((A/N: All right all right. Sorry for the time between chapters –smirk- I had to take a couple of days off to finish the script I was writing – yes some of us do have to work occasionally! – But now I can get back to this for a while until I'm drawn away again. Glad to hear you like it and many thanks again for the awesome comments and reviews! You're all great!))
"Dadadadadadadadaaaaa…."
Danny scooped up Charley and smothered the squealing baby in hugs and kisses. Wet….sloppy ….noisy….kisses. All while RJ just rolled her eyes and shook her head as she fed Mackenzie in the rocking chair.
"Daddy's a nut ball, huh?" she said with a smirk down at the baby.
Mackenzie giggled and Fists of Flailing began.
"Ry!! She can say it! They're only 3 months old! The book said they don't talk till four at LEAST!" Danny said excitedly as he lay down on the floor of the loft, holding Charley up like an airplane over him as he looked backwards and up at his wife and their oldest.
"So they're faster," RJ said with a wink down at him and seeing Mackenzie was done, she shifted to baby up to her shoulder, a gentle patting on her back as she rocked in the chair. "But, sweetheart that might not be the best place to have her since she just ate."
Danny snorted softly and went back to "flying" Charley around. "She's fiiine. See? She's not even afraid."
And no. Charley wasn't even whimpering. She was in fact enjoying herself more than maybe she should have been. Still squealing and chirping down at her old man.
RJ snickered softly and shook her head. "Well they seem to take after their father more than either of us." And a small urp from Mackenzie.
"Definitely not their mother…" Danny mumbled as he brought Charley in for a "landing" and sat up, crossing his legs and holding her up so like she was standing.
RJ threw him a mock glare at him and sat Mackenzie on her lap to play a game of peek-a-boo. "Yeah well…hopefully they'll grow out of that, too."
Danny chuckled and bounced Charley gently onto her toes and suddenly a SQUEAL from Mackenzie. "Boo!"
Both Danny and RJ looked up at each other. Then down at the baby again.
"Peek-a-…."RJ said back to her and the baby shrieked and hands flailing as she squealed "BOO!" once more.
"This is not normal, Ryan." Danny said not sure if he should be worried or…..
RJ just smiled and hugged and kissed Mackenzie as she bounced her on her knee. "Just proves what I said before. They're both too smart. I have a feeling locking them in the underground shelter when they're 12 won't work, pops." She said with a wink down at him.
Danny sighed and looked at Charley. Head full of blonde curls everywhere. The biggest blue eyes he'd ever seen. She was the epitome of "angel". Hell, all she needed was a pair of wings and a halo.
RJ watched him for the longest time and finally she stood up and took Mackenzie to the crib and laid her down and went for Charley. "Nap time…" she said softly as she pulled the baby out of Danny's grip and headed to the other crib. Tucking the baby in, she turned and stretched and walked over to Danny and slid her arms around his neck from behind. A kiss to his ear. "C'mon, daddy. Let them get some rest and you can torture them later."
Danny nodded and stood up, wrapping an arm around her waist and they walked into the other room leaving the kids alone.
--
"Maybe have them tested?" Mac asked as he watched five month old Charley on Danny's lap as she worked at trying to figure out about how dad's cell phone worked.
Eventually she just tried to shove it in her mouth. Well ok…some things weren't different, Danny wrestled the phone out of the baby's fists and mouth, and didn't even wince at the drool that covered it and shoved it into the pocket of his jacket.
"I dunno, Mac. I mean…I've heard of things like that and then they wanna take the kids and 'study' them." A frown crossed the young CSI's face as he looked down at his daughter. "I'm not gonna let anyone take my girls."
Mac had to laugh quietly as he nodded. "It was just a suggestion, Danny. If they're doing everything months in advance…."
"Well, Charley's got her first tooth….Boo had hers almost 2 weeks ago."
Mac blinked. "Boo?"
Danny smirked and looked up at his boss. "Mackenzie. Ryan taught her peek-a-boo and that was the first thing she learned and she said it for days on end. So we nicknamed her Boo."
Mac had to laugh outright and shook his head. "I have to admit, Danny this whole married life – fatherhood thing has really worked out for you."
Danny grinned widely and was about to say something else when someone knocked on the door of Mac's office and both men looked up. A young man in his 20s and dressed in a suit with a manila folder in his hand walked in at Mac's bidding and a cordial smile to the men.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen." And he looked down at Danny and Charley. "Beautiful little girl."
Danny's whole demeanor changed and he shifted a bit to bring Charley more away from the young man and put himself between them. "Thanks." Was all the blonde CSI would offer.
"You detective Daniel Messer?" the young man said.
"Depends on who you are." Danny said.
A smile and then the young man reached into his folder and produced folded papers and handed them to Danny. "Consider yourself served, detective." The young man said and with a nod at Mac, he turned and left the office and nearly ran into the elevator.
Danny put Charley in her carrier and locked her in before turning to the papers. There was a moment before he nearly exploded, "What the hell—?? "
Mac blinked and looked at his CSI. "What is it?"
Danny growled softly. "Lindsay's parents are suing me in a civil suit over her death!"
Mac sighed and shook his head. "I was expecting it, really."
"But a year?? What are they insane?"
"Danny calm down…" Mac said noticing that Charley suddenly became whimpery and was pouting in that whole don't MAKE me cut loose a howl look.
"How the fuck can I calm down?" Danny said, standing up and pacing. "This is outrageous! She was the one who tried to kill US! She was threatening to shoot my s—" but he froze, stopping his rant for a moment as he trued not to remember. "She was the one who broke into our apartment!" And he threw the papers on Mac's desk, running hand through his hair. "Now they want 3 million dollars?!"
Mac took the papers from the irate detective and looked them over. They were legitimate, that was for sure. "Let me call a friend."
"Oh right…" Danny said, still pacing and still pissed. "Your attorney friend." A hint of sarcasm but Mac knew it wasn't directed at him.
"Why don't you go take the girls out or something and just get away for the day?" Mac said. "I'll call you tomorrow and we can work this out."
Danny sighed and nodded as he spotted Flack with Boo. "All right. But call me as soon as you hear." He said, and reached down to pick up Charley's carrier which seemed to calm her down a bit, and since daddy's tone had softened, the upcoming tantrum was pushed aside for now.
"Hey, Flack! What're you doin' to my kid?" Danny said in a mock accusatory tone.
Don snorted as he bounced the baby in his arms as she happily gnawed on the leather case for his shield. "Stealin' her."
Danny glowered at him and finally a nod. "Fine. Take 'er. But when she's screamin' in the middle of the night for her papa then I don't wanna hear you whinin' back to me with her." And he walked into his office, setting Charley's carrier on his desk as Flack followed him in.
Flack chuckled and shook his head. "Trust me, Messer. She wouldn't even know you're gone. But ya know something…" and he handed Boo back to Danny and reached down to free Charley from the carrier and pick her up. "Now this one…will be my lovely bride when she's older."
Danny snorted as he bounced Boo in his arms and tried to pry the badge away from the little girl. "When Hell hosts the winter Olympics, Flack."
"I figure…when you're what, princess…? Sixteen? Me and you…runnin' away from the old man and starting a new life in Canada?" And Charley shrieked and giggled and chirped. Don just looked at Danny and beamed.
Danny finally was able to get the badge away and handed it back to Flack. "Like I said…" he grumbled softly.
"Aww Danny, c'mon. Be realistic. Soon they're gonna start talking –"
"They are."
"Then they get teeth…."
"They got 'em."
"Then they start walking and running and playing and then they fall in love and get married and move away….can't be daddy's little girls forever," he said with an evil smirk and a look at Charley, nose to nose. "Isn't that right, kitten?"
And once more Charley cut loose with the squeals.
"Flack you're about this far from—"Danny started and RJ walked into the office.
"From what?" she asked.
"From dying." Flack said to her with a grin. "Apparently your husband isn't capable of coming to grips with the fact that babies grow up."
RJ just laughed as she took Charley, "Give uncle Don a kiss"-which she did - and locked her into the carrier again. "Daddy….already has a plan of locking them in some underground shelter somewhere in New York when they turn 12."
Don rolled his eyes and RJ snickered. "Yeah, "she said, "That's what I said too."
Danny growled again as he set Boo in her carrier and locked her in and picked them both up, keeping them away from the other detective. "C'mon, Ryan…let's go." And he turned and left his office and headed for the elevator.
Flack and RJ watched him and then looked at each other. "Did it suddenly get a bit too cold in here?" Flack asked her.
RJ frowned and shrugged, but a hug and kiss to his cheek, "Call me. Come by!" and she headed out after Danny. "Love? Is everything all right?" she asked as they got into the elevator.
After the doors closed, Danny leaned back against the back wall and sighed, closing his eyes. "No."
Not much more was offered and as they got into the SUV in the parking garage and Danny started the engine, he drove out and onto Broadway before heading back to the loft. RJ knew better than to bug him when he was driving – especially when the twins were in the car – so she kept quiet till they got back and once the girls were in the playpen for the afternoon, she turned to look at him and hands on hips, she pushed. Now was a good time to find out.
"Danny, what's wrong?"
Danny looked at her and shook his head. "Nothing.
"You don't treat your friends like you just did! Now what's wrong?"
Danny sighed softly and sat down on the couch. "The Monroes are suing me for Lindsay's death. Civil suit."
She sat down beside him, one hand gently scratching his back. "I'm sorry, darling…but don't worry about it. It was all her fault. You had no choice." Then a thought. "But why aren't they suing TJ? She shot her too."
Danny sighed and started to get antsy again. "Because they want me to pay because I didn't marry their daughter instead of you." A heavier sigh and his face dropped into his hands. "She's obviously told them a shitload of lies like she's been telling everyone else."
Well not everyone believes them." RJ just smiled a small smile and kissed his cheek, and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Danny, I'll be with you every moment. Don't worry. We'll fight it. I won't let her ghost haunt you any more."
Danny looked at her for a moment and sat back on the couch, wrapping an arm around her and holding her close as he watched the twins in the playpen. They were ahead of most kids their ages and already they could do the little baby pushup thing and look around and they were just too goddamn cute. He couldn't help but smile at them and rested his cheek against the top of her head. "Even from the grave she's trying to destroy us."
"Try…is the keyword, D." RJ said, sliding her arms around his waist. "Like I said…don't worry. I'm here."
Danny closed his eyes for a moment. "I love you, Ryan. I know I don't tell you enough."
RJ didn't argue. In fact she didn't say anything. When he got like this she knew just to let him rant. But now it was getting personal. And she would do what she had to to stop the attack on her husband.
.