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drabbles100: Prompts 060-075, 077, 078, 080-100 (CSI:NY, Don Fl
May. 24th, 2009 08:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kathierif_ficfor drabbles100
Disclaimer: Not mine.
All are exactly 100 words long. Yay!
table.
060. Drink:
It was a standing date between Don Flack and Kaile Maka – every once in a while they would meet and have a few drinks. And then it started.
“He never looks where he’s going,” Kaile began. “You have to have an eye on him on every crime scene he’s at. I swear, one day, he’ll get overrun by a car just because he’s so damn focused!”
Don nodded his agreement. “He always knows everything before I do, no matter what it is,” he added.
They sighed, clinked their glasses together and drank.
Yes, they both loved working with Mac Taylor…
061. Winter: Danny/Don
“Messer! What are you doing there?” Don asked and grabbed the coat he just had taken off.
Danny was sitting on the couch and was reading a forensic journal. He had opened a window.
“We need some fresh air in here,” he explained now and turned a page. Don shrugged back into his coat and went to sit next to Danny. “Some fresh air? Did you lose your mind? It’s winter! It’s cold!” he said and grabbed a blanket.
Danny rolled his eyes. “It smells like winter.” He smiled, pulled Don in a hug and promised: “I’ll keep you warm.”
062. Spring:
“Winter seems to be over. Finally,” Don smirked when he stepped into the lab for a meeting with Danny. “It must be spring.”
Danny looked as if he wanted to check personally if Don had a fever and frowned. “What?”
Don shrugged. “Forget it,” he said and opened the case file. “Here, I checked out some things for you…”
They talked about their case for a few minutes, until Stella came in. She grinned at them and commented: “It’s spring, huh?”
Don nodded and grinned.
The first sign of spring was, like every year, when Danny started wearing short-sleeved shirts.
063. Summer: (slash, Danny/Don)
He woke up from the stifling hotness – it was dark, it was humid, and something was really off.
The only sound he heard was breathing.
Warm, humid air was breathed over his bare back, tickling his itchy, sweaty skin. The warm air alone kept him in place, unmoving, limbs heavy with sleep and heat – for he didn’t know how long.
Danny’s hot, dry lips were pressed to his spine in a soft, tender caress, and suddenly, something wet and cold touched his skin, glided over his back downwards - an icecube.
Don gasped.
He just loved those hot summer nights…
064. Fall: spoilers for "The Fall"
Gavin Moran, Don thought while his eyes searched, caught and held Mac’s over the street for a second, had always been like a father for him. He had helped forming him into the man Don was now, had done more than anyone could have asked from him. He had always been there for Don to talk to.
They had always been friends, even when he had been nothing more than a rookie.
And now?
Now he felt like a traitor, as if he’d sacrificed his friend, his mentor – his father – to something more important.
To the evidence.
To Mac Taylor.
065. Passing:
It was mentioned only in passing, and yet it made him stop mid-step and blink.
“Sorry?” he spluttered, but the only answer he got was a smirk.
“Flack, you okay?” Stella asked finally and waved a hand in front of his face.
“Yeah,” he said and shook his head, “I’m just…hallucinating.” Yes, that was it. Had to be.
There was no way they had found out about that. It was just impossible.
Stella’s smirk didn’t waver. “Hallucinating? We really found out about those pictures.”
He hoped that he was hallucinating…
Stella nodded. “I liked the one of your backside most.”
066. Rain:
It was raining.
Don huddled into his jacket and tried to suppress a shudder. Rain was bad. It was wet and uncomfortable. People saw less than usual when it rained, because they tried to get home quicker, or didn’t even leave altogether.
Besides, he didn’t like getting wet; and following a suspect for twenty minutes had ensured that he was drenched. He had lost his umbrella as soon as the suspect started running and he had followed, not knowing that the man was armed and very nervous.
Don sighed. He just hoped that the rain hadn’t destroyed all the evidence…
067. Snow:
It reminded him of snow and ice, of cold winter days best spent in front of a fireplace, or in bed. It reminded him of homeless people, frozen to death at night. It reminded him of the morgue, of murder and dead people silently waiting in drawers for Judgment Day.
It reminded him of drinks, with icecubes in it and enough alcohol to poison the strongest of men.
And now it was directed at him: silent, calm, like falling snowflakes that hid all the evidence…yes, Danny thought, barely suppressing a shiver. Don really could glare – almost as good as Mac…
068. Lightning:
“That was fast,” Stella noticed and carefully inspected another piece of evidence. “Fast as lighting,” she then added with a grin.
Don shrugged. He didn’t really mind her gentle teasing, after all. It was all meant in fun, and he knew that.
“Just for you, Stella,” he grinned and straightened his tie. “I wouldn’t do it for everyone.”
“I feel very special,” she told him and put the clear plastic bag down on the table. “Okay. What do you have for me?”
He rolled his eyes and handed the bag over. “Exactly what you wanted,” he replied: “a tuna sandwich.”
069. Thunder:
“Dammit, Flack!”
The outburst came suddenly, like a thunderstorm on a clear summer day, and it was not only as unexpected but also as forceful as thunder. Don didn’t even got the chance to defend himself. He could just stand there and take it; and hope that nothing got broken from the intensity of it.
“Understood?”
He nodded quickly. “Yes, Mac.” Nobody messed with evidence and got away with it.
And just like a thunderstorm on a warm summer day it was suddenly over.
“I’m sorry,” he offered after a moment.
Yes, an angry Mac was very scary…like a thunderstorm.
070. Storm:
“What happened to your apartment, Flack?” Aiden asked with barely hidden amusement.
Don rubbed a hand over his face. “Whirlwind,” he muttered and fell back on the couch.
“What?”
“A storm. A whirlwind,” Don repeated, squirmed and pulled a fork out from under him.
“In your apartment? What was it doing here?” Disbelief colored her voice.
“Watching the game last night,” Don answered. “And then spending the night.”
“Ah,” Aiden nodded in understanding. “A female whirlwind?”
“Not female,” Don said. “Definitely not female.” He cast a look at the chaos that surrounded them.
“Alright, what’s this storm’s name, then?”
“Danny…”
071. Broken: (Hints of Danny/Mac slash)
“Relax, Mac, I’m not broken,” Danny said and pushed his glasses up his nose.
Mac simply nodded.
“So, we’re fine?” Danny asked, a hint of desperation in his voice. The latest run-in with the Tanglewoodboys had shaken him up badly, everybody could see that. Everybody but Mac, apparently. Don wanted to do something, shake him until he came to his senses.
“We’ll see,” Mac replied and left Danny standing there.
Danny sighed and turned around to Don. “Went better than expected,” he joked, but Don could see that it was just a façade.
Danny wasn’t broken, but his heart was.
072. Fixed: (sequel to 71. Broken, Slash mentioned, Danny/Mac, and a little Danny/Don kiss)
When Danny’s lips met his, Don needed a second before he pulled away.
“Danny…no,” he said, as gently as possible.
Danny blinked confusedly. “What? Why?”
Don sighed. How should he explain this? “This will not fix your problems with Mac,” he finally said.
“There is nothing to fix. He hates me,” Danny muttered and pulled away from Don.
“He doesn’t.” Don smiled and pulled Danny in a one-armed hug. “He’s just Mac. You need to whack him over the head. Go, fix your relationship!”
Danny left.
The next day, Danny was happily smiling, and all he told Don was: “Thanks.”
073. Light: (sequel to 54. Air)
“I think I can see a light.” Don murmured into Danny’s ear.
Danny moved slowly. “A light?” he repeated, before panic set in. “Light? Come on, you can’t die now! Don’t leave me alone here! They will find us soon, I promise.” His fingers scrabbled over Don’s neck, desperate to find a pulse. Don didn’t even have the energy to push him away. He couldn’t even laugh. It was pathetic. Every breath he took hurt like hell, and if Danny didn’t stop soon…
“A light,” he wheezed. “Behind you.”
Danny twisted around to look himself before smiling.
“They found us.”
074. Dark: (Spoilers for On the Job)
There was something dark about Danny. Sometimes he just was in this mood when he was better left alone. And sometimes he just desperately needed someone to reach out and steady him, even if he denied it. It was a very complicated balance, and Don knew that he wasn’t perfect at reading his friend. However, he was always there for Danny when he needed someone to keep the darkness away.
He had been there for Danny after the Minhas shooting, even if Danny wasn’t aware of it.
Don didn’t mind.
They were friends, and friends helped each other, didn’t they?
075: Shattered:
The cup hit the floor and shattered into a million little pieces.
“Damn,” Don muttered and started to pick up the shards.
Maybe this was a sign. His life was as shattered as his favorite cup now. He could try to get it back in order – but then, they all were fucked up, even Mac or Stella.
He noticed that he had missed one piece when he stepped into it and it cut painfully into his flesh.
It really was a sign, he decided. He could try to throw his life away, but a part would always stay with him.
077. Paralysis: (Threesome, Slash, Mac/Don/Danny)
He didn’t know what to say, but it was okay. Danny understood him even without words, and his eyes behind his glasses sparkled happily when he grabbed Don’s hand and pressed a kiss to the knuckles. “It’s gonna be okay,” he repeated the words, again and again. Don was aware of Mac’s soothing presence, somewhere to his left, but he couldn’t move.
A bullet to his back, close to his spine, had almost crippled him, almost, because it was gonna be alright now, the doctor had said so, and he was so happy about that…and yet, he still felt paralyzed.
078. Disease: (spoiler for City of the Dolls, right after Don and Stella interrogated the waitress, Darcy)
They stepped out on the street, and Don grimaced. His hand automatically went up and covered his stomach.
Stella gave him a concerned look. “Are you okay? You’re pale.”
He forced himself to smile. “I’m fine, why?”
“You look pale,” she repeated. “You didn’t want lunch. You drank tea. Stomach bothering you?”
He nodded and inhaled sharply as another spike of pain shot through him. He really didn’t feel so well. It was probably just the flu.
“That rat…” he murmured.
Stella nodded. “Can you handle it?”
He only nodded again.
He needed to.
He had a case to solve.
080. Healing: (spoilers for On the Job)
Danny didn’t think that Don had his back.
The angry words had hurt. Don didn’t deny that. He understood how Danny felt, he really did (to a certain point) and he really had tried to be there for his friend.
Danny was his friend.
His best friend. But now their friendship started to break, just because of Danny’s insecurities, and Don’s inability to reassure him that everything would be okay in the end.
He didn’t know if their friendship could be saved, but he knew that, if it was possible, it would take a long time to heal the wounds.
081. Blind:
“I’m sorry.”
Danny didn’t even look up. His head was turned down, his hands were clenched in his lap. His lips twitched at Don’s words. “Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault,” he said, but his voice was hollow, and Don knew that his heart wasn’t in it.
“Is there anything…” he began, and Danny shook his head briskly.
“Nah, I’m fine…unless you want to bring me the book from my nightstand?” He sounded bitter, and Don could feel his own heart clench at the words.
Danny sighed. The lab accident had not only taken his sight, but also his heart.
082. Deaf:
Don could see Mac’s lips moving, but he didn’t hear any words.
He couldn’t hear anything.
Mac’s hand grabbed his shoulder, calming him down with a simple touch and an intense look in his eye, promising him that everything would be alright. It was something that Mac was good at, even if Don just lost his hearing to an explosion of a bomb and couldn’t hear a damn thing…
He felt the warm trickle of blood – his ears were bleeding. That was not a good sign, was it? He realized that he was shaking.
He still couldn’t hear anything.
Damn.
083. Lost:
“Can I help you?”
The voice sounded far too amused for Don’s liking, so he only grunted a short answer and crawled deeper under his desk.
“Flack, what are you doing there?” another voice, just as amused as the first, and Don was sure that they were laughing about him.
“Have you lost something, Donnie?”
Don’s hand appeared, glided over the top of his desk until it found the flashlight, and disappeared again, to the great amusement of his coworkers. Moments later Don reappeared, his hair sticking up, with a triumphant smile on his face – and the pen he’d lost.
084. Found: (sequel to 73. Light)
He could hear it like from far away, and yet he knew that Danny almost covered him, used his own body to shield his from the falling debris of the building they were caught under. He could feel Danny’s fingers on his neck, still counting his pulse.
Suddenly Danny screamed, “We’re here!”, and more debris was falling down on them, and Danny grunted, and the light Don had been seeing earlier became brighter.
Don could hear voices over the roar of his own blood. He smiled at Danny who was talking, gesticulating with his free hand.
They’d been found.
Finally.
085. Missing:
“We’re missing something.”
Stella looked around. “We’re missing something,” she repeated slowly.
Don frowned and followed her as she stalked through the living room. “Okay…what are we missing?”
“Hawkes said Cause of Death was sharp force trauma,” Stella continued. “But what was the murder weapon?”
Don looked around, but he couldn’t find anything, either. “Maybe the killer took it with him,” he finally offered.
Stella shrugged. “Maybe he did. We need to find it.” Her eyes suddenly narrowed. “Maybe he didn’t,” she murmured and looked up. A bloody knife stuck in the ceiling.
“Maybe we just didn’t see the obvious.”
086. Choices:
A finger poked him in the ribs. “Choose now. Or let others do it.”
“Messer!” he rolled his eyes and went back to contemplating his opportunities. “Give a man a moment!”
“A moment? You had all the time in the world! Now choose one! Or I’ll do it!”
“That’s it! I should have asked Stella,” he murmured and made his choice.
Danny frowned and shook his head. “Not that one.”
“What? I like that one!” he defended himself.
Danny shook his head. “Sure you would. You don’t have taste.”
He thought for a second and selected another tie.
Danny sighed.
087. Life:
He could have been a lawyer. Of course, his father wouldn’t have been happy, but it wasn’t his choice, was it?
He also could have been a cook, or a construction worker. Okay, so his parents would have hated it, but it was his life, and his decision.
He sometimes wondered what would have happened if he’d chosen another profession than that of his father. What if he’d become a scientist, like the CSIs he regularly worked with? Would he be another person?
It didn’t matter now, he knew. He had a life as a cop.
And he loved it.
088. He: (slight spoiler for Grand Murder at Central Station, Slash Danny/Don)
Danny Messer, Don knew, was one of the most fascinating and intriguing persons he’d ever known. He was full of contradictions, and it fascinated Don.
Danny Messer was a mystery.
He was stubborn. He was the son of a criminal. He was a cop. He was a good CSI. He was definitely more than he pretended to be.
Most of all, he was Don’s best friend. And even more.
Danny had been adamant that he didn’t cuddle, and yet, here they were, on their own private cuddle party, only the two of them. Danny kissed him softly.
He was perfect.
089. She:
For a split second, Don sees the almost comical expression on Stella’s face before she has herself back under control and smiles. Her smile never reaches her eyes, but she drapes an arm around him and tells the woman who just asked him if he doesn’t want to look for a nice girlfriend his age: “He’s taken – aren’t you, darling?”
He nods because Stella has the car keys, and she can be a dangerous woman. He wants to stay on her good side. Besides -
“You, Stel,” he tells her and looks deep in her eyes, “- are my star.”
090: It:
It could have been the perfect murder. It had been perfectly planned, and he had taken several years to bring his plans to perfection. It was a thing of beauty. Nobody would ever suspect him. Nobody. He had thought of everything: disposal of the body, of the murder weapon, his own clothes; he had latex gloves, fake plates on his car, an alibi – it had been perfect.
And it had all gone according to his plan, until it had happened.
He.
He growled and tugged at the cuffs.
It had been the perfect murder – until Detective Flack had arrested him...
091. Birthday:
“Come on, it’s your birthday. You shouldn’t spend the day racing from crime scene to crime scene to interrogation without a single break.”
“What, you think crime stops because it’s my birthday?” he said with as much sarcasm in his voice as he could come up with. It wasn’t much, but he was too tired to care about it. “Besides, it’s a day like every other day. Nothing special!”
He didn’t need to turn towards his friend to know that he was rolling his eyes at his comment. But he was surprised about Don’s sudden, almost inaudible: “Happy birthday, Messer.”
092. Christmas:
“Hey, Danny.”
Don caught up with his best friend and held his memobook up. “Any news?”
Danny shook his head. “Nothing.” He glanced at him. “Got any exciting plans for Christmas?”
“Dinner at my parents’, and enough paperwork to keep me busy for the rest of the year,” Don replied easily. “What about you?”
Danny shrugged. “No dinner with my folks, otherwise, the same.”
Don sighed. “Want to come over?” he offered. “I’ll cook.”
“You cook?” Danny smiled. “Then yes. Let’s avoid the paperwork together.”
Don nodded again. It was the same as every year.
Their own little Christmas tradition…
093. Thanksgiving:
“It’s the only time all year you allow me to eat in your presence,” Don smiled and sprawled in his chair.
Stella shook her head, but before she could answer, Danny started to laugh. “Considering the way you eat, that’s no big surprise,” he finally managed to say.
“There’s nothing wrong with my way of eating!” Don protested.
Lindsay snorted. “Seriously, how can you be so thin with all the food you eat?”
“Fast metabolism,” Hawkes muttered.
“Unfair,” Stella sighed.
“I’m not eating that much!”
Mac re-entered the room.
“Dessert?” he asked.
Don sat up and grinned. He loved Thanksgiving…
094. Solstice: (Slash, Shel/Don)
“Did you know,” Shel stated in a soft murmur that caused Don to shiver, “that Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year?”
Don frowned. “What?”
He could feel Shel nod against his back “It’s true.”
Don twisted his head around. “It’s December,” he said.
Shel hummed softly. His strong hands wandered over Don’s body and finally settled on his ass. “Yes, and Winter Solstice is in December.”
“So what?”
“It’s the longest night in the year,” Sheldon answered and leaned over him to kiss him. “And there are a lot of things we can do in this night.”
095. New Year:
The year ended with a triple homicide, and Flack silently cursed everyone who was at fault that he had to work this night. The happy and celebrating people around him grated on his nerves, and the absence of any CSI at his crime scene was just annoying enough to cause random snapping at people. He did his best not to be too sarcastic with the girl who had found the bodies and who was already crying without him saying anything. He really did.
Finally Lindsay arrived.
She glanced at her watch and smiled softly at him.
“Happy new year, Flack.”
096. Writer’s Choice: Chocolate:
Stella smiled at Don. It reminded him of a predator, all teeth and blinking eyes, and he almost expected her to start purring. Instead, she gave him her crime scene kit and held up the car keys in her right hand. “I’m driving.”
He opened his mouth to protest, an almost instinctive reaction, since he knew exactly what that meant: Stella would drive – and where did she get her driver’s license, anyways? – and they would not stop to get some food or anything. It was always the same.
Stella grinned at him. “I drive, or no chocolate for you. Chose.”
097. Writer’s Choice: Work:
The second he stepped into the lab, he was grabbed by Stella and Danny and dragged forwards. Both CSIs talked excitedly.
He only nodded – they were talking scientist speech, not English, he had no idea what they’d discovered or what they wanted him to do.
“Great!” Stella grinned and turned him around, facing the way they came, and what had he just agreed to? “If we’re right, we get him!”
Danny nodded enthusiastically. “Right. Now, Flack – run!” he instructed. “I’ll try to stop you.”
Don sighed. He loved working with the CSIs, loved helping them – even if they were nuts.
098. Writer’s Choice: Tweezers:
“I’m a CSI. I’m good with them,” Danny said and waved the tweezers.
“You pull things out of walls or corpses! They don’t feel pain!” Don complained through clenched teeth. Danny only tightened his grip on Don’s ankle and picked at something –
“Ow! Don’t be so mean!” Don cried out at the sharp pain and tried to wriggle out of Danny’s grasp.
Danny triumphantly held the tweezers up, with a blood-smeared piece of glass trapped between them. Don could feel more blood running down his foot, and it hurt like hell – but the glass was out of his foot.
Finally.
099. Writer’s Choice: MIA (prequel to 6. Hours):
Lindsay burst into the breakroom where Stella and Hawkes were watching the news together. “Did you hear that Danny’s missing?”
Stella blinked. “Danny’s with Flack,” she replied.
Lindsay shrugged. “Yeah, and Flack is missing, too.”
Stella frowned. “What do you mean, missing?”
“They don’t answer their phones, nobody knows where they are, they just…disappeared.”
“They did,” Mac confirmed from behind Lindsay, and fidgeted with his cell phone.
“I think I know where they are,” Hawkes suddenly spoke up and pointed at the TV where the news showed footage of a collapsed building. Flack’s car was parked in front of it.
100. Writer’s Choice: Mistletoe:
As Don entered the lab, he just caught the end of one of Hawkes’ explanations that usually started with “Did you know…” and usually contained odd, but amusing, bits of information.
He stopped by the door and patiently waited for Hawkes to finish, enjoying the amused glances Stella and Mac shared.
Hawkes finished his remarks about mistletoe and held up his hands. “I’m going to get back to my trace,” he announced with a smile, but just as he squeezed past Don through the door, Stella called him back with a wide smirk and pointed at the mistletoe over them…
drabbles100 Disclaimer: Not mine.
All are exactly 100 words long. Yay!
table.
060. Drink:
It was a standing date between Don Flack and Kaile Maka – every once in a while they would meet and have a few drinks. And then it started.
“He never looks where he’s going,” Kaile began. “You have to have an eye on him on every crime scene he’s at. I swear, one day, he’ll get overrun by a car just because he’s so damn focused!”
Don nodded his agreement. “He always knows everything before I do, no matter what it is,” he added.
They sighed, clinked their glasses together and drank.
Yes, they both loved working with Mac Taylor…
061. Winter: Danny/Don
“Messer! What are you doing there?” Don asked and grabbed the coat he just had taken off.
Danny was sitting on the couch and was reading a forensic journal. He had opened a window.
“We need some fresh air in here,” he explained now and turned a page. Don shrugged back into his coat and went to sit next to Danny. “Some fresh air? Did you lose your mind? It’s winter! It’s cold!” he said and grabbed a blanket.
Danny rolled his eyes. “It smells like winter.” He smiled, pulled Don in a hug and promised: “I’ll keep you warm.”
062. Spring:
“Winter seems to be over. Finally,” Don smirked when he stepped into the lab for a meeting with Danny. “It must be spring.”
Danny looked as if he wanted to check personally if Don had a fever and frowned. “What?”
Don shrugged. “Forget it,” he said and opened the case file. “Here, I checked out some things for you…”
They talked about their case for a few minutes, until Stella came in. She grinned at them and commented: “It’s spring, huh?”
Don nodded and grinned.
The first sign of spring was, like every year, when Danny started wearing short-sleeved shirts.
063. Summer: (slash, Danny/Don)
He woke up from the stifling hotness – it was dark, it was humid, and something was really off.
The only sound he heard was breathing.
Warm, humid air was breathed over his bare back, tickling his itchy, sweaty skin. The warm air alone kept him in place, unmoving, limbs heavy with sleep and heat – for he didn’t know how long.
Danny’s hot, dry lips were pressed to his spine in a soft, tender caress, and suddenly, something wet and cold touched his skin, glided over his back downwards - an icecube.
Don gasped.
He just loved those hot summer nights…
064. Fall: spoilers for "The Fall"
Gavin Moran, Don thought while his eyes searched, caught and held Mac’s over the street for a second, had always been like a father for him. He had helped forming him into the man Don was now, had done more than anyone could have asked from him. He had always been there for Don to talk to.
They had always been friends, even when he had been nothing more than a rookie.
And now?
Now he felt like a traitor, as if he’d sacrificed his friend, his mentor – his father – to something more important.
To the evidence.
To Mac Taylor.
065. Passing:
It was mentioned only in passing, and yet it made him stop mid-step and blink.
“Sorry?” he spluttered, but the only answer he got was a smirk.
“Flack, you okay?” Stella asked finally and waved a hand in front of his face.
“Yeah,” he said and shook his head, “I’m just…hallucinating.” Yes, that was it. Had to be.
There was no way they had found out about that. It was just impossible.
Stella’s smirk didn’t waver. “Hallucinating? We really found out about those pictures.”
He hoped that he was hallucinating…
Stella nodded. “I liked the one of your backside most.”
066. Rain:
It was raining.
Don huddled into his jacket and tried to suppress a shudder. Rain was bad. It was wet and uncomfortable. People saw less than usual when it rained, because they tried to get home quicker, or didn’t even leave altogether.
Besides, he didn’t like getting wet; and following a suspect for twenty minutes had ensured that he was drenched. He had lost his umbrella as soon as the suspect started running and he had followed, not knowing that the man was armed and very nervous.
Don sighed. He just hoped that the rain hadn’t destroyed all the evidence…
067. Snow:
It reminded him of snow and ice, of cold winter days best spent in front of a fireplace, or in bed. It reminded him of homeless people, frozen to death at night. It reminded him of the morgue, of murder and dead people silently waiting in drawers for Judgment Day.
It reminded him of drinks, with icecubes in it and enough alcohol to poison the strongest of men.
And now it was directed at him: silent, calm, like falling snowflakes that hid all the evidence…yes, Danny thought, barely suppressing a shiver. Don really could glare – almost as good as Mac…
068. Lightning:
“That was fast,” Stella noticed and carefully inspected another piece of evidence. “Fast as lighting,” she then added with a grin.
Don shrugged. He didn’t really mind her gentle teasing, after all. It was all meant in fun, and he knew that.
“Just for you, Stella,” he grinned and straightened his tie. “I wouldn’t do it for everyone.”
“I feel very special,” she told him and put the clear plastic bag down on the table. “Okay. What do you have for me?”
He rolled his eyes and handed the bag over. “Exactly what you wanted,” he replied: “a tuna sandwich.”
069. Thunder:
“Dammit, Flack!”
The outburst came suddenly, like a thunderstorm on a clear summer day, and it was not only as unexpected but also as forceful as thunder. Don didn’t even got the chance to defend himself. He could just stand there and take it; and hope that nothing got broken from the intensity of it.
“Understood?”
He nodded quickly. “Yes, Mac.” Nobody messed with evidence and got away with it.
And just like a thunderstorm on a warm summer day it was suddenly over.
“I’m sorry,” he offered after a moment.
Yes, an angry Mac was very scary…like a thunderstorm.
070. Storm:
“What happened to your apartment, Flack?” Aiden asked with barely hidden amusement.
Don rubbed a hand over his face. “Whirlwind,” he muttered and fell back on the couch.
“What?”
“A storm. A whirlwind,” Don repeated, squirmed and pulled a fork out from under him.
“In your apartment? What was it doing here?” Disbelief colored her voice.
“Watching the game last night,” Don answered. “And then spending the night.”
“Ah,” Aiden nodded in understanding. “A female whirlwind?”
“Not female,” Don said. “Definitely not female.” He cast a look at the chaos that surrounded them.
“Alright, what’s this storm’s name, then?”
“Danny…”
071. Broken: (Hints of Danny/Mac slash)
“Relax, Mac, I’m not broken,” Danny said and pushed his glasses up his nose.
Mac simply nodded.
“So, we’re fine?” Danny asked, a hint of desperation in his voice. The latest run-in with the Tanglewoodboys had shaken him up badly, everybody could see that. Everybody but Mac, apparently. Don wanted to do something, shake him until he came to his senses.
“We’ll see,” Mac replied and left Danny standing there.
Danny sighed and turned around to Don. “Went better than expected,” he joked, but Don could see that it was just a façade.
Danny wasn’t broken, but his heart was.
072. Fixed: (sequel to 71. Broken, Slash mentioned, Danny/Mac, and a little Danny/Don kiss)
When Danny’s lips met his, Don needed a second before he pulled away.
“Danny…no,” he said, as gently as possible.
Danny blinked confusedly. “What? Why?”
Don sighed. How should he explain this? “This will not fix your problems with Mac,” he finally said.
“There is nothing to fix. He hates me,” Danny muttered and pulled away from Don.
“He doesn’t.” Don smiled and pulled Danny in a one-armed hug. “He’s just Mac. You need to whack him over the head. Go, fix your relationship!”
Danny left.
The next day, Danny was happily smiling, and all he told Don was: “Thanks.”
073. Light: (sequel to 54. Air)
“I think I can see a light.” Don murmured into Danny’s ear.
Danny moved slowly. “A light?” he repeated, before panic set in. “Light? Come on, you can’t die now! Don’t leave me alone here! They will find us soon, I promise.” His fingers scrabbled over Don’s neck, desperate to find a pulse. Don didn’t even have the energy to push him away. He couldn’t even laugh. It was pathetic. Every breath he took hurt like hell, and if Danny didn’t stop soon…
“A light,” he wheezed. “Behind you.”
Danny twisted around to look himself before smiling.
“They found us.”
074. Dark: (Spoilers for On the Job)
There was something dark about Danny. Sometimes he just was in this mood when he was better left alone. And sometimes he just desperately needed someone to reach out and steady him, even if he denied it. It was a very complicated balance, and Don knew that he wasn’t perfect at reading his friend. However, he was always there for Danny when he needed someone to keep the darkness away.
He had been there for Danny after the Minhas shooting, even if Danny wasn’t aware of it.
Don didn’t mind.
They were friends, and friends helped each other, didn’t they?
075: Shattered:
The cup hit the floor and shattered into a million little pieces.
“Damn,” Don muttered and started to pick up the shards.
Maybe this was a sign. His life was as shattered as his favorite cup now. He could try to get it back in order – but then, they all were fucked up, even Mac or Stella.
He noticed that he had missed one piece when he stepped into it and it cut painfully into his flesh.
It really was a sign, he decided. He could try to throw his life away, but a part would always stay with him.
077. Paralysis: (Threesome, Slash, Mac/Don/Danny)
He didn’t know what to say, but it was okay. Danny understood him even without words, and his eyes behind his glasses sparkled happily when he grabbed Don’s hand and pressed a kiss to the knuckles. “It’s gonna be okay,” he repeated the words, again and again. Don was aware of Mac’s soothing presence, somewhere to his left, but he couldn’t move.
A bullet to his back, close to his spine, had almost crippled him, almost, because it was gonna be alright now, the doctor had said so, and he was so happy about that…and yet, he still felt paralyzed.
078. Disease: (spoiler for City of the Dolls, right after Don and Stella interrogated the waitress, Darcy)
They stepped out on the street, and Don grimaced. His hand automatically went up and covered his stomach.
Stella gave him a concerned look. “Are you okay? You’re pale.”
He forced himself to smile. “I’m fine, why?”
“You look pale,” she repeated. “You didn’t want lunch. You drank tea. Stomach bothering you?”
He nodded and inhaled sharply as another spike of pain shot through him. He really didn’t feel so well. It was probably just the flu.
“That rat…” he murmured.
Stella nodded. “Can you handle it?”
He only nodded again.
He needed to.
He had a case to solve.
080. Healing: (spoilers for On the Job)
Danny didn’t think that Don had his back.
The angry words had hurt. Don didn’t deny that. He understood how Danny felt, he really did (to a certain point) and he really had tried to be there for his friend.
Danny was his friend.
His best friend. But now their friendship started to break, just because of Danny’s insecurities, and Don’s inability to reassure him that everything would be okay in the end.
He didn’t know if their friendship could be saved, but he knew that, if it was possible, it would take a long time to heal the wounds.
081. Blind:
“I’m sorry.”
Danny didn’t even look up. His head was turned down, his hands were clenched in his lap. His lips twitched at Don’s words. “Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault,” he said, but his voice was hollow, and Don knew that his heart wasn’t in it.
“Is there anything…” he began, and Danny shook his head briskly.
“Nah, I’m fine…unless you want to bring me the book from my nightstand?” He sounded bitter, and Don could feel his own heart clench at the words.
Danny sighed. The lab accident had not only taken his sight, but also his heart.
082. Deaf:
Don could see Mac’s lips moving, but he didn’t hear any words.
He couldn’t hear anything.
Mac’s hand grabbed his shoulder, calming him down with a simple touch and an intense look in his eye, promising him that everything would be alright. It was something that Mac was good at, even if Don just lost his hearing to an explosion of a bomb and couldn’t hear a damn thing…
He felt the warm trickle of blood – his ears were bleeding. That was not a good sign, was it? He realized that he was shaking.
He still couldn’t hear anything.
Damn.
083. Lost:
“Can I help you?”
The voice sounded far too amused for Don’s liking, so he only grunted a short answer and crawled deeper under his desk.
“Flack, what are you doing there?” another voice, just as amused as the first, and Don was sure that they were laughing about him.
“Have you lost something, Donnie?”
Don’s hand appeared, glided over the top of his desk until it found the flashlight, and disappeared again, to the great amusement of his coworkers. Moments later Don reappeared, his hair sticking up, with a triumphant smile on his face – and the pen he’d lost.
084. Found: (sequel to 73. Light)
He could hear it like from far away, and yet he knew that Danny almost covered him, used his own body to shield his from the falling debris of the building they were caught under. He could feel Danny’s fingers on his neck, still counting his pulse.
Suddenly Danny screamed, “We’re here!”, and more debris was falling down on them, and Danny grunted, and the light Don had been seeing earlier became brighter.
Don could hear voices over the roar of his own blood. He smiled at Danny who was talking, gesticulating with his free hand.
They’d been found.
Finally.
085. Missing:
“We’re missing something.”
Stella looked around. “We’re missing something,” she repeated slowly.
Don frowned and followed her as she stalked through the living room. “Okay…what are we missing?”
“Hawkes said Cause of Death was sharp force trauma,” Stella continued. “But what was the murder weapon?”
Don looked around, but he couldn’t find anything, either. “Maybe the killer took it with him,” he finally offered.
Stella shrugged. “Maybe he did. We need to find it.” Her eyes suddenly narrowed. “Maybe he didn’t,” she murmured and looked up. A bloody knife stuck in the ceiling.
“Maybe we just didn’t see the obvious.”
086. Choices:
A finger poked him in the ribs. “Choose now. Or let others do it.”
“Messer!” he rolled his eyes and went back to contemplating his opportunities. “Give a man a moment!”
“A moment? You had all the time in the world! Now choose one! Or I’ll do it!”
“That’s it! I should have asked Stella,” he murmured and made his choice.
Danny frowned and shook his head. “Not that one.”
“What? I like that one!” he defended himself.
Danny shook his head. “Sure you would. You don’t have taste.”
He thought for a second and selected another tie.
Danny sighed.
087. Life:
He could have been a lawyer. Of course, his father wouldn’t have been happy, but it wasn’t his choice, was it?
He also could have been a cook, or a construction worker. Okay, so his parents would have hated it, but it was his life, and his decision.
He sometimes wondered what would have happened if he’d chosen another profession than that of his father. What if he’d become a scientist, like the CSIs he regularly worked with? Would he be another person?
It didn’t matter now, he knew. He had a life as a cop.
And he loved it.
088. He: (slight spoiler for Grand Murder at Central Station, Slash Danny/Don)
Danny Messer, Don knew, was one of the most fascinating and intriguing persons he’d ever known. He was full of contradictions, and it fascinated Don.
Danny Messer was a mystery.
He was stubborn. He was the son of a criminal. He was a cop. He was a good CSI. He was definitely more than he pretended to be.
Most of all, he was Don’s best friend. And even more.
Danny had been adamant that he didn’t cuddle, and yet, here they were, on their own private cuddle party, only the two of them. Danny kissed him softly.
He was perfect.
089. She:
For a split second, Don sees the almost comical expression on Stella’s face before she has herself back under control and smiles. Her smile never reaches her eyes, but she drapes an arm around him and tells the woman who just asked him if he doesn’t want to look for a nice girlfriend his age: “He’s taken – aren’t you, darling?”
He nods because Stella has the car keys, and she can be a dangerous woman. He wants to stay on her good side. Besides -
“You, Stel,” he tells her and looks deep in her eyes, “- are my star.”
090: It:
It could have been the perfect murder. It had been perfectly planned, and he had taken several years to bring his plans to perfection. It was a thing of beauty. Nobody would ever suspect him. Nobody. He had thought of everything: disposal of the body, of the murder weapon, his own clothes; he had latex gloves, fake plates on his car, an alibi – it had been perfect.
And it had all gone according to his plan, until it had happened.
He.
He growled and tugged at the cuffs.
It had been the perfect murder – until Detective Flack had arrested him...
091. Birthday:
“Come on, it’s your birthday. You shouldn’t spend the day racing from crime scene to crime scene to interrogation without a single break.”
“What, you think crime stops because it’s my birthday?” he said with as much sarcasm in his voice as he could come up with. It wasn’t much, but he was too tired to care about it. “Besides, it’s a day like every other day. Nothing special!”
He didn’t need to turn towards his friend to know that he was rolling his eyes at his comment. But he was surprised about Don’s sudden, almost inaudible: “Happy birthday, Messer.”
092. Christmas:
“Hey, Danny.”
Don caught up with his best friend and held his memobook up. “Any news?”
Danny shook his head. “Nothing.” He glanced at him. “Got any exciting plans for Christmas?”
“Dinner at my parents’, and enough paperwork to keep me busy for the rest of the year,” Don replied easily. “What about you?”
Danny shrugged. “No dinner with my folks, otherwise, the same.”
Don sighed. “Want to come over?” he offered. “I’ll cook.”
“You cook?” Danny smiled. “Then yes. Let’s avoid the paperwork together.”
Don nodded again. It was the same as every year.
Their own little Christmas tradition…
093. Thanksgiving:
“It’s the only time all year you allow me to eat in your presence,” Don smiled and sprawled in his chair.
Stella shook her head, but before she could answer, Danny started to laugh. “Considering the way you eat, that’s no big surprise,” he finally managed to say.
“There’s nothing wrong with my way of eating!” Don protested.
Lindsay snorted. “Seriously, how can you be so thin with all the food you eat?”
“Fast metabolism,” Hawkes muttered.
“Unfair,” Stella sighed.
“I’m not eating that much!”
Mac re-entered the room.
“Dessert?” he asked.
Don sat up and grinned. He loved Thanksgiving…
094. Solstice: (Slash, Shel/Don)
“Did you know,” Shel stated in a soft murmur that caused Don to shiver, “that Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year?”
Don frowned. “What?”
He could feel Shel nod against his back “It’s true.”
Don twisted his head around. “It’s December,” he said.
Shel hummed softly. His strong hands wandered over Don’s body and finally settled on his ass. “Yes, and Winter Solstice is in December.”
“So what?”
“It’s the longest night in the year,” Sheldon answered and leaned over him to kiss him. “And there are a lot of things we can do in this night.”
095. New Year:
The year ended with a triple homicide, and Flack silently cursed everyone who was at fault that he had to work this night. The happy and celebrating people around him grated on his nerves, and the absence of any CSI at his crime scene was just annoying enough to cause random snapping at people. He did his best not to be too sarcastic with the girl who had found the bodies and who was already crying without him saying anything. He really did.
Finally Lindsay arrived.
She glanced at her watch and smiled softly at him.
“Happy new year, Flack.”
096. Writer’s Choice: Chocolate:
Stella smiled at Don. It reminded him of a predator, all teeth and blinking eyes, and he almost expected her to start purring. Instead, she gave him her crime scene kit and held up the car keys in her right hand. “I’m driving.”
He opened his mouth to protest, an almost instinctive reaction, since he knew exactly what that meant: Stella would drive – and where did she get her driver’s license, anyways? – and they would not stop to get some food or anything. It was always the same.
Stella grinned at him. “I drive, or no chocolate for you. Chose.”
097. Writer’s Choice: Work:
The second he stepped into the lab, he was grabbed by Stella and Danny and dragged forwards. Both CSIs talked excitedly.
He only nodded – they were talking scientist speech, not English, he had no idea what they’d discovered or what they wanted him to do.
“Great!” Stella grinned and turned him around, facing the way they came, and what had he just agreed to? “If we’re right, we get him!”
Danny nodded enthusiastically. “Right. Now, Flack – run!” he instructed. “I’ll try to stop you.”
Don sighed. He loved working with the CSIs, loved helping them – even if they were nuts.
098. Writer’s Choice: Tweezers:
“I’m a CSI. I’m good with them,” Danny said and waved the tweezers.
“You pull things out of walls or corpses! They don’t feel pain!” Don complained through clenched teeth. Danny only tightened his grip on Don’s ankle and picked at something –
“Ow! Don’t be so mean!” Don cried out at the sharp pain and tried to wriggle out of Danny’s grasp.
Danny triumphantly held the tweezers up, with a blood-smeared piece of glass trapped between them. Don could feel more blood running down his foot, and it hurt like hell – but the glass was out of his foot.
Finally.
099. Writer’s Choice: MIA (prequel to 6. Hours):
Lindsay burst into the breakroom where Stella and Hawkes were watching the news together. “Did you hear that Danny’s missing?”
Stella blinked. “Danny’s with Flack,” she replied.
Lindsay shrugged. “Yeah, and Flack is missing, too.”
Stella frowned. “What do you mean, missing?”
“They don’t answer their phones, nobody knows where they are, they just…disappeared.”
“They did,” Mac confirmed from behind Lindsay, and fidgeted with his cell phone.
“I think I know where they are,” Hawkes suddenly spoke up and pointed at the TV where the news showed footage of a collapsed building. Flack’s car was parked in front of it.
100. Writer’s Choice: Mistletoe:
As Don entered the lab, he just caught the end of one of Hawkes’ explanations that usually started with “Did you know…” and usually contained odd, but amusing, bits of information.
He stopped by the door and patiently waited for Hawkes to finish, enjoying the amused glances Stella and Mac shared.
Hawkes finished his remarks about mistletoe and held up his hands. “I’m going to get back to my trace,” he announced with a smile, but just as he squeezed past Don through the door, Stella called him back with a wide smirk and pointed at the mistletoe over them…