A/N: Holy crap. Holy freaking crap people! (Whoops, or should I say Mildred. LOL). Have you taken a look at the review counter? Have you? HAVE YOU? Over 300 reviews for this story… it's just absolutely freaking mind-blowing. It really is. Wow. Thank you all so much! You continue to surprise and delight me by coming back, chapter after chapter, and your loyalty to this story is just astounding. THANK YOU! (You can't see me, but I'm giving you all a huge round of applause right now!) ;)

Now, back to your regularly scheduled Author's Note… ahem…

Well, will you just look at this? Me… updating after less than a week? Can it be true? LOL. Yes, yes. It's true! I kind of got the sense after the last update that you all were just a teensy weensy bit anxious to see if I would deliver on the little hint I dropped at the end of the last chapter. Well, I'll just shut up now and let you get on with your reading, crossing my fingers and hoping that you're not disappointed!

As always, enjoy!

** Warning: Ye be warned...There be smut ahead ;)

(Yeah, so I don't actually know why I felt the need to say that like a pirate... let's just call it a whim, shall we? LOL. Also, it's closing in on 4am and I'm slightly delirious and just a wee bit giddy, so please. Just humour me!)


"Hey, Lindsay. Do you have the file for the Morton case?" Mac asked. "Sid needs to check his notes on the autopsy."

He listened to the sound of Lindsay shuffling papers on the other end of the line, smiling as she muttered quietly to herself.

"Yup. Got it right here, Mac," she said. "You want me to bring it down to you?"

"No, that's fine," he replied. "I'm just on my way back up from the morgue. I'll drop by and pick it up."

"Okay. See you soon."

Mac pressed the button to end the call, slipping his phone back into his pocket. He flipped through the case file in his hands, looking up briefly as the elevator doors opened onto the 35th floor. He stepped out into the hall, his attention focused once again on the documents in his hands as he made his way down to Lindsay's office. His nose still buried in the file, he absently reached out and pushed open the door.

"Hey, Mac. It's all here," Lindsay said in greeting.

He looked up, smiling as Lindsay held out the file for him. "Thanks, Lindsay," he said. "What would we do without you?" She returned his smile before turning back to the rapidly shrinking stack of files on her desk. He was about to head back down to his office when he noticed another person in the room. "Danny!" he said. "Sorry, I didn't see you there. How are you?"

"Not bad, boss," Danny replied. "How about you?"

"Well, I'm better now that I see you're up and around again." Mac moved back into the room, smiling and patting Danny on the back. "Hey now, what's all this?" he asked, indicating the stack of case files that Danny had been diligently working on. "I thought you were supposed to be on medical leave."

"Yeah, well…" Danny replied sheepishly. "I just swung by to catch a ride home, and Linds gave me her very best puppy dog eyes." He smiled affectionately at his wife. "And, well... I just can't seem to say no to her."

"Well, as much as I appreciate your help, Danny," Mac said, "if H.R. finds out we put you to work while you were still supposed to be off, it's my ass in the frying pan. So, finish the file you're working on and get out of here." He glared sternly down at Danny before nodding his head in Lindsay's direction. "And take your wife with you. I'm sick of seeing her here – she works too hard."

Danny's face broke out in a wide smile and he nodded his head, giving Mac a casual salute. "Yeah, will do, boss."

"Alright. It's good to see you, Danny," Mac said, pulling open the office door and stepping out into the hallway. "And Lindsay, thanks for coming in today. You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

"It's no problem, Mac," she said. "I'm happy to do it. Gives me a few hours of peace and quiet."

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Danny asked. "Are you trying to imply that I'm loud?"

"You? Loud? Never," Lindsay retorted, sharing a conspiratorial wink with her boss.

Mac smiled at the pair as they bickered good-naturedly with one another, glad to see that they had regained some of the spark that made them so good together. He took his leave, their voices fading away as he walked down the hall toward his own office.


Lindsay hummed quietly to herself as she chopped vegetables for the meal she and Danny were going to share, trying to keep her mind focused on the task at hand, not wanting to dwell on exactly what it was they were about to do.

She sighed as she checked the pot boiling on the stove, stirring the pasta so that it didn't stick together before turning down the heat on the burner. She turned back to the sauce she was preparing, hoping that she hadn't forgotten any of the key ingredients in Maria Messer's famous marinara sauce. She realized that pasta was messy, and possibly not the most practical food for what she had in mind, but she figured that maybe even just feeding one another, instead of actually having him eat off of her, would be something that they might both enjoy.

Aside from the pasta, she'd also gotten some strawberries which she'd dipped in chocolate, some cheese and bread, and some fresh vegetables. She had tried to find things that were not too big, that wouldn't be too hard on Danny's stomach, things that he liked, and above all, things that had absolutely no chance of ever having come in contact with a peanut. Ever. The last thing that she wanted to happen tonight was to set him back even more by causing even a mild allergic reaction, knowing that it would only serve to validate all of Danny's fears.

As she stirred the marinara sauce in the pan, she felt tears welling up in her eyes. It was so hard to watch the person she loved more than anything as he slowly wasted away. The worst part was knowing that no matter how much she pleaded or reasoned with him, no matter how much she cried or screamed at him, in the end the decision to eat was his to make.

She knew that his words from earlier that afternoon were true, that he wasn't doing this purposefully to hurt her. But that didn't change the fact that she was hurt. It hurt her deeply to see that he didn't care enough about himself to see past his fear. And it hurt to think that she and Lucy weren't reason enough for him to snap out of it.

But Lindsay knew she shouldn't judge him too harshly. The fear that he felt had nothing to do with her and everything to do with what had happened to him. She knew all too well what it was like to be almost paralyzed with fear, unable to take that last step toward what she wanted so badly. She wanted him, she knew she did. And she knew that her constant rejections of his attempts to get closer to her had hurt him too, wounding his fragile self-confidence even more.

She just wished that it could all be over, that they would wake up one morning and all the worry and stress from the past six weeks would have suddenly disappeared overnight, leaving them free to simply enjoy being with one another again, happy and healthy. But nothing was ever that easy. Not with the two of them at least.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the sound of Lucy's bedroom door close, or Danny's soft footsteps as he padded down the hall. She gasped as she felt a pair of hands slide around her waist as Danny pulled her back against his chest, resting his chin on her shoulder. She sighed as she leaned back into him.

"Hey," he whispered, placing a soft kiss to her cheek.

"Hey," she replied, quickly swiping at her eyes, hoping he wouldn't notice that she'd been crying. He responded by tightening his arms around her.

"Baby, we don't have to do this if you don't want to," he said. "I don't want you to do anything that you're not comfortable with, or that you'll regret."

"Danny…"

"Linds, I promise that I will try and eat whatever you make for me tonight, okay?" he whispered. "I will. I want to get better. I hate feeling like I'm letting you down by not trying hard enough. Knowing that you would do this for me… I can't tell you how much it means to me. But I can't let you do this if it's not something that you really want."

She turned in his arms so that she was facing him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder as she burst into tears. She leaned into him, feeling safe and warm in his arms as he held her. He rocked her gently, rubbing her back and quietly whispering reassuring words in her ear until she simply couldn't cry anymore. As her sobs subsided, he stroked her hair, tilting her face up to look at him as he gently wiped away her tears.

"You okay?" he asked, his concern for her written all over his face.

"Yeah," she sniffled. "Yeah. I am. It's just… hearing you say that you'd try… for me? Danny, that's all I wanted to hear."

Pushing herself up on her toes, she pressed her lips against his, tentatively at first. But as she felt him leaning back into the kiss, she found herself letting go of her reservations, opening herself up to let him in, to let him explore her mouth with his tongue, finishing the kiss that they had started back in their office.

Her hands slid up his chest and she wrapped them around his neck, pulling him closer and deepening their kiss. She felt rather than heard Danny moan as she clutched at the short hairs on the back of his neck, tugging gently as her mouth hungrily devoured his own.

Breathless, they finally broke apart, both panting as they stared one another in the eye, both wondering what that kiss had meant to the other. Lindsay smiled as Danny rubbed her back, the corners of his own mouth turning up into a tiny smile.

"Wow," he said. "That was…"

"Amazing," she finished. "Absolutely amazing."

"Well, I try," he smirked.

"Ass," she said, smiling as she rested her forehead against his shoulder. "We were having a moment." She listened to him chuckle, his laugh rumbling up from deep in his chest.

"Sorry, babe," he replied, kissing her temple. "So… you were telling me how amazing I am. I'd like to hear more about that."

"How about I tell you over dinner?" she asked, looking up to gauge his reaction. He bit his lip, glancing over at the pots and pans bubbling away on the stove. She sensed his hesitation, seeing the flicker of anxiety that flashed across his face. "Danny?"

"I'm okay," he said, his voice shaking ever so slightly. "I'm okay." He looked down at her, giving her a nervous smile, his arms tightening instinctively around her as he tried to reassure himself. "Nothing's going to happen. It's all in my head, right? I'll be fine."

"I'll be right beside you, baby," she said. "I won't let anything happen to you. Please… just trust me." She cupped his face in her hands, her thumbs stroking the rough stubble on his cheeks as she smiled up at him. "Do you trust me, Danny?" she asked.

Without hesitation, he nodded his head. "Yes. I trust you."

"Then let me help you," she said, pressing a gentle and loving kiss to his lips. "And then you can help me. I scratch your back, you scratch mine, remember?"


Danny's stomach churned uncomfortably, his fingers drumming nervously on the dining room table as he watched Lindsay set out the various dishes she had prepared to try and tempt him. Every instinct in his body was telling him to get up and leave the table, to get as far away from here as he could. But whenever he felt himself about to give up, to walk away from the table, he heard Lindsay's soft voice in his ear.

Do you trust me?

He did. He did trust her. He trusted her more than he had ever trusted anyone. She was the only person he had ever fully opened himself up to, the only person he trusted enough to let her see him at his most vulnerable, his most flawed. But trusting her wasn't the problem. It was his trust in himself that he was having issues with right now.

He had thought that he knew his body, knew what he could expect of himself, and how hard he could push himself before he reached his breaking point. But thinking back to that courtyard, he felt as if his body had turned against him, leaving him weak and exposed when he had needed to be strong.

He had suffered from allergic reactions before, and although they had been unpleasant and always ended up with a stay at the hospital for a few nights while he recovered, this had been something completely different. If Shorewood had approached him as he had in the courtyard on any other day – on a day when he hadn't been fighting against his body's desire to starve him of oxygen – none of this would have ever happened. He wouldn't have had to deal with the physical and mental scars that now plagued him. He wouldn't have had to see their little girl upset that he couldn't play with her, or listen to his wife cry herself to sleep at night.

And although he knew deep down that he was being slightly ridiculous – that ultimately Shorewood was to blame for it all - he couldn't seem to shake the feeling that had his body allowed him to fight harder or be stronger, he could have saved everyone a lot of heartache and trouble.

"What are you thinking, baby?"

At the sound of her voice, he turned to see Lindsay sitting beside him, an encouraging smile on her face.

"I'm thinking… that this looks like a lot of food," he said, his eyes taking in the plates of food she had set out in front of him.

"Well, I wanted to give you a lot of options," she said, reaching out and taking his hand in hers. "Plus, you know… it's not all for you. I'm hungry too."

He laughed nervously, turning his hand over and interlacing their fingers. "Sorry… right."

"How about this, Danny," she said, stroking her thumb against the back of his hand, "You choose something for me, I'll take a bite, and then you take a bite. Sound good?"

"Okay," he replied. "Um… what do you want?"

"You choose, baby," Lindsay replied.

He sighed, looking over the plates laid out in front of him before he grabbed a fork, twirling it into the pasta with marinara sauce that Lindsay had made and holding it out to her. She smiled at him, opening her mouth and pulling the pasta from the tines with her teeth. Once she had chewed and swallowed, she took the fork from him, catching a few strands of pasta from the bowl and giving them a twirl so that they wrapped neatly around the tines. He watched her carefully as she raised her hand, bringing the fork to his mouth.

He locked his eyes with hers, squeezing her fingers tightly in his hand as he opened his mouth, his whole body trembling as he took the pasta from the fork. As soon as it was in his mouth, he felt the sudden urge to gag and he raised his hand to cover his mouth, clamping it shut and forcing himself to chew and swallow as fast as possible.

Once he was satisfied that the pasta wasn't going to make reappearance, he let out the breath he hadn't even been aware he had been holding. Lindsay squeezed his fingers reassuringly before pecking him sweetly on the cheek.

"You okay, sweetie?" she asked, her eyes searching his for a truthful answer.

"Yeah," he replied, his voice still shaking. "I just… I need a minute."

"Well, when you're ready, why don't you pick something else for us to try?"

Once he had collected himself, he picked up a chocolate covered strawberry from one of the plates, holding it out for her. She bit into it, sighing at the taste of the tangy fruit mixed with the sweet chocolate.

"Mmm… that's so good," she murmured. Reaching out, she took another strawberry from the plate, raising her hand and bringing the strawberry to his mouth, gently brushing the sweet fruit against his lips. Taking a small, hesitant bite, he braced himself for the wave of nausea he was sure was coming. He could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest, but to his immense relief, he felt no urge to gag and the twinge of panic that had risen up inside of him passed relatively quickly.

"How was that?" she asked.

"That was… better," he replied, his surprise evident in his voice. "Much better."

"You want some more?" she asked, already reaching for another morsel of food.

They continued to take turns feeding one another, taking their time in choosing from the wide assortment of food Lindsay had laid out for them. Danny was pleased with himself, and he could tell Lindsay was happy as well, as each bite became less and less painful until he was almost able to enjoy the simple act of sharing a meal with his wife.

Finally, though, he had had enough and he held up his hand, shaking his head as she was about to pick out something else for him to eat.

"I'm done, babe," he said. "I'm sorry, but I just… I can't eat anymore."

"Are you full?" she asked.

"Close enough," he replied, grinning at her. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Thank you, honey," he said. "Thank you for doing this with me."

She smiled at him, reaching her hand up to gently caress his cheek.

"I'm so proud of you, Danny," she said. "You did so good, baby. How do you feel?"

"I feel alright," he said. "A little stressed out… but in a good way, if that makes any sense."

"Not really… but I know what you mean."

"So, what now?" Danny asked.

"Well… now we clean up. And then…" she shrugged her shoulders.

"I scratch your back?" he said, winking at her.

"Something like that," she replied, placing a kiss to the top of his head as she stood up, grabbing a few of the plates from the table and heading into the kitchen.


Danny offered to take care of the dishes, letting Lindsay go and check on Lucy and to take a break after working so hard on dinner.

"You're sure, Danny?"

"Yeah, Linds. It's fine. I don't mind." He patted her backside as he shooed her from the kitchen. "Go relax. I won't be long."

She walked down the hall to Lucy's room, opening the door and peeking inside. She watched their daughter sleeping for a few moments, smiling as the little girl sighed and shifted lightly on the mattress. Lindsay stroked her head, smoothing out her blond curls before creeping out of the room and closing the door softly behind her. As she made her way down the hall, she could hear Danny banging around in the kitchen, the water running in the sink as he washed the dishes. She was so proud of him for finally letting her in, for letting her help him. She knew that it wasn't over, that he still had reservations, and that his fear hadn't simply vanished. But he had tried, and for Lindsay, that was the most important thing.

And now? Now it was her turn. She knew that he was hesitant, feeling as though he was forcing her to do something she wasn't ready for. But even though she was still nervous, the truth was that she wanted him. And although she would always treasure the closeness that had developed between them since Danny had returned from the hospital – the little intimate moments that had nothing to do with sex – she was finally ready to break down the wall she had built around herself, ready to share her whole self with him once again.

She stepped into the kitchen, walking up behind Danny and sliding her hand up under his shirt, her fingers grazing over the soft, warm skin at the small of his back. She pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades before she leaned up so that she could whisper in his ear.

"Leave the dishes, baby," she said.

"But… I'm almost done, Linds."

"Danny… leave them."

He wrung out the dishtowel, hanging it over the faucet and wiping his hands on his jeans before he turned to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her flush against his body. She rested her hands on his hips as she pressed soft kisses to his jaw.

"Linds… are you sure?" he asked. "I mean really sure? Because I don't think I could handle it if you were pushing yourself just for me."

"I'm so sure," she whispered, her lips brushing against his skin. "I'm ready, Danny. I want you."

Instantly, he fused his lips to hers, his hands moving to cup her face as he explored her mouth with his tongue. She let her fingers dip under the fabric of his shirt once again, drawing her nails across the skin of his back and letting out a soft whimper as Danny nipped at her lower lip, causing a flicker of desire to start simmering deep down in the pit of her stomach.

She grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him along with her as she stumbled into the bedroom, their lips still fused tightly together as Danny kicked the bedroom door closed. Their hands worked frantically to rid themselves of their clothing, finally breaking their kiss so they could pull off their shirts.

She knew that tonight they had taken the first steps toward getting him healthy again, but as Danny dropped his wifebeater on the floor by the side of the bed, Lindsay couldn't help the wave of sadness that washed over her at the sight of his rail-thin body. It broke her heart to see her once strong and confident husband staring back at her looking so frail.

She reached out, gently running her fingers over the scar that marred his chest before skimming her fingers upwards and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him down toward her. His face inches from hers, she could see the blue of his irises flashing with desire.

"I want you, Danny," she whispered. She leaned into him, her lips meeting his in a searing kiss. As she hungrily devoured his mouth, she felt his arms slip around her as he carefully lowered their bodies onto the bed, tangling his legs with hers, his hands softly skimming up and down her sides.

Starved for air, he broke their kiss, leaving her panting heavily as his lips trailed a path down her neck. He inched his way downward until he was level with her stomach and she watched as he pressed soft and loving kisses to her belly. She sighed as his tongue dipped into her belly button, her fingers gripping his shoulders, urging him to continue.

He crawled back up her body until he was level with her breasts, tenderly caressing the soft skin surrounding her nipples. Her fingers tangled in his hair as he took one of her taut nubs in his mouth, sucking and nipping until he had worked the sensitive skin into a tight, hard peak. As he moved to lavish the same attention on the other side, she arched her body into his, breathlessly moaning his name.

He began to kiss his way back up to her neck, his hands moving underneath her until he was cupping her backside. He gave her ass a firm squeeze before he slid his hands to her hips. While his mouth worked on the sensitive spot at the crook of her neck, he repositioned himself so that he was lying between her thighs and she responded by capturing him with her legs.

"Danny… oh, God!" she sighed as she felt his growing erection pressing firmly into her stomach. "Baby... oh God, I miss you… please…"

"What do you want, baby?" he whispered in her ear as he began to slowly grind his hips against hers. "Tell me. Tell me what you want Lindsay. Anything… I'll do anything for you."

Her breaths became more and more ragged as Danny's hands explored her body and she knew she couldn't wait any more. She felt so beautiful, so safe and so loved in his arms. And feeling his naked skin against hers, his warm body so inviting and clearly so aroused made her suddenly very aware of the deep longing and desire that she simply hadn't allowed herself to acknowledge during these past difficult weeks.

"Please, Lindsay," he whispered. "Tell me that you want me… tell me that you want this."

She dragged her nails down his back, her breath catching in her throat at the low groan that her actions drew from Danny.

"I want you, Danny," she sighed. "I want you inside of me… I need you to fuck me, Danny."

He crawled up her body, his lips meeting hers in a kiss that started out soft and sweet, but quickly turned passionate as their desperate need for one another increased.

"Danny… please…" she whispered against his lips as she tightened her legs around his hips, urging him on. "Baby, I need you…"

He pulled back from their kiss, affectionately rubbing his nose against hers. "You're sure, Linds?" he asked softly. "I don't want to hurt you."

She knew he was nervous, afraid of pushing her too far, too fast. She took a deep breath, gathering her strength as she rolled them over so Danny was lying on his back, her legs straddling his hips.

"I trust you, baby. You won't hurt me," she said as she positioned herself over his cock.

She felt his erection pressing against her opening, and as she lowered herself down onto him, she let out a moan of pleasure at the feeling of finally having his hard length inside of her after so long. Danny skimmed his hands up her thighs, gripping her hips with his fingers as she began to rock on top of him, their bodies quickly finding a gentle and loving rhythm as they moved together as one.

"Oh, God… Lindsay…" he panted, his hands reaching up to fondle her breasts. "Fuck… Baby, you feel so good…"

She let out a loud moan of ecstasy as he pinched and flicked at her nipples. Moving her hands from their resting place on his stomach, she placed her hands over his, letting him know that she loved what he was doing to her, how he was making her feel.

"Danny," she panted, "Oh, God… Oh, God. Yes! Yes! Fuck, yes!"

She leaned forward, capturing his lips with hers. Shivers ran down her spine as he moaned into her mouth, his hands sliding down to grip her hips once more as he thrust up into her. She let out a little squeal as Danny rolled them over, lifting himself up and hitching her legs over his forearms so that she could take him deeper, so that she could feel more of him.

Barely missing a beat, he began to move once again and she bucked her hips against his, his pubic bone rubbing against her clit with each movement, causing her to throw her head back into the pillow, her body arching involuntarily as she felt herself nearing the edge.

She fisted the sheets in her hands, panting Danny's name as their pace increased.

"Oh, God… Danny! Danny! Fuck, right there, baby… right there… Oh, God!"

She knew that he was getting close, his previously rhythmical thrusts becoming more and more erratic as he neared his climax. She grabbed his hand, guiding his talented fingers down between her wide-spread thighs and she bit her lip as she pressed his fingers against her sensitive bundle of nerves. She withdrew her own hand, gripping tightly to his shoulders as he rode her. He always knew exactly how to touch her, exactly what she needed to send her over the edge. And as he drew firm circles on her clit with his thumb, his cock moving deep within her, Lindsay finally let herself go, screaming his name as her body tensed, wracked with pulsing convulsions of ecstasy.

Moments later she heard Danny moan her name as came hard and fast, his whole body shaking with the force of his orgasm.

Panting heavily, their bodies drenched in sweat from their exertion, they clung to one another, neither wanting to be the first to let go. And as they lay on their bed, entwined with one another, Lindsay suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion. She let out a sob, pressing her face into Danny's neck, her arms tightening their grip on him as she cried.

"Oh, God… Lindsay?" he asked. "Baby? Oh, shit, baby. What's wrong? Did I… fuck, Lindsay. Did I hurt you?"

Words failed her. There were no words to describe the immense relief that now surged through her body; their intense physical release having triggered a release of a different kind in her. She was finally free from the opression of fear and shame that had held her captive for so long.

"I missed you so much, Danny," she whispered into his shoulder, sniffling as she clutched at him, never wanting to let him go. "I missed you. I missed you. I missed you."

She felt Danny's body relax as the anxious tension that had built up inside of him during her emotional outburst began to ebb away. He kissed her shoulder, nuzzling his face into her neck as his own emotions began to rise to the surface.

"I missed you too, Linds," he murmured, his voice shaking as he struggled to hold himself together. "So much, sweetheart. So much."

Pulling back, he gazed down at her, smiling before he pressed his lips to her cheeks, kissing away her tears. He carefully rolled off of her, laying down beside her and pulling her close as she lay her head on his chest, her hand resting protectively over the scar where Shorewood had shot him. They lay there for a long time, simply enjoying one another's company in silence, enjoying the closeness that they had been missing for so long.


Danny listened to Lindsay's breathing, gently rubbing her back until he was sure she had fallen asleep. Carefully, he disentangled himself from her arms, pulling himself up off the bed. He pulled the blankets up over Lindsay, tucking them in around her so that she wouldn't get cold before grabbing his boxers from the floor and pulling them on. Wandering out into the kitchen, he glanced at the dishes still sitting in the sink. He reached in and pulled the plug, letting the now tepid water drain away. Then he turned to the cupboard, grabbing a glass from the shelf and pulling open the fridge to get himself some water, deciding that finishing the dishes could wait until morning.

As he poured water from the jug into his glass, his stomach let out a long, low growl. After returning the jug to the fridge, he turned and looked back at the dishes in the sink, smiling to himself. If he could do it with Lindsay's help, he should be able to do it on his own too, right?

He leaned forward, peering into the fridge, intent on finding himself something to eat. Instinctively, he reached for one of the meal replacement drinks he had become accustomed to having when his hunger got too much for him, knowing that even if they tasted like shit, at least they had some nutritional value. Placing the drink back on the shelf, he shook his head. He wasn't going to let himself use them as a crutch anymore. He could do this. He had done this, and he'd been fine.

As he poked through the fridge, looking for something quick and easy to snack on before he headed back to bed, something caught his eye. Shoving aside the milk, a huge grin spread across his face.

"He's a persistent fucker, I'll give him that," he muttered, pulling out a paper plate, on which sat the slice of pizza he had abandoned several hours earlier back at Ray's. He kicked the fridge door closed with his foot and placed the pizza in the microwave to gently warm it for a few seconds, being sure to stop the timer just before the buzzer sounded, so as not to wake Lindsay.

He pulled the paper plate from the microwave and held the pizza in his hands. He still felt a faint nervousness deep down inside, but it was nothing like the unbearable panic he had felt earlier when he had stared down at this very same slice.

He lifted the pizza to his mouth, inhaling its delicious scent before taking a small, tentative bite.

"Fuck," he groaned, taking another bite as soon as he had swallowed the last. "Oh, fuck that's good."

When he had finished the whole piece, he licked his fingers, staring down at the empty plate in his hand. "God bless you, Flack," he said to himself. "You're a fucking asshole, but God bless you anyway."

He tossed the plate into the garbage, flicking off the lights in the kitchen and making his way back to the bedroom, lifting the covers on his side of the bed and crawling in beside his wife. He reached out for her, wrapping his arms around her waist and molding his body against hers. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, smiling as Lindsay let out a little sigh.

"D'you enjoy your pizza?" she mumbled sleepily.

He chuckled, pressing his face into her neck and kissing the sensitive spot just below her ear.

"And here I thought I was being all stealth," he chuckled. "What gave me away?"

"Mmm… you smell like pepperoni."

"Sorry baby," he said.

"S'okay. I like it," she murmured. "I missed it."

"Did Flack…"

"He dropped if off while you were giving Lucy her bath. Said it was a shame to let it go to waste, and that he was sure we'd fine a good home for it."

"Fuck. I hate it when he's right," Danny said, smiling as he buried his face in Lindsay's neck, breathing in her scent. "I'll just tell him you ate it."

Lindsay scoffed, smacking his arm lightly before turning her head and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"You do that and your ass is mine, Messer," she chided him.

"My ass is yours anyways, babe," he said.

"Shut up you weirdo. I'm trying to sleep."

"Love you, Linds."

"You're a jerk."

"Love you."

"Hmph."

He grinned at her grumpiness, nuzzling into her neck and brushing against her soft skin with the bristly stubble on his cheeks.

"I love you," he whispered again. He smiled as she snuggled back into his body.

"I love you too, Danny. Now go to sleep."

Laughing, Danny kissed her shoulder. As he drifted off to sleep he let out a contented sigh, basking in the feeling of being truly satisfied – both physically and emotionally - for the first time in a very long time.


*Nervous silence*

So… thoughts? I struggled with this one, not wanting to just wrap everything up in a pretty little bow (I felt that would seem just a little bit trite considering the story leading up to this chapter), but also not wanting to drag everything out for too much longer, for fear of getting too repetitive.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on this one.

** I'd also like to ask you all to brace yourselves. This story is winding down, and as it stands at this moment, I have only one more chapter planned for Mine, All Mine. It's in the works, but I'm really struggling with saying goodbye to this story. Also, the next few weeks are going to be extremely busy for me, and I'm not entirely sure when I'll get a chance to work on it. So please be patient, and keep your eyes peeled for more as soon as possible!