Summary: Flack babysits for Danny and Lindsay. Sequel to "Daddy's Girl"
Dislaimer: I don't own and CSI: NY characters, but the other is mine.
Don was on his way home from a long day of working on a high-profile case. His windshield wipers went back and forth across the windshield. The car was silent as he made his way through traffic toward his apartment.
When he got out of the car he walked through the rain into his apartment building. As he approached the elevator his phone rang. The Caller ID said Danny on it. He pressed the send key.
"Hey, Messer."
"Hey, Flack. Are you busy?" Danny asked.
"No, I'm just getting home. There's some leftover Chinese and a beer in the fridge with my name on them. Oh, happy anniversary, by the way."
"Yeah, about that. Would you be the greatest friend in the entire world and babysit for us tonight? We called everybody we could think of. My parents are going out with us. I can't get a hold of the rest of my aunts and cousins. I asked Stella but she's working on a case. We would really appreciate-"
"Yeah, man I'll do it." Don replied. He really just wanted to stay at home and relax for the first time in over twenty-four hours. "Just give me about twenty minutes, ok?"
"Yeah. Hey we really appreciate this. I owe you."
"Yeah, you do." Don went into his apartment, changed his clothes, and left the apartment again.
He made his way from Queens to the Bronx where Danny and Lindsay's apartment was. He hated traffic, and he was in it again. He was beginning to regret agreeing to babysit. He knew Kayla was a good baby, at least that's what Danny and Lindsay had always told him.
When he walked into the apartment he laughed as he saw Lindsay racing around the apartment. Danny showed him the bottles in the refrigerator and the changing table in the nursery. Kayla was sleeping in the playpen in the living room. Danny told Don when her next feeding was, and gave him a list of emergency numbers. A few minutes later Lindsay came out of the bathroom. She was putting in an earring, as she said hi to Don and told him how much she appreciated him watching the baby.
Lindsay kissed Don on the cheek and Danny shook his hand as they left the apartment. He plopped down on the couch, checking to make sure Kayla was still asleep. He turned on the TV and landed on the Jets game. His stomach growled and he went to the kitchen.
There wasn't much in the refrigerator. He found a couple slices of leftover pizza. He took them out of the plastic bags and he took a bite. He took a soda out and popped it open. He made his way back to the living room with a piece of pizza hanging from his mouth and a piece in his hand.
Don wanted to let out a yell when the Jets missed a pass, but refrained when he remembered the baby sleeping next to the couch. He finished his pizza and he heard Kayla start to stir. Her eyes opened and she crinkled her nose and began to cry. She was crying quietly at first then she began to wail. He picked her up and tried to calm her down. He looked at the clock; it wasn't time for Kayla to eat yet. He took her to the nursery and changed her diaper, but it didn't help. He continued to rock her in his arms. He picked up the pacifier from the playpen and tried to put it in her mouth but she kept spitting it out.
"I have six nieces and nephews why can't I get you to sleep." He said quietly to her as she persisted.
There was a knock at the door.
Don walked toward the door. When he opened it there was a young woman standing in front of him.
"Hi, my name's Jane and I live next door. Are you babysitting?" the girl asked.
"Yeah. Sorry about the crying. I've tried everything and I can't get her to sleep."
"Can I help?"
"Please," he stepped aside and let her pass by him into the apartment.
"Can I take her?" Don handed her the baby. "How old is she?"
"Four months. Her name's Kayla."
"She's beautiful." Kayla was starting to settle down. She was staring up at Jane with her big blue eyes.
"Ok, how did you do that? I've been trying for so long to put her to sleep." Don was staring at her in amazement. "Do you have kids?"
"No."
"Nieces or nephews?"
"No, I'm just a longtime babysitter." She rocked the baby back and forth.
"I have tons of nieces and nephews, but this one just refuses to cooperate."
"It's you, you have to relax. Baby's can sense when you're tense and you don't relax." Kayla started to squirm again. "Give me a song."
"What?"
"A song. Maybe singing to her will help." She looked up at him, hoping he would give some suggestion.
"I don't know." He sat down on the couch while Jane stood with the baby. Suddenly she started to sing. It was a song he didn't know, but he thought her voice was beautiful. He watched as she smiled down at Kayla while she sang. A minute later the baby was asleep in her arms. She started to lay her down in the playpen, but she began to fuss.
"Oh, come on." She laughed. Jane sat down on the couch next to Don. She pulled the baby close to her chest and continued to rock her. She looked at Don. "Are you relaxed?"
"Yeah," he replied.
She gently placed the baby in his arms. Kayla didn't fuss or even squirm. "See, you have to be relaxed." Jane smiled at him and he smiled back. "Give her a few minutes then try to put her down again. She might fuss, but let her; she'll go back to sleep, I promise."
"Ok."
Jane got up from the couch and went to the kitchen. She found a piece of paper and wrote down her phone number. "Here's my number just in case you need something again before they get home." She said as she handed him the paper.
"Thanks, I really appreciate this."
"Not a problem." She walked out of the apartment.
Ten minutes later Don picked up the phone. He dialed the number from the paper in his hand. After two rings she came on the line.
"Is everything ok?" she asked.
"Yeah, she's sound asleep. I just wanted to talk."
There was a short silence. "Ok, what do you want to talk about?"
He thought of something. They talked about work, family, where they went to school. Jane was born and raised in a small town in Ohio, but had moved to New York to go to NYU. They talked for a while, until Kayla woke up. She was crying and Don knew it was time for her to eat. He and Jane ended their conversation.
About an hour and a half later Danny and Lindsay came back home. Don was sitting on the couch with Kayla lying on his shoulder fast asleep.
"Aw, how cute." Lindsay commented smiling at Don, who was half-asleep himself. She walked over and took Kayla from Don.
"Thanks man, we really appreciate it." Danny said as Don stood up and they shook hands.
"No problem guys." He kissed Lindsay on the cheek. "I'll see you guys later." He started to the front door, but stopped holding the handle. "By the way, you guys need to meet your neighbor. She's great with kids; you should call her next time."
"What do you mean?" Lindsay asked.
"Just introduce yourselves next time you see her in the elevator." With that he walked out of the apartment.