CSI:New York : Who Are You? (Don Flack/OFC fanfic)

Just Playing The Game

It was just after seven pm that night and Danny and Lindsay had finished up for the day, when Flack arrived at the crime lab fresh from his shift. It had been a long and arduous day. Homicide was no further forward in solving the riddle of the guy with no fingerprints than crime scene was. Although, the ME's preliminary proved that the victim's fingerprints had indeed been burned off. There was very slight scarring to show that, not visible to the naked eye, which only led everyone to believe that whoever had done the burning was a pro.

It had made Danny think and he had spent the afternoon looking into known gangs and anything mob-related within the area. He knew what to look for, back in his younger days, long before his time as a CSI, Danny had been involved with a gang himself. So far though, nothing had come up and the guy with no fingerprints remained a John Doe.

'Here he is, Detective Flack,' Danny greeted as Flack sauntered down the crime lab hall. 'You about ready to get your ass kicked, buddy?'

'Not sure my ass can take much more today,' he admitted. He was still a little sore from the incident with Olivia.

'S'up? Today been unpleasant for you?' Danny asked.

'Root canal is unpleasant, today's been a bitch,' Flack answered.

Lindsay smiled as the three of them made their way into the main area of the reception hall. 'What happened?'

'Must be the thought of enduring another whupass from the best damn pool shark this side of the East coast,' Danny said with a grin.

'You will eat your words, Messer,' Flack warned eyeing his friend.

'Guy's always up for a challenge,' Danny replied, slapping his hands together and rubbing them.

'You do know that this is just a friendly pool game?' Lindsay cut in.

'There ain't nothin' friendly about pool, Montana. It's a cutthroat business,' Danny said all serious-like. Lindsay rolled her eyes.

'Didn't we play for fifty bucks last week?'

Flack snickered, while Danny gave Lindsay a pointed look. 'Mock all you want. But I'm tellin' you, tonight I will reign supreme.'

Lindsay just shook her head. 'So what's up, Don?'

'Ah.' Flack swiped a hand over his mouth. 'It's nothing. I'm good.'

'C'mon, leave it out, Montana. Us guys always take the emotionally inarticulate route,' Danny said.

'Which would explain why so many of you are - '

'Y'know what,' Danny cut her off, 'that's just cold. Too cold. Even for you.'

Lindsay just smiled. Coming from Danny Messer that was something of a compliment. 'C'mon, Don,' she pressed. 'Why the long face?'

'He always looks like that,' quipped Danny.

Flack scratched at the back of his neck. The exact same spot he'd scratched after Olivia's teasing. 'Well...It's Olivia.'

'Duke? What's up with her?' asked Danny. Then he shook his head. 'Y'know what, don't bother, there's only like a million things wrong with that one and we got some pool to shoot.'

Lindsay swatted his arm with the back of her hand. 'Cut it out. I happen to think she's a really nice person.'

'For a man hating banshee,' Danny added and then shrugged. 'Yeah, I can see she's got some likeable qualities scooting about in there. They're just hidden under that hard man hating veneer.'

'That isn't nice,' Lindsay chided.

'That is pretty off, man,' Flack agreed.

'Figures you'd team up with Montana,' Danny noted. 'When you gonna get round to asking her out anyway?'