Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.
On Christmas Eve, Danny and Lindsay stood outside the Messer home bundled in warm clothing. Danny carried bright red box containing a scrumptious chocolate cake from a very well-hidden bakery near their apartment.
Just before he rang the bell, Danny glanced over at Lindsay, who was fidgeting nervously beside him. He asked, "You ready, Montana?"
Lindsay nodded, and he smiled at her reassuringly. He pulled her close and gave her a quick kiss. "Don't worry, everything will be okay. They'll love you." After pressing the doorbell, he reached out for her hand and linked their fingers together.
Soon enough, the door flew open and a dark-haired woman with Danny's blue eyes stood before them. "Danny!" she exclaimed, before throwing her arms around him.
"Hey, runt," Danny said affectionately, rumpling the woman's hair when they let go of each other.
"Stop calling me a runt," the woman grumbled.
Danny just laughed at her. He quickly made the introductions. "Lindsay, this is my baby sister, Maria Carmina Messer, otherwise known as 'runt'. Mia, this is my girlfriend, Lindsay Monroe."
Danny' sister smiled at her, her cocky grin identical to the ones Danny frequently had on his face. "HI, Lindsay. You can actually call me Mia. Danny just likes using my full name because he knows it annoys me," she smirked at her big brother. "Isn't that right, Daniel Dominic Messer?"
Once again, Danny just laughed at her. "No use pointing it out, Mia. Unlike you, I don't hate my name."
Mia retorted, "I don't hate my name. I just like my nickname better." She flashed a friendly grin at Lindsay and said, "Come in, Mama's in the kitchen. I'm sure she's dying to meet you."
Linking her arm with Lindsay's, Mia pulled her into the house while Danny trailed behind the two girls.
"Mama," Mia called out, as she and Lindsay entered the kitchen. "Guess who's here?"
"Danny!" Maria Messer called out, bustling over from them. The comforting smell of home-cooked spaghetti sauce clung to her as she wrapped her arms lovingly around her younger son. He returned the embrace willingly and they both let go after a minute.
Maria smiled at her son. "And who's this lovely young woman you've brought home with you?" She turned her twinkling blue eyes to Lindsay.
Danny said proudly, "Lindsay, this is my mom, Maria. Mama, this is my girlfriend, Lindsay." He watched with relief as his mother reached forward to embrace Lindsay like a daughter. He realized right then and there how important it was for him that the two most important women in his life should get along with each other.
"Lindsay!" his mom exclaimed. "Finally, we get to meet you! We've heard so much about you."
"Yeah," Mia chimed in. "Every time Danny comes home, he always has a story about you. 'Montana this, Montana that'," she mimicked, causing a heated flush to climb up to Danny's cheeks.
Lindsay laughed along with the two women and spoke for the first time that night. Between the three Messers, it was hard to get a word in edgewise. "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Messer. Danny's told me so much about both of you," she said, smiling at Mia as well.
Maria waved her hand, "Oh, no, sweetheart. Don't call me Mrs. Messer. It makes me feel old." She winked at Lindsay, "You can call me Maria."
The two Messer women pulled Lindsay deeper into the kitchen, where an appetizing aroma of fresh herbs and homemade spaghetti sauce made Lindsay's stomach rumble in response.
"Hey, Ma," Danny called out. "Where's Dad?"
"In here," a voice called behind them. "How ya doin', son?" the deep voice of Danny's father was tinged with pride and affection as he greeted Danny with a tight hug.
"Doin' great, Pops," Danny answered, grinning back at his father. He called out, "Hey, Ma, you wanna give me back Lindsay for a minute? I want Pop to meet her."
He looked back to the women to find Maria and Lindsay in front of the stove. The three women were sharing an animated conversation over the steaming pot of spaghetti sauce. Lindsay and Maria both started laughing at something Mia said.
"Montana," he called out again, reaching out his hand to motion her to come closer. "Come over here, will ya?"
Lindsay looked at Maria, who immediately waved her hand and said, "Go, go. You should meet my husband. But you come back here right away, so I can teach you how to make good homemade sauce, the way Danny likes it," Maria finished with a satisfied smile.
Lindsay smiled back at her and said, "I will." She turned to walk back to where Danny was.
Danny grinned affectionately at her and said, "Less than fifteen minutes and my Ma's already sharing recipes with you." Lindsay noticed that his Staten Island accent became even more pronounced when he was around his family.
He tucked her close to his side and turned her to face his dad. "Lindsay, this is my dad, Paulino Messer. Pop, this is my girlfriend, Lindsay."
Paulino Messer reached out to take Lindsay's hand in his. "Hello, Lindsay. You can call me Lino."
Lindsay said warmly, "It's a pleasure to meet your entire family, Lino."
Lino asked her, "So I understand you work with Danny at the lab?"
Lindsay replied, "Yeah. I started working there about a year and a half ago. Danny and I have been partners since then."
Lino winked at his son and said, "You lucked out with this one, kid."
Danny laughed and answered, "Don't I know it, Pop."
As Lindsay observed Danny interact with his father, she came to the conclusion that although Danny had a greater physical resemblance to his mother, especially because of his eyes, he also had a lot of his father in him. The two men had the same built, solid without being overly tall. He and Lino also shared the hard glint of intelligence in their eyes, as well as the pride in their stance that some might consider arrogant. Oh yes, Danny definitely was his father's son.
At that moment, Maria called out to the rest of the family. "Danny, dinner's almost ready. Why don't you and Lindsay go set the table?"
Danny turned towards Lindsay, who responded with a quick smile, "Sure, let's go." Lino excused them quickly and they went back into the kitchen to do as Maria had requested.
Danny led Lindsay to the cupboards, where he grabbed several plates and passed them over to her. He reached into another drawer and pulled out utensils and with his hand on the small of her back, guided her into the dining room that was used by his family on special occasions.
After setting the table, Lindsay went back into the kitchen. "Maria, is there anything else I can do to help?"
Maria grinned at her and said, "Thank you, dear. You can help Mia put together the salad." She motioned towards the counter, where Mia stood shredding some lettuce. Lindsay reached out and started slicing the tomatoes.
Danny came back into the kitchen and laughed at the sight before him. He said to his mother, "Ma, I can't believe you've put her to work already."
Maria admonished Danny in Italian, "Danny, if she's going to be your future wife she has to learn her way around the kitchen."
Danny tried hedging, flushing at his mother's remark. "Who said she's going to be my future wife?" he replied in Italian as well.
Upon hearing Danny, Lindsay's head shot up in surprise. Mia nudged her in the ribs and whispered, "You didn't know that Danny speaks fluent Italian?"
Lindsay whispered back, "No, it never came up. How did he learn?"
Mia laughed softly and explained, "Among the three of us, Danny's the only one who picked it up. He speaks Italian with my parents whenever he's here." She grinned at Lindsay, "Just ignore them. They'll quit after a while when they realize we don't get it."
Lindsay looked contemplatively at the man she loved. One more surprise about Danny Messer, she thought with a smile.
Danny was still conversing with his mother. As always, his mother's intuition missed nothing and she replied to his previous question. "Sweetie, when was the last time you cooked for a woman?"
When Danny said nothing, but merely grinned ruefully at her, she continued, "Moreover, when was the last time you cooked for a woman using a family recipe?"
Danny shook his head wryly. He conceded defeat and answered, "All right, Ma. You got me."
Maria's face lit up with happiness at Danny's admission and she regarded her son fondly. "You've made a good choice, kiddo. I like her a lot."
Lino entered the conversation just then, speaking in Italian as well. "Your mother's right, kid. This one will go the distance."
Maria looked smugly at her husband and said, "What did I tell you, Lino?"
Lino laughed and walked over to his wife's side, wrapping his arm around her and kissing her on the cheek. "All right, cara. You were right."
Danny asked, "Ma's right about what?"
Lino sighed and explained ruefully, "I wouldn't believe your mother when she said you were in love with Lindsay and now I owe her fifty bucks."
Danny looked at both his parents with exasperation. "I can't believe you're betting on my love life. I thought we got enough of that at work."
Both Lino and Maria started laughing. Maria quickly turned off the stove and reverted back to English. "Cara Mia, can you get this in a serving plate please?"
Maria left her daughter to the task and took over Mia's place beside Lindsay. She said, "Now the secret to good vinaigrette is that you put lemon instead of vinegar. Doesn't wilt the vegetables as quickly and it tastes really good, much fresher." While talking, she expertly squeezed three lemons into a small bowl and mixed it with olive oil and some herbs.
She handed the bowl to Lindsay and motioned for her to drizzle it into the salad, which Lindsay obediently did. Maria smiled and nodded in satisfaction, and said, "Let's eat."
They took their places around the table. Lino, of course, sat at the head of the table, with Maria at his right. Mia sat next to her mother, while Danny and Lindsay sat to Lino's left. The other seat at the end of the table was conspicuously empty and Danny took a deep breath. Lindsay caught the telling motion and squeezed his hand gently.
Maria also looked sadly at the empty place at the table and looked to her husband for comfort. Lino reached for his wife's hand and said, "He'll be here next year, cara. Don't worry."
A wobbly smile broke out on Maria's face and Lindsay suddenly caught a glimpse of how badly Danny's mother was hurting because of her oldest son's condition.
Then Maria straightened her shoulders and smiled at the rest of the family, including Lindsay. In her approving gaze, Lindsay caught the subtle message. You're part of the family now.
Maria spoke, "Mia, I think it's your turn to say grace."
Mia nodded and reached across the table for Lindsay's hand as the entire family linked hands while Mia said grace. "Dear Lord, bless this food that we are about to eat. Thank you for giving the family a chance to be together for the holidays and we pray that next year, Louie will be back with us. Amen."
Lino smiled and said, "Let's eat."
Everyone dug into the lovingly-prepared meal. Lindsay eagerly took her first bite of the spaghetti and was blown away. After swallowing the first bite, she looked wryly at Danny and said, "Now I know where you get it."
Maria and the others looked at her questioningly and Lindsay chuckled while she explained, "The other day, Danny made oatmeal cookies and they were terrific. Now I know where he learned how to cook."
Maria grinned at Lindsay's heartfelt compliment. "Did you know that Danny loves to cook?"
Lindsay nodded, "He's cooked once or twice, but mostly, it's been a busy month, so all we've had time for is take-out." She teased Danny and said, "Now I know that I should get you to cook more often."
The rest of the table started laughing. Then Mia spoke up, "You should have him make lasagna for you, and there's this pasta that he makes, that only Mama knows the ingredients to, that is absolutely amazing."
Danny grinned at her, "Don't worry, Montana, I'll make you dinner one of these days when we get a night off."
Lindsay nodded as she twisted more spaghetti onto her fork and she said, "I'll hold you to that."
The rest of the dinner passed by pleasurably, with Danny's parents and sister sharing stories about him as a kid. Throughout the meal, Lindsay recognized the tight bond between Danny and his family and she understood better why it was so difficult for him that he and Louie had drifted apart over the years after that incident at the Giants Stadium.
Lindsay's heart swelled at the scene before her. It was obvious that Danny's parents were proud of him and they loved him very much. Between Danny and Mia, there was a lot of mutual love and respect despite the teasing. Most of all, Lindsay was grateful for the warmth that Danny's family extended towards her.
After the delicious meal, Danny and Lindsay regretfully said their goodbyes to the family. They were both on call the next day and they needed to go home and get some rest. But before they left, Maria called Danny into the room to check something out.
Danny followed his mother into the second floor and left Lindsay to chat with his dad and sister.
Entering his parents' bedroom, Danny sat down on the bed and waited while his mother retrieved something.
A minute later, she stepped over to the bed and handed him a small box. Danny flipped it open and examined the object inside while his mother's eyes filled with sentimental tears.
He stood up and hugged her tight. He whispered, "Grazie, Mama."
Maria hugged her son back. He pulled away after a minute and gave her an affectionate kiss, tucking the small box into the pocket of his coat.
"I have to go, Mama," Danny said softly, grinning at his mother. Oh, how Maria loved that grin. It was the same charming Messer grin that made her fall in love with Paulino and it made her heart swell with pride every time she saw that same smile curve her sons' lips.
She smiled tearily at Danny and waved him away, "Go ahead, kiddo. You don't want to keep Lindsay waiting."
Danny walked back downstairs and found Lindsay standing near the mantel, looking at the family pictures. Lino and Mia were slouched on the couch, calling out comments about the various pictures.
Danny caught up with Lindsay just as she was looking at the family picture taken on the day Danny graduated from the Academy. He slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her temple softly.
Lino got up from the couch, walked over to Danny and Lindsay and said, "The day Danny graduated from the Academy was one of the proudest days of my life." He clapped his son on the shoulder and addressed Lindsay bluntly, gauging her reaction, "I was happy that he didn't follow me into the family business. Since then, I've done what I've could to make sure that my son doesn't get tainted by where we came from."
At that, Danny said firmly to his dad, "I'm not tainted by anything, Pops. You and Mama did your best to make sure me and Louie and Mia had the best upbringing you could give us and I'm proud to be your son."
Lindsay quietly witnessed the honest emotion flowing between father and son. Here, in his home, Danny had no guards up. Here, he felt safe enough to not hide behind cockiness and jokes. Here, she saw a side of Danny that she only saw when it was just the two of them. And she was happy. She knew that Danny was only this was with people he felt completely safe with.
Lino was still looking at her, waiting for a response. Lindsay said solemnly, "From where I stand, he doesn't have anything to be ashamed of." Her lips curved into an involuntary smile as she leaned closer to him. "He has a wonderful family who loves him and supports him, and I don't think anyone should ask for more than that."
Lino smiled, relieved to see that Lindsay was aware of the family background and she wasn't afraid of it. His son needed a tough woman like her.
"You're a good woman, Lindsay Monroe," Lino said gently. "And my son needs a woman like you. You're welcome in our home anytime." He spread his arms to give Lindsay a fatherly hug.
She stepped into them willingly, returning his embrace with equal affection. "Thank you, Lino."
Lino addressed his son, "You make sure you bring her the next time you come around, kid."
Danny nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "Will do, Pops," he promised.
Lino walked them to the door, "Be sure to call when you get home."
This time it was Lindsay who answered, "We will. Thank you again, Lino." She flashed him one last smile before she and Danny turned away.
Danny wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered softly, "Come on, Montana. Let's go home."
That's it for today. I wasn't planning on writing such a long chapter, but I really wanted a lot of interaction with Danny's family. :D
Next chapter will have the Flacks. :D I don't know how that one will go, but we'll see tomorrow, I guess. I'll also try to sneak in a little MacStella for their shippers. :D
Let me know what you think of this one okay? I look forward to reviews.
I'm off to watch 'Silent Night'. I heard from the forums that it sucked though, and there was no D/L interaction. Sigh.