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 Ten – Panda Bear

One special nickname can say it all. And although she was now 16 years old, Amanda still loved hearing her father call her 'Panda Bear'. It had come from her card on Father's Day and it meant the world to her that his nickname for her – though shared by Danny – made her feel as if she'd been here in New York her whole life and she had known the lab rats for the whole 16 years of her life. She had gone through all her physical therapy and she was still a little wobbly on her legs but she could walk. She used the walls the keep her balance.
She looked up from her homework and sighed, her therapist had told her that if she had to sit for an extended period of time she needed to get up and move around a little. Plus she was hungry and she'd heard her father come home just now. Her teachers understood that, but right now she was on her winter holidays. Christmas was fast approaching and she needed to go shopping, but her father was confining her to the apartment until she was fully able to walk without the help of walls. The only other place she went was to the lab. Mostly to assure Hawkes, Adam, Flack, Lindsay, Jo and Danny that she could still walk.

"Dad?" Amanda made her way out the living area of the apartment, remembering that her dad was at work but she could have sworn she heard him two seconds ago but now the apartment was silent. She stilled, frozen, if her father was at work and there was only her in the apartment she listened, straining to hear anything that could indicate that she wasn't alone. She heard a floorboard creak and the sound of someone in the lounge area; she peaked around the corner and nearly fainted. Two guys – burly and strong looking were rifling through the DVDs they owned and unplugging the TV. Amanda knew her father kept a spare pistol somewhere, slipping back to her Dad's room she pulled open his bedside drawer.
She knew how to load a gun and fire it but she was a 16-year-old she could get charged for this! Moving silently to the corner of the room again the guys were still working on unplugging the TV, she cocked the gun…the guys stilled, Amanda pressed herself to the wall, the men turned to the sound, she didn't know them and if she had she'd still wonder why they hadn't checked if she was home. Waiting until they turned their backs again and Amanda aimed and fired twice. She was a lucky shot she hit one in the shoulder the other she managed his leg, neither could go anywhere, she ran to them kicking the gun away from one and pressing her foot down on the other's wrist.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Slipping the gun to one hand she pulled out her cell and dialled 911.

"911 what's your emergency?" The operator asked.

Amanda was calm as she responded, "Can you put me through to Detective Mac Taylor of the New York Crime Lab?"

"Can I ask who is calling?" The operator asked as she punched in the number.

"Amanda." The teen replied.

"Of course miss." Amanda listened until her father's voice came through.

"Panda?" He sounded worried, why would she call him at work unless she needed help?

"Hi Dad. You might want to come home – I said don't move! – bring Don and Danny with you. We've had a break in. Don't move, I said! Are you hard of hearing or something?" Amanda snapped, Mac could tell she was talking to someone else.

"CRAZY BITCH!" A deep baritone shouted; Mac nearly dropped the phone.

"Stay right where you are, Panda. I'm on my way." He hung up.

"Amanda!" The teen looked up and smiled serenely at the three men with guns that came into the apartment.

"Afternoon. This is Jim and Dave. They were going to take the TV and some DVDS to pay off their dealer. Ice isn't it gentlemen?" The men glared at her.

"Crazy fucking bitch. Broke my fucking wrist!" The man closest to her snapped.

"I merely pressed down hard enough to make you stop reaching for your TEC-9. Over by the cabinet, Danny." The blonde turned and spotted the gun lying on the floor. The other was sitting next to Amanda on the couch, a handkerchief stilled wrapped around the handle. Don picked it up.

"Nice. Expensive." He said handing it to Danny.

"She's a crazy bitch! You should be arresting her for abuse! She broke Dave's wrist! She could've killed us! She's fucking crazy." The other cried, Amanda rolled her eyes.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth? Shut up." Don said locking the handcuffs around his wrists, Mac did the same to the first man. The three unis they'd brought with them took them down to the car.

"You're all right Panda Bear?" Mac asked, Amanda nodded.

"Yeah. Just had a little scare." She said.

"You're coming into the lab then. And Don will take a statement from you." Danny said and Amanda just nodded again and followed her father and best friend down to the car.

"You took down two burly men, with semi-automatics and managed to stand over them with just a .45 and held the upper hand?" Lindsay asked.

"Did I mention I hit them? With bullets? I actually moved without pain and on adrenaline now my legs are like jelly." Amanda said sitting on the swivel chair in the trace lab, where Lindsay had just swabbed her hand and was for some reason running the GSR.

"Why are you even doing trace Linds? I shot them I'm gonna have GSR on my hands aren't I?" Amanda said.

"Yes but its protocol." Lindsay said.

"I don't think it is…you just wanted to hear the story again." Amanda said, Lindsay smiled at her.

"Yeah well it's pretty incredible." The older woman agreed.

In all honesty, Amanda thought, she hadn't had a bad day. She'd been home alone, apprehended two burglars and kept them captive while the police arrived. She grinned at Danny and Adam when she heard them call out to her.

"What's cooking, good-looking?" she asked slinging her arm around Adam's shoulders. He blushed and Amanda laughed as his cheeks burned pink. Danny simply hugged her and told her that if she ever tried to take down burglars again he'd personally wring her neck.

"Get in line I think Dad and Don have that honour first." She laughed allowing Danny to press a kiss to her forehead. Yes, Amanda thought as she joined her father in the lift on the way down to the parking lot, not a bad day at all.