A/N: Makristina made me do it. So it's dedicated to her and Megan. Because really, I owe them something from them rocking banners and icons they make me. So here you go girls!
Lots of words. Lots of fluff and a post 5x16 oneshot. We Even?
Lindsay giggled softly as she paused her iPod that was sat on the arm of the sofa where she sat, and removed a headphone from her ear. She glanced down at her stomach and smiled. "Can I help you?"
Of course, she didn't expect a response. Well, other than a flutter in her tummy. But she was slowly getting used to that. The first time it had happened she was crushed. She was crushed that the one time she had gone to her place for the night, it had happened without Danny there. He had slept with his hand on her stomach for four months just on the off chance that he felt their baby flutter.
But of course. The one night she was alone, the baby kicked.
She secretly thought the baby had kicked her wondering where on earth the warm hand was that was protectively placed on them both every night. 'Cause it sure as heck wasn't there that night. That soon changed. He refused to let her sleep at her own place after that unless he was parked next to her with his hand on her swollen belly.
She felt another flutter and she sighed and set her magazine on the couch next to her, "Yes kiddo? What's the matter? Daddy's not here right now…"
She sighed heavily. Whatever sex their child was, she knew that she was going to have to deal with a daddy's girl or boy.
Honestly though, deep down, she didn't mind.
It was only months previous she had said to Stella that she wasn't sure how ready he was for all of this. And that it was complicated. She laughed softly as she glanced around the apartment. Nothing seemed complicated from where she sat right now. Fresh paint. New furniture. New start. New life. Where was the complicated in that?
She felt a stronger kick and she placed a firm, but gentle hand to her stomach, "How many times do I have to tell you, Daddy isn't here. Story time has to wait, kiddo."
She reached for her magazine and opened it at the page Danny had folded over for her to read up on. It was something about the advantages of breast milk to a child's development.
She felt another flutter and she let out a groan, "I'm going to kill your father. Do you know that?" she grumbled as she picked up the comic book he had grumpily dropped on the coffee table before she had physically removed his hand from her swollen belly and pushed him out the door to work.
She sat back down with and opened the comic book the page where he had left off. "Okay, so where was we…" she asked as she scanned the page. "Remind me why I let him read you this…? It's really not that suitable for a baby…"
She felt a flutter and rolled her eyes, "Okay… Okay… We were at the bit where… wow. Mommy's really bad at this…" she sighed, "Can she relay the Spideman movie to you? Mommy would be good at that."
She waited for a flutter, and sighed. "Must it be the comic book?"
She felt the response and she sighed. "Okay. So stop where you are. That was flash," Lindsay sighed as she briefly recapped what Danny had been reading to the baby (from memory) in the lab the day before. "And he has that guy… the green light? Wait no…" she sighed, "Lantern. The Green Lantern is next to him… Surrender or we'll be forced to take action."
She was disturbed from her reading session by the scratching of some keys in the lock and the turning and click of the door being unlocked.
"Montana?!"
"Livin' room!" She answered as she placed the comic book on the couch next to her, "What are you doin' home?" she called to him.
"I hightailed it home for an hour." He answered as he appeared in the doorway. "I stopped by that comic book store I was telling you about."
She laughed and rolled her eyes, "Danny I told you… No more comic books. Please? I mean I humoured you all last week. Please? Talk sport stats. Hell, even steak sides. I don't mind. Just not comic books. The baby's making me read them now." She complained. "I can't take it!"
His eyes widened as he pulled out a copy of Goodnight Moon. "Actually. I went to the bookstore. I couldn't find any comic books that looked any good. And I remember my mom reading this to me, and you said your dad always read this to you."
Lindsay smiled and tugged on the material of his shirt and placed a lingering kiss on his lips, "We missed you."
"I missed you two, too."
She giggled and patted the seat next to her. "So how long do you have?"
"About an hour," he replied as he chucked the comic book on the coffee table in front of them along with her Mother and Baby magazine. "Did you read that article?"
She sighed, "Your child insisted on story time so I had to break off," she said as she wiggled her iPod at him indicating that she was doing some serious reading with her iPod. "You reading Goodnight Moon or am I?"
"Shall we take it in turns?" he asked as opened the book and sat it in his lap before pulling her close and placing it propped up against his folded leg across his knee. "You can see, right?"
She nodded as she rested her head against his shoulder and he placed his hand on her belly "Okay kiddo. Daddy's back. We good to go? Everyone comfy?" he smiled at her.
Lindsay giggled and nodded in her position, "Quick before she moves decides to play with my bladders as if it's one of them squeeze toys."
Danny chuckled as he tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear, "My boy wouldn't do that to his mom."
She raised her eyebrows. "Boy?"
He shrugged as he cleared his throat and focused his attention down to the classic children's book in front of him.
Lindsay gazed up at him as he read, voice soothing and loving, directed down at her stomach, as usual. She hadn't expected him to react to fatherhood like he had, but she wouldn't change it for the world.
Every one of their bumps had a silver lining. And this bump, literal bump, was a definite silver lining for them.
He prodded her nose gently and pointed towards the book indicating it was her turn to read the next page.
She took a deep breath and pressed a kiss to his unshaven jaw. "Will you marry me?"
He turned and looked at her, "What?"
"Be my superhero." She whispered. "Marry me."
"I thought…"
She silenced him with an index finger to his lips, "Do you love me?"
He nodded adamantly.
She smiled and nodded, "We're walking steadily now, Dan. You and me. We're not taking baby steps anymore, are we? Us. It's… it seems right. The right time. The right reasons."
He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose, then her lips as one of his hands moved to rest protectively on his son or daughter growing inside of Lindsay.
The baby steps they had taken had paid off as they sat together on the couch wrapped in each other arms staring down at her stomach, with the open book still balanced on Danny's knee.
He took a deep breath and fished in his leather jacket pocket that was draped over the side of the couch. She craned her neck round to see what he was doing and he turned with a smile on his face with a small box in his hand.
"What's that?" she asked
He took a deep breath and slid of the material couch and knelt on the floor, "Now, I know last time I didn't give you the proposal you deserve. So. All baked goods out of your hand?"
She giggled, "No doughnuts."
Danny nodded as he opened the box revealing a modest, small diamond ring. "Short and sweet. Like you. Marry me, Linds."
She smiled and edged forward on the sofa and wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her forehead against his and nodded.
As he slipped the engagement ring on her finger, no words passed between them.
No words were needed.
R&R? It's much appreciated! :)
