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Connected

2007

Swish!

"Hah! Ten all, Messer. I don't give in that easily!" Don Flack grinned, catching the ball and tossing it to Danny. Danny made the mistake of using his left hand to stop the ball. It stung in pain the moment the ball hit his palm. He quickly switched over to his right hand. Nobody had seemed to notice and Danny was relieved.

It had been a little over a month since Danny's hand had been broken by the Irish kidnappers. His hand had been encased in a cast until just a week ago. It still hurt occasionally… a constant reminder of the day Danny and Adam had been held hostage in that warehouse and the crime lab nearly fell to the Irish Mob.

The ordeal had affected the whole team in one way or another but they helped one another through it. Not much through talking about it, but through little gestures and smiles that carried deep meaning of true support and friendship. Like now for instance.

They were in the basketball court in Central Park playing three-on-three basketball in an eleven point game. Danny, Hawkes and Stella against Flack, Mac and Lindsay.

"Alright! Alright! I can't take it anymore!" gasped Hawkes, making a 'time-out' gesture with his hands and collapsing down onto the bench, "You guys play too rough…"

Hawkes kept himself fit, sure, but he was never sports-savvy. They have been playing a straight game with no breaks. Not to mention, Flack, Mac and Lindsay seemed to make sure that Hawkes didn't hold on to the ball for longer than a minute.

Stella playfully whacked him on the arm, "No, Hawkes, you're just too soft."

Stella was feeling happy. She remembered coming to Central Park every so often throughout her college life to read a book, or to enjoy watching a basketball game. She also remembered how she longed for a family. Today, these co-workers of hers were the people that made her truly feel like she belonged. She might not have had a mum and dad, but right now, these friends of hers were her family, and they always will be.

"Aww… what? Your team giving up, Messer?" Flack asked. Flack had been a great basketball player when he was a kid. He still was. Kids still looked up to him and called him by his old nickname. They respected and admired him, never missing a chance to play a match with him. He was a cool cop, and a great ball player to boot.

"In your dreams, Flack…" Danny replied, half attempting to drag Hawkes off his ass.

Mac voiced out, "That's it for me too actually." He sat down beside Peyton, who had been watching their game, cheering, but not at all interested in playing herself. Mac had once wondered whether he could ever love anyone as much as he loved Claire. He still missed her terribly. But he knew that he loved Peyton and she loved him. Life was good.

Flack looked scandalized, "What?! Not now! We're at the game point!"

Lindsay said, "I'm tired out too. I dunno where you guys get your stamina..." Lindsay remembered coming to New York when she was a child. She had watched a basketball game between two kids. She no longer remembered exactly where, but she remembered it had been a good game. She also remembered hoping to be able to live in New York one day. She got her wish, and a little extra in the form of a certain bespectacled city boy…

"Oh, I think I know where Messer gets his stamina…" said Flack with a knowing grin at Lindsay, who immediately gave him a shove on the shoulder.

Stella said, "Why don't you two finish it off, one-on-one?"

Danny nodded, "Yeah, Flack, let's do that. Unless you're too afraid to lose…"

Flack grinned, "Me? No way. Bring it on, Messer."

"You sure you won't lose your will to live once I beat you?" Danny challenged in his thick New York accent.

Flack laughed out loud, "You just wait, Messer."

They faced one another, blue eyes meeting. Mac got up to set the ball.

"I'll give you a lesson or two on how to play good basketball, kiddo…" Flack said.

Danny nodded, "Sure, I'll just do the opposite of what you do, grampa."

Mac threw up the ball. Danny and Flack grinned at each other for a moment, before leaping up for the ball. Flack got to it first and he set off, "Too bad you're vertically challenged, Dan-o."

He threw up the ball but it bounced off the ring. Danny grabbed the rebound with a grin, "At least my aim is much better than yours,"

Flack made a lunge for the ball, but Danny whirled around him. He jumped upwards and threw the ball into the hoop smoothly.

"Whoo-hoo!" shouted Stella. She and Hawkes cheered and hugged Danny while Mac and Lindsay glared daggers at Flack.

Stella announced, "Remember the deal, guys. Dinner's on you!"

Lindsay, Mac and Flack could only sigh in resignation. "Thanks, thanks a lot…" said Lindsay to Flack.

Flack smiled ruefully, "You're welcome…"

They began to gather up their things. Hawkes said airily, "Y'know, I'm in the mood for a nice, big steak,"

"Forget it," said Flack, "Pizza and beer for all. Take it or leave it."

With that, the six friends headed off in the direction of Ray's Pizza Parlor.

THE END

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