Author's Note : Hey,... How is everyone doing? Good? As usual I need to fill the blanks the CSI NY writers left us with. Sorry. It's this addiction/obsession I have...hehehe! I know I've said it before but I really thank everyone that has read and reviewed my previous ff. I apologise if I had not replied to your reviews. Thank you and have fun. Last but not least? The grammar and spelling mistakes are all mine. And I hope I get the rating right.
Summary : How did Danny arrange his wedding day?
Disclaimer : No. I still don't own CSI NY. But anyone know why Eddie Cahill is getting thinner?
From Which Episode : Green Piece (before, during and after) and The Box (just after their hands touched...They did! Even if it's just for 0.02 seconds between the knuckles and the wrists!)
Danny was dressing up for work when he saw a movement under the blanket. He lifted it slowly and put his face against Lindsay's belly.
"Hey Kiddo, morning. You awake huh? How's my little baby? That's good. Ok, Daddy gotta work now. I love you. I love Mommy too. I'll see later ok? Mmm…tell you what. Why don't I pick you guys up at about ten? Then Mommy and you can follow me to the office. That way, Mommy can come in early and have some rest before she starts her shift. How's that? Ok? Yeah. That's my baby!" Danny kissed Lindsay's swollen belly and used one finger to give it a very gentle tap ."Be good in there!"
"Danny…" Lindsay ran her fingers through his hair.
"Shhh…..go back to sleep. I'll call you later to wake you up." He kissed her lightly on her lips but Lindsay pulled him for more.
"You don't have to rush home and pick us up." She traced the cleft on his chin.
"You'll be leaving for Montana soon and I just want to spend whatever time I have with you."
"Okay. See you later Messer," she smiled and pulled the blanket up to her chin.
"Don't you Messer me, Montana" he cupped her face. "You said no, not that you mean you won't. You're already a half Messer to me."
He saw a little bump poking under the blanket. "See? Even the little one agrees with me!" He pulled the blanket down and lay his finger on her belly and gently whispered. "Give me a high five little Buddy." To both his and Lindsay's surprise, their baby kicked his finger.
"Whoa! You saw that Montana!?!? That's my baby!" He kissed her belly and then kissed her again twice before pulling away, "I gotta go. You go back to sleep."
At the bedroom door, he turned towards her when he heard her say "I love you Danny."
"I love you too, Linds."
Hearing the front door closed and locked, Lindsay closed her eyes and remembered the day when her fears turned to security.
***
FLASHBACK
As soon as the Harris left with their grandson and Mac and Stella left for his office, Danny gently but surely took hold of Lindsay's hand that was right beside his. He pulled her down to sit on the bench behind them. Holding her hand in his and tapped them on his thigh like he did after the verdict was read in the Bozeman Courthouse months ago, he turned and looked at her for some moments, unspeaking.
"What?" Lindsay asked.
"Look, I know you said that you don't expect anything from me," he squeezed her hand when she was about to say something. "I deserved that Linds. And I know that you are scared. Honestly I'm freaking out myself and I don't know what's gonna happen next."
"Danny. You are right. I am scared and I didn't know how to tell you. We've just got back and I have no idea of how you were going to take it. But if you don't want anything to do.."
"No!" He burst out and got off his seat to kneel in front of her. Taking both of her hands in his, he shook them to make her look at him. "No. Don't say that Linds. I may not know what's gonna happen next but I want to be with you in this. I want us to be together in this."
Tears started flowing down Lindsay's cheeks. Wiping them away, he continued softly. "Lindsay, I promise that no matter how long or hard the road ahead is, we'll get through every bump and hurdle that comes our way together. I promise to protect you and our baby with all that I have. Don't you ever dare let me leave you or treat you bad again. Please, Linds. Please let me in."
Lindsay cried harder and that panicked Danny. "Linds, please. I...I... please don't cry. I.. I.. Listen if you don't want me.."
"Shut up Messer." She smiled through her tears. "These are happy tears. And I'm gonna take every word you just said and use it against you if you ever leave us."
"Thank you." He lifted her hand and placed a kiss on her palm. He then closed her fingers and wrapped is hand over her small one. She smiled shyly and straightened her back suddenly.
"You alright?" He asked and reached out to hold her waist.
"Yeah. Just a bit tired."
"Come on. Let me take you home." He helped her up.
"I'm hungry." She pulled his hand.
"What?" He asked. Surprised at her admission.
"I'm hungry. Why are you looking at me like that?" Catching the way he was looking at her. "I know that's your line. But this is your child I'm carrying Messer, so that should explains it!"
He laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Alright. Let's get you fed. Just as long as you're not thinking of Buffalo Burgers..." seeing the grin on her lips, twinkle in her eyes and her nodding head, Danny could not help but squeaked "You're kidding me!?!?!"
END OF FLASHBACK
***
"You will not hurt her again?"
"No Sir."
"You do love her and not marrying my Lindsay just cause she's pregnant?"
"Yes..and no Sir"
"I already told you to call me Jake, son. And I've just given you permission to marry my daughter. So why are you still calling me Sir?"
"I. I.. the place is a little busy and ..."
"And she has just walked into the room?"
"That's right."
"She doesn't know about this call, does she?"
"No Sir"
"So everything is set?"
"Yes Sir"
"Right. You just make sure she gets on the flight to Montana tomorrow. I don't know how you're gonna convince her at such short notice, Danny."
"I have no idea too."
Lindsay's father, Jake Monroe, chuckled on the other line. He was surprised when Danny called him earlier. The young man sounded nervous and the first thought was that his daughter. Danny had assured him and her mom that everything was alright. Though he knew that asking for their daughter's hand in marriage over the phone may not look good on his books, he was running out of time because he really intended to marry Lindsay before she left for her father's ranch. When he had finally asked him, the older man had kept quiet for a minute before giving him his blessing in a serious and solemn tone.
"Sir.."
"I get it. If I know my Lindsay, she is standing in front of you trying to figure out who you have been calling "Sir" for the past five minutes."
Danny chuckled.
"Good Luck son."
"Thank you. Bye." Upon hearing Jake Monroe's goodbye, he then sent out three pre-set text messages before he closed his phone and looked up to find Lindsay looking exactly as her father had predicted.
"Hey Babe."
"Your Old Man?"
"Yeah." He smiled. A future father-in-law constitutes as that, right? He questioned himself but at Lindsay's inquiry "Is everything ok?"
"Good. Everything's good." He pulled her nearer to him. "You going home now?"
"Yeah. Mac is in a good mood. He said to take off early." She began swinging their entwined hand. "You?"
"I have some things to wrap up. Two hours maybe." Caressing her fingers with his thumb.
"You want me to get dinner?"
"Ah! I forgot to tell you. I'm meeting some friends of mine later and I want you to come with me."
"Danny. I have to pack. Can't affort to have another distraction" she glared at him while hiding a smile, "again."
"I know. I know. I promise to help you this time. Really help you but Linds, please I really need you to meet these friends of mine and they've heard so much about you. They really want to meet you." he kissed her knuckles, "Please say yes Babe?"
"Okay," she sighed her answer.
"Great! Love you." He gave her a kiss that he usually reserved for when they were alone, out of the lab.
"Eeeeuuuuu! Hey! No making out in the lab!"
They both turned towards the door to see Flack wagging his finger at them.
"Yeah, yeah! Like you don't do the same with a certain Detective down in the precinct?" Danny teased.
"Shhh... not so loud Danno." Looking left and right down the hallway, which made his two friends laughed. Keeping his smile and a glance at Danny, they gave each other a quick nod. "So Monroe, you heading home? Want a lift?"
"Sure. I'm not taking you away from your Doll?"
"Hey! Be nice or when I drop you off, I'll shout to everyone how you are taking my unborn baby and running off with another man." He grinned and winked.
"You wouldn't!" Lindsay gasped. Which had Danny chucking and earning a slap on his chest.
"You owe me Monroe. But then," he sigh dramatically, "Jess will surely have my ass if I do that."
Danny laughed out loud this time and Lindsay couldn't help but giggle.
"Yeah. Yeah. Laugh it up will ya!" He made to turn and added, "Now go kiss your Cowboy goodbye and let's get going." He gave Danny a thumbs up as soon as Lindsay turned to kiss Danny.
"I'll see you soon?" She pulled his shirt closer.
"Yeah." He gave her another kiss then bend down to kiss her stomach, "see you Kiddo."
As soon as he saw the lift door closed on his Montana and Flack, he ran to Mac's office.
"Mac? It's show time!"
***
"You did all this?"
"I had help. Lots of help," Danny pulled her back closer to his chest and let her head rest on his shoulder. Lindsay turned her head to nuzzle his neck. One arm lay across her bosom, while his left hand played with her left hand. Their rings glistened in the soft candlelight. A feeling of insatiable warmth filled his heart like never before.
After he had helped her with her packing, Danny prepared his wife a warm bath. He added flower petals in the water and lighted scented candles to set a cozy atmosphere. Lindsay had walked in and stop in mid sentence when she saw his romantic deed. She quietly took his clothes off, then hers, before pulling him into the warm flower-filled water.
They both kept quiet for a few moments, each recalling the time that they had entered Lindsay's apartment after their short visit to his parents home. The Messers had welcomed their new daughter-in-law with open arms and happy tears. Serena Messer had captured Lindsay's face many times that evening, to just stare at her with tears brimming in her eyes before kissing her forehead and uttered some words in Italian. Danny had told his mom to stop that because it was making him cry. Serena just whacked his head lovingly.
Upon opening the door as husband and wife when they got home, Lindsay saw that someone had set her table for a romantic dinner for two. Their dinner was kept in a warmer and they had a hearty laugh when they opened it. There were steaks cut out out to shape like spiders, marsh potatoes molded into a variety of insects surrounding the plates and vegetables shaped into leaves and flowers.
The living hall floor was scattered with flower petals. Her sofa and coffee table had been moved aside. In place on the carpet, some pranksters which were probably headed by Flack, since he was given the key to the apartment to set the place up, had stationed Danny's motorbike there. They had even decorated it with a "Just Married" banner and tied test tubes sprayed with some highly suspicious but memorable substance to it. They had somehow hijacked the bike from his apartment to Lindsay's. How they got it pass the landlord, was beyond him.
"Did you know about the bike?" she asked while holding his hand and moving it across the water in a gentle motion.
"Definitely not!" His chest rumbled with laughter. "I'm gonna have one hell of a time getting it back down."
"Don't hurt your back while you're at it. We need it for some of our upcoming activities when I get back" she giggled.
"I'm missing you already Lindsay" he hugged her closer. "Two weeks is a long time without you."
"I know. I'm missing you already, too. But the sooner I'm gone, the sooner I'll be back. This time, I don't have to be afraid of hugging you and telling you that I'll miss you, instead of just leaving you a card. I don't have to think twice or totally chicken out about calling you when I'm sad or afraid or when I need to hear your voice. I know you'll be here for me this time when I come home."
"Was that why you refused to look at me after you hugged Mac and Stella that morning?"
"Yeah. I knew you were looking at me and I don't think I would have made pass five steps if I looked back at you. But later, while in a cab, I saw you walking back to the lab. I kept that image of you all the while I was there."
"Babe," he kissed her temple "if you only knew how I felt that morning."
"Yeah. And now, here we are. Does this mean I don't get to call you Messer anymore?"
"Wiseass" he laughed and splashed some water on her.
"How did you pull everything off today?" she settled again on his chest after splashing him back.
"After I spoke with Mac, I got thinking. He said some good things and I realized that I'm tired of being afraid of disappointing you or our baby. I know what you said about being pushed down the aisle but I can't see my life without you as my wife. I already told you that you're all that I ever wanted. Sweetie, I don't think I've ever wanted anything more than to be with you. I just had to give it a second try."
"Danny. Honestly? After hearing you gave me the right reason. The one thing that you never told me before? I was only waiting for you to ask again. And I'm glad it's today. My family are gonna be shocked!"
"Ahhh. Ye..ah. About that." At his tone, Lindsay craned her neck to look at him grinning sheepishly.
"What?"
"After talking to Mac and thinking, I came up with a plan and got Mac, Flack and Stella to help me. I told them that I was gonna call your Dad and ask his permission to marry you...."
"REALLY!?!?!!?" she squealed. "What did Daddy say?"
"He was happy to get rid of you and said if you give any trouble he'll be glad to point a shotgun at your back."
"Danny!!! He didn't!"
"Of course not Honey. He loves you and promise to harm me if I hurt you ever again."
"What about my brothers?"
"What about your brothers?"
"They gonna harm you too?"
"That's not very nice Montana!"
She giggled. "Then what happened?"
"Then I told Flack to get ready to send you home and get the things to do the place up, told Stella to buy some flowers and Mac to hold the City Clerk office open just in case I can't get to convince you in time. The minute I get the go ahead, I text them."
"So you were talking to Daddy when I walked in? You said it was your Old Man!"
"Your Daddy called me 'son'. So go figure." he pretended to groan when she elbowed him.
"If everything was done by the team, where were you for two hours?"
"I had to get the Money Order and then rushed to my folks' place to collect our rings that I had hidden there."
"When did you get the rings?"
"I bought them two days after we told Mac of our Kiddo here."
"I married a sweet man."
"I don't do sweet."
"Hot?"
"Now you're talking." His voice dropped low and his eyes turned dark. "So, will there be any other questions or we done talking?"
"What do you have in mind Mr Messer?" She teased, then "What? What are you doing?"
Danny was slowly standing up and stepped out of the tub. He wrapped a towel around his waist and held out his hand to help his wife up. He wrapped her in a second towel , put his arms around her shoulders and led her out of the bathroom.
"Our first time on the pool table was hot. The night on your balcony after I picked you up from your rain walk was certainly memorable and productive." He winked. "But I don't think I want to spend our wedding night in a bathtub. With you heavy with my child, I don't want to risk one of us slipping and spending the night in an Emergency or the Delivery Room."
"True. And I don't think the dresser will hold my weight anymore, either" she quipped.
"Very funny. Now what?" He kissed her forehead.
"Well, that leaves us with just the bed." She sighed dramatically.
Danny cradled her face in both his hands and she could feel them shook slightly. "Linds, that's just not a bed anymore. It's our marriage bed. In most society, its considered sacred. After you get back, this is where we'll be. Even after a bad day and we don't feel like talking, no one gets to sleep anywhere but here. Together. Any fights, arguments or disagreements we leave them at the door."
"That's beautiful Danny" she laid her head on his chest. "So this means no more pool table? Eeeeouch!"
He pinched her butt.
"You're killing the moment Sweetheart" he warned.
"What? I was only trying to calm you. You seemed nervous Mr Messer." She pouted innocently.
"Me? Nervous? Naah!"
"Your hands are shaking."
"Newsflash : Danny Messer just got married to the girl of his dreams and she's leaving him in ten hours to spend two weeks with her horses and cows. The whole thing is kind of over-whelming."
"Ah! I see. Then let me show you just how we calm anxiety in Montana."
"I'm not one of your wild horses."
"True. But you are my own personal Italian Stallion."
"Whoa! What happened to the sweet country girl from Montana?"
"She met you and became Mrs Messer. Now shut up and kiss me!"
THE END
I hope you had fun with that one.