Alternate Endings – Chapter 1: 5x24 "Grounds For A Love Affair"

**The following takes place after the death of Professor P in the orchard in episode 5x24 "Grounds For Deception"...**

It was nightfall by the time Mac and Stella had returned to their hotel. Stella remained silent the entire way back from the orchard. Mac, unable to come up with much of anything reassuring to say to her, remained mostly silent as well.

As they retired to their separate rooms for the evening, Mac had no desire to sleep. Instead he paced back and forth across the floor, worrying about his best friend who just lost the only family she's ever known. Of course she assured him she was okay, but as strong a person as she is, he knew better than that. It had been a very emotionally trying day for her, and he wouldn't stand idly by and let her go through this alone.

He departed from his room and made his way down the hall to the next room. He taps lightly on the door with his knuckle. "Stella..." He waits but gets no response. "Stella" He tries again, to no avail. He takes her spare key she had given him out of his pocket and lets himself in, quietly closing the door behind him. "Stella..." he calls again softly, as he makes his way into the room.

"Mac?" he hears her call through sniffles and tears.

She sits at the edge of her bed, a tissue in one hand, an old photo in the other. His heart sinks as he sees her still in this much pain. He walks up to the bed and takes a seat next to her. "Hey" he calmly states with a smile as he wraps an arm around her shoulder.

"Hey" she responds as she tries to wipe all the tears from her eyes.

"I wonder what she was like?" she sighed, holding up the old photograph of her mother and the professor.

"hmmm" Mac frowned "Well let's see" he begins as he takes the photo from her.

The woman in the photo is stunningly beautiful, and looks nearly identical to Stella.

"Judging by this photo, and in my expert opinion, I'd say she was... smart, determined, caring, a good friend, probably went out of her way a lot to do things for others."

"You can tell all that by looking at a photo?" Stella scoffed

"Stella please, it's my job to analyze the evidence" he replies with a grin. "Now, I can't quite put my finger on it... but she reminds me of someone I know..." He teases as he taps the photo against his knee.

This lightens Stella's mood slightly as she begins to smirk.

"I got it! It's Danny! That's who she reminds me of!" Mac exclaims and Stella can't help but let out a roar of laughter.

"Mac Taylor, you're awful!" she teases as she swats his arm.

"I know, I know" He replied with a grin. "But seriously Stella, I know I don't know what she was like, but I can tell you that I know she would be proud to have a daughter like you, and to see the incredible person you've become. I know I couldn't imagine my life without you in it." He offered with a smile.

"Thanks Mac. I don't know what I would do without you either."

"Well good 'cause I'm not going anywhere." He says with a smile as she rests her head on his chest and he wraps his other arm around her.

They sit in silence a while longer as he keeps her wrapped tightly in his embrace. The steady beating of his heart and his strong arms holding her warmly has a calming effect on Stella. She knows she will never be alone; Mac will always be at her side. Being in his arms just feels right, as she wondered why she had never recognized these feelings before. Mac has been the one constant in her life. The only man she can always count on; and the only man who's always at her side.

---Maybe it was the emotional day she had, maybe it was the vulnerability she was feeling, or maybe it was just years of repressed feelings for her best friend that prompted what happened next; which would inevitably change their relationship as they knew it.---

"You okay?" He whispered as he tilts her head up towards him. He gazes into her beautiful green eyes, still cloudy from the tears.

"I am, now that I have you" she responded with a smile.

"Hey, what'd I tell you? You'll always have me." He said softly, smiling back at her.

"Thanks Mac" she beams as she leans in towards him and kisses him quickly but softly on the lips, only tasting them for a second.

As she pulls back Mac just offers a smile. He doesn't think much of it, as she has kissed him several times before. Never on the lips, but always just as innocently on the cheek. He looks at Stella who has a look in her eye that he hasn't quite seen before. Unaware of what to make of the situation, Mac decides perhaps it is time to take his leave.

"Well, you're probably tired" he begins as he shifts in his seat on the bed. He removes his hand from her shoulder and places both hands on either side of him on the bed, ready to push himself up.

"Mac! Wait..." she protests, placing a hand on his leg, just above his knee. "Will you just stay with me a while longer?"

"Okay" he complies with a sigh.

She rests her head on his chest again, and he places his arm around her shoulder once more, to offer her comfort. He loves the feeling of holding her in his arms, and when she lays her head on his chest it gives him the opportunity to smell her hair. A smile comes across his face as he is content that there is nowhere he would rather be than here with her.

After a few minutes of feeling the warmth from Mac's body as he holds her closely, she is overcome with a feeling of desire. They've always harmlessly flirted with each other, but something about tonight feels different. Being here with him, in beautiful Greece, alone in her hotel room, it all just seems too perfect. Her brain can no longer handle the sudden impulses she feels throughout her body. Finally pushing aside any fears of rejection, she brings a hand to his chest and lets her fingers dance along his hard chest wall. Mac looks down at her fingers on his chest, slightly confused. Stella finally looks up at him with a grin and Mac lets out a small chuckle. "What?" he asks her.

She offers no words in response, but instead brings her hands up to his face pushes her lips into his. A slightly thrown Mac freezes for only a moment, then begins to return the kiss as he moves his lips with hers. The kiss continues for a few seconds before Mac's conscience catches up with him.

"Stella wait!" he blurts out as he quickly pulls back from her. He can't help but feel like he is taking advantage of her in her vulnerable state. And as much as he is enjoying himself, the last thing he would want to do is betray her trust.

Again Stella doesn't respond with words, instead crushes his lips with hers once more. She wraps her hand around the back of his head and pushes her fingers through his hair. Her lips make their way towards his ear and she playfully nibbles on it for a moment. Mac instantly feels his body warming. She kisses behind his ear then lets out a soft whisper "I want you Mac", then brings her lips back to his. Her left hand makes its way from the back of his head to his chest and slowly travels downwards until it rests on his belt buckle.

Mac feels warmer still as his body begins to become tense. Not trusting himself to be able to handle this much longer he finally pulls back from her again. He places his hands on her shoulders and grabs onto them. He had every intention of putting a stop this then and there, but he can't come up with any words to say. He looks deeply into her eyes which are crying out to him with passion. He continues to stare at her for a few brief moments before his libido gets the better of him. He grabs onto her and pushes her down onto the bed and forces his body on top of hers in heated passion. He brings his lips to hers and slips his tongue inside her mouth, tasting hers for the first time. He begins to move his hungry lips towards her ear, and then down onto her neck, causing her to moan with pleasure. His hands begin to explore her body, beginning with her stomach, and slowly making their way upwards. She grabs onto his hair at the back of his head and arches herself into him, only turning Mac on further.

He pulls up from her for a moment, still straddling her, as she remains locked underneath him with her hips between his knees. He looks down at her, desperately trying to keep his breathing under control as his heart beats rapidly. He takes the back of his hand and wipes the sweat off his forehead before pulling his t-shirt from his body in one quick motion. Her smile widens as she stares at his perfectly structured chest and abdomen. His stomach is hard and all of his muscles are toned and defined. Her eyes then meet with his, and the look she gives him dares him to do the same with her clothing. He rests his hands on her neck and slowly slides them down her chest and stomach, then to her waist. He grabs onto the fabric of her sweater and slowly slides it up and pulls it over her head and tosses it to the ground beside the bed. He offers a smile; then lowers his head to her perfectly flat stomach and explores every inch of it with his lips and tongue, causing her to slightly giggle, as his tongue tickles her naked flesh.

He places his hands down on the bed, one on either side of her head, holding himself up with his muscular arms, as he slightly lowers his head down towards hers again. He offers her deep passionate kisses once again and her hands make their way onto his belt and she quickly loosens it from his body.

"I want to feel your body against mine Mac" she manages to whisper between kisses.

His entire body is hard and tense, but his mind is nothing but fuzzy as he responds to her.

"I love you Stella" he lets out with a soft moan. He offers her another kiss but then realizes what he had just done as he quickly pulls up from her. "I'm, I'm sorry..." he begins stammering. "Did I just ruin everything? I'm so stupid, that was stupid. I'm sorry"

"Mac, give yourself a break. You didn't ruin anything." She ensures him with a smile.

"I didn't?" He asks, letting out a sigh of relief.

"No." She replies softly. "Now come back down here."

He lowers himself back down to the bed and lies on his side. She turns on her side to face him and he wraps an arm around her waist and rests his forehead against hers.

"I meant it you know" he tells her softly.

"I know. I love you too."

"You do?"

"Yes, I do. When you were holding me in your arms earlier all I could think about was how I've been going along all these years, not realizing that the love of my life has been right in front of me the whole time. Frankly I'm starting to wonder what took us so long."

Mac laughs as he brushes some hair away from her face and places his hand on her cheek." I think it's probably the pure Greece air, must be messing with our heads" he teases.

"Well if that's the case, then we should have gone on a vacation a long time ago." She laughs.

"Well then I guess we better start making up for lost time" He replies as he climbs back on top of her and begins kissing her deeply. He presses his body against hers and she arches herself into him, making it impossible for him to resist her. "I need to have you Stella" he whispers softly in her ear.

"I need you too Mac" she whispers back.

Time seems to stand still over the next couple hours as the two make passionate love for the first time, their bodies intertwining and becoming one.

Both bodies now completely satisfied and exhausted, Mac pulls himself up from Stella and collapses beside her on the bed. They both struggle to catch their breath as they turn to face each other and can't help but smile.

"Remind me again why we never did that until now?" Mac asks with a laugh.

"Well, you never flew half way around the world to fight for me until now." She responds with a smirk.

"Oh, right." He laughs.

He turns and lies on his back again as she snuggles up closer, placing her head on her chest. Her eyelids now feeling heavy, she lets out a small yawn and begins to fall asleep. He holds her in his arms as he listens to her breathing and feeling her heart beat against his. He stares at the ceiling, with a wide smile plastered across his face.

A short time later, Stella shifts slightly in the bed, allowing herself to stretch her arms out as she begins to wake up. She brings her arms back down and wraps them around Mac's waist again and she kisses his chest as she looks up at him. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Can't." He simply replies.

"And why not?" She questions.

"I'm afraid."

"Afraid??? What do YOU have to be afraid of?" she asks, puzzled.

"I'm afraid that I'll wake up and this will all be a dream." He replies with a slight frown.

"Trust me Mac, I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying in your arms for as long as they'll hold me."

"Well if that's the case, then I hope you don't have any plans for... well, ever." He tells her with his gorgeous smile beaming. He kisses the top of her head and whispers softly "Goodnight Stella." And finally rests his tired eyes; feeling content and happy, something he hadn't felt for a very long time.

*THE END*