A/N:Hi guys! So, I started the episode saying 'Holy f-... WHAT IS GOING ON?' I sat through the first set of commercials, screeching at the screen. Third commercial – 'WHAT THE F***!' Fourth – I could actually breathe (for a change!). By the end of the episode I was absolutely fine. Haha. So I came to a conclusion: NY's writers were smoking freaking crack when they were writing the first half of this episode. It was like four years worth of finale cliffhangers in one episode.

But in other news... actually there is no other news other than I am literally typing through closed eyes right now because I'm that tired, so you'll have to excuse me and this one-shot. I hope it's half decent... but you never know what Fred comes up with when Laura's tired.

Huge thank you to those of you who left me some feedback from last week's post-ep = it was much appreciated and I'm thrilled you guys seemed to like it. So, mentions to: webdlfan, csimesser1, MesserFamilyFan100, Meredith and Derek, messermonroeforever125, saderia, NorthernLights25, afrozenheart412, brendanakai, 18lzytwner, ZoeyBug and cklovesm-m. You guys rock! Thank you!

Post-ep oneshot; season 7 - episode 3, Sangre por Sangre

"So... my girl, breakin' the case yet again!"

Glancing up from her dinner, Lindsay Messer flashed a smile in the direction of her husband.

"That's it?" he smirked as he dropped his knife to the plate and took a swig of his beer. "No smart comment? No flick of the hair? No imaginary mark on the imaginary tally chart?"

"Nope," she smiled.

Cocking his head to one side, Danny placed the bottle back on the table and cocked his head to one side and narrowed his eyes as he looked at his wife. "What's wrong?"

Scrunching her face in amusement, Lindsay mimicked his actions in cocking her own head to the side. "Nothing." She shrugged in between bites.

"Lies." He narrowed his eyes even more. "I know you."

"Danny, I'm pretty sure Tom, Dick and Harry over there don't really want to hear the ins and outs of our latest marital conversation."

"Tom, Dick and Harry over there are too busy goin' between checkin' you out, and the waitress, so I wouldn't be worryin' about what Tom, Dick and Harry are thinkin',"

"Checking me out?" Lindsay turned over her shoulder and glanced towards a booth filled with three college students, blatantly checking her out. "Apparently so..."

"And what am I?" Danny growled. "Chopped liver?"

"Oh baby, please..." she giggled as she rolled her eyes. "It's nice for a change that it's not you getting checked out... well, by anyone other than me of course."

"What else is new?"

Smirking, Lindsay offered him an extremely sarcastic laugh before stabbing her Cajun chicken with her fork. "By the way, when I said for you to order for me while I was at the bathroom, I wasn't expecting Cajun chicken."

"The power went to my head." Danny smirked as he shoved a forkful of his own food into his mouth. "I saw an-"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Lindsay scolded playfully. "Monkey see, monkey do."

"Monkey isn't here, therefore she can't see anything." Danny pointed out.

"That right?"

Danny nodded before standing and shuffling around their table, sliding in next to Lindsay in the booth on her side.

"What are you doing?" she asked, looking at him through her lashes.

"You were too far away."

"You were sat across the table, Danny."

"So? You were too far away." He repeated as he slid his dinner across the table and settled next to his wife. "This is much better."

She smiled shyly before settling next to Danny and snuggling into his side, basking in the closeness and privacy that the booth offered them in the busy restaurant.

"So..." Danny broke the comfortable silence between them. "There was something wrong?"

"You just won't let up will you?" Lindsay sighed. "Least now we know where Lucy gets it from... you! Along with everything else."

"Oh she has your ability to be a smart-ass." Danny quipped. "Ain't no doubtin' that."

Simply rolling her eyes, Lindsay continued to push her food around her plate, avoiding the Cajun chicken at all costs.

"What's up, babe?"

"Nothin'," She drawled, shoving some rice into her mouth.

"Babe..."

Simply pointing to her mouth she chewed dramatically, indicating that she couldn't reply.

"Babe," Danny sighed, "Come on..."

"Babe, you don't always have to drag things out of me. I feel like all we do at the minute is discuss my feelings. It's driving me crazy."

"Because there's something not right." Danny implored. "If it's not one thing, it's something else, and I'm not just going to let it go, k? I did that before and it didn't work out too well for me, so I'm trying this new approach where I actually show you how much I care instead of just keeping it to myself."

"Danny..."

"Look," he sighed as he closed his hand over her's, stopping her from stabbing her chicken once again. "I'm not giving up on this, so you might as well do it now."

"I'm worried." She sighed, realising that her stubborn husband wasn't going to let matters go.

"About..."

"Mac." She sighed. "He stupidly went by himself. It wasn't going to end happy, and he ended up getting shot."

"In the arm. He's fine."

"I know but... he was there by himself, Danny."

"Well, that's Mac for you. It's not the first time he throws himself in the deep end, and it certainly won't be the last."

"Did you really just say that?" Lindsay giggled. "Words of wisdom from you, Mr. Messer?"

"It happens on occasion." He smirked before turning a little serious again. "Seriously here Linds, what's the matter. I know that isn't what's bothering you."

"It genuinely is," she assured him. "I'm just... I'm worried about him. We were there when he came out, Danny. He was seriously shaken up."

"He got shot in the arm and had to hold his own... anyone would be shaken up, Linds. We're not all brave warriors like you."

"Danny, I don't mean that. He had to shoot and kill a man. We both know what that can do to your psyche..."

"You do what you need to." Danny reasoned. "Mac'll be fine, Linds. He's been in that situation before; he has a processing and a coping mechanism. You don't gotta worry about him."

"But Danny, you didn't see the look on his face. You were off doing other things. I saw him. He was... he was pretty affected by whatever happened in there."

"You want to go check on him, don't you?"

She faltered under his gaze.

"You do," Danny nodded and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "You done?"

She glanced up at him. "Huh?"

"One sec," he whispered as he pressed another kiss to her cheek before turning his attention to getting the waitress. "Can we get the bill please?"

"Danny..." Lindsay interrupted, "We don't need the bill." She smiled apologetically at the waitress.

"No, we want the bill, please." Danny pushed. "Thanks."

"Danny..." Lindsay sighed as the waitress headed off, confused, to fetch them their bill.

"I know you, and you're not going to be here with me until you see that Mac's okay... so we're going over to his and we're going to make sure he's alright... we can take some take-out and-"

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, sweetheart," Danny teased lightly. "But when we're done here we'll head over to his and make sure he's okay, alright? Will that ease your... upset?"

She frowned. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Baby... for what?"

"Ruining dinner," she sighed sadly. "I know how much you were looking forward to this."

"Hey," he whispered as he took her hand in his and squeezed it. "Don't ever apologise for carin' like you do, Lindsay Messer." He told her. "You hear me? Don't you be sayin' sorry for bein' the person that you are... the amazing person that you are."

"Danny..."

"I mean it." He told her. "I'll even get Tom, Dick and Harry to agree with me if you're not careful, and right now, you're the MILF of their dreams."

"Did you just call me a MILF?"

"You're a mommy I'd like to-"

Sealing her lips to his, she silenced him with a kiss – knowing full well that kissing him was the only way to silence him from finishing his sentence.

They were still kissing when the bill came, minutes later.

"I hope he's okay," Lindsay whispered over her shoulder as they made their way up the final set of stairs within Mac's building. He'd buzzed them in without a word; which left Lindsay a little uneasy.

It had taken the six flights of stairs for Danny to convince her that there was something that would explain the lack of reaction upon them turning up at his apartment – and not that Mac was spiralling into a whirlwind of depression like she insisted he could very well be.

Danny took the lead and knocked the door as Lindsay contemplated removing her shoes. Spying her hesitance, he felt a smirk tug at his lips. "Babe, Mac ain't gonna give you nothin', so there's no point even tryin' to show him a little respect."

"You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Nope." He smirked. "It was my first indication that you were way too good for me, and way out of my league."

"What happened there then?" Lindsay smiled.

"I fell in love." He smirked as he quickly removed his shoes and arranged them on the welcome mat, sat outside Mac's apartment door.

"Yeah, you too." Mac smiled apologetically at both Danny and Lindsay as he ushered them inside. "Yeah, I'll tell them... I will. Yes..." he sighed dramatically down the land-line. "I won't... Alright, okay... you too... bye."

"It has to be a woman," Danny smirked as he slipped Lindsay's jacket off her arms and placed it on the back of the couch. "I only ever use that tone with my Mother..."

"It was Stella." Mac smiled shyly. "She misses you guys. And she told me to tell you Linds that she loved the pictures you sent her of the new apartment."

"Aawww," Lindsay blushed. "The phone-call, email and card told me that she liked it, but next time you talk to her, tell her thank you."

"I will." Mac smiled before narrowing his eyes. "Weren't you two going out for the monthly date-night tonight?"

Glancing at one another briefly, Danny took the lead and nodded for them both. "We went."

"... And you're here on your date? I must say guys, it's been a while since I was in a relationship, but I can't seem to recall ever spending a night at my Boss' house... possibly because I've been the boss for longer than I can remember, but still."

"Well, see the thing is Linds was-"

"Linds was nothing," Lindsay shook her head, jumping in, making sure that Danny didn't reveal the real reason as to why they'd stopped by. "We just wanted to make sure you were okay. It was a tough day."

"I'm fine," Mac shrugged. "A nice bullet wound scar for the collection." He gestured to the arm in a splint. "Nothing a few days off and some people watching won't fix."

Narrowing her eyes, Lindsay held Mac's gaze for a little while longer than what she would usually and shook her head. "You were the only person there... what happened?"

"Lindsay..."

"Mac, I know Stella isn't here anymore, and I understand you were just talking to her on the phone and all, but... we are here you know, me and Danny. We're here if you need anyone."

"Lindsay..."

"And we know what it's like to try and keep things bottled up, and we can both testify that it doesn't work Mac, so if you do need to let it out, we're-"

"I'm fine," he assured her with a gentle hand over the hand that wasn't linked with Danny's. "I promise."

"But..."

"I'll admit," he interrupted her. "At the scene, I was shaken up and what happened in there hit me a little more than it should have – but it's just one of those things. After all those lies, it was just personal, and I reacted... and I'd do it again..."

Danny chuckled. "I said that to her, she just cares."

"But, I do appreciate the concern," Mac smiled as Lindsay tried to get a word in edge-ways. "Especially considering the circumstances... the one night you guys get a month and you're here, making sure I'm okay... as if you didn't spend enough time with me over the past few days."

"I just...we just were worried." Lindsay shrugged. "We wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well, it's noted and appreciated." Mac smiled. "But I'm going to have to ask you to leave now."

Both Danny and Lindsay supplied Mac with a confused look.

"I'm not letting you two waste any more of your time with me. If date-night is over then by all means head home and spend the time you'd spend here, trying to scope out whether I'm okay with your daughter. I'll be absolutely fine, and if I'm not, I know to let you know, Lindsay." Mac said with a smile.

"You sure?" Lindsay pressed.

"Absolutely," Mac nodded adamantly.

"C'mon darlin'," Danny smiled as he stood from the couch and tugged Lindsay up. "Let's make tracks and leave Mac to fend for himself with his war wound."

"Do you need anything?" Lindsay asked as she gathered her coat and bag.

"Nope, Jo set me up with everything I'd be needing, with help from Flack of course."

"Flack? Caring? I'm shocked."

"Well, I think he was more persuaded and coaxed into helping," Mac chuckled. "Not out of his own free will."

"Sounds about right," Danny smirked as he opened Mac's front door and let Lindsay head out first.

"She's trained you well, Danny." Mac gestured down to the pair of worn converse that sat on the welcome mat. "There was a time a million years ago that you wouldn't have even thought of taking your shoes off... and now look at you."

"Well, I'm tellin' you – she's somethin' special." Danny smiled.

"She sure is," Mac smiled at how Lindsay was blushing profusely.

She ignored the two men as the carried on their showering of compliments aimed at her, but really – they had a point. She'd changed the both of them in more ways than one. She'd completely transformed Danny into a new and improved version of the boy he was a few years ago. But Mac – she'd worked her magic on him too. She'd done a fantastic job in brightening his darker days with her demonstrations, sunny disposition and caring nature. She'd eased some of his work-load in regards to Danny Messer, and between her and Adam, the cases solved had gone through the roof.

But, the biggest impact Lindsay Messer had made on Mac Taylor's life was that she'd given him the chance to find himself a family that he never got the chance to have with Claire.

There was something about her that he just couldn't pin-point, but there was something definitely special.