Disclaimer: I do not own any of the CSI NY characters, but Zoey is all mine!
A/N: I wasn't planning on posting anything new, but I had some down time after a really stressful morning…Hopefully this chapter isn't too reflective of my bad day ;)
Chili-pepper – I had to make Flack come around eventually, he's a good guy really ;) Danny always struck me as a "meddler"
Kasmith101 – Who couldn't love daddy Flack?
Dddynamite – glad you loved it!
DontLookNowButDeathIsComing – How could Flack and a kid not be adorable? Makes me smile just thinking about it
Pnkrckprincess – glad you came out of lurker-dom. Thanks for reading!
Wingsofabutterfly86 – Here's an update! Glad you enjoyed both sotries.
Demolished-soul – you'll have to wait for the playing catch, it comes a little later…here's the next chapter for you!
Aemie – its ok to get odd looks, just smile and nod
Trixie7 – Here is some bratty 7 year old action…I figured we'd gone long enough without it…
The Little Corinthian – Wow! What a review! Thanks! Although, you'll have to fight me for the Flack, hold the tomatoes and extra sexiness…
Snowbear96 – He's Flack, of course he'd redeem himself
DistractedlyHere – Glad I've hooked you on the story. Still haven't decided what to do with Ryan's evil father…I've got a few ideas…
Chapter 7
"Does this mean I'm going to have a dad?" Ryan asked excitedly.
Lindsay dropped the glass she was holding while Danny choked on his bacon. Lindsay had said yes to Zoey's babysitting request so she could finally go out with Flack. Danny had offered to take Lindsay and Ryan to go see Cars at the movies. They spent the night at his place 'just in case'.
"It's not always that easy Ry." Lindsay said bending down to pick up the pieces of shattered glass. "That will take time. Maybe you should wait and talk to mom about it?"
"But Bobby said that he got a new dad when his mom met a new man." Ryan replied putting a spoonful of eggs in his mouth. "And now he's a big brother. Think if I ask, I can be a big brother too?"
"Easy there, those things happen when people are in love. Sometimes it takes awhile for two people to fall in love." Danny tried to explain while he helped Lindsay.
"Mom already told me that babies are made with love. I asked her already, because I want to be a cousin too. And if my Aunt and Uncle have a baby, it means I'm a cousin." Ryan rambled on. "So, you could have a baby? Then I can be a cousin." He looked at them expectantly.
"Ahh, well…" Danny stammered looking at Lindsay.
"It can't just happen because you want it to Ryan." Lindsay smiled.
"Why not? You are already in love. I hear you say it lots." He argued.
"Babies are a lot of work." Danny provided lamely.
"But I want to be a cousin!" he slammed his fists on the table.
"Ryan, you don't always get what you want sweetie. You have to be patient." Lindsay told him.
"I don't want to!" He screamed. "I am the only one in my class with no brothers or sisters and no dad!"
Lindsay sighed. Danny cringed. 'Yet another reminder of why I am NOT ready for kids.'
"Ryan, please don't get upset…" Lindsay started.
"You can't tell me what to do!" He yelled at her.
"That's it. Let's go. You and me, we're going home. You can spend some time in your room, and explain this to your mom." Lindsay said calmly.
Ryan just wailed. Danny didn't know what to do. Damn, that kid was loud.
Lindsay came back into the kitchen with Ryan's overnight bag. "Ok, let's go."
Ryan cried some more.
"Can you carry him down? We'll hail a cab." She said Danny. He hoisted Ryan kicking and screaming downstairs. On he was in the cab, Lindsay spoke. "Sorry, I'll see you at work?"
Danny chuckled. "Ok, just get him home." He gave her a quick kiss and watched the cab drive off.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"How'd Ryan do yesterday?" Danny asked Lindsay at work the next day.
"He cried and screamed. Spent the day in his room, Zoey spent the day in hers." Lindsay sighed.
"Tough on her?"
"This is the first time he's pulled the daddy card on her. She feels bad. Like it's her fault…"
"She have a good date though?"
"Ya. She was happy with it. She really likes him, even though she won't admit it, I can tell." Lindsay smiled.
"I think Flack's got it bad. He was talking about teaching Ryan some baseball so they could put him on a team."
"They?" Lindsay raised her eyebrows.
"Ya, I pointed that out too, he blushed. The collective 'they'. The boy is a gonner." He winked.
"Lindsay, can I talk to you for a minute?" Mac interrupted.
"Sure, what do you need?" she asked.
"You know by filling this paperwork, you'll be restricted to the lab? No fieldwork."
Danny looked at her suspiciously. "I figured as much." She laughed.
Mac smiled. "Ok then. I'll look forward to it!"
"Ok. That was weird." Danny said. "What's goin' on?"
"I'm going to bring Ryan in for 'Take your kids to work' day. Zoey didn't want him in her class for obvious reasons, and he would have been really pissed not to participate, so I offered."
"Wow. Totally not what I was thinking." He breathed.
"What? What did you think?" she asked, curious.
"I don't know. Never mind. When is the kids at work thingy?" he changed the subject.
"Next Friday…" she eyed him suspiciously.
"Good, he'll have fun."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I don't want to go with Aunt Lindsay." Ryan huffed.
"Well, you either go with her, or go to school. You choose." Zoey let out an exasperated sigh as Ryan stomped off to his room.
"God, he's been so difficult lately, what did I do?" she asked Lindsay.
"He's just being moody. Figuring things out."
"Think I'm working too much? Is it because I'm dating? Neglecting him? Oh my God, Lindsay, and I neglecting him?" Zoey started crying.
Lindsay couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "No Zoey. You're not neglecting him. You're living for once. He's acting out, that's all." They were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Look, go clean up, I'll let the guys in." Lindsay smiled. Zoey went back to her room before Lindsay moved to open the door.
"Hey." Danny said as he kissed her in greeting. "Where is everyone?"
"We are having family issues. Zoey will be out in a minute."
"What happened?" Flack asked as he took off his coat.
"Ryan is just pushing his limits. He's seven now you know. He knows it all." She winked.
Flack smiled. "And Zoey?"
"She's worried she's neglecting him, and that's why he's like this."
"Are you serious?" Danny asked. They heard the door creak open. They looked down the hall to see Ryan looking around.
"I think she's crying." He said worriedly. "I can hear it in the walls. Did I make her cry?" his lip quivered.
"Ry, come here. We'll let Don go and talk to mom." Lindsay told him. To everyone's surprise, Ryan went over to where Flack was sitting and climbed into his lap. He wrapped his arms around his neck and cried into his chest.
"Ok then, I will talk to mom. You stay with Don." Lindsay smiled and got up. Ten minutes later, Zoey emerged from her room. The boys looked up from the tv screen. Flack got up and went over to hug her.
"Momma? I want to go to work with Uncle Danny….please?" Ryan asked quietly.
Zoey sighed in Flack's embrace. She pulled away to respond. "Ok, how about you go with Lindsay in the morning, then if Danny has time, you can stay with him?"
"Ok!" Ryan said excitedly. The rest of the evening went well. The boys even did the dishes while Zoey and Lindsay watched tv.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Don!" Ryan squealed when he saw Flack step off the elevator. Don smiled as Ryan ran towards him and jumped into his arms.
"Look at you! You even have a lab coat." He chuckled.
"Uncle Danny said I'm being helpful." Ryan beamed.
"I heard. That's why I'm here. I need your help at the station. Can you come?" Flack asked seriously as he put Ryan back on the ground.
Ryan gasped. "Really? You need my help?"
"I do. I even brought a badge for you." Flack maintained his serious demeanour.
"You trying to steal my help Flack?" Danny came up to them smirking.
"Uncle Danny, he said he needs my help!" Ryan said eyeing the badge Flack was holding out for him.
"Hmmm, well, I guess you should go them. He'll need all the help he can get to catch those bad guys." Danny winked.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Alright, you ready to surprise mom?" Flack asked Ryan.
"Ya!" he replied.
"Got your badge? Ok. Clip it on your belt. Put the hat on." Flack instructed before they got out of the car.
Flack knew Zoey had to grade papers right after school, so he figured he'd go by with Ryan. He thought she'd enjoy the surprise and he could give her a drive home so she wouldn't have to take the subway.
"I've never been to mom's work, have you?" Ryan asked Flack as he gripped his hand before they entered the school.
"I have."
"To arrest people?" Ryan asked with wide eyes.
"Yup. You're mom is very brave to work here. There are a lot of bad kids who come to school here." Flack admitted.
"Wow….she's brave? Like you?"
"Even braver." Flack smiled.
Ryan smiled back. "So my mom is cool?"
Flack laughed. "I think she's cool."
They rounded the corner to Zoey's classroom. She was sitting at her desk grading papers.
"Mom!" Ryan called. Zoey looked up and smiled.
"Wow! Look at you!" she laughed. Flack let Ryan's hand go so he could run to her.
"I'm Officer Connors. Everyone called me that. I go to go in Don's police car. He made the sirens go on our way to the donut shop!" he exclaimed.
"He did? Aren't you lucky?" Zoey smiled at Flack.
"We came to drive you home." Ryan explained.
"Hmm, I better get my stuff then. I don't want to keep my favourite policemen waiting." She winked.