A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you for your overwhelming encouragement with Dick's POV. That chapter was a bit of a dare and it seemed to work with most all of you. I am planning on peppering his POV throughout from now on, just in spots that seem like good placement. He has one small spot in this chapter toward the end. Rated T for slight language.

Chapter 16

Mac woke up an hour later, still curled into Dick's side. He was breathing deeply, asleep. Slipping quietly out of the bed, she headed for the shower, thinking about the day ahead. She knew Keith would be heading to the Ten to look into financial records and that Veronica was planning the visit with the Sinclair's…she wondered about what Dick's plans were, since they now knew he didn't need supervision. She worried now that she had given in and slept with him how long it would take for him to tuck tail and run off into the distance.

Deciding to play as nonchalantly as possible, Mac toweled dry and dressed quickly, having brought her clothes into the bathroom with her. She wanted to open the door to her room to face Dick ready for the day. She didn't need to see his satisfied smirk without being armed in every way possible. And she wasn't even sure what she would say to Veronica, or how her friend would let her play it out. Really, Mac didn't care to have to explain herself to Veronica anyway, but she knew she would probably feel the need to.

Finally, once dressed in black slacks and a red top, Mac opened the door and stepped out to see Dick just beginning to stir. Mac watched as the covers shifted and fell to the floor, exposing Dick's bare chest, his waist covered still by the top sheet. Feeling like a chicken, she slunk to the door to the hallway, opening it and slipping out softly before she had to face him.

Veronica must have sensed danger and left. There was evidence that she was up and gone for the day, including a note next to the coffee maker, full of hot coffee, that sat waiting for her that read:

Mac:

Good morning. Dad is at the Ten with their accountant. He hopes to have something by midmorning. I made the appointment with the Sinclair's for one o'clock. I know that's too soon, but it has to be done. If Dad finds something worthwhile, we can bring it to them. Call me sometime after 10 and we can figure out the game plan. We'll go together.

I am headed to the police department again. I have some questions for Norris about both Dick's and Madison's case. I want to know about their reasoning for not filing a report last Thursday. And I wanted to check in to see if perhaps either Madison or Mark has a record that could tell us a little something. I may drop Aidan Muldoon's name to see if there is a certain look of fear on anyone's faces.

Also, I was wondering, do you still have the copy of that list we acquired from JK back at Hearst? After all that went down, I gave my paper copy to Nish and then burned all my files. But I hoped maybe you had that somewhere? Names right now would be extremely helpful in following this complicated trail of people. We need to find out just who is involved with this mess.

TTYL

V

One o'clock. Mac checked the time. She had about five hours left to prepare for the most difficult conversation of her life. At least she knew it would be uncomfortable. If she set her sights as low as possible, it wouldn't end up disappointing expectations when she started longing for 'awkward.'

Pouring herself a cup of coffee, Mac heard the distinct shuffling of Dick coming out of her room. Keeping her eyes on the note as if reading it intently, she freely ignored him when he passed by her to grab a mug down from the cupboard and poured himself some coffee.

Minutes ticked by while Dick found a piece of bread, popping it down in the toaster, making himself busy while Mac went in search for the shoes she wanted to wear for the day. The electricity in the air between them was tangible, but neither would acknowledge it. Finally, Mac returned the kitchen, catching him reading the note Veronica had left her. She briefly entertained getting after him for reading it, but thought better of it, instead choosing to say, "What's your plan for the day?"

Startled, Dick jumped, knowing she had caught him reading the note, the look on his face guilty as he turned to face her. "I'm down with whatev," He told her, giving her a smirk, slowly softening into a genuine smile, softly saying, "Good morning."

Trying to not feel defensive, Mac gave him a look. She chose to ignore his soft expression, her tone harsh when she asked, "Now that we really know you're not a danger to society or yourself, don't you want to get on with your regularly scheduled life? Surely there are things that are of more importance to you than following me around all day."

His smile faded, a brief flash of disappointment spanning his features. Quietly, he responded, "I see how this will go. Get you a fast lay and you're done with me?" A sigh escaped his lips, his eyes staring up to the ceiling as if asking for help from above. "My regular life is being hindered, Mac, by this Castle garbage. So yeah, I think I need to follow you around some more. Sorry to disappoint you." He met her eyes. "What's on your agenda this morning? I see that Ronnie wants you at the Sinclair's at one. Should I plan to go with you? I just need to get to the beach house sometime this morning."

"Are you moving home?" Mac, embarrassed by how accusing her voice sounded, tried to cover her weakness by speaking over him as he began to respond, defensively saying, "Because if you are, we should probably go and get you a car since we know yours is toast. Maybe I should take you to a car lot first." Pulling open her purse, she began digging through it looking for her keys. "I can take you right now."

She could feel his stare on her, burning through her. He didn't say anything for a full minute. "We can worry about that later. I'm not worried about a car. I have some pressing business that I have to do, and the information I need is at the house. Take me there first. I never said anything about moving home. I just need some paperwork and I can do the rest from MI." As she pulled out her keys, his hand stilled hers, gently pulling them from her fingers. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon without you."

They headed right away to the beach house with little words between them. Dick didn't seem to want to talk; he just shoved his feet into his shoes and headed out the door, silently arranging himself behind the wheel of her car as if he owned it. Feeling foolish, Mac followed his lead, not saying anything as she buckled herself into the passenger seat, staring straight out the window.

When they arrived to his house, still Dick said nothing. He got out of the car and headed to his front door, keys in hand. She took her time getting out, absorbed in her own thoughts, trying to push away the urge to run up and take his hand, fighting the impulse wanting him to be nice to her. She was angry at herself for still wanting more of him; more than what she had asked for and more of what he had given. He's not that kind, Mac, she argued with herself, he's just playing with your mind, making you feel weak. She didn't want to regret walking into her room early this morning, and lying down with him; it had been an adult decision that she was fully capable of making. She knew beforehand it would mean more to her than to him; but knowing it and experiencing it was not quite the same thing. And he'd seemed so agitated with her this morning, but all Mac was doing was protecting herself from being more hurt when he left her. Playing aloof and as if what had happened didn't matter seemed like the best protection for her heart.

Walking up the front walk, her eyes to the ground, Mac didn't notice that Dick had stopped at the front door until she was on the stoop with him. He stood stock-still, staring into his house, the front door wide open. Following his gaze, Mac asked, "What's wrong?"

He held his arm out as if to stop her from continuing on. "I think my place has been broken into. I didn't leave it like this. The lock is broken."

Alarmed, all her internal musings gone, Mac's gaze sharpened to see that, sure enough, the deadbolt on the front door was in fact busted. "The Castle?" she whispered.

Dick's arm didn't move. "That's my first guess. They're looking for something." He peered through the doorway cautiously. "It just swung open when I went to put the key in the knob." Looking up and down the hallway, he ventured a step onto the tiled entryway. "Stay out here. Call 911."

"Dick, it's not safe," she heard herself warn him, panic in her voice. "Wait out here with me, please?"

"Relax, Mackie." Looking back at her, Dick gave her a crooked smile. "I'd already be dead if they wanted me that way. I think they're long gone. Call the cops."

Mac already had her phone out, dialed and to her ear before he had finished his sentence. Reporting to the dispatcher what their emergency was, she was asked to stay where she was until help arrived, which she readily agreed to do. Dick, on the other hand, had tiptoed down the hallway and disappeared into his office, where she couldn't see him..

Five minutes later he returned with a somber expression etched on his face. "They got my files for the foundation work, damn it. Not sure what else they were looking for, but whatever it was, I think they got the mother lode anyway. Shit."

"Why didn't you have the files in a safe?"

"Uh, maybe because I didn't know until last night that anyone was out to sabotage it? Who would think to lock up proposals like that? None of it is for profit. The good thing is my lawyer has all the formal info so I don't have to start from scratch." He rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head in disbelief. "Whatever I did to get in these fuckers sights again, I regret it to hell."

It was less than five minutes later when a cop car pulled up and two police officers came walking up the walk, one young and heavy, the other wiry and old. They took separate statements from Mac and Dick. Mac was careful not to bring up too much about the past few days, because she was unsure who might be under the Castle's thumb, but admitted that Dick had spent the previous night at her apartment. She wasn't sure how to get around that fact, especially when the cop point-blank asked, but she didn't volunteer where Dick had been the nights since the incident at the beach. The cops didn't ask, and Mac didn't feel the desire to inform them, in case the Castle was in their pocket. No need to tip them off with more information that they already had. Not yet anyway.

Her statement was taken by the older officer, down the walkway away from Dick, and though the cop acted like he wanted private interviews, she knew Dick could hear every word that she said because she could hear Dick's statement he gave to the other cop. There was nothing secretive about either interview. Hers wrapped up first, taking the opportunity, she called Veronica to give her an update on their day and find out if she had learned anything at the police department.

"Hey, Mac. How's tricks?" Veronica answered cheerfully. "I just got a text from Dad saying he's found something at the Ten. What's new on your end?"

Bracing herself, Mac answered, "Dick's place has been broken into. The cops are here right now, trying to figure just exactly what's been taken, but Dick already discovered that his files regarding the foundation have been swiped. He's probably going to be here all day. I think they want to dust for prints and I don't think Dick will leave Lamb's minions by themselves here. I don't blame him. They're going to destroy this place."

"Well, hell. Seriously?" Veronica asked, incredulous. "What else can go wrong?"

Rolling her eyes, Mac said nothing and then realized her friend couldn't see her, so she said out loud, "The fact that it's Lamb's buffoons is not helping. They took our private statements within feet of each other, I mean, really? I know how to interrogate better than that, and my only experience is from CSI."

"Well, at least you're innocent. They can't trip you up."

"Yeah, well, that's true, but if these guys are in someone's pockets, we're screwed. We just told them where Dick's stayed last night. If someone's paying attention, they know where to find him now."

"Do you want me to have Dad come sit with Dick while the cops do their thing? He said he found what he needed, so I think that we've got ourselves a good lead. I'm meeting him in twenty minutes anyway to go over what he's found. Maybe we should all just meet at the beach house."

Feeling better knowing that someone would be able to stay with Dick while Mac went to deal with the Sinclair mess, Mac told Veronica to head straight to the beach house as soon as she could. Promising to text Keith, Veronica ended the call saying she would be there in forty-five minutes. Mac checked the time on her phone and saw that it would be one o'clock in less than four hours. Feeling slightly nauseous, she came to stand next to where Dick watched as the cops looked around his house.

"These idiots are tampering with evidence," Dick told her. Raising his voice, he yelled out to them, "Sirs, don't you need gloves before entering a crime scene?" Under his breath, he muttered, "And wear booties maybe? Sheesh, I know more from watching CSI."

Mac felt herself laugh. Count on Dick to help her relax. "You know don't you, they say television portrays crime scene investigations incorrectly? These fools must know a better system."

"Or else they know tampering will help their bosses get off scot free. Shit, I'm screwed, aren't I? Who isn't involved with this cluster?"

"Veronica and Keith are on their way over. Maybe Keith can give pointers to these guys." Mac gestured to the cops, "One thing they've got going for them is that I don't see any donuts. That's a positive sign, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but maybe the powder from those white powdered ones is what they use to dust for prints. You should have Ronnie pick some up at a bakery. It might make these gomer's jobs easier." Dick's brow wrinkled in concern as he watched the smaller cop put his hands straight on the handle of the front door. "Better yet, call Mr. Mars and have him bring his own kit. Why did we call these idiots?"

Mac elbowed him. "When did your faith in the justice system go so south? You ordered me to call them, remember? If you can't trust Lamb and his boys, who can you trust?"

He elbowed her softly back. "It kept you safe and out of the house, right? Never fear, my faith in the boys in blue has not been shaken; I had none to begin with."

Veronica pulled up and parked beside the police car, Keith pulling in right behind her. They both stepped out of their cars and walked up to where Mac and Dick stood supervising the two cops that had responded. Standing next to Mac, Veronica stared at the mess the cops were making of their work. "I see we got the best of the lot."

Rolling her eyes, Mac turned to look at her. "I don't even see how these guys understand how to put their shoes on the right feet."

"How long have they been staring at the door knob?" Keith asked with interest. "Seems to me they should have moved on from there by now."

"They're pretty sure they can ID fingerprints by the naked eye. Apparently forensics have stepped it up a notch in the technology department the past few years. Do you think they'll get a match?" Dick ruminated sarcastically. "In other news, I do have a security tape." He motioned above the door, to a corner of the eave, where an obvious camcorder was perched. "How long do you think we should wait to tell them?"

All four sets of eyes stared at the security camera for a beat. Keith began laughing. "Good thing we expect nothing less from Balboa's finest. How long did they say they would be here processing?"

Pondering the cops' obvious lack of brains, Veronica said, "It might be a better plan to not let them know about it at all, since they might be involved. We can look at the tape tonight."

Dick pulled out his phone to check the time. "They've been here an hour, and at the rate they're going, it will be most all day before they're done. I can't leave them alone, the place is more at risk with them here than if I just left all the doors open with a sign that said 'free' out front."

"Sadly, your worry is merited." Keith gestured to the side of Dick's house, where a small patio set sat. "I have news. Shall we sit?"

"Sounds ominous," Veronica murmured, following the men, sitting next to Mac. She hadn't seen her since last night after their talk. When she woke up with Mac gone, she knew where Mac had gone. As disappointed as she was with her friend, she was familiar with the natural craving of the comfort of sex. She had been victim of that before but she didn't want Mac to become a prisoner of it. Veronica had been lucky, because her weakness was Logan's weakness…and neither could hold the weakness over the other, because they shared it. They were the same and always had been.

She watched how Mac stiffly arranged herself in a wrought-iron chair, between Keith and Veronica, across from Dick. How Mac wouldn't quite meet anyone's eye. She kept her back straight and her hands folded in her lap. Veronica turned her attention to her dad. "So what did you find out?"

"Well, quite a bit, actually. I think we need to get tickets to Salt Lake as soon as possible." Keith opened a messenger bag that he had brought with him, pulling out paperwork. "I found out that on the first of every month, the Ten resets all of their passwords to all of their financial accounts. On June first, Madison had a regular aerobics class in the early afternoon, which was the last real class she taught before she disappeared on the second. According to the accountant, Mark Tennison is not allowed in the back room of the Ten, because he is not an 'employee.' Alex Jr. has all but taken over the Ten and is squeezing his brother out—and has banned him from anything considered 'business' at the gym. Mark is allowed to work out, strictly as a member, but he can't have anything to do with the legalities of the place. He lost that privilege last fall." He pointed out some numbers on a sheet labeled 'Profits.' "My theory is that Mark asked Madison to get those passwords. An interesting thing also is that the accountant only does major profit reporting after the end of every month. So when Susan, that's the accountant, comes in, she comes in the first of the month to do her reports, balance the books, and reset the passwords. Ideally, the company checks the books twice a month: on the first and the fifteenth. But Susan admitted that she slacks on the fifteenth's check; she just verifies totals and doesn't check transactions. There's a lot of leeway for someone to rip the company off. "

Veronica leaned her elbows on the table, looking closer at the paperwork, "This is May's statement."

Keith nodded. "Susan gave me the last complete month and part of June's. So far, nothing seems off." He shuffled the papers and showed her June's report, which only held four days' worth of numbers. "She is working on getting the rest. She's setting up an alert at the bank for anything strange."

"What do the passwords access?" Mac asked, finally becoming interested. "Is it just to bank accounts or does it access member's information? Member's credit cards could be at risk."

Keith nodded. "I'm worried about that, too. But the theft so far at ThinSlimNow is only from within the companies own accounts, no customers. If Mark is responsible for that, which I'm positive he is, I think for now he's only going after his family's accounts and not their clients. So that's good news."

"So is that really all that Madison could have taken?" Veronica asked, doubtful. "Passwords? Where are they kept?"

Keith's eyes crinkled in amusement. "Ever the cynic. Ah, doubting Thomas, I looked into all of the possibilities, have no fear." Again, he shuffled through his papers. "The passwords are locked in the back and the keys are in the front with the receptionist. Candy keeps the key for Susan, who unlocks the back cash office with the key, where the passwords and backup drives of the accounts are stored. Each night, Candy or whoever is there, takes profits from that day to the back, and once a week, a deposit is made, the totals recorded and filed away for the days Susan comes in. That's why Candy keeps the key."

"So in actuality, Mark could have up to thirty days to wipe out those accounts." Mac said. "He could do a lot if he's savvy with a computer." She took one the reports Keith held to look closer at it. "Mark could have taken those backup drives and falsify reports."

Keith shook his head. "While I think that could happen, it's not likely. The ThinSlimNow accounts were easy to see the tampering. I think they would have caught it by now. We're the ones telling the Ten that there's a problem. They haven't even caught it yet, so I think it's just beginning."

Dick, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked, "But how often is someone looking at the accounts at ThinSlimNow versus the account at the Ten? Didn't you say that Alex Jr. is the only family member involved with the Ten and that ThinSlimNow is the baby of the family?"

Keith pointed at Dick, a light in his eye. "You have a very valid point. Susan and Alex Jr. are about the only ones that pay attention to the Ten's account. Mrs. McDougal pays attention to the ThinSlimNow account as well as about four other people, because there so many expenses that goes with that company."

"So he could do some manipulating of the Ten's accounts and no one would catch it for a while." Mac reached out to pull the May's report closer to her. "If he has any idea of what he's doing, he could have already falsified the month of May and no one has caught it yet. How long has Mrs. McDougal suspected someone of stealing and who all knows you are looking into it, Keith?"

Keith mentally counted back. "It's been well before April since Mrs. McDougal suspected anything. She didn't come to me until the latter part of May, and for the first while I focused on Devinity Quinn, the accountant of ThinSlimNow. And as for who knows? Mrs. McDougal and her husband. And now Alex Jr, since we had to clear the appointment this morning with the accountant at the Ten. Devinity Quinn has no idea I was even in the office."

"I would find out if Mrs. McDougal ever mentioned even on passing to Mark about looking into the books. It might have scared him away from those accounts and to the Ten's." Mac set the paperwork back down. "I can look into the bank statements if you'd like, hacking into the bank shouldn't be too much."

Keith's gazed honed in on Mac. "Let me do that officially. I don't want you anywhere near cash accounts that large. I've already had Susan request paper copies from the past four months."

She nodded her agreement. "Do you know where Mark is supposed to be right now? Has anyone seen him lately?"

"He is supposed to fly back into Salt Lake International early this afternoon. He has a two day conference there again. He flew straight from Salt Lake to New York and back. That's why we need tickets there ASAP. I think he left Madison at the cabin for a few days while he keeps up with appearances." He turned to Veronica. "Did you find anything out at the police department?"

"Not enough to report. There are no police records for either Mark or Madison. But Norris…got really quiet when I asked about the night at the beach, Dick. I asked about the Muldoon brothers and he shut right down. Like he knows something that he's not at liberty to discuss." Lowering her voice, she glanced through the glass partition where she could see the police officers roaming around aimlessly. "We made a date to meet later tonight, with all of us."

"Don't tell Logan, Ronnie. " Dick quirked his eyebrows at her. "I promise to keep mum."

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Dick. Besides, maybe Logan's into threesomes."

Keith loudly cleared his throat. "Um…your father is sitting right here, next to you, ears well within hearing range. Please keep in mind that my chosen understanding is that you are still very much an innocent and I very much like thinking that your deepest desire is a pony."

Grinning sheepishly, Veronica clapped her hands quickly together and responded, "A pony? That is my greatest desire!"

"That's my girl. Who's your daddy?"

Her smile faded. "I hate it when you say that."

Veronica didn't get a chance to talk to Mac alone for another hour. The policemen had interrupted their conversation by pulling Dick into the house needing his opinion on something. Keith had taken the opportunity to ask for an update on Dick's case, which had taken time to explain. The Castle had been something only Veronica had dealt with back in college and she had never brought it to her dad. He didn't know about the incident at the reunion—he had never found out about the sex tape, and Veronica preferred to keep in that way. She wasn't convinced it wouldn't be exposed, but she had to try at least. It had brought way too much grief to be brought up once again. Damn that tape and its poltergeist ways. Just when she thought it was history, it came back rearing its ugly head. Its haunting qualities never ceased to amaze her.

Keith eventually disappeared and Veronica finally had an opportunity to talk with Mac. She checked the time on her phone; it was less than an hour before they had to leave for the Sinclair's. Mac had walked out to the back porch, looking out over the sand, to the ocean and at the waves crashing into the beach. Veronica joined her standing side by side.

"You ready for this?" She asked softly, in as kind a tone as she could possibly conjure. "I didn't give them any real warning about what I needed to talk to them about."

Sighing, Mac kept staring straight ahead. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Veronica put her arm around Mac, drawing her in for a side hug. "I'll be there the whole time. I won't leave unless you ask me to."

Mac seemed to think about that. "It's going to get awkward. Do you know what you're planning to say to them?"

"Well," Veronica dropped her arm. "I'm going to start with the connection to Mark Tennison and the fraud case. That we have irrefutable proof through Madison's email that they have been conspiring for some time now. But as soon as I say that, they'll know we know…so I guess the rest will be up to you."

Mac absorbed that, saying little, instead resting her head against Veronica's shoulder. They both watched various people on the beach: a young family, playing Frisbee, their little girl trying to throw correctly but causing the plastic disk to shoot straight up in the air, catching in the wind, the father laughing as he chased it down. An old man tossing a tennis ball for his dog, a young couple holding hands, strolling slowly in the midst of the frothy tide. They could hear laughing, the carefree sound of summer. It didn't quite mix with the emotions either woman was feeling, disconnected and alone. Veronica wished there were more she could do, but wasn't sure what exactly she should do. So instead of words, she just let Mac be quiet and think.

Time passed before the sound of someone behind them interrupted the silence. Veronica turned in time to see Dick staring at them uncertainly. Pulling away from Mac, Veronica squeezed her hand. "Should we drive together? I'll go talk to Dad and then we can head out." She left Mac, who didn't even seem to realize that Dick had appeared or that Veronica was leaving her with him.

As she passed him, Veronica cautioned him, "Be nice."

Be nice. Dick watched as Veronica slipped by him to head to the front of the house where Keith sat, having just ended a phone call with someone from the Ten. There had been a warning in her eye as she brushed by him, a look that told him more than her two little words. Blinking, he pulled his attention back to Mac, who stood staring out at the ocean. This had always been a favorite spot, just looking out at the ocean, listening to the waves and the children, watching people who had better lives than his, enjoying the little bit of heaven the beach offered.

"Hey," he said softly. Then rolled his eyes. How idiotic. Hey. He should really work on expounding his vocabulary. He padded softly to stand next to her, put his arm around her and pulled her into him. "What's wrong?" It was amazing that she didn't pull away, instead melting straight into him with a sigh escaping her as she buried her head into soft fabric of his t-shirt. Her arms wrapped around him tightly. So he just held her, waiting for her to answer, not saying anything more. They stood like that for quite a while, staring out onto the beach.

It was a companionable silence; one Dick didn't feel the need to break with more questions or comments. Instead, he just rubbed his fingers in circles at her waist. Whatever was on her mind last night was bothering her again today, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what was wrong. She still didn't seem to want to talk about it, and he was reluctant to push. Just having her next to him would have to be enough.

Eventually, Mac pulled away. She laughed self-consciously, not meeting his eyes. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Sorry for what?" Trying to catch her eye, he ducked his head down to look at her. "Do you…want to talk about it?"

Mac turned away, stepping closer to the edge of the stairs that led to the sandy beach. "No, not really."

Holding back his sigh, Dick replied, "You might be surprised at how well my ears listen."

"Trust me, this isn't something that just listening would help."

"Well, it would be a start, right?" When she didn't answer, he urged, "I want to listen. And I'll beat the shit out of whoever needs it, if that's what you mean by help." He touched her shoulder lightly, to try to get her to face him. "Mac, can't we at least try at the listening portion of this? I don't want just another fuck buddy."

Mac was silent. Just when Dick was getting worried he had said too much, too soon, she turned to face him, tears shimmering in her eyes. "This isn't something I'm willing to talk about right now. But thanks for trying anyway." She glanced over his shoulder. "Here comes Veronica." Swallowing, she swept her hands across her face; covertly wiping away the traces of her emotion. Under her breath, Dick heard her mutter, "Off to my destiny." Looking straight at him, her expression turned hard. "And you don't need to try so hard, Dick. I didn't expect anything more than a fuck buddy. I'm just fine with it."

With that, Mac brushed past him and to Veronica, leaving Dick gaping after her.

It was mean. She knew she shouldn't have said it or in such a harsh tone. But she didn't know what to do with him—the nice, considerate, non-pushy Dick she always wondered if existed. Mac was getting proof, more with each passing moment, that he had a kinder side. A side that he only would let certain people see. The look he had given her this morning was proof—soft and dare she say it, full of affection. But there was only so much she could take, and even if didn't make sense, she needed to lash out. Everyone was being nice to her all of the time, walking around on eggshells. Dick didn't even know what the underlying problem was and he was being too nice. She couldn't deal. How could someone so..so..empty be so aware of what she was feeling? Deep down, Mac knew Dick wasn't empty; but she never thought he could be so perceptive. What business did Dick have, giving her comfort when she didn't ask for it? Telling her that he wanted to share in her problems, as if they were a couple.

Approaching Veronica, Mac nodded toward the convertible and they headed straight for it. "Let's blow this popsicle stand," she said gruffly. "Get the show on the road."

Veronica was surprised at the firm resolve radiating from Mac when they drove off from the beach house. The purpose in the way Mac slammed the passenger door and buckled her seat belt spoke more than the words she didn't say. She could tell that Mac was gearing herself up to walk through the Sinclair's front door. She didn't know how to help her.

When Dick had approached them out on the deck, Veronica could see something flicker in his eye, an actual concern for what was going on. She knew he didn't know about the baby switch, she doubted that Mac was ready to let that one loose on anyone. But Veronica had made a choice to leave him with Mac, hoping that maybe Mac would choose to take the comfort that he wanted to give. Mac had apparently taken his comfort earlier; he seemed willing to give comfort again. Even if the two of them were a temporary thing, Veronica hoped that for a little while at least, Mac could take the comfort that Dick offered and hold it close, since he seemed to want to give it. Sometimes friendship could only go so far in that department.

It reminded her of the day her mother had walked back into her life a few months ago, and how much she had wished for Logan's arms to wrap her up and help her forget. To forget how awful and abandoned she felt; seeing her mother with a new life, raising children that Veronica had known nothing about. How much she had longed to actually look into his eyes, to see his smile quirk up at her; and there was nothing she could do except to write letters and Skype him. They had no choice but to do the little they could do to be with each other; but maybe Mac could take the actual physical comfort that Dick could give, even if it were temporary.

Twenty minutes later, they were parking in the front driveway at the Sinclair's. Gathering up her messenger bag, Veronica glanced down to see that Mac had her fingers entwined tightly together, her knuckles white, fingernails digging crescent moon shapes into her skin. Veronica put a hand over them. "What can I do to help?"

"I feel like we're going in ready to bulldoze them," Mac answered, eyes drifting up to the front stoop and the front door. "I've dreamed of what it would actually be like, to be part of this family for real. Wondered what they would think of my life, if they would be proud or disappointed. I've always kept to myself because I didn't want to hurt my actual family by coming here, learning more about them. But now," she glanced at Veronica, "This is just so weird. I'm excited and I want to puke at the same time. I'm relieved it's so close to being over and out in the open and that I don't have to act like I don't know. I want to get to know Lauren. I'm scared for her and worried about what's wrong with her. I'm scared I've wasted too much time, living under a rock, pretending this isn't true; that these people don't matter."

Veronica patted Mac's hand in a comforting gesture. "You know, both sets of your parents made a conscious decision to not tell you about the switch. Your parents told you that you were adopted when, after high school? They've given you plenty of time on your own to find out who your blood parents are. Maybe in a way they wanted you to find out. I mean, your best friend is a PI, for crying out loud. Do you think they know you've always known the truth?"

Nodding, Mac said softly, "Probably, yeah. We've never talked about it, though." She rubbed at her eyes. "Mom and Dad are so great. When they told me I was adopted…I just, I couldn't admit to them I knew everything. Then they chose to not be truthful, and I could see it, written all over their faces. That they thought I would choose the Sinclair's over them. They didn't tell me because of fear, and I didn't tell them I knew because of fear…but now, this is forcing me out of my bubble of denial." Staring out of her window, Mac pulled her hands from under Veronica's and began to open the door, "Just…don't leave, all right? I need all the moral support I can get."

"Trust me. I will not leave. I apologize up front, though, because I have to keep it on track as much as possible, since they may hold information we need. As awkward or as tender as it may get, we have to get through this for the sake of the cases as well." Veronica touched Mac's arm lightly, "Please understand that I hope this goes really well for you. I want these people to be good to you. I know you need them to be good to you." She grinned, "This may be the beginning of great things for you, Mac. I'm glad it's finally about to begin."

Pausing from stepping out of the car, Mac turned back to look at her friend. "Me, too. You have no idea."

A/N: I wasn't sure exactly how to do the 'morning after' scene. But I needed to get on with the mystery portion, and so I hope you all aren't too disappointed with MaDi not having a good serious talk. It will happen eventually. Next chapter is the conversation with the Sinclair's. Thanks for all the reviews/follows/favorites. I am still working hard on this story and have some great (at least I think) scenes I cannot wait to write. They should be humorous, emotional, all that jazz. Hopefully. Thanks again. I love hearing from you all. I really appreciate that so many of you are reading this story, so thank you to everyone that clicks on the link to read this.