By NamanKAL
See header and warnings from part 1.
Thank you all for your great reviews.
Mac and Flack were at the waiting room at the hospital's pediatric wing waiting for news about the little boy who was claiming to be their Danny Messer. The boy had put up a fight to not be examined at the pediatric wing and be treating like a normal little boy; since he got memories of an adult and that he was a CSI investigator and wanted to be treated as such. He lost the fight and both Mac and Flack thought that the boy's pout looked very cute and so typical for a five year old.
"Lindsey just called she found Danny's glasses and gun at the Egypt section. Do you think that the boy is telling the truth, Mac? If not where is our Danny and why did he leave his badge, gun, pants, briefs and glasses behind and why did the boy have Danny's shirt on?" Flack asked.
"Maybe Danny's been kidnapped and the kidnapper is playing games with us. About the boy telling the truth, well I'm sure he thinks he does, but come on Don we're not in some kind of science fiction movie, he can't possibly be our Danny Messer. Let's see what his DNA and fingerprints tells us," Mac said.
"I'm for sure looking forward to hear what the test can tell us about the boy. If he's not our Danny then I'm happy that the boy didn't find Danny's gun. I don't want to think about all the things that could have happened if he did," Flack said shivering at the thought.
"You're right and even if that boy is our Danny it's good that he didn't have the gun on him, no matter if he got adult memories or not I don't want him near a real gun as long as he's just a little boy. Did Lindsey find anything that tells us about what happened to Danny?"
"Stella and Lindsey are still at the crime scene and they are trying to find out if the murder at the museum and Danny's disappearance has any connections. At the moment they don't have a clue to what happened to him."
Mac was worried about Danny. Ever since he gave Danny a hug when he was sad because of what happened to his brother Louie Mac got more and more a paternal feelings towards Danny and he wants to protect him the best he can. He promised if the boy really was Danny he would make sure he would be good taking care of either by him or by good foster parents.
Mac's thoughts were interrupted by a pediatrician and Hawkes' appearance.
"So how's the boy? " Mac asked.
"He's a healthy five year old boy with a bright imagination," the pediatrician said.
"So he doesn't need to stay here?"
"No, so you can call the social services."
"Not until we find out who he really is and if he'd witnessed the murder. As of now the boy is under protected custody. Can he stay here till we've finished our test?"
"Yes he can, but I have a feeling he won't be a happy camper about it."
"Don't worry Doc, I'll deal with his tantrums," Mac said and then went his attention to Hawkes, "did you process the kid?"
"Yes I did. There aren't signs of broken skin, bruises or any kind of abuse."
"Good then go to the lap find out if his DNA matches Danny's including his fingerprints and find out with a picture of him how he'll look like when he's at Danny's age. I'll take the first round of protecting the kid," Mac said and went to see the kid.
oOo
As soon as the boy saw Mac he jumped out of bed and into Mac's arms.
"Mac! Can I finally leave this place? I hate hospitals. I want to go home."
"Hey, hey kid, calm down. I don't want you get into any accidents even that you are in the hospital. About going home, sorry but that has to wait till we find out what happened to you and your guardians."
"I don't have any guardians and I don't need any because I can take care of myself. Just drive me home to my apartment and I'll be fine."
"Sorry kiddo no can do. You need to stay here for a while."
"Why? I'm not sick or injured."
"No, but if the doctor releases you, then he's forced to call the social services and they'll put you in a home till we find your parents. You're under protected custody for the time being and I'm on the first watch until an officer gets here."
"Home? No way! Never again," Danny said and squirmed to be put down from Mac's hip. "And I'm not going to any protected custody either! I can take care of myself; I'm an adult and not a little kid."
Danny ran to the door and was about to leave but Mac stopped him.
"Kid, you're staying in protected custody until we're sure that the killer isn't after you, whether you like it or not. What did you mean by again? Did you run away from a home?"
"You still don't believe me do you? I am Danny Messer! Why won't you believe me?" The boy said and started to cry; Mac picked him up and comforted him as best as he could.
"I hate those stupid emotions. Please Mac let me go home to my apartment," the boy said pleadingly when looking with his deep blue eyes at Mac.
"Sorry kid. As to your emotions, don't worry about them, you're allowed to, you're only five. It's time for your nap. You better get back to bed and get some rest," Mac said while he noticed the boy tried to hide his yawns.
"Nap? I don't do naps!" Danny said defiantly. Danny tried to get out of Mac's embrace, but Mac held him tight.
'Oy this kid is going to be a handful' Mac thought.
"Mac put me down!"
"You're tired you need a nap."
"No I'm not tired," the boy said while trying hard to hide a yawn and then rubbed his sleepy eyes. He did his best to keep his eyes open but they had a hard time to comply.
"Yeah right you're not tired at all," Mac said. Mac sat down on a chair beside the hospital bed and secured the boy safely on his lap and started to sing a lullaby and rocking back and forth in hopes to get the boy to sleep.
"I'm not a baby you know. I'm twenty something…I don't take naps…I…" the boy said while his eyelids kept getting heavier and heavier and finally he fell asleep. Mac continued to sing a lullaby until he was sure the boy was sound asleep. Mac hoped that no one would catch him in singing a lullaby; he never thought he ever would sing a lullaby to a child.
Mac looked down on the boy in his arms, who was sound asleep. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of this little sleeping boy that looked so cute. He wondered how Danny Messer looked like when he was at the boy's age. Mac was sure that this little vulnerable child couldn't be his Danny, but who was he? And how did the boy know so much about Danny Messer? He hoped that he could solve this mystery very soon and find Danny before something bad happened to him. He needed to think that Danny was alright somewhere out there.
'Please Danny come home safely,' Mac thought.
"You claim to be an adult but you sure look and act like a little kid," Mac said to the sleeping child and then gave him a kiss on his forehead. He was starting to get attached to this little confused kid, he didn't dare to think when it was time for him to let the kid go when they find his parents or foster parents. He hoped when the time comes that he would be allowed to visit the kid.
Mac stood up and tried to tuck the boy in his bed but the boy held a tight grip on him.
"Don't leave me Mac. You and me are we good? I've already lost my family I don't want to lose you too," the boy said in his sleep. Mac looked bewildered at the boy. That couldn't be, could it? That the boy was telling the truth? Mac thought. Then he shook his head, 'no it couldn't be this only happens in the movies not in real life. The boy has probably been brainwashed or something. Yeah that must be it.'
The boy started to stir after he'd slept a little over two hours.
"For a boy that doesn't do naps you sure had a long and peaceful nap," Mac said smiling at the boy.
The boy looked confused at Mac, "Mac, why do you look so big? And by the way what am I doing on your lap?" the boy said and hurried out of Mac's lap, "I had a strange dream. I dreamt I was a five year old again and no one even you wouldn't believe me that I'm Danny Messer.
"Sorry kid but this isn't a dream. You are five years old and you just had a nap on my lap. I tried to tuck you in, on your bed but you wanted to sleep in my lap."
"That can't be Mac. I don't do naps. That's for little kids not for a grown man in his twenties," the boy said.
"You could have fooled me kid."
"You still don't believe me do you? Maybe I can prove that I am your Danny Messer," the boy said and then told Mac about cases that him and Mac, had been working on over the years and most of the cases was nothing for a five year old to know about.
Mac looked shocked at the boy, "who told you about these cases, boy? What was that person thinking by telling you about them they are not for little kids," Mac said angrily.
"No one Mac. You have to believe me I am Danny Messer!" The boy shouted and again he had to fight back tears.
Mac softened as he noticed the boy fight back tears which he failed and got the boy back on his lap.
"I'm sorry kid. I'm not angry at you, I'm angry at the person who's using you for his sick games. I really want to believe you kid, but you can't possibly be Danny Messer if you were, you wouldn't be a five year old. I know you think you're him, I promise I'll help you through this."
The boy hadn't any energy to fight back the tears and started to sob on Mac's shoulder. He sobbed of the memories of his comatose brother, of his dead mother, his abusive father and because no one would believe him that he was Danny Messer a detective of New York's CSI.
Mac just held the sobbing boy tight in his arms and let him cry on his shoulder while he talked soothingly to him.
As soon as the sobbing had stopped and only hiccups could be heard, Stella came in the room.
Stella looked worried at them when she noticed the boy had been crying.
"The preliminary test is finished, but I can come later and tell you about them, if the boy needs more alone time,"
"No it's okay Stella. I'm sure the boy here needs to know about the test as soon as possible and so do I," Mac said.
"Mac is right the sooner he gets to know I told the truth the better," the boy said.
Stella nodded and said, "you're not gonna believe what the test said and what was on the security camera Mac."
"Did you find out who the boy is?"
Stella nodded, "yes we did Mac. You won't believe this. The boy is…"
TBC
A/N: Sorry about the cliffie, I couldn't help myself.