alright alright, enough waiting already.
honestly, was this exactly how i pictured it ? no. but hey, we all can't be perfect. it had to be done this way. it was the only way.
and youre all going to throw m&m's by the barrel at me, but like ive said before, DONT WORRY.
it's all okay in the end, i promise ! :)
just give it time to pan out.
now, sit back, relax, and try to enjoy the next chapter.
enjoy (:
--mtc.
"Hey, could you possibly pick Bailey up again today?"
This was the ninth call he'd gotten within the past two weeks.
Not that he was at all complaining.
Spending time with Bailey was often the highlight of his week. After a long day of processing evidence in the lab, it was nice to come home to an apartment filled with her cheerful chatter and playfulness. She was exceptionally intelligent for a child of her age, and she quite often impressed him with her witty remarks and such. He often wondered why Mac hadn't yet hired her in the lab. She could probably do a much better job than the currently hired technicians in his eyes. But then again, that was the soft spot in him talking. He had grown quite attached to the little girl, and although he tried his hardest not to impose on her family life, he couldn't help it. He loved her as much as he loved her mother. Now that he was in this far, there was no way to break the spell.
And he wasn't upset by that thought whatsoever.
He would lay in bed at nights thinking of the three as a family, their own little unit living happy and carefree, without a worry in the world. His little fantasies, however, would always be interrupted with thoughts of Cameron. The pure sight of the man sent a bout of rage through his system, almost as if fire would flood from his mouth if he dare opened it to the man. Although he never actually witnessed anything between Cameron and Bailey since that night, he would often imagine what went on behind the scenes, when he was out of frame. Was she a different person when Danny wasn't around? Did she and her father have a deeper bond than the two of them had quickly formed?
What kind of question was that? Of course she was closer with her father. He shook his worries from his head, fearing he would fret over them for more time than it was worth.
Regardless, the thought struck a chord in him, made him want to cry a little, yell a little, run around and throw a tantrum like a three year old. But he knew he was bigger than that, and he had to accept the relationship he now had with Bailey and her mother for what it was. He had to appreciate the second chance he had been granted and live with it, for her knew that things could be much worse than this.
So for now, he was quite content with the nights he was privileged to spend with Bailey, much like this night.
He already had their entire night planned out: they would stop off for pizza at Ray's--Bailey's new favorite place, thanks to Danny--and then he would take her to the movies. All she had been talking about for the past weeks had been some kid flick that she was dying to see, and he figured that since it was Friday, she could have an extended bed time. Checking with Lindsay first of course, he decided that this surprise would be his best yet, and Lindsay had made it even better when she had agreed to meet them there after her shift. He was counting down the minutes until his shift would end.
Typical days where his babysitting services were needed, it was usually because both Lindsay and Cameron were working. Or so he assumed, anyway. They were after all partners, and he presumed that when one was needed, the other was as well. This was why he was needed in his eyes; both parents were unavailable and his assistance was necessary. Today, however, there was a flaw in his carefully calculated reasoning, and he simply wouldn't have it.
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As the end of his shift began nearing, Danny was simply growing restless. Staring up at the clock every five seconds wasn't helping his lack of focus, not to mention the fact that he would forget what exactly he was looking for under his microscope and have to restart his analysis every time he looked down. After much contemplation, he decided to call it a day. Placing the evidence carefully back into its bag, he headed towards the locker room, passing the break room on the way. He peeked in, knowing that Lindsay was currently out on a case, but wishing with a small sliver of hope that she was running late and he would catch a tiny glimpse of her before he would see her again later that evening. What he saw instead made him fume.
Cameron Burke. Not out on the case with Lindsay at all, but instead joking with a few of the newer lab techs. The three men were seated around one of the tables, a deck of cards scattered about, and laughter being tossed around the group.
And Danny was the one going out to take care of his child?
Oh no.
This was not going to fly.
No question about it, he loved spending time with Bailey. But when her father was sitting here screwing around like a high school student while she was left unattended, Danny grew concerned.
Taking a quick detour, Danny rerouted into the break room, storming up to the table angrily before saying sharply, "Hey Cam, would you like to explain to me what you're doin'?"
"Umm what does it look like I'm doing Messer? Me and the guys are taking a quick break. Care to join us?"
"No, I would not 'care to join you'. What I would care to do is hear your explanation for why I'm going to pick up your kid while you 'take a break'." By this point, he was completely red in the face, and close enough to Cameron that if he so much as breathed too loudly, Cameron would feel the repercussions.
"What are you talking about Messer?"
That was it. If Danny hadn't already been thrown over the edge, this here had done it. Cameron wasn't going to hear the end of this one, and Danny would make sure Lindsay was made aware of their current situation.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me, right? You're so wrapped up with impressing your stupid friends that you won't even bother to check your calendar and find out what your own daughter has been up to? I've been taking care of her Burke. For the past two weeks, I pick her up, I feed her, I entertain her, and when Lindsay's too tired after work, I tuck her in at night, all while you're probably out at the bar throwin' back shots with Troy and Chris here," he said, shooting icy stares at Cameron as well as the lab techs on either side of him. "What a fucking responsible man you are Cameron. You know, you should be awarded parent of the year. Hell, I'd nominate you."
"Danny, what the hell are you talking about? Bailey's not--"
"Shut it man, just stop talking. I don't wanna hear it anymore. It's like you don't even know your own kid. Do you know what her favorite color is? How about her favorite comic book character, or what she hates to have for dinner? Huh? Do you even know who she is? But you know what, enough of this. I've got more important things to do right now, like picking up your daughter from her gymnastics class and takin' her out to dinner. Have a nice Friday you bastard."
He stormed out the door, clearly not noting the confused stares that were being passed around the circle of people in the break room. But he didn't care what they were thinking or what they were feeling. That was the last of his worries. The only thought going through his head was that his first priority now was to get to Bailey as fast as he could and treat her better than she was currently being treated by her father. It didn't just make him angry, it made him sick to see that Cameron had better things to do than spend time with his own child. He couldn't wrap his mind around any clear reason as to why someone would pass up an opportunity to spend time with the little girl. In his eyes, she was perfect in every way, an angel here on earth just like her mother. Why Cameron was being the arrogant prick that he was, was still an unsolved mystery in Danny's mind, but he tried to push his worries to the back of his mind as he pulled up to they gym. He was about ten minutes early, but he liked arriving before the class was over. It gave him a chance to see Bailey all riled up; it made him happy to see her having fun.
He entered the gym, trying to wipe the scowl of anger off his face, waving at the mothers he had come to know over the past couple of weeks picking Bailey up. He took his usual seat on the bench located nearest the center of the gym so he could see everything, picking up Bailey's pink gym bag as he passed it by and setting it down next to him. She saw him instantly, almost like she was being drawn to his presence, and flashed him a huge grin followed by a wave, resisting the temptation to run over and hug him. She knew she had to finish her class before she could attack Danny, Christie had made that clear on their second visit. So she was satisfied with the wave until class was over, and it already made Danny's day one hundred times better than it had been previously. As hard as he tried, he couldn't see any of her shady father in that beautiful little face of hers. She was all her mother, he knew that, and he wasn't about to complain. He sat and patiently waited for the class to be finished, chatting with the other parents as the clock ticked on.
It was nearing the end, and this particular day, he heard Christie say that they would be ending by swinging on the rings, something all of the children loved doing. One by one, with the help of the spotters, they were hoisted up, and they each did as they wished, some of the more daring kids attempting flips, others simply hanging for a few seconds and then jumping off, landing with a smile. His gaze never broke from Bailey's; they were communicating with their eyes, sharing a silent conversation. She stuck her tongue out at him and he made faces back, the both of them sharing a laugh as she neared the front of the line.
In the middle of this, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and didn't hesitate to answer when he read Call from Lindsay on the screen, not once taking his eyes off of the little girl in front of him.
"Hey Linds, what's up?"
"Hey Danny, you guys leave yet?"
"No, she's almost done here though. Then we'll be off for our little fun filled evening," he said smiling.
"Sounds good," Lindsay replied, noting the not so subtle hint of joy in his words. She knew he had been looking forward to this all day, and she was as well. She would be spending time with her two favorite people, what more could she ask for?
"Well tell Bailey I love her and give her a kiss for me. I'll meet up with you guys at the movie."
"Sounds good Montana," he replied as he watched Bailey being hoisted up onto the rings. She was so tiny, it was a miracle she could hold herself up.
"I've gotta get back to this processing, it's been a bitch all day," Lindsay laughed.
But Danny didn't hear any of the words she had uttered. He was watching Bailey. He had known that she loved taking risks, and gymnastics was no exception. But this time was different, this time, there was a danger involved. As she began to swing herself, he realized what she was going to do.
It was like it was all happening in slow motion. He watched as she flung herself around the metal rings, trying to turn her body over like she had seen some of the more experienced students do. Her head was now facing the ground as she began to fall; she was clearly not going to be able to twist herself upright again. His phone clattered to the ground as rushed as fast as he could to try and catch her, the spotters obviously not noting what was going on.
"Bailey!" he yelled, stretching his arms out the their capacity, until they felt as though they would rip off, and at the last second flinging his body forward, diving at her small figure.
He wasn't quick enough.
Her head conked into the floor, hard.
He heard a crack, but didn't have the attention span to flinch, for he was already by her side, scooping her unconscious body up in his arms.
"No. No, no, no. No. Bailey, Bailey sweetie, can you hear me? Somebody call an ambulance!"
He was in full out panic mode. If he hadn't known that moving her could cause a more fatal injury, he would have picked her up and carried her to his car, driving her to the hospital herself.
In the mean time, Lindsay was still on the other line of the call, hearing everything happen as though she were there, worried sick out of her mind.
Had she, in fact, heard the words "ambulance" and "Bailey" used in the same sentence?
No. It couldn't be. There had to be some mistake.
Her baby girl was okay, she was always okay. Danny would take care of her. She was sure of it.
Danny, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to the surrounding factors. He was completely focused on Bailey. As he stared down at her pale face, she seemed almost like she was sleeping. Although this wasn't the case, he imagined that it was to keep himself from hyperventilating. He didn't notice as all of the panicked children were retained, as one of the mothers dialed 911 while Christie had retrieved Danny's phone and, through tears, explained to a distressed Lindsay what had happened. All of his concentration was fixed on Bailey. He stared at her angelic face, whispering over and over again, "It's gonna be alright sweetheart, everything's gonna be alright." He knew that half of the words said were simply being said to reassure himself, but truth be told, he was scared to death. He couldn't lose this little girl. But the more he held her lifeless body in his arms, the more that seemed to be a possibility seemed real to him.
The paramedics arrived within minutes, but he was hesitant to giver her up. He knew she needed help, but his "Monroe girl instincts" had suddenly kicked in and he had become very protective of his territory. No one could protect his girls better than he could, but this thought had failed him time and time again. As he fought back tears he began to think of himself as less of a protector and more of a failure. He had failed Lindsay, he had failed his family, and now he had failed Bailey.
His thoughts were shaken by the voices of the paramedics.
"Sir, we need to take her now."
"Just, just be careful with her, okay? She's little." His voice was incredibly small as he hesitantly allowed the paramedics to take the little girl's lifeless body and load her onto a backboard, padding her head and neck carefully and strapping her in.
"Don't worry sir, she's in good hands now."
No matter what they said, he wasn't taking their word for it. He followed them out the doors to the ambulance, never leaving the side of the stretcher, his eyes on Bailey the entire way. He held her tiny hand as the EMTs hooked her up to all sorts of machines that he was only vaguely familiar with. Sure he had seen people in the hospital before, but never in this situation. Words like "Cat Scan" and "MRI" sent his body shuddering. To say he was freaking out would be an understatement; he was completely fearful to say the least.
They arrived at the hospital, doctors of all sorts rushing to the aid of the little girl, vitals being thrown around, descriptions of the wound and procedures that would have to be carried out to further treat the child. It was making Danny's head spin. He had heard all these words before, being in a field that often required visiting a victim at the hospital, but now that he was close to said victim it hit him hard. She might need surgery. She might be in a coma for an extended period of time. It could be days before she regained consciousness. What the hell was going on?
Just a half hour ago she had been playing around the gym with her friends, so happy and carefree. Now, she was lying helplessly in a hospital bed being poked and prodded by strange doctors, some of which were asking Danny information about her that he didn't quite know the answers to.
What was her birthdate? Was she allergic to anything? Any previous surgeries?
How was he supposed to know any of this?
Lindsay was bounding down the hallway towards him before he could figure out the answer to his own question.
Tears streaming down her face, she hadn't even made it to him before she cried out panicked, "Where is my baby girl?!"
She ran towards him into the room, needing to see her baby girl. As she witnessed what exactly was going on, she stood there speechless at first. It was all too much for her. Her baby, her precious child, was lying there helpless, and there was nothing she could do about it. Just that morning she had kissed her goodbye as she skipped off into her preschool room, her pigtails bouncing high on her head as she joined her friends. And now, this. Lindsay collapsed on the floor, not knowing what else to do. After a couple seconds, the doctors started for her, planning to attempt a comforting speech.
But Danny beat them to it. He ran behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as they sobbed together. He helped her gather the strength to pick herself up, and she reached her hand out to stroke the little girl's face as the doctors prepped her for tests.
"How could this happen to my little girl?" she whispered through ragged breaths.
The doctors just smiled sadly as they told Lindsay that they needed optimum working space, that she would need to back up so they could treat Bailey. She and Danny stood outside the room, both staring through the window as they stuck needles into the little girl, drew blood, and prepped her for her tests. Every time skin was broken on her little girl's body, it made Lindsay flinch back. How could this be happening?
A nurse eventually approached Lindsay and asked her to fill out paperwork regarding Bailey's health status and such. Full name: Bailey Louise Monroe; date of birth: February 11, 2006; mother's name: Lindsay Monroe; father's name:…
Coming to this blank, she angled the clipboard so Danny, who was currently looking over shoulder, was unable to read the rest of her information. She entered all of her insurance protocol and such, and they continued staring into the window until the doctors waved them in.
Without a moments hesitation, the two entered the room in a flash, wanting answers and wanting them now.
"What's wrong with my daughter?"
"Ms. Monroe, your daughter suffered a traumatic blow to her frontal lobe, causing hemorrhaging in her cranium. We are going to have to perform surgery to stop the bleeding and to drain the excessive amounts of blood that is building up between her frontal lobe and skull. Of course, we'll need your consent--"
"Of course, whatever you have to do." She was attempting to stay calm on the outside for the doctors, but she was dying on the inside. She was trying to keep her guard up for Danny and Bailey as well. She couldn't bare to have them see her like this; she needed to be strong for the three of them, and if that meant showing no emotion, then hell, she'd do whatever it took.
They got a few minutes alone with Bailey before would be taken back for her operation. The doctors assured the two that the surgery was performed almost routinely, and that they had nothing to worry about. But there was still that nagging in the back of both of their minds that something would go wrong.
As the doctors exited the room to give them their privacy, Danny began to follow, figuring he would give Lindsay alone time with her daughter before she was taken back. But as he turned to exit, she grasped onto his hand with a grip that told him he wasn't going anywhere. Their gazes locked and he stared into her frightened eyes, realizing that he couldn't leave her alone. She would certainly break down. She needed him, and he needed her. He wouldn't leave her. They stood there, whispering sweet things to little girl, Lindsay softly rubbing her hand up and down the little girls cheek while Danny rubbed his thumb across her tiny hand.
"She looks so precious," Lindsay whispered, not once removing her gaze from her daughter. All Danny could do in response was nod.
All too soon, a doctor was present in the room, letting them know that it was time. As the team of doctors and nurses wheeled her out, Lindsay bent down and placed a kiss on her forehead, whispering into her ear, "It's gonna be okay baby, I promise. I love you."
Danny followed suit, kissing her sweetly on the forehead and telling the sleeping child, "You'll be okay kiddo. You're tough."
She was taken away, Lindsay and Danny following until she was taken behind the double doors into the surgical wing. There was nothing more they could do now but wait.
They both sagged into the chairs in the waiting area, crumbing into each other and sobbing silently, their hands still clutched together. Neither one of them knew what to say, so instead they simply cried.
People from the lab stopped by to check up on them, offering them coffee and such, but they politely got rid of everyone who came through the hospital doors. They didn't need distractions, they needed Bailey healthy, and right now she was in that operating room fighting for her life.
As it got later into the night, they hadn't moved from the position they had started in. They had sat down on a bench without a bar to separate the seats, Lindsay almost in Danny's lap, their hands clutched together with Lindsay's head on Danny's shoulder. He was stroking her hand with his thumb, gently, hoping it would soothe her at least a little, but knowing that ultimately, the only thing that would soothe her would be new of Bailey's surgery being a success and being over with. They sat there in silence for quite some time when another visitor arrived.
Cameron.
Danny couldn't hold himself back. He had to call him out on this one, he couldn't restrain himself. He approached the man with all of the rage in his body.
"You finally fucking showed up, huh?!"
"Danny, I came as soon as I heard--"
"Don't give me that shit! Your daughter, that beautiful girl in there, is fighting for her life, and you have the goddamn nerve to NOT show up to the hospital?! I ought to put you in one of those beds next to her!"
"Danny!" Lindsay was now standing behind him, her hand grabbing onto his forearm, pulling him back.
"Messer, I've tried to explain this to you time and time again. I love Bailey like she was my own but--"
"Cam, please, I've got this." This was not the way Lindsay had imagined this happening, but it needed to be done. She had to tell him the truth, once and for all.
"Danny, can we talk alone please?" she said, her voice barely audible.
"Sure Linds," was all he could utter.
The walked down the halls, hands still tightly entwined, until they reached a dark, empty corridor. They found an abandoned bed in the corner and took a seat, now facing each other.
"Danny, about Cameron--"
"Linds, if this is about this bastard, I should have just killed him right then and there--"
"Danny. Please. You're not listening. Just let me finish."
"Okay." He was somewhat shocked by her assertiveness, but by the look in her eyes he could tell she needed to say something.
Where did she begin? She couldn't just come right out and say it. She had to backtrack. It was the only way.
"Do you remember the night you came back to my apartment for the first time?" She waited for his nod of approval and continued on. "You saw Cameron and Bailey sitting at the table, having a fun night like a typical family. And then I told you that Cameron was a better man than you'll ever be." Rehearing these words pained him; he knew she didn't mean them but they were still like a dagger to his chest. "You assumed I was seeing Cameron and that he was Bailey's father, didn't you?"
This sentence had his mind wandering all over the place. What did she mean assumed? Just seeing Cameron, nothing else? Was this man not the child's father? So many questions, and she wasn't answering them quick enough.
"Lindsay, what are you getting at here?"
"Danny, four years ago, the night before you left, something happened…" She trailed off as she remembered back to that night, as he did as well.
"Lindsay, Lindsay look at me," he said softly, placing his finger under her chin to gently lift her gaze towards his own. "Just say it. It's obviously eating at you, just tell me what you need to tell me. It's okay."
With an apologetic look on her face, like a dog that had just been chastised for tearing up its owners' shoes, she made eye contact with him once again. He knew exactly what she was going to say before she had even uttered the words.
"Danny, Bailey's not Cameron's daughter. She's…she's yours."
His mouth dropped through floor as the tears began uncontrollably flooding from his eyes.
He had a daughter.
He had a daughter that he hadn't known for the past four years of her life.
And now, she was lying helplessly on an operating table, fighting for her life.
And he couldn't do anything about it.
He collapsed into the wall behind him, letting the tears fall out as Lindsay's small figure collapsed into his chest. He instinctively pulled her closer, and the two sat there in silence as the time passed on. They knew something would have to be said about the confession eventually, but for now, neither knew what to say.
They sat there in the protection of each other's embrace, wishing all of their worries would just go away.
ps:: a HUGE shoutout to all my regular reviewers. you guys totally make my day :)
iamjude (you rock chica !), laurzz, pretty7, afrozenheart12, Petite Poppy, royan1985, jmc715, Kellyclarksonfan4life, Grace5, cyn23
i love you all ! (: