Skimpy Top - Chp 1.
Mac and Stella stood in the murky street over looking the latest crime scene.
"Hmmm capable homicide I say. From the direction of the entry wound the gun would have had to have been 3, 4 stories up." Mac mumbled out loud.
"The blunt force trauma is post-mortem I'd say. If it was anti the bruising would be at least a deep shade of purple."
"Right Stella lets get this body back to Hawkes and see if Flack's got a identity for her." Mac gestured towards the body
"Good idea let me just take a few more pictures of the vic" Picking up her camera Stella walked past Mac and over to the victims body lying in the alley.
"You've get a Jane Doe on your hands Mac" Flack called over," I'll send pics out to the missing persons helpline if you want"
"Thanks Flack that would be good" Mac called back as he sifted through the mud in the alley looking for any evidence.
And with that a roll of thunder trembled through the street, opening the heavens with it and certainly washing away any traces of blood away down the drains.
"Stella are you finished taking those photos we need to get the body out of the rain A.S.A.P" Mac ran over with the body bag to shield the body from the rain.
"Ye I'm finished taking the photos but talk about the weather! I'm soaked right through and have to say this was NOT the day to wear a skimpy top" Stella blushed at this last bit realising it was to late to take it back and certainly hoping Flack didn't here.
"You look fine Stell" Mac noticed her blush and wrapped his jacket round her and they both headed inside as the forensics bagged the body.
Back at the lab after showering and changing her clothes, Stella walked over to Mac's office after he paged her. Knocking once on the door to let him know she was there she went in and waited for him to end his call.
"You paged?"
"Yes I was going to ask you if you could cover with me for Danny and Lindsey tonight. I know it's supposed to be your night off but you will get paid extra." Mac sighed placing the receiver down
"Mac, what's wrong?" Stella asked concerned about who he was just on the phone to.
"Peyton phoned me last night literally begging to get back together with me but I said no, seen as she was the one who started and ended the relationship. That was her again"
"Awww Mac come her" Stella sympathized with him, hugged him and then told him he had done the right thing.
"I'll take you out for dinner before we start late shift if you want? Help me take my mind off things" Mac asked
"Ye sure ,only if you promise not to take me back to that awful Chinese place ever again!"
"Excuse me but that place is a firm favorite" Mac retorted
"Not in my heart any day Taylor" Stella winked and with that she was gone.
Two Straws or One? Chp 2.
Mac walked into the locker room hoping to bump into Stella on his way to take her out for a quick bite to eat. Fumbling in his pocket for a moment to find his locker key he realized it wasn't there.
"Looking for this Taylor?" Stella teased, leaning against the door frame and waving Mac's key in front of his face.
"How the? Where did you get that from"
"Teaching yourself to be a pick-pocket in an orphanage is easier that it sounds." Stella remarked handing Mac his key and heading to her locker to change her jacket.
"After you" Mac ushered Stella out of the locker room and into the nearest lift.
Upon arriving at the local cafe just round the corner, Mac and Stella were placed in a window seat with an extremely noisy family seated just behind Mac. The waitress handed each of them a menu and asked what they would like to drink.
"I'm fine thanks" Mac dismissed.
"Suit your self Taylor. A large Coke please" Stella ordered, glancing quickly up at Mac frowning as he studied the menu in front of him.
"Would you like two straws or one with the Ma'am?" The waitress asked in a strong Tennessee twang.
"Two please" Stella smiled sweetly at Mac who was oblivious to what Stella had just said.
"Thanks-You Ma'am" The waitress thanked Stella and went off to get the drink.
"Hmm I'm thinking the pasta. What are you having Stell?" Mac asked tenderly tucking a stray hair behind Stella's ear causing her to blush.
"Greek salad, can't go wrong on that" Stella replied still blushing.
Just then the waitress interrupted their little moment, placing the Coke-Cola down in the middle or the table, a straw facing each of them.
"Are you ready to order?" The waitress asked kindly
"Yes please," Mac replied" I'll have the chicken pasta and Stella?"
"Greek salad thanks"
"Eh Stella why the two straws" Mac frowned
"Well we can share a straw if you like... but I thought you might like your own one" Stella winked leaning in to take a sip
Mac leaned in as well holding Stella's gaze and drinking the coke out of his straw.
At that moment Hawkes and Flack walked into the cafe ....
Teenage Sweethearts Chp.3
Hawkes nudged Flack in the ribs.
"Hey! Now that was uncalled for!" Flack protested rubbing his aching side. But Hawkes mouth still hung open.
"Whatcha looking at?" Flack tried to follow Hawkes gaze only to end up staring at a rowdy family of 5 squeezed round a table sharing a pizza.
"You seeing what I'm seeing?" Hawkes gasped, "Errm two coffees please" Paying the cashier be handed a coffee to Flack and gulped his down.
"Naah, either I'm not getting it or you were staring at a rowdy family" Flack replied blowing on his steaming coffee
"The table in front you idiot" Hawkes implied drinking another swig of coffee.
Flacks eyes then rested on the table that was causing Hawkes such dismay. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. Were Mac and Stella?
'"Pfffft!" Flack nearly spat he is coffee out, regained himself then carried on," Their not... kissing are they?"
Mac leaned away from Stella, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve as the waitress set their food down in front of them.
"The pasta for you Sir and the salad for you Ma'am. Enjoy" The waitress smiled and then left them in peace.
Mac tucked into his pasta, while Stella nervously bit her nail having not touched her salad.
"Ummm this stuff is good!" Mac exclaimed,"How about yours? Whats it like?"
Stella didn't answer
"Stell?"
Stella snapped out of her daydream.
"Ehh yeah its nice" Stella forced herself to eat a forkful before quickly taking a gulp of coke.
"Stella... is there something you want to tell me?" Mac asked cautiously taking Stella's hand in his
"Stella! Mac! How odd of us to catch you both here" Flack called over as him and Hawkes walked over to their table.
Flack left the emphasise on the last bit before winking at Mac, who by that time had slid his hand back over to his side of the table.
"Eeh.. I gotta go to the restroom sorry" Stella excused herself before making a bee-line straight for the ladies room.
"You guys looked just the couple from the bar Mac" Flack teased,
"Whats that suppose to mean?" Mac asked
"Well what Flack is trying to say Mac is, you and Stella looked just like Teenage Sweethearts" Hawkes flatly stated in a matter of fact voice.
"More like Middle age Friends" Stella retorted before replacing herself beside Hawkes.
"Ehh sorry Stella" Flack apologised
"Come on Mac, we've gotta shift to start" Stella coldly said, putting her jacket on and headed for the bar to pay
"Whats ruffled her feathers" Flack whispered so she didn't hear
"I wish i knew" Mac whispered to himself.
From the Start. Chp 4.
"Stella wait up!" Mac called diving into the mass of people and trying to keep sight of Stella's mass of curly hair. Upon arriving at the lab, he entered the nearest lift and pressed LEVEL 5 on the kep pad. Walking into his office, he stopped for a moment taking in Stella's figure as she gazed out of his window. Clearing his throat he made her jump.
"I never heard you come in" Stella mumbled, tucking her unrully hair behind her ears and casting her eyes to the floor.
Mac walked over and ran his arm around Stella's shoulder, pulling her closer to him and letting her rest her head against his shoulder.
"Now are you going to tell me what was wrong earlier or am I going to have to ask?" Mac gently said inhaling the sweet smell of honey from her hair before wrapping his other hand round her waist.
"Not just now. Not here" Stella whispered letting a lone tear drip down her cheek.
"If you insist dear." Mac teased wiping her eyes and leading her back to the lab to try and piece together some evidnece about the murder.
"What have we got then Bonasera?" Mac asked gingerly causing Stella to giggle softly.
"Murder. Duh Mac. Right evidence" Stella toyed walking round the table to where Mac was and play punched him on the shoulder, "We have evidence to say that our Jane Doe was with someone when she dies that isn't our killer, indicating that someone out there is a key witness to this murder."
"And the evidnece is?"
"Particials over her neck that haven't been a hit everywhere Flack has tried, saying why would you kill someone from above then run down the stairs of a 4 story building to leave evidnece all over her neck? Unless you were a juvenile with I highly doubt as there is no other evidence anywhere."
Mac smiled,"Fancy a trip?"
"What now? Where?"
"To our crimescene dear Watson"
After arriving at the flats opposite the crimescene Mac and Stella began knocking on doors asking if anyone had seen or heard any sucpicious behavior earlier that day or during the night. Some people slammed the door in there face, others just flatly said no, but the last one really interested them.
"Did you see him Stell?" Mac asked all excited once they were back at Mac's SUV
"Yes! He was so jumpy and failing to find his words. I reckon we get Flack to take him in tomrrow" Stella agreed
"Exactly" Mac replied before sliding into the drivers seat and heading back to the lab.
After locking up Mac grabbed Stella's hand.
"Wait Stell I was gonna ask if you wanted to come back to mine for a drink?" Mac asked cautiously
Stella bit her lip " Well..... I'm sure I don't have any thing planned for this evening"
Mac opened his door and swept a hand inside his apartment.
"Ladies first"
"That would be me then I take it" Stella giggled, taking her coat of with elegant eaze and hanging it on the coat rack beside Mac's door.
"The usual? Cup of coffe?" Mac called through from the kitchen
"No thanks, a large glass of red wine please" Stella called back as she slid her hand along Mac's array of CDs and DVDs
"I think I'll join you on that Bonasera" Mac smiled, handing Stella one glass and plonking himself down onto his couch.
"Now do you fancy telling me what was wrong earlier?"
"Ohh Mac," Stella gushed, "I don't know where to start."
Mac placed a hand on Stella's shoulder,"From the start"
After a good few glasses of red wine each and Stella's long and dragged out story of what was on her mind Mac butted in.
"So what your saying is you want to go further, but want to just keep it low on the agenda i.e Flack ad Danny not finding out and telling the whole world?"
"Your got it in a oner" Stella sighed letting her head flop to the side, coming to rest against Mac's shoulder.
"Hey lets lighten up the atmosphere abit. CD or DVD" Mac smiled sweetly placing his glass down on the coffee table and eyeing up a couple of classics
"Oh definately a CD. I couldnt bare to sit down and watch a good four hours of some classic you want to watch." Stella smirked refilling her glass and Mac's when he wasn't looking
"Ahh here this one is new. You migt like it"
"Someone call an ambulance! Mac has bought a new CD!" Stella laughed
"Well just have a listen and see if you like it. This is my favourite song" Mac laughed placing the CD into the player and skipping to track 10, pressing play then sliding back in beside Stella.
We're the best partners this worlds ever seen,
Together we're close as can be,
But sometimes it hard to find time in between ,
To tell you what you mean to me.
You are the rose of my heart,
You are the love of my life,
A flower not fainted,
Nor falling apart,
If your cool let my love make you warm,
Rose of my heart.
"Mac thats beautiful" Stella whispered, gazing into Mac's eyes before letting him softly plant a kiss on her lips.
"You are the rose of my heart Stell, I don't know what I would do with out you" Mac tenderly whispered before kissing Stella again.
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this