OK, so I finally got around to writing this chapter… and here it is,beta read by dark rolling sea. Thank you for that!
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And thanks to anyone who reads this! ;)
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CHAPTER 15 – Of 'I Love Lucy' and Aspirin
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Mac began to take various things out of the paper sack while Lindsay walked to stand beside him. She curiously shifted her eyes between the foods and Mac, to see if he liked what she had picked out. This didn't go unnoticed by him.
"So?" Lindsay asked with a hint of impatience.
"Just how much stuff did you get?" Mac chuckled as he kept on unloading more items.
"I wasn't sure what to get so I figured I might as well cover my bases," she said, smiling a little shyly.
After the array of groceries was spread out on the counter the pair started to work on turning them into a meal. The work, if you could call it that, because of all the fun they were having, ran smoothly. They worked well together, as if reflecting the manner they worked in the field or at the lab. Except that now they didn't have to watch out for other people seeing them or think about solving the case. Their system of keeping their two lives fairly separate was working as they had both secretly hoped, but there was always that ever present spark in their eyes when they were together. They were pretty sure others would note it soon – if they hadn't already.
Lindsay was finishing up the salad, chopping the last few pieces of tomato, when she felt Mac come stand behind her, bringing his hands to her waist he kissed her ear.
"So when can we eat?" he asked anxiously, still trailing kisses along Lindsay's neck. She found it incredibly hard to concentrate, but she picked up a piece of carrot and lifted it in front of Mac's face. "If you're hungry, you can eat this," she said light-heartedly. "But I think it'll…" she began but was interjected. She felt her knees going weak and searched for support. A multitude of feelings passed between them, a plethora of which originated from their time spent apart that week. "…only take a minute or two," she finished before they engaged in another kiss.
The said minutes passed and they got around to serving and eating the food. Luckily they had a fairly similar taste and the meal wasn't too spicy or the other way around. Come to think of it, they preferred a lot of the same foods. Just one more thing to add to the list of things they shared. After finishing up, Mac would have been content doing the dishes later on after Lindsay had left. Despite his best efforts to try and convince her, they ended up next to the sink, effectively doing the dishes. Not that he minded though – it was actually enjoyable in good company.
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Mac and Lindsay were on the couch, watching reruns of 'I Love Lucy'. Mac had his feet propped up on the coffee table while Lindsay had hers partly pulled up under her. Her head was resting against Mac and his arm was around her. If anyone was to see them right now, they couldn't help but think how sweet a sight it was.
After a few episodes and a bundle of conversations that they had ensued later, it was getting late. Lindsay was showing no signs of leaving though.
"The one where she goes to Buckingham Palace was great… Trying to get the guard to break character," Lindsay stated.
"I always liked the ones where she went to Europe better than the Hollywood ones," Mac said, voicing his opinion.
"Me too," Lindsay smiled, briefly turning her head and looking up. "There was just something about them. I liked the Hollywood ones a lot too but I don't know… Something…" she said trailing off.
They continued to watch the show, enjoying their time together. Lindsay buried her head deeper into Mac, crumpling his shirt in the process. Not that he minded it, quite the opposite in fact. It was nice to have someone beside him after being alone for so long. Creasing was very good indeed, at least in Mac's mind.
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Mac awoke in the middle of the night only to find that his other hand was almost completely numb. He could hear the subtle voices emitting from the TV and slowly he opened his eyes. That's when all the pieces fell into place. He was still on his couch and Lindsay was right there with him. More accurately she was curled up beside him, laying on his arm – hence the numbness. A smile spread across his lips and any thoughts he might have harboured about getting up were gone. Mac reached for the remote, careful not to wake Lindsay up. After switching off the TV he reclaimed his place between the back of the couch and Lindsay. At the back of his mind he was glad he had gone with the wider couch a few years ago, even though Lindsay didn't take up a lot of room. Gently but securely he put his arm around her to make sure she wouldn't fall. Suddenly his arm wasn't bothering him at all. Relishing the feeling of her in his arms, he felt happiness wash over him. Feeling as good as Mac did, it didn't take long before sleep overcame him.
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Early on Sunday morning Lindsay stirred in her sleep, slightly readjusting her position, causing Mac to wake up from his now shallow sleep. His face was buried in Lindsay's neck in the midst of her sprawled up hair. He breathed in the scent that was her mixed with the faint honey-based smell of her shampoo. A little reluctantly Mac tried to prop himself up so he could get a glimpse of the clock on the wall. He grinned ever so softly when he noticed how tangled up their feet were. As he had suspected it was still incredibly early, even though he felt he had slept for an eternity. The quality of the sleep had certainly been a lot better than in a long, long time. Allowing himself to relax back to the couch, he placed a soft kiss on Lindsay's head. Her breathing was even and it had a very calming effect on him. Or maybe it was the fact that she was actually there. Whichever it was, Mac just knew this was where he felt at home.
About a half an hour later Lindsay stirred once again, this time waking up. Taking in her surroundings she smiled at her conclusion. The smile grew even larger when she registered the warmth of Mac. Then she noted the hand that was softly cradling her. She loved the feeling of waking up like she just had and on top of that her neck wasn't even aching. She could get used to this, very easily.
She could tell that Mac was awake and probably knew she was now as well.
"Hey," she said, turning around.
"Morning," Mac answered just before Lindsay's lips met his. It was a very delightful morning. They continued to just lie there, all cuddled up and in each other's arms, legs tangled up even more than before. How much time passed, they weren't certain. There was no hurry as it was Sunday morning and the pair was truly grateful for it.
"As much as I'm enjoying this," Lindsay said with a muffled voice. "I really need to go to the bathroom…"
Mac smirked a little at the dramatic emphasizing and gave her room to leave. As Lindsay got up she shuddered. The surrounding air felt chilly after getting used to having someone beside her. Mac watched her go and got up himself to get some coffee pouring.
Lindsay looked at her reflection in the mirror and ran her fingers through her hair to try and straighten it out a little. Fairly satisfied with the result, she let her mind start to wonder. A smile crept across her lips and she let herself take a moment and rejoice the memories. Had she been asked a month ago, what she would be doing this weekend, her answer would have been something completely different. But no matter what it would have been, this was much more desirable. A myriad of things had changed in that period of time and it was all for the better.
As she exited the bathroom she glanced at the couch and seeing it was empty, headed to the kitchen. Spotting a fresh cup of coffee waiting for her on the table, she sat down. Mac had retrieved his morning paper and was casually flipping through it. He asked if she wanted a particular section of it, an offer she gladly accepted. Paying rather minimal attention to the paper, they chatted about general and trivial things even though the conversation was arbitrary. No matter how much time they spent together, the presence of the other one was always the pivotal point.
"I think I have to take a little morning stroll and go home," Lindsay said. "I could really use a shower and a change of clothes."
"You sure you don't want a ride?"
"I'm good," Lindsay assured him. "So, do you want to get together later on?"
Mac smirked. "Do you really have to ask me that?" he replied, earning one of her wonderful smiles.
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On Monday morning Mac and Lindsay entered the lab together. A lot of things were turning into routines, coming to work together being one of them. Mac was just opening the door for her when he heard Stella's distinct voice calling out to them.
With a somewhat mischievous grin plastered on her face, she caught up with them. "You sure seem to be arriving at the exact same time a lot these days…"
Mac continued to hold the door open, so that both women could get inside. "Your point being?" he asked her rather sternly.
"I'm sure you know what I'm talking about," she replied, tactfully rushing onward, avoiding any further remarks.
"She knows, doesn't she?" Mac uttered, making it more of a statement than a question.
"Undeniably," Lindsay concurred with a slight grin. "She's one of your closest friends and she has a knack for picking up these things."
"Frankly, I'm surprised she didn't say anything sooner, 'cause I'm sure she has known for an extended period of time," Mac mused as he rounded the corner to his office.
"That she has," Lindsay asserted. "I'll see you later," she said, softly tapping him in the arm.
"Later," Mac said with a tiny but warm smile.
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A few hours later Mac, Lindsay and Flack found themselves at a dorm house. A body of a young man was lying motionless on the floor, next to his bed. He had stab wounds on his upper torso and the smeared blood covered not only his shirt but the carpet under him. Flack was talking with some of the residents, asking about the victim's roommate who was yet to show his face while Mac and Lindsay were looking around the space, about to process the scene. The coroner showed up shortly to take the body away and Flack continued his investigative work.
They were just about finished when the victim's missing roommate, or that is who they assumed him to be, made an appearance. Flack was farther away in the corridor, talking intently to the supervisor of the dorm. The boy ran inside, quickly glancing around for something and moving next to a bookcase. Not finding what he wanted, he made a run for it. Mac was making his way out of the victim's room to see where the suspicious noises were originating from when he spotted the boy. He started running along the corridor, alerting Flack who was at the other end. Mac started chasing him, yelling, "Get him!"
Lindsay had noted the commotion and when looked out into the corridor, she saw the two detectives rounding the corner at the end of the hallway, she debated whether to follow them or not. Deciding it was probably useless for her to leave the scene, she stayed put. She was a little distracted and somewhat worried but was able to resume her task of collecting samples.
As Mac sprinted along the surprisingly empty part of the corridor, he knew he was about to catch up with the boy. Mac grabbed him, just as the boy was about to open the door and slip outside. He fought back fiercely, struggling to free himself of Mac's grip and managed to connect his elbow with Mac's jaw. Despite the collision, Mac had him against the wall right when Flack arrived. Handing him over to Flack, Mac clenched his jaw and started back to the initial crime scene.
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Lindsay was packing up when she saw Mac emerge from the hallway. "What happened to you?" Lindsay asked in concern, practically jumping up from her squatted position.
"A little trouble with the…" he began, but Lindsay nodded, signalling she understood. "I'll be just fine."
Mac was rubbing the spot of impact, trying to ease the burning sensation that was vividly present. Lindsay ripped off her latex gloves and went to stand in front of him. She raised her hands and gently inspected how much damage had been done. He didn't wince and she took it as a good sign.
"You'll live," she said. "But you're gonna have to put some ice on that or it'll get twice as painful," she finished with a sympathetic smile.
"I suppose," Mac pondered. "So you finished up?"
"Yeah. Now let's get you some ice and some aspirin."
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Lindsay was rummaging through the cabinet in the break room, which was where they allegedly kept the aspirin. Finally coming across the small medicine bottle she was looking for, she extracted two little pills. Getting a glass of water she handed them to Mac.
"Drink up," she commanded.
"Thanks," said Mac, eagerly swallowing the pain medication so the newly transpiring headache would soon subside. He was about to get up but Lindsay blocked his way, pressing her hand against his chest.
"Take it easy for a minute, will you? We are not in that much of a hurry." Lindsay assured him, her voice stern but tender. Mac wasn't quite sure how she was able to have this kind of affect on him. Whatever she told him, it always seemed so reasonable and filled with good intentions. She pulled a chair and sat down right in front of him. Wordlessly she took another look at the wound, her fingers trailing the bruised area. She grabbed the bag of ice that Mac had already discarded onto the table.
"I think the ice helped quite a bit. Might not get any worse than it already is, which is not half that bad," she said, applying light pressure with the ice. She could feel his gaze washing over her and she smiled subtly. She knew the minor injury wasn't life threatening in any way but she couldn't help but to worry. She cared too much for him not to try and make him feel better, even if it was just a tiny bit.
Mac looked at the amazing woman in front of him. Here she was, cradling his face, pressing an ice bag on his aching jaw. She was incredibly affectionate and caring and he couldn't ask for more. The caring in her eyes was strong and it took all his willpower not to bring her lips to meet his right then and there.
"I think you can say goodbye to the ice now," Lindsay said, much to Mac's delight. "There's more aspirin, if you need more," she continued, momentarily locking her eyes with his. "Take care, will you?"
"I will," he promised. They got up and at the door of the break room, Mac leaned in close and just loud enough for her to hear, whispered, "Thank you."
The two words were bristling with gratitude and even devotion. Lindsay smiled to herself as they parted ways. She enjoyed the fact that she could take care of him – not that she liked him being hurt. But when push came to shove, she wanted to be there and he was letting her. She was also certain that the feeling was mutual. With the warm sensation brewing inside her, she pulled on her lab coat.
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That's it for now but more will follow… I hope you liked it! Feel free to leave a little comment – or a suggestion. :)