June 26, 2010
"I will miss everyone here at the crime lab. I've been promoted to head up a crime lab in New Orleans. Mac, I have called up a longtime friend of mine named Jo Danville to take my place here at the New York Crime Lab. You and Jo I believe will make an excellent duo. She's on her way right now and should be here later on this evening." Stella hugged everyone prior to leaving the lab as Mac's assistant supervisor, perhaps for the last time before heading to head up a crime lab in New Orleans.
One hour later….
Danville arrived at the lab, and stumbled upon a dead body. Upon seeing Mac arrive, she began talking. "I'm Jo, Danville. I didn't do it." Jo said to Mac, when they both saw the dead body in front of her…
May 16, 2011
Mac Taylor had plopped himself back onto the chair at his office. He had finally solved a very difficult case involving the murder of a Stock Broker just a few blocks away from the New York Stock Exchange. His assistant supervisor Jo Danville came in with a letter and handed it to Mac. "Mac, I think you should open this envelope. It is from your friend and former assistant Stella Bonasera." Jo told Mac. Mac's normally solemn nature suddenly gave way to a more excited state. After Danville exited to head home, Mac looked at it and saw Stella's signiature on it.
After opening it, Mac looked inside and pulled out the contents and after peeling off the wrapping, looked at it. He had been sent an airline ticket to New Orleans from Stella. "When time allows it, you're always welcome to come down to New Orleans." A note read on it. In addition, it also had Stella's current home address so Mac can find her when he arrived there.
May 31, 2011
Stella was at her home in New Orleans. Even today, she sometimes had difficulty adjusting to a very, very different urban environment but was already making some good friends down there. Stella had pondered when to meet Mac when he heard someone knock at the door. Startled from a semi-comatose state, Stella stumbled out of bed and headed towards the front door. Peeking through the peekhole in the door, she saw it was Mac Taylor.
From outside, Mac Taylor saw the door open and Stella was standing right there in front of him. Mac and Stella embraced, they having missed each other immensely.
June 5, 2011
Mac and Stella were in the French Quarter of New Orleans "I've found out more about my family. As you already knew, my mother died in a car accident when I was 2 years old. It turns out my father had left when I was just a year old. It took me all these years to find him and it turns out he died in nineteen-ninety-one, when I was sixteen."
Shortly after midnight on June 23…
"I'm gonna be here for a while Mac. They really need me and others like us down here for a while especially with the crime wave that has swept here since the BP Oil Disaster last year." Stella said.
Mac though then gently approached Stella from behind and gently wrapped his arms around her waist. She was actually turned on by this and actually waited for something like this although protocol forbid supervisors from having relationships with subordinates at the Lab. Except this time, they were both heads of crime labs now, albeit over 1200 miles apart.
Mac swept Stella off her feet and carried her to her bedroom, and laid her on the bed. Stella simply placed her arms on her side, her mind on a rare trip to the gutter as she was now in a spread-eagle position. Ever since Frankie and Drew debacles, Stella had lost most interest in men although she had a long-held attraction to Mac for many years and kept it secret for all that time.
An hour later…
January 29, 2012
Stella surprised Mac by arriving at the New York Crime Lab for a brief visit in New York. She first peaked through the doorway and visited. "I've got a surprise Mac." She teased him.
"Okay, I wonder what the surprise is" he asked, wondering why she wasn't showing more of herself. Stella then walked forward and Mac noticed Stella's belly was growing larger as she was pregnant. "My God Stella, you're pregnant." Mac said, with a mix of surprise, shock, and joy, all meshed in one.
April 1…
Stella was at the lab, getting documents from her assistant Supervisor Sean Breaux. Sean had ensured that Stella got adequate nutrition and fluids. As Stella got up, she felt contractions beginning and skirt wet. "Sean, they're coming. My water just broke." Stella tells Breaux as she started going into labor.
April 3…
Stella screamed as doctors ordered her to push. Having been in labor for twenty hours, Stella's babies were now about to be born.
"Push Stella! Push!" the nurse tells her. Stella was sweating and she showed enormous stress from the labor pains. Stella gave one last push, yelling from the top of her lungs.
"I can see it! I can see it! Just keep pushing!" the nurse said as the baby's head emerged. After a long arduous push, Stella gave birth to a baby boy and named him Joe.
October 26, 2033
Stella was chasing another suspect, long ago as Mac's assistant supervisor, then helped break up several corporate money laundering rings as head of the New Orleans Crime lab for three years as she got the NO Crime Lab started up and ensured it was stable and well-run, but now was head of the NY Crime Lab, after her replacement Jo Danville declined the position. Life-long friends, they became heads of two crime labs, Jo took over as head of the New Jersey Crime Lab, Stella became head of the NY Crime Lab after being called back to NYC in 2018. It was hard for Stella to leave New Orleans but was very glad to be home in NYC once more. Her former boss, now husband Mac retired as a forensic scientist to hold a series of band concerts for the war effort in Afghanistan.
Stella though began to stumble to catch her breath, and yelled in pain as sharp pain suddenly shot out from her lower back, causing her to stumble and fall onto the floor, allowing the suspect to escape before the other detectives apprehended him. The back pain became progressively worse in the last five years. Having gone against doctors orders, she still continued to pursue suspects on foot but this time, Stella was now wondering if she should've listened, taking into account her stubborn nature.
Adam helped Stella back up. "Thanks Adam." Stella warmly said to Adam as he helped her back up. "Ow! Ow!" Stella cried out, as she almost fell back down, the pain in her lower back was enough to cause her to fall to the ground. Her teeth were bare as she grimaced in pain. "Fuck!" Mrs. Taylor kept swearing, as the pain was still sharp.
Stella finally grabbed a rail, and took a deep breath, as her subordinates apprehended the suspect Don Frorley. A sad and depressed look showed in her eyes as Stella sensed what was happening: At the age of 56, she was no spring chicken. Stella also knew that the days of chasing suspects like this were rapidly coming to an end.
Later that evening…
"Dad. Is mom okay?" 20 year-old Joe Taylor frantically asked his father Mac. He was at the hospital with his twin sisters Julie and Noreen Taylor, both 18 and younger brother Mark who was 14 at the hospital. "Yes. She's okay. She's just getting checked up." Mac tells his son, with the latter feeling relief.
Suddenly they heard the sound of a plastic tray crashing into the wall in the hallway followed by Stella storming out of the patient room, throwing her jacket on, a look of disgust. "Get me the fuck out of here!" a very crabby Stella bellowed as she got out her keys. For a woman of 56 years of age, the threat of back pain couldn't prevent Stella from disobeying doctor's orders and all of the Taylors left the hospital.
September 24, 2036
Mac was with Stella Taylor at the hospital were holding a newborn baby once more only this time, it was their first grandchild Zoe.
May 20, 2039
Mac looked at his wife Stella as she slept, having gone through a very tough case involving a series of politically motivated murders. Stella slept in the exact same position as she did during the Marina Garito case 29 years earlier except she was much older this time.
At the age of 64, the effects of age were beginning to show on Stella. Her face was increasingly marked by age lines, eye bags became more noticeable and her curly brown hair was now frosted with wavy streaks of gray and white strands. Her hands were becoming increasingly wrinkly. Stella's days of chasing suspects on foot were long over, not only because of her reaction time slowing down, a normal process of aging, but also as back and knee problems began to become noticeable with time often limiting strenuous activities.
Mac himself himself was 74, ten years older than Stella, has since retired as a detective after suffering a heart attack in which he nearly died. Mac was grateful to be alive, not merely because that he could've died without his wife's surprisingly quick intervention but also out of fear that Stella would be a widow, alone for the next 30 years, the rest of her life. Mac's hair was now completely white and his face was definitely puffy and showing wrinkles. Stella though always told Mac that she looked forward to seeing them grow old together. She even teased him about the many times she felt warmth in her 'core' area when she pictured him sporting gray hair, knowing that it would slowly come with time.
Mac returned the favor by saying that he looked forward to seeing a gray-haired Stella in the far future which he truly was genuine about. But the 'new' beauty came at a price due to Mac's heart problems, and Stella having knee issues since a bad fall back in June of 2032, forcing her to retire from her role of chasing suspects. In addition, Stella exhibited increasing mood swings since reaching menopause more than a decade ago. The effect of it was Stella showing a decrease in sexual craving and increased difficulty in enjoying sex.
Despite advancing age, Stella's devotion to crime solving, forensics, and determination to catch suspects, she had absolutely no plans to retire, even though she was only one year away from being eligible for retirement benefits. Mac always admired her persistence even with incredible adversity on the job.
Stella undid her dress and revealed her full glory, even with aging showing. Her breasts weren't as perky like in her younger days, and her skin showed less elasticity especially around the face.
The next morning…
Mac, Stella and their family came to their apartment for the family gathering, along with Danville, and a couple friends Stella made during her brief tenure in New Orleans. Along with their three children, six grandchildren were also present and ran around the dining and living rooms, and jumping on the Taylors bed, to their minor annoyances. "Just be careful." Mac told his grandkids even as they laughed and jumped up and down, trying to avoid the ceiling fan as it spun slowly.
"Hey. Hey! Watch out for the fan." Stella told her oldest grandchild, Zoey, as her head barely missed the ceiling fan blades but only a few inches. "Sorry, grandma." An embarrassed Zoey said, as they all stopped jumping and got off the bed.
"Mac, how's the dinner coming along?" she asked Mac. Stella walked towards the kitchen, when she felt unusual. Stella's normally romantic expression gave way to a weird, and uncertain grimace, when she began to suddenly reach for the walls. Stella began stumbling, and trying to keep herself from falling, as she became dizzy like she never felt, like as of the entire room began spinning. "Stella? Stella! STELLA!" Mac screamed with a loud voice for a man of 74 years of age.
All three of their kids, Jo Danville, along with Stella's friends all suddenly dashed towards the kitchen, and they see Mac trying to comfort a terrified Stella, as she had lost her sense of balance and fell to the floor. "Call 911 right now!" Mac ordered his son McKenna even though he had already called. "It'll be okay Stella. I'm here for you" Mac held Stella close, even as she cried with fear, extremely dizzy, eyes sometimes rolling until little of her iris and pupils were visible. Stella began kicking and shaking uncontrollably when the paramedics and a stretcher arrived.
Mac was as thick-skinned, being an ex-marine. He had endured his first wife Claire's death in the World Trade Center 37 years ago, and survived the Beirut Bombing 56 years ago, served in the Persian Gulf War, and even travelled the Afghanistan to perform in a band for the troops in 2013. Yet here, Mac was crying, tears seeing Stella in this helpless state, the head of the NY Crime Lab, was carried out on a stretcher. The paramedics talked to her, Stella was shaking uncontrollably, and was frothing at the mouth.
Later that day…
Flack came to the hospital to see Stella and her family there. They were all in the waiting room, his wife Angell 58 was also there and walked with a noticeable limp, the effects of the bombing of the diner back in May of 2009 that left her paralyzed and bound to a wheelchair for several years.
"Chief of Police Flack" he raised his badge to the doctor's face. "A friend of mine, Stella Taylor I heard is here" he continued.
*At the waiting room*
"Mr. Taylor" a nurse said. Mac gingerly got up and walked with a slight hobble, being 74, he was certinaly no spring chicken. "How is she?" Mac asked the nurse, with a look of nervousness in his eyes.
"She's gonna be fine Mac. She had a minor stroke this morning but will make a full recovery. She's unbelievably strong and very lucky. Had we not intervened sooner, Stella could've either been dead or suffered permanent brain damage." the nurse told him as he felt a sigh of relief. The other members of the Taylor family present also felt relief, knowing Stella would make a full recovery.
"Stella needs to be careful for the next week or two while recovering" the nurse advised Mac.
Mac went through the hallway to see his wife Stella in the patient room. He saw her in bed, talking to the nurse, and holding a pad and pencil, drawing a clock with the handles in the 3 o'clock position, another in 8 o'clock, and another in the 11 o'clock position, the nurse checking to see if the stroke affected her memory or motor skills.
"I'm here for you honey. I will not lose you. I lost one love of my life. I will not lose another." Mac held Stella close to him. Stella had difficulty forming cohesive sentences and her words were muffled and slurred.
Two days later…
"Good evening Zoe." Stella said to her granddaughter who was being held up high by grandpa Mac. The gray-haired Stella reached out and touched Zoe's hand and held on. Stella's words were so muddled that her talking almost sounded like aimless mumbling, her ability to talk words severely affected by the stroke.
"I…i…i…ll..ll..be….*sigh*….o..o..oookaay…I'm…gonn….a….n….to…rest…for a…w.h…while.." Stella said, in a low mumbled voice, her speech abilities affected even though it was her first coherent sentence since the stroke from three days earlier. She began crying, feeling desperate to leave the hospital, to get out of the patient bed she was on for nearly three days. She hated being at the hospital so much, being helpless, being unable to channel out her independent nature. Stella though also knew that had she not been here, she could've either been dead or permanently incapacitated by the stroke.
Jo Danville, now age 75, came over to visit Stella at the hospital. Now needing a cane to walk, Danville herself was planning to retire from investigative work in two weeks.
Three weeks later….
Stella Taylor returned to work after a very long recovery. Her entire CSI crew, including fellow NJ Crime Lab detective Jo Danville was present to welcome Stella back to work. But it was obvious that Stella showed the aftereffects of her stroke. At age 64, although making a nice recovery from the stroke three weeks ago, Stella looked weaker and somewhat paler than previously, the stroke affected her movement and speech ability slightly.
Stella's talking was slower and slightly slurred, movement was slower and more clumsy, the stroke having somewhat compromised her sense of balance. For a woman of sixty-four, Stella sometimes seemed more like ninety years old in terms of walking ability.
"What have we got Douglas?" Stella asked, her talking was still somewhat slurred and slightly mumbly, when she and detective Douglas Mansley came upon a crime scene one floor above the lab. It was very, very bizarre, considering that Stella's replacement, Jo Danville had stumbled upon a dead body, on the floor below, nearly three decades earlier. "Multiple stab wounds, through and through, and rigidity, I'd say she's been dead for more than twelve hours" Mansley said. "It's great to have you back Mrs. Taylor" Douglas said, Stella thanking him in return.
January 29, 2053
Stella Taylor, 77, celebrated her 38th year as head of the NY Crime Lab, with her assistant Supervisor Danny Messer, now 75. Detective Don Flack, 76, retired shortly after his wife Jess died of a brain aneurysm four months ago. Stella's hair was now white and tied into a bun, and she was wearing glasses but still was quite energetic for someone in her late 70s whose back problems persisted.
11:45 am
The phone rang at Stella's office.
"Hello? Detective Taylor speaking" Stella answered. Albert Flack, 35 looked on, as he was about to provide information when he saw Stella's normally determined, but positive facial expression suddenly turn into crying the moment she hung up. "What happened?" Ross cautiously asked Stella, as she buried her face in her hands.
When she could finally talk she told Adam why she suddenly began crying. "Jo Danville died last night. They've just told me that she was found dead right in front of the bathroom. My lifelong friend is dead. She was the only friend I stayed in touch with from my childhood." Stella told Adam, still shedding a river of tears. Mac, who was 87 and walking with the aid of a cane, hugged Stella, as she cried. Even Mac shed tears, having known Jo for over 45 years, Stella having called Jo to take her place when she moved to New Orleans 43 years ago.
May 12, 2061
Stella Taylor, 86 was having her retirement banquet at the Crime Lab. Having worked in forensics for 61 years, she was finally convinced that she was ready to retire from detective crime-fighting work. Her husband Mac Taylor died four years ago at age 92. Although in good shape for someone in her high 80s, Stella knew that it was finally time to step down as head of the NYC Crime lab, having been head for 48 years.
Mac, Stella, Jo, and the NY Crime Lab team had witnessed profound changes in America over the last 50 years. When they were all kids, they dreamed of flying cars when the grew up. However those did not come until the 2040s; they wished they'd come sooner but they agreed that it was better late than never.
Peak Oil, ultimately saw many city-centers revitalize at the expense of outer lying car-dependent suburbs which eventually became an odd mix of slums, farms, urban prairies, surrounding more affluent urban cores where post-petroleum technology became prominent, very much like the way society transformed during the Industrial age, two centuries ago.
The surviving members of the early 2000s CSI NY team also witnessed the collapse of the Republican Party into moderate right-of-center moderate Libertarian Party, the more conservative Freedom Party, and the far-right wing American Tea Party, the first becoming a centrist party that often worked with the Democratic Party, roughly 40 to 50 percent of the time. Mac and Stella both were subject to angry threats by political extremists after Stella and Jo broke up a huge militia extremist group, the New Hutaree in 2015. They also helped foil an attempt on the president's life.
The 2030s also saw the worldwide fallout of the collapse of the Chinese Communist regime which saw much of East Asia plunge into turmoil. The U.S. itself survived the worst economy since the 1930s. A giant earthquake in Seattle, another one in Los Angeles, Hurricane Michael hitting New York in 2018, and finally a rare 6.1 earthquake hitting D.C. four years later, which Danville was slightly injured in, the CSI team saw it all.
"I am officially retiring as head of the New York Crime Lab after 43 years." Stella says to her team, tears in her eyes. "Assistant Supervisor Nicholas Ginsmore will be taking my place as head of the crime lab".
Having retired as head of the NY Crime Lab, and from investigative work after 62 years, Stella Taylor and Adam Ross celebrated her retirement party at her family's apartment. She knew it was time to step down, not only because of frailty but also her memory was showing signs of failing.
Many in the Taylor families noted that when Mac Taylor died, Stella began to forget things almost overnight and she became a lot frailer afterwards.
October 26, 2067
"Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" said the priest at the alter.
"I do" said Adam Ross, now 80, as he and Stella kissed. It was so hard to believe that he and Stella were married now, as both even briefly recalled the one-stand they had 57 years ago.
Even at age 92, Stella still looked quite energetic and Adam easily saw the same Stella Bonasera he knew and had a secret crush on for more than 60 years. He though accepted that they would never continue after that one-night stand. Even though 57 years had passed, Adam clearly remembered it like as of it were yesterday. Yet this time, Stella's hair was now almost completely white, age-lines creased her face, age spots were evidence, and she exhibited signs of increasing frailty and difficulty remembering things, especially after her husband Mac died 10 years ago.
2069
At age 94, Stella and Adam, now 82 went golfing at a country club in North Carolina, just outside of Raleigh. Adam was a huge golf enthusiast, but it was a challenge convincing Stella to play, considering how she and her late husband Mac never cared for the sport. Stella threw her back out in 2026 after a bad swing. Her memory was showing increasing signs of decline, as she had trouble recognizing and remembering other people's names, especially after her first husband Mac died after 45 years of marriage.
The frightening dystopian futures Stella often saw in sci-fi movies never came to fruition although problems arose. Particularly was an a series of asteroids slamming a large swath of Earth from Beijing to Seattle, and throughout the Plains states that killed 30 and injured hundreds of others. A super solar flare disabled electronic devices for nearly two days throughout the world in 2034 which was no fun for anyone.
Stella reminisced on all of those days, and though she knew that her life was nearly over, Stella felt very happy with how her life turned out. She and Adam were living very comfortable retirements in New York. She moved to California but an earthquake convinced her to return to NY in 2064.
2078…
Stella, now 102 and in a wheelchair, got a letter from the President of the United States, congratulating her on her 100th birthday. Her oldest grandchild, Zoe was now a CSI at the NY Crime Lab after completing Academy school.
The next day….
90-year old Adam Ross, woke up, and called Stella who was sleeping next to him. She did not respond, Adam began calling her but no response, and no movement of any kind. With this, Adam now knew that Stella Bonasera-Taylor was now moving on into the next life, she having left her previous body behind.
A long funeral for her was held and was attended by thousands of detectives, a few from as far away as New Orleans. Having been CSI's for so many years, Mac and Stella were beloved figures in the New York Justice Department. Ironically enough, Stella's famous teal tank-top was passed down through four generations of the Taylor-Bonasera family line and belonged to her granddaughter, Katherine, 30.
Stella Bonasera and Mac Taylor lived very happy lives even with all the health challenges and both died in confort and happiness. They may have moved on to their next lives but here, their legacy lives on.