Title: Mac Finds Out
Author: JE / immortalje Pairing: one-sided Danny/Mac, Danny/Don
Series: Series: 1) Counsellor Stella, 2) Danny in Love, 3) Mac Finds Out
Summary: Mac realises some things...
Rating: FRT
Beta: Zoe

It didn’t take long for Mac to notice that Danny was pulling back. He needed less encouragement, didn’t try to get his approval anymore and didn’t focus on him anymore. To his surprise, Mac also noticed that he cared, that he had liked Danny’s dependence on him. He had liked to feel needed by the younger man.

He knew why it had hurt so much when Sassone had implicated Danny being involved with the Tanglewood boys at one point in time and when they had believed that he had shot that cop. He was so glad that that hadn’t been the case.

Now that the attention was missing, Mac realised that he cared more about Danny than he’d like to admit. He might even go so far as to say that he loved the younger man. There was only one thing he could do. Work on his behaviour when it came to Danny and gain his attention again.

***

Mac was at the end of his knowledge. No matter what he had tried, Danny still didn’t react to him. He had thought that things between them were alright. Was he wrong to assume that?

He was just heading to his car when he heard someone moaning. Deciding to check if someone was hurt, he followed the sound. When he turned a corner he saw Danny being pushed against the wall by none other than Don Flack, and they were kissing. Now he knew where the moans where coming from. Danny was moaning in obvious pleasure.

Not being able to continue to watch, Mac turned around without a second thought and ran straight into Stella.

“Just the man I was looking for. I wanted to talk to you about Danny,” said Stella.

Mac looked surprised at her, “What about Danny?”

“I want you to stay away from him,” said Stella.

Mac raised an eyebrow, clearly confused, “Why?”

“He spent years trying to get your attention and your love until you actually broke his heart. I don’t know if you meant it like that or not, but when he asked you if you were alright and you said ‘We’ll see’ he took it as a no. Do you know what that did to him? Do you know how hard he worked to be where he is today? And you practically pushed it all aside, making it seem meaningless with one thoughtless answer,” explained Stella.

Mac was flustered now, “I thought he knew that…”

“He needed your approval and you refused to give it. How did you think he was supposed to take it? Besides, he finally found someone who cares about him and actually is able to show it. Don’t destroy that. He more than deserves it,” asked Stella.

Mac looked at her and in that moment he understood what he had done wrong and that he couldn’t undo it, just like he knew that it would be too easy to slip once he had Danny’s attention again. In that moment he vowed to never let things go this far again.

Stella saw the resignation on Mac’s face and knew that the older man understood what she was getting at. Out of the spur of the moment, Stella asked, “Want to get dinner with me? I think there are few things we should talk about.”

“I think it’d be good to find out how much I actually screwed up and make sure that I don’t do it again,” agreed Mac.

The End