A/N – I really, really detest this chapter, try as I might I just don't feel it fits. But I have written 5-8 and also 13-15 and they are a lot better I promise so bear with me please.
Big thanks to reviewers, you keep me going :-)
Israel - Chapter Four
"So what are we cooking, chef?" Flack grinned as he sauntered into the kitchen, still towelling off his dark hair from Danny's shower.
"You, my friend, are peeling the spuds!" Danny replied and handed Flack a small sack of potatoes.
"Hmph!" Flack grumped as he took them from him, throwing the towel onto a stool, and began to put them into the sink, swilling them off as he did.
"Stop moaning, you can't have everything," Danny laughed as he sliced up the chicken. "After all, I did let you win this afternoon."
"What?" spluttered Flack, potato peeler in hand waving dramatically through the air as he turned.
"Relax, I'm only joking," Danny replied, rolling his eyes.
"I knew that," Flack frowned as he returned to his potatoes.
"So how are the plans coming along?" Danny asked, seasoning his chicken with various herbs.
"Going well. We've booked a date for in about three and a half month's time..."
"Three months!" yelled Danny, nearly dropping his tray of chicken as he carried it towards the oven.
"Err...yeah," Flack mumbled, turning to look at Danny. "Is that a problem?"
"No, I mean, of course not. It's just...that's not long, Flack!"
Flack smiled and then shrugged. "Doesn't need to be long, Mess. We're not planning anything fancy. And who we gonna invite? Sinclair wants us to keep it small so just a few friends."
"But three months...that's like no time at all," Danny said as he shoved the tray of chicken into the oven, still shocked by the news.
"It's plenty of time," Flack sniggered, laughing at Danny's overly dramatic reaction. "Plus we wanted it to be before Linds has mini-Messer number two; otherwise you guys might not be able to come."
"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Flack," Danny stated, his eyes set seriously on Flack. "And I mean that. You're my best friend...Mac's like my dad...why on Earth would I miss that?"
"A little thing called your son?" Flack reminded him.
"Oh yeah," Danny grinned as he started making up a sauce to go with the meat and vegetables.
"So how are your plans for the baby coming on?" Flack asked.
"Lindsay's giving up work," Danny said quietly, his back to Flack as he mixed up the sauce.
"What?" Flack asked, eyes wide.
"She's giving up being a CSI. One of us has to, and she's a braver person than I am."
"Danno, you're brave to stay in work," Flack replied, realising his friend needed some cheering up.
"I dunno, Flack. I feel bad for her, she moved here to work as a CSI and cos of me she's giving it up."
"Not cos of you," Flack stated. "Cos of her family. She loves you guys more than anything, including some job. She'll find something else eventually and think of it like this; you won't have to worry about her as much when she's working."
"Depends what she gets," mused Danny.
"Well I don't think she's gonna be a lion tamer, Mess. Or a stuntwoman."
Danny chuckled. "Hey thanks, Flack," he smiled, Flack always knew how best to cheer him up.
"You never know, maybe me and Mac will adopt and they'll be a Don Flack the third for the mini-Messers to play with."
"God help us all," laughed Danny, receiving a sharp dig in the side from Flack. "Anyway, no way will you be having a Flack the third, it'll be a Taylor Junior if anything."
"What?!" Flack yelped in indignation, as he threw a potato at Danny and grinned childishly as it hit the CSI square in the back.
"Ouch!" Danny yelled, jumping in shock as the potato hit him. It thudded to the floor and rolled under the counter. Danny turned around sharply, flicking his sauce spoon at Flack who was sprayed in red juice.
"I'll get you for that, Messer!" growled Flack, wiping his face with a hand and grabbing the open tube of tomato puree on the side.
"Hey, now," Danny said worriedly, hands outstretched to try and stop the taller man. "We're both adults here, let's just be sensible."
"You started it," Flack pointed out as he reluctantly placed the tube back down.
"Hey," Danny suddenly interrupted as a thought came to him. "What food you doing at the wedding? Cos I know the best..."
"Mess..." Flack said calmly, the excitable CSI stopped talking at looked at him. "I've already got that sorted, gave a call to the caterers yesterday."
"Oh," Danny said despondently. "Should have guessed you would have already decided the food, Flack."
"What can I say?" Flack shrugged, grinning. "I like my food."
Danny chuckled in response and then glanced back at his best friend as the detective started on the carrots.
"You had any trouble yet?" he asked quietly.
Flack looked at him thoughtfully and then placed the carrots back down in the sink. He sighed as he thought of what response would be best to tell Danny. He certainly had noticed a few odd stares here and there, a couple of odd whisperings that had stopped when he'd entered a room. Other than that, no-one had approached him, had asked him directly to confirm any rumours they might have heard. But then, it had only been a week and a half since Hatcher and Sinclair had been informed and it normally took a lot longer than that for juicy bits of gossip to become full blown knowledge.
"Nope," Flack mumbled as he picked up a carrot and started to peel it, ignoring the intense stare he received from his best friend. He wondered if Danny could tell he was lying.
"Good," Danny finally said after a while. He went back to his sauce and the two men worked on in silence.
The sun was setting low as they finished up, everything ready to be heated once the others arrived and the two men clambered out onto Danny's rather large window ledge and sat drinking beers. The Messer's apartment was on the ground floor, six steps up into their building, and their lounge window overlooked a small private yard, belonging to the building next door and it was really quite pretty, full of queer plants growing in pots and strange hanging ornaments.
"I swear they grow weed in there," Danny muttered, nodding his bottle towards the building.
"Who lives there?" Flack asked.
"Mr Woo, this old Chinese dude who runs a herbal remedy shop. Well I think his son actually runs it now but it used to be his."
"They probably do then," smiled Flack as he leant back against the wall.
"You ever get high?" Danny asked casually, no judgement in his voice.
Flack grinned rather shyly and took a swig of beer. "Just once. I was a teenager. My brother and I were at a friend's house skiving off school. We got caught by his mum who forced us to go in for the afternoon. Weirdest fucking day of my life...thought I'd died!"
"Ha!" laughed Danny in glee.
"My dad found out. Think Justin's mum told him. He was so pissed at us, we were grounded for weeks. I knew it was a bad idea at the time but my brother really wanted to..."
Flack sighed and looked off towards the building opposite. A small, white haired Chinese man was sat in one of the windows dressed in an oriental robe and smoking a strange looking pipe. He saw Flack looking and gave him a friendly wave. Flack nodded towards him politely.
"I used to do a lot of it with Louie," Danny said suddenly.
Flack looked back at him.
"It was just a given. No-one cared. We all did it."
"If I wasn't a cop I'd say we get some from Mr Woo," Flack muttered.
"Detective Flack, I am shocked!" Danny exclaimed, eyebrows nearly in his hair.
"I'd just like to try it again," Flack shrugged.
"I'll remember that," Danny nodded. "Day you retire I'll be at your door, a huge bag of weed in my hands."
"Better hope Mac doesn't answer then," Flack said, grinning at Danny.
Danny laughed out loud and the two men elapsed into an easy silence. Danny treasured these moments with Flack, his best friend. His bud who had been with him through it all, through thick and thin ever since that terrible day they'd first met. Ironic that one of the greatest tragedies should bring him together with the one man he loved like no other. The man who would later be there for him the day his brother died, who would save him from himself, who would lead him to his beautiful wife and who would now be godfather to his son. There was really no better man than Don Flack.
"What you thinking there, Mess?" Flack asked though he didn't look at him.
"About you."
"Should I be worried?" Flack asked nervously.
"Why? Got something to be worried about?" Danny teased.
Flack shook his head and smiled happily. He loved hanging out with Danny; they were so similar, had the same interests, enjoyed the same stuff and just generally had a good time round each other. Sid had even once remarked it was like they were twins who'd been separated at birth but had found their way back to each other. Flack laughed at that. The world simply didn't work like that and he knew it, as well as the fact that Danny was five years older than him and had almost the exact opposite looks to him. But Danny had always been there for him, both personally and professionally and Flack didn't know what he'd do if he didn't have Danny Messer in his life.
"This is nice," he murmured, swigging his beer. "I'm glad we decided to do this."
"Had to celebrate your engagement in some way," Danny told him. "Still can't believe you're finally doing it."
"You thought I was gonna end up a lonely old man?" Flack asked, pretending to be offended.
"Course not," Danny laughed. He finished off his beer and placed the bottle down next to him. From across the yard Mr Woo waved at him and he waved back cheerfully, laughing to himself. "Do you remember when you first told me?" he asked thoughtfully.
"Told you what?" Flack murmured as he focused on the carrots.
"That you and Mac had been together."
Flack didn't look up. He held the beer bottle tight in his hand as a memory swept over him and suddenly he was holding a whiskey glass instead of a bottle,
it was full of a shot of the drink and he was sat in a bar.
It had been a boisterous evening with nearly everyone going for a drink after work to celebrate the capture of the Cabbie Killer. Even Adam, the timid lab-tech had joined them for a few. He had left earlier followed shortly by Lindsay who still wasn't on the best of terms with Danny. The three men left had then switched from the beer to something a bit stronger and started up a few games of pool. Only when Hawkes had taken as much money as he could from the other two did he leave with a huge grin on his face. After that the mood had slightly dimmed and Danny and Flack had returned to their seats and finished their drinks in silence, looking rather solemn.
"So you gonna tell me what's going on with you and Linds?" Flack asked gruffly .
Danny shook his head wearily. "She's pissed at me, Flack."
"Yeah, doesn't take a genius to figure that one out. What you do?"
"Slept with Rikki."
Flack spat his drink all over the table in shock and sprayed Danny in the process.
Danny scowled at him. "You're lucky I'm drunk, Flack, or I'd get you for that."
"You slept with Rikki!" Flack repeated as if he couldn't believe it. "You're an idiot, Mess."
"Hey!"
"You can never realise when you got a good thing going, can ya?"
"What d'ya mean?"
"Lindsay is a great girl. She's pretty and clever and for some unfathomable reason she's head over heels in love with you!"
Danny scowled again and rested his face in his hands. "I know, I know."
"And you go and blow all that by sleeping with another woman!" Flack muttered shaking his head.
"We just...we needed some time to get over...I guess...she just understood me , Flack. You know? After Reuben she was the only one who got it."
Flack looked sadly at Danny. "It wasn't your fault, Danno."
"I know. Doesn't stop me from blaming myself though."
"Listen. Don't lose Lindsay over this. You'll regret it for the rest of your life. Trust me."
Danny frowned at Flack and narrowed his eyes. "Sounds like you're speaking from experience there, Flack."
Flack only hummed in response.
"This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain pretty, brunette homicide detective I've heard you've been flirting with recently?"
Flack grinned and blushed slightly. "I do like Jess. But we haven't exactly got that far yet, if ya know what I mean."
Danny grinned as the mood suddenly lightened up. "So who were you talking about then?"
Flack sighed and looked away. How was he supposed to tell Danny he'd been sleeping with Mac for two years?
"Come on, man. You can tell me!"
Danny was still grinning and Flack knew that as soon as he told him, that smile would be wiped from his face. But then, Danny was his best friend and if he couldn't trust him...then who could he?
"It was Mac, Danno."
Danny started sniggering and grinned all the more. "Come on, Flack. I may be drunk but I'm not that drunk. Tell me..."
Flack swallowed nervously and didn't smile. "Mess, it was Mac."
Danny's smiled faltered and slowly dropped from his face. "Serious? Don't be kidding around here, Flack."
Flack wiped a hand over his face. "I'm not. Mac and me were sleeping together for two years until he went to London."
Danny's mouth dropped open and he simply stared. Flack watched him nervously and fidgeted with his hands. He had no idea what Danny was going to do next. Would he hate him for being gay? Would he hate him because it was his boss? Or would he simply hate him because it was Mac?
"You slept with Mac," Danny finally said as if trying to make himself believe it.
"Look, Danny. I'm still the same okay? Just cos..."
"Is that why you were so up and down all of last year? Was he fucking you about?" Danny growled. His fists clenched and for a moment Flack thought he was going to stand up and hunt Mac down there and then.
"Danno!" Flack started.
"Sorry. It just all fits into place now. You guys were both so moody. I thought it was me who'd done something to piss you both off."
"So you don't mind?" asked Flack nervously.
Danny thought about it for a moment before answering. "Do I mind you being gay...or bi, whatever...no. Do I mind you slept with Mac, our boss? Well, it's a little weird but whatever floats your boat. Do I mind you kept it from me for this long? Yes."
"I'm sorry, Danno. I just didn't know how you'd take it. I was worried you'd..."
"Flack, you're my best friend," Danny interrupted. "Even closer, you're like my little brother, man. You've always been there for me. You were the only one who stood by me at the Minhas shooting, you were there when Louie died and you had my back when Rikki stole my gun. I love you, man. You could like men...women...fucking chickens for all I care, I'd still love you."
Flack's eyes watered with emotion and for once he didn't feel like calling Danny out on being a sissy. He'd never felt so relieved in his entire life and it felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from him.
"I love you too, Danno."
Danny smiled at him. "So you gotta tell me how you came about sleeping with Mac!"
Flack blushed slightly. "Well I'd always liked him, Danno. From the first time I met him in fact. I remember I was such a mumbling fool cos I was so embarrassed."
Danny chuckled at that.
"Then we started dating from around the time Lindsay joined."
"That long ago?" Danny said in shock. "Wow!"
"Yeah, that long ago. And it was by no means perfect. It was all secret but I was happy. I fell in love with him, Danno. I thought we'd always be together," Flack admitted softly.
"So what happened?" asked Danny in interest.
"The explosion."
"What?" Danny frowned, sounding suddenly angry.
"I was in hospital and he told me it was for the best we didn't carry on. Said it was for my own good, that I'd only get hurt."
"Hold on. So let me get this right. You were in hospital, recovering from that explosion and Mac dumps you?"
Flack shrugged and nodded his head.
"Bastard," Danny muttered.
"It's alright, Danno. I got over that a long time ago."
"Still...it's not on, Flack. What kind of a..."
"Mess," warned Flack.
Danny growled and then released his frown. "Okay so was that it then?"
Flack shook his head. "He started seeing Peyton a few months later. It nearly broke my heart. I couldn't believe he'd gotten over me so quickly. But then he came to see me after the Chopper Tevis case and wanted to get back together. He told me he loved me and he'd leave Peyton. I believed him. I let him in again."
"But he lied?" Danny asked in horror.
"We broke up again a few weeks later you know, the day he arrested Dean Truby...But then a few weeks after that we got back together...again. Every time I believed his lies. Believed he loved me and cared for me. Believed he was going to leave her for me...and each time...each time he lied."
"It's okay, Flack. I understand," Danny said quickly and reached out to touch Flack's hand. "So I'm guessing he chose her then? Cos he went to London?"
Flack nodded. "I felt like I'd died, Danno. Like my heart had been ripped from my body. I've never experienced anything like that in my entire life."
"If I'd known...I would've...would've..."
Flack smiled gratefully. "He's your boss, Danno. You wouldn't have done anything. I wouldn't have allowed you to."
"I wish you'd told me sooner. I could have been there for you, just like you've been there for me."
"I wanted to, hell, I even nearly did a few times. But then I'd either chicken out...or you'd be so busy I didn't want to burden you with more."
"I'm never too busy for you, Flack."
Flack nodded and smiled while tears glistened in his eyes.
"So how are you and Mac now?"
Flack sighed heavily. "We're okay. We had a chat when Peyton broke up with him and I got everything I wanted to say off my chest. He knows how much he hurt me, Danno, and I think he does regret it."
"And you like Jess now?"
Flack smiled happily. "Yeah. Yeah I do. I really like her."
"Good," Danny grinned. "Well make sure you do something about it."
"I will," Flack nodded. "As long as you do something about Lindsay."
"Fine," grumbled Danny. "Though she really hates me."
"Stop being chicken, Danno, she doesn't hate you, she loves you," Flack said sternly. "And just for the record I do NOT like chickens," he added as an afterthought.
Danny snorted with laughter. "Good. Cos I don't think I can take much more tonight. You and Mac...who'd have thought!"
Flack laughed. "Now that I've finally moved on I can kinda see how weird it must seem."
"Well imagine if I'd just told you I'd been seeing Mac for two years!"
Flack burst out into laughter. "Oh, Mess. You're funny, you know that?"
"Yeah, I guess that's just too weird."
"Shut-up, Mess," laughed Flack.
"So does anyone else know?" Danny grinned.
"Nope. Never told anyone. Well, except for Sammie."
"Cool."
Flack and Danny finished up their drinks and then decided to call it a night as it was getting late.
"So...I'll see you tomorrow," Danny nodded at Flack once they got outside.
"Yep."
"I'm not sure if I'll be able to look at Mac in the same way ever again."
"It's not like we're together anymore," excused Flack.
"Nah, not that. I mean...I kinda have the urge to hit him for being a prick to you."
Flack smiled at Danny. "I appreciate the sentiment, I really do. And if you told me that this time last year, I'd probably have told you to go and do it. But I'm okay now, really. I got over him a long time ago and I'm moving on."
"Love you, man," Danny suddenly said, pulling Flack into a big hug.
"Love you too," Flack returned and hugged him back.
They broke apart and Flack turned one way while Danny the other.
"Hey, Flack!"
Flack turned around to look back at Danny.
"Don't you ever keep stuff like this from me again!" he warned and then carried on walking.
Flack grinned and felt happy as he walked home.
"Yeah, I remember," Flack mumbled as he shook the memory away. Despite it being a good one for him and Danny, it was a sad one for him and Mac and Flack no longer wanted to remember those days.
"You okay?" Danny asked in concern, reaching out and patting Flack on the shoulder.
"Yeah, it's all good," nodded Flack and gave Danny a pathetic smile.
"Good. Cos it's all wedding bells and newborn babies for us from now on so we gotta be happy!" grinned Danny.
"You make us sound like a couple of chicks!" Flack moaned as he drained his beer.
"We just played ball and we're cops, Flack. Doesn't get much manlier than that."
"But we also cooked dinner," Flack replied.
"Men can cook, look at all those professional chefs," Danny retorted. "Besides that's different. That's for our family."
Flack smiled happily. Danny always included him and Mac whenever he referred to his family, even when they hadn't been together. And it was true, it did feel like they were a family. Mac, Lindsay, Danny, Lucy and himself. And of course mini Messer number two.
"Speaking of family," Flack said nervously. "I wanted to ask you something actually."
"Oh?" Danny murmured casually as he watched Mr Woo trying out some strange sort of dance in his lounge, robe flapping round him.
"We want you to be best man, Danno," Flack said hurriedly, nervous to get it out.
Danny froze for a millisecond and then turned to look at Flack. "Me?" he exclaimed.
"Yeah. You mean so much to both of us, we can't think of anyone else we'd rather have."
"But..." Danny frowned for a moment.
"You don't want to?" Flack said sadly, realisation of his friend's reluctance hitting him.
"No, no, it's not that at all. It's just I tried to break you up...I mean, I said you shouldn't be together so why would you want me?"
Flack sighed and thought about it for a moment. Danny was quite right. He had actively discouraged him from getting back with Mac. There had been the time after that weird vampire case, Flack had mentioned to Danny that he was starting to get feelings for Mac again and Danny had told him on no account to go back there. Then there had been the time after that head of the Barcelona Crime Lab had come over to work with them. Mac had already made it clear that he wanted him back by that point; Flack had been unsure and gone to Danny for advice. A resounding No! had been the clear answer from his friend. And once again there had been the time when they'd gone out for drinks to celebrate and commiserate Danny's return to the CSI department.
"You sure this is the right decision, Mess?" Flack asked worriedly for the third time that evening.
"Yeah. I need to be with people I trust. Those kids...those kids just dobbed me straight in it. I had their backs and they didn't give a shit about me. Fed me to the lions!"
"I'm sorry, Danno," Flack murmured sadly, patting his friend's shoulder.
"I'll get over it. I get to see more of Linds again this way...and you."
"Lucky you," Flack grinned causing Danny to chuckle.
"Nah, seriously. You gotta trust your colleagues," Flack agreed. "Cos if you can't and they betray you..."
Danny glanced up from his pint at Flack who was deep in thought. "Truby?" Danny murmured.
Flack nodded. "I still can't believe he did that. I've always blamed myself for what happened that day. But Mac was right. It was Dean's fault and no-one else's."
"Wow," Danny smirked. "I never thought I'd hear you defend Mac over that."
Flack eyed him cautiously. "It was a long time ago, Danno. I was more pissed at him because he was sleeping with Peyton, and the Truby thing was just the icing on the case."
Danny shrugged and gulped down some of the tasty lager. "Oh well, at least you're out of it now."
Flack turned his head away from the CSI toward the bar and hummed quietly, his fingers playing with the bottle he held in his hands.
"Flack?" Danny asked.
"Mess," Flack replied evasively.
"What aren't you telling me, Flack?" Danny asked.
"Nothing, Mess. Course there's nothing."
"Then why won't you look at me?"
Flack sighed and looked back round at Danny. "Me and Mac are back together."
"What?" Danny said sharply.
Flack flinched at his tone. "We got back together a few weeks ago."
"I knew this would happen," Danny said shaking his head. "Do you remember what he did to you? He left you while you were hospitalised. He used you while he was sleeping with Peyton. I bet he never even planned to leave her for you!"
"I know this, Danny. I know better than anyone cos at the time no-one else knew, not even you so don't pretend like you did."
Danny shook his head again. "I'm just looking out for you, Flack."
"I know you are and I appreciate that, Danno. But none of us are the same. Look at you, five years ago you were a womanising bastard, sleeping with anything in a skirt and getting into trouble at work. Now you're happily married with a daughter and even passed your Sergeant's exam."
Danny leant back in his chair and watched Flack carefully.
"I changed too, Danno. And so has Mac. I've spent most of the last few years being alone except for when I was with Jess. And Mac has too. We have a chance to be happy, I'm not gonna miss that chance."
Danny sighed deeply and then forward again, draining his glass and then placing it loudly on the table.
"You're right," he nodded.
"Pardon?" Flack said.
"You're right, Flack. I have changed. So have you. And I hope for your sake Mac has too."
"Just trust me on this one, Danno? Okay?"
Danny placed a hand on Flack's arm and squeezed it gently in a brotherly way. "I always trust you, Flack."
"I want you cos I love you and you're my brother and there's no-one else," Flack stated as he brought his eyes up to Danny's and pleaded with them.
"And what about Mac?" Danny asked anxiously.
"We both do. It was his idea. We love you, Danno. Please say yes?"
Danny smiled and rubbed a hand over his face. "Course I will then, stupid," he laughed. "Just wanted you to be sure."
"I am," Flack grinned.
Mac looked up as a soft tap on his door signalled that someone wanted entry. Jo was stood there, some papers in her hand and a large grin on her face. Mac gestured at her to come in and she did so, taking a seat opposite him.
"So, Mac Taylor, I want all the juicy details please," she smiled.
"I beg your pardon?" Mac frowned, completely unaware of to what she was referring.
"The wedding," laughed Jo. "I want the details. Have you decided when and where yet? I know this fabulous chapel down on..."
"Jo," Mac said sternly. She grinned and fell silent. "I don't think either of us wish to marry in a chapel. Sinclair wants us to keep it a small affair and that's fine by us."
"Oh," Jo said despondently. "And I was looking forward to putting on all my gladrags."
"We're just going to go down to City Hall and invite only those closest to us. Then we'll hire out somewhere for afterwards. We were thinking McTiers."
Jo gawped at him and then frowned, tutting. "Mac Taylor, you absolutely cannot have your wedding reception in a bar! That poor boy deserves better from you."
"It was his idea," Mac defended.
"I don't care. You are not having a wedding in a bar!"
"It's not your choice," Mac smiled, amused at her outrage.
She opened her mouth to return a witty remark but Mac was saved from it as another tap on his door distracted them both. Lindsay was standing there.
"Lindsay, come in," Mac nodded in relief as the younger woman entered.
"Hey Mac, hey Jo," she smiled at them both.
"Did you know Mac's planning on having his wedding reception in a bar?" Jo said incredulously.
"A bar? Really?" Lindsay gasped and then changed her look when she saw Mac's face. "Ahem, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment, Mac?"
"Certainly," Mac nodded, gesturing to the other chair in front of him.
"Well, I'll be off," Jo smiled, standing and heading for the door.
"Jo?" Mac called after her.
She turned back and stared at him in bewilderment.
"Were those papers for me?" he asked, eyeing them.
"Oh," she laughed as she came forward and handed them to him. "I'd forget my head if it wasn't screwed on."
Lindsay and Mac exchanged a look as she grinned and then left the room. Mac shook his head in exasperation, before turning his attention to the young woman before him.
"How may I help you, Lindsay?" he asked.
She sighed and scratched one arm.
"I'm just gonna come straight out and say this," she nodded. "I'd like to hand in my resignation, Mac. After the baby is born, I don't plan to come back to work."
Mac nodded understandingly and watched her carefully.
"I thought this might happen."
"You thought I'd quit?" she asked in surprise.
"I thought you and Danny would need to make a decision regarding your family," Mac stated.
Lindsay nodded and sighed. "I love it here, Mac. I really do. I love being a CSI. But I need to put my family first," she said regretfully.
Mac smiled sympathetically. "What does Danny think?"
Lindsay blinked as she suddenly felt herself overwhelmed with emotion.
"He feels bad, I think. He knows how much I love my job, it's been a part of my life, of our lives for so long now. But one of us had to take that next step..."
"And it was you," Mac finished.
"Danny so wants to be the brave one, to sacrifice for his family. But he need to stay in work, he needs this place, the lab...and you, Mac. He needs to be with you guys, with you and Flack and Jo, Hawkes, Adam...if it hadn't been for you believing in him...this is so much more a part of his life than mine and it always has been. And I need to be at home with my children."
"You've thought about this very logically, Lindsay, and very sensibly," Mac nodded. He watched her for a moment, studying her body language. "How do you feel?"
"Like this is the right decision," she nodded.
"No," Mac shook his head. "How do you feel about it? Selfishly, how do you really feel?"
Lindsay looked down, her eyes welling up but no tears falling, she wouldn't let them. This wasn't the time or place.
"I don't want to leave. I'd work here until the day I died if I could. But I love Danny so much more than that. And my children are the most important thing in the world to me, even more important than Danny. I'd gladly sacrifice everything for them. So how do I feel? I'm going to be there for every concert, every recital, every science fair, every sports match. I feel like I'm the luckiest person alive to be able to do that. I can't wait, Mac."
"And Danny doesn't want that?" Mac asked cautiously.
"Danny wants to feel useful, to feel he is the man and looking after his family. He wants to be the one in work."
"We'll all miss you here, Lindsay."
"I know you will, I'll miss everyone so much too," she said sadly.
"Things just won't be the same without you," Mac replied, standing up and coming around his desk.
"Things change, Mac," she murmured as she stood.
Mac nodded sadly and hugged her, sad and at the same time happy for his family.
"They certainly do," he agreed.
"Mac, will I come see you soon?" Lucy Messer asked tiredly as she yawned and snuggled further into her father's side.
"Lucy Messer, hand up when you yawn!" scolded Lindsay.
"Aw, come on Linds. She's had an exciting evening," Danny defended.
Lindsay smiled. "Fine. But time for bed I think," she replied, standing up and lifting her daughter off her husband.
"I want Mac to read me story," Lucy said as she blinked her big blue eyes at Mac.
"I'd love to do that, Lucy," Mac stated as he stood up and took her from Lindsay. "And yes, we'll see you next week when you come to stay with us."
"I like staying with you Mac. And with Don."
Mac turned and smiled briefly at Don, who returned his grin, before taking Lucy down the hallway to her bedroom. A moment later they heard his soft voice reading the tale of the Princess and the Pea.
"Why does she never ask me to read her a story?" Flack grumped as he looked towards the hallway. "Even when she stays with us it's always Mac she wants to read the story."
"Cos Mac's the favourite Uncle, isn't he!" Danny joked grinning at Flack.
"Great," Flack grumbled. "Kids hate me."
Danny and Lindsay both laughed loudly. "Kids don't hate you, Flack. Luce said when she asked you to read her a story once the voices you did were so scary they gave her nightmares. We told her not to ask you anymore."
"Oh!" Flack said in surprise. "You could have just told me."
"Feeling a little rejected, eh?" Danny laughed.
Flack ignored him and turned to Lindsay. "So you're really giving up work then, Linds?"
"Yep," she nodded. "It's the best thing for our family."
Flack nodded and once more glanced down the corridor, wondering if he'd ever give up work for Mac. Almost as quickly as he'd wondered that he knew what the answer was. Yes. Most definitely.
"You think you'll get another job?" Flack asked.
"After a while, I'll get bored doing nothing," Lindsay smiled.
Danny placed his arm round her and pulled her close.
"I could probably get you some work down at the YMCA if you're interested? It would just be voluntary but sometimes that leads to paid work?"
"Thanks Flack," Lindsay said appreciatively. "I'll definitely think about it."
Flack grinned and looked up as Mac returned from Lucy's bedroom and sat down beside him, placing a hand on his leg. Both men noticed the Messers watching them.
"Out like a light. Didn't even get five pages in," Mac laughed.
"Hey, she doesn't like me reading the stories cos I make them too scary," Flack said proudly to Mac.
"You are rather scary, Don," Mac said seriously.
"That's a bit rich coming from you," Flack replied.
He grinned happily and Mac squeezed his knee. Danny turned his head and kissed Lindsay's cheek. It had been a perfect evening.
A/N – Flashbacks in order are 4x20 and 8x04