Brian/Lindsay - Rough Roads Ahead

[iluvroadrunner6]

Fandom: CSI:NY/Conviction
Title: Rough Roads Ahead
Author: iluvroadrunner6
Rating: FRT
Characters: Brian Peluso/Lindsay Monroe, Jim Steele, Stella Bonasera, Mac Taylor, Adam Ross
csi50 Prompt: 047. life
25_streetsigns Prompt: 010. rough road
Content Warning: N/A
Summary: The attorneys and the CSIs try to work together in peace.
Author's Note: For makeitstopjamie. Part of my Fork in the Road series. This is a follow-up to Could Have Been Worse, and see my Rather Long Note on Timeline if you're confused. There will be a sequel.
For Reference: CSI:NY and Conviction. If you have a question, don't be afraid to ask, I don't mind answering.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY or Conviction. They're owned by CBS and NBC.



“Well what do you want me to do, Jim?” Stella said, turning her eyes on the two men in front of her, “Stuff like this can’t be rushed. We have to be careful if we’re going to get this guy.”

“Well—I’ve seen you be careful, and not have a snail beat you out on getting the evidence done,” Steele replied.

“You better stop right now,” Stella said, glaring at Steele, her voice dropping lower, “Because you are dangerously close to accusing me of not caring about this case.”

Steele began to back pedal at that point, “No, Stella, that’s not what I meant.”

“You sure about that?” Stella replied, placing her hands on her hips, “Because I know you, and I know you like to push people’s buttons—”

Brian’s attention started to drift through the window of the lab, and spotted Lindsay working in the other room. Her head was bent over the evidence in front of her, and he couldn’t see the look on her face, but he could tell from the way her hands were shaking that she was upset. He glanced back at where Stella and Steele were standing, and saw that they were still arguing. He would have made a comment that their arguing was already slowing them down, but that was when Stella went back to the table, and started to work on the evidence again, but the argument still continued.

Brian rolled his eyes before heading out of the room, and over to Lindsay. He walked into the room as she put down whatever evidence she was handling, and buried her face in her hands. He walked over, and placed his hands on her shoulders, starting to massage them softly. She looked up in surprise, and then relaxed.

“You’re on the case?”

“I was Steele’s second chair onto the original case, so I followed him over on this one. You alright?”

“Aside from my fact that my coworker and friend was attacked by an extremely slippery murder suspect outside his own home, and I just worked three shifts on no sleep, yeah—I’m great.”

“At least Danny’s alive.”

“Yeah—thank God for that.”

“You should tell Mac about the sleep. He would send you home.”

She gave him a soft smile, and then pulled away from him, “He’ll probably be back in here in a little bit and tell me to go home. I just have to wait it out.”

“Linds—”

“I’m alright,” she replied, turning to face him, “Really.” She walked over to the other side of the table and started looking at some of the other evidence. “How’s Finn doing?”

“Steele said she was taking it well,” he replied, moving so that he was looking at the crime scene photos, “Sonny has delivered worse beatings, so I think she’s just considering herself and Danny lucky.”

“You haven’t seen her?” she looked up, surprised.

“Nah, when I got the call, I came right down here,” he replied, “Steele had went with her from the DA’s office to the hospital, so I decided I’d come here.”

Lindsay nodded before walking back towards him. He turned to look at her, brushing her hair out of her face, “Mac should really let you go home.”

“I’m alright,” she said, giving him a look, “But I appreciate that you’re concerned.”

“I just wanna make sure that once this is all over, I have someone to go home to.”

“Once this is all over?” she smirked, “You make it sound like we’re going to war.”

“Aren’t we?” he replied.

“Maybe,” she sighed, “But hopefully it’ll be a lot less bloody.”

“I agree,” she nodded, “I would hate to lose you in the fight.”

“Same here,” he grinned, and she laughed.

“Thanks for coming in here and keeping me entertained,” she grinned, “I was starting to get frustrated here.”

“I could see that,” he replied, “And I was hoping you could tell me how Stella could process evidence and argue with Steele at the same time.”

“Well—the rumor is that Steele is her secret boyfriend, so it could be that she’s used to it.”

“I seriously doubt that piece of gossip,” Peluso replied.

“Do you? A very reliable source informed me that she saw the two of them together at that Italian place in the Village.”

“They’re friends,” Peluso replied, “Jim works too much to be getting laid on a regular basis.”

“Does he now?”

“You should see him, he works crazy hours.”

“Uh-huh.”

“He’s always the first person in and the last one out.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Sometimes he falls asleep at his desk, and has a change of clothes with him at work. You don’t want to walk into his office first thing in the morning. It’s never pretty.”

She laughed, before looking over the pictures again, “We’re in for a rough ride, aren’t we?”

“Rough is one word for it.”

“Well—at least we have each other.”

He grinned, “If nothing else, we have that.”

She spotted Mac heading in her direction, and they both watched as he headed into the room. “Lindsay, I’m sending Adam in to cover you. Go home and get some sleep.”

“OK,” she nodded, and Mac disappeared again, “I guess I’ll see you at home?”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“OK,” she said, before giving him a quick chaste kiss as Adam arrived, “Be nice to Adam.”

“I am always nice to Ross,” he said, clapping the man on the shoulder, “Right, Ross?”

Adam just looked at him, “Whatever you say, Peluso.”

Lindsay grinned, before continuing, “Don’t kill him, Adam.”

“I’ll try my best, Lindsay.”