Unfinished Business

CSI: New York

Mac/Danny

PG:13 a.k.a. FRT

On The Job, Tanglewood, Crime and Misdemeanor

PART ONE

The door slammed shut as Det Danny Messer stalked into his apartment. He was furious. He'd screwed up; he shot a cop, an undercover cop. He'd killed a poor guy who'd just gone into work that day. Danny stopped pacing around the small living room. Officer Minhas had just walked into work this morning and he'd been shot, by another detective no less. That could have been anyone of them. Danny knew the risks of the job when he'd joined the NYPD, but he'd just never thought about the fact that any day he, or Mac, could walk into a crime scene and end that day on Hawks' autopsy table. Any day could be anyone of their last. Danny visible shuddered at that realization. He couldn't die, not just yet; he had too much unfinished business to die now.

Unfinished business. Those two words brought an image of Mac into his head. Danny thought of the older man. He could be so cryptic at times, so hard to read. One example was with The Tanglewood Boys. After the interrogation, Mac kept looking over at Danny with an unreadable expression. He didn't say a word, just watched Danny. That was worse then any lecture that he could have ever given. Danny knew that he'd disappointed Mac. He'd lied to him, and Danny knew that Mac valued honesty almost as highly as he valued his life. The Silver Man case also came to mind. Danny had disobeyed a direct order; that time however he did get yelled at by Mac.

'I guess the third try really is the charm.' Danny thought sourly.

This time around Mac had threatened his job. That had scared him. Just who had tried to convince Mac not to hire him? Danny had been wondering that ever since Mac had uttered those words. Mac had hired him, against the harsh criticism his choice had raised. He'd hired him even though he knew that Danny was impulsive, and he hadn't fired him after his first major mistake, or his second, or his third. Danny also knew that this was his last chance though. One more mistake like the one he'd made yesterday and...

Danny's train of thought was interrupted by someone knocking hard on his door. He wondered if they'd go away if he played dead and resolved to do just that when he heard Mac's voice at the other side of the door. Danny knew that there was no question now whether or not he was going to open his door.

To Be Continued