Author's Note : Hey,...Right, we've come to the fourth and final part of my 'Late' series. I've had so much fun writing them and really appreciated all the support that you have given me. To rapidtetv, Linoria, Wait To You See Me Smile, dannymesserforever11, Crycrys, laurzz and a frozenheart412 I wish to apologise for not replying to your reviews. But please know that I truly am thankful for your comments and am humbled by them. And Crycrys? My story in your phone? Wow! Thank you. Happy reading Everyone!

Disclaimer : I do not own CSI NY or the towels used in the series. But I do own the mistakes and errors in my ff. Sorry.

Summary : What do being late means to Lindsay and Danny.

From Which Episode : Definitely after 'The Triangle' and of course a little side order of flashbacks for spice.

"Danny, I'm late."

"What?!?" The towel that he was holding around his waist dropped to the floor.

"I'm late." He could hear her voice quivering.

"What do you mean you are late?"

"What do you think I mean?" She really started crying. "And it's all your fault!"

"Linds, I'm sorry." He sat at the edge of the bed with the towel on his lap. "But are you sure you're late, Linds?"

"Of course I'm sure." She said between sobs.

"Tell me where you are."

"The deli across the street." Lindsay said in a small voice.

"Alright, give me 5 minutes and I'll meet you there."

"Ok."

Five minutes later, Danny found Lindsay standing under the deli's awning with a chocolate doughnut in her hand. He walked up to her and placed a kiss on her forehead, asking if she was alright. He steered her away towards the sidewalk putting his arm around her shoulders.

"I see you found a substitute."

"What am I to do? By the time I got there, they were already out of the peaches and cream doughnuts. The ones that I've been craving since yesterday." She offered him a bite of the chocolate doughnut.

"How late were you?" He shook his head.

"I was late by just two minutes. Some guy bought the whole lot. I would have ran after him but since I look and feel like a whale, what could I do? Speed Waddle?"

"Ow! What!?!?" Danny rubbed at the spot where she pinched him.

"I saw that smirk when I said 'whale' Messer! And like I said, this is your fault."

"I take the blame for knocking you up Babe but how am I at fault for you missing your doughnut?"

"Spoken like a true romantic." She rolled her eyes.

"I've heard that before." He winked. "Come on. Why was it my fault Montana?"

"Because, you distracted me in the shower." She blushed.

He laughed and squeezed her to him. He whispered. "Now, that's your fault."

"How is that my fault?" She gasped.

"For looking so damn hot!" He growled in her ear.

"Danny. I'm pregnant. I'm big. I look like a .." She whined.

He cut her off with a kiss on her chocolate laced lips.

"You are carrying my baby inside you. You are having a life that we have created together growing inside you Montana. That is the hottest thing I've ever seen."

"You sure it's not just my big boobs?"

"I shall not tell a lie.....OWWW!! Just what have you been eating behind my back Montana?"

"Aww..Does that hurt Cowboy? Come let's get you home and I'll make it better." She offered suggestively.

"Your place you mean?"

"Danny. It's not just my place any more. I know you still have your own apartment and I don't understand why. But when you are with us," she took his hand and gently placed it on her belly, "that makes it our place. Our home."

"I love you Linds." He kissed her lips.

"Good." She grinned. "Now, let's get home. I feel a new craving coming on." She pinched his butt.

***

"That particular flower grows under a controlled environment." Lindsay relayed the information to Stella.

"You mean indoor? Green house? Solarium?" Stella offered.

"Yes. And I've checked the possible locations and it narrowed down to one area." Lindsay enlarged a map and showed Stella the exact location.

"Great job Kiddo. I'll go get Mac on this." The curly hair Detective left the lab just as Danny walked into the room.

"What's that?" He pointed to the flower on the screen.

"Gardenia Jasminoides or commonly known as Gardenias" Lindsay rattled on."They symbolize purity and sweetness. They indicate secret love and convey joy. They tell the receiver "you are lovely."

"Really?" Squinting his eyes and sucking his lips. "Let me show you something." He punched in a few keys and winked at Lindsay when a flower appeared on screen.

"Daisy." He read out, lowering his voice to a level of intimacy. "Literally meaning 'day's eye' in Anglo Saxon because daisies open at dawn as the day just beginning. It also symbolizes new beginnings and means loyal love. Now, you know why I left you the daisy when I took your shift that day? "

"Danny." She sighed.

"I knew I care and was crazy about you but I didn't realize what it really was, till that morning on the pool table. I woke up with you in my arms. Your eyes slowly looking up at me. Combined with that shy but killer smile of yours that got me since the day we met, I knew it was the beginning of something for us. It wasn't just sex for me. It's us. And I had plans for that day."

"And you never told me any of this?"

"You know me Linds." He reached out and took her hand in his.

"I do. But I still love you." She told him in a whisper.

"Me too Linds." Interlocking their fingers, he raised her hand to kiss her knuckles. "You heading home soon?"

"Yeah but I'm going over to Uncle Freddy's today. He just got a new CD and he wants me to listen with him. You wanna join us?"

"CD. CD of people doing an eardrum-piercing kind of screaming in some alien language that gives me nothing but an earache?"

"It's called opera Danny."

"Yeah. I know. Just playing with you."

"So you coming? You can relax in his solarium. You like it there."

"The place which started another beginning?"

"Boom, Messer."

FLASHBACK

"Where the hell are you Lindsay!??!" Danny snapped.

"I'm at Uncle Freddy's."

"And you what? You think it's ok to just disappear on me?"

"Danny what are you getting at? I'm not like you. I don't just disappear and scr..."

"What the hell that's suppose to mean?"

"Nothing."

"Lindsay. I thought we've talked about this?"

"I know. I'm sorry. I know you're doing everything you can to hold what we have together and we've set on a fresh start. I'm sorry I brought it up. It's just that you yelled."

"I'm sorry about that. You didn't answer my calls so I kind of freaked out."

"A little technicality there. Battery went flat."

"What are you doing there?"

"Danny, I told you about this last week. Uncle Freddy is in Tibet and I'm house sitting his place. Remember? I even left you a note on your desk before I left the office this morning. Didn't you see it?"

"Awww Montana...." He picked up his files that he dumped on his desk when he came in and saw the little post-it note. "Yeah. I see it now." After reading the note in her handwriting, "MOO to you too."

"That 'MOO' better means you're sorry."

"Anyway I can make it up to you?"

"How about you bring dinner over when you finish tonight?"

"Anything special request?"

"Just no creepy crawlies." She giggled.

"But I thought you loved the fried spiders."

"You kidding me?!!? I just wanna see if you'll eat the worms. I didn't even have to say 'I dare you'."

"Got taken for a ride by a country girl. What was I thinking?"

"I kind of like that image, Cowboy."

"What?!??" He then realized what he just said. "Aww Linds. I'll be interrogating a suspect in a few. I can't have my personal weapon drawn from the image of you riding me!"

She burst into a fit of giggles.

"Yeah! Yeah! Laugh it up Monroe."

"Alright Messer. You better go do your job. I'll see you tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Don't be late Danny or..."

"What?"

"I might just start without you! Bye!"

"Damn you Monroe!" He swore to a dead line.

***

They were cuddling on the overstuffed sofa in the sunroom. Loving the ourdoors, Freddy Monroe had built a sunroom on his roof. The glass room was filled with plants and flowers. On one side of the room he had water cascading down the slanted glass wall to mimic a waterfall. In one corner he even has a small fish pond. He furnished it with a comfortable and inviting sofa and recliners for total relaxation while enjoying the serenity and cozy atmosphere in the room. Along the edge of the roof he had planted tall shrubs to shield his privacy from his neighbors. In New York where land is scarce and gardens are a luxury, he had created a little garden on his rooftop.

In the day, one would be able to enjoy the clear sky with just the top of the skyline visible to frame the scenery. But at night, the darken skies would hold the stars and the city's night lights would add sparkles to the cosmic wonder.

Lindsay rested her back against Danny's chest. Half lying with his back against the armrest and fluffy cushions, he had his arms around her. She relaxed against him and softly caressing his forearm. They were looking up at the stars through the glass roof. Lighted dimly with a few small vanilla scented candles, the room was transformed into a little Eden for them.

"See? It's just like back in Montana. Open skies and twinkling stars." She mused.

"Yeah. Almost." He played with her hair. He missed her long curls now that she had preferred to wear her hair shorter. "I can still see the city lights. But on the bright side? No a million crickets to drive me crazy! How you do country folks sleep with all that racket?"

"Just like you city folks sleep with your noisy train, blaring horns, loud mouth drivers, ear piercing sirens and moaning neighbors." She countered.

"But you contributed to the moaning, Montana."

"I do not."

"You wanna bet on that?"

Before Lindsay could reply, he took little bites on the back of her neck. Smiling when she slowly let her head to fall on her chest to give him better access. He released her name in a sigh against her smooth creamy skin. He trailed the tip of his tongue towards her ear, sending pleasurable chills down her spine. Gently nudging her head with his lips, Danny's fingers pushed her hair aside and anchored on her pulse point. Playing havoc with her senses, he whispered words that made her lose her train of thought. Her hands started to snake into his hair to bring his head lower to her neck as his arm caressed across her stomach to hold her closer to his body.

Turning her head, she latched on to his lips. Drinking in his taste and sucking on his lower lip. He kissed her deeper and let her have his tongue. Her hands slid down his thighs, kneading the hard muscles, as she pushed herself against him. Feeling him getting hard behind her. She bit her lower lip when he released her lips to once again attack her neck. His hands moved towards her breast and his teeth sank into her skin. When he began to suck, she let out a moan of unbearable pleasure.

Danny suddenly turned her around to let her straddle him. Staring into her eyes that had turned dark with need, he slowly reclined on the heavenly padded cushions bringing her towards him and to feel her weight on him. A feeling that he had missed to the point of madness. He coaxed her to lie on top of him and holding her close, he turned them sightly so that they were on their sides. Sandwiched between the soft cushions on the back and having Danny's hot smoldering body burning her own heated front, Lindsay felt what it's like to be between heaven and hell.

Heaven. To be in the arms of the man that you love with all your heart. Hell. To be in the arms of the man you love with all your heart but afraid to be with him. Afraid of what if she could not forgive him for what he did.

He must have read her fear. He cradled the side of her face.

"Hey."

"You win." She tried to make the situation light.

"No. This is not a game Linds. I didn't kiss you to prove a point. I kissed you coz I've missed being with you. I've missed having you in my arms. I really miss having your response that you gave like we once were. Every time I touch you, since we got back, I felt your fear and self-restrain. I know what I did and it's not easy to forgive me. I can't even forgive myself, Linds.

"It was you that I wanted. It was you Baby. But I..I didn't want to make you feel used. I didn't want to have sex with you to forget the pain of losing Rueben. With you it's always more than than. It's never just sex. Even times when we ripped each other clothes off after our little bets or when we have our little sessions in the lab, it's never just a game. I wanted to have those time with you. I want you. You.

"I didn't know you love me till you told me. But you know what?" He gently wiped her tear away. "I didn't know just how much you really love me until I walked into your bathroom the other night."

Holding her chin to make her look into his eyes. The tears that silently ran down her cheeks, broke his heart.

"Linds, I can't imagine the pain that you must have gone through, every time you see my toothbrush, my cologne, my aftershave, my things still standing there. You kept my clothes in your drawer Linds. The drawer that you open everyday to take your own clothes out. I would have thought you would have thrown them away after what I did. Why Lindsay? Why?"

"Because I love you too much Danny." She traced her finger down the side of his face to his chin. "I know what it's like to lose someone. It's painful knowing that you'll never see them again.

"I knew what you did and why you did it." She closed her eyes as if to swallow the pain of what she just said. When she opened them, he saw how hard it was for her to trying to stay strong and not break down. "And I know that you didn't mean it to happen but it's just hurts so much because of how strongly and deeply I am in love with you. My world crashed Danny. I tried to hate you. I tried to let you go. I tried to undo my feelings for you. I wanted the feelings to go away. So bad Danny, I wanted it so bad. I couldn't take the thought of you with.."

"Don't Baby. Don't say it." He crushed her to him. "Please. Don't say it. You don't know how much I want to undo what I did." His voice broke.

She pushed his chest gently to release her. Lifting her hand, she combed her fingers through his hair and brought his head down to rest his forehead against hers. Closing her eyes, she whispered, "I couldn't do it. I wanted to give you time to heal. Call me stupid but I wanted you to realize that you hurt the person that you love most. I took the risk of you loving me Danny. I was hoping that when you do heal, you'll finally see the person that you love. The reason why I gave you such a hard time was because it still hurts even when I wanted you back so badly."

Releasing the pressure that kept their heads together, she moved an inch to stare into his eyes.

"Know this Danny. Despite the hurt and pain that you've caused me, never, never was there even a day or minute that I don't love you."

"I..I.."

She placed a finger on his lips and gently shook her head. Lindsay had heard him uttered those three little words that night. But she realized that he guessed that she was asleep when he said them. It sounded more like he was convincing himself rather than confessing to her.

"No. You don't have to say it. I know how you feel and I don't expect you to say it just because you have to. Tell me when you are ready. Deep down you are but you're still afraid that I might not believe you. You're afraid to say it, thinking that it's just in order to get me back. Right?"

He closed his eyes and nodded.

"I understand Danny. But will you show me instead?"

Danny opened his eyes. She saw his feelings in them. Though they had the light from the candles reflected in them, the fire that burnt came from his ignited emotion. There was nothing but love and adoration for her.

Tracing her face slowly with his fingers, his eyes searched her features. His touch brought her breathing to short little pants. Her lips parted involuntarily and his lips curved just a fraction before he closed his eyes and captured her lips. It was soft at first but escalated to desperation. Like a man starved, he took all that she gave. He only stopped when Lindsay curved her leg around his hips and pulled him closer.

He moaned her name in her ear as his hand pushed the skirt of her dress further up her thigh. Tucked under his neck, Lindsay slowly undo his shirt top buttons to expose his chest. Nuzzling her face against him, she gave a little sigh as his chest hair tickled her face. Pushing slightly, she lay beneath him and undo the rest of the buttons as he supported himself on his hands. Tossing the shirt aside, his wife beater came next. She then started to kiss down his body as her fingers reached for the button of his jeans.

Slowly, bit by bit, each of their clothing were tossed to the floor. Each time uncovered, the exposed would be worshiped with kisses or touch. No words were exchanged. All wants, needs and yearnings were expressed by either a touch or a look. They savor what they had missed of each other, reacquainted themselves to what was familiar and explored and learned new things from each touch and response.

The silence of their blissful exploration was only broken when his unhurried entrance brought grasps of pleasure from both their lips. Holding on to one another, they gave and took all the passion and love that they had been deprived of for months making their climax much more explosive from any that they ever shared.

They came down from the intensity of their firece passion and intense reunion with Danny still impaled in Lindsay. He cried on her breasts as her arms wrapped protectively and possessively around him.

Later, still soaked in the aftermath of their reunion, Danny promised her that he would never hurt her again.

"Linds?" He stroked her hair as she lay on his chest.

"Hmmm?" She played with his dog tags.

"Was there something that you missed most when we were apart?"

"Yes." She giggled.

"What?" He lifted her chin to get his answer.

"Hearing you call me 'Montana'."

END OF FLASHBACK

Lindsay felt like her world was being ripped apart. The pain was so intense and unbearable. Never could she imagine the extreme distress that would envelope her. Danny was to be blamed. But she was just as guilty. Her own willing participation in the deed was the only revelation that made her accept the pain that she was suffering.

But the pain and suffering that she endured paid off. Turning her head, she saw a scene that made all her screaming and crying worth it.

Danny, was holding their five hour old daughter, Lucy, in his arms. She could see the little girl looking around but seemed content to be held and spoken to in her Daddy's husky whisper. Her husband was telling their baby a story. Lindsay heard of tigers, dungeons, diamonds and mermaids being mentioned. He heard her giggle and got up to sit next to his wife on the hospital bed.

"Hey." Moving Lucy to face Lindsay, he added "Lucy, look who is awake. It's Mommy!"

"Hey you two." Lindsay lifted Lucy from Danny's arms.

"How are you feeling Montana?" Kissing her.

"Tired but extremely happy. I love you."

"I love you too Lindsay."

Lucy started to squirm and gave a cry. Lindsay placed her finger against her small mouth and she stopped immediately.

"Are you hungry Lucy?" Lindsay asked softly as the little one began squirming again and turning her head towards Lindsay's finger. Opening her little mouth eagerly. "I think she takes after you Messer."

"She's Daddy's girl." He replied as he helped Lindsay to adjust her blouse to give Lucy her first meal. Lucy latched on quickly to Lindsay and began sucking. They both looked down at their daughter who had her eyes closed but mouth working furiously, suckling her milk. Her little fingers covered her tiny cheeks. She gave a little grunt when Danny lifted it off her face. Her parents laughed at her. The little one peeked one eye opened but carried on with her feeding.

"Daddy's been reading you a story, Baby Girl?" Looking at Danny, "I don't see a comic Danny."

"Not a comic this time, Montana. But something better." Danny cuddled them.

"Really? What is it called?" She turned to look at him.

He kissed her nose before replying.

"The Adventures of City Boy and Country Girl."

THE END......really.

afrozenheart412? If you are reading this, please drop me a line or I'll assume that you are still stuck at line 2 where Danny dropped his towel. Hehehe!

I hope the series is closed to your satisfaction and put a little smile on your lips. Thank you for staying with me all this while. Hope to hear your thoughts on this soon.