Here we go with chapter 7! I'm also very happy with everyone who enjoys this story. That means a lot to me. Special shout out to laurzz who has been a big support throughout this story. Thanks very much laurzz!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to CBS.

All mistakes belong to me.


Danny is in his final year at the Academy and Cara is 10.

"Oh, Danny, I'm so proud of you. Really, I am." Mom said as she adjusted my hat and flattened out the shoulders of the jacket. I sighed.

"Mom, the uniform looks fine, you can stop fixing it." I said as I took my hat off and ran a hand through my hair. Now it was my mom's turn to sigh.

"I just fixed your hat, Daniel, you didn't have to take it off." she told me and I rolled my eyes.

"Ma…"

"Is this still good?" Cara asked. We looked over to see Cara holding up a cup of yogurt. I nodded.

"Should be." I told her and she nodded, heading back to get a spoon and she went to sit on the couch, her arms resting on the back of the couch as she watched mom and I bicker over the uniform. She spooned the yogurt into her mouth as she watched inventively.

"Mom, I think he looks fine." Cara said and I looked over at her with relief. Someone finally sided with me.

Mom looked at Cara, then back at me. "You're right. He does look fine." she said with a small smile on her face. I knew mom was proud of me, but she didn't have to be completely worried about me and how I looked for my graduation. There was a knock at the door and Cara jumped off the couch to go and answer to door. There were two people it could have been, either my friend, Don Flack, who I met at the academy or Louie.

Cara came back a few seconds later with Don behind her. Mom turned around, "Oh, hello Don. You look nice." mom said.

Cara smiled, "I told him he looked spiffy."

I looked at Cara, "Spiffy?" I asked and Don looked at me.

"That's what I said." Don said as he sat down in one of the chairs.

Cara smiled, "What's wrong with the word spiffy. I like it." she said as she went to throw her yogurt out and came back into the living room to grab her shoes.

"Mom, come on. You remember with Dan's graduation, we got seats in the very back because you were too worried about how he looked in his robe." Cara said as she shoved on her shoes and grabbed mom's hand, gently pulling her toward the door.

"Alright. Well…" she paused and looked at Don and then me. She looked like she was tearing up and Cara seemed to get that feeling to so she began pulling at mom a little harder.

"Bye mom. We'll see you after the ceremony." I said with a small wave, trying to get her out of the apartment. She waved and followed Cara out of the apartment. When the door closed, I sighed out of relieve, glad to get her out of my hair for a little bit.

"Your mom's nice." Don said and looked at me. I shot a glare at my friend and grabbed my wallet, slipping it into my pocket.

"Let's get outta here." I said and Don nodded standing up and headed toward the door. After I locked it, we made our way too the academy.

CSINYCSINYCSINY

We where at a bar after graduation, talking and the older people having a couple of drinks. Cara begged me to try some beer, but I refused and she decided to stick with her root beer. I don't know why, but she says that it makes her feel like a partial adult because the drink has the word, 'beer' in it.

Really? I don't ask.

Dad had decided he needed to head out early since he was working. I was just glad he had managed to the graduation, though he couldn't stay for the after party. Mom, Louie, Cara, Don, and one other friend, Kevin, where sitting in the bar talking about what we were going to do after we graduated. Kevin had gotten a job offer down in New Jersey, so he was going to be leaving within the next week and a half. I was pretty sad about it, since he was a close friend at the academy, but it was still pretty exciting for him.

Don was staying in New York, because his father was the famous NYPD detective. Donald Flack, Sr. He is a pretty intimidating man when you first met him, but he's not too bad of a guy.

My mom and Cara didn't really know what I was going to be doing because I refused to tell them. I wanted it to be a surprise.

"Hey mom, remember I introduced you to Detective Mac Taylor?" I asked mom and she nodded.

"Yes, quiet man, very serious, but nice. Why?" Mom said remembering the meeting and nodding.

"Well, one of the reasons I introduced you to him was that he runs the New York Crime Lab." I said.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Cara asked grabbing a potato skin and taking a bite of it.

I rolled my eyes and said, "Well, a couple of days ago he asked me if I wanted a job as a CSI at the crime lab."

"Really?" mom said, her eyebrows raised and I nodded.

"Yeah, and I said yes." I told her.

"So, you have a job? That's pretty sweet." Cara said. She didn't really sound impressed and I think it had to so with the fact she had no clue what a CSI was. I had already decided I would explain it to her later.

Mom's reaction was a bit different.

"You did? That's fantastic, Danny. Really? That's just great." she said exactly and I smiled.

Don rolled his eyes, "I told you she'd be happy." he said shaking his head at me.

Louie laughed, "So, you're an honest to god geek now? I'm so proud."