Lol, remeber this story? Ok, so I've been gone a long time, I'm really sorry. I send you cupcakes and hope you enjoy this chapter. It's the second to last one for this story.

"When I was a kid," Lindsay began quietly. "I was never close to my mother. I always spent more time with dad. When he died, mom was a wreck. She was pregnant with Kaylee… and she was so depressed."

Danny held Lindsay tighter as her voice began to crack.

"When she gave birth to Kaylee, it was even worse. Everyday when I came home from school I'd find her crying, with Kaylee screaming in the other room. Some days I'd even stay at home, just to help out," Lindsay explained.

"My mom… she wasn't like other moms. She never hugged us, she never told us she loved us, she barely looked out for us. I never told my friends what was going on. I was a kid, how could I tell them that my own mother had slit her wrists, had tried to kill herself constantly and not thought once about us kids?"

Tears ran down Lindsay's cheek as awful and haunting memories flooded back to her.

"It was when I was 10, Kaylee 6 months when it finally happened. I came home from school and I could hear Kaylee screaming, but I couldn't see them anywhere. I followed the screaming down to the basement. I tried not to step on the blood drops on the stairs. When I got to the basement, I saw my mother pacing, with a gun in her hand and her wrists slit. Kaylee was in the corner," Lindsay explained.

"My mother started talking about how she hated her life. She said she never wanted us, how she wished we were dead, h-how it was all my fault that dad was dead. The last thing she said before shooting herself in front of Kaylee and I, was that no one would ever want such awful kids, that no one would ever love us."

Lindsay was now sobbing hysterically and Danny couldn't deny the tear that slipped down his own cheek. He couldn't possibly comprehend the idea of someone saying such harsh things to a child, let alone one of their own.

He couldn't believe Lindsay had been through so much pain. The ordeal with her mother had left her feeling unwanted, unloved, so she fell for the first guy that came her way. All she ever wanted was for someone to care for her, and Corey ended up cheating on her.

"Danny," Lindsay murmured through soft sobs. "Please stay, I don't wanna be alone tonight."

Danny took a deep breath, pushing aside his overwhelming feelings of sympathy and sorrow to be strong for Lindsay.

"Of course I'll stay."

Danny woke up pretty early on Saturday morning. He had held Lindsay in his arms all night, and she was now nestled against his chest. Their bodies fit together perfectly. Danny felt he should move back to his own bed in case someone walked in, but Lindsay was finally sleeping peacefully and he didn't want to disturb her.

Last night was tough for Lindsay, and Danny was predicting today would be equally hard for her. Opening up about her past last night was only the first part of Lindsay's confrontation. The next was going back to where it all happened, going back to her house, and to finally confront her mother.

Danny shivered at the thought of it. The slight movement in his body caused Lindsay to stir and wake. At first she was confused by the two strong arms wrapped around her, the warm body pressed against her back.

It wasn't until Lindsay rubbed her eyes and looked up at Danny that she remembered what had happened. She felt slightly embarrassed having told Danny her 'deep dark secret' yesterday. She had been stripped bare and was left feeling vulnerable.

Danny brushed the hair out of Lindsay's eyes.

"Mornin," He mumbled.

"Morning," She didn't even bother attempting a smile.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm dreading what today will bring… but I know I have to do this," she whispered.

Danny nodded. "And I'll be there right beside you.

Lindsay snuggled closer to him. "Thank you for everything."

He trailed his fingers along the soft skin of Lindsay's midriff and cleared his throat.

"I should get up before your aunt comes in. I mean, I know she likes me and all, but I think she'd kick out even an Italian man if she found him in your bed."

Lindsay couldn't help the small smile that crept onto her face.

"U-huh."

Danny reluctantly let go of her and climbed out of bed, placing a kiss to her temple as he did so.

Lindsay made sure to take her time as she got ready that morning. She figured the longer she put it off, the better.

When she told her aunt she was going to visit her old house and parent's graves, Aunt Jane had insisted on coming for support.

Lindsay declined, she needed to do it alone, with the exception of Danny of course.

The drive to the house was quiet and strangely serene. Lindsay felt the situation was so clichéd. Did she really think that she would get there and everything would change? That she'd finally be happy?

Lindsay couldn't help but think that maybe nothing would change. No burden lifted, no faith restored, just a waste of time. This thought really scared her. What if she would never get over it? What if she would never be happy?

A shake of the head and a quiet glance over at Danny erased the pessimistic thoughts from her head.

As long as she was with Danny, she would be happy.

So now here she was, sitting in her car, parked on the dusty road in front of her house. Lindsay got out of the car and sighed at the large house in front of them.

"Kay and I inherited this whole property. We've been too scared to sell or renovate, it's just been sitting here untouched for all these years," Lindsay said softly.

Danny stood next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling Lindsay close.

"You ready?"

Lindsay nodded and gripped Danny's hand, leading him to the door. She delicately took an old key out of her pocket and turned it in her fingers tenderly before placing it in the lock.

She had no idea why but she was holding her breath as she slowly unlocked the door. As she pushed it open, the door gave a sick creak, sending chills down Lindsay's spine.

The only comfort she found as she entered the dimly lit house was the feeling of Danny's fingers intertwined with hers and the presence of his body next to her.

The room they entered was full of old and dust covered furniture. Lindsay looked around the room, images of what it looked like when she was a child mixing with what she saw now. She made her way over to a small cupboard in the corner, making sure to keep Danny close at all times, and pulled out two big flashlights.

She handed one to Danny and turned hers on, surprised that after all these years they still worked, granted the light was weak.

Lindsay looked around the room again, a little unsure of what to do.

"What now?" She asked quietly.

"Now… we go to the place you've been running from all this time," Danny answered softly.

Lindsay let out a shaky breath and nodded. "The basement."

They slowly made their way around the house, Lindsay jumping every now and then at the sight of a shadow, until they reached the basement door.

Lindsay shone her flashlight on the door, biting her lip as more memories flooded her head. She reached out her head to open the doorknob, but as soon as she made contact she retreated her hand as if she'd been shocked and stepped back into Danny.

"I-I can't"

"You can."

Lindsay closed her eyes as tears fell down her face. "What if… Danny as soon as I go down there, I'm gonna see her."

Danny wrapped his arms around her from behind. "We don't have to go down there Linds, this is far enough."

"I don't want to… but I need to. I'm just really scared Danny."

Danny could feel Lindsay's body shaking and realized that she must be even more terrified by what was on the other side of the door than he thought.

"As long as you're in my arms, nothing can happen to you I swear to God. When I've got you, nothing can touch you, nothing can hurt you. I'll protect you from everything," Danny answered with so much passion in his voice that he even surprised himself.

Lindsay turned the handle and pushed open the door, thankful that it wasn't squeaky. As she descended down the stairs she made sure that Danny's arms were firmly wrapped around her and that he was as close as humanely possible.

The basement was dark, and the only light in the room was that from the flashlights. When they got to the bottom, Lindsay shone her flashlight around all corners of the room, making sure no one was gonna jump out and scare her.

She dug her nails into Danny's arms as her flashlight scanned over the area where he mother had killed herself.

The scene had been cleared up long ago, so no blood remained, but the scenario was imprinted in Lindsay's mind.

She'd seen all she wanted to see. "I think we should leave now Danny."

"Ok," was his quick response, and they were up the stairs in no time.

Lindsay left the flashlights on the dinning table and escaped from the house into bright sunlight and fresh air. She took a deep breath and calmed down, happy to be out in the open again. She locked the house and quickly retreated to the car, feeling safety off of the property. Danny followed, and she engulfed him in a grateful hug. She didn't say anything, didn't need to, just held on to him.

It was Danny who spoke moments later. "How are you feeling?"

"Hungry," Lindsay answered honestly, and Danny smiled. "There's a tuck shop round the corner. Wanna go grab some lunch before heading out to the cemetery?"

Danny nodded. "Since when have you known me to turn down food?"

Lindsay smiled and began walking down the road with Danny.

Lindsay wasn't surprised when the owner of the tuck shop recognized her immediately. He was a big burly man who greeted them with a warm smile.

"Little Lindsay, is that really you?"

"Not so little anymore," Lindsay replied with a grin.

"You came back. And you brought a friend," He noted.

"Big Jimmy this is my friend Danny, Danny meet Big Jimmy," Lindsay introduced.

"So are you back for good?" Big Jimmy asked.

Lindsay rolled her eyes. "I have a job and a life in New York."

Big Jimmy shrugged and handed them small menus. "Bozeman will still be here when you retire."

Lindsay smiled, grateful that he didn't bring up anything about Corey or Sarah or her parents. She always thought of him as a big softie, a gentle giant.

After lunch, Danny and Lindsay walked to the small cemetery, only minutes away. When they got to the gates Lindsay turned to face Danny.

"I think I need to do this bit by myself."

Danny kissed the top of Lindsay's forehead. "I figured you would. I'll be here if you need me."

Danny watched as Lindsay made her way to two fairly large headstones in the middle of the cemetery. He was out of earshot so couldn't hear what she was saying, but watched as she wiped tears from her face.

He heard her raise her voice, watched her get angry as she addressed what he assumed to be her mothers grave. Her voice returned back to normal level moments later and after a few minutes she bid farewell and returned to Danny. She had a small smile on her face.

"How did it go?" Danny asked as they made their way back.

"There were things that I wanted to say, that I'd kept to myself for so long and now I feel… relieved, like a weight's been lifted off me," Lindsay explained.

Danny snaked his arm around Lindsay's waist. "Something tells me your life is gonna be a lot easier from now on."

That afternoon went by pretty quickly. Danny helped Uncle Keith out on the farm while Lindsay cooked inside with her sister and aunt. Aunt Jane insisted on having a big meal for Danny and Lindsay's last dinner before they went back to New York. Danny couldn't believe it was Saturday already; time had gone by so fast.

Dinner, once again, had been great, and he'd made sure to constantly remind the girls, who blushed every time. Now Danny was sitting on the couch, with Lindsay curled up next to him. Uncle Keith, who was sitting in the other arm chair, got up and stretched.

"I think it's time I hit the sack. Don't stay up too late you two, you've got a flight tomorrow morning. Goodnight," he said as he left.

"G'Night."

"Night Uncle Keith."

Lindsay got up and tugged on Danny's arm. "Follow me."

Danny smiled as Lindsay led him quietly out the back door.

"Where are we going?" Danny asked as Lindsay pulled him past the horse sheds.

"It's a surprise."

Lindsay stopped tugging Danny's arm when they reached a beautiful lake illuminated by the full moon in the sky.

Lindsay sat, leaning against a thick tree in front of a small wooden ramp on the lake.

Danny sat next to her. "It's beautiful."

"Don't get views quite like this in New York that's for sure."

Danny looked out at the calm lake, and jumped when Lindsay began howling like a wolf next to him. He covered her mouth with his hand and she giggled.

"You're gonna wake everyone," He said, removing his hand.

"It's a full moon," Lindsay said simply. And they can't hear us. Although… Kay told me about one time when she brought her boyfriend out to the lake and they began howling at the moon, Uncle Keith came running out seconds later with a shotgun."

Danny chuckled. "This a common thing in your family? Howling at the moon?"

Lindsay grinned and shrugged. "It's fun, go on, try it."

Danny chuckled again. "You want me to howl at the moon?"

"It's easy," Lindsay explained, belting out another howl, loving the look on Danny's face.

He raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"Please Danny, just once," Lindsay begged

Danny sighed and cleared his throat before letting out a loud howl.

Lindsay giggled and kissed him. "See, you're a natural."

"All this howling, it ain't gonna attract real wolves is it?" Danny asked, a little worried.

Lindsay smiled mischievously. "Maybe."

"What?"

Lindsay got up and walked to the wooden ramp. Danny's eyes widened as he watched her strip off her top and begin unbuttoning her pants.

"Lindsay," He said, more than a little startled as Lindsay dropped her pants, revealing matching sexy blue bra and undies.

She looked back over her shoulder innocently. "What?"

Danny just stared at her and she chuckled before jumping into the lake. Danny approached the end of the ramp and watched as Lindsay returned to the surface wiping her face.

"Coming?" She asked.

Danny put his hands in his pockets and raised his eyebrows.

Lindsay smirked and swam over to the ramp. She pulled herself up, water dripping from her body as she did so.

"Need help?" She asked cheekily as she began unbuttoning Danny's pants. He took a deep breath, causing Lindsay to giggle. She left his pants and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her wet body against Danny's.

Danny closed his eyes, feeling blood rush through his body. Lindsay began unbuttoning his shirt and pressed a kiss against his lips. When Danny began to respond Lindsay stepped back and jumped back into the water. Danny groaned.

"If you want a kiss, you have to come in here and get it," Lindsay teased.

Danny took off his socks, shoes, pants and shirt in record time. He threw his glasses on his pile of clothes before jumping in with only his boxers on.

He knew that being half naked in a lake with Lindsay would kill him, but right now he didn't care. All that mattered was pressing his body against hers, and pressing his lips against hers as soon as possible.

When he surfaced, Lindsay was in front of him and he didn't hesitate in crushing his lips against hers.

The feeling on her wet lips drove him crazy. Lindsay groaned as Danny's tongue delved into her mouth. He broke away and began kissing down her neckline as she rubbed his bare chest and sighed in pleasure.

His lips were back on hers in no time and it felt so good Lindsay wanted to scream.

Moments later, Danny drew back quickly, looking around in the water.

"What's wrong?"

"I just… I felt something on my foot," Danny explained. "There aren't any crocodiles in this lake is there?"

Lindsay grinned and moved closer to Danny. "No crocodiles, it was probably nothing."

She pressed her lips into Danny's. He responded immediately, caressing her tongue with his.

Danny jumped back again. "Ok I definitely felt something that time. Are you sure there's no crocs?"

Lindsay sighed. "Danny, no crocs. The worst thing you'll find in this lake is the odd snake or-"

"Snake?" Danny exclaimed, flailing in the water.

Lindsay couldn't help but grin as Danny frantically got out of the water.

"Danny it's nothing."

Lindsay sighed again as she realized Danny wasn't going to get back in the water and climbed out.

"You're a wimp," She murmured, kissing his lips.

"We don't have to be in the water to have fun," Danny murmured back, wrapping his arms around her.

"Mmmm," Lindsay moaned as Danny kissed her passionately. She pushed him up against the tree they were previously sitting under and ran her finger around the rim of his boxers teasingly.

Lindsay broke away suddenly at the sound of distant howling coming from the forest.

"Did you hear that?" She asked.

Before Danny could answer there was another howl, slightly louder this time.

"Probably just a dog," Lindsay reasoned, slightly worried.

Danny scooped up his pile of clothes. "I'm not gonna stick around and find out. Race you to the house."

Danny and Lindsay stumbled through the back door, shushing each other between kisses. They quietly ran upstairs and into Lindsay's room.

She pulled Danny on top of her and onto her bed, moaning as he trailed kisses down to her breasts.

He stopped. "Are you sure you want this?"

She groaned. "Danny!"

"What about your sister?"

"She's sleeping at the neighbor's house."

"What about your aunt and uncle?"

"Sleep like a log"

"I need to make sure. Today was a tough day for you."

Lindsay kissed him, passionately running her tongue across his, earning a moan from Danny.

When she pulled back she looked Danny in the eye so he would see this was what she wanted.

"You're right. Today was a tough day, but I want this so bad Danny. I've wanted it since day one. So just forget about all the other stuff and kiss me."