Mountains

Summary: This world ain't fair, it can knock you on your butt, you can just lie there or you can get back up, you gotta get back up. -Lonestar

A/N: If you want to remain spoiler free, this fic so isn't for you. Every time I heard this song, my mind was screaming 'Danny' so here ya go.

Dedication: Laura who's words of encouragement were "DOOOO IT"

Disclaimer: I stake no claims

The bullet had lodged in his lower spine, between two vertabrae. The surgery to remove it could leave him paralyzed, but leaving it in would have the same affect. With the surgery there was a chance that he would walk again. He would walk again. He wasn't making not walking an option -it couldn't be, he had a daughter to keep up with.

The surgery had been a sucess, he knew that much before the doctor had walked in the room. Lindsay had been sitting by his bed, fingers interlaced with his, when his eyes opened a smile took over her face and tears of relief were shed.

He wasn't paralyzed, he could feel the pain in his legs -there was no question about that. The muscles were weak and his back was still injured. Six months to a year of physical therapy is what the doctor told them. He had to learn to walk all over again. Until he was stable enough to stand on his own, he was confined to a wheel chair. There was nothing that Daniel Messer hated more than that wheel chair.

"Your too damn stubborn." Lindsay had chastised the first time he tried to get out of it on his own. He'd ended up face down on the floor by Lucy's crib -he just wanted to hold his little girl, to lift her out of her crib on his own.

Thank God for Lindsay. She never told him that he couldn't walk, never babied him. She just stood silently, Lucy on her hip. She'd come to physical therapy and stand outside the door, by the window and watch him. When he tripped and fell, he'd find her brown eyes and get the strength to stand back up. She was his cheerleader when he was able to walk four feet holding onto the parallel bars for dear life. She massaged his muscles when they spasmed after a therapy session. Thank God for his angel, she saved him.

The need to walk filled him with a burning intensity. Lucy was growing like a weed and was over-taking the apartment with each passing day. He was confined to a wheel chair, barely able to move down the hallway on his walker on a good day, and soon his ten month old daughter would be walking. His daughter would be walking and her daddy wouldn't be able to keep up with her. The thought made his desire grow.

"She's going to be walking before me." Danny had mentioned to Lindsay one night at supper. Danny sat in his chair, feeding Lucy some green beans as she pounded on the high chair with her fists.

"Danny, one day at a time. You'll get there." Lindsay reassured him and he willed himself to believe it.

As Lucy's one year birthday drew closer, she was beginning to pull herself up on the coffee table and pull herself for a step or two before she stumbled. Danny was walking with the walker, he'd tire out after a few minutes, but with each passing day, he grew stronger.

The day it happened was the day of Lucy's first birthday party. Lindsay had been hanging streamers and Danny had been entertaining Lucy in the living room. He was stronger now, the therapist had told him when he was ready he could try to take a few steps without the walker. He could do it, for his family he could do anything. Taking every ounce of strength he had, he stood on wobbly legs.

"Daddy's gonna do it. For you, baby girl." Danny looked at the smiling little girl with bouncing blond curls and midnight blue eyes.

His muscles burned and protested, but he gritted his teeth and continued across the carpeted floor. Lindsay looked up from the kitchen table and her hand flew to her mouth, eyes brimming with tears.

"Danny." Lindsay breathed, "Look behind you."

Danny turned his head and smiled when he saw his little girl following him on her own two feet. They were walking, father and daughter, on their own. A few more feet and his legs gave out. He fell to his knees, but instead of crying, he laughed. Lucy walked right to him and he wrapped his arms around her, covering her face in kisses.

"We did it Luce, we walked!"

A/N: How disgustingly short, oh well. It was fun to write. :)