The Need to Feel Loved

Chapter 1: Go Home?

Stella was sitting at her desk looking over files from other victims in their case. Four women had already been raped and killed by this man; they needed to catch him before he hurt someone else. Mac stood outside her office, watching her get frustrated because they couldn't find this guy. He opens the door, and she looks up angrily, but her face softens when she sees it is Mac.

"Go home. Get some rest, food, a shower. You're getting tired and frustrated," he says, gently pulling her up. "We can handle it for a few hours without you. Go."

"What about you? You need some sleep too; you've been here as long as I have," she says stubbornly.

"I'll go home when you get back if nothing comes up," Mac tells her, guiding her to the door. "Go on, Stella. You need rest."

"Promise to call me if anything happens?" she asks, turning back around to check.

"I will," he says, although he knows perfectly well he will not. "See you later."

"Bye," Stella calls over her shoulder.

CSI: NY

Something didn't feel right to Stella when she walked into her apartment. As she roamed around getting food, taking a shower, and getting dressed in her pajamas for a few hours' sleep she felt like she was being watched. Stella lay down on her bed with her laptop, intending to do a little research in the police records before going to sleep. While the computer starts up, her cat, Noelle, jumps up onto the bed.

"Hey, Noey, whatcha doing?" Stella says, petting the black and white cat's stomach. Noelle gave her a meow in response.

Stella types in her password and her desktop comes up, not the same as it was yesterday. "Oh my god," she stares at the screen for a minute before realizing she needs to make a call. After shutting off her laptop to save as evidence, Stella goes to get her cell from her purse. She speed-dials Mac.

"Hey, what's up, Stel? You're supposed to be sleeping," Mac answers.

"I know. I went to check the records one last time and found a message on my computer. You need to get over here as soon as you can. You should see it, Mac; I think it's from our killer," she says, looking around her apartment nervously. If the killer had gotten into her apartment to sabotage her computer, then he could get back in to hurt her. Or he could still be in there, waiting to attack her.

"Okay, I'm heading to my car with Hawkes. Was your laptop at home all day?" he asks.

"Yeah, I left it here. I have a computer at work."

"Get out of your apartment, Stella. The killer could still be in there. He might come after you," Mac says worriedly.

"I'll meet you in the lobby of my building in ten minutes, okay?" she asks, heading to the door.

"Alright. Be careful, Stella. See you in a few –"

"Let me go," Stella screams as an arm wraps around her neck tightly.

"Stella?" Mac yells into the phone but of course gets no answer. "Hawkes, we have to go help Stella," Mac says, running down the hall.

Hawkes follows, "What happened to her?"

"Our rapist/killer has her. I was talking to her. She said I needed to come look at something on her computer, and all of a sudden she screamed, and her line went dead. He was still in her apartment, and he's going to kill her," Mac climbs into his car, Hawkes beside him. All the way to her apartment Mac worries about her and can't help but blame himself. "It's my fault if he kills her. I sent her home."

"Mac, Stella will be okay. She's tough and smart. She'll figure out a way to stall him until we get there. She escaped from that crazy boyfriend of hers, didn't she?" Hawkes tells him as they get stuck at a light. "Turn on the sirens, Mac. We'll get there faster."

"Oh, yeah. I guess I'm used to not having to hurry to save someone. The people at our scenes are normally dead. We definitely don't want Stella dead." Two minutes later they pull up in front of her building and race inside, up the stairs. Both pull out their weapons before Mac kicks down the door.

'I hope we're not too late,' Mac thinks, rushing inside.

A/N: Okay, I need your help to come up with a title. I've got no idea. Actually, it might be hard for you too because you don't know what's going to happen. This is also not beta'd 'cause I'm too lazy to get on email. Reviews are wonderful. Maybe I'll be able to get the next chapter up later this week. Probably not because of band, but there's always hope. Can't wait until tomorrow.