Disclaimer: I don't own CSI:NY – so you no sue or all you will get is my crappy car – understand – good! I do own Kelli Taylor and the other characters that you don't recognize – please ask before borrowing. Also anything in Italics means that my character or someone else is using American Sign Language.
a/n: As you can see – I'm baacckkk!...and thanks for sticking with me while my plot bunnies wandered off in other directions, but I finally managed to round them up and get them back until control (I hope)…and warning – there is mention of child abuse in this chapter…so sensitive readers should read at their own risk…
Chapter 36 – Marine Mac
Sunday morning, Kelli and Mac slept in until 8:30 am, then after enjoying their morning shower, getting dressed and going downstairs; they were invited for breakfast in the family's private quarters.
At the small country church, Kelli introduced Mac to Father David Carter – a tall, slender African American man with dark hair which was turning grey at the temples, giving the minister a distinguished air before the morning service. The church was fuller then usual due to the number of family and friends visiting on account of the variety show the previous evening.
After the service, Mac and Kelli stood outside the church talking with the other churchgoers – discussing the variety show, catching up on the neighborhood news; who had moved away, or who had moved into the area. Old friends wanting to learn more about Mac, wedding plans and how they like living in Manhattan. Then Kelli and Mac helped Nana Stella into the car for the short drive back to the house.
Lunchtime, everyone sat down to enjoy a meal of baked beans, scalloped potatoes and cold slices of baked ham.
"I'm going to have a nap before we leave to drive back to the city," Mac joked, tucking into his food.
"You taking a nap!" Kelli snorted. "Don't make me laugh – Mister I can get by on three to fours of sleep."
Everyone at the table chuckled as Mac looked slightly sheepish.
"So Mac," Aunt CeeCee turned to Mac. "What did you think of the service this morning?"
"Father Carter is a good speaker," Mac replied. "And I didn't know that Lynette also played the keyboard."
"Both girls started taking lessons they were nine. Leigh Anne used to play for our church services, and Lynette took over for her sister when Leigh Anne started university."
"All three girls are very talented musically," Mac said.
"I know," Aunt CeeCee agreed. "Lynette reminds me of mom when she plays the piano."
"So you play as well?" Mac asked Nana Stella.
"Oh yes," she replied. "I used to play the church organ years ago."
"The organ was the old pump organ," Kelli explained. "Not everyone can play that kind of organ. Pumping the pedals with your feet and playing the correct notes at the same time."
"And mom plays by ear as well," Aunt CeeCee said.
"I never learned how to read music," Nana Stella said.
"Amazing," said Mac.
Everyone at the table looked up when Leigh Anne and Lynette burst into the house laughing. "Hi girls," Aunt CeeCee greeted the Crouse sisters. "Have you eaten yet?"
"Yes we have Nanny," the girls replied.
"Where's your mother?" Rosaline asked.
"Home, Zoe called in sick again," replied Leigh Anne.
"Uh huh, probably partied too late last night with her boyfriend," Harley snickered.
"Hey, where's Uncle Buddy and Aunt Claire? I thought that they were going to be here for lunch," Kelli asked.
"Oh, they were invited to lunch at Sadie's and Herbert's house. They'll be back to pick up their camper," Aunt CeeCee answered.
"Hey Becca, guess what?" laughed Lynette.
"What?" Becca sat up curious.
"Would you believe that PeeWee's tail is fourteen inches long?"
"No way! Are you serious?" Becca goggled at her cousins.
"PeeWee?" Mac mouthed silently.
"Their cat and a brother to Pepper," Kelli explained.
"Yeah, we measured his tail this morning," said Lynette.
"Well land sakes," said Nana Stella, shaking her head.
"How are you getting back to your dorm Leigh Anne?" Uncle Stan asked.
"You can go back with us if you want," Kelli said after looking silently at Mac.
"Thanks, but Nannie and Grampy Crouse are gonna drive me back. They're going spend a couple of days visiting Uncle Peter," the teenager answered. "But thanks for the offer."
The meal finished, Kelli got up from the table with the intention of helping with the clean-up.
"No, no Kelli," Aunt CeeCee said. "You don't have to help."
"Nonsense, of course I'm going to help."
"No I insist. Besides mom wants to talk to you and Mac privately."
"Oh, okay."
"I want you and Mac to push me out onto the veranda where we can talk," Nana Stella requested. "CeeCee, you go get that accordion file from my bedroom closet."
Settling out on the shaded veranda, Mac and Kelli sat facing her grandmother. "Is there anything wrong Nana?"
"Oh no dear. I just wanted to give you and Mac your wedding present early."
"Oh that's not necessary Nana," Kelli protested.
"I insist."
"Okay," Kelli said.
"When my husband got out of the army, we lived in Manhattan for a number of years until he retired."
"I remember that, it was always a special treat to visit you and Banda," smiled Kelli.
"But what you don't know is that we never sold our place."
"I don't understand," said Kelli.
"We hired a management company to maintain the property and rent it out," explained Nana Stella. "The last tenant moved out a couple of months ago. And I instructed the management company to make sure that everything is in order and to repaint the unit."
"Uh huh."
"I'm transferring the deed over to you and Mac."
"What?" Kelli squeaked, sitting back stunned with Mac looking at her with concern.
"That's very kind of you Stella, but Kelli and I already own our apartments with mine being rented out."
"Mac, she's not talking about an apartment. She's talking about a brownstone, located on Central Park South."
"Excuse me?" Mac blinked in shock.
"Here, there's pictures of the place, inside and out," Nana Stella opened the accordion folder, removing several photographs.
"But how? Even back then, those places were horribly expensive," said Kelli.
"John invested part of his army pay and continued with his pension. We did scrimp and save for a number of years."
"Are you sure that you want to do this Nana? You could easily sell the place and then split the money up amongst Harley and the girls for their college educations."
"That's already been taken care of. John and I also owned several apartment buildings which were sold shortly before his death. And we set up trust funds for the kids, Leigh Anne and Harley already know about the money, but the youngest girls don't know yet."
"I don't know what to say," Kelli looked at Mac, who looked back at her; both wearing identical expressions of shock.
"You may as well say yes and accept your gift. I'm not gonna take no for an answer," the elderly woman retorted.
"In that case, thank you for the more than generous gift," replied Mac.
"Mac!" Kelli exclaimed in shock.
"What?" Mac shrugged. "We don't want to offend your grandmother by refusing her gift."
"Damn right," Nana Stella smirked. "And you don't want to piss me off."
"Thank you Nana, we really do appreciate your generosity," Kelli said before hugging the older lady. Mac also hugged and kissed Nana Stella.
"I always enjoy getting hugs and kisses from handsome men," Nana Stella quipped, enjoying the sight of Mac blushing.
While driving back to the city early that evening. Kelli turned slightly in her seat to look at Mac. "Did you enjoy spending the afternoon talking with Uncle Buddy?"
"I did," Mac nodded. "Did you enjoy your afternoon with the ladies?"
"Uh huh," Kelli replied. "Thank you Mac for coming with me."
"You're welcome," Mac reached over, grasping her hand, lifting it to his lips for a kiss.
Kelli smiled fondly at Mac's tenderness. "I still can't believe Nana's generosity."
"I know."
"She told me that the deed will be delivered from the lawyer's office, along with the keys for the new locks sometime in the next couple of weeks."
"We'll go by and check the place out once we get the keys and we can decide what we will do about moving or not."
"Hmm," Kelli agreed, and then started chuckling.
"What's so funny?" Mac asked, glancing over at Kelli.
"Oh, I was just thinking of the girls, they're gonna be drooling over Danny, Don, Sheldon and Adam when they meet them at our wedding."
"Huh?"
"Oh come on Mac, I know that you're a guy. But surely heavens you've noticed that the four of them are quite handsome looking guys," Kelli snickered, as Mac grimaced slightly.
"Please, I really don't think that way regarding my co-workers and friends," Mac snorted. "And thanks, I really didn't need that image in my head."
"What is it with you guys? Us women never have a problem admitting or saying that we find other women attractive. But you guys can't say that other men are handsome without being scared of looking infeminine."
"Hmm," Mac pondered the question a few moments before replying. "Maybe it's because guys are brought up to be the strong manly type and not to display our emotions freely. While women are encouraged to be open and express their feelings with no repercussions."
"That is true," Kelli nodded. "And I think that society has done guys a disservice with that mindset."
Back in Manhattan, Kelli and Mac walked into their building, up on their floor, walking towards their apartment. They saw Shelby and her dog Boo-Boo sitting outside her apartment, the blonde haired teenager was crying, the big golden retriever licking the salty tears from his young mistresses' face.
"Shelby?" Kelli asked concerned, kneeling down beside the crying girl. "What's wrong?"
"Mom and dad are fighting again," Shelby sniffled as she signed. "Dad brought me home and then he and mom started fighting."
Kelli looked up at Mac, who was listening to the sound of arguing voices. "Mac?"
"Shh," Mac held up his hand in a shushing motion before suggesting. "Take Shelby to our apartment so you two can talk."
"What are you going to do Mac?"
"I'm going to make sure that Shelby's mom is okay."
"Be careful," Kelli replied before turning back to Shelby. "Come on Shelby, let's you and I go into my apartment and get something to drink."
"Boo-Boo too?"
"Of course Boo-Boo can come," Kelli urged the teenager up off the floor and down the hall to their apartment.
Inside Shelby sat on the couch with Boo-Boo sitting on the floor, pressed up against her legs. Kelli detoured into the bathroom briefly, coming out with a warm, wet facecloth so the distraught teenager could wash her tearstained face. Then Kelli poured a glass of cold water for each of them.
"Thank you Ms. Taylor."
"It's Kelli," the older woman replied. "I'm here if you want to talk."
"I can't stand it when mom and dad fight," the sixteen year girl sniffed. "It's just like when they were still married, always fighting."
"I'm sorry sweetie."
"My dad hates me," Shelby sobbed, fresh tears welling up in her eyes.
"Your dad doesn't hate you. He'll calm down and things will be okay with you and him."
"Things will never be okay again," Shelby said. "He says that he never wants to see me again, that I'm no longer his daughter."
"But why would your dad say something like that to you?"
"Dad found out about my girlfriend today. And he says that I'm not his daughter because I'm gay."
"Oh sweetie," Kelli gathered the young woman in her arms.
Shelby sat back after a few moments, blowing her nose. "Why does he have to be like that? Why can't he accept me for who I am, like mom does?"
"Your mom knows about your choice of lifestyle?"
"Yes she does. I told her last year and she has no problems with it."
"That's good."
"I'm scared for mom."
"Why?" Kelli asked, frowning with concern. "Shelby, does your dad hit your mom?"
"He used too," Shelby admitted. "That's why they got divorced three years ago. Mom finally decided to file for divorce after she got hurt bad enough that she had to go to the hospital."
"Shelby," Kelli looked straight into Shelby's green eyes. "Shelby, has your dad ever hurt you?"
Shelby looked away, biting her lip.
"Shelby," Kelli gently encouraged the suddenly shy teenager. "Has your father ever hit you?"
"No," Shelby answered. "Daddy has never hit me."
"But he's done something to you?"
"He makes me do things whenever I visit him."
"What does he make you do?"
"I can't tell you. It's too embarrassing," Shelby cried.
"Shelby, is your dad sexually abusing you?"
Slowly, reluctantly the teenager nodded, her face red with shame.
"Oh Shelby, I'm so sorry."
"He says that I make him do those things to me. I don't mean to do that. But I don't know how to make it stop."
"It is not your fault, Shelby. You are not doing anything wrong," Kelli stated firmly and reassuringly.
"But how do I make him stop?" Shelby begged.
"Have you ever told you mom what your dad has been doing to you?"
"I can't, dad says that if I tell mom that he'll kill her. And then I will have to live with him," Shelby answered. "What can I do?"
"You just did. You've told someone and that's the first step."
Meanwhile Mac watched until Kelli, Shelby and Boo-Boo entered their apartment before knocking on Mrs. Mandrake's door. "Mrs. Mandrake, its Mac Taylor, your neighbor."
The hollering stopped and moments later, the door was yanked open and a tall, blonde haired man stood there facing Mac, his face flushed with anger. "What the hell do you want?"
Mac looked around the angry man, at the dark haired woman who was crying. "Mrs. Mandrake, is everything okay here?"
"No," she replied, as Mr. Mandrake said, "Yes."
"Mrs. Mandrake?"
"Are you deaf or something? Amie and I don't need you butting into our business," Mr. Mandrake started to push Mac away from the doorway.
In response, Mac quickly grabbed the irate man's wrist, twisting until his arm was painfully being restrained behind his back.
"I've been trying to get Errol to leave the apartment, but he won't," Amie Mandrake explained. "I was about ready to call the police."
"You wouldn't dare," Errol Mandrake blustered.
"Guess what," Mac smirked. "I am the police."
"Amie and I were just having a discussion about our daughter."
"A discussion," Amie snorted. "No, you were yelling about Shelby and her girlfriend. And I was trying to get you to leave."
"Do you want to charge Mr. Mandrake with criminal trespassing?"
"That won't be necessary if Errol agrees to leave."
"Fine, I'll leave, but I'll see you in court. I'm not gonna pay one more red cent in child support. That dyke is not my daughter," Errol raged, yanking his arm out of Mac's grip and left; stomping down the hall towards the elevator.
Mac looked at Mrs. Mandrake, asking. "Are you sure that you're okay?"
"I will be after I talk to my daughter. Do you know where Shelby is?"
"My fiancée and I found Shelby in the hallway, so Kelli took her to our apartment to try to calm her down."
"Thank you Mr. Taylor."
Back in the apartment, Kelli looked up when Boo-Boo barked as Mac ushered Mrs. Mandrake, Shelby's mom inside.
"Shelby," Kelli gently touched the girl's arm, drawing her attention. "Your mom is here."
"How am I gonna tell her?" the slightly pudgy teen asked.
"Tell me what dear?" Amie asked, sitting down beside her daughter as Mac watched with concerned eyes.
"Shelby needs to talk with you about her dad," Kelli explained. "Mac and I will go into the kitchen so you two can have some privacy."
Shelby looked beseechly towards Kelli, who replied. "It'll be okay Shelby. Just tell your mom what you told me."
Out in the kitchen, Kelli moved into Mac's comforting arms, murmuring. "That poor kid. How can anyone do what he did to his own daughter?"
"Hmm?"
"That man masquerading as Shelby's father has been sexually abusing her for I don't know how long. And then today denounces his own daughter because he found out that she's gay and has a girlfriend."
"What!" Mac hissed angrily. "Is she going to file charges against him?"
"I don't know, I just don't know," Kelli sighed. "I hope so."
"I wonder why she never told anyone about the abuse before?"
"He told her that he would kill her mom and then she would have to live with him full time."
Mac looked up when Amie called from the living room.
In the living room Amie looking at Mac and Kelli said. "I just wanted to say first that I'm sorry for all the inconvenience that we are causing for the both of you."
"No worries there. It's all part of the job," Mac replied as Kelli nodded in agreement.
"Now Shelby and I have both come to an agreement."
"Which is?" Kelli asked.
"That Errol needs to be stopped and the only way to make that happen is to have him arrested," Amie paused. "But now I'm just not sure how to proceed from here."
"You need to take Shelby to the hospital to be examined by a doctor. And I can call a detective to meet you at the hospital to take Shelby's statement. And I'll get one of my crime scene investigators to go collect any evidence that the doctor may find."
"Why can't you do it Mr. Taylor?"
"Because sweetie," Kelli replied after exchanging brief looks with the veteran CSI. "Mac and I are neighbors of you and your mom. And if this goes to trial, your dad's lawyers could claim that we manufactured evidence to frame him."
"But don't worry Detective Olivia Benson is a really nice lady and is used to dealing with cases like yours," Mac reassured the frightened teen. "And Detective Stella Bonasera is another nice lady who works with me. And she knows ASL, thanks to Kelli here."
"Okay," Shelby replied.
"I'll call a taxi for you," Mac said, standing up. "And I'll call Detectives Benson and Bonasera and get them to meet you at Trinity Hospital."
"Thank you Mr. Taylor," Amie said gratefully.
"Oh, you can call me Mac," Mac smiled before heading towards the phone to make the required calls.
Mac turned back to Kelli after closing the apartment door behind Shelby, Boo-Boo and Amie. "Now you need to eat some dinner." Mac smiled at Kelli. "You look like you are starting to get shaky."
"I'm way ahead of you," Kelli smirked holding a small glass of apple juice.
"Why don't you relax while I get dinner on the table?" Mac suggested as he rooted thru the freezer for a container of frozen vegetable soup.
"Hmm, I think that I'll put our dirty clothes in the washer and put everything else away," Kelli replied.
When dinner was ready, Mac walked back the hall towards their bedroom to call Kelli for dinner. He found her sitting on their bed, crying silently. "Oh sweetie, come here," Mac murmured, sitting on the bed, gathering Kelli into his arms.
"I just can't stop thinking about what that poor girl endured at the hands of her so-called father."
"I know," Mac muttered. "I would give a year's pay to be able to spend five minutes alone with him."
"I wish that you could," Kelli nodded. "And I would happily be your lookout."
"Heh," Mac chuckled dryly. "Come eat some dinner before it gets cold."
"I'll be right out after I splash some cold water on my face."
Kelli say down at the table as Mac asked. "Are you feeling better now?"
"Kinda," Kelli nodded. "I don't know how you and everyone else deal with all the crappy things that you see on the job."
"It can be hard to deal with sometimes," Mac admitted. "And we all have different ways of dealing with the stress; such as running, batting cages, and so on."
"Hmm," Kelli mused, biting her lip.
"Why don't we stay after work tomorrow and hit the gym for a little workout session."
"Okay," Kelli smiled.
"It was nice of CeeCee to send some of her brown bread back with use."
"Yes it was. And she also gave us enough to be able to take some into the lab tomorrow."
"Everyone is gonna enjoy that," Mac smiled.
"Oh yeah," Kelli chuckled.
Mac cleared away the dirty dishes after dinner while Kelli transferred the wet clothes from the washer to the dryer. Then she gathered up their clothes that needed to be dropped off at the drycleaners in the morning.
Mac looked at Kelli, when she curled up next to him on the couch. "Hmm, what are you watching," Kelli nodded towards the T.V.
"Oh, a movie called 'Of Mice and Men'."
"Yeah, is it good?"
"I think so," Mac said. "Just happened to see the DVD in the cabinet and it reminded me of a case that we investigated."
"How so?"
"There was an A.D.A. found dead at a man's grave. It turned out that he had been killed by a blank gun."
"How can someone die from being shot with a blank gun?"
"Blank guns use blanks which are filled with gun powder without any lead for bullets. The victim was killed because the gun was fired point blank against his chest. And the escaping gas and the kinetic energy caused a fatal wound to the aorta of his heart."
"Oh," Kelli breathed. "So that's how that actor dies on the set of that T.V. show years ago. He was fooling around with a prop gun and he held it to his head and pulled the trigger, but I never really understood the mechanics of how it killed him until now," Kelli remembered. "So who killed the A.D.A.?"
"It was a actor, who was mad because the victim made him believe that he was auditioning for a role in a movie, when in reality, both men were participants in a game called 'Water Wars'."
"Water Wars?"
"Some fool started a game where people killed off their targets with water guns or water filled balloons. And the last person standing would win 50,000.00."
"Sounds crazy."
"Oh yeah," Mac nodded. "As a matter of fact one of the participants was almost killed by the NYPD because they thought that her water gun was a real weapon."
"But why does this movie remind you of that case?"
"Because we found the killer at an audition for the play version of this movie."
"Huh," Kelli chuckled, as they sat back to watch the movie.
Mac heard the dryer ding a while later signaling that the dryer cycle was finished. Looking down at Kelli, he realized that she had fallen asleep part way thru the movie. Carefully easing a pillow under her head, Mac got up to fold or hang up the now dry clothes before they wrinkled.
Going back into the living room, Mac switched off the T.V. and the DVD player before turning to where Kelli was sleeping on the couch. Gently shaking her awake, Mac said. "Kelli, you need to wake up. You need to test and take your insulin."
"Umm," Kelli opened her eyes, stretching. "Oh, I guess I dozed off."
"Dozed off. More like snoring, I thought that the subway was rumbling thru the apartment," Mac teased.
"Ah shaddup," Kelli retorted, getting up from the couch with Mac's help and heading for her kit and insulin.
a/n: Kelli calls her grandfather Banda as a child her cousin Alana couldn't pronounce Grampy and so he became Banda to all the kids. And a nice long chapter for you to enjoy….happy reading…Laplandgurl