Epilogue

The bar was crowded as Don danced his way across to a table by the window followed by Adam, multiple mugs of beer clenched firmly in their hands. They plonked the glasses down on the table and slid into their seats. The nine men reached forward and pulled a glass towards them. They waited on Don as they raised their glasses to their visitors. "To a job well done and to Harry and Steve. Welcome to New York!" They all echoed his words and clinked glasses and drank. "We're going to have a blast!" He winked.

Harry raised his glass to them and Steve nodded. "Well, it's great to meet the rest of you." They smiled at Sheldon, Danny, Sid and Adam. "We've heard all about you."

"All good, I hope?" asked Sid.

Harry looked doubtful for a minute. "Well Mac did say something about not mentioning scalpels and sulphuric acid." Sid rolled his eyes and the others laughed.

"So where are you going to take them?" asked Wright who seemed a totally different man dressed in jeans and a Giants sweatshirt. "The Empire State building? Times Square? Lady Liberty? " A thought struck him "The Intrepid?"

Don shook his head. "Nah we're going to do all the important places first."

Wright looked at him in surprise. Don grinned. "The Irish bars!"

Wong laughed. "They are not going to know what's hit them when you turn up."

Don's grin widened. "Well, gentlemen you are welcome to join us. After all I gotta introduce everyone to the FBI's finest, Right and Wrong, I mean White and Wong … I mean ..."

The two men shook their heads in mock despair and Wong leaned forward. "Hey you think that's bad? You should meet our colleagues from the financial division"

Don rubbed his hands in glee. "Better than Ben and Jerry?"

Wong nodded. "Way better." He paused for effect. "Alex Hershey and Trudy Barr!"

"No way!" Adam laughed. Even Sheldon cracked a smile as Sid chortled into his beer.

Danny put in his two pennies worth. "Apparently over in vice, there's a guy called Dumis. We'll have to get him to work for Mac ..." The others looked blank for a moment.

"Then he could be called Taylor's Dumis! Oh come on! Tailor's dummy! That's funny!"

The groans were audible. Harry spoke up. "Speaking of your erstwhile leader, where is he?"

A ghost of a smile flitted across Don's lips. "Oh don't worry, we'll catch up with him later. He's … er … caught up with a little … family business."

.

Jo sipped at her wine as she peered around the edge of the kitchen door. The most delicious smells emanated from the oven and the kitchen counter was already full of food. Her stomach was rumbling as she felt a presence behind her shoulder. "Do you think I ought to go rescue him?" she asked.

Alice laughed, her corkscrew curls bouncing prettily around her face as she wiped flour from her hands. "Hell no. He's faced down hardened criminals, gangsters, terrorists and all kinds of desperados. I'm sure he can he can manage two teenage girls."

They peered across the room where Mac was sat in a large armchair with Stacy at his side. She hadn't left Mac's side since her father's funeral earlier that afternoon. She was now clinging to his arm with one hand while the other fingered a gold wedding band on a chain around her neck that Mac had given her just after the ceremony. Jo found it hard to imagine how Stacy had managed to squeeze into the chair beside him. She wondered if they would need FDNY to break the chair apart to get them out. At his feet Ellie was perched on a large footstool, her knees pulled up and her feet tucked on the edge of Mac's chair firmly penning him in. She had a magazine in her hand and she was chewing on the end of a pencil. She gave the impression of a journalist in the middle of a probing interview. She scribbled something down and then spoke to Mac. Jo giggled at his valiant attempt to hide his horror but she could see his Adam's Apple bob up and down as he swallowed nervously.

"What are they doing anyway?" asked Alice.

Jo shrugged as she sipped at the wine. "Not sure. Some kind of quiz."

Alice nodded knowledgeably as she peered at the periodical in Ellie's hands. "Oh! Yes! TeenMag's relationship quiz. I think it's on are you and your partner ready for sex?" Jo choked. Alice giggled. "But I'm guessing it's a little too late for that?" she teased.

"Alice!" Jo hissed, trying to sound indignant but the colour on her cheeks gave the game away. She glanced at Alice who was looking her intently with a knowing little smirk on her lips. Jo looked away in an attempt to hide her embarrassment and glanced over at Mac. He must have sensed her gaze as he looked back at her. He pulled a comical face and mouthed the word 'help'. She giggled but made no move to help him out. He pouted.

Alice nudged her. "He'd make a great father," she whispered.

Jo smiled at hearing her own words quoted back at her. She nodded.

Alice nudged her again. "He'd make a great husband."

"Alice!" Jo glared at her but her lips were still smiling.

Alice raised her hands innocently and wandered over to peer in the oven. Jo looked into the living room. Mac said something. Ellie burst into giggles and even Stacy smiled laying her head on his shoulder. She watched him laugh and put his arm around Stacy. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the three of them. He looked back at her and the coy smile reappeared but his eyes said so much more.

"You know his place has lovely big rooms. Perfect for four!"

"ALICE!"

THE END

A/N : Thank you all for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing. Hope you all enjoyed it.