**Okay, I couldn't log on for like 2 days for some reason, so I had time to write another chapter before I even posted the last one, so you get 2 chapters in one day Enjoy!**
[Stella's POV]
I'm so glad that Mac invited me to have lunch with him and Reed. After spending time with him I have to agree with Mac, he really is a good kid. A little shy at first, but in no time at all we were all talking and laughing and having a good time. I can only hope that this is just the first of many get-togethers we will have. I love watching Mac and Reed interact with each other. I can see a bond beginning to form between them; and I am proud of both of them. It couldn't have been easy for either of them these last couple days, but I'm glad to see them working through it as well as they have been.
As we exit the restaurant and head towards Mac's truck, he begins to explain to Reed that he has some more work to finish up at the lab.
"I'm going to drop you off back at my place Reed" he tells him as we climb into the cab of the truck.
"Alright" he complies with a shrug. Truth be told, I think the poor kid is probably exhausted anyway. He seemed less than amused by Mac's early morning wake up call.
We pull up in front of Mac's building and he hands Reed his spare key.
"You okay to get in?" he asks him as he stops the truck.
"Yeah, I'm fine" Reed tells him as he's about to get out.
"Well I won't be home too late. Make yourself at home. You can watch TV in the living room, or whatever you want." Mac continues.
"You mean the waiting room?" Reed asks with a slight grin.
"Very funny" Mac responds sarcastically as he looks over at me and I can only offer a confused expression on my face, as I have no idea what they're talking about.
"He thinks my apartment looks like a dentist office" Mac explains to me and I can't help but laugh.
"Well, it's a little cold... could use some... brightening maybe" I respond with a smirk and Mac is quick to roll his eyes at me.
"What did I tell you guys about ganging up on me?" Mac asks with a smirk and I just wink at Reed as he laughs.
"Well I think I'll get outta here now before I get into any more trouble" Reed mentions jokingly as he climbs out of the truck.
We wait for a few moments to watch to make sure he gets in alright before we pull away.
"Thanks for letting me tag along Mac" I mention with a smile and he offers me one back.
"Of course. So, what do you think of him?" he asks.
"You were right, he's great"
"I told you so..." he lightly teases.
"Ah, feels good doesn't it?" I ask him and he nods.
"I just wanted to be able to say it once" he tells me with a grin.
"Well don't get used to it, that's my line." I throw back at him and he can't help but chuckle as he shakes his head.
...
We get back to the lab and try and piece together the little information we have on Mac's 'John Doe' case. After a couple hours of hitting nothing but brick walls in the case we finally catch a break when Adam gets a hit in the missing person's database.
"His name is Matthew Davis" Adam begins to explain to us as he pulls up the case file on his computer. We quickly scan over his picture and conclude that it is in fact our 'John Doe'.
Mac quickly pulls out his phone and dials Flack. He fills him in on all the details so that he can go to inform the man's unsuspecting widow, and hopefully gets some information about who would want this man dead.
"I can finish up here if you want to get home" I tell Mac as we head back into his office.
"Are you sure?" he asks.
"Yeah, yeah" I assure him. "Besides, not much else we can do until we get Flack's report from the wife."
"Thanks Stell" he responds with a warm smile. "I'll see you in the morning."
He throws on his jacket and exits his office, and I return to mine to finish off some paperwork.
...
[Mac's POV]
Home on time for dinner, that's unusual for me. Not that I'm complaining, I love my work and couldn't imagine doing anything else, even though it can get stressful at times. Although it's a nice feeling to know that I actually have a reason to be home at a decent hour now. Before Reed came along, all the people I cared about were the people I work with.
If my mind wasn't so consumed with my own thoughts, I probably would have noticed the car that has been following me since I left the office. Unfortunately I'm not my usual observant self, as I hurry home to spend time with Reed.
I reach my apartment building and head inside. As I near my apartment door I hear a familiar sound coming from inside that's not the television. I push the door open and peer inside the living room and spot Reed sitting on a chair plucking away at my bass guitar. He doesn't really know what he's doing, but I find it amusing to watch him anyway. He hasn't noticed me yet, so I watch him for a few moments before I let my presence known.
"You ever play before?" I finally ask him and he jumps slightly. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you"
"Mac! I'm sorry." He begins nervously as he goes to tuck the guitar back into the case. "I know, I should've asked first..."
"Reed, I'm not mad." I assure him with a smile.
"Oh... you're not?" He asks, almost sounding confused.
"No" I lightly scoff. "So, have you ever played before?" I ask him again.
"Nah, never. I just thought it was cool"
"Maybe I could show you sometime." I tell him and a smile instantly forms on his lips.
"I'd like that" he responds and I smile back at him.
"Well, there's not much for food in the house..." I begin. "I was going to stop at the market, but I figured you might want to come with me, that way you can pick out whatever you like"
"Okay" he replies with a nod and grabs for his sweater.
We head outside and into the truck to make our way to the supermarket. Along the way he asks about the case, and if there were any new developments. It amuses me to see him so interested in my work, so I reward him with the little information we found today and it's more than enough to satisfy him. Wish I could say the same for myself. Regardless, I decide not to let work bother me tonight. Usually I allow it to consume my every waking moment, whether I'm at the office or at home. Now I feel I have something else to look forward to.
...
[L.J.'s POV]
I'm sure I remained unnoticed as I stayed a few cars back following Detective Taylor back to his home. Nice place, I think to myself as we pull into the parking lot. I watch him as he heads inside alone, and I fear I will have a long night ahead of me waiting for him to emerge again. Much to my surprise, within minutes he's back outside heading for his truck with his precious Reed in tow. I watch them closely as they walk towards his truck, talking and laughing. I find it harder and harder to believe Bobby's story that they just met each other. Doesn't seem very likely to me.
I decide to wait here, and not to follow them now. Wherever they're going I'm sure they'll be back soon, and I want to get Reed alone. Not that this Taylor guy scares me, I just don't need the added trouble. The kid is the one I'm after.
...
[Reed's POV]
"I should warn you," Mac begins to tell me as we push the cart through the aisles of the supermarket; "I'm not much of a cook..."
"Is that why the only thing in your fridge is condiments and take-out containers?" I ask with a slight chuckle and he just grins and nods at me.
"Don't worry about it Mac, I can cook" I assure him and he looks at me in wonder.
"Really? You cook?"
"Yep" I respond quickly. "I've been pretty much taking care of myself since I was 10 years old, you pick up a few things along the way when you need to" I tell him.
"Well that's good to know, otherwise we'd be eating spaghetti-o's all week" he tells me and I can't help but laugh. "I'm not kidding" he continues with a grin.
We continue down the aisles, and I start picking up items that I could easily prepare a meal with and start tossing them into the cart.
As we grab the last few items we head to the checkout where a young girl smiles at us as we approach the register. She has long blond hair and green eyes, and can't be much older than I am. Whoever she is, I can't stop smiling at her, but I quickly snap back into reality as she opens her mouth to speak.
"Good evening Detective Taylor" She greets Mac with a warm smile.
They know each other? I ask myself inside.
"Hey Cassie" He responds with a nod.
"Well, well, well" She begins as she starts passing the items under the scanner. "Some real food items this time. Not just the usual milk, corn flakes and coffee. I'm impressed. Special occasion?" She asks with an arched eyebrow; and I can only assume they must just know each other from seeing each other here.
"Sort of..." Mac replies hesitantly. "I have a house guest..." he begins as he gestures towards me. "This is my stepson, Reed. Reed, this is Cassie" he tells her, and I can see she's a little thrown at first by the word stepson, but she plays it off politely and just offers me a smile.
"Oh, okay. Well it's nice to meet you Reed"
I instantly feel nervous as she smiles at me and I can feel my face being to turn a light shade of red. Mac is quick to notice my awkwardness and thankfully pulls the attention away from me.
"So have you finally decided on a school for September?" He asks, changing the subject and I feel relieved.
"Yeah, I've decided to stay here and go to NYU"
"Well that's great Cass" he tells her with a smile as she passes the last remaining items under the scanner.
"Do you go to school here Reed?" She inquires and I notice Mac is now the awkward one as I can tell he's realizing he doesn't even know if I go to school, let alone which school.
"I'm actually going into my last year of high school this fall" I tell her, slightly stammering as I'm still nervous to talk to her. Pretty girls like her have never bothered to give me the time of day before.
"Oh, okay" she responds with a smile and tells Mac the total of the sale. He hands her his credit card and once the bill is paid we scoop up the bags of groceries, and say goodnight to Cassie as we head out into the parking lot.
As we walk towards the truck I can see Mac out of the corner of my eye looking at me with a curious grin on his face.
"What?" I finally ask him.
"Nothing..." he darts the question.
"What Mac?" I ask again.
"You kinda like her." He lightly teases with a smirk and I feel my face getting flushed again.
"Whatever..." Is all I manage to come up with as we reach the truck and put the groceries inside.
"She's a nice girl" Mac begins as he puts the truck in drive and we head back to his place.
"Well Stella's a nice woman..." I counter and he turns to look at me with an arched eyebrow. "There, how do you like it?" I ask him with a smirk.
"I told you, Stella and I are friends. That's all." He tries to convince me.
"Okay Mac, whatever you say..." I respond with a light chuckle and I can see an amused grin starting to form on his lips.
...
[Mac's POV]
I'm not sure why Reed still hasn't let this Stella thing go, but I don't let it bother me. Besides, I'd be a lucky guy to be with a woman like her. My biggest fear is that an intimate relationship would ruin our otherwise perfect friendship, and that is something I hold so dear that I couldn't consider risking. Like she'd go for me anyway; I tell myself, quickly pushing the thought out of my head and forcing my mind back to reality.
"So 'Wolfgang', what's for dinner?" I ask Reed, breaking the silence.
"Hmmm..." he begins, thinking out loud. "Chicken stir fry?" he asks.
"Sounds great"
We reach home and head into the apartment, where we begin putting the groceries away. Once everything is in its proper place Reed begins wandering throughout the kitchen in search of everything he will need to prepare dinner.
"I got this Mac" he assures me as he pulls out a frying pan and places it on the stove.
"Okay, I'm going to go shower then" I tell him and he just nods.
...
After my shower I join Reed in the kitchen just as he's putting the stir fry onto plates for us.
"Just in time" he tells me as he passes me one of the plates and we head to the table and sit down to enjoy our meal.
"This is really good!" I exclaim as I take my first bite.
[Reed's POV]
"Thanks" I reply as I slowly enjoy my dinner. I can feel Mac's eyes watching me as I eat, probably wondering why I'm not shovelling the food down my throat in haste as he normally sees me do. Truth is, I'm not used to 3 square meals a day, so I'm not as hungry as I usually am, but this is definitely something I'd like to become accustomed to.
After we finish dinner I offer to help clean up, but Mac insists he'll do it because I cooked. I retire to the living room and let out a heavy sigh as I slump down onto the couch and turn on the TV. For the first time in a long while my stomach feels full, and now my tiredness begins to catch up with me.
[Mac's POV]
I finish tidying up the kitchen after dinner and head out to the living room where I find Reed sound asleep on the sofa. I turn off the TV and go to his room to grab a blanket. I carefully throw the blanket over him, trying not to wake him. He just groans slightly as he pulls the blanket up to his neck and rolls over to the other side of the couch.
"Goodnight Reed" I whisper into the room as I turn off the light and head down the hallway to my bedroom.
The only thoughts that run through my mind as I lie awake in bed are that when this is all over Reed might want to go back to his old life; one without me in it. I hate to think it, but it worries me nonetheless. I know it hasn't been long since we first met, but I have really enjoyed having him around. I decide I'm going to make the most of whatever time we have together, and hope that it will be enough to make him want to stay after we get through this whole mess.
And with that thought I shut my eyes and am pulled into a heavy sleep.
...
[Reed's POV]
I let out a long groan as I stretch my arms over my head I open my eyes and notice that I had fallen asleep on the sofa. I feel oddly well rested and begin to wonder what time it is. I push myself up from the sofa and go in search of Mac. No sign of him anywhere as I head to the kitchen and look at the clock on the wall. 10:15, wow. Apparently I was tired. I look over to the coffee maker and I notice a piece of paper stuck to it. I reach for paper and read the note left for me:
"Reed – Didn't want to wake you, thought you could use the rest. I had to go to work but my cell # is on the fridge if you need anything don't hesitate to call. Check your room; I left you my credit card. Looks like it might be a while before Bobby gets out and you're going to need some clothes and things while you're here. I left some cash as well for a cab, the door man will call for one for you to take you to the mall. And before you protest, if you don't go willingly; I'm going to do your shopping for you, and trust me I think fashion has changed slightly since I was your age. So, unless you want to end up walking around like Corey Haim in "The Lost Boys" I suggest you don't fight me on this. Get whatever you need, don't even look at price tags. Have fun, Mac."
I can't help but laugh out loud as I read the last couple lines. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel at least a little uncomfortable about spending Mac's money, but I can appreciate the gesture. I know he's right; I am in desperate need of some new clothes, and some personal hygiene products. I can't even stand to look at the sweater I'm wearing anymore. After grabbing the credit card and cash off the nightstand in the spare room I quickly head to the bathroom to wash my face; then slip my shoes on and grab my key and I'm out the door.
As I reach the lobby the door man greets me as I walk up to him.
"Good morning Mr. Garrett. Did you need a taxi this morning?" he asks me with a polite smile.
"Yes please" I tell him as I head out to the front steps to wait for my ride.
[L.J.'s POV]
I can't tell if my tired eyes are playing tricks on me or not, so I rub them once again and lean forward in my seat and peer through the windshield. Yep, that's him, I tell myself as I shift in my seat and give my head a shake, trying to keep myself awake and alert. I saw Taylor leave early this morning and his truck is still gone, so I know wherever Reed is going he will be alone. I'm hoping wherever he's headed its somewhere not too public, but I'll worry about that when the time comes. I wait patiently for him to start walking, but he just remains on the steps of the building. Waiting for a taxi maybe? Hopefully not waiting for Taylor... Regardless, I'll wait until he's on the move; nice place like this probably has security cameras and I don't want to risk anything yet.
After a few short minutes a taxi pulls up to the doors of the building and Reed gets inside. I quickly start my car and begin following after him.
...
[Reed's POV]
Once inside the cab I ask the driver to take me to the nearest mall and I can't help but feel a smile tugging at my lips. It's nice to know that Mac trusts me enough to just give me his credit card. I would never take advantage of his generosity, but it feels good to know that he knows that as well.
As we reach the mall and the cab stops I hand him some of the cash Mac had given me and head inside. I take a minute to look around in amazement. This place is huge, and I don't even know where to start. I walk through the seemingly endless corridors of the mall, glancing into almost every store.
My first stop is to a drug store, as I know I need some personal items. I head down the aisles grabbing a toothbrush, deodorant, and some soap and shampoo. I load it all into the basket I grabbed from the front of the store and stop to linger in the cologne section for a moment. I smell a couple of bottles and when I find one I like I give myself a couple sprays. I won't buy the bottle, it's not something I need so I put it back on the shelf and head to the checkout.
I exit the drug store and notice a small coffee shop across the way. Being in the anxious rush I was in this morning, I had forgotten to make myself a cup so I head over and order one. As I wait at the end of the counter for my coffee I look out into the open food court. There aren't a lot of people here yet, but I guess that's because it's still early in the day.
"Reed?" I hear a familiar voice behind me calling my name and I offer a shocked expression as I quickly turn around.
---
**Sorry to leave you hanging like this... More to come soon! Hit me up with some reviews XD**
