A/N: This is a 9/11 memorial story dedicated to the 3,000+ people who perished that faithful day and their families and to our men and women in uniform fighting for us! We thank you! And we will never forget that day as it was truly the day the eagle cried.

Walking up to the, The World Trade Center and the National September 11th Memorial and Museum Mac Taylor sighs. Ten Years. It had been ten years since he lost Claire. Ten years since he got the news that the love of his life was killed in the attacks. The news had spread like wildfire through the lab that morning at 8:46am. When he had gotten the news he bolted from the lab and ran down the streets until he got to the towers and saw the destruction. His heart dropped when he saw that North Tower collapsed. Claire worked in there and now the tower was gone and quite possibly she was gone now.

He walked through there. Walking through the gardens and near the reflection pools with the names of all the victims. He sighed shakily. He missed her so much that it caused insomnia and haunted him. A light breeze picks up and he shivers lightly as it was getting chilly out.

He looks up at the newest tower going up just a few blocks down and looks at his watch as two massive shadows cover the area. He sees that it was exactly 8:46am. The time the first tower hit. That was how the tower was designed so that when the sun was at that exact spot that would happen every day for as long as that tower stood there as a reminder to never forget that tragic day where nearly 3,000 lives were lost.

He had gone to the counseling and it helped slightly but not much. He had gotten rid of everything that reminded him of her except for a beach ball that she had blown up and pictures.

He heads out after hanging out there for a while and sees the girl he married three years back. She had lost her brother who was a fire fighter and they met in the counseling group and they had talked with each other a few times after each session over coffee and pastries. She was holding their three year old daughter's hand and holding their two month old son in her other hand. He smiled when he saw them. They brought the joy back to his life that he lost that faithful day ten years back. He knew that Claire would have wanted her to move on and be happy again.

"Daddy!" their daughter Lauren squeals and runs over to him holding her arms up.

He smiles and lifts her up and swings her up onto his hip.

"Hello sweetie, how are you this morning?"

"Good. Richie has the sniffles. Mommy wants you to take me while she brings him to the doctor." Lauren said.

Mac chuckles. For being a three year old she was incredibly intelligent.

"Oh yea and what makes mommy think I'll take you?" he asks smirking at his wife.

"Because she'll put you on the couch until you're begging to come back to the bedroom."

"Okay. Is Richard okay?" he asks.

"Just a slight fever, runny nose and is lethargic. I just want to be sure it's just a cold." She tells him.

He nods and heads over to his car which was right next to hers and puts Lauren into the back of his car and into the car seat and lets her buckle herself in as he closes the door.

"How'd you know I'd be here?"

"It's where I would come today if it was going to be completely open to the public but that will have to wait until tomorrow when it is." She said.

Her brother had been an intern at a highly powerful law firm that was on the 110th floor the day of the attacks.

"It's not fair to you. You should have been invited to the ceremony today."

"Mac, it's fine. Besides I have you and these two reminding me that even though something absolutely terrible happened something amazing can come out of it and Johnny would want me to be happy and I am." She tells him as she puts the two month old in his car seat.

He smiles and kisses her softly erupting giggles from his car where Lauren was watching her parents and giggled at them kissing.

"I need to get going. I'll be by the lab to pick her up as soon as I can."

"Take your time. She hasn't seen the team in a while and visa versa so take your time."

She laughs and shakes her head.

"You just want to turn her into a mini CSI. Just don't let her get hurt in the lab again or shall I say. Don't leave her alone with Danny and Adam together for more than five minutes."

"I won't now getting going."

She smiles and nods leaving.

Mac smiles. His life had been great these last few years. He had a wonderful wife and two great kids. He turns and gives one last look at the, The World Trade Center and the National September 11th Memorial and Museum then climbs into his car and heads off to the lab with his happy rapidly talking daughter who got that from her mother who was Italian making her and Richard half Italian each.