Well, we have come to the end of this fic. It gets a little hokey at the end, but I am a sucker for a happy ending! I hope everyone has enjoyed it!
Epilogue - Christmas Memories
"I have filed my last report and I am outta here!" Danny closed the case file he was working on with a dramatic flourish and spun around in his chair to face Martin. Martin grinned and just shook his head.
"Going home early on Christmas Eve? Has this ever happened to you before?" Martin asked, looking at the research he was pulling up on his computer.
"Has it ever happened to anyone?" Danny quipped, rolling his chair back and forth across the floor.
Sam looked up from her own desk and smiled. "It makes it even sweeter when you have someone to go home to, doesn't it Danny?"
"Yes, it does." Danny agreed, smiling at Sam.
"It was really good to see Stacie and Maggie at the Christmas party last night." Vivian said, passing through the bullpen. "Maggie looked really good. How's she doing?"
"One step at a time, you know?" Danny said, a bit of the playfulness leaving his voice. "Stacie got her the best therapist in the city and Maggie still goes twice a week. Stacie's bosses finally changed her hours, so she's working days and is home in the evenings. She and Maggie are closer than ever." Danny smiled, but there was still a sadness to it. "But it's the little things that let you know Maggie's not alright yet. She still has nightmares and jumps every time my phone rings. She knows that when I get a call, it means someone else has gone missing. And that brings the memories flooding back . But, she's remembered how tolaugh and that's a good thing."
"Good." Vivian smiled, putting a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Now go home to your girls."
"My girls." Danny said, smiling again. "I like the sound of that." He stood up, put on his suit jacket and headed for the door. "Have a Merry Christmas everyone."
On his way over to Stacie's apartment, Danny thought back on the last few months. After Maggie was safe, Danny and Stacie picked their relationship up right where they left off...only as grown ups this time. And so far they were getting things right. Getting Maggie used to having Danny around was a bit of a tough transition, but it was working out alright. Stacie liked having Danny as a positive influence in Maggie's recovery...a constant reminder that there are good men out there and not all of them are like the monsters she encountered during her ordeal.
Danny stepped into the apartment and smelled all the things a home should smell like at Christmas time...the pine scent of the Christmas tree in the corner, the spicy smell of fresh baked gingerbread, the smoky citrus smell of the orange peels burning in the fireplace, and the mouth watering scent of the onions and garlic Stacie put in her famous spaghetti sauce. He was home.
Classic Christmas carols were playing on the living room stereo, so Stacie didn't hear him come into the apartment. She was at the stove stirring the sauce and humming along to the music. Dropping his jacket over the back of one of the dining room chairs, he snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Something smells very good." He said, nuzzling the soft skin of her neck.
Stacie smiled and asked, "Are you talking about me or the sauce."
"Both." Danny teased before his lips found the sensitive skin just behind her earlobes. Stacie could take it no longer...he knew just how to make her knees weak. She turned in his arms and their lips met in a passionate welcome home kiss.
"Get a room, will ya?" Maggie's voice interrupted their kiss and Stacie hid her embarrassed face in Danny's chest. But Maggie was in a good mood and her teasing was playful.
Danny wrapped his arms tighter around Stacie and teased, "We had a room. We had the entire kitchen before we were so rudely interrupted."
Ignoring him, Maggie grinned and asked, "Isn't there some sort of federal health code about swapping spit within 5 feet of my dinner?" Maggie grabbed a carrot and munched on it as she continued, "You should check that out, Dan."
Danny reluctantly let Stacie go and said, "I'll get right on it , Mags." He reached for the carrot Maggie was munching on, but she held it out of his reach and giggled.
"Children, behave!" Stacie scolded, getting back to her sauce.
"Oh stop," Danny said, playfully slapping her on the rear end. "I know how much you love it when I misbehave."
"Hello," Maggie said, pretending to be mortified, "I'm still in the room."
"Well, then why don't you make yourself useful." Stacie said, pulling the salad fixings out of the refrigerator. "Here, toss a salad. Uncle Ed and Aunt Anna will be here soon."
"I'll help." Danny said, picking up a chopping knife. "If you're going to be armed, I want to be too."
The three of them fell into an easy rhythm as they helped prepare the Christmas Eve dinner together. They joked about the team's Christmas party the night before and the gifts Maggie had exchanged with her friends earlier that day. And as Danny stood there between his two girls he looked around at the beautiful Christmas decorations all around him, the presents piled high under the tree, the fire crackling in the fireplace, the stockings hung from the mantle, and the Christmas cookies arranged on a plate on the coffee table. And he knew that this was going to be his best Christmas ever.