A/N: thanks to all who took the time to review my first attempt. You guys are super nice and it actually gave me the boost to write a sequel. Or sort of... We are a few episodes later in Right Next Door. He will make it up to her... eventually. :) Thanks for the reviews and enjoy till the new season starts. Angel Forest beta read it (thanks a million) so any mistakes are mine.

A/N 2: I still don't own them. In fact, I am not even anywhere close. I live in Norway with amazing hills, midnight suns and fjords all around me. I think Flack would love it here... :)

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I'll make it up to you later

She walked the streets aimlessly. She passed a TV store and without looking she knew what was on the screens. Austin and his mum finally got reunited. She felt relieved as always when she could use her science to solve a case. Maybe she didn't help before, but now she could and as a result the boy was safe with his mum. Stella was sure that though it would take some time, at the end they will both get over the trauma and pain and find ways to be a normal family again.

As she was thinking about it, her phone rang. She didn't want to pick it up, she knew it wasn't work related. But who else would call this late? Slowly she fished out her cell phone to check the caller ID and her face quickly turned into a weak smile. Of course.

"Hi Flack. What's up?"

"Hello to you, too. Just wanted to make sure you are OK."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I called the hotel and they said that you haven't been there since yesterday."

"Well, well, detective. Are you checking on me?" It came out wrong, as she was pleasantly surprised, but Flack took it as an accusation.

"Hey, calm down. As I said before, you are my friend, a very close one to be precise. I was just concerned about you, that's all."

"Look, I am sorry. I was tired and I needed some fresh air before I go back to that hotel."

"I want to be the last person to tell you to have some rest, but (and she could hear him smile)… but wouldn't it be lovely to have a hot bath, stretch out on a huge bed and switch off reality for a couple of days?"

"Yeah. That would be great." She agreed with a tired sigh. All the above sounded like a very good plan.

"Why do I hear a but coming?" Stella found a bench, sat down and for a long minute she didn't reply. Flack was about to ask again when he heard her taking a deep breath.

"I just … well, it's that… I really don't want to go back to the hotel. It would remind me that I lost everything. That all I have fits in a small suitcase. That's all that's left of my life." He could barely hear her last words, but could visualize her crying face in front of his eyes and it broke his heart. He wanted to argue with her, tell her that it is so not true. That she was alive, she was safe, that she had friends. But instead he only whispered back:

"Why don't you come to my place? "

The question hung in the air for quite some time, before they both realized what has been said. He wanted only to offer a shoulder to cry on and a place to rest a bit. She needed a shoulder to cry on and a place to rest a bit. But of course she couldn't admit that.

"Stell? Still there?"

"Yes, I'm here. Don… thanks for the offer, but…" He cut her short.

"No, Stell. Not this time. You are tired, exhausted emotionally and physically. What you need now is a warm place where you can relax and forget this madness for a while. "

She was contemplating that offer. She so desperately wanted to take it, but her pride held her back.

" I tell you what. You go back to the hotel, collect your stuff and come to my place. NOW! Dinner is ready in an hour." His voice was determined and she knew that she would never win this argument.

"And after that you can fall asleep in my huge bath tub." He added to lighten the mood. He decided to convince her to come over no matter what. He offered everything to her. Dinner, a warm and friendly place, his home! The bath was his last card and when she was still silent fear entered his heart.

"Stell?" Nothing.

"Do you hear me?" Yes, I can hear you loud and clear. She stood up, smiling. As she started to walk towards her hotel Flack's heart warmed at the sound of her last words.

"You got me at Hello."

Reaching the hotel she had ran up to her room, threw everything in her bag and made her way to the reception desk. She quickly checked out, got into a cab and 40 minutes later she was standing in front of his door.

Flack stood on the other side of said door. Of course he had been standing at the window starring down the road waiting for her cab to arrive. He felt so relieved when he spotted her a few minutes earlier just as she entered his building.

He still couldn't believe it that she actually came. When he looked out the peep hole he witnessed something he never thought he would. That confident woman he learned to respect and love over the years was all but gone and left a scared and confused little girl behind.

Stella's thoughts were speeding so fast that she actually had to stop walking to catch them. She wasn't really thinking about the consequences when she checked out and gave the address to the cab driver, but now she wasn't so sure any more if it was a good idea. She turned down Mac's offer a few days ago. So why did you say yes to Flack?

She took a few steps away from the door. Because he offered dinner and a bath and… She walked back. Yeah, right. As if you wouldn't get those things from your best friend. Another turn and she headed to the elevator again. Come on girl; just admit that you want to spend time with him… "No!" She screamed quietly, but it was still audible.

In any other case Flack would have found that little display fascinating, even funny. But this was Stella and he knew, or at least could imagine, what was going through her beautiful head right now. He wanted to make it easier for her so he slowly opened the door. She was so lost in her own battle that she didn't even hear the locks move.

"You wanna come in?"

"Flack. Wow. Hi. You scared me." She jumped a little at his voice, but regained her composure in no time. Flack was beyond amazement. How can she do that? In one second she is about to loose it and in the next she has a confident smile on her face.

"Sorry about that. I just heard noises so I opened the door."

"I see." She said, but didn't move from her spot. In fact she didn't seem to be moving any time soon so Flack being the gentleman he was, approached her.

"I am really glad you came, Stell." He said that as he easily took the bag from her and walked into his apartment hoping that she would follow. If not for him, at least for her stuff to claim them back.

She was still in a trance and though she couldn't remember giving the order to her legs to start moving, seconds later she found herself in his living room. The entrance door clicked loudly and that snapped her out of her lightheaded situation.

"Ummm, thanks."

"No problem. I put your stuff in the guest room."

"Thanks"

"You wanna drink something?" He asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah, thanks."

Flack came back with some juice and he noticed that she was responding in auto mode. Not just her words, but her actions, too. He couldn't help but reach out to her and gently touched her arm.

"Stell?"

"Yeah. I am… just… "

She looked around for the first time since she stepped inside. The flat wasn't huge, but it was cozy. It was warm and inviting, but above all, it looked like a home. A home she's just lost. Or did she ever have one? She went to the table, put the glass down and walked straight into his arms. She put her arms around his back and squeezed her body close to his.

"Thank you, Don"

Flack's surprise lasted only a second and soon he was hugging her back. It wasn't just a quick greeting between friends, it was so much more. He could feel that she was holding onto him for dear life and he thanked God for allowing him to be the one who to be there for her.

Their embrace didn't seem to loosen up, but after a minute or so he could hear her muffled cry against his shoulder. With one arm he pulled her even closer if it was possible at all and his other arm started running up and down her spine. He wanted to whisper soothing words to her ears, but he himself was fighting with tears. He came very close again to losing her and it scared him more than he had admitted it to himself before.

Stella felt his hands on her back and it just made the situation worse. Finally she gave up fighting against it and she let the tension escape her body. It didn't take long to shed the first tear and once she started there was no turning back. She didn't care how childish her behavior must have looked; she lowered her arms to his waist and buried her head in his chest. Soon his shirt was wet as the uncontrollable flow washed over his torso.

They stood there for a very long time. He never stopped caressing her back and eventually her sobs stopped. She moved her head a bit away from his chest so she could look into his sad blue eyes.

"I am a well educated woman who should be able to communicate in longer-than-one-word sentences, but right now all I can say is Thanks."

He remained silent, but his eyes got back the sparks she loved so much and without saying a word she knew that he understood her.

Stella always thought an emotional breakdown like that would undermine her status. She was afraid of looking like a fool and feeling utterly embarrassed. However, with Flack still holding onto her she felt none of the above. She felt relieved. She felt like smiling. She lifted her right hand to wipe away her tears and she even managed to put the flirting tone back into her voice.

"So is dinner ready?"

Flack took a step back from her, but never let her hands leave his.

"You know you are the strongest woman I know and I am very glad that once I could…" He didn't know how to finish the sentence. He didn't want to say "witness your weakness" and expect to live to tell the story. He knew her better than risking his life by reminding her that it was OK to be emotionally down sometimes, but truth is he wanted her to understand that it wouldn't make her look helpless or anything less.

"…be there for me. Trust me, Don, I am glad, too. It means a lot to me to know that I can wear my emotions on my sleeve around you. It's nice for a change." She said honestly, but when she saw his lips turning into a huge grin she quickly added:

"And just for the record. Nobody would believe you should you mention it to anybody, but rest assured I will find a way to make it look like an accident."

Flack couldn't control his face any more and burst out laughing. Without thinking he dragged her closer to him and pressed a soft kiss on her cheek. "That's my Stella!"

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Hope you liked it. As soon as plot bunnies will call for meetings instead of my clients I will update it. Now it seems like a 2-3 chapter long story. Cheers!