That's What Friends Are For

[MS Set during ['Time's Up They would take the plunge together.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my waffling, drabble and the plot of this fic.

A/N:- I loved the Mac/Stella interaction in this episode – the bond between them is beautiful.

Keep smilin', keep shinin'
Knowin' you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for
For good times and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for
Dionne Warwick – That's What Friends Are For

He wouldn't be surprised to see her here. She would show up now and again, usually after a tough case which she couldn't quite let go of or if they'd been so busy with work that they hadn't had a chance to talk in the lab. She thought about not mentioning the Peyton thing at all but she knew her friend well and Mac Taylor would spot the sympathetic look in her eyes a mile away.

He finished his set and took a few minutes to put away his bass and pick up two drinks from the bar before heading over to where Stella sat.

"Brilliant as always." She said, applauding the air and giving him an impressed look. "You guys should take this show on the road."

"Trying to get rid of me?" Mac replied dryly with a small smile, putting the drinks down on the table – a Scotch on the rocks for him, a dry Martini for her.

Stella laughed and let her friend sit down before starting. "Mac I was in your office dropping off the report for my case and I accidentally saw the letter …"

Mac nodded slightly and then shrugged. "It shouldn't have been a surprise – I couldn't have asked her to move away from her life and her family for me." He sighed. No matter how hard he tried to tell himself otherwise, reading Peyton's letter – although everything she had written made perfect practical sense – caused a great deal of hurt.

Stella watched her friend struggle to remain impassive and controlled. There really was no fairness in life. Out of everyone who had deserved happiness, it was Mac. He had gone through so much for others, even whilst trying to cope with his own problems that he ought to have a good run of luck for a change.

"I know hearing this probably won't help but you guys had a great year together. I've seen you smile more in the past year than I have in the last five and it's probably not any consolation but Peyton loved you and this is probably just as hard for her as it is for you." Stella said sympathetically, wrapping her hands around her glass tightly.

Mac nodded. Stella was right, she usually was. "I guess I took the plunge, managed to tread water for a bit and now have to swim away." Mac said wryly, using his metaphor from earlier.

"No more water sports for us!" Stella laughed, sipping her drink.

Mac shook his head and leaned forward slightly. "Maybe not for me but the guy that sent you the parachute? Maybe you should give him a chance." He said seriously. Stella tipped her head to the side. She was honestly scared of letting herself get into that kind of situation again. "I may not have gotten the happy-ever-after ending but it was worth taking that risk and I would do it again even now."

"Really?"

Mac nodded. "You and I Stella …. We like to play it safe, which is maybe why we're so good at our job, but every now and again we have to venture out of our comfort zone, take a risk. It keeps us human."

As the club manager approached Mac to thank him for the show, Stella thought about Drew. He was smart, good-looking and liked coffee. If she kept her guard up, what was the worse that could happen? She stood up, signalled to her cell phone and stepped out for a minute.

When Stella returned to the table Mac had finished his drink and was checking his e-mails on his Blackberry. "I left a message on Drew's voicemail." She announced begrudgingly. "I told him we could do coffee but there was no way I was jumping out of a plane at 13,000 feet with a man I barely knew!"

"The cop side of me has to say: wise decision." Mac said, slightly relieved at his friend's judgement, and stood up and helped Stella into her coat. "How about dinner? The Italian place round the corner?"

"Sounds good – I can't remember the last time I ate."

They were halfway to the restaurant, dodging the human traffic heading the other way when Mac spoke next. "What are you going to do with the skydiving voucher then?"

Stella shrugged. "Use it as a bookmark? Frame it? Give it to someone who has nerves of steel – Danny and Lindsay seem like the crazy twosome who would get a thrill out of playing with death …."

Mac chuckled and then thought for a moment. "You know I did that kind of stuff a lot when I was in the Marines …. How about you and I give it a go? You must be able to get a spectacular view of the city from up there and I'm someone you can trust."

Stella raised her eyebrows and slowly turned towards him. "Is this because I didn't get my last report done in time and now this is just an excuse for you to get revenge by pushing me out of a plane thousands of feet up in the air?"

Mac laughed and rubbed her back softly. "Isn't that what friends are for?"

A/N:- It's not quite as polished as I'd like since I wrote it in a bit of a hurry but I hope you still enjoyed reading.