Silly Love Song

Part 9

By:ioanhoratio

Special Thanks: afrozenheart412! And thank you to everyone who has reviewed throughout the story!!! Hope you like this conclusion.


I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.

"Where are we going?" Lindsay asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Patience Montana," Danny chided lazily as he guided the car around a sharp turn.

Lindsay gazed out the window as the bright lights and tall buildings of the city began to fade into the distance. They had been driving for nearly twenty minutes, leaving Manhattan behind them, and still Lindsay had no clue where they were headed.

They rode in silence for a moment and then, "Where are we going?"

"This way," Danny answered easily.

Lindsay folded her arms across her chest and huffed, "You jerk."

"Real mature Linds," Danny needled her and he reached out and unwound her arms, taking her left hand in his right. They sat like that, their fingers entwined, as they continued to drive. It was dark, darker than anything Danny was use to. In fact, he had the lights on the car turned to the high beam; a feature on the car he didn't get to use often in the city. Almost reading his thoughts Lindsay commented, "I'd almost forgot what nighttime actually looked like."

"I don't know how you country people do it. Doesn't it bein' so dark, I don't know, freak ya out?"

Lindsay smiled, "Only when I heard a coyote."

Danny shuddered dramatically.

Lindsay ignored him and continued, "Otherwise, I loved it. We would play hide and go seek in the dark and it was so fun. It was always a thrill knowing that you were just inches away from the seeker but they couldn't see you. I would hold my breath to make sure they couldn't find me. And in the winter we would take these moon walks. When the moon was full we wouldn't need to bring any lights with us because the snow would reflect the moon light. It would amaze you how bright it was in the middle of the night. It was so beautiful and always an adventure."

Danny sighed contentedly. He loved to hear Lindsay talk about the ephemeral joys of her childhood. It was so different from his, and the way she would tell him stories--her voice playful and carefree--always entertained him. It was also something Danny treasured. She would share little nuggets of her life in Montana and he would feel closer to her. He had found himself sharing with her stories of him and Louie getting into trouble, growing up while playing tag in the street with the neighborhood kids or funny stories from nights spent on the road with his baseball team. Stories that he thought were pretty everyday, but she loved to hear them. They had come from completely different backgrounds that spanned cultures, religions, family values, and even geography, but what most would assume to separate them only served to bring them together.

"We used to play hide and go seek at night too, only we played on the playground down the street. I loved to hide on top of the jungle gyms. I was a great climber," Danny told her.

Lindsay laughed, "Well now I know where Lucy gets it. I turn by back on her for a second and the next thing I know she's standing on the kitchen table."

"Oh, don't remind me. I just about had a heart attack when I found her standin' on the toilet. I just knew before I could get her down she was goin' to slip and crack her head open on the porcelain," Danny remembered with a shudder.

"You know, I thought being a CSI would be the hardest job I ever had, and then Lucy came along," Lindsay joked.

"Ain't it crazy?" Danny commiserated, "The part that really stuns me is how I can find bein' her father so hard and trying, but at the exact same time the greatest thing I've ever done."

"Or how about feeling worried and stressed all the time, but absolutely comfortable with that worry and stress," Lindsay added.

What she said didn't make a lot of sense, except to Danny it made perfect sense.

"You think we're doin' a good job with her?" Danny asked seriously.

Lindsay thought for a moment and answered honestly, "Well, if I really looked at it, I would have to say we probably spoil her too much, but she is such a sweet, wonderful child that it won't turn her into a brat. She is funny, smart, healthy, happy...I would say for two people who had no clue what they were getting into we are doing a pretty good job."

"I worry sometimes that I won't be able to tell her often enough how much I love her," Danny admitted, "I don't have a whole lot of experience with that. You're the first person I ever said it to who wasn't family. I'll always take care of Lucy, but I really want to make sure she knows that I love her. I tell you enough right?"

Lindsay heard the uncertainty in his voice as ghost of his past tried to interfere on their special moment. She pulled his hand into her lap and held tight.

"You tell Lucy everyday that you love her and you tell me but even more than that, you show us. I was blessed to have a great father and it's the one thing I always wished for my children. Can I tell you how surprised I was to realize you were the answer to that wish?"

"Hey, no one is more surprised than me," Danny laughed, "I thought the one thing I would suck at in this life was bein' a dad."

"And it's something you excel at," Lindsay assured him, "and I love you so much more for it."

Danny risked a glance from the road to throw Lindsay the patent Messer grin.

Lindsay smiled back and once he had turned his gaze back to the road she leaned close to him and whispered in his ear, "Where are we going?"

"Right here," Danny whispered back.

Lindsay's head flew to look out the windshield as Danny turned off the highway. Her eyes caught a huge sign declaring: South Mountain Reservation; Essex County, NJ.

"What..." Lindsay began to question, but Danny interrupted her.

"I promise babe, just give me ten more minutes and you will know everything a'right?"

Lindsay nodded and settled back against the seat. She stared out the window at the army of tall trees that lined the road they were on. They seemed to be ominous sentinels in the darkness. Soon Danny was turning off the road into a small alcove. He parked and turned off the engine.

The cab filled with light when Danny opened the door. Lindsay followed suit and met Danny at the trunk.

He pulled their coats, which Lindsay was grateful for in the cold February air, then a large paper bag followed by a smaller paper bag and finally he slung the black gym bag over his shoulder.

"You want any help?" Lindsay asked ruefully.

"Ah..." Danny thought about refusing and maintaining the illusion of masculine superiority but then decided he would rather have her help carry something than risk tripping and ruining everything, so he handed her the smaller paper bag with the command, "no peeking."

He fished out the flashlight and flicked it on. Again, he took her hand in his and began trudging away from the car.

Lindsay breathed in the fresh air and reveled in the quiet that surrounded them. She could feel how skiddish it made Danny, but she loved it. The cold air filled her lungs and the smells of nature triggering memories of family camping trips and evening spent around a bon fire. She would be the first to admit this was no where near what she had expected Danny to pull off for Valentine's. She figured they would grab dinner at a familiar restaurant, and if they were lucky a movie.

"A'right, it should be just through these trees," Danny told her. She wanted to ask him what he was referring to, but at the moment she was enjoying the adventure of it all and chose to keep her mouth shut. She would know soon enough.

Once they had made their way around said trees, Lindsay found herself standing at the edge of a large, open field.

Danny tugged her hand and they crossed to nearly the middle of the field, when Danny stopped and set down the bags.

"Here we are," he said triumphantly.

Lindsay's eyebrows knitted together, her heavily shadowed face, perplexed.

The moonlight allowed her to see Danny step closer to her and in response to her silence he simply pointed up. Lindsay tilted her head back and gazed at the sky above.

Danny leaned forward and said, "You're always complaining about not bein' able to see the stars, well..."

He trailed off and let her fill in the blank.

Lindsay was mesmerized by the celestial bodies and let her mind roll over and over again the understanding that for Valentine's Day Danny had given her the stars.

He made to step away but she quickly wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you Danny. I love it."

"Good," was all he said before he broke the embrace.

"I'm not always complaining about not seeing the stars," she disagreed, "You just can't handle any complaint against your precious city."

Danny didn't bother to argue, they both knew she was right, instead he opened the gym bag and pulled out an electric lantern and a huge blanket.

Lindsay laughed when she saw the light and asked, "Is that the lantern my parents sent you for Christmas?"

"Yep."

When Danny had first opened the gift he had been convinced it was proof that her parents hated him. Camping was Danny's idea of personal hell. It had taken Lindsay several days to assure him that camping gear was in fact the way her parents showed affection.

He fiddled around with the thing until Lindsay finally just took it from him and flipped it on, light spreading out over the grass.

"I loosened it for ya," Danny grumbled as he set about spreading the blanket on the ground. He then motioned for Lindsay to sit, which she did.

He sat next to her and started pulling out items. Lindsay quickly recognized the familiar paper.

"Acapulco's?" she asked referring to Acapulco Deli & Restaurant. They really enjoyed grabbing sandwiches there.

"Yep," he answered, "Do you know why?"

Lindsay frowned as she thought. They had eaten there on several occasions but nothing specific was coming to mind.

"This was our first meal as a real couple," Danny supplied for her.

Lindsay racked her memory, "I thought the first place we at together was Puttanesca's."

"That's where your wrong Montana," he explained as he handed her a sandwich, "Puttanesca's was the first place we ate at after we got together but our first official meal was the night you brought me home from the hospital after those Irish bastards broke my hand. 'Member?"

Danny could see her face clear as she realized what he was talking about.

"That's right. You had been stuck in the hospital for nearly 24 hours and you wanted 'decent' food. So we stopped on the way home and pick up some sandwiches...

Danny picked up, "and we sat on my bed and ate it."

Despite the cold that surrounded them Lindsay felt warmth spread through her body. Danny could irritate her, anger her, frustrate her, and then amaze her. His capacity to love and show that love far exceeded what people assumed him capable of. Lindsay reveled in the knowledge that it was all for her.

She was speechless so she tossed her sandwich aside and grabbed for him, pulling him close and kissed him. It wasn't a gentle kiss. It was passionate and strong. It was a kiss that would be impossible to pull off with a stranger. It was about connection and love. Danny moaned as he slipped his hands under her winter wear.

Lindsay yelp in his face and Danny's head flew back.

"You're hands are freezing!" she exclaimed.

Danny began to laugh and soon Lindsay joined. She settled down in his lap and Danny pulled another big blanket out of the bag and wrapped it around them. They retrieved their sandwiches and ate. Danny opened the wine and they both had a glass, toasting the blessings they had in their lives. They snuggled under the blanket and Lindsay taught Danny about the joys of star gazing. She even taught him a game she had played as a child using the stars.

Danny shivered violently and complained, "A'right Montana, as much fun as I'm havin' I'm freezin' my ass off here."

Lindsay, who had been snuggled into Danny's side, shifted under the blanket so she was now lying on top of him. "That's 'cause you don't have any fat on you to keep you warm." She poked at him and Danny swatted her hands.

"Yeah, you gotta lot of room to talk Montana," he goaded bring his hands to encircle her waist.

Lindsay leaned down and kissed him gently on the lips and whispered, "You want me to warm you up country style?"

Danny looked uncertain.

Lindsay moved her lips to his neck and teased his skin, "Besides, you haven't gotten to open your gift yet."

"You're not sayin' what I think you're sayin' are ya?" Danny asked, his voice squeaking at the end.

Lindsay's laughter rumbled against him and tickled. She slid her hands under his shirt and ran them up and down his chest.

"Lindsay, you can't be serious. We can't do that here."

She said nothing as she continued her assault against his senses.

"What if someone hears or, ya know, a racoon shows up."

Despite her attempts to seduce him, Lindsay stopped mid stroke and sat up, straddling his legs.

"A racoon, Danny?" she asked incredulous.

He just shrugged at her.

Lindsay rolled her eyes and without comment unbuttoned her coat, set it aside, grabbed the hem of her hoody and pulled it over her head revealing the new red bra she wore beneath.

The cold nipped at her skin, exciting her. Danny, for his part, had remained silent until he saw her surprise.

"I do love you in red," he mumbled as he pulled her down to take advantage of what she offered. They pulled the blanket over their bodies and made their own heat under the stars.


"You have grass in your hair," Lindsay giggled as she reached over to pluck it out. The cold had eventually proven too much. Once she had educated him in the thrill of making love in the wild they had quickly redressed and packed up.

The 3o minute drive back to the city was content, warm, and happy.

"Well whose fault is that?" Danny pointed out.

Lindsay winked at him then said seriously, "Thank you Danny. This has not only been the best Valentine's Day of my life but one of the greatest period."

Danny was filled with victory and a strong sense of self-worth.

"I can't believe you came up with all of this while I was in the shower."

Danny whipped his head around to her and cried, "You knew!"

Lindsay raised a eyebrow at him, "Of course I knew."

Danny let out a snort.

"Don't get mad," Lindsay instructed, "I think it's incredibly wonderful. I just wanted to say that you did nothing wrong. I had told you I didn't like Valentine's and I shouldn't have expected you to read my mind. I am just blown away at how you managed to pull all of this together...for me. I will treasure it forever."

'Mission accomplished,' Danny thought.

Since getting back in the car, they had not stopped touching each other. Danny ran a hand over her thigh and asked, "You know what will be the perfect ending to our night?"

"Lucy," Lindsay answered right away.

"Ya read my mind babe," Danny laughed, "Let's get home and kiss her on her chubby cheeks."

"Great idea, Messer." They both continued to grin.

"Happy Valentine's Day Lindsay."

"Happy Valentine's Day Danny."


The end

I did it! I finished a multi-chapter fic!!! Thank you so much for reading!!!