Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY, they are the property of Anthony E. Zuiker and CBS. I also am not affiliated with the Macy's Parade.

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"I think everybody in New York is standing out here." Lindsay Monroe stood on her tiptoes and tried to peer above the people standing in front of her.

Danny Messer burst out laughing. It was so cute to watch her hop up and down to get a better view. Lindsay turned and fixed him with the Look. "What?" Danny shrugged.

"What's the point of being out here if you can't see?" she demanded. "At least back home, we could see it on TV no problem!"

He smiled and took her hand. "Montana, come here." She resisted being pulled forward. "Montana. Come on." She reluctantly allowed him to tug her toward him. He threaded his way through the crowd, pulling her behind him. Lindsay could see nothing but bundled up New Yorkers as far as the eye could see. But when three million people turned out to watch one event that was just inevitable. She gripped Danny's hand harder, not wanting to lose him.

Danny felt her grip on his hand tighten, and had to smile. He thought back to her earlier statement. He knew it was hard for her because she wasn't at home this Thanksgiving. Her family was all back in Bozeman. She had been in a foul mood all morning, even though Danny had thought up the perfect way to make up for the fact that she wasn't at home.

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The night before, at the crime lab

Lindsay was in a miserable mood. She had just found out that she couldn't get back to Montana for Thanksgiving this year. Mac had apologized profusely, but it wasn't making up for it.

"Good night, Montana," Danny greeted her on his way out.

"Yeah, and what's good about it?" Lindsay shot back.

"Whoa!" Danny grabbed her by the arm and spun her around. "Montana, what's wrong?" She'd never snapped at him like that before.

"I can't go home for Thanksgiving this year," Lindsay said. "I'm going to miss my grandpa's turkey recipe, my brother's lame jokes, my mom's pumpkin pie and watching the Macy's Parade with my niece. We watch it every year together."

"I'm sorry Montana. That sucks," he sympathized. Then, an idea formed. "Hey, don't leave yet." He ran to Mac's office. Lindsay tapped her foot impatiently. Danny came out fifteen minutes later. "You have the morning off tomorrow, you're working a later shift. I'm coming to get you at 5:00 a.m. Make sure you're ready to stand outside for a while."

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Central Park West and 77th

He tapped the person in front of him on the shoulder. The guy who turned around must have been seven feet tall and built like a Mack truck. He fixed Danny with a glare. The guy was a head taller than him, but Danny returned the gaze evenly.

Lindsay looked at the man in front of them. Then she looked at Danny. He's going to get his ass kicked. Yeah, that would just make her holiday better, a trip to the ER.

"Montana, give me a second?" He let go of Lindsay's hand. "Just- stay there. Don't move." Then he tugged the bigger man out of the way. Lindsay watched them shuffle not two feet away and start talking.

A cheer went up behind her, and Lindsay turned around. A spray of confetti had shot into the air and was raining down on the crowd. Three million people started collectively cheering. The sound was deafening.

She looked back at Danny and the big guy. They were right in front of her, but she couldn't hear a word they were saying. It was a wonder that they could hear each other. Danny's face was red, and he was talking animatedly with the big man. The bigger guy's eyes were flashing, and she could tell he was yelling at Danny, but she could only make out every other word.

Then Danny was next to her "Come on, Montana!" Danny yelled in her ear, and pulled her forward. She looked around, noticing that the big man was nowhere to be found. Finally, Danny stopped pulling and Lindsay had a obstruction-free view of the street. A float was going by, with bright yellow stars and "Macy's" printed in red across them.

Danny hugged her around the waist. "This is so much better than watchin' it on TV, Montana," he told her. Watching her beautiful face light up from the frown it had been all morning was worth it. She leaned against him. He hugged her tighter.

A shadow passed over them, and Lindsay craned her head upward to watch a giant Hello Kitty balloon float over the top of them. Suddenly, Danny's face filled her vision, and he kissed her. All thoughts of missing Thanksgiving in Montana disappeared from the back of Lindsay's mind, and replaced by the fact that she was standing on Central Park West and 77th with Danny Messer, watching the Macy's Parade in person.

He smiled. "Happy Thanksgiving, Montana," Danny said into her ear.

And she knew it would be. Especially later when she would ask him what it took to get the mountain of a man out of this prime viewing spot, and enjoy watching him make up excuses.

Danny, on the other hand, was hoping in about four hours, she'd forget all about it.

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Oh, I know. Complete and utter fluff. If you're not too tired from the turkey, drop me a review?