Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY. Never will.

A/N: NO FLAMES! Not accepted.

2nd A/N: I know that it seems unlikely that Mac would leave someone pregnant but neither knew until Mac was back in New York and he was so busy he couldn't leave. It's fiction let's remember that.

Chapter Nine – Sweet 16

Thursday, September 11, 9am

Mac hadn't woken Amanda, he let her sleep in, even though her birthday fell on a Thursday. He'd called her school and told them she wasn't feeling well and was staying home. When in fact he just gave her a day off for her 16th birthday. He knew she'd get heat from her 'friends' for her party, which was happening that very day and in Mac's apartment. Only her family were invited. He had it all arranged and he'd said no chemistry equipment, she had a mini CSI lab in her bedroom! Amanda had no idea that her father had planned this. So when she woke at 10am and knew she was so late for school she yelled at her dad for not waking her.

"Panda Bear, calm down. I didn't wake you because you're having the day off for your sweet 16." Mac told her, Amanda frowned but then realized what he'd said and she hugged him. She knew he had planned this – her father was good at planning her birthday. It sucked that her birthday coincided with the anniversary of Claire's death, but Amanda always liked to included Claire in her special day, so that morning after Amanda had woken, showered they went to Ground Zero. This was how they shared Amanda's day with Claire, they had breakfast there. That's how it started. The worst birthday Amanda had ever had.

It happened that this birthday was also a bit of a disaster. The work of a CSI never stops. Mac was called in again even if it was his day off. But Amanda opted to remain in the lab with Adam for the day.

"Sorry about this, Panda Bear." Amanda turned and accepted Danny's hug when she met him in the lab.

"It's ok. I get to spend my birthday in my favourite place with my favourite people. How could that be a bad thing?" Amanda said. Danny grinned and gave her a kiss on her forehead before walking away to run trace. Amanda amused herself by twirling on the chair in the DNA lab and annoying Adam with mindless jabber. He didn't really mind though, it beat being caught by Lindsay doing imitations. However, Amanda still asked him to do imitations of all the lab-rats if he could. So he still got caught – by Jo and Mac doing Jo's voice. Mac was frowning, Jo was smirking and Amanda was killing herself laughing. She was clutching her stomach and trying to stop. Tears had started to roll down her cheeks she was laughing so much.

"I see you're having fun then?" Mac said looking down at his daughter, she nodded and took a few deep breaths to stop laughing.

"Oh gosh my stomach hurts." She whispered as she tried to get the muscles in her stomach to relax and stop hurting. She wiped her tears of laughter away and started to breath normally. She had plenty of time to have more fun anyway, the lab was full of people who could help her have fun. And her mission was to have as much fun as possible. She was 16 and she was still a little sister to everyone in the lab. She was like part of the furniture.

Amanda had just returned to the DNA lab to spend some more time with Adam when a shot rang out. Not like when Brett had shot up the lab, this was from outside. Amanda ducked down taking Adam with her. They crouched in the lab and under a desk. They held tight to each other, hoping that one would keep the other safe. Amanda looked around and saw one of the lab techs had been shot. She went to get her out of the way. Adam tried to stop her but Amanda was gone.
She dragged the lab tech away from the line of fire but as she made her way back to the lab she was hit. Her body arched forward and she fell down to the floor a cry of pain making Adam move her grabbed her wrists and dragged her back into the lab. He quickly evaluated her injury his took his coat off and pressed it hard to the injury hoping to restrict if not stop the blood flow. He knew it was impossible odds for her to be hurt in both shooting so far – at least she missed the "gas leak" and the first shooting when Mac and his old partner were the targets.
Adam kept telling Amanda that she was going to be ok, just like last time, she was going to be fine. When the shots finished and there was silence again, Adam looked up as Danny sprinted into the lab to find Adam with a blood soaked lab coat and Amanda under it. Adam watched as Danny took a few slow steps forward until his mind seemed to kick into gear, he knew what an injury in the lower back meant.

"Hey Panda Bear…Panda you're gonna be ok. All right Bear? You're gonna be ok." Danny said petting her hair.

"Danny? I can't feel my legs…" She said, pain lacing her tone.

"It's gonna be all right, Panda. Just like last time yeah? A few weeks of recovery and you'll be good as new!" Danny said, he looked up and yelled for a medic. Mac appeared at the doorway and knew why Danny's voice was so panicked.

"Where's Dad?" She whispered.

"I'm here, Panda Bear. I'm here." Mac knelt beside her and cradled her head on his knees. The medics put Amanda on a gurney and Mac went to the hospital with her. No exceptions, he was going to the hospital. Jo had to give the orders at the lab.

Mac knew he should've told her to stay home. She had bought all those DVDs the other week why not watch them for the 1000th time? She had wanted to go to the lab and hang out with Adam. He sat in the waiting room his head in his hands just waiting for news on her. She was still in surgery. How could this happen again? She had to be the hero. He had called Adam and asked what had happened and Adam explained that Amanda had made sure that Kendall didn't risk getting hurt any more than she already was. Amanda was far too much like Mac, but that also meant she was bound to pull through.

"Mr Taylor?" Mac looked up at the doctor, the same doctor that had looked after Amanda when she had first been shot.

"Yes, Doctor." Mac stood up.

"Your daughter is quite the vigilante. If she wasn't getting shot all the time, I'd be out of a job. Amanda is going to recover quickly, unfortunately she was hit in the lower back with the bullet, we were able to extract it and she will have to be in a wheelchair for quite a while, but her body is strong and there is a good chance of her walking again." The Doctor said with a sad smile.

"What kind of chance?" Mac asked, a little worriedly, he didn't want to hear what Danny had.

"There is 70% chance she'll walk again, but she'll need a lot of physical therapy." The doctor said, Mac nodded.

"One of my CSIs went through that a long time ago. I'm sure he'll help her though it. He's like her big brother." He said, thinking that Danny would not let Amanda give up.

"Good she'll need all the support she can get. I'll let you in to see her." The doctor said leading Mac down to Amanda's room. She looked so upset that Mac almost cried for her.

"Dad? What did they say? When can I walk outta here?" She asked with a smile.

"You won't be walking for a long time, Sweetheart." Mac said.

Amanda's smile faded, "What do you mean?"

"You were hit in the lower back with the bullet. There is 30% percent chance you'll never walk again, but the odds are in your favour and Danny's been through this. He'll help you. You trust him right? And me?" Mac asked, Amanda nodded.

"Always." She replied.

"We'll help you through it, Panda Bear. Don't you worry." He said, "Danny and I will help you walk again. We won't let this beat you." He grasped her hand tightly.

"A 70% chance of walking again?" Danny said, "that's better than what I got. Seriously kid you are one lucky girl."

"Yeah sure…tell that to my legs. I can't feel a thing and it's embarrassing when you need help to go to toilet and your dad is the only person who can help at home. At least here I can ask one of the girls to help me." Amanda said wheeling herself in circles in the DNA lab. Danny sighed and shook his head.

"We'll get you walking soon, Panda Bear. I won't let you wallow in self-pity." Danny said putting his hands on her armrests and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Thanks Danny. I know I can always count on my big brother." Amanda said as she rolled away.

"You sure can Kiddo. You sure can." He said quietly to himself as he turned back to the computer.