CHAPTER SEVEN

“Our suspect’s name is Taylor Black,” Flack explained to Danny and Lindsay later. He turned to Xander and Annalise. “Name ring a bell?”

“She’s a fan,” Xander said. “She probably would bill herself our 'Number One' fan, I guess. But I've never seen anything hostile from her before."

“But I have,” Annalise said. “Xander, you remember her. She got snubbed at a meet-and-greet session because we were late for our flight out.” She looked at Xander. “Apparently, we really upset her.” She shook her head. "But enough to try to hurt one of us and make us lose? All for a lost autograph and picture?"

Flack rolled his eyes. “I’ll never understand celebrities or their crazed fans.” He looked at Lindsay. “Nice collar, Monroe,”

Lindsay grinned. “Not bad for a girl in a dress?”

“No, not bad for anybody. Watching you do it in that dress, though, that was a perk,” Flack said.

“Watch it, buddy,” Danny shot back. Flack only grinned as he walked away.

A judge tapped Danny on the shoulder. “I have good news for you,” he said. “I realize you are undercover detectives,” he explained in a cultured British accent, “but at the time the music stopped, we had placed you in fourth place.”

Lindsay’s jaw dropped. “Excuse me? Are you saying we got fourth in that category?”

He nodded. “You did.”

Lindsay looked at Danny in surprise. Danny’s mouth formed an o. “I, ah, we can’t accept it,” he said finally. “I, we want to, believe me, but we just can’t.” He looked at Lindsay again, in utter surprise.

"Must be that natural grace of yours," was all Lindsay could choke out.

“I understand,” the judge said. “If you two ever tire of police work, you could have a career in ballroom. A few year’s worth of practices...and you might get first.” With that, he walked away.

Lindsay turned to Danny. “Did he just really say that?”

“He did,” Danny said in shock. “Wow.”

"Hey, Danny, tradin' in the blues for ballroom shoes?" Hawkes called out as he passed by them.

"Shut up," Danny yelled back.

A few hours later, Taylor Black had confessed to everything. The case was wrapped up. Danny met Lindsay by the elevator. “That was tough,” he said.

“What are you talking about?” Lindsay asked, confused. “She caved under Flack ridiculously fast. That interrogation was no fun at all.”

“Not that part, Montana,” Danny said as he pressed the elevator button. “The dancing part. But as much as I may get hasseled, I’m going to miss it a little.”

“Yeah? Which part?” Lindsay asked. “The sore muscles, the blisters?”

“No,” he said seriously. “Not getting to dance with you. I’ve turned back into an ‘athletic ape’ as Flack put it.”

The elevator dinged, and Danny gestured for Lindsay to go in first.

There was silence all the way to ground level. And then as they headed for the subway, Lindsay said, “We never did get to finish our rhumba.”

“No, we didn’t,” Danny agreed. Then he smiled. “But it’s early yet.”

She was glad he’d caught on. “Maybe we could go back to your place, tear up your hardwood,” she suggested.

Danny grinned. “I could sure use the practice.” He wrapped an arm around her as they descended to the platform. “How about we try for a first-place performance?” he asked her.

Lindsay smiled as she unzipped her duffel bag. Danny could just see the material of the yellow dress she’d worn for the rhumba. “I got to keep them,” she whispered. “I have the green one, too,” she added. “Which would you prefer?”

The subway doors slid closed behind them as Danny whispered in her ear, “None of the above.”

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY; they belong to Anthony E. Zuiker and CBS.

Author's Note: And there you have it. And just in time for tonight's DWTS. Watch the guys tonight and picture Danny :D. Go check out the CSI:NY Fanfic award forum, nominate your favorites!