Forget the Past--A NY fic (duh!)

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Forget the Past

Disclaimer: I don’t own the cast or characters of CSI:NY, but I wish I was one of them. Gawd, who doesn’t?! Rose Daugherty’s character, but not her crimes, are very slightly based off of Sue Conway from Nothing to Fear by Karen Rose. I don’t have rights to the book…obviously Karen Rose does, you people are smart enough to know that.
Chapter Summary: Lindsay prepares for a date she’s been waiting for all year, but when interrupted by an old friend, she realizes she can’t be going on any dates any time soon.
Alex’s note: Yes, this is the date that was mentioned in Love Run Cold. There will be several moments from the episode in this story. Oh and anything here that sounds a bit unclear will be explained in later chapters And despite the fact that it's been forever since I've finished a fic, I have promised myself to finish this one *cheers and inspirational music*

Chapter 1: Date night? Maybe not…

Lindsay Monroe applied a coat of lip-gloss and examined herself in the mirror. This is as good as it’s going to get, I guess, she sighed. She actually didn’t look that bad, but she didn’t look amazing either. That was what she couldn’t understand. Danny Messer could have any girl he wanted and he knew that. So why did he want someone like her? At best, she wasn’t much more than ordinary. Danny could do much better.
Take the chance and don’t ask why, she told herself. He had asked her to go on a date, and she didn’t have to know why he asked her. She was just going to go and she was going to enjoy herself tonight. She glanced at the clock; and she was going to have to go now if she didn’t want to be late.
She opened the door to leave and almost bumped into a familiar figure that blocked her path. “Whitney?”
“Lindsay, we need to talk,” the woman stated flatly.
“How-how did you know where to find me?” she asked, not moving from her spot.
“I asked around,” she said. “You’re way too easy to find, which isn’t all that great right now. Can I come in?”
Still in shock, Lindsay stood there stupidly for a second, before getting a hold of herself and trying to push past Whitney. “Not now, I’ve got plans tonight.”
Whitney grabbed her arm. “Cancel them. This is important.” Her eyes were sober, agreeing with her firm words. Whatever had brought Whitney Doran from Bozeman to New York was serious. Lindsay’s shoulders sagged and she let her in.
“Nice place,” Whitney commented, surveying the apartment. Lindsay stood a few feet behind her, not in the mood for small talk. Whitney had ruined her evening, now she wanted an explanation. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
Whitney turned to face her. “Dirke said you weren’t answering his calls. I didn’t know if you’d answer mine, so I decided to come talk to you in person.”
Dirke’s calls. That’s what this is about? She came all the way to New York City to convince me to call Dirke? For heaven’s sakes, when do these people give up? It was a year ago! “Go home and tell Dirke I’ve moved on with my life and he should too.”
“For crying out loud, Linds, get over yourself!” Whitney snapped. She held up her left finger showing off a plain band of gold. “He has moved on with his life!”
Lindsay stared blankly at the ring for what seemed like hours. Finally she muttered. “That’s really cold, Whit.”
“Well, the truth hurts,” she quipped. Then her face grew penitent. “I’m sorry. I meant to tell you, but…not like that.” Lindsay nodded. She really was over Dirke Scotts and if he and Whitney were happy together, she was happy for them. It was just Whitney’s way of delivering the news that caught her off guard. “Look, I didn’t come to brag about the fact that Dirke and I are married now. You know I wouldn’t do that. I came for the same reason he’s been calling. To warn you.” She looked at her softly. “You may want to sit down.” Lindsay did. “It’s Daugherty. She escaped prison.”
“What?” Lindsay asked, eyes wide.
“She shot a warden and escaped. No one knows where she is, but her cellmate said…” she took a deep breath. “Her cell mate said she was coming after the ‘bitch who put her in prison.’”
Lindsay drew a sharp breath. “But…she doesn’t know where I am. How can she?”
“She may not now, but she will. She’s smart. You have to be careful, alright? Stay with one of your friends or something. Preferably a large man.”
The shorter brunette shook her head. “I’m not dragging anyone into this. It’s my problem, I’ll sort it out my self.”
“Lindsay, don’t be stupid. If she finds you, she’s not going to smack you and walk off. She’s coming after you to kill you!”
“I get it, Whitney,” she said. “I’m a big girl; I think I can take care of myself.”
“Right, but having the ability to protect yourself and doing it are two different things. I’m more worried about the latter.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said. Her cell phone rang and she looked down at who was calling.
“Who’s that?” Whitney asked.
“It’s Danny,” she answered, shoving the phone back in her pocket. She couldn’t tell him about this. “A guy I was supposed to go out with tonight.”
Whitney read Lindsay like a book. “You really like him, huh?”
“You can tell just by me saying his name?”
“Lindsay Monroe, I’ve known you since we were babies. I could tell if you didn’t say his name.”
Lindsay smiled. It was true. Whitney could always read her like that. “Yeah. Yeah I do.”
“Sorry about the bad timing, hon.”
“It’s fine,” she lied. She would much rather being out with Danny then here talking about a killer that was coming after her. But now that she knew what she knew, there couldn’t be any dates with Danny. Not until she got this sorted out at least.
Whitney’s expression became serious again. “I’ll call Dirke and tell him I’m staying in New York.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Lindsay argued.
“If you won’t stay with one of your friends, then I’m staying here. You can’t fend off a woman like Rose Daugherty yourself, Linds.”
“No, but I think my gun should do the trick,” she grinned a bit, then added firmly. “I’m not going to put anyone I care about in potential danger. Not you, not anyone at work, no one.”
Whitney stared at her friend. She had that look on her face. That “don’t-argue-with-me-I’ve-made-up-my-mind” look. Lindsay was nothing if not determined. “Fine,” Whitney agreed. “I won’t stay with you, but I’m staying in New York.” She was determined too.
“I can’t stop you from staying in the city,” Lindsay admitted.
Whitney got up. “Well, in that case, I’m going to have to look for a place to stay. Night.” She stopped halfway to the door. “Are you going to call that man of yours back?”
Lindsay blushed and hung her head. “He’s not mine. And I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow.”
“Alright. Promise you won’t do anything stupid?”
For a moment, Lindsay didn’t know if she was talking about Danny or if she was talking about the problem with Daugherty. She shook off the thought. “I won’t. I promise.”
 
I really really like your explanation as to why Lindsay would stand Danny up. I didn't like that we never got a good reason in the episode. Good job! it's a great story I really want to know where it's going!
 
Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own or have rights to the characters of CSI:NY, but if they were real, I would so be joining that team, even if I’d rather be a detective. Also, I do not own most of the dialogue that is in this chapter. It is taken from episode 3.3 entitled “Love Run Cold”. You can credit Anthony E. Zuiker for that, or probably Carmine and Anna themselves, because I don’t know about Anna, but Carmine takes lots of liberty with his lines.
Alex’s note: Thanks muchly for everyone who reviewed. I’m trying to get this up quickly, but still make it nice. And now on with chapter 2. It’s basically a recap of the first half of Love Run Cold…a very comprehensive recap. Let’s just say I should have the episode memorized by now. There are a few scenes of my own, but they are very brief. If you haven’t seen the episode, and don’t want to be spoiled, don’t read. If you have, then now you get to read it.

Chapter 2:
Love Run Cold (first half)

Awkward tension filled the air as Danny and Lindsay processed the basement where the victim, Tonya Nettles, had been when she was killed. They said practically nothing except for things to do with the case. Lindsay knew he wanted an explanation. What man wouldn’t? She stood him up, then didn’t return his calls or tell him why. He was offended or hurt, or both. And even though, she knew why she couldn’t tell him why, she felt like a bitch for it.
“’S been a long time since I’ve been stood up on a date,” Danny muttered finally.
Lindsay tensed at the mention of it, but she had been anticipating the conversation to coming at some point.
“Sorry, Danny, something came up,” she answered brusquely, keeping her eyes on the ceiling. She hoped he would drop the subject at that.
She should have known better. “Your phone’s not working?”
“I’m really sorry, Danny,” she repeated. She still didn’t face him as she turned the corner. She couldn’t. All day, she hadn’t been able to look him in the eye and she wasn’t about to start now.
Danny still wanted answers. “Are we…alright?”
“Yeah,” she said slowly. Just keep your distance, for your own good. “Sure.” She stopped in front of a cabinet holding icicles filled with the new vodka Tonya was to be representing. “These are the ice versions of the commercial product,” she said, changing the subject. “They were filled with vodka for the party.”
Danny took the hint that she didn’t want to talk about it. “Alright, so this lift is operated from upstairs.” He pointed his flashlight to the ceiling, then bent down near the lift and swiped his gloved fingers across the floor to examine the grease stains more closely. He then walked over to the curtain and pulled out a bloody safety pin.
Lindsay stopped walking when she saw a pile of feathers at her feet. She bent over to pick one up. “Think they were from someone at the party?” Danny asked over her shoulder.
“It’s not one of our vic’s,” Lindsay agreed. “She wasn’t wearing feathers this color.” In Tonya’s ice princess costume, the feathers had been pure white; the one Lindsay was holding, had streaks of brown. “From our killer?” she hoped aloud.
“If they are, looks like he flew the coop,” Danny quipped, attempting to make a joke.
“Haha,” Lindsay retorted sarcastically.
“Hey, I tried.” He gave a half-grin and Lindsay tried not to melt. He wasn’t going to make this easy for her, was he?
“I’m going to go talk to the bouncer,” she told him, taking the lift upstairs. She thought she heard him call after her, but the lift was already rising.
The bouncer was tired…and none too happy about working this late. Nevertheless, Lindsay had a job to do as well. “Has anyone left the club since Tonya was found?”
He glared at her. “No. I know how to do my job.”
“No one’s even stepped outside for a moment?” she pressed.
He paused. “One of the waitresses. Kelly. She needed a smoke,” he defended. “She’s been here all night, as have most of us.”
That she understood. She might not have been working all night, but Lindsay sure hadn’t gotten any sleep. Not after Whitney’s visit. A dozen thoughts had been racing through her mind, keeping her from putting her head down. Did Daugherty know where she was? How close was she? Would she try to hurt anyone around her to get to her? That was what she was most afraid of. That was why she had had to stand Danny up. And she wished like hell that she could tell him that.
She walked back inside the club and ducked under the police tape. Danny stood there, looking frustrated. “Get anything?” she asked.
“Negative,” he sighed.
“The bouncer says no one’s left the club since Tonya was discovered,” she informed him.
“So our witness list might be our suspect list,” he concluded and she nodded.
“Are you ready to head back to the lab?” she asked him.
“Yeah, you need a ride?”
“No thanks,” she said politely. “I took my own car.”
He looked disappointed and Lindsay tried not to meet his eyes. “Alright, meet you there.”

---

Lindsay and Danny arrived at the morgue at about the same time. “Strange,” Sid said. “Tonya Nettles was stone-cold sober.”
Danny raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t most people when they’re at work, Sid?” he asked.
Sid looked halfway up at him, while still looking at the body. “I’ll ignore the implication of your question, Detective. I had to remark on it because the young lady’s alchohol content was zero percent, but her stomach was filled with vodka.”
“That happens how?” Lindsay inquired
“It happened either at the time of death or immediately after. I’d say the vodka entered via this wound on her stomach.” He pointed to it.
Lindsay looked up and turned to Danny. “The waitresses were pouring vodka from bottles made of ice.” She looked then at Sid. “You know the promoter said she was supposed to be holding a big ice scepter when she came up.”
“Which was also filled with vodka,” Danny completed.
Sid nodded. “I also found this trace on her cheek. Not make up. Grease.” Danny bent to look at it, remembering the grease stains he’d found at the scene.
“Tonya had a compact,” Lindsay said. “She would’ve checked her face last. Did she have any trace on her hands?”
“Not one,” Sid said.
“So if she didn’t put it there herself,” Danny began.
“We have to find out who did,” Lindsay completed.
When Danny had left, Sid parted his glasses. “You still finish each other’s sentences even when you’re angry at each other,” he commented. “That’s interesting.”
”We’re not mad at each other,” she assured Sid. She didn’t know why she had to tell him anything, it really wasn’t his business. But he was quick at picking things up, at least when it came to whatever it was between Danny and herself.
“No?” he asked. “I haven’t heard a single flirtatious remark since the two of you were in here. You usually leave together, yet here you are, after he’s left.”
“We’re not a couple either; I don’t have to follow him every where,” she said with an edge to her voice. Now she really wished he’d drop it. Besides, they weren’t mad at each other, there was just so much tension right now. “I have to go.”
---
When Lindsay got to the evidence room, Danny was still processing the feathers. She walked up beside him with the results from the grease. He half-glanced at her in acknowledgement. “I’ve been going over these feathers. They’re mostly rooster, ostrich, that sorta thing. More than likely came from one of the costumes the waiters were wearing at the party.” He nodded at her folder. “Get anything back on the prints off the scepter?”
She looked down at the folder. “Nothing in APHIS. But I did get a source for the grease on Tonya’s cheek.”
He took the folder and looked at the result. “Soy oil. Some kinda make-up?”
“Soy oil’s extreme property is its ability to withstand extreme cold,” she explained.
“From the hydraulic lift at the club,” he gathered. She nodded. “The way that platform was set up Tonya couldn’t have touched the grease.”
“Transferred to Tonya by someone she worked with maybe?” Lindsay looked at him hopefully.
He looked at his computer screen. “No CODIS on the blood on the safety pin, and the sample from the gum was too corrupt to say anything more than that it came from a woman. We do know it’s not from Tonya Nettles…”
“I’m pulling a list of employees,” she told him. Then Danny did what they had been avoiding all day. His eyes looked up and locked with hers; his stare seemed almost like he was reading her and for a moment, Lindsay thought he could see what was going on with her. She broke eye contact, grabbed the gum, and left the lab abruptly.
---
About an hour later, the two were walking down the streets of Manhattan. The walk was a nice change from being in the lab since six in the morning and with Danny talking on his cell phone, there wasn’t much chance of him asking what had happened the night before. Besides, right now she needed to focus on the case. Mac wanted them to close it as quickly as possible. Hopefully when Danny got off the phone with Adam, he’d have some good news.
“Colin’s prints came back negative,” he said as he hung up the phone.
She blew out a frustrated sigh. A murder couldn’t have been committed by no one. “So is he off the hook?” she asked.
“His blood still puts him at the scene.”
”So what else have we got?”
Danny paused. “You wanna go get some lunch?” he asked simply.
“Danny, Mac wants us to wrap this up.”
“Sure but he doesn’t want us to starve to death.”
“What else did Adam say?” she asked, getting back on topic.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, that’s who you were talking to, right?”
But the man was set on getting something to eat and skirted around her question again. “Yeah, but what makes you think he said anything else?”
Fed up, Lindsay stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, hands on hips. Danny turned to face her and resorted to begging. “I just wanna go somethin’ to eat!” he pleaded. She remained unmoving. “Alright the gum you found, matched it to the dental impressions from the vic…nothing.”
“DNA and teeth impressions both negative?”
“Negative,” Danny repeated. The look on her face showed that she had nothing else to ask. His stomach rumbled and he hoped now that she would agree to go out to lunch with him. Although, with the way she’d been acting today, he wasn’t counting on it. Still, you couldn’t blame him for trying, and he was trying hard. Anyway, it didn’t count as a date, did it? It was just getting something to eat.
“I’m gonna go take a look at the gum,” she said, pushing past him.
“No, no, no, no, no! Adam--Adam looked at the gum! I just wanna grab a slice!” He patted his empty stomach as he called after her. “I’m starvin’ here!” She kept walking until she was lost in the crowd. He sighed and looked at the buildings around him. “Where am I?” He looked around and recognized the buildings around him. He knew there was a sub shop near there and decided to stop in and get some lunch.
At the sub shop, he ordered his sandwich and fished his pockets for money. “You don’t look too happy today,” the man behind the counter commented. He didn’t answer, but gave a short grunt. The man was perceptive though. “Woman problems?”
Tell me about it, he wanted to say, but instead sat his money on the counter and said “I came here to get some food, not to get my fortune told.”
“Alright, no need to get cranky,” the guy defended, holding his hands up. “Definitely a woman,” he muttered as he wrapped the sub in paper and put it in a plastic bag. He looked back up at Danny and handed it to him. “There you go. Have a nice day.”
Danny stepped outside the shop and took a bite of the sandwich as he thought. He didn’t know what was going on with Lindsay today. When he’d asked her out on Wednesday, she really seemed like she wanted to go, but come Friday she didn’t show. She didn’t give him any explanation and she ignored his phone calls. It could be that she just wasn’t interested but why the sudden change of heart so quickly? He wasn’t sure, but he sure as hell was going to find out.
---
Alex’s note: Well, if I did the whole ep it would go against my whole short and sweet chapter thing and as much as I’d like to post longer chapters, I’m not ready to part with my trademark yet. Don’t worry I probably will later, but I can’t bring myself to yet.
 
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