Author's note: So this is my first CSI NY fic. DL of course. You just gotta love those two... Anyway... don't ask why I felt the need to write a Christmas fic when it's, y'know, the middle of April but there you go. That's my wierd mind for you. I have to apologise for the constant switching between the names 'Hawkes' and 'Sheldon'. I got confused about what to call him so I just stuck in both. Hope you enjoy this fluff:-)

---

Christmas on the Field.

“Happy Christmas.”

Danny chinked his glass against Hawkes’ and Mac’s. It was Christmas morning and they three had pulled the short straw in regards to shifts. Not that spending Christmas with Sheldon and Mac wasn’t fun, but they all knew that they would prefer to be elsewhere. It just wasn’t the same, spending Christmas in the office.

The three of them had taken an hour out from working on their Christmas case to celebrate. They had a small Christmas dinner that they had assembled together, turkey and all, and Christmas presents from their colleagues to open. Danny was feeling slightly impatient about opening one particular present that he could see out of the corner of his eye. He couldn’t help but think that if she, Lindsay, was here this Christmas might be more enjoyable. However, he couldn’t begrudge her only visit to Montana and her family that she had been able to make for nearly a year. She deserved to have a nice Christmas at home with her family.

He laughed at Hawkes’ tale of a past Christmas, when the young Sheldon had opened all of his presents on Christmas Eve, and then rewrapped them so that no-one would know. Of course everyone did realise, especially with the fact that he had put the wrong wrapping paper back on certain presents. For a while the three of them exchanged Christmas memories as they ate their Christmas pudding. Once they had finished Mac stood up.

“Ok, presents.” He said, grinning at the other two. Danny hadn’t seen Mac this relaxed in a long while.

They walked over to the small piles of presents that lay nearby. They decided to open presents from the same person at the same time, so that they would not be leaving the case for too long. Lindsay’s presents were to be last. Not that Danny cared about that, obviously… he was just intrigued to know what she had got him.

From the others he got the usual assortment of books and shirts, some rather too flowery for his liking and that he suspected were merely jokes. At last they got to Lindsay’s presents. Trying not to be too eager he opened his present to reveal…

A book. It was, admittedly, a book that he had mentioned he had wanted to read. But if he was honest he had been expecting something a little bit more. He kicked himself mentally for making such a stupid presumption whilst telling Mac and Sheldon about the book Lindsay had got him, and why he had wanted to read it. How could he have been so stupid as to actually think that she would treat him any differently to any of the others? They were only co-workers after all, even if they did seem to have some kind of chemistry between them.

Feeling disappointed and annoyed he went back to the victim’s house with Mac to continue talking to the wife. Half of him was absorbing everything that the woman was saying but the other half was stuck on another woman, who was currently in Montana. He was suddenly feeling embarrassed about his present to Lindsay, a necklace that she had pointed out to him a while ago as one that she liked. Although he hoped she liked it he now felt that she would think him too eager or something.

But then again, he liked doing nice things for her. He laughed softly. She had definitely changed him. He wasn’t the same man he had been less than a year ago.

---

A while later he was sat in his office, running possible suspects through the database. As the computer was doing its thing his glance fell on the book Lindsay had got him. With a small sigh he picked it up and opened the front cover. His eyes fell immediately on a message from Lindsay inside, and a smile came to his face.

Dear Danny,

I remembered you saying that you wanted to read this book so I decided to help you out with that. Unoriginal I know, but I wasn’t sure what to get you. Honestly Danny, sometimes I feel like I’ve known you all my life (or that you’ve been teasing me with the name ‘Montana’ all my life anyway) and other times I feel like I hardly know you at all. You are a hard person to buy a present for.

Happy Christmas!

Lindsay. (Montana)

Danny grinned. And then stopped. Was one little apologetic note from her going to make the world seem a better place? Since it was taking all of his self restraint not to dance around the room, apparently yes.

He turned back to the computer and got up to show Hawkes what he had found, but as he was about to go out the door the phone started to ring. He debated for a few seconds before deciding to pick it up.

“Messer.”

“Hi Danny.”

He sat down again rather promptly. Why was she calling him on Christmas Day when she was with her family?

“Hey Montana. I thought you were spending Christmas with your family?”

He heard Lindsay laugh slightly down the phone.

“I am, but I thought I’d just call and say Happy Christmas to you guys who have to work today. You having fun?”
"Oh yes, loads of fun.” Danny replied sarcastically. “If you’ve just called to gloat about our bad luck in shifts…”

“I’m not.” She interrupted hurriedly. “I just wanted to say Happy Christmas.”

There was a pause. He sensed that she had something else to say.

“And I also wanted to thank you for the necklace.” She added.

Ah, so they had got that issue at last.

“I know you don’t really wear necklaces all that much, but you said you liked it so…”
“I love it. Thank you so much Danny. It was really nice of you.”
“No problem.” Danny replied, searching around for some witty comment to make. Only for once in his life he could not think of one. Maybe it was time to change the subject.

“So how’s it feel being with your family again?” He asked, genuinely interested.

“Weird, you know?” She replied, “But good. My cousin had a big announcement, looks like I’m going to have a new second cousin… or cousin once removed or whatever it is…”

---

After waiting in the lab for half an hour for Danny to come with his findings Hawkes decided that there was something wrong. He went in search of him, and found him sitting in his office, talking on the phone.

“Er Danny?” He said, motioning to the computer. Danny looked suitably guilty.

“I’ve got to go now.” He said down the phone. “Yeah I will… Happy Christmas to you too… Ok, see you when you get back… Bye.”

“Who was that?” Sheldon asked curiously.

“Oh, just Lindsay. She wanted to gloat about the fact that we have to spend Christmas here. Told her she was missing out big time. She said to say Happy Christmas to you and Mac.”

Hawkes had to admit, Danny masked his feelings very well as he said all that, but the smile he thought went undetected showed Hawkes a lot. He smiled to himself. He knew that Lindsay’s phone call had just made Danny’s Christmas.