Chapter 6
Mac sat at her desk, head resting on the desk. Well not resting but it was down there all right. "Damn it, I hate abuse cases" Tony's voice came from his own desk.
"Yeah, well it is worse when you have experience on the subject" Mac said quietly.
"Wait what?" Tony practically yelled, now actually standing at her side.
"How did you get over here so fast?" she asked, trying to change the subject.
"No, don't do that!" he yelled, spinning her chair round and leaning on the arms, moving his face close to hers in a caring way. "If he hurt you I will hunt him down and slaughter him myself"
"Him? Chris!!! God no!" she screamed, jumping up and walking into the middle of the bullpen, outraged at the prospect. "How the hell could you even think that?" she said, throwing her arms up in outrage.
"Sorry, just by the sound of it I…" he stuttered.
"Chris couldn't hurt a fly, do not ever say anything along those lines again. You are so far from the truth you can't even see the line you crossed"
"Mac, calm down. And tell that to my poor face, it hurt."
"Well, you see how protective of me he is. You two are similar in that way."
"I'm not that protective of you"
"And I quote ‘If he hurt you I will hunt him down and slaughter him myself'"
"Hmm, you have a point" he told her as her name was yelled from the other side of the room.
"What?" she yelled back.
"Come here!" the voice came, it was Abby. Mac did so and found the Goth standing in front of too women, who were looking rather pale.
"What's up? You need help"
"Translate!" she yelled frustrated.
"Excuse me?" she said, confused, as was Tony who was standing behind her.
"You aright hen?" the black haired woman said to Abby and Mac suddenly understood. The one word that explained it all. Weegies.
"This lassie is bletherin, I think she's crabbit" the blond one said, indicating it at Mac.
"Calm down, she just doesn't get it. Why are you here?"
"It's aw richt, hen. We're here to see ma cousin"
"Who is?" she said, but the elevator dinged and a little boy ran out.
"Mummy" he said, running into her arms as she swept him off the floor.
"Hey honey. How are you?"
"Fine" he said, hugging her again.
"That's a braw bairn you got there hen" she said, indicating at Matt.
"Thanks." She said, still holding Matt. "So again, who is your cousin?"
"Special Agent Balboa" the blond one said.
"Right. I think he is the field. I'll check."
"Oy, what's with the glaikit look on her?" the dark haired one said to Mac about Abby.
"Very few Americans understand the language of the weegies" Mac told them as the elevator dinged again.
"Damn it Matt, what did I tell you about running away" Chris said, walking past the weegies.
"Hey" she said, kissing him.
"And the husband is fair bonnie anaw" the blond one whispered to her friend.
"Take that as a complement Chris" Mac said.
"You heard that?" she asked embarrassed.
"I didn't" Chris said, confused.
"My dad is in autopsy" she said, knowing that Chris was there to drop Matt of with Ducky.
"Mac, I don't want him to see…"
"He has no bodies down there" she said, knowing what he was thinking.
"OK, see you later then, I love you"
"Love you too" she said as he left, quick as he had come.
"Aww, so sweet" Abby said.
"Right, Abby escort these ladies to Agent Balboa. I've got work to do."
"Oh no you don't" Tony said, grabbing her arm. "You are gonna spill to me" he said, leading her to the breakrom.
She sat down at the table and he did so on the other side. "Right" he began. "You brought it up, I want to know what you have to do with abuse?" he said, determined, but yet with worry in his voice.
"It's a long story"
"I got time" he said defiantly.
"Fine then, you really want me to pour my little heart out to you?"
"Your heart is the opposite of little, and yeah"
"Fine then." She said, and they both got comfy. "When I was a kid in high school, I wasn't at home much. When I wasn't at school I was out at band or something else along those lines, and occasionally out with friends. One day band was cancelled, so I came home early. Had no money in my phone so I didn't phone my mum for her t find out. I came in and… my step-dad…he hit her." She said quietly. "Well, I of course ran over and tried to stop him. Then, cause of his temper…he hit me" she forced out. "I never really forgot it, but it was pushed to the back of my mind. I was busy with exams and other crap. But somewhere I knew he was still hitting her. I only saw very few bruises and cuts, but she was covered up most of the time."
"He only hit you the once?"
"No, he only hit me when I tried to stop him…."
"From hitting her" Tony finished for her.
"Yeah. Well. I went off to Uni, but still came home every weekend to try and stop it. He was getting older, and I was getting stronger. One day I came home and he wasn't feeling well. He still got up to hit her, but not at full strength. Well, I saw this and took advantage. I kicked his ass and chucked him out the house. And I mean properly kick his ass. Bleeding on the verge of death kicking his ass. Then my mum got told she had cancer and…" She trailed off. "I never saw him again" she said, re-gathering herself. "He died last year. Bastard got off lucky. I should have killed him."
"I can imaging what your dad said when you told him."
"I can imaging what my dad said if I had told him."
"He doesn't know"
"No. no one else does, apart from Chris of course. He knows everything about me. And I mean everything if you catch my drift."
"That's too much info Mac" Tony said. Blushing a little.
"And that is why I got so upset when you thought it was Chris. In my mind that was comparing him to that bastard. That is something that never ever should have happened. I am one of the luckiest woman in the world, because I found on of the only decent men in the world." She said with a smile. "And I am also lucky to have another of them as a friend. Thank you Tony" she said, giving him a hug before heading back to the bullpen.
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