A/N: My ficlet (finally!) for the fic challenge by Leslie Emm. I got the characters Mac Taylor and Haylen Bacall. They were hard to write actually. Anyway. Here's my third contribution to the Fic Challenges forum as decided by Leslie Emm.
Set: Mid Season 6
Characters: Haylen Bacall and Mac Taylor
Rating: K+
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY or affiliates. I am just playing with them for fun.
Come and Go
Haylen cleared out her locker, sliding her hand down the cool metal. It had been hers for a fleeting moment of time. She had been fortunate to finally get a foot in the door to the lab due to her own perseverance in finding that scholarship. She had never imagined that foot in the door had thrown it wide open and there lay a better, brighter career.
The FBI had wanted her.
Not Adam Ross, nor any of the other techs whom she had wanted to prove herself better than, but her, the upstart Haylen.
It was a victory and a relief.
As much as she had made it better for Detective Taylor by providing free labour which in turn eased the heavy caseloads, she wasn't a stupid woman. She knew that she hadn't been so easily accepted by the lab. And it was all due to Adam Ross and his insecurity over his job. She was appreciated as a workhorse, a machine in the tightly tuned cogs of the NYC Crime Lab. Not as a person. She had known that pushing for the lab tech position could turn some against her but she hadn't expected such a tightly clutched crown as the own Adam had held for his job.
She hadn't understood it. Hadn't pretended to. It was just a job. You wanted to keep it? Work harder than she did was her logic.
But she was relived. She wouldn't have to be stared at as some tried to figure her out, wouldn't have to pretend not to be annoyed by the fact people were stilted around her regardless of her friendliness.
"Haylen."
That world weary, slightly gruff voice was recognisable as the man who gave her the chance. That chance had transformed into the opportunity of a lifetime.
"Hey Detective Taylor," she greeted, clearing the last of her possessions into her gym bag.
His eyes were tired. But they had been tired from the moment she had met him. Haylen guessed that he was the kind of man that had wise eyes from childhood. But there was a way about him that assured them all he could shoulder the burdens, and he did so with aplomb. She turned to face him, giving him all of her attention. She would never disrespect him by doing otherwise.
"I just wanted to say good luck," he said quietly, holding out his hand. They shook, and Haylen felt with a sudden moment of clarity that this would probably be the last time that she would see him. She was going to be whisked away to the FBI headquarters. And there was no doubt that she would go anywhere other than up from there. She wouldn't be returning back here to be a part time lab tech, just learning. No, her career would carry her away from here.
"Thanks. I won't forget what you've done for me," she replied.
"No problem. It's been interesting," Mac said wryly, a hint of amusement touching his expression.
Interesting was definitely the right word to use. Neutral. Unassuming.
"It's been great." There was an awkward pause between boss and worker, lives touching for an infinitely small time in the scheme of things.
"Well, good luck to you too," Haylen said, and then walked out of the locker room. Out of the lab. Out of their lives. Knowing that within a year, she would be forgotten. She had made a brief splash, but her ripples would fade away.
A/N: So…you like?