This story is placed somewhere between s8e17-s8e18. I imagining that Reid is the last person of Macs friends and family that she meets.

Macs apartment

It is around 10 pm on a Friday night. Mac had invited Christine out for dinner. After dinner they went for a walk in central park before they went to the car and drove to Macs apartment building. On their way back to the car it had started raining. It was only drizzling, but while they drove back to Mac's apartment it had started to rain more and they had also heard the sound of thunder in the distance. It wouldn't be long until the thunderstorm would be right above the city. Mac had noticed Christine's reaction when they heard the first sound of thunder. She didn't like it but tried to hide her fear from Mac. Once they got to Macs apartment building Mac had told Christine to just get inside while he parked the car.

Christine got out of the car and it was only a very short walk to the entrance of the building but once she got inside the building, she realized her coat was soaked. She hurried to the elevator and got to the floor of Mac's apartment. She noticed a darkly hooded person sitting nearby Mac's apartment door. Christine notices the persons black hoodie that is covering the persons face and the big black leather boots he is wearing. The person is sitting against the wall on the floor with his knees bent and with his arms resting on his knees and his head resting on his arms. It almost seems like he is asleep. He is not moving at all. He seemed to mind his own business. So she just walked over to Mac's door and unlocked the door. Once she got the door unlocked, she noticed the darkly hooded person was gone from where he was sitting. It had almost seemed like he was asleep. Christine looked down the hallway to see if she could see where he had gone but he wasn't there. Then she turned around to the door and she was shocked when the darkly hooded person, who turned out to be a young man with dark brown hair was standing right behind her.

"I'm sorry ma'am I didn't mean to scare you." The young man said. He sounded very polite. "but this is detective Mac Taylors apartment, right?" he asks.

"yes, who are you?" Christine asks still a bit shaken up by his sudden appearance right next to her. The young man takes off his hoodie and reaches his hand out to introduce himself formally to her.

"I'm Reed. I am waiting for detective Mac Taylor." Reed introduces.

"how do you know Mac… I mean Detective Taylor?" Christine asks. Correcting her self for the young man, whom she doesn't know.

"I… hmm… it is a long story." Reed says. He doesn't know how this woman is to Mac. He assumes she might be some personal friend of Macs since she has a key to his apartment. Reed notices that Christine almost seem to be blocking the door for him., so he decides to take a step back.

"it was nice to meet you, ma'am," Reed says and takes a few steps back. Christine just smiles at him and walks into the apartment and locks the door after her. She takes out her phone and calls Mac.

"missed me already?" Mac asks once he answers.

"no. Mac… there is a man outside your door waiting for you. He is dressed in a dark hoodie and black booth."

Mac can hear the fear in her voice.

"where are you now?" he asks.

"I'm in your apartment."
"have you locked the door?" Mac asks. He has just parked the car and was gathering his stuff when Christine called.

"yes." She answers.

"I'll be right there. Don't open the door until you hear my voice." Mac says and hangs up on the phone and leaves the car. Mac comes out of the elevator. He has his weapon drawn. Near his neighbor's door, there is a person, matching the description Christine gave him of the person. Mac slowly walks over to him.

"Hey," Mac says once he is near him. The black hooded young man looks up.

"hey man." He says with a smile. "wow hey." He says and gets up on his feet fast when he sees Macs gun. "I didn't mean to scare your friend man." Mac starts smiling and puts away his weapon.

"Hey, Reed. How are you?" Mac asks and takes Reed into a quick hug.

"I'm good, man," Reed says. It is Reed, Claire's son. "I'm really sorry if I scared your friend. I didn't mean to."
"it is alright Reed. Come on." Mac says and places a hand on Reed's shoulder and they walk to the apartment door together.

"Christine it is me. open up." Mac says and gently knocks on his front door. they can hear footsteps inside the apartment and shortly after they hear the door unlock and opens. The two men walk into the apartment and Reed takes off his leather booths.

"it is okay Christine," Mac says as an answer to Christine questioning gaze directed at Reed. "Reed," Mac says and Reed walks over to Mac and Christine.

"Reed ill like for you to meet my girlfriend Christine." Mac introduces to reed and then turns to Christine. "Christine this is Claire's son Reed."

Reed just smiles and reaches his hand out to Christine.

"it is a pleasure to meet you and an apology for earlier," Reed says. Christine just stares at him.

"you are Claire's son, that she gave up for adoption?" Christine just asked shocked.

"yes. Yes, I am." Reed says a bit surprised about the fact that Christine seems to be aware of his mother and also that she knows that he even exists. "you knew my mom?" Reed asks.

"yeah. We where friends. She told me about you." Christine now realizes she never shake Reed's hand. She takes Reed's hand. "it is so great to meet you. I'm sorry I got spooked earlier."

"it is alright. I'm sure a lot of creepy dudes' approaches Mac. So, you got to be careful. He probably told you that." Christine nods. "yeah something like that."

Reed takes off his wet sweatshirt and then they walk into the living room. Mac and Christine sit down on the couch and Reed take the chair. Once they are seated a big smile spreads on Reeds face. "you said you were friends with my mom, right?" reed asks Christine. Christine nods uncertainly of the intention young man's question. "wait a second, Mac. That means that you are dating your wife's friend?" Reed asks. Mac nods. "yes, I guess so."

Mac says. Both Mac and Christine can see the amusing part of Reed realization.

"so how do you and Mac know each other. Mean besides from you being friends with my mom?" Reed asks.

"my brother and Mac were friends since they where Marines. That was how I meet Mac and your mother, Claire. Claire and I became friends and Mac and my brother were friends and partners in the NYPD."
"wait a second, Mac. So not only are you dating your wife's friend? But you are also dating your friend's sister?" Reed starts laughing. "that is so much player Mac."

"I am not a player." Mac defends himself when Christine starts laughing too.

"that is so player, Mac," Reed says.

"I am not a player," Mac repeats but he can also see the amusing part of the situation.

"how about I go make us some coffee?" Christine asks and stands up. "do you drink coffee, Reed?"

"yes, please. Thank you, ma'am." Reed says.

"Reed. Just Christine."

"okay," Reed says and Christine walks to the kitchen to make the coffee. Once Christine has left the living room Mac look over at Reed again. He still has the teasing smile on his face but he has stopped laughing.

"I'm sorry if I overstepped there. I just think it is pretty funny, that you are a player."

"It is alright. Christine thinks it is pretty funny too." Mac turns a bit more serious. "so how you been. It has been a while since I have heard from you last." Mac says.

"Yeah, I know. I have been busy." Reed says and looks down.

"what is going on?" Mac asks. He can see that something serious is going on.

"my girlfriend…" Reed starts but it takes him a moment to continue. "she broke up with me."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Mac says. Even though Reed is not Mac's biological son and he will never have any biological family ties with Reed, Mac has always felt a certain responsibility for Reed and cared for him. In the beginning, Mac thought it was just because he felt like he owed that to Claire, but it doesn't feel like responsibility as much as it feels like general concern for the young man. Reed will probably always be the closest thing Mac will ever come to have kids, besides from his goddaughter Lucy.

"She left New York. She went home to Alabama without saying a word to me. she just left. It was her roommate who told me." Reed explains while he looks down at his hands. Mac doesn't really know what to say. He knows how it feels when someone is just leaving you without a word. That was what Peyton, his ex-girlfriend did to him.

"I know how it feels, Reed. It sucks, but…" Mac says waiting for Reed to look at him.

"I'm sure you will find someone who will treat you with the respect you deserve. She wasn't the right one when she treated you like that."
"I just feel like I wasted so much time on her. She couldn't even tell me to my face that she was leaving town to go back home."

"when did this happen?" Mac asks.

"a few weeks ago. I am just focusing on a new series of articles I've worked on."

"Just be careful about burying yourself in work even if it seems like an easy solution." Reed looks over at Mac. Mac gives him a look that tells Reed that that was exactly what Mac did when he lost Claire. Reed nods in understanding.

"your mom would want you to be happy, Reed," Mac says. A little smile comes upon Reeds face.

"Thanks, Mac, I know she would." Reed looks down at his hands for a moment. "mom would be happy for you too." He says referring to Mac's relationship with Christine." Mac hasn't thought about that since he started dating Christine, but it means the world to him to hear it from Reed. It is like getting acceptance of his relationship with Christine from Claire. The two men are sitting in pleasant silence for a moment until Christine comes back into the living room with the coffee. Afterword they sit and talk and Christine and Reed seem to get along just fine, which makes Mac really happy.

The meeting between Reed and Christine, even though it was complexly unintended it was like his old life and his new life made peace and connected in a promising way.