Author's Notes: First - apologies, apologies, apologies. I haven't posted in forever, I know. I have no excuse, I've just found things a bit overwhelming. And the longer I waited, the harder it was to get back on this horse.

I'm going to be diverging a bit, but I find I need to work the events of the season finale into this. I've also re-posted all the prior chapters to fix some continuity errors I had and to rework the baby's name. I've just decided I can't keep calling her Aidan when she's Lucy on the show. I know it's a little thing, but it's driving me nuts.

As much as I'd like to keep us all in a bubble, I'm not sure I could keep this going if I don't give some acknowledgment to what happened in the season 5 finale. So get out your hankies, this one's gonna be a bit rough. The finale also causes some timing issues with my story, because my Lindsay is not back to work yet, and clearly on screen she is. But let's just gloss over that for now, shall we?

SPOILER WARNING - I'm pretty spoiled for season 6. I will try to keep references to anything that has not actually appeared on-screen in the US out of my chapters, but no absolute guarantees. And once something is aired in the US, it's fair game in my book.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Full headers and disclaimer in Chapter 1

Title: A Father's Heart, Chapter 8 (completed 09/06/2009)

Chapter Rating: T

Word Count: 3,854

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He was tired, beyond tired. Trudging up the stairs of the apartment building where he'd once lived the carefree life of a bachelor, Danny Messer reflected on the events of the day. There hadn't been any shootouts, no chasing of perps, and no difficult crime scenes with attics or basements to crawl through. The source of his exhaustion was emotional and mental, not physical.

He imagined how he'd be feeling if he didn't know that his wife and daughter were waiting for him; if he were coming home to an empty apartment after a day like this. He wondered how he ever thought that bachelorhood was so great. Not for anything would he go back to that life. The sure knowledge that Lindsay and Lucy would be there for him at the end of the day was sometimes the only thing that kept him sane. He smiled. Already some of the pain was sliding off his shoulders.

But the mind can be cruel sometimes. Just as we find a way to crawl out of a pit of care, it brings up something to push us down again. Danny's thoughts drifted to his friend, Don Flack. The tall, grinning, wise-cracking detective was gone and Danny wondered if he would ever return. The man walking around in Flack's body was nothing more than a ghost. He did everything that was expected of him. He was exemplary at his job, and he even agreed to go out one or two nights a month to hoist a few after work. But these days, Flack would nurse one bottle of beer all night and never actually drink more than a third of it. He would come and have dinner with the small Messer family and say and do all the right things, tickling and cuddling the baby, talking shop and making pleasant conversation. But there was no life left in him. It was as though he had died with Jess, and Danny couldn't help but think it would have been kinder if he had.

As he contrasted the changes in his life with Flack's, Danny marveled that the love of and for a woman had so changed his life for the better, while making Flack's life a hell on earth. Jess and Don hadn't tried to hide their relationship, but they were discrete, so not too many people in the lab or the precinct knew that they were more than casually involved. But one night, while a still pregnant Lindsay was visiting her family in Montana, Don had taken a forlorn Danny to their favorite watering hole to get his mind off his new wife's absence. After about the sixth round of beers, Don became understandably tired of hearing of the many and improbable virtues of the newly minted Mrs. Lindsay Messer. He decided a change of subject was needed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Danno, I need your advice on somethin'. You bein' a married man now, and all."

"Anything, Don. Y'know that. Ya need help, I'm here for ya." Danny hadn't been eating regularly and the beers were taking effect fast. He was still sober enough to realize just how drunk he was getting and that he'd have to leave the bike in the lab's garage and get a cab home tonight. And judging by Flack's drooping eyelids and slurring speech, he should probably drag him home with him and tuck him in on the couch. Flack wasn't stupid enough to try to drive home, but if he weren't redirected, he would probably show up on Jess' doorstep at some ridiculous hour of the morning, thinking he'd be welcomed with open arms. Danny had done that to Lindsay a time or two, and he didn't expect that Jessica Angell would react any better than Lindsay had.

"I think I've found my Lindsay, Danno." Flack waved a hand in the air, attracting the attention of the waitress to bring them another round.

Danny sat up straighter and looked wildly around the bar. "You found Lindsay? Where is she? Did she come back early?"

"No, Danny, no. I said I found * MY * Lindsay." Don took another long pull from his beer, tipping his head back to let the last of the cool liquid slide out of the bottle. Swallowing noisily, he brought his head back down and set the bottle on the table with a heavy thud. "It's Jess, Danny. I think she's the one. I know she is. She's special - so special. I need to figure out what to do about it. And no offense, Danny, but I don't think gettin' her knocked up is the best way to go about things."

Danny stared at his friend, a smile slowly spreading across his features. "No kiddin' Flack? You an' Jess, you that serious?" Danny reached across the table, smacking his friend's shoulder. His smile broadened. "Welcome to the club, big guy. You won' regret it. But you're right. Gettin' her pregnant is probably not the way to go. Lindsay didn't b'lieve me the first time I ask'd her t'marry me. She thought I was jus' askin' 'cause she was PREG-NANT." Danny put a load of emphasis on the last word, splitting the syllables almost as if it was two words. He was still awestruck at the thought that he would soon be a father. "I hadda trick 'er into goin' ta City Hall. Mac an' Stella helped. But she said yes and it worked out. And now she's in Montana. An' I miss her, Flack, I miss her somethin' awful…"

The two men waxed silent when the waitress brought their beers. She smiled flirtatiously, until she noticed the glinting band on Danny's left hand. She thought it was a bit strange. The other guy looked like he'd be the one with two-point-two kids and a two-car garage. The guy with the dirty blond hair and scruffy goatee had that bad-boy look she was so attracted to, but he was taken. Ah well, she could still enjoy looking. She hoped he'd feel the need soon to rid himself of all the beer he'd been drinking. She wondered what he looked like when he was walking the other way.

After she left, Flack quickly steered the conversation back to his dilemma. "D'ya think it's too soon, Danny? I mean, we've known each other a coupla years now, but it's only been a few months that we been seein' each other. I don't wanna scare her off, but I wanna know if I gotta chance, ya know? I'm scared shitless it's just me, Danny. I'm scared she ain't interested in the whole marriage and family thing."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Danny was happy for his friend that night. He thought for a moment that there must have been something in the water cooler to suddenly turn the NYPD's two most confirmed bachelors into husband material. Considering the advanced state of his inebriation, the bittersweet memories of that night were amazingly clear. He'd agreed that Flack should probably avoid the whole pregnancy route. That could have so easily blown up in Danny's face, and very nearly did. Of course, Lindsay's announcement had served to make Danny realize what Flack apparently already knew. Danny had advised Don to imagine what life would be like without Jess in it. If he was unable to contemplate it, then she was indeed the one, and there was just one thing to do about it. It pained Danny to realize his words had been so prophetic.

Flack had spent the night on Danny's couch and the two had nursed hangovers together the next morning. The usually private detective had been a bit embarrassed at just how much he'd revealed to Danny, but had thanked him for helping push him in the direction of what he needed to do. He'd asked Danny to keep the conversation to himself and Danny had agreed that he wouldn't even tell Lindsay. Flack had left; saying now all he had to do was to pry his grandmother's ring out of his mother's clutches. He wasn't looking forward to that conversation, but nothing less than the family heirloom would be good enough for his Jess.

Danny reached the top of the stairs and quickened his steps as he walked down the long hall. The memories of that night had landed him in a melancholy mood and he needed his girls to bring him out of it. He turned the key in the lock and opened the door quietly, just in case either of them was sleeping.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was nearly ten o'clock and Lindsay was sitting on her hands, resisting the urge to pace the floor. Danny had called just before eight to let her know that he needed to hang around the lab for a couple hours more to finish processing some evidence before he could come home.

It wasn't that she was worried, at least not more than usual when Danny was working. But there was something about the tone in his voice, the mention of something with a case that had "freaked him out". Lindsay was too much of a scientist to believe in anything like woman's intuition. That didn't mean she didn't know her husband well enough to pick up on the clues that indicated that there was a lot more going on than Danny wanted to reveal - at least over the phone. The more time she spent waiting for him to come home and spill the beans, the more rotten she imagined those beans to be.

When she heard the key turn in the lock, she bolted off the sofa, too relieved to worry that she was acting like an over-anxious wife.

As he walked through the door, Danny was nearly bowled over by a small, brown-haired whirling dervish. Said dervish wrapped two arms around his waist and kissed him soundly before he even had a chance to drop his keys. Not that he was complaining. The kiss was quickly working to push all thought of Don Flack's troubles out of his mind. In point of fact, the kiss wasn't discriminating. It was pushing pretty much * all * thought out of his mind and down into his pants.

As the crazed being he now recognized as his wife released his lips and settled back on her feet, he regained his senses enough to check the door locks and settle his keys on the hall table. Wrapping his arms around Lindsay, he kissed her forehead, then her nose and finished with another, although somewhat less steamy, kiss on her lips.

"Wow, Montana! Somethin' get inta you while I was workin'? Whatta you got in mind?"

Suddenly embarrassed by her anxiety-fueled display of passion, Lindsay blushed as she took one of Danny's hands and led him into the living room. She needed him to explain what was bothering him, and if they were distracted by other activities, that might never happen.

"I, um…I'm just really curious about that case you mentioned. You said there was something bizarre that freaked you out. Considering some of the things we've seen, it must be something particularly weird and…well I guess I've been dying of curiosity here. And a little concerned. You sounded more than just freaked out over the phone, Danny."

Danny sighed. There was never any question that he would tell Lindsay the entire story, but for a minute he thought she might have given him an excuse to put it off one day. An excuse that would have involved much more pleasant pursuits. Still, it was important that she know before the CFS lady came the next morning, so it was probably for the best that they get the discussion out of the way tonight. But he was dog-tired and hungry.

"I promise, Linds, I'll tell you all about it. But I need a hot shower and I haven't had anything but chips to eat since this morning. Ya think ya can wait jus' a few minutes more?"

Lindsay thought her nerves would surely snap. But she managed a nod and a smile. "Go get in the shower. I made some stuffed manicotti with the sauce you made last week. I'll just heat some up for you."

"Sounds great, babe. I'll be right out."

Dropping another kiss on her head, Danny made his way back to the bedroom, unbuttoning his shirt as he went. Lindsay watched him a moment. She could see the tension across his shoulders; the tensing of muscles that rippled down his back and through his arms. She'd been right. Something was really bothering him. Resigned to wait a bit longer, she set about warming up some food for them both. Suddenly she had the feeling she would need strength for the upcoming discussion.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Danny let the hot water course over his skin. It helped, some. For the hundredth time that day, he wished that Mac had told him more details about Melinda's case. What was the connection with Tanglewood? And what made Mac so sure that the gang was back? With the main members all out of commission, just who were they dealing with? And most importantly, why were they after a little boy that they thought was Danny Messer's son? It wasn't going to be easy talking to Lindsay about all this when he had more questions than answers himself.

Danny tried not to think of the biggest fear he had. The one that had come foremost into his mind as soon as Mac mentioned Tanglewood. What about Lucy? What if they went after her? If they found out that Joshua wasn't really his, would they come after Lucy next?

Danny was beginning to think he should take Lindsay and Lucy and move to Montana. His own parents had made it clear that his choice of wife was not up to their standards. She was, to them, a foreigner. He had tried once more, after Lucy was born, to convince them to accept Lindsay and to be happy for him, hoping that their first grandchild would change their attitude. Upon hearing that he had a granddaughter, Danny's father had only ridiculed him more. "All the Messer women give birth to boys, to sons. Your mamma had two boys…her momma had three boys. The best you and this…straniero…can do is a girl. Che non fa per voi. If you don't know this now…"

Danny had been expecting difficulties with Lindsay's parents. They were farm folk, and he was the bad boy from the city who had knocked up their daughter and then married her on the spur of the moment at City Hall. To his immense relief (and Lindsay's immense amusement), her parents couldn't have been nicer. They'd flown out a week after Lucy was born. Danny wasn't surprised that they fell instantly in love with their granddaughter. But both Mr. and Mrs. Monroe treated Danny like he had been a part of the family for years. There was some culture shock, of course. Mrs. Monroe was completely stunned when, on their first evening in New York, Danny made a complete Italian dinner for them while Lindsay relaxed in the living room, sharing embarrassing stories with her mother. A few days later, when the toilet in the master bath suddenly turned into a geyser, Mr. Monroe had been surprised when Danny simply turned off the water and called the super, rather than fixing it himself. And when Lester Monroe offered to try his hand, Danny confessed the only tools he owned were a hammer and screwdriver.

It saddened him to realize that his daughter's only chance for an extended family was over two thousand miles away. Even if his parents relented, Danny wasn't sure he'd ever be able to forgive their initial reaction. And they had spread their poison to Danny's uncles, aunts and cousins. Maybe if Louie ever came back….but that was a false hope, and Danny knew it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dressed in an old pair of comfy gym pants and a fresh undershirt, Danny followed the smell of food back into the kitchen. He really was starving. He sensed that Lindsay was anxious to hear about his case. He wondered how much she might have guessed. The woman truly did have an eerie knack of knowing when something was wrong. But he was fairly certain even she could not have guessed what he was about to tell her.

As they ate, Danny started at the beginning, describing the apartment he was called to, including his surprise on hearing that a precinct chief lived in such opulence. When he came to the part where he found Melinda's photo, he paused. Sensing that the punch line was coming, Lindsay swallowed the bite of manicotti she was chewing and looked up.

"It was Melinda, Lindsay. The vic that was found dead in that apartment was Melinda Ponzio. The same woman who claims I'm the father of her son. Mac confirmed it. After that, of course, he hadda take me off the case."

Lindsay put her fork down and leaned back in her chair, looking closely at Danny. He finished the last bite of his dinner and took his plate to the sink. Lindsay nodded, and he took hers with him as well.

"Ok, Danny. I agree that it's a weird coincidence. But it happens sometimes, you know? Something tells me there's more to this story."

Danny finished loading the dishes in the sink and grabbed a beer and a water out of the fridge.

"Yea, there is Linds. C'mon, let's sit on the sofa and I'll tell you the rest."

Linds stood and took the water. Her instincts telling her that by the end of the evening, she'd be wishing it was beer, too.

A muffled whimper came over the baby monitor just at that moment. Danny set his beer down and turned towards the nursery, but Lindsay stopped him.

"It's ok, I'll get her. She's probably hungry, anyway. Go ahead and sit, I'll be right back."

Danny shook his head and gazed heavenward, grabbing his beer and making his way into the living room. As if this discussion wasn't going to be difficult enough, now he was going to have to suffer through it while dealing with the distraction of his nursing wife.

Lindsay came back, cradling a wriggling, rooting Lucy. Once she sat down comfortably on the couch, Lindsay opened her blouse enough that Lucy could find her target and latch on.

"Ow!"

Danny chuckled, "You ok, there, Montana?"

"I'm fine." Lindsay smiled as she cradled her daughter's head, making sure to support her as she suckled, "She's just got quite a grip with those gums!"

"I know, Montana, I know. Sometimes when she latches onto one of my fingers, I wonder what that must feel like on your…you know…"

"It's a breast, Danny. You can call it a breast."

"I know what it is, Montana. But I'm afraid after this mornin', if I think of that word too much, I might want a little after dinner snack myself. After Miss Lucy is done, of course," he grinned, reaching out a hand stroking his daughter's cheek. "And then we'll never get through with the rest of my story."

Lindsay laughed, and shifted a little to hold the weight of the baby more comfortably. Danny was glad the mood had lightened a bit. He knew they were dealing with some possibly serious dangers. But he didn't want Lindsay to worry overmuch. That was his job. And Mac's.

"So, what else happened, after you found out the vic was Melinda?"

Danny skipped over the case he was reassigned to, and told Lindsay about his questioning with Mac and Hawkes. Her reaction to the tale of his first experience with Melinda mirrored Hawkes'. Fortunately, Lucy was done nursing. Lindsay was doubled over laughing and handed the baby over to Danny so she wouldn't drop her. His cheeks flaming for a second time that day, Danny took the baby back to the nursery and tucked her into her crib.

"I don't know what they all think is so damn funny, Lucykins. It was a serious decision, and I think we were pretty responsible about it. When you consider most kids stumble blindly into that first time unprepared, what we did makes a whole lot more sense. Of course, if any guy ever wants to try a 'scientific experiment' with you, I'll remove his 'scientific' equipment for him!"

Danny patted his sleeping daughter's tummy, turned out the light and returned to the sofa, where Lindsay had regained her composure. He continued his story, going over the rest of Mac's questions. As he talked, he put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her towards him. Circling his other arm around her, he brought her close, needing to feel her safe and protected in his arms. He hesitated before he got to the last part.

"Lindsay, Mac couldn't tell me much about the case. You know that. * I * know that. But he did tell me…it's Tanglewood, Linds." He pulled her tighter, reached a hand up and tangled his fingers in her hair. "Mac thinks the Tanglewood Boys are back, and they want the boy for something. They want him because they think he's mine, Lindsay. They think he's Danny Messer's son. And they killed Melinda to get him."

"Oh. My. God." Lindsay bolted off the sofa and ran down the hall to the bathroom. Danny followed, hearing her retching behind the closed door.

"Lindsay?" his voice on the edge of panic. He wasn't sure what reaction he expected, but this wasn't it. "Lindsay? You ok? Lindsay!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

straniero = foreigner

Che non fa per voi = She's not for you.

Sorry if this isn't very good Italian. It's straight from Google.