Part Six
Hey guys, thanks for all your reviews, I seem to be terrible and updating at the moment! Anyway, this is just a filler chapter really, so sorry if it's a bit boring, the next chapter will skip forward a few weeks to Christmas, and then shortly after that it'll be Hawkes and Camille's wedding and New Year's Eve, will Mac and Jo give into their ever stirring feelings for each other, you'll just to wait and see hehe xxxx
They walked down the street, taking in the fresh air and making their way through the crowds.
"So what do you fancy doing?" Mac asked as they carried on walking in no particular direction.
"Anything, as long as it doesn't involve crowds and loud music." Jo said chuckling.
"Well I have the perfect place." Mac said taking her hand and crossing the street towards Central Park.
They walked through Central Park, until they reached a clearing where there was a fork in the path. Mac stopped with Jo coming to a halt next to him.
"Mac, where are we going?" Jo said looking at him.
"I am just trying to remember which way it is, ummmm." Mac said looking around him for a clue to help him.
"Why don't we just go back, it's freezing out here?" Jo said hopping up and down gently to try and get warm.
"Ok, I think it's this way." Mac said taking her hand again and leading the way down the path.
"I always forget how beautiful the park is this time of year." Jo said looking at all the fairy lights in the trees.
"Yeah it's great isn't it! God you really are cold!" Mac said noticing how cold her hand was in his.
"Well if you've failed to notice Mac, I'm not wearing a lot!" Jo said referring to her tight fitting red dress and just her coat over the top.
Mac thought to himself 'of course I've noticed, how could I not notice, you look amazing!" Jo pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Earth to Mac Taylor!" Jo said chuckling when he finally made eye contact with her, smirking at the thought of his eyes all over her, clearly admiring her attire.
"Come on it's just over there." Mac said walking towards a lit booth in the middle of the park.
"What is, where are we going?" Jo said chuckling at his eagerness.
"You'll find out, now you can't let the others know about this place, it's our little secret ok?" Mac said smiling at her.
"Err ok, Mac what are you up to?" Jo said moving the hair out of her face.
"This is my friend Tommy's place, he sells…." Mac said before he was cut off with an excited Jo.
"Ice Cream! Oh my god, how did I not know about this place?" Jo asked him walking up to the kiosk.
"I hope you're not too cold for ice cream, but Tommy here will pretty much have any flavour you can think of." Mac said pulling a stall out for her to sit on.
"Oh it's never too cold for ice cream Mac… which ones are good?" Jo said looking at all the tubs of brightly colours ice creams.
"They're all good aren't they Tommy?" Mac asked his friend as he approached the two of them.
"They sure are, only the best here Mac…good to see you again my friend." He said smiling and shaking his hand.
"Good to see you too, this is my friend Jo Danville, she works at the crime lab with me." Mac said introducing her to Tommy.
"Ahh I was just about to ask who this beautiful lady is…nice to meet you Jo, I hope Mac here is treating you tonight." Tommy said winking at her.
"Of course, ever the gentlemen aren't you Mac?" Jo said looking at him and smiling.
All Mac could do was smile back at her and take his seat on the stall next to her.
"So what are you going to have? I would very highly recommend the red velvet cheesecake and the vanilla bean one." Mac said taking a menu and passing it to her.
"Well I'll have that one then, seen as you have tried and tested it, and a hot chocolate to warm me up!" Jo said smiling at Tommy as she looked up from the menu.
"Coming up angel, how about you Mac?" Tommy said stirring some hot chocolate on the stove.
"I'll have the same actually, so….how have you been Tommy?" Mac asked him rubbing his hands together to warm them up.
"Oh not too bad Mac, can't complain, Laura is in remission now so we're all a lot better thanks." Tommy said putting the hot chocolates down in front of them,
"What kind of cancer did she have, if you don't mind me asking?" Jo said wrapping her cold hand around the hot mug.
"Ovarian, had it five years ago and she beat it, but then it came back with a vengeance last year. Been a year from hell but we're through it now, she's a fighter my Laura." Tommy said smiling at Jo's concerned face.
"They've been married 32 years this year, picture of happiness those two!" Mac told Jo.
"32 years! Wow that is amazing, wish I'd made it that far!" Jo said chuckling.
"Now that does surprise me, a gorgeous thing like you being single, does it you Mac?" Tommy said winking at him.
"Yeah, something like that." Mac said clearing his throat awkwardly.
"I always did know how to tease you didn't I Taylor? We were in the Marines together Jo, always had each other's backs when we got into a spot of trouble." Tommy said
"Ahh I was wondering how you knew each other, bit of a leap to ice cream isn't it?" Jo chuckled.
"This used to be my Grandfather's business, been here for 58 years, he passed it on to me and I'll pass it on to my Grandson. My son Jake and his lovely wife are expecting a baby boy in the Spring, so I will have it all ready for him when he wants to take over from me." Tommy said smiling.
"Oh well that's lovely, you must be very excited?" Jo asked him, finally feeling the warmth coming back into her fingers.
"Excited doesn't even cut it, I am ecstatic! Right, I will leave you two to it, I better serve these customers." Tommy said shaking hands with Mac one more time then leaving them to serve the two passers-by,
"So…what do you think of the ice cream?" Mac asked her.
"Heavenly, and this hot coco is going down very nicely thank you." Jo said smiling sweetly.
"Good, are you warming up, maybe ice cream 2 weeks before Christmas wasn't the best idea in the world." Mac said sheepishly.
"Oh Mac it's a lovely idea, thank you for bringing me here, but I hate to admit it, but I can't feel my legs anymore!" Jo said laughing.
"Well you will parade around New York City in a knee length dress in the middle of winter!" Mac said pulling her stall closer to his,
"I didn't know I'd be leaving the club… and what are you doing?" Jo asked intrigued as to why he was pulling her closer.
"I'm pulling you closer to me, to keep you warm, do you have any objections?" he asked teasingly. He took hold of her long toned legs, swallowing hard to control his emotions, and placed them on the rung of his stall between his legs, wrapping the bottom of his long winter coat he had on around them, so they were now facing each other.
"Not at all Detective." Jo smiled back from under her eye lashes.
"Well good, can't have you getting cold now can we?" Mac said fighting the urge to rub her knee.
"No we can't…thanks for rescuing me tonight Mac, and bringing me here it's been great, very very cold but great." Jo said smiling at him, something that sent shivers down Mac's spine and he didn't think it was down to the winter air.
"So what are your plans for Christmas?" Mac asked, trying to change the subject.
"Well we'll be going to my Mama's in DC, she was going to come here but she's just moved house and I think she wants to do all the house up for us, so we're going there, how about you?" Jo asked him, placing her cup down on the counter next to her and in the process rubbing her knee up against Macs.
"I will be going to my Moms too, a few of my cousins will there, so that'll be good." Mac said
"I just hope my apartment is ready when I get back." Jo said sighing.
"I'm sure it will be…living with me hasn't been too painful has it?" Mac asked smiling.
"Not at all, I am very much enjoying myself, I would just like a date when it'll all be finished, especially for Ellie, I think being with her Grandmother all day every day is driving her crazy." Jo said laughing.
"Oh I'm sure she's having a great time, apart from having the flu I suppose, and I am sure your Mom is great, if she's anything like you that is." Mac said, looking down at his mug when he realised what he'd said.
Jo couldn't help but grin at what she'd just heard Mac say, she leant forwards and kissed him on the cheek.
"You're so sweet sometimes Mac Taylor." Jo said biting her lip, hoping Mac wouldn't mind that she'd just kissed him.
"Well I try my best...I'm guessing you haven't had someone call you great in a while then?" Mac asked her, hoping that he wasn't blushing.
"No I haven't unless you count my kids." Jo said happily, the mere mention of Tyler and Ellie would reduce her to a smiling wreck.
"Well I suppose that does count…are you ready to walk back? The walk may warm us up a bit." Mac asked, standing up and holding out his hand to help her down off the stall.
"Sounds good to me, bye Tommy." She said to him as they walked away.
"Bye guys, see you again soon." Tommy said as he waved to them, thinking to himself that Mac may have found himself a keeper in Jo.
They walked back through Central Park talking and laughing about events of the week, neither of them realising they were still holding hands.
"So come on Mac, describe the worst date you've ever been on." Jo said walking along with him slowly.
"Oh you don't want to know about that…what am I talking about, of course you want to hear about that!" Mac said laughing.
"Of course I do, it's fun, makes me feel not so bad about my disastrous dating attempts, so come on Taylor, spill." She said looking at him.
"Ok…well I was at college, it must have been a few months before I met Claire, but I was going out on a date with a girl in my halls and let's just say I was not feeling well at all, I had a stinking cold but didn't want to let her down, so I went any way, and it didn't go well." Mac started.
"Oh I can't wait to hear this one!" Jo laughed.
"Well we went out, had a really nice dinner, had a really good time actually, but then when I went to kiss her on cheek goodnight, I sneezed all over her face!" Mac said cringing at the memory.
"Oh my god!" Jo said bursting out laughing
"That is amazing, I've never heard that one before, what did she do?"
"She laughed actually, which I wasn't expecting, we didn't go out again but she ended up marrying my friend who I shared a dorm with, so I suppose it ended up ok in the end." Mac said laughing along with Jo who was now hysterical.
"Wow, well that was a good one; I can no way compete with that!" Jo said.
"Go on, try" Mac said as he stopped walking and locked eyes with her.
"Ok, well it wasn't long after I'd split up with Russ, my friend Sarah set me up with this guy she knew, and I tell you what after that, I will never go on a blind date again. Anyway this guy introduced himself and within a second of me saying my name he grabbed me and full on kissed me, tongues and all! I mean what the hell, what made him think he could do that?" Jo said laughing.
"Well, yeah that is different, what did you do?" Mac asked her, shocked that anyone could do that, especially to her.
"I pushed him away of course, turned around and left." Jo said beginning to walk further down the path, with Mac following her. He caught up with her and his breath caught in his throat when she reached down and took his hand in hers again.
"Well it's his loss, if he hadn't have been so stupid then he may have had the chance to really get to know you, and I consider that a real privilege." Mac said rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.
"Oh you are being super sweet tonight, rescuing me from a busy night club, buying me amazing ice cream and hot chocolate and no less than two compliments, all in one evening, I am a lucky girl!" Jo said smiling across at him.
"You're welcome, glad you enjoyed the evening, we should do it again sometime, just not the whole nightclub thing first." Mac suggested.
"Yeah I'd like that, except next time I take you to my favourite secret place." Jo said striking up a deal.
"I'll hold you to that." He said smiling at her as they continued to walk back to his apartment.
When they got back it was almost 2 am and they were both very tired. Jo went into her room and changed whilst Mac got them a drink. When he'd made it he took into her, knocking before he entered the room.
"Come in." Jo called from inside.
"Here you go, hey you like that sky light huh?" Mac asked her, seeing she was laid back on the bed looking up into the night sky.
"Oh my god Mac it's amazing! I can see the stars, you hardly ever see the stars here in the City, here lay down take a look." Jo said patting the bed next to her.
Mac would have usually declined, telling her he'd already seen them and retreated back to his room, but he had so much fun with her that night he didn't want to leave her just yet, so he put the glasses of water down and went an laid down next to her, looking up at the stars.
"Wow, they're pretty special aren't they?" Mac said looking across at her.
"Yeah, when I was a kid I used to lie out on the grass in my back yard and look up at them all the time, I miss doing that." Jo sighed.
"Do you miss Mississippi much?" Mac asked her.
"Yeah all the time, I try to go back whenever I can though, I still have friends there." Jo said.
"When I go to Moms at Christmas it'll be the first time I've been back to Chicago in years!" Mac said, trying to remember the last time he'd been back to his home town, probably when he was dealing with the 3:33 caller.
"It's good going back to your roots, keeps you grounded." Jo said yawning.
"I'll leave you to go to sleep." Mac said going to get off the bed.
"No, stay, keep looking at the stars." Jo said trying to stay awake.
Mac turned his head and saw she had her eyes closed and was very nearly asleep, he reached over and brushed a strand of hair out of her face and stroked her cheek making her smile in her sleep.
"Night Mac." Jo said sighing contently.
"Night Jo." Mac said closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep too.