Giving Thanks

By Dimgwrthien

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY or affiliates.

The restaurant was only a few blocks away. Mac continued his story as they walked, trying to fit in every detail of the day he could remember. It was hard. The details he did remember felt too raw to mention, but he forced himself through it.

As Mac finished the story, he glanced down at Reed. Reed stared at the sidewalk with a rapt attention that Mac knew was faked only to stop Mac from noticing his expression.

Even Reed's presence reminded him painfully of Claire. Reed took long but slow strides, his heels making a pronounced clap against the pavement. Claire had walked like that when she wore boots, and Mac tried to hide his smile.

His phone rang, and Mac sighed as he picked it out of his pocket.

"Have to go again?" Reed asked, stopping beside Mac. Mac was surprised to see he looked disappointed.

Checking the number, Mac smiled. "Maybe not." He answered it. "Taylor."

"You already know my number. Don't see why you still answer like that," Stella said.

"It's my work phone," Mac answered simply. "What's going on?"

"I heard it's your day off." There was a small pause. "I was wondering if you wanted to have a late Thanksgiving with me."

Mac smiled and glanced at Reed. "One second." He covered the mouthpiece of the phone. "Reed?"

Reed raised his eyebrows.

Mac studied the teenager for a moment. "How would you feel about bringing along one of my friends? You've met her."

His face took on a slight look of shock and confusion, but Reed nodded. "Sure. Anything you want."

Mac uncovered the mouth piece. "Stella?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm heading out to dinner with someone. Care to join?"

"Oh." Stella paused again. "Who?"

Mac glanced back at Reed and smiled. "Reed."

He could practically hear the smile form on Stella's lips. "Tell me where you are."

(Giving Thanks)

Mac studied the menu as he watched Reed. The teenager's eyes were fixed on the menu, though they occasionally flicked up to meet Mac's.

"Mac?" Reed paused as he played with the corner of the menu. Mac looked up. "Thanks again. For all this, I mean. I - I guess I came off as ungrateful -"

Smiling, Mac folded his menu and leaned forward. "Like I said before, I didn't start this for myself or for you. Your mother - Claire would have wanted this. She…" Mac clasped his hands together under his chin. "She always loved introducing people. They always seemed to be the strangest couples, but she always knew that they would get along."

Reed smiled. "This is her way of getting us to meet?"

"I suppose so." Mac picked up his menu again, though he didn't look at it. "Though… after I first met you… there was still something that told me it would help the both of us."

He noticed Reed's hands touch his pocket, and Mac remembered the pictures with a smile. Mac didn't comment, though, as he looked up at the door. Someone was entering, and it didn't take him long to realize it was Stella. Stella glanced around before noticing them.

Stella neared their table and pulled off her coat. "Hey."

"Hey," Mac answered as Reed smiled nervously.

"I haven't seen you lately." Stella stuck out her hand to Reed. He shook it. "I'm Stella."

"I remember you." Reed's smile still seemed nervous and forced. Mac watched the two of them. "I'm sorry about the -"

Stella smiled. "Don't be. Trust me, it was a relief to know it was you. Though, my advice is…" She leaned in as though about to tell him a secret. "If you want to follow someone unnoticed, don't wear yellow."

Reed grinned. "Hope I don't need to follow anyone anytime soon."

"Well, if I had noticed you sooner, you wouldn't have had to follow me in the first place." Stella smiled and glanced at the menu. "Sorry for being late, Mac."

Mac shook his head. "Neither of us have ordered or even found anything. Take your time."

Stella smiled as she opened her menu. "That's good."

Reed looked up once more. "Could I ask a question?"

Both Mac and Stella looked up and exchanged a quick look. "Sure," Mac answered. "Anything you want."

"When… when I was following you…" He looked at Stella. "Well, I saw you at Mac's a few times, and then I saw another woman a couple times. I had just assumed my mom - well, you and Mac were divorced or that the other woman was a relative or something." Reed shrugged. "Well, what I mean is, are you two…?"

"No," Mac said quickly. "We've been friends for years. Worked together for just as long."

"It was Mac's birthday," Stella added. "I had a present for him on one day. Went over another time to invite him out for a birthday dinner. Dropped off a few things for work." She glanced sideways at Mac. "The other woman…"

"She's Peyton." Mac looked away from Stella, back to Reed. "She's… she's my girlfriend. Not Stella." He paused for a second. "I was supposed to meet with her yesterday for Thanksgiving, but she's stuck on her shifts until tomorrow."

Stella nodded, her eyebrows raised. "That explains a lot."

Mac glanced at her again. The waiter approached their table, and they ordered their drinks. When he left, Reed looked back at the two of them.

"How long have you know each other?" he asked.

Mac was surprised by the question. He had expected Reed to ask only about Claire, not himself.

"Since ninety-four," Stella answered. "Give or take, really. We worked in the same building without actually knowing each other for a while."

"So you knew my mother." Reed looked down at his hands as he spoke. Mac finally understood his choice of topic. He sat back in his chair, watching them speak.

Stella nodded. "Yeah. Mac introduced us, actually. She was an amazing woman. Always funny and just charming." Stella smiled. "Mac always said he regretted the day he introduced us. The two of us could wipe out a sale in record time and…" She turned to Mac. "What did you always say?"

"I said a lot about you two."

Stella grinned. "True. When you get older, maybe I'll get permission to tell you a few of the stories."

Reed smiled, then looked at Mac.

Mac sighed. "Stella, when you say it like that, it doesn't sound quite right."

"I realized that."

The waiter returned with their drinks a moment later, setting them on the table. Reed put the straw in his mouth, slowly drinking through the side of his mouth. He opened his mouth and hesitated. "Could I hear one now?"

Stella gave Mac another look, one that told him, This is your life, Mac Taylor. Enjoy listening to it. Then she looked back at Reed and started. "Not long after we first met… I had only met Claire once by then. Mac invited me over for Christmas…"