A/N: Just a one shot that popped into my head.. :) If i own anything remotely connected to CBS, AZ or JB, i think thw world would be ending. Save to say, i don't.
Danny Messer stood at the edge of the dance floor looking on at his daughter. He could hear everyone one else listening to a different song than him, only he could hear this one, although, judging by the glances his daughter was giving her dad every so often, she was hearing the same song too.
He wiped tears from his eyes. Not even 30 minutes ago, she was still a Messer. Now, a Hamilton. Emily Hamilton, Emily Messer, Yes, Emily Hamilton? No, he wasn't sure he could get used to that.
He glanced over again, through his tears and knew she'd made the right choice.
He started humming his own tune to himself. Ever since Lindsay had turned him into a country hick, this song had always been close to his heart
Look at the two of you dancing that way
Lost in the moment and each others face
So much in love you're alone in this place
Like there's nobody else in the world
I was enough for her not long ago
I was her number one
She told me so
He remembered the afternoon, when they were coming home from her ballet class, her bag slung over his shoulder, whilst she was skipping next to him to keep up with his strides.
"Daddy," 6-year-old Emily smiled at her Dad
"Yep princess"
"When I grow big, will you fight off all the mean boys like you do now? Like you do with Uncle Flack and Pete"
"Em baby, of course I will sweetie, but you know I can't make Pete go away, he's your cousin, and who would pick you up from school when Mommy and me are at work, if we didn't have Uncle Flack?"
He grinned to himself, wondering whether to make her sign an oath, allowing him to remind her of her words when she got to 17 and wanted to go to prom, with that one 'special' boy, that she wanted him to 'fight off the mean boys'..
She had stopped suddenly and was pulling on Danny's trouser leg, "Daddy, you're my number one daddy. You know that?"
"I should think so Em, I'm your only daddy" he smiled bending down to her level on the sidewalk
"No, silly, I didn't mean that. I meant you're my bestest friend. I love Mommy, but you Daddy. You let me eat candy" she said in a almost whisper, touching his face
"Yeah, okay, just don't tell your mom alright?" he smiled, placing a kiss to her forehead, moving a curl from her eyes before he stood back up.
She nodded and carried on skipping next to him.
And she still means the world to me
Just so you know
So be careful when you hold my girl
Time changes everything
Life must go on
And I'm not gonna stand in your way
The only damn reason he wouldn't stand in Jason's way would be because of the woman stood next to him, the love of his life, Lindsay, ensuring he was behaving, staying in line... But even so, Emily was his little girl, and he was like a mama lion, protecting his own. The only reason he hadn't scared the guy off was because of Lindsay. Lindsay knew how much he had meant to Emily, so he took her word for it. Turns out Lindsay was right… Again.
But I loved her first and I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
Danny had been the first person to hold Emily when she was born. The doctors handed the little bundle to him first, while they tended to Lindsay. He had always thought he would have freaked out, panicked at holding his own child. His baby; His little girl. But boy, he was wrong; he and fatherhood suited each other just about as much as a duck does with water. He was a natural, even Lindsay said so.
The first breath Emily had ever taken was in his arms, her first real breath at least, so the doctors told him. To this day, the thought of that still warmed his heart.
His heart… That same little girl, and her mother had a strong hold on his heart, Lindsay taking one half, Emily taking the other, they were his girls. And he would have killed for them, he still would. He made a mental note to make Jason aware of that. Not that he would ever hurt her.
It'd been 3 days when she came home from the hospital, and she still hadn't smiled. Not even cracked a grin
"That's it" Danny exclaimed walking into his daughter's room with Lindsay sat on the rocking chair.
"What's it?" Lindsay said, hushing him to be quiet
"Mrs Messer, you cheated on me, that's the only conclusion"
"What?" she shouted, before realising that a sleeping Emily was nestled up to her.
"What?" she asked again, quieter and calmer this time
"You, you cheated on me. Emily doesn't smile, she can't be my kid, every Messer kid smiles."
"You're a freak Danny. An actual freak"
"A freak? When in hell did you start using words like 'freak' Montana?"
"Well, I can't say jackass, or asshole can I, not with Em now,"
Danny moved and leaned on the rocking chair, looking down at Emily, raising his eyebrows.
"Call me a jackass"
"What?" Lindsay turned and looked at him in bewilderment. "Call you what?"
"A Jackass, call me a jackass"
"Jackass?" She said, humouring him
Still looking at Danny, Lindsay's face turned from a crazed expression, to her very own Messer grin.
"She's smiling Lindsay, Lindsay Em's smiling"
"She's got your smile Danny"
"Yeah she does" Danny smiled, tracing his finger down his daughter's cheek.
Lindsay sat back in the rocking chair and sighed
"Aw crap, she got Flack's sense of humour." Lindsay groaned putting her back into her crib, before heading to the kitchen, smiling.
"See- see" Danny stood waving his arms in the air
"I told you, you cheated on me" he smiled chasing after her, all the while laughing.
After the novelty of Emily smiling had worn off. He had slept on the couch that night, for even considering she'd cheat. Last time he ever did that, he was only joking after all…
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But it still hard to give her away
I loved her first
Danny had always, always prayed his little girl found a boy, just as nice as Jason. Boy, no, strike that, a Man. He had prayed she would find Jason... His little girl wasn't so little anymore. That reality check had hit him a little over an hour ago, when he had giving his daughter away. When he had kissed her as a Messer for the last time.
How could that beautiful women with you
Be the same freckle face kid that I knew
The one that I read all those fairy tales to
And tucked into bed all those nights
When he looked at her, not only did he see Lindsay, but he saw the 6-year-old with the dirty blonde curly hair, with brown eyes, with freckles, grinning up at him, sweaty from playing baseball in the back yard with Flack's little boy. The freckles made Emily, well, Emily… They never understood where she had gotten them from, neither of them had, had freckles. But, it was just something else Danny could add to his list of why he loved his little girl.
The fairytales. She was always a dreamer, a princess, wanting, seeking her prince, her happy ending. She was a daddy's girl, and a mommy's girl. The toothy smile she flashed had the whole of the NYPD crime lab when they had taken her on her 3rd birthday had wrapped them around her little finger.
Quite a lot of things stood out to Danny throughout her childhood.
Dance recitals, girls little league, girls soccer teams, piano recitals, but, it was the times when Lindsay was still at work, and he put Emily to bed, was the times that stood out the most. Sure, he was hands on Dad, and did his fair share, but when it came to bedtime, Lindsay was always better. Lindsay did bath time, she came out dry, Danny did bath time, he came out wetter than Emily. But, when he did put her to bed, it was special. Secretly, he had always thought Lindsay had done it on purpose, so that it was special, something that he and Emily could share, a bonding session. Sure he helped on her baseball and soccer teams, hell he more or less coached the damn teams, but, bedtime, it was more calming, sweet and loving, just like their father –daughter relationship. Like their little family, just the 3 of them, calm, loving and caring.
And I knew the first time I saw you with her
It was only a matter of time
As soon as Jason had walked in through the door with Emily when she had come home from college one weekend, Danny knew he was 'the one'. They had the teasing, flirty and sweet banter he and Lindsay had when they had first met, and to this day, still had. From when he had watched Jason at the table that night over dinner, he could tell that there was something already there, be it love, he didn't know. Jason had placed his arm behind her chair, almost as if he was protecting Emily, and Danny smiled, at the gesture, before realising he was doing the exact same thing with Lindsay's chair. Protecting her, from then on, he knew.
But I loved her first and I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But it's still hard to give her away
I loved her first
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
His love would never run dry. He loved her unconditionally, she was one half of his world, and even though time had moved on, and she had grown up, she was always his little girl, and his love, wouldn't ever change, for his only baby girl.
Someday you might know what I'm going through
When a miracle smiles up at you
I loved her first
He closed his eyes and grinned at the thought of standing in the hospital, watching Jason with his and Emily's children, seeing the amazement on his face at the life he had helped to create, the feeling, the rush of that first smile.
Danny felt a small touch on his cheek, and he opened his eyes, to Emily, standing there, holding her hand out, cueing the music.
He let her lead him onto the dance floor, and he swayed with her, to the memories he had just re-lived, through their father-daughter dance,
Knowing that he'd loved her first.
A/N: Twinkeyrocks, you're an actual star, for all the reading through you do and letting me bounce the ideas I get off you. hug! :):):)