Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize, anything you don't is mine.

A/N: Another one shot featuring Ruby, i hope you like it.

Unbeta-ed therefore all mistakes are my own

Hide and Go Seek

Danny and Lindsay had regretted the day the clocks went forward, it meant it was lighter for longer, day light made Ruby think she should be awake, so at five o'clock in the morning she was pushing her way into their bedroom, climbing steadily onto their bed and bouncing until they both awoke.

Bedtime was even worse, it didn't matter that it was almost ten before darkness began rolling in Ruby had decided that she wasn't going to bed without a fight until it was dark outside, and therein lay their problem, it was already half an hour past Ruby's bedtime, they'd bathed her on time, fed her as planned, combed her hair and braided it and now come bed time they had no idea where she was.

Her bedroom was empty, the bathroom deserted, living room clean and silent, the kitchen a mess with the dinner pots but no sign of a newly washed four year old.

"Ruby" Danny sighed "This stopped being funny ten minutes ago" he warned as he closed yet another cupboard door, staying silent, awaiting her soft giggles that would give her away, apparently she'd mastered the whole 'give her parents a heart attack' game because she didn't answer, in fact he could hear the radiators creaking as they filled up with water it was that quiet.

Lindsay smiled, trying a different approach, she was tired and being seven months pregnant, racing around the apartment was the last thing she wanted to be doing "Rubes, baby, come on, you can stay up for five more minutes" she called out.

Silence once more ensued.

"Tell me Montana, where did you hide when you tried to avoid bedtime?" Danny asked with a smirk as he moved to check under her bed and then theirs realizing that they hadn't checked there yet.

"We had a secret passageway that only me and my brothers knew about, I used to hide in there, one day my brother ratted on me, so I crept further down and found it led to the basement, I was the only one who knew" she grinned knowing full that'd annoy him more, they didn't have a secret passageway for Ruby to hide in. "Where did you hide?" she asked as he stood up from his kneeling position, his shaking head told them that their daughter wasn't there either.

"Mom always kept old boxes from new stuff she bought, there was one big enough for me, I took a pillow and hid there, one time I fell asleep, I thought mom was gonna murder me" he grinned. Lindsay frowned upon finding no empty boxes big enough for Ruby.

"We're crime scene detectives for crying out loud, no way in hell is our five year old successfully hiding away from us" Danny muttered as he sat on the bed with a sigh.

This time a giggle did disturb the silence, racing for the living room, Danny frowned once more at seeing the room empty and undisturbed, another giggle came from the couch, only then did they see the slight bulge at the back of the cushions.

"Oh she's good" Lindsay smirked as she pulled off the couch cushions to reveal Ruby laid flat against the bare couch frame, she'd hidden herself successfully beneath the cushions, how she'd managed to keep from laughing out they'd never know.

Danny tried hard to maintain his scowl, his grin threatening to break through as Ruby held her arms out to him, trying her best to be daddy's little girl once more "you found me daddy" she smiled as she kissed his cheek.

"You ever scare daddy like that again Princess, and you're going to live in the park" he teased, holding her tighter all the same "You're lucky we knew you couldn't reach the door lock" he informed her "Say good night to mommy, cos believe it or not it's still past your bedtime" he told her.

"Well I'm tired anyway" she stated stubbornly as she wriggled from his arms and over into Lindsay's to say good night.

"You mad at me now?" Danny asked as he lifted her from Lindsay's lap and carried her through to her bedroom to tuck her in.

"I don't get mad daddy" she informed him "I get even" she laughed when he tickled her.

"Yeah I'm learning that" he admitted "you think you could maybe stay in bed until mommy and daddy come get you in the morning?" he asked as he stroked her hair back.

"Mommy tired" Ruby answered "Mommy it's bedtime" she hollered loud enough to know her mother could hear her.

"Yeah mommy's real tired" he answered "and if you can sleep all night long you can come with us to see mommy's baby on the TV at the hospital tomorrow, you want to see your baby brother or sister right?" he asked as he kissed her forehead. He smiled when she nodded.

"All right, well don't hide from mommy and daddy again, that wasn't funny" he told her "Hide where we can see you and we'll pretend we can't OK" he added.

"Night daddy" she answered in agreement.

"Night princess" he whispered in reply before joining his wife in the living room once more.

"You do know she's going to do the same again tomorrow night don't you?" Lindsay asked as she laid her head on his lap.

"Won't be a problem, I'm having Adam print out pictures of night time to cover all the windows over, she'll be in bed before you know it" he grinned "at least we know her hiding place" he confessed "and that wasn't funny"

"She's smart; at least we know she knows not to run off while we're out"

"You know we need to have a word with my ma about telling her stories of me as a kid, she's giving her idea's" he laughed and settled down more into the sofa for the rest of the evening.

A/N: so what did you think?