I do not own any of the characters besides Kaley ... and what is she without her parents?

Ten: Second Down

Chapter 2:

Danny shut the front door behind Flack and walked back through his house to the living room. The game was still on, the Giants still winning—but just barely.

He glanced at the game and sighed. So much for a family game day.

They looked forward to days that began like this one, even before Kaley arrived in their lives, but since making the decision to buy a house and move—they'd talked more and more about lazy Saturdays as a family. Even then, they'd known the days would end up like this, more often than not.

He grabbed Lindsay's phone and headed up. He found her in Kaley's room, laying on the bed and watching their daughter. He leaned against the door jam and studied them. The mini-Lindsay, with her light brown hair, thumb in mouth, sleeping more peacefully than he had ever known her mother to do. He loved his daughter's big brown eyes and the round nose she took after her mother. She awoke to such curiosity and wonder.

He'd never known such love. For anyone. Or expected as much from himself.

Kaley was still very much his daughter, though, and more than because of the shape of her lips, forehead or feet. His own mother compared her antics with his—a hazard of needing her to watch over Kaley—only a hazard as he'd hoped to keep some stories buried. She was headstrong and had somehow been born with the innate ability to flash that Messer grin when she got into trouble.

While Lindsay, found a delight in all of his misfortunate childhood … incidents, she was much more resistant to the grin … now, more than ever, on both of them.

As fearful as she was of dealing with mothers, even today, she made a perfect one as a mother to their daughter. She still panicked, more than a little, at day care mother's day ins, and when they managed to get to their new neighborhood barbeque to find a half dozen mothers who were happy to meet another. Though she tried.

She might have bolted if his hand hadn't felt the tremble and tightened on her arm just in time.

But one on one in their own home, or anywhere with Kaley, Lindsay couldn't have been more perfect. She played, she read, and made voices … and she let some things go.

Now, he knew glancing at her phone in his hand, he would be responsible for the mess in the living room—or they might have a little fight in the morning. He wasn't adverse to fighting with her, but he found it less and less desirable a result with Kaley around.

Lindsay turned then and caught him watching. She stretched a little before slipping out of the bed.

"Hey."

"Hey," he didn't move, but let her come to him.

"Flack gone?"

"Yeah, he got called in," he handed her phone to her. "Whatever it is, he said to be prepared for one of us to get called in. You're up, champ."

She took the phone and sighed, before looking back in at Kaley. She leaned in against him as they watched their daughter together. They took the moment to just be, the three of them. He slid his arm around her waist, drew her close, and breathed her in.

This was his family.

Then her phone buzzed. She stepped back, glanced once more at Kaley, hesitant as always to leave.

"I got her," Danny reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, then watched as she checked the call as she headed into the bedroom to grab her things. Then he took his turn, stretching out on the day bed and watched his daughter.

When Lindsay slipped back in to say goodbye, he simply turned his head to look up at her. She leaned over him and dropped a gentle kiss on Kaley's forehead, then ran a hand over her soft hair.

Kaley blinked sleepily and stared up at her mother. "Bye, bye, Kaylie girl," Lindsay whispered and gently touched her nose. "Mommy loves you."

"Mommy loves you," Kaley returned in a whisper around her thumb.

Lindsay grinned, the tradition between the two set. "Mommy loves who?"

Kaley pulled out her thumb and pressed her finger to her heart and stared up at her mother. "Me."

"How about me?" Danny asked.

Lindsay smiled at him and leaned down to touch her lips to his. "Mommy loves daddy, too. Remember to—"

"Put her in her bed if I get up, make vegetables with the pizza, and don't let her stay up too long playing poker," he grinned. "I think I got it down, Montana."

She smiled a sudden spark of sunlight. "You two have fun."

And then she was gone.

Danny turned back around to find Kaley's eyes slowly sliding closed as his wife headed toward a crime in the city.

Case in hand, Lindsay nodded to the officer on duty and dipped beneath the tape he held up for her. She looked around, as she walked through the door. The lights were off. She could see the flash of a camera and the movement of flashlights. Someone seemed to be setting up lighting in the corner.

"Lindsay."

She turned, and saw Stella walk over to her. "What's wrong?"

Stella frowned, then tried to shake it off. "Nothing … I guess I just expected Danny."

"He's not on call until tonight," she frowned when she saw the hesitation in Stella. "What's wrong?"

Stella sighed. "I don't think anyone can be ready for this." She jerked her head for Lindsay to follow, then turned around and held up her flashlight.

There, now spotlighted in the darkness, was the body of a little girl. Five, six tops.

Lying there … so still and lifeless. Like a little doll.

"Is this …" Lindsay stared at the little girl, the pigtails on either side of her head. She looked away, thinking of the other crime scene they'd been called to not a week before. She forced herself to push that one back as well, and looked at Stella.

"Allisha Dames. Reported missing three days ago."