The lightning split the sky in two, the following thunder rattled the windowpanes, right now he needed some grounding. His heart was so full of pride, he needed to be reminded that today wasn't just his imagination running away with itself. He walked past the labs, the techs in ballistics gave him a thumbs up as he walked past, he laughed and placed a hand up to them as he passed. He slid into his office, and sank into his office chair. Closing his eyes, and taking a deep breath in, and then out, and in again.

"Lucy Anne Messer," he said her name once again. He loved how it rolled of his tongue, his daughter. He chuckled at the thought, as he picked up the photo frame sitting on beside his computer. The picture of him and Lindsay at city hall, slid out of the back, making room for their new family of three.

Through the glass panes separating him from the rest of the lab, he could hear the murmurs talking about him in hushed conversation, he could hear the smiles in their voices, the beeps or the lab equipment, the ringing of phones and general bustle of the lab, brought him back to reality. Where he was supposed to be collecting the things Lindsay left when she went into Labour yesterday. Was it only yesterday, he thought, he'd been a daddy for 12 hours, and he could think of nothing else. Her smell, her tiny fingers, the way she fit so perfectly in her arms it was like he was made for this very moment. When he met Lindsay he thought he'd never love another person that way ever again, and then she came along, and like Lindsay he had the rest of his life to love her.

"Danny,' Mac knocked as he opened the door with a smile on his face.

"Hey Mac," Danny put the picture down on his desk and stood up, folding his arms across his chest. "Mac, tell you don't have a case for me."

"Don't worry Danny, I wouldn't keep you from my god-daughter. I just wanted to say congratulations again. I might come by your apartment tonight, I've got some things to drop off. And she's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." Mac patted Danny on the back, and pointed at the picture frame standing in prime position on his desk." Danny felt that face-eating grin spreading up to his eyes.

"Thanks Mac, she looks so much like Lindsay." Danny grinned, before saying goodbye to Mac, and grabbing his brown duffle bag that sat under Lindsay's desk, holding her pyjamas and over-night things. In the heat of the moment it seemed her and Adam had other things on their minds.

--

Danny entered the apartment as quietly as possible, if Lindsay had managed to get Lucy to sleep he wasn't going to be the one to wake her. Once inside, he saw Stella, sitting with a glass of wine on the couch.

"Hey Stel," he said, his voice barely louder than a whisper. She placed down the wine glass on the coffee table and went to give him a hug as he placed hsi shows on the shoe rack.

"Hey Dan, you've got the prettiest baby girl in the world," she said into his ear as they pulled apart.

"She's the spit of Lindsay already," he smiled to himself, more than to Stella.

"But she does have those Messer eyes, and she could've bust my eardrums when she was crying earlier. So she must have your lungs." Danny laughed when he heard this.

"How'd you manage to wrangle Lucy anyway, Lindsay was about to tell me when Lucy woke up." Stella led the way back to the couch where her glass of wine was sitting.

"To be honest Stel I can't be to sure. I fell asleep not knowing, and when i woke up I had warmed to Lydia. But my wonderful wife had also been thinking it seems. So we ended up with Lucy." Stella chuckled, until the unmistakable sound of a phone echoed through the quiet house. Danny automatically reached for his, when Stella sighed and picked hers up.

"That'd be dispatch." She sighed, she knew she was playing the odds when she had a glass of wine. "The desk is under orders to delete yours and Lindsay's numbers of the call list for the next week. Under Mac's wrath apparently." He laughed, nothing would tear him away from his girls tonight.

Danny stood in the doorway, the hallway light shone into the room, he smiled as he saw Lindsay's nose squish and her eyes flutter open.

"Where's Lucy?" she asked quietly, her eyes flitting around the room.

"In her crib, you fell asleep sending her to sleep." He smiled at her motherly instinct, before sliding into bed quietly beside her, wrapping his arms around her swollen belly.

"Oh no Stella!" Lindsay groaned guiltily.

"Don't worry about it, she seemed content when I got in."

"Oh, that's good." She shrugged, and blinked, her eyes staying closed.

Danny frowned softly, "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry, I'm just tired. But so happy, Danny, I can't believe it. She's perfect" Danny kissed the back of her neck and traced a finger down her cheek, brushing the hair from her face. She reached up and intertwined her fingers in his.

"Hey Lulu," he whispered as he saw his daughter stirring, her nose wrinkling as she yawned and curled her tiny fists. He kissed Lindsay's forehead before sliding out of bed, and picking Lucy up out of her crib. She sighed as Danny started rocking her from side to side, trying to stop her crying and waking up Lindsay.

"What's wrong. Is she okay?" Danny turned around and saw Lindsay staring bleary eyed at him and Lucy.

"She's fine, she just woke up is all. Didn't wanna wake you." Lindsay smiled softly, holding her arms out to accept her newborn baby. Danny watched with fascination as she supported her head, leaning down to kiss her forehead, before rocking her slowly back to sleep.

"She's perfect." Danny whispered. "She's my mini-montana." Lindsay looked up at him, with tears rolling down her cheeks. Danny sat down next to her, hooked an arm around her shoulder and wiped the tears away.

"I was born to love you with every single beat of my heart, yes i was born to take care of you every single day of my life" Lindsay sang softly, so soft Danny could barely hear the words she breathed as her voice cracked under the strain.

"I love you Montana, always and forever. You, me and Lucy til the end of time. I promise you that."

"I know Danny, I knew the first time I realised I was falling for you that this was forever." She leaned her head and rested it against her chest.

I don't own CSI NY: if i did i wouldn't have killed Jess off and I most certainly wouldn't have left it on such a cliffy!!

OH and if you guys enjoy this i have another chapter or two to upload

xx