A/N: Hi everyone! First of all, I just want to say Happy Birthday to Melina Kanakaredes! I wrote this one-shot last night on the train, and I thought it would be perfect to put it up today. I know it's not actually Stella Bonasera's birthday, but without Melina there would be no Stella!
Melina is an absolute star and I miss seeing her in CSINY!
I hope you enjoy this story, please review!
Bxx

When Stella Bonasera woke up the morning after her birthday, her stomach lurched. She clutched at her forehead, a hangover headache already forming. She threw back the bed covers and sat up, wincing as the piercing sunlight that was filling her bedroom hit her eyes. Her stomach felt like it was in her throat. How much did she drink last night? The whole night was a total blank. She didn't even remember getting undressed and going to bed.

Knowing that she didn't have to get up for work, she laid her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes. Her body was aching all over. She was going to need all day to recover. Just as she began to drift back to sleep, a noise from her kitchen made her bolt upright.

It sounded like someone was going through the cabinets. She thought she could hear the doors opening and closing. Quickly, she grabbed a silk dressing gown and some underwear from the floor and pulled it all on. If there really was someone there, she didn't want a total strange seeing her in just her underwear. She grabbed her gun from the bedside drawer and silently made her way to the kitchen.

Whoever was in Stella's kitchen didn't seem to be in any hurry to get out. She could hear them strolling around and whistling. Stella took a deep breath and walked in to the room. She gasped in shock, raising her hands to her mouth.

"Oh my God!" She whispered.

"Morning, sleeping beauty! Want some coffee?" Don Flack asked, a huge, goofy grin on his face.

It was like being hit with a lightning bolt. Seeing him standing there shirt-less, in her kitchen made her remember. She saw flashes from the previous night. She didn't know what to think. Stella remembered everything.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

The whole team had gone out for Stella's birthday. It was around midnight when everyone had slowly started making their way home. They all had work in the morning and hardly had anything to drink. Stella, on the other hand, had gotten ludicrously drunk and was refusing to go anywhere. Flack, being a gentleman, and the only other person not working, offered to stay with her and make sure she got home okay.

It was Stella who had made the first move. The conversation had taken a turn towards relationships. Don was in the middle of talking about his worst date ever, when Stella was overcome with the urge to kiss him. He grabbed hold of his cheeks and kissed him on the lips. She pulled away for a brief moment, shocked at what she had just done.

"Don I..." She began to say. Her cheeks flushed pink.

He shook his head and put a finger up to her lips. He didn't want to hear her talk. He wanted her. Don took hold of her and kissed her back. Stella ran her delicate fingers through his dark hair. Don traced circles on the small of her back. Now he really wanted her.

Neither of them questioned it. It felt natural. Stella couldn't believe it hadn't before. This didn't feel like any one night stand. In the few minutes that they had kissed, she could see a future with Don.

Don paid the bar tab and took hold of Stella's hand. Their eyes locked and they smiled at each other coyly. He picked up Stella's coat and held it out for her to put on. She flicked her curls out from under the collar of her coat. Don kissed the back of her neck, sending a wave on tingles down her spine.

They climbed into the back of the taxi and headed towards Stella's apartment. In the taxi, Don put his arm around Stella and she nestled in to him, wrapping her arm around his waist. Neither of them said anything the whole journey. Stella breathed in his delicious scent and smiled. She knew that she had drunk a lot, but she also knew that this wasn't going to be a mistake. She wouldn't wake up tomorrow and hate herself for what she had done.

The taxi pulled up outside the apartment block. Don took out his wallet and paid the driver. He held the door open for Stella and helped her get out of the car. She kissed him again and held on to him as they walked up to the elevator doors. Don's hand rested on her hip as the elevator took them up to her floor.

"Stell, are you sure about this?" He asked cautiously. "It's just; I don't want to take advantage or anything"

She turned her body towards his and pushed him up against the wall. She kissed him passionately, pressing herself up against his body. He ran his hands up and her back. Their breathing became heavy and uneven. They almost didn't notice when the doors opened up.

"Don't say anything Don, please?" She whispered, her lips pressed up against his cheek.

By the time Stella let them both into the apartment, Don almost couldn't control himself. Don leaned over Stella as she shut the door. He kissed her collar bone, up her neck and back to her lips.

She kicked off her shoes and unzipped her dress, letting it drop softly to the floor, Don un-buckled his belt and un-buttoned his shirt. They moved swiftly to her bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes. They kissed up against her bedroom door. Stella glanced around her room, thankful that she had actually taken the time to tidy it. She looked into Don's eyes smiled. This was the perfect way to end her birthday.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Stell?" Don raised an eyebrow. She snapped out of her daydream.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Coffee would be great, thanks." She stammered.

Don slid a fresh mug of coffee across the kitchen counter and smiled. He continued to move leisurely around the kitchen, helping himself to cereal from the cupboard. Every noise made her head hurt a little bit more. She was once again lost in her thoughts, when Don put his arms around her waist and pushed the curls off of the back of her neck before planting a soft kiss. She put down her coffee mug and swivelled the chair around so she could see him.

He put his hands on her face and tilted her head upwards. He traced his thumb across her lips and kissed them. She kissed him back. Her stomach was filled with butterflies and her heartbeat quickened.

"Don?" She whispered.

Don shook his head and held his finger to her lips. She bit the top of his finger and giggled.

"Stella." He said plainly.

"Was that really stupid?" Stella questioned. She didn't believe it was, she wanted to know how he felt.

"No. Of course it wasn't, why would you even think that?" He looked troubled.

Stella shrugged. She pushed a few stray curls out of her face and sighed. She didn't regret this at all. She didn't go through any of the usual emotions after a one night stand. There was no guilt, no shame and no sickening feeling that a total stranger was in her house. Stella knew Don, he was one of her closest friends and deep down; she knew that she loved him.

Don looked down at the beautiful woman in front of him. At work she was tough, strong and independent. Now, sitting here, she looked so gentle and so fragile. Don just wanted to pick her up and protect her from the horrors of the world. It was a feeling he couldn't really explain. He'd never felt that before.

It was a completely new experience for the both of them. Could this have been the start of a new relationship? Whatever was happening between the two of the, it was new and exciting. Stella smiled to herself remembering yesterday. When she blew out the candles on her cake, she wished for happiness. Right now, in the kitchen with Detective Don Flack, she couldn't have been happier.