Danny/Lindsay - The Perfect Gift

[iluvroadrunner6]

Fandom: CSI:NY
Title: The Perfect Gift
Author: iluvroadrunner6
Rating: FRT
Characters: Danny Messer/Lindsay Monroe, Don Flack, Sheldon Hawkes, Sid Hammerback, mentions of Kaile Maka, Stella Bonasera, Mac Taylor, Jane Parsons
Content Warning: N/A
Summary: Danny tries to figure out the perfect gift when he pulls Lindsay's name in Secret Santa.
Author's Note: Written for calliope_brenn as a Christmas gift for secretdlsanta, and she said I could crosspost it to various places. Set Christmas time, season 2, so Lindsay is still relatively new to the lab.
Another Note: With the exception of Danny getting Lindsay, all names were actually pulled out of a hat by me. Also, all books mentioned here are real books. Look them up on borders.com if you don't believe me.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY. They're owned by CBS.



“Secret Santa?” Danny said crossing his arms in front of his chest, “You gotta be kiddin’ me?”

Nine sets of eyes blinked back at him that told him, in a very sure way, that no, they were not kidding him. Seriously? A lab Secret Santa? What were they in, the third grade? He turned to Mac in confusion.

“You OK’d this?” he stated.

“I was outvoted,” Mac replied sullenly, showing that he had about as much interest in this as Danny did, but he wasn’t about to fight the mob.

“Alright, Danny,” Stella said, holding out the bag to him, “Last name in there’s yours. Everyone else picked.”

He rolled his eyes before sticking his hand in the bag and pulling out the piece of paper. The rest of the crowd disappeared, and he glanced down at the ripped off piece of lined paper in his hands. Probably got Flack, he thought to himself before flicking the piece of paper open with his thumb. His eyes widened when he read the words on the paper in front of him.

What the—Montana?!?!?

Lindsay had only been at the crimelab a few months. How the hell was he supposed to know what to get her for Christmas? He had just been planning on a card and that would be it. Now he actually had to get her something?

Oh, yeah. This Secret Santa idea was a brilliant one.

***

“Hey, Flack?” Danny asked as he looked up from the body he was supposed to be processing, “You have any idea what Montana would want for Christmas?”

Flack turned at those words and gave his friend a look. Flack knew Lindsay even less than Danny did, and he wasn’t about to give judgment on what the woman wanted for Christmas. He also wasn’t quite sure why Danny wanted to know what Lindsay wanted for Christmas. He knew that the two of them had been skirting the thin line between flirting and wanting to kill each other, but he didn’t think they were that close.

“Do I look like I know what Monroe would want for Christmas, Messer?” he replied, before asking his next question, “Why do you even want to know—” the answer to the question hit him mid-sentence, and the confused look turned into a smirk, “—you’re her secret Santa, aren’t you?”

“Unfortunately,” Danny replied, “I haven’t the slightest idea what I’m supposed to get her.”

“I am even more clueless than you are,” Flack stated.

“How are you doing for yours?” Danny asked, and Flack’s smirk returned.

“Mine? Mine’s easy.”

“Really?” Danny sighed, “Who’d you get?”

“We’re not supposed to tell,” Flack said stubbornly.

“C’mon,” Danny groaned giving his friend a look, “I told you mine.”

“What are you, twelve?”

“Could say the same for you,” Danny replied, “C’mon. I’m not going to tell whoever it is.”

Flack shrugged, “Maka.”

“Maka?” Danny said, “You got Maka and you think its easy?”

“Yeah,” Flack replied, straightening suddenly, “Why? You think it’s not?”

“Maka’s a complicated girl, Flack.”

“I know,” Flack replied, “But it’s a Secret Santa gift, she’s not expecting me to go all out on this.”

“Still—this is Maka,” Danny said, smiling to himself knowing that with every word he was making his friend more and more nervous about this. And even though he knew it was evil, he was definitely enjoying it.

***

“Hawkes!” Danny said catching up with the other man as he was walking through the halls of the crimelab. Hawkes gave him a small smile, but continued walking, Danny following him.

“What can I do for you, Danny?”

“You and Monroe—you talk, right?” he asked, and Hawkes gave him a look.

“Yeah, why?”

“You have any idea what she might want for Christmas?” Danny sighed as the two of them slowed to a stop, and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. A pensive look crossed the other man’s face, and he shook his head.

“Sorry, Danny,” Hawkes shrugged, “You got her in—?”

“Yeah,” Danny replied, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck.

Hawkes shrugged, “When it comes to women, I always say when all else fails, get chocolate.”

“Yeah, but there’s so many chocolates out there now,” Danny sighed, “How am I going to know what to get her?”

“You’ll come up with something,” Hawkes replied before mumbling, “At least you have it easy.”

“I have it easy?” Danny said, an impish grin crossing his face, “Who’d you get?”

Hawkes was silent for a moment before mumbling, “Hammerback.”

Danny’s shoulders heaved with the laughter he was trying to hold back, “Have fun with that.”

“Thanks,” Hawkes rolled his eyes.

“Hey, Danny!” Lindsay’s voice echoed through the hallway as she approached the two men. Hawkes gave the woman a nod before continuing to where he was going.

“What can I do for you Montana?” Danny asked, trying his best to look nonchalant.

“You know Adam pretty well, right?” she asked nervously.

“Well enough,” he shrugged.

“Know what he might want for Christmas?” she sighed, biting her lip slightly, “I would figure something out myself, but I haven’t been here that long, and—”

“Nah, nah, I understand,” Danny replied, nodding his head, “Adam’s big geek, really. Comic books and the like. Maybe something along those lines.”

Lindsay nodded slightly before giving him a smile, “I think I’ve got something. Thanks.” She hesitated for a second, “I really feel bad for whoever has me. No one’s gonna know what to get me.”

Tell me about it. “I don’t think it’ll be that bad,” he sighed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he lied through his teeth, “You seem like a pretty straightforward person to buy for.”

He watched as she crossed her arms, running her tongue along the edge of her teeth, “Really?”

“Yeah,” Danny nodded. She continued to give him the same look.

“Good to know,” she sighed, “How are you doing on your Secret Santa, Messer?”

“Great,” he said, “Perfect. Know just what I’m getting ‘em.”

“Uh-huh,” she replied, before heading back to the layout room. Danny watched her go, and tried not to look panicked.

I’m so screwed.

***

Christmas music blared off the speakers as the members of the crimelab milled around the breakroom, enjoying the slightly more relaxed atmosphere. They decided they weren’t going to do a whole big presentation thing with the Secret Santas, just have them give their gifts as the night went on.

Flack had decided to ignore Danny, and had just gone with his gut on what to get Maka. Chocolate. She was currently surveying the basket of assorted Gertrude Hawk chocolates in front of her, and settled on the chocolate covered peanut butter bites. Maka had had Stella for hers, and the other woman had received a few gift certificates to her favorite store. Stella, herself, had gotten Flack, and in return he received several baked goods from his favorite bakery, as well as the promise that the next time they had to go somewhere together, yes, he could drive.

Adam had wound up with Hawkes, who handed him a gift wrapped book, entitled Useless Knowledge: Answers to Questions You'd Never Think to Ask. He was browsing through it, when Danny caught up with him, a friendly smirk on his face.

“How’d you do with Hammerback?” he asked.

“Sex Crimes in History: Evolving Concepts of Sadism, Lust-Murder, and Necrophilia – from Ancient to Modern Times,” Sid read off the cover, giving the other man next to him a small smile, “If I can say anything for Sheldon, he does know what I like.”

“That’s definitely for you, Hammerback,” Danny replied.

“How’d you do with your gift, Danny?” Hawkes asked, raising an eyebrow in Danny’s direction, and the other man’s grin widened.

“I think I’ve got it covered.”

“Speaking of gifts, Danny,” Sid said, picking a wrapped package with a card off the table, “I happened to get you as a giftee.” Both men watched as the color drained from Danny’s face, and he looked at the package in his hand with apprehension.

He opened it slowly, and found that it was a book as well. He took a deep breath before reading the title aloud, “The Enlightened Sex Manual: Sexual Skills for the Superior Lover.” He paused, looking up at the man, “Thank you, Sid.”

Hawkes, unable to hold back his laughter, excused himself from the group and left them alone. Sid nodded with a smirk before he started speaking again.

“There is also a gift card for the bookstore where I purchased this, as well as the receipt for the book, in the card.”

Danny started to laugh, before placing his hand on the older man’s shoulder, “Thank you, Hammerback.”

“Merry Christmas, Danny,” he replied, before walking off towards Stella and Maka. Danny’s eyes wandered over to where Mac was standing, catching him and Jane Parsons as they exchanged gifts with each other.

Ain’t that cute, Danny thought with a smirk, They got each other.

“Need some help in this department, Messer?” He spun around at the voice behind him, and found Lindsay standing there, holding up his newly acquired book in her hand.

“It was a gag gift,” he explained slowly, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, “I have no problems there, Montana.”

She gave him a smirk before quirking an eyebrow in his direction, “I’m gonna have to take your word for that.” She placed the book down on the table, a hand on her hip, “So who got you?”

Danny hesitated, “I’d rather not say.”

“Uh-huh.”

“So what’d you wind up getting Adam?”

“A few Batman comics, and a gift certificate to the place where I had gotten them,” Lindsay replied, “He seemed pretty happy with it.” She gave him a look, “How’d you do with yours?”

“Haven’t given it to her yet,” he replied.

“Better get a move on, Messer,” Lindsay sighed, “Party’s winding down.” Her eyes then wandered over to where Mac and Jane were standing, “I hope Mac didn’t get me.”

“Really?”

Lindsay frowned, “I have a feeling he, of all people, really wouldn’t know what to get me.” She then turned to him briefly, before asking her next question, “Who’d you get, anyway?”

“You.”

“Oh,” Lindsay sighed, before doing a double take, “What?”

Danny grinned before handing her a gift wrapped package with a card on top, “Merry Christmas, Montana.”

Lindsay blinked at him as she opened it, revealing a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates, and a card containing the information for a spa day. “Now,” he continued, “I have no idea what any of those ‘treatments’ mean, so you’ll have to call them and schedule everything, but the day itself is bought and paid for.”

Lindsay still had a look of disbelief on her face, and it relaxed into a smile, “Danny—how’d you—?”

“I figured you were probably a little stressed, you know, with moving here and everything, and Stella suggested that this might be a good idea,” he shrugged, “As I said, you’re a pretty straightforward person to buy for.”

The look of disbelief melted into a smirk as she swatted him on the shoulder. She then leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Danny. I really appreciate it.”

“You’re quite welcome,” he replied as she walked away, “Merry Christmas, Lindsay.”

“Merry Christmas, Danny.”

THE END