(no subject)
For Chastegardener!
Underneath the Mistletoe
The twenty-second of December rolled in as quietly as the snow had that morning. The lab was already bustling with its usual commotion as people ran papers and evidence bags to each other.
Mac looked through a microscope at the leaves they had found at the crime scene the night before inside a man's coat. The man had been found dead near the river - not drowned or even wet, but obviously a dump job. The leaves had a fine residue, though, almost clear. Aiden stood beside Mac, picking fibers off of the clothes. She already had several evidence bags set to the side, each with different color fibers in them.
"Can't figure this out," she muttered, picking up a third red fiber and looking at it. "Either our killer was wearing a rainbow shirt, or a coupla people handled his body."
"Unless it was already there." Mac looked over at the shirt. "Anything significant about the fibers?"
"They're thick." Aiden moved one of the bags closer to him, letting him look through the clear film. "Wool, maybe?"
Mac nodded. "Run it. See if there's anything else to it. Are you finding anything but fibers?"
"Not yet." Aiden looked over the shirt, her hands on the table to support her leaning. She sighed, then froze suddenly. "Unless…" Aiden grabbed her tweezers and pulled at a part by the neckline. She grinned as she showed her finding to Mac. "Either this is a hard, clear fiber or…"
"Fingernail." Mac smiled and patted Aiden's shoulder. "Good job."
Aiden beamed and started to leave the lab when the door opened. Danny entered and reached for a lab coat.
"Got an ID," he said as he wrestled when the sleeves. "Morgan Brown." He fixed his collar before joining them at the table. "Average guy, early-thirties, no wife. Sounds like he's got a live-in girlfriend, though. Can't get a hold of her yet. They're trying to find her."
Mac looked at the clothes and tried to imagine the man who had been wearing them. "Anyone try his house? See if there was a break-in?"
"They're sending someone over. Flack said he'll tell us if there's anything." Danny moved next to Aiden, leaning over the clothes. "Find much yet?"
"Fibers." Aiden waved the packages at him. "And a fingernail. I'm sending them over now."
Danny nodded and watched Aiden as she started to leave again. "Hey, Aiden."
She turned and raised her eyebrows.
"You cooking this Christmas again?"
A wide grin unfurled on her face. "Always do. And, yeah, you're invited." As Danny grinned, Aiden turned to Mac. He could see that her face was flushed with amusement. "You're invited, too, you know."
Mac smiled and shook his head. "I'd love to, but I have plans."
Aiden raised her eyebrows. "Hangin' out with family or something?"
"Not quite." Mac moved the microscope back over the leaves as he started to notice small red drops on one of them. He pulled out a swab and tried to get some of the blood off. "Think you could run this down to DNA as well?"
Aiden took the swab and smiled at Mac as though they shared a secret. "If it's not family, who is it?"
Mac looked at her, amused. "Would it matter?"
Aiden made a sound that was half-amused, half-unbelieving.
Danny smirked. "Aiden, don't pressure it out of him." He grinned at Mac. "Anyone we know?"
"Danny." Aiden looked at him disapprovingly, though she still grinned. "Don't be a hypocrite. Get these to trace for me."
"Hey -"
Aiden gave him a playful shove. "C'mon, messenger boy. I'm goin' with you." She gave him another shove until he walked out of the lab in front of her.
Mac smiled to himself as he looked sideways at the clothes. He couldn't concentrate on them and found himself looking past them. A smile pulled at his lips, and he couldn't stop it. It wasn't at all laughable that he had plans. They were good plans, and well-thought out.
He took a moment to imagine Danny and Aiden together on Christmas, then smiled as he returned to the leaves.
(Underneath the Mistletoe)
Aiden finished setting the table before standing back to admire it. She hated using good plates, or even plates in general sometimes. Any meals she ate out of the lab were usually quick, and usually out of take-out cartons.
Danny knocked on the door just as a timer went off, and Aiden looked between the two to pick which to attend to first. She compromised. "The door's always open," she shouted out to Danny as she entered the kitchen.
The door opened, and Aiden heard Danny say sarcastically, "Thanks."
"At least I didn't let this burn, right?" Aiden grinned as she walked back to the table with a cooked chicken in a pot. She tried to move it close to Danny to let him smell it, but she could tell he was trying not to.
"I have something to tell you."
Aiden raised her eyebrows. "Huh?"
"Remember how Mac said he had plans?"
"Yeah." Aiden looked at Danny, noticing that he wasn't taking off his heavy coat. "Don't tell me you've been stalkin' him."
"No, but I happened to see him."
Aiden looked at him quickly, her eyebrows raised. "Danny -"
Danny smiled and looked up at the ceiling. "If you're really curious, I could tell you what his plans were…"
She sighed. "It's his own business."
"I'll just say this…" Danny smiled. "We both know the person he's with."
Aiden bit her tongue to keep from commenting. After she realized that Danny wasn't going to speak unless she asked, she gave in. "Who?"
"For that… you have to come with me." Danny grinned as he pulled her coat off the back of the door. Aiden tried to stop him by telling him that she had finished cooking, but he was already opening the door. Aiden threw a quick look back at the table, then followed him out.
(Under the Mistletoe)
Mac shivered as he waited. He could see down the balcony to the ice skaters in Rockafeller Center and see across the street to a television broadcasting building. It wasn't snowing yet, thankfully, and he figured that a few more minutes wouldn't be too bad.
As though she read his mind, Stella appeared from around the corner. She stopped, looking around for him, then grinned as she walked forward.
"Glad you didn't leave," Stella said, standing close to Mac as though to share body warmth. "It's cold out."
"Almost did." Mac smiled. "Just don't tell me you want to go ice skating or something."
Stella gave him a long, thoughtful look, and Mac wince. "Stella -"
"Just kidding." She put her hand in his. "Let's hurry up and get inside somewhere."
As they started looking, Mac looked over his shoulder to see the ice skaters under them. "I can't understand them at all."
"That's why we're going inside." Stella looked around the intersection. "Where to?"
"California."
Stella laughed. "Only if you pay for the taxi."
Mac smiled an dug his free hand into his pocket to keep it warm. "Alright. How about we go north a little and find a restaurant there."
"What's open on Christmas?"
"Plenty." He looked at Stella, seeing her reddened cheeks. The wind stung at their faces almost painfully, and neither wanted to stay outside for much longer. "I'll even let you pick."
(Underneath the Mistletoe)
The two sat at a table near the back of the restaurant. There weren't many people there, and the music could drift around the room. It felt calm in there with the old paintings on the walls and the cold windows that let them see the trees.
"I like it here," Stella said, peeling off her coat. "It's warm."
Mac nodded as he looked down at the colorful decoration of the menus. "It is nice. How'd you find it?"
Stella shrugged. "Just search around sometimes, you know?" She watched him with a smile. "Besides, I thought I would start planning this Christmas a bit early."
Looking up, Mac returned her smile. "What else do you have in mind?"
"You'll have to wait." Stella playfully kicked his foot under the table. "Faster you eat, the faster you get it."
Mac shook his head and laughed quietly. "Guess the waiter'll need to hurry up."
"Exactly." She cocked her head to the side, watching him as he looked down at the menu. It was obvious that he wasn't reading it as his eyes didn't move.
As if he could feel her eyes boring into him, Mac looked up. He paused on her face, smiling, then looked up at the ceiling, there a small coil of mistletoe and ribbon hung. Neither of them said a word, but Mac leaned forward across the small table. Stella leaned into him, kissing him slowly.
(Underneath the Mistletoe)
Aiden shivered, but grinned. Her scarf was wrapped tightly around her neck to stop the cold. "I can't believe we drove this far."
Danny looked away from the window. "You have to admit, it was worth it."
"We see Mac and Stella at work every day."
"Not that Mac and Stella." Danny raised his eyebrows. "Kinda exciting, huh?"
Aiden laughed. "I bet we could have seen that if we waited after work long enough."
Danny looked back to the window, smiling. "I'm not sure 'bout that."
Still laughing, Aiden leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Come on. Let's get back to my place. You already ruined dinner."
"Why not stay here then?" Danny grinned as he motioned at the window.
Aiden looked in and saw Mac and Stella as they started talking. "As cute as they are, I wouldn't want to intrude." She elbowed the air in the direction of the car. "Hurry up."
Danny looked in the window again, shaking his head in disbelief and laughing. "Fine, fine." He started walking, leaving damp footprints in the dewy grass.
Aiden looked back at the couple with a smile. She didn't expect to ever see it, even if there was always that hint of some sort of love between the two. She knew she wasn't supposed to see it or to even be there, but now that her suspicions were confirmed, she was glad to have been there.
Underneath the Mistletoe
The twenty-second of December rolled in as quietly as the snow had that morning. The lab was already bustling with its usual commotion as people ran papers and evidence bags to each other.
Mac looked through a microscope at the leaves they had found at the crime scene the night before inside a man's coat. The man had been found dead near the river - not drowned or even wet, but obviously a dump job. The leaves had a fine residue, though, almost clear. Aiden stood beside Mac, picking fibers off of the clothes. She already had several evidence bags set to the side, each with different color fibers in them.
"Can't figure this out," she muttered, picking up a third red fiber and looking at it. "Either our killer was wearing a rainbow shirt, or a coupla people handled his body."
"Unless it was already there." Mac looked over at the shirt. "Anything significant about the fibers?"
"They're thick." Aiden moved one of the bags closer to him, letting him look through the clear film. "Wool, maybe?"
Mac nodded. "Run it. See if there's anything else to it. Are you finding anything but fibers?"
"Not yet." Aiden looked over the shirt, her hands on the table to support her leaning. She sighed, then froze suddenly. "Unless…" Aiden grabbed her tweezers and pulled at a part by the neckline. She grinned as she showed her finding to Mac. "Either this is a hard, clear fiber or…"
"Fingernail." Mac smiled and patted Aiden's shoulder. "Good job."
Aiden beamed and started to leave the lab when the door opened. Danny entered and reached for a lab coat.
"Got an ID," he said as he wrestled when the sleeves. "Morgan Brown." He fixed his collar before joining them at the table. "Average guy, early-thirties, no wife. Sounds like he's got a live-in girlfriend, though. Can't get a hold of her yet. They're trying to find her."
Mac looked at the clothes and tried to imagine the man who had been wearing them. "Anyone try his house? See if there was a break-in?"
"They're sending someone over. Flack said he'll tell us if there's anything." Danny moved next to Aiden, leaning over the clothes. "Find much yet?"
"Fibers." Aiden waved the packages at him. "And a fingernail. I'm sending them over now."
Danny nodded and watched Aiden as she started to leave again. "Hey, Aiden."
She turned and raised her eyebrows.
"You cooking this Christmas again?"
A wide grin unfurled on her face. "Always do. And, yeah, you're invited." As Danny grinned, Aiden turned to Mac. He could see that her face was flushed with amusement. "You're invited, too, you know."
Mac smiled and shook his head. "I'd love to, but I have plans."
Aiden raised her eyebrows. "Hangin' out with family or something?"
"Not quite." Mac moved the microscope back over the leaves as he started to notice small red drops on one of them. He pulled out a swab and tried to get some of the blood off. "Think you could run this down to DNA as well?"
Aiden took the swab and smiled at Mac as though they shared a secret. "If it's not family, who is it?"
Mac looked at her, amused. "Would it matter?"
Aiden made a sound that was half-amused, half-unbelieving.
Danny smirked. "Aiden, don't pressure it out of him." He grinned at Mac. "Anyone we know?"
"Danny." Aiden looked at him disapprovingly, though she still grinned. "Don't be a hypocrite. Get these to trace for me."
"Hey -"
Aiden gave him a playful shove. "C'mon, messenger boy. I'm goin' with you." She gave him another shove until he walked out of the lab in front of her.
Mac smiled to himself as he looked sideways at the clothes. He couldn't concentrate on them and found himself looking past them. A smile pulled at his lips, and he couldn't stop it. It wasn't at all laughable that he had plans. They were good plans, and well-thought out.
He took a moment to imagine Danny and Aiden together on Christmas, then smiled as he returned to the leaves.
(Underneath the Mistletoe)
Aiden finished setting the table before standing back to admire it. She hated using good plates, or even plates in general sometimes. Any meals she ate out of the lab were usually quick, and usually out of take-out cartons.
Danny knocked on the door just as a timer went off, and Aiden looked between the two to pick which to attend to first. She compromised. "The door's always open," she shouted out to Danny as she entered the kitchen.
The door opened, and Aiden heard Danny say sarcastically, "Thanks."
"At least I didn't let this burn, right?" Aiden grinned as she walked back to the table with a cooked chicken in a pot. She tried to move it close to Danny to let him smell it, but she could tell he was trying not to.
"I have something to tell you."
Aiden raised her eyebrows. "Huh?"
"Remember how Mac said he had plans?"
"Yeah." Aiden looked at Danny, noticing that he wasn't taking off his heavy coat. "Don't tell me you've been stalkin' him."
"No, but I happened to see him."
Aiden looked at him quickly, her eyebrows raised. "Danny -"
Danny smiled and looked up at the ceiling. "If you're really curious, I could tell you what his plans were…"
She sighed. "It's his own business."
"I'll just say this…" Danny smiled. "We both know the person he's with."
Aiden bit her tongue to keep from commenting. After she realized that Danny wasn't going to speak unless she asked, she gave in. "Who?"
"For that… you have to come with me." Danny grinned as he pulled her coat off the back of the door. Aiden tried to stop him by telling him that she had finished cooking, but he was already opening the door. Aiden threw a quick look back at the table, then followed him out.
(Under the Mistletoe)
Mac shivered as he waited. He could see down the balcony to the ice skaters in Rockafeller Center and see across the street to a television broadcasting building. It wasn't snowing yet, thankfully, and he figured that a few more minutes wouldn't be too bad.
As though she read his mind, Stella appeared from around the corner. She stopped, looking around for him, then grinned as she walked forward.
"Glad you didn't leave," Stella said, standing close to Mac as though to share body warmth. "It's cold out."
"Almost did." Mac smiled. "Just don't tell me you want to go ice skating or something."
Stella gave him a long, thoughtful look, and Mac wince. "Stella -"
"Just kidding." She put her hand in his. "Let's hurry up and get inside somewhere."
As they started looking, Mac looked over his shoulder to see the ice skaters under them. "I can't understand them at all."
"That's why we're going inside." Stella looked around the intersection. "Where to?"
"California."
Stella laughed. "Only if you pay for the taxi."
Mac smiled an dug his free hand into his pocket to keep it warm. "Alright. How about we go north a little and find a restaurant there."
"What's open on Christmas?"
"Plenty." He looked at Stella, seeing her reddened cheeks. The wind stung at their faces almost painfully, and neither wanted to stay outside for much longer. "I'll even let you pick."
(Underneath the Mistletoe)
The two sat at a table near the back of the restaurant. There weren't many people there, and the music could drift around the room. It felt calm in there with the old paintings on the walls and the cold windows that let them see the trees.
"I like it here," Stella said, peeling off her coat. "It's warm."
Mac nodded as he looked down at the colorful decoration of the menus. "It is nice. How'd you find it?"
Stella shrugged. "Just search around sometimes, you know?" She watched him with a smile. "Besides, I thought I would start planning this Christmas a bit early."
Looking up, Mac returned her smile. "What else do you have in mind?"
"You'll have to wait." Stella playfully kicked his foot under the table. "Faster you eat, the faster you get it."
Mac shook his head and laughed quietly. "Guess the waiter'll need to hurry up."
"Exactly." She cocked her head to the side, watching him as he looked down at the menu. It was obvious that he wasn't reading it as his eyes didn't move.
As if he could feel her eyes boring into him, Mac looked up. He paused on her face, smiling, then looked up at the ceiling, there a small coil of mistletoe and ribbon hung. Neither of them said a word, but Mac leaned forward across the small table. Stella leaned into him, kissing him slowly.
(Underneath the Mistletoe)
Aiden shivered, but grinned. Her scarf was wrapped tightly around her neck to stop the cold. "I can't believe we drove this far."
Danny looked away from the window. "You have to admit, it was worth it."
"We see Mac and Stella at work every day."
"Not that Mac and Stella." Danny raised his eyebrows. "Kinda exciting, huh?"
Aiden laughed. "I bet we could have seen that if we waited after work long enough."
Danny looked back to the window, smiling. "I'm not sure 'bout that."
Still laughing, Aiden leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Come on. Let's get back to my place. You already ruined dinner."
"Why not stay here then?" Danny grinned as he motioned at the window.
Aiden looked in and saw Mac and Stella as they started talking. "As cute as they are, I wouldn't want to intrude." She elbowed the air in the direction of the car. "Hurry up."
Danny looked in the window again, shaking his head in disbelief and laughing. "Fine, fine." He started walking, leaving damp footprints in the dewy grass.
Aiden looked back at the couple with a smile. She didn't expect to ever see it, even if there was always that hint of some sort of love between the two. She knew she wasn't supposed to see it or to even be there, but now that her suspicions were confirmed, she was glad to have been there.