A/n thanks again to all who have reviewed and followed this story. Here is the last chapter.

Disclaimer: No profit is made from this posting. No copyright infringement is intended.

Love me tender, love me dear, tell me you are mine.
I'll be yours through all the years till the end of time.
Love me tender, love me true, all my dreams fulfill.
For, my darlin', I love you and I always will.

Love me tender

Elvis Presley

Danny pulled his shoes off and dropped them on the floor next to the bed. His shirt came next, he tossed it at the hamper and it fell just short of its goal. He was too tired to get up and put it away properly. He took his belt off and unbuttoned the top button of his jeans. Lying back on the cool comforter, his head on one pillow was like a tiny bit of heaven.

He watched the sun turn the sky to pink and then gold. Lindsay had finished feeding Louie, and now she was in the shower. She had refused to let him help her with the baby. He didn't blame her. She didn't believe he could handle taking care of Louie, and it hurt his heart to admit that she was true. He'd never tried before the kidnapping. Now that was over, would he slip back into his old ways of letting her do everything?

The door opened to the bedroom interrupting his thoughts. Lindsay was wrapped in a large fluffy white towel, her hair damp and curly, with wispy tendrils lying on her cheeks. Her eyes held shadows that hadn't been there before, not even when she was dealing with the killer of her friends. Would anything be the same again?

She sat down on the unoccupied side of the bed, half turned to him. Her eyes stayed on the flower pattern of the comforter. Her bandaged hands twisted anxiously, and her face pristine on one side, and black and blue on the other, was as sad as he had ever seen.

"Lindsay, I…"

She faced him and he saw the tears rolling slowly down both sides of her face. He sat up and pulled her to him. She cried for so long and so hard that he thought she might be sick.

"Montana, everything is going to be okay. Shh… baby, don't cry!" He whispered to her words of comfort and love. She finally quit shaking and the tears stopped. He let go of her and searched her tear ravaged face. She wouldn't look at him, so he tilted her head up to find her deep brown eyes.

"Lindsay, talk to me. Tell me what I can do to help!"

Her face worked and she seemed about to cry again, then her shoulders slumped and she fell against him, burrowing into his chest.

"I'm scared." She whispered into his chest.

"He's dead Lindsay, he can't hurt us anymore."

Her head whipped up and he saw the terror and the guilt he somehow missed before. "I know he's dead, but what if someone else tries to hurt us. It's my fault." She pushed away from him and leaped off the bed. He watched her retreat to a corner of the room and stand there with her arms crossed over her chest.

"This is not your fault. It's mine." He said simply and watched her eyes snap open wide.

"Why did you say that? You couldn't have known he would come after you." She pointed out, taking two steps away from the corner.

"I should've had Mac check the phone records sooner. Instead I waved off the calls you got as a crank. I should've been a real man and protected you."

"Danny Messer… stop talking like that, you couldn't have known."

She came back to the bed and climbed onto it. He stood and backed away from her retreating as she had done.

"I never wanted to be a father. I wanted to have you all to myself, and when Louie came it was easier to let you take care of him. I'm being punished for not wanting him. I love you Lindsay. God punished me for wanting my old life back. I love Louie so much and I…"

Lindsay jumped off the bed and approached Danny at fast clip. She grabbed his face in both hands and spoke in a harsh, choppy voice.

"You listen to me Messer, this wasn't your fault. I know you love your son. You would do anything for him. God isn't punishing you for wishing for your old life with me."

She released his face and went back to the bad and sat down. She looked at her hands for a very long time and them she found his eyes again. "It's my fault. I didn't want Louie to mess things up for us . I've thought everyday since he was born, that I couldn't be a mother, that I didn't know how. There are days when I don't want to try. I just want it to be the two of us. Then I look at him and he reminds me so much of you, that I can't imagine life without him. God punished me because of my thoughts; he nearly took both of you away."

Danny strode to her side and pulled her into his arms. "You are not responsible. The same thing you said to me goes for you too. We love our baby and neither of us is at fault."

"I love you Danny."

She kissed him slow a deep, releasing his mouth only when oxygen depravation became a real issue for them both.

"Montana…"

"Shh… make love to me Danny. I need you. Please!"

The new morning began as the old one had. This time it was slow, and sweet, and gentle. He moved over her like the gentle lapping of the outgoing tide. They rocked together, up and down, back and forth. He teased her gently with the peak, but never pushing her over until she begged for release and he could no longer hold off his own end. He wiped away the tears that leaked from the corner of her eyes, and she kissed him one last time before he pulled out of her and turned on his back, pulling her with him. Her arms tightened around him and her head came to rest on his chest.

Louie began to cry several minutes later and Danny refused to let her get up. "I'll take care of him Montana. Stay where you are and get some rest."

She watched him crawl out of bed, and cover his fantastic body with an old terry cloth robe. He left the room and she lay on her back still humming from their lovemaking. She could hear him murmuring to Louie and after a long while it was quiet. She sat up, letting the sheets fall to her waist as she listened hard. It really was very quiet.

She got up the pulled on her robe. When she padded into the nursery, she had to stop and cover her mouth to keep from laughing. Danny was sitting in her rocking chair with Louie, singing under his breath. He looked up at her and demanded in a hurt tone. "What's so funny Montana?"

"You… sitting there all domestic, I can't believe it."

He stood up and approached her. "Fine if you want to take over for me, just say so." He began to hand Louie over to her.

"No that's alright Messer, you're doing fine." She continued to giggle. He laid the now sleeping baby back in his crib and faced Lindsay.

"I'm sorry baby; I guess I didn't believe you could do it. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"That's okay Montana. Look… I know that things can't ever be the way they were, an I know that you're gonna be scared for awhile, but I'm always gonna be here. Okay?" He kissed her forehead.

"Okay… If you promise to put up with me, I'll promise to put up with you."

He took her arm and walked her back to their bedroom. "I thought we already promised that to each other?"

"When?"

"The day you said I do, and made me the happiest man alive."

She threw off her robe and got back into the bed. "Oh yeah… I forgot!"

He tossed his robe to the floor and jumped in next to her. "You forgot…" He reached over and began to tickle her senseless.

"I'll show you missy."

He gasped when he found himself on his back instead of pinning her down like he'd hoped.

"Ah Lindsay, don't you think you should take it easy, with your hands and all." He asked, hoping she wouldn't hurt him, at least not too badly.

"What's a little pain between husband and wife? This time I get to be on top. Oh… and one more thing, why were you singing that song to Louie."

"What's wrong with the Beach Boys?" He asked turning pink in the cheeks.

"It's not the group, it's the song. "I get around" is hardly appropriate for a two month old." He tried to protest, but she cut him off and got to work "reprimanding" him for his lapse in judgment. He didn't care, things weren't perfect, but they were a family for better and worse and that was all he wanted.

THE END