its way from her jaw down to her collar bone where he nipped lightly. "Danny, we really need to stop," she protested feebly.

"Why," he mumbled against her ever heating skin, before nipping and sucking at the pulse point under her jaw.

Unable to form a coherent sentence, she just pointed at the clock, whose numbers glowed 11:35 am.

"So?"

"Stella will be here soon."

"So," he playfully asked again.

This morning, they had reached the point where they couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other for very long. Danny had been polite and honored her wishes to not get ravaged in the shower; so he had contented himself, well sort of, with taking stock of what he'd need to pick up for his surprise dinner tonight. Somehow, between putting the grocery list on top of the fridge where Lindsay wouldn't find it, and hearing her getting dressed in the other room, Danny had found himself unable to leave her alone again. And this led to their current situation. Lindsay's hair and make up completely undone and her shirt, along with Danny's, having been flung somewhere in the room, and she and Danny tangled up in each other among the sheets of the still unmade bed.

"So," Lindsay pulled him from his thoughts "she might be early."

"Well, we should hurry then," a predatory gleam in his eye.

"Actually, a 'wham, bam, thank you ma'am' wasn't what I had in mind for our first time together," she replied, knowing that he didn't want that either, "when I get back, we can do things right, okay?"

Unless another creepy package shows up like last time

Instead of voicing that thought, Danny smiled and looked at the bright side. She was right. When she came back tonight, the mood would be set for a night of romance.

"Okay, that's a good point. But there's one more thing before I behave. It doesn't involve hickeys, I promise," Danny said, putting on his most sincere expression.

"What is it," she asked skeptically, not buying the innocent act for a second; but more than happy to play along.

Maybe Stella will run a little late for once

"This," he said before rolling her under him once more and swallowing her surprised squeal.

Exactly twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang jarring Danny and Lindsay out of their own little world.

"Dammit," Danny muttered, as he rolled off Lindsay, looking around for their shirts and trying to calm his racing heart all at once. Finding Lindsay's blue sweater, he tossed it to her as the doorbell rang again.

"Told you she might be early," she teased lightly as Danny found a shirt and quickly pulled it on before heading to the door.

"Just a minute," he hollered, doing up the last few buttons before opening the door to greet Stella. "You would be early today, wouldn't you?"

"Hello to you too, and I'm only five minutes early," she replied, stepping into the living room just as Lindsay came out from the bedroom and quickly closed the privacy screen behind her.

"Hey Stel! You're early!"

Taking stock of their respective appearances; Danny with his mussed up hair and rumpled shirt, and Lindsay also with mussed up hair and rumpled shirt, coupled with her lack of any make up and the fact that her face was still a bit flushed, the older detective put two and two together.

"Did I interrupt something?"

Looking at each other, Lindsay quickly ducked her head as her face flushed crimson,while Danny coughed and rubbed the back of his neck to cover up his embarrassment.

"I'm just gonna go and..." Lindsay stammered, mortification, at being caught in the act by her supervisor, setting in, "yeah. I'll be back in ten minutes," and with that, she quickly disappeared behind the privacy screen.

Another moment of embarrassment filled silence hovered in the air as Danny desperately tried to think of something neutral to say, and Stella found it hard not to be amused at the young couple's reaction to her arrival.

"I guess we just got a bit...sidetracked and forgot the time," Danny tried to make conversation.

"It's okay, really. No need to be embarrassed. I've been in love before too," she gave an easy out.

Bless you, Stella.

"I'm sure you have. I hear you and Don are quite taken with each other," the conversation switched easily.

"We've only been dating about as long as you and Lindsay, but yeah, we really do have a connection."

"I'm glad to hear it Stel. You both deserve to be happy," Danny spoke with sincerity.

"Thanks, Dan. And what about you? Does she make you happy?"

"Yeah, she really does. You know, I never really thought that someone like her could go for a guy like me, and it honestly kind of scares me a bit, Stel. I've never felt like this before. Before Lindsay, the only other woman I've said I love you to, has been my mother," Danny paused and looked in the direction in which the object of his affection had disappeared, "but I genuinely do love her and would do anything to keep her safe and happy. I'd die for her Stel, I swear I would."

"Have you told her all this?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Yeah. I don't think she'd be too happy with me mentioning dying for her right now. She still thinks this is her fault in some way. Like if something happens to me, it would be her responsibility or something," Danny explained, "but I do everything I can to show her I love her and want to be with her; that I don't feel obligated to be with her just because she's in danger."

"Ah, that's a good point. I'm sure she realizes that you really do love her, and wanting her to be safe and happy, as well as doing whatever you can to make that happen is just part of loving someone."

Danny pondered this for a moment before speaking, "I know that somewhere in that head of hers she knows that something is up today. She's asked me what I have planned several times, and clearly doesn't believe me when I say nothing much just hanging around the house. I just wish she would also realize that being stalked isn't her fault and that she didn't deserve to have Kevin or any of those other guys treat her like crap."

"Give her time Danny. Treat her the way you know she deserves to be treated and just stick by her. In time, and with lots of help, she'll realize that what happened wasn't her fault. She'll realize that not all guys are like Kevin," Stella wisely told him. After all, she, Stella Bonasera, was speaking form experience.

"Thanks Stel, I really needed to hear that. It's just hard, ya know? She wakes up crying at night and still has nightmares. Most the time, she'll talk to me about them and how she's feeling, but still she does clam up every so often and it hurts. It hurts me to see her in so much pain and to know that there isn't anything I can do to fix it. All I want to do is make her happy, and the one thing that would make her happiest, I can't fucking do for her!"

"Danny, as much as I know you want to make this better for Lindsay and catch the creep doing this to her already, it's not working out that way. We're all still working on it, and we want whoever this is off the streets as soon as possible too. It'll happen, trust me."

"I do trust you. I trust the whole team to do whatever they can to protect Lindsay. I just feel so helpless not being able to make her feel better."

"Really? Because it seems like to me, that tonight you're going to do something that's going to make her very happy," Stella pointed out.

"Well, the date and me getting Jason to come visit is bound to make her feel better, it's not the same as having my Montana back to the way she was."

"It's a start though."

"Yeah, I guess it is, isn't it?"

"Speaking of the date and getting Jason to come visit, do you have everything planned?" her innate curiosity took over as the rush of excitement, that only comes with knowing you know something that someone else doesn't, bubbled up inside her.

"Well, I have the menu planned out. I'm making Penne Vodka, Tossed Salad and, Raspberry Truffles for dessert," Danny listed the menu, proud of himself for making sure Lindsay's favorite chocolate treat was on the menu.

"That all sounds delicious! And what about Jason? When are you going to call him?"

"Um, you know what? I think I'll do that when I get back from the store," Danny told her, hoping she wouldn't discern the fact that he was scared as hell to talk to Lindsay's brother.

"I'm sure Jason's a really nice guy. Lindsay says he's the best big brother a girl could ask for; always looking out for her," she reassured, relaying what she'd learned from Lindsay.

"If you mean by 'always looking out for her' is greeting guys with a shotgun, then I guess he is a great big brother; doesn't mean that I'm not nervous about possibly meeting the business end of a 12-gauge."

"You are too cute, you know that," she asked with a chuckle.

"Since when is not wanting to get shot for touching someone's sister, cute?!"

"You really do love her! If you didn't, you wouldn't be so nervous about such a big step. That's what's cute."

Danny just scowled as he heard Lindsay getting ready to leave the other room.

Hearing the same thing, Stella spoke quickly and quietly, hoping to put Danny at ease. "Look, I bet Lindsay's already told him what a great guy you are. And think about it; who's the better judge of what kind of person you are, her or Jason? Just be honest with him, make sure he knows you have Lindsay's best interest at heart, and wouldn't ever let anything happen to her. Okay?"

"Okay, I think I can do all that," Danny said, falling silent and smiling as his girlfriend emerged from the bedroom, makeup lightly done and hair curled softly around her shoulders.

"You ready, kiddo," Stella asked, excited to show Lindsay what she had planned, and hoped that it would make up for her reaction the previous day.

"All set," Lindsay grabbed her black pea coat off the rack by the door. "So, did you two talk about all the plans Dan doesn't have today?" she asked, a smirk playing on her lips at the gut feeling that he was planning something and Stella taking her out was just a way to keep her busy while Danny did whatever it was he had planned.

"I have nothing planned today Montana; honest! Stella and I just figured you could use a girl's day out!"

"Of course," she said dryly as she clipped her phone onto her belt, and tossed her keys into her purse. "Messer, you're a terrible liar," she finished, leaning up on tiptoes to kiss him.

Stella had to bite back a chuckle as Danny feigned sincerity that seemed to amuse Lindsay more than convince her of his telling the truth. She had a great bullshit meter that was for sure. That was one of the things that made her such a great CSI, Stella mused.

"We better get going before Danny invokes his right to remain silent," Stella allowed herself to join in on her friends' amusement, momentarily.

Smiling, Lindsay reached up to his lips for one final kiss that appeared chaste, but there was something very sensual about it still.

Hell, all her kisses turn me on.

"Danny," she whispered stepping back from his personal space, "are you sure you don't want to tell me what you have planned?" she asked sweetly.

Struck silent, Danny tried to look everywhere but at her face, knowing she had that expression that just screamed, 'look at this face and tell me no'. The expression that would make him promise her the world if she asked him to.

"Alright Dan, we're gonna get going now before traffic gets too bad," Stella stepped in and saved what little will power he had, where Lindsay was concerned, from crumbling.

Following Stella out the door, Lindsay turned back to Danny one final time, "Have fun doing nothing today," she laughed when he mock glared at her.

"You have fun and try to relax today. I love you."

"'Kay. Love you too," and with that, she shut the door leaving Danny to breathe a sigh of relief.

She's just too smart for her own damn good sometimes.