Stella was lying in a hospital bed at Angel of Mercy. She was beaten pretty badly and was now in sleeping and drugged with medicine which would make her sleep for at least a day to help her recovery and allow her to rest. Mac was sitting at her side stroking her face, her hair and her arm and hand. He sat their holding her hand hopping that the beating would not cause her night mares as did a lot of other things they have been through. He had also made sure that she was protected by police officers around the clock and that the kids could stay with Danny and Lindsay for the time being so that they would be traumatized and that it would not have a bad impact on them. She had been beaten up while she was trying to arrest a high profile drung dealer. But she was surprised by the drug dealers gang who really beat her up. The doctors had said the she would physically be all right as soon as the wounds have healed. And that they would give her sleeping medicine, when the current one worn off, once or twice again for 24 hours each, but after that they hope that she has had enough rest to get through the rest and the her body has recovered well enough to keep healing properly on her own.

While Mac was sitting at Stella´s bed he in his mind went through the last 17 years and started to relive and recall everything they have been through. Stella and Mac have been in a relationship since 1996 and have been married since 1997. Their relationship has improved over the last 17 years and they have grown with their relationship. They and their children became a happy family. Mac has always had the intent of protecting Stella and their children but one time, when Stella was kidnapped, he was not able to protect her and after she was rescued he started to blame himself for everything that probably has happened to her. In his mind he starts to think of a present for his beloved wife Stella, which he can give to her for her 45th Birthday. But on the other side it is a excuse present too, because he could not protect her from the bad. He also wonders how he and his six children would have lived on without their mother and wife if something bad had happened to Stella.

He relives the hard times they have been through as a couple and as parents, like the appendices' of their two oldest children and the broken leg of their third child or normal flue sicknesses and other broken bones and sicknesses. Their children have grown to become pretty and smart children and were just adorable. He also remembered how much Stella and he himself have been through, like search for Stella biological parents in 1998 and their denying reaction to Stella´s wish of contact in 1998 and the reconnection with her foster parents Andrew and Caroline in 1999 as well as her sister Sophie´s accident in 2000 and everything bad that has happened to her before she came to their lovely family in 1976, the working up of her childhood in foster care during a therapy in 2001 and the overcoming of her having a pretty bad infection in 2002. 2003 she was in real bad situation as he was asked to help the marines and had to leave the states for a few weeks. Her being thrown down a flight of stairs in 2007 by a member of the Greek consulate and them traveling to Greece to find out what all the things mean and what kind of connection the professor really has to Stella. In 2008 and them losing a child, which had died of sudden infant death in 2010 when she was 3 months old.

He also remembered her being shot at during a case in 2004 and how she suspected being infected with HIV after she had touched the infected blood of a victim in 2006. How she had suffered, and still does, after the death of her foster sister during a car accident in 2009 and after Aiden Burns death in 2005. She never forgave herself for not protecting Aiden when she needed her the most after she had lost her job because of a rapist case. How he accused of throwing a suspect from a building in 2006, Sheldon being charged with murder in 2006 and Danny´s brother being beat up in 2006.

In his mind all the other things were still there, too. Lindsey testifying at the trial, of her friend's murderer, in 2007. Flack being blown up in an explosion in 2007 and Angell´s death in 2008

And then in his mind he always returned his thoughts to the kidnapping incident that happened this year, just a few weeks ago. Then there had been incidents in 2011 and 2012 where Stella was once stalked by a Stalker in 2011 and was once arrested for attempted murder and was released after a few days in 2012. Turns out her biological parents planted the evidence to make sure Stella was arrested for the attack on her foster mother. Her foster parents always said, that she was innocent and never believed that she did it but still the incident haunted her and led to nightmares, because of the things that had happened in jail.

1998

Stella is pregnant with her and Mac´s first child but in her thoughts she is not with her baby. She is with her biological parents who gave her away shortly after she was born 1968 and never cared to have contact with her. Now she knew where they lived and wanted to go visit her parents and wanted to ask them, why they gave her away. But she needs Mac to go with her, just in case it does not go well. So when he comes home from his shift in the Crime lab she asks him if he will accompny her.

"Home"

"In the bedroom honey." Mac comes upstairs and enters the master bedroom and sees Stella looking at a piece of paper crying.

"What is the matter? Who´s adress is that?" He wrapped his arm around her.

"It is the adress of my biological parents. The live in white plains. I looked them up at the lab because I want to know why they gave me away. What did I do that they had to give me away?"

"Stella I do not know why they gave you away. But I do know that I love you and that you had loving parents at some time and that they still love you." He pulled her into a reassuring hug.

"I still need to know Mac." Stella said pleading. Mac looked at Stella and their eyes locked. He saw fear and pain. He knew that she needed to know but he wanted her to rest because the baby would come in a few weeks he wanted her to wait till the baby was there. But he also knew that Stella could not give birth without knowing.

"Stella why don´t you rest and go to bed. You look tired and exhausted and you need to take care of yourself and the baby." Stella shook her head in deniance. "No! i´m not going to bed. Not yet."

"Stella look at yourself you are exhausted and tired and hurt. What can I do to make you feel better and make you go to bed?" Stella handed Mac the adress and then slowly looked up at him and said. "I want to know why? I want to know why they did not want me." Mac realised that she would not be good until she knew why and that is why he said. "I will go with you tomorrow. But now go to sleep and get some rest my beautiful. I love you Stella." "I love you, too Mac."

The next day Stella and Mac where on their way to White Plains and Stella was looking out of the window and deep in thoughts. She did not hear Mac when he asked her if she is alright. Shortly after they got onto the Parkway he stoped at a Rest Area and got out of the car. He went around the car opened the door of passenger side and took Stellas hands in his and slowly talked to her. "Stella sweetheart look at me." She did not respond nor did she move. He took one of his hands and gently gave her shoulder a little squeeze after she looked at him with pain and fear in her eyes. "Stella talk to me."

"Mac I´m afraid of their reaction." He gently cupped her face with one his hand never letting go of her hands and said. "Sweetheart you are not alone. And remember no matter how they react I still love and so will your foster parents. We will never stop loving you. Do you hear me, NEVER!"

She looked at him and nodded. He closed the door at got back in to the car. After he started to car Stella took his right hand into her lap and both of her hands held on to it tightly like making sure that he would not leave her. After a few minutes Stella was asleep in the passenger seat. 15 Minutes later they pulled up the driveway of the adress and Mac got out of the car and helped Stella out of the car, too. Stella was like in trance and they went up to the front door. Stella was still holding Mac´s right hand with her hands and he put the left arm around her shoulders as if to protect her. When the owners opened the door, Mac pulled out his NYPD identity and the woman led them into the living room. Mac and Stella sat down across from the woman on the couch and then Mac told her why they were really there.

"I have a child but I gave it up for adoption 31 years ago. Why are you asking?"

"This woman, who is my wife is your daughter."

"I do not have a daughter anymore. I have three sons with my husband with whom I have been married for 27 years. I have three children and I do not have a daughter. That is why I would ask you to leave now and never come back."

Back in their house Stella sat down on the couch and realised that her mother denied her. Mac sat down next to her pulling her into a hug and allowing her to cry. When she was sleeping and exhausted from crying Mac carried her into bed and covered her up with a blanket.

Ten minutes later Danny and Aiden rong the door bell and came to visit Mac.

"Where is Stella?"

"She is sleeping Aiden. She is exhausted and hurt."

"Why?"

"Her biological mother denied her and it hurt her very much."

"Poor Stella, she does not deserve that."

"Aiden could you stay here I have to go back to the Lab with Danny because of the Trial tomorrow."

"Sure Mac I will not leave her alone. I will be with her. Do not worry about her. You can go back to the Lab."

Two weeks later. Stella has just given birth to her first child a son, named after his father and his paternal grandfather. His name is Matthew MacKenna Taylor. His godparents are Mac´s brother Patrick Taylor and Aiden Burn.

Mac comes home from a normal work day and just wants to relax with Stella and Matthew but when he comes home when she sees her in the kitchen looking at some old pictures from her childhood. When he saw her looking through the pictures he realised that she wants to know the real reason why her mother gave her away and that she will only be able to enjoy having a boby when she has the answer. He approaches her, puts his hand on her shoulder and starts to talk to her.

"Stella honey! Come on let us go for a walk in the Central Park."

"OK."

A few days later Mac comes home after he visited Stellas biological mother alone and is bringing Stella the answer she wants. He sits down with her and Matthew on the couch. "Stella your mother gave you away, because she was raped and could not keep the child of a rapist."

"Thank you Mac. Now I know why and now I can start being a mother. Thank you."

The next few months were happy months for the little family and Mac was sure that Stella was OK with being a mother now and he saw that she was happy now. But one evening shortly before Christmas Stella surprised Mac with her wish of reconceling with her foster parents and her siblings, since she had not seen them in 5 years. When Mac came home that night Stella was already waiting for him.

"Mac I need to talk to you." Stella said.

"What is it sweetheart?" Mac asked concerned.

"I want to reconcil with my foster parents and my foster sisters and brother, if that is OK with you."

"Whatever you want. If you want to meet with your family that is Ok for my and if it makes you happy I am happy, too."