well gosh guys, i can't say this happens often but when it does I feel super proud and slightly sad. this is officially the last chapter for this story. thanks for being so patient with me with the updates. i had intended them to be a lot more regular, but I found that being a kindergarten/first grade/reception/year one teacher - depending on where you live hahah - ended up taking up A LOT more time than I had originally planned. last week felt like an entire month. so that's where I'm at hahaah. I've always been throwing myself into the world of Katniss and Peeta. I feel like DL are slowly slipping away from me and I'm fighting it big time. I'm not ready to let go of them yet :'(
anyway, I just want to say a huge, massive heartfelt thanks to all of you who have read, reviewed, favourited and followed this story. I appreciate everything and if I've made even just one of you guys smile then my job's done.
without any further adieu, here's the last chapter to 'free at last'.
We won't be lookin back; we'll be free at last.
- Free at last, Jason Walker
Feeling a dip in the mattress, Lindsay stirred from her slumber. With the traffic noises sounding from the ground, it was safe to assume that she was no longer in Montana. Something about her felt different though. The past week had taken it's toll on her significantly, both in the lead up and the actual happenings of Daniel Katums and his execution, and with the burden that had weighed down on her shoulders, she felt the weight now being lifted. Clarity was now in its place; things were clearer now. They were brighter.
Feeling a tiny little fingertip prod her nose, Lindsay fought the smile on her face as she prepared to lay her eyes on her beautiful Lucy. She cracked one eye open playfully and saw the gorgeous little five year old poised and ready with her little index finger, ready to prod her nose again.
"Are you awake?" Lucy's toothy little grin smiled at Lindsay.
"Well I am now," Lindsay returned with a chuckle as she opened both eyes properly and sat up in bed. "I missed you, sweet pea. Did you have fun with Daddy?"
"Yep," Lucy nodded "I missed you though. Daddy made my sandwiches wrong on Friday so I got mad with him. And don't even talk to me about how he did my hair. He made me wear pony tails Mommy." She implored dramatically. "Pony tails! If you go to Montana again, will you teach him how to braid my hair? How's grandpa?"
"He's okay," Lindsay smiled, amused at her daughter's expressions, dramatics and quick change of subject. After her father had picked her up from the airport after her red eye flight they had spent a good hour on the way home talking all about Lucy's latest antics and how she was growing so quickly.
When she had flown out to Montana when she was heavily pregnant, her father had been dead against the idea, but with her mother in and out of chemotherapy for cancer treatment Lindsay had felt that it was important for her to see her mother, and likewise for her mother to see her, especially when she was pregnant. Although she had been in denial about the severity of her mother's condition, which she'd bravely battled for a good five years, Lindsay knew that the likelihood of her mother seeing her pregnant with her second child would be unlikely; therefore her seeing Lindsay pregnant with Lucy had meant everything… to the both of them. She knew that given the chance, her mother would have flown out to New York without a second thought… but with the circumstances as they were, the responsibility had fallen onto Lindsay and she had taken the baton and gracefully ran with it. And as it was, it was a week that Lindsay would cherish forever. She got to bond with her mother over something so special and personal to them. Grandmother, Mother and baby. They hadn't had much time as their three generations, but Lindsay appreciated every second that she'd had with both her mother and with Lucy.
"Did you go and see Grandma?" Lucy's little voice wondered.
"No," Lindsay shook her head sadly. "Not this time, I had something really important that I needed to do, and I didn't want to spend a moment longer away from you than I needed to."
"Why did you go to Montana then?"
Lindsay took a deep breath in and exhaled it steadily as she lifted up the covers and gestured for Lucy to join her underneath them.
"When Mommy was a little girl, something sad happened."
Lucy leant against Lindsay and craned her neck up to look at her mother as she tucked herself into Lindsay's side.
"I had three really special friends that were like my sisters. We did everything together."
"Like me you and Daddy?" Lucy asked.
"Kind of," Lindsay nodded. "But we loved each other in a different way. We laughed a lot, talked about lots of things and really loved spending time with each other. We used to go fishing and we went on picnics and then in the summer times when it was really warm out we'd go into Grandma and Grandpa's big garden and my Daddy would make a fire for us and we'd toast marshmallows until it was time to go to sleep."
"That sounds like so much fun!" Lucy cried. "I liked it when we did that with Grandpa."
"You did like that," Lindsay smiled at the memory of Lucy making s'mores with her Daddy and grandfather. "Grandpa liked it too."
"Are they still your friends now? Why don't you take me to see them? Did you get in a fight?"
"We didn't fight," Lindsay shook her head. "We never even really got mad at each other… and even if we did, we'd start laughing. We were pretty silly like that."
"Like how Daddy makes you laugh when you're mad at him?" Lucy questioned.
"A little," Lindsay smiled. "But one night, my friends and I went to this diner we always used to go to for dinner on the weekends… this one night, it was a little different and we ended up staying later than we usually did before we went home. We were just talking and talking and laughing. I went to the bathroom to wash my hands because we were nearly finished and I had my apple pie all over my fingers."
Lindsay licked her lips as she prepared and thought about what happened next. She felt like she needed to share what had happened with Lucy, but didn't want to scare or upset her.
"What happened when you went to the bathroom, Mommy?"
"Somebody came in and made a really bad choice," she began. "He hurt my friends and one of the girls that worked there."
"Did he say sorry to them?" Lucy asked, taking Lindsay's hand and holding it tight.
Lindsay shook her head, gesturing 'no' as she bit her lip, stopping the tears in her eyes from falling.
"Why?" Lucy whispered.
"I don't know," Lindsay shrugged. "He never told me why."
"Why don't you ask him?"
"I did," Lindsay sniffled, lowering her head sadly, "I asked him a few times but he wasn't very nice. He found it hard to say sorry."
"What did he do to them?"
"Honey, all you need to know is that he hurt them and after he'd hurt them they went to heaven."
Lucy narrowed her eyes. "He really hurt your feelings too, Mommy, didn't he?"
Lindsay nodded. "He hurt me too,"
"Where?" Lucy's little eyes widened.
"Not anywhere that you can see," Lindsay explained. "He hurt my feelings like you said, sweet pea. He hurt my friends and that hurt me. He took them away from me so when they heaven I was all alone and I missed them. I still miss them."
"Did you go to Montana to see them?" Lucy questioned.
"In a way," Lindsay nodded. "See, when Mommy and Daddy were just Danny and Lindsay, before we were your Mommy and Daddy, we used to be really good friends."
"Before you lived together?"
"Way before we lived together," Lindsay smiled. "Way before we had our special rings and everything," Lindsay grinned as Lucy ran her fingers over her wedding ring and engagement ring. "We used to be really good friends, but I had to go and tell a special person about the horrible thing that this man had done to my friends and I made Daddy sad because I didn't want him to be sad too, so I didn't tell him."
"Didn't he know though?"
"No," Lindsay shook her head. "Because he didn't know everything about me back then."
"He knows everything about you now though," Lucy smiled.
"He sure does," Lindsay agreed. "But when I had to go and tell the special person, a judge, about what happened when the bad man took my friends away, I thought I needed to do it by myself."
"So did you go to Montana by yourself?"
Lindsay nodded, "But see, I wasn't doing very well by myself. I missed Daddy."
"Was he Daddy then? Was he your boyfriend?"
Lindsay smiled, "No, he was just Danny then."
"Did you want him to be your boyfriend?" Lucy's little eyes gleamed.
"You're a little monkey," Lindsay nodded and giggled. "Yes, I did… but at the time, all I wanted was for the person that had hurt my friends to say sorry and be punished for what he did."
"Did he go to jail?"
"He did," Lindsay nodded. "For a long time… I had to tell the special judge and the people who made the decision about him going to prison what happened and I wasn't doing very well," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "talking about my friends made me miss them a lot and I was really upset. I really wanted Daddy to come and save me but because I'd made him so sad, I didn't ever think he'd come."
"Did he?" Lucy's little eyes widened.
"He did," Lindsay nodded. "Right when I was getting a little too teary eyed to tell my story; he walked in through these big wooden doors and smiled at me. He worked with Uncle Mac for nearly two whole days and he hadn't even gone to bed… but instead of going to sleep when Uncle Mac told him to, he flew all the way to Montana by himself and found the courthouse where I was telling the special people what happened and he sat there and listened to everything I said. Then, when we listened to whether or not the bad man was going to jail, he held my hand… just like you are," Lindsay said, looking down at their intertwined hands.
"So why did you have to go back?"
"Because the special judge decided that the horrible person that hurt my friends should go away… so I went to see him go away."
"Where did he go?"
"Somewhere where he can't hurt anyone anymore."
"Did he say he was sorry in the end?"
Lindsay's lips twisted into a small, sad smile. "He did. In the end he made the right choice."
"But you're still mad with him," Lucy observed. "He still hurt your friends."
"He did, nothing will change what he did, sorry won't fix it… but it's good that I know now that he can't hurt anyone else and he's paid for the horrible thing that he did to them."
"Were they nice girls?" Lucy asked.
"The most wonderful girls in the world," Lindsay smiled as she stroked her thumb over her daughter's soft skin. "You would have loved them all. They were funny. They would have made you laugh a lot."
"Were they pretty?"
"Beautiful," Lindsay smiled. "Just like you," she said as she poked her little girl's button nose. "I have a picture. Do you want to see them?"
Lucy nodded excitedly.
"Okay, can you open up my suitcase and the ziplock bag that is sat on the top of everything?"
Lucy nodded and quickly shuffled down the bed and jumped off the edge as she went to Lindsay's unzipped suitcase. She shoved the lid off and it hit the floor with a hearty smack. Lucy observed the contents quickly before grabbing the ziplock bag and clambering back up onto the bed and rushed to the place she'd recently vacated. She placed the ziplock bag on Lindsay's lap and snuggled back into her side.
"Okay," Lindsay smiled as she unzipped the bag. She reached in for the first picture of her and Lucy, Caroline and Kelly that she'd taken from around her mirror in her bedroom. She placed it in Lucy's hands and let her look carefully for a moment.
"Who are these girls? I thought this was a picture of you and your friends?"
"This is a picture of me and my friends." Lindsay smiled.
"You're not on there." Lucy narrowed her eyebrows at Lindsay.
"I am," Lindsay smiled softly. "That's me, there." She said, pointing at the fourteen year old version of herself.
"That's you?" Lucy gasped.
Lindsay nodded with a smile. "That's me, right there."
"But you look so different, Mommy."
"I know," Lindsay smiled. "I was fourteen there."
"How long ago was that?"
Lindsay pursed her lips and thought about it. "Twenty two years ago."
"Whoa." Lucy blinked. "You're old."
"Thanks." Lindsay smirked.
"Who is that?"
"That's Caroline."
"And who was that?"
"That's Kelly." Lindsay smiled.
"And who's that?" Lucy pointed to the last smiling face. "She's really pretty."
"That was my best friend." Lindsay paused as she prepared herself to tell her daughter for the first time where she'd gotten her name from. "She was called Lucy."
"But I'm called Lucy," Lucy turned, an expression of confusion plastered all over her face.
"I know you are; Daddy and I gave you your name."
"But your friend is called Lucy too."
Lindsay nodded with a smile.
"We're both Lucy?"
"You're both Lucy."
"Why?"
"Well," Lindsay thought about it for a moment. "My friend Lucy was someone who was really special to me and when I was thinking about what I could call you, I thought really hard about what name would be just perfect. Daddy really liked the name Lucy because he thought it was a perfect little name for a perfect little Messer."
"Like me," Lucy giggled.
"Exactly," Lindsay nodded. "And when I thought about how special you were to me, I thought that maybe Lucy would be a good name, because even though you are so, so special to me, my friend Lucy was special to me too. So Daddy and I called you Lucy."
Lucy nodded and stared carefully at the picture she held in her little hands. Lindsay could see her eyes darting between the fourteen year old version of herself and the fourteen year old version of her friend, Lucy. After a few moments, Lucy turned and smiled at Lindsay. "You were really pretty when you were a little girl, Mommy."
"Do you think so?" Lindsay smiled as she wrapped her arm around Lucy and took hold of one side of the picture. "I always thought Lucy was so pretty… which is funny, because you're pretty too."
"Do you think I'll be as pretty as you were?"
"I think you'll be beautiful." Lindsay smiled as she pressed a kiss to her daughter's temple. "Just like my other Lucy."
"Your angel Lucy?" Lucy whispered.
"My angel Lucy."
Lucy nestled herself into Lindsay's side tightly and carried on looking at the picture. After a few moments of extended silence from her five year old, Lindsay prodded Lucy's cheek with her finger. "What are you thinking about?" Lindsay asked her softly.
"The next time you go to Montana, can I go too?" She asked.
"Of course," Lindsay nodded, "But why?"
"Because I want to go and see Lucy."
"Lucy, honey… my friend Lucy, she's in heaven, remember?"
"I know," Lucy nodded. "Doesn't she have somewhere special like Grandma though?"
"Well yes," Lindsay nodded. "It always has lovely flowers and teddies and pictures."
"Can I go? Will you take me?"
"Sure," Lindsay nodded with a smile. "Next time we go to Montana, you and I will go and see my friends. Maybe you can draw them each a picture. I bet they'd like that."
"Yeah!" Lucy's little eyes lit up with excitement. "They would!" She paused for a minute and looked down to the picture she still held in her hands. "Mommy?"
"Lucy." Lindsay smiled.
"Can I have this?"
"Can you have what?"
"The picture of you?" She fluttered her eyelashes and smiled expectantly at Lindsay.
Lindsay pursed her lips together and watched as Lucy looked down to the picture. Lucy ran her fingertip over Lindsay's fourteen year old face and smiled before turning back to face her mother. Lindsay smiled and felt a warm feeling bubbling within her. "I don't see why not," she said softly. "Maybe we can go out today and pick out a frame so you can keep it in your room."
"YAY!" Lucy squealed excitedly.
"What are we squealing at?" Danny's voice sounded at the door. He stood with a smile stretching across his face and a tray of food in his arms.
"Danny, what's this?"
"Breakfast in bed," Danny smiled as he moved towards the bed and placed the tray at the foot of their bed.
"I had no idea." Lindsay smiled. "I was too wrapped up in talking to my little munchkin."
"Good job, kiddo." Danny winked as he high fived their daughter.
"Whoa, what?" Lindsay blinked. "Good job? Why, what did she do?"
"She came in here to distract you." Danny smirked. "Clearly she did a good job."
"You did?" Lindsay blinked in the direction of her daughter.
Lucy nodded brightly. "Yep, Daddy told me to come and be cute."
"You're definitely cute." Lindsay shook her head in shock. "You need to hear what she had me tellin' her about." Lindsay implored in Danny's direction.
"I can only imagine." He mused, as he offered her a napkin and the knife and fork he'd placed on the tray for her. "Bon appetite, Mommy."
"I love you guys," Lindsay smiled as she shovelled some eggs onto her fork. As she raised it to her mouth, she saw out of the corner of her eye that Lucy's mouth had dropped open too and she was currently looking expectantly towards the fork. Sighing heavily and shaking her head, Lindsay changed the direction of her fork and offered to Lucy. "Go on, here… take them."
"Yessss!" Lucy hissed as she accepted the eggs from Lindsay's fork. "Thanks Mommy." She mumbled as she chewed the scrambled eggs. "I love Daddy's eggs."
"Yeah well Daddy loves it when you chew with your mouth closed…" Danny quipped. "And Daddy also loves it when you let Mommy eat her breakfast."
"But I hungry!"
"You ate already!" Danny implored.
"What did you make her?" Lindsay asked as she alternated scooping eggs into her mouth before offering the same to Lucy, who happily accepted.
"The same as I made you!" he growled at his daughter who was conveniently ignoring him and munching on her eggs.
"Well, these are delicious," Lindsay leant forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Thank you… and I love you."
"I love you too." He whispered against her lips. Although he had only intended on pressing another soft, slight kiss to her lips, somehow they ended up getting lost in one another and Lindsay only stirred from the kiss when she felt the fork being tugged from her fingertips.
"Here, have it." Lindsay rolled her eyes as she placed the tray onto Lucy's lap. "Can I at least have my toast?"
"I… I wanted an eggy sandwich." Lucy pouted.
"Here," Lindsay sighed taking a half a slice of toast and folding it over with eggs sandwiched in-between the bread. "Happy now?"
Lucy nodded, shoving the eggs and toast into her mouth happily.
"I swear, that kid." Danny muttered as he shuffled closer to Lindsay. "You'd give her your last crumb."
"It doesn't matter," Lindsay smiled at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. She pressed her lips against his softly and melted into their shared kiss. "She's happy, I'm happy… you're happy. That's all that matters." She said, pressing her forehead against his.
"Are you?" he pressed. "Are you happy?"
Lindsay nodded instantly. "I've had a massive weight lifted from my shoulders. It's done with now." She said softly. "No more tears, worrying and… well, you know."
"I know." He confirmed as he brushed his nose against hers.
"Listen, about that… baby, I'm so sorry for-"
"There's nothing to be sorry about." He cut her off before pressing his lips to her's softly, cutting off any protests she may have had. "For better, for worse, remember?"
"Vaguely. I meant to say as well, thanks for last night. You made me feel... better." She smiled with a twinkle in her eye, hoping he took from that what she wanted to. She furrowed her brow as she looked at him. While she expected a cheeky smile in response, she found a blank stare, directed down towards their daughter. She followed his gaze and she realised exactly why he was staring at their daughter in terror. Their daughter was currently licking the plate clean. Silently Danny turned to her and shook his head. And from that, Lindsay knew exactly what he was saying. 'she's your daughter'.
Clearing her throat and ridding her face of a smirk, Lindsay took a deep breath. "Listen up, little mini Montana, I was raised on a farm and I don't lick my plates Lucy Messer, so if I don't do that, you definitely don't do that, got it?"
Lucy nodded, a blush circling the apples of her cheeks. "Sorry Mommy, they were just really good."
"I wouldn't know." She smirked at her daughter. "Listen, go wash your hands… and face." She said, swiping away the ketchup that littered her daughter's button nose. "and then go get dressed."
"Why, where are we goin'?" She questioned.
"I don't know yet," Lindsay shrugged. "We'll figure it out when we get there. How does that sound?"
Lucy furrowed her brow and hopped down from the bed, mildly confused at her mother's vagueness.
"What time are you in work?" Lindsay asked.
"I'm not." He smiled. "We got the day off together."
"We did?"
Danny nodded. "Mac gave me the day; Hawkes wanted some extra money too so…"
"What do you wanna do then?" she smiled brightly.
"Well, I wanna just lie in bed with you all day." He said softly, pushing the empty tray down to the bottom of the bed so he and Lindsay could snuggle together on the bed. I wouldn't mind a repeat of last night actually if I'm honest... But I get the impression that's not gonna fly what with us having Lu, so I dunno."
"I don't know," Lindsay said dreamily, laying her head down on Danny's bare chest. "Surely she'd enjoy snuggling quietly and not saying a thing all day, right?"
"Oh definitely." Danny smirked. "She wouldn't last fifteen seconds if she didn't have food in front of her."
"There's no denying she's our kid." Lindsay smirked. "How about we go for a walk and see where we end up. The playground or something; go get ice cream or dessert somewhere."
"Yeah," Danny shrugged. "Listen Linds… before she comes back in... I just want you to know that if you need to talk about what you had to go through when you were there, you know I'm here for you, right? I'm always right here," he said, pressing a hand against her hip and turning her so that she was facing him. "I mean it, baby. I know you talked to me about some things before we got distracted with a little... somethin' something' last night but...Don't bottle things up, what you saw is pretty big and I don't want you to think that you're protecting me by keeping it to yourself. I've seen a lot worse."
"I know." She smiled softly. "And I promise that when the time comes, the right time comes… we'll talk about it. Just… let me process everything first okay? We'll get there… just like we always do. I'm happy with what I told you last night. You know all that you need to know."
Lindsay said, pressing a kiss to his jawline. "And while we're on the topic, thank you… for well… being you. There aren't many husbands that would willingly hold the fort down and not ask any questions about their wife disappearing off to watch an execution of the man that murdered her friends."
"Well, not all husbands love their wife as much as I love you. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you Linds."
"I know." She smiled.
"And anyway, what's our life without a few bumps?"
"So long as they are bumps we get through together, they can come at us."
"There ain't any other way we deal with bumps, babe." He winked at her. "Alright, I'm gonna go shower… wanna come?"
Lindsay wiggled her eyebrows playfully before shaking her head. "No, I'm gonna go salvage myself some breakfast."
"Yeah, sorry about that." Danny sighed as stood and removed his sweats. He rubbed the side of his neck in defeat. "I tried."
"Hey," she said, standing up and looping her arms around his neck. "To know that you put all that effort into making me breakfast in bed was enough for me. And to watch our little girl enjoy it as much as she did… that's just a bonus."
He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Well, I'll be in the shower for like fifteen minutes if you change your mind."
She swatted his ass as she headed off in search in food and he in turn headed for the shower. It wasn't lost on her how lucky she was to have such a loving, supportive and caring husband. They'd had to deal with mountains more than other couples she knew had to. The things they'd dealt with would have been destructive for other couples, but it seemed that what they had been through only strengthened the love they had for one another.
As she dropped a cinnamon-raisin bagel into the toaster and grabbed the butter from the fridge, she leant against the counter top as she felt tears of relief rising in her eyes. She was finally, for the first time in her adult life, completely and utterly free from her previous burden. It was a pleasant, elated feeling that she'd never truly felt before. It was a feeling she intended on treasuring for a long, long time.
"Hey Mommy, do I look pretty?" Lucy asked, twirling in a floral dress and white leggings.
"You look gorgeous, my little princess."
Lucy giggled as she stood up on her socked tip-toes to see over the counter top. "What you makin'?" she inquired.
"A bagel." Lindsay laughed. "Why, you want some?"
Lucy licked her lips and blinked. "Can I?"
Sighing heavily, Lindsay nodded as she pulled out the barstool for Lucy to sit in. She grabbed an extra plate and waited for the toaster to pop up with the two halves.
"You know Mommy, I like it when you share food with me," Lucy giggled.
"Oh yeah?" Lindsay smiled, placing one half on her plate and the other on Lucy's pink plastic plate.
"Yeah." Lucy nodded. "It makes me feel like we are bestest friends, like me and Taylor at school."
Lindsay smiled as she felt the emotions rise in her throat. She decided against saying anything and instead buttered the bagel for her and her daughter. She placed the halved bagel in front of her daughter and leant across the counter, looking at her intently as she ate her own half.
"You know what, Lucy?" Lindsay asked mid bite.
"What?" she mumbled.
"I can't even begin to tell you how much I love you."
"Do you love me as much as Daddy?"
"I love you in a different way." Lindsay said. "I love Daddy because he's my husband. Before you came into my life, I didn't love anyone as much as I love you. You are the most special, wonderful, sweet person in my life."
"But what about Daddy?" Lucy blinked.
"Oh, he's special, wonderful and sweet too." Lindsay smiled. "But you're my little girl and that's a kind of love I'd never really be able to explain to you until you have your very own little girl or little boy… which is a long, long, long way away." Lindsay quickly added. "And I just want you to know that no matter what, I'll always love you."
"I love you too, Mommy." Lucy smiled as she arched her head towards Lindsay and puckered her lips for a kiss. Lindsay pressed a soft kiss to her daughter's greasy lips and licked away the cinnamon and butter residue that resided on her lips. "Go wipe your mouth off, messy chops." Lindsay laughed.
She watched as Lucy jumped down from the barstool with a smile on her face as she skipped to the bathroom so she could wash her face. She crossed paths with Danny in the hallway and hugged his leg tightly, making Danny stumble and Lindsay giggle. Danny glanced down at their daughter and swept her up into his arms and pressed a soft, little kiss to her lips before wiping his lips. "Ugh, did you eat again?"
"I ate mommy's bagel." Lucy giggled. "I'm washing my face now. You smell clean, Daddy."
"I am clean." He smirked as he dropped Lucy to the floor, making her squeal. "Go wash up, Mommy's gonna get dressed and we'll go. Think you can stop eating while she gets dressed?"
"Probably." Lucy shrugged as she skipped off.
"I swear to god," Danny muttered as he headed into the living room. "You spoil that kid."
"I love her." Lindsay protested as she collected their plates and dropped them in the sink. "I can't help it."
"I know." Danny rolled his eyes as he met her in the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around her neck and in turn, she wrapped her arms around his waist. "So, I see you've got a smile on your face." Danny observed. "What you thinkin' about?"
"I'm just happy." She shrugged. "I feel lighter, free almost. I don't feel any more burdens or pressure. I just feel like… me."
"That's good." Danny said, pressing a long, lingering kiss to her forehead. "Because it's about time you felt free. He's had too much of a hold on you for too long."
Lindsay nodded contemplatively. "I'm a bird." She smirked.
"If you're a bird, I'm a bird." Danny finished.
"Can I be a bird too?" Lucy asked, trying to wiggle in between her parents.
"Did you wash your face?" Both Danny and Lindsay questioned in sync, earning a giggle from their little girl.
"Yes." She sighed as she finally made her way in between their makeshift cocoon they'd created. "So can I be a bird too?"
"Let's all be birds." Danny smiled as he picked Lucy up so she could be included in their hug. "Let's be free birds without a care in the world."
"Sounds good to me." Lindsay smiled. She exhaled and felt herself close the door on what had been the last twenty two years. Sure, she'd bring some things with her through the now closed door, like the memories of her friends and the strength she'd developed within herself. The bad memories; the nightmares that had kept her up at night and the burden that had been placed upon her shoulders… they'd be locked firmly behind the door.
Finally, and with the two most special, treasured people in her life, she'd be as free as a bird. And there was nothing that filled her with more joy than that.
She was free at last.
and there we have it, the final chapter in this little story. The first half of the chapter was actually going to be a stand alone story once upon a time, but when I heard that they were doing a Lindsay's going back to Montana story (which coincidentally I titled the document that housed this story) I thought it might be a good idea to keep a hold of it because it might come in handy, and come in handy it did. It was the perfect way to wrap this story up in a nice, neat little bow.
i really, sincerely hope you guys enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I know there's not many of you guys out there anymore. BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE STILL HERE WITH ME, LET'S STAND STRONG!
I'm going to go and tweak the next story I have for you guys. I'm questioning whether or not to post it as a big long one-shot or whether to make it a multi-chap. i'll discuss with fred and we will get back to you.
in the meantime, thank you for reading this story. I hugely appreciate you taking the time to read my dl ramblings. hahaha. if you have a spare minute, drop me a message and let me know what you thought. it would be, as ever, hugely welcomed and appreciated.
and that's it for now folks - until next time ;)