Summary: Mac and Stella share a light moment while eating animal crackers.

Disclaimer: Don't own Mac or Stella.

Just a short little OS. Hope you enjoy

Animal Crackers

"So what did you bring me?" Stella asked her partner as he entered his office after being sent on mission to get a snack.

Mac threw a package down on his desk.

"Animal crackers? Well, guess it is a bit more adventurous than hot dogs." Stella smirked.

Mac sat down across from her. Even though it was late and they had been working all day on a tough case, his eyes sparkled and he eagerly snatched the bag from Stella and began to open it.

"C'mon, didn't you eat these as a kid? I loved to try to guess what animal I was about to eat."

Stella loved this playful side of Mac. It seemed he only let her see this side of him and she felt privileged that he, the tough Marine, would let her inside and see another side to him; a tough exterior that she could crumble away just like the animal cracker.

"Hmm…let's see what I get," she said as she reached into the bag and pulled out the crunchy cracker. "Looks like a bear. What do you think Mac."

Mac grabbed the cracker, looked at it, then laughed. "Stell, how do you get a bear from this? It is clearly a hippo."

"Well, can you blame me? I'm a scientist, not a zoologist. Besides, I don't spend my free time identifying animal cracker species."

Mac chuckled at her reply and handed her back the hippo. "My turn."

He reached into the bag but before he had a chance to really look at the cracker, Stella snatched it out of his hand and bit the head off before handing it back to him.

"Let's see how well you can identify the animal without a head," Stella challenged in a playful tone.

"Can I use facial reconstruction?" Mac loved moments like this with Stella. She made something as silly as eating animal crackers fun, always joining in and putting Mac at ease.

"Mac if you could get facial reconstruction to work on an animal cracker, I would buy you a life time supply of animal crackers."

"Well I don't think I could justify the use of the equipment on something like this, so I'll have to result to the old school style."

"And what would that be?" Stella asked.

"Looking at the back of the bag to see what animal it is."

"But that's cheating."

"You cheated first by biting its head off, Stell."

"Oh, so you aren't the great investigator I thought you were."

"I'm a scientist, not a zoologist." Mac gave her the same line she had used only moments before. Stella just rolled her eyes.

"Well, if we have to start investigating animal cracker deaths, we might want to hire Lucy," Stella suggested.

"Guess I would have to make her my new second in command then," Mac joked.

Stella faked a pout. "Guess I need to brush up on my animal cracker skills. Wouldn't want to be replaced."

Mac stood up and grabbed Stella's hand, forcing her to stand up. "You could never be replaced Stell." His thumb caressed the back of her hand and his eyes were full of warmth.

"C'mon, let me take you to dinner. I don't think animal crackers are very filling."

Both detectives walked arm in arm out of the crime lab into the warm, spring night.

Forty-five minutes later, the two were finishing dinner when Mac's phone rang.

"Taylor."

It's Flack. We have a scene at 115 and Park. This one should be fun. Vic is missing a head."

Mac just looked at Stella and smiled.

A/N: Been struggling through writer's block but finally got an idea that worked. Hoped you enjoyed. Please R&R when you get a chance.