Disclaimer: All characters recognizable from the show belong to CBS and the creators of CSI:NY. All OOC characters belong, mostly, to my Flack family.
Chapter 4: A Merry Little Christmas
Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
Let your heart be light,
From now on our troubles
Will be out of sight.
Danny cleaned up paper from under the tree while Lindsay found places for all the photographs and gifts around the small apartment. There wasn't much room, between the things Danny had had and the things she had brought with her, but Lindsay couldn't bear to leave a single present not displayed.
Her favorite picture was one taken of Danny and all 17 of her nieces and nephews sitting on hay bales out in Montana. Danny was wearing a borrowed cowboy hat and boots, and holding one of her brother Joey's twin girls. He was grinning at the four little cousins mugging for the camera in front of him.
Lindsay hung that picture on the wall of the little space they had created for the baby. "There, baby," she said to her belly, "All your cousins are waiting for you. Hurry up, can't you?"
She turned to see Danny looking at her quizzically. "Well," she said a little defensively, "She might as well get used to listening to me!"
Danny laughed, "Honey, he'll be a Messer! He won't listen to anyone! How ya' doin'? Do you want to go to Flacks' for dinner?"
Lindsay winced at the thought of all those people saying, "Are you still here?" and making clever comments about giving birth to an elephant. On the other hand, she hadn't seen Stella or baby Star for nearly a week. In fact, she had hardly moved outside the apartment all week as the weather had been so bad, and she needed some company before she fell even deeper in to the doldrums. She nodded, but added a warning, "The first person who squeals and rubs my tummy is going to be wearing eggnog!"
Danny threw an arm over her shoulder and kissed her, "I promise to take out the first one who makes a clever comment!"
They said together, "Unless it's Stella!"
Lindsay dressed carefully for the party. Even if she felt like a Macy's Parade blimp, she was determined to put on the best show she could. Her red velvet dress was cut low, showing off her enhanced assets (Danny definitely enjoyed that aspect of Lindsay's pregnancy!) and stopped above the knee. She pulled her hair up off her neck and used makeup for the first time in weeks. She reluctantly slipped into a pair of low-heeled shoes; her feet were too swollen for her gold heels that made her nearly as tall as Danny. When she came out of the bedroom in a subtle wave of perfume, Danny's appreciation showed in his eyes. "Mrs. Messer, you look too fine for a married woman!"
"Just perfect for my married man, then. You look pretty fine yourself!" Danny was dressed up too, in a suit and tie. "Trying to keep up with Don?" She smiled at him teasingly as she tidied his tie.
Danny rolled his eyes, "No one matches the NYPD clothes horse, Montana; you know that." Under Stella's careful tutelage, Don's natural flair for snappy dressing had become a positive obsession.
The Flacks' front door was wide open, and lights and music were both streaming out into the dark New York evening. Lindsay whispered to Danny, "I feel a little funny going in the front door; I've never done that before!"
Danny wrapped an arm around her, "This is an occasion, Montana, and even the Irish open the front door for a special occasion!" With a flourish, he handed Don Flack Sr. a bottle of Scotch and another of red wine. "The Scotch is from my father, sir, in apologies for not being here to wish you a happy Christmas himself."
Don Sr. took the bottle and subjected it to careful scrutiny. "Well," he said doubtfully, "It doesn't look damaged."
Lindsay said, "Excuse me, sir?"
"I guess it fell off a very slow moving truck!" Don Sr. completed the thought, grinning at Danny and slapping him on the shoulder. "Merry Christmas, Detective Messer."
A swarm of Flack grandchildren descended, dragging Uncle Danny off to see the latest games and toys that arrived that morning. Lindsay watched them with a smile. "He's so good with kids," she said quietly, thinking about the picture her brother had sent her with all her nieces and nephews.
"Probably a good thing," Don Sr. joked, looking down at Lindsay.
"Lindsay!" She heard Stella squeal and turned in time catch her hug. Don Jr. was standing behind his wife, holding their daughter Star Linn and grinning. He leaned over to kiss Lindsay on the cheek, while Star cooed and held out her arms. Lindsay took the baby, gave her a kiss, then kissed Don as well.
"Hey, Lindsay, you still here?" Don Jr. said. "What, you having an elephant? You know they gestate for two years, don't you?"
A hand tapped his shoulder and he turned to see Danny staring at him sternly.
"Come on, Flack, let's take this outside," he said, shaking his head with a sigh.
"What? What are you talking about?" Don Jr. looked confused. Lindsay was biting her lip, trying not to burst out laughing.
"I promised to flatten the first person who said anything stupid to Lindsay, like 'are you still here' or 'are you having an elephant'. Guess you won yourself two beatings."
Flack looked down his nose at the shorter Messer. "Like to see you try it, buddy boy," he retorted.
Stella stepped between the two men and said, "Lindsay, we need an impartial judge here."
"I don't know," Lindsay said thoughtfully. "Danny did promise, and I think he could take him. What's that?" She turned to the baby who was babbling in her ear. "You think Daddy could beat up Uncle Danny? Oh, but you think your grandmother may have something to say about it?" She kissed Danny and said, "Thank you for defending my honour, but you'll have to find some other way to beat Don tonight, I think. How about a nice game of Monopoly?"
On a wave of laughter, Lindsay turned to greet Dora Flack, Don's mother. Greetings and hugs and people and more people later, Lindsay found herself installed in a chair in the kitchen, helping to fold napkins. Star had been scooped by one of her older cousins; children and adults wandered through the kitchen talking constantly.
Sitting beside her and polishing already perfectly shining silver serving spoons, Stella noticed the bracelet. "Danny told me about it, but he wouldn't let me go with him even though he knows how much I love Tiffany's! He was determined to do this by himself. He knew exactly what he wanted." Stella's eyes filled with tears as she touched the pendant. "Three diamonds, Lindsay: one for you, one for him, and one for the baby."
If Danny was surprised by the kiss Lindsay gave him when he wandered into the kitchen to grab another beer, he didn't say anything, just enjoyed it.
At one time the noise of a Flack family event had overwhelmed Lindsay, used to her Montanan brothers who were more the "speak when spoken to" type. She had more brothers than Don had sisters (five to his three) though, so she was used to a large family. The Flack girls, Maria, Elena, and Sophia, had managed between them to bring ten children into the world. With little Star, Dora was a happy woman with her eye on at least a few more grandchildren to spoil and feed. She considered the Messer baby to be the next in her matriarchy, making her count a round dozen. She was waiting for Don and Stella to bring it up to a baker's dozen.
They sat down to dinner in two rooms: sixteen at the adults' table and ten at the childrens' table. The older children looked after the younger ones, patiently wiping up spills and mediating fights. At the adults' table there was much talking and laughter over a sumptuous feast.
A little concerned that it might be too much for her, Danny whispered to Lindsay, "Ya doin' okay there, Montana?"
She flashed him a huge grin as she turned back to Don, who was sitting beside her, explaining the traditions. First there was the pulling of crackers: everyone had to cross hands in front and find the little tab in each neighbour's cracker, then everyone pulled in one glorious bang. From the childrens' room came an echoing sound, coupled with crying children, scared by the noise.
Once parents returned from soothing babies, all were expected to wear the silly hats, and read out the jokes. There were noise-makers and little games and toys to play and trade.
Before carving the turkey, Don Sr. called all the children in to the living room, then stood at the head of the table, and cleared his throat. "Dear Father in heaven, we thank you for this gathering of friends and family. We ask your blessing on this food, on the hands that prepared it, and on all those who share it. We pray for those who in this season of love and plenty are alone, are in sorrow, are in need. May we find ways to help them."
Dinner was served. Dora was never in her chair for more than a moment, constantly running back and forth between her grandchildren, the living room, and the kitchen, making sure that everyone had enough to eat and more to drink.
When they finally had finished the meal, everyone crowded into the living room, which was only used for special occasions, where the fire was lit, and people perched wherever they could find room. Most of the children were on the floor, with the very little ones already beginning to nod off on blankets and laps.
The children began the evening: Maria's sons James and Christopher reprised the duet they had sung at Midnight Mass, Panis Angelicus, in voices so sweet Lindsay could swear she heard the angels whisper in admiration. Elena's daughter Caitlin sang I Wonder as I Wander, then led the younger children in singing Away in a Manger, complete with actions. Rhianna, Marie's youngest, who had been Stella and Don's flower girl, completed the programme, singing Silent Night.
When all the children who wished to had performed, the family sang all their favorite carols, accompanied by Dora until her hands were tired, then by Elena. After several carols had been sung, and small children were nodding off, Sophia, the youngest Flack daughter, sang Ave Maria. It was so beautiful, Lindsay felt tears fill her eyes. But it was the final song of the evening that had the tears spill over, when Don Sr. stood to sing O Holy Night. His clear tenor with its slight hint of Irish ancestry swelled through the room like an benediction on his family and their guests. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful evening.
A/N: It's Christmas Eve where I am, so this is a gift to all my readers and especially my reviewers. May this holiday season find you where you most want to be, with the people you most want to spend time with, making memories to last you through the times when you cannot be where and with whom you want.
Merry Christmas to you all.