Title: Search for the hero
Author: Ceindreadh
Characters: Mac & Flack
Rating: T (but if you're old enough to be watching CSI, you're old enough to read this)
Summary: Flack goes to see Mac in his office. Flack's POV
Notes: Post scene to 'The thing about heroes'
Warnings: Spoilers for S4 ep 10, S2 finale
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the CSI NY characters, I'm only borrowing them, and I promise to return them in minty fresh condition when I'm finished.
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"You're no hero," screamed Drew Bedford as he was dragged away.
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His shift was long over, but I knew Mac Taylor would be still in his office and I wasn't disappointed. He was sitting there, staring at a piece of paper, so focused on it that he didn't hear my courtesy tap on the wall, didn't even seem to notice me until I was practically looming over his desk.
I knew what he was looking at of course. I'd seen Stella bag up the original a few hours earlier. That little bit a newsprint, calling Mac a hero. The one that Drew Bedford had taunted him with. I knew that Mac wouldn't let it go…knew that he'd be sitting there blaming himself for what had happened, both today and thirty years ago. Man, if brooding was an Olympic sport, he'd be right up there on the podium saluting the Stars and Stripes.
"Drew was right," Mac said, not even looking up at me. "I'm not a hero." He tossed the page back on his desk.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out another piece of paper, crumpled as hell but still legible, and put it on the desk in front of him. I watch him as he reads it to himself, but I could probably quote him along with it cause it's all about the bomb blast, which put me in hospital. It's only a filler piece, the main article was about the threat to the city, but some enterprising young reporter had finagled himself an interview with that Smith guy who'd donated his shoelace to the 'let's stop Flack from dying' cause that day. A pretty damn worthy cause, even though I say so myself.
"…Detective Taylor was unavailable for comment, Detective Flack remains in a critical condition in hospital." Mac finishes reading the article and looks at me, a slight frown on his face.
"I'd a died in that building if it hadn't been for you, Mac. You know it and I know it. Makes you a hero in my book." I can see him start to protest but I don't let him get a word in. "First thing I did when I got out of Trinity, I put in a letter recommending you for a commendation. Cause you deserved it. Not just for that day, but for every damn day you show up and do your job and catch the perps and never get a damn bit of recognition. That bit there, that's just the only time you got a bit a credit for it. Course a recommendation from my level don't carry much weight, but I wanted it on record, even if those big wigs upstairs didn't agree."
"They did agree."
"What?" Now I'm frowning.
"I turned it down. I thought they just wanted it as a publicity stunt, some PR for the department. I didn't feel I deserved it."
"Oh Mac, you idiot!" I have my head in my hand but I'm not sure whether I'm going to laugh or groan. "You got any idea how long it takes to write a recommendation and make sure there's no spelling mistakes!" Okay, I'm laughing now and Mac has a smile on his face as well, so it's all good.
"Thank you, Don," he says.
"No Mac," I say, "Thank you…" And I'm not just saying it for saving my life back then, but for all the other times he's had my back when I needed it, and I know that he knows that too. I can't think of anybody else I'd want to be stuck in a blown up building with. Well maybe Hawkes, cause he's got the whole Doctor thing going on, just so long as he'd remember he was supposed to be dealing with a live body rather than a dead one. Or maybe Stella, cause even if she couldn't stop ya from bleeding out, at least you'd have something pretty to look at while you died, and speaking of Stella.
"Come on," I say to Mac. "Stella and the others are waiting for us in the bar. Told her I'd make sure you showed up as well."
"I'm not really in the mood," says Mac.
"Yeah, well I'm not in the mood to get my ass kicked by Stella if I show up without you. So get your coat Mac."
He sort of smiles as he stands and pulls his coat on. We're heading out the door when he says, "Drew was right about one thing."
And I'm looking at him and frowning as I wonder how that nutter could have been right about anything and Mac continues, "He wanted to hurt my family…and he was right about who they were."
I understand what he's saying and I appreciate the sentiment.
But I wouldn't be me if I didn't have a snarky comeback. But cause I don't want to ruin the moment, I wait until we're half way down in the elevator before I ask, "So if we're family, does that mean I can borrow your car?"
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Ceindreadh