Don Flack loosened the tie that was encircling his neck. He was finally able get the paperwork that needed to be completed finished so Flack wouldn't have to spend most of the next day working on it to. Don took a sideways glance at the watch on his wrist and shook his head as Flack saw that it was almost midnight.
He rested his back against the desk chair as he sighed out loud. Dons' mind began to wander back to only a few weeks ago. If it wasn't for Mac pulling his head out of his ass, he probably would be out getting plastered as he tried to block the memories of Jess that deep down, Flack knew they wouldn't go away. Don had always wanted to not be able to recollect what happened even a few weeks before that day since all he was doing when he wasn't working, was drinking. Flack had let himself slip in every way possible. His mind then went back to the events of the day, where Mac changed his life.
-Flashback, starts on the train-
Don sat on the metal seating of the train, his brain not really working at full capacity due to the alcohol in his system. Even though he knew his alcohol level was beyond the legal limit, he still was drinking. He did though take the initiative to ride the train.
Flack stared ahead as he raised the paper bag which contained his drink up to his lips. As Don let the bag down, three African-American men entered the train car he was occupying; two from the right one from the left. Due to being a Detective, Flack's instincts were immediately on alert, but the alcohol had stopped him from going on high alert. Don continued on with sitting there as the three men looked him while walking up and down the aisle of the train.
A few minutes passed the men just kept looking at Don while they stole glances at the Flack. If they were trying to be subtle about, the men were not doing a good job at doing so. As Don was relaxing back in his seat slightly, one of the men attacked him. Flack went to block the attack, the alcohol impairing his reaction time. The attack caused Don to go down on to the aisle. Don went to grab the gun he keeps at his ankle, but one of the men kicked his hand making the gun fly out of his hand, and down the aisle of the train. The men continuously kicked Flack. Don groaned as he took the blows to his stomach and sides. One of the men had grabbed his wallet and Flack took this as his opportunity to kick his foot out, hitting one of the guys where a guy doesn't want to be hit. That guy had fallen to the ground. When the other two saw him hit the ground, they advanced on towards Don. One of the still standing men had pulled a switch blade out of his pocket and came closer to Flack.
Flack wasn't at his best state, with the alcohol and the effect of being kicked in the stomach repeatedly. He couldn't hear what was going on around him, but he saw another set of shoes enter the train car. He followed his gaze all the way up to the face and he saw Terrance, his 'informant' with a gun pointed at the men. Terrance helps him when they need a guy on the streets, but they don't have a name or much of a profile on his appearance.
Terrance had done a very 'Terrance' way of getting the men not to hurt Flack any further and they gave him back the wallet and ran off. Terrance then sighed before tucking the gun in the waistband of his pants. He then hauled Flack up off the aisle of the floor of the train. He knew he had to help Don up and somewhere where he could recuperate for the time being.
Flack knew that he would be throwing up his guts because of how much to drink he had yesterday, he's surprised he doesn't have alcohol poisoning. Don was in Terrance's bathroom chucking up whatever he had in his stomach. From what Don through the walls of the place, the neighborhood didn't sound like the best place for him to be at the moment.
As he finished getting sick for the moment, he rose up and looked in the mirror at his head. The right side of his head by his forehead had a medium-sized gash on it that blooding was coming out of. Don hated to do this, but his fingers landed on the edge of his shirt. He slowly lifted his shirt up, gritting his teeth in pain as the t-shirt went over multiple large-sized bruises. When Flack saw the bruises that covered both his sides along with one single bruise running across his stomach, he let his shirt down.
As he was ready to make his way out of the bathroom, he heard a knock on the door to the apartment. Don just waited in the bathroom, knowing that it wouldn't be incredibly wise if he just walked out. Flack closed the bathroom door, to where it was only open an inch. Don heard Terrance's footsteps go towards the front door, then some shouting on what he thought to be whoever was on the other side of the door.
"Yo open up man!" One of the men shouted as he banged on the door. "Open up!"
"Man, you can't just show up announced." He heard Terrance respond.
"Open up son!" Don heard him finally open up the door slightly, but then he heard something slamming against the wall, then the door opens up fully. He reached down for the gun he usually kept at his ankle as a backup in case he never had his other weapon. When Flack lifted up his pant leg to grab the gun, it wasn't in its holder. Then he remembered that gun was on the table, in the living room where all the co motion was going on.
Don listened as he heard two men step into the apartment. One of the men had start talking about how they needed a place to stay. Flack assumed it was due to the fact that they just probably ganged up on a guy and took his money.
"Well ya can't stay here." Terrance told the two men.
"What do you mean we can't stay?" The other man said to him.
"Nothin' Gigantor." Don smiled slightly at the comment. The three of them continued to talk and as the other two were leaving, on of them said "Just because your outta the game, doesn't mean the game stops." Then the man left and he heard the front door close.
Awhile later, Don is in the bathroom leaning over the sink. Water is pouring out of the spout of the sink as He's running a white rag that's been stained red due to his blood. Flack shuts the sink off as he rings the rag slightly before looking back up at the mirror. Don raises the wet rag up to where the blood is coming from the gash on his head.
"Hey yo Terrance." Flack starts off as he brings the rag up to his face and starts cleaning the blood from his head. "You might wanna look into getting some new friends, those boys are walking parole violations." He puts the rag down in the sink. Don waits as he doesn't hear a response from Terrance.
"What, did I hurt your feelings?" Don questions to Terrance again but he hears silence in response.
Flack starts walking away from the sink and towards the door.
"Did you get sensitive all of a sudden?" Flack asks as he reaches the door, expecting to see Terrance standing out there but instead he's greeted by Mac. Don is utterly shocked that Mac is standing there, he just ends up looking at him.
Terrance comes out from beside Mac and Flack looks between the two.
"I'm not trying to have a cop convention here, but I'm going to give ya guys 5 minutes. I would appreciate it you left out the back way, the same way you came in." As he starts to walk away, Mac gets his attention.
"Thank You." Mac curtly replies. All Terrance does is nod his head. Flack is still looking at Mac, surprised he's here.
Eventually, Mac and Don both move to sit down in the living room. Mac on the couch, and Flack sitting in the chair.
"I don't know what you want me to say Mac, it's just one of those days." Don commented as he leaned forward in the chair.
"Ohh come on, you can do better than that." Mac gets a look of disbelief on his face. Flack simply shrugged it off.
"All right, it won't happen again." Don nonchalantly replied to Mac.
"You're damn right there it won't. I'm making it official." Flack can tell Mac is starting to lose his patience with him. Sighing, Don stands up from t Don stands up from the chair.
"All right, do what you gotta do." Flack sighs but Mac stands up as well, shoving Don's shoulder slightly with his hand.
"Let's make this clear, part of me wants to take this badge off and settle things a different way." Don shows a small look of disgust on his face.
"Get outta of my face." Don responds, but Mac doesn't like that as he grabs Flack by the shirt and slams him up against a near by post.
"We're in the middle of a murder investigation, and you go AWOL?!" Don is shocked by the tone in his voice but doesn't back off.
"I can handle myself!"
"Ohh yeah is that what you're doing in this apartment? Is that why I had to get this from Terrance?" Mac holds up the gun he keeps at his ankle. 'Son of a bitch.' Don thought to himself
"Is that why I had to have Stella Triangulate your phone? Is that why I had Danny check all the ER's to see if you turned up dead?" Mac barked out. The entire time Mac is speaking, Flack is looking at him with his mouth opened and a look of awe in his eyes.
Mac backs away from Don slightly and looks at him. Don now gets a guilty look on his face. He walks back over to the chair where he sits down and doesn't bother looking up at Mac. He runs a hand over his face.
"You can keep telling people you're fine, but that won't work." Mac looks down at Flack. He bites his lip as he opens his mouth.
"It's been eatin' at me Mac. When Angel was killed, all I wanted to make it right!"
"We did, justice was served cause we did our jobs..."
"But you weren't there!" Flack interrupted. "You weren't there with Simon Cane! I stood over that bastard, and I looked him in the eyes and I.." Don was getting more angrier by the second.
"Whatever happened is between you and your god, I'm not your priest!" Mac snapped at him. "What I do need to know, is whether I can count on you." The anger from Flack has dissipated as it is replaced with guilt. Mac stood there, glaring at Don for a moment before walking away. He exited the apartment, leaving Flack to his own thoughts.
-Flashback ends-
Don returned his thoughts back to present as he thought that if Angel saw what he was doing, she would probably be incredibly pissed. Luckily, Mac changed his path, and he is grateful for it every day.