A/N: Kellan made me write fluff to 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing' by Aerosmith and this is the end result. It's post 5x23 and then add two weeks. So basically, in proper normal people english, it's set two weeks after 5x23.
I've been cracked and beaten down and been nudged towards Team Lucy. However - I am still holding out on hope. Campaigning for Lydia Messer!
Anyway - huge thank you to my girls, Kellan and Kerrie for the seal of approval. Much appreciated, girlies! I wubbzzz ya both!
I could stay awake just to hear you breathing,
Watch you smile while you are sleeping,
While you're far away and dreaming.
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender.
I could stay lost in this moment forever.
Well, every moment spent with you,
Is a moment I treasure...
'I don't want to miss a thing' - Aerosmith.
He smiled, in awe of the little baby that lay next to him. Completely minding her own business. But nonetheless. She amazed him with every breath she took.
When he had heard her shrill cries on the baby monitor, his eyes had snapped open and he was up off the bed within a heartbeat. He had instantly snatched the baby monitor from his bedside table and turned down his daughter's screams. He then made the bed up on his side, preventing any draft as he tiptoed out of the master bedroom. He dashed across the hallway to the nursery and switched the lamp on. And then moved over towards the crib, and towered over it before beaming down at the fussy baby.
"What's the matter Lucy-kins? You hungry?"
The baby had blinked at him, with her cries stopping the moment she had sensed his presense in the room. He had picked her up, felt her diaper, and decided a diaper change was on the agenda.
Smirking as he examined his handy work after tossing the dirty diaper into the diaper pail, he realised that the diaper was perfectly affixed to his daughter like how Lindsay did it. "See, your mommy doesn't have anything on me."
The baby girl had blinked in response as she blew a bubble and kicked her tiny legs as Danny picked her up, holding her to his chest and jiggled her softly. "Are you hungry, baby girl? Do you want Daddy to warm you some milk up?"
He had felt tempted to laugh at the absurdity of his own question. Yes. A two week old baby usually did come out with, "Please daddy, it would be much appreciated." But, all in the same, the fact that he got to ask his baby daughter if he could feed her wouldn't get old. It was almost like a novelty. Being a daddy. Being a husband. Everything was so new.
And he couldn't get enough of it.
He had scurried off to the kitchen, turning on the lights underneath the kitchen cupboards, effectively giving off enough light for him to be able to see what he was doing in the dark kitchen, but not drawing attention to the fact he and their daughter was in the kitchen, up without mommy.
He had quickly warmed up the milk Lindsay stored in bottles in the fridge, and tested it on the back of his hand before offering the nib to Lucy's mouth. She quickly attatched herself to the bottle and sucked attentively.
He slowly made his way back to the nursery and carefully sat them both on the antique looking rocking chair placed in the corner of his daughter's pink room.
Danny gazed down at Lucy, taking in every inch of his features, despite him doing the exact same thing for two whole weeks. It had soon become his favourite past time. Gazing at his girls. He figured the more he stared, the more it would seem real.
But he was yet to have that ephihany that this was real. It wasn't a dream.
His baby girl had soon consumed the whole bottle of breast milk and he had proceeded to burp her.
He then smiled when he felt the little breath of air on his neck and he brought her back down to his arms and cradled her, as he stared, at her.
Danny smiled as he prodded her little button nose and chuckled as she scrunched her nose up at the sensation of him doing so.
He honestly couldn't comprehend how much he truly loved this little girl he held in his arms. Her eyes had now turned a chocolate brown, and despite the intial "She looks just like her daddy…" Lindsay was now feeling slightly proud as their little girl took her features more and more with everyday that passed.
"You'll always be my daddy's girl, though." Danny whispered as he slowly rocked them on the chair. "Don't let your mom tell you differently."
The little girl let out a sigh and fussed in his arms.
"Shall we get your fluffy blanket and lay you on the floor." Danny suggested as he stood up from the chair. He grabbed the pink blanket that rested on the headrest of the rocking chair and with one hand, he laid it on the floor – all the while making a conscious effort that Lucy's head in particular was supported with his arm that was holding her close to his chest.
He carefully laid the baby down and took his position next to her and propped himself up on his side, gazing down at the little life next to him.
"Why are you so beautiful?" he wondered outloud.
Lucy blew a bubble in response and cooed up at him as she shifted on the fluffy blanket.
He rubbed his tired eyes and smiled down at the baby, happily kicking and squirming on her back. He didn't even care it was a ten to three in the morning and his wife was quite happily sound asleep in the next room. If it meant that she was able to sleep the whole way through the night it was more than enough for him.
Ever since Lucy had been born, Lindsay had been a little down. Hawkes had assured Danny over a decaff coffee, (the temptation for Lindsay to have the 'hard stuff' as she called it, in the apartment was too hard. So it was decaff, or cold turkey) that it was probably post-partum exhaustion and it was merely hormonal changes in the her body after giving birth, and it was something all mothers went through at some point. Danny had nodded and made a mental note to do a little bit of internet research on the topic, so that he could be supportive, and do whatever he could to make things easier for Lindsay.
He had twigged that sleep was a fantastic method of getting Lindsay to be her upbeat and bubbly self – considering she was exhausted and therefore had taken upon himself for the past three nights to do the 3AM feeds along with the 6AM feeds – giving him enough time to slip toast into the toaster for Lindsay as she stirred in the bedroom from her body clock automatically waking up at stupid and ridiculously early times. Although he suspected that she woke up when he did throughout the night, she didn't make such known.
Throughout the time in which Danny had drifted off to Lindsay land, Lucy had managed to wiggle herself over to where Danny lay and nudged his arm with her delicate head. He beamed down at the little girl, who was smiling up at him.
"I'm sorry pretty girl, did you realise the focus of my attention had drifted away from the topic of you for a millisecond?"
He half expected to nod and giggle in response – granted she didn't – but he was sure that if she could have, she would have.
"You know…" Danny started as he turned on his belly and propped his chin up with both his hands and elbows, "Every single second I spend with you Lucy-kins is a moment I treasure."
She cooed as she stared up at the cream ceiling, listening to Danny's thick accent.
"I'm gonna have so many stories to tell you when you grow up." Danny told her. "How I used to watch you sleep with your mommy. You have this smile that slowly stretches across your face – it makes us wonder what it was you're dreaming about. Your mommy thinks it's probably bottles and a clean diaper…"
The baby hiccupped and blinked.
"It's alright sweetie." Danny rubbed her belly, calming her down from the shock of her own hiccup. "Daddy's here."
Lucy let out a small sigh as she fussed on the blanket happily.
"Daddy loves you a whole lot, Luce." Danny whispered as he shuffled over to where she lay and pressed a kiss to the baby's forehead. "More than you'll ever know. You saved me and your mommy and, between you and me – once I get your mom into the frame of mind to have another baby – you'll always be my favourite."
Lucy blinked at him as he pressed a kiss to her delicate lips.
"You'll always be my first born, and have a special place in daddy's heart. Just… don't tell your brothers and sisters, a'right… When I buy you that pony, I don't want them yellin' at me 'cause I'm favouring you again."
Lucy let out a small breath that Danny felt on his face as he hovered above her little delicate face.
"I'm warning you now..." Danny started as he ran his hand through her soft honey blonde curls, "So listen good, alright baby girl? Daddy is going to be so protective. I will hold my hands up and admit that. I will probably chase away every single boy you think is 'the one' until he fights back and proves to his Lucy's daddy that he's the one that is going to make all of your dreams come true. I don't think mommy will like it – but well, she looked after you for your first nine months, and daddy gets to call the shots until you're not so little anymore."
Lucy blinked slowly, indicating that she was quickly on her way to sleep.
Danny sighed as he kissed her temple and pushed up from his belly onto his knees. He leant down and scooped up the baby in his arms before standing upright and placing his now, sleeping daughter into her crib.
"Sweet dreams, princess." Danny whispered as he kissed his finger before pressing it to her nose and turning back to the blanket that lay on the floor. He folded it quickly and draped it over the back of the rocking chair. He moved across the nursery and flipped the light off, before closing the door slightly, and heading back down the hall.
He padded into their master bedroom and turned the baby monitor's volume up as he placed it on its charger unit before slipping back into bed.
"It took you a while to get her to go back to sleep."
"Holy crap." Danny gasped as Lindsay turned to face him. "You wanting to send me into cardiac arrest there, Linds?"
"Not particularly." She smiled as she shuffled across their crumpled sheets and nestled her head on his bare chest. "Is she okay?"
He nodded as he wrapped his arm around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "She's fine. We had some baby girl and daddy time."
"Were you promising her the world again?"
Danny chuckled. "Yeah, you got me."
He could feel Lindsay's smile as she pressed a kiss to his chest. "I'm sorry I've not exactly been jumping to help with the feeds… I should be breastfeeding her – not pumping and storing it in the bottles. I feel like a bad mother."
"Oh please, she caused you enough heartburn through the nine months. You're giving her breast milk – it doesn't matter how she gets it – bottom line, she is."
Lindsay sighed. "But…"
"Lindsay, listen to me – I'm daddy. Everyone has to listen to me."
Lindsay rolled her eyes.
"I felt that." Danny grumbled at her. "Don't roll your eyes at me, young lady."
"You're busting that line out already? Do you feel you need practice or something? She's two weeks old, Danny. Let her be able to support her head by herself first."
"She's your daughter- she'll be rolling her eyes before she sucks her thumb."
"You were saying." Lindsay sighed.
"I forgot." He admitted.
"Go to sleep." Lindsay giggled.
"I'm good." He said as he held her tighter to him, making her fit into his side almost seamlessly. "I'm gonna stay up for a little while."
"You're going to watch me sleep, aren't you." It wasn't a question - merely a statement.
"I watched Lucy, it's only fair I watch you."
"That logic doesn't even make sense." Lindsay informed him.
"What can I say…" Danny shrugged as he tilted her chin up to face him, and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I just wanna hold you close, watch you sleep, and not miss a thing."
"You sound like Aerosmith." Lindsay giggled.
"Well, what can I say, you made me watch Armageddon before we went to bed."
"You love that movie just as much as I do."
"You love it for the sappy romantic crap. I love it for the explosions and the whole Bruce Willis blowing himself up, so his daughter can have the love of her life back."
"You're a sap!" Lindsay gasped as she shot up in bed. "I knew it!"
"Keep your voice down." He scolded as he pulled her back down. "You'll wake the kids."
"Kids?" Lindsay laughed. "No, I made it clear that Lucy is a only child."
"I promised you that you could name our next baby."
"I'll buy a cat. I can name her Fluffy."
"Well, not now – but, at some point, we're gonna want another baby Linds. It's illegal to deprive the world of such beautiful children. I mean look at Lucy, she's a heartbreaker."
"And imagine the impact with just one Messer child. So many people doting over her. And no more pain for mommy."
"The first time we make love, just you wait." Danny teased, "You'll be screaming a different tune."
"Screaming? Isn't that a little egotistical, Mr. Messer."
Danny raised an eyebrow and tickled her sides lightly. "Go to sleep, baby."
She nuzzled further into his chest and let out a contented sigh as she slipped into a dream's sleep.
He lay gazing down at her while stroking her shoulder length hair, thinking to himself he could stay lost in this moment forever.
He knew in reality he couldn't.
But it definitely didn't stop him from treasuring every moment they spent together.
Hope you liked it - thankies for reading. :) Feel free to drop me a review - I adore reading them!