A/N: First of all, I'm so glad CSI:NY is back for at least two weeks. This makes me incredibly happy with life. Second, this one is a bit of a random oneshot as such for you guys today! I've really been craving some DannyLindsay family time recently, and when Linds mentioned Lucy, I was like right - perfect excuse. This isn't anything special as such... I've just always, ALWAYS wanted to see regular family day-to-day stuff, and I guess because with time and stuff they can't give us that... well, Fred went to town and had a blast with this. Hope you guys enjoy it. Before I forget as well, I've pulled in about three different post-ep stories that I've recently posted into this one. See if you can cast your minds back and remember what it is I've included. ;)
Also, huge thanks to all of you who left me a really kind review for last post- ep. They were so much fun to read and I'm really glad you all enjoyed them spending some quality time with one another. Izzi Creo, RandomTVFan30, Mel1592, Meggie, dannylindsayfan, webdlfan, brendanakai, Gigglesforcsi, 4everyoung, CTI-Jenn, alexindigo, Daisy1966, afrozenheart412, 18lzytwner, MesserFamilyFan100 and ILoveTheCubs.
Clutching onto her husband's hand tightly, Lindsay soaked in the moment. She didn't often get to pick up her daughter with her husband by her side; a range of reasons preventing them from having the same time off together. But today... today Lucy was in for quite the surprise.
Mac had told them to go forty-five minutes before Lucy got out of school and although Danny had protested some, Lindsay had already been on the phone to their babysitter, Haley, releasing her from her nannying duties for the day – and that they'd be able to pick Lucy up instead; leaving Danny's polite protests falling on deaf ears. Mac had seen the excitement in Lindsay's eyes and quite frankly, even if he had wanted Danny, or Lindsay, to stay longer... well, it wasn't happening now. Mac of all people didn't have the heart to take away the little family's time from one another.
Together, they had dashed across the city and made it to Lucy's little preschool just in time to be congregating with the other parents outside; patiently waiting for Miss Talbot to release the class.
"She's gonna die when she sees us," Danny smiled as he tucked Lindsay into his side.
Lindsay glanced up and nodded at him, "She sure is. It'll make a nice change, us both doing the grocery shopping today, you can be the disciplinarian and say no to every single candy bar in the store. It'll be a nice break for me."
"That's what you think," Danny teased. "We both know I'm just as bad as her."
"Don't do it to me," Lindsay warned. "You better back me up, sir. Don't you make it harder for me."
"You know I will," he rolled his eyes before nudging her playfully. "I'm just jokin' with ya. Don't worry babe."
"I'm just warning you because I don't need you encouraging her."
"Babe, I'm not gonna encourage her." Danny scowled at his wife. "Wow babe, if you're gonna be like this, maybe I should'a stayed at work."
"Maybe you should have," Lindsay narrowed her eyes. A beat had barely passed before her features soften and she sighed. "I didn't mean that."
He sighed and shook his head, "neither did I... I'm sorry babe. Change the subject?" he offered. "Let's talk about somethin' else..."
She nodded and retook his hand and he once again tugged her into his side. "Say, I meant to mention to you earlier honey-"
"Oh, just the people I needed to see," a voice called out, making them turn in sync to one another. "We missed you at yet another PTA meeting last night. I'm unsure of where our phone call was to let us know... we waited for fifteen minutes, expecting you to turn up."
Danny let out an audible and frustrated sigh that resulted in Lindsay having to squeeze his hand to remind him to be nice.
"Linds, is she for real?" he muttered.
"Humour her," Lindsay sighed. "She does this all the time... just let her get it off her chest," she whispered before turning.
"We're-"
"Apologises on that one," Danny cut in sarcastically. "We we out saving the world again last night; crime doesn't stop for PTA meetings."
"Well, we at least expected one of you to have the decency to turn up. You mentioned to me Lindsay that you guys were going to try and make it. This is something that most of us take seriously. It's an important part of school life, and it concerns me that you both don't find it as important as the rest of us do."
"What is it that you do for a livin'?" Danny asked.
"Excuse me?"
"Alison is it?" He asked, to which the woman nodded. "Kaden's mom, right?" to which she nodded again. "Right," he then nodded, deciding that he could begin. "What is it that you do for a livin'?"
"I uh... I stay at home."
"Okay," Danny nodded. "You know what, that's great... On some levels, I think I can speak for Linds and I when I say that we're actually jealous of the fact that you get to spend all day with Kaden. I'm not sure you realise this, but on average, we get to see Lucy for about I'd say five hours a day – and that's on a good day."
"A good day?"
"Yeah, if there isn't a double homicide or a domestic abuse case, or a kidnapping that results in us spending over fifteen hours at work in one stretch alone." He informed her. "I know for a fact Linds would love for nothing more than to stay at home with Luce all day, every day... but she can't, okay? She has other priorities that include work."
"But it's just... you said that you'd come."
Danny licked his lips and glanced towards Lindsay in frustration. "Well, I'm real glad that you're dedicated about this, but you see the thing is, we got off work right when it was Lucy's bedtime, and because we hadn't seen our daughter all day, she took precedence in our lives, funnily enough. So instead of talking about the school, fundraising and all that other crap, we thought that it'd be best to actually be parents. You know, that thing that essentially qualifies us into the PTA meeting?"
Blinking in response, Alison Hughes dropped her attack slightly and stepped back from the couple. "Oh, well I... I didn't realise."
"No, I figured not, despite the fact that my wife informs you every week of our shifts, and whether we expect to make it."
"A phone call would have been nice last night though."
"Yeah well, she was busy consoling a widow and then interrogating that woman's husband's murderer... so she was a little busy last night. As for myself, I was analysing evidence so that we could convict this murderer. Then after that, we picked up a kidnapping case. So unfortunately we had other things we needed to be worrying about."
"I understand that, but it's just your attendance at the meetings are-"
"Let me stop you there. This month alone we've been to three meetings out of four, which is pretty impressive when you consider our jobs. This is ignoring fact that it is completely unnecessary to have four friggin' PTA meetings a month. I know you expect Linds to get involved with the cake sales and all that crap, but I don't really think you understand what it is she does. She works a full time job, she takes care of the house, bills and all of that... and then at the end of the day she's an amazing mother to our daughter. Yet, she still manages to send Lucy in with like fifty homemade cakes every time you have a cake sale... so if you could be so kind as to take all of that into consideration, you'll realise that the PTA meetings is not up there on our priorities like we'd love for it to be. You have our email. Forward us the minutes and we will get back to you with any further suggestions and queries. Is that all?"
"Sorry?"
"Is that everything, can we get back to picking our daughter up, or is there something else you wanna talk about?"
"No, no, that's everything... thanks for your time."
Danny turned around before Alison Hughes had managed to even finish her sentence. "Is she smokin' crack?" Danny muttered into Lindsay's ear.
"Danny!" Lindsay giggled. "You can't say that!"
"Well she's livin' in some kind of La La land, Linds; is she for real? Did she seriously just chase us up about attendance for the PTA meeting, like we're some kind of dead beat parents that don't give a crap? If it wasn't for us she'd probably be laying in a gutter somewhere."
"Danny," Lindsay rolled her eyes. "Come on, less of the dramatics."
"I'm serious, honey... Who the hell does she think she is? We told her at the very first meeting, that we re-arranged shifts for so that we could go I may add, that it would be a every now and then thing. Not something we attend religiously."
"I know that sweetheart," Lindsay rubbed his arm as she stood on her tiptoes as she waited to see Lucy. "But she has nothing better to be doing in her life, so chasing up attendance in the PTA meetings is probably the highlight of her day." Lindsay glanced over her shoulder and then squeezed Danny's arm. "See, look there... do you know who that is?"
"Lydia's mom."
"Yeah, and do you know what Lydia's mom does for a living?"
"Works in an office?"
"No honey, she's a paediatric oncologist." Lindsay said quietly. "And judging by the look on her face, she's having the exact same conversation we just had."
"Let go of me babe, I wanna go over there and say somethin' 'cause I can't -"
"DADDY? MOMMY?"
Both Danny and Lindsay turned and their eyes fell upon their daughter, whom was stood in the doorway of her pre-school's exit with the biggest smile on her face that either of them had ever seen.
"Hey baby girl!" Danny called, his earlier angst, now almost completely forgotten. "Get over here and give us some lovin'!"
Lucy dropped her lunchbox and backpack as she sprinted towards the both of her parents who were now crouched on the floor, ready to catch their daughter as she presumably flung herself at them.
"Did Uncle Mac send you?" she cried as she landed in Danny's arms and wrapped her little arms around his neck tightly. "Or did bad people stop being bad?"
"A little bit of both," Lindsay answered, and then coughed. "Where's my loving?" she jutted her lip out and blinked her eyelashes at her daughter. "What am I? Chopped liver?"
"I savin' best tils last!" Lucy attempted a wink, but blinked at her mother instead; which in response earned a hearty laugh from both her mother and father.
"She got that from you, Daddy." Lindsay laughed as she stood and accepted her daughter from Danny's arms. "You're a goof, Lucy Messer."
Lucy giggled in her mother's arms as she snuggled into the crook of Lindsay's neck.
"Suppose I'll go and get your bags, Miss." Danny playfully pinched Lucy's little puppy fat rolls. "I got it... don't you worry."
"Okies!" Lucy giggled as she snuggled further into Lindsay's embrace. "I missed Mommy today," She said softly. "I glad you here."
"Aww baby, you know what..." Lindsay whispered into Lucy's ear. "I missed my girl too."
"You did?" Lucy whispered.
"I always do." Lindsay nodded adamantly. "Daddy missed you too."
"He did?"
"Sure I did," Danny nodded as he joined his little family again. "Hey Luce, do you know what day it is?"
"Friday!" Lucy cried.
"What happens on Friday, Lucy?"
"Take out for dinner! Yum yum!"
"Good try," Danny smirked, "not quite; what happens on Friday... have a think."
"Uh... grocery shopping with Mommy!"
"Yep, it's grocery shopping day." Danny smiled. "And what do you think might happen today?"
Lucy licked her lips in contemplation before her little blue eyes widened. "You and Mommy and... ME!" She cried. "We all goin' together?"
"We sure are," Danny smiled. "How 'bout it?" he asked. "Wanna come?"
"Yes, yes, yes, YES!" Lucy cried as she wiggled in Lindsay's arms. "We go now?"
"We sure are, you ready?" Lindsay smiled and squeezed her daughter in her arms.
Danny turned and waved politely at Miss Talbot whom was scanning the crowd for the rest of the parents as she dismissed the children one by one to ensure that they were being released to the right parent. She waved back enthusiastically and pointed towards Lucy's book-bag, to which, Danny could only assume meant that there was something in there that would be of interest to him and his wife. He quickly peaked inside and, from first glance, it looked like a quick summary of what they had missed in the PTA meeting with a personalised note from Lucy's teacher, saying that she was sorry they couldn't be there, but thought that they would appreciate to be kept in the loop all the same. Danny glanced up after reading the note and nodded to Lucy's teacher with appreciation as he zipped up the bookbag once again.
As much as the logistics of being a parent could get on top of him, sometimes he couldn't help but laugh at the surrealistic nature his life had become. Never for a minute had he thought that he'd ever be justifying why he hadn't attended a Parent-Teacher-meeting with his wife... yet, he'd just passionately defended them both. Nor had he ever thought that he'd be searching through his daughter's bookbag looking for a note from a teacher, and then having a silent conversation, thanking said teacher for said note.
As he walked behind his wife and daughter, whom were chatting animatedly to one another, he felt a rush of adoration wash over him, which finally settled in the pit of his stomach. As surreal as his life was, he'd never want to change a thing.
"Do we need polish?" Lindsay asked as Danny loaded Lucy into the front of the shopping cart.
"Nah, my Ma left some last week when she did the apartment for us."
"I still can't believe she did it." Lindsay's red cheeks returned. "The apartment was so messy; I'm still so embarrassed that she cleaned it."
"Oh Linds, she knows... she doesn't care. She wants to help." Danny explained as they headed inside the grocery store.
"Yeah, but she shouldn't have to do our cleaning."
"Well, why should it just be on your shoulders? I'm a lazy fu-"
"You better think about the rest of that sentence, buddy," Lindsay scowled at him.
"I'm a lazy boy," Danny swallowed, glad that Lindsay caught him before he dropped the f-word in front of his daughter. "And it definitely shouldn't just be you that has to tidy the apartment."
"You do stuff," Lindsay reasoned. "Just more masculine things, like, I don't know... taking the garbage out... so we don't need polish?"
"No, but we do need laundry detergent," Danny informed his wife. "I used the last of it last night."
She nodded as she noted it down on her list. "What about fabric softener?"
"Nah, we got that."
"Didn't you need a new razor?"
"Is that a hint?" he smirked. "You want me to shave?"
"No..." she shook her head as she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a lingering kiss to his rugged cheek. "You know I like you like this."
Danny winked at her. "I think I'm good with the razor I have now in that case,"
Lindsay nodded. "And what about you, missy? What do you need?"
"Reese's!"
"Mhmm," Lindsay nodded as she glanced at Danny with wide eyes, essentially telling him that she told him so. "What else do you need?"
"M&Ms."
"Oh yeah, what else?"
"Muskets!"
"Three Musketeers?" Lindsay licked her lips as Danny began to smile. "What else?"
"Uh, fingers!"
"Butterfingers?" Lindsay blinked. "When have you ever had one of them?"
"Daddy!" Lucy pointed at her father, whom was studying the store's range of fruit cups and juice boxes. "Daddy gaved it me!"
"Oh he did, did he?" Lindsay closed the distance between herself and her husband and wrapped herself around him, squeezing his sides. "Well Daddy is a pain in my ass," she whispered into his ear. "You're the reason she's a chocolate monster."
"Luce, how does peaches and pineapple sound for fruit cups this week?" He questioned, diverting the negative attention from himself
"Yuk!" she cried. "Grapes!"
"You love pineapple," Lindsay implored. "And peaches for that matter..." she trailed off as realisation hit her. "Who did you sit with at lunch today?"
"Uh, I forgot." Lucy shrugged.
"Oh, it wasn't Summer was it?" Lindsay questioned.
"Oh yeah! Summer, Summer's nice. I like Summer, Mommy."
"Really," Lindsay licked her lips as she took the fruit cups from Danny and dropped them into the cart. "See, I thought so... it's funny Lucy – Summer's mommy told me that Summer just won't eat pineapple, no matter how hard Summer's mommy tries, and I told Summer's Mommy that I was just so, so lucky to have you as my baby because you eat pineapple with no problems, right Lucy?"
Lucy nodded slowly. "Uh, yeah."
"Lovely, so pineapple and peaches in your fruit cups this week?"
"Uh huh." Lucy nodded with wide eyes.
"Great," Lindsay nodded as she pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead before turning back to the lunch box fillers and grabbed some juice boxes. "Tropical punch this week?"
"Yum!" Lucy cried as Lindsay dropped that into the cart too.
As that exchange had been going on, Danny had been staring at his wife as he realised that they were a far cry from their prior lives where they were both scared to death about their impending parenthood. Stella had told him once upon a time that he needed to reassure Lindsay sometimes that she was a good Mom in case her confidence was ever knocked... but as he watched his wife effortlessly conversing with their daughter about something that he and Lucy would have undoubtedly had a raging argument about, he realised that both Lindsay and Stella's fears were unwarranted. Lindsay was one of the best mothers going.
"You done staring, honey?" she smirked. "Or you need a few more minutes to bask in my awesomeness?"
"I'm good, thanks." He smirked with the knowledge that even though she joked, she wasn't far from the truth at all.
"Good, because you can push Lucy... I'm not used to having you here, so I'm reaping full benefits of having help."
"Yes ma'am." Danny wiggled his eyebrows playfully at his daughter who was giggling as she watched the exchange between both of her parents.
"Right, home baking aisle next." Lindsay turned her gaze toward her husband and daughter. "You know, it's the strangest thing, I went to make cakes for your school Lucy, and the weirdest thing happened..."
"What?" Lucy whispered with excitement.
"There wasn't anything there!" Lindsay exclaimed. "We must have little mice that needed to use all of Mommy's flour... unless of course you and Daddy know where it all went?"
Lucy shot a look at her father as last week's pancake incident sprung to mind. "It was the mice!"
"I figured..." Lindsay shot a look towards Danny. "Because all of it gone? Surely you and Daddy wouldn't have needed to use all of the flour that was in there, right, Daddy?"
"Right." He nodded quietly, his attention focused solely on pushing the cart and avoiding eye-contact with both his daughter and wife before he gave himself away. So he wasn't the best at measurements and his daughter a clumsy little thing...
"Daddy!" Lucy exclaimed "Was that us tha-"
"Keep your mouth zipped," he cut his daughter off. "Mommy doesn't need to know."
"Need to know what?" Lindsay smirked with raised brows as she put flour into the cart, accompanied with the other things that Danny had used for their pancake mission that had failed.
"Nothin' Mommy," Lucy smiled as she zipped her lips.
"Atta girl."
A half hour had passed as the little family strolled leisurely around the grocery store as they gathered the items they required for the upcoming week. There had been arguments over beer, soda and a range of other 'necessary' items that, in Lindsay's view, weren't as necessary as Danny claimed that they were.
Danny rounded the corner and rolled his eyes as he realised where she'd led them next: the vegetable aisle.
"Right, pick three vegetables Lucy," Lindsay began. "I'll pick the other two."
"Uh, corn... green trees and uh... tomatoes!"
"Good choice," Lindsay nodded as she went to grab broccoli, corn and some tomatoes. And I'll match yours with some cauliflower and, how about some carrots."
"Uh do I get a say in this?" Danny licked his lips as he watched the array of vegetables being loaded into the cart. "'Cause I think I'm getting the short end here."
"Daddy gots to eat veggies!" Lucy cried. "They make him stwong!"
"They do make him strong," Lindsay nodded. "Daddy eating his veggies also sets a good example for his daughter, right, Daddy?"
"But... broccoli? A few weeks ago Luce hated that. Don't you remember, stupidhead trees, Luce?"
"I likes it now," Lucy beamed at her mother. "I a good veggie eater."
"Brilliant," Danny muttered. "Mommy wins that fight again!"
"Hey! I heard that, Mister." Lindsay scowled at her husband as she slugged him playfully in the arm. "Getting our daughter to eat veggies is not a contest."
"Wanna bet?" he smirked as he tugged her towards him and wrapped her up in his arms tightly. He blew a raspberry against her cheek, where she squealed and squirmed in his arms.
"Danny! Knock it off!"
Instead of his onslaught of raspberries on her cheek, Danny changed his motion of attack and began tickling Lindsay's sides, making her squirm desperately away from him. "Stop it!" she implored. "Right now!"
"Daddy, tickle Mommy!" Lucy cried with glee, "Do it Daddy, do it!"
With encouragement from his daughter, Danny sought out his wife who had backed away from him quickly. Ensuring that they both didn't move very far from their daughter, Danny grabbed Lindsay, despite her best efforts to get away and snuggled her into his chest tightly as he tickled her sides as best he could. Too wrapped up with laughing, Lindsay couldn't even protest Danny's advances as he sent both his wife and daughter into fits of giggles.
"Do you give in?" he laughed over Lindsay's own laughter. "Do ya?"
"Give in to what?" she cried. He failed to respond and continued to tickle her incessantly. "Fine! Fine! I give him!" she cried. "Give up, let me go!"
He stopped tickling her instantly and he glanced towards Lucy who was red in the face from giggling so much at her parents' antics.
As Lindsay wiped her eyes, Danny wrapped his arms around Lindsay and led her towards the shopping cart. She took the handle, but despite her initial thoughts, Danny ceased to let go of her, effectively enclosing her in a protective shield as she pushed the shopping cart. She turned briefly to question Danny's actions with her eyes, but when he simply offered her a smile, she accepted it as an appropriate answer; why not?
Finally making her presence known, Lucy giggled and leant forward as she pressed an affectionate kiss to the tip of Lindsay's nose. "You's so silly, Mommy!"
"Me? Daddy's the silly one!" Lindsay cried playfully. "After all, he was the one tickling Mommy."
Danny listened to his wife and daughter as they battled against one another, trying to decide who it was that was sillier. As much as he enjoyed work; it was times like this that he really got to appreciate his home life and his little family. Working the long, hard hours that he did made this kind of time special. He knew that other families found grocery shopping something that of a chore; something that they argued over doing... but for the Messer's? It was the highlight of their week.
And he hoped that his family's antics would carry on until the end of time.
There we have it. Hope you guys enjoyed it. It was super silly, I know... but it was fun to write. Let me know what you though :)
If you were wondering, the three (actually, I miscounted, it's four!) mentions to my other stories were... Haley the baby sitter. Miss Talbot Lucy's pre-school teacher, the lack of Lindsay's baking ingredients from last post-ep and stupidhead trees (AKA broccoli) from a few weeks ago.
Anyway, thanks for reading, guys! :)