hello I'm back :)
Sorry for the delay , thanks for your support
Thanks to liabelle who beta it :) Thanks to my friends :)

Thanks to the reviewers and readers :)

Chapter 24 :

The surgeon had given Mac permission to go back with Lindsay. They had stopped the haemorrhage and repaired the damage the bullet had made.

He went to her side, and sat next to the hospital bed she was laying in. He took her hands in his. This day was one of the worst since 9/11. To see this happening not to one of his own, but to two of them was almost unbearable. He considered Danny and Lindsay his children

He watched Lindsay. She looked so peaceful. Nothing seemed to trouble her sleep; but when she inevitably woke up, the horrible truth would be a shock to her.

He tried to relax in the uncomfortable hospital chair.

Mac slept a little bit but he awoke as someone touched his arm, he opened his eyes and looked at Lindsay, but she was still sound asleep because of the meds the surgeon had given her. He looked around and saw two of the three women of his life: Peyton and Stella.

He needed them; they were his strength. Stella was quite the opposite of Peyton: always there for him, the tough CSI, strong but fragile inside. Always trying to stand her ground even in the worst situation like with the afterwards of Frankie's attack. Stella was his ally, his confident. She had been there the 9/11 when Mac saw the twin towers been attacked, she had been there to hug him, to tell that everything was ok, that there was still hope. She was there when he had to go through all the hidden side of the 9/11: when he had to ask if Claire, his wife, was really in the World Trade Center when it happened, when he search for the remain of his wife. She had always been his shoulder to lean on, she had been there to calm him after his anger. She had always been there, and she reminded him of Claire, because Stel' was like her: always seeing the good side of life.

Peyton wasn't at all like Stella, she was fragile, she was unsure of herself, but since she was in the relationship she was the strong one. She was the one who had the strength to have a relationship with Mac who was still mourning over his dead wife, and when he finally let her in, she changed him for good. He found happiness again, she looked like Claire, but her personality was another thing compared to Claire's.

Peyton was fragile, and nothing could hide it, she didn't have a big shell like Stella or Claire did. Peyton was like a doll that could break at any moment, like when for four days she didn't talk to Mac because he didn't want to go public on their relationship and that he'd pushed her away when Stella had entered his office. She didn't want to do the first step toward him afraid he didn't want the relationship anymore. Mac had soon realised he was going to lose someone he loved because he was too concerned about what his lab might think of a co-workers relationship and so he went to her and he had reassured her. He said to her that he really want their relationship to work and that he might be cautious and his only will was to protect her, and he might seem overprotective but he really didn't want to loose her like he lost Claire.

"You're here," she said sending out of his reverie and thoughts about the women of his life, she kissed him chastely on his lips and then going to see the charts on Lindsay's bed.

"Any news about Danny?" Stella asked sitting near Mac, looking very worried, arm crossed on her chest.

"No, he is still in surgery. Hawkes is with the surgeon team, they allowed him to have access to the theatre so he can only watch," he said with shy smile on the corner of his lips thinking of Sheldon who had been once a Surgeon.

"He is in good hands," Peyton said turning to the couple of investigators.

They looked at her and smiled at her. She was trying to lighten the mood, trying to stay optimistic. Mac reached for her hand and she went beside him and he got up and hugged her. He knew she was shocked about what happened, and he knew that under her optimistic line she wanted to cry and be hugged. Danny was like a brother for her, she knew that she would never be like Stella was with Danny but still, they were getting on well when she arrived as a M.E.

Mac let her sit on the chair he had occupied earlier and she sat there, completely away. She was recalling the moment when Danny had learned about her relationship with Mac. That made her smile, how he had reacted, kind of surprised and then jealous that Flack new before him…

When she went out of her state of mind, Stella was gone, and Mac was looking at her.

"Peyton, maybe you should go home. It's gonna take quite awhile before Lindsay wakes up and you look like you need a good night of sleep"

"No, you wanted me here, and now I'm here to make sure you're okay. I'm not going away like that."

"Peyton, I am Fine, and I will be better if I know that you're going to be home, and not here. Don't worry about me, ok?"

"Mac," she tried to protest but he kissed her and helped her to get up.

Peyton resigned herself and left Mac with Lindsay.

TBC...

thank you very much for your reviews :)

If you have any advice just give it to me , I'm in a writer's block I'm trying (forcing ) myself to write to come out of it as soon as possible.

Ps: I need someone to beta-read chapter 21 M 1/2.