A/N: Hi guys! sorry this is so late. I've had a busy day of doing nothing. hahaha. After the episode I was a little stumped about what to do. So instead I thought I'd try something a little different that I haven't done much of. A little variety livens up things after all.

huge thank you to those of you who reviewed last week. there were clearly lots of feels for Flack and lovato. And I mean with regards to this week... who knew Adam could get such a cute girlfriend? Although I was a little bummed that we didn't get to see DL dancing around their #kitchen I liked getting some solid backstory on Adam... took them long enough. And kudos to AJ. He did a good job.

Special extended thanks to: Dantana15, webdlfan, gigglesforcsi, alexindigo, CTI-Jenn,saderia, Loveshipper, kris is treble, MesserFamilyFan100, brendanakai, 18lzytwner, and guest.

Sighing heavily, Lindsay adjusted herself at the breakfast bar. She propped her elbow against the work surface and rested her head on her hand. "Baby, come on you know how to do this. Put seven in your head and hold up seven fingers ready to count on."

"I told you Mommy!" Lucy cried in frustration. "I don't know how. The number won't stay in my head."

Lindsay smiled reassuringly and took the pencil from her daughter. She pulled over a notepad and began drawing two sets of seven dots. Above her little array of dots, she copied Lucy's math problem out. "Okay," she recomposed herself. "So, let's just count the dots like this."

"But I did this in pre-school." Lucy whined. "I'm in kindergarten now."

"So?" Lindsay implored.

"I should know this," Lucy's bottom lip jutted out.

"It doesn't matter what you should know, Luce." Lindsay said softly. "What matters is that you are comfortable and you're confident. There's no point rushing ahead to what you 'should' be doing," she air quoted, "before you're ready to do it. Some people find math difficult, that's all."

"But this is easy."

"Who said it was easy?" Lindsay questioned.

"Everyone."

"Does everyone have a name?" Lindsay pressed further.

"People." She shrugged, her brown eyes glancing down at the piece of paper with tears in them,

"Lucy, what's the matter?" Lindsay asked softly, pushing the notepad and Lucy's homework away from them. She turned in her seat and swivelled Lucy's bar-stool to face her. "Come on, you know you can tell me."

"People make fun of me because I have Ms. Taylor sit with me during Math."

Lindsay blinked. "Ms. Taylor sits with you during Math?"

Lucy nodded.

"Why?"

"Because I think it's really hard." Lucy frowned. "Sometimes she takes me into the computer lab and we play math games. Other times we sit in the canteen while they get ready for lunch and we work on math problems."

"Is it just you and Ms. Taylor?" Lindsay asked.

Lucy nodded. "Steven used to come with us, but he doesn't anymore. He told me he got clever and I must not have 'cause I still go with her."

Lindsay sighed heavily. "And did that upset you?"

Lucy shook her head no. "But it upset me when he went and told everyone else." She said quietly. "They think I'm stupid."

"How long have you been working with Ms. Taylor?"

"Since school started," Lucy said. "It's just for Math though. Are you mad?"

"Mad? Why would I be mad?" Lindsay blinked. "If you need help honey then I need to know. Daddy and I can work with you and we can play games and things at home too to help you."

"Don't tell Daddy," Lucy whispered with tears in her eyes. "Mommy, please don't tell him."

Lindsay swallowed, this was a different side to her daughter that she didn't even knew existed. She hadn't realised that Lucy was struggling in school. She was so confident in other areas that a problem in Math didn't even reveal itself. She rarely got Math homework so it was just something that Lindsay hadn't even thought about. Now however, lots of different things were running through her mind. Namely the struggles and worries Lucy had been going through quietly.

"Lucy, why can't we tell Daddy? He won't be mad, baby. He's finds Math hard too."

"He thinks I'm clever though," Lucy's lip trembled as her watery eyes locked on Lindsay's. "I don't want him to think I'm stupid."

"Baby," Lindsay closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "Baby, Daddy and I would never ever think that. Please don't think that, okay? We're proud of you no matter what. You're our baby and we love you."

"Some of the girls at school said that my Daddy would be 'hamed of me because I'm stupid."

Lindsay blinked at her kindergarten aged daughter. She felt an overwhelming bubbling of anger fester in the pit of her stomach as she looked at the worry etched onto Lucy's face. She could honestly tell that this was something that had been troubling Lucy for some time now. Little girls could be horrible, she thought and she hated the feeling of her baby, her precious little Lucy, was being made fun of and getting hurt.

"Lucy, I want you to listen to me okay? Daddy and I love you very, very much and we will never, ever be ashamed of you. No matter what, okay? Don't listen to those horrible little girls at school. They don't know what they're talking about. Next time they start saying mean things say that if they don't have anything nice to say then they shouldn't say anything at all. You make sure you tell the teacher as well Lucy. They know better than to be mean to you like that."

"I told Ms. Hayes," Lucy explained. "But she was a little busy and she just told them to be nice, but then they laughed because I had told on them."

Feeling a little overwhelmed with the unknown turmoil Lucy had been going through at school, Lindsay swallowed the lump in her throat as she began to feel the tears rising in her eyes. She leant towards Lucy and pressed a kiss into her temple. She then reached across the breakfast bar and closed Lucy's homework folder and pushed it away from them.

"But it's due tomorrow."

"I will go and speak to your teacher tomorrow." Lindsay explained. "Don't worry about that. You can hand in your reading card and your spellings and everything else we've completed, but we'll keep a hold of your math homework, okay? Nobody will know. I will make a meeting with Ms. Hayes before school."

"Are you gonna tell Daddy?" Lucy whispered.

Lindsay nodded. "I am, because Daddy and I need to know so we can help you, baby."

"But he will be angry."

"He won't," Lindsay said softly, "I promise baby, he won't be angry with you."

"Will he be angry with those girls?"

"I think it's a safe bet," Lindsay nodded. "But don't worry about that. Let me worry about it now." She said softly. "Let's go and get ready for bed, okay?"

"Okay," she sighed heavily as she took Lindsay's hand as she helped her down the tall chair.

"You go ahead," Lindsay smiled at Lucy's confused smile when Lindsay didn't make a move after she'd helped her down from her chair. "I'll be right there."

Lindsay watched as Lucy padded off in her footie pyjamas into the bathroom. In her chest, she could feel the shattered pieces of her broken heart land in the pit of her stomach. A horrible, unknown feeling had spread all across her gut. The idea of some little child being horrible to her daughter crushed her. Lucy struggling with Math wasn't anything they couldn't deal with. With some extra support and Math games at home, Lucy would soon find ways to help her with the subject. It was the horrible words that would flutter around in her mind that worried Lindsay. She could help Lucy from sun up to sun down no problems, but she couldn't shield her from the unkindness of children. And that was something that terrified her.

"Hi Dad," Lindsay said softly as she settled onto the couch with her feet tucked under herself. "How's everything?"

"Fine," she could feel his smile down the receiver. "How are you, kiddo?"

"Alright, I just put Lucy to bed."

"Is Danny still at work?"

"He should be on his way home now. He had some paperwork to finish up."

"So, is this just a social call?" Robert inquired.

"Yeah, I guess." she shrugged. "Actually, I need to talk to you about something."

"I figured," Robert Monroe chuckled down the line. "What's wrong?"

"Lucy's struggling with Math," Lindsay began. "That's not the problem. Between Danny and I we can help her with that."

"What is the problem then?"

"Kids are being mean to her about it."

The silence down the line confused Lindsay and she cleared her voice. "Hello?"

"Sorry Linds," he apologised with a noticeable lump in his throat. "I just… welcome to parenthood."

"Excuse me?"

"You're worryin' about kids being mean to your own kid. Welcome to the next forty years of your life, kid."

"I can't deal with it, Daddy." She whimpered. "I can't stomach the thought of Lucy getting upset from something that a little witch has said to her. What right does this little witch have in making Lucy feel like she's stupid? Lucy outshines most kids in that class."

"I know she does," Robert smiled. "But then again, she's my one and only granddaughter from my precious baby girl so I'm pretty sure that I'm biased somewhere in and amongst." He paused. "But this is life, baby. Some kids don't have that filter that you've instilled into Lucy. She wouldn't say a bad thing to someone… other kids don't get that lesson in life. They say what they want without a second thought. You know this first hand. After Lucy, Caroline and Kelly died you know how horrible people were."

"But that was fine. They were saying it to me, I could deal with it. Lucy… she's my baby."

"And how do you think I felt back then?" He implored. "You were my baby and horrible little things were being cruel to my daughter who had already been through enough. I was ready to commit murder myself." He said. "But, I took a step back and just braced myself for everyday that you came home and I was ready with tissues to wipe those tears. It didn't make it any easier seeing you cry, but there was nothing I could do…"

"I don't know if I can just standby and watch her be bullied."

"You don't have many other choices, sweetheart," Robert said softly. "I remember one time you went to school in a t-shirt you'd gotten at the weekend and by the time you got home you'd ripped it and it was pretty much ready for the trash, all because Ashley James had the same one and it wasn't okay to be seen in a t-shirt someone else had. You had wanted that t-shirt for months and when you'd carried it out of the store, it was the first smile I'd seen on your face since the girls had died. Then, the next day you come home and it's in shreds. I wanted to shred little Ashley's face… but I didn't. You can't get involved in your children's battles. So long as you're there ready to catch her and give her all the love she needs, she will be okay. She's part Monroe too, you know, and Monroe girls are strong; you've proven that time and time again. You don't need to worry about her, sweetheart. She will be just fine."

"Danny's going to march down to the school tomorrow," Lindsay grimaced. "He's going to be furious."

"As any father would be." Robert nodded. "What I haven't told you is that it is completely different for fathers' and their daughters. Mothers offer the emotional support. Fathers go behind their daughter and wife's back, demand to see the principal and place formal complaints against their bullying systems."

Lindsay pondered that for a moment. "Is that why Ashley got moved from my classes randomly?" Lindsay implored.

"Possibly." Robert chuckled. "You didn't need to know that though. It had gone away in your eyes and that's all I wanted."

"So basically all this advice you've just given me about drying her eyes and being supportive was bullshit and really I should march down to the school and demand that I see the principal then and there."

"No sweetheart, you need to do what's best for Lucy. Not what's best for your emotions right now. If it gets worse then of course, flash your badge and you'll get to see the principal before you can read them their rights."

"Dad, I don't arrest people for-"

"I'm joking," he interrupted her. "All I'm saying is you know Lucy better than anyone else in this world. Step in when you need to and step back when you've done enough."

Lindsay exhaled and closed her eyes. "So I'm doing the right thing for her?"

"You always have," Robert smiled. "Your Mom would have been proud, Lindsay."

"I miss her," Lindsay said softly.

"So do I," Robert agreed. "I better let you go. Danny will be home soon, won't he?"

"Any minute," Lindsay confirmed. "Thanks Dad."

"Alright kiddo, I love ya. Be good."

"Dad, I'm thirty-six. You don't have to say that everytime we hang up."

"Old habits die hard." He smirked. "Bye kid."

"Bye." Lindsay smiled as she ended their call. She placed the phone on the table and sighed heavily. Now she just had to wait for Danny to come home.

"So let me get this straight," Danny sat forward on the couch and exhaled heavily. "Lucy's strugglin' with math?"

Lindsay nodded. "But she's worried about us knowing. She thinks we're gonna be mad."

"I'm mad at myself!" Danny implored. "I shoulda known."

"How?" Lindsay smiled at her husband. "we didn't know."

"We should have been doing math stuff with her, shouldn't we?"

"Maybe," Lindsay shrugged. "But she never wanted to and why try waste time with something that none of us will enjoy. She'd much rather draw a picture and she's five. Who wants to sit and do math at five?"

"Who wants to do it at thirty seven?" Danny smirked. "I just… Kids are being mean to her about it? Why?"

"Why not?" Lindsay shrugged. "Children are horrible."

"No shit," Danny implored. "So she's upset about it?" he asked as he sat back and stretched his arms across the couch. As he did so, Lindsay closed the distance between the two of them and settled into his side.

"She's devastated," Lindsay informed him. "But, with some practice it's something we can work on. I think it's bothered her more that she's made to feel different. She doesn't sit in on math in class, she goes to the computer lab or somewhere else."

"Why?"

"Because she's working on different stuff."

"So?" Danny shrugged.

"Well, I'd prefer she gets one to one tuition that helps her rather than having her struggle in class."

"Well yeah," Danny implored, "But… I don't know Linds. She's my baby and I don't like the idea of someone being mean to her."

"You're tellin' me," Lindsay implored. "I called my Dad to ask him what he used to do."

"And what did he do?"

"Well, he used to make me think all he did was offer words of encouragement when really he used to go and blast the principal."

"Sounds effective."

"It was apparently," Lindsay laughed. "But in all seriousness, I think we need to have a quiet word with her teacher. She says that she tried to tell her but she seems to have just pushed it to the side. I mean, I can't imagine having thirty children to look after and educate all day… but when one of them comes and tells them that someone is repeatedly being mean… I think I'd stop and think that maybe this needs to be dealt with."

"Yeah." Danny said quietly.

Lindsay narrowed her eyes as she watched him and sighed. She laid a hand on his chest and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "What?"

"Nothing," Danny shrugged as he turned to press a kiss to Lindsay's temple.

"I know you," she said softly. "Come on, what's wrong."

"Being a Dad just hit me straight in the chest," he said. "There's feelin's in here that I didn't even know existed. Like I've experienced all the love and elation, and the worry when she's sick… but I've never felt anger like this before." He said. "What gives some snotty nosed little witch the right to say shit to my kid? My baby?"

"I know, I thought the same earlier," Lindsay smiled. "I guess when we signed up for being Parents, we didn't think this far ahead."

"Nope," Danny shook his head. "I was definitely under-prepared in this department."

"Try and compartmentalise this," Lindsay smirked. "We haven't got a hope in hell."

"I literally cannot even stomach the idea of Lucy's feelin's bein' hurt, Linds." Danny said quietly. "I hate this feelin'."

"Me too," Lindsay agreed. "But tomorrow, we'll take her to school and let them know that we're aware of what is going on and we'll be asking Lucy how school was and whether people were mean. If it carries on then I think I'll need to say something. My dad said for me to just sit back and let Lucy fight her own battle, but I can't. Not when she's still my baby."

"She'll always be your baby," Danny smiled. "Our baby."

"And just when we get over this drama, knowing our luck we'll be right in time to deal with our new baby."

Danny blinked. "New baby? What new baby? You're having a baby?"

"No," Lindsay rolled her eyes. "But with the panic in your voice it's good to know where you're at," she smiled. "I just meant hypothetically."

"Well, in that case, hypothetically, we'd be better prepared the second time round. So this might not feel the same."

"No, it'd probably feel worse," Lindsay informed him. "We'd know the feelings that were coming; anticipation is usually worse than unknowing."

"I guess you're right." He paused for a moment then smirked. "So basically, whichever way we look at it, we're screwed." He shuffled on their couch and lay down. Lindsay soon followed and sighed heavily.

"Pretty much; the perils of being a parent," she laid her head on Danny's torso.

"I'll tell you what Linds, this parenting thing is tough. Out of all the things we've done, I'd say gettin' it right for Lucy is definitely the hardest thing we've ever done. You know like makin' all the right decisions for her." He paused for a minute as she nodded against him. "Sayin' this, with all the flurry of feelin's I'm havin' I wouldn't change it for the world."

"Me neither," Lindsay agreed as she laced her fingers through his.

As both parents lay beside each other, their own thoughts taking up all of their energy, they both realised that despite their efforts, they weren't as experienced in everything as they hoped they would be. When they were expecting Lucy, they had spent every spare moment reading all the books and thought that they were armed for whatever obstacle faced them, but as it was they'd been caught off guard. As they felt the rhythmic heart of each other, knowing that the little girl sleeping in the other room was a combination of the both of them, they realised that it didn't really matter whether or not they knew all the answers and knew of all the ways to get around the obstacles placed in front of them and their daughter. Sure, they could prepare; but they had learned over the years that even the best laid plans needed to be flexible. It wasn't about getting it right – it was more about trying their best and doing their best for their daughter. At the end of the day, if they could think that they had done their best with Lucy, that's all that mattered. Dealing with bullies, problems in Math and wiping away tears were just minor little things that would eventually pass; Lucy probably wouldn't remember the unkind things said to her when she was five, but she would remember the way that her Mom and Dad had protected her and given her the confidence to be who she needed to be. That was parenting. And that was exactly what their only action plan was; to be supportive and loving parents, because in the end, that's all Lucy needed.

Thanks for reading. hope you guys enjoyed it. I'd appreciate any comments - let me know what you think!