Instant Family

AN: Thanks to my betas. You know who you are.

Danny's POV

If you had told me a year ago that I'd be spending my Saturday night in a pizza joint in Queens, watching my girl and her soccer team celebrate a win, I'd have said you were crazy. But here I am sitting with Flack and his fiancée Megan O'Riley, the girl's soccer coach at Georgetown Prep, chaperoning a bunch of teenagers.

You see, last May, Lindsay's oldest brother Mark and his wife Suzie were killed in a car accident leaving behind their daughter Anna, who was almost 14, and had just finished eighth grade.

So a year into our marriage, about the time the Lindsay and I were talking about tossing her pills and trying for a baby, we became instant parents. Between the need to re-order our life to accommodate a teenager (something our one bath co-op just couldn't do), Lindsay's grief, and Anna's grief, we decided we'd wait on the baby for awhile.

Lucky for us, Don Flack came to our rescue. He found us a house that had everything we wanted near an excellent co-ed Jesuit prep school, and was able to pull some strings to get Anna admitted. His oldest brother, the priest, Tony (named after his grandfather) was a priest in the parish associated with the school; and his youngest sister Kathleen was an English teacher. They had introduced him to Megan, history teacher and soccer coach.

While Lindsay and I had both gone to public school, and believed in public schools, it was hard to find a spot in a good school after the process had finished. Besides, with all the upheaval in Anna's life we thought a smaller more nurturing environment might be better. The high school years are tough and both Lindsay and I have seen how much trouble one wrong turn can put a kid in. Besides, a couple of the public schools I went to visit scared me. Apparently, they don't have dress codes anymore; or if they do, I can't imagine what would violate them. Anna actually has to wear clothes to school and Lindsay and I don't have to be the bad guys.

A nudge from Flack, brings me back to the present.

"Hey, Dan, Megan says those aren't Georgetown boys getting friendly with the girls. Don't they seem kind of old to you?"

"Yeah, I think it's time we go make the rounds," I reply.

Flack and I walk over to the group of tables where the girls were sitting. As soon as they saw us walk over, the boys began to scatter, where Don followed them.

"Are you ladies having a good time?" I ask.

The girls nod and smile. Some even say "Yes, Mr. Messer."

I haven't been able to convince them to call me Danny. Hearing teenage girls call me Mr. Messer makes me feel old. And Lindsay and I are the young, cool parents. Most of Anna's classmate's parents are ten or more years older than Lindsay and I. We aren't cool in the let them drink beer at our house cool (except for what is in the fridge all the alcohol is under lock and key), but in the still have reasonably hip taste in music and clothes sense. Also, we haven't been parents long enough to break ourselves of swearing occasionally. Lindsay is trying to break me of that, pointing out that if we have a baby, I'm going to have to watch my mouth or we will end up with a kids who yells "shit!" in church.

"I just wanted to remind you that your parents should start coming to get you in about half an hour. Does everyone have some way home that's not by yourself?"

The girls all assure me that they have someone to go home with, so I head over to sit with Flack and Megan.

As I sit down, I notice that the boys from earlier are gone. So I ask Flack, "what's with the boys?"

"Oh, I just noticed they were all wearing Chelsea University gear and decided to remind them that girls under the age of 18 are off limits to them; and that as officers of the law, you and I couldn't ignore any behavior that could potentially corrupt minors," said Flack smiling.

Megan laughs and says "I hope you keep using those powers for good. Remember though someday an age appropriate boy is going to ask Anna out. You can't stick a gun and badge in his face. She'll never forgive you."

"Can't we keep her from dating until she is 35 or so," I ask.

"You mean older than Lindsay is now?" asks Flack with a smirk.

Luckily, Flack is saved from what would certainly be a sarcastic remark from me, by arriving parents. I like to check and make sure all the girls leave with someone and aren't sneaking off somewhere.

Then I hear it. My least favorite soccer father-- Councilman Andrews who sits on the public safety committee. Nice daughter, nice wife, but he's kind of pompous.

"Detective Messer thank you for providing a police escort for our girls. Where is the other Detective Messer tonight?"

"Lindsay was on call and got called in. Luckily, she got to see Anna play," I replied.

"Well, that is one disadvantage of having your kids so young. You don't have much control over your schedule, and you both have to work. It must have been so much worse when Anna was younger," said Councilman Andrews.

I took a depth breath. I can't believe he was trying to imply that Montana was a teenage mother and I was some jerk who knocked up an 18 year old when he was twenty.

"Yeah, I wouldn't know. We got Anna almost fully grown. She's Lindsay's niece. Besides no matter how much seniority we have, being a CSI isn't a 9 to 5 job. Lindsay's out working with the head of the crime lab, Mac Taylor, because she does some of our best blood spatter work," so there you jerk I think.

Clearly, Megan senses my frustration because she steps in.

"Councilman, how good to see you. Becky played a great game today. She's a joy to coach."

Then she waves Don over and begins again:

"I'm not sure you've met my fiancé, Detective Don Flack."

"Of course I've met Detective Flack. However, it's always nice to see one of the cities heroes again. I didn't realize that you and Coach O'Riley were engaged."

"Nice to see you again too, Councilman. Megan and I have been engaged about three months now. We are planning a Christmas wedding."

Luckily, we are saved from further conversation by Becky dragging her father out the door so they get home in time for something. Becky's a nice kid who clearly knows her father is an ass.

Later in the car on the way home, Anna had questions for Danny. "Uncle Danny does it bother you that people think I'm your daughter like Becky's dad did?"

Crap! That's the last thing I want Anna to think. Kids really do hear everything.

"No Anna, I'm proud to have people think you are my kid. It was just that Becky's dad was implying something not very nice about how old Lindsay would have been when you were born," I answered.

"So what you don't like is someone implying that you knocked up Aunt Lindsay when she was 18 and you were 20?" asked a smirking Anna.

I just laughed realizing that the kid had been putting me on.

"My dad said that when I was real little and Aunt Lindsay used to baby sit for me during her school vacation that she threatened to have a t-shirt made that said 'She's my niece, not my kid.' He said he felt that way too when Aunt Lindsay was a baby. I'm sure I'll feel that way when you and Aunt Lindsay have a baby."