Mac and Peyton have now been quarantined for 5 days. The team has been working nonstop on the case. The case has been stuck since they can't find motive for the crime or any way that the virus is connected to the victim.
It is Friday morning. Quinn is sitting in the breakroom. She has a breakfast burrito in front of her but she isn't eating. She is staring out of the window. Jo comes in and sits down across from her.
"morning Quinn. Have you gotten some sleep?" she asks.
Quinn look confused. "sorry what? Oh, morning Jo. No, I haven't been home. I can't go home until I solve this case."
"Quinn we are all going to solve this case together and getting Mac and Peyton back."
JO walks over to the coffee machine and makes herself a cup of coffee.
"I think he is firing me, Jo," Quinn says. Jo look surprised at her.
"who is firing you?" she takes a seat again across from Quinn.
"Mac. I think Mac is going to fire me."
Jo smiles. "no he is not. He is frustrated right now about his situation but as soon as he gets out of here he will be back to good old happy Mac."
Quinn shakes her head. "I don't think so, Jo. Mac is really upset with me. I failed to show up to a crime scene because I was drunk. That is unforgivable in Macs book."
"Mac is not as tough as he sounds. He is a good man."
Quinn shakes her head.
"mac fired his best CSI because she considered tampering with evidence. She didn't go through with it but he still fired her. I didn't show up at a crime scene and he got quarantined."
Jo didn't know that Mac had ever fired anyone. She has heard the story about the young CSI Aiden Burn who got murdered by a serial killer but she didn't know that Mac had fired her.
"I didn't know that Mac had fired a CSI but I'm sure he is not going to fire you."
"I don't like me," Quinn says while she is staring out of the window.
"what makes you think that?"
"I know. I worked for him when he first became the head of the new york crime lab. I admit I had a pretty big crush on him back then. And honestly, I didn't do much to hide it."
Jo smiles.
"every woman has a crush on Mac. He is a handsome man god sake there are nothing wrong with that."
Jo gives her a little pad on the shoulder.
"I know but I obviously hit on him in front of his wife back then."
They both starts laughing.
"sometimes I think if it was his wife that made him not choose me as his assistant supervisor and made him choose a newbi instead."
"a newbi?" jo asks.
"yeah, some Stella Bona… something."
"Detective Bonasera was not a newbie. She was one of the great CSI's this lab has ever had. She is now a lab director in New Orleans. So please show som respect for her. She is our friend." Adam has been standing in the door and heard their conversation. He takes and apple.
"am I allow to get something to eat today Detective Shelby?" Adam asks before he waiting for an answer from her. Jo looks shocked after him and then very apologizing to Quinn.
"I'm sorry about that Quinn. We are all under a lot of stress right now."
"he is right. It's my own fault that no one here likes me. Mac has built this team as a family. Apparently, everyone knows everything about everyone. Even that Mac had something going with the new ME years ago?"
JO look very surprised.
"mac and the new ME?" jo asks and starts laughing. "no way."
"according to Lindsay and Adam they had a relationship a few years ago."
Jo is surprised.
"I did not see that coming."
"well, Mac has changed a lot since I first worked for him. back then he had a very strict policy against any kind of romantic relationship between coworkers."
"well, he definitely doesn't have that opinion anymore," Jo says with a smile and then leaves Quinn alone in the breakroom.
Hospital quarantine (day 5)
Mac and Peyton have now been quarantined for 5 dayes. Mac is coughing a lot. He has a headache. The first day he passed out. Mac believes that it was just stressed from the hole quarantine that knocked him out. The doctors have been taking a lot of test on him but so far there has been no sign of the ebola virus in his system even though he shows the symptoms. JO has forbidden Mac and Peyton to help on the case. She insists that they just focus on staying healthy.
Mac is laying in his bed and looking at the picture Christine put in the bag with his clothing. Peyton is just watching him for awhile.
"if you want to ask something. Then ask. When did you become shy?"
Peyton smiles. "okay." She sits up in her bed.
"how long have you been together with your girlfriend?"
Mac chuckles.
"three years now. We live together now. I never thought I would ever live with someone again, but… she has just changed me." Mac can't help smiles when he thinks of how much better his life has been since Christine came into his life again. Peyton does not like the sound of someone has changed Mac. Why would someone do that? He is the sweets kindest most handsome and selfless man she has ever meet.
Crime lab Saturday morning 9.30 am
The team is on the video conferences with Mac. They have finally got a break in the case.
"so Mac we found a connection between the victim and the virus. The victim's wife was a doctor. She was emergency send to Africa with doctors without borders after the Ebola outbreak 6 months ago. She was one of the first doctors that were sent to west Africa to help stop the epidemic. When she came home she started showing signs of the virus. Coughing, headache, and other more severe symptoms. No one took her symptoms seriously. She died but no one wanted to honor her for all the life she saved down there. She was practically a forgotten hero, Mac." Hawkes explains.
"Adam found an article on the victim's computer about the work his wife did but no one wanted to public it," Lindsay explains.
"he wanted the country to know what his wife did. She deserved the same honor as our troops but because she wasn't in a war with guns no one wanted to give her that?" mas asks. The team nods. Mac shakes his head in disbelief.
"that he so wrong."
Adam comes running into the conference room.
"I found something." Adam sees Mac on the screen.
"oh hey, boss. How are you doing?"
"oh you know I really needed this vacation so it is nice." Adam looks confused at Mac's sarcasm that he clearly don't understand. "what do you get Adam?"
"oh yeah right." Adam looks at his tablet his has in his hand.
"o I found another document on the computer. It was erased… after the victim died."
Adam pulls it up on the screen text to Macs video feed. "so according to this, I wanted to honor his wife by committing suicide the same way she died. It seems to be a letter he wrote to his deceased wife to honor her. Kinda like the article. This is just more personal."
"that make sense he wanted to honor her."
"yeah, but committing suicide with Ebola? That is not a peaceful way to go." Dr. Hawkes says.
""Seldon you have never been married."
"no," Hawkes says. Not quite sure where this is going.
"when you love someone who sacrifices their life for others and then get disrespected after their death then you are willing to do whatever it takes to honor them." Hawkes is a little embarrassed about his earlier statement.
"I'm sorry Mac. I didn't think about that."
"I have seen fellow Marines who died in combat and then afterward has ben dishonored by getting their names smeared by politics. Because war is messy but politic wants someone to blame. Who is easier than a dead marine or a dead doctor? Some of their families are willing to do whatever it takes to honor their fallen family member."
Everyone is silent when Mac explains. They know that every case involving a grieving spouse or fallen Hero is hitting close to home for Mac.
"there are actually also a piece of paper Lindsay found on the crime scene it was soaked in blood so it took some time so get the text out. It is an apology note to the emergency response team. He tells us that the virus is only deadly in the fluid within the first 24 hours after the fluid has left the body."
"so this guy didn't mean to effect anyone else?" Danny asks.
"wait a second," Peyton says from behind Macs computer. He turns the camera.
"I estimated the time of death at the scene to be 48 hours. That means we couldn't have been infected." Peyton says. Everyone look relieved about that news but they still have to make 100 % sure with the team at the hospital before Peyton and Mac can be released.
"Lindsay?" Mac says and turns the camera back on himself.
"yes," Lindsay says and steps a little closer to the screen.
"could you do me a personal favor? Tell Christine what is going on?" he asks. Lindsay nods. Danny steps up next to Lindsay and leans his arm around her.
"relax buddy. We already got that covered. We have been keeping her updated every day."
Mac exhales in clearly relive. "thanks, guys. You are the best."
"hey, buddy remember when I started working here. We used to say that the team wasn't complete without Claire because you wasn't complete without claire?" Danny asks. Mac nods.
"it's the same with Christine. She is part of the team too."
Mac smiles.
"thanks, guys. I will be back too to boss you asses around so get to work."
everyone starts laughing.
"copy that boss," Danny says and then they hang up.
Everyone is still laughing about Mac's last comment except for Quinn.
"I don't remember his wife being a part of the team when I first worked here." She says and looks at Danny, Hawkes, and Sheldon who was the only ones of the current team who also worked for Mac back then.
"that was after you quit," Danny explains.
"whenever we had BBQ party or any kind of after hour beer Claire would always come too," Don says before he leaves the room.
Sunday 6.30 pm crime lab
the team found out that it was the victim's son that had erased the file on the computer. He was found dead in his apartment when the police came to arrest him. he had been infected when he had found out that his father had committed suicide.
"so case closed." Jo says when Don has explained to them that the suspect had died of the virus also. "great work everyone. Now we are just waiting for Mac to come back." Jo says.
"yeah about that. He is just going to come back and boss us all around. Couldn't he wait for a few with coming back?" Danny asks clearly joking.
"I heard that detective Messer."
Everyone get spooked by Mac who is suddenly appear in the door.
"Mac? Welcome Back." Lindsay stands up and is the first one to hug Mac. We missed you."
After they break the hug Mac looks over at Danny. He is sitting with his feet on the table.
"yeah, it definitely sounds and looks like your husband missed me."
Danny is leaned back n his chair with his hands behind his head and his feet on the table. He rushes to take down his feet from the table and almost fall backward in the rush. Everyone starts laughing.
"Maggi…" a little girls voice is coming from the elevator. Mac turns around and sees Lucy with a big smile on her face running towards him followed by Christine who is carrying his baby godson Jack.
"hey, Lucy." Mac takes Lucy up to hug her. But shortly after the hug Lucy pulls away from him and fight to get down.
"you are scratchy, Mac." Lucy sounds upset and walks into her mom.
"I missed you too, lucy."
Everyone is laughing.
"it is not Funny dad. Mac is scratchy so I don't want to hug him." Lucy sounds offended.
"sorry Lucy. It is not funny."
"hey there Handsome." Christine's voice is heard from behind him. he turns around to face her with a big smile.
"hey." He hugs her with one arm and gives her a kiss.
"lucy is right. you are scratchy today."
"they have been making more test on me the past two days than a lab rat is exposed to its entire life. So excuse me for not having time so shave. And by the way what happened to you like when I haven't shaved."
"one day not shaved – looks kinda good. Two days not shaving – just scratchy."
"you are not easy to satisfy. You know that?"
Christine just smiles at him and nods. Mac takes baby Jack in his arms.
"what about you Jack. Do you complain as must as Christine and your sister?"
Jack is busy chewing on his favorite teddy bear.
"Nah Jack. It just the girls who are complaining."
"I don't think Jack complains about anything as long as he got his teddy bear," Lucy says. She starts smiling devilishly. "but if you take his teddy bear away from him he starts screaming." She starts laughing.
"Lucy. You are a nice big sister. You wouldn't do that." Mac says.
"it is just a little bit funny Mac," Lucy explains.
"thank you, Christine, for looking after them. I know this wasn't a funny week for you either." Danny says.
"it was actually a really great distraction. So I didn't walk around in the apartment alone."
Lucy turns to her mom.
"mommy, mommy. Today we went to that park and played on the playground."
"that sounds fun Lucy."
"you guys went to the park without me? Don't tell me you also had pancakes without me?" Mac asks. Everyone is smiling at Mac and Lucy.
"yeah, we did Mac, but…" Lucy says and holds up a finger to stop Mac from complaining about not getting pancakes. "I asked Christine if I should save some for you but she said no." mac look choked."Mac mac Mac." Lucy gets up from her mom where she was sitting on Lindsay's lap. She stands right in front of Mac. "Christine said she would make pancakes for you when you got home. So don't get mad." Everyone starts laughing out loud.
"okay, Lucy. I can't get mad if I get pancakes."
"Christine said you would," Lucy informs him before she walks back to sit on Lindsay's lap.
"so anyone wants som pizza? Shouldn't we go for pizza and beer? Flack asks.
"sorry pal I think I pass," Danny says.
"year we should get home with these two," Lindsay says.
"yeah, and Mac needs to get home to get Pancakes." Flack says like Mac had already said no. "you are just jealous Flack." Mac says. "what about you Jo?"
"sorry Flack Ellie and I have plans together." Flack is a little disappointed that no on wants to join him.
"well seems like its just me and my girlfriend. See ya tomorrow."
"see ya Flack." Everyone says before he leaves.
"Christine we need to have a serious talk," Jo says. Everyone look surprised.
"about what?"
"it is not good that you spoil him so much. He can't handle it."
Christine and Mac look at each other with a loving smile.
"she missed me. That is why Jo."
"yeah, you wish," Christine says. Mac looks surprised.
"oh really ou didn't miss me?" he asks.
"did I miss waking up cold because you steal the blanket? No. did I Miss you standing in my way when I'm cooking? No. did I miss you zapping through the channels when I'm watching something? No."
Everyone is looking at them with a smile. They like that Christine is teasing Mac like that.
"okay, I get it. You definitely didn't miss me. You are sure you even want me to come home?"
"well yeah even though you drive me nuts sometimes I still missed you a lot."
Mac leans over a gives her a quick kiss on the lips.
"I will go get my stuff in my office and then we are out of here."
He hands Jack over to Danny and then leaves for his office. Jack starts crying when Mac hands him over to Danny.
"hey, Buddy." Danny tries to calm him down. Everyone starts small talking with each other so Quinn sneaks out of the conferences Ooma on into Mac's office.
"hey, Mac can we talk for a moment?"
Mac is putting his gun away in the safe.
"not now Quinn. I just need to get home and get som rest."
"I'm sorry about what happened. It was my fault. If you want I can hand in my resignation tomorrow."
"I don't know right now Quinn. I know you are a great CSI with a lot of expirenace and you are a good value to the team but sometimes you forget that your decisions effects the team much more then you think. One mamber makes one mistake it hits the rest of the team." Mac locks his safe and takes his wallet, his phone and his keys. "now I will go home with my fiancee and eat pancakes. I will see you tomorrow Shelby. God night." He leaves his office to meet up With Christine and then they walk into the elevator together.