A/N - This is the happy version of the end of this story, I just want to warn you, it's a good long final chappy, once I started I couldn't stop myself! ENJOY!
Chapter Seventeen - Happy Ending
The last 3 years had been the best of Danny's life. He had the most precious 3 year old daughter, and the most amazing wife. Who was expecting their second child any day now. In Danny's eyes he had it all.
Danny and Lindsay were sitting on the sofa in their apartment watching some daft program on the television, neither were really taking it in, both were to busy trying to persuade their unborn son to make an appearance. Trying but failing.
Danny and Lindsay were talking when Danny heard tiny footsteps from the hallway. He turned to see Anna, standing there with her favourite blanky and the stuffed bear she called Mr Snuggles. Danny smiled at the sight of his daughter, everyone knew she was her daddy's little girl. Danny spoilt her rotten.
"What's the matter darlin'?"
Anna was trembling slightly. She walked up Danny's knee and looked up at him.
"Daddy I had a bad dream."
Danny leant forward and picked Anna up and placed her in his lap, Lindsay started to stroke her hair as they both listened intensely. Anna looked exactly like her mother, she had the same brown hair and big brown eyes, Danny couldn't help but love her.
"I dreamt the boogerman was in my closet and he took blanky and Mr Snuggles away!"
Anna started to cry at the prospect of the bogeyman taking her blanky and Mr Snuggles. She leant into Danny's chest and grasped tight to his shirt and cried. Danny and Lindsay tried to sooth her.
"Ssh, Princess, I promise the boogerman wont take blanky and Mr Snuggles."
"Its ok sweetheart, why don't we sit here while Daddy sends the bad boogerman away?"
Anna looked up and sniffed slightly.
"Can I have a glass of milk as well?"
Lindsay smiled at Anna's optimism. Lindsay leaned as close to her daughter as her pregnant stomach would allow and whispered.
"You can even have a cookie."
Anna's face lit up, she jumped of Danny's lap, and pulled on his arm urging him to move. Danny couldn't help but laugh at her efforts.
"Daddy, go get the boogerman so me and mommy can have our cookies!"
Danny looked to Lindsay and she smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"You heard your daughter chop chop."
Anna let go of Danny's arm and put her hands on her hips and pouted slightly.
"Chop chop daddy!"
Danny sighed and stood up defeated.
"I'm really rooting for this son of mine to make an appearance soon, I cant take being out voted by you two anymore!"
Anna and Lindsay laughed at Danny. Danny made his way into Anna's room to have stern words with the bogeyman while Lindsay and Anna prepared them all some milk and cookies.
Lindsay picked up Anna and sat her on the counter, lifting Anna was not a problem for Lindsay, even though Anna ate Danny and Lindsay out of house and home and generally ate like a gannet, due to her fast metabolism, she puts hardly any of the weight on making her as light as a feather.
Anna sat sucking her thumb and fiddling with her hair. Lindsay turned and passed Anna her favourite Winnie The Pooh sippy cup. Anna frowned at he mom.
"Mommy! I don't need a sippy cup."
Anna puffed out her chest.
"I'm a big girl now."
Lindsay laughed and winced slightly.
Anna panicked.
"I'm sorry mommy, I will drink out the sippy cup!"
Lindsay smiled at Anna.
"Don't worry sweetheart, mommy has intergestion is all. Did you want a plastic cup instead? Seeing as you're a 'big girl now'"
Anna smiled and battered her eyelashes.
"Yes please mommy."
Lindsay took the top off the sippy cup and poured the milk into a plastic cup and handed the cup to Anna, she took a sip and didn't spill a drop. Anna squealed.
"See mommy, I told you so!"
"Yes you did didn't you, so does that mean you don't need blanky and Mr Snuggles anymore, big girls don't have teddies."
Anna's eyes widened.
"I'm not that big yet mommy."
Lindsay laughed and passed Anna her cookie and lifted her down from the counter. She and Anna made their way back to the living room, just as Danny emerged from the corridor, he smiled at the sight of his pregnant wife and precious daughter.
Anna jumped up onto the sofa, right in the middle, Lindsay and Danny sat either side of her. Danny took a sip of his milk when he felt something cold on his thigh. He looked down at Anna, she had fallen asleep, whilst doing so spilling her milk on Danny's trousers. Danny wasn't mad, he thought it was sweet. She was up late. She went to bed at 6 o'clock this evening and it was now 10 o'clock she had been asleep for a good 4 hours before she woke up again and she wasn't used to it. Danny and Lindsay smiled at the sight of their daughter.
Slowly Danny picked up Anna, her blanky and Mr Snuggles and headed to her room. He pulled the covers to one side and lowered her into the bed, he placed blanky and Mr Snuggles in her arms and pulled the covers over her. He kissed her on the forehead.
"Goodnight princess, sweet dreams."
Danny went to walk away when he felt a small hand grab his.
Danny turned to see a smiling Anna.
"Hey princess, you ok?"
She nodded.
"Thank you for getting rid of the boogerman. I love you daddy."
Danny felt a lump catch in his throat. He smiled lovingly.
"I love you to princess."
Anna smiled and closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep. Danny felt a tear fall down his cheek. She is the only other female Danny has known to make him cry, and that's takes a lot.
Danny switched off the main light and closed the door just enough so that the hallway light could lighten the room. He made his way back over to Lindsay who was sitting in an awkward position on the sofa. Danny looked at her confused.
"Linds?"
She was kneeling on the floor with her hands against the cushions of the sofa, she was breathing heavily. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was happening, but Danny was clueless.
"Danny, are you honestly that clueless?"
Lindsay didn't raise her voice, didn't say it angrily but actually humorously. She smiled at Danny and then winced and moaned in pain. It suddenly clicked with Danny.
"Holy shit, he's coming!"
Lindsay raised her head and looked at Danny.
"Now that we have established that, can we please go to the hospital?"
Danny ran round the apartment making phone calls and grabbing the things he knew Lindsay would need. Lindsay called to him.
"Danny, I have already packed an overnight bag!"
Danny stopped and dropped everything he had in his arms. He suddenly walked to the door and picked up the already prepared overnight bag. Just as he was about to walk out the door Lindsay stopped him again.
"Danny, what about Anna? We promised she could come with us, she doesn't want to left out of this, and I don't want her to be."
Danny nodded, he walked down the hall to Anna's room and grabbed a bag and packed a change of clothes, some colouring books and the book he had started reading to her that night. He threw the bag over his shoulder and slowly picked Anna out of bed making sure to take blanky and Mr Snuggles with him. He carried her out to the living room and slowly helped Lindsay to the front of the apartment building where Flack and Stella were waiting in the car.
"Nice and easy."
"Danny, I am in labour not some sort of rigging machine!"
Flack looked at Stella wide eyed.
"And you want us to be going through this?"
Stella glared at Flack and hit him on the arm. Flack and Stella were watching as Danny tried to make Lindsay comfortable whilst trying not to squash Anna. Stella noticed the bag on his shoulder.
"Is that Lindsay's overnight bag?"
"Bollocks!"
Stella soon realised that it wasn't Lindsay's bag. Danny passed Anna to Stella in the front seat and ran back up to the apartment and grabbed the bag he had left by the door. He made it back in time to hear Lindsay effing and blinding.
Danny just nodded. And got in the car after taking Anna from Stella, they were now enroute to the hospital. Danny and Lindsay started arguing, if you can call it that.
"I swear to God Messer, you knock me up again and I will permanently castrate you!"
"I will bare that in mind when you bring up the prospect of having a third."
Lindsay glared at him.
"Trust me, I wont be!"
Danny knew he shouldn't piss off a pregnant woman in labour but when it came to Lindsay he couldn't help it.
"Linds, that's what you said after you had Anna, and look where we are!"
Lindsay just moaned in pain.
"Fine, if we have anymore children I am having a c section, but if you must know, the prospect of castrating you is looking more and more appealing!"
Danny and Flack both cringed at the prospect. Stella just laughed to herself. The hospital was a 20 minute drive from Danny and Lindsay's apartment, but there was traffic. Throughout all the commotion Anna had still been asleep. Danny couldn help but stroke her hair as she rested her sleeping head on his chest and breathed contently. Stella looked back at Danny, she saw Lindsay smiling through her pain whilst looking at Danny and Anna.
"She is definitely a daddy's girl! And I can see this little one being a momma's boy!"
Lindsay and Danny both looked up.
"You have no idea how right you are. I have never seen Danny do as much as he does for one tiny little person."
"I wouldn't say that Linds, I've done a lot for you."
Lindsay glared at Danny.
"Yeah I know, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't be in the back of Flacks car having contractions!"
Stella, Flack, Lindsay and Danny were all talking about the pregnancy and life in general throughout the journey which was taking longer than anyone would have liked. When Suddenly Flack had to push down in an emergency stop because some twat of a taxi driver pulled out in front of him, just as they came to a halt in traffic, Flack jumped out and flashed his badge to the man, while this was happening, Stella, Danny and Lindsay heard the sound they all knew to well, Anna was awake.
Anna yawned and battered her eyes, she looked up to see Danny looking down at her. She smiled.
"Hello daddy."
"Hello princess. You ok?"
Anna nodded, she looked round and saw Lindsay mid contraction, it scared her and she held tighter to Danny's shirt.
"Daddy, is mommy dying?"
Danny chuckled.
"No sweetheart, mommy isn't dying, mommy is getting ready to have your baby brother, remember? We are in Uncle Don's car on the way to the hospital, so we can go get him."
"But mommy looks like she's dying."
Lindsay piped in.
"Sweetheart, I'm not dying, I'm not going anywhere quite so soon. But your baby brother is being a pain at the moment, just like you were when you were born."
Anna puffed.
"I am not a pain, daddy says I am an angel!"
Lindsay looked at Danny, Danny shrugged his shoulders.
"Daddy would."
Just as Anna was about to respond Lindsay cried out in pain. Danny looked at Lindsay ten looked at his watch.
"Linds, that contraction was barely 5 minutes from your last one, when did you start feeling cramps? And why hasn't your water broken?"
Lindsay shifted slightly in her seat as she started to breath heavily. She smiled as best she could at Anna, who was cowering into Danny's chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her.
"Uh, ha about that."
Danny shook his head in disbelief.
"This has been going on for hours hasn't it?"
Lindsay shifted some more in her seat, at that moment, Flack come back to the car and settled back in. Lindsay took this opportunity to change the subject.
"Any chance of this traffic moving Don?"
Flack turned to face Lindsay who now looked slightly dishevelled.
"Uh 'fraid not, accident up ahead is making the traffic worse, you know what people are like, they have to get out of their cars and look."
"Well that's just fucking perfect, cant people just once drive past the scene and mind their own god damn business?"
Anna stared at Lindsay in disbelief as did Danny, Stella and Flack.
"Mommy said a bad word, a very bad word!"
"I'm sorry sweetheart, mommy is in a lot of pain and really needs to get to the hospital or else your baby brother is going to be born in the back of Uncle Flacks car, and I don't think anyone wants that."
Lindsay again smiled as best as she could at Anna. Lindsay moaned in pain again, this time the contraction was stronger and Lindsay was in dire need of some pain medication."
"What I would give for some gas and air, and an epidural!"
Flack was having the onsets of a panic attack.
"She cant. Could she? How am I gunna explain this to the bloke who is gunna clean the car?"
Danny laughed. But he was extremely worried about Lindsay, this isn't how either of them had imagined their son would be brought into the world.
Danny took hold of Lindsay's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. He smiled tentatively.
"I think this is going to be a birth anyone in this car is going to forget!"
Lindsay stiffled a laugh and began to breath heavily as another contraction took control.
"Danny please, I need to get to the hospital, this isn't safe for me or the baby, you know what the Dr said!"
There was a look of panic in Danny's eyes, Lindsay had had some complications when giving birth to Anna, the Dr then told Lindsay that there was a very high chance of having the same complications.
"I know Linds."
Danny turned to Flack.
"Flack there has got to be something you can do? Please man!"
Stella looked at Lindsay and then back to Flack.
"Take us back to Linds' and Danny's apartment."
Flack, Danny and Lindsay looked at Stella curiously.
"Stella?"
Stella had flipped open her cell phone and was making a few phone calls. After a few minutes Stella flipped her cell shut and turned to Lindsay. Flack had already turned the car around and was making his way back to Danny and Lindsay's apartment.
"Right here is the plan, I have a friend from college that happens to be a paediatrician, he can deliver the baby and deal with any complications that follow!"
Danny and Lindsay looked at each other, Lindsay was tired and not in the mood for anymore running around. Or sitting in the back of Flacks car having heavy contractions and cussing in front of her very clever and very aware 3 year old daughter. Anna had been quiet for a long time, Lindsay looked at her daughter while Danny, Flack and Stella discussed their new plan. Anna was staring at her mom, tears in her eyes and fear in her little brown eyes. Lindsay reached out her hand to Anna, Anna looked at her mom. Lindsay smiled the way that was natural to her. Anna smiled shyly. By this time Danny and Stella had noticed the interaction between Lindsay and Anna. Danny smiled but said nothing. Tears started to roll down Anna cheeks, she was scared that her mom was dying, even though she had been told otherwise, he imagination was playing her a future where it is just her and Danny, no Lindsay or baby brother.
Lindsay smiled again, trying to convince her daughter that she was ok.
"Sweetie what's the matter?"
Anna said nothing. Her actions spoke louder than words. Anna crawled over to Lindsay gently and kissed her on the cheek and hugged tightly and started to cry.
"Its ok sweetie, we're heading home now, someone is meeting us there and I promise you will have a baby brother soon."
Lindsay paused and turned to Flack in the drivers seat, he had been driving like a mad man ever since Lindsay had suggested that unless they sped up Flack would have some explaining to do to the guy who was going to have to clean out his car.
"But that is of course unless Uncle Flack manages to get us there in one piece!"
Lindsay turned and took hold of Danny's hand, she looked into his eyes, and he looked straight back at her.
"Anna, princess, why don't you go sit with Aunt Stella until we get home, I think mommy needs some more space."
Anna nodded and crawled through the gap between the two front seats. Lindsay and Dann arranged themselves so that Danny was next to Lindsay helping her through each contraction. Stella and Flack looked at each other nervously every time Lindsay had a contraction, each time they were sounding more painful. But still Danny tried to keep a humorous atmosphere.
"Holy smokes Linds, my hand is gunna drop off in a minute!"
Lindsay glared at Danny.
"Trust me if I had my way, I would be squeezing the life out of something you hold very dear, you get me?"
Danny and Flack shifted in their seats and Stella tried not to laugh, minutes passed Lindsay was in the middle of another contraction when Flack finally pulled up in front of their apartment building. Flack ran to the passenger side door and helped Danny walk Lindsay up to their apartment, Stella took hold of Anna's hand and grabbed the bag and locked the car, and followed behind Flack, Danny and Lindsay.
Once in the apartment Stella walked Anna to her room and sat down on her bed with her. I will be right back sweetie, just gunna go check on your mommy and daddy."
Stella kissed Anna on the top of the head and headed towards the commotion in Danny and Lindsay's bedroom. Lindsay was now laying on their bed sweating and in a great deal of pain. She was trying to keep calm and was trying to keep an increasingly agitated Danny calm. Stella was the only one who heard the doorbell ring, she thanked God and opened the door, to her relief it was her friend Benny.
"You have no idea how glad we are to see you!"
Just at that moment screams could be heard coming from Lindsay. Benny looked at Stella.
"I think I have a fair idea."
Stella laughed and patted him on the shoulder and showed him to Lindsay. Danny was now sitting bedside Lindsay on the bed helping her with her breathing, the colour in his fingers indicated that Lindsay was still squeezing his hand.
"The Calvary has arrived."
Everyone in the room turned to look at Benny, he smiled nervously and walked over to Lindsay, he had brought with him what seemed to be a normal duffle bag, but once he opened it, it was no ordinary duffle bag, it had everything from sterile cloths and gloves to a packet of epidurals.
Lindsay's eyes grew wide at the sight of the syringes.
"Please tell me those are some painkillers? If they are epidurals, you are truly an angel."
Benny blushed slightly.
"Their epidurals, but I wouldn't go as far as to call me an angel!"
Lindsay smiled, Benny took a syringe out of the packet and administered one to Lindsay. Danny felt the grip on his hand lighten much to his joy. He stroked her head and smiled tentatively.
"Looks like my boys gunn make an appearance soon."
"Yeah, he is already proving to be just like his daddy."
Benny looked up.
"Why do you say that?"
Lindsay laughed.
"He is proving to be a big pain in the butt!"
"I didn't know I was a pain in the butt?"
Danny feigned innocence.
Stella looked to the doorway and saw a shy Anna standing, watching the events unfold. Stella, walked over and placed a hand on Danny's shoulder, he looked at her and then looked in the direction she was looking to, that's when he saw Anna.
"I wont be a minute Linds, don't go having this baby without me."
Lindsay looked up and looked over to the doorway and smiled at Anna.
Danny walked over and swept Anna up in his arms and walked her over to the kitchen and sat her on the counter, he picked out a cookie and poured her a glass of milk and gave them both to her. She took both and started to eat them slowly, gently swinging her legs back and forth. Danny lent against the counter beside her. Before Danny could speak nna spoke for him.
"I'm ok daddy, I just don't like seeing mommy like this."
Danny nodded, he knew she was a little upset by the situation, but he knew his daughter and for the past couple of days something has been bothering her, and he wanted to know what it was.
"Anna, I know you, that's not the real problem princess. Come on you gotta tell me or else we cant make it better!"
Anna was silent still.
"Please? For me, I don't like seeing my favourite girl upset, it upsets me too."
Danny pulled a sad face and looked at his daughter. Anna took a drink of her milk and wiped her mouth.
"Sandy at pre-school said you wont love me anymore."
Danny wasn't expecting that.
"What do you mean?"
Anna turned so that she was facing Danny.
"She said that you would start ignoring me, she said that as soon as the baby comes you'll wont want me anymore, she says its cuz I will be to old, no fun anymore."
Danny picked Anna off the counter and held her tight. Anna said nothing but held Danny just as tight. Danny felt tears form in his eyes, he couldn't believe Anna had been feeling this.
"Don't you believe any of that, I will never ever stop loving you, you're my little princess and I don't want you to think that just because there will be a new baby around that me or your mom are going to love you any less, you will always have a place in both of our hearts, and I promise once things have died down after the baby is born, I promise to take you to that big ol' toy shop that you love so much, how bout that?"
Anna squeeled and kissed Danny on the lips.
"Love you loads and loads and loads and loads daddy."
"Good, good, now I need to be with mommy right now, but if I put on a dvd for you, will you be a good girl and watch it?"
"Of course."
"That's my girl."
Once Danny had Anna settled he made his way back into the bedroom where it looked like he had arrived just in time. A few mere minutes later, the sounds of a baby wailing could be heard through the apartment, Danny was holding his newborn son in his arms while Lindsay cooed over them both. Stella was crying and Flack was admiring the love between Danny and Lindsay. Danny looked up and nodded at Stella. Stella walked out the room and moments later arrived with a nervous looking Anna, Benny made his way to the living room.
"I will leave you all for a moment."
Stella and Flack followed leaving Danny, Anna, Lindsay and little baby Jack alone.
Anna walked over to Danny's side and peered into his arms to see her baby brother Jack, Danny and Lindsay had this name chosen for months.
"Anna this is your baby brother Jack."
Lindsay smiled and kissed Anna on the top of her head.
"Don't be afraid sweetheart, its ok."
Anna looked closer at him, Danny and Lindsay were taken in by Anna's interaction with him. She took hold of one of his little hands and shook it gently and whispered.
"I'm Anna, your big sister, I promise to look after you and get the cookies from the jar when I can reach and you cant, and I promise that mommy and daddy are the best mommy and daddy in the world, and now I get to share them with someone."
Danny and Lindsay couldn't help but shed a tear, Danny hugged Anna tight as Lindsay held a sleeping Jack.
Stella and Flack had seen Benny out, he would pop by tomorrow to check on the baby and Lindsay. Stella looked at Flack who she had noticed became emotional during the birth. She linked her arms around his waist and he wrapped his arms around her.
"No can you see?"
Flack smiled.
"Yeah I can."
"After all the pain you go through giving birth, it's the moment you hear your baby cry that makes you realise that none of that mattered, that's why I want to go through that."
"Me to. Just promise you wont threaten my manhood like Lindsay did to Danny, I don't think I could stand that."
Stella and Flack laughed and made their way back into the bedroom to say goodbye to Danny, Lindsay, Anna and the newest member of the Messer/Monroe family. But they all knew, he wouldn't be the last.
THE END
A/N - I just want to thank my brilliant beta Jess, for betaing this story and helping me through my writers block, Mr Snuggles was her idea and I credit her for that, Thank you for reading this Fic, it has been a pleasure to write THANK YOU - Sammy
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