Fic: Regard
Feb. 8th, 2006 09:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
starrikaDanny finds out that "dark secret" of Lindsay's that's been hinted about.
For once, Lindsay Monroe seemed tired and withdrawn – surprising, since she had displayed such an unfailingly upbeat attitude since she had joined the team. Now, though, she was quiet and distracted, not even rising to the bait when Danny tried to tease her.
It was no surprise then, that Danny Messer was unnerved by this change and concerned when he had to repeat things to his obviously bothered colleague.
They were looking through photographs from a recent crime scene, a double homicide, though Danny wondered if Lindsay was truly looking at them, she was so uncommunicative. Glancing again at the photo in his hand, he frowned.
“Something’s not right with this,” he muttered. Pulling out a few more photos, he compared the ligature marks on the bodies once again. “I think we’re looking for two belts, not one.”
“What?” Lindsay asked.
“I think there’s another murder weapon. The vics have different markings on their neck. It’s small, but they’re different. We need to go back to the scene.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“You ok, Montana?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Danny remained unconvinced. Telling Mac they were going back to the scene, he headed out to the car, automatically going to the driver’s side. Placing the keys in the ignition, he started the car before looking at Lindsay expectantly.
“Ok, spill.”
“What?”
“Obviously, something’s wrong, you’re not fine, and it’s not nothing,” he said preemptively. “You bothered by the case?”
He was concerned that perhaps she had let the case get to her. The vics were siblings, a boy and a girl, only five and seven. Their mother had run across the street to grab a movie the neighbors had borrowed while the kids were watching tv. When she returned five minutes later, she found them strangled where she had left them sitting.
“No, it’s not work related.” Danny wondered if her voice could get any more monotone. He didn’t expect Lindsay to be happy all the time, but she was so unresponsive, he couldn’t help but worry.
“C’mon, Montana. You’ll feel better after you talk about it. Obviously, you’re distracted right now, and I’m gonna need you to focus when we’re at the scene.”
“I’m not distracted!” There was a little inflection in her defense, but Danny could see her heart wasn’t in it.
He gave her a look.
“Ok, I am. But it’s personal. I’ll be fine,” Lindsay said in a brittle voice that told him not to push any further.
“All right.”
They drove in silence for the next five minutes, and Danny thought she might be mad at him for questioning her. It was a surprise when she spoke, and even moreso what she said.
“I got a letter from Montana State Corrections yesterday.”
“Yeah?”
“The man who murdered my grandfather got out on parole.”
Danny snapped his mouth shut with an audible click and his stomach churned. He’d seen death in so many forms, from his job to before, but he’d very rarely been on the other side. He hadn’t any idea that her grandfather had been murdered, and furthermore, had no clue what to say in response.
“I’m sorry,” he said lamely.
“Nothing you can do about it.” Her voice was brusque, almost cold, but Danny could tell that she was deeply upset by the turn of events.
There was a pause, and Danny couldn’t help but ask, “You didn’t know he was up for parole?”
“No. The letter giving me the option to testify must have not been routed after my move. I don’t know. He’s already out,” her voice cracked, and Danny gripped the wheel tighter. He couldn’t stand crying. He never knew how to behave, what to say. As horrible as it sounded, there was no better way to get him out of a room faster than a crying woman.
Trying to keep her talking, he asked, “Would you have testified, if you’d known?”
“Of course. I was the only witness.” Her voice was cold and monotone again, as if stating the facts to a case. Yet, Lindsay never spoke with so little emotion and so much control. It almost reminded him of Mac.
Danny looked over at her in shock, noting the determined set of her jaw. She was probably trying not to cry. “When…?”
“I was six. I was living with my grandparents after my mother took off to Las Vegas. This guy she used to hang around kept bothering us, kept trying to see me. Said he was my dad.”
“Was he?”
She shrugged. “Don’t know. Probably. Never confirmed, anyway.” She took a shaky breath, but kept talking, as if the dam had broken. “We had stopped at a 7-11 on our way home from fishing, and he cornered Grampa outside the truck. I don’t think he saw me in there, it was dark. They started fighting, and he kept hitting him. He just kept hitting him.” Her voice cracked again, and Danny saw her swipe at the tears on her cheeks with the back of her hand.
“The defense said it was too dark for me to see, that I was too young to be a good witness. I testified, though. It was the physical evidence that convicted him, though.”
“Is that why you’re doing this?” he questioned, wondering why she’d put herself through case after case. It made him understand her more, though, and her determination to solve every case, and he really respected her efforts.
“Maybe. I don’t know.” She paused. “I don’t know why. But I enjoy it.”
“You’re doing a hell of a job, you know that, right?” Danny paused, and could see her trying to compose herself. “I’m not just saying that. I know I give you shit, Lindsay, but you’re a good CSI.”
“Thanks, Danny.” Her voice was still wavering and bit more breathy than normal, but she seemed calmer and more focused now. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and bit of mascara was smudged, on one cheek.
Danny reached out a thumb and wiped the smudge off after he parked the car. “Anytime, Montana.” Opening his door, he gave her a reassuring smile. “Now let’s go take another look around. We’ve got a belt to find.”
For once, Lindsay Monroe seemed tired and withdrawn – surprising, since she had displayed such an unfailingly upbeat attitude since she had joined the team. Now, though, she was quiet and distracted, not even rising to the bait when Danny tried to tease her.
It was no surprise then, that Danny Messer was unnerved by this change and concerned when he had to repeat things to his obviously bothered colleague.
They were looking through photographs from a recent crime scene, a double homicide, though Danny wondered if Lindsay was truly looking at them, she was so uncommunicative. Glancing again at the photo in his hand, he frowned.
“Something’s not right with this,” he muttered. Pulling out a few more photos, he compared the ligature marks on the bodies once again. “I think we’re looking for two belts, not one.”
“What?” Lindsay asked.
“I think there’s another murder weapon. The vics have different markings on their neck. It’s small, but they’re different. We need to go back to the scene.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“You ok, Montana?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Danny remained unconvinced. Telling Mac they were going back to the scene, he headed out to the car, automatically going to the driver’s side. Placing the keys in the ignition, he started the car before looking at Lindsay expectantly.
“Ok, spill.”
“What?”
“Obviously, something’s wrong, you’re not fine, and it’s not nothing,” he said preemptively. “You bothered by the case?”
He was concerned that perhaps she had let the case get to her. The vics were siblings, a boy and a girl, only five and seven. Their mother had run across the street to grab a movie the neighbors had borrowed while the kids were watching tv. When she returned five minutes later, she found them strangled where she had left them sitting.
“No, it’s not work related.” Danny wondered if her voice could get any more monotone. He didn’t expect Lindsay to be happy all the time, but she was so unresponsive, he couldn’t help but worry.
“C’mon, Montana. You’ll feel better after you talk about it. Obviously, you’re distracted right now, and I’m gonna need you to focus when we’re at the scene.”
“I’m not distracted!” There was a little inflection in her defense, but Danny could see her heart wasn’t in it.
He gave her a look.
“Ok, I am. But it’s personal. I’ll be fine,” Lindsay said in a brittle voice that told him not to push any further.
“All right.”
They drove in silence for the next five minutes, and Danny thought she might be mad at him for questioning her. It was a surprise when she spoke, and even moreso what she said.
“I got a letter from Montana State Corrections yesterday.”
“Yeah?”
“The man who murdered my grandfather got out on parole.”
Danny snapped his mouth shut with an audible click and his stomach churned. He’d seen death in so many forms, from his job to before, but he’d very rarely been on the other side. He hadn’t any idea that her grandfather had been murdered, and furthermore, had no clue what to say in response.
“I’m sorry,” he said lamely.
“Nothing you can do about it.” Her voice was brusque, almost cold, but Danny could tell that she was deeply upset by the turn of events.
There was a pause, and Danny couldn’t help but ask, “You didn’t know he was up for parole?”
“No. The letter giving me the option to testify must have not been routed after my move. I don’t know. He’s already out,” her voice cracked, and Danny gripped the wheel tighter. He couldn’t stand crying. He never knew how to behave, what to say. As horrible as it sounded, there was no better way to get him out of a room faster than a crying woman.
Trying to keep her talking, he asked, “Would you have testified, if you’d known?”
“Of course. I was the only witness.” Her voice was cold and monotone again, as if stating the facts to a case. Yet, Lindsay never spoke with so little emotion and so much control. It almost reminded him of Mac.
Danny looked over at her in shock, noting the determined set of her jaw. She was probably trying not to cry. “When…?”
“I was six. I was living with my grandparents after my mother took off to Las Vegas. This guy she used to hang around kept bothering us, kept trying to see me. Said he was my dad.”
“Was he?”
She shrugged. “Don’t know. Probably. Never confirmed, anyway.” She took a shaky breath, but kept talking, as if the dam had broken. “We had stopped at a 7-11 on our way home from fishing, and he cornered Grampa outside the truck. I don’t think he saw me in there, it was dark. They started fighting, and he kept hitting him. He just kept hitting him.” Her voice cracked again, and Danny saw her swipe at the tears on her cheeks with the back of her hand.
“The defense said it was too dark for me to see, that I was too young to be a good witness. I testified, though. It was the physical evidence that convicted him, though.”
“Is that why you’re doing this?” he questioned, wondering why she’d put herself through case after case. It made him understand her more, though, and her determination to solve every case, and he really respected her efforts.
“Maybe. I don’t know.” She paused. “I don’t know why. But I enjoy it.”
“You’re doing a hell of a job, you know that, right?” Danny paused, and could see her trying to compose herself. “I’m not just saying that. I know I give you shit, Lindsay, but you’re a good CSI.”
“Thanks, Danny.” Her voice was still wavering and bit more breathy than normal, but she seemed calmer and more focused now. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and bit of mascara was smudged, on one cheek.
Danny reached out a thumb and wiped the smudge off after he parked the car. “Anytime, Montana.” Opening his door, he gave her a reassuring smile. “Now let’s go take another look around. We’ve got a belt to find.”
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Great....
Date: 2006-02-10 01:54 pm (UTC)You wrote most of Danny's lines perfect. You captured his cool, ignorant and straight forward character at the same time as he is caring and emotional side. Especially in the in the beginning of the story.
You also been taking a great deal of consideration of details into th characters speech... its amazing!!
Danny and Lindsey are cute, hope that they will end up togheter.... We'll neversee any romance at the Csi offices...
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-25 01:41 am (UTC)