The perp is found, and Mac and Danny talk at long last. Yes, in a locker room.

"Eric Dayson?" Mac asked, glancing between the DNA file in his hand and the man in front of him, in the Interrogation Room of the NYPD building. He looked young. Too young to have a dead 15 year-old son.

He nodded "That's me. Can you tell me what happened to my Dominick?" Blue eyes flicked between Mac and Horatio.

"Your son was beaten to death, Mr Dayson" Horatio informed him, soft voice gentle "We were hoping that you might have some idea of who would want to do this to your son"

"No" He scrubbed at his eyes "Dom was one of the nicest kids around. Nobody had anything against him"

"No angry friends, jealous exes?" Eric Dayson shook his head to each one "Possessive girlfriend. Possessive boyfriend" Mac added after a moment. Neither of the Detectives missed his sudden discomfort.

"Mac" Danny entered the room, unconsciously deferring to Mac as his boss, Horatio merely smiled "AFIS results from the murder weapon came through"

Mac glanced down at the results, and exchanged glances with the two men beside him. 'Dayson, Eric'

It had taken an hour of cajoling, sniping and several interferences from Dayson's lawyer for Eric to finally snap "Fine" He snarled "I caught him kissing his 'boyfriend'" He mocked the word "Three times. I tried to convince myself it was simple curiosity. No son of mine should be gay. That first time I let it slide because his mother begged me to let him be"

-Flashback-

Paul Messer looked down at the restraining hand on his arm, the hand delicate and pale compared to his own as Elena's indigo eyes begged him not to go after their son.

"Please" The accented voice pleaded with him "Let him alone"

He pulled his arm away from his wife's, glaring at the back of his still-oblivious son before stalking away.

Mac glanced worriedly at Danny, who had gone sheet-white and was staring at Dayson, who was still talking.

"The second time it came to blows. His mother took them for him, because 'she wanted to see him happy'" He mimicked her voice.

-Flashback-

Danny breezed into the room, happy and oblivious to his father's glare as Paul left the room. He spotted mother in a chair by the window, an open book on her lap.

"Mama" He called to her quietly, crouching next to her chair. She started, and smiled in her quiet way, her usual high spirits gone.

"Danny. Back from seeing your new beau?" She winked at him, and he laughed, though the sound died in his throat when he caught sight of the bruises on her wrists. He caught her tiny hands in his, and his eyes narrowed, pain surging in him as he realised that he had failed to protect his mother again.

"Mama..."

Danny stumbled backwards into the door, eyes unseeing as they stared right through Dayson, like he was a personal nightmare come to life.

"Danny?" Mac reached out to the spooked CSI, a hand coming to a rest on a pale cheek. Horatio didn't miss the way Dayson's eyes fixed on the contact, disgust showing on his face.

"Mac" He looked over to them "See to Danny. I'll finish up here"

Mac sat next to Danny on a bench in the locker room. It was late, and quiet, since most had gone home or were out on a job. Danny's head was buried in his hands, calm but unwilling to look at Mac. Mac waited quietly, knowing that pushing Danny would activate the young man's defensive system – sarcasm, and running from the problem, which was the worst defense right about now.

"Sorry" He gasped finally "I just..."

"Flashes" Mac said, and Danny frowned at him, surprised "After the Towers...anything I looked at in my apartment brought back memories of Claire. Nothing good, just times we fought, disagreed. I recognised your expression"

Danny hung his head "My father. Almost exact copy of when my father found out" He glanced at his ex-boss uncomfortably, who didn't press him "He gave me to Sonny, you know" He turned suddenly angry indigo eyes on his companion "Figured Sonny would set me straight, back on the criminal path, it only served to convince me to escape"

Mac just listened "At first I fought, then I just resigned myself to it. I was too injured to play baseball, and I had nowhere to run to. I gave up"

"Why are you here then?"

"I couldn't stand the disappointment in my mother's face when she found out I was runnin' with the Tanglewoods. She was dying, and she begged me to get out of there. When she went, me and Jenna ran for it. Never looked back, until that case threw my past back in my face again...Fuck" He said sharply, making Mac look up "Why the hell am I telling you this?"

"Because this time I'm listening" Unable to think of anything else to say or do, he tentatively put an arm around Danny's shoulders, relieved when the young man didn't resist, slumping against him.

"After the shooting...I thought you hated me" Danny whispered, the breath of air against Mac's neck making him shudder. He was suddenly aware of how close Danny was to him, how warm he was, and shifted slightly as he answered.

"I didn't hate you Danny, still don't. I was mad as hell, but that was at the situation, not just you. We should have been informed about Menhaus beforehand" Mac sighed deeply "Lab's been quiet without you annoying the cops or bickering with Aiden, Danny"

"Mac" He looked down, meeting Danny's eyes. He had sat up slightly, eyes boring into his as he appeared to see straight through to his inner thoughts. Mac wanted Danny back; he just didn't want to or know how to admit it.

"Danny?" He got no further as Danny pressed his lips against his, the kiss was quick and faltering, and Mac was too shocked to react. Danny pulled back, glanced at him with pained blue eyes and bolted out of the door and down the hall before Mac could move. He jogged out, and Stella breezed up, treating him to her famed and feared 'Bonasera eye'.

"What did you do?"

He was preparing a retort when a scuffle broke out near an interrogation room, both CSIs reaching for their guns when shots were fired. Speed ran up, weapon in hand.

"Dayson. He took a cop's gun and ran out. We've got men following him, but where the hell would he go?"

Mac frowned, but the memory of Dayson's face when he looked between himself and Danny surfaced unexpectedly. Taking it as a sign, he waited for the chain of thought to continue. The look, the murder, Dominick, the shameful gay son.

"Oh god. Danny"

You may wonder why Speed doesn't go with the police. Maybe Horatio went, or he was told to remain. Either way, that's a plot hole for another day, my children.