Summary: The title says it all.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own CSI: NY, or any of the characters. Even if I did Stella and Mac would have gotten together a long time ago.

NYPD Crime Scene Investigation Lab Elevator

Elevator doors open and surprisingly a familiar face that was suppose to leave but apparently didn't get to.

"Mac!" he says "heard there was a break in the case."

Mac is surprised to see him again, in the lab and tenses up.

"Stella already has you on speed dial, huh, thought you had to duck out on personal business?" he responded with a tid bit of jealousy in him. It was no fair that she just met him and already has him on speed dial. It took him two days to get that from her.

"I got an extension" –at least he didn't answer my question in the wrong way or he would be back to Miami this instance- Mac thought to himself.

"Good news for both of us." Mac said, trying to hide the jealous part of him he smacks him on the right upper arm and leads the way to Stella. Yet he knows he's going to regret it.

"Stella…" the man says in a softly tone of voice almost a whisper.

When she heard his voice, she looked up in a smile upon her face. Stella knew that voice how could she ever forget it, and besides they had been talking just ten minutes ago on the phone.

"H!!" that's all she could manage, if it weren't for Mac cutting in.

"What did you find out?" Mac asks her

"Well apparently Alexa Endecott and Henry Darius are related."

Both men look at each other in shock. She hands the file where it has the information to the man to the left of Mac. This of course gets him even more jealous, because he is always the first one to receive anything from Stella.

H hands the file to Mac, who is looking directly at Stella while he is talking. They both feel a tension build up just by the look that they give each other. H breaks the silent connection asking Stella about the case. Mac just looks down at the file and sighs.

"Stella? I was wondering if I could have a word with you in private." H asks her politely.

"Yea, Mac give us a sec?"

That just tore his heart right out.

-How could she do that to me? I'm her best friend I know everything that has happened to her. Wait why should I care if they wanted to talk in private. Surely it has to do with the case, but then why would he ask to talk privately with her? Oh, please don't let it be that he is asking her on a date. – Mac thought to himself outside the lab

Back in the lab

"So Stella I know this is kind of fast for you but I need an answer. Would you like to go get coffee or something…after the case and all?" He asks kind of nervously

"I think I would like that." She said smiling at him

He then stretched out his arms inviting her for a friendly hug, which she gladly took.

Mac was pacing back and forth, his back to the glass walls of the lab. When one of the lab techs turned him around to talk to him, he stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had to do something; he stormed off leaving the lab tech talking to himself.

"Did I interrupt something?" he said walking into the lab

"Umm no, I just wanted to ask Stella something." He said looking away from Mac and smiling at Stella, who was by his side.

-That is IT!! I have had it. I am telling her that I love her she can't date Horatio- yelling at himself

"Well I'm hopping you got what you wanted." He said in a muffled growl.

"I sure did!" replying with an even bigger smile.

Stella just smiled and blushed. Mac was jealous, she could tell. His hands were in such a tight fist that his knuckles were turning white, his arterial veins in his neck were very visible, and he was looking at her very intensely.

"Let's go catch Henry Davis." She said breaking the tension building up.

Two hours later

"So, you ready?" H asks Stella

"Yea, lemme just make a call." She said getting her phone out

"Okay, I need to make one too."

Stella dials a number she is very familiarized with.

"Taylor!" he answers

"Mac, its Stella."

"What is it?"

"I was wondering if I could have the rest of the day off?" she asked nervously

"……….." –I knew it, he did ask her out, DAMN YOU MAC TAYLOR!!- He yelled at himself once more for not acting fast enough.

"Mac? You there?" she asked

"…umm…Yea, I'm here"

"So?"

"I guess, all you have left is paperwork right?"

"Yea, I'll get that done tomorrow."

"Okay, see you tomorrow then, bye!" he said coldly

"Bye"

Meanwhile Horatio was calling back to Miami. He wanted to stay a little bit longer accompanied with Stella. He'd arranged his plane to be delayed a couple of hours for her.

"You done?" Stella asked him

"Yes, you?" returning the question.

"Yea" She said with a smile

"Well then what are we waiting for?" He held out his left arm so she could take it.

Another Two Hours Passed

Stella and Horatio were having such a great time, but when she looked at her clock she noticed it was late.

"H, its getting late, what time was your flight suppose to leave?"

"Don't worry I had that arranged. It leaves at midnight." He said smiling

"Oh okay, you had me worried for a minute there that I made you miss your flight."

"Stella, I wouldn't want anything else than miss that damn flight and stay in your company." He said seriously looking into her eyes.

She didn't know what to say, so all she did was smile.

She noticed that Horatio was leaning closer and kept changing looks from her eyes to her lips. She knew what he was going to do but was surprised that she wasn't pulling back.

He brushed his lips against hers, ever so slightly; it didn't even seem as if he had just kissed her.

He pulled back looking into does emerald eyes, and he saw what he thought was disappointment.

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have, but..." he was cut off by Stella

"H, it's okay, I should be the one apologizing, you deserve a lot better than me." She said

"On the contrary Stella, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, and you deserve someone that will appreciate you for who you are. Someone like Mac." He said acceptingly.

"H, please..." she started to protest.

"Hear me out, I have seen the way he looks at you, I know how he feels because I feel the same way. Yet, I know he will make you much happier than I ever will. You two are made for each other, you live in the same city and it will be much easier to stay in touch with him than me."

She had started to take everything in; she knew that Horatio was right. She loved him more than anything

After a while of being involved in her own thoughts, she decided to do something.

"I'm so glad you stayed, and had coffee with me."

"It was my pleasure." He said with a smile

"It's barely ten o'clock, what are you going to do for the rest of the time?"

"I don't know, I was hoping of taking a stroll around Central Park, then heading on to the airport."

"Do you mind if I join you?" she asked

"Not at all, but I would have thought that you have gone with Mac?" he replied

"I will but I don't want to go just yet,"

Horatio looked at her confused.

"What do you mean?" Not willing to hold back the question

"I know he stays up until two o'clock in the morning so I got plenty of time, besides I want him to suffer and be a little bit jealous." She said excitingly

They walked until it was time for Horatio to leave. She accompanied him to the airport and said goodbye.

Just then she had an idea.

Mac's Apartment

Mac was in his office when he heard some at the door.

Knock, knock, knock

He wondered who it would be at this hour, so he got up and went to open the door. When he did he was surprised to see a crying Stella.

"Mac... (Sniff)... I … (sniff)"

"Stella, what happened, you okay, what's wrong?" he couldn't stop blabbering and that was getting to her, but she decided to continue.

"..(Sniff) I'm okay… (Sniff)…Horatio… (Sniff) ..."

"What happened to him, is he okay? Where is he?" Mac said starting to get worried a little bit more.

"He's fine…but... (Sniff) he's at the airport…"

"And what happened, why are you crying? Did he do something to you?" He said starting to get protective.

"Yea… (Sniff) …."

"That bastard, what did he do?" Now he was completely mad, she knew it, but she kept on going, he deserved it.

"He left…. (Sniff) …that's what he did..."

Now she started to calm down a bit.

"We were on a date, then he kissed me, (Sniff) and then he said he'd be back, but Mac I can't wait that long (another Sniff)..."

-What I can't believe she actually fell for him, I can't lose her, I know she loves me. How do I tell her, How? Think. Think Taylor! – He thought to himself. The only way he knew was to kiss her, and without much said he did.

Stella wasn't expecting it to work that soon, but she was happy it did. She was shocked at first but then gave in to the passion that the man she loved was transmitting. The need for air broke them apart; he rested his forehead on hers, and looked into those beautiful eyes.

The silence was killing them both, until Stella decided to talk.

"I'm sorry." She said in a whisper

"For?"

"Lying to you."

"About what?"

"That I needed Horatio, when in reality I need you." She said with a smile and kissed him once more.

"So everything was a lie?" Starting to relieve a little tension.

"No."

He was now in complete shock.

"I did have a date with him, he did kiss me, he did say he'd be back, and I can't wait until he comes back so I can tell him about the wedding plans." She said smiling inquisitively.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Wait! What wedding plans, and if you like him why did you come over here and kiss me?" he asked almost as if he was interrogating a suspect.

"Because, the man I kissed just a few seconds ago is going to ask me to marry him in a couple of weeks, because he doesn't want to lose me anymore. And the reason I came over here and kissed you is because I love you."

She could hear his brain going at full speed trying to figure out what just happened.

After a few seconds a smirk appeared on his face. He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her close to him.

"That is a very clever way of getting someone's feeling out in the clear Miss Stella Bonasera."

"Thank you and it only took me five minutes to plan it." She said giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"Except, you calculations might have been quite off on something." He said with a smirk

"Oh, and what might that be?" she asked teasingly

"The amount of time it takes me to propose."

Stella was now worried that he would say he wasn't ready for a commitment.

"Oh!" that's all she could manage

She then saw something she wouldn't expect to see.

He kneeled down on one knee and took out a small, red, velvet box and inside was the most beautiful ring you could ever imagine.

"Stella Bonasera, would you give me the honor of spending the rest of your days next to me?" he asked looking up at her

"Oh Mac... Of course, for ever and always." She said excitingly. He got up and placed the ring on its rightful place in her hand. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him the most passionate kiss ever.

"I love you Stella!" he said against her lips

"I love you too, don't you ever forget that for one second Mac Taylor"