Chapter Text
Stella was walking into the break room with Adam and Chad both in tow, discussing the results of each of their tests, when she stopped. Danny was bent over one of the tables, his head in his hands, looking for all the world like he wanted the hell out of the labs.
"Problem?" Stella asked. She would probably find out anyway, eventually, but it was always better to hear it from the horse's mouth than to et it second or third-hand.
"Yeah, you don't look so good," Chad commented.
"Sick or something?" Adam interjected.
Danny dropped his hands and looked at the three of them. "Breathe a word of this to anyone else and I swear, I'll quit talking to any of you about anything."
"Must be serious," Stella said, moving to the chair next to him. "And personal?" she ventured.
"Yeah. Personal." He sighed. "Apparently, both Aiden and Lindsay have got it in their heads that they both want to date me...why Aiden's changing her mind after all these years, I don't know. And they want an answer soon over which one it'll be."
"Lindsay," Chad said immediately.
"Aiden," Adam answered.
Danny groaned and turned to Stella. "You're the one dating the boss. You have any suggestions on how I should handle this?"
Stella smiled and clapped Danny's shoulder. "You just got your answer. I'm dating the boss. Singular. Now, if, say, Mitford were in on this--"
"That's disgusting," Danny cut in.
"If he were in on this," Stella repeated smoothly, "I'd have a real answer for you."
"Anything," Danny pleaded. "I'll take anything. Just to get them off my back for at least another day."
"Try dating them both." Chad shrugged. "It's what I would do."
Danny made a face. "Yeah, Chad. That sounds like your style. Always thought you were saving a place for Aiden, not Lindsay, too."
"I like Lindsay, but then again, so does Marty," Adam pointed out.
"And then there's always Flack having a thing for Aiden," Chad mused.
"So what the boys are saying," Stella said, looking pointedly at the two techs, "is that if you don't make a decision, either the women will make it for you, or you won't get a chance with either of them."
"Great. Just what I wanted to hear." He stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, Stell...get them to give me a day. Tell Mac I'll work more hours if that's what it takes for me to have to avoid this. I'll do about anything right now."
Stella raised an eyebrow. "Anything? Like help me with something for Mac?"
"Something like what?" Danny asked warily.
Stella quirked an eyebrow and grinned, "Its just that Halloween is round the corner. And I want you to help me convince him into letting us throw a Halloween costume party."
Danny looked at her in disbelief.
"Nah, nah," he shook his head. "Won't work. He'll probably just bite my head off and..."
"Alright, in that case, have fun with Aiden and Lindsay, concurrently." She moved as though to leave the lab.
Adam and Chad watched excitedly. The prospect of a Halloween Costume party appealed to them. "Agree with her. Agree with her," Chad chanted under his breath.
Danny rolled his eyes and sighed, "Alright, alright! What d'you have in mind?"
"Contest. Between all of us, CSIs and Homicide detectives attached to the lab. And have it here at work, at a time when it's really just us. And yeah, we can agree to make it short, I already know Mac's going to argue that point."
"It's not like the rest of us can't bring food earlier and we can all snack throughout the day," Adam pointed out.
"So how are we going to get him to agree?" Chad asked Stella.
She raised an eyebrow. "We? I thought it was just going to be me and Danny."
"You're crazy if you don't think we want this party to happen, too," Adam said. "If you want our help, you've got it."
"But you better hold up your end of the offer," Danny pointed out, looking at Stella. "At least a day. More time so I can figure this out, more energetic I'll be about getting this party off the ground."
"You better at least start out energetic, Danny, or the deal's off."
"If it'll save me from having two women hate me for a while, you know damn well I'll be energetic about this."
Stella smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "I'll keep my end of the deal for as long as you try to get Mac to have this party."
"And if you don't get him to," Adam added, "Chad and I will personally send fake love notes to Aiden and Lindsay from you."
Danny's jaw dropped open. "No...hey... Mac's tough, I can't promise anything!"
"If you can bribe him into letting us bring food, I'm happy enough." Chad smiled. "If you get Mac to wear a costume, I'll take Aiden off your hands, if you know what I mean."
Stella reached over and smacked Chad upside the head. "No. I get to take care of the girls. I leave it in your hands, you'll foul things up worse than they are."
"Foul what things up worse than they are?" Flack asked as he came in. He was the only person Danny had told about the situation with the women.
"I think I made a deal with the devil to get my problem sorted out," Danny said, glancing over at Stella. "She wants a costume party. I have to help convince Mac."
Flack chuckled slightly. "Good luck in that."
"Oh, I was thinking of roping you into it, too," Stella said.
"Me? No. I don't think so. I like my job just fine, thanks."
"You help us out, I'll help you out," Danny said.
"How?"
"I'll enter that basketball competition with you, the one you keep trying to get me to enter every year. It's, what, next week?"
Flack gave him a look. "You're serious?" He took a look at Danny's face, and then grinned. "I have witnesses to this. I'm in. So...what's the gameplan?"
Stella looked at Danny, her eyebrows raised. "Enlighten us. And it better be a good plan."
"I only made the deal a few minutes ago! I can't have something planned alrea--" He broke off suddenly, smiling. "Hey, Flack, remember the time I showed Aiden that picture of you--"
Flack's face fell. "I thought we weren't talking about that."
"Oh, yeah..." Danny frowned. "Anyway... Stella, you have anything we could...possibly use to blackmail Mac?"
Chad grinned behind Stella. "I'm not helping you blackmail Mac," she answered, crossing her arms. "Not unless you can swear it'll work."
"Mac's only human; he has to get embarrassed." Danny grinned. "Please tell me you have something."
Stella looked agonized for a second. "Maybe... But Danny, I'm dating him. And he's our boss. Keep that in mind. I don't want to lose him or my job."
Flack raised an eyebrow. "You and Mac...it's pretty serious?"
"Yeah," Stella said. "Serious."
Danny sighed. "Fine, fine. We won't ask for blackmail from you. Anyone else have something?"
The three men shook their heads. "You ever thought of just having Stella get everyone else to agree to help out, and we all bum rush him?" Flack suggested.
"Like who?" Stella asked.
"I don't know...Aiden, Lindsay, Hawkes, Marty, Zao, Jane...maybe Maka would agree to help too, though Lord knows she won't be wearing a costume."
Chad snickered slightly. "That's Maka...prim and proper to the end."
"Hey, there's an idea for you, Danny," Adam said. Danny looked at him. "Date Maka instead of Aiden or Lindsay. You two have a...thing...you know?"
Danny laughed. "Oh, yeah. I can just see that happening. Aiden and Lindsay would hate me, and that would only happen if Kaile said yes without laughing in my face."
"Kaile?" Stella asked, raising her eyebrow again. "Since when are you two on a first name basis?"
"When she's not at work or we're at Sullivan's."
Stella smiled, her eyebrows still raised in disbelief. "Maybe Adam's right."
"Hey." Danny raised his hands slightly as though to push Stella away. His shoulders raised up around his ears almost defensively. "It's a friendship thing, alright? Just going out for some drinks. Like I said, she'd laugh if I asked her out."
"Still rooting for Lindsay," Chad said quietly in the back. At Danny's glare, he changed the topic. "If the entire lab is trying for this, I bet Mac would give in. Just spread the news."
"Can't think of a single person who wouldn't be interested," Adam added.
"It's just a matter of persuading Mac he won't get into trouble for this." Stella smiled. "That's where it boils down to you, Danny. You find a way to get that across to him, I'll keep the girls off your back." Danny sighed. "If you can do it soon, I'll keep them away for a week," Stella promised.
"A week?"
Stella nodded. "A week."
"Okay. But seriously, we need to spread the word and keep Mac from finding out," he said, adding emphasis to the last part of his sentence. "And I want to state this: I am not going to be the only one there to convince him. We all need to do it or he's not going to believe we want this to happen."
"When would be a good time?" Flack asked.
"For the ambush or the party?" Adam asked.
"Both."
"Ambush...maybe in a week?" Danny ventured. "As for the party, so long as the CSIs and the detectives know to wear costumes they can easily change out of if there's a call, maybe ten to eleven thirty?"
"I like the way you think, Messer," Stella said with a wink. "So who's going to recruit who? I can handle Aiden and Monroe."
"I see Maka every coupla nights, so I can get her in on this," Danny said. Adam coughed "Kaile" under his breath and Danny glared.
"We can get Jane," Chad said.
"Guess that leaves me with the coroners," Flack said. "Though I want it stated, for the record, that I hate going to the morgue."
"Might as well just invite them for drinks," Danny said. "The rest of us can do the same and we'll broach the idea to them all at once."
"When?" Stella asked.
"Everyone free tonight?" They all nodded. "Good. Whoever can't make it tonight we'll hit tomorrow."
"You make it sound like you want to ambush them rather than Mac," Chad joked.
"If any of them don't agree to the idea, I will." Danny crossed his arms grimly. "Now that Stella's mentioned the idea, I can't drop it."
Adam nodded. "Yeah. I'll have to find a costume. Haven't so much as handed out candy since I realized no kids live in the apartment, and I end up eating it all by myself."
"Don't invite Jane over, do you?" Chad asked, earning himself a harsh elbowing from Adam. "Alright, alright. I get it. You prefer Mac. OW!" he hissed when Adam elbowed him more viciously.
"Jane's enough of a talker to get the rest of DNA over," Adam said, still glaring at Chad, who smiled at the mention of Jane. "Where're we meeting?"
"Everyone knows where Sullivan's is, right?" Stella looked around them all, seeing the nods.
"Everyone goes there almost every week," Flack pointed out. "Easy enough to pass it off as one of those things."
"I think telling them we're conspiring against the boss is already going to get them," Chad pointed out. He held up his hands in defeat to Adam. "Not offending Mac, I swear."
Adam ignored him. "Just make sure not a word of this gets to Mac."
"Oh, I may not be willing to part with information to blackmail Mac," Stella said with a slightly wicked grin, "but I have enough dirt on just about everyone else..."
The men looked at her with expressions tinged in awe and fear. "You scare me sometimes, Stell," Flack said.
"I know. That's the point." She thought for a minute. "If I can drag Mac out on a date tonight, far away from Sullivan's, think that will help?"
"I think that'd be perfect," Danny said with a grin. "That way he wouldn't find out what we're up to because he'd be too busy with you." Surprisingly, Stella blushed a little. "Am I seeing this right? Are you blushing, Bonasera?"
"Make one more comment, Messer, and I'll join Chad and Adam with the love notes thing."
Danny paled immediately and backed down. "Alright, alright. Won't mention that blush of yours anymore every time we mention Mac."
"Dear Lindsay..." Stella recited.
"I love you," Chad started, smiling.
"We should meet at Sullivan's for a few drinks and at my place after, if you know what I mean," Adam finished.
"Where Mac and Stella are," Danny cut in.
Stella raised her eyes menacingly. "Dear Aiden... Go ask Lindsay what plans I have with her, since the same applies to you." She put her hands on her hips. "That enough reason to stop, Messer? I can think of a hundred things to put in that letter, none of which are flattering."
"All I said was you were blushing, Stella!" Flack laughed, and Danny turned on him. "You think about helping them and I got some dirt on you that'll have them rolling in the aisles, Don," Danny said pointedly.
Flack started to protest, but Stella cut him off. "All right, enough, enough. We don't work together on this, we aren't going to get it."
"Get what?"
The five of them whipped around and saw Hawkes standing there. Stella smiled. "One less person we have to track down..."
"You guys should lower your voices," Hawkes warned. "I could hear those fake love notes you guys were composing, and I swear I just saw Aiden marching off towards the lab where Lindsay was. She did not look happy."
The four men exchanged glances with each other. "Oh, shit," Adam muttered. "This is not good, Stella. You know how Aiden gets when she's pissed."
"I still think I have a bruise from when she punched me in the shoulder," Flack muttered, rubbing his shoulder slightly. "And that was a week ago."
"Let's not forget Lindsay's tough, too," Chad pointed out.
Danny looked between Stella and Hawkes. He finally settled on Stella, looking more desperate than he had before. "Stella... Please just get them off my back now. I swear I'll find a way to get Mac to allow this, even if it means I have to tie him up in a closet. I'll get him in a Barney suit, anything. I'll force him to kiss you in the A/V labs if I have to--"
"Alright, alright." Stella smirked. "I'll go deal with them. You're not going to keep them off you for long, and I'm not taking credit for notes they leave in your locker."
Danny nodded. "Alright, I'll take the notes. Just please--"
Stella smiled. "I'm on it already." She turned, smiled at Hawkes, and left.
Hawkes took a step forward. "So... What's all this about Aiden and Mac and Barney?"
"Danny made a deal with the devil." Chad smirked. "He's getting Stella to keep Lindsay and Aiden off him for a while if he can get Mac to have a Halloween party in the lab for a little while."
"Lindsay and--" Hawkes repeated, frowning.
"They're fighting over him," Adam explained.
"Ah," Hawkes said calmly, though the amused glint in his eye very much matched Flack's.
"Anyway," Chad said. "We're going to ambush Mac into doing it. You have plans for tonight?"
"None that I can't put off."
"Sullivan's. Eight," Danny said. He thought for a moment. "You're tight with Zao and Marty, right? Save Flack a trip to the morgue and ask them to join us."
"This is if I want this party to happen." The four men stared at Hawkes, who started to grin.
"I knew there was a party animal inside you, Hawkes," Flack said with a grin. "Look, I owe you one for saving me the trip to the morgue. That place...it creeps me out."
Hawkes faked an offended look. "The morgue isn't that bad, Flack. It's...it's like a second home to some of us."
"Hate to imagine the first one, then," Flack muttered, but Hawkes only smiled.
"You get used to the smell," he answered, clapping a hand on Flack's shoulder. "Not that bad after a while." He turned back to the group. "Should I grab the whole morgue? I'm sure they'd be amused by this. We're awfully good at...corpse makeup."
Flack shuddered.
"Bring anyone," Danny answered. "The more the merrier, as long as I'm not paying for their drinks."
"Dear Lindsay," Chad whispered under his breath, earning himself a third elbow from Adam.
"I can bring more of the homicide cops attached with the labs," Flack said, ignoring Chad. "I mean, there's more than me and Maka."
"That works. But I'm still not paying for drinks," Danny said. "Everyone pays their own tabs."
"But you'll pay ours?" Adam asked.
Danny sighed. "So long as I have your promise not to write any stupid love notes to any female at the labs, yeah."
Flack smirked. "You left out Maka, Danny. She doesn't work at the labs."
"She...oh, crap." He saw the amused look on Hawkes face. "You see the trouble I'm in?"
Before Hawkes could reply, Stella popped her head in. "Hey, Flack? I think I need you to go take Aiden out for lunch or something. Things got pretty ugly in there. Apparently, she overheard the 'letter' we were composing and she thought he'd really written it." A genuine look of sympathy crossed her face as she looked at him. "I'm really sorry, Danny."
"Shit," Danny muttered. "I knew nothing good would come out of this." All the people assembled in the room turned to glare at him. "Wow, I'll be..." Danny murmured. Out loud he said, "Flack, please, just divert Aiden for me. I'll go in and pacify Lindsay."
Chad let out a snort at that. "And how is he gonna divert her?"
Adam rolled his eyes, elbowing Chad again. "Get your mind out of that gutter, you dolt."
Chad rubbed his side, looking morosely at Adam, "I'm gonna have a permanent bruise here."
Adam elbowed him once more, "One more word, I'll get Aiden to do the elbowing." Off his disbelieving look he added, "Believe me, I have my ways. And given Aiden's current mood, it should not take much to get her to inflict physical harm." He lowered his voice. "Something that Danny seems to be in imminent danger of."
Flack, getting tired of hearing the pointless banter, said to Danny, "I'll take her to lunch, like Stella suggested. You and Stella go handle Monroe."
Danny looked hopefully at Stella, "Really, you'll come with me?"
Stella smirked, "Of course, I wouldn't want to miss this for the world! The Messer-Monroe-Burn Debacle is always worth a watch."
Danny groaned.
"I hear ranting in my labs, and three CSIs, two techs and a detective in the break room," a male voice said from the doorway. "Does anyone need more work to do?"
Everyone else groaned slightly, but Stella smiled. "Mac...no, we're about done with business here."
"And this business would be?" Mac asked, raising an eyebrow. He walked into the break room as Adam and Chad slunk out behind him.
"Saving Danny's neck," Hawkes offered, looking at Mac as though none of them were plotting to ambush him for a Halloween party. "That, and some actual casework; I have DNA results I needed to share with you."
"Why didn't you bring them to my office?"
Hawkes pulled a protein bar out of his pocket. "Needed a pick-me-up."
Mac nodded, then looked at the other three. "And you three?"
"Remember that ranting you heard? We're going to take care of it, then Danny and I are getting back to work on our case," Stella said. "You don't have to worry over this one." She grinned a little wider and a smile reluctantly crossed Mac's face. She got up and pushed Danny and Flack to the door, were Hawkes had already headed.
Once the guys were out, Mac said in a quietly interested voice, "Stella? Wait a minute."
Stella turned back to Mac, her eyebrows raised. It was amusing, looking at him with a straight face when he was so lost about what was going on in his labs. "Yeah?"
"What's going on?"
"Just Danny and some girls having a bit of an... argument." Stella smiled. "I think they're going to get over it soon, though."
Mac looked out the door, though the group was already long gone. "Lindsay and Aiden, right? Is Maka in this?"
"Good job. First try. Hear them that well?"
"It's hard to miss Aiden's voice," Mac admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know there has to be more than that--"
"Mac." Stella touched his elbow, smiling. "Nothing's going on. Just Danny being himself." She remembered the plans for that night and her need to distract Mac. "But I have something to ask you."
"Hmm?"
"Care to head out to a restaurant tonight?" Stella smiled and guessed his next words. "And I'm not talking about drinks. There's a nice place a few blocks from my apartment."
"What kind of food?"
"Italian." He looked at her. "What were you expecting me to say Greek?"
"No, I was actually expecting you to say Thai or sushi."
She laughed, reaching over and impulsively kissed his cheek. "I forgot I was talking about that earlier."
"I don't forget things like that." He thought for a moment. "There's a good Thai food restaurant by my place."
She thought for a moment. Mac's place was farther away from Sullivan's than hers, just in the opposite direction. And he probably wouldn't be inclined to head over to Sullivan's if they were heading away from it in the first place; Stella had planned on taking the long way to get to the restaurant by her place anyway.
"Thai sounds good, Mac. I'll even let you pay for it."
"You asked me, Stella, remember? It doesn't matter, though...I'll pay for it if you buy dessert." Stella's eyes sparkled with a naughty glint and Mac found himself outright sparkling. "I was thinking more along the lines of food for dessert."
Stella smirked. "Hey, sometimes two desserts are nice. And you only have to pay half-price then." She moved closer to him, smiling, then pat his cheek quickly. Mac smiled back.
"So Thai works for you?"
"Sure." Stella looked back in the direction of the door, half-expecting to see Danny back. She remembered Halloween once more, and fought to hold back a grin. It still came.
"What's going on?" Mac asked.
"Just...imagining tonight," Stella answered, grinning at this point. When she saw Mac's face, she laughed.
"I have to go find Hawkes," Mac said, looking at his watch. "How about eight thirty?"
Stella shook her head, knowing if he found out there was almost no one in the labs around eight he'd start to suspect something. "Seven thirty."
"I don't know..."
"Leaving for the restaurant earlier means getting dessert earlier."
"Good point. Seven thirty, then."
Stella smiled. "And I'll come get you."
"Are you--"
"Yeah." She nodded. "Just make sure to clean up before I get there. Who knows? May get an appetizer."
Mac laughed as he left the room. Stella leaned against the table, watching him leave, then felt herself grin again. The plan was already working in their favor. Danny was safe, and Mac already had an army forming against him. She was almost tempted to raise the issue with him during dinner, but she knew it would be too soon.