"The tricky thing is yesterday, we were just children playing soldiers,

Just pretending, dreaming dreams with happy endings,

In backyards, winning battles with our wooden swords,

But now we've stepped into a cruel world, where everybody stands and keeps score,

Keep your eyes open,

Everybody's waitin' for you to breakdown,

Everybody's watchin' to see the fallout,

Even when you're sleepin', sleepin',

Keep your ey-eyes open…"

"Eyes Open" by Taylor Swift

~ Author's Notes ~

I am rather sad to inform you all that this is the final chapter of this sad tale… But one day, I hope to write a story set before all of this happened to write into Mac and Angie's relationship. How would you guys like that? (Just because I always love getting your feedback on ideas.)

~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"You remember you did this to her, Taylor!"

Stella rested a hand on Mac's shoulder as he stood with his team, watching as two officers struggled to contain the fighting Darian Huchardson.

"Get him out of my courtroom!" The judge's voice was crisp and her eyes were unforgiving as she glared down from her seat at the convict that the officers soon hustled out of the room.

Taylor set his jaw and nodded a little, more to himself than anyone else, but when he turned, his team followed. And that was enough to give him the strength to ignore how challenging the trial had been for him to sit and listen to. Darian really was one damned son of a bitch.

"You gonna be alright?" Stella asked him, walking beside him.

Mac managed a small smile and looked over at her. "Yeah. I'll manage," he said.

Don caught up with him on his other side and gave him a healthy pat on the back that you could say almost knocked the CSI off balance, "You still on for drinks with us tonight?"

Mac playfully shoved the arm of the Homicide Detective away from him, having neatly stayed on his feet, "After that bullshit?" he asked, smiling, "Damn right I'm coming."

Don smiled, patting his friend a little lighter this time on the shoulder, "You handled all that well, Mac. I think you did her proud."

Mac's smile was a little sadder this time, but he nodded. "She would've just been glad I was okay and that he got put away," he said.

Stella smiled and slipped an arm around his shoulders. "Well, let's go celebrate that for her, then," she said, "Darian's not going to be bothering any of us anymore."

~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Mac leaned back against the bar, the eyes of his teammates resting on him now as he chewed at his lip, trying to find the right words to justify the end of this chapter in his life. And theirs.

Looking at each of them now, he knew he was not the only one who would understand the loss he felt. He knew now more than ever that the people accompanying him right now were his family. The only family he had left.

With a small, soft laugh at his thoughts about everything he'd seen in his life, he raised the glass in his hand. "Well, guys… I'm going to try not to make anyone cry… including myself," he said, the corners of his mouth turned up in the smallest of smiles, "So… here goes nothing."

He gave them all a moment, feeling something like a pull at his heart when they all raised their glasses to join him. They had been here before… When they lost Jess. Not the same bar, but… the same situation. But… never having been good with words, he wasn't so sure how he was going to do here.

"Angie was… one of a kind… I really do wish you'd all had the chance to meet her… To know her like I knew off the case that I'm sure you all remember at least hearing about. And now… I know all of you know her name for sure," he began, shaking his head slightly as he bit at his lip. Damn, why did words have to hurt him so much?

"I'm sure all of you know… I never expected to go into a relationship after that September morning each of us remember so well. But there was just something about her… The way she looked at life and how she lived it one day… maybe even an hour… at a time. And if there's anything I want all of us to remember… and learn from her… It's that life has to be lived that way." He paused for a moment to shrug slightly, looking at each of his coworkers again. "She taught me that the more I got to know her and be involved with her. She smacked it in my face, actually…," he said with a slight smile. "She'd tell me, 'You gotta stop being so uptight… Quit living in the mirror, Mac Taylor.' And I guess that's what I'd been doing for the longest time… And she knew it. She knew it the first time she looked me in the eye," he said, shaking his head a bit again.

"For her, and how she's changed me… I take it all a little easier now… Just… a day at a time." Now he was really fighting to keep his composure, but he knew he had to finish saying what he knew she'd want him to say. "And for who she was and how she dealt with me… helped me… changed me… God, I wanna thank her…" That was it. He'd said it, and he felt Stella slip up beside him, putting a comforting arm around his shoulders as he lowered his head and closed his eyes, not willing to let it break him that much.

Don watched for a moment before he raised his glass a little higher, "For Angie."

Mac looked up, the beginning of a slightly eased smile showing on his face as the rest of team joined them, leaving only Stella and Mac to chip in their own final words.

Stella was smiling as she looked over at him. "For Angie," she told him.

Mac's smile finally showed completely, although he had evidently barely managed to fight off a few tears at the actions of his team and his own words, and he raised his glass again, "God love her."