A/N Here is the second chapter. Oh, and per a wonderful suggestion, I will keep the index of my fics updated on my profile page as opposed to having to include it each time I post a story. I hope you enjoy. I really struggled with this one for some reason (darn medication fogging my mind).
Disclaimer I own nothing, I'm just borrowing and playing nicely.
XXX CSI NY XXX CSI NY XXX
"Can I get ya anything, babe?" Danny asked as he massaged Lindsay's stomach gently.
They had been at the hospital for sixteen hours. She was definitely in labour, although they knew they could still have a few hours to go. Both had taken advantage of the time and had paced the corridors until the contractions had gotten closer, then she had decided to sleep while she could. She was fairly comfortable, having said a quick "yes" to the epidural when offered. She was a practical woman. Sure, women had been doing this naturally for thousands of years. But Lindsay figured that if drugs had been available for women two thousand years ago, no one would not have hesitated to accept.
Stella and Sheldon had stopped by after their respective shifts, but after a few games of Euchre Lindsay had sent them on their way so everyone could get some sleep. Mac had dropped in when he left the Lab shortly after midnight, had chatted with the young couple upon finding them both awake, then he too had left. Don was still on duty, pulling a double shift, and was awaiting a call or text. Danny's parents and Louie were on-call, and Lindsay's folks were set to land at JFK around six a.m.
"I'm okay," Lindsay responded to her husband's inquiry.
"You're doing great, you know that?"
She looked at him with an amused grin. "I haven't really done anything yet."
He just shrugged. He stopped rubbing her tummy as she moved onto her left side to try and get more comfortable. He took her hand and stroked it gently for a few minutes. Finally, he rested his elbows on the edge of the bed and leaned over and kissed her lips lightly.
"That the best you can do, Messer?" she teased him.
He smirked. "You want more? I can definitely do more." He captured her lips with his again, this time quickly deepening the kiss.
"Isn't that what got you into this in the first place?"
The couple broke apart. Lindsay blushed slightly and Danny just shot a joking glare over his shoulder as his best friend's smirk as he walked into the room, a large bouquet of wild flowers in his hands.
"My cell had an unfortunate accident, so I wasn't sure if I was going to find the mini-Messers running around when I got here," Don explained, holding up the flowers.
"I'm pretty sure they won't be running around right away," Danny replied with a laugh.
Flack ignored the comment and smiled at Lindsay. "You look good, doll. He treatin' you all right?"
"Like a queen," she replied, flashing a grin to her husband.
"Good." Don set the flowers on one of the bedside tables, then leaned down and kissed the top of Lindsay's head before a hand fell on his best friend's shoulder. "So, we got an estimate here?"
"We probably got a few hours yet. Apart from the whole water breaking on the roof and getting stuck, everything else has proceeded pretty normally," Danny explained, his hand still holding his wife's.
"Yeah, about the roof, Monroe? Really Hollywood there. Next time, would think about waitin' 'til you're at the hospital for your water to break, okay?"
"Sure, Flack, I'll see what I can do," she deadpanned.
He chuckled.
Danny studied him for a moment. "You just getting off?"
"Yeah. We got an arrest on the Rollins homicide. Nailed the guy to the wall inside of twenty minutes once we finally found him."
"Sorry I missed that one. The boyfriend, right?"
"You got it. So, Linds, your folks comin' in?"
"Their flight's landing in an hour," she explained.
Don glanced down at his watch. "Listen, I'm gonna go home and grab a shower, then why don't I swing by the airport and pick 'em up? I'll bring them back and we can hang out 'til this thing happens."
"You don't have to do that, man," Danny replied, touched but knowing how exhausted Don must be.
"Not a problem. It's not everyday my best friends have twins, right?" He leaned down and kissed Lindsay's cheek, then shook Danny's hand. "La Guardia or JFK?"
"JFK. Delta Airlines, coming from Portland."
"Portland?"
"To get here quickly, they had to take what they could get. It was either Portland or San Francisco," Lindsay said.
"Gotta love air travel. All right. I'm on it. I'll see you guys in a couple hours. See if you can hold off 'til then, 'k, Monroe?"
"Just for you, Flack," she kidded.
He flashed her a grin then headed out.
An hour after Don left, Lindsay moved into the transition stage. Within another hour, she was fully dilated and they were preparing her for delivery.
"There was a bad accident on the Verrazano. Ma and Pop probably ain't gonna get here for a while," Danny explained as he walked into the birthing room, his brow furrowed. "Mac's on his way. He was gonna call Hawkes and Stella. And Don's without a cell so I have no idea how far away they are."
"So Mom and Daddy could still be at the airport for all we know?" Lindsay asked worriedly.
"Don't worry, babe. Flack's not afraid to flash the lights or turn on the siren. We still got a bit of time."
"Not too much, Daniel. You ready to help your wife here?" Dr. Donaldson asked as he walked into the room, looking at the chart he had been handed.
"What, now?" Danny countered incredulously. Suddenly, the calm he had found overnight dissipated instantaneously and his bright blue eyes flashed with panic.
The doctor, an older, jovial man, smiled widely. "Now. What about you, Lindsay? You ready to welcome your children into the world?"
She nodded, her smile betraying her apprehension however.
"Are you still comfortable?"
"Yes. God bless whoever created the epidural. If they were still alive I'd send them a fruit basket."
The doctor chuckled, taking his position to examine Lindsay as Danny moved to his wife's side.
Danny took Lindsay's hand, leaning down and kissing her temple. "You can do this. I've got every confidence in the world."
"Okay, Lindsay. As soon as your next contraction starts, we're going to start pushing, all right?"
"We? You want to do this for me, doc?" she asked hopefully.
Outside in the waiting room, a crowd had started to gather. Hawkes walked in with a tray of coffee and quickly was joined by Mac and Stella. Louie came bounding down the hallway, and seeing Danny's co-workers, he stopped and gathered with them once he was informed he could not go in to see his sister-in-law. Moments later, Don arrived with Lindsay's parents, who greeted the crowd before Walt high-tailed it to the nurses' station for an update on his "little girl."
The group sat. They conversed. Some paced. Carmine and Angelina finally arrived, relieved that they had not missed the big announcement, Carmine's jacket pocket filled with cigars.
"Stel, you're making me nervous here," Don said, glancing up from his seat and watching her pace.
"She's so early. I just want everything to be okay. They've already had to deal with so much, those two," she replied.
Sheldon started throwing out statistics on gestation times for twins, and the chances that even at this early date everything would be fine. Between the facts and his soothing tone, it was enough to calm Stella into taking a seat and to drink some coffee, while relaxing everyone else in the room as well.
Mac stood in the doorway, appraising the group with a wry smile. Sheldon, always the voice of reason and comfort. Stella, always concerned about everyone else. Louie, having turned state's evidence and been sentenced to probation, seemed to have turned his life around, though he still carried some scars, physically and mentally, from the attack that had nearly cost him his life. Walt and Marlene, both jet-lagged yet excited beyond words about the arrival of their first grandchildren, all three of their sons still too busy sowing their wild oats to settle down it seemed. Carmine, the patriarch of the Messer clan, the father Danny had learned early on not to ask questions about, not only for his own protection but for the sake of his own sense of right and wrong. And Angelina, a stunning and petite Italian beauty who looked too young to be about to become a grandmother, yet she waited proudly, her hand enveloped by her husband's much larger one.
"Mr. Messer, you really should let us –"
"In a minute, Carol. I've got some people these two need to meet!" Danny exclaimed, his voice bringing everyone to their feet before they even saw him. And then, there they were. One in each arm. A beautiful little girl in his left, a handsome little boy in his right. And on Danny's face, the proudest smile any father has ever worn.
"L'oh, il mio caro figlio!" Angelina exclaimed. "I bambini più bei che hanno vissuto mai!"
Danny's grin widened, if that was even possible. He had to agree with his mother: his children were the most beautiful ever to have lived. "I'd like to introduce you all to the newest members of the Messer clan: Olivia Danielle and Matteo Monroe. Little ones, this your family!"
Danny was swarmed. Grandmothers cooed and grandfathers beamed proudly, patting each other on the backs as if they had somehow done something. Danny's arms were soon empty, enabling him to receive hugs and handshakes.
"You did good, Messer!" Don praised. "They look just like Linds!"
Danny took the ribbing in stride; he had been thinking the same thing. However, he was pretty sure little Olivia had his nose and Matteo had his chin. But in the grand scheme of things, it did not matter in the least. They were here, they were healthy and that was all he cared about.
"How is Lindsay?" Sheldon asked.
"She's good. She's real good. She did amazing in there. Man, she was – She was – There's no words. She's just resting her eyes. But she wanted these guys to come out and meet you all."
"I'm going to go see her," said her mother, handing off her granddaughter to Stella. She squeezed her son-in-law's arm then headed down the hall.
"Danny, they're absolutely beautiful," Stella sighed, melting at the feel of Olivia in her arms.
"Which one's older?" Don asked, looking from one to the other.
"Matteo. Five and a half minutes."
"Damn!" Flack exclaimed. "You won, Hawkes."
Don and Mac each glowered slightly at the loss of fifty bucks to Sheldon. Stella was too enthralled with the baby in her arms to care that she had lost the baby pool.
Hours later, with the babies fawned over and the cigars smoked (Mac even restrained himself from making any comments when he concluded they were Cubans), the new family was finally alone. Danny sat down on the edge of Lindsay's hospital bed holding Olivia, Matteo firmly attached to his mother's breast for a feeding.
"He's definitely your son," she quipped. "He can eat."
He chuckled, then looked down at Olivia, sleeping soundly in his arms. "She looks just like you, Montana."
Lindsay was clearly tired, but more than anything, she was so happy she almost felt guilty. She had spent the seven months fighting for her right to work, but right now all she could think about was that she never wanted to let these two beautiful children out of her sight. And looking at Danny, the man who had given her this indescribably incredible gift, she realized she had never loved him more. "Thank you."
He looked at her almost incredulously then. "For what?"
"For what? For giving me these two incredible children. Look at them, Danny. They're perfect."
He nodded with a smile. "They are perfect." He ran a finger over his daughter's cheek. She scrunched her nose in a move that reminded him of her mother. "You know, to do what we do, I think that deep down, you gotta believe that in the end, the good guys are gonna win. They did today."
"That they did. So, I have to ask. Why Olivia?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. I just always thought it was a beautiful name. And it means 'peace.' When I saw her, I knew it fit. What about you? Why Matteo?"
"It means 'Gift from God.' And I wanted an Italian name. That's part of who you are."
He leaned down and kissed her lips gently.
"We can do this, right?"
"I hope so. But I gotta tell ya, I've never wanted to do anything more. You don't have to thank me for anything, Montana. You're the one who's given me something I never even used to know I wanted. I'm gonna do right by you and our kids, Linds. You've got my word."
"You already have."