Mac walked into Rebecca's room as she was heard protesting. "Mac I'm okay. I just want to have my clothes back and go home," she responded looking shaken. Mac shook his head as he sat on the edge of her bed and grabbed her hand and felt her squeeze it tightly. "I know my clothes have to be processed but I just want out."
"You night have to stay the night for observation," Mac reminded her and she sighed at that. "It's one night and then we can head back," he assured as he looked at her and then saw her face looking pensive. "Rebecca I know that face. It's your thinking face. What's in there?"
"I just realized the job's over. So when I get discharged I'll get my things packed up and get out of your hair," she promised. Mac couldn't believe what he was hearing from her. He knew she was pretty well sure of the fact that she had to get the job done but didn't realize she thought she had to leave.
"Let's not worry about that right now. Rebecca you need to focus on getting back on your feet," Mac answered and she shrugged sitting up and glancing out the window. "I'll talk to HR and get you a few weeks off from work since you've been undercover."
"No. I'll have my report done by Friday and on your desk. Don't pull me from work. It's the last thing that's normal for me right now." Mac looked at her worried and she sighed looking at him. "I'll do whatever is mandatory for the psych department but I'm not losing my job."
"You're not going back next week. That much is mandatory. But after that? I won't stop you unless ordered to," Mac warned her. She nodded and he then saw the physician come out into his line of sight. "So what's Rebecca's status?"
"Well Miss Manx took quite the assault sexually. She can head home but I don't think she should be going home alone tonight," he responded honestly. She glared at the doctor but Mac regardless nodded at that and Flack walked in tossing her a bag.
"Went to your apartment and got your clothes. Figured you'd be more interested in your sweats and a long sleeve shirt." She nodded and as the men left the room to let her change, Rebecca looked at her body and closed her eyes reminding herself she was fine constantly. She had her job to focus on. Stella knocked and Flack knew that if she did it there might be less repercussions.
"Almost done," she promised. As she walked out Stella looked at her and she shrugged. "I'm fine Stel," she promised and she nodded walking with her down to the car. Mac was waiting for them and watched as Stella stood with her on her own.
"What's the matter? You're quiet," Stella answered and she looked at her confused. "Rebecca, we spent over 6 months together as a little family. I know it may not have meant something," she began before Rebecca glanced at her. "What?"
"You have no idea what you're saying. The past few months around you and Mac? As much as I hated the forms of discipline at times, it was somewhat something I never had. I didn't have a life that was normal. Marine Father, psychiatrist mother, firefighter brother. Two of them lost in 9/11? The Diners? Nothing's been normal since I was a kid. That felt normal."
"Then why are you staying so quiet? As much as we had to keep our mouths shut about our roles as CSIs, you seemed like you were okay with what happened. So what's up?"
"I'm just mentally coming to terms with what happened," she promised. Stella looked at her and she sighed calmly. "Look. I know I seem like I'm putting a face on Stella, but really. I'm okay. Just needing a little time."
"Well listen to me. Even when you feel alone, know that Mac and I are right there with you every step. Just know our doors are open," she assured as they walked over to the car with her. As they drove back to Mac's place, they walked inside and Rebecca didn't even hesitate to head to her room. "She's hurting Mac."
"I wouldn't blame her Stella. The woman just got sexually assaulted and couldn't fight back no matter how hard she tried. She feels like she was not fighting as hard as she could have. Yet she was shorter and leaner than Martin Colic," he answered softly looking at her. "She needs time to heal."
When she walked back out after a few hours, Mac looked at her. "Flack and Danny wanted to head out for drinks. I'll call if I need a ride back to my apartment," she answered. Mac looked at her and she looked back at him confused. "What? I'm off my undercover case, meaning I'm no longer incompetent. Meaning I can drink," she responded.
"Call Flack," Mac answered flatly. She looked confused but regardless called up her partner in the field and smiled as he answered before handing it over to Mac. "Flack when you guys are done drinking, she comes back here. Clear? She was given instructions not to be alone tonight."
"Don't worry Mac I planned that anyways. I was near the door for that component." He nodded and then hung up letting her leave with the boys and then he looked as the boys gave knowing nods since they knew she wouldn't drive that night.
"She worries me."
"She's having fun again. Let's just trust her. She's not been who we all know her as for almost half a year now. Besides, Flack and Danny already invited Adam. On top of that, Rebecca's birthday is coming up soon and I think we should be planning something to help her. After all, she did more than we ever expected her to do. Other than that? I think you need to be the one to talk to her. She won't open up to me. She knows I'm trying and she's clamming up."
"Well from what we know? I wouldn't blame her. Her mother hurt her in a psych clinic. Her father? She's openly revealed he was an angry man. I think there is pain in there that she hasn't healed from yet. I want to help her but I don't think she wants to let someone in."
"Mac Taylor, you're blind. You're the only one she's talked with. I mean you two played ball and talked about her family," Stella answered. He looked at her shocked and she chuckled. "You need to trust that when you two talk that something will come out of it," she promised.
Meanwhile at Sullivans Bar, Rebecca was sitting with Flack and Danny. "You have no idea how glad I am that mission is over with. I mean it was great to just sit and talk with Mac and Stella. No work, but man do I miss these days."
"I'm sure but I also know you liked having that time with Mac. I mean I know he did too. You were free to finally explore some boundaries. Though I'm sure there are days you regret that," Danny answered and she chuckled nodding at it.
"I just have to get used to my apartment again. It'll be weird being all in that flat alone once again," she dismissed.
"At least Hawkes is in the same building," Flack responded and she nodded before blinking and realizing the truth. "What?"
"I have to deal with Adam and Hawkes soon," she muttered and Danny snickered. "Danny Messer you stop laughing. This isn't funny. At least you only had to deal with Lindsay or Aiden one at a time. Not two at a time," she answered.
"Well do you know who you really like?" Flack knew that he and Danny always were labeled her big brothers in the lab and nobody tried to stop it. Most of the lab techs feared the two boys seeing her upset with them as they'd be dead.
"Yeah but to me, I feel like I'm still hurting someone if I say yes to one," she answered and Danny snickered at that.
"Well let things play out. See what happens," Danny answered looking at her. "I know you had a thing for Adam but you kept it quiet in the past. If Adam's the one, trust me. It'll play out pretty quickly once you return to work," Danny promised.
As they finished their drinks, Flack watched Danny lose to her in pool. "Alright, let's get you back to Mac's. He has a point. You're on observation for the evening according to the doctor's orders," Flack decided as he didn't want to get in trouble for bringing her back slightly drunk.
"Alright," she sighed and grabbed her purse from Flack and then slipped into his car easily. As soon as they were driving she looked at him. "You seem really pleased with the fact that I have to stay with Mac for the night one more time."
"Everyone is. Rebecca, you're my partner in the field. Not that I don't trust you, but I can see it. You're hurting and you won't let anyone else see it. I can only tell because I've seen you day in and day out more than Mac," he explained.
"It's irrelevant if I'm upset. I mean in the end, we got the bad guy. We'll convict him on rape and murder charges. Murder will be proven for fact as he openly confessed on the wire and we have that all recorded. Rape obviously by my positive sexual assault kit, the fact I can clearly remember what happened? We've got him," she answered.
"Yeah but the second charge? It's more than a charge. It's something that's affecting your life," he answered. She sighed as he parked in the driveway and he looked at her. "I'm not going after you because I'm your field partner and looking for something. I'm on your case because what we were like in the undercover op? It's always been that way for me. You've been like the little sister that I need to protect. Not that you can't do it yourself because let's be real. Suspects are terrified when you get angry. You're basically mini Mac in the interrogation room."
"Tick you off? It's normal. Tick me off? Run away," she chuckled and he nodded at that while laughing. "I'll be okay. It's going to leave a scar, but like everything, with time? It goes away and fades into the background," she promised.
"Remember the case that you reviewed when Mac first started you in the lab? Had to do with a shotgun? Poker game? Kelly?" She nodded at that knowing the exact case. Mac had made her review a case that was about a drunk man who killed an innocent life because he went to the wrong floor. "That man was also a victim. He was traumatized by his past and it turned into self medication and that wound up causing the case," he reminded.
"I already have to see the department shrink. Please don't make me regret going quietly about that so I can go to work," she responded.
"My point," he began looking at her seriously. "Is that I don't want you to feel like you have to self medicate. Mac? Stella? Me? Danny? Hell even Lindsay. Honestly our whole team. We're right here if you need someone. You should have heard most of the teams when they learned how good your cover was that Colic was buying it. You did amazing work out there."
When she finally walked back in she walked straight to her bed that she had been using and fell flat onto it. "Might be a good idea to change," Stella answered from the door and she glanced over at her. "Mac's out grabbing some food. He figured you guys didn't eat." She looked at her shocked. "The man has had drinks with the two of them before."
As Rebecca sat up and managed to slip her sweats and a t-shirt on she smiled at herself. She had managed pain before. She could choke it down again. When she got back to the living room, Mac was also just pulling into the driveway. "I know those boxes. He did not," she responded.
"What'd you say about it? Best Kung Pao in Midtown?" Stella looked at her and she chuckled. "Come on Rebecca. You literally killed the undercover case. I think a little Chinese from Midtown, it's earned. But before he comes in as he's got a few things to grab from the mailbox and then the stairs. I want to honestly know how you're doing?"
"It comes in waves Stella. One minute I'm great, the next I'm quiet, then back to great. It's a rollercoaster for the next week or so," she admitted. "But I want to interrogate Colic when I get back. It was my case and I want to be the one to understand the why."
"I don't know," Stella began and she looked at her boss/ undercover mother shocked. "Not that I don't think you can handle it. You've handled worse, but with what's he's done to you. I'm not sure Mac will approve of you running it."
"Don't bring it up to him. I know his interrogation won't happen until I'm back so please let me talk to him," she answered and Stella nodded at that. She knew that Mac would have to be the one to shut her down. As Mac walked into the apartment they both had the table set and drinks were being placed onto the table.
"You failed to mention that the best Kung Pao in Midtown? Has a lineup down the block," Mac warned her as he placed the bags onto the counter.
"You never asked," she retorted and he snickered as Stella walked over to help him take the food out. They both looked at each other knowing in a way, that the undercover op revealed the truth. They were practically a family without the blood. "Did you look into the lead I asked for?"
"Yeah. You weren't kidding. That case, it'll be harder to run."
(A/N So this one is done. But it's going to have a SEQUEL. That's one thing I'm doing different. I'm going to make the next one have her working before it starts to affect her and then works with the other aspects of Father and Son: The Undercover Story of Mac and Danny. I just want to take my own spins on this as I think it would be nice to be able to have Rebecca develop her relationship with Adam or Hawkes in that book and the slow changes to her head with Colic. Also you haven't heard the last about her biological family either.)