Thank you to everybody for your terrific reviews and comments. I am always so grateful. i am so sorry for the delay. I wanted to write, I really did, things were just crazy in my real life. I clearly borrowed ffrom Screwdriver, and Corkscrew, but I've not been able to re-watch them so apologies for any glraing errors (or maybe they are my new plot twists :))

"Mac. What are you going to do? Who are you...," Jact started. One glance from Mac and he knew the answer. "Ah, man...no. Not Nikki. Every time she shows up, bad things happen."

Mac sighed. "Jack...at this point, bad things already happened," a glance toward the ICU. "I need answers and we both know that if anybody has them, she will.

"I don't like it man," Jack muttered to nobody in particular. "I don't like it."

Mac focused on typing for a few moments and waited. His phone pinged within five minutes. Mac read the screen, eyes bleak and his lips pressed into a flat line. He nodded ever so slightly.

"You going to share with the rest of the class?" Jack prodded.

"She'll be here in an hour. It'll be just her and me." When Mac saw the doubt in in his partner's eyes, he spoke more emphatically. "Just me and her Jack. Please."

Jack wanted to argue, but the steel in Mac's voice was back, so he nodded. "Just be careful, Brother," he said.

Mac really hated hospital coffee; he'd had enough of it over the last 12 hours and now he was nursing yet another cup as he sat in a secluded corner of the hospital cafeteria. He was just taking a sip of the lukewarm liquid when a familiar figure slipped into the booth across from him. Mac heard the familiar sound of a safety on a gun being released.

"You know you don't need that, Nikki," he said wearily. His heart ached as he looked at the familiar face, but the jarring recollection of why he was sitting in the hospital cafeteria in the first place, brought him back to reality and hardened his heart.

"I beg to differ," was the sharp reply. "I know you. You have something planned."

The two looked at each other for a minute. Nikki blinked first. "Mac," she said softly. "I...I …," she stopped and took a breath. "I heard about...," Nikki paused, swallowing hard, " "And, I am so sorry about Co..".

"Don't you dare even say her name," Mac growled, his blue eyes hard as ice. "Your...people," Mac spat out the word, "are the reason that Cory...that she," Mac stumbled over the words, stopped, took a breath, "...that she is in the ICU."

"Mac," Nikki tired again," I know what you think and what you think you know, but he people I work for, didn't do this."

"Really," Mac spat the word out. "Who else wants me dead?" Nikki drew back from Mac; she's never seen him like this; the cold, hard anger was something she had never experienced and it terrified her. Nikki looked almost desperate as her eyes scanned the almost empty room.

"If I knew, I'd tell you. I swear it, Mac." she tried again. "Mac, please," she whispered.

With a visible effort, Mac sat back and forced himself to relax.

"Talk." Just one word. One order said in a quiet, dangerous tone, and Nikki complied.

"Look," she said quietly. "The people for whom I work – they are totally capable of ordering a hit on you or anybody else. Thing is, at this point, they gain nothing by killing you and if there is no upside for them," Nikki looked directly at Mac, "...if there is no upside, they will not waste the resources." You are an annoyance to them, "she quirked an eyebrow at Mac who was clearly annoyed at the characterization, "...neither you nor Cory pose any danger to them right now. So they would not go through the trouble of hiring an assassin. Nikki stopped, and took a moment,"Its just not how they operate."

"C'mon, Mac," Nikki's tone changed again from almost pleading to cynical and goading. "Use that big brain of yours. Ask yourself who benefits if you are killed or at least incapacitated?" Nikki's eyes bore into Mac's. "It's not me...its not my organization...," Mac was staring at Nikki.

"What are you saying?", he whispered.

Nikki reached out a hand, and rested it on Mac's hand that had just released his coffee mug. A moment later, Mac pulled his hand away and pocketed a small key.

"There are people, Mac...," Nikki whispered, "...people close to you and very high up...They are not interested in you or in your sister, but they will destroy anybody who gets in their way." Her eyes darted to the pocket with the key. "Hang on to that. You'll need it soon and then remember what I told you."

Nikki started to get up, but then froze for a moment as if in thought. She briefly closed her eyes and then sat back down, leaning

Nikki leaned in closer, "Project Ocelot."

"Ocelot?" Mac did not think he had heard correctly, but Nikki nodded. "What the helll is that?"

"I don't know, but if you find out, you might also find out who wants you and Cory dead."

Again Mac looked intently at the woman he had once loved...at the woman he still desperately wanted to love, but then his heart and his eyes hardened again. "You tell a good story, but then that was always your strong suit, wasn't it?" The tone was cold and biting. He knew that she had been lying to him about...about everything. Why would this be any different? He did not want to believe her. He wanted to deny everything, but something in his gut told him that maybe...just maybe, there was a kernel of truth. "He tapped something onto his phone and pushed it across the table. "Do you recognize this?"

"You know I do," Nikki whispered.

"Stay away from me. Stay away from my family," Mac grated out.

"Mac," Nikki whispered. "This is not like you. You always gave people a chance."

"People change," he replied coldly. "You always said everybody has a dark side. Trust me, you don't want to see mine." With that Mac slid out of the seat and started walking away when Nikki caught his hand.

"Remember...Project Ocelot." Mac looked down into eyes that really did seem to be pleading with him, but he did not dare soften...he'd been down this path before. And yet...yet...something tickled the back of his mind. "Please believe me," she whispered, "and please...please... be careful." Without another look backward, Mac extricated his hand and walked away, leaving Nikki to stare at this retreating back.

It may be just me, but it seems that over the last few episodes Mac has been more serious and he has shown a little more of the darker side as well as more of his strength as an agent. He has heen through a lot in the last few shows, so this makes sense. TinkerBella's wonderful stories inspired me with her characterization of Mac so I wanted to capture the same type of vibe. After everything that has happened to Mac in the show and in this story, he would be terrribly angry and in pain; worried about his sister and now, even if he does not want to believe Nikki, I am sure her warning will stick with him. I think there is also a maturity there as he is trying to work through everything he is feeling, and use it to figure out what is going on and how to deal with it. I think this is where him being so young creates the tension with everything that is being put on him. Please let me know what you think and thank you for taking the time to read and review.