Author's Notes: Okay, so shame on me. I haven't posted a new chapter of Gassed in forever and here I am with a new story. I have been working on the next chapter of Gassed but I'm not happy with what I have so far and I don't want to post anything I'm not happy with. I promise I will work through the block and get a new chapter of it up soon. This story is a sequel to Wrong Place, Wrong Time. I was happy with the way I ended the chapter but I guess I really wasn't ready to say goodbye to that storyline completely. Snippets of this story have been running through my head for about a week now so I hope you enjoy it.

This story picks up about three months from the last chapter of Wrong Place, Wrong Time.

Disclaimer: CBS, Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, and Ann Donahue own all rights to the characters and premise of the show. I am making no money off this story and it is for entertainment purposes only. However, this particular story is my creation and should not be used without my express written permission.

Begin Anew

Chapter 1

Danny Messer wasn't a fan of working the night shift. He recognized that it was a necessary evil of his job; after all, crime - especially murder - wasn't a nine to five business. It didn't use to bother him when he worked because he loved his job regardless of the hours it forced him to keep. In fact, up until two years ago, he had almost preferred to work the night shift alongside his then girlfriend Lindsay. The sometimes more relaxed mindset of the late night hours had left the burgeoning couple plenty of time for innocent flirting in a way that would have been more heavily frowned upon during the daytime hours. After he and Lindsay had married and welcomed the birth of their beautiful daughter Lucy, those times of working the nightshift together had become a less frequent event. Mac Taylor, boss of the crime lab and godfather to their daughter, had recognized that finding a sitter for Lucy over night was more difficult than it was during the day and tried his best to not schedule them both for the same night shift. That had been the start of Danny's disenchantment with working the late hours. He had never complained out loud, however; recognizing that "I'd rather spend the night in bed showing my wife how much I love her" wasn't an excuse he could get away with no matter how supportive Mac was of their relationship.

His disenchantment had turned to outright loathing several months earlier in the wake of almost losing Lindsay at the hands of a group of sadistic bank robbers/kidnappers. The last three months, she'd made amazing strides to recovering from the horrific ordeal she'd been through and he couldn't be prouder of her. It hadn't been a easy time for either of them as Lindsay struggled to regain her confidence and the life she'd had before the attack while Danny could only offer her his support and love as she did so. Still, as far as she had come in the last few months, night time still, on occasion, had a tendency of bringing the worst of her demons to the forefront and it bothered him that he wouldn't be there to comfort her if it should happen while he was at work. He would never admit this fear to her or anyone else because he knew that a return to normalcy was important to Lindsay. Still, it filled his entire being with dread any time he saw his name on the schedule for a night shift without her.

With that in mind, he was glad to be home as he inserted his key into their apartment just after six in the morning. Work had been slow so he'd actually been able to leave a couple of hours earlier than his shift ended so he could actually spend a little bit of time with his two favorite girls before Lindsay had to take Lucy to school and go to work herself. That was time that was rare and precious during those times when they worked opposite shifts.

Knowing that Lindsay would appreciate a steaming mug of coffee when she first woke up, Danny went straight for the kitchen. Opening the baby gate that he'd thought he'd seen the last of once Lucy turned two, he looked over at the latest member of the Messer family. Reese's had just recently graduated from her crate at night but they still felt better about keeping her contained in the non-carpeted kitchen to avoid accidents while they slept. She had grown considerably in the three months she'd been with them, weighing about the same as Lucy now but she'd retained that affectionate and loveable personality that had first drawn them to choosing her as a pet. She looked up from the dog bed they kept in the corner for her, her tail wagging as she recognized Danny. He leaned down and gave her a quick scratch behind the ears.

"I know, you probably are ready for a walk but hows about giving me a little time with the human girls in my life before we do that. 'Kay?"

Reese's gave his arm a bath with her tongue as if to agree to his plan before settling down once again on the bed. With a smile, Danny rose and washed the dog slobber from his arm before he started the coffee going. Leaving the kitchen, he stopped first at Lucy's room and peered in on his little girl to see that she was still deep asleep, lying on her back with one arm flung over her head and the thumb of her other hand gently resting in her slightly opened mouth. He closed the door once again and made his way to the master bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he leaned against it for just a moment, taking the time to watch his wife as she slept. She was curled on her left side hugging his pillow close to her body as if as a pale substitute for the real thing. Her face was relaxed and peaceful, with no sign that nightmares had in any way invaded her sleep. He hoped that was true as he made his way to the bed, kicking off his shoes as he did so. The bed dipped slightly as he laid down beside her, easing the pillow from her arms. She whimpered slightly but didn't awaken completely as he took the pillow's place. His own arms snaked around her drawing her close to him before planting a feather-light kiss against her lips. Though she responded to his kiss, Danny wasn't sure if she realized he was actually there or was reacting to what she thought was a dream. His hand ran up and down her back, stopping short of slipping it under the t-shirt he recognized as one of his own. His lips left hers and he was content to just hold her beautiful sleeping form in his arms in the silence of the morning. She had probably a little more than a half hour before she had to be awake to get ready for work and he could be content to just enjoy the peacefulness of the moment.

"Either my alarm didn't go off or you're home early." Lindsay's sleep-filled voice broke the silence telling him that she was at least aware of his presence even if she wasn't fully awake. He tightened his hold, pulling her even closer into his embrace and brushed a kiss against her forehead.

"I'm early. You still have time to sleep some more."

"Un huh." She protested as her sleep-filled eyes tried to open. She kissed him deeply, her tongue begging entrance into his mouth which he happily allowed. The kiss lasted for several long passionate minutes and as Danny lost himself in the moment he couldn't help but think that working nights might not be so bad if it could always end up in this moment right here. Finally, they broke off the kiss and Lindsay looked at him with still heavy eyes and a hint of a smile flitting across her face. "Moments like this have been too long in coming the last couple of days. I don't want to waste a minute of any extra time I can have with you."

She didn't seem to have the same qualms about running her hands under his shirt to feel his bare skin against her own. Her touch sent shivers of electricity coursing through his body and Danny couldn't stop the moan of pleasure that left his lips. He returned the favor by caressing her breast through the fabric of the shirt she was wearing. He gave her a smirk. "Got any ideas about how you'd rather spend that time?"

She grinned back at him, tugging at his shirt. "Let's get you out of these clothes and I'll show you what ideas I have."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

By the time Lindsay's alarm went off, the sated couple was lying in each other's arms basking in the aftermath of their lovemaking. Both had had their doubts months ago that they would ever regain the spontaneity and ease they'd once known in their sexual relationship. If anything Lindsay believed it was even better than it had been before she'd been kidnapped and raped at the hands of the sadistic bastard that had tried to destroy her life. Perhaps it was because having coming so close to losing everything, they now realized how important every moment they spent together was.

"I wish I didn't have to go to work." Lindsay admitted after silencing the alarm.

Danny drew her in for another kiss. "So do I but we are both off tomorrow and I think I can be convinced to spend the entire day right here in bed with you. What do you think?"

Lindsay loved the way his voice seemed to get deeper and huskier during and after they were intimate with each other. The rich timbre of it never failed to send shivers of delight down her spine. "Sounds wonderful but I somehow have trouble seeing Lucy and Reese's letting us get away with it for long."

As much as Danny wanted to keep her right there in his arms and show her once more just how much he loved her, he knew she had to start getting ready for work soon or risk being late. He gave her one more quick kiss and pulled away, reaching for his boxers and wife beater that had been unceremoniously dumped as they undressed each other earlier. "Ma's been begging me for more time with Lucy; I bet she'd be willing to babysit and puppysit for the day if I asked. We can have tomorrow for the two of us and make Sunday a family day before we return to work on Monday. At least next week, we'll both be on days together."

Lindsay reached for her t-shirt as well, as Danny slowly re-dressed. "Sounds like a wonderful plan. Do you mind getting Lucy up and dressed while I'm getting ready for work?"

"I could, unless you'd rather that I help you with your shower." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. She laughed and gave him a quick kiss.

"As wonderful as that sounds, I'd better pass. I'd hate to have to explain to Mac why I'm late for work. Tomorrow, however…" She left the rest of her statement hanging as she disappeared into the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, she couldn't help but let her gaze linger for just a second on the crack in the bathroom mirror the way she did every time she came into the bathroom. She knew Danny did the same as well. The crack had come three months earlier when Danny had tried to put his fist through the mirror following a bad nightmare that had caused him to aggressively react to Lindsay's presence in a way that he knew had to have frightened her given what had happened to her. They had discussed replacing the mirror but in the end both had decided to keep it as it was a reminder of the lessons they had learned from that experience about being able to rely on the other when things got difficult.

Rather than dwell on that time of her life, Lindsay made quick work of showering and dressing. Though she wouldn't admit it to Danny, part of her almost dreaded going to work now. As much as she loved her job, it was hard to go to work every day knowing that the aftermath of the attack was still affecting her life there. Dealing with the events of the kidnapping and the rape had shaken her very core and had affected her performance at work to the point that it had come to the attention of Brigham Sinclair, Mac's boss. He had forced Mac to impose stipulations to her job that she was still forced to deal with three months later. When she'd passed her gun re-qualification and her psych evaluation two months ago, she'd thought things would return to normal but Sinclair was insisting on dragging his heels on letting up on his restrictions to her ability to work solo in the field. Constantly feeling like her every move was being watched was weighing on her at work and she was finding it harder and harder not to show her frustration around her husband and co-workers.

She didn't blame Sinclair or Mac; they had to think about the safety and integrity of the lab first and foremost. Except for an occasional dark day now and then that seemed to threaten her re-emerging self esteem, she didn't blame herself either. The blame rested solely on the man who had made her life a living hell, and even though he was dead and couldn't hurt her anymore; the aftermath of his actions continued to weigh on her in ways she couldn't control. She knew that Mac would allow her to return to the field unencumbered as soon as he could but it couldn't come fast enough for her.

Dressed, she emerged from the bedroom to find her husband and daughter laughing in the kitchen as they worked on making breakfast together. Although if she were completely honest, it was Danny cooking breakfast while Lucy was playing with the puppy. She could see a small plate of bacon waiting on the counter as Danny was working on the fried eggs. She smiled and kissed his cheek before greeting her daughter. She poured herself a mug of coffee before joining Danny at the stove. She snitched a small slice of bacon off the plate to nibble on as he finished the rest of the breakfast. He gave her a mock glare making her giggle.

"Don't blame me if someone helped me work up an appetite early this morning. I have a feeling you've helped yourself to some already anyway."

Once breakfast was finished, it was time for Lindsay and Lucy to leave. Lucy wrapped her small arms around her father's neck and gave him a long hug and then a kiss. "Bye Daddy. I loves you so much."

His heart melted as it always did when she said those words. He hugged her tightly and told her to have a good day at school. She climbed out of his lap and went to Reese's, hugging the dog much the same way she'd just hugged Danny. "Bye Reese's. I loves you so much."

Danny's jaw dropped to hear her say goodbye to the dog the same way she had him. Before his ego could become too bruised, Lindsay wrapped her own arms around his neck and gave him a long, slow kiss goodbye. Once she pulled away, he couldn't help but warn her. "You say goodbye to the dog that same way and I swear to you I'll forget all about callin' Ma about tomorrow."

Lindsay laughed. "Wouldn't dream of it, Cowboy. Love you."

"Love you too. Be careful."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

The morning hours passed relatively quietly for Lindsay. It was almost as if crime had decided to take the day off that she'd wanted to take while in bed with Danny. She wasn't going to complain, however. A busy day at the lab meant that someone else had to suffer a horrible crime and she wouldn't wish that on anyone. While everything was quiet, Mac had Lindsay and Hawkes work together to do some much needed restocking and cleaning around the lab.

After lunch, she was in the process of refilling different bottles of chemicals while Hawkes was re-sterilizing Petri dishes and vials. She was lost in her own little world when she suddenly heard glass breaking and then Hawkes cursed and let out a strangled cry. She rushed to his side, worried to see blood dripping from his clutched hand.

"What happened?" She asked as she led him to the sink to wash the cut.

"I don't really know. One of the dishes must have gotten too hot in the oven; it just busted to pieces when I removed it. I think I might have some shards of glass still in the cut."

Mac came running into the lab, wincing as he saw the wound. "We need to take you to the emergency room to get that treated. Lindsay, Jo's already out at a crime scene. You ready to handle a solo event if another call comes in before I get back?"

Lindsay was more than ready to fly solo but she felt bad that it was coming at the expense of Sheldon getting hurt. She also didn't want Mac to get in trouble with Sinclair if he let her go on her own before it was authorized. Chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully, she looked at him carefully. "Would it be better if I took Sheldon to the ER just in case? I don't want…"

"I'll have to fill out the paperwork anyway at the hospital. I'm okay with sending you out alone if you are okay with it. Sinclair isn't going to have a problem with it." Mac assured her as they temporarily wrapped Hawkes's hand.

"I won't let you down." Lindsay promised as she walked with the two men to the elevator.

Mac gave her arm a squeeze. "I know you won't. I'll be back when I can."

As the elevator door opened, she reached up and gave Sheldon a kiss on the cheek. "I hope everything is okay."

The two men hadn't been gone ten minutes when her phone buzzed. She looked at the message. A dead body, possible overdose, had been discovered in the back alley of 41st Street and she was needed to process the scene. She squared her shoulders as she grabbed her kit to head to the parking garage. It was time to go prove she was still capable of doing her job.

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

"Okay, if you remember anything at all please give me a call at the station." Don Flack, Jr. handed the potential witness his card and closed his notebook. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a department Avalanche pull up. He never knew which CSI would respond to a call but he never really worried about it. Anyone on Mac Taylor's team was more than capable of whatever the job asked of them. As the truck door opened and Lindsay Messer emerged, he smiled, pleasantly surprised to see her by herself. He'd listened to Danny venting many times over the last two months about how unfair Sinclair was treating Lindsay with his restrictions and knew it was only a matter of time before his best friend blew his cool around the Chief of Detectives in defense of his wife.

"Glad to see you fully back in the saddle. 'Bout damn time if you asked me."

She flashed him a grin. It did feel good to not feel like she was being babysitted at a crime scene even if she did feel bad about the circumstances that led to it. She was a little nervous however; one wrong move could mean further restrictions from Sinclair and she didn't want to take any chances.

"What have we got?" Lindsay asked as she ducked under the crime scene tape.

Flack indicated the alley way. She could see the body lying propped against a wall. Male, approximately 20 years old, clothes dirty and unkempt. He was wearing a t-shirt and his bare arms told the story of repeated needle injections.

"No ID and nobody around here claims to have seen anything or know who he is. Doesn't look like it was his first rodeo with drugs."

Lindsay took her camera from her kit and knelt beside the body, taking a few pictures. "Maybe not but it was definitely his last." She looked at the ground around the body and frowned. "Are we sure this is where he died? Or that he died alone?"

Flack shook his head. "Like I said, nobody claims to know anything. Why?"

"No sign of a needle or other drug paraphernalia. If he overdosed, it doesn't look like he shot up here. Can we get a couple of unis to canvas the rest of the alleyway to see if there's a needle or drug vial around?"

Flack nodded as he saw a shop owner he hadn't questioned yet opening the shop next door. He indicated the two officers standing just on the other side of the tape. "Why don't you grab Jenkins and Saunders over there. I'm going to see if the guy who has the shop our DB died next to knows anything."

Lindsay nodded and straightened up. As Flack made his way toward the shop, she approached the two officers. Jenkins, the older of the two officers turned to face her as she came close. She offered them a warm smile. "I need the two of you to help me with something real quick."

None of them noticed the dark sedan turn the corner and slowly drive down the street toward their location. They didn't notice as it slowed to a small crawl as it got closer and closer, They didn't see the back window roll down on the barrel of a gun poke its way out the open window. They saw nothing until the sounds of gun fire filled the air.