(thank you for your reviews. sorry for the late update I have been busy. but good news. the next chapter coming up with have a visit from an old friend on the show. thank you all for reading. i appreciate it.)
Friday, December 12.
Mac is getting ready to go home for the weekend and then there is only one week before Christmas. It is Friday at around 7.30 pm. Mac leaves his office and wishes some techs a good weekend. He walks to the elevator. He waits for the elevator for a few minutes before the elevator arrives and he gets in. right before the elevator door closes, he hears Quinn's voice.
"please hold the door." Mac holds the door for her and she rushes in.
"thanks." She smiles at Mac.
They are standing side by side in the elevator in silences before Quinn finally breaks the silences.
"so having any plans for the weekend?"
"no Christine is working all weekend she is always super busy around the holidays. So I am going to be alone. But just quiet time is sometimes nice."
Quinn forced a little smile on her face.
"trouble in paradise?"
Mac chuckles.
"no, she is just super stressed right now that doesn't leave much time for other things."
"hm… Jo and I are going to out for at Christmas shopping in the weekend. You are welcome to join.
There are silences after that until the elevator stops and they both get off. Mac wishes her a good weekend and walks to his car. On his way home in the car, he is thinking about that tonight they should open a bottle of wine and just spend some time together. They haven't don't that the last two week. Christine has been stressed about a big wedding that she is catering for. She has told him it is a big company owners son that is getting married and it is a super important customer for her newly started catering business as a side business for her restaurant. Mac understands how important this customer are to her and he doesn't want to be selfish but if he should be honest he really miss some romantic time with his fiancee.
Mac comes into the apartment. There is the normal wonderful smell coming from Christine's cooking in the kitchen. He takes off his coat and his shoes and walks to the kitchen. She is very busy cooking. He walks over behind her and wraps his arms around her from behind and gives her a kiss on the cheek.
"hey, babe. I missed you today." He says with a sweet tone in his voice.
"could you move out of my way, please." Is all he get in response. He can hear the stress in her voice and she moves something of the stove. He moves out of her way and grabs a beer from the refrigerator.
"are you okay babe?"
"I just really need to make this. The new customer comes to the restaurant on Sunday at four to try the food for the party. I need to be ready. I am so not ready yet."
"on a Sunday?" Mac asks surprised and a little disappointed about his plans with her is definitely not going to happen now and he is beating himself up inside for being selfish about it.
"yes. They called today. To ask if they could come try the food tomorrow instead of Wednesday. I need to go to the restaurant tomorrow to work on the dessert they changed the menu to be a four dishes dinner instead of the buffet."
"Can they do that? I mean isn't the party on Friday?" Mac asks. shocked about how this customer is treating her.
"yes, it is. That is why I am so stressed about it. They change everything all the time."
"but why don't you tell them that they can't keep changing everything?"
"because if I do I could lose this customer and I can't afford that for my catering business. It could go down before it is even started." she snaps at him while she is moving around. She sounds really frustrated. Mac who has taken a seed at their small dining table stands up.
"hey, baby. Look at me."
She stops and looks down at her hands before she finally looks into his eyes. That is actually the first time since he came home she actually is paying attention to him.
"your catering business is not going down. Your customers love your food. I love your food and if this asshole customer can't appreciate your work, he doesn't deserve to taste your delicious food. Okay?"
A little smile sneaks up on her face." thanks, Mac. Sorry, I am so stressed." She says and looks sad.
He touches her cheek softly with his thumb. "hey it is okay."
"I promise I will make it up til you, okay? I know I been super grumpy and crabby to be around lately." Mac chuckles a little. "sometimes you been slightly difficult to be around." She looks at him with a sweet look.
"come on Mac I been terrible to you lately."
Mac gotta admit she hasn't exactly been fun to be around lately, but he knows why so it is okay.
"you better get to work and you better make it up to me soon." He says in a warning tone. She looks at him with a smile before she continues cooking and he walks out of her way.
Mac grabs some leftovers in the fridges and walks to the living room to eat why he watch some tv. At around 9.30 pm he hears her phone ringing. He doesn't listen to what the conversation is about and assume is probably her sous chef and something about the wedding. At around 10 pm Mac decides to go to bed. He knows Christine has to get up early tomorrow so they should go to bed. He grabs his empty beer bottle and his plaid and walks to the kitchen. Christine is still cooking and there is no sign of her getting ready for bed.
"baby it is 10 pm. We should get to bed so you are ready for tomorrow." He says while he is putting his plaid In the dishwasher.
"I can not go to bed. They just changed the appetizer. They want fish instead of chicken. I can't go to bed until I have three new examples of appetizers I can show them."
"you need sleep too, Christine. You can't keep going without sleep." He is concerned for her.
"I need to Mac. What do you do when you have back to back cases. Coffee and granola bars?" she asks.
"yes but I also have an amazing fiancee who tells me to eat healthy food." Mac walks over to her and wraps his arms around her when he is standing right in front of her she is forced to pay attention to him.
"you need som sleep, Christine.
something on the stove right behind Mac starts boiling over.
"god dammit, Mac." She yells and pushes him out of the way to save her food.
"it was not supposed to boil. I have to start over."
She poured it out in the sink and gets ready to start over. Mac can see that this is a lost fight. He is not going to convince her to go to bed anytime soon so he surrender goes to bed alone.
Saturday, December 13.
At 6 am Mac wakes up to the sound of Christine moving around in the kitchen. He walks out to the kitchen while he is removing the sleep from his eyes and stretched his body.
"morning babe. Have you got some sleep?"
"yes, I got three hours. There is coffee." She informs him while she is moving around in the kitchen. Mac grabs his cup fast to get out of her way. She is just as stressed if not even more than she was last night. He walks into the living room with his coffee cup and sits down in front of the tv. Normally Mac likes to have the weekend off and spend it with Christine. Sit at the kitchen table and enjoying his Saturday morning coffee and just talking with her with no phones ringing no emails that need to be checked. Just the two of them enjoying each others company, but today… he would actually rather go to work. About 30 minutes later he hears Christine's voice from the front door.
"I'm heading to the restaurant. Leftovers for you in the fridge." And then she is gone. Now he knows how Christine must feel when he is working a big case and barely comes home for more than just a few hours sleep. He just never realized how frustrating it could be to her. Claire used to call him crabby and ignore him to make a point but Christine… he does she do it. She just keeps up with it no matter for how long it goes on. A few month ago he had a big case where a little 5-year-old girl was missing. She was about the same age at his goddaughter, Lucy. He just couldn't rest until she was found. And Christine… she was there. When he came home at three in the morning to get a cup of coffee and a shower and he woke her up with the noise from the shower. He barely talked to her before he left for work again when Flack called with a lead on the suspect. He even left without saying a word to her. He forgot to answer her text and calls because he was so stressed over the case. He realizes that he most really start thinking about how he treats her when he is stressed about a case.
Mac spends the morning relaxing and getting some paperwork done on a case he finished yesterday. Right before lunch, he gets a text from Lindsay and Lucy. They are going to a Christmas event in central park. Lucy wants him and Christine to come. He decides to go since it doesn't seem like Christine is going to come home before dinner.
Central park Christmas fair
Mac gets out of the subway and walks to the Christmas fair that is in the south end of central park. He sees Lindsay who is helping Lucy with her candy apple that lucy is trying to hold why she is insisting on keeping her little gloves on while Lindsay is trying to explain to her that her gloves will be sticky if she gets candy apple on them.
"Mommy, if I don't keep my gloves on I, will have teen popsicles," Lucy explains to her my like her mom doesn't understand the fact that it is cold.
"Lucy if you take your hands inside you sleeve so the stick on the apple is sticking out of your sleeve, then your are not going to get candy apple on your gloves or jacket and your hands will still be warm." Lindsay is getting tired of arguing with her daughter. Baby Jack is sleeping peacefully in his stroller with his winter clothing on and wrapped in a big blanket. Danny is slowly moving the stroller back and forth. Mac walks over to them.
"hey, guys." He greets. Lucy turns to Mac right away.
"Mac. Mommy wants me to freeze my fingers off." Lucy says to Mac. Mac just looks over at Lindsay. Lindsay looks tired. Lucy really knows how to make her mom sounds like a bad mom but Mac knows that Lindsay is a great mom. Mac kneels know in front of Lucy.
"what is the problem, Lucy?" Mac asks.
"mommy says that I should take my gloves off so I freeze my finger off."
"I want you to get your gloves off and take your hands inside you sleeves so you don't get candy apple on your gloves, Lucy." Lindsay sounds tired of arguing with Lucy.
"okay, Lucy how about a solution so you keep your fingers and your gloves don't get sticky?"
Both Lindsay and Lucy look puzzled at Mac. Mac takes out his handkerchief from his inside pocket of his jacket and wraps it around Lucy's glove that is holding the candy apple. He ties a little knot so it won't slip off.
"now. No freezing hands and no dirty gloves." Mac stands up again. Lucy looks up at her mom.
"Mac you are my hero," Lindsay says.
Lucy takes Mac hand with her free hand.
"Mac, can we go to the merry-go-round?" she asks.
"sure Lucy."
They walk to the Merry-go-round and Lucy gets on while Mac is waiting for her with Lindsay and Danny. While they are watching Lucy Lindsay notice that Mac looks tired.
"are you okay Mac?" Lindsay asks.
Both Danny and Lindsay look concerned at Mac. He looks tired. He has looked tired for the past week.
"yeah m fine. I am just concerned for Christine."
"something wrong between you two?" Danny asks.
"no… well… not in our relationship. She is super stressed right now and…"
"hey, guys." They here Quinns voice coming from their left. He turns to face her and see her walking along with Jo, Flack, and Hawkes.
"hey. Where is Ellie?" Lindsay asks Jo.
"she is a teenager. The only way I can convince her to leave the apartment is by promising she can invite her boyfriend." Jo sounds tired. Danny and Lindsays laugh at Jo.
"hey." Jo is raising a threatening finger at Danny and Lindsay. "It is Lucy soon. Don't laugh."
Everyone starts laughing then Hawkes looks over at Mac.
"Mac, you are here alone? Where is Christine?" everyone looks at Mac. Neither Quinn or Jo had actually noticed Christine wasn't there.
"um… she is… she's working on a big party. She had to prepare for it."
they are all noticing Mac is hesitating when he is explaining why she is not with him on a Saturday afternoon. Before anytime have time to comment on it Lucy is done on the Merry-go-round and comes running down to Mac who has been holding her Candyapple.
"Mac do you want to come with over to Santa?" Lucy asks. Mac smiles at her.
"of cause Lucy. Do you think you have been on the nice list this year?"
Lucy thinks about that for a while before she looks up at Mac with a confident look.
"I'm pretty sure I am. Do you think you are on the nice list?"
Everyone is looking at Mac with a smile on their lips but isn't saying anything but is just amused about Mac and Lucy.
"I'm pretty sure I am, Lucy."n
They spend the afternoon with Lucy visit Santa and Lucy a lot of different activities and talking to elves. She is always around Mac and wants Mac to come with her. She pretty much doesn't pay attention to the other adults. At around 5 pm they are all having hot chocolate but Lucy is getting tired and cold.
"Lucy I think we should get home when you are done with your hot chocolate," Danny says.
lucy protest. She doesn't want to go home yet. She hasn't tried Santa's sled yet. It is a mini train that is driving around for kids to try.
"Lucy it is getting late. It will be dark soon. You are cold and Jack is cold. We are going home when you are done with your chocolate." Danny says with a voice that tells lucy that this is not up for discussion. Lucy looks disappointed.
"are you getting cold too Mac?" Lucy asks. Mac nodded and shuffled a little to convince her.
"I am Lucy."
"okay," Lucy says and finishes her chocolate. Soon after the Messer is saying goodbye to everyone and heads home with two tired kids.
"okay, I think I should try to find Ellie. I think she had enough alone time with her boyfriend for the day." Jo says. Shortly after they hear Ellie's voice.
"hey, mom. Can we go home now?" she comes up next to her mom.
"sure. Where is Jonas?"
"mom. His name is Jordan." Elli says and sounds very upset about her mom still don't remember her boyfriend's name.
"okay sorry, I don't remember which one of the one direction he shares a name with."
"mom no one in one direction is named Jordan or Jonas."
"okay, whatever. Where is he?" jo looks around to see if she can see him, even though she probably wouldn't recognize him anyway. She has only seen him one time when she pointed a gun at him in her kitchen. "I thought you were with him?"
"I was but he had to go home. He has football practice tonight. He is playing a game tomorrow. Which I am going to by the way." Elli says and starts walking.
"we need to talk about that first you lady." JO follows her very determent daughter. Mac, Quinn, and Hawkes are left behind amused by Ellie and Jo.
"okay just the three of us. Up for dinner?" Quinn asks.
"sorry, Quinn I got plans tonight. See ya Monday." Hawkes says and leaves the two of them alone. Mac and Quinn are standing alone in awkward silence before Quinn says. "do you want dinner or do you want to head home to your girlfriend."
"dinner sounds good." He says and they starting walking. Quinn is a little surprised abut Mac accepting her invitation. He doesn't seem to be busy getting home today like usual when she invites him for something even with the team invited too.
they decide to go an Italian restaurant near Central park. After they have ordered and is waiting for their food they are sitting in silence. Awkward Silences. Quinn is avoided eye contact. She tries to break the awkward silences.
"Mac, can I ask you something?"
Mac looks up and makes eye contact with her. He smiles nervously.
"Sure." He says a little hesitant.
"why did you accept my invitation for dinner?"
Mac is confused. He looks around in the restaurant before he looks back at her.
"because you invited." He says hesitate again.
"I have invited you before bu you have said no every time until today. Always saying you have to get home to you girlfriend or you have plans with you girlfriend. But not today. When Hawkes asked you why you were alone today you hesitated when you answered him."
Mac looks away. He knows she is right. he has been avoiding her invitations ever since she joined the team. He normally wants to go home right away and he can't wait to see Christine's happy smiling face when he steps inside the door and being met by her warm kisses is the best thing, but not today. He knows that Quinna has noticed that something is up with him and probably the rest of the team noticed too. Quinn realizes she has overstepped his boundary.
"I'm sorry Mac. That is your privacy. It is none of my business…"
"it is okay." Mac cuts her off. She makes eye contact with him again.
"talking about why Christine wasn't there today and going home earlier jut made me feel really guilty."
She looks surprised at him.
"may I ask why?" she knows she has to step very carefully on this topic. This is the first time in all the years they have known each other that he has opened up to her so she doesn't want to ruin it. She sees it as a sign of him starting to trust her that he opens up about his relationship with Christine, to her. When they first worked together he never mentioned his wife to her. She only meets his wife two times and that wasn't exactly a success.
"she has a catering order for a wedding. They have changed the menu a lot and she is super stressed about it. She is barely getting any sleep and she is snapping at me and yelling at me and sometimes just ignoring me when I'm home." Mac looks down for a moment before he finds the courage to continue. "but the worst part is that I am doing the exact same thing to her when I have a big case or back to back case. I get agitated when she is telling I need sleep or I can't keep going with only one granola bar a day. Last night I told her she needed to go to bed and she yelled at me... I felt hurt last night… but when I think of all those times I have pushed her away because of a case. I felt so bad about myself. This morning she left at 6 am and I felt sorry for myself because I had the weekend off. I expected her to be home with me. But all those weekend she has off and she is alone because I have to work."
Mac shakes his head in kinda shame of himself. "I'm sure she doesn't feel it that way, Mac." Quinn is trying to sound very understanding. Mac looks up. That is a side of Quinn that he hasn't seen before. Quinn has always been flirting with him and not really seem interested in really listen to him and not really seem to accept the fact that he has a relationship that he is really happy in.
"I'm sorry Quinn. I shouldn't put all this on you. I'm sorry."
"it is okay Mac."
Shortly after their dinner, they separate and Mac walks to the subway to get home. Doing his walk from the subway station to his apartment he thinks about what he said to Christine last night. 'that she has to make it up to him that she hasn't been paying attention to him lately'. What a selfish idiot! Has he been making it up to her all those times he hasn't been paying attention to her and been ignoring her doing a big case? She must think he is the must selfish person she knows. He should be the one being supportive to her, just like she always is to him. she never tells him to make it up to her. Even though he REALLY should have been doing that a lot of times. She is always supportive of him no matter how much a pain in the ass he can be to her. She never asks for anything. Wow, he has really been an idiot to her.
When Mac comes into the apartment Christine is asleep on the couch. It is around 8.30 pm. He walks over to the couch and pulls the blanket over her so she doesn't get cold. He gives her a light kiss on the forehead and touches her lightly on her hair. Then he walks to the kitchen. There is a note on the kitchen table. "sorry I left so early. Meeting went well. Dinner in the fridge if you are hungry. I love you. I'm sorry." He looks at the last word on the note. His guilt is coming back. She is sorry when should be the one that is sorry. Mac walks back into the living room. He is standing and watching her for a little while. She is sleeping peacefully. He doesn't want to wake her up but he knows that she sleeps better in their bed. He walks over and removes the blanket from her and help her up to her feet.
"come on babe you should get into bed and sleep instead." Christine leaned her arms around his neck and leaned into him while he is leading her into bed. He gets her down on her side of the bed and pulls the cover over her before he leaves for the bathroom to get ready for bed. When he comes back into the bedroom Christine is sleeping with her head on his pillow and with her body across the bed. Mac just smiles at his beautiful fiance. He can't believe how he can be so lucky to have her in his life… although she occupies three-quarters of the bed and hugs the cover and his pillow. He gets into bed by pushing her a little bit so he can lay down behind her and wraps his arms around her and gives her a kiss on her hair and whisper I love you. before he turns off the light.
Sunday morning 8.30 am.
The smell of freshly made Coffee spreads out over the apartment and slowly wakes up Christine. She gets up and wraps her Bathrobe around her to stay warm. She comes out into the kitchen where the dining table is made with freshly made steaming coffee in the cups and a lighted up candle and Mac who is making an omelet on the stove. He looks over at her and smiles.
"morning sleeping beauty. Sleep well?" he asks." She looks surprised at him.
"what is going on here?" she asks and walks over and wraps her arms around him from behind and starts kissing him on the shoulder blades.
"if you keep doing that the omelet gets burn because I am getting distracted when you do that." He says with a smile. She giggles into his back.
"really? I am just keeping the promise I made to you on Friday. That I would make it up to you for being an awful girlfriend lately."
"but you shouldn't," he says in a serious tone and then takes the omelet of the heat and cuts into pieces before I place it on the two plates he has already next to the stove that has already freshly made bacon on them. He places the plates on the table.
"breakfast I served." She looks confused at him.
"what do you mean I shouldn't?" she asks when she sits down. He takes out the juice from the fridges before he sits down. He looks at her with a serious look.
"you shouldn't make it up to me. I should be supportive of you. You always support me when I am being an ass to you while working a big case and you never complain. I complain and tell you to make it up to me just because you are busy for two weeks." She looks at him with the sweets look he has ever seen.
"hey…" she places her hand on his. He stops eating and looks straight into her beautiful blue eyes. They are so filled with sincerity and love. "From the moment we started being together I knew that you work case hours doing big cases. I have known you for a long time and know that you are a totally workaholic. If I didn't want to keep up with that I wouldn't have been dating you and differently, wouldn't have said yes to you when you proposed to me…"
He smiles at her a little shy. He knows she is right.
"I love you." He says almost whispering.
"I love you too."
They are just sitting and staring into each other's eyes for a while before they continue eating their breakfast. After breakfast, they help each either cleaning up.
"so have any plans for today?" Mac asks her while they are cleaning the kitchen after breakfast.
"yes. I have plans for lunch." She says while she is standing with her back to him while whipping of the dining table. Mac is disappointed. He is beating himself up for it. He should be supportive. Of cause, she has a lunch meeting with the catering customer.
"okay." He says. She comes over and gives him a push with her hip for him to move away from the sink where he was cleaning the pan.
"I have a very important date with my fiancee." She says while she Is focusing on cleaning the dishcloth she used on the dining table. She looks up at him to see his reaction when he realizes what she just said. He looks at her with a smile.
"you could have said that instead of playing tricks with me." She looks at him with a teasing smile.
"I'm sorry honey but it is kinda fun. You really want to me supportive of me and I know that but still, you are so terrible at hiding your disappointment when you think I am dumping you for business." She starts laughing. He smiles at her and then splashes some water at her.
"you are not nice right now." He splashes som more water at her.
"hey be nice." She splashes some water at him too and they start playing like kids.
After their little water fight in the kitchen, they both get in some dry clothing before they are going to put a move on and just relax together. Christine comes in with two cups of coffee. She is just wearing one of Macs old Marine shirts.
"you are so beautiful." He says with such a sincerity in his voice that she blush. She sits down next to him and places the cups on the coffee table before she snuggles close to him under a blanket and Mac starts the movie. When the movie is over both Mac and Christine are fallen asleep. Christine wakes up when it knocks on the door. without thinking about that she is only wearing Macs t-shirt she answers the door. outside is a red-haired woman standing. It is Macs new team member Quinn Shelby.
"hey. Is Mac home?"
Christine look surprised at the surprising guest.
"hmm… yeah, but he is asleep right now." Christine answered truthfully. The look on Detective Shelby is unmistaken. Christine only wearing a t-shirt and Mac asleep. It is clear to Christine what the detective thinks they have spent the morning doing. It doesn't really bother Christine that the nosy detective thinks that. She can think what she wants to.
"where there anything you wanted? It is getting a little cold." Christine asks when Quinn has been starring at her for a little while. Quinn snaps out of her thoughts.
"No sorry. Mac just forgot his gloves yesterday." Quinn takes Mac's gloves out of her purse.
"oh. Thaks ill give it to him. thanks. Have a nice day." Christine takes the gloves and then closes the door. she puts his gloves in his jacket pocket and then walks back into the living room. She can't help but laugh a little to herself of the look of detective Shelby's face. It was like a realization that hit her. Like she had never expected that a couple that was engaged would have sex. How can someone be so surprised about finding out that to adult people living together was having sex? What planet is she from? Christine thinks to herself when she walks back to the couch and snuggles into Mac again. He is now laying on his back. She is laying down next to him. halfway on top of him. she starts kissing him to wake him up. He wakes up when he is feeling feather-light kisses on his neck and chest.
"that is tingling babe." He says while drawing circles on her back with his fingertips.
"what were you doing yesterday?" she asks.
He looks confused. Like he has to remember where he was.
"oh, I was on a date." He says with no sign of joking.
"with who?" she is asking.
"with a really nice girl named…" He pauses before he says the name to make it more dramatic."I think her name was Lucy. Or maybe it was jo. Or Lindsay. You know what?" he looks down at her. "I go on so many dates. I don't remember which one it was yesterday." He says with a smile.
"you are such a jerk." She says.
"Lucy asked me to come to a Christmas fair in the central park yesterday. The entire team joined."
She places her head on his chest.
"that sounds nice."
"by the way your collgeauge . the redhaired just stoped by."
Mac look confused at her.
"shelby? Here? What did she want?"
"she just stopped by with your gloves you forgot. She look quiet surprised when I said you where asleep."
"did you open the door in just that shirt?"
"yeah what else?"
She look up at him with an inocent loo before they both burst out in laughter. the rest of the day they spend relaxing together just enjoying som quialetytime together.