Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Sooo I had planned on finishing this for the fourth…oops, well, let's just drag out the holiday. =)

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Danny sat playing with Lucy on the carpet; she was just starting to roll, and had a great interest in her play mat. Her enthusiasm kept Danny entertained. He couldn't help but watch his daughter learn and discover.

Lindsay laughed as Danny made an audible gasp causing the baby to giggle. They had just had lunch on their first day off together, and were just enjoying being a family. Nothing big and exciting, just cleaning the apartment, have grilled cheese, playing with the baby. Normal, for once in their lives. Lives neither of them ever foresaw happening.

"You know Dan, I was thinking." Lindsay said putting the last plate away. Best to say this while he was in a good mood. With enough of the day to turn his mood around.

"What Linds?"

"Maybe….maybe you should call your mom, you know patch things over.."

"Linds…it's"

"No, Danny hear me out, patch it up with her over the phone, so this weekend we don't have any huge blow outs, please. It's been 4 freaking weeks. Call her." Lindsay said as she took a seat cross-legged next to him and handed him the phone. "You know you miss her, and her cooking, so talk to her. Please, and I'll trade you all my tootsie rolls for all your bulls eyes."

"Fine." Danny said through a laugh, "But if you think you are getting my bulls eyes you got another thing coming."

"Okay, just please, talk to her, and Do Not get Angry. Hear her out." Lindsay plead.

"You've already discussed this with her haven't you?" Danny said eyeing up his wife.

"Yea, well, someone had to do something, now call, I'm gonna feed Luce." Lindsay instructed while picking up Lucy and heading toward the nursery.

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Danny watched Lindsay sashay down the hall to the nursery (she walks like that on purpose, knows where his thoughts go, it doesn't calm Lucy, it's to tease Daddy) He took a deep steadying breath as he turned over the cordless phone and started to dial his childhood number.

**RING**

I will not lose my temper. I will hear her out. It's the 4th of July. Lucy's first 4th of July. She hasn't met her uncle yet.

**RING**

Lindsay would be happier out on Staten Island with the grass than on Manhattan with the concrete. He would be happier sitting on the patio in his parents backyard than in the apartment. This was silly. She had the best intentions, it just came out wrong.

"Hello, Messer residence." Came the deep voice of Salvador Messer.

"Hey Pop's"

"Danny, how ya doing boy? How's my granddaughter?"

"Good, and Lucy's great. She's starting to show some personality."

"She's a heartbreaker, ya know that already." His father laughed.

"Yea, well that's 30 years away."

"Sure it is son. So, what did ya need, You're still coming over for the fourth right?"

"Yea, Dad, we are. I a, actually is mom there?"

"Whoa. Was not expecting that." He said flabbergasted. "Yea she's out in the garden. Give me a sec." There was a clatter as the phone was set down on the Messer's kitchen counter, followed by a screen door opening and closing with obvious force.

"Sal How many times do I have to tell ya not to slam that door, you'll pull it straight off the hinges. It's like I got Louie and Danny hear again." Danny could hear his mother's voice carrying through the screen and into the kitchen.

"Speaking of Danny, Maria, He's on the phone, wants to talk to ya."

"What? Really? If you are toying with me Salvador so help me god." Danny couldn't help but laugh. Apparently he was missed. Which, he kinda knew would happen, his mother wouldn't have flown off her rocker if she didn't love him.

"No Maria, he's on the line. Can probably hear ya the way your voice travels."

"Oh shut up Sal."

"Ouch."

He could hear an "umph" then the screen open and close "Hello, Daniel?" came the timid voice of Maria Messer, (and timid was not something she was known for)

"This isn't a Daniel conversation Ma." Danny laughed

"I'm sorry, Danny sweetie, I'm so sorry, I never shoulda said what I did at the hospital, How is your arm by the way? How's Lucy? Are you guys okay? I'm so sorry, please, please forgive me Danny, I was being old, and senile, I know you and Linds can protect yourselves and that perfect little angel, and I just.."

"Mommy, calm down. I'm sorry too. Linds made me see straight. You, well, we just had to say what we felt had to be said. I just, I'm sorry too, I get your point. About me being careless sometimes, and I know I have a track record for hospital visits, but I hope to god that is a thing of the past." Maria gave a soft half sobbed chuckle. "Seriously though, after everything that's happened this year, I can't see myself as I was. It's not there anymore. You gotta see that too."

"I do, oh Danny, you have grown up so much. I am so proud of you. 6 months ago I never woulda thought I'd see the day, and then you brought Lindsay home, and she was just….she was perfect, perfect for you. At first glance you couldn't go together. But you matched, and then to be pregnant on top of it. You're not the you of a year ago, you're not the same Danny that I saw after Louie, or after the surgery to your hand, you were just…"

"I was tamed. Yea, blame Montana. You know she was the one that caught my DNA with the whole tanglewood thing, she was the one that found the wire on Louie, that told me. She coulda lost her job, but she still came to me. Then the hand thing. Hah, we had just started dating, and good god, if it wasn't for her I may have been out of work longer than I was…"

"Reminiscing Daniel" Maria smiled, she never really got the whole story, but these facts made sense.

"Sorry Ma." Danny said blushing slightly.

"No, don't be sorry, I like hearing about this stuff, it lets an old woman put the story together. So you too were together about three years before Lucy?"

"First, you're not old, and second yea, it was more like one and a half. She came to the lab about three years ago, we started dating about 2 years ago, hit a rough patch, than Lucy."

"Rough patch, I haven't heard of this?"

"It was about when Ruben died, ma. I was just me, and well,"

"Yea, you were well, you. Wouldn't even let me hug you as a kid when Snoopy died."

"Yea. Well there ya go, we got back together bout 2 months before we found out 'bout Luce."

"Then you bring her round us, and ta-dah."

"Exactly." Danny laughed.

"Oh, Danny, I missed hearing you laugh." Maria said. "please can we not fight like that again. It's not good for this grandma."

"I know it. Alright Ma, well, I'll see ya tomorrow for dinner."

"Yes you will, I'm making lasagna, and we are prepping for the fourth. Your brother's coming in from Boston, and well the family is gonna be around. So…"

"So, we're cooking tomorrow night."

"Nah, Lindsay and I are cooking, you will be mowing the grass."

"What, oh come on ma, anything but that!"

"Daniel."

"Mother."

"cut the grass, and I'll make Nonna's cheesecake."

"Deal. See ya tomorrow Ma. Love ya."

"Love you too bambino. A domani."

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Lucy had eaten and fallen to sleep quite quickly; Daddy must have wore her out playing with her all morning. She softly clicked the door shut and was about to walk out into the main room, but thought differently when she heard Danny still talking on the phone to his mother. Peeking out from around the corner, she saw that his back was to her, and he was talking about her…to his mother. She leaned against the wall and listened, and watched her husband. That was still strange, but it fit. Funny thing love could be.

She was caught daydreaming as Danny hung up the phone and turned to place it in the holder behind him. He let out a small smile.

"Hey."

"Hey, so everything good?"

"Better than before, strangely."

"Not talking for a month can do that."

"Oh please, when have you ever gone more than 4 days without talking to your mother?" Danny questioned knowingly. "How long were you back there by the way?"

"Oh, I think I came in somewhere along the lines of you blame Montana." Lindsay smirked as he pulled her into a hug and kissed the juncture of her neck.

"I have to. It's all your fault I fell for ya."

"Now I doubt that Dan. I think jealousy, curiosity, and intrigue are in there too."

"All you babe."

"Dido." Lindsay laughed, hugging Danny tighter.

"Lucy asleep?" Danny whispered into Lindsay's shoulder as he kissed it.

"Yea, what did ya have in mind?" Lindsay sighed.

"Oh, I don't know." Danny said pulling her tight. "nap?"

"Sounds perfect mister."

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