Disclaimer: CSI:NY does NOT belong to me. The only characters that belong to me are Alexis and Emma. And this is a slightly AU story. Hope that's not a problem with anyone. And I hope people like this story!
Spoilers: None…maybe borrowed concepts, but that's about it!
Summary: What do we get when we give Detective Mac Taylor a niece? A little drama but mostly a whole lot of fun!
Chapter 4:
"Well, I think I'm going to go to bed," Alexis announced, pushing herself up off the floor.
"Want us to move Emma or will she be ok in the bed with you?" Stella asked.
"Nah, she's fine," Alexis answered moving to kiss her uncle goodnight. She leaned down and pecked his cheek before moving over to kiss Stella goodnight. "Night you guys. Behave and don't stay up too late!" she winked.
Mac and Stella blushed, chuckling nervously. They watched as she sauntered down the hall and entered her room quietly. Stella had put Emma to bed hours ago so Alexis wanted to make sure she didn't wake her up.
"Would you like some coffee?" Mac asked, already standing.
"Mac," Stella groaned. "You know what caffeine does to me. Why are you offering it at 11:00 at night?"
Mac laughed. "Oh right. Sorry," he chuckled. He wasn't paying attention and didn't duck the pillow that was aimed for his head. "Hey!" he protested knowing he didn't really care.
Stella giggled and ducked as the pillow came flying back at her. She gave him an innocent look, "What did I do?"
Mac rolled his eyes and attacked her. "You're denying it missy."
That got Stella cracking up. "Missy?" she asked with an eyebrow raised. "I've missed this side of you Mac Taylor."
He grew serious and lifted himself off of her. He sat next to her, resting his elbows on his thighs. "You're right."
Stella set the pillow next to her and faced him. "I'm sorry. We were having fun and then I had to open my big mouth." She laid a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Mac turned his head to look at her. "No, you're absolutely right. This is a side of me that everyone has missed." He studied her before completely changing the subject by accident. "You're incredibly beautiful."
She blushed as she ran her hand down his arm to meet his and interlaced their fingers. "Thank you," she grinned. "And you're not so bad looking yourself."
Mac laughed. "I think we've found our bantering again." He stood and pulled her with him. He hesitated before leaning in to steal a kiss.
"Mmm," Stella said as they came out of it. "What took us so long to do that?" she quipped.
He smiled and brushed her hair back. "I have no idea." He held her hand as they walked towards his bedroom.
"You absolutely don't mind me sharing your bed?" Stella asked as he closed the door behind them.
"Stell, if I cared, I wouldn't have asked you in the first place," he said firmly, unbuttoning his dress shirt. "Now get your pajamas on and let's go to bed!"
She rolled her eyes and grinned as she lifted her duffel bag and set it on the bed. She rifled through it for a moment before locating her flannel pajama pants and a spaghetti strap shirt. She stood there for a moment holding them, as she was captivated with the very smooth and taut back of Mac Taylor.
She blinked and turned around before he caught her staring. She pulled her shirt off and dropped it on the floor, replacing it with the spaghetti strap one. Slipping out of her dress pants, she quickly pulled on her pajama pants and collected her other clothes from the floor.
Mac tossed his clothes in his hamper and headed into the bathroom to brush his teeth. "Hey, toss your clothes in with mine," he offered.
"Really?" she asked incredulously.
He poked his head out and looked at her. "Sure," he shrugged. "You're gonna be here for a while so why not?" he disappeared again and then reappeared with his toothbrush in his mouth.
Stella grinned and tossed her clothes in his hamper. "Thanks," she said, rummaging around for her own toothbrush. She found it but realized she forgot her toothpaste. She rolled her eyes at herself and was soon presented a tube of toothpaste from the all-knowing Mac.
They stood side-by-side in his bathroom as they brushed their teeth, both grinning like fools around their toothbrushes. Collecting her hair in a ponytail at her neck, Stella leaned over and spit her toothpaste out and quickly rinsed. Mac took his turn as she moved over to wipe her mouth on the towel.
Soon they were both under the covers, Mac stretched out leisurely while Stella was somewhat stiff still. Mac rolled over to face her. "Stell, just relax. I'm not going to take advantage of you," he joked.
She chuckled. "I know…" she rolled over to face him as well. "Thank you for letting us crash with you."
"Not a problem," he reassured. He reached across the empty space and took her hand in his. He pulled it slightly and she came closer without a word and rested her head on his chest.
He laughed to himself as he brushed some of her thick curls to the side so he could breathe. He dropped a kiss to her head and soon they both drifted off into dreamland.
A week had passed and before they knew it, the fourth anniversary of 9/11 had come. Mac tried to not dwell on what happened but he eventually decided to go down to Ground Zero with the support of Stella, Alexis, and even baby Emma who could bring a smile to anyone's face, no matter how down they were feeling.
"Uncle Mac," Alexis said quietly, "I love you." She slipped her hand into his as his other hand gripped the railing of the ramp that led down into the sacred hole.
Mac looked at her with tears in his eyes before glancing back behind them. He motioned for Stella to come with them. "We're going to do this together," he whispered. "This is my closure."
Stella sadly looked over at Alexis as Mac led the way down the ramp. Alexis lifted a shoulder as they followed the broken, but healing man. He abruptly stopped at the bottom and held his hands out for Stella and Alexis.
Together the four of them made their way to the line of people who were lining up to speak up at the podium. The line was slow but steady. Alexis was listening to the families who were remembering their fallen and felt compelled to say something with her uncle.
Steadily they moved towards the steps, Mac first, Alexis behind him and Stella with Emma bringing up the rear. Stella stepped back to give Mac and Alexis some room.
Mac stepped up to the mike and looked out across the sadden faces of all the victims' families; some still had tears streaming down their faces. He started to choke up and he broke his gaze across the sea of people.
Alexis noticed this and stepped forward. She cleared her throat before speaking. "On September 11, 2001, I lost my aunt, Claire Taylor. She was a woman who loved everyone that came across her path. She had a kind heart and a beautiful smile. Aunt Claire was a person who brightened the room as soon as she stepped into it."
Her voice cracked as she started to cry. "However, I never got to say goodbye to my aunt. And I didn't actually find out about her death until a couple weeks ago." She wiped the continuing trail of tears and marched on. "I never got to tell her how much I loved her," she paused, glancing at her uncle who was watching her and stole a glance at Stella who had tears streaming down her cheek too.
She turned back to watch the masses before her. "Aunt Claire, you will always be loved and will be missed. I'm sorry we didn't get to spend as much time together as we did when I was little. Thank you for showing me how to be a better person though." With that she ended her speech and stepped back next to Stella.
Mac gave her a watery smile before taking her place at the mike. "My wife Claire was a wonderful person as my niece already stated. She was a generous person, always willing to go the extra mile. Whenever she saw someone in need, she was there to help him or her. Whenever someone needed her help, she gave it without question."
"On this fourth anniversary, it's more of closure rather than wallowing in my misery. I loved my wife and always will, but there comes a point when we need to move on. And even though I am moving on, it doesn't mean I'm going to stop coming down here each year." He looked up at the clear blue sky and concluded, "Claire, I'll always love you."
They walked off the platform, allowing the others in line to have their moments. "Mac," Stella said, "I'm proud of you." She squeezed his hand.
He stopped to look at her. "Thank you. And even though I will always love Claire, it doesn't stop me from loving you completely now."
Stella stared at him. "Did you just confess what I thought you did?"
Alexis, noticing they weren't behind her anymore, stopped to look back. She moved out of other people's way and stood against the plywood they had standing as a temporary fence.
"I did," he admitted. "I love you Stella, and I have for about a year now. I'm sorry I didn't do anything sooner."
Stella shook her head. "I wouldn't have wanted you to if you weren't ready."
Mac smiled and stepped forward to wrap her and Emma into a hug. "Thank you for understanding, for being there."
Stella nodded against his shoulder. "Always," she promised.
They resumed walking and soon caught up to Alexis who was waiting patiently. "Everything okay?" she asked.
Mac and Stella smiled at each other before answering. "Everything's great."
They went back home to Mac's and changed their clothes and Stella started preparing lunch. "Lex, don't you have the Today Show this week?"
"Yep," she nodded. "Wednesday. You guys still planning to come?"
"Of course, but we'll be coming from work. What time are you performing?" Stella asked, setting out plates with sandwiches on them.
"I'm the 10:00 performance. You guys will make it on time, right?" Alexis wanted to make sure.
"We're going to do the best we can," Stella said with a smile.
"I wish Danny, Aiden and Sheldon could come too," Alexis stated wistfully. "But I know they need to stay there. We can't have the whole office gone!" she laughed.
Stella laughed with her before calling for Mac. "Lunch is ready!"
Mac entered with a laughing Emma. "She thinks I'm so funny," he stated with a grin. He sat her in the highchair and took his seat next to her.
Stella sat across from him while Alexis had the other end of the table. They ate in a comfortable silence except for a few comments here and there. It was decided that Alexis would be taking care of Emma this week and even though she had her performance on Wednesday morning, she would still have the baby.
Alexis thought it would actually be fun having Emma with her that morning. She'll probably help me stay calm, Alexis thought as she chewed her bite of sandwich.
"We have the rest of the day to ourselves. How should we make the most of it?" Mac asked as he fed Emma a bite of her lunch.
"Umm…drive upstate?" Alexis suggested.
"No," Stella said, making a face, "we should take a walk in Central Park and then go to Times Square to observe all the tourists. Maybe even take a detour into the Downtown Manhattan Mall," she grinned.
"I think we should drive upstate," Mac said with a mischievous look.
"Why?" Stella asked suspiciously. She knew that she and Mac were nowhere near thinking of marriage. At the same time, she didn't think she would refuse if he did have the courage to ask.
"Just because," was his nonchalant reply. He fed Emma the rest of her lunch before standing up, collecting their plates and the baby food jar and taking them to the sink. "You'll have to wait and see."
"What's he talking about?" Stella asked Alexis.
She shrugged as she drank the rest of her juice. "I have no idea," she stated, glancing at her uncle to try and figure out what was going on his mind. She rolled her eyes as he winked at her, carrying a cloth over to Emma and began to wash her up.
"Come on Mac," Stella whined. "Can't you just tell us?"
"Nope. And no more whining," he said firmly. "And Alexis doesn't know anything either so you can't wheedle it out of her." He pushed the highchair away from the table and lifted Emma out. "Let's go!" he said to the stunned girls.
Stella and Alexis hurried to catch up with Mac as he stood outside the door, waiting for them so he could lock up. They silently headed down to the car where Mac buckled Emma up and waited for Stella and Alexis to get in.
Mac headed for the interstate and was soon free of the city traffic. They knew by the signs that they were headed for the West Point area. All they knew about that area was the topnotch military school of the country and really nice homes. Could they be moving into a house?
"Mac," Stella started in a no-nonsense tone, "are we going to see a house?"
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and sighed. "Well, I wanted it to be a surprise, but I bought a house and I want us all to live together permanently. It's gonna be a commute to work but I figure it'll be worth it to raise Emma in a decent neighborhood."
Stella grinned. "That's so sweet of you!"
"What about me?" Alexis wondered.
"You've already been raised," Mac answered in a confused tone.
"No," Alexis laughed. "I thought I was going to be able to stay with you while I went to school. But with us living out here, it'll be more than a daily commute for me."
"You can use my old apartment. And you can have a roommate if you want, but ultimately that's your decision. I'll pay your rent and car insurance. You provide your own gas and food money," he informed.
"That's fair," she agreed then paused. "Wait, did you say car insurance and gas money?"
He nodded as he exited and started driving through residential areas. "I did."
"Am I getting a car?" she wondered.
"It's possible. Do you want one?" he countered playfully.
"Yeah!" she stated eagerly. "Oh thank you Uncle Mac!"
He laughed. "Not a problem."
"You don't have to pay insurance though. I'll come up with the money for that too," she protested.
Mac shook his head and navigated through some very quaint neighborhoods. "I want to. I just want to make sure we're not forgotten as you become some big star."
Alexis laughed. "I'm not going to be famous, Uncle Mac. I'm just finishing at Julliard."
They laughed as Mac came to a stop in front of a beautiful two-story home. "Oh wow," Stella and Alexis said in unison.
"This is gorgeous," Stella breathed as she got out. "Unbelievable."
"Is this really ours?" Alexis asked incredulously.
Mac nodded. "Yep. All ours. Come on, I have the keys," he said as he took the front steps two at a time. Unlocking the door, he held it open for the three of them and followed them in.
They sort of just stood in the entryway and stared. He allowed them a few minutes before shaking them out of it and beginning their tour. Stella listened to the very appealing descriptions as she adjusted Emma against her hip.
Alexis followed them in awe. She had never lived in a house as nice as this one. She had a feeling she would love living here. When they finished the downstairs, Mac took them upstairs and painted wonderful pictures for them by showing them their bedrooms and describing how they would be decorated.
"Uncle Mac, you are the best uncle in the world," Alexis gushed as she grabbed him in a hug.
He laughed and hugged her back. "Why, thank you."
She laughed as she pulled away. "Don't be so smug," she warned in a teasing voice.
Stella took her turn in showing her appreciation and while they had their moment, Alexis took Emma into her soon-to-be nursery and imagined what it would be decorated as. Soon, Stella was calling for them and they left the house and returned to the chaos of New York City.
"Mac, we've got a body," Danny called out.
Mac looked up from his work and quickly followed Danny down the hall where they met up with Aiden. "Where?"
"Battery Park, down by the dock," Aiden answered.
Mac sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Where's Stella?"
"On a case with Flack. They're in the labs processing their evidence," Danny answered as they headed outside and to a car.
Arriving on the scene at Battery Park, Danny tried to deter the media but soon gave up, joining Aiden and Mac in searching the crime scene.
Mac lifted the victim's arm carefully and examined it for anything unusual but didn't see anything. He'll just have to wait until Sheldon completed the autopsy. He stood up from his crouched position and slowly walked around the body.
Something long and reflecting in the sun caught his eye and he bent down to retrieve it. Frowning slightly, he examined it a little before bagging it. He couldn't figure out what it was so he decided he'd clean it after he lifted fingerprints off.
"What'd you get, Mac?" Danny asked, making his way over to his boss's side.
"This piece of something or other, and I can't quite figure out what it is," Mac answered thoughtfully.
"Murder weapon?" Danny questioned.
Mac shook his head. "Too small. Maybe it has prints on it that can identify the body or the killer."
Danny nodded and took the bag from Mac, setting it in the case of tools. After checking to make sure Aiden was done collecting evidence, he closed it and took it back to the car.
"You ready Mac?" Aiden asked, waiting next to the crime tape.
Mac looked over at Aiden and nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready." He walked over to the two younger agents and bent down to avoid getting clothes lined by the tape. "Be sure the body is sent to Sheldon," he ordered to the police officers standing nearby.
They nodded and moved in to bag the body and make sure it was delivered to the department. On their way back to the department, they stopped to pick up coffee for everyone.
"So, what's really going on between you and Stella?" Aiden asked eagerly, as they headed back to headquarters.
Mac chuckled. "What have you been told?"
"Nothing!" she gasped dramatically. "Stella won't say a single word."
"Well," he paused, "we are together now…and we'll soon be moving upstate to the West Point area." He pulled into a parking spot in front of the department.
"It's about time!" Danny remarked smartly.
Mac glared at him as they headed inside the building. "Don't tell me that you had bets going."
Aiden and Danny laughed together. "You know better than that, Mac. We all had bets going!" They hurried ahead before he could say anything.
Mac rolled his eyes and headed for his office. Once inside, he shrugged his jacket off and sat down slowly at his desk. He jumped slightly when his cell rang, startling him out of his reverie. "Taylor," he answered professionally.
"Uncle Mac?" Alexis started. "Aren't you and Stella coming to Rockefeller Center?" she wondered, as she glanced at her watch.
"Oh, right!" he said quickly. "We're on our way," he told her, standing up, grabbing his jacket and rushing down the halls to find Stella. "Everything okay with Emma?"
"Oh yeah, she's been so good this morning," she answered as she nodded to one of the producers. "I gotta go Uncle Mac, time for the interview stuff. So I'll see you and Stella outside for the concert?"
"Definitely," he reassured her. "Are they letting you take Emma out for the interview?"
"Yeah, I'll see you out there!" Alexis said as she said a quick goodbye and hung up. She took Emma from one of the other producers standing by and adjusted the baby against her hip.
"Stell, we've got to go," Mac said, slipping into his jacket.
Stella looked up from her work, glanced at the clock and quickly finished what she was doing. As they left the lab, she yelled out instructions for Danny to finish processing. "We sure weren't paying attention to time, were we?"
Mac chuckled. "Guess not. Come on; let's just take the train. We'll never make it with the mid-morning traffic." He held the door open for her as they headed out onto the sidewalk and hurried to the nearest subway station.
Taking the necessary train, they made it to Rockefeller Center in record time. Moving their way through the crowd of natives, but mostly tourists, they finally came to a spot behind a few rambunctious teenagers. Using their badges, they managed to calm them down and scare them slightly.
When the teens moved to the other side of the crowd, Mac and Stella took their places at the front of the stage. "Do you think she's nervous?" Stella wondered as she breathed into her hands to keep them warm.
"She might be," he answered, smiling at her. "Come here," he wrapped an arm tightly around her shoulders and drew her to him. "I'll keep you warm."
Stella laughed. "Thanks." She moved even closer as she felt someone pressing against her. Glancing behind her she noticed an elderly couple pushing their way to the other side.
"Here they come," Mac said suddenly.
Stella turned her attention to the stage and saw Alexis walking up the steps with Emma in her arms and Katie Couric just behind them. They grinned and waved as Katie introduced Alexis Taylor to the crowd and informed them that she would be playing a couple songs for them.
"Would be alright if I just took Emma over to my uncle?" Alexis quietly asked Katie.
"Sure, no problem," Katie answered with a smile. She watched as Alexis made her way across the stage and bent over slightly to hand Emma over to Stella. With a whispered 'good luck' from them, she hurried over to the piano and began her first song.
After the Today Show had ended for the day, Alexis caught up to her uncle and asked them what they thought.
"You were excellent, sweetie!" Mac gushed. "I don't ever remember you being that good!" he teased.
Alexis playfully smacked his arm. "Be nice!" She grinned at Stella. "What about you?"
"You were fantastic. I now understand why you're going to Julliard," she answered with a wink. She smiled at Alexis before turning her attention to Emma. "And what did you think Emma?"
Emma cooed and waved her hands in Stella's face, eventually grabbing a handful of hair.
Everyone laughed as they made their way to the subway station. Once they arrived back at the department, they stood outside for a few minutes deciding what to do next. Mac and Stella knew they had to go back to work, but Alexis wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her day yet.
"I guess I could go down to Julliard or NYU and figure out everything I need," she stated. She accepted Emma as Stella handed her over with a kiss. "Or I'll just go back home and vegetate," she laughed.
"Well, whatever you decide, have fun and be careful," Mac cautioned. He dropped a kiss to his niece's head and turned to head inside.
Emma grunted for his attention and held her arms out.
Mac laughed and took her in his arms. "I didn't forget you baby girl." He kissed her all over, making her giggle. "We'll see you two later!"
"Bye Uncle Mac!" Alexis said as they headed inside. "Bye Stell."
"Bye!" Stella said with a wave.
Alexis stood on the sidewalk and watched as the two of them headed inside. She looked at Emma who was staring back at her, curiously. "Well, kiddo. I guess it's just you and me." She turned and headed back to the station. She decided to take Emma over to Times Square where they would grab some lunch and people watch.