A/N: Hey y'all! I had this a loooong time ago, but never finished this. I'm not sure if I want to keep this a one-shot or if I should write more chapters. But this is to show I am alive with stories other than anime. I hit maaaajor writer's block already on Capture of the Bride, then lost interest with the lack of DL. Then when I got interested, I had to replan the storyline since I forgot it! I am working on the second chapter, and might finish it within the week, but I cannot promise it! Give me a lot of reviews on this and whether or not I should expand this story, and I may just work on just Capture of the Bride, get it out, and turn to this one!
"Hey Danny."
Sitting down next to the bed, the brunette took a deep breath, and bit her lip to stop the tears.
"I'm sorry it's been so long since my last visit. I just… You know," she cracked a large white smile, "It's kinda had to visit when you've just given birth."
Choking back a sob, she covered her mouth for a moment, screwing her eyes shut. Then taking a rattled breath, she lifted the tiny infant bundled in a soft pink blanket from her lap.
"Say hello to your Papa baby. Danny, this is your daughter, Clara Aiden Messer." she had to hold back another soft, cradling the baby to her breast.
Reaching out with one hand to take the man's pale one, the ring finger glinted with two rings. The first was a simple diamond gold engagement ring. The other was more unique, with two bands of gold with a band of silver in between dotted with tiny sapphires.
"You got to wake up, love. I can't live another day with out you teasing." she pleaded the comatose man, "I never even got to tell you I was pregnant. With our daughter!"
Unfortunately, the man did not respond. Though his face was pale, he still looked extremely handsome. High cheekbones and a broad forehead with scruffy brown hair cropping the top. But she knew what was underneath the eyelids. Those gorgeous blue eyes that she'd often lost herself in during their periods of love-making.
But now he was just lying there, not moving. Not breathing without help. Not eating (by the sky she'd brought in a fresh hot pizza just to try and coerce him into waking.
"Damn you Messer!" she suddenly cried, shutting her large brown eyes, "Damn you! You had to go! You had to go to that damn scene! You had to get yourself shot!"
Without any warning she set the baby down and broke into massive tears. Her shoulder jerked unevenly as she bawled. She wanted to scream. She wanted to destroy the whole room. She wanted to kiss her husband and feel him kissing her back. She wanted to make love to him over and over, and never let go of him.
She felt a warm hand on her shoulder, and she looked up with blotchy red-rimmed eyes to see a blurred form of a tall man. With a sob she stood and threw herself into his arms, wetting the shoulder of his shirt.
"Lindsay…" the man said softly, holding the back of her hand to comfort her.
"Mac, he never got to help give birth to his daughter! He never… He might not ever…" she broke off with a muffled wail.
"I never did get to meet Clara." he replied gently, trying to pry her mind from her husband lying there in the bed.
Turning to look at the baby who was whimpering due to her mother's distress, she smiled slightly. Moving out of her friend's arms to lift the infant, she cooed to the angel, and nuzzled her nose with the babe's. Then she gently placed her in Mac's arms.
"So this is Clara Aiden Messer." he said, smiling at the baby, who'd calmed down considerably.
"Yeah…" her voice cracked, as she reached out to stroke the baby's cheek.
"She looks like you." he told her, grinning.
She shook her head, "No," she argued, "She has Danny's eyes. So clear and bright and blue. That's how I got Clara. Looked up Italian names."
"But she has your face, and your nose." he retorted, gently rocking the infant who cooed and jammed her thumb into her mouth to suck.
"I guess she does." Lindsay finally gave him, and sighed as she lowered herself into her chair. Mac smiled, and gave her Clara as the baby started to fuss.
"Listen. You still have a good amount of time off with maternity leave. But don't overexert yourself and at least try to sleep in your room until you're released." he advised.
"I know. But I can't leave him. I don't want him to wake up without me!" she trembled, clutching Clara to her shoulder.
Then a nurse breezed in, and smiled to the woman, "Mrs. Messer."
"Jacki." replied the CSI.
For a few minutes, Lindsay and Mac watched the nurse checked Danny's vitals. She turned with a wide grin.
"Well, we are happy to say that his brain activity has increased, we just got the results back. And his vitals still look very good. So he's probably listening right now to your conversation." Jacki explained cheerily.
"Do you think…?" she couldn't finish her question.
"It's a high possibility that if he does wake up, it will be soon." the nurse replied, and Lindsay felt herself relax in joy, "You in the meantime should get some rest. You just gave birth to your baby Lindsay. Get some sleep; I'll wake you if Danny does."
Lindsay nodded, and allowed Mac to lead her to her own room. Sitting on the bed, she shook her head.
"Thanks Mac. I have to feed Clara, and then I guess I'll try and sleep." she said finally.
"Alright. The others will probably visit soon. Flack wants to meet Clara too, and Adam." Mac replied.
"Bye…"
"Goodbye Lindsay."
Lindsay slowly undid her hospital gown so that Clara could nurse. Her head rested back against the headboard as her thoughts dwelled on the past.
Four years ago she left Bozeman Montana for the Big Apple in New York State. For two years she danced around Danny Messer and their emotional and sexual tension. For one year after that they dated. Then they broke up, and got back together the next day as fiancés. They were married for a few months when they were at the scene. She remembered it like it was yesterday…
"Hey there Messer." a tall man commented as Danny and Lindsay ducked under the tape. Both heads snapped up, and he groaned, "I gotta stop doing that with two Messers."
Lindsay smiled, and patted the man's shoulder, "Flack, you will never get out of the habit."
His deep blue eyes sparkled in mirth, "Yeah, you're right Mrs. Messer."
Going throughout the scene, it was business as usual as they worked. Danny often threw his wife smiles and teasing looks of lust just to fluster her. It worked, and she often had to close her eyes for a few seconds to get herself under control.
"Lindsay, come and look at thi-"
BANG!
"Danny!" she couldn't muffle her scream as the smoking gun was lowered in time with Danny's crumpling body. Drawing her own gun, she aimed it as Flack burst in.
"Drop the weapon!" snarled the older detective as he looked over at Lindsay then down to Danny, who was bleeding from a gunshot wound to the chest.
"Sure…" the attacker breathed, and he did drop the gun.
"But not until he fired two bullets in quick succession into Danny's gasping form. Lindsay whimpered, and ran to her husband's side as Don shot the perp and tackled him down to the ground.
"Danny? Danny baby open your eyes." she pleaded, cupping his cheeks as his eyes slit open fractionally.
"Mon… tana…" he gurgled, some blood pooling in his throat and spilling over making her sob.
"Danny, don't you dare die on me, you hear me? You promised me dinner because I had news." she said hurriedly.
"Sorry…" his voice was barely a whisper as his eyes slid shut.
"Danny? Danny! Danny open your eyes!!" her hands were drenched in his blood as the EMTs practically threw her into Flack's arms as she sobbed.
"I was going to tell you. At dinner that night. You were wondering why I was so sick. And then it hit me like a stampede. Clara was with us." her voice warbled, "I was a bit more than three months pregnant."
She stood, since Clara was done nursing, and placed the baby in her crib. Then, shuffling to her bed, she slid under the covers and turned the lights out.
She'd spent so much time at the hospital with her husband over the six months she knew nearly every doctor and nurse there. She slept there nearly every night, but once she had been put on maternity leave they'd cut it down to only a few days a week. But her bed was still there next to him, and now that Clara was four days old, she was able to be taken home. That meant less time of sleeping in that bed next to her husband's.
Slowly her eyes drooped shut, but it was already the wee hours of the morning…
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"Mrs. Messer! Mrs. Messer! Lindsay!" she could hear the voice calling her, gently shaking her shoulder to rouse her.
"Jacki?" she murmured, her voice cracking with sleep.
"Lindsay, it's Danny!" the nurse had a wide smile, "He's awake! But now he's just wondering, very loudly, 'Why the fuck does my wife have a hospital room of her own' and he won't calm down. We thought you should break the news to him."
The whole time, Lindsay's eyes were brightening further. Without any warning she flung the flimsy sheet off of her, lifted Clara from her crib, and made her way towards Danny's room. She could hear his voice, strained from the long lack of use.
"I don't give a shit! Why the fuck is my wife in the hospital? What happened to her?" he roared, face pale with the effort.
"Daniel Messer! If you do not calm down and stop giving these nurses heart attacks I will withhold sex for a month even after you're fully healed!" she finally interrupted from the door, Clara's head resting on her breast.
Danny's head snapped to his wife's voice, and his eyes widened in joy, then shock when he noticed the tiny pink bundle in her arms.
"Montana?" he ventured with a tentative voice.
Her chin trembled with emotion as she quickly strode forward. The nurse kindly took the baby so that Lindsay could sit next to her husband and lower her head to passionately claim his lips. He eagerly returned it, cursing the IV in his arm preventing him from tangling her fingers in her silky hair.
"Six months was too long…" she said against his lips.
Finally letting the exhaustion from yelling take over he sagged back. Watching the nurse return the girl to Lindsay's arm, his eyebrows drew together in confusion.
"Montana, who is this?" he asked.
"Danny, meet Clara Aiden Messer, your daughter." she introduced, moving so she lay next to him and he could clearly see Clara's tiny face.
"D-Daughter?" he stammered.
"I'm so sorry I never got to tell you. I was… I was going to tell you over dinner that night…" she trailed off, tears rising as she nestled into his side.
"Don't apologize." he said softly, kissing her temple, "I'm just glad you're okay too."
That was the last straw and she silently cried into his shoulder. They were alone save for Clara, whose eyes were starting to drift open.
"I thought you'd never wake up!" she breathed, shoulders jerking.
"C'mon, you know me Montana. I'd wake up." he replied, but it was sleepily slurred.
"Go to sleep honey, I need to call Mac." she told him, and kissed him, "I can't believe you're awake…"
As her husband drifted back into dream, she left to get her cell phone. But instead she nearly ran into three familiar people.
"Flack! Stella! Adam!" she exclaimed, quietly as Clara was sensitive to noise.
"Hey there Linds. How are you holding?" Stella, a tally willowy woman with dark curls and eyes stepped forward.
"You won't believe it, Danny! He's awake!" her voice cracked with happiness.
Three pairs of eyes widened, "Really?" Flack asked, looking at her in amazement.
"He's sleeping now, but I bet when he wakes up he'll need an explanation about Clara." she looked down at her baby.
"How is the little thing? Never got to meet her." Flack asked, and Lindsay gentled handed the infant to Flack, making sure he supported her head.
As the two men peered at the baby, Lindsay went over to Stella and wrapped her arms around her friend.
"You did good Lindsay. I'm proud of you." she whispered in the mother's ear.
Lindsay felt herself relax. Stella had been through it all with her. She'd been her maid of honor at her wedding. She'd been there at the birth of Clara with Mac since Danny couldn't hold her hand through the pain. She'd helped her through the crankiness as well and saved the lab from her temper tantrums.
"I owe so much to you Stella." she whimpered, and felt her stress leave her.
"That's right. So you owe me a favor." Stella acted firm but her eyes were sparkling, "Now, go get some rest. I'll bring Clara to you when those two are finished gawking."
"That's alright, I just woke up." Lindsay shook her head, "Besides, Clara's hungry."
In response, the baby did indeed start to wail, making Flack's face pale.
"What did I do?" he asked.
"You were born without breasts." Lindsay quipped, gently lifting Clara into her arms. The infant, recognizing the smell and sound of her mother, calmed down to a few whimpers as she tried to get her meal through Lindsay's shirt. Flack grimaced, and held up one hand as he shook his head.
"Glad of it." he shuddered, and then flashed her a grin, "You're already looking better Linds."
It was true. Before Danny had even any hope of waking, Lindsay's whole demeanor became weak and fragile. Her face had a constant pasty look, and her eyes lost their sparkle. But now the sparkle was back, blinding him. And with her daughter in her arms, she looked ecstatic. Ruffling her hair, making her narrow her eyes at him, he chuckled, and moved on.
"I'm going to change, and bring Clara home for a bit. Danny won't be awake for a few hours and I need to make sure everything's in place." Lindsay said, and disappeared into her room to get dressed and nurse Clara.
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A month had passed, and now Danny was home. Over the six months in a coma, his wounds had completely healed, so he just had to stay for a while before heading home to his wife.
"Welcome home Danny. I tried not to change it too much, but with the baby…" he shut her up with a kiss.
"Don't worry 'bout it Montana." he murmured, hand running over her shoulder, down her side and over her hip to make her shiver.
Glad that Clara was in daycare, Lindsay spun around and pulled her husband into a heady kiss. When it broke they were panting heavily. Wrapping her arms around his neck, their footsteps made their way to the bedroom.
"Six months was too long Dan…" she panted, as he gently lowered her to the bed, lips rememorizing a path down her throat and collarbone towards her breasts.
"I missed my country gal," he drawled, attempting an accent, which made her laugh suddenly, wrapping him up in a tight hug.
"And I missed my city boy." she said, before letting emotion, desire, and pleasure blanket her in a wave…
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Cheek pillowed on Danny's warm chest, she felt his hand gently running over the curve of her side. Then it snaked down gently to feel her stomach, still slightly plump from giving birth. She'd been working that off.
Smiling dreamily she nuzzled her nose into his chest, making him groan and pulled her so she was laying on top of him. Letting out a breathy sigh she let her eyes droop shut and clung to him. This felt like one of the many dreams. He was home. He was safe.
"Montana." he murmured, looking down at her with those unendingly blue eyes.
"You should be asleep Dan." she yawned after her retort, but scooted up to kiss him nonetheless.
"I've been sleeping for six months." he grumbled, "And then some. I've missed so much I don't want to sleep again."
Smiling grimly, she kissed him lingeringly one last time. She would have again, but the wail of a baby made both of them chuckle and rest their foreheads together.
"She's your daughter." she whispered against his lips before sliding outta bed and throwing on a robe to make her way into the nursery room.
"Do you hear me complainin' Montana?" he called after her.
Laughing to herself, she ran her hand through her sex mussed curls as she slipped into Clara's room. Lifting the infant, the little girl, smelling her mother, started mouthing around for her meal. Moving aside her robe, her baby latched on to suckle gently. Lindsay made her way back to their bedroom, and Danny watched awestruck at his wife and daughter together with him. While switching Clara to the other breast, Danny moved so he was behind her and kissed her cheek, her temple, then twisted to capture her lips in a deadly battle.
Danny cried out in surprise when a small hand whacked his cheek. His sapphire eyes widened in surprise as Clara's equally blue eyes glared up at him.
"I think she's saying stay away from her food." Lindsay said in a teasing tone, her smile wide, "Listen, could you get me a drink please? I'm parched."
Danny nodded quietly, and Lindsay knew he was thinking something that would be better if he didn't.
Danny, on the other, was brooding as he got a glass from the cabinet, and went to fill it with water. The guilt he felt at not being with his now a few days older than a month old daughter, his stomach churned. When he'd awoken from what felt like him as a deep sleep, he at first didn't believe the nurse when she said he'd been in a coma for six months. But what had made his blood run cold was when he'd been told they'd get his wife, since it was only a few minute walk from his room to hers. His wife had appeared during his yelling fest with a tiny pink bundle, that turned out to be his child. His. Even though he'd been strangely exhausted from being in a coma, he forced himself to stay awake to be with her until she'd told him to sleep. After he'd met and sort-of held his daughter- his arms had felt rather weak after a while- he'd given into his love's pleas and slept.
Lindsay looked at him oddly when he finally returned with her drink.
"Dan? What's wrong?' she asked timidly, taking his hand after setting down her glass. Clara whimpered at her nipple.
Danny gazed into his wife's dark brown eyes, a strange light in them. He smiled, and kissed the top of her head.
"Did anyone video tape the birth?" he questioned after a moments pause. Lindsay nodded, and Danny sighed in relief, "I want to see it."
Lindsay's smile widened to one even larger. Maybe everything would be okay after all.