+I don't own any CSI: NY characters. But the rest is mine. I really hope you enjoy reading this.+
"Hannah, hurry it we're gonna be late," Don called from the living room. He checked his bow tie in the mirror.
"I'm coming, keep your skirt on."
He turned and saw her come out of the bathroom. His mouth dropped open. "Oh, my…Wow."
"Wait for it, wait for it," she told him as she slowly turned around. The back of her emerald green dress was open all the way down to her lower back.
"Maybe, we won't make it." He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I don't know if I can take you without all the guys in the place drooling over you."
"Stop, come on. Let's go." He smacked her butt as she went past him. She turned and gave him a shocked look. "Save it for later."
"Alright, fine." He followed her out the door. She wrapped her shawl around her as they went out the front door of the building and to the sidewalk to hail a cab.
As they sat in the cab Don intertwined his fingers in hers then kissed the top of her hand. They were dressed up for the Mayor's Charity Ball. This was the first Don had really seen Hannah dressed up even in a dress. When she dressed for work, she usually wore dress pants or a skirt. And seeing her in a dress like the one she had on intoxicated him.
"What?" she questioned.
"Huh?"
"You're staring."
"You're just so beautiful, I can't help but stare. Let's not stay long, ok?"
"This is your crowd. I don't know anyone that I would stay long for except Stella."
As they walked in, it seemed like everyone stared to look at them. Don hadn't taken a date to a charity event in a long time. He was glad to have Hannah be the first to come with him. They walked around and found Lindsay and Danny. The four of them talked for a while before Stella walked up to them. She hugged Hannah and complimented her on her dress then joined in with the rest of the conversation. The theme of the event was "casino night" but Don refrained from playing any of the games.
When they were on their way back to Hannah's in the cab, she laid her head on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and laid his head back. Their fingers were intertwined in his lap.
"I love you, Don," she told him and looked up at him.
He looked down at her and smiled. "I love you, too." He kissed her.
The next morning Don woke up when his phone rang. He looked at the clock and saw it was a little after eight. He pulled his arm out from under Hannah and picked up his phone.
"Detective Flack," he answered groggily.
"This is Don Flack?" a woman asked him.
"Yes, it is."
"My name is Fran Callahan from the Department of Child Services. I'm calling regarding a child we have in our care by the name of Katie Chissem. She's your child, correct?"
Don sat up on the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry. My child?" he said the last part quietly so as to not wake Hannah.
"Yes, sir. I have her birth certificate in front of me and her mother put your name for the father. Katie and her mother were in a car accident and thankfully Katie wasn't injured, her mother however was killed in the accident."
"I, uh, I'm not quite sure…"
"So, you didn't know about Katie?"
"No, ma'am. What was her mother's name? I know that sounds bad."
"Mary."
"Mary Chissem? She and I dated for almost a year I never knew about her being pregnant."
"I'm sorry you had to find out this way. As the father you have the right for custody of the child, you can give up this right to the grandparents if you want. But, of course, the parents are always our first choice."
Hannah now was awake and asking him who he was talking to and he told her it was someone from work. "Can I come down to your office and talk about this?"
"Actually, you can meet me at the hospital to see your daughter." She told him which hospital she would meet him at then he hung up the phone.
"Everything ok?" Hannah asked with her chin on his bare shoulder.
"Yeah," he kissed her. "I need to go into work." He stood and she was still sitting up in the bed.
"Hey," he turned. "What's going on?"
"Nothin', babe, everything's ok." He leaned down to kiss her again then headed to the bathroom.
Hannah lay back down and pulled the covers up to her head. She could tell something was wrong with Don but she could tell by his tone that she shouldn't push the subject. He came out of the bathroom ten minutes later with his hair wet. He dressed then went over to her.
"I'll be back later, ok? I love you." He kissed her lips tenderly.
"I love you, too."
Don was on his way to the hospital; he was scared of what was really happening. It hadn't quite sunk in that he was soon to become a father not only by his name on a birth certificate. Traffic wasn't too terrible as he drove and he got there quicker than he thought. He walked slowly to the elevator and then rode to the fourth floor. He asked the receptionist where to go and she directed him to the room.
"Ms. Callahan," he asked the woman outside the room.
"Yes, are you Detective Flack?"
"Yeah, it's nice to meet you."
"You too. Mary's parents were here but I told them you were coming and asked for some time, so they went to get some coffee."
Don nodded then looked to his right, through the window, and into the room where the little girl was lying.
"That's your daughter." She looked at the girl then back at him. "I know this is probably hard for you. But she needs someone right now. She's been through a lot, and if there's any time in your life you have to act most like a dad it's now." He still didn't respond. "Why don't you just come in and introduce yourself, then we'll go from there."
Don followed her into the room and to the side of the bed. The little girl in the bed looked to be no older than three. She had short blond curls around her face. There was a small band aid on her forehead. He watched Ms. Callahan walk to the other side of the bed and take Katie's hand.
"Katie, this is Don," she told the little girl who turned her head to look at him. "He's mommy's friend."
"Hi Katie. How are you?"
"Good," she whispered.
"Katie, I'm gonna go get something to drink and Don is gonna stay here and talk with you, ok?"
Katie looked at Ms. Callahan then back at Don. "Ok."
Don sat on the stool next to the bed and looked at the little girl who was staring at him. He picked up the doll lying next to her and began to ask Katie about her. He talked with Katie for fifteen minutes before Ms. Callahan came back into the room. The doctor came in soon after that and talked for a couple minutes about Katie. The doctor told him she could be released the next day. Don told Ms. Callahan that he needed some time to think about all of this and she told him it was ok.