Title: Closure

Author: Loz

E-Mail: loz06(at)yahoo(dot)com

Rating: PG

Category: Mackenzie/Church

Series: Prequel to ‘Opening’

Spoilers: Season 1, scratches head – that was when Mac and Peter were together wasn’t it…too long ago.

Archive (if applicable): [Lies and manipulations] – www(dot)geocities(dot)com(slash)loz06, also www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net

Feedback: The good, the bad and the very ugly it's all appreciated.

Summary: Church comes looking for something from Mac, closure on their relationship.

Author's Notes:

Disclaimers: Don’t, didn’t, never will have ownership.

“Don’t you have something to do, or do you just enjoy watching me work?” Peter Church sits in the chair opposite Ellen Mackenzie’s desk. He sits absolutely still watching her every move while she has her head down filling out reports. The absence of a reply makes her look up.

“What are you looking at me like that for?” Reports forgotten he has her undivided attention.

“Whatever happened to us?” Church speaks for the first time since the briefing had ended.

“Well I’m still here though I don’t know about you,” she grins.

“No I mean us,” he elaborates.

“You knew what happened, it was the right thing, we were breaking the rules.”

“Yeah but we almost had the decision made for us, there was never any...closure,” he thinks about it.

“And by closure you would mean?” Mac kicks herself later for probing for an elaboration.

“The last lingering kiss, the long steamy last night spent together.”

“You’ve been watching too many soaps,” she laughs getting back to what she should be doing.

“Seriously you just said that’s it and I hope we can still work together.”

“Is that it…you’re unhappy about the way I handled it? Because well I thought you would have said something before now Peter,” undivided attention is back.

“No I don’t fall into the category of disgruntled ex,” he informs her.

“Then what is it Pete, because this conversation is a merry-go-round until you tell me what’s bugging you.”

“Closure.”

“You want closure.”

“Yeah.”

“So you want me to spend a ceremonial last night with you.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s been 2 years if you don’t have ‘closure’ by now you need to see someone, besides you’re seeing someone, I’ve met her.”

“How about a goodbye kiss?”

“How about I put you on surveillance for the next half a dozen jobs.”

“How can I move on when I haven’t had closure from my last relationship, and just because I’m seeing someone else...”

“Pete, WHAT?” Mac says exasperated.

“7:30 tonight your place I’ll be there and you had better be too.”

A 7:30 date to kiss Church didn’t ruffle her feathers at all. What concerned her the most were the repercussions of the kiss, it might open doors rather than create closure.

“How come you’re never this prompt for everything else?” Mac asks opening the door.

“Glass of wine?” Mac offers as she let Church in.

“You think I need to be pissed to do this?” He asks her.

“No, but I must be to volunteer, does Collette know you’re here and why you’re here?”

“No”

“Jesus Peter you’re about to make a right royal mess of this aren’t you.” Mac’s angry raising her voice at him for reasons unknown, perhaps for the stupidity of this whole scheme.

“It’s not your problem.” His voice rises to mid level.

“Of course it’s my problem Peter, suddenly I feel like a none to anonymous egg donor.” It scares Mac how easily she becomes angry with him. She hates even more the fact that it’s was probably due to her still having feelings for him.

“It’s not like your life will be that screwed up if this doesn’t work out the way I want it to.” A knife could cut the air; tension consumed the large, spacious room.

“Oh my God, you had a plan?” she exclaims. “What was it one last role in the hay, then leave me in the middle of the night?”

“NO! I would never do that to you.” The volume drops to conversation level.

They star across at each other, both too stubborn to say or do anything. Eyes locked like bulls horns. Mac makes the breakaway move, with the intention of grabbing the glass of wine.

She hadn’t even moved her eyes off Peter when he moved in for the kill. He presses his lips against hers, hands running across her neck and through her hair. Pretty soon she finds herself kissing him back. She remembered his style, hard and fast, characteristic of Peter himself. But there’s always an underlying attribute, soft and tender, something longing for the sweeter side to reach the surface. Memories of pain of lost lives, loves and broken family and personal relationships all in one big stirring pot.

He breaks off the kiss and wordlessly leaves, banging the door behind him, not in anger, in haste and Mac knows why. She looks towards the ceiling and says out loud. “Dear God that was not closure.”