I'm seriously worried that no one reads Flashpoint fanfics anymore seeing as the show ended, like, four years ago, but this idea has been in my head for a while and I thought I'd finally give it a try on here. Please review! And I know it's short and also that's it's not very interesting in the beginning- yes, I skipped negotiations and stuff but that's for the purpose of the chapter's revelations. (I'll be having some chapters with negotiations and others without, you'll see, it'll all come out in time.) I'm only estimating this story to be, maybe, fifteen chapters.

enjoy! And plllleeeaaase review, leave feedback, etc.

There were lots of mixed feelings about their newest team member. It was a temporary fix, according to Holleran, who had placed her on it. Though their newest member didn't look nearly as happy about it as other recruits would've.

Two weeks. Two weeks of long shifts and occasional chats with her, who avoided them as much as she could. She didn't talk very much, not outspoken, and shied away from being too close to everyone but Jules. But Jules wasn't much of an exception, other than the fact that she was the only one who had had an actual conversation with the new girl.

And she wasn't an amateur. She wasn't a rookie.

Also, her files were well protected. Apparently it was one of Holleran's conditions when she joined them.

"Mack's nice," Jules said that day, as Spike was writing down ideas for a hazing. His eyebrows were scrunched together, he was thinking so hard.

"She's also hard to prank. And I can't Trojan Horse her either. She's Italian."

"She is?" Wordy asked, walking by at that moment. It was exactly thirty minutes before their shift began and he had a towel draped over the back of his neck and shoulders, heading to the locker room.

"How do you know?" Jules asked curiously.

"I just know. It's an Italian thing."

"I thought cooking was an Italian thing. And bombs."

"No, no. Bombs are my thing, and there's lots of Italian things. Okay. How does this sound? Poison ivy-" He clamped his mouth shut and they all straightened, jumping into a hurried conversation about the dangers of forests.

Mackenzie Summers, her light hair pulled back into a bun, walked in at that moment wearing a pair of sweatpants and tank top. She raised an eyebrow, then kept walking with a slight smirk.

"She knows." Spike whispered loudly and conspicuously.

Wordy rolled his eyes. "How much longer is she here, anyway? Maybe you should just let this-"

"No, we haze them all. She may not be here very long, but she's still on this team." Jules said, eyes on the receding back of their new so-called temporary recruit. The team had learned their lesson in not being welcoming and excluding new team members after how they were with Sam.

Speaking of, "Hey, guys. And girl."

"Is that what I am now?" Jules joked, turning to face Sam, who was grinning. "A girl now that I'm not the only female here? Not Jules?"

"Hey. The sign changes, so does the team. What's with her anyway?"

"What do you mean?" Wordy says, just as Greg is passing and shoots them a silencing look. He hadn't been overjoyed with the new addition to the team, especially when she seemed about as reluctant as he was to accept the news of her being there now. But Greg had warmed up to the idea, and convinced the others to give her a chance. Sam had been much more warmed up to the idea, probably, because had used to be the unwanted rookie.

Though, she was anything but a rookie. The occasional times she said things that were pertinent to a situation without being asked, those things had been useful.

"Team one, Hot Call!" came Winnie's voice, causing them all to rush into a hurried mess of getting ready.

When they were finally in the vans, Ed seated next to Mackenzie, who had her head against the glass and (he got this impression, but didn't know for sure) seemed to be trying to get as far from him as possible, she smiled a little.

From where Spike and Wordy were, in their van, prepping info for the Boss, Spike heard her voice floating over the earpieces. "Hey, Spike. Make sure whatever you're planning doesn't have Peanuts or Blueberries involved. I'm allergic." This earned a few chuckles, and he laughed nervously, glancing at Wordy.

"Okay, team, what do we have? Winnie?" Sergeant Greg Parker asked, Jules next to him and ready to give her input as always.

"Well, Boss, it's a possible shooter. Someone called in hearing shots fired at Hemway Park. Subject is mid-thirties, possible hostage. Park has been cleared by unis. We don't have much more than that at the moment, sorry."

"It's fine, Winnie. Ed, take Sam and Wordy. Sam, you're Sierra One if needed. Jules, Mackenzie, you're both with me. Spike, truck. Let's keep the peace, everybody."

Mackenzie resisted the urge to sigh, and instead opted for breathing on the window and drawing a stick woman, then quickly erasing her. Here we go.

They arrived in mere minutes, and Ed tapped her shoulder, thinking she'd zoned out. In reality, Mackenzie was just taking her time, even though this was a bad situation. She clinched upon contact and quickly exited the vehicle, hiding her face in mild embarrassment and meeting up with Jules, who gave her a reassuring smile, for some reason.

The man was indeed holding a hostage at gunpoint. He had dull grey eyes and dark brown hair, at least a twenty year difference between him and the teenage boy he had in a failed choke hold, not even fighting for control. Mackenzie actually let out an inaudible sigh.

Boy, did this seem familiar.

With absolutely no bounce in her step, she walked over to the Sarge. "Boss?"

He looked over at her, attentive as always. "Yes, Mackenzie?" Why doesn't he just call me Mack, like everyone else should?

"What do you want me to do?"

He blinked, and instead of answering like she was hoping he would, Parker led the way to the truck and opened the door for them. Mackenzie followed Jules inside, pressing a hand against her earpiece and rolling her eyes. The Sarge then went back outside, and they watched as he talked.

"This is sergeant Greg Parker with the SRU..." And so on.

Mackenzie watched as the boss attempted to talk down the subject, while in her earpiece she could hear Sam, Ed and Wordy talking about their positions. They weren't getting a clear vantage point. There were too many trees surrounding the subject and the buildings didn't go high enough for the roof to be a good place to take the shot form. She on the other hand was thinking otherwise.

"Sir, why don't you try from that grey building. The one with the apartments. From the third floor, you could get a good vantage point through the window facing the park. It's farther but at this rate..." She trailed off, letting the Subject's escalating emotions and actions speak for her.

"...I don't think so." Ed said, sounding mildly surprised at her input but also hesitant.

"Boss, he's escalating. No joy." Wordy said. He added, "Kenzie, how sure are you about the apartment window?"

Mackenzie quickly exited the truck and looked around, scanning the area with wary eyes. "Pretty sure. I don't guarantee it, but it's better than having three of you with no solution."

"Based on what knowledge are you saying it would be better from the building?" Ed asked.

"Based on experience, not knowledge, sir." she responded. Mackenzie saw the Subject yell out, then wave his gun. She tensed up on instant and her hand almost went to her holstered Glock. Reflexes and old habits, along with the usual paranoia and carefulness. It all died hard.

"I think she should go for it," Sam finally said.

Ed sighed. "Hurry. I don't think the Boss is getting anywhere. Switching back to Channel five."

They all heard the small, quiet clicks as they all went back to the same channel as everyone else on the team. Mackenzie hurried to get her rifle and ran to the entrance of the stone, grey coloured apartment building, taking the stairs two by two without breaking into pants.

A mere minute later, she was looking through the scope of her firearm and could almost clearly get a good visual on the Subject. He was pressing the gun against his hostage's head, growing angrier by the second.

"Still no joy."

"Same here."

"Me too. ...Summers?"

"I've got the solution." And then Mackenzie smirked at the slightly surprised tone her team leader and strategist had taken, but it quickly slipped off when guilt seeped into her. She shouldn't be happy about any of the situation, no matter what she felt about feeling a bit more normal like she used to.

"Can you take the shot?"

"Sir, with all due respect, this would be anything but my first time." If Mackenzie took the time to count all the people she'd had to kill over the last few years of her life, she'd get a migraine and probably have a panic attack too. It wasn't something nice to think about, but she was good at her job and used to have a stellar reputation when it came to these types of things.

"Boss..." Sam murmured as something of a warning, possibly. Jules hummed in agreement.

She heard it get called.

"Scorpio."

Her finger tensed and she didn't hesitate at all- the trigger was pulled back, and her hand relaxed as she felt the very small kickback- well, small now that she was used to it- and the voices- and then the man dropping, his hostage yelling out and scrambling away-

Normal. A little bit more normal.

That's how she felt.

And it was...nice.

She was finally back to doing what she was used to. Her normal.

"Nice job, Mack." the Sarge said quietly, maybe even in a little bit of mixed emotion. With that, she smiled slightly and switched back to the regular Mackenzie they were accustomed to after two weeks of her being around.

Trudging down the steps and out the door of the building, she was met by some chaos. Reporters. News. Cameras. Her heart beat faster and she ducked away from them, tried to go unnoticed.

"Boss." she greeted with a nod in his direction as she placed the rifle where it belonged.

Sam looked at her. "You okay?" His expression was unreadable.

Mackenzie frowned. "Yeah..."

They were looking at her funny, and she averted her eyes, turning away and going towards where the SIU officers were waiting, eyebrows furrowed and already taking notes. She offered them a sarcastic smirk and then slid into the back of a car.

"She knows the drill." Wordy remarked when the car sped off.

"And she knew strategy, tactics." Spiked added.

Jules rolled her eyes. "If the Commander would just let us see her file..."

But Sergeant Greg Parker merely waved a hand dismissively and shook his head. "Guys, this isn't the time. She has prior experience. He wouldn't have given us a total rookie right off the bat anyway. Ed, do you have anything to say?"

"No."

"Great. Good job here, everyone. Let's get going. It's been an interesting morning already."

But even Parker couldn't quite shake an unsteady feeling about the withdrawn character of Mackenzie Summers, the girl who wouldn't talk to them.

How were they supposed to trust her if they, 1, didn't know anything about her and 2, she didn't trust them?