Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY.
Series: 'Kindred Spirits'.
Spoilers: The Box, The Triangle.
The Triangle
"Lindsay's pregnant."
Jess spun around, her hand flying to her hip, momentarily forgetting that her gun was in its holster on the back of a chair. "Dammit, Flack; don't do that!" She sighed, turning back to the saucepan on the stove. "How did you get in?"
"I know where you keep your spare key." Don answered, with a smirk she could hear in his voice. "What are you doing?"
Jess pushed a stray hair out of her face. "I dunno, Don; what does it look like I'm doing?"
"I didn't know you could cook." Don commented.
"That's because I don't do it very often." Jess told him. "I just got fed up with take-outs." She turned the heat off. "Now …" She turned to face him again. "Did you just say Lindsay's pregnant?"
Don nodded, a smile on his face. "Yup. Danny just told me. He's really excited."
"Really?" Jess asked, a little sceptical. "I mean, Danny's one of my best friends, but … really?"
"Yeah, I was surprised." Don admitted, sitting down. "But, you know, Danny loves her so much and … no, I got nothing, if I'm honest." He sighed. "He asked her to marry him. She said no."
"That doesn't surprise me." Jess fell onto the couch next to him.
"Oh yeah?" Don reached over and pulled her on to his lap. "And why's that?"
"Because he was only asking her because of the baby." Jess reasoned. "No girl wants that."
"Isn't that the responsible thing to do though?" Don asked. "I mean, it's his baby."
"Yeah, but …" Jess sighed. "Every little girl has, at some point, planned her dream wedding. I think even I did it, once. Mind you, I was wearing my dad's hockey jersey rather than one of my mom's dresses."
Don sniggered. "I can see you doing that."
Jess grinned. "The point is, every girl's dream wedding is different, just like every girl's dream guy is different. But the one thing they all have in common is 'he loves me'. Not 'he got me pregnant and it's the right thing to do'."
Don nodded understandingly. "Alright, I hear you. So, Detective, what was your dream guy like?"
Jess was silent for a few minutes, thinking back. "Can't remember."
"Seriously?" Don asked. "I thought all girls kept that in their minds at all times."
Jess smiled. "Don, I gave up on fairy-tales a long time ago."
"You don't believe in fairy-tales?"
Jess tilted her head back so she could see him and laughed at the incredulous expression on his face. "Nope; can't say I do."
Don shook his head and pulled her into a kiss. "We'll have to fix that."
Jess didn't protest, even when his hands slid under her shirt to caress her stomach; she knew that he knew that she had a strict 'third date' policy and she also knew that he wouldn't push the issue.
It was refreshing to be with a man who had yet to push his luck, although he didn't hold back either; even a feather-light touch seemed to send shivers through her, making her shift even closer to him.
He mumbled something against her lips and she pulled away for a minute. "What?"
Don smiled at her. "I don't believe you."
"What, that I don't believe in fairy-tales?" Jess smirked.
"No, that you don't remember what your dream guy was like." Don teased. "C'mon."
"Well, I haven't really thought about it since I was, like, eight." Jess protested.
"Still don't believe it." Don told her, grinning.
Jess sighed. "Fine. He was taller than me … older than me, but not by too much … good-looking …"
"Good in bed?" Don guessed.
Jess laughed. "Don, I was eight! Although, yes, I suppose now; that would be part of it."
"Go on." Don prompted.
"Alright." Jess thought back. "Sense of humour, smart … and able to deal with the fact that I was going to be the best cop in America some day. I was eight." She repeated, before he could comment.
"You already wanted to be a cop?" Don asked.
Jess nodded. "When I was seven, Jamie started college and Dad was a bit upset because he didn't follow in his footsteps and become a cop. He was talking to Mom about it and I was in the room, and I looked up and said, "I'll be a cop, Daddy." And he laughed and said, "Jessie, girls can't be cops."" She smirked. "If there was one thing I hated, it was being told I couldn't do something."
Don chuckled. "Now why doesn't that story surprise me one little bit?"
"Because you know me too well." Jess supplied. "Oh, he also knew me better than anyone and treated me like a princess."
"That does surprise me." Don admitted. "Never figured you for the princess type."
"I wasn't." Jess agreed with a grin. "Even back then I knew it was the only way Dad and my brothers wouldn't kill him." Her smile faded slightly. "And then Philip came and went and I added a 'must be 100% faithful' clause."
"As far as I'm concerned, that comes under the 'treat you like a princess' part." Don told her, gently tugging her hair loose from its elastic. "Will you let me know when you meet this 'dream guy' of yours?"
"I think I already have." Jess murmured, kissing his palm as he brushed her hair from her face.
"I was hoping you were gonna say something like that." Don wove his hand into her hair and pulled her into another kiss. "Because I met my dream girl about two and a half years ago and I still can't get her out of my head."
"Mmm." Jess couldn't help her sigh of contentment, even as he broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. "Should I be jealous?"
"Well, she might just threaten your dream to be the best cop in America one day." Don teased.
Jess prodded him lightly in the stomach. "Gimme a break; I was a kid." She closed her eyes, breathing in his familiar scent. "I wasn't joking around, you know. I meant what I said."
Don cupped her face in his hand, his other arm still wrapped firmly around her waist. "So did I."
AN: If you've read Forbidden Fruit, yes, the first part is the flashback. And you're probably wondering who Phillip is; that will be in 'Sweet Sixteen' or 'Right Next Door', possibly both, depending on what happens. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not amazing at writing (or posting) these things in order, so I hope I'm not confusing anyone. If it's getting really confusing, I'll try and make sure I post in order, even if I don't write them that way.
OH, and I need ideas for 'Open and Shut', preferably ones that don't include what happened with Stella and Frankie, because that's a little too obvious so PLEASE let me know in your review!