Okay, okay, I know - the title sucks! Anyway...
Hello my pretties!! I hope you have a very merry Christmas and an incredibly happy New Year!
In this there are a couple of references to my last year's ChristMaS story, "After The Christmas Party" but you can read this without having read that. However if you want to know the story behind the truck and the necklace - go read! (but don't forget to review ; P )
Also there is a vague - and I mean VAGUE (as in blink and you'll miss it) - reference to "Triborough", won't spoil the ep though :)
I apologise for any mistakes, this is un-beta'd and I did write the majority of it at 1am (hence some of the made up words -case in point, hateable. Is hateable a word? lol)watching a combination of Frasier and CSI:NY...
For Becs, thanks for the IMs - you totally saved this story!
Have yourselves a very SMacked-full Christmas, all my love, Tricki : D
"This has been my favourite Christmas decoration since I was six." Mac said reflectively. It was two days before Christmas Eve and the pair were decorating their Christmas tree.
"Then why's it so dusty?" Stella asked as she emerged from behind the Christmas tree. And when she said "dusty" she didn't mean "In storage for the year" kind of dusty, she meant "Jammed under the bed for twenty years" kind of dusty.
"Claire hated it." He said simply and began brushing dust off it with his fingertips. Stella screwed up her nose thoughtfully and stared at the small ornament. There was nothing hateable about it; in fact Stella had adored it the first time she saw it - the first Christmas she had known him, even though she didn't remember that now (she only saw it for a moment before Claire had pulled it off the tree and tossed it back into the box. Today was the first time it had seen daylight since). It was a delicate glass spiral with a small piece of green, red and gold tinsel encased in the centre and gold paint along the edge.
"Why?" She asked finally. He held it tenderly and looked at it with a thoughtful expression on face.
"I don't know. She just said she hated it." The hurt was evident on his face. Stella walked to him slowly and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I love it." She said quietly. He smiled gently and she stepped back.
"So tell me why you love this thing so much."
"It just used to blow my mind how they got tinsel in the middle of glass." He laughed. Stella grinned at him and took it gently from his hand.
"Well I think it belongs right…here." She said and hung it dead centre of the tree.
"Perfect!" She said brightly and turned to him for confirmation.
"Perfect." He agreed with a quiet yet satisfied smile. He watched her as she examined their handy work. She glanced back at him, beaming.
"Well? What do you think?" She asked. He smiled at her and took her hand.
"I think you're the most beautiful woman in the world." Stella wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his, looking him dead in the eye.
"And I think that was the corniest line ever!" She grinned, kissing him deeply.
"Served its purpose." He smirked.
"That it did." She smiled, unbuttoning his shirt. "Up for a long night?" She grinned cheekily.
"Oh yeah." He replied, his words muffled by her tongue, before hearing that all too familiar mood killer - the shrill beeping of his pager.
"Don't" She requested softly.
"Stel," His tone final yet gentle.
"Oh come on, it can wait a little while." She insisted.
"I've gotta go." He said, kissing her one last time before pulling away from her and reading the message, doing up his shirt with his free hand.
"I love you."She smiled as he collected his coat and made his way to the door.
"I love you too."
"See you later."
"Bye." He smiled at her and shut the door behind himself. Stella sighed - she needed a new way of occupying herself now...
Two and a half days later an exhausted Mac Taylor practically collapsed into bed next to a thoroughly bored Stella Bonasera. Cases that could be solved in 2 hours left her completely cold.
"Hey." Stella whispered, her voice rough and gravely from sleep.
"Hey." He smiled and kissed her lightly. Stella pulled Mac's left wrist over to her face and said:
"Thirty seven minutes 'till Christmas." Mac chuckled, not withdrawing his hand but letting it slump over her body. He nuzzled into her side and whispered
"I intend to be asleep for the remainder of December twenty fourth." Hey eyes had drooped shut a few moments ago but her lips twisted into a half smile.
"Second."
At ten twenty eight Mac awoke to an empty bed. He stumbled out of bed and started his journey to the kitchen, rubbing his eyes groggily as he went. The sight that met him was one Stella Bonasera, making bacon and eggs and brewing a pot of coffee, looking frighteningly domestic.
"Merry Christmas." Mac said, smiling gently.
"Welcome to the land of the living, Sleeping Beauty." She grinned brightly, leaning over the counter and kissing him.
"Merry Christmas." She added before returning to their breakfast.
"So, what do you have planned for today?" Mac asked, leaning on the bench.
"Food, presents, food - sex if you get me something good." She winked. Mac laughed.
While they ate Stella glanced over at the pile of presents under the Christmas tree.
"We're going to be seriously broke now, aren't we?" She joked.
"That's a strong possibility." Mac laughed, standing to clear their dishes.
"Shall we adjourn to the floor?" He asked, holding out his hand gallantly. Stella chuckled and took his hand, finding the prime spot by the tree.
What was potentially hours later (Although neither could tell as they had completely lost track of time.) the pair sat surrounded by the debris of carelessly discarded wrapping paper and packaging (The time put into the presentation of the gifts all but forgotten.) with only one unopened present remaining for each.
"Best 'till last." Mac commented idly, glancing at the two remaining gifts.
"You first." Stella said.
"No way! I went first last year!"
"Fine." She sighed dramatically and passed him a rectangular package, wrapped in red paper with green and gold holy printed on it. Mac examined the box. It was maybe two and a half inches thick, solid in feel -
"The suspense is killing me, Mac." Stella said, breaking into his thoughts. He chuckled.
"Sorry." He began to peel the sticky tape off. As the wrapping fell back it revealed -
"Oh Stel, you shouldn't have! A white box!" He teased with mock joy.
"Ha. Ha. Smart-ass. Open the box."
Mac lifted the lid and almost gasped.
"Stel..." She grinned. He ran his fingers over it delicately then tipped the box slightly so he could pull the object out.
"Where did you find this?"
"Danny helped me out." Mac shot her a curious look.
"You asked Danny to help with something that needed to be kept a secret?"
"Well no, I was looking on eBay and he came in and read over my shoulder. He knew someone who had what I was looking for." She admitted.
"Ah." Mac nodded and opened the aged book in his hands.
"How did you know?"
"That To Kill A Mockingbird is your favourite book? A wise man once told me to observe. You've always had a copy by your bed. That's the only book that stays there all the time." She said; she could still remember it sitting on his coffee table the first time she came to his apartment all those years ago.
Mac gazed, awestruck, at the first edition copy of To Kill A Mockingbird in his hand. His eyes quickly flicked to his "Mac" truck - she always knew the perfect thing to give him.
"You're amazing." He said quietly, setting the book down beside him and pulling her into an affectionate kiss, burying his hand in her hair.
"I know." She smirked.
"Someone needs to take you down a peg or two, Bonasera." He joked, Stella laughed.
"If you know what's good for you, that person won't be you."
"Well not today, at least." He said, sitting back down and picking up her gift.
"Best for last, huh?" She said playfully. Mac smiled softly and nodded.
"Different to last year but..." He trailed off while Stella subconsciously toyed with the Tiffany & Co necklace which he had given her last year. He handed her the gift and Stella peeled the wrapping back carefully, pulling out an elegant wooden frame with a black and white photograph of herself inside. A much younger Stella Bonasera was striding purposefully through the front doors of the old crime lab, curly hair flying back after her. There was something odd about it; it didn't seem like it was from a camera - it almost looked like a still form a video.
"Mac, wha-?"
"Down the bottom." He said softly. Stella's eyes travelled to the engraved silver plaque that was embedded in bottom of the frame.
"The exact moment when you stole my heart."
"What?" Her brow furrowed curiously.
"The first time I saw you. Your first day at the lab."
"How...?" Mac half laughed at how inarticulate she had suddenly become.
"My boss asked me to see how you were doing - how the other people were getting along with you, that sort of thing - so I thought the subtlest way to do that was to watch you when I wasn't around, so I asked for the security tape. I... I held onto it."
"Always trying to be objective..." She glanced down, shaking her head and blushing a little. She looked back to the photo, something was puzzling her.
"CCTV footage wasn't this good when I started working at the labs." Stella said sceptically. Mac coughed uncomfortably.
"I kinda hijacked one of the lab's computers to enhance it." He said, a little embarrassed.
"You bent the rules!" She laughed, moving over so she was sitting in his lap, and kissed him deeply.
"Do you really mean that?" She asked quietly.
"Huh?"
"The frame..."
"Every word." He whispered, kissing her slowly.
"That was the perfect present." She smiled.
"So was mine." He replied, returning her smile. She pulled back slightly.
"Merry Christmas, Mac."
"Merry Christmas." He stood, carrying Stella to the bedroom. She thought back to their earlier conversation "Food, presents, food - sex if you get me something good." and leaned to his ear, whispering teasingly:
"Wasn't there supposed to be food before this?" Mac kissed her earlobe and worked his way down her neck.
"Food can wait."
You know what I want for Christmas : D : D Please press the button?