I Don't Remember

Seven

"I can make you breakfast," Danny told her as he ran his fingers lightly up her arm. He knew he sounded absolutely nuts but it felt so damn good to have Linda half on top of him. Sometimes her "clingy-ness" was hard to handle, but he welcomed it with opened arms that morning.

"I know you can," she said a little sleepily.

He rolled his eyes, "would you like me to make you a birthday breakfast?"

"I would like it very much."

He smiled like an idiot. Finally- normalcy. Finally the stupid couple banter lazing in bed in the morning. Finally their bed and not a hospital bed. (Well it was the guest room bed but Danny wasn't going to argue over semantics).

"What would you like to eat?"

Linda laughed out loud and Danny wasn't quite sure why. "Pancakes. With chocolate chips. And floppy bacon."

"I can do that."

"And I've been craving eggs Benedict for three weeks now."

"That's the one with the hollandaise sauce, right?"

"Uh huh."

"I might need help with that one."

Linda smiled, "I'll make the sauce and you can do the rest. We have English muffins right?"

"Yeah; Sean likes them for breakfast."

*******

Linda sat at the island, munching on one of the finished pancakes. She watched Danny flip them with a smile.

"The only reason I'm doing this is for you," Danny told her, covered in flour and egg.

"Me?" Linda asked with a very surprised smile.

"Yes. I gotta make you birthday breakfasts and shit, don't I?"

Back in their current kitchen, Linda asked, "remember when you first made me pancakes?"

"Yeah, I was back for R&R, and you and your roommate didn't mind me crashing. I tried to make thank you pancakes."

"They were lumpy."

"And I burned them."

"But look at you now! You've learned so much."

He only smirked as he dropped the next set of pancakes onto the plate. "We're having your birthday dinner at Dad's, if that's okay. They're all just so happy you're okay. If you don't want to, that's okay. I'll call and tell 'em you're not up for it."

"No, don't do that.  I'd like to see everyone. I know you sent the kids to Frank's for the night."

"I wasn't sure if you'd... freak out or have a flashback or something. I didn't want to over stimulate you."

Linda bit her lip, "Danny?"

He turned the stove off, and turned to her with a plate of warm pancakes.

"C'mere."

He smiled a little quizzically, walking up to her and setting the plate down.

She smiled knowingly, and grabbed his shirt. "I love you, Detective." She kissed him passionately, praising herself when he moaned softly.

"I love you more," he couldn't stop grinning. He was really worried that things would take a long time to go back to normal. And maybe he was jumping the gun here, but Linda was home and alive and smiling and flirting and eating. And that was normal.

"Enough to make me eggs Benedict?"

Danny laughed and turned back to the stove. "You have to poach the egg, right? I don't know how to do that."

"Oh I just fry it. It's easier, and better in my opinion."

They work together to make Linda's fancy breakfast, and the fried egg did taste better than the poached egg.

Linda looked at the pill she had to take, "are you upset?"

"About?"

"The fact that I have to take this?" She held the little pill between her finger and her thumb.

"No. Why would I be?"

She shrugged, "maybe you think I don't need them. That I can handle the mood swings, or you can help me with them."

"You need that, and that's okay. There's nothing wrong or shameful about taking something that helps you." In a funny voice, he added, "I'm past those barbaric ideas."

She smiled a little, "good."

*********

Everyone gave her hugs when they arrived at Frank's... everyone but Eddie. Linda wondered what she had done- Eddie was the one who committed the offense, not Linda. 

"Nicky made you a chocolate cake with chocolate icing," Erin started, sensing the tension. Danny had made it abundantly clear that today was supposed to be stress free, and anyone who saw stress rising was supposed to squash it right away.

"It's a new recipe," Nicky elaborated. "I think you're really going to like it."

"If it's chocolate, I'll like it."

"I'm making chicken francese," Henry started.

"My favorite," Linda grinned. "With garlic bread?"

"But of course."

Danny took hold of her hand suddenly, "come on, let's get a drink."

She wasn't thirsty, but she followed him to the kitchen anyway. "What's wrong?"

"I just want you to know that if it all becomes to much, you can say that and take a breather. Or we could go home. Up to you."

Linda sighed, furrowing her forehead. "Thank you, but I'm going to be fine. There's nothing, uh, triggering here, y'know?"

"Okay. I was just making sure."

Her forehead relaxed and she gave him a kiss and a tight hug. She wondered if he was going to be like this until she remembered everything.

********

"So," Danny started as they cuddled in bed together after all the festivities. "Did you have a good birthday?"

Linda smiled, "I really did. It was really nice seeing everyone again."

He kissed her shoulder, tightened his arm around her. "They liked seeing you too. Me especially." He sighed, "I don't think I'll ever get used to you being in a hospital, instead of helping people in the hospital."

Linda swallowed, unsure what to say to that. She rolled over a little clumsily, and cupped Danny's cheek, "I'm here now. It's okay."

He sighed, "I know, I know. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"Never mind," he shook his head and gave her a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you more. And I'm okay."

He closed his eyes, bringing her impossibly closer. "I love you most."

And you better be okay, because I can't do that again, he thought but would never say to her.