A/N: Enjoy!

Chapter 34

Spring was finally starting to approach the city. The weather was getting warmer and the snow was melting. Aside from the warmer temperatures, which were always appreciated, the city was also starting to get a bit muddy.

Mac grinned at Flack as he came towards them, cussing. A passing car had just splashed him and now his over-coat was splattered with mud.

"I just had this cleaned!" he protested.

"Well now you get to have it cleaned all over again," Mac said easily.

"Har har."

"What do we have?" Mac asked as Lindsey joined him.

"Neighbors heard the couple who lives here fighting, and when cops investigated, they found the wife in a messy heap in the kitchen. Paramedics pronounced on site," Flack said.

"And the husband?"

"No where in sight. We're looking for him for questioning."

"Was this the first time you guys have been called to this address because of a domestic dispute?" Lindsey asked.

"At least three times prior," Flack said, checking his notes. "Hubby had a nasty habit of getting drunk and then using his fists on his wife, but she always took him back."

"Guess she won't be taking him back this time, not unless she can do that from beyond the grave," Mac said.

As Mac and Lindsey processed the scene, they talked quietly.

"How are you and Danny making out these days?" he asked, watching as Lindsey blushed.

"We're doing good. I'm trying to keep it discreet but Danny can be very affectionate," she admitted. "Not that that's a bad thing."

"I've known Danny for a long time and I've never seen him quite like this before," he said, grinning. "Speaking from personal experience though, be careful and as much as possible try and keep your work and personal life separate when you're working on a crime scene together."

She nodded. "What about you and Randi? Rumor has it you've been crashing at her place a lot these days."

He chuckled. "The rumors are true. Randi's place is a bit closer to work than my apartment and I like Fabio; he's good company."

"Are you sure it's not just her dog that's the attraction?" she asked, grinning.

He was about to reply when a faint thump made him freeze. "You hear that?" he asked quietly. "Sounded like it came from upstairs."

"I thought this place was cleared," she hissed.

"So did I. Go get Flack," he said, taking off his gloves and reaching for his gun and unsnapping it. Lindsey quietly and quickly bolted for it.

Flack met him at the foot of the stairs, gun out, and they cautiously moved up the short flight of stairs, ready, with another cop right behind them.

"Was this checked?" Flack asked referring to a closed closet located near the top of the stairs.

"Should have been, sir. I think my partner checked it and said it was stuck or something," the officer said.

Mac noticed the shadow on the floor and silently indicated it to Flack. Flack nodded and they moved to either side of it. The officer positioned himself to open the door and on Flack's signal, he was about to yank the door open when it was slammed open, catching the officer in the face.

A scruffy-looking man in jeans and a wife-beater's shirt burst from the closet and tried to use the advantage of surprise but both Mac and Flack quickly grabbed him. Unfortunately, alcohol, fear, and adrenaline are a pretty bad combination and that was what the man was loaded with. The officers had a hell of a fight on their hands and that fight was also located near the stairs. The third officer quickly recovered from the facial blow by the door and joined in the scuffle, doing his best to help.

Mac saw Lindsey rushing up the stairs to join them and in that split second the man's elbow caught him square in the face, sending him reeling backwards.

He stumbled, trying to regain his balance as well as his senses.

And then his feet found only air.

He felt himself slam in to Lindsey, who had been halfway up the flight of stairs and they went tumbling.

And then pain exploded in his head again and the darkness came.