Disclaimer: I own nothing. Those who do have more money than me. Enjoy.

-

The Second Attempt

-

"The second attempt, if I recall correctly" Jade continued "Came later that night. Around eleven. Right?" She asked Sam for confirmation.

"Right" Sam agreed, nodding.

"How is it that you two can remember all of this? Dad told you when you were like, seven." Louie asked, sitting further back into the bed.

"We have excellent memories." Jade answered for the two of them.

"Unlike some people." Sam said, nudging their brother.

"Okay, just because I'm not super nerdy like you two…" Louie began, but Jade interrupted him.

"You mean super witty…"

"…super clever.."

"…super cute…"

I smiled as I watched my three children battle. I looked up to see the same smile grace Danny's aging face. His eyes caught mine, and his smile reached my soul. He leant down and gave me a gentle kiss, until I heard coughing from behind us, and we broke apart.

"Contain yourselves." Louie said, "You're in the presence of young children here."

"Speak for yourself." Jade retorted, pinching him on the arm.

"Guys" Sam said, sitting herself between her squabbling siblings. "We've got a story to tell."

Sam was always left in middle ground when it came to Jade and Louie. Jade and Louie had inherited the aggressive streak from Danny. And they would often argue with one another just for the hell of it. But Sam, she was the peacemaker out of the three of them. She hated when they fought, because it meant she'd have to choose sides, and she couldn't do that. So more often than not, Sam would be the one bringing them back together again.

And here she was, in that role yet again.

There was so much of Danny and I in them, I thought, as I looked between the three, knowing that they were perfect, in every single way. I wouldn't trade a bit of them for the world.

"What are you thinking?" Danny murmured into my hair.

"How much I love this." I replied, as Sam cleared her throat once more.

"The second attempt" She said clearly "Was more successful than the first, but still left a lot to be desired."

"Couldn't get it right, could you Dad?" Louie said to Danny, smirking just as his father did.

"I got there in the end." Danny replied "That's all that matters."

"ON with the story." Sam said loudly, forcing all eyes to fall on her.

-

I rubbed my eyes, trying to keep them open, before looking at my watch.

"Its past eleven." Danny said from behind me, where he was holding two steaming cups of coffee.

"Have I told you how much I love you lately?" I said as Danny handed me the cup.

"You talking to me or the coffee?" He replied lightly as he kissed my head then sat down next to me.

"Both" I replied as I sipped at the coffee.

"You about ready to call it quits for the night?" He said later as he gently rubbed my back.

"If you're going to keep that up, then yes." I sighed happily, as Danny picked the now empty mugs up, kissed my temple and said "I'll be right back."

I sighed, pushing myself away from my desk and standing slowly up. I'd walked to the doorway and was leaning against it, waiting for Danny to return, when Mac and Stella came running down the hallway.

Suddenly I felt wide away, worried that something had happened.

"There's been another killing." Mac said quickly "We're all needed out at the scene now. You right Danny?"

I looked up to see Danny in mid run. "Yeah Mac" he said, "I'll take Lindsay. And we'll met you there."

Only he didn't look okay, he looked crestfallen and tired, and like he should have been asleep hours ago.

Mac nodded before taking Stella's hand and pulling her down the hallway.

"Danny" I said softly as he reached for my own hand, tugging me along. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Your concern is sweet Montana, but someone's got to watch out for you at a scene, don't they?" He said, kissing me gently.

I nodded slowly before following him out the door towards the car.

-

"Can we skip to the good stuff please?" Louie asked impatiently.

"What's better than the slow torturous feelings of a proposal gone wrong?" Jade said wistfully.

"The blood and guts of a crime scene." Louie argued.

"The story goes…" Sam said, trying to contain her siblings banter.

-

"Danny, please tell me you haven't got us lost." I pleaded with him as I watched the lights fade in the distance.

"Okay." He replied "I haven't got us lost."

"Now tell me that without lying" I said, turning in my seat to look at him.

"I may have, at some stage, taken a wrong turn that put us slightly off direction." He said slowly, avoiding my gaze.

"How long ago Danny?" I asked.

"Uh… um…" Was his unsure reply.

"Danny" I groaned, putting my head in my hands as he pulled the car to the side of the road.

"Don't sat it Lindsay." Danny said, covering my mouth before I had the opportunity to get the words out.

Damn Danny, always knowing what I was going to say.

"I didn't intentionally get us lost Montana, but while we're out here, I've got something to say to you. You've got to promise to stay quiet though." Danny said, his eyes looking deep into mine.

I nodded against his hand and he removed it, taking my own in his.

He sighed deeply, and stoked my hand over and over.

"Danny, there isn't something wrong… with you, or your mum?" I asked, concerned at his silence.

"Huh? Oh no, nothing like that Montana." He replied, breathing in and out deeply.

"Well what is it then Danny?" I laughed "You're not yourself."

"Montana…" He began "Lindsay… I…" he said, before a shrill ringing interrupted us.

Danny smiled apologetically at me before flipping open his phone.

"Messer. Yeah sorry Mac, I got us a little lost. Yeah, I know where I went wrong. We'll be there in about twenty minutes." He finished, flipping his phone shut and starting the engine.

"They've got a suspect in custody, now we just need to process the scene as quickly as possible so we can prove its him. Then we got him for triple murder." Danny explained his eyes remaining glued to the road.

"Danny, what were you going to say before?" I asked quietly, a couple of minutes later.

"I…. Er… That I should probably ask for directions more often." He said, flashing me a quick grin before returning his eyes to the road.

I couldn't help but feel there was something he wasn't telling me.

-

"And thus ended the second attempt of Danny Messer to propose to Lindsay 'Montana' Monroe." Sam finished dramatically.

I was laughing beside Danny by now.

"And what is so funny Montana?" Danny questioned.

"I still can't believe you got us lost." I replied in between laughs.

"Dad hasn't always been the best with directions Mum." Louie said, "I mean, think of how many times he's gotten us lost on holidays."

"Okay, when did this turn into a bash on Dad session?" Danny replied tickling his son.

"Its always bash on Dad session in this house." I said from behind them. "I mean, it did take you three goes to get the proposal right." I added, laughing.

"That's okay, because when I do things, I like to do them big."

"Well" Jade cut in, crawling onto my lap, as Sam lay down on her brother's leg "Big is one way to describe it."

-

AN: Shorter, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same. One more part to come.