Disclaimer: Known CSI:NY characters belong to the creators of CSI:NY. I, sadly enough, am not one of those. Hence, I own nothing.

A/N: A Christmas themed fic befitting the holiday month. An idea that plagued the muse for days on end. This is the product of that plague.

Enjoy!

Winter seemed to have come hard and fast, turning the usual early chill into a mere memory in face of the current freeze. As the storm outside continued to wail, Danny was glad that the suspect's address given to him turned out to be an empty lot, neighboured by more empty lots all owned by a major developing company, giving him an excuse to jet back to the lab without another frozen thought. He growled loudly in irritation after entering the black SUV, bundled in his winter attire, the broken heaters, blowing either cool air or no air, adding to his misery. It wasn't the highlight of his week, but Christmas was only a few days away, the thought giving him a moment's happiness before realising he was required to work on both Christmas Eve and Christmas day itself. He groaned, annoyed beyond reason, and banged his head, hard, against the steering wheel.

Reaching the lab a while later, Danny made a beeline for the locker room. Sitting down on the bench, his mind was lost once again at the thought of having to work during Christmas and not being able to spend it with his family. 'Ma's not gonna be happy,' he thought with a sigh. On top of that, Lindsay still hadn't told him if she was flying back to Bozeman or not for the holidays, though he wondered if there was any choice in the matter if the current weather was any indication. If she was grounded in New York, it'd be their first Christmas together, a thought that plastered a warming smile on his face. The storm suddenly held more appeal to him.

The room door opened as a young male lab tech entered, bringing with him the noise and bustle from the hallway which dissipated as the doors slowly swung to a close. Brought back to the present, Danny mentally shook himself and unwound the long scarf around his neck. Throwing it into his locker, he shrugged off his coat and hung it before slamming the locker shut. With a nod to the other man, Danny exited the room, rubbing his hands together in hopes of defrosting his seemingly nerve-dead fingers.

Making his way to the office, Danny stopped midway and turned around as he heard his name called from behind. "Hey, …Mac," he greeted, somewhat oddly, at the sight of his supervisor flanked by Hawkes wearing bright red sweater holding a folder that oddly enough matched with bright green, and Flack, choosing instead to use his tie to enhance the holiday mood. Danny couldn't help but flinch at the tie, wondering if the detective was being paid – a lot of money – to wear it.

Seeing Danny's eyes zero in to his left, Mac could understand the look of discomfort gracing the younger man's visage having had the same response not 10 minutes earlier. He watched as the discomfort turned to disbelief and soon enough, Danny's familiar smirk was back in place.

"Nice tie, Flack," Danny commented sarcastically. Mac stifled a chuckle. Hawkes, knowing that Flack had won the colour competition hands down, smiled as he eyed the two friends standing before him.

Shaking his head, Flack glared at Danny, hoping to wipe off the man's cocky smirk. "Lay off, Messer," he warned, bringing up warning finger.

"No, really," replied Danny, holding up his hands in surrender. "Nice tie, where'd ya get it?"

"Specialist down on 42nd. It was a gift." Flack replied. "Why, ya want one?"

Cocky turned to horror as Danny's eyes widened, hands going up defensively. "No thanks."

Mac shook his head and turned to Danny. "What did you find?" he asked, changing the matter back to work. The address had been of Toni Simone's last known residence and their only direct lead in finding the last unaccounted DNA found at the scene of a murder.

"Snow covered grass," Danny replied. "Unless Toni's a mole rat, there ain't any way he lives there."

Mac nodded, "You're sure there's nothing there? What about the neighbours?" He turned to Hawkes who was flipping through the file, looking for data on the neighbouring plots.

"Surrounding area belongs to a development company," said Hawkes as he read, "since 1998."

Danny nodded. "Yeah, the whole place's just grass."

"I'll do a little digging on the company, see if anything comes up," said Flack, flipping open his notebook and jotting a few details down.

Mac nodded. "Keep me posted."

"Will do," Flack called out as he headed back to the elevator.

Mac pursed his lips in thought as he watched the retreating detective before turning to Hawkes. "Hawkes, I want you to double check all of Toni's records. The answer's there somewhere."

"Right," replied Hawkes before heading for the AV lab.

Turning to Danny, Mac handed him the case file. "Danny, I want you to find Lindsay and toss some theories around. There's something going on here and I want to know what."

"Gotcha boss," Danny replied in parting as Mac headed into his office. Turning back around, Danny headed for his shared office but found the room empty. Lindsay's computer screen showed a picture of Toni taken over 12 years ago. It was, surprisingly, the most recent picture they could find. Scratching his head, Danny turned around and headed for the break-room. He chuckled to himself, seeing her through the glass walls, chatting animatedly with Stella. "Hey," he greeted with a smile as he stepped into the room.

"Hey, Danny," Stella replied, returning the smile. She turned back to Lindsay and said, "I've got to run and find Mac. I'll catch you later."

"Sure, go ahead," Lindsay replied as Stella walked out. Turning to Danny, who was now busy making himself a cup of coffee, Lindsay smiled and sat down at the table clutching her own warm-for-the-next- minute mug. "Get anything at the address?" she asked, watching in amusement as he jumped and cursed as the hot coffee spilled onto his finger.

Placing the injured fingertip in his mouth, Danny turned and glared at Lindsay, daring her to even think about laughing. As the offended skin cooled down, he cleaned up the mess and sat down beside her with his cup. "Yeah," he replied, "frostbite."

Lindsay couldn't help but laugh. "Explains why you dipped your finger in the coffee," she teased. "Smart move, Messer."

"Not really in the mood here, Monroe," Danny replied gruffly, laying his head on his arms.

Sensing the testiness in his voice, she asked soothingly, "You alright?"

Danny snorted but groaned as he felt delicate fingers kneading the tense muscles in his shoulder. "Tired, cold and hungry," he replied in between moans of pleasure. "Cranky?"

"You were called in pretty early last night," said Lindsay, implying their interrupted dinner date. "And yes, very cranky."

"Sorry," he replied before blowing out a breath. "It's cold."

Lindsay chuckled and looked out the window to see the grey skies pierced only by the bright lights of the city. The snow had started to fall around 4pm and now, 3 hours later, it had only worsened, covering the entirety of Manhattan in a blanket of white snow. Leaning down to Danny's ear, she whispered softly, "How about a deal?"

Shivering at the warmth of her breath against the side of his neck, Danny sat up and raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "What kind of deal?"

"We get back to work, and after shift, we go back to my apartment and I'll cook you dinner."

Perking up at the thought of a home-cooked meal, more precisely a Lindsay-cooked meal, Danny found himself smiling tiredly. "It's going to be late by the time we get off, you're gonna be tired too," he said softly. "We can just order in."

"Do you think anyone's going to want to deliver in this weather?" Lindsay asked, pointing out the window.

Suppressing a yawn, Danny smiled sheepishly and found himself nodding. "Alright, alright," he replied, waving his arms. "Let's go before I drop."

Giggling, Lindsay nodded and followed his lead as they made their way back to their office. Once inside, Lindsay turned up the heat, and closed the blinds. It seemed as if the simple sight of the storm made the room drop 3 degrees. Flipping through the file that was open on her desk, she looked over at Danny who was now busy with Toni's last known details. "So did you find anything out there?" she asked.

"Nothing," he replied. He tossed the file onto the desk and sighed. "We can't find this guy anywhere. All his last known details were recorded before 1996. It's like he just disappeared after that."

"Insurance, bank accounts, mortgages, bills, everything is gone," said Lindsay as she read through. "Wait a minute."

Danny looked up. "What?"

"It says here that Toni's diabetic."

Danny nodded, "Yeah, so?"

"You need a doctor's prescription for insulin," she explained.

"So the Doc should have Toni's most recent details or maybe he knows where Toni's gone," Danny filled in. "You're a genius."

Pulling up the details of the last practice Toni was known to visit, her spirits fell as she skimmed through the data. "Maybe not."

"Whatd'ya mean?" Danny asked.

"According to this, the practice closed down 4 years ago. The doctor died in a car crash," she replied with a sigh. "It's a dead end."

Pursing his lips in thought, Danny wondered aloud, "How can someone just disappear like that."

"Pro job?" asked Lindsay before her eyes widened in realisation. "Danny…"

"Yeah?"

"What if Toni's under witness protection?" she asked.

Danny paused to consider the thought. "Yeah, it would explain how he's there one day and then boom! Gone the next."

"But if he's under witness protection, why would he get himself mixed up in all of this?" Lindsay asked as she furrowed her brows in thought. "It doesn't make much sense."

Sitting back in his chair, Danny read through Toni's DNA report. "We found his DNA on a cigarette," he said, "but there was no trace of him anywhere else."

"What are you thinking?" Lindsay asked, trying to follow his train of thought.

"I'm thinkin' it was planted," Danny replied. "Think about it – there's nothing else that ties him to the scene except the cigarette butt. It's only circumstantial evidence."

Lindsay nodded in understanding and picked up the report containing the store owner's statement. "But according to this, one of the guys left the butt on the counter right in front of the owner. He saw it come from their hands."

"I hate loose ends," Danny growled. "We've already got the guys who did it – why do we need this guy anyway?"

Smiling knowingly at him, Lindsay was about to reply before she was interrupted by Adam's knocking.

Stepping into the office, he handed the report over to Lindsay. "I analysed the compounds in the cigarette butt and it turns out that it's at least thirteen years old."

"So there was no way it was tied into last night's murder?" asked Danny.

Adam shook his head. "Not unless on of the guys decided to smoke a thirteen-year-old used cigarette."

"Thanks, Adam," said Lindsay before turning to Danny. "I think Mac's going to want to have another little chat with our three culprits."

XXXXXX

Looking through the one-way glass into the interrogation room, Danny and Lindsay watched in silence as the three men continued to remain silent with their smug little faces as Flack and Mac grilled them over and over. It was getting repetitive and Danny was far beyond annoyed at the men's lack of cooperation. Sensing the tension building in the man standing beside her, Lindsay placed a supporting hand on the small of his back, smiling as he turned to her with a sheepish yet tired look. Nudging her head down the hallway, she led him around the corner.

"You okay?" she asked, running her hand up and down his arm as he leant back against the wall.

"I'm fine," he replied with half a smile before leading them back to the interrogation room. They remained silent for a while, watching as the two detectives tried again and again to get the men to talk. None seemed to budge and soon enough Danny lost focus as his thoughts began to travel, ultimately landing on Flack's bright tie. 'Wonder if that's why they ain't talking,' he thought before a grin broke out at a recent memory. "Hey, Montana?"

"Hmm?" She didn't turn to him, focused on analysing each and every one of the three men's facial movement.

Danny's grin grew wider. "Have you ever thought 'bout buyin' me a tie?"

"Sure," Lindsay replied absentmindedly before turning to him sharply. "Wait, what?"

"A tie," he replied. "Ever thought 'bout buyin' me one?"

"You don't wear ties," she pointed out. "Where are you going with this, Danny?"

Leaning in closer, he said, "There's a place on 42nd…"

"And you want a tie like Flack's for Christmas?" she asked mischievously. "You could have been a little less blunt about it, honey."

"What? No!" His face contorted in distaste at the thought and he shook his head. "Just want you to promise me something."

"Which is?" she asked with a smirk.

Danny grinned and replied, "Never step foot in there and come out with a tie like that," as he pointed at Flack through the window.

"The difference between you and Flack is that if I'd given him one, he'd wear it. You wouldn't."

Danny winked at her and asked, "Is that a good thing?"

"Definitely," Lindsay replied, looking up to him with a grin as she leaned her weight against his arm.

XXXXXX

It had been hours before the three men had cracked, admitting that they'd hoped the murder ties would flush Toni, a former member of their gang and the only witness to a previous crime committed, out from under witness protection. Coupled with Mac's need for a rush to be put on the paperwork, it was only a little after 3 AM before Danny and Lindsay were able to leave the lab, the trip back to her apartment made longer as the weather took a turn for the worst.

Stepping off the elevator on her floor, Lindsay smiled at the comforting silence that had settled between them as she led him by the hand to her door. Unlocking it, Lindsay entered and switched on the lights, the bright room a sharp contrast to the darkness through the windows. She shivered slightly and moved aside to let Danny through. Taking his coat, she hung it on the hook next to hers followed by their scarves. Taking his hand, she led him to the couch before returning to lock the door. "You okay?" she asked with a smile, plopping down beside him. "You look tired."

"Try exhausted," he replied weakly.

"Want something to drink?" she asked, running a hand through his hair.

Shaking his head, Danny turned and laid down along the length of the couch, smiling when Lindsay followed, welcoming the warmth that seeped from her body into his. At the feel of Lindsay's lips against the corner of his mouth, he smiled tiredly and turned to capture her lips between his. "I think I'm going to have to take a rain check on dinner, Montana," he said gruffly as they parted, eyes fighting desperately to stay open. "I'll be gone before takin' the first bite."

"Stay the night?"

Danny nodded. "If it's alright with you," he replied. "There happens to be a storm outside." Relishing the warmth and comfort of their current position; spooned together tightly, he wrapped his arms around her frame, letting go a tired sigh as his eyes gave up.

Leaning into his embrace, Lindsay smiled at the feel of his heart beat. "I want you to stay," she whispered softly.

"Are you sure?" he asked, knowing that he wouldn't be able to leave even if she told him to. Feeling her nod against his chest, he smiled into her hair, her familiar yet unique scent slowly sending him to sleep. "We've got work tomorrow," he muttered absentmindedly, voice tapering into silence.

"Go to sleep," she crooned and soon enough Danny's breath slowed as he succumbed to his exhaustion. Untangling herself from his arms, she reached across and grabbed the blanket that lay folded on the coffee table, covering them both before cocooning herself in his embrace once more, lulled to a comforting sleep by his steady heartbeat.

Outside, the storm remained incessant as if determined to strangle the city with a fist of snow. But as Danny and Lindsay slept, bodies close, hands entwined and warmth shared, cold became a stranger.

A/N: Thoughts? Suggestions? Please review and share them.

Gaelen Kerr