A/N: Upon request of Nothatrose, I decided I would follow my true calling and write an airport scene for Lindsay's return. Italics denote a flashback :D
It's post 5x18... but you got that, right?
Anyway, enjoy.
Lindsay took a deep breath as she gripped Danny's left hand as he carefully led her through the busy airport with her carry on bag in his right hand.
"… And, if that happens I want you to call me."
Lindsay blinked and shook her head softly. "What?"
"If the baby kicks." He repeated. "I want you to call no matter what time it is."
"The baby always kicks." She laughed softly.
"Guess it looks like you'll be on the phone the whole time. What a damn shame." He smirked as he wiggled his eyebrows, before sighing. "I'm gonna miss you." He said as he kissed her forehead. "I hate it when you go to Montana."
"Hate is a strong word, Danny." She gently reminded him. "Use your words."
He shrugged, "Hate doesn't even justify how much I hate the distance between us. It's all I can think about. How far away you two are going to be. Without me."
Lindsay glanced towards the security check point and bit her lip before closing her eyes, "I…"
"I know, you gotta go, Linds."
She smiled shyly and nodded. "I'll be back."
"You can be for damn sure you're comin' back, I'll come and get you if I have to."
Lindsay giggled softly, and moved towards Danny and snuggled into a hug.
"I'm gonna miss you, Linds." He whispered into her hair as they stood in the departure lounge, "More than I can say."
She smiled and pressed a kiss to his jaw, "Even if you don't know how to say it?" she smirked.
He kissed her lips, then her cheek. "I love you, Mrs. Messer."
She smiled and giggled softly, "You just find reasons to say that now."
"You're my wife." He argued. "If I want to call you Mrs. Messer, I'm gonna damn well call you Mrs. Messer."
"Can you do me a favour while I'm away?" she asked.
Danny nodded, "Absolutely."
"Could you get me a change of name form from Mac…?"
His eyes widened and a smile tugged at his lips, "I thought you said you wanted to stay Lindsay Monroe at work."
"Lindsay Messer is married to Danny Messer." She informed him. "I want everyone to know you're my husband. Don't you want people to know I'm your wife? Is that how it is?"
"Of course not." Danny let out a small laugh and kissed her forehead with his arms draped over her shoulders, encasing her in a protective shield almost, "I can do that and get that sorted for you when you get back." He told her. "Speaking of favours, do you think you could do me a favour?"
She nodded.
"Be careful." He said simply. "I love you, and I don't want to lose you. Take it easy and don't…"
She moved her hand to stroke the side of his face affectionately and smiled. "I'm not going anywhere."
He snorted. "I think you'll find you are."
She shook her head and touched his heart, "I'm always gonna be there for as long as you want me there."
"Does forever sound okay?"
"Sounds perfect." She smiled before looking sadly at the security checkpoint again, "I really have to go."
"I'll be waiting for you when you get back, sweetheart."
"I'll call you when I land." She promised. "Don't over work yourself while I'm gone. I don't want any phone calls from Mac asking me to call my husband and tell him to go home."
"Haha." He rolled his eyes. "You're so damn hilarious."
She wiggled her eyebrows and rubbed her protruding belly, "Say bye to daddy, honey… tell him we're gonna miss him."
Danny pressed a warm hand to her belly, and rubbed it softly, "Be good for mommy, baby. Don't miss daddy too much."
Lindsay smiled as Danny dropped to his knees and softly kissed her stomach three times before looking up at her. "Look after my baby girl."
She laughed. "Or boy."
Danny shook his head as he stood up, "I think we're having a girl."
Lindsay rolled her eyes and smiled. "You gonna be okay?"
Danny laughed and narrowed his eyebrows. "Of course, you go enjoy the time with your mom and dad. I know how excited you are about this... I mean I'm not saying don't think about me because well, I expect you to think about me all the time, being your husband and everything." He smirked. "I guess what I'm trying to say is just don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I'll be waiting for you when you get back. It's easier watching you go this time." He said.
"It is?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yeah 'cause this time I know you're coming home to me. I'm gonna be there to pick you up at the airport."
Lindsay pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose as he handed her the carry on bag. "I love you," she whispered as she turned away from him and walked the short distance to the checkpoint. She quickly joined the line as Danny watched from where she had left him.
She turned and flashed him a slight smile. He returned the smile, pressed a kiss to his wedding band gracing his left ring finger and waved softly at her with the same hand.
Danny Messer sighed as he stood bouncing on his heels, waiting.
He had always hated airports, for as long as he could remember. They were too busy, everyone was in a rush, people didn't look where the hell they were going and…
"Jesus!! Watch it." He grumbled as he felt another luggage cart being rammed into his legs.
"Move your ass then."
"I'm waiting for my wife." He glared. "Move around me."
The young couple glared at Danny before manoeuvring around him dramatically.
"Douche bags." Danny muttered under his breath loud enough for them to hear, before turning his attention back to the door where he was watching for Lindsay.
He glanced down at his watch and sighed heavily. She should have been here by now. He pulled the ticket reservations from his document wallet and looked at the flight number and time.
Had he missed her?
He searched furiously with his eyes over the crowds of people looking for that tiny wife of his.
He looked down to the wedding band on his left finger, which he had now been able to completely remove the blood that had tainted it a little over a week ago. He had found it slightly amazing almost; that she knew that she was the one voice that he needed to hear in order to keep his sanity in tact.
When she had called him after he had felt the life of Little Stevie slip through his hands, it made that sickening feeling disappear, if only for a moment.
He glanced down at his watch again. Where the hell was she?
"Montana girls." He muttered under his breath. How hard was it to be on time?
He stood up on the seat next to him as his eyes fixed on the door ahead of him. He was determined to see her. If his life depended on it, he would see that wife of his.
And hopefully remove himself from the chair before she saw him.
He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose and adjusted his bag on his shoulder more securely.
Which was when he saw her.
Lugging her damn suitcase behind her, flustered, exasperated, almost ready to cry.
And the most beautiful thing in the world.
He jumped down from the chair and ducked in and out of the crowds before making his way over to her. He managed to position himself behind her and cover her eyes with his rough hands as she joined the line. He smirked as he felt her stiffen and he pressed a kiss to her revealed skin on her shoulder, before making his way up her neck lightly kissing her as he moved, and whispering "guess who," in her ear.
Her hands, with her sparkling golden wedding band glistening on her left ring finger moved up to his own hands covering her eyes and she felt them, and shook her head. "Daniel Messer. I am going to kick your New York ass."
"I love you too baby. How are you, Danny? I've missed you so much." He smirked as he turned her and hugged her tightly as best as her nearly eight month pregnant belly would allow him.
"Montana!!!" She laughed as she slugged him in the arm, "You actually came to Montana!? When you said you were going to pick me up, I didn't expect you to be making the trip home with me!"
"Danny, really, I've missed you so much." He said sarcastically as he kissed her forehead, "thank you so much for flying to Montana. It's so wonderful. You're the best husband ever."
She smirked and smiled sweetly, "Danny, really, I've missed you so much… Thank you for flying to Montana. It's so wonderful…"
"I get it smart ass." He smirked as he rubbed her belly and edged her forward in the check in line. "How are we today?"
"Good. She misses her daddy."
"She?"
"You said you thought we were having a girl!!" She giggled as she stood with her back to him as he wrapped his hands around her stomach, inhaling the scent of her hair.
"I did. But I change my mind daily." He informed her.
"For all you know, we could be having twins. Me being like a beached whale and everything."
"Oh for the love of… You're not a whale." He argued.
"I am!" She nodded adamantly as she attempted to turn in the embrace but failed epically. "See, I can't even turn round without belly bouncing you out of the way."
"I'm not going to fuel this delinquency of you calling yourself fat with a comment, Mrs. Messer."
"You should." She grumbled as she fished in her handbag attached to her suitcase for her ticket. "You made me fat."
"Oh and there was me thinking it was just you that night. Silly me." Danny laughed sarcastically as he gently moved her hand away from fumbling in her bag and got the ticket out for her
"You haven't seen me for two weeks and all you can do is be a wiseass." Lindsay grumbled as she attempted to move her heavy suitcase forwards. "Can you get that?"
He nodded and placed the suitcase on the belt, and smiled at the person at check in.
"Tickets?"
Danny handed both over and pressed a kiss to Lindsay's temple as the man sat opposite them typed furiously in front of them.
"Okay Mrs. Messer. Your in seat twenty-one A. Mr. Messer. Twenty-one B."
Lindsay turned and furrowed her brow, "How did…"
Danny grinned. "You know how you had me buy the ticket?"
She nodded slowly.
"I might have bought two."
She shook her head as she stood up on his tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his unshaven cheek. "I love you."
He smiled as he rubbed her back affectionately, and kissed the top of her head, "I've missed you."
They settled into a comfortable silence as they checked her bag and finished up checking in.
"Enjoy your flight." The check in representative smiled politely.
Lindsay smiled as she laced her fingers through Danny's as he took their tickets and handed the handbag he had been holding to her. They walked, slowly, in keeping to Lindsay's pregnant waddle, through the airport happily, him trying to dodge and protect them from the possibility of someone bumping into them; more specifically her.
He tugged her into the food court and sat her on an empty table and smiled. "Where am I going?"
She furrowed her brow as she shifted in the chair and placed her purse next to her, "Is this a guessing game or…?"
"What do you want to eat?" he asked, "My treat."
"Well gee, thanks honey." She drawled in a thick country accent.
"Enough of the wiseass-ness." He grumbled, "Tell me what you want."
She reached across the slightly sticky table and took his hands and intertwined their fingers. "Do you know what I really want?"
He shook his head.
"I want to sit with you. I just want to get lost in conversation. I want to be with you. I don't want you to go and get me food. I just want to sit and snuggle with you. I've forgotten what it feels like to be with you."
"You were only away for like two weeks, babe."
"Two weeks that seemed like two lifetimes."
"I thought you had a good time?" he asked as he gently caressed his thumb over her soft hand.
"I did." She assured him. "I had a fantastic time. But, I missed my husband."
He smiled as he took her hand and pulled it up as he placed a kiss on it. "I love you."
"You're sappy." She informed him.
"It happens to the best of us." He sighed dramatically.
She smiled and nodded. "So, I spoke to Flack a few days ago."
Shit, Danny swallowed. She knows.
"Yeah…" she continued, "He called me to see how things were going… Check up on baby Messer…"
"He's really taking to goddaddy role."
Lindsay nodded. "Yeah. He really has. He had some interesting stuff to say too." She said as she sat back in the chair.
"Oh yeah?" Danny mused.
She nodded again, before leaning forward and hooking her finger in his shirt and edging him towards her, the only thing seperating them was the table. "You ever go into a fucking scene without a vest on and partake in a shoot out ever again, I will personally kill you myself."
Danny stared at the venom in her eyes.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" She smacked him upside the head. "Without the vest? When he had a fricking machine gun? Did I bring your brain with me to Montana?"
Danny laughed. "I thought the same thing."
"So you could think then… 'Cause I thought you had momentarily just stopped thinking altogether!"
"Something like that…" he nodded.
"Bet you're wondering why I didn't say this over the phone."
Danny shook his head, "No I know why you waited. So you could smack me upside the head."
"You know me oh so well." She giggled before turning serious, "I mean it Danny, you have to knock that kind of shit off. Not just for me, but our baby. Do you really want your baby – our baby to grow up without a daddy? Do you want to miss all of that? Do you want to miss your child grow up? To watch her grow, to teach her things… Walk her down the aisle and give her away?"
Danny shook his head adamantly. "You know I don't want that. I want to be there. For everything."
"So stop being such a douche and use your head then. I didn't want till death do us part to be so soon."
"Don't be so damn fatalistic, Linds."
"Don't be so damn stupid then." She retorted. "I'll stop being fatalistic when you get that head of yours screwed on."
"I'm working on it… I'm trying to be the guy you want me to be, Linds. I swear."
"Danny, you are that guy, you don't have to work on it. I want you for you; I don't want some guy that you're not. That's not the Danny I fell in love with. Just come on, going into a shoot out, with no vest? Think about it."
"I was stupid. I know that, and hold my hands up to that. I readily admit I'm a moron sometimes that really doesn't think about the consequences until after the fact."
Lindsay sighed, "This wasn't how I wanted this conversation to go, I really didn't want to get on at you for…"
"No, you have the right to." Danny said as he took her hand, "You're my wife, and the mother to my child. I get that me going into a shootout without a vest is quite possibly one of the worst things I've done since we've been together."
Lindsay raised an eyebrow.
"Among other things." He sighed, "but that's all in the past. I made the mistake so I could learn from it… that's the way I'm looking at it. When I was sat behind the steel filing cabinet, dodging the bullets, you know the only thing I could think of?"
"What?"
"You."
"Me?"
"Yes, you. My life flashed before my eyes. You are my life, Linds. Everything we've ever been through, good and bad – was there, weighing on my mind, tugging at my heart. The fact that I haven't told you I love you enough, or the fact that I haven't told you you're beautiful as much as what I should have, or the fact that I haven't always been the best boyfriend in the past. It gave me the opportunity to realise that although you say I'm the guy that you deserve, I'm not… I can be so much more, and I want to do that. I want to be the guy that can give you everything."
"You are that guy, Danny."
He shook his head.
"You are." She insisted. "I might be everything you've always wanted, but have you realised that actually, you are everything I've always wanted?"
He looked at her and shrugged, "I guess I knew it… just…"
"The fact that I married you Danny shows that you're the guy for me. As cheesy as that sounds. We're Danny and Lindsay. We don't fit unless we're together. We make sense. You said that yourself."
"Wait," Danny smiled. "For the record, at what point did this conversation change from a reaming for my hotheadedness to a in-depth conversation about our marriage and relationship?"
"One thing leads to another." She reasoned. "I guess what I was trying to say was just think a little before you go head first into situations. Think with both your head and your heart. You don't have to think with just one, use both. We don't want to lose you, Danny."
He nodded and scooted around the table and pulled her into his side, "I do love you. I may not say it everyday and I may not be the best husband and times. But I'm gonna try my hardest."
She smiled as she pressed a kiss to his temple. "I know I didn't say it before, but you have no idea how much I appreciate you coming to pick me up… From Montana."
He smiled as he gently rubbed her arm in soothing motions with his thumb, "I figured it was the least I could do; plus I kinda wanted to do something romantic for you. I mean we can at least pretend we're coming home from our honeymoon together."
She giggled. "Hows about you go and get us some spaghetti a la Lady and the Tramp and we can really get the romance factor going."
"I resent that you just called me a tramp."
"I did not just call you a tramp," she smacked him softly, "What I was trying to say was…"
"I got what you meant, babe."
She smiled. "I missed you. More than I can say."
"I know," he said as he moved her bangs from her forehead and kissed her. "But you don't have to leave me for… forever. Wherever you go, I go… from now on."
"Boarding call for flight 517 to JFK, all passengers."
Danny sighed and glanced upwards towards the speaker just above them that emitted the loudspeaker announcements.
"Peanuts and Pretzels on the flight it is," she smiled brightly as she tried to push herself up from the seat, but failing. "Little help, hubby? Kind of epically failing over here, being a beached whale and everything…"
He stood up and offered her his hand and gripped her elbow, giving her more support as she stood. "You good."
She smiled and nodded as she wrapped her arm around his waist before linking their arms together like they had as they entered the courthouse. "With you by my side, everything's good."
Danny pressed a kiss to the top of her head as he adjusted both his bag, and hers on his shoulder, took her hand and led her out of the food court into the busy chaotic Gallatin Country airport terminal.
He raised their hands and looked at them, intertwined, with her wedding band sparkling on her delicate finger.
He felt the pride rise in him as it occurred to him that it had been him that had slipped that ring on her finger.
And it was going to stay there, no matter what.
Always and forever.
I did intend for there to be running, jumping and squeeing on Lindsay's part, but well, taking into account she's like eight months pregnant (or are we still on seven...?) Anyway, I figured that might not work out too well. So, the muse decided to try it another way, hope you liked it. :)
R&R?