A/N: Okay I know I'm a horrible person for putting this story on hold for so long but it has been very hard to draw inspriation from nothing. So with the warm thoughts of the next few episodes here is chapter nine of Once in a Lifetime. Like always I own nothing but the DVDs and the tapes that contain this season. Question: Am I the only one on the planet that swears up and down the Danny says "Love you" to Lindsay after the smoke bomb incident? I hear "Love you" my sister who I have converted to a CSI: NY fan swears she hears "Thank God" but when we put the tape on caption it claims the line is "You're fine." Please someone put me out of my misery and tell me what the hell it is that he's saying!


Chapter Nine: Children of a Lesser God

It's three am. The inside of the apartment was silent. The only sounds that could be heard was the whirring of the fridge and the traffic in the city that never sleeps. The interior of the apartment had changes dramatically in the last three weeks. A swing sat in the corner by the couch, a playpen now resided where the treadmill used to be. A coo comes from the back corner bedroom. It's soft and gentle, strange for a home of a loud mouthed New Yorker. Lying on her back staring up at the mobile her Uncle Mac bought for her is Lauren Renee Messer. A tiny miracle arriving much sooner than anyone would have wanted.

Due in January she came on September 24th at seven fifteen pm. Danny was at the lab, Lindsay at home resting. Her doctor had put her on bedrest after a series of elevated blood pressure readings. Due to the fact that this was her first pregnancy and that Danny didn't want anything to happen to either baby or Lindsay he insisted on her staying home. Lindsay hated being stuck at home all day long. Some good things came out of it though. She and Danny's mother and grandmother came over everyday for lunch, cribbage, canasta and crochet. By the time summer was over Lindsay had three blankets, eleven pairs of booties and twenty hats made for the baby. She even made Danny a scarf for the winter. Even her friends from the lab stopped by every now and then. Stella called every Friday to give her the gossip for the week.

The day Lauren was born started like any other day. They got up, got dressed, had breakfast and started their days. Lindsay's began with the Early Show, then The View and her morning ended with the Price is Right. Somewhere between the first Showcase Showdown and the fifth prize game Lindsay had seven contractions. She knew it was too early for the baby to be coming but she called for a bus.

Back at the lab Stella was listening to the dispatch radio when Lindsay's call came through. She took down the information and paged Danny 911. Instead of waiting for him to answer his page she scoured the halls of the lab looking for the man. She found him in the ballistics lab with Mac. She waved frantically at them. Mac looked at her with a puzzled look on his face and then noticed that she was trying to get Danny's attention. She finally wrote something down in large letters and held it up.

Danny's eyes went wide and he was out of the lab and into the garage before Mac even knew what was happening. Danny broke so many traffic laws but he didn't care. Lindsay and the baby were in trouble. He barely listened to the nurse as she explained what was going on, all he wanted to do was see his wife. He had this feeling that something was wrong.

Lindsay was lying alone in the room looking very pale. He went to her side and held her hand. Kissing it softly, raising it to his face. Only once in his life had he seen her this helpless this alone and that was after she had fallen and lost her memory. He called to her softly, coaxing her awake.

"Lindsay? Baby girl wake up," he said softly. "Please pretty girl come on."

"Danny she came early," Lindsay whispered. "I barely got to see her before they took her to the NICU."

He had missed it. He had missed seeing his precious baby be brought into the world. What cosmic being had he pissed off to miss the birth of his own child? He held Lindsay's hand, trying to keep from crying. She had gone through it alone and he felt horrible. He would make up for it somehow. He didn't know how but he would make this right.

A doctor stood in the door frame. He cleared his throat to get the Messer's attention. Danny looked over at the man and adjusted in his seat.

"Mrs. Messer how are you feeling?" he asked.

"When can we see our daughter?" Lindsay asked. "They didn't even let me hold her before they took her away."

"Mr. and Mrs. Messer, your daughter is very premature. She is in an incubator and on oxygen to help her breathe," the doctor explained. "It will be a long process before you will be able to take her home with you."

"Who are you?" Danny asked, finding his voice.

"I'm sorry. My name is Dr. Rachel Greene. I am the chief of the Neo-Natal Intensive care unit," Dr. Greene explained. "I am personally overseeing the care of your daughter. She is in very capable hands I promise you."

"When can we see her?" Danny asked.

"If Mrs. Messer is up to it we'll get you gowned up and you can go in and see her," Dr. Greene said.

"Yes I'm ready," Lindsay said pulling the covers back.

Danny helped her out of the bed and into a wheelchair. They then followed Dr. Greene to the NICU. Dr. Greene was explaining that each infant in the NICU had their own team of nurses that care for them round the clock. Dr. Greene waved in the three women in charge of the Messer baby.

"Tammy, Natalie, Kendra this is Mr. and Mrs. Messer," Dr. Greene introduced.

Danny shook hands with each of the nurses. To him they all looked very young, but Dr. Greene insisted that these three and the other six nurses were the best he had ever had.

"Have you decided on a name for your daughter?" Natalie asked. "we like to know they're names so when we care for them they're not just baby girl Messer."

"Lauren Renee Messer," they said together.

Natalie noted it on the chart and went back to the hard plastic case Lauren was under. Tammy pushed Lindsay closer to the incubator so Lindsay could reach in and hold her daughter's hand. Danny, overcome with the emotions of missing his daughter's birth and seeing her so helpless stood frozen in place. He couldn't think, could barely breathe. There was nothing he could do to help his little girl.

Lauren fluttered her eyes open and Lindsay noticed something instantly. Lauren had one sapphire blue eye and one chocolate brown eye. She had been given the gift of both of her parent's eye colors.

"Danny come look," Lindsay whispered. "She has our eyes."

Danny stood next to Lindsay placing a loving hand on her shoulder. He looked, really looked at his baby girl. She had a soft reddish brown fuzz growing on the top of her head. Her hands the size of quarters. So small so helpless, but oh so very beautiful. Danny was in love. Love at first sight of his precious baby girl.

Later that night Danny and Lindsay sat in her hospital room trying to calm down from the stress of the day. Danny had 145 missed calls on his cell phone. Mac had called 50 times, Stella 45, Flack and Hawkes tied for 25, Adam, Sid and Peyton rounded out the last twenty five calls. He had yet to return any of their calls just changing his outgoing message.

"Hey you've reached Danny. Lauren Renee Messer was born at 11:45 am by emergancy C-Section and is in crtical but stable condition at Trinity NICU. Please feel free to leave a message and Lindsay and I will get back to you as soon as we can," was what everyone who called Danny's cell phone got that first day. Olivia and Gino arrived at the hospital shortly after Danny had. They were happy that Lindsay was fine but they called their priest to have a vigil set up in Lauren's honor. God would have to fight Olivia Messer hand to to hand to take that baby to heaven with him.

Lauren was in the NICU until Christmas. Lindsay hadn't returned to work but spent every day at the hospital with Lauren. Danny's lunches were spent with his girls. He would drop Lindsay off in the morning come back to the hospital every day at noon and spend the evenings with her. Lindsay had read every Jane Austen novel to Lauren during that time, the entire Lord of the Rings series and they had just started on the Redwall series.

It was a joyful day when the Messer's finally got to bring baby Lauren home. Stella and Flack discovered what day they were coming home and planned a surprise party. Stella was in charge of the invitations, Flack was in charge of keeping it a secret, Hawkes and Adam got in touch with the Messer's to get food and Mac, Peyton, Sid and Marty just arrived bearing gifts. It was already known around the lab that Mac and Stella were Lauren's godparents. The teddy bear that Mac had bought for her when she was three days old was about a foot and a half longer than she was. Now Lauren and the bear were exactly the same size.

"Now you have all of our numbers in case you need anything at all Lindsay," Natalie said as she placed Lauren in Lindsay's arms for the last time. "Day or night one of us will be there for you."

"Thank you all so much for everything," Lindsay said, placing Lauren in her car seat. Once Lauren was locked in securely Lindsays hugged each of Lauren's nurses. "You were all so wonderful."

Danny came around the corner carrying his good camera from the lab. He gathered everyone around the car seat and shot several pictures. Then he traded places with Lindsay and she took several with Danny with the nurses. Then they gathered up all the things that Lauren had accumulated during her stay in the hospital. Pictures of her aunts and uncles, her grandparents, Danny's at least; teddy bears, balloons, flowers, cards, you name it Lauren recieved it. But the most precious gift Lauren had been was a letter from her grandfather, Sam Monroe.

My darling granddaughter Lauren Renee Messer,

As I write this letter to you I am staring at a baby picture of your mother. She had the softest curliest red hair I had ever seen. She had big beautiful brown eyes that could melt your heart. She was the sweetest baby in the world. I never imagined she would grow to be the amazing woman that she is today.

Both of your parents love you dearly and will do anything for you. They are your rock, you warm place to go home to when the darkness creeps up on you. There is nothing you can do that will make them think less of you or love you less. You are a precious gift from God. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.

I will enjoy greatly getting to be a part of your life as you grow up. I hope to be as good a presence in your life as the other zany aunts and uncles you have. I love you Lauren Renee Messer. Welcome to the world.

Your loving grandfather, Sam

Danny, Lindsay and Lauren returned home only to be greeted by a resounding "SURPRISE!" Everyone from the lab had arrived and had come bearing more gifts than needed. Lauren was held by all her aunts and uncles Danny and Lindsay were just relieved to just be at home with their daughter. They mingled with their friends and family and soon they were all alone with their daughter.

Lindsay was resting in the rocking chair Uncle Rico had made for her. Lauren was sound asleep in her arms. Like all the other moments in her life since Danny she was truly happy. Danny finished putting away the last of the leftover food and came over to his girls. His girls. He loved the way it sounded when someone asked asked about Lauren and Lindsay. He liked the thought of getting to come home to them. He was so in love with both of them not a soul could pry him away.

Life became routine for the new and improved Messer clan. They took turns going to Lauren at night, feeding her, changing her, singing to her. Lindsay was still on leave and Danny would go off to the lab and call every hour to catch up. Some days Lindsay would bring Lauren by the lab on her way to Staten Island to visit Olivia and Gino. All work would stop as Stella and the others would gush over the baby. It was in those times when Lindsay would notice that Lauren didn't respond to anyone when they spoke to her.

That afternoon Lindsay tried several experiments to see if Lauren would respond. She tried calling her name, banging around in the kitchen, sneaking up on her. Nothing. Not a cry, nothing. Lauren looked at Lindsay as though she were playing a game. Lindsay was on the phone with Danny in an instant.

"Not a sound Danny. She just looks at me like I'm crazy," Lindsay cried. "I'm scared Danny."

"I'm coming," was all he said. He made his excuses to Mac and got home as fast as he could. He could hear the stereo blasting outside the door before he even opened it. He came into the apartment and turned down the music. He saw Lindsay holding Lauren close to her crying.

"She can't hear me Danny," Lindsay was crying. "She can't hear me. I've tried everything. She's deaf. I know it."

"It'll be all right baby," Danny said, not sure of his own emotions. "We'll take her to the doctor tomorrow."

That night Danny lay awake, unable to sleep, unable to turn his mind off. So many things were running through his mind. His beautiful miracle, his precious gift, his daughter is unable to hear him. It was heartbreaking for him. Aside from himself he was hurting for Lindsay. He loved her so much and wanted to give her everything she could ever want.

The next Danny, Lindsay and Lauren sat in the pediatric audiologist's office waiting on the results from Lauren's hearing test. The test had been hard for Danny to watch. Lindsay sat in a booth holding Lauren while he watched from behind the soundproof glass window. The audiologist played several sounds and watched for reactions from Lauren. Even Danny could see that she wasn't responding.

Lauren was getting restless as any four moth old baby would. Lindsay set her on the floor and leaned into Danny. She was so afraid of what the tests would say. Danny wrapped a loving arm around Lindsay holding her close. Her left hand was intertwined with his, their matching solid gold wedding bands, resting next to each other.

"Mr. and Mrs. Messer?" the nurse called. "Dr. Davis is ready for you now."

Danny picked up Lauren and took Lindsay's hand as the three of them walked back to a plush office. Photographs of families lined the office walls. Degrees and accalades shone. The Messer's took a seat in front of the doctor's desk.

"Mr. and Mrs. Messer," Dr. Gregory Davis began. "I wish I had better news for you. Your daughter Lauren is deaf."