Disclaimer: The characters of CSI: NY do not belong to me however this story is of my own and should only be used after permission has been asked and given. No copyright infringement intended and no profit is being made.
Summary: Danny and Lindsay are going to learn that sometimes you must lose, in order to gain.
Note: Unfortunately this chapter took a while due to its length, there was so much to get through that I had to keep adding and adding which meant I frequently hit a wall. The grand total is thirteen pages on a work document so apologies if your eyes start to cross whilst reading this! It was also a little unnerving at times to be writing a Christmassy chapter in June.
A big thanks to MesserFamilyFan100, Dantana15, Kates89, Miny23 and liverpoolss for reviewing the last chapter!
The Parent's Apple
Snow blanketed the ground as Christmas descended more fully on the city. Deciding the lab needed some festive cheer, Jo had taken it upon herself to deck the break room (the only place Mac would allow) in gaudy decorations so tinsel and baubles hung from the ceiling. The ginger and cinnamon homemade cookies that she'd left on a plate had gone down particularly well however many suspected that it had been Adam who'd eaten the majority of the sweet treats. The assistant supervisor had also forced the team into going ice skating at the Rockefeller Centre as a 'bonding experience'. Although busy, it had been a fun night and they'd all stepped off of the rink with shining, pink faces. Danny and Lindsay had easily lapped their colleagues, hands clasped as they rounded the rink; his ease on the ice was to be expected due to the NYPD vs. FDNY hockey games that he frequently participated in with Adam and Flack, whilst Lindsay's skills on the ice had been refined from years of playing broom hockey with her brothers on a frozen lake.
Schools finally closed for the Christmas break and Lindsay could count on one hand the amount of days that she or Danny had not relented and taken Lucy to the park, the youngster thriving at the amount she was allowed to play outside, unperturbed by the biting cold whilst her parents froze their asses off (something Danny had grumbled about before fixing his little girl with a bright smile as she called to him from the top of the slide). Hendrix, eventually named because All Along the Watchtower had been playing on the radio as they emerged back in Manhattan from the Queens Midtown tunnel, also enjoyed frolicking in the snow with the three year old and they had kept up with him walking him daily. He was well trained and despite some rough wrestling, which included playful biting, Hendrix was a gentle dog despite his size. Danny – who had never owned a dog before – surprised Lindsay by often playing with Hendrix even when their daughter wasn't around and Lindsay was amused to find that he treated the dog like he was a son. They would wrestle together, rolling around on the floor and Danny often played rough because he knew the large dog could handle it and seemed to enjoy himself whilst they played.
Lucy was also smitten with Hendrix and Lindsay had blissfully teased her husband about how he was jealous of his daughter's affection for the puppy. Despite the little girl's vehement protestations, Danny and Lindsay had flatly refused to let Hendrix sleep in Lucy's room at night; there had been tears, a huge tantrum and a subsequent punishment that disallowed Lucy from accompanying Danny as he walked the puppy that night before the little girl weepily accepted their decision. Danny had had words with the youngster, reminding her than no matter how much she loved Hendrix the puppy was still her mom's Christmas present therefore Lindsay's final word was what counted.
Hendrix padded into the kitchen, his nails skittering across the tiled floor and tongue lolling as he went over to his bowl and lapped at the water. Lindsay looked over her shoulder at him, smiling affectionately. 'Okay,' she mused, 'perhaps it wasn't just Danny and Lucy who were smitten with their new dog.' Even Lindsay had found herself playing with the puppy and constantly scratching behind his ears whenever he asked for attention.
Lindsay wiped her hands on a dish towel as her husband entered.
"Hey, you almost ready to go?" he asked.
She looked around her sparkling kitchen. "Yeah, sure. Just lemme change," she said.
"Why, what's wrong with what you're wearing now?" Danny asked with a frown.
"I've worn this all day at work," she explained. "I just wanna freshen up. I'll be fifteen minutes, tops."
She went to move past him out of the kitchen but he stilled her by wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into his body. He planted his mouth on hers in a firm kiss. When they parted she smiled up at him shyly. "What was that for?"
"Nothin'. Just felt like kissin' you."
"Oh, well in that case…" she kissed him again.
He chuckled and swatted her butt, causing her to skip out of his arms with a shriek. "Go on, get ready," he instructed.
Danny followed her out of the kitchen but turned in the opposite direction and entered the living room instead. The room had been decorated tastefully in warm reds and holly greens, the Christmas tree standing in the corner with twinkling lights draped over the branches and presents sitting expectantly beneath it. Danny had fixed the porcelain star to the top of the tree as a household family tradition. All of the cards that they'd gathered from friends and family were strung diagonally across the room from the ceiling and Lindsay had lit scented candles, placing them around the room. Danny walked around the room blowing each of them out.
Lucy was sitting an inch away from the television screen on her knees, avidly watching a Christmas themed cartoon.
"Hey Munchkin, move away from the screen before you strain your eyes."
"Mm'kay," she mumbled distractedly, still fixated on the television.
He rolled his eyes before walking over and physically extracting Lucy from her spot on the carpet, flipping her over as he gathered her in his arms. She protested but he ignored her, dumping her headfirst onto the couch so that she had to roll over to right herself. Lucy crawled to the end of the couch so Danny wasn't blocking her view, instantly engrossed in the cartoon once more. Danny sighed before leaving her to it, walking to the cupboard by the front door to collect their shoes, coats and other winter accessories.
He took them back into the living room and dropped everything down onto the second couch before taking a seat to wait for his wife. No sooner had he sat down than Hendrix bounded into the living room and straight towards him, nudging at Danny with his wet nose. Danny relented and sat forward to scratch Hendrix's favourite spot behind his ears, the puppy tilting his head to allow Danny better access. Lindsay walked in, holding a couple of Tupperware containers and tossing her hair over one shoulder as she smiled at them all.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Ready when you are," she replied.
"C'mon then." He stood up and patted his leg so Hendrix would follow him out to the kitchen where the puppy stayed during the night and when they weren't home. His cage was beneath the kitchen table and a disposable absorbent pad had been put down for when he needed to "go potty" as Lucy liked to call it. Danny shut the safety gate that he'd recently had to reaffix to the doorway – prior to this it had been used when Lucy was younger but they knew that if they failed to use the gate then Hendrix would tear their home apart. Puppies, but especially Great Danes, were known for causing ruckus and chewing everything in sight and they'd made the mistake of not shutting Hendrixaway properly earlier in the week which had resulted in the corner of a rug being chewed up. Both Danny and Lindsay had been secretly pleased however as the rug had been a particularly ugly present from a great-aunt.
Danny returned to the living room where Lindsay was helping Lucy into her coat, buttoning it shut and forcing a hat down on her head. He stood in the doorway, watching them with a smile on his face as Lindsay tickled Lucy under the chin whilst the little girl giggled and squirmed. Lindsay pressed a kiss to Lucy's button nose before straightening up to don her own coat and scarf. Danny walked in and followed suit, casting sidelong glances at his wife as he did so.
"C'mon Luce," Lindsay said. "Let's go. We'll meet you down by the car," she told Danny. "Don't forget the presents."
They headed out, Lindsay carrying the plastic containers in one arm and Lucy's hand in the other whilst Danny double checked the apartment, ensuring all windows were locked and all energy sources switched off. He said goodbye to Hendrix who bounded around the kitchen excitedly before ducking beneath the table and settling in his crate. Danny left, locking up the apartment and took the stairs, jogging down them to the underground parking lot that was reserved for their building.
The radio played cheerful holiday songs as the small family drove to Mac's brownstone where they would be having a small, Christmas Eve gathering with the rest of the team. Lucy had been excitedly anticipating this day since her mother had mentioned the party when they'd been in the large grocery store a few weeks ago. Danny drove slowly through the ice slickened streets, flicking the windscreen wipers on so they brushed away the snowflakes that fell upon the glass. Although the snow on the ground was quick to turn grey and sludgy, the flurrying snowfall combined with the bright lights of the city was truly something to behold and even Lindsay who had grown up with powdered fields and a picturesque snow-capped ranch couldn't truly deny this – although she would vehemently refuse to address her appreciation if asked by her husband (but that was more to do with the light hearted rivalry they had between their hometowns).
Parking half a block away from Mac's home, they climbed out of the Volvo and grabbed the party things they were bringing. Tightening their coats around their bodies, they hurried down to the brownstone. Mac was quick to answer, ushering them into the warmth and hugging them each in turn before taking their winter layers and hanging them up by the door.
"Is anyone else here yet?" Lindsay asked as they followed Mac to the kitchen.
"Sid, Alice, Hawkes and Camille got here about twenty minutes ago, Don and Lovato five minutes before that," Mac explained, ticking people off on his fingers. "Jo and Ellie are just picking Tyler up on the way and Adam is bringing his girlfriend."
Lindsay caught Danny's eye as he smirked, giving him a censorious look before they stepped into the bright kitchen. Christine was pulling trays out of the oven and transferring cooked food onto platters. She looked up and smiled as they entered. "Hey guys."
"Hey." Lindsay held up the Tupperware containers that were stacked on top of each other. "I've got potato salad and chocolate brownies."
"I help maked them!" Lucy exclaimed, grinning brightly whilst Lindsay set the containers down on the kitchen island beside the rest of the food.
"Oh thanks you two," Christine breathed.
Danny held out the crate of beer that they'd bought the other day and left on the backseat of the car for tonight. "Where d'you want this?"
"I'll put it in the fridge," Mac said. "Did you want one now?"
"Uh yeah, sure." Danny took one, glad to find that it was cold from being in the car during the December weather.
"And you, Lindsay? We've also got red or white wine if you'd rather," he said, playing the part of a good host.
"Erm, I'll have a glass of wine actually – white please."
Mac began sorting her drink whilst Christine put the oven glove away and took her apron off. She opened the Tupperware box that Lindsay had brought and hummed her approval at the aroma. She smiled at Lindsay. "This smells really good," she said with aplomb.
"Oh." Lindsay smiled blushingly. "Thanks. I'm sure it's nothing compared to what you can rustle up," she said, referring to Christine's profession as a restaurant manager.
Mac passed Lindsay the glass of white wine that he'd just poured and grabbed a juice box for Lucy, piercing the top with the straw and then giving her the drink. Lucy happily slurped the juice without taking a breath. Mac led them into his living room where the rest of their friends were assembled, Christine following behind them. As well as the couch and two armchairs, Mac had brought his stools from the breakfast bar into the room and whilst awkward due to their height it was still beneficial to have more seats for the party. Don and Lovato were sat on two of the stools, inclined towards each other as they conversed and occasionally reached down to the coffee table where snack foods had been laid out. Hawkes, Camille, Sid and Alice were all crammed on to the couch talking animatedly and as the newcomers entered, everyone looked up to greet them.
Holding their drinks out of the way so they wouldn't spill, Danny and Lindsay found themselves caught up in a whirlwind of hugs, kisses and good wishes. Flack picked Lucy up and rested her on his hip, the little girl wrapping her arms around his neck as he held her out from his body.
"Well don't you look beautiful," he commented.
Lucy giggled and scrambled down so she could spin on the spot, showing off the outfit that she had picked out – with a lot of guidance from Lindsay – for the party. She wore a forest green velvet dress with capped sleeves as well as a pair of pearlescent satin pumps and a string of long beads around her neck. A headband similar in colour to her shoes pushed her honey hair back which fell in soft waves over both shoulders. If the outfit had been worn by someone much older then they couldn't have pulled it off but Lucy's acute adorableness shined through, especially when coupled with her button nose and dimpled smile.
Flack took Lucy's small hand within his much larger one and spun her under his arm a few times.
"I dizzy," Lucy said delightedly, swaying on the spot.
Flack swung Lucy up on to his hip and resumed his seat on the stool with her in his lap, picking up the conversation with Lovato as though there hadn't been any interruptions.
"They'd better be having a child friendly conversation," Lindsay said warningly to Danny who laughed before pulling her over to one of the armchairs. She sat down in it whilst he took the armrest, engaging conversation with Hawkes and Camille.
"How's married life suiting you? I don't think Hawkes has stopped grinning since your wedding in September," Danny told Camille whilst nudging his friend.
Camille smiled at her husband and there was a secret conversation privy to only them that passed between the look. She turned back to Danny. "We're good. Sometimes we have to negotiate things like whose turn it is to buy groceries or whose fault it is that one of us didn't receive our phone messages but then we step back and realise that it really isn't something worth arguing about."
"If that's all you're arguing about then you're doing marriage right," Danny said consolingly before they laughed.
Lindsay knew that Hawkes and his new wife weren't naïve enough to think that their marriage was blessed without its troubles but it was nice to hear that their honeymoon period hadn't quite finished yet. Being a newlywed was something Lindsay had very nearly missed; she'd had to leave for her pre-planned trip to Montana the day after marrying Danny and then once back in New York she'd gone into labour and so she and Danny had been thrown into parenthood. Danny's paralysis had also had its hand at putting an effective end to their newlywed bliss. However during her stay in Montana Danny had been suspended from work due to assaulting a potential suspect and he'd therefore flown out to Bozeman to surprise her (something that was becoming almost habitual). For the few weeks that they'd been in her hometown together they had lived their lives as any newly married couple might, even if they were expecting their first child within the month, and so they'd been lucky to capture something which otherwise could have been lost.
The doorbell sounded and Mac rose to answer. The commotion of arriving people easily filtered into the living room as they followed the ritual of depositing their winter clothing and then gathered drinks. Adam walked in first, beer in hand followed by Jo who threw an arm around his shoulders.
"Guess who I found skulking in his car," Jo announced to the room.
"What were you doin' in ya car?" Flack asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Making out with his girlfriend," Jo answered for him, grinning broadly. Adam blushed to the roots of his auburn hair, chuckling nervously at Jo's unabashed forwardness. She patted his cheek before gathering her children and bringing them into the fray with introductions and welcomes.
Adam shrugged helplessly before retreating to the kitchen where his girlfriend was lingering as she slowly poured her drink. She smiled shyly at him as he entered. "Maybe not the best way that I wanted to meet your work friends," she admitted.
Adam wrapped an arm around her waist. "Trust me, when they see you, they'll understand."
She ducked her head, a grin playing in the corner of her mouth before allowing him to steer her into the living room where everyone was gathered. Adam cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly and people turned to him. "Uh, guys… huh, hey, um, this is my Michelle… I mean, my girlfriend. This is my girlfriend, Michelle."
"Adam, you gots a girlfriend?!" Lucy exclaimed, wide eyed.
Adam laughed. "Sure do, Kiddo."
"Cool."
Adam led Michelle over to one of the last available seats that were near Jo, Mac and Christine. They were conversing quietly and so he didn't feel rude about giving his full attention to his girlfriend for a while, noting that her shyness had melted away and was replaced by the confident, witty person that he knew.
"So should we do presents now or later?" Mac asked.
As 'now' was the general reply, they settled around the room in a rough circle, Lucy returning to sit between her parents as they all producing presents from behind their backs it seemed. Secret Santa was less secretive amongst trained investigators however it was still an enjoyable tradition for the team.
"I don't know why we bother with Secret Santa," Flack grumbled, although deep down he did know the reason. "I mean, these two–" he indicated the Messer's, "–exchange presents anyway, plus they also give a present to Mac and vice versa because he's their daughter's godfather."
"And this year you'll be exchanging presents with Jamie," Danny added dryly.
"Exactly," Flack concurred before flushing. "I mean, er… yeah."
There was a smattering of stifled grins around the room. Jo waved her hand impatiently at Flack. "That's different. It's tradition whether you like it or not. Now, we could always send your present back…"
"Well I didn't say I didn't want it," Flack grumbled. "Just pointing out that we don't exactly stick to the tradition." It was true that in every family there was the resident holiday grump and in the crime lab family, the role was taken by Flack for 'balance', he liked to call it. He clapped his hands together. "So, whose gonna go first?" he asked in an overly bright tone, a flush still creeping up his neck from the inadvertent slip up.
Jo turned to Mac. "Why don't you go first as head of this… lab," she said, catching herself before saying 'family'. She bit back a smile.
Mac passed a neatly wrapped package to Lovato who accepted it with a smile and thanks. She tore into the paper to find a handsome personalised annual diary, the cover dating the day she joined the 1-2 precinct. She was obviously pleased with the gift from the big boss that held more sentimental value than she would have thought possible from him.
Lovato went next, giving Adam a bag which he tore into with gusto. He spluttered incoherently as he pulled out the items that she had bought for him. Whilst she didn't know the sweet but nervy lab tech too well, she'd gathered a good knowledge of him from Flack before shopping for what she thought he would find useful or interesting. She'd bought him a pair of winter gloves that had sensors in the fingertips for touch screen phones, a self-stirring coffee mug that he marvelled at and a Pac-Man racing twin pack that was remote control operated.
"This is cool! Cheers Lovato… er, Jamie."
Adam put his presents aside and pulled out a bulky present which he reached across to give to Flack. Flack ripped into it, pulling apart two different things. The first was an Irish coffee making set with a 'Luck of the Irish' mug which Flack laughed heartily at, and the second was a blank envelope that he shook two baseball tickets for the New York Empires when they played in the 2013 season out of.
"Oh nice one, Adam. Thanks."
Flack picked up a large bag and gave it to Danny, instructing him to pass the gift along to his wife. Lindsay pulled out the tissue paper that had been stuffed inside and then took out three presents from beneath, her smile widening at each gift. The first was a pair of knitted slippers, the second a selection of scented bath candles and the third a hot stone therapy pack.
She turned to Danny with a grin. "I think I know what you'll be doing tonight," she told him in a sing-song voice.
Danny groaned and gave Flack an unimpressed glare. "Yeah. Thanks, buddy."
"Ah quit ya whinin', I'm sure she'll repay the favour," Flack replied, wagging his eyebrows suggestively. He was determined to make Danny squirm in the same way that his best friend had done to him.
Lindsay cleared her throat warningly and gave a pointed look at Lucy as she sat between her and Danny, unperturbed by the people around her all openly laughing at the adult humour. "Anyway," Lindsay continued. She picked up her own neatly packaged gift and gave it to Jo. "Merry Christmas, Jo."
"Thanks, Linds." Jo took the gift and opened it, laughing as she took out each gift. The first was a desktop vacuum cleaner – to accompany the running joke that her desk was the messiest in the lab; the second a cookie stamp that said 'homemade' and the third a ceramic note pad with an erasable pen. "These are great," Jo laughed.
"I thought the last present would save the post-it note industry from running out," Lindsay teased lightly.
"Oh, but old habits die hard," Jo replied solemnly. She pulled a long package out from behind her back. "Okay, my turn. I had some help with this but I hope you'll like it."
Jo passed Mac the present and he opened it, looking suspiciously at Jo's eager face whilst doing so. He turned the gift over once it was unwrapped and a smile cracked across his face. It was a large wooden photo frame with multiple photos that showcased all of the important people in Mac's life - Christine and Mac at her family reception in the restaurant; a professional photograph of the team at Hawkes' wedding; Mac as a youngster in Chicago; Mac, Stella, Danny, Lindsay, Flack and Hawkes three Christmases ago when the latter four had filled in an elves; an old wedding photograph of who could only be Mac's parents; Danny, Lindsay and Lucy at Hawkes and Camille's wedding; and finally a photograph of Claire as she smiled over her shoulder at the camera.
Mac took them all in, knowing that Jo couldn't have gotten all of these photographs on her own; he guessed he knew now what she'd meant about receiving help. He squeezed Christine's hand before smiling at Jo. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," she returned. "Now, Mac's already gone so who's next?"
"I'll go," Danny offered. His face filled with a boyish grin as he gave Sid his present.
Sid opened it and pulled out a book of weird and wonderful facts, a pair of slinky eye glasses and a t-shirt emblazoned with 'I see dead people'. He chuckled appreciatively at the good humour of his presents and thanked Danny before passing Hawkes the gift from him. Hawkes took it, surprised at the weight, and glanced at Sid who was almost buzzing with barely concealed excitement.
"It's a little more than the budget allowed but I also wanted to thank you for granting me the pleasure of being your best man," Sid told him.
Hawkes smiled before tearing the wrapping paper off to find a square box beneath. He picked at the scotch tape before opening the box at the flap, marvelling at the gift concealed inside. It was a glass globe; half liquid filled with a black, spiky design shot through it. He turned it over in his hands, studying it carefully.
"It's an ecosphere," Sid explained. "NASA scientists created it so that you literally have a miniature universe sitting in your hand. That's salt water, shrimp and algae inside so you have a complete ecosystem inside the sphere. There should be a booklet in the box that explains everything further, including how to care for it."
"Thanks Sid, this is – wow. This is really great."
The scientists around him were all impressed with the gift from their quirky ME and even a little jealous of it, too.
"Okay, well um, I suppose it's time for the last present," Hawkes said, still a little dazed by his present. He picked up the final package and passed it to Danny who took it. "Here."
Ripping into the package, Danny shook the gift out and a used Rawlings baseball glove fell out into his lap. A small frown puckering his brow as he turned the mitt over, his eyes widening as he stared at the palm.
"How… I mean, how did you…?" he spluttered, dumbfounded.
Hawkes grinned in gratification. "My cousin's little league team went to the stadium and I was invited along, we met him and just got to talking and somehow your name cropped up."
"I… thanks, man. This is… thanks." Danny grinned at Hawkes before studying the mitt in awe. The baseball glove had been signed by Yankee's shortstop Derek Jeter. He passed it around, much to the envy of Flack and the distaste of hard core Met's fan Lovato.
"You know you coulda sold this on eBay and made money, right?" Danny asked his friend.
Hawkes shrugged. "This was much better."
Danny grinned, accepting the glove back from his friends and admiring it once more. Mac was glad to see that everyone had enjoyed their gifts; he had been very touched by Jo's gift as it had been sentimental and personal to him. Now that all of the Secret Santa gifts had been given out, Mac learnt down and picked up a princess bag that he passed to Lucy's whose cherubim face split into a huge smile. The little girl looked pleadingly up at her mother.
"Can I open it, Mommy?" she half-whispered, thrilled at her first Christmas present of the holiday.
"Sure, but just this one – when we go home you can't open anymore until morning," Lindsay told her firmly. "Got it?"
Lucy nodded vigorously before opening the present with trembling hands. She pulled out a tiny New York Yankees baseball cap as well as a set which included a bat, ball and mitt – all of which were pink and white. Lucy's mouth popped open in amazement.
She looked up at Danny. "Daddy, lookit - I gots a glove thing just like you!"
"Yeah you do, don't you?" Danny said to his little girl. "How cool is that, huh?"
"Will you play with me?" she asked breathlessly.
Lindsay's heart melted as she saw the look of pure adoration on Lucy's face reflected upon Danny's. His face softened as he nodded slowly. "Of course I will baby," he promised and Lindsay could hear the emotional catch of his voice as his daughter asked to be taught the sport that was close to his heart. He put an arm around her shoulders and gathered her into his side, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"I heard a rumour about what Hawkes' present was," Mac admitted, addressing Danny. "And so when we were out shopping and I saw the set, I knew that we had to get it for you guys."
"This is really good, Mac," Danny said. "Lucy, what do you say to Mac and Christine?"
Lucy jumped up and ran over to them each in turn, thanking and hugging them around the neck. She placed a noisy smacker of a kiss against Mac's cheek.
"That's alright, Princess. You're Daddy's one of the best around here so make sure you learn everything for him."
"I will," Lucy promised, nodding solemnly.
"Lucy, d'you want to give Mac our Christmas present?" Lindsay suggested.
"Okay!" Lucy ran over to her mom and took the final present of the evening from her before running back to Mac to pass him the gift. "From me and Mommy and Daddy."
Mac took the wrapped present and carefully opening it to reveal a wooden replica of the race car that Mac had admired as a child. He inspected every inch of the car, marvelling over the intricate details.
"Thanks," he said, bobbing his head in wonderment as he addressed them. His gaze was drawn back to the replica as he began studying it again.
"Okay, we could be sitting here for a while," Christine said with a laugh. "How about we eat?"
The group got up and headed to the kitchen to serve themselves from the many platters Christine had prepared that lay across most of the surfaces. Lindsay made a plate up for Lucy before serving herself.
"Make sure you all eat the brownies I made," Lucy insisted before adding offhandedly, "Mommy helped."
Danny nudged his wife in the arm playfully at their daughter's dismissal of her hard work. "Hear that? You helped," he teased and she shrugged easily.
"Well you can't have any until you've eaten your dinner," Lindsay told the youngster firmly. Lucy pouted at her mom but one raised eyebrow from Lindsay made the little girl retract her petulant expression.
"Okaaay," she sighed, dragging the word out to show that her mother's conditions were a burden.
Flack opened his mouth as though to try and sway Lindsay into letting the youngster have a brownie however one look from Mac made him shut it again; the head of the Crime Lab knew that it wouldn't be good for the young mother's authority to be undermined by her friend, no matter how good his intentions were.
"We're eating in the dining room," Mac told his friends. He herded them through to the rarely used room which had been used for storage until Christine had convinced him to clear it out for that evening's festivities. Christine grabbed a tray and went to retrieve their drinks from the living room, keeping note of where they had been residing so that she could ensure the correct person received the correct drink. The group of fourteen all crammed themselves around the table and Mac was further pleased that Christine had also convinced him to rent a large table and chairs set for this evening – something he hadn't realised was possible until Christine had given him the name of a friend who helped her during catered events.
Talk around the table was loud and full of laughter as they ate whilst regaling stories, bantering with each other and constantly switching topics. The well-functioning team kept the pace and those who weren't from the lab may have lagged if not for the encouragement to participate by the people around them.
"It's good to finally meet you, Michelle," Mac said amiably to the young girlfriend of his lab tech as other conversations carried on around them. He wasn't above realising it was this woman who had helped Adam through the trouble with his father.
The young woman smiled brightly, her shyness still taking its time to ebb away. "I've heard a lot about you and your lab."
"So, Adam's been giving away the lab secrets then, has he? I hope he hadn't divulged any case details with you as that could very well cost him his career," Mac stated, seriously.
"Huh?" Adam suddenly looked up from the chicken drumstick he'd been about to bite into, looking horror struck. He gave a nervous laugh. "Oh – you're kidding, right?" As Mac's eyebrows rose the nervous younger man gulped, his eyes widening as he took in Mac's stoic face. "Ha… right?"
Mac's face shifted very slightly. "Yes, Adam. Relax, I'm joking."
"Oh, phew – 'cause for a second there I was like whaaaaaat?! I mean, c'mon, the boss-man's gotta be telling his new girlfriend everything about the lab now that he's finally got one and–" Adam broke off and gave another nervous chuckle at Mac's raised eyebrow.
Michelle patted his arm in a conciliatory way, saying in a stage whisper, "I think I know now what you mean about putting your foot in it all the time with the 'boss-man'."
Further down the table, they were talking about the Messer's new puppy. Flack was looking impressed. "…as in Jimi Hendrix? That is one cool pup."
"We'll have to take our dogs out walkin' together sometime," Danny suggested.
"Yeah well no funny business, a'right? My girl's a lady and will be treated as such," Flack stated.
Danny snorted before turning to Lovato. "Watch out Jamie, I think you got competition with that one."
Flack blanched, glaring at his best friend and worrying that Danny had perhaps said the wrong thing and embarrassed his newly instated girlfriend. Lovato, however, appeared to be made of stronger stuff as she took the comment well, laughing it off easily.
"Don't I know it?" she replied, sending a teasing grin at Flack.
"So where's your lovely roommate?" Jo asked her son from across the table.
"She's home visiting her family for the holiday, now will you drop it?" Tyler replied with a raised eyebrow.
"Sounds like someone's got her mom-radar on," Lindsay commented lightly.
"Mom thinks Tyler and his roommate are a thing but he won't say," Ellie informed her, grinning broadly.
"Yeah thanks, El; how about we talk about the guy mom caught you kissing in the kitchen when you thought she wasn't home," Tyler said, eyes alight in mocking.
"Oh puh-lease, that was over before it even really started."
Lindsay grinned at Jo. "I can see that she picked up on some of your sass."
"Oh puh-lease, she was born sassy," Jo stated with a smirk, echoing her daughter's tone. Jo indicated to Lucy. "You wait until this one grows up and starts dishing out the cheek."
"No, stop, at the moment she's little and cute and it's going to stay that way," Lindsay said fretfully. "I'm going to get a drink, does anyone want anything?" she asked, rising to her feet. Suddenly bombarded with requests, she held her hands up against the tidal wave response and laughed. "I was only asking to be polite."
"I'll help," Hawkes chuckled, also standing.
"Did you want another beer?" Lindsay asked Danny. "I can drive back. I've only had one glass of wine."
"A'right, then yeah I will."
Lindsay took half of the requests, Hawkes taking the rest and they walked out of the dining room and into the kitchen to get the drinks. They worked seamlessly around each other, synchronised from years of working together in the lab.
"That was a good present that you gave Danny," Lindsay told him. She added teasingly, "I think he might love it more than me and Lucy put together."
Hawkes laughed. "Now you know that's not true." He shrugged humbly. "All I did was mention to Jeter that I had a work friend who'd nearly been a professional baseball player and the conversation just kind've snowballed from there. I started talking about Danny's wrist injury and then somehow his paralysis came up and – well, Jeter was impressed that he'd made it through so much. He just picked up his mitt, asked me for a pen and signed it before telling me to give the mitt to Danny." Hawkes gave a sheepish smile. "That's why I was asking around the lab, trying to swap for him for Secret Santa."
Lindsay gave Hawkes' shoulder a friendly squeeze. "Well you've made him very happy."
Lindsay, who was fairly accommodated with Mac's home, opened a cupboard and pulled out two trays which they set the full glasses on. Lindsay picked up the Tupperware of brownies and tucked the container beneath one arm before picking up one of the trays. She was about to return to the dining room when Hawkes took hold of her upper arm, stalling her.
"Listen, there's something that I wanted to tell you," he began, looking serious and nervous. Lindsay looked into his face, smiling curiously.
"Hawkes, what's up?"
"Camille's pregnant," he told her succinctly.
Lindsay's eyebrows rose before she recovered, smiling. "Well… congratulations. How far along is she?"
"Only a few weeks. We just… we're waiting to announce it to the rest of the team but I thought… I wanted to tell you and Danny first. I know it can't be easy–"
"Hey," she cut him off. "Don't, okay? We lost a baby – we're not going to begrudge anyone who manages to have one. It's fine. I'm happy for you – really I am."
Hawkes looked relieved. "I didn't want to make a bigger deal out of it that it really is but… y'know – I thought you guys should know before everyone else."
She rubbed a hand up and down his arm. "You'll make a great father, Hawkes. Just do me a favour, yeah?"
"Anything."
"Don't take six weeks to name the baby," she replied mischievously.
He rolled his eyes and she grinned before they took the drinks through to the other room which was a lot louder than the dining room. They passed out the glasses with the assistance of those still sat around the table. Once her hands were free, Lindsay put the Tupperware down onto the table and opening it, advising everyone to help themselves.
As he sat down, Camille touched her husband's wrist and he gave her an almost imperceptible nod. She smiled at him in relief and he tucked her under his arm, squeezing her close to him whilst one hand crept to her still flat stomach. They couldn't feel anything yet but to know that a tiny foetus was growing inside Camille baffled even the medically trained CSI.
Danny returned to the living room from tucking Lucy into bed. The youngster had crawled into Lindsay's lap halfway through the evening and fallen asleep there, blanketed by the adult conversation surrounding her. When the party had simmered down, the Messer's left first – an occupational hazard when parents – with Mac walking them to their car, talking animatedly whilst Lindsay carried Lucy and Danny took their presents. Lucy hadn't woken up during the car ride, whilst Danny had carried her up to their apartment or even when he'd changed her clothing and put her to bed.
The living room was lit only from the multi-coloured lights that were wrapped around the tree, casting long pools of light around the room from the corner. A space had been burrowed between the presents beneath the tree and Lindsay lay in the gap, her head hidden beneath the lowest branches with Hendrix curled up beside her; one hand, he could see, was idly stroking the dog's head. Danny leant against the doorjamb, his lips quirked up in a half smile as he crossed his arms over his chest and watched her. A few years ago he would have found this sight bizarre however it had become a yearly tradition – one that Lindsay had apparently done since she was a child.
"You could come and join me, y'know?" her muffled voice told him.
He chuckled and moved further into the room. "How did you know I was even there?"
"I heard you coming and then you stopped – plus you have a habit of voyeurism," she answered.
"Voyeurism," he scoffed.
"Don't think I didn't realise you used to watch me from across the lab when you were supposed to be working."
Danny felt his cheeks flush a little at the comment. The Montanan transplant had gotten so deeply under his skin and in such a short amount of time that he'd often found his gaze drawn to her when they'd merely been friends and colleagues. "Like you didn't used to look too," he muttered as he got to his hands and knees and crawled up next to her.
The space was fairly cramped with the both of them lying on their backs beneath the tree but it was also oddly peaceful. The different lights caused a hue to cascade over Lindsay, highlighting her beautiful face. He tucked a lock of hair beneath one ear.
"I wish you didn't have to work on Boxing Day," Lindsay murmured.
"We'll just have to make the most of tomorrow, won't we?" he responded and felt her nod beside him. He sighed and checked his wristwatch for the time. "We still have to set out the Santa presents, don't we?"
"Yeah – and we'll have to put out the milk, cookies and carrots for Santa and the reindeer," Lindsay replied. "Lucy's going to be annoyed that she missed that."
"Hopefully she'll be too preoccupied with the presents to really care."
"Hopefully," Lindsay concurred, snuggling closer to him. She nuzzled her nose and mouth against his cheek. "Camille's expecting."
"What?"
"Hawkes and Camille are having a baby," she reiterated. "He told me when we were getting the drinks - she's a few weeks along. They wanted to tell us first because of the… y'know."
"Yeah, I know." He nodded. "You a'right?"
She smiled at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. So it's their time and not ours – that's the way it goes, right?"
He tried to detect a lie through her words but couldn't so either she really was okay with learning that Hawkes and his wife were having a child or she had gotten better at concealing her feelings from him again.
"You wish it was us?" he asked softly.
"We're not ready," she told him resolutely. "That's what we agreed, right?"
He pressed a kiss to her temple. "Yeah, yeah that's what we agreed." He released a breath that he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Sighing comfortably, he dug his arm beneath Lindsay and scooped her into his side. "You wanna do Santa presents or milk and cookies?"
"Neither," she murmured. Lindsay pressed a kiss to his chest. "I just wanna stay here for a while longer yet."
AN/2: Sorry if the ending comes off as a little weak, I just enjoyed the image of them lying beneath the tree together.
Just a couple of contextual notes:
Seeing as Flack is a Yankees fan (as he's told Lovato in S9), I'm putting Danny as a Yankee's fan also despite Carmine's preference to the Met's. It just seems to make sense that they'd attend games together. Also, the New York Empires was the basketball team that Danny and Flack were watching in Personal Foul.