Title: The Bottle and You
Author: Jaxson K.
Pairing: Don/Mac
Disclaimer: "I own nothing, just visiting friends"
Summary: Don has enough of Mac's drinking....

Don left the letter where he knew it would be seen, collected his bag and coat, and walked out of the apartment that he called home for 5 years.

Once he got to the airport, he began to get nervous. He didn't want to leave, but recent events made it necessary. It wasn't enough that Don had to endure Mac's drinking problem, but he'd had to endure being lied to, cheated on, and even slapped around a time or two. The last beating had put Don in the hospital for a couple of weeks, and helped him make the decision to leave. After all the promises had been broken, and re-broken, Don had had enough.

Don looked at his watch while standing at the ticket counter. He realized that Mac would be getting home soon, and would be reading Don's letter if he were sober enough.

When Mac arrived home, he was struck at how quiet it was. He unlocked the door, turned on the light, and called out for Don all at the same time. When he got no response, he began to get angry. That's about the time he noticed the letter on the table. His hands shook as he opened it and began to read.

          Dear Mac,

 

                       If you are reading this, then I have finally gathered the courageto leave. We both knew this was coming, just not quite sure when. The booze has been turning your head away from me and everything that's important to God knows what. There's not a whole lot left to say except that I'm sorry it came to this. I had hoped you would at least try to get some help for this, but I guess the bottle means more to you than a good man's love.

                                                                                                                             Always, Don

Mac re-read the letter once more, then threw it across the room in frustration. He knew better than anybody that he had a problem with booze, but damnit, it was his problem, and he would do it on his own terms. He could stop any time!

Don looked around the hotel room in Baltimore. He wanted to call Mac, but didn't because he was afraid. He went to get some food, but by the time he got back, he wasn't hungry. He lay down across the bed, and soon he was asleep.

In Don's dream, he was trying to get away from Mac, but instead of getting away, Mac was getting closer. Don could tell by the way Mac was yelling that he was drunk, and that scared don even more. For some strange reason, Don could hear a pounding noise in the background that he could not identify, and it kept getting louder.

Don realized that someone was pounding on the door to his room. He climbed off the bed and was shocked to see Mac standing at the door. He really shouldn't have been surprised. After all, Mac was a CSI!

Don opened the door just far enough to ask what Mac was doing there, and wanted to know how Mac had found him. Mac ignored Don's questions, and asked if he could come in.

"Have you been drinking?"

"No, I have not."

Don opened the door to let Mac in. Mac took a seat by the window while Don sat warily on the side of the bed.

"What's with the letter I found at home?"

"It means just what it says, Mac. I'm leaving because of the booze, and what it has done to you  and to us. It has just about destroyed everything you've worked so hard for, including me.I have a pretty good idea why you drink, but I can't do anything about it. Only you can, if you will."

"Why do you think I drink, Don?"

"Because you still miss Claire, and you still feel responsible for what happened."

"That's not true!"

"It is true, Mac. I lived with you. I was there when you had the nightmares, I was the one to calm you down. Hell, I even called you in sick when the hangovers got to be too much. I'm also the one who got cheated on with the whores you found and did God only knows what with, and I also took the beatings when I got the nerve to speak up!"

Mac actually had the nerve to look like he was sorry for all of 10 seconds.

"If you thought things were so bad, why did you stay?"

"I stayed because in spite of everything you did to me, I still loved your sorry ass. I thought that if I stayed, I could help you stop drinking, but I guess I was wrong."

"Yes, Don, you are wrong. I say when, if, and how I quit drinking. Not you or anybody else is going to tell me what to do, got it?"

"Sure, Mac. I can see there no place in your world for anybody or anything who can't do what the bottle can do for you. It's time for you to go."

Mac got up and headed to the door. He didn't even look back at Don as he walked down the hall to the elevators. Once he got to the lobby, he sat down and thought about everything Don had said. It was true that Mac had treated Don badly, and he did have some unresolved issues regarding Claire. He did run around with women and didn't try to hide it from Don. He'd done all that because he knew the drinking was out of control, and that he felt that Don deserved better than him. When none of that worked, he'd resorted to violence. Beating Don to a pulp was low, even for a drunk like Mac. Don definitely did not deserve that!

 Mac knew one thing for sure. Don was done with him and his sorry-ass ways. He'd seen the determination in Don's eyes, and knew that there was no room for argument. Mac asked the desk clerk for some stationery. He wrote Don a letter and left it with the desk clerk asking that it be delivered to the occupant of room 307 when said occupant checked out. Mac then got a cab and asked to be taken to the airport.

When Don got ready to leave the next morning, the desk clerk gave him Mac's letter. Don sat down in the lobby and began to read what Mac had written.

          Dear Don,

                        I wanted you to know that I put some thought into some of the things you said, and you were right. Don, you'll never know how truly sorry I am for treating you so badly. You did nothing to deserve being treated that way. I want you to know that if you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to pick up the phone. Thank you for having the courage to tell me how things really were. No matter where you end up, please be happy.                                   Always, Mac

Don wiped the tears from his face and put the letter away. As he considered his future, he was glad Mac had given him closure on the past. He still wasn't sure what he was going to do, or where he was going to do it, he just knew it was going to get done!

The End