How To Save a Life (1/?)
Well, I've not posted anything for a couple days, so I figured I'd post something I wrote a while ago. This is the first in a series of oneshots, all based on various songs, lots of different types, so you may find one you like. One posted a day, until Ir un out of already written ones, then you get one whenever they're done.
Title: How To Save A Life
Artist: The Fray
Fandom: CSI New York
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Mild slash, char death
Spoilers: 4.21, Hostage. AU from that point.
Racing through traffic, hoping he was in time, Danny’s hands gripped the steering wheel like a drowning man with a life belt. Screeching to a halt outside a derelict warehouse, he jumped out the car, followed closely by Flack, Hawkes and Stella. Pelting towards the side door, he could see images in his head, images of Mac lying in a pool of blood, those piercing blue eyes forever lifeless. Bursting through the door with a shout of ‘NYPD! Hands in the air!’ gun in hand, he saw Mac kneeling on the floor, hands laced behind his head, Joey standing behind him, gun pointing at him.
Mac looked Danny directly in the eye and smiled.
I love you, he mouthed, and everything went into slow motion. Joey pulled the trigger as a hail of bullets from Flack, Stella and Hawkes ripped through him. He saw Mac fall, a red stain spreading across his pale blue shirt.
An inhuman scream erupted from Danny, and he dropped his gun and was at Mac’s side before he had hit the ground.
Tears pouring down his cheeks, Danny caught Mac, gathering him in his arms. He was struggling to breathe, and he could hear Flack shouting into his walkie talkie ‘Man down! We need a medic in here now!’, but it was too late.
‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!’ sobbed Danny, kissing Mac’s forehead.
With difficulty, Mac drew a breath. ‘I forgive you Danny.’ He went limp.
Danny’s body was wracked with sobs. He could feel a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it away.
The medic arrived, but there was nothing he could do.
-_-
Danny shot up in his bed, sweat and tears pouring down his face. It was two months after, and still he was having nightmares. He looked at the clock. One AM. Mac’s birthday. He got up and pulled on a t-shirt and some sweats. Running through the streets at night was what Mac used to do, and he felt closer to him when he did it as well.
Arriving at the graveyard, he stood in front of Mac’s grave and just stood there, fighting the surge of emotion that always rose up when he was here.
‘I miss you Mac.’ he said thickly, through the tears. ‘I loved you, and I hate myself for the last real thing I said to you. I know you forgave me, but I don’t know if I can forgive myself.’
A fresh surge of tears slid down his face as he remembered the last real conversation he had with Mac.
-_-
He had messed up a case, really badly and the guy had walked. Danny was in the lab, poring over the case, trying to find some connection to the murderer and the victim.
‘Danny, my office now.’ His mood lifted slightly, as it always did hearing his lover’s voice. With a smile he turned to Mac, but Mac’s solemn face and steely eyes wiped the smile from his face.
He followed Mac silently into his office.
‘Shut the door Danny.’ He did so and sat down in the chair by Mac’s desk. Mac sat down in his chair behind the desk. Danny tried to fix things quickly. ‘Look Mac, I know I screwed up, but I promise it won’t happen again…’ he trailed off as Mac held up a hand, before starting, slowly and calmly. ‘I pride myself on running one of the best crime labs in the United States, and one of the best teams. And what you did today was a rookie mistake- one I wouldn’t have expected you to make in your week. You messed up and because of it, a guilty man is walking free out there in the city, and he will kill again. You let me down Danny, and I’m under orders to fire you.’
Danny opened his mouth to protest, but Mac interrupted him. ‘The only reason I’m not is because I know this lab is your life and I don’t want one mistake to ruin a life.’
Danny slowly stood up. ‘You know something Mac? This lab isn’t the only thing in my life. You were too.’ He walked out, pausing with his hand on the door handle. ‘You’re just as much at fault as me. You’re turning into Gerrard. You need a department scapegoat. So you chose me.’ He paused, giving the words time to sink in. ‘You were the only person I ever respected through it all; Tanglewood, Louis, Ruben, and I thought you respected me too. What a joke.’
He walked out, slamming the door behind him, the glass rattling.
-_-
In the graveyard, Danny heard noises behind him, and spun round.
Flack, Lindsay, Stella, Hawkes, Sid, Adam. They were all standing there. They didn’t say anything, but they didn’t need to.
Danny turned again to the gravestone that simply said:
Mac Taylor
Detective
Friend
Soul mate
Taken too soon
‘Happy birthday Mac.’ he said, and the other six stepped forward, Stella gripping Danny’s hand tight, fighting back the tears.
He missed Mac, but he had his friends to help him through it, and he knew Mac was with the only other person he had ever loved.
Claire.