Title: Tea Time
Author: Kimmychu
Fandom: CSI: NY
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Danny/Flack
Series: 1) Nine Months, 2) Nine Months: An Interlude, 3) Nine Months: Drabbles, 4) Birds, Bees and One-Eyed Aliens
Content Warning: Mac. And a toddler.
Spoilers: Nada, except for my story, Nine Months.
Summary: Even a tough ex-Marine like Mac Taylor... likes tea time.
Disclaimer: Only Danielle belongs to me. Darn it.

***

"Mrs. Hillybilly, would you like some more tea?"

Mac gazed at the two-year-old toddler who sat beside him at his office desk with warm, crinkled hazel eyes. He cleared his throat, then adjusted the flowery sunhat on his head.

"Yes, Danielle, I would love to have some more." The CSI sent her a small but affectionate smile. He tried hard not to tug at the dangly, clip-on earrings the little girl had attached to his ears a few minutes ago.

It was just another day at CSI headquarters. A nice, quiet and uneventful day where everyone had done a great job, and the bad guys had been put away. A nice, sunny day where the scent of flowers and hope was strong in the heart.

A sweet, peaceful day, where a former Marine and detective was playing tea time with one of his CSI's baby girl.

And enjoying the heck out of himself.

Not that he would ever verbally admit that.

Danielle giggled. "No, Unca Mac! You hafta talk like a lady!"

Mac sighed, then displayed a rare grin of mischief. Stella really hadn't been joking about the power of those baby blues staring up at him. It was impossible to deny them anything.

"Oookay. But just for you."

Mac coughed to clear his throat again, and said in an extremely high-pitched voice, "Oh my, yes, Danielle, I would love to have more tea!" To make his act even more convincing, he waved one of his hands about in a very feminine manner.

Danielle, looking prim and adorable in a pink, sleeveless dress with frilled edges, nodded exaggeratedly in approval at Mac's improved performance. The action reminded Mac so much of the girl's father, he had to bite his lower lip from grinning like a loon.

"Here you go, Mrs. Hillybilly."

She picked up a colorful, plastic teapot with her rotund hands, and poured him some phantom tea into a teeny tea cup on a saucer. Mac, the excellent sport that he was, adroitly plucked up the tea cup with his thumb and forefinger, putting it to his puckered lips.

"Why, thank you, it tastes heavenly!" Mac made a show of sipping the phantom tea and licking his lips to show the toddler how nice her tea was.

"You're welcome," Danielle replied in all seriousness. The little girl took a plate of plastic pastries and cakes from the top of Mac's desk. "Would you like some cake?"

The ex-Marine rubbed his hands together in glee. "Ooh, cake! I like cake, especially chocolate cake."

Mac laughed together with Danielle, mock nibbling on a piece of brown-colored plastic like the toddler was. He never knew how much fun it was to have a play tea party!

Then, he heard some sniggering coming from his office door.

He and Danielle turned their heads to look in that direction.

"Mama!"

The plastic chocolate cake dropped like a stone from Mac's loose grasp.

"Hawkes, did you get all that?" Stella asked.

Stella, Hawkes, Danny and Flack were crowding his office doorway, Danny and Stella in front of Hawkes and Flack, who were taller and could look over their heads. Hawkes and Stella had their mobile phones in hand and pointed in his direction. Danny looked like he was about to explode like a plum-colored bomb, from the way he was desperately holding his side and covering his mouth. The bespectacled man's face was purple from trying to stop himself laughing. And as for Flack, he was no better than his CSI counterpart.

"Oohhh yes, I did." The former ME was grinning his head off.

"Mama, would you like to join our tea party? There's lotsa cake for everybody!"

"Oh, baby ..." Danny finally got himself under control and sauntered into the room to his daughter's side. He stroked Danielle's head of dark curls. "Have you been torturin' Uncle Mac the whole day?"

"No." Mac crossed his arms across his chest, attempting to appear dignified even with plastic teddy bears ear rings dangling from his earlobes and bright ribbons hanging from the hat he wore. "We were having a tea party, weren't we, Danielle?"

"Yes, we were, Mrs. Hillybilly."

Mac didn't react outwardly towards Danny's failed endeavor of not snickering at his newest nickname. Danielle gave him that nickname, and he ... thought it was cute.

"Hey, Mac, uh, I like yer earrings." Danny bit his lower lip. It didn't do a thing to conceal his amused grin. "I think they suit ya really well."

"Thank you. I think they're quite nice myself."

Flack was behind Danielle now, deftly picking her up from where she sat on Mac's desk and into his arms. "Oooookay, time to go home, sweetie."

The little girl struggled for a minute in her dad's strong arms. "But, bah-baaaa, tea party's not over!"

"Nooo, Uncle Mac has lots of work to do, it's not nice to disturb him -"

"Sorry, Mac," Danny said with a soft smile. He was collecting all of Danielle's toys into a box. "I shoulda gotten a babysitter for her, but I didn't think I was gonna be called back today -"

"It's okay, Danny," Mac said gently. For some reason, he didn't feel like taking off the hat or the earrings. "It was supposed to be your day off. Not your fault."

The younger CSI chuckled. "Yeah, well ... I gotta find a babysitter for tonight anyway. Not sure who'll be availa-"

"I don't mind babysitting Danielle."

Everyone in the office stopped in their tracks at Mac's statement. Stella and Hawkes, who'd been comparing videos of the whole play tea party on their phones, raised their heads in unison to stare at Mac. Flack glanced at Mac, then Danny, then back at Mac once more. Danielle had one finger in her mouth, looking around at everybody in curiosity.

"Huh?" Danny's expression of stupefaction was hilarious to Mac.

"I don't mind babysitting Danielle," Mac said a second time. "I'm free tonight anyway."

"Uhh." Danny's expression turned skeptical. "Mac, are ya sure ... ya wanna take care of a two-year-old child?" He smirked. "Who's gonna make ya play more games like this?"

Mac fiddled with one of his earrings. "Yes. I'm sure."

"Huh." Danny glanced at an amused Flack. Then he looked back at his boss. "Uh, okay. That's real nice a' ya. Thanks."

Mac smiled broadly at Danielle, who giggled and grinned in return. Her homicide detective daddy carrying her kissed her once on her forehead.

"Just let me know when you're coming over."

"Sure, Mac. I'll call ya then."

Mac nodded. It made the ribbons of his hat tickle the back of his neck.

"Oh, and Stella, Hawkes?"

The two CSIs gazed tentatively at Mac. They still had their mobile phones in hand. Stella's was playing the video of his tea party with Danielle, and Mac clearly heard himself talking as Mrs. Hillybilly. It made him chuckle.

"I'd like a copy of that, if you don't mind."

Fin.

***