Chapter 9
"What happens if the baby is a boy?" Mira asked, as she and Mandy sat in the lounge.
"We can't decide between Jude Daniel or Owen Daniel." Mandy said.
"I like those." Mira said.
"Me too." Mandy said, giggling.
"Is that a newlywed giggle I hear?" Stella asked, coming in.
"Either that or a mother-to-be." Mira added.
"It's killing me not knowing what you're having." Stella said, sitting down at the table.
"Mother's intuition says a girl." Mandy said.
"My mother swears I was supposed to be a girl cause of her intuition." Flack said, coming in.
"Well?" Mira said, as Flack just pointed at her. The girls laughed.
"And the names?" Stella asked.
"Annalee Grace Messer if it's a girl. If it's a boy, it'll be either Jude Daniel Messer or Owen Daniel Messer." Mandy said.
"Adorable." Stella said, smiling.
"Yeppers." Mira said, avoiding eye contact with Flack.
Mandy shook her head. Flack didn't know what to do with his day if he didn't stop by to see Mira. But, Mira really didn't want anything now. Flack was a shell of a man, but Mira didn't know if she wanted to make him whole again.
Mandy glanced down at her hand, at the golden wedding band. So this was somewhat like her and Danny, how everything was seen by everyone else. Loving each other but not being sure.
She did not want those two to wait any longer to get back together.
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"So?" Danny pried, as he stood in Flack's apartment. They were going out for drinks, mostly cause Mandy had kicked him out of their place due to the fact Mira was going to come over.
"So what?" Flack asked.
"You and Mira?" Danny pried.
"Nothing." Flack said, his voice sounded a little hopeless.
Danny had watched Flack and Mira talk at the reception, or the cook-out after the wedding, whatever you chose to call it. The two had seemed to be making amends. But, then afterwards, they still went home in separate cars. There was no look of resolve on either face, and Flack's just seemed hollow.
When they were at a scene the next day, even as Mac tried to shoo him and Mandy away to have some semblance of a honeymoon, Danny noticed the lost look on Flack's face.
Mira was his one reason for living. It was too easy to see he couldn't stand not being with her.
"Donnie, and I use that name to show you that I care." Danny said, putting a hand on Flack's nearest shoulder. Flack turned to look at his friend.
"What?" Flack asked, waiting for Danny to continue.
"You have to make a fool of yourself." Danny said, taking the hand off Flack's shoulder and starting to walk to the door.
"I have to what?" Flack asked, confused.
"Make a fool of yourself. Sacrifice any dignity you have. There's an alter when it comes to making up. You sacrifice what dignity you may have in a relationship on that alter, and it helps show how sincere you are." Danny said, turning to face Flack. Danny had pulled his cell phone out and was listening to something on the other end.
"I have to make a fool of myself?" Flack asked.
"They are so on time! God, I love my wife." Danny said, a smile growing on his face.
"Your wife? Sounds funny to hear you say that." Flack said.
"Still getting used to it myself." Danny said, glancing at the watch on his arm. "Okay, they are out, they'll get there in twenty minutes, we can get there in five?" Danny said, looking up at the ceiling every so often to calculate something in his head.
"What are we going to do?" Flack asked, walking and pulling a coat off a chair he had laid it on.
"We're going to help you make a fool of yourself." Danny said, smiling.
Flack took a deep breath. He prayed that Danny was right.
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"God, it was so realistic." Mira said.
"Then let go this little debate you're having with yourself and get back together with the man." Mandy said.
"It's not that easy." Mira said.
"I know you and Ian had something special. Eric and I did too. But, things change. Ian went psycho at some point in life, probably when he started hanging out with Eric, and stopped being the Ian you knew and loved." Mandy said.
"You make it seem so simple." Mira said.
"Cause it is." Mandy said. "I'll admit it, when Eric walked into the crime lab, I had a fluttering in my heart." She said, watching Mira's mouth drop open. "Do not worry, Danny and I have already discussed this, so there's nothing to worry about." She said.
"What changed your mind?" Mira asked.
"Knowing that the man in the next lab was once in a lifetime, and there was nothing better than that." Mandy said, stopping their walking. She stood in front of Mira.
"Mira, I have been your best friend for how long?" Mandy asked.
"What feels like a long time." Mira replied.
"And, have I ever been wrong about something?" Mandy asked.
"Have Danny and I almost burnt down the lab?" Mira asked.
"Okay, so I have been wrong about stuff. But, trust me on this one. Trust me, as a friend, as your future maid of honor, as the mother of your god child, and your co-worker. Trust me on this one thing, if you ever decide never to trust me on anything again, trust me on one simple thing." Mandy said, watching Mira keep her eyes on Mandy. "Flack is in the next lab, and he's once in a lifetime. Danny and I were lucky, we got a second chance. You may not be." Mandy said.
"Thanks Manders." Mira said.
"Anytime Mirry." Mandy said. "Now, let's go have a night filled of you drinking and me wishing I could!" Mandy said, as they laughed.
They walked up to the karaoke place, hearing someone butchering Bohemian Rhapsody. "Goodness gracious, kill the cat already!" Mira said, looking to Mandy to see her reaction.
But, the reaction on her face was not from the horrible squeaking noises on stage. It was from someone in the crowd.
Or more so, two people in the crowd. Two males that were suppose to be at an apartment, drinking their beers there and not at the karaoke place. She was gawking at the sight of her husband and Flack sitting at a table, drinking beers, and flipping through the song book.
"I am so going to kill my husband." She said, shaking her head. "Kill him or make him sleep on the couch for nine months." She added.
"He'd go insane without the sex." Mira replied, suddenly wanting to make her escape.
"Good." She said, as she started walking over to the table.
Mira stood there for a second, thinking maybe Mandy was going to give Danny a piece of her mind and then find themselves a table. But no, Mandy stopped and turned to Mira. Mandy gave her a pleading look that clearly said, 'If I'm sitting with them, you have to also.'.
So, Mira made her feet started walking. And, she caught up with Mandy. "Well, look who we have here." Mandy said, smiling at the two men.
"Why is this place so great to you again?" Danny asked, taking her hand in his and smiling up at her.
"Don't try and sweet talk me! The couch is ready for it's new sleeping buddy! Cause after this, there is no way you're sleeping in bed with me tonight!" Mandy said.
Flack had to chuckle, as did Mira. They both knew everything would be worked out by the end of the night, Danny and Mandy always worked everything out.
"And now, we have a new face, here to sing a song. So, please welcome Don Flack!" An announcer guy said, as Flack got up and walked up on stage.
"Well, a good friend of mine said I had to make a fool of myself, so here I am. I do want to dedicate this to Mira, a great and close friend of mine, who knows I've made mistakes, but I don't want to be without her anymore." Flack said, as the music started.
Mandy's mouth dropped open, as did Mira's. Danny just smiled. The ultimate fool step was singing a boy band song. Flack was so going to be back in Mira's good graces by the end of this night.
Empty spaces fill me up with holes
Distant faces with no place left to go
Without you within me I can't find no rest
Where I'm going is anybody's guess
I've tried to go on like I never knew you
I'm awake but my world is half asleep
I pray for this heart to be unbroken
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete
Voices tell me I should carry on
But I am swimming in an ocean all alone
Baby, my baby
It's written on your face
You still wonder if we made a big mistake
I've tried to go on like I never knew you
I'm awake but my world is half asleep
I pray for this heart to be unbroken
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete
I don't mean to drag it on, but I can't seem to let you go
I don't wanna make you face this world alone
I wanna let you go (alone)
I've tried to go on like I never knew you
I'm awake but my world is half asleep
I pray for this heart to be unbroken
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete
Incomplete
Mira had tears in her eyes as Flack finished singing. He had kept his eyes on her as much as he could. He saw the tears in her eyes, and saw the forgiveness that was shining through too.
So, at one time during the song, he looked at Danny and smiled. Danny just smiled back.
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"I should kill you." Mandy said, as Danny relaxed in their bed.
"Why?" Danny asked, watching her walk all different directions in the bedroom, sticking things on his dresser, stuffing things in hers, tossing stuffed animals that were early baby presents at him, various other things.
"You listened in as I talked on the phone, just to have Flack go and make a fool of himself." Mandy said, standing at the foot of the bed. Danny smiled. The flannel pj bottoms were big on her, but he knew soon they'd be stretching to fit her belly. Same with the simple white t-shirt she wore.
"But, it worked out for the best!" Danny protested, as he slid down the bed to kneel by where she was standing.
"Trying to avoid the point now?" Mandy asked, as he just kept smiling at her.
"Is it working?" Danny said. "Or am I still banished to the couch?" He asked.
"I'm willing to share the bed with you." Mandy said, as she stepped away, going over to her dresser.
On top, there was a picture of her parents. "You told them we're expecting?" Danny asked, noticing the muscles in Mandy's back tense as she looked at the picture.
"Not yet. Since the fight the other day, I haven't really tried talking to them." She said.
Danny quickly climbed off the bed and stood next to his wife. "We'll get to it, don't worry." Danny whispered, kissing her cheek.
"I just don't like that they don't see how amazing of a man you are." Mandy said.
"I'm not that great." He said.
"You've grown up so much, matured, become a dad, become my life. You're the most important thing to me." She said.
Danny placed a kiss on her cheek, as she leaned closer to him. "Let's go to sleep." He suggested, as they both climbed into bed.
"Danny?" Mandy asked, as Danny reached behind him to turn off the light.
"Yeah?" He asked.
"Do you think there's someone else out there, doing what we're doing?" She asked.
"Well, seeing as how it's New York City, and it's after midnight, probably." Danny said, smiling. Even in the dark, he could tell she was.
"I mean it." She said. "Do you think there's another couple out there, having sex, like we're about to?" She asked, moving closer to him and starting to untie his pajama pants.
"I know so." He said, smiling.
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Flack laid his head down on the pillow. The lights from nearby buildings shone and made him smile. The soft breeze blowing through the open window made the sweat on his brow disappear.
"Flack, you're out of?." He heard a voice start talking to him.
So, he sat up in bed, seeing Mira walk into the bedroom from his kitchen. She had stolen his boxers from earlier and her shirt. And, she came bearing a carton of ice cream and two spoons.
He smiled to himself, watching her strip down again and then climb into bed, handing him one of the spoons. "Ice cream after sex?" She asked, smiling at him.
"New tradition." He said, reminding her of the first time they had sex, and her hankering for some form of ice cream afterwards.
"Not my fault." She said.
Flack smiled. He knew, from that moment on, he wouldn't be incomplete anymore.