A/N: Hi guys, sorry this is a little late. I had work at 8am this morning and let's face it... after last night's episode I wasn't inspired to write a thing - which NEVER happens, so that's saying something. I can't say I enjoyed last night's episode if I'm totally honest. There was something about it that just didn't click with me, but maybe that was just me? *shrugs* Anyway, Fred has done a bit of thinking today and we've come up with this. Good old, Fred. He never lets me down. Anyway, I'll stop going on and on and let you get on with reading. First though - quick thank you to all of you wonderful people who shared their thoughts with me last week for my post-ep. I really loved everything that you guys said, and you all made my second week back at college/university a lot more bearable ;) So, mentions to: webdlfan, dannylindsayfan, Megan, MesserFamilyFan100, cklovesm-m, RandomTVFan30, CTI-Jenn, Daisy1966, jennifer32485, Alex Joleta, LindsayMesser, brendanakai, 18lzytwner, Gigglesforcsi and Jenniexcsixnyx.
Danny exhaled as he continued down the hallway; feeling like the weight that had been on his shoulders all day was suddenly lifted. He was officially home. He was home at a reasonable time with the knowledge and reassurance that everything in the office was done, signed and filed away, ready for everything to start again tomorrow. He pushed the key in the lock and smiled at the sound of the tinkling giggle he could hear on the other side of the door. He'd missed his little girl's giggle more than words could really describe, and with Lindsay picking up the slack yet again, he felt awfully guilty about his absence.
"DADDY'S HOME!" A little screech sounded from the living room. Danny trained his ears and smiled proudly to himself as he heard a little pitter-patter of socked feet running towards the front door.
"DADDY! DADDY YOU'RE HOME!"
Smiling brightly, Danny dropped to his knees and bundled his little girl in his arms, sweeping her up into the air as he stood. "Hey munchkin, how's it goin' with my favourite girly?"
"Mommy's okays!" Lucy giggled. "I good too. I missed you. Are you staying home all night tonight?"
"I sure am," Danny nodded as he kicked the door shut behind him, not loosening his grip on his daughter for a second. "Think that'd be okay with you and Mommy?"
"Uh, YEAH!" Lucy cried. "Are you gonna eats dinner with us too?"
"It depends, what are we having?" Danny dropped his voice as he caught Lindsay's shadow leaning against the wall, a smile engrained on her face.
"Uh, dunno." Lucy shrugged. "Something yukky I bet."
"I heard that!" Lindsay finally made her presence known. "And we're having chicken strips, carrots and broccoli. All really yummy foods, right Daddy?"
Danny nodded obediently, making the correct appreciative sounds to the menu Lindsay had put together. "Broccoli... yum yum yum."
"Yuk yuk yuk!" Lucy cried. "They look like stupidhead trees."
"Stupidhead?" Danny chuckled, glancing at Lindsay with an amused look on his face. "Where'd you hear that, Lu?"
"Mommy said it earlier. The soapy stuff in the sink was burny."
"And Mommy said that?" Danny chuckled, his eyes locked on Lindsay's.
"In my defence..." Lindsay began. "I didn't realise how hot the water was."
"Did Mommy say another word before that?"
"Nopes!" Lucy shook her head. "She's not like you Daddy."
"Okay..." Danny singsonged as he threw Lucy in the air before catching her and placing her down on the floor, "I feel like that's enough of tattle telling for you today, Miss. I'll come find you in a little while, k? I'm gonna say hi to Mommy..." he dropped his tone to a whisper. "Because I've really really missed her today."
Lucy gasped before giggling and reaching up for Danny's hand, tugging him down to her level, to which she then shared "she's missed you too." Then, without a second's thought, the toddler's socked feet hurried down the hallway where she'd come just moments previous, back to wherever and whatever she'd been doing when he'd come in. Danny turned once Lucy had flown around the corner to lock the door and instantly could feel his wife's presence sneaking up on him as he turned his back.
"I can't believe you're home." She whispered against his neck from behind. "You've made my night."
Turning, Danny opened his arms and pulled her into a tight hug, squeezing her affectionately. "I lit a fire under their asses today... gave Cooper another reaming for fucking around on patrol... and before I knew it, it was time to come home."
"And it was a half decent time too." Lindsay smiled. "Dinner's nearly ready."
"It's okay baby, I'll just make something different."
"What?" She implored. "why?"
"Why? Because you were cooking for you and Lucy... don't try and split what you made into three, it's no big deal okay?"
"No, no," She stopped him. "No, I made enough for all of us."
"What? Did you know I'd be home? Did Mac call?"
"No... not exactly," she blushed as she took his hand and laced her fingers through his while they made their way into the apartment as opposed to standing in the hallway. "I uh, I kind of always make enough for the three of us, just in case you make it home in time for dinner. I guess making dinner for us is a habit I just can't shake."
Danny's heart sank a little as he envisioned his plate sitting in the oven, waiting for him to come and Lindsay eventually discarding of his food when it had spoilt and he still wasn't home.
"Hey," Lindsay's soft voice pulled him from his thoughts, "It's not a bad thing okay and it's not something I get mad or upset about... It's just one of those things, honey."
Plastering a smile to his face, let Lindsay lead him into the kitchen and accepted the beer she handed to him after she'd fished in the fridge.
"So, how was your day?" he inquired before taking a long swig.
"Meh," she shrugged. "Nothing remarkable. To be perfectly honest with you, I couldn't even tell you what the case was about."
"Must have been pretty bad if you can't even remember," he teased as he pulled himself up onto the counter before pulling her into the gap between his thighs. "Did you miss me?"
"No more than what I did yesterday." She winked. "So a lot, but it's so nice seeing you now." She quickly added. "I'm glad you made it home. Lucy's really been missing you, you know? And I've certainly missed you, Sergeant." Her voice whispered as she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips.
He happily returned the kiss, his fingers finding their natural path to cup the back of her hair. When she shifted her weight on her feet and relaxed into the kiss even more, Danny couldn't help but realise how much he'd missed her over the past few days. And he was glad that he'd passed up Lauren's offer of heading to the bar with herself and the other rookies. Sure it would have been nice, bonding with his new 'family'... but when he wasn't spending enough time with his own family, it wasn't exactly one of his better ideas.
He felt Lindsay's lips began to place soft kisses to his lips, which was his indication that she was bringing their prolonged kiss to an end and he sighed against her lips once she'd eventually pulled away.
"I was enjoyin' that." He whined playfully as she tugged herself away from him.
She simply winked at him before dropping down to her knees and checking the chicken strips, slowly cooking in the oven. Nope, Danny mused to himself as he caught the tiniest glimpse of Lindsay's lingerie, peaking from her waistband of her slacks, combined with that wink she'd just given him; he'd definitely made the right choice in coming home.
"So what did you learn today, Lucy?"
"Uhh, dunno. I forgotted." Lucy shrugged as she shoved another carrot into her mouth and promptly began chewing. "Ooh, I-"
"Not with food in your mouth!" Both Danny and Lindsay cried in sync to one another, before sending a smile in the other's direction. "Wait till you're all done." Lindsay pleaded with her daughter.
Chewing exaggeratedly, Lucy finished her carrots and opened her mouth to prove to both parents she was done before she continued. "We went to the lunch room and I ated Lunch with my friends."
Danny couldn't help but roll his eyes at his daughter's inability to recall her school day. "You told us that, sweetheart. Mommy and Daddy want to know what you learnt today. What did your teacher teach you?"
"Nothin'." Lucy shrugged.
"Nothing at all?" Lindsay inquired. "You didn't do anything all day?"
"Nopes." Lucy shook her head. "All we dids was draw and play in the dressing up section."
"Aww, wow! Well, I guess that's exciting even if you didn't learn anything." Lindsay smiled. "What did you get to dress up with today?"
"I dressed up like a panda bear!" Lucy giggled. "And my friends were dressed up like tigger!"
"A tiger?" Danny smirked.
"Yeah, that." Lucy nodded. "But I didn't learn anything."
"Oh. Okay." Lindsay nodded seriously. "So, Lucy do you know where do Tigers live?"
"India!" Lucy squeaked. "I remembered that 'cause there is a girl in my class with that name. She's called India, Daddy."
"So Tigers live in India then," Danny continued their conversation. "So, if you know where Tigers come from, do you know where do Pandas come from?"
"Chinese!"
"Chinese?" Lindsay laughed. "China?"
"Oh yeah," Lucy nodded. "There."
"Wow." Danny nodded. "So you really learnt nothing today then, Luce?"
"Nope." Lucy shook her head before stabbing a floret of broccoli with her fork. "Do I has to eat this, Mommy?"
"Yes Ma'am." Danny interrupted. "Mommy already told you so. Everything on your plate please; there's not that much there and if Daddy has to eat it, Lucy's got to eat it too... that's the way it goes kiddo... sorry!"
Lucy huffed at the response she'd received before shoving the vegetable into her mouth and chomped with her little milk teeth.
Her silence gave Danny and Lindsay the chance to share an amused look with one another. They had gone through about a million different pre-schools for Lucy before they'd come to a decision on the school she was currently attending. After reading all the prospectuses, they'd settled on her little school because of their emphasis of hands-on learning and real experiences that they offered. It amused them every time they sat down to talk about their daughter's school day, because while she'd claim she'd learnt nothing, she'd in the next sentence be able to provide them with the spelling to some word through the use of a rhyme... or in today's case exotic and endangered animals and their habitats.
"Can I be 'scused?" Lucy's little voice interrupted her parent's silent conversation.
"Let me see," Lindsay sighed as she glanced to her daughter's plate. "Okay, you did good. One more carrot and then you can go."
Sighing Lucy jabbed her fork into a carrot piece and shoved it into her mouth and chewed it quickly before jumping down and warranting one last look at her parents, to which they offered her a smile, indicating she was free to go.
"She's a little monkey." Lindsay shook her head as she collected a forkful of mashed potatoes and carrots.
"No," Danny laughed. "She just knows how to work us."
Lindsay offered her husband a smile and reached across their small dining room table for his hand and squeezed it tight. "It's been so nice having you at home tonight. It feels weird... but a good weird. It feels like the old days when we used to get to have dinner with each other some days out of the week."
"I know," he sighed. "I've got used to eating out of leftover containers. It sucks."
"And by yourself." Lindsay frowned.
"That bit definitely sucks," he nodded. "But at least I'm here tonight." He smiled, making light of their current situation.
"You are." She smiled.
"You know, I'm so glad I didn't go out with the rookies after work... Cooper invited me."
"Cooper, remind me who that is..."
"Me about twelve years ago, but in female form."
Lindsay's eyebrows shot up at the mention of female form. And she could only hope Danny had missed her initial reaction. "Bit hot-headed is she?"
"A bit?" Danny implored. "She's a royal pain in my ass. I'm positive she is some form of karma that has been sent to test my patience and make up for all the times Mac had to deal with my ass."
Hearing the annoyance in her husband's voice instantly settled her jealousy slightly, but she still felt... disheartened. Here she was at their apartment, their home, raising their daughter while juggling a demanding full time job while he was off at work with newly qualified officers that were a lot more... perky than she was. And what if they had chemistry? Her brain screamed at her. She and Danny had met each other at work; it wasn't uncommon for sparks to fly and then the next thing would be...
"Hey, what's with the sad face?" Danny inquired softly as he tucked his thumb underneath her chin. "Linds?"
"I dunno," she shrugged, pleased that Danny had stopped her thoughts before she'd taken them too far. "It's nothin'. I'm just being silly." She assured him. "What did she end up doing?"
"Nah," he shook his head. "You can't get me off your back that easily." He teased as he set his knife and fork down. "Spill."
"Danny, it's pathetic and it's nothing."
"If it's put that face on you, it has to be something, honey."
"It isn't." She insisted, "It's nothing, just leave it."
"Alright," he smirked. "I'll tell you what I know. I know that you've not seen much of me lately; you're a little sensitive as it is. You miss me about as much as I miss you... And I know that hearing me mention another woman can't exactly be the most comforting thing you've ever heard. Not to mention you've never met this girl so I'm pretty sure you're imagining some skinny blonde or whatever type you think it is that I have."
Lindsay laughed out loud as she shook her head. "Well, there's no escaping the fact you know me."
"Well, just for the record; my desk is filled with pictures of you and Lucy. I mention you every chance I get... She's a pain in my ass. And between you and I – I wouldn't touch her with the longest stick in the world. Why would I when I got you here at home, huh? You're everything I need."
Lindsay laughed nervously, filled with relief as her eyes searched his. She reached out and cupped his face, running her fingers over his cheek affectionately. "I love you too."
"And anyway, it's saying something with the fact that I don't call them 'the team'. I call them the rookies. I don't even feel like they're mine yet, you know Linds." He said as he took a drink of his milk. "It's weird. I feel like Mac is gonna come into roll call one of these days and be like 'okay Danny, that's enough messin' around now, you're needed at a scene.' It hasn't happened yet though."
"Nope," Lindsay giggled. "Get used to being the big boss man, Danny."
"You know, he saw me earlier... I really ripped into Lauren and he was right there. You should have seen his face when I told her I had a wife and daughter to go home to and she was holding me up. I thought he was going to pass out. Initially I thought I'd totally fucked it up, but then when he spoke to me afterwards, I think he was a little proud of me you know?"
"Of course he is!" Lindsay implored. "We all are. It's amazing to see how far you've come. I bet it's especially amazing for Mac, I mean he did that. He's essentially mentored you into the person and cop that you are. He's got a hell of a lot to be proud of if you ask me."
"You're biased." Danny snorted. "You don't get a say."
"That's mean." She pouted as she reached out and prodded his nose playfully. "Be nice to me."
"I'm always nice to you." He laughed as he attempted to catch her finger in his mouth and bite it, much like he did with their daughter every time she tried to prod his nose. "You know, it's been so nice being home tonight... I couldn't even think about going with them."
"Did they asked you to go with them?" she questioned him softly. "Or was it just Lauren?"
"Well yeah, it was just Cooper, but I'm sure they all would have been okay with it." He nodded. "But there's just no way I'd go. It's just not appropriate."
"And why not?" Lindsay implored. "Danny, we used to go out with Mac. It's a good way to bond informally. It gets a nice rapport going within the group. You should at least think about going; there's still time."
"No, absolutely not."
"Why?" She sighed. "Danny, I don't want you to feel like you have to stay at home with us if you feel like you should be out with them. I mean, things will settle down eventually, and even if it's just this once that you-"
"I'm not leaving the apartment tonight." He smirked, cutting her off before pressing a soft kiss to the swell of her cheek. "Sorry babe, you're going to have to tell that officer you met at that scene to come back some other day."
"Damn it, you saw right through my plan." She giggled as she stood and manoeuvred her way around the table and placed herself on Danny's lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nestled her head into his chest. "I want you to know though that I don't mind if you go out tonight with them. It was so nice seeing you and having you here for dinner that I don't even mind."
"No." He shook his head. "I don't get any time with you as it is, Linds. I'm not about to go out to go see the people that are effectively keeping me away from you and Lu."
"Danny, they're not keeping you away from us. You're there for a reason... an important reason and you know that."
"I know." He sighed. "I just... if they ask me again I might go, but I'm definitely not going tonight, okay?"
Pressing a kiss to his temple, Lindsay nodded against the side of his face. "It's your call, sweetheart. You can tuck Lucy in and go if you want. I'm sure they'll still be there and it'll be good to bond with them over a beer. They can see that you're not a big scary sergeant, but rather a normal guy with a family and... yeah."
"I know," he sighed. "Just not tonight, you know? I just wanna relax with you and Luce tonight. I want to get absolutely soaked at bathtime and get into an argument with her over how many bath toys she needs in the tub with her. I miss all of those things. You know, the things you always take for granted?"
"Yep," she nodded. "I hear you on that one. I don't think I ever appreciated having you there with me at work until you weren't there. We were really lucky, weren't we?"
"We sure were." He nodded in agreement. "Tell you what, let's leave dinner and the dishes and let's just go collapse on the couch for an hour. Lucy's off doin' her own thing and let's just watch some shit on the TV and cuddle."
"You know, I'm sure Stella once told me that you didn't cuddle. I wonder where she got that from?"
"I dunno." Danny smirked sarcastically. "I'm the world's best cuddler. Ask Lucy. She knows."
"I'll take your word for it," Lindsay winked.
And while they moved out of the kitchen and settled on the couch together after a long overdue night in together as a family, Danny couldn't be happier with his decision to come straight home. With Lindsay's positive reaction, next time he would maybe accept the offer of a drink or two with the rookies, but until then... he'd make sure that he got as much time as he could with the family that mattered to him as possible because at the end of the day, they were everything to him. And he was damn lucky to have them.
And while things were a little rocky and awkward right now, things would get better. And then it'd make everything worth it.
So there we have it folks. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm insanely tired and really fighting to keep my eyes open, so if there are any mistakes, I apologise; they're totally for a lack of self-checking.
This story has kind of come after a bit of reflection, because I thought about the scenes we got, and from my timeline that I worked out in my head, I think Danny went home the first time Cooper, Lauren? whatever her name is asked him out for a drink (which by the way - bad move, rookie. he's married. back off. just sayin' ;) ) so yeah. He went home and Lindsay must have been like noooo, go out and bond with your rookies. so boom. that's what happened in my mind.
Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed and any thoughts would be greatly appreciated :)