Chapter 24: Silent Game
. . .
As soon as the door to judge's office was closed, Jo turned to face Mac and stared daggers at him.
''Have you lost your mind?'' She asked slowly, making sure that he heard her every word.
''Jo, please...'' He started, but she raised her hand, silencing him.
''What the hell were you thinking?'' She asked. ''That I'll marry you in order to be able to adopt the kids?! You have to be insane!'' This time her raised voice vibrated in his ears, telling him how close she was from losing her cooling.
''Jo... please... not here...'' Mac begged in a whisper. She narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't say anything, which he took as agreement. He headed towards the parking lot, trying to take her elbow and guide her. She jerked away, but followed him.
Once they reached the parking lot, Mac didn't stop. He walked towards the car and stood at the driver's side. He glanced at Jo and briefly wondered if it was a good idea to get in the car with her. But he didn't seem to have a choice, since she already opened the door. She got into the car and he did the same.
''Jo, listen...'' He started, but she cut him off.
''No, you listen.'' She said without looking at him. ''There is no chance I'm gonna marry you.'' She said explicitly. ''Now drive.'' She added.
He waited a few seconds, letting her words sink in. He had thought she was going to rip his head off. Now he wasn't sure what was really worse. He follow her order automatically and turned the ignition on. He pulled away and drove towards the exit. Then he stopped behind some other car. It seemed like a lady who was driving it couldn't find a parking ticket in her purse. He risked a glance at Jo, who was staring right ahead.
''I didn't mean to upset you. I just... panicked.'' He admitted heartily. ''I had no idea what to do and...''
''And you came up with this?'' Jo asked ironically.
''Well... it did work.'' Mac noted shyly.
''No, it didn't.'' Jo answered, sounding slightly annoyed. ''Because, as I said, I'm not going to marry you.'' She repeated.
''But...'' Mac started.
''No, no 'buts'.'' Jo interrupted him. ''Not a single 'but'!'' She blurted up. ''I don't care what your intention was, I'm not going to do that. Not again.'' She said and Mac furrowed his eyebrows at her last words. ''I'm sick to death with all those 'you should', 'you ought', 'you must'... And most of all, I don't give a damn about what other people might think!''
The lady in front of them finally found her parking ticket and left the parking lot.
''Jo... I'm not sure if I follow...'' Mac murmured quietly, glancing at her. She looked back at him and sighed. She kept quiet for a couple of minutes, clearly debating with herself whether share this with Mac or not.
''I didn't want to marry Russ.'' She finally said. ''But I was pregnant with Tyler and... everybody kept saying that a child should have a father, too. That Tyler wouldn't be happy growing up in an incomplete family... Too bad no one said that the family where parents are constantly fighting isn't really better.'' Suddenly she was sounding more sad than angry and Mac cursed himself in his own mind for being such an idiot. ''I promised myself I'll never make this mistake again.''
Mac was aware it was probably better not to ask, but he couldn't help it.
''That you'll never get married again?'' He asked.
''That I'll never get marred without love.'' She corrected. ''You can't build a house starting from a roof.'' She added.
''Oh...''
He felt a sudden sting of pain at her words. So it seemed that despite all that had happened between them, she didn't have any feelings for him. Or she had some feelings, but it wasn't love. He wondered what actually love meant for her. What kind of love she needed to feel in order to be ready to marry someone. To marry him.
For him love changed its meaning over the years. Once it used to be like a blast, sweeping him off his feet. And the whole world as well. But damaged heart wasn't so careless anymore. It knew better and wasn't ready to bare itself so easily. To expose itself for something unknown and uncertain. With passing time loving seemed to be more like growing. Getting accustomed to each other. Slowly, barely noticeably. Until being one. Splitting up was not an option then. It would be like blasting everything, the whole life. It would be the same as dying.
This was exactly how she felt about Jo. About her and the kids. About his whole new family. More than anything in the world he wanted it to last. But it was clear it couldn't last without Jo feeling the same.
The sound of the car honking behind them brought him back to reality.
''So now what?'' He sighed, not being aware that he asked the last question aloud.
''I don't know.'' Jo answered. ''It's OK for now, but sooner or later you'll have to face the music.'' She told him.
''Yeah, I know.'' Mac murmured.
. . .
Half an hour later Mac entered their apartment. Jo asked him to give her a lift to the crime lab, as she had still some work to do there. He had to admit he wasn't really happy about it. He would rather like her to be with him when the kids started to ask question about the judge's decision.
In the hall he almost tripped over two pairs of muddy shoes and two dirty jackets.
''Hey, guys!'' He called.
''Yeah?'' Rick answered, coming out from his room with Lily following him.
''I'm pretty sure the floor isn't the right place for your clothes.'' Mac told them.
''But they're dirty.'' Rick noted, showing his jacket to Mac.
''Well, then we need to wash them.'' Mac said. ''Bring them to the bathroom.'' He added and took off his shoes and the suit jacket. He went to the bathroom and started to do the laundry. He still couldn't believe how it was possible that three kids were able to wear such an amount of socks during only one week. It was almost as if they had more than just two feet.
''Here.'' Rick said and handed Mac his dirty jacket. ''And the sweat shirt.'' He added.
''OK.'' Mac nodded and took the red sweat shirt from him. ''Lily?''
''Waaait!'' She yelled. After a moment she showed up in the bathroom, dressed only in her underwear. ''My trousers and t-shirt are dirty, too.'' She said and handed them to Mac.
''Anything else?'' Mac asked, but she shook her head.
''How about this?'' Rick asked. Mac turned his head and saw Mr. Whiskers dangling right in front of his eyes. He winced at the sight. The bunny was as dirty as if a truck run over it. At least several times.
''No!'' Lily squealed. ''You can't wash Mr. Whiskers!''
''All the mud from the park is on it.'' Rick noted, holding the bunny in the air by one ear, away from Lily's reach.
''That's not true!'' Lily protested strongly. ''I only dropped it in a puddle.''
''Twice.'' Rick added.
''Let me see.'' Mac asked and took the bunny from Rick. ''Well... it doesn't have a care label...'' He said, carefully inspecting Mr. Whiskers. ''But I'm sure it will be OK to wash it.''
''But I need it to fall asleep.'' Lily complained.
''If we wash it now and put it in the dryer after that, it should be ready for a bedtime.'' Mac told her.
''OK.'' Lily finally agreed with a sigh and Mac put Mr. Whiskers inside the washing machine..
''How about Ellie? Should we ask if she has something that need to be washed?'' Mac asked.
''She locked herself with Andy in her room and told us not to interrupt them.'' Rick told him.
''She did, huh?'' Mac murmured. ''OK.'' He said and pushed the button to start the laundry. ''Lily, you have to get dressed.'' He told her.
''Can I put on my pajama?'' She asked.
''Yeah, sure.'' Mac agreed and the three of them left the bathroom. Then Mac knocked on the door to Ellie's room.
''Yeah?''
''El, can you open the door, please?'' Mac asked and she complied.
''Hi, Mac.'' She told him. ''Is mom back, too?''
''No, she had to go back to the lab.'' Mac told her, glancing inside the room at the same time. Andy was sitting on Ellie's bed and seemed to be completely preoccupied with a text book in front of him. The only thing was that he was holding the book upside-down.
''I'm going to order pizza for dinner. Any special requests?''
''Umm... Can Andy stay for dinner?'' Ellie asked.
''Aren't his parents worried about him?'' Mac answered with a question.
''He texted his mom. Also, it's not so late yet.''
''OK. But he needs to go home right after dinner.'' Mac told her.
''OK!'' Ellie agreed happily.
''So... Capricciosa for you?'' Mac asked.
''Andy, do you like Capricciosa?'' Ellie asked, turning around to face Andy.
''Sure! I like all kinds of pizza.'' Andy said, glancing slightly nervously at Mac. ''Unless there are mushrooms in it.'' He added and Mac raised his eyebrows. Ellie turned back and rolled her eyes.
''So, Capricciosa without mushrooms.'' She told Mac and he chuckled.
''Almost like Margarita without mozzarella.'' He noted.
''Yeah.'' Ellie agreed with a giggle. ''Do you need us to help you setting up the table?''
''I'll call you.''
''OK.'' Ellie nodded and closed the door.
''Guys, what pizza do you want? Pepperoni?'' Mac asked Rick and Lily.
''Yeah, Hot Pepperoni!'' Rick answered.
''No!'' Lily protested. ''Not Pepperoni!'' She emerged from the room and ran to the kitchen.
''No?'' Mac asked, pretended to be shocked. ''So which one?'' He asked, picking her up and walking towards the fridge, where the menu was hanged.
''The one with pineapple.'' Lily told him. ''Don't you remember?''
''Aaahh, Prosciutto?'' Mac asked with a mocked Italian accent.
''No!''
''No? So maybe... Primavera?'' He continued to kid with her, winking at Rick at the same time.
''Nooo!'' Lily protested with laughter.
''You sure? So... Quattro formaggi?'' Mac asked.
''Huh?'' Lily asked, confused.
''Four cheeses.'' He whispered to her.
''Nope.'' She shook her head.
''Oh, I know! Al Tono! Right?'' Mac said and Rick burst out laughing.
''It's with tuna!'' He uttered.
''But I can order an extra pineapple to it.'' Mac offered.
''No...'' Lily said, wincing in disgust.
''So which one is with pineapple?'' Mac scratched his head, pretending to be wondering. ''Roma? Paradiso? Diabolo?'' He read from the menu. ''Brocolli?'' He paused and looked at Lily expectantly.
''Nooo!'' Lily whined and shook her head.
''No? But that's all. There isn't any other.'' Mac said and Lily looked at the menu, then at him. ''There's only some Hawaiian left, but I doubt...''
''Yeah, yeah, that one!'' Lily cut him off.
''Umm, you sure? It doesn't say it's with pineapple.'' He said.
''Really?'' Lily asked, looking at him with her big eyes.
''It says: tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, ham, oregano and... oh, wait... pineapple! How awesome is that?!'' He exclaimed and lifted Lily even higher, making her giggle. When he lowered her back down, she hugged him by the neck, still shaking with laughter, and he couldn't help but smile.
. . .
After dinner and after Andy had left, they watched some silly TV shows about cooking, until Lily fall asleep on Mac's lap. He took her to her bed and then helped Ellie and Rick clean the table. After that Ellie returned to her room as she needed to chat with Andy on her computer.
''They talked all day long and yet they need to chat with each other?'' Rick asked with disbelief. Mac only smiled upon hearing him. They sat on the couch and Mac switched to Discovery Channel. But Rick didn't seem to be interested in it. Instead of that he was watching Mac carefully.
''Is something wrong?'' Mac asked.
''Why you didn't tell us what the judge said?'' Rick asked. ''We can't stay with you, can we?'' He added in a sad voice.
''No, no. I haven't said anything because we wanted to tell you this together, with Jo. But...'' He paused, thinking that he shouldn't probably tell anything about the argument he had had with Jo. ''Yes, he made the final decision and you can stay with us. You and Lily.'' He told Rick.
''Really?'' Rick asked with a smile. ''Like... forever?'' The last word was only slightly above the whisper, nevertheless Mac was able to hear it.
''Yeah, forever.'' He confirmed.
''That's really great.'' Rick said and leaned back on the couch next to Mac. He let out a deep sigh and stayed quiet for a moment. After that he looked up at Mac and asked, ''Can we watch 'How It's Made?' ?''
''Yeah, sure. I only check on the laundry.'' Mac told him and got up from the couch. He went to the bathroom and unloaded the dryer. Almost everything was dry already. Besides Rick's sweat shirt, which needed a couple more minutes. While folding the clothes, suddenly something caught his attention. He picked up Mr. Whiskers and took a look at it. It was as clean as new. But also, it wasn't gray anymore. It was pink.
''Oh, crap...'' Mac murmured.
. . .
The next morning, when Mac woke up, Jo still wasn't home. At 9 o'clock, when Ellie got up, he decided to ask her to watch the kids and he went to the lab to spell Jo off. But he only found Lindsay in the office.
''Hi, Mac.'' She greeted him. ''I didn't know you're here.''
''I just came. Do you happen to know where's Jo?'' He asked.
''Umm... I think she went to your office. She needed to lie down for a moment.''
''She doesn't feel well?'' Mac asked with concern.
''No, she was just tired. This case is a nightmare.'' Lindsay sighed. ''And she's been working on it for a second day, almost without any break.''
''Right.'' Mac nodded and he left the room.
Indeed, as Lindsay had said, he found Jo on the couch in his office. She was curled in the corner, the case file still in her hand, which made him smile. He crouched in front of the couch and gently touched her cheek.
''Hey, Jo...'' He whispered and she opened her eyes almost instantly, which told him it was more the power nap than a real, deep sleep. For a second she seemed to be confused to see him, but then she sat up abruptly.
''Sorry! I don't even know when I fell asleep.'' She told him.
''That's OK. You're exhausted.'' He told her, standing up. ''Go home, Jo. I'm taking this case over.''
''But...''
''I'm still your boss, remember?'' He asked in a joking tone. At the same time he gave her his hand and help her to rise from the couch.
''Yeah.'' She answered with a smirk. ''But I have to fill you in.''
''I'm sure Lindsay will manage to do that.'' Mac assured her.
''You really want to get rid of me, don't you?'' Jo asked with a smile.
''Yup.'' He told her and opened the door for her.
''Has something happened at home?'' Jo asked, looking at him suspiciously.
''No, everything is fine. Ellie's watching the kids right now, but she needs to leave for her summer school in an hour or so, so you'd better hurry up.'' Mac told her.
''OK, then.'' Jo finally agreed.
''Oh, wait.'' Mac suddenly stopped her. ''There's something you need to know.''
''Yes?''
''It's really silly, but... well, it can cause a big crisis.'' Mac said hesitantly.
''What did you do?'' Jo asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
''Well... I did the laundry and somehow... I dyed Mr. Whiskers.'' Mac admitted and made a face.
''What?'' Jo asked with a chuckle. ''How come?''
''I washed it with Rick's sweat shirt. I had no idea that the dye would transfer.''
''How did Lily take it?'' Jo answered.
''Well...'' Mac started.
''Oh my God, you haven't told her!''
''She was already asleep and...''
''But she'll be awake now and I'm sure she'll ask about it.'' Jo noted.
''That's why I'm telling you that.'' Mac told her.
''Riiight. And I have to deal with it.'' She huffed. ''So, what color is it now?''
''Kinda... pinkish.''
''Pinkish? It could be worse, then.'' Jo told him, patting his back. She was almost in the hall, when she suddenly turned around. ''Wait a moment! What else did you wash last night? Is everything... 'pinkish'?''
''Nooo... Only the white stuff.'' Mac admitted quietly.
''Anything mine?''
''Well... Let me think... Ellie's soccer socks and Rick's t-shirt. One of my dress shirts. And your nightgown...''
''Which one? The one with lace trimming?''
''Yeah... That one...'' Mac confirmed and took a small step back, just in case.
''Maaaaac!'' Jo said in a complaining tone.
''I'll buy you a new one.'' Mac offered, slightly hesitantly, but she just raised her eyebrow at him. ''Also, it doesn't look that bad in pink. Actually, I think it looks quite nice. And I'm sure that it will look really good... on you.'' He noted shyly, but she only narrowed her eyes at him.
''Nice try.'' She finally said. ''You're still in a doghouse.'' She said and turned around, heading for her office.
. . .
''I have a pink bunny! I have a pink bunny!'' Lily chanted.
''Lily, don't jump on the bed.'' Jo told her mechanically.
She ignored what Jo had just said and kept jumping. Jo shook her head and smiled. She reached for the shopping bag and took it to the bathroom.
''Wheeee!'' Lily squealed, leaping from one bed to the other.
''Lily, be careful!'' Jo warned her. She placed a jar with body butter on the bathtub, then she moved to the cupboard and placed a couple of tubes there. Suddenly she heard a loud thud. ''Lily!'' She screamed. She dropped the bag and rushed to the bedroom. She was sure she would hear a burst of crying any second now, but there was none. Only the dead silence, which was even more terrifying. There was no sign of Lily anywhere, so she ran through the room and checked the other side of Mac's bed. As she caught the site of Lily lying on the floor behind the bed, her heart skipped a beat. She dropped to her knees and shakily stretched her hand towards the girl. She wasn't moving and when Jo gently touched her head, she felt how her hair was getting sticky and moist with blood.
''Oh my God...'' Jo choked out. ''Rick!'' She cried out. She gently cradled Lily's head with her palm, hopelessly trying to stop the bleeding. ''Rick!'' She cried out once more.
''Yeah?'' Rick suddenly asked behind her. ''What...?'' He started, but she only shook her head and cut him off.
''Pass me my phone.'' She asked.
''Umm...'' Rick hesitated, looking around.
''It's on the night stand.'' She told him. He grabbed it quickly and handed it to Jo, who dialed 911.
''Is she gonna be OK?'' Rick asked anxiously, but before Jo managed to answer him, she connected with the dispatch. She was asked about all the details to the point where she felt like crying in frustration and telling them just to send the damn ambulance already. The minutes of waiting for the paramedics to arrive weren't any better. She was trying to bring Lily round, but she couldn't. Finally there was the buzz on the intercom and Rick ran to let the paramedics in before even Jo asked him to do that. Once they entered the apartment, he showed them the way to the bedroom and Jo had to step back. The young female glanced at Jo and then knelt down next to Lily.
''How did it happen?'' She asked.
''She fell off the bed.'' Jo answered quietly.
''She was sleeping?'' The doctor asked.
''No... She was jumping.'' Jo told her in a broken voice.
''What's her name?''
''Lily.'' Jo answered. She watched how the doctor gently touched Lily's face, repeating her name over and over again. Finally, much to Jo's relief, Lily opened her eyes.
''Hi, sweetie.'' The doctor said. Lily looked at her, confused. ''Don't move.'' She added quickly as she felt how Lily tried to move her head in order to look around. Nevertheless Lily's eyes found Jo and she fixed her stare on her. ''Does anything hurt you?'' The doctor asked and Lily nodded slightly. ''Where?''
''My arm.'' Lily murmured quietly.
''Which one? This one?'' The doctor asked and touched Lily's left arm.
''Ouch!'' Lily yelp in pain and started to cry, which left Jo completely heartbroken. She placed her hand over her mouth in order to keep herself from crying.
''It might be broken.'' The doctor said aloud and Lily winced. ''We have to take her.'' She told Jo as she rose to her feet. Her two colleagues gently moved Lily to small stretcher and lifted her up. The doctor looked at Jo and offered her a light smile. ''Don't worry, she'll be fine. Kids that age are tougher then we think.'' She said comfortingly. ''You can come with us...'' She told Jo. ''… but only you.'' She added, glancing at Rick.
''OK.'' Jo nodded. ''Rick, can you stay alone?'' She asked and he nodded, watching how paramedics took Lily out of the room. ''Call Ellie and tell her to come back home as quick as possible.'' Jo added and she followed the paramedics and the doctor.
. . .
A/N Yeah, I know... I'm really sorry for this humongous break, but I was really uninspired. But truth to be told, I really missed writing, so when I found half of this chapter on my computer I decided to finish it and post it. Although it hasn't been proofread by anyone, so I'm really sorry for all the mistakes I made. I really tried hard to avoid them, but... well, it's never enough.
I'm already planning on the next chapter, but I have no idea when it will be up.