It was easy to say that Ava's life had not been easier, and she had got a hectic two-years period away from Miami. It had all started when she broke up with her fiancee, exactly when things had seemed to finally go right in her personal life. He had an amazing boyfriend who had proposed to her, and she was ready to become a mother-in-law, despite the fact that she had never thought that she would make a good mom. But, as always, life had this dirty way of biting her in the ass exactly when she felt best. Right after the separation from David, she got a job offer from Los Angeles; and even though she had said multiple times before that she would never leave her beloved Miami, she decided that she needed a change, so she took the job.

Two years had passed, two years filled with new acquaintances and professional success. And yet, something seemed to be missing from Ava's life; that thing called home. And we do not mean home as in New York, her hometown, but that feeling she had in Miami. This is why she was back now, after two whole years. She hadn't told anybody about her return, but she had already found out that David was not working there anymore. And maybe it was for the best.

Pulling up in front of the lab she had got to love so much, she stepped out of the car, taking a deep breath of the sweet Miami air. It felt good to be back already, but she was slightly nervous at the same time. She had no idea how many of her old colleagues would still be there, or if she would be welcome the same way as a long time ago. Wearing a black pencil skirt and white button-down shirt, with her blond hair gently falling down on her shoulders, trying to look her best in her first day back, she grabbed her purse, then locked the doors of the car. Being so nervous and clumsy however, she accidentally dropped her bag, causing most of the items inside to spill all over the ground.

"Oh, snap," she muttered, quickly getting down in order to gather her stuff. What a great start for you, Ava, she almost chuckled to herself, absently shaking her head at her own clumsiness.

Mac shot a glance at his watch as he walked out from the front of the lab. He had a few calls yo make that probably could wait if entirely necessary, not that some of the people he needed to call would enjoy his pushing it back, but... Oh well.

He didn't recognize the car that pulled up in front of the lab as he started down the short set of steps, nor did he recognize the woman that stepped out. He was about to shrug this off - as there was plenty enough people that seemed to come through here every day - when she dropped her bag and he quickly took the detour from his truck to help her out. He honestly didn't think twice, pocketing his own truck keys as he knelt to help her gather her things without a word. It was just a common courtesy thing, wasn't it?

When she clumsily dropped her bag and most of the items she carried inside spilled all over the pavement in the parking lot, Ava had not expected somebody to stop by and help her. In all honesty, she had hoped that no one would be around to see it, because it was not exactly the best start for her comeback in Miami. But before she could think more about the matter, someone knelt along with her and started to help her gather her stuff. Surprised by this kind gesture, the blonde gently raised her brown eyes to look at the man. She did not think she had seen him before, despite the fact that he seemed to be working at the lab as well. He seemed to be rather experienced, but he must have worked somewhere else, then transferred at their lab while she had been in Los Angeles. She couldn't know everyone at her old workplace, obviously, but she was rather sure that she would remember a face if she had seen it before. She did not remember him however, which meant that he was either new around, or he was not even a detective, as she had assumed.

"Hey," she greeted him, quickly gathering the items and throwing them back into her purse. "Thank you, it seems like I am more nervous than I should be," she joked, assuming that her head was in the clouds because of this. She was not having a new job, but returning to her old workplace seemed to be even more difficult and thrilling than that. She could not cease wondering who was still there out of her old friends, how they would react to seeing her again after two whole years, and what new coworkers she would have this time. It was not easy for her to return this way, without having anyone other than Caine know about this, but this way she was definetly going to kind of test her old friends.

Having only been working in Miami for several months, Mac was relatively sure of the idea that this just could've been someone he hasn't caught a name to, but he was also rather sure that if he ever worked with this girl, he would at least know her face.

He offered her a smile in response to her greeting. "Hey," he replied, "And it's fine. I admit, I was nervous myself coming here on my first time." Saying that made it sound like he figured she had never been here before, and for all he knew, she hadn't. But he could be wrong. With a minor shrug, feeling a little awkward himself at the unexpected meeting - especially having her look at him even though he was doing the same thing he thought she was doing by trying to place a name to the face - he explained himself, feeling like it was necessary, "I only transferred in from New York several months ago, and I won't deny that it was a little nerve racking."

Once her purse was ready to go, Ava stood up again, offering the kind man a slight smile. As she had assumed, he was working at the lab, but he had transferred to Miami not long before, after she had left. There were probably many of them, because it had been no less than three years, and the Miami lab was one of the most looked-up-to around the country. She could just assume how many people tried to get a job there once an employee left. She was even more surprised at the fact that Caine had found a spot for her to bring her back when she called him from L.A. to tell him that he could not live without them.

"It's not actually my first time here, but it's my first time back since I left, two years ago. And somehow, this is even more nerve-racking than it was coming here for the first time in my life," she chuckled, slightly shaking her head. "I am Detective Ava Smith, by the way," she introduced herself, holding her hand out for him to shake it.

Mac stood and listened to her, returning the small smile before he nodded in understanding. So he had been right - he hadn't ever met her, much less caught her name. Whether he could call that something of the reassuring sort that he hasn't forgotten... Well, he guessed he could.

"It's nice to finally meet you then," he said, accepting her hand for the offered handshake, "Detective Mac Taylor," he added, returning the introduction. She had mention her returning here, which was almost something he could relate to as well. He had just been visiting those times, however, and had still been doing the job under the badge of NYPD. This was more of a different ball park for him now; he wasn't just here to represent a team in an investigation, but now worked here on the regular shift schedule with a MDPD badge to confirm it. He couldn't really complain, either, despite his rather inevitable homesickness of missing his team back in New York. They had been family... It was hard to see a way to not miss them.