WHERE THERE'S SMOKE…
SUMMARY: 5th in Danny/Mac Series. After meeting a new group of friends Danny starts a habit his dad has forbidden.
DISCLAIMER: Don't own
WARNING: Spanking and I think a few bad words
WRITTEN FOR: FC who is my big sister and is always there for me and puts me first no matter what; I wouldn't have made it this far with you Hil.
A/N: I hope you all like this! I drew a blank with it came to my series (both of them) but hopefully I'll get back on track!
OoOoOoOo
PROLOGUE:
The two men walked out of the movie theater one with obvious relief that the movie was over and the other still obviously in awe over the movie they'd just watched.
"What you expected?" The older asked as he grinned at his son.
The younger man nodded, "Thanks dad."
As they walked down the street to their car the two passed a group of young men, all about the son's age, who were talking about the movie.
Mac Taylor rolled his eyes in mock exasperation before nudging his boy to the group. Danny Messer smiled and with a casual tone added his own two cents to the group's discussion. The group of friends didn't protest his words and finally, after almost a half hour, Mac managed to pull him away.
The cigarettes in the boys' hands didn't go unnoticed by the detective who leaned towards his boy to ask in a whisper, "You do realize what would happen if I ever caught you smoking don't you?"
"Not to worry dad," Danny assured his father. Though he had, once, long ago smoked, Danny had no thoughts about starting the habit again…especially with the threat…no, the promise his dad had just made.
OoOoOoOo
TWO WEEKS LATER
"Have you seen Danny?" Mac asked by way of greeting the young lab tech.
"Sorry boss," Adam shook his head in the negative, "Want me to tell him you're looking for him if I do?"
It was Mac's turn to shake his head in the negative, "I'll find him; thanks."
Adam smiled and went back to his work. As an afterthought he put his hands to his ears.
No sooner had Mac stepped into the hall when a yell went out, "DANIEL JAY!"
Adam unplugged his ears and shook his head. Some things just didn't change. He turned just in time to see a flash of tousled hair dashing down the hall. He smiled, 'yup, some things just didn't change.
OoOoOoOo
"I don't think Brooklyn heard you dad," Danny greeted the older man with a slight scowl. He knew by the call of his name that he was facing Mac, not as his subordinate, but as his son.
"You were supposed to be helping Lindsay," Mac scolded.
"I was until she kicked me out of the lab," Danny shrugged his shoulders, "I ended up on a coffee run for Stella and Flack."
Mac looked his son up and down, "You've been running a lot of coffee breaks for everyone. Lose a bet?"
"Da-ad," Danny laughed, "Can we go?"
"Fine," Mac grabbed his jacket, "but I'm picking the movie this time."
Danny wrinkled his nose but said nothing. He was happy to simply be spending some one on one time with the man who had come into his life just a few years before.
OoOoOoOo
It was a couple hours later when the duo finally got back home. A grin still planted on Danny's lips.
"Keep it up chuckles," Came the dry retort.
"Dad, come on," Danny laughed, "that was brilliant."
"Go get ready for bed," Mac gave his son a slight push, "I'm going to throw some laundry in the washer."
Laughing Danny did as he was told. Mac shook his head as he walked to the wash room. The movie the two had gone to watch had been AWFUL. It was so bad that they had left before it was even halfway over and gone to a late dinner. Danny had teased him the entire time and Mac had borne it with a smile.
Mac quickly threw a load of clothes into the washer. Father and son got their suites washed through a dry cleaner but they both wore jeans and workout clothes and often had a couple of loads to do a week.
As he put some of his son's shirts into the wash with his own Mac stilled and pulled a shirt closer to his face. He took a deep breath and frowned. He kept one shirt with him and put the rest into the machine.
Danny was just crawling into bed when his dad walked in, "So is it safe to say that I get to…dad?"
"Tell me what you smell," Mac order, handing the shirt in his hands over.
Danny took the offered item and took a sniff; he bit his inner cheek, "Smoke."
"What kind?" The question was stern.
"Cigarette," Danny answered softly, "I can explain."
"Do," Mac's eyes flashed.
"The guys that we met at the movies a couple weeks ago told me that they play basketball at the park if I wanted to join so I did," Danny handed the shirt back to his dad as he lay down, his backside pressed firmly into the bed, "We went out to eat and then afterwards we were just hanging around and they started to smoke."
"Did you?" The look being given was one that promised swift consequences if the answer was a lie.
"No," Danny answered, meeting his dad's eyes firmly.
Mac nodded his head, "Ok. Good night Danny. I love you."
"Love you too dad," Danny snuggled into his blankets and fall into an uneasy sleep.
Mac threw the shirt into the laundry and got dressed for bed. Before actually laying down he went back into his son's room and said a silent prayer that the young man was telling the truth.
OoOoOoOo
"Yo Messer, you're late!" A man, a year or two older then Danny shouted.
"Thank you Captain Obvious," Danny shouted back with a grin.
"Guess our snack's on you," A second man offered with a grin of his own.
"Keep your shorts on Jimmy," Danny flung the item in his hand to the man. "I came prepared."
The men grinned as the box of cigarettes made its way around the group. Per the usual, each grabbed one and lit it, allowing the tobacco to make its presence known.
"Do you realize how dead I'd be if my dad or brother caught me?" Danny asked the group as he took a long pull of the item in his hand.
Before any in the group could make a sarcastic reply a voice cut through, "As dead as you are with me catching you."
Danny tried his best not to let his dread show on his face as he turned and looked at the man who was not only, a good friend but his doctor.
"Hey Hawkes," Danny took another puff to calm his now shaky nerves. "What are you doing here?"
"This is my new jogging route," Sheldon Hawkes was not happy, "Put it out and let's go."
"I just got here," Danny gave his friend a scowl, not liking being treated like a kid in front of his new friends.
"Ok," Hawkes smiled, "I was just on my way to see your dad. I'll see you at the house."
Danny gave the man a smirk, "Dad's in a conference at work but feel free to go and wait outside the house."
Hawkes stared, stunned at his friend's attitude, "Danny…"
"No Sheldon," Danny growled, backing up a few steps, "I'm not a little kid everyone can order around. I'll go home later."
The older man gave a shake of his head as he turned around and started to jog away. He hadn't even taken ten steps when he heard Danny fall in step with him.
"Sheldon," Danny pleaded softly, "Please don't tell him. He'll kill me."
"I'm not going to tell Mac a thing Danny." The former M.E. turned CSI agreed.
"Seriously?" Danny was in shock.
"Yup," The other man agreed. "If you go home right now and tell him yourself I won't say a word. If you don't agree then I'm going to Don. What Don does or who he tells is up to him."
"You can't," The younger man protested. "They'll both kill me!"
"I highly doubt the head of the CSI lab and a police detective are going to kill you," Hawkes gave the younger man a look, "I'm not joking Dan. You have until I leave the park to decide."
Hearing his friend's calling him to come back Danny glared at the older man, "Go to hell Sheldon."
He turned around, a mask in place to hide the hurt and anger he felt. He could only watch as Hawkes left the park and hope that he could talk his friend out of telling anyone once they'd both calmed down.
OoOoOoOo
An hour after his encounter with Sheldon Hawkes, Danny sat in a diner with the group, trying his best to act like nothing was wrong. He'd finally managed to push the earlier events out of his mind when his phone rang.
"Messer," It was the standard greeting.
"Where the hell are you?" The voice on the other end demanded.
The younger man's eyes bulged, "Flack?"
"Where are you Danny?" Flack's tone demanded immediate obedience.
"Out," Danny took a deep breathe to keep his voice even. He would NOT embarrass himself.
"Daniel, so help me," The detective's voice was hard.
Danny gulped before speaking, "I'll be home in a couple hours Don. I'll talk to you then."
"You'll get home now," IT was an obvious order.
"I got to go," Danny started his good byes, "I'll talk to you later Don."
"Damn it Danny, don't you…" Flack almost threw his cell phone against the wall, "Tell me you got him."
"Got him," The man sitting at the desk replied, "He's at a diner on 21st."
"Thanks Adam," Flack gave the lab tech a slap on the shoulder.
"Don't kill him," Adam shouted after the irate police detective.
Flack flashed Adam a wry grin as he started out the door. In his head he grumbled to himself, 'I make no promises.'
OoOoOoOo
The ringing of the diner bell caused the group to turn their heads as did several other people in the diner. Realizing it was no one of importance, at least to them, they went back to the discussion at hand.
"I'm just saying," One man spoke, "Why does your dad care what you do? Like you told that guy at the park, you're an adult."
"Two words," Danny replied, "Former Marine."
"Why the hell didn't you say so Messer?" Jimmy grinned, "Steve's old man is a Marine. You got guts going against your pops. If he's like Steve's…he's gonna kill you."
"Thanks for the sympathy," Came the retort.
"All I know," Steve finally spoke, "Is my dad would whip my butt good if he ever caught me smoking."
"That why you don't smoke?" Danny wondered aloud.
"Better believe it man," Steve agreed with no hit of shame.
Danny looked away from the group, silently agreeing with Steve's assessment of what his dad would do if he ever found out. There was no more time to ponder as the familiar sound of the door chiming broke through his thoughts.
Looking up he paled instantly, "I'm dead."
"What's the matter?" Jimmy looked over at the door.
"That my brother," Danny replied ducking down into the seat.
Flack walked over to a waitress and talked in a low voice to her. Danny peaked over the booth and watched as the waitress pointed in their direction.
Danny threw some money on the table, "I'm gonna go find the back door."
The group covered him as he quickly made his way to the back exit. So intent was he on getting out unnoticed that he didn't pay attention to where his big brother had gone which is why when a hand grabbed his arm, his fist shot out.
Flack blocked the punch, "Glad to see you too."
"Flack…" Danny's mouth dropped open, "I d-didn't mean…"
"I'm going to let go now and you are going to walk in front of me to my car without a fuss." Flack's voice was stern. Before he let he warned, "If you run Danny, you will regret it."
"I won't," Danny promised.
When he felt the hand release him, Danny had to fight the urge to run. It was a long walk back to the car parked down the street.
OoOoOoOo
Danny lay on the bed in his room, his eyes shut tight. Flack had refused to talk to him the entire way to Mac's place. In fact the only words spoken were those in the command that he go to his room and not come out until he was told.
The disappointment radiating off his big brother made him rather sick. He couldn't explain why he had done what he'd done.
As the young CSI finally peaked an eye open to look at the time, he heard the front door open and cringed. His dad was home.
Danny didn't have to wait long, ten minutes to be exact, before the sound of the front door being opened and closed signaled Flack's departure and his bedroom door opened.
"Danny," Mac's voice cut through the silence.
"Hi dad," Danny's voice was quite.
"How was your day?" The irony of the question wasn't lost on either man. After letting the silence continue for a couple of minutes Mac spoke again, "Sit up and tell me about your day."
I umm…woke up," Danny began slowly, "and showered. Then the guys text and said they were playing basketball so I went out there to meet them, had a run in with Hawkes, went out to lunch, had a run in with Flack and here I am."
The anger in Mac's eyes doubled, "Define run in."
"Exchange of words," Danny's mouth ran without his brains input.
"That just added you two weeks to your three month grounding," Mac informed his son, "Want to try for more?"
"That's not fair!" Danny shouted.
He said no more as he was pulled up and tucked under an arm. Half a dozen heavy swats landed on his backside.
"I'd watch your tone," Came the warning. Mac sat Danny back on his bed, "I'm not going to ask you again."
Danny cringed under the look of anger and disappointment, "Hawkes caught me smoking at the park and when he told me I had to decide to either go home and tell you myself or he was going to Flack, I said 'screw you'. When we were at the diner, Flack called me and told me to come home."
"What did you do?" The question was asked though the answer was already known.
"I hung up on him," The answer was whispered. "He came and found me at the Diner on 21st and brought me home."
"Let's go through the list of what you did wrong," Mac wasn't happy. "You disobeyed me about not smoking. You lied to my face about not smoking. You were rude and disrespectful to Hawkes and Flack. Did I miss anything?"
Danny shook his head, "No."
"Do you have anything to say before I continue?" Mac didn't soften his stance.
"I'm sorry," Danny finally met his dad's eyes.
"If you're not, you will be," Mac assured him. "You are ground for three and half months; one month for disobeying me, one month for lying to me, one month for being rude and disrespectful and two weeks for not being straight forward when asked."
"Dad…" Danny started but was stopped when Mac held up a hand.
"You're lucky I don't ground you longer," Mac warned him, "You will not hang out with those boys again and Danny, disobey me on that and you will not like the consequences. Do you understand me?"
"Yes," Danny had tears in his eyes.
"Good," Mac nodded, "On top of that you have earned yourself a bedtime spanking tonight."
Danny's eyes widened in shock; two spankings in one day!
Seeing his son's shocked expression Mac explained, "The spanking you get now will be long one and done with the brush. However, tonight, it will only be with my hand and if you behave yourself you won't get more than two dozen."
"Please dad," Danny begged, "I'm sorry."
"I know you are kiddo," Mac brushed a tear away, "but you're behavior is unacceptable. Any one of those things is bad enough but to do all three…"
Danny nodded his head in acceptance. It was true; he had acted stupidly these last couple of days.
"Pants down," Mac sat beside him.
Danny stood and undid his jeans, letting them fall to his knees. Mac didn't hesitate to pull him over his lap and bare him.
He rubbed his son's back softly for a moment before raising his hand and letting it fall hard.
Danny yelped, "OW!"
Mac started to lecture immediately.
"You do not" *SWAT, SAWT* "smoke;" *SWAT, SWAT* "ever!" *SWAT, SWAT* "You accept responsibility" *SWAT, SWAT* "for your actions" *SWAT, SWAT* "when you get caught." *SWAT, SWAT* "If I ever find out" *SWAT, SWAT* "you were smoking again *SWAT, SWAT* "you will not" *SWAT, SWAT* "like the consequences." *SWAT, SWAT* "Do you understand me?" *SWAT, SWAT*
"Y-yes," Danny cried, "P-please dad…I'm sorry!"
"You do not" *SWAT, SWAT* "lie to me." *SWAT, SWAT* "That has been a rule," *SWAT, SWAT* "from the beginning." *SWAT, SWAT* "It has not changed." *SWAT, SWAT* "Do you understand?" *SWAT, SWAT*
"OW…Yes," Danny got out through his tears.
"You will be respectful," *SWAT, SWAT* "to those around you," *SWAT, SWAT* "especially those who care about you." *SWAT, SWAT* "Do you understand me?" *SWAT, SWAT*
Danny could only nod as he was sobbing too hard to speak.
Mac took a deep breath, "Almost done son."
"D-dad," Danny managed to get out, "P-please d-don't."
"Give me your hand Danny." Mac ordered.
"P-please," Danny begged as he obeyed the command.
*SMACK, SMACK* "Da-ad!" *SMACK, SMACK*"I w-won't do it a-agaiiin!" *SMACK, SMACK* "I'm sorry!" *SMACK, SMACK*"Puh-leeze!!" *SMACK, SMACK* "OWWIE!" *SMACK, SMACK*
With the final smack, Mac dropped the brush to the floor and swept his weeping son into his arms.
"Shh," He soothed, "It's ok baby boy. I got you. It's ok Danny; breathe for me baby."
It took longer than normal for Mac to calm his son down but he understood. It was by far, the harshest spanking he'd ever delivered and he could only hope he never had to do so again.
"I'm s-sorry," Danny cried into his dad's chest, "I-I'm so, so sorry."
"All forgiven baby boy," Mac reassured his only child. "We're ok Danny. I'm here."
When Danny finally calmed down Mac helped him right his clothing, "You need to stay in your room today."
Danny nodded in acceptance.
"I think a letter of apology to your brother and Hawkes might be in order," Mac suggested though it was not a demand.
"I will," Danny agreed, wanting his most to make up with the other two people he hurt.
With a final hug, Mac left the room and allowed his son to get started on the letters.
EPILOGUE:
Night seemed to come to fast for father and son but it came. With a heavy heart Mac entered his son's room to find Danny pacing.
"Let's get this over with," Mac sat on the bed and motioned for is son to come to him. Danny came over without complaint. Mac gave him a sad smile, "Thank you."
He guided his boy over his lap and lowered his night pants before righting them again. Danny gave him a funny look, "Dad?"
"I needed to make sure you were ok," Mac explained. "I'm going to let you keep your pants up this time but if there's a need for a second you'll lose that right."
Danny nodded his understanding and turned back around. He put his hand behind his back, needing to feel his dad close to him. Mac took the proffered hand and gave it a squeeze.
Sixteen swats later it was over and Danny was laid on his stomach, tears running down his face. Mac held him tight.
It didn't take long for Danny to fall asleep and while under any other circumstances Mac would have gone back to his own room, he couldn't on this night. It had been emotionally draining and he needed to hold his son.
With a tender kiss to his son's forehead, Mac closed his eyes. It had been a long day and morning would come all too soon.
THE END