AN: This is my Christmas gift –no doubt the strangest gift I've ever given- for all D/L shippers, and especially for all my buddies at Talk -BIG HUG-
Disclaimer: All familiar characters are not mine and Danny's story is based on the Dutch song 'Flappie' by Youp van 't Hek.
Spoilers: None.
Fluffy and Angsty: The tale of a flungsty Christmas
"Hey Messer, what's up with the long face" Flack asked when he entered the break room and saw the CSI staring daggers at his mug of coffee. "Why so moody, I thought you had Christmas off?"
Danny shrugged and sighed "I do, and that's not the problem. It's just that tomorrow Montana and I will be having Christmas dinner at my parents' and that'll be the first time that she's gonna meet my entire family."
Flack looked at him curiously "well I'm sorry buddy, but I still don't see how that could be the reason for the bad mood. I think it is great that Lindsay's finally getting to know all the Messers."
"I know it is", Danny blushed "but what pisses me off is that I'm as nervous as hell about it and Montana is not. It's just not fair! I was nervous when I had to meet her family and she was as happy as ever and not worried at all and now when she has to meet my family, I just hoped she would at least be a little on edge, but she's not and I'm the one freaking out again."
Trying hard to stifle his laughter, Flack said "you're a smart guy Messer, you know there's something you can do about that" as he took a seat next to his now confused looking friend. "I'm sure you can come up with a story about your family that will at least get her a bit anxious about meeting them."
Just when Danny started to grin because he thought of something to tell her, the subject of his recent musing entered, having an animated conversation with Adam. She stopped when she noticed the smug expression on his face and threw him a questioning look "hey, what are you guys talking about?"
Danny smiled at her curiosity "hey Montana, it's actually good that you're here. I was just discussing with Flack whether I should tell you some disturbing story about Christmas at the Messers' or if I should keep it to myself and risk that tomorrow someone accidentally brings it up and upsets you."
Thanking Adam for the coffee he handed her, Lindsay sat down on the other side of the table - facing Danny - and asked "what kind of disturbing story? I'm sure there aren't many families where 'all' is really 'calm and bright' during the holidays. I've met some of your family members already, and although they may be a little hot-tempered, I'm not sure that there is anything about them that will upset me."
Danny nodded "well, you've met a few already, but you never met the most notorious Messer of all. And you couldn't have, because he's the one this story is about. He's the one who disappeared at Christmas so many years ago. You've never met Grandpa Angsty."
"What kinda name is that?" Adam interrupted, before anyone else got the chance to say anything. Eager to hear Danny's explanation and the rest of the story, he ignored Flack's snigger and took the last remaining seat, looking at Danny expectantly.
"It was a nickname of course" Danny started explaining "his real name was Angelo, but a lot of people were scared of him, suspected him of mob connections and said that he was as ruthless as he was bold; so over time Angelo had changed into Angsty. The other children in our neighbourhood always avoided him, but for us he was just our sweet grandpa; until that one Christmas, that is."
By that time Danny had three - albeit for three very different reasons - fascinated people watching him. He paused to finish his coffee and before he even had time to put his mug down Adam was already impatiently urging him to continue "Come on Danny; tell us what happened that Christmas."
"I will", Danny said "but please keep in mind that this is not a sweet or funny story, it may in fact be quite disturbing and it will make you wonder about me, my siblings and my cousins and what we can become when we get really, really angry." When all three looked like they understood or at least tried to understand, Danny began his tale.
-o-0-o-
"It all happened many, many Christmases ago; Louie was ten, I was seven and Claudia was five years old. On Christmas Eve my father's brother Luigi and his wife Maria would always come over to our house with their two kids, my eight year old twin cousins Anna and Stefano. The five of us, the four of them and Grandpa Angsty would go to mass together, and afterwards everyone would spent the night at our house so that we could celebrate Christmas Day together.
Only that Christmas Day did not start as I was hoping. The first thing I heard when I woke up was my sister Claudia calling my name. When I opened my eyes I saw her tear stained cheeks and knew that something terrible had happened. "Claudia, what's wrong?" I asked her while I quickly jumped out of bed.
"Oh Danny, hurry up! You go to help us look, Fluffy is gone!" she cried out.
At that moment my heart froze. My Fluffy, sweet, sweet Fluffy; the rabbit I got for my birthday that summer; Fluffy with his soft white fur, his little pink nose and his large pink ears. The rabbit I, my brother, my sister and my cousins would play with almost everyday after school. The rabbit, whose cage I just knew I had securely closed the night before, was now somewhere out there all alone in the cold winter wonderland.
I hurried down the stairs – not even looking at the gifts under the tree - to discover that Louie, Anna and Stefano were already searching the garden. I could hear dad, grandpa and uncle Luigi working in the tool shed and my mum and aunt Maria were making breakfast. But for the first time in my life, even the thought of food made me sick.
At some point I went to the tool shed to ask if Fluffy was in there, since it was the one place we hadn't looked in yet. But my grandpa stopped me at the door "what would a rabbit be doing in here, Danny boy? Go back inside and try to enjoy your gifts". I nodded; he was right, maybe Fluffy would return later that day.
That whole morning and the entire afternoon off and on we kept searching for Fluffy; five kids playing absentmindedly with their new toys while our gazes keep wandering off to the now empty rabbit cage. The three men joined us in the afternoon; dad and uncle Luigi tried to distract us by switching on the TV, while grandpa Angsty helped mum and aunt Maria prepare dinner.
Little did I know, but in a really morbid way I had been right earlier on. Fluffy did return later that day. When we were all sitting down for dinner, grandpa walked in with the main course and in a too cheerful voice he said "look kids, I've found Fluffy, he has been hiding in the oven!" I can still see him place the silver tray on the table and I still remember how I saw the eyes of the four other kids lit up and then suddenly fill with tears when realization hit.
I believe my mum and aunt were cursing at grandpa for being so inconsiderate, but the five of us had already left the room and went up the stairs, crying and screaming that everyone had been right when they called him 'Angsty'. We talked for a long time in Louie's room and finally all went to bed hungry and feeling quite vindictive. And as it turned out some or all of us – I'm not gonna tell – didn't sleep much that night.
The next day started exactly as I was hoping. The first thing I heard when I woke up was my mother calling my name. When I opened my eyes I saw her tear stained cheeks and knew that something terrible had happened. "Mum, what's wrong?" I asked her while I quickly jumped out of bed.
"Oh Danny, hurry up! You go to help us look, grandpa is gone!" she cried out.
-o-0-o-
With that Danny finished the story and he looked around to meet the stares of the people sitting with him at the table. Three pair of glistening eyes were directed his way; one filled with laugher, one filled with tears and one filled with anger. Before anyone could speak, the owner of the latter quickly got up and stormed out of the room.
Not quite knowing how to interpret her actions, Danny shrugged at the two other men in the room and decided that it was better to go after Lindsay. He didn't know what to expect, but he certainly hadn't been anticipating being whacked over the head by a seething country girl, the minute he stepped out into the corridor.
"Danny Messer, what the hell was that all about!?" she roared before she whacked him again "I know it was something Flack and you have been plotting, because he was trying as hard to keep from laughing as poor Adam was trying to keep from crying when you said 'he has been hiding in the oven'. What were you thinking coming up with such a ridiculous and cruel story?"
While he rubbed the sore spot on his head, Danny looked at her amazed "wow Montana, you knew I was making it up all along? What gave it away?"
Her anger cooled down a little by his goofy boyish grin "well first the fact that you knew I was going to make a rabbit stew for tomorrow's dinner and suddenly you come up with a story about a rabbit and second I spoke to your mother last week and she told me about your grandpa Angelo; one of the sweetest guys ever whom she visits every week in the nursing home where he lives! It still doesn't explain why you did it though."
"Ah Montana, I knew I couldn't fool you. And I'm sorry." He blushed "it's just that I-well I was nervous about you meeting my family and I just thought that you-you were not nervous at all and that just didn't seem right. You should be the one who was nervous, so that I could be the loving and supporting boyfriend. That's why I came up with that cruel but – you gotta admit – pretty inventive story." He puppy-eyed her "Please forgive me?"
She sighed "oh Danny, I thought by now you'd know that I'm pretty good at hiding me feelings. I am nervous about meeting your entire family. I know that everything will be fine, but it's still something important. So yes, you can be my hero tomorrow and I'll forgive you if you promise me three things."
"Well you know I like being a hero, so what do I have to promise you?" he asked.
Lindsay smiled "first you have to go back in there and tell Adam that you made it all up; poor guy's gonna have nightmares about fluffy white rabbits otherwise and second you have to promise me that when we have kids that you're gonna be the one telling them bedtime stories. Sweet bedtime stories, that is; apparently you have a gift and it would be a shame to put that to waste."
Danny hugged her "I love you Montana, you know that? I really like the idea of telling our kids bedtime stories. I never thought I'd be saying that, but I really do. And of course I would never think off ruining their innocence with my crazy imagination. And although a lot of fairy tales are pretty cruel too, I would try and pick out the real sweet ones. I promise!" He leaned in to kiss her, when he realized something "wait, you told me I had to promise three things, what's the third?"
She kissed him "I love you too, Danny. And I just thought I put aside a bit of the stew and we could pay your grandpa a visit tonight. I think after all the things you told about him 'Angsty' really deserves some 'Fluffy'."
THE END
Thanks for reading - Reviews are appreciated
Merry Christmas everyone!