It had been a long week for Mac with a tough double murder that was finally solved. Mac left the office at around 6.30 pm after he had finished the paperwork and handed it over to the district attorney.

It is around 7.15 pm when Mac comes into his apartment. He walks straight to the kitchen after taking his shoes off and emptying his pockets. He takes a cold beer from the refrigerator and sits down at his computer. He has been so busy with work over the past week that he had totally forgotten about his mother's birthday today. He also got into an argument with Christine a few days ago because of work. He knew she was right when she told him he always chooses work over her. This time they had planned to have dinner together on their 1-year anniversary but Mac had to work on the case because Jo had to go to some school play with her daughter Ellie. Christine had told him that he must learn how to say no to Jo. He always says yes to take her shift every time she has to go to something with her kids. Mac knew Christine was right at the moment he started to argue with her that he couldn't just tell her not to be there for her kids. He knew that was not what Christine asked him to. All she asked him was to sometimes prioritize their relationship. He hasn't spoken with Christine since their argument. Mac had left Christine restaurant in frustration. Every time he looked at his phone he thought about calling her or texting her, but every time he had gotten interrupted. They had planned a long time ago to spend this weekend together at his places but now when he is sitting in front of his computer and waiting for her he isn't sure she will come. Mac knows that even when his love life is a mess there is one woman he can't disappoint. His mother. He opens skype on his computer and calls his mother.

"hi, mom." He says when she answers his call.

"Hey, Mac. how are you doing?"

"okay." He simply answered, but he knows that she can see that it isn't completely true. He looks exhausted.

"what is wrong sweetie?"

"nothing mom, it is fine. I just want to say happy birthday."

"thanks, sweetheart. How is it going in the lab?"

"okay. Busy as always." His mother smiles. Then he hears the front door to his apartment being unlocked and opened.

"You have visitors?" Millie asks.

"I guess so." Millie notices a little smile on her son's faces. she recognizes the smile. It is the smile that he has on his face when he is with someone special in his life. He hears Christine's familiar steps in the entrances and smiles.

"it's a friend. It's okay. How are you doing?" Mac asks and tries to hide how happy he is about Christine wasn't so mad at him that she canceled their weekend plans.

Millie starts talking about what she has been doing over the past few weeks. Mac is focused on his mom talking when Christine comes in. She walks over and gives him a soft kiss on the top of his head and walks away. Millie stops talking and looks curious at Mac. She could only see Christine's blonde hair and her torso but she never got a look at Christine's face.

"who was that?"

"Hmm… my girlfriend Christine." Mac says a little shy and looks back after Christine but she has already disappeared out to the kitchen. He almost feels like when he was a teenager and introduced his girlfriend to his parents for the first time.

"that is the special woman you were talking about last Christmas?"

Mac smiles and nods.

"yes. Her brother is an old friend of mine. He died years ago and I lost contact with Christine, but she contacted me again a year ago."

"she seems nice."

Mac can't stop smiling.

"she is."

Christine comes into the living room with a glass of water. She isn't saying anything. She walks by him over to the couch.

"Hey, Christine could you come over here?"

Christine looks wondering at him but walks over to him anyway with a smile.

"I thought you were having a meeting?"
"no, I'm talking with my mom." She looks surprised about that. She walks over to him with hesitation. He takes her hand and pulls her into him.

"mom this is my girlfriend Christine."

He introduces.

"hi, nice to finally meet you," Millie says.

"nice to meet you too," Christine says and places a loving arm around Mac's shoulders.

"so you are the girl he has been hiding for a year?"

"Hey, it's earlier than normal." Mac defends himself and then break into a smile. Millie nods and chuckles

"that's right."

"you normally don't introduce your girlfriend to your mom within the first year?" Christine says surprised and looks at Mac. Mac looks up at Christine with a little shy smile and shakes his head.

"Nope," Mac says and the feeling of being a teenager again and sneaking secretly around with a girl comes back to him. It makes Christine smile. She likes this more teenage loving side of Mac.

"no, I think the standard is within the first 3 years," Millie says. Christine look surprised at Mac. Mac just gives Christine a little screen with his arm that is tightly placed around her hip. Millie enjoys seeing her son so happy and in love.

"is it a good thing or a bad thing that you introduce me this early?"

"well… a really good thing." Mac and Christine look at each other with a big smile. Millie hasn't seen her son smile like that for a very long time.

"Okay, my boy go and be with that beautiful woman next to you. We can talk another day."

"but mom it's your birthday," Mac says surprised about his mother's priority.

"yes, and I had 75 other birthdays also Mac. Go be with Christine." She says in a firm tone.

"okay. Happy birthday, mom. See you." Millie hangs up. Mac looks up at Christine. She is just looking at him without saying anything.

"what?" Mac says with a confused look. "you are creeping me out right now."

"have anyone ever told you how much you are like your mom?"

Mac just chuckles and stands up and walk to the kitchen with the empty beer bottle. Christine follows him.

"I'm serious. You are a lot like your mom."

"good or bad?" he asks with a teasing tone. They are standing across from each other.

"I'm not sure yet." She says with no signs of sarcasm. She has her arms crossed across her chest. He looks at her confused. He is not sure if she is making fun or continuing their argument from a few days ago.

"what do you mean?" he asks.

"she puts your happiness over her birthday just like you put other peoples happiness over yours. It's really nice and sweet..."

"but?" Mac asks and walks over and wrap his arms around her.

"but also very annoying when I want to spend a night with my boyfriend."

She gives him a soft kiss. That makes Mac smile because it reassures Mac that their argument is behind them.

"I know I am a terrible son to my mom and I'm a terrible boyfriend to you."

"no you're not and I still love you and I can see your mom does too." She kisses him again.

Mac smiles and walks away from her. He is standing with his back to her and looking out the window. It is snowing. Christine walks over to him.

"I actually didn't think you would come over this weekend."

She walks over to him and rests her head against the back of his should and wraps her hands around him and flirtatiously up his chest under his shirt but over his body fit T-shirt so she can feel every muscle in his torso.

"why not?"

"because I thought you were still mad at me for that argument."

"no, it was just a silly argument. I missed you too much. He turns around to face her and wrap his arms around her to hold her close. He likes the feeling her body against his.

"I missed you too." He says with a very soft voice that tells her that he truly means every word. He gives her a soft kiss.

"so I was thinking… " he says looking into her eyes with an almost flirtatious voice. That makes Christine smiles and blush. "do you have any plans for Christmas? I mean it is Christmas in 2 weeks."

"no why? I was thinking I want to be with you but otherwise no." Christine continues with the flirtatious voice. That Makes Mac blush too. Mac tries and makes the conversation more serious.

"what would you say about my mom coming and we could spend Christmas with her?"

Christine look surprised at him and then nods with a smile.

"that sounds like a great idea."

Mac is surprised about her acceptance of her suggestion.

"you don't want to spend Christmas with your own family?" he asks surprised.

"and being interrogated about you and about marriage and kids by my uncle and… pretty much my entire family? no thanks."

Mac chuckles.

"kids? married?" Mac looks surprised at her. Christine nods.

"they have been asking about that since we had been dating for 6 months. I would like to get away from that just for one time."

She walks away from him and take a glass of water and walks into the living room. Mac follows her.

"so I guess it wasn't Christmas with my mom you were thinking by getting away from family?" he looks at her with a daring smile. She just smiles without saying anything and turns on the TV. She is not letting him tease her like that. Mac is a bit disappointed but he can see that she is blushing so it did get her thinking with was the intention.

December 21

Doing an arrest of a man suspected for 2 murders Mac got into a fight with the man. The suspected was a construction worker and he was working on the outside of a 3-floor building when Mac was going to arrest him. The Man got into a fight with Mac and Mac got kicked of the scaffolding on the first floor. Mac suffered a serious concussion, a couple of brushed ribs and a broken hand, but surprisingly nothing else. Mac got to the ER and after that, he was sent home. He was only sent home for Christmas because Christine promised she was going to stay with him all the time. Mac had argued that he did not need someone to keep an eye on him, but no one had listened to his opinion. Mac came home from the ER at around 5 pm. Christine had helped him to the couch. She went to the kitchen to get him a glass of water but before she came back into the living room, he was already asleep. She had just looked at him for a moment. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep. She placed the glass on the table and decided to sleep with him on the couch.

December 22

Christine woke up at around 4 am by the absence of Mac next to her. She heard some noise from the kitchen and shortly after Mac came into the living room again. he placed a glass with refreshed water on the table and laid down next to her and pretty soon got back to sleep.

At around 9 am Christine woke up and went to the kitchen and started to make coffee. Mac was still asleep and there was no sign that he would wake up within the next few hours. She knew Mac's mother Millie would arrive at around 11 am so she still had a few hours to get ready to meet her future mother-in-law. Thinking of that scared her. What if she didn't like her? That would be the worst. If she didn't think Christine was good enough for her only son. After all, Mac is her only son.

Christine is sitting with her computer and just relaxing. She is watching a movie on her computer with headphones on so she doesn't wake Mac op. she first tried to do some paperwork for the restaurant but realized she was too nervous about meeting Mac's mother that she couldn't focus.

It knocks on the door. Christine takes off her headphones and looks over at Mac. he still sleeps so peacefully so she decides to let him sleep. She walks out to the door but as she passed by the mirror she realizes she is still wearing Mac's old marine t-shirt and his sweatshirt and her PJ pants. She walks over and opens the door. Millie Taylor is standing outside and greets Christine with a big smile.

"you must be Christine?" she says.

"yes, that's me. Nice to meet you."

"you too." They shake hands.

"Come on in."

Christine steps aside and lets the elderly woman in.

"where is your suitcase?" Christine asks when she notices that the elderly woman is only carrying a purse.

"Oh, I checked in at my hotel before I came here." She explains while she takes off her coat. It has a bit of snowflake on the shoulders.

"I thought you were going to stay here?"

Millie starts laughing heartfelt.

"no. Mac and I hadn't been living under the same roof since he was 17. It doesn't go well for more than 24 hours."

That makes Christine laugh too. The idea of Mac being like an annoyed teenage boy when it comes to living under the same roof as his mom amuses Christine.

"speaking of the devil, where is Mac? is he hiding from his old mom?" Millie asks as they walk into the living room. She looks around in the living room like she is searching for Mac, like he is hiding from his mother. Christine laughs a little. "No. no. he's asleep."

Millie look surprised at her watch. "11 am and my son is asleep?"

"yes, he got a concussion yesterday at work."

Millie looks even more shocked now. "so why is he home? Let me guess. no one could convince him to go to the ER and get checked, right?" Christine smiles and nods. Millie shakes her head. She clearly knows her son's dislike for the hospital. Millie looks over at Mac. he is sleeping so peaceful.

"it's been a long time since I've seen my boy sleep so peacefully."

They walk to the kitchen together. Christine is making coffee for them.

"Actually I got him to go to the ER and the doctor tried to convinced him to stay for the night but Mac refused. They only let him go because I promised I would stay with him, which he… surprisingly enough didn't like."

Millie smiles.

"it has nothing to do with you. I'm sure he loves to be with you. He just doesn't like people to care about him. It has been like that since he was a kid. He was always the one taking care of others."

Christine places a cup in front of Millie and finishes up the coffee.

"I have noticed that. When he got shot he didn't like that I came to visit him every day. He is very proud."

"yeah, that is a family weakness from his father.

Christine places her own cup of coffee on the table and sits down. They sit and talk for a while.

At around 5 pm Millie starts cooking dinner. She wants to make Mac's favorite meal from when he was a kid. She starts cooking and Christine is more than happy just to step aside and let the older woman do the cooking for once. At around 5.30 Mac wakes up and hear his moms voice from the kitchen. He gets up and walks to the kitchen. As he gets up from the couch he is a bit dizzy but he is not going to let his mother or Christine turn this Christmas visit into nursing him, so he pretends like he is fine as he walks to the kitchen.

"mom? When did you come?"

Both Christine and Millie look over at Mac. His hair is in all directions and he is wearing sweatpants and an old t-shirt and bare feet.

"Morning sleepy head," Christine says. Mac walks over to hug his mom.

"hi, mom." She gives him a kiss on the cheek. Then he steps over and wraps his arms around Christine.

"how long did I sleep?"

"almost 21 hours. So you don't need to sleep for the next 5 days." Mac look confused at her. "you normally only sleep 4 hours at night." She says with a smile.

"very funny." He stands behind her with his arms around her.

"what are you making mom?"

"what makes you think that I'm not the one cooking?" Christine asks and pretends to sound offended.

"the fact that I have been in the kitchen for 2 minutes without you kicking me out and the fact that it smells like my mom's best lasagna."

"I am making lasagna for you."

"so how did you sleep?" Christine asks.

"okay."

"how is the head?"

"fine. Until you two start talking and made it impossible to sleep."

Christine and Millie look surprised at each other.

"Yeah, nice try sweetie. We have been talking for the past few hours. So we didn't wake you up, and we have been very quiet." Christine says.

Mac laughs in disbelieve.

"you two? Quiet? Impossible." Mac look at his mom and Christine with a look of disbelief and sarcasm.

"how can you know that?" Christine asks.

"because my job is to set up possible scenarios based on information about human behavior and physical evidence. I know both of you who are not known to be quiet and that combined can't equal quiet. Witch end up to not quiet."

"it must be the concussion talking because that made no senses," Millie says. Christine just laugh.

"mom how long to the dinner is ready?"

Millie looks at the timer on the oven.

"about 20 minutes."

Mac nods.

"Okay, I'll go take a shower."

Mac gives Christine a kiss on the neck and disappears into the bedroom. Christine looks after Mac until he is gone into the bathroom and has closed the door. Christine really enjoys this more relaxed side of Mac, that comes out when he is with his mother. He is so relaxed and carefree. She almost feels like she gets to know Mac like he were when he grows up. Christine looks at Millie again and realizes that Millie has just been looking at them all the time.

"what?" Christine says.

"you have given me my happy, smiling, laughing boy back."

Christine blushes a little.

"I… I…" she doesn't know what to say to that.

"I haven't seen my son smile like that. Being so relaxed for years. I never thought I would see him like that again. I knew last Christmas he visited me in Chicago and told me about you that you had to be very special, but… I never imagined that he would be like that again. Like he was 11 years ago."

"I haven't changed him," Christine says a little worried about what Millie means.

"I know." Millie walks closer and embraces her. "I know you haven't on purpose, but you have given me my happy boy back. thanks"

She gives Christine a big hug. Mac had forgotten something so he is standing in the door and see the whole conversation between his mother and his girlfriend.