AN: OK I know I'm taking very long breaks in between chapters and I'm sorry. I've been a bit deprived as we all have been of our dearest CSI: Miami (curse you football) but since that's all over we can get back to more important shows lol :). Anyway, here's the next installment! Enjoy! PLEASE REVIEW!
The New York City air filled her nostrils as Erin exited the airport, searching for the GMC Yukon she knew Mac drove, but instead, she was greeted with a Chevy Avalanche, "New car?"
Mac smirked, "Figured it was time for an upgrade," he hugged her kindly, "how are you?"
She sighed, "I'm good. Mac this is Dr. Raymond Langston, Dr. Langston meet Detective Mac Taylor," the young woman watched the two of them exchange greetings, all the while an odd feeling seemed to arise.
"Erin?" Mac questioned, noticing the awkward look on her face, "Are you sure you're OK?"
"I'm fine, Mac, really," she insisted.
Dr. Langston nodded, "Well, we hear that you have a dead girl that is missing a liver. You suspect black market?"
Mac grimaced, "Or worse. Human trafficing."
Erin was shocked, "In such an organized manner it would have to be a trafficing ring. Especially to be able to transport the girls from state to state."
"Another suspicion of ours," the New York detective answered, "the team's at the lab processing evidence."
She smiled, "Can't wait to see them."
"And they can't wait to see you, they've missed you," he smirked.
Erin noted the hidden meaning in his statement, but brushed it off for the sake of their companion, "I'm sure," she walked over to the Avalanche and climbed in the back seat.
"Well look who's here!" Danny smiled, wrapping his arms around Erin in a greatful hug, "I've missed my lab partner!"
Erin laughed, "I've missed you too, Danny. Where's everyone else?"
"They're here," Hawkes chuckled, "hey Erin."
"Sheldon," the young blonde hugged him, "how's life treating you?"
He sighed, "Pretty damn lousy save for work."
Erin smirked, "You're just fine."
Mac chuckled, "Well I can see that you'll just fall right back into routine, if you need anything Dr. Langston and I will be in my office going over some photographs from the scene."
She glanced over her shoulder at him, "You're just leaving me in charge here?"
"No, Stella's in charge. I'll be around to see how you're doing."
Erin scoffed, she knew Mac was doing this just to bust her chops, but she had work to do and she wasn't going to let Mac's little games get in the way of finding their next suspect, "OK guys, let's get the ball rolling," she snapped on a pair of gloves and threw on a lab coat before beginning her work.
Mac watched his team work swiftly, their minds focused on finding the first person on their long list of suspects; but he couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of guilt. Erin stood there in his lab once again after so many years, but now everything that they shared between them had turned into secrecy and lies. He'd come back from Miami and Stella already realized something was different about him, and he couldn't bring himself to tell his wife that he'd had an affair with his ex-girlfriend and closest friend. Mac also knew that Erin hadn't told Ryan about it, either, so the both of them were caught up in a web of deciet, and it was something that made the New York detective feel very uneasy. There was something odd about Erin's persona, however; she looked fairly pale, and every so often she would pause, look toward the women's restroom, but continue working.
"Erin," Mac walked into the lab, "can I talk to you for a second?"
The young woman looked from him, to Stella, to the team, and back to him before nodding and following him into his office, "What's wrong Mac?"
He sighed, "Do you feel OK?"
"...Fine, why?" the confusion in her eyes only made him worry more.
"Because you look pale, and you keep looking toward the bathroom like you're ready to vomit," Mac walked over to her, placing his hand on her shoulder, "I think after everything that's happened you can at least talk to me about what's going on."
Erin's eyes grew wide; she hadn't even thought about that night in her truck until he brought it up, "Mac...it was a stupid mistake, you know this as well as I do."
He nodded, " I know that but you're still my best friend, Erin for Christ's sake! You can tell me anything!"
She sighed, "Mac calm down, it's just a stomach bug, OK? I'll be fine in a couple days."
"Stomach bug, where have I heard that before?" he deadpanned.
"I'm not pregnant if that's what you mean," her gaze turned cold, "and Mac, if I were, you would've been the first to hear about it," she tried to leave his office, but he grabbed her arm.
"Erin."
"Let go, Mac," the young woman snapped.
Mac had to bite the inside of his cheek not to pull her into his chest and kiss her, because he knew once he did that both of their marriages were history, so begrudgingly, he let go of her forearm.
"Thank you," she turned on her heel and headed back to the lab where everyone was working, and she could practically feel the confused stares coming from the team, most of all Stella.
"What was that all about?" the curly-haired Greecian asked, her gloved hands stopped working on one of the articles of clothing from their newest Jane Doe.
Erin didn't even look up at her as she put on a pair of gloves again, "Nothing important."
Stella pursed her lips, obviously not convinced, so she strode out of the lab and into her husband's office, "What's going on Mac?"
He looked up at her from his desk, "What are you talking about?"
"You and Erin, what just happened?" she interrogated him as if he were a suspect to this very murder, her hands on her hips.
Mac sighed, closing the file in front of him, "Erin looked sick so I asked her if she was alright, she said she was fine, just had a headache."
Stella nodded, "OK...you'd tell me if something were wrong, right?"
"Of course I would, Stella," he stated, trying to keep his eyes from averting to the young blonde in the other room.
"Just making sure, Mac," she finished before walking back over to the lab.
"Is there a reason why you and I are here alone?"
"I had to see you."
"We can't."
"Why not? What's so hard about it?"
"Because it's not what we do, Mac!" Erin hated screaming at him, but it seemed to be the only way she could get through to him, "I love Ryan! And you love Stella! We can't do this to them."
Mac knew she was right of course, but the fact that they were alone in a hotel room he'd rented for the night kind of made the situation a bit more endeering, "Erin," he could see that she was crying, "don't...Erin," he walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her.
Erin could only try to hold back the tears that flowed down her cheeks; she hated lying to Ryan, and she hated the fact that Mac had suddenly jumped back into her life like this, but there was nothing more she could do except try to either get rid of Mac, or just go with it. She sighed, "Why? Why now?"
The New York Detective looked down at her, "I never stopped loving you, Erin. Despite how hard I tried to let go, I never could."
"You didn't try hard enough."
Mac took her face in his hands, "I don't want to try anymore," he harshly brought his mouth down on hers, allowing his arms to encircle her waist.
Erin was overwhelmed with feelings of guilt, desire, and anger. She hated Mac for making her feel like this, she hated herself for allowing such a thing to continue, but everything was swept from her mind as he deepened the kiss; his rough hands groping her waist and lower back.
"M-Mac," she tried to talk against his lips, "Mac s-stop."
Mac was surprised to hear her say stop, but he did as she asked and let her go, "What's wrong?"
Erin stared at him, "I can't do this, I love Ryan too much to hurt him like this...I'm sorry," she grabbed her coat and her purse and walked out the door, trying to ignore the little devil on her shoulder telling her to go back. The streets of New York were busy, and as she tried to hail a cab, she could almost feel Mac staring at her as she left.
The next day or so went by quitely, Erin avoiding Mac as much as possible, and they got a lot of work done that way. While Dr. Langston was involved as much as possible, they were still very far away from figuring everything out. The Miami CSI had been staring at the same photos aimlessly for hours now, and not even coffee could help her, "There's got to be something we're missing. None of it makes any sense," she sighed, tossing yet another empty coffee cup in the garbage.
Ray nodded, "She's right. We're missing a crucial piece of the puzzle here. The Zetas work as a highly organized company, they're not going to take chances."
Danny shrugged, "We know Casey Steele fled the scene, we know Debbie Menzel, from the barrel, had her liver harvested for the black market."
"We know someone took the liver to the doctor, we have his contact number to the Zetas which gets us nowhere, and Steele is MIA with a stolen car, stolen phone, and Madeline Briggs," Erin finished.
"Which leaves us back in square one," Stella deadpanned, "we're going in circles."
Mac rubbed his hand over his face, "We're also running on fumes, some of us need to get some sleep if we're gonna catch this guy."
Erin sighed, "I'll stay up, I'm never going to get to sleep anyway," she'd been feeling more and more nauseous, but she wasn't about to admit that to anyone.
"I'll stay with you, Erin," Ray stood, "maybe we can figure something out."
Mac nodded, "Good, Adam, you stay here and keep working on triangulating that phone, everyone else can get some sleep."
Stella looked at him, "What about you?"
"I'm staying up, too," Mac finished, which caused Erin to practically choke on the water she was drinking.
Lindsay could sense something was wrong, so she interjected, "I'll stay, Mac, you get some sleep."
Danny looked at her, "You're gonna leave me home alone to take care of Lucy?"
"Yes I am," she smiled, "you'll be fine."
Erin gave her friend a thankful glance, before walking out of the lab to the women's restroom. Stella had been curious as to why her friend had been abandoning their work to go to the bathroom so often, "Give me a second, Mac," she walked over to the restroom and entered, where she could hear Erin retching in one of the stalls, "Erin?"
The sound ceased somewhat, "S-Stella?"
The curly-haired woman shut the door, "Are you alright?" she waited as she heard the toilet flush and Erin emerged from the closed stall, "You're sickly pale, Erin, are you OK?"
The blonde walked over to one of the sinks, washing her hands and splashing some water on her face, "I'm fine, Stel, why wouldn't I be?"
"You sounded like you just threw up a lung!"
Erin chuckled dryly, "I wish."
"How long have you been this sick?"
"I don't know, a week or so? It's probably just the flu, Stella."
Stella folded her arms, "The flu doesn't make you vomit, Erin."
Her blue eyes turned cold, "I'm fine, Stella," she stormed past her friend and rushed back into the lab, fuming inwardly at her friend's unvoiced accusation: she was not pregnant.
AN: I know this is kinda short but I need to get this story moving again lol. REVIEWS MAKE ME HAPPY! **ALSO, I'm planning on writing a prequel story to House of Cards, portaining to the very untouched subject of Mac and Erin's relationship. Please let me know what you think of the idea!**