The usual disclaimers ok? Please let me know what you think!
The phone was ringing.
Damn. That did not bode well for the day, for whoever was calling could not wait thirty minutes. Everyone knew he got up at four.
"Taylor". Even before the voice came over the line he knew who it was. He always knew.
"Mac. It's me. I need you to come over." The urgency in her voice shook all vestiges of sleep from him.
"Where are you?"
"My place." Her voice broke,
"I'll be right there."
And he was. Less than thirty minutes after her call he walked into her building. She was waiting for him. She was covered in blood. When he reached for her she recoiled.
"What happened?" Her eyes met his and he felt his heart constrict. "Please no. Not that. Not again." He thought. "It's not even been three years since…" Mac could not bring himself to think the name.
"There was a man….he got away."
"Do you know who he was?"
"I don't know! I left work and got a drink with Flack. He left with some girl around 10 and when the band finished their set around 11 I left. No one approached me during that time. I did not leave the table till I left the club. When I got home my door was unlocked. I took all the precautions, I had my piece in my hand and did a through search but no one was there. I had asked that the maintenance man come fix a light, so after about thirty minutes of checking the place out I figured he had just accidentally left the door unlocked. I had noticed that the light was fixed as I was checking. When I was done I made sure my door was locked but kept my gun on me just in case. It wasn't till I had been home for over an hour that anything happened. It was almost one so I decided to call it a day and get to bed. When I went to my closet I was blinded by something white; I actually think it was flour; it didn't sting whatever it was. Then, he pulled something over my head and…it felt like forever. I don't know why I did but at some point I passed out. I called you as soon as I woke up. She swayed as if she were about to pass out again.
Mac reached for her again, this time she let him touch her. He put his hands on her upper arms. "Are you ok. I mean…other than…"
She did not answer him, just looked at him with eyes that spoke of all she had been through. Why did everything happen to Stella? Frankie, fires, Drew, attacks, HIV scares…he could keep going but chose not to. Instead he just pulled her into his arms and wordlessly told her he would see her through this too. As he had the other times. It was the least he could do. She had been there through the darkest time of his life; the country he loved so much had come under attack and in that attack the woman he loved had died. She had stayed with him for a month.
Keeping one arm around her he called his team. The night shift was still on duty but he wanted the best on this case. Danny said he'd call the others and be there as soon as he could. Mac felt like a jerk for having to repress a chuckle at the thought that Danny would probably not have any trouble getting Lindsay. Sure enough Danny and Lindsay came in together less than an hour after he himself had walked in.
"Hawkes is on his way; we tried several times but can't get Flack. Adam's going in early to wait for anything we find so he can process it first and fast." Danny informed him looking at Stella, concern and anger on his features. Lindsay's eyes were filled with tears.
"I'm taking her to Angel of Mercy. You two start processing her place. I don't think you need me to tell you that all other cases are on hold until we get this guy. Here's a key. Call me if you find anything. I'm going to stay with her for the foreseeable future."
Mac guided Stella out of the building and into his vehicle. He could not stop the kiss that he placed on her forehead as he buckled her into the front seat. She broke down at that simple gesture, one he had given her so many times for so many reasons. He hurried to the drivers side and after he started the engine took her hand in his, driving with only his left. She sobbed as if, well, as if she had just been through one of the worst experiences any person could ever go through. She fainted just as they got to the hospital. He got her in and the nurses had begun processing, so he tried Flack. Nothing. When the Nurse emerged she handed Mac what she had collected and told him that Stella had indeed been raped but that and a few scratches were the only trauma. They did want to keep her over night just to make sure. Was there any family to inform?
"No. She has no one…." In his mind he finished the sentence "…but me." That was not exactly fair he told himself. Stella had the entire team. They were her family. Just not biologically. Mac knew that, cliché though it sounded, the team was not going to rest till they found the rapist.
Looking in her room he saw she was asleep. Deciding to let her remain so, he stepped into that hall to make another call, yet remained in the door on the chance that, should she wake she would see him there. He watched her as the phone rang. Even in her sleep she looked strong.
The first words out of Danny's mouth were "We've found some interesting things. There is a powder residue around her closet. Seems to be a kind of flour. Hawkes and some uniforms are canvassing the area. They've found three condoms a latex glove. Hear from Flack yet? We need him to question any possible witnesses."
"No Flack yet. Call Angell and have her help till he gets there. Make sure she asks the sup about the handyman who fixed Stella's light. Apparently she had needed something fixed and he might have left the door opened. Is there any sign of the door being forced?"
"No. We had to use the key you gave us to get in. We'll send the stuff to trace and get Angell up here. How is Stella?"
"Sleeping. She was indeed raped but there is no other major physical trauma. A few scratches and a bit of other trace I'm going to have couriered to Adam. Hopefully we can get something there."
"'K. Tell her we're thinkin' 'bout her."
As he hung up Mac became aware of another person being worked on in the ER. From the noises around the victim, he could make out was that it was a man who seemed to be quite drunk and very beat up. Another cop could take that case, he had more important things to do. He would try Flack one more time before going in to be with Stella. This time the phone was picked up on the first ring. Before Flack could say anything Mac lit into him.
"Flack! People have been trying to reach you for over an hour! Why the hell were you not answering your phone?"
But it wasn't Flack on the phone.
"Um. Sir?" Mac felt a tap on his shoulder as he waited for Flacks response. He turned around and saw an orderly with an open phone in his hand. The man did not have time to say anything else before Mac ran to the victim that had been brought in moments ago. Orderlies and Nurses hampered his progress to the man on the stretcher. But he could still see who it was. Flack. And he was covered in scratches.
I'll try to get this finished asap, the more/better reviews I get the more likely I'll get this done quickly. (=
