A/N: So I think it's been a while since I updated this story, but I've been so wrapped up in Robert and Lindsay land from 9x08. My life is officially complete. you guys have no idea how long I have been waiting for that episode. It didn't help that it was exactly what I imagined for Lindsay. Utter perfection. Zachary Reiter is flawless. The only thing missing from the episode for me had been an airport scene, but I'll get over that with therapy.

I've been wanting to post this chapter for a while now but there was something about it that didn't feel right. I knew exactly what it was when I heard Gary Allen's new song. It was what this chapter has been waiting for. So with that all snuggled up together like perfection, I figured it was time it got sent out into the world. I hope you guys like this.

Also, I had a guest review recently asking me (at least I think it was a question, if it wasn't I'll say it was) about Danny because I've stated it's a DL story. And you're right, I have said it's a DL story... but you can't rush things. He will get here, don't worry. But I'm not about to give things away either. Just trust me when I say he's coming.

And i'll wrap that up for now. I hope you guys enjoy this brief, but insightful look into Lindsay's dad perspective.

Every storm runs, runs out of rain; just like every dark night turns into day. Every heartache will fade away, just like every storm runs, runs out of rain.

- Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain), Gary Allen.

Staring up at the storm clouds through the passenger window, Lindsay Monroe let the tears roll down her cheek.

They'd silently decided on the long way home from Deaconess Hospital, avoiding the Diner on their route. Michael had been driving past it everyday on his way to see Lindsay, partially to make sure he knew that things were still being done, and partially to torture himself. He wasn't sure why he'd felt drawn to the place of devastation, but he'd needed to see the flurry of activity. Police officers and specialist units were all over the diner, looking for any sign of the person that had done such a horrific thing to five innocent little girls, because ultimately, that was what they were; defenceless, little girls who had their innocence taken away too soon.

Michael turned to look at his little girl as she sat in the seat next to him, attempting to hide her tears as she watched the storm clouds form above their head.

In total, Lindsay had been in the hospital for three days. A little extreme, he'd thought considering she had not a scratch on her. She'd asked constantly why she was still there, and that there was nothing wrong. He had known why, but didn't have the heart to tell her. He knew his little girl and knew that what they were worried about wasn't even an issue… but they were professionals, and their opinion took precedence over his own, uneducated one. Apparently knowing your own daughter didn't carry anything anymore. Of course, his inability to provide her with an answer only made Lindsay even more suspicious. Eventually, she'd wormed it out of Logan that they wanted to keep an eye on her emotional state because of the 'traumatic nature of the passing of her friends' and considering she was the 'only surviving witness' they couldn't be sure what she would do if left to her own company. The look on her face had crushed his heart. He could tell that she felt betrayed. It was hard enough for him to stomach, so he didn't even know how it must have felt for his daughter, already dealing with so many emotions of her own. Now she had to deal with the thought that he, the only person she could rely on, didn't trust her to be by herself? She'd asked him if he thought she'd do it, she'd stumbled over her words as she'd said it, and although she hadn't spelled it out, he knew exactly what she meant. He didn't think for a second that she'd take her life. He'd always told her how special life was, and how lucky they were to be healthy and it wasn't something that you took for granted. Even in her darkest days, Michael Monroe could see the spark in his daughter's eyes; it might have been mellowed… but it was definitely still there. He knew that some probably would think about it… but it wasn't the top of her priority list. The four lives had already been lost was more than enough. Nobody needed another life gone. Ever since it had happened, he had been telling her that she was here for a reason, and even though it left a bitter taste in her mouth, he was beginning to think that she was slowly accepting it.

Driving through the town that had changed in the past two days, he listened as Lindsay let out a breath. As it was, the world hadn't stopped while she had been in the hospital, but things had definitely been waiting for her. Some businesses were still shut in respect, others were shut in horror; unbelieving that such a tragedy had happened in their bubble. It wasn't that things didn't happen in Bozeman, because things did. People died and accidents happened. But murder? It just didn't happen… until now.

Pulling up outside of their home, Michael cast a nervous glance in his daughter's direction. "How are you feeling, kiddo?"

"Fine," she shrugged as she unclipped her seatbelt. "Thanks for the ride."

"Don't be silly;" he said softly, "I wanted to bring you home."

"Hmm," she nodded as she went to open up the door. As she did, a fat raindrop landed on her bare arm. She looked up to the sky and watched the storm clouds brewing above her head. They were about to be subjected to one serious storm. The air around her smelled like it was ready to rain; which was always one of Jenny's favourite smells. Lindsay sighed as a fresh batch of tears hit her. She swallowed and quickly exited the Pinto before leaning back in the grab her bag. She slammed the door shut quickly and ran to the front door. She disappeared inside before Michael had even got the chance to say another word.

Letting go of the steering wheel, Michael sat back in his seat and sighed heavily as he watched big fat raindrops hit the windscreen of his wife's car. Short of wrapping his little girl in cotton wool, he had no way of protecting her from the storm that was about to hit…

His eyes absorbed his home of the past twenty years and he couldn't help but hear the giggles of the four teenage girls that had used the mass of land to fuel their childhoods. The giggles he could hear in the wind however, twisted the knife that was already in his gut. If he could hear those giggles, Lindsay could hear them too. She'd be able to hear them, feel the memories and miss the girls even more than she already did. Even her home wasn't a safe haven. Looking up to Lindsay's bedroom window, he watched his little girl turn the lights on, he then watched as she closed her blinds, making her disappear from view.

Deciding to brave the weather, he opened up his car door and raced for the front porch; the rain soaking through his shirt as he did. His little girl was hurting, and he had no idea how to fix it. Life, he thought, was ridiculously unfair. And even though he knew they'd make it through, he wondered just how they'd manage it, and how intact they'd be once they made it to the other side.

Hours passed and Michael still couldn't hear movement in Lindsay's room. He'd tiptoed down the hallway a thousand times, pressing an ear to her door but he couldn't hear a thing. The storm had shaken the very foundations of their little home and as he nursed a cup of coffee, he marvelled at the perfect metaphor. A storm was definitely shaking their very foundations that made them who they were. It'd been hours now of constant rain, wind and the occasional blast of thunder and lightening. But storms didn't last forever. They eventually ended, and the grey clouds lifted and things seemed a little clearer.

Their storm would pass - maybe in a month, six months, a year or ten. Regardless of how long it lasted, it would pass.

Hearing the gravel on the driveway, Michael glanced at his watch. Dana must have gotten home early from work. He stood from his seat at their kitchen table and poured her a cup of coffee and got the ashtray ready to take out to her on the porch. She'd tried to shake the nasty habit for years, but with stress after stress placed upon her shoulders, it was the only thing she would fall back on. And as much as Michael hated it, he couldn't make her stop. He could only ask. He crossed the kitchen and headed out into the hallway and opened the front door as he watched his wife juggling an arm full of brightly coloured folders from her fourth graders.

"End of year projects?"

Dana sighed and rolled her eyes as she dropped her student's folders down on the porch. "Something like that." She said. "How is she?"

Mike shrugged as he handed his wife the ashtray and coffee cup as they sat on the two wooden deck chairs on their front porch together. "She's survivin'."

"Don't say that, Mike." Dana whispered as she opened her purse and pulled out her cigarettes. "People are going to say that for as long as she'll remember now. It'll be all they say; the last thing she needs is for you to say that."

"I didn't mean it in that way and you know it."

"I know but… I just don't want to make it any worse for her."

"I don't think anything we say will make it worse, Dana." He scowled at the cigarette she was about to place in her mouth. "I wish you wouldn't do that."

"Mike, please." Dana sighed as she lit the small stick. "It's my one vice."

"And what do I do on the day it kills you, Dana?"

Ignoring her husband, Dana sighed heavily as she looked over their waterlogged lawn. "It's really been coming down."

"It's gotta run out of rain eventually." Mike joined her in looking out over their small plot of land. Seeing some movement, he narrowed his eyes together and felt his heart stop in his chest. "What the hell is she doing?!" he implored, standing from his seat.

"Who?" Dana asked sitting up in her own seat.

Disregarding his wife's questions, Mike stood on the very edge of the porch as the figure move closer to their house. "Lindsay Monroe, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I went for a rain walk," she said as she pulled her hood from her coat down and approached the house."

"A rain walk? Lindsay, you've lost your damn mind! It's been raining constantly for the past six hours. Thunder and lightening! I thought you were safe upstairs."

"I know, I heard you coming upstairs every fifteen seconds, Dad. You're hardly a ballerina; more a baby elephant going up those stairs. I needed to clear my head so I went for a walk. I'm fine."

"I didn't know where you were."

"You didn't know I was gone either," she countered. "Look, you wouldn't understand… I just needed to get away from people for an hour. I wanted to be by myself."

"You should have told me you were going out." Mike scowled at her. "How am I supposed to keep you safe if I don't know where you are?"

"Because I'm perfectly fine in keeping myself safe, Dad. Just because I've been through hell the past few days doesn't mean you have to step it up on security. A week ago if I had gone out for a walk you wouldn't have said a word… Don't make it different now. Don't be a different Dad. That's the last thing I need."

Mike blinked at his daughter. The rain was beginning to let up and just beyond horizon, the clouds were beginning to break. For the first time since they'd gotten home from the hospital, things were beginning to seem clearer. As he studied his daughter, he could see the clarity in her eyes. She'd been doing some serious thinking on her rain walk. Maybe it's what she had needed. He thought. Who was he to stop her from healing in the way she needed to? He couldn't tell her what to do. She had experienced things that he couldn't even imagine and she needed to deal with it in her own way; which was exactly what she had done. He took a deep breath and pressed a kiss to his daughter's soaked forehead.

"Alright, go dry off. You can come help us make dinner in a little while."

She nodded and smiled at her mother before laying her raincoat over the arm of her father's chair he'd just vacated. She then let herself into the house and disappeared upstairs. He turned to face his wife who had a sad expression, mixed with pride on her face.

He wasn't sure whether it was the end of their ordeal or the beginning of their journey; either way though it was going to be one long, hard fight.

Thoughts on this chapter and the story in general would as always be appreciated :) thanks for reading!