Dear Writers,
Where the hell was Lindsay? What do you think you're playing at? Fix it - next week. You better hope she wasn't in that episode because you were planning something for the next episode.
Seriously, what is it and you not having her in the fifth episode in the season. 5x05 sucked aswell.
Sort it. Pronto.
Love, Laura. x
Post ep oneshot; season 6, episode 5; Battle Scars.
Slowly making his way down the hallway with aid of his cane, Danny Messer took a deep breath, glad to be home again. The case had surprisingly taken its toll on him, leaving him an exhausted mess.
He fumbled with his keys in his messenger bag that was slung over his shoulder and slotted them into the lock as he let himself into his and his wife's apartment.
"Honey, I'm home..."
He let his bag slip to the floor, not caring where it landed, before listening carefully to the sounds of the apartment. He could hear pans simmering and the radio on low in the kitchen. He made his way, slowly, to the kitchen and smiled as he just watched Lindsay for a second, moving around the kitchen with a great ease.
"Baby?"
"Adam Ross . edu called." Lindsay began, not breaking away from her chopping of peppers. "He told me that he's still up for that race sometime."
"Adam Ross . edu? What the..."
"It's his new nickname he's trying to push," she explained as she turned around, dishcloth slung over her shoulder. "Don't ask..."
"I don't think I'm going to," Danny chuckled.
"How was your day?" she smiled as she moved over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck tentatively. "Did you manage alright with..."
"It was alright," Danny nodded as he glanced down to his cane. "Pisses me off that it takes so long to get from one end of the hall to the other, but it's a work-in-progress, ya'know?"
"I know," she smiled.
"How was your day off? I missed you."
"It was alright," she nodded. "I blitzed the apartment while Lucy was napping... Got some reading done, did the laundry, and then Lucy and I went grocery shopping. As you can see I'm making dinner now, and after I put Lucy to bed, I'm going to go outside and feed the cows and all the other stuff a little housewife does."
"I don't know what they do back in Montana and I don't know whether you've noticed, but here in New York, we don't have cows in our backyards... We don't even have a backyard actually come to think of it."
"I was being funny." Lindsay deadpanned as she pressed a kiss to his cheek before turning and stirring the sauce on the stove. "Or at least trying to be."
"I'm just teasin' you babe,"
"You're mean." She declared.
"I'm mean? I've waited to see you all day, sweetheart."
She glanced over her shoulder and flashed him a warm smile.
"Where's Lucy?" Danny asked glancing around the kitchen.
"Oh, Lucy? Yeah I decided to exchange her in the grocery store. I've had enough of her."
"Oh yeah, what did you get instead?"
"Well, I say exchange; I said they could just have her... Make her stock shelves and all that jazz."
"Where is our daughter really, wiseass?"
"She's in the playpen," Lindsay giggled as she waved the baby monitor at him that had been sat on the counter, "She's been pulling herself up all day, you know..."
"With the side of the frame?"
"Yeah, I think she's gonna be walking soon."
"Watch this space," Danny chuckled. "She loves that playpen, doesn't she?"
"She screams bloody murder when I try and take her out. I hate putting her in there, but she whines if she's not in it..."
"With her pink bunny rabbit and pink blanket... It'll be 'cause she's trying to stand up and it's gives her the frame, and then the cushioned landing when she falls on her butt."
"Took the words right out of my mouth," Lindsay giggled. "She's wanted to see you all day... She's missed you."
Danny sighed as he carefully and slowly sat himself on a bar stool. "I'll go see her in a minute, I just wanna talk to you a second,"
"Okay," Lindsay nodded as she checked the chicken in the oven, "About anything in particular?"
Danny hesitated for a moment, "Yeah actually..."
She stopped what she was doing and leant against the counter with her arms folded across her chest. "Are you alright? You seem a little... I don't know... Upset?"
Danny took a deep breath. "The case was a little tough."
Lindsay turned the heat down on the pans simmering on the stove and headed over to where Danny sat on the barstool and stood behind him. Despite the added height of the barstool making him tower over Lindsay in height, she managed to stand on her tiptoes and rest her chin in the crook of Danny's shoulder and pressed a kiss to his neck. "What happened?"
"Well, it was in the end a complete accident."
Lindsay furrowed her brow. "Babe, start from the beginning."
"See, the thing is..."
"Babe," Lindsay smiled as she pressed another kiss to his neck. "Beginning."
Taking a deep breath, Danny found the strength in him to relay the story to Lindsay. "So the vic, he was a street dancer... You know like Step up and all that, where they do crazy dances on their heads and poppin', and lockin' and all that good stuff."
"Yeah baby, I'm not Mac... And we went to see that movie,"
"Yeah, yeah, sorry..." Danny muttered. "Well, he was really good ya'know, won the prizes and all that, and obviously, a target for douchebags on the street when him and his girl were walkin' home and stuff with the cash prizes."
Lindsay remained silent and to let Danny continue.
"Well, this one fuckin' douchebag, he sees them one night, ambushes 'em, and takes the three grand he'd just won as he shoved a gun to his and his girl's back, right?"
Lindsay nodded.
"And the.... the just... douchebag started feelin' up his girl, right?"
Lindsay nodded as things fell into place in regards to where Danny's story was heading.
"And he couldn't do a damn thing, Linds. He was perfectly capable to knock ten bells out of the guy. Hell, fifteen I think... But he couldn't, because he had a gun shoved into her back as he... felt her up, ya'know."
Lindsay nodded and ran her hand down his arm in a soothing gesture.
"And with me and you commutin' everyday... And how slow I am..."
"Danny..." Lindsay whispered.
"No Linds, you know, if something like that does happen, he couldn't do anything, and he was perfectly fit and capable... Me? I'm in no position to protect you when I've got the same cane as a seventy year old."
"Danny, it's not for long, it's just till you can..."
"It's not the point though, Lindsay. What am I going to do if that happens to us? I'm can't stomach the thought of someone else's hands on you like they were on Brooke, and... I just... I want to be able to make sure you're safe when you're with me."
"I am safe when I'm with you."
"No you're not though... If you know... Someone..."
"Danny," Lindsay whispered as she turned the barstool he was sat at carefully and stood in between his legs. She then cupped his face with her hands and rested her forehead against his. "I know that when I'm with you, nothing's going to happen to me, okay? You just being there gives me a sense of safety and protection."
"I'm not talkin' about feelin' safe, Lindsay, I'm talking about actually being safe. Physically safe. I bet Brooke thought she'd be safe with Jesse, but look what happened there... He couldn't protect her, and she was never the same after it..."
"Danny, listen to me..." Lindsay whispered. "Nothing's going to happen to us and if it does, we'll be fine. If the douche has any brains, he won't pick two NYPD officers."
"We don't have it tattooed to our forehead, darlin'."
"The way we hold ourselves and the way we whip around every time we hear a cry for help, even if it is kids messing on the street, make us stand out, Danny. I honestly don't think you have anything to worry about, babe."
"I just don't wanna take that chance, you know? I don't wanna risk you gettin' hurt cause I couldn't be there to protect you. I'd never forgive myself."
"Which is one of the many reasons why I love you," she whispered. "But there's no need for you to worry about this, Danny. You've got so much more to worry about."
"Wow, thanks Lindsay. I love you too."
"I didn't mean it like that," she giggled as she slugged him. "What I meant was you have bigger things to focus on -like getting that cane thrown into the back of the closet where we forget about you ever having it."
"I just can't catch a damn break with you, can I? You get me out of the wheelchair, and ten minutes later, you've got me throwing my cane away as well."
"I keep you motivated," she reasoned. "You want to strive to do everything I demand cause otherwise I'll keep demanding."
"I wouldn't call it demandin'," Danny whispered as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him.
"Oh yeah? What would you call it then?"
"Love."
"Huh?" She giggled.
"You do what you do for me out of love; that means it ain't demandin'. You're doin' it cause you love and care about me."
She smiled as she pressed a kiss to his lips. The sounds of Lucy filtered their way through the baby monitor sat on the kitchen counter and Lindsay giggled against her husband's lips. "Busted Daddy, Lucy heard you."
"I'm comin' baby girl!" he yelled through the apartment as he braced himself for getting down off the chair.
"You better hurry, you're not there in ten seconds, she'll be throwin' her toys like her Daddy..."
"What happened to you bein' loving, huh? We had a nice moment then and now you're..."
She cut him off as she pressed a kiss to his lips. "I love you," she whispered.
He smiled crookedly at her and returned the kiss before using her as a brace to lower himself from the barstool. "I love you too, baby... and thank you."
"What for?" she asked with her brows furrowed.
He shrugged, "For always bein' there at the end of every day."
She smiled. "There isn't anywhere else I'd rather be."
He returned her smile before grabbing his cane and slowly heading into the living room where his angst daughter sat as she tried to pull herself up using the frame of her playpen.
"Why hello there Lucybear, how you doin'? Did ya miss me today?"
Lindsay took a deep breath as Danny's voice trailed off – he was probably whispering and making funny faces at Lucy – and Lindsay's theory was confirmed when she heard a shriek of giggles from her baby girl.
She turned back to her and Danny's dinner on the stove and took a deep breath.
Despite the twists, turns, challenges and hardships... Life really wasn't that bad.
Not when you had Danny Messer coming home to you at the end of every day.
I hope it was alright, considering we had no Lindsay - after the epicness that was last week as well. As ever, comments are loved and appreciated - Thanks for reading :)