Disclaimer: CSI NY and the characters don't belong to me (neither do the Wizard of Oz or Buzz Lightyear) - just the ideas in my story. No copyright infringement intended; no profit being made.
A/N: Just a rather fluffy one-shot that's been simmering in the back of my brain for well over a month now, distracting me from my other attempts at writing. Takes place before Season 9. This is for Quille. Happy weekend.
Friends & Opportunities
Jo Danville strolled down the pathway through the park, admiring the butterflies flitting over the beds of asters and phlox and musing over how their erratic movement seemed to mimic the nervous energy coursing through her body. She wasn't certain why she was so anxious at the prospect of seeing Mac. Granted, it had been three weeks. And their last meeting had been anything but uplifting. He'd seemed down. Recovery was progressing slowly. The pain was not dissipating as quickly as expected. And it was unclear when, or if, he would return to work. Not that Mac had voiced any of these concerns himself. But she'd seen it in his eyes, in the stiff manner in which he carried himself, in the flash of pain on his face when he moved a certain way. And Christine had filled in the gaps as she'd walked Jo out to her car, Mac having dozed off, mid-sentence, on the sofa while they chatted.
Three weeks, Jo thought. She shook her head, ashamed she'd let that much time pass since her last visit. She could blame the summer crime spree inundating the Lab with cases. She could blame her last minute frenzy to close as many files as possible before her summer trip to Virginia with Ellie. She could blame her 10 day absence during that vacation. She'd barely managed a quick phone call with him before she left. Just to check in. Just to make sure he was ok. But it had been rushed. They'd hardly talked before Mac had gotten another call, from Christine, and seconds later, Jo had gotten a call out. They'd both laughed, said their hurried good byes. And she hadn't heard his voice now for 2 weeks. Until last night.
Glancing down at Lucy Messer skipping alongside her, Jo smiled, recalling yesterday evening's pleasant turn of events. She'd returned to her office late, following a meeting at the Precinct, just in time to catch Lindsay's sullen face as she slammed the receiver down on the telephone. It seemed Lindsay and Danny were trying to repaint their kitchen Saturday morning, but the weekend sitter had called in sick and the weekday sitter was away. Jo, deciding she was in desperate need of a change of pace despite her recent vacation, had happily offered to take Lucy to the park for the morning. Lindsay and Danny were effusive; Jo was more than happy to indulge them.
And then Mac had called. Out of the blue. Checking up on her after her vacation. Asking if she wanted to meet for brunch in the morning. She expected he was bored, looking for an excuse to talk about the Lab while Christine was busy at the restaurant. But hearing him on the phone, she was certain she could detect a renewed strength in his voice. She hesitated to think it, fearing reality would disappoint, but he almost sounded like the old Mac. Before the shooting. Having just booked her morning with Lucy, she suggested Mac come to the park and spend time with the two of them. She'd offered to pick him up but he'd insisted he'd arrive on his own.
She looked again at Lucy, and for a moment, her worries and concerns about Mac all but disappeared. She couldn't help but share in the little girl's joy as they neared the entrance to the playground and Lucy began pulling on Jo's hand. Jo remembered fondly how Ellie, and Tyler, had been the same way. She realized she missed that carefree lust for life that young children imparted, and that she was truly enjoying re-experiencing it now. She hoped it would bring a smile to Mac's face as well.
As they passed through the gate, Jo stopped, surveying the enclosed area for any sign of him. She crouched down next to Lucy. "Let's keep our eyes open for Uncle Mac. Remember he's meeting us!"
"Yea!" The little girl let go of Jo's hand and launched into an impromptu dance of joy that involved waving her hands above her head and spinning around in circles. She continued to the point that vertigo took over and she lost her balance, tumbling unceremoniously into a heap on the ground while giggling hysterically.
Jo laughed. Still crouched down, she reached over in an attempt to pick Lucy up off the ground. "Come up, hon', you'll get your pretty dress all dirty."
"Hmm." A voice intoned. "It's the park. I thought you were supposed to get dirty."
Jo's breath caught in her throat. That familiar monotone, tinged with just a slight edge of cynicism, resonated in her ears. As strong as ever. Coming from just behind. She stood and turned so abruptly she nearly knocked into Mac as he leaned over making silly faces at Lucy on the ground. Jo took a quick step sideways, grabbing onto Mac's shoulder to keep herself from losing her balance just as he reached out and caught her other hand. He smiled down at her. "I didn't realize we'd be dancing; I'd have worn better shoes." He quipped, and they both laughed as they realized they'd ended up in a perfect position for a waltz.
"Uncle Mac, Uncle Mac." Their attention was drawn downwards to Lucy who, now standing, had resumed her own dance. Mac chuckled and knelt down next to her, managing to quell some of her energy by giving her a big hug. She pulled back after several seconds, pointing behind her at the playground. "You're gonna watch me play slide, right? And swings? And build sand castles?"
Pushing himself back up slowly, he smiled. "All that and more, Luce."
He glanced at Jo, who seemed frozen in place, her arms wrapped tightly around her body, a look on her face that somehow managed to meld elation, wonder and heartache together as one. He looked closely at her, certain her eyes were glistening.
Her head began to shake slowly back and forth. "Mac Taylor, just look at you." She drawled. Her unabashed gaze scanned him from head to toe and then back up again, finally settling on his face. Mac's eyebrows quirked and he felt his cheeks color slightly under her scrutiny. "You finished checking me out?" He inquired, a sparkle in his eye.
A wide smile broke out across her face, jarring a single teardrop from her eye. She flicked it off her cheek self-consciously. "You look great." She choked out, half laughing, half crying, as she stepped forward, arms open, reaching out to envelop him in a tentative yet heartfelt bear hug.
Before Mac could react, Lucy, impatient to get down to the business of playing, grabbed for his arm and began pulling it, urging them further into the playground. He pulled slowly away from Jo, smiling at her, then glancing at Lucy. "Shall we ladies? It's not every day I get to spend time with my two favorite girls." And he offered his other arm to Jo. Mac was certain the grin on Jo's face rivaled that of Lucy's as she reached out and laced her arm through his. The three of them, arms linked together, proceeded down the pathway inside the playground, Lucy still dancing her jig. A sudden image of Dorothy, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow popped into Mac's mind and he had to bite his tongue to keep from bursting out in a rendition of "We're Off to See the Wizard".
Stopping to disentangle themselves near a bench just to the side of the jungle gym, Mac eyed Lucy. "What shall we do first, Luce?" Mac asked. "Slide?"
She pursed her lips. "Yep, but you sit and watch. I'm big now, you don't need to catch me. And Mommy says you have to rest lots."
Mac raised his brow, casting a glance at Jo, who merely shrugged and gave him a quirky smile as she moved to sit on the bench. "Lindsay did mention Lucy's aged several years since they visited you last month." Mac smiled as he watched Lucy jet off to climb the ladder, then he moved to sit down next to Jo on the bench.
Feeling her gaze heavy upon him, he turned.
She took a deep breath, looking at him yet again before speaking. "Mac, I was serious. You look . . . great. How are you feeling?"
He nodded, a solemn smile on his face, but she detected a subtle twinkle in his eye. "Good. Much better than when we last saw each other, I think." He could barely contain the smile threatening to burst forth. "Doc says I should be able to come back to the Lab on modified duty, part-time, in another two weeks or so."
Jo raised her hand to cover her mouth, feeling a wellspring of emotions bubbling through her. She nodded vigorously, not certain she could trust her voice at the moment.
He eyed her, catching the play of emotions across her features, and tried to lighten the mood a bit. He leaned towards her as if about to impart some critical tidbit of information. She leaned in as well, her expression serious as he began in a hushed tone. "You probably better get started cleaning off my desk – I find one errant sticky note stuck anywhere in my office when I get back, you're gonna be in big trouble."
"Ughhh, you!" Jo narrowed her eyes at him and frowned, reaching out and slapping his arm. After a prolonged glare in his direction, she managed to compose herself and respond in a more serious tone. "I'm really glad Mac."
He reached out and brushed another tear from her face. "Yet you're crying."
She turned away a moment, brushing off his comment with a flick of her wrist and jangle of her bracelets. "Oh, you know me. I get all emotional."
Mac chuckled and turned to wave at Lucy as she called his name from the slide. After watching her plummet downwards, shrieking all the way to the bottom, he turned back to Jo, glancing at his watch. "So Lindsay and Danny think they're going to repaint their kitchen in a couple hours?"
Jo shrugged. "Well, I guess it's small. And they're wallpapering one wall."
She glanced over at Mac next to her on the bench. One of his eyebrows was raised so high in contrast to the other, she couldn't help but think he resembled Buzz Lightyear. She laughed out loud. "Well, you don't look convinced."
Mac shook his head. "They think wallpapering is going to make it go faster? I'd beg to differ." He chuckled heartily, still shaking his head.
Jo smiled over at him. "Come on, spill it Taylor. What is so amusing over there?"
He eyed her sheepishly. "I can remember the first apartment Claire and I had here. Right after we moved out, right after I was discharged. It was a complete dump. We were trying so hard to make it into a real home. We went the wallpaper route. Tried, I should say. Never again." He stopped a moment, clearly lost in the memory, looking down, his face tinged with decidedly more color than before as a smile tugged at his lips.
Jo eyed him a moment. "And let me guess, in the end you gave up and . . ." she paused, glancing down at Lucy who was now digging in the sand at their feet. " . . . well, let's just say you ended up with more wall paper glue on your bodies, than on the walls."
A barely suppressed laugh escaped Mac's lips as he looked over at her and smiled guiltily. "I thought you were in DC twenty years ago. Not spying on me in my bare-walled apartment from across the alleyway."
She winked at him. "I was in DC, but I lived through a similar incident when Russ and I got together." She waggled her eyebrows at him and he shook his head, still chuckling softly as he turned to scan the park for Lucy, who'd run off.
They sat together, in comfortable silence, for several minutes, Mac watching Lucy playing hide and seek with a friend, Jo simply watching Mac. Every so often Mac would look across at her and smile, but neither felt any need to speak. Suddenly Jo sat up straighter, causing Mac to turn towards her.
"Mac, how's Christine? I haven't seen her for, goodness, quite a while. Haven't heard any news. She was so good about keeping in touch . . . early on."
Mac shifted, looking away from Jo a moment. "Well . . . Christine . . . moved upstate. To be with her parents."
Jo's brow furrowed. "What?"
He sighed softly. "Her parents moved upstate shortly before I was shot. That's where her mother is from. Then her father had a mild heart attack about five weeks ago. She . . ." He paused. "She's very close to her family, Jo. She felt she needed to be nearer to them."
"Oh, my, Mac. I'm so sorry. For you. Or, for her. For her father." She stumbled slightly over what she was trying to convey. "I remember you mentioning he was sick. She never said a word to me. I hadn't realized it was serious. I . . . I just had no idea." Jo paused, taking the time to let everything sink in. "Did she sell her restaurant?"
"No, not exactly. She retained an ownership share. But a friend of hers took over the management; they took on someone else to help in the kitchen."
"So . . . she'll probably be back?" Jo asked, her tone somewhat hesitant.
He looked at her a moment, before shaking his head. "No, Jo. I don't think that's going to happen. She's looking for a space up there to open a cafe."
She nodded slowly. "Oh. I see."
He shrugged. "It all came about . . . very quickly. It was a hard decision for her. I just . . . didn't mention it to you I guess."
Jo bit her tongue a moment, but only a moment. She just couldn't help herself. "So are you guys . . . making a go at a long distance romance?" Jo suddenly realized she was perched so far on the edge of the bench, she was certain she would have fallen onto the ground had her hands not been gripping the seat so tightly in anticipation of his answer.
Mac smiled ruefully, not bothering to look her in the eye. "No. We decided that wasn't an option for us." He looked at Jo, noting her look of surprise. He sighed. "Things were . . . somewhat strained between us even before this came up." And his gaze turned to Lucy pushing her friend on the swing, leaving it at that.
She looked at him, reaching out and placing her hand over his where it lay on the bench, squeezing it ever so lightly. "I'm truly sorry Mac. I had no idea. And honestly, I'm even more sorry for not keeping in touch better. For letting too much time pass since you and I really had a good chat. It was unforgivable. I consider you to be one of my closest friends and . . . " Her voice wavered slightly and she paused.
He turned his hand around and grasped hers tightly in his. "I could have picked up the phone just as easily as you. Probably more so. I suppose I didn't want to burden you. You've taken on a lot since I've been out."
"Mac, you could never be a burden." She shrugged, staring at his hand clasping hers. "And you know the team – everyone's been great. Picked up the slack. Taken extra shifts. We've pulled together." She looked on as her thumb started caressing his hand ever so lightly, not even registering what she was doing. "I can't wait 'til you're back though. I miss you. Miss having you around."
Mac nodded but a smile played at the corners of his mouth. "Yea, come on, admit it. You're just looking forward to me coming back in on desk duty, taking up the paperwork slack." He watched her finger on his hand, mesmerized.
She frowned. "Oh please. Secretly, I think you enjoy paperwork." She suddenly caught her thumb caressing his hand and made herself stop.
Mac smiled, his gaze dropping down to their hands, missing the feel of hers stroking his and wondering absently why she didn't continue.
"Hey." Jo spoke suddenly, startling him. "Mac, who's taking care of you? I mean with Christine gone?"
Mac frowned. "I can take care of myself."
Jo shook her head. "Oh no, Mac. You shouldn't be alone. How many days ago did she move?"
Mac shifted uncomfortably, scanning the park, thinking now might be a good time to get up and help Lucy out on the jungle gym.
Jo withdrew her hand from Mac's, leaning back in the bench and crossing her arms, staring pointedly at him.
Mac glanced sideways at her but her eyes bored into him.
He cleared his throat, steeling himself for her reaction. "She left just under three weeks ago. Shortly after I saw you last."
Jo's eyebrows rose up, her mouth gaping open. "Mac!"
Mac held up his hand. "We arranged for Reed, Claire's son, to check in on me everyday. Help me with appointments and such. He even stayed over a few times."
Jo looked at him in horror. "But still, I can't believe . . ." before she could finish, Lucy came running up to them, trying but failing to skid to a stop. His knees stopped her body's forward movement, but momentum caused her head to dip down, continuing on its trajectory straight for his middle. Jo caught his wince as Lucy's head hit his stomach, and she reached over to gently peel the child off Mac's lap.
Lucy grinned at him. "I have to go potty. Can you take me Uncle Mac?"
Mac smiled but Jo could see the look of mild discomfort in his eyes, the way he shifted his body awkwardly in the bench. She raised her eyebrows – You ok? She mouthed. He smiled weakly, nodding.
She tapped Lucy on the shoulder and whispered to her, eyeing Mac as she did so. "Know what, sugarpie? I need to go too. How 'bout you show me where they are, because I kinda forgot."
Mac smiled; Lucy rolled her eyes. "Silly Jo. You should 'member stuff like that. You're a police teducktive, right?"
Jo bit her lip, trying not to giggle. "A de-tect-ive, right." She glanced over at Mac smiling. Jo continued. "And you are also right, that I should remember important information like where the bathrooms are. But I forgot. So, my dear, you lead the way, and I shall follow, expert detective that you are for remembering."
Lucy reached over and grabbed Jo's hand, her face serious. "Don't get lost Jo. Follow right next to me."
Jo rose from the bench, winking back at Mac as they left.
Mac smiled after them. He leaned back slightly into the bench, gingerly rubbing where Lucy's head had connected with the scar from his surgery. He lifted his arms, gently stretching out his torso, closing his eyes and basking in the warmth of the sunshine filtering through the trees.
Suddenly he heard a child's voice call out nearby. He couldn't quite make out what she was saying, but there was something in the tone that made him open his eyes slightly. He located the little girl, close to Lucy's age, perched atop the jungle gym, clearly uncertain as to how she was supposed to descend now that she'd managed to make her way up. He glanced around, expecting a parent to swoop in any moment, but no one seemed to be paying any attention. He turned his gaze back to the child. She was becoming more agitated, calling for someone to help her.
He rose up tentatively, still looking around for a possible parent or nanny. He approached the jungle gym and eyed the little girl, smiling softly at her. "Hey. You need some help?"
She eyed him warily. "I don't know you. You're a stranger. I'm not allowed to talk to you. At all. It's dangerous."
Mac smiled slightly, reaching for his badge to show the child, when he recalled he wasn't wearing it. He paused a moment, sighing. "My name's Mac. I'm a police officer. What's your name?"
She looked at him. "You don't have a gun or a uniform."
He nodded. "You're right. I'm not working today."
She seemed to consider that. "You're on leave." She stated matter of factly, causing Mac to quirk his head slightly. "Well, yea, I got hurt and now I have some days off." He pondered how she could possibly know he was on medical leave.
"My daddy was s'posed to go on leave. But he got hurt too. Only he died before he came home. He had a shirt like yours."
Mac glanced down at his old USMC t-shirt, a flicker of comprehension lighting his eyes. "You're daddy was a Marine?"
She nodded.
He smiled softy, nodding. "I used to be one too, before I became a police officer. What's your name honey?"
She stared back at him, still unwilling to answer. Mac changed tactics, glancing around. "Is your mommy here?" He asked.
She nodded. "My mommy is feeding my baby sister over there." She pointed to the opposite side of the park, where Mac couldn't help but hear the cries of a squalling baby being rocked in the arm of a rather harried looking woman as she tried to prepare a bottle with one hand. A toddler was tugging on the woman's sleeve. She didn't look to be in any position to extract the little girl from the jungle gym, so Mac moved slightly closer. "How about this. You don't need to tell me your name. But I'll tell you how to get down all by yourself. Then you can go join your mommy."
She looked at him, unconvinced. "I won't fall?"
He smiled. "I promise."
She nodded. Mac smiled.
"Ok. First, it's easiest to go down backwards, opposite of how you got up. Hold on with both hands here, and take a step down with one foot until you feel the bar underneath. Then move your other foot there too."
He guided the child's foot downwards onto the next bar. When she was stable, she turned to him and grinned. "Then you move your hands down to the next bar. Then you start over with your feet." Mac coached her down each bar and she stopped on the last step, beaming up at him.
Mac smiled back at her. "See! You did it all by yourself!"
He moved back slightly to make space for the little girl as she prepared to jump off the last bar. In doing so, he nearly crashed into the woman with the small baby, now asleep in her arms, who seemed to have magically appeared behind them. Mac stepped quickly to the side, narrowly avoiding her.
She seemed embarrassed. "Oh. Sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up behind you. I'm Hayley's mother." She said, nodding towards the little girl. "Thank you for rescuing her. Sorry about that."
Mac smiled at her. "No problem. You look like you have your hands full."
She did her best to hold her hand out to him. "My name is Anna."
Mac smiled. "Mac." They improvised a handshake, only her fingers sticking out from supporting the baby.
Across the playground, just passing through the gate, Jo slowed, seeing Mac talking to another woman surrounded by three small children. She watched them a moment, smiled to herself, and glanced down at Lucy. "Hey, honey, shall I push you on the swing over there?"
Lucy seemed to consider that offer, but on seeing Mac, she took off, catapulting into Mac's legs from behind, nearly throwing him off balance. 'We're back!" She hollered.
"Whoa, Luce." Jo came up behind them, reaching out to place her hand supportively on Mac's arm. They exchanged glances, Mac nodding that he was fine. Jo raised her brow at Mac, indicating Anna with a subtle motion of her head. Mac glared back at Jo but she merely turned around to acknowledge Anna.
Anna smiled, reaching out her hand. "Hi, I'm Anna. You're Mac's . . . wife?"
Jo's eyebrows raised, a quirky smile on her lips. "Oh! No! We're just co- . . . "
"We're . . . friends." Mac interjected. "This is my . . . friend, Jo." Jo cast a withering look at him, then turned back to Anna. "We work together." She clarified.
Anna smiled awkwardly, somewhat confused. "Oh, ok. Well, it's very nice to meet you."
Jo shook Anna's hand. "Likewise." She smiled politely, turning once again to glare at Mac.
Anna began to retreat. "Well, listen, enjoy your day. Thanks for helping Hayley." And she turned to head back to the bench on the other side of the park.
Mac rolled his eyes as he walked past Jo and headed back to sit down on the bench. As soon as Anna was out of earshot, Jo sat down heavily next to Mac, turned to him, reached out and swatted him in the arm.
"Ow! What was that for?" He looked genuinely surprised, rubbing his arm in mock pain.
"Oh, Mac. You are truly hopeless. Come on. Can't you see she liked you. You scared her away making such a big deal about how we're 'friends'."
Mac looked at her, perplexed. "Jo, she and I talked for all of 5 minutes. You were there for 15 seconds. How could you possibly know?" Mac stopped a moment. "Besides, you and I are friends, at least I thought."
Jo rolled her eyes. "Well yes of course we are, but you gave her the wrong idea. She assumed we were a couple. Did you see how her face fell as soon as you said that?"
He groaned. "So then you had to confuse matters by saying we just work together. She thinks we're both crazy now."
She eyed Mac, her toe tapping the ground. "I bet she'd a asked you out for coffee. Or another park playdate. Or a real date even."
"Jo her husband was killed in Afghanistan six months ago. She has three little kids."
"And?"
Mac shrugged. "'And' what? Was I supposed to lie and say I don't know you?"
"No. You shoulda just said we were co-workers. At least left her the option open. "
Mac shook his head in disbelief. "Jo. Calm down. Maybe I didn't want that option left open."
"Oh, so you used me as an excuse."
He raised his arms in defeat. "Jo! Please."
He looked hard at her a moment but a smile slowly began to weave its way into his expression. She tried to fight it, but within a few seconds, her face broke out into a smile as well. She sighed. "Ok, I'm sorry. I should just mind my own business."
He scoffed. "Oh, come on, you know you'd implode if you kept out of my business." He sighed loudly. "All right. Educate me. What should I have done there?"
She smiled and looked away a moment, clearly embarrassed. "Mac, I'm not going to tell you what to do." She scoffed. "Look at me – I'm certainly no expert at having a personal life. I just . . . I worry about you Mac. You deserve to be happy. To be with someone you care for, who cares for you. I just wish . . . I just wish you weren't alone."
Mac rolled his eyes. "So you think I should be with someone I just met 5 minutes ago?"
She huffed. "No, but you could've invited her out for coffee in the park, something harmless. I just think you should seize the opportunity when one presents itself. That's all. It can't hurt."
She turned away, clearly miffed. But Mac just laughed, continuing to stare at Jo. He nodded. "Ok. 'Seize the opportunity,' huh?" She turned back around, casting an oblique glance in his general direction.
Mac continued. "You know, you and I, we're a lot of things, right?" She grudgingly looked up, curious, and he caught her eye. "Partners. Co-workers. Colleagues. And, yes, friends." He paused, but she merely stared at him. "I introduced you as my 'friend' before because I was hoping that maybe today, we could see what it would be like to just forget all those other terms. And just focus on the 'friends' part." He looked at her expectantly. She frowned, a wary look on her face.
She hesitated before answering. "Uh, sure Mac. So, how shall we focus on our 'friendship'?"
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Well how 'bout we start with coffee in the park after we drop Lucy off?" He smiled, echoing her earlier words.
Assuming he was mocking her, she crossed her arms. "Well, it'll be lunchtime then. I'm starving already. Why don't we grab a burger instead? It's been a while since we've done that, huh?" She frowned as she saw Mac's eyes roll. She was missing the point.
He shook his head. "Ok, if you're wanting lunch, how about something . . . new. Different."
She looked at him suspiciously. "Burgers aren't good enough for you now? Ok." She replied hesitantly.
He shook his head, smiling at her stubbornness. "Listen for a minute. There's a great little French Café in the Park, outdoor patio, maybe we could go there for lunch. They have great coffee as well. And it is in the Park."
Her eyes softened and the hint of a smile played at the corners of her lips as it finally began to dawn on her what he was doing. "Seizing the opportunity, are we?"
He shook his head, rolling his eyes in mock frustration. "Sheesh. For a detective, sometimes you're a little slow." He saw her eyes widen, but before she could react further, he smiled and pointed up at the sky. "It's a beautiful day. We could go for a walk in the Park after."
She bit her lower lip slightly, holding her smile at bay. "I have always loved Central Park on a sunny afternoon." She sighed dramatically. "Well, I guess it certainly can't hurt. " She replied, finally letting the smile spread wide across her face.
He grinned. "Absolutely not." Pausing a moment, he shrugged. "And then, well, I guess we'll just go from there." He smiled shyly. "No need to plan out every minute in advance, huh?"
She gazed at him in wonder; this was a thoroughly unanticipated turn of events. She realized he was expecting a response of some sort. "Yea, Mac. That all sounds . . . nice." She cringed inwardly. 'Nice'. Good lord, that was the only word she could come up with? She couldn't help but think that was probably the equivalent to saying an unpleasant work of art was 'interesting'.
But Mac didn't seem to notice. He smiled at her, reaching out to catch an errant lock of her hair caught by the breeze and tuck it behind her ear with his finger. "All right. It's a date." And he stood suddenly, walking over to push Lucy on the swings, leaving Jo sitting, mouth agape, on the bench.
-/-/-/-/-
An hour later, Mac waved goodbye to Lucy for the fifth time as Lindsay, her hair sticky with wallpaper paste, finally managed to corral her daughter and close the apartment door.
He turned to Jo, who was standing in the corner of the hall on her phone. She ended her call and turned to Mac, the sadness evident in her eyes.
Mac's smile faded. "You get a call out?"
"Homicide, in Queens." She shook her head in disbelief. "Well, now I'm not only going to miss lunch in general, but I'm going to miss 'our' lunch. Together. As friends." She smiled ruefully.
Mac patted her arm. "Well, we can always reschedule. I'm finding myself with lots of downtime lately." He joked, but she didn't laugh.
Instead, Jo smiled forlornly. "Yea. Sure." She sighed loudly. "Another time, huh?" And she turned to leave.
Mac reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, turning her back around before she reached the stairway.
"Hey, don't give up so easily. What happened to "seize the opportunity"?
"The D.B. in Queens pretty much seized it from us." She mumbled.
Mac shook his head. "Then we'll make another one. When I said reschedule, I actually had tonight in mind."
Her eyebrows raised in surprise. "Oh! Well, ok. I don't have any plans. Same place?"
He paused. "Actually, no."
She look at him, confused.
"I'm playing tonight. At Cozy's."
Jo raised her eyebrows. "I didn't know you were back to that? And I thought it was during the week?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "What, are you headlining Saturday nights now?" She chided him.
Mac laughed. "Not exactly. But the opening ensemble tonight had to cancel and the manager asked us to fill in the early slot. You could meet me and we could grab something to eat from there."
"Ok." Was all she could manage in response. Mac was just full of surprises today. She smiled and he inclined his head towards the stairway. "Come on, I'll walk you part way back to your car."
Mac held the door as they stepped out of Danny and Lindsay's building into the sunshine. Jo paused, looking up at the sky for a moment, then groaning. "What'll we do to make up for that lovely afternoon walk in the sun?"
Mac gave her an encouraging smile. "A walk under the stars can be just as nice. Cozy's is just a couple blocks from the Park." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I've always loved Central Park under the moonlight." He paused a moment, his face turning serious. "I've always thought you'd look beautiful under the moonlight."
Jo chuckled, feeling a sudden flush spread over her cheeks. "Oh please, Mac. How many times have you seen me in the moonlight, decked out in latex gloves, hovering over a dead body."
She looked over at him, expecting a grin. But he simply gazed back at her. "I don't want it to be over a dead body this time." And he pulled his hand from his pocket, reaching out to gently caress her cheek.
Jo's heart skipped several beats before it resumed, at a significantly faster rate than before.
"Wha. . . ." Her voice cracked and she let out a rather strangled-sounding giggle before clearing her throat and starting in again. "Um, ok. What, uh, . . . time shall I meet you?"
He smiled at her sudden awkwardness. "Well, we're on first, 6-7 p.m. Come by a little before 7, have a drink while you wait and as soon as I'm done we can head out and grab a bite to eat, have our coffee and take that walk?" He smiled shyly. "I know it's a little on the early side but the doctor says I still need my rest."
Jo's eyebrows rose. "And you're listening to him?" She reached out and felt his forehead with the back of her hand. "Are you feeling well?"
Mac smiled. "I'm fine. Just anxious to get back to my life."
She nodded approvingly. "Ok, well, just before seven it is. Cozy's. By the Park . . ." She didn't want to leave yet but couldn't think of what else to say.
Mac smiled. "You should probably go."
Damn, Queens. She nodded, but just before she turned to leave she hesitated. "Mac, do you want me to drop you at your place?"
Mac shook his head, laughing. "Jo, you've lived here three years now. You do know that my apartment is in the complete opposite direction from where you're headed in Queens?"
"Of course I know that. But, will you be ok?"
"I'll be fine. I'll grab a taxi."
"Ok, but let me know when you get home."
Mac opened his mouth to protest but looking at Jo, seeing the look of genuine concern in her expression, he stopped himself.
"All right. I'll text you the minute I walk in my door." He crossed his arms, his tone becoming serious. "Now that we've got that settled. Go. Now. Or dispatch is going to be calling Danny or Lindsay out of desperation, thinking you got lost, and the whole scene will end up being contaminated by wallpaper glue."
She laughed. Mac took a step closer to her, his face softening in the span of a heartbeat. "I'm really looking forward to tonight." His voice was so quiet, she could barely hear it. Jo drew in a shaky breath, debating what to do now. She wanted, so desperately, to kiss him. Even just a quick peck on the cheek. She'd done that before, right? Nothing new. But for some reason, it was. This was.
Instead, she reached out and grasped his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. "Me too." She whispered. Then she let go, turning abruptly and taking off down the street towards her car a block away.
Mac watched. Counting slowly in his head as she crossed the street. On five, as she reached the other side, Jo paused, turned, and glanced back. Realizing that he was still watching her, embarrassed that he'd caught her turning back around, she quickly cast her eyes downwards. But Mac kept his gaze fixed on her and, a moment later, when she dared to look up again, their eyes met a second time. This time, Jo held steady. Mac smiled slowly as she raised her hand to wave goodbye. With a last jingle of her bracelets, she turned slowly back around and walked away. Hoping the crime scene would be interesting enough to distract her during the six hours until she would see him again.
This time, as she walked past the park, she glanced at the butterflies flitting about and she smiled, as she could almost imagine herself taking flight along with them.