Healing

The Tanglewoods want revenge. A sequel (of sorts) to 'Scars'.Mac/Danny.

It will make more sense if you have read 'Scars' first.

"This shouldn't be a problem Danny" Danny sighed and crouched down next to the body of the victim. He was handling a case alone, since the team (with Stella on holiday in Greece) was too stretched out to have two on the smaller cases. Though Danny was pleased that Mac trusted him enough to handle a case on his own after the Tanglewood affair, the crime scene was, in his opinion, odd.

"It not that it's a problem, just...it's too...clean" Danny said finally "Even for a pro, it's like they put the body here 'cause they wanted me to find it" There was a pause from Mac.

"Tanglewoods?" Danny sighed as he heard a soft click behind him, and stood slowly.

"Yeah, Tanglewoods" Danny smiled grimly. He took the phone away from his ear and turned, facing the man behind him.

"Antonio" The man nodded to him, smiling as he lifted his gun.

"Messer" Danny could hear Mac's voice from his phone, and the vague sound of an approaching person. Mac had been working nearby, he recalled. He heard the gunshot, and dived. Too late. He felt it hit, and he crumpled to the floor, warmth soaking through his shirt as he gasped in pain. Another shot, then silence. He felt, rather than saw, somebody crouching next to him, and felt somebody applying pressure to the wound. He blinked furiously, and smiled up at Mac.

"I'm sorry, Mac" He heard a voice saying things to him, but it seemed too much of an effort to stay awake.

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Danny awoke to sterile white walls and a throbbing ache in his shoulder. As the room cam into focus, so did the sounds. He heard the familiar baritone of Mac's voice and concentrated on it, focusing on the figure by the door. Eyes half-closed, he listened to Mac speak on the phone.

"Yes...we're both fine...thank you Stella". He frowned while Mac hung up and sighed quietly.

"Hey" Danny whispered, catching the attention of the other man. Mac turned, and smiled, not a true smile- he was too worried for that, but it was a smile nonetheless.

"Welcome back. I-we were worried" Danny smiled at the slip, and then frowned again.

"Why wouldn't you be fine?" Mac hesitated, and then sighed after Danny glared at him.

"Perp heard me coming, fired wild and then took a shot at me" Mac shrugged "He missed, Flack took him down" Mac watched him carefully "The perp was-"

"Antonio" Danny finished, a small, bitter smile pulling at his mouth when he saw Mac's gaze travel down to the scar on his covered hip.

"I'll have to come in, being a witness and all" Danny continued "can't avoid him forever, sadly enough"

"Do you want anything?" Mac sat down next to the bed, taking Danny's hand in his as his eyes closed.

"Just stay here" Danny muttered "And make sure Aiden doesn't kill me for getting shot"

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Crouched on the roof of his apartment building, staring out at the darkening sky, Danny could almost forget familiar brown eyes on him. The same gaze had made him want to hide under a nearby table and not come out until it was over. It didn't help that he knew Antonio was undressing him with his eyes. He heard a soft, hesitant step behind him, and smiled.

"I'm not gonna jump, you know" He threw the comment over his shoulder, knowing who the person was.

"I know"

"Just checking" He turned slightly, smiling at Mac. He stood as Mac approached, bracing himself for the worst.

"He getting off?" He managed in a (to his own ears) pitifully uneven voice. Mac shook his head.

"No" Danny allowed himself a deep sigh of relief. He met Mac's eyes, and wanted to make a cutting remark, or at least something vaguely intelligent. Instead, tears filled his eyes as he hung his head. As Mac approached and wrapped his arms around him, Danny shook quietly.

"I should be fucking happy" he hissed, feeling Mac resist the urge to comment on his language "But I can't bring myself to feel anything"

"It just shows you've outclassed him" Mac told him in a quiet voice.

"It won't stop them" Danny muttered "Tanglewoods will just find somebody else to lead"

"Then I'm relying on you to help me stop them" A pause "If you could, would you change joining the Tanglewoods?"

Danny didn't answer with his gut reaction, instead thinking it over as Mac pulled away and headed for the stairs.

'If I hadn't met the Tanglewoods, I wouldn't have become a CSI...' He turned, decision made.

"Hey Mac" he called out. Mac turned from the doorway; eyebrow raised enquiringly "I wouldn't change anything"

Mac frowned "Why?" Danny strolled past him, pausing at the stairs to give his reply.

"Because if I had never met Antonio, I would never have known you"