Title: Breathe in, breathe out- stop breathing
Author: Girlygirl
Rating: PG/PG-13
Pairing: Danny/Lindsay
Disclaimer: This fic is based on the Fanfic Challenge #2- Quotes challenge set up by MuzzyOlorea over at Messermontana. The idea was to use one of the many wonderful D/L quotes in a fic; my quote was number 26.
Timeline: Everything up until and including the season three finale. This story is set in the future and is therefore slightly AU.
Summary: He's done this all before- they both have- but this time the panic is about something bigger then either one of them.

Our children change us... whether they live or not
-Lois McMaster Bujold

Breathe in, breathe out- stop breathing

"Lindsay!" He's done this before- ran in a wild panic as he called out her name- he's done this before. The familiar pounding of his heart trying it's hardest to burst out of his chest was louder then the background noise so he took to yelling louder. "Lindsay!" His throat is closing in on itself, fear and worry threatening to take him over until her voice breaks through.

"Danny!"

He spins to find her there, sitting in a corner with her legs pulled up as much as possible to her chest and blood running down the cut on her forehead; Danny sees red for a moment, but then Lindsay hiccups back a sob and the rage melts away. It is not the time to act on his impulses. Lindsay needs him now and he'll have plenty of time to act on his impulses later. Danny drops to his knees in front of her.

"All right?" he asks, taking her head gently in his hands and kissing the corner of her mouth- they may be adding things here and there as they went but all in all they'd done this before. A fresh wave of tears slips down her face, running along the dried up tracks of old tears that she hadn't been able to stop, but she nods.

"Yeah," she bites her bottom lip and he wraps himself around her, holding her head under his chin and letting her get it all out; this part was new, "I'm better now." She mumbles against his collarbone; Danny strokes her hair, relishing in the feel of her breath against his neck. And then he pulls away, slowly enough to carefully cup her face, to turn her head up to look at him while he thumbs away stray tears.

"The paramedics are on their way," she knows exactly what he's asking her but doesn't have an answer- not even for herself.

Her bottom lip quivers. "I don't- I can't feel anything- I don't know."

Danny feels his eyes fill up with tears, feels them pool at the corners as he looks up to blink them away before placing his open palm gently on her swollen stomach. It's his child in there- a strong boy or a stubborn girl- who's a month and a half away from being full term and he swears to whoever is listening that he's going to kill the son of a bitch responsible for this. Lindsay reads his mind.

"Flack already did,"

He almost suggests they name their baby Donald- if it's a boy of course, if it makes it through- even if Flack doesn't make it through. Because Flack is the only person in the world Danny would ever trust with Lindsay and Flack stepped up tonight; more then stepped up, really.

But his jaw tightens anyway because when he heard of the hostage situation at the office he'd already thought of a million different ways he was going to torture whoever was responsible. He can't help but be disappointed at the fact that he won't be able to now.

Lindsay uses the strength of his shoulder to push herself to her feet and Danny is fast as he stands and braces an arm around her waist for support.

"Hey maybe you should wait for the paramedics," he tells her but she shakes her head.

"This is between God and I now- there is nothing the paramedics can do for me now that he isn't willing to do himself." Her faith is unwavering- even now- and he kisses her forehead, silently giving her every ounce of strength he possesses.

And then he feels it, along the side of his arm, a small feather light thump and he pulls away.

"Did you?" he asks, tipping her head up to take in the wave of tears streaming down her face; Lindsay nods and grabs his hand. Her eyes light up, dark brown watered down from her tears but still beautiful, and she presses his palm back onto her stomach. Thump, thump, thump, greets him in a mantra of joy and he rubs his thumb over the kicks in encouragement. He doesn't even know that he's crying until he's peppering her face with light kisses and muttering thanks; Lindsay simply closes her eyes and takes it in.

"Hey," she mumbles against his lips when they finally find their way to her own.

Danny grunts against her mouth in response, "You all right?"

He pulls away some, smoothing back her hair and holding her as close to him as possible; they can hear Stella calling out to them in the background.

"It's not me I was ever worried about."

He places a hand on her belly and silences his wife with a kiss.

End

-Girlygirl