A/N: Here is a new chapter. Yup, updated real soon huh? ;) Well I thank my two Beta's Dee and Camden, both of whom I am incredibly grateful to, for taking the time to read over my work and make little corrections and additions for me.

Just so you guys know, this chapter is a wee bitty angsty and is why this fic is rated "T" there is a swear word thrown in there somewhere.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but this storyline, Joni, Kit and Maeve. Everything else (or anything that you recognise) belongs to the creators of CSI:NY.

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You Don't Mess with a Messer, Part 3.

It turned out that Joni utterly adored having her daddy's attention more often than not-she had asked if Mommy was going to be off soon too, but had accepted the "no's" her parents had given her when they explained she would be spending less time with Maeve.

Their mornings were more or less the same, as Lindsay was more often assigned to days for the most part. Danny tended to get the morning or early afternoon shifts. He knew that eventually, he would be the CSI on call, as he had remained firm in his decision that Lindsay was not to be on call considering she was almost five months pregnant. He had set that rule when she had been expecting Joni and he was glad he had.

It had been almost three weeks since Danny had last been on call for the night shift. Though he didn't really mind being on call (mostly because he was so terribly grateful to Mac for allowing him to spend quality time with Joni.), he still silently hoped that New York would be quiet on the Murder Front, even if he knew it was an empty hope.

Hawkes was the first to the scene. It was his turn to work the night shift and he met an edgy Detective Flack. His mood worried him; few things made Flack act like this.

"What have we got?" he asked curiously. Flack glanced at him, an emotion flickering behind his eyes- was it relief?

"Three bodies; mother, boyfriend and a three year old daughter…" Flack trailed off in an empty voice. Why was this one bothering him so much? It wasn't long before Hawkes stepped into the apartment. It was a blood bath in there, far too much for him to handle alone.

"Who is on call tonight?" Flack asked, knowing well and good Hawkes was not enough manpower for this job.

"Danny" Hawkes replied quietly.

"Dammit" Flack muttered.

Danny groaned. Did they have to page him as soon as he had gotten Joni settled down for the night? He had just got himself comfy, snuggling on the couch with Lindsay curled up on his chest, his arms looped around her middle as he held her close, just enjoying being with her.

"Oh man…I have to go babe, Hawkes needs me."

"Hurry back" she said. As she moved to let him get up, she grabbed him by the shirt as he stood and pulled him into a breathtaking kiss. He eventually pulled away, grinning. "I need you more" she breathed.

"Get away from me you horny, pregnant woman!" he exclaimed in mock surprise. He bent down and kissed her again, his lips conveying his regret at having to leave.

"I miss you already," she whispered as she kissed him once more. "Go, before I make you late!"

Danny had not known what to expect upon arriving at the scene. The grave demeanour of his best friend unsettled him as he mentally questioned what could make Flack like this?

"I can hand this one over to Mac if you'd prefer" He said quietly to Hawkes on seeing Danny arrive.

"C'mon, it can't be that bad." Danny tried to shrug it off.

"Danny." A hand reached out to grasp his shoulder Danny looked at him, puzzled.

"There's a kid in there…" realisation dawned on him at Flack's words.

"I'm here now…let's get this over with" he replied gruffly.

Hawkes looked up at him as he entered. He'd been crouched over the boyfriend, currently examining the wounds and taking swabs. Danny nodded once in acknowledgement and looked around the room. Blood was splattered everywhere, the male victim had the worst of it, the woman next, with the small bloodied form of a girl only a little farther away. Danny cringed when he realised the girl looked to be no older than Joni.

"Shit…she looks like L'il Montana…" he muttered more to himself than anyone else.

"Y'know I can--" Hawkes started

"Yes, yes, call Mac, I know." Danny cut across him. Not like he hadn't heard that line before. "The ME will be here shortly, lets get this done."

As luck would have it, Peyton too was on call tonight, bringing her fiancé with her. Mac took one look around the crime scene and then looked at Danny, his lips tightening. Danny could tell what was coming next.

"Danny, go home." It was an order, not a request. "I'll help Hawkes with anything else that needs done."

Danny took the camera from around his neck, handing it to Mac. He carefully disposed of his gloves, took one last look at the scene then left the room. Flack patted his back as he exited, not having to voice his support.

Danny rushed home, paying little attention to how he got back to the apartment. He desperately longed to have his beautiful wife in his arms and to check on Joni just one last time. He wanted to protect them both from anything, everything.

The sight that greeted him when he entered their bedroom was enough to melt his heart as if his country girl hadn't done that enough already. There lay his beautiful Lindsay; with child number one resting her head on the bump that was to be her sibling in the near future, a little pudgy finger tracing circles on her mother's tee-shirt clad stomach.

"So, can she hear me in there?" Joni asked sleepily. Danny leaned against the doorframe, smiling at the Kodak moment in front of him He quickly remembered his camera phone: he whipped it out and snapped a photo.

"Yes" Lindsay told her daughter. "In fact, she likes to hear us, that way she can get used to us blethering at her for the rest of her life!"

"Will she be like me? What does bleth-ring mean?"

Lindsay cracked a sly smile; her daughter didn't miss a thing "Maybe a little, but both of you will be unique."

"And both of you will be Daddy's little angels, am I right?" Danny quipped.

Lindsay looked over at him, Joni's head lifted, a grin splitting her face; she scrambled to stand up and ran to hug Danny. He scooped her up, cradling her in his arms.

"Daddy!" her little arms grasped around his neck, holding him tight.

"What are you doing up L'il Montana?" he asked.

"She woke and wondered where her Daddy was" Lindsay put in.

"I was on call, my sweet" he informed her.

"Did dead people phone?"

Danny gave a broken laugh "Yeah…Now, let's get you back to bed, can't have you grumpy if we are going to the Zoo tomorrow now, can we?"

"The Zoo!" she declared gleefully as he carried her through to the room down the hall. Laying her down in her bed, he tucked her in and kissed her forehead.

"Get some sleep, huh kiddo?"

"Night Daddy" she yawned, her eyes growing heavy. "Love you…"

"I love you too" he smiled with every word.

Danny walked back to his room, shedding his coat, dumping it on the chair at their dresser. His jeans and shirt followed next. Once disrobed, he got into bed beside Lindsay and pulled her close. She spooned into him while he rested a hand on their bump; then hugged into his wife.

"You can't say you regret a minute of this" he said quietly.

"Not even a second" she replied.

He kissed her shoulder. "Is everything ok?" she asked.

"It is now…" he said. She could hear his breathing settle as he began to fall asleep. She lay awake a little longer, knowing to treasure what she had.