Hey again. I've been so bored today. Written so many stories. This is a one shot Danny/Aiden kind of thing. Sequel to Mask, though you probably don't need to read Mask to understand this story.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything you recongize.

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‘These two really got around, huh? The Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Bronx Zoo, The Met. And…’

‘Yeah, where was this one taken?’

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‘It’s tough sitting in the bullpen, ha? Waitin’ for the nod.’

‘Thanks for your concern.’

‘Here we go.’

‘Nicely done.’

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‘Means the shooter used a revolver. Five shot.’

‘Must have reloaded. You need a cool head to take that time boy.’

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‘This guy’s shot in the head, carries someone else upstairs and manages to call the cops.’

‘I’d say that qualifies for hero status.’

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‘You think we got enough experience going through other peoples garbage?’

‘Notice how we always get put on trash detail.’

‘Hey, when you make second grade, it’ll be a thing of the past my friend.’

‘Straight from your lips to God’s ear.’

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‘You take it. Solo.’

‘Thanks, Mac.’

‘…’

‘Sorry partner.’

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‘You’re such a girl.’

‘Shut up.’

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‘It’s not blood.’

‘Probably a diversion. They work in teams. I used to pick collars up at King’s Plaza Mall. Saw a lot of ketchup stains. They call it a brick. I once had this guy telling me it was his money. That’s how they look at it, you’re carrying their money.’

‘OK. This one’s not ketchup.’

‘Nice.’

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God, he’d been a crappy person.

Aiden was his best friend, and he hadn’t called her once since she was fired. He wouldn’t be surprised if she slammed the door in his face.

His stride faltered, and he wondered if maybe he should go over to Flack’s to watch the game. Flack wouldn’t scratch his eyes out, that’s for sure.

You’re being an idiot, Messer. He mentally told himself. Its just Aiden. You’ve always known how to handle her when she gets riled up.

He shook his head and kept on walking up the stairs to her apartment.

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Why hasn’t he called? If he were fired I’d call him in an instant. Aiden was sitting on her couch, the TV was blaring, but her dark brown eyes stared at the telephone, willing it to ring.

You’ve disappointed him, Aiden. The annoying voice in her head said. And now he wants nothing more to do with you. He’s happy with that little country girl replacement his got. She’d never think of planting evidence.

Aiden never thought the reason she would leave the lab would be because she thought about planting evidence. No offence to Danny, but that just seemed like the kind of thing he would do.

After all the times she had to reel him in when his heart got way too in front of his head, she had alwaysthought that he was going to crack soon. But Danny held in there, only because her and Flack noticed when he was miserable, and managed to pick him up and put him back together.

Aiden could faintly hear the front door knocking, but she ignored it. Her eyes blasted through the phone, her lips pouted in concentration. Ring, damn it!

‘Aiden?’ she heard a thick Staten Island accent waft through the door. ‘Are you home?’

Aiden jumped off the couch and had opened the front door in a matter of seconds. Danny stood there, his hair messy, the front of his shirt untucked out of his grey dress pants, slight blue bags under his eyes and a bewildered expression on his face.

‘Aid…’ he started and trailed off. Aiden had thrown herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his stomach. He smirked a little and hugged her back.

‘Hey, Danny.’ He heard her mutter.

‘God, I’ve missed you.’ He mumbled into her hair. ‘I’m sorry I haven’t called. I’m sorry I’ve been such an idiot.’

‘Don’t worry about it, Messer.’ Aiden told him, pulling her head out of his nice warm chest and unwillingly unwrapping her arms. Danny let her go to after a moment.

‘How have you been?’ he asked her.

Aiden nodded. ‘Fine. How about you?’

Danny also nodded. ‘All right.’

‘Lair.’ Aiden said, her brown eyes studying his blue ones.

‘Hanging in there.’

‘Liar!’

‘Falling apart.’ Danny finally admitted.

‘Better.’ Aiden said. ‘How’s Lindsay?’

Danny snorted, than stopped when he remembered what she had said. ‘Hang on. How do you know, Monroe?’

‘Flack told me.’ Aiden said with a shrug.

‘You still keep in touch with him?’ Danny asked. He followed Aiden onto the couch.

‘Yeah.’ Aiden said. ‘He doesn’t…he told me that he’s worried about you. He talks to me because he’s not…because he doesn’t hate me.’

Shit! Thought Danny. ‘I don’t hate you Aid.’ He said, pulling her close to him. Danny, her dad and Flack were probably the only people she would let hug her, with the sometime exception of her brothers.

‘Yes you do.’ Aiden muttered into his chest. ‘You hate me because you’re disappointed in me. That’s why you haven’t been calling.’

‘I haven’t been calling because I’m a bastard, because I’m stupid, and because I thought I could keep doing this work without you. I can’t, Aiden. Monroe’s a great CSI, butshe’s just so country, so naïve.’

Aiden hit him on the back. ‘You’re such a bastard, Daniel Messer.’

‘Told you, didn’t I.’ Danny said, smirking into her long, dark hair.

‘Wipe that smirk of your face.’ Aiden said. She turned in his arms until she was more comfortable.

They sat like that, watching repeats of Charmed, until they fell asleep.

Just like old times.

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Long live DnA. That's proabably not really a romance fic, but anyway, I do angst better.

Review. Please. It DOES make me happy. Really.

Ciao!