Hi everyone. Sorry that I disappeared for a while there. I've been taking a little break from things. The finale really made me sad and I needed time to deal with the idea of... well, I'll let you finish that sentence off. But... i'm back and feeling better about it. CBS can make all the mistakes they want but that won't change my love for DL. (and they might even renew it yet so I don't even know what my problem is! hah!) So here I am again; filling in the gaps for myself (and for you guys if you like!) whilst I've been away though I haven't been just sobbing into a pillow (much!) but rather I've written one or two things that I've squirrelled away that I think I'm ready to release into the world haha. This story is the promised Honeymoon story I mentioned... a while ago, I forget now. But yeah, this will focus primarily on DL and their honeymoon weekend. it's actually more or less written with just a few things still needing to be added (My grammar is shot to hell right now, I apologise) so I hope you guys enjoy this one. I will start catching up on everything I've missed really soon.
In the meantime, thanks for clicking on the story - I hope you enjoy it!
So here we are again on that little town street, you almost ran the red 'cause you were looking over at me.
-Taylor Swift, All Too Well.
Enjoy the small things in life; for one day you will realise they were the big things. Lindsay Messer inhaled a deep breath of the fresh, crisp air as she considered the quote she tried to live by. Right now; the moment she and Danny we re currently in was a small, minuscule moment in their life together, however… twenty years from now she would remember this moment and think fondly of the time the y spent together, driving through the small, quaint town in upstate New York that was their long overdue honey moon destination. She laid a hand on her stomach and smiled softly. It had been six long years since she and Danny had gotten married and she was beginning to wonder whether she was going to be pregnant for all their marital milestones . If that was the case, she had a few years to prepare before their tenth anniversary… if they hadn't added to their family again before that.
"What you thinkin' about?" Danny's voice sounded from the driver's side. Lindsay took a moment to look to her side and smiled at the sight of her husband. She reached across and ran her fingertips through his short hair; over the last few y ears they'd found some grey hairs that Danny was thoroughly in denial about , but Lindsay personally thought it added to her attraction towards him. It showed the distance they had travelled together. They had met when they were in their late twenties, still trying to make it on t heir own in the world and now he re they were on some little town street in upstate New York as husband and wife . They'd done a lot of growing up together; and h ad the grey hairs to prove it.
"You," she replied as she leaned towards him and pressed a kiss to his temple.
He cast his eyes over to her quickly before turning them back to the road ahead . They made eye-contact for only a moment but she could see in his eyes that he' d been doing the exact same, except, his thoughts were consumed by her.
Settling back in her seat, Lindsay took another deep breath of the fresh air that surrounded her. Although it was extremely chilly, they had the windows open in their car to appreciate the freshness but also the freedom that this weekend was going to give them. They could have the windows down all they wanted because t here was no Lucy in the back, whining an d upset that she was cold. It had taken a lot for Lindsay to leave Lucy with Danny's parents. She had nearly insisted that they brought her with them; the insecurities of last vacation she took shining through where things nearly ended a lo t differently. Danny had rightfully talked her out of it. This wasn't a family vacation he reminded her – although those would surely come along a gain soon – this was their honeymoon. Something that while he loved Lucy to death, it wasn't something he wanted her at. This was their time to celebrate their marriage… and he'd been right, and s he was glad he'd d one it. As much as she loved her daughter – some downtime with Danny was exactly what she needed before they turned from parents to one, into parents to two. Things were about to get a lot more hectic and this chance to appreciate Danny was perfectly timed.
"Lucy's fine," Danny said with a small s mile on his face as he switched the radio station as it crackled in and out of frequency. "I text my Mom when we stopped at the rest stop; they were makin' cookies and she was perfectly happy, sweetie ."
"I know," Lindsay laughed, despite herself, "I just- how did you even know I was thinking about her?" She implored.
"I know you," he nodded, "but like I said before… this weekend is for you and me , ok?" he said. "For us… So kick back an d relax, baby."
"I am relaxed," she giggled as she reclined her seat a little and placed her feet on the dashboard in front of her. "H ow much further do we have to go?"
"About ten minutes," Danny said as he eased off the accelerator as they entered the small town that they were going to b e staying on the outskirts of.
"I'm so excited," She shuffled in her seat as she gazed at their surroundings. " This is gorgeous!" she exclaimed as she laid her hand against her stomach.
He nodded in agreement as he watched her slowly rub her swollen tummy; her hand comforting their son growing inside her. He watched her as her eyes went to her stomach and she smiled softly as she abs orbed the moment. He joined her in her moment by reaching across and placing h is own hand on top of hers and rubbing h er hand affectionately.
God, she's so beautiful, he thought as he glanced over to her as she peered out of the open window with a bright smile on her face. He felt a little bit of pride in himself as he appreciated the smile and the happiness in her eyes; knowing that he was the one t hat had put the smile there. As he thought about the past they'd shared together , he'd concluded many years ago that he definitely hadn't been the best person for the job to begin with; but much to his disbelief he had been the one her heart h ad decided on. He'd strived ever since to be the protective, loyal, loving and caring husband that he wasn't when they h ad been dating, and judging by the content look in her eyes on their well overdue honeymoon, he realised that he'd done a pretty good job of making up for his past mistakes.
Danny was so accustomed to driving quickly to a destination that he never really appreciated the time driving provided to think about things. Work had been no thing but hectic recently which was nothing new, but the levels of happiness in the team's personal life had rocketed and increased tenfold. Flack and Lovato had shacked up; and even though Danny was ma king Flack pay for all the teasing he'd given Danny when Lindsay and he had gotten together, he was happy for his friend . Flack had been through a lot and had taken Angell's death particularly hard; so to see him so happy with somebody new made Danny happy. Then there was Mac and his fiancée, Christine. He and Lindsay had suspected that a proposal of sorts wasn't far away, especially after Christine had been kidnapped and held hostage. That, combined with Mac's aphasia, yes, even if Mac himself didn't mention it, and the powers that be in the NYPD seemed to overlook Mac's struggles, Danny hadn't forgotten, Danny had figured it was only a matter of time before Mac took life by the horns and just lived. He'd been notorious for holding back in his life with Claire, and Christine was his second chance, and just like Flack, Danny was happy that Mac was as happy as he was.
But with all the happiness in the lab, the dynamic had changed. Things seemed to be slowing down. People were drifting away from one another. Hawkes was debating a move with Camille. Something about work opportunities on the west coast and he was seriously considering a transfer. Sid wasn't around as much at work and Danny had noticed that he'd looked frailer recently; with an oversized band age that seemed to have taken residence on his hand over the last few months. H e suspected there was something more there, but didn't want to pry. Lindsay had tensed up when he'd mentioned the bandage he'd seen one day in autopsy and she' d told him that when her Mom had first gone to the doctors for a 'check up', she'd come home with a similar bandage and it had been where she had received an IV during chemotherapy; it had been something Lindsay's mother had kept to her self for a while before she could break the news to Lindsay and her father. And knowing how it had affected Lindsay, he dropped the subject and hoped that Sid was okay because throughout all of his relationship with Lindsay, aside from Mac, Sid had been their biggest supporter. As much as he wanted to say something , he felt it was important to respect Sid's decision to obviously keep whatever it was he was going through away from his work-life. Danny couldn't argue with that.
Stella had gone a few years ago and aside from the odd text message asking after Lucy and themselves and along with an annual Christmas card, they really didn't hear much from her which saddened him , but he figured that life moved on. The ir relationship would always hold memories and would be there no matter how long they went without communicating; he felt confident in that they'd pick up wherever they left off… and surprisingly, he was okay with that.
Finally, and on top of everyone else's life; there was his life with Lindsay and the changes they were going through. Aside from the obvious new addition to their family, Danny felt a tightening in the pit of his stomach at the thought of the paperwork and their mortgage that was currently in motion. They'd bought a house together not long ago. One night after Lucy had gone to bed and they were snuggled up on the couch, they'd been talking and Lindsay had giggled, informing him that she felt like a proper grown up with a mortgage and two kids. But with the process of growing up and buying a house, they were considering other changes too. They'd looked and chosen a new school for Lucy and they'd started putting money aside for a reliable car for their new commute into the city. The biggest change however was that they were seriously reconsidering their work responsibilities. Back when Lucy had been a baby, Lindsay had gone part time when she'd bee n adjusting to motherhood, but with two children now, she was seriously considering taking time away from her career led life. And as much as he hated the idea of her being at home all day and he at work, he couldn't help but imagine the big picture of him someday running the lab ; taking it over from Mac and hopefully maintaining the high standards with his wife by his side with their healthy, happy children. So while it would suck not seeing Lindsay every day at work, she'd be waiting for him with their children when he got home from work. And as long as his family were happy, that's all he cared about.
Things were changing in the lives of the team, but even though all the changes brought uncertainty and fear, the person sat to the side of him made everything seem okay. He gazed over to her, observing the view and he exhaled softly. With Lindsay by his side, any change they faced would be something they could deal with together.
"Danny!" Her voice brought him from his reverie with a jolt. "It's red!"
"Shit!" He slammed on the brakes and offered her an apologetic smile as he held his hand out so that it rested on her stomach. "Sorry Linds, you guys okay?"
"Yeah," she smiled briefly at his instant concern for her and their son. "We're fine but what the hell were you doing?! " She asked, with annoyance in her voice ; swatting him on the arm.
"Lookin' over at you," he admitted with a blush. "Thinkin' about stuff."
Unknowingly her bottom lip jutted out affectionately at his admission. She smiled softly at him before laying her hand on top of his. "I'd be mad about you taking your eyes off the road but… that was sweet."
"How about I promise to not kill us," he chuckled as the light turned to green. "I can't imagine running a red light is the best first impression we could have made in this little small town."
"Well, crisis averted." She smiled as Danny took a left turn and proceeded to drive down a small, bendy road. Their surroundings had changed significantly from the small town they'd just been driving through and she couldn't help but wonder whether he was a little lost. She dared not mention her concerns though as she knew directions and Danny were a touchy subject. He liked himself as a GPS system and any questions against his GPS capability didn't end well for them. She folded her arms over her chest and watched as he confidently worked their way down the narrow road, which she was sure was simply a path, in the rental car they had loaned for the weekend. Lindsay 's eyes widened as they came to a clearing; what they were presented with something slightly different to what she had seen on the website he'd given her to look at.
"Um… Danny? Where's the hotel?"
"Oh yeah. I forgot to mention," he pause d as he killed the engine. "Change of plan."
A change of plan... whatever could he have up his sleeve?! Thank for reading - let me know what you thought if you have two minutes you wouldn't mind sending my way. it is always very much appreciated!