Of Escape Plots and Sneaky Plans.

Disclaimer: All CSI NY characters belong to the writers of the show.

'Danny, we are not, I repeat, not, getting a pet.' Lindsay said.

'But our building allows pets, and Lucy would love a little dog or kitten...maybe a ferret,' Danny said.

'Danny, we are not buying a ferret. Or a dog. Or a cat. Or anything. Because I would be the one who ended up having to feed it, clean up it's mess, and take care of it. Lucy would lose interest and so would you, as soon as it was baseball season or any sports season for that matter.'

'But it would be so cool.' Danny said, 'Wouldn't ya love to buy a little puppy for Lucy? Or a ferret? I know a guy who sells 'em cheap...'

'No. I already have a baby and you, Danny. That's more than enough responsibility.'

'But it's my birthday, can't we at least think about it...' whined Danny.

Mac sat across the table from them, wondering if he strangled them both right now, it would count as self-defence.

It was Danny's birthday, and after work, the whole team had come to Sullivan's for a couple of drinks to celebrate. Jo, Adam, and Sid had left some time ago, Jo saying she had to get home to Ellie, Sid saying he was meeting his wife, and Adam murmuring something about a date. That left Danny and Lindsay, Hawkes and Camille, and Mac and Don. For the entire past two and half hours Danny and Lindsay had been engaging in one petty, half-playful, half-snippy argument - first about the merits of New York versus Montana in every arena from sports to food to childhood experiences, to whose turn it was to do the laundry, to this latest discussion about pets. Mac was a patient man, but he was at the point of screaming and running out of the bar. He felt even sorrier for Don, who was sat on the same side of the table as Danny and Lindsay and thus had been experiencing their discussions, giggling, and whining at an even closer range. Not that Mac had it much better. Hawkes and Camille were sat next to him. Both of them. On the same chair. Well, technically Camille was on Hawkes' lap. They had their tongues down each other's throats, and their hands were starting to venture towards places that they really shouldn't, in public at least. Perhaps, Mac thought, he could arrest Hawkes and Camille for indecent behavior, and Danny and Lindsay for...could being incredibly annoying count as a form of assault?

He met Don's desperate eyes, which were filled with frustration and boredom. He grinned at Don and rolled his eyes, tilting his head in Hawkes and Camille's direction. Don grinned back, and rolled his own eyes, pointing at Danny and Lindsay then miming slitting his own throat.

Mac chuckled, then tilted his head in the direction of the bar, tapping his empty glass and raising his eyebrows at Don. Don nodded. Mac stood and headed over to the bar. Two seconds later, Don joined him.

'Mac, if you help me kill all four of them, I will buy you coffee for a year. Oh, wait, you get that free from your girlfriend, right? I'll buy you season tickets to the Yankees instead, whaddaya say?'

Mac chuckled.

'It's not worth it,' he said, 'And I have a better plan. I say,' he lowered his voice, leaning close, 'We make a break for it. Head over to Brennan's for a last couple of rounds before going home.'

Don's eyes lit up at the idea, but he said,

'I'd love to...but it is Danny's birthday, shouldn't we...'

'We bought him a drink. We listened to him and Lindsay go on for two and a half hours, I think we've done enough. None of them will notice we're gone.'

'Well...'

'C'mon,' Mac said, 'You're not chicken are you?'

Flack's eyes flashed with playful glee.

'Let's do it,' he said.

They turned and left the bar, unnoticed by the rest of their group.

Half an hour later, they stepped through the door of Brennan's. Brennan's was an old-fashioned Irish pub that Mac and Don had discovered on one of their nights out a few months back. They had liked the place so much that they had instantly decided to claim it as 'theirs' and not tell anyone else on the team about it.

They settled at a table towards the back.

'Irish coffee?' Mac said.

'Damn straight,' Don said, happily. They had also decided that Brennan's served the best Irish coffee in the city.

Mac ordered their coffees, and returned to the table with two steaming mugs.

Don took a long inhale of his, then a sip. His eyes closed for a second and he beamed.

'Damn, I needed that.' he said.

Mac nodded as he sipped his own. The heat of the coffee and whisky combined burned pleasantly down his throat and warmed his chest and stomach.

'Is it just me, or are Danny and Lindsay getting more and more irritating lately?' Don asked.

'Nope, it's not just you. They are more annoying. I thought that 'New York vs Montana' thing was never going to end,' Mac said.

'Tell me about it. And then the pet thing, can you imagine Danny, of all people, with a frigging pet?' Don asked.

'Hell, no. Though if he got a ferret, it would prove that old saying about people who look like their pets,' Mac said with a wicked smirk.

Flack laughed so hard that he snorted coffee out his nose.

'He does...he does look like a ferret!' he managed to get out as he laughed so hard his face went red and it took a while for him to get his breath back.

Mac just smirked and waited for his friend to gather himself. The growing irritation he'd felt back at Sullivan's, as well as the usual exhaustion after a busy week at the lab, was fading, being replaced by a sense of warmth and contentment. He relaxed back into his seat, taking another sip of the excellent Irish coffee, and thought that he'd love to bring Christine here. The natural way the thought came to him, and the flash of excitement at the idea of sharing a place he loved with her surprised him. He hadn't really seen her in the week since her parents' party, when he'd kissed her. More than once he'd wanted to visit her, or call her, but something held him back. Mac shook his head a little to clear the confusing thoughts, and said,

'Danny and Lindsay were bad, but Hawkes and Camille were pretty bad too.'

Flack grimaced.

'Yeah. I'm all for the Doc getting a girl, but did they have to be practically having sex right there? I mean, you're the guy's *boss* and he's there right next to you sucking face and feeling up his girlfriend. I was thinking I was going to have to arrest them for indecent behavior.'

Mac chuckled.

'I wonder if any of them have noticed we've left yet.'

'Probably not. Hey, talking about girlfriends...' Don's eyes lit up with a sly pleasure and his lips curled into a teasing grin. Mac braced himself for what he suspected was coming, 'Jo tells me you went to a family party with the lovely Christine.'

'I did,' Mac said. Despite his efforts to keep a straight face, the memory of their kiss, of the softness and warmth of Christine's lips on his, the heat of her body, her closeness, the scent of her perfume, and the obvious attraction and desire that had flared between them in that brief moment flashed through Mac's mind, and he felt his cheeks flush and a smile tug at the corners of his mouth.

'A - HA!' Flack said, his own smile widening, pointing a finger at Mac.

'A-ha, what?' Mac asked,

'A-ha, something happened,' Don said, 'Didn't it?'

'I...um...' Mac said, suddenly lost for words. Damn, damn, damn, Taylor, pull yourself together, he thought.

Don, shark like, circled in. Mac was reminded of just how good his friend was in the interrogation room.

'Did you kiss her?' Don asked, with a sneaky, smug delight.

'Um...' Mac said Dammit, dammit, dammit...

'You DID,' Don crowed, 'You kissed her. Nice going, Mac.' He grinned at his friend. He'd met Christine briefly a couple of times, and had liked her, and noticed the obvious chemistry and attraction between her and Mac.

Mac decided he might as well get this over with.

'Yes, we kissed, okay? And if you tell anyone, especially Jo, I will lock you in a supply cupboard with Danny and Lindsay.'

'So, you really do like her, right?'

'Yeah,' Mac said, softly, finally admitting what he'd known for some time, to himself and to his best friend.

'So have you seen her since then?' Don asked.

'No, I...I wanted to, but I...I don't know, Don. What if...what if she regrets it?'

'Did she say that after you kissed?'

'No...she said she 'didn't mind' doing it. We both...it kind of came as a surprise,' he admitted.

'So why haven't you talked to her about it?'

'Because I...I don't...I'm kind of worried she'll realize she can do better than me, that she'll regret what happened...'

Flack rolled his eyes and sighed.

'Listen, Mac,' he said, 'I've only met Christine a couple of times, but I can tell two things about her. One, she *likes* you. And two, she's a woman who knows what she wants. If she didn't want to kiss you, she wouldn't have.'

'I don't want to let her down,' Mac said, quietly.

'Why the hell would you let her down?' Don asked, puzzled. Mac was one of the most loyal, caring people he knew. Once you earned his friendship and trust, and in Christine's case, his affection, he would fight for you come hell or high water and be there unquestioningly.

'I let Claire down, didn't I?' Mac said. The words came from him in a quiet rush, and he realized that this was the part of him that had been holding him back from contacting Christine. He'd been enjoying being with her so much, it had all been going so well, he had connected with her in a way he hadn't thought possible since Claire had died, and he was terrified he'd screw it all up somehow. That he might fail Christine somehow, as he'd failed Claire. That he would lose her, as he had Claire.

Don Flack stared at his friend. Mac's words resonated in his head and in his chest, and he felt a sharp pull of understanding and shared pain for his friend. He had felt like he'd let Jessica down when she'd died in his arms, but it hadn't fully occurred to him that Mac blamed himself for Claire's death, and that he'd been holding on to that for ten years. But of course he had. Don could never forget the day Jessica had died, but at least his was a private loss. 9/11, however, was mentioned all the time, in passing by most people. Every anniversary was surrounded by weeks of publicity and coverage and tv specials. You only had to look up from most places in the city to be reminded of the absence of the Towers. Mac had had to live with those endless, constant reminders of his loss, and of his guilt and sense of failure, every day for the past ten years. Don felt a surge of new respect for his friend, wondering how the hell he'd done it, how he'd managed to not only reach the heights of his career, but to just carry on emotionally from day to day for the past decade.

'Mac, Claire's death was *not* your fault. There's nothing you could have done to save her, just like there's nothing I could have done to save Jess. I felt like I failed her too, but I've managed to come to terms with the fact that there's nothing I could have done. Don't you think it's time you did the same?'

Mac nodded.

'I want to,' he said, 'I just...the way I feel around Christine, I haven't felt that way since Claire, Don.' Mac felt the words rush out of him, and it was a surprising relief to finally admit to it, to get it out in the open.

'You really do *like* her, don't you?' Don said, no teasing in his tone this time.

Mac nodded.

'Well then, you have to do something about it. I'm your best friend, Mac, and it's my job to tell you this, okay? Remember a while back I told you you seemed happier since Stella left? Well, these last couple of months since you met up with Christine again, you've seemed even happier. More content. You're smiling more, you're leaving work early or taking breaks to go and see her, whenever she comes up in conversation, you can't help but smile. And she likes you. I've seen the way you two look at each other. You've got to take a chance here, Mac. You've gotta say to hell with the risks of it maybe not working out or whatever and just go for it. Because you, buddy, need a woman, and Christine seems like a pretty perfect fit.'

'She does,' Mac admitted, thinking again about just how much he enjoyed spending time with her.

'You know,' Flack said, 'I've come to terms with the feeling I failed Jessica. But one thing I never got over, and never will? The feeling that we could have had longer. More than anything, I wish I'd acted on the way I felt about her sooner.'

Don's voice was soft and full of an aching pain that Mac felt pull at his chest. His friend's eyes held a deep sadness as he spoke.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Mac giving his friend time to gather himself.

Finally, Don looked up at him, the familiar playful glint in his eyes, only this time shadowed by seriousness as he said,

'So you'll go see her?'

'I will,' Mac said, smiling a little at the thought. He was both nervous and excited to see her again.

'Good,' Don said.

At that moment, Colleen, one of the barmaids, came up to clear away their now empty coffee mugs. She smiled at Mac in a friendly way, then turned to Don with a smile that was definitely more than friendly. As she reached to take Don's mug away, she very deliberately brushed her hand briefly over his. Mac watched, amused, as Don smiled back at the pretty redhead. Colleen moved away, taking the empty mugs back to the bar, turning once to glance back at Don. Mac grinned.

'Why are you looking like the cat that got the cream, Taylor?' Don asked, sounding flustered.

'She likes you,' Mac teased, greatly enjoying the turn of the tables between them.

'She does not,'

'Yes, she does, Donnie boy. And I suspect,' Mac leaned closer to Don, his eyes gleaming, and Don was reminded of how he would never want to be on the other side of an interrogation table to his friend, 'I suspect that you like her,' Mac finished, giving his friend a sly half smile as he blushed furiously.

'Maybe,' Don admitted, gruffly.

Mac just grinned at him more. Don thought it was no fun when Mac got to tease him about a woman. He also realized that he really would have to keep quiet about the fact that Mac had kissed Christine and was obviously falling for her, as Mac now had ammunition of his own. If he even hinted to Jo about Flack's interest in Colleen, he would have to put up with the same smug looks and sideways comments he and Jo had been giving Mac. Mac had, Don decided, definite sneaky smarts.

'I'm exhausted,' he said, 'I'll go flag a cab down outside.'

'You sure you don't want to go talk to Colleen?' Mac teased. Flack pulled a face at his friend then led the way out of the bar. He flagged down a cab.

'Shit,' Mac said behind him, 'I forgot my jacket. Wait a sec, Don?'

'Sure,' Don said. As Mac vanished back into the bar, a sudden idea came to Don, and he grinned with delight. He leaned down to the window of the cab.

'Where you want to go?' asked the driver.

'We need two drop-offs,' Don said, 'Here's the first address,'.

Mac rested his head against the seat and closed his eyes. He felt the pleasant buzz of mild inebriation in his head. He felt the sheer relaxation that came after a good couple of hours out with a good friend, a couple of hours where he no longer had to be the boss of the lab with all the worries and responsibilities that came with it, where he could simply enjoy a excellent Irish coffee with a friend who really understood him and who didn't push him (much) to talk about things he'd rather not. Don simply accepted Mac for who he was, much in the way that Christine did, and Mac truly valued and appreciated that.

'Here we are, first stop, Cafe Ricordo. I think is closed.' the cabbie said.

Mac's eyes flew open and he sat up in his seat at the name of the cafe. He looked out of the window. The blinds were down at Christine's restaurant, and the closed sign up, but a light was on inside. He glanced at his watch. 11pm. The restaurant closed at 10, and Mac knew she often stayed after all the customers and other staff had left to make sure everything was ready for the next day, or catch up on paperwork.

'Don?' Mac said, suspiciously.

'You said you would go talk to her,' Don said.

'I didn't mean *tonight*, Don,' Mac said, annoyed, but not as annoyed as he wanted Don to think he was.

'Hey, the sooner the better,' Don said, 'I'm paying for the cab, Mac. Go on. Go see her. You *know* you want to.'

Dammit, he did want to, Mac thought, surprised at just how very much he wanted to see her.

'Damn you, Don Flack, you are a sneaky, crafty bastard and you know me too well,' he said.

'I know,' Don said, smugly.

Mac got out of the cab. Leaning down, he said to Don,

'I'll do this, but I expect you to go and ask Colleen out on a date within the week. If you don't, I might just have to mention her to Jo. Or I'll assign Danny and Lindsay to all your cases as CSIs.'

'Damn, you drive a hard deal, Taylor,' Flack grumbled.

'But we have a deal?' Mac pressed.

'Fine.' Don said. Then he grinned. 'Have a good night, Mac.'

Mac smiled and stepped back from the cab. It pulled away. Mac turned and took the few steps to the restaurant. He took a breath, and knocked on the window. Christine looked over from the bar where she was sipping coffee while looking over some kind of paperwork. Her face registered surprise and then she smiled warmly, hopped off her stool and hurried over to the door.

'Mac,' she said warmly as she opened the door. Mac couldn't help but think how pretty she was. His heart leapt at seeing her again, at the warmth and obvious pleasure in her greeting.

'Hi,' he said, 'I've been an idiot not coming to see you in the past week, and I'm hoping you might forgive me, and let me in for coffee?'

Christine gave him a long look, then smiled up at him.

'Okay,' she said, taking his hand and leading him into the warmth and quiet of the empty restaurant.

The End.