WELCOME BACK MAC

SUMMARY: 4th in the Danny/Mac series. Mac comes back from London to find Danny disobeying an order he'd been given. The problem is, he's disobeyed the order before.

BETA: Eagle Eyes

WARNING: Use of the H word included

DISCLAIMER: I do not own CSI: NY or CBS…all characters are borrowed and returned.

A/N: Here it is…the 4th installment: D I told you I'd get it done Shot!

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Mac walked to his 'son's' room and stood outside the door listening to Danny and Adam talking. It seemed strange to him to have both boys staying at the apartment. Their laughter drifted to his ears and Mac couldn't help but smile.

It seemed like yesterday he'd grounded the two boys from speaking to one another for two weeks…two long weeks according to both Adam and Danny. Ever since that time though Adam had become like a younger brother to Mac. So much so that Danny took to teasing him by referring to him as 'Uncle Adam'.

Of course there was almost some truth to it. Adam was just a year younger then Danny though at times he could act like he was ten years older. It amused Mac to no end, watching Adam humor Danny.

Of course Adam and Mac could never have the same relationship as Danny and Mac. Adam's past saw to that. A raised eyebrow or phrasing his words to sound like an order was enough for Adam. Whereas Danny was prone to trouble, Adam stayed away from it.

Mac shook his head to snap out of his reverie. With a smile on his face, he walked into the room and nodded hello to Adam who was sitting on the desk chair talking to Danny. Both boys knew him well enough to understand the look on Mac's face. He was worried about leaving them.

Danny glared at his 'father'. "I'm gonna be fine Mac!"

"Tone," Mac warned absent-mindedly as he sat on the bed, next to his 'son'.

"How are you feeling Adam?" Mac asked gentle concern in his voice.

"I'm fine," Adam said as he got up to lay down on the bed Mac had placed in the room while he stayed with them.

"Mac, I promise you, I'll be fine. Besides, between Lindsay, Hawkes, Stella, and Flack, I'll be well taken care of. And Adam's gonna be here another week; he'll keep me entertained." Danny stared at the older man and got no response. "Have it your way then…PEYTON!"

Mac jumped at Danny's raised voice and glared at the younger man. Peyton walked in and laughed at the two men glaring at each other.

"What's the matter Danny?" She asked softly.

"He's doing it again," Danny whined in reply.

Peyton gave her boyfriend a look that caused him to blush. She shook her head, understanding the fear that Mac was feeling.

"Your dad's just nervous, darling." Peyton turned to Mac, "You should start saying good bye. Flack's here so we can leave."

Mac nodded to her and turned his attention back to Danny. "Are you sure you'll be ok with me gone? I can join Peyton later," Mac quickly reassured him.

"I'm fine, dad," Danny said; he and Mac both smiled at Danny calling him 'dad'. It had been a new development they'd been working on a little before the 'accident'; ever since his stay in the hospital Danny more often then not called him dad. "It's been a month already. Besides, you'll only be gone three weeks."

Mac's mind flashed back to the month before when he, Hawkes, and Stella had been locked in the police building trying to stop men from stealing cocaine related to a case. He hadn't even known that Danny, along with Adam, had been taken hostage at a crime scene.

When Mac's phone had rung and the news delivered, he and Peyton had rushed to the hospital. Neither left Danny's or Adam's side. In fact so adamant were the two 'adults' about not leaving the other's side that the hospital had been forced to put both boys in the same room. Now, a month later, Peyton was getting ready to fly to England and wanted Mac to come with her.

Mac had been reluctant until Danny told him he should go. Mac was still reluctant at first, but Danny had thrown every argument he could think of at the older CSI. He included that Mac had never been on a vacation, had never even left the US except for when he was a Marine, and that Danny wanted him to go and have fun.

It was time for Mac and Peyton to leave…Mac couldn't seem to make himself leave the apartment though. In frustration Danny got up and led the way to the living room. Adam followed at a slower pace.

"Have fun and bring me something," Danny ordered.

Adam chuckled at his friend's antics but said nothing, choosing instead to shake hands with his boss before going to stand with Flack.

Peyton laughed and gave Danny a hug before turning to her boyfriend, "Say good bye, love."

Mac pulled his son into a hug and held tightly for a minute before pulling away. "Listen to Flack, Hawks, and Stella; I mean it Danny. Adam, you're here for another week; Hawes will take you to your check up for clearance to go back to work." Mac started for the door. "No doing anything that could hurt your hand either! I mean it Daniel Jay; when I come back we'll get it looked at until then no climbing, playing sports, or anything else that could further hurt it."

Danny nodded his head in understanding. He leaned against the door in mock exhaustion after the couple had finally left.

"So what are the plans now that they're gone?" Danny asked Flack excitedly.

"Sleep, medicine, supper, medicine, sleep," Flack answered. He chuckled as Danny groaned. "It's only for another week man. Then it's only watch TV, eat, and sleep."

Danny shrugged, "At least I can go to work next week. Can't get in much trouble there can I?"

Flack closed his eyes and shook his head. He gave a playful glare at his younger friend, "You just have to tempt fate, don't you?"

"Not funny," Danny grumbled. "Can I watch some TV?"

"Bed," Flack ordered, "both of you."

Adam simply followed Flack's order not wanting the older man to get mad. Besides he'd been up since early that morning and was tired.

"You're no fun," Danny snapped as he made his way back to his room.

"It's gonna be a long week, you keep up the attitude," Flack warned.

Danny didn't say anything; he just gave the detective a sheepish grin and went to lie down. 'He'll be back in three weeks,' he thought to himself as he fell asleep.

------------------------------- 3 Weeks Later ------------------------------------

Mac stormed down the hallways of the lab as he found the target for his anger. The female he'd spotted jumped when Mac ordered her to follow him to his office.

The door had barely shut when Mac turned around and let his anger out. "How dare you undermine me? What the hell where you thinking letting Danny repel? I told him he wasn't allowed to even play sports until he'd been cleared by Hawkes and you thought it was ok to let him repel outside of the statue of liberty!"

The image of Danny dangling over the side of the statue of liberty was still fresh in his head. He could still hear Danny's words ('Stella told me too') in his head.

Stella started at her boss and friend in shock. She had no idea what he was talking about but she let him vent his frustration. When he was done he was breathing hard and Stella waited until he had calmed down a little.

"Mac, I would never have let Danny repel if I had known. I thought you knew me better then that." Stella voice showed her hurt feelings. "I asked Danny what you had said and he told me that you said he was allowed if no one could and at the time I couldn't."

Mac sat at his desk too stunned to say anything. His only thought was that of the fact that Danny had lied to him. It took him a moment to realize Stella was still in the room, a look of hurt in her eyes.

"I should have gotten your side of the story first, I apologize Stella." Mac inclined his head briefly.

"Do you want me to take over the case?" She asked, her way of showing she forgave him.

Mac shook his head, "I'll wait till we're done before I talk to him.

Stella nodded her head and left the office. The case seemed to take forever but it was solved and all too soon for Danny who had guessed something was wrong when he saw Stella's glare and Mac's look of disappointment.

He wasn't given a chance to ask any questions as the case ran its course and was closed.

"Hey Mac, I'm headed out." Danny poked his head into his 'dad's' office.

"Straight home," Mac informed him.

"I had plans with…" Danny was cut off by an angry look from Mac.

"You are going straight home." Mac's voice was near quiet and Danny knew he was in trouble. "I will be about five minutes behind you. We have a lot to talk about."

Danny didn't say anything as he turned and left Mac alone in his office. Mac had no doubt that Danny would listen to him; not after the last time.

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When Mac entered the apartment he found Danny looking out the window.

"You repelled even after I told you, you were not allowed. What were you thinking?" Mac asked, trying to keep his anger at bay.

"Someone had to go out there!" Danny yelled, his anger seething over.

"Stella is just as qualified as you are," Mac spoke in a low voice.

"She was busy dad," Danny tried to reason.

"If she was so busy she couldn't repel then you should have offered to help her," Mac reasoned back. "You didn't though; you lied to her to get your way and then when you got caught you lied to me."

Danny closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 'I'm so dead', he thought to himself.

"Did I miss anything?" Mac asked a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Danny wanted to say no, to pretend like that was it. After all lying alone was bad enough but lying twice…that was suicide. If he didn't admit what he knew then it would be worse. Danny didn't want a third lie added to the list.

"Flack guessed what I was gonna do and ordered me not to," Danny admitted.

"I think you'd best stand in the corner while I calm down," Mac ordered.

Danny hung his head but made his way to the corner. He knew Mac was royally pissed, not that he blamed him, and it made his stomach do flip flops.

He could hear Mac moving around behind him but that didn't bother him. He knew that Mac often just paced back and forth while waiting for the corner time to be over. Danny once asked his 'dad' why he didn't save them both the agony and not do corner time but only got a swat in response…of course at the time he was already in trouble for talking back so it probably wasn't the smartest move!

As Danny stood in the corner he couldn't help but wonder why he had wanted to learn to climb and repel in the first place. 'Damn things just get me in trouble every time,' Danny fumed to himself, thinking back to the other time he'd tried to climb and repel and gotten into trouble. 'I hate climbing and repelling,' Danny added to himself as an after thought; his mind went back…

TBC…