Thanks to all the spoilers going on, I decided to write an aftermath for Child's Play. This is just what I want to happen! I have no connection with CBS and trying to spoil it for all of you. If you don't want to read, than don't, I won't be offend I promise. Song belongs to Coldplay: Fix You
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
All mistakes are mine.
When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse
Danny sat in his living room, beer in hand, his TV on a sports channel, but he wasn't paying any attention to what was going on. He was still numb, shocked and surprised about the events that had transpired earlier that day. And after spending a good half hour with Ruben's mother in the church, he finally managed to drag Ruben's mother and himself back to their respected apartments. He swung the beer in his hand and cocked his head sighing. His mind was still replaying the awkward seconds he had spent with Ruben's mother outside her apartment door.
She had looked into his eyes and moved, but something made him stop. The image of a country girl with short, brown hair and chocolate eyes popped into his head. Shaking his head, he mumbled something along the lines of, 'I can't, I just can't,' to her while she backed out also, blushing. He wished her a good night and a promise he would check on her the next morning and retreated to his apartment across the hall.
If he had not kissed her, than why did he shut the door in his country girl's face? He gently hit the bottle against his head, thinking. He was such an idiot. No, not an idiot, a jackass. A very big one.
He suddenly stood up and turned the TV off. He needed to clear his mind and fast. Taking a quick look outside, he walked into his bedroom, pulled on a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt, shoved his running shoes on and ran out the door. When he got outside, he took a right and began jogging down the street, the cold air hitting against his cheeks, a relief to the warmth of his apartment.
He allowed himself to get lost in his thoughts as he took his usual route around the couple of blocks surrounding his area. The only thing keeping him going was the gentle pattern of his shoes hitting the sidewalk every few seconds…
"Danny? Are you in love?"
Danny looked up at the young boy, surprised at the his blunt question, "What makes you say that, Ruben?"
The little boy shrugged, "Mommy said people change when they fall in love. You seem different," the boys said taking an apple off of Danny's kitchen counter and biting into it.
Danny laughed, "You've seen a change in me?" he asked.
Ruben nodded his head wildly and jumped down from the chair and crossed into the kitchen, "You seem… how did mom put it… approachable now! But you also seem happy. Happier than you have been," Ruben said taking another bite of the apple and grinning widely up at Danny.
Danny chuckled and ruffled the hair of the young boy, "Well, I'll tell your mother thank you for pointing out those behavior changes in me,"
"No! I'll tell her!" he checked the clock and looked back up at Danny, "Mom just got home, I'll be fine and I'll call you to say that I got up to the apartment alright." The last question was more of a statement than anything else and Danny nodded.
"Only if you promise to call," Danny said.
"Of course I'll call!" Ruben said the large smile still plastered on his face.
Danny nodded, "Alright Ruben, I'll see you later."
The little boy smiled a thank you and Danny heard the door slam shut seconds later…
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
Ruben was the first person to ever ask him that tough question, besides Flack who bugged him about it all the time. Danny crossed the street and continued running, his mind still turning with ideas and thoughts that did not seem to leave him alone. The face of Lindsay when he closed the door on her face still haunted him, made him feel a guilt in the pit of his stomach that he hadn't felt in a long while. His mind wandered to the early moments of that morning…
There was a knock on the door and Danny lifted his head to look at the clock. 7:30. Grumbling, he shifted out of his bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He looked over at the sleeping form next to him and smiled to himself. The knocking at the door began again and he rolled his eyes, mumbling.
Opening the door, Ruben stood there bouncing a little in his stance.
"We need food and mom's working. Can you come with me?" Ruben asked.
Danny gave the boy a look, "It's 7:30 in the morning, Ruben…"
"I know, but we need food and there won't be anyone in the store, please?" he asked giving Danny a puppy dog face.
Danny rolled his eyes, "Fine, let me change real quick and I'll be right out," Danny said.
He went into his room and came out five minutes later, after giving Lindsay a gentle kiss on the forehead, ready to go out. Ruben sat on his couch, flipping though a magazine that had been lying on the coffee table.
"Ready to go, sport?" Danny asked.
Ruben nodded and the two left the apartment…
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
Stopping by a local park bench, he looked up at the sky that had begun graying over earlier that day. Running his hand though his hair, he took deep breaths to catch his breath. Danny felt raindrops hit his face and he looked up. The clouds were beginning to open up and rain drizzled down slowly wetting the sidewalks. Danny began running again, this time not having a care where he went. The rain began coming down harder and harder as he ran, soaking his sweatshirt and sweats. He continued running, pushing himself to go faster and faster. He ran though puddles and little streams that had begun forming on the sidewalks. He ran past people under umbrellas and newspapers, calling for taxis or trying to get to a subway station. He ran past the trees and plants all around him, and he took in none of the activity going on around him. He pushed himself, making his breath come out ragged and short before he turned abruptly onto another street. He had another destination.
He came to a stop when he arrived at an apartment building. He looked up, hoping that she would still be awake. He slowed his breathing down and entered the building. The landlord who liked to hang out in the lobby knew Danny pretty well and smiled when he saw him enter the building. Danny barely noticed him as he ran up the stairs to the 4th floor.
He walked along the rows of apartments and stopped at apartment 420. He looked at the number that shined on the door and took a deep breath before he raised his hand and knocked hard on it 3 times. After several seconds, the door cracked open than slammed shut again.
"Lindsay! Come on baby, please! I want to talk to you," Danny said to the door.
And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth
"Go away. There is no way in hell I want to talk to you right now," was the response he got.
Danny growled and knocked again, "Come on, Montana. I am not leaving until you give me a chance to talk to you," he said and continued knocking.
"Give me 3 good reasons I should open this door and allow you a chance to shoot off excuses for yourself!?" he heard Lindsay shout through the door.
"Ok…" he paused and licked his lips before he spoke, "1; you want to know the truth on why I slammed the door shut,"
There wasn't an answer and Danny licked his lips again before he spoke, "2; I want to show you I'm not a jackass and willing to talk to you, and 3…" he paused again before he said his third reason, "I'm soaking wet and could catch pneumonia."
The door cracked open and Lindsay peeked out. Standing in front of her was a soaking wet Danny. Her lips set into a straight line and she shook her head, "You went on the run, not my fault," she slammed the door shut.
Danny groaned and leaned against the door and slid down it. Hitting his head with his fist, he began speaking, "Lindsay, I am a jackass. You knew that when you met me and if you talk to half of the team they would tell you the same thing. What I did to you today, I shouldn't have done. I let my emotions get in front of what I had. Ruben was someone I talked to a lot, he befriended me and his mother… gosh Lindsay! She means nothing to me! I would take you over her any day and you know that!" he buried his head in his hand when he felt something cover him over the head. Looking up, he saw an 18 year old girl standing in front of him shaking her head.
"You're going to need that. She's not going to let you in," she stated and walked back into her apartment.
Danny pulled the towel off his head and growled, "Lindsay! I swear I'm not leaving until you let me in."
"Mom always says, 'Once you got something, don't let go'"…
Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I
He felt the door open and he fell backward. He looked up to see Lindsay standing over him, her hands on her hips and she shook her head before she walked back into the apartment. Danny scrambled to his feet and paused at the door, "I'm guessing this means I can come in?" he asked to the retreating back on Lindsay.
Lindsay waved a hand at him as she walked into her kitchen. Danny closed the door and took the towel and rubbed it against his head, drying his hair. He followed Lindsay into the kitchen and watched her as she moved around.
"The only reason I'm letting you in is because my neighbor called me telling me to let you in," Lindsay said.
Danny looked at the towel, "The one who gave me the towel?" he asked.
"Sure," Lindsay snapped and pulled a mug out of a cabinet. She poured some hot water into the mug and placed a tea bag into it. She slid it over to Danny and crossed her arms.
"I let you in, now come on, lets hear it," Lindsay said.
Danny paused, "You didn't hear my little speech I made when I was sitting outside your apartment?" Danny asked pointing to the door.
"Oh, I did. And so did my whole floor," Lindsay said. She kept her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed at him.
"Lindsay, I… I actually don't have an excuse for me shutting the door on your face. My emotions get in the way of me and… I'm sorry. And what you said you say, look, that meant nothing. I pulled away before she got near me. She and me… we're just friends. I watched Ruben sometimes when she was working, but I looked at her as a friend, not someone I would want to date," he paused and seemed to shudder at the thought, "I only thought of you for the past few hours and I don't want to lose you over my stupid mistakes and my emotions that run wild when I'm upset," Danny finished his speech and Lindsay cocked her head. She walked closer over to him and at first Danny thought he was forgiven.
But never bet against a country girl.
A hand came out of nowhere and slapped him upside the head. Not once, not twice, but three times.
"You… stupid… jerk... pain in my ass," she said every time she hit him on the head. Danny ducked out of her range and backed up slowly.
"Ok, Montana, I get your point. But your scaring me right now," Danny said holding his hands out in front of him in protection.
"You should be scared Messer cause hell has no wrath when a woman is severely pissed off at her boyfriend!" Lindsay said advancing at her boyfriend.
Danny backed up a little more and when Lindsay made her final attack, grabbed her around the waist to relax her.
"Danny Messer, let go of me!" she demanded.
"No," he said simply.
Lindsay's lips found Danny's and they got lost in the moment. Breaking apart for air, Danny held her close.
"Am I forgiven?" he asked after a few moments of silence.
"No," she answered him.
Danny had to laugh; they had just survived their first bump…
"Will I ever meet this Montana?"
"Maybe one day we'll watch a Mets game together,"
"But I'm a Yankees Fan!"
"To bad, it's my TV, so I pick the baseball team,"
There was a giggle, "Ok, I can't wait to meet her, she sounds so nice…"
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
Please Review! I hope you enjoyed.