Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Otherwise, I don't have a lot to say. It's one of the four oneshots I wrote for Lily_Moonlight for her travel to the beautiful city of Chicago. (a very rainy city, currently ;-))
Anyway, thanks to DNAisUnique and Lily_Moonlight for reading through and correcting mistakes.
Hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as they seem to have and as I enjoyed writing it. :-)
A frustrated sigh escaped Flack's lips and he ran a hand through his hair, glancing around. He had been searching for no more than ten minutes; ten minutes which felt like an hour and right now he was sure would extend into one.
"Since when have you become second-in-command of the crime lab?"
He jumped, hitting his hand on the desk as he spun around and reached to catch a stack of papers which threatened to slip off the wooden surface.
"I'm looking for the Berwyn file," he explained with a frown as Jess strolled over. "Stel was baby-sitting some machine and couldn't get away. She said I should get it from her office. The problem is," he paused, looking around the office, "she didn't tell me where it was exactly." He met Jess's eyes, grunting at the amused sparkle he detected in hers.
"I'm sure there's a method in there somewhere," she grinned, her gaze drifting over the papers and files scattered randomly across Stella's desk. "We women do have our secret methods men don't understand."
"And you know where she's most likely keeping the file in this… method?" He waved at hand to gesture at what he considered chaos, a flicker of hope sparking to life yet dying down the same instant she shook her head.
"That must be her Southern European creativity," Jess concluded, still grinning. "I don't know anything about that."
He eyed her skeptically then grabbed another file out of the drawer he had open in front of him, throwing it onto a pile of files he had already looked through once he had glanced inside.
"How much of it is actually your doing," Jess wondered, narrowing her eyes at him teasingly as she took a step closer.
"Funny," he said dryly, reaching for another file to avoid the smug smile which had appeared on her face. One he loved when she used it on suspects but very much disliked when she used it on him.
"Just because I don't always put my clothes into the closet and drawers…"
"You pile up worn clothes on each chair you can find and stack clean clothes on the drawer in the bedroom," Jess interrupted, the smugness audible in every word.
"Fine, I might do that," he conceded, throwing that file on top of the others as her lips spread into a victorious grin. "But I don't make a mess out of my files," he reminded her in his defense.
"It's not a mess," Jess insisted and he glanced at her with equal skepticism and irony.
"It's a mess to me, whatever it is to Stella," he decided and frowned again but relaxed when Jess's hand brushed against his. Their fingers linked briefly and they exchanged a glance before she moved over to one of the cabinets. He took a moment to watch her skim through the files then reached for another folder from the drawer – the last, he noted with some relief.
And froze.
"Whoa!" For an instant his mind went blank and he simply stared. "That's…" Not the file, he thought. Not a file…
"Classic," Jess finished his sentence, her breath tickling his neck as she peeked over his shoulder.
"That's one way to describe it," he nodded, reminding himself to breathe, continuing to stare at the photograph.
Classic was a word that certainly worked; the color, the pose… Mac standing behind Stella, both shirtless, a delicate bra covering her breasts, his arms wrapped around her torso while hers were wound backwards around his waist, the look on their faces saying all. – And it wasn't just classic; it was erotic and tasteful and there was no denying that they were nothing short of photogenic.
"When did they have these taken?" he muttered, still stunned, glancing at Jess before his eyes were drawn back to the photo. "Why did they have these taken?"
"Why?" she echoed into his ear, clearly amused by his question and when he shifted his head towards her again, her features reflected that sentiment.
"You know," he shrugged, turning around to fully face her and leaning against the desk behind him, "it would make sense if you and I did but Mac and Stella?"
"Maybe they took them for the same reason you and I would," Jess suggested yet bit her lip the instant the words were spoken, lowering her eyes for just a fraction of a second.
"You and I are a couple," he replied slowly, studying her closely. "They're not a couple," he said, his voice thick with contemplation, his eyes never wavering from her, aware of each of her reactions. "Or are they?" It was a question as much as it was a statement and Jess shrugged indifferently, nodded.
"You knew?"
She nodded again.
"They told you?" he asked, his gaze drifting back to the photo in his hand, the surprise over finding what he had not entirely digested yet.
"Stella did," Jess admitted and he looked up again.
"Why'd she tell you and not me?" he wanted to know, unable to keep a trace of annoyance from his voice. It was somewhat ridiculous to be annoyed over something small like that but he hated being left out and more so when Jess was aware of things he wasn't.
"I'm a woman," Jess grinned. "She's a woman. We share secrets." She threw him a flirtatious glance, his bruised ego healing instantly. "And they didn't want anyone to know."
He snorted, understanding the implication and muttering something about being able to keep secrets while his eyes dropped once more to the photograph. There hadn't been a single indication that something in their – Mac and Stella's – relationship had shifted; they had worked, flirted, teased, argued. Boy, had they argued just last week and he had been caught in the middle of it, not completely sure if they were aware of him, uncomfortable at witnessing what he had, yet too afraid to leave in case that would make them aware of him and they would consider him an unwelcome witness.
They had avoided each other for the short rest of the day and had been fine the following morning – and the thought of make-up-sex suddenly jumped to the front of his mind. It wasn't an image he necessarily wanted to have of Mac and while he could appreciate Stella's body, he didn't need to picture her engaged in sexual activity either. Yet with it came a different question and he lifted his eyes to find that Jess had gone back to searching for his file.
"How long have they been dating?" he asked and she turned, doing a quick calculation.
"Must be about eight months now," she estimated.
"Eight months?" he exclaimed. "They've been carrying on behind everyone's back for eight months?" That he was shocked was an understatement and for a moment those eight months bounced around in his mind like an echo; eight months of ignorance, eight months that he didn't have the slightest clue…
"If you keep shouting like this that's about as long as they'll be able to carry on behind anyone's back," Jess warned and he knew she wasn't teasing. "And I think most importantly they're carrying on behind their superior's back," she added and he caught her eyes, a look of sympathy crossing her face, that he, whether he wanted to or not, could relate to.
While he and Jess were still working in the same precinct and had only had to change partners, with Stella second-in-command – a subordinate – Mac and she wouldn't be as lucky. They wouldn't even necessarily be as lucky if they were simple CSI's; something about the integrity of evidence as Mac had explained his concerns to him when Danny and Lindsay had gotten close; something he hadn't listened too intently to at that time.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded, the reproach that his voice was laced with almost too serious. But she didn't seem to take offense as amusement sprang back into her eyes.
"I told you," she said, approaching and leaning forward, her hands placed on the desk on each side of him, a smile beginning for form that he knew all too well – and didn't want to see now, "they didn't want anyone to know." She drew back with a coquettish blink.
Like he previously had, he snorted, and insisted, louder this time, that he could be trusted with secrets.
"Trusted to spread them around," Jess teased, obviously enjoying herself, yet before he could give her a look of hurt to arouse her sympathy, she placed a tender kiss to his lips. "I love you, Don," she said quietly, any teasing vanished from her voice and a warm smile on her face that reminded him why he, too, was so in love with her each time she offered it.
Smiling back even though she had already returned to the file search, he again took a moment to watch her then shifted his gaze back to the folder in his hand. Ready to shut it, something caught his eye and his curiosity awakened, he lifted the first photograph, finding, as he suspected, another one.
"Interesting," he mumbled and out of the corner of his eyes he saw Jess turn. "Guess Stella shed more than just her shirt," he remarked, holding up the photo so Jess could have a better look at it; at the back – the bare back – presented to them or whoever else would happen to study the photo. Stella's bare back, to be exact.
Still, the way they stood, the way Mac held her, their hands were placed, her head was inclined and her curls fell, it was just as classy and good as the first. As was the third, this one of Stella alone, clad in no more than a set of very feminine, very lacey underwear – that had been reduced to panties only in the fourth picture.
"Wow!" The word just tumbled from his lips and he couldn't help but be fascinated by the woman depicted. His good friend and co-worker whom he had seen sparsely dressed on occasions – they were police officers, they couldn't afford to be shy and locker rooms were gender neutral – yet this was different. She was different. Captivating. Stunning. And not because of her lack of clothing. Because of the way she was photographed, because of her eyes. Those striking eyes which seemed the center of attention, which were soft and mysterious and made her even more exotic than she already was.
"Eyes off of her," Jess's reprimand cut through wherever he had drifted off to and she snatched both photos from Don's hand, her eyes, however, drawn to what she had revealed.
"Eyes off of him," Don countered, shutting the file and Mac out of her vision.
"He's too old for me," she said, waving a dismissive hand at him and prompting a grin to spread over Don's face.
"Don't let him hear that," he smirked.
"I don't think he's interested in me." Jess mirrored his smirk and he grunted.
"He'd better not be."
"Judging from the photographs, I don't think you have to worry about that," Jess shrugged. Her eyes though filled with affection, with a tender light that he knew was especially reserved for him. "But," she pulled the folder from his hand to open it again, "you have to admit he looks good in that photo." She let her gaze wander appreciatively over the image of Mac; too appreciatively for his taste. Though she probably had a point. Mac did look good in that photograph. His torso was in great shape, the amount of muscle just right, the pose casual while attractive, seductive even, and he felt his lips curl into a smile when he considered who that was meant for.
Stella deserved it. They deserved it; they deserved all that the photographs stood for, all they expressed, the warmth, the affection, the intimacy. Their bond that, after so many years, had finally grown into a bond of love.
"What would you think about doing something like that for me?" Jess's voice cut through his musing. A tingle of excitement spread through his body at the suggestion and he focused again, finding himself face to face with the photo of Mac to emphasis what she meant. Her eyes regarded him with a mixture of challenge, flirtation, pleading and love; a look he was unable to resist for long and she knew it.
"You want me to get naked for a photographer?" he asked, only the touch of a sly smile on his lips.
"Mac's not naked," she reminded him, inching closer. "He's just missing this." Her fingers tugged at his shirt, played with the fabric as she put down the folder, inching even closer. "And I like you without this," she whispered into his ear, her lips brushing over it, his cheek, his jaw, tempting him yet pulling back before she could stir needs that would have been more than inappropriate for their surroundings. "There might be a reward," she said slowly, her lips curving into a meaningful smile then she drew away completely, returning to the cabinet she had been busy at.
He grumbled at the loss of her closeness but forced himself to concentrate on work again, his eyes drifting through the room before he realized that he was still holding the photos. With the intention of arranging them the way they had found them, he opened the folder, Mac's photo lying with the backside up, the stamp of the photographer clearly visible – and just as surprising.
"Chicago?" he asked confused and Jess turned around, the same question in her eyes.
"What?"
"Chicago," he stated this time, holding up the photo so that Jess could see the stamp as well. "They took these in Chicago?" he was back to asking. "They haven't been to Chicago." – And back to a statement.
She looked at him as puzzled as he felt until a spark flickered to life in her eyes; she seemed to have remembered something, yet it subdued again, her teeth beginning to nag her lower lip. A clear sign that she was lost in thought and he studied her apprehensively then remembered something himself.
"Wasn't Mac in Chicago?" he asked and the distance of consideration faded from her eyes. "The speech on – whatever. Fingerprints. GSR. Something scientific."
She grinned at that, as much of a scientist as him but nodded.
"That was two months ago. A little over," she confirmed, something in her eyes remaining that made him not take his off of her as he put the photos back into the folder. "While Stella was on vacation," Jess added.
"I remember that," he groaned. "Sinclair was worried that they both weren't here at the same time and he let them know whenever he could. Even if Mac was only gone for three days." He shut the folder, pushing it back a little. "They were both quite edgy in the end."
Jess nodded again, apparently remembering that, too.
"But that aside," he continued with a casual shrug, "Stella wasn't in Chicago."
At that, Jess lifted her brows, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I don't think she ever disclosed her location," she pointed out, a tad too smartly for his liking.
"She said she would go to the beach," he recalled. "There's…" He halted as realization dawned.
"A beach at the lake," Jess finished, with a smile.
"And you, of course, knew where she was to begin with," he muttered.
"I did," she grinned.
"And you've seen the vacation photos she claimed she didn't have because she spent an entire week lying at the beach and there was nothing to see?"
"I did." Her grin grew wider.
"Traitor," he determined and it seemed she grinned even more.
"It's not my fault," she claimed her innocence. "I couldn't just betray her confidence. Besides," the smugness returned to her features, "you could have figured it out."
He snorted, blinked at her. "How?"
"Stella?" she asked. "Lying at a beach for an entire week?"
He blinked again and snorted again.
"I don't like you," he grumbled, hating that Jess was more than right. Stella would have gone insane had she spent an entire week just lying at the beach and he should have pricked up his ears the moment she had used that to explain the lack of vacation photos. Further, he now realized, Mac had flown out the same day of the speech, leaving one and a half days to spare. Back then he had simply assumed Mac had taken the time off to visit friends and family… something else that he had to admit, should have caught his attention.
"You know you like me," Jess smirked in a combination of flirtation and smugness and he muttered something without actually saying something but smiled when he felt her lips on his. They took a moment to savor the short kiss then, with his pride restored, he stood. Gathering all the files, except for the photo folder, he let them slip back into the drawer and with an inward sigh, he opened another one, this one full of loose papers, small items.
"That's her personal drawer," Jess, having moved on to the next cabinet, told him over her shoulder. "You should shut that again," she added when he just kept looking at it, torn between respecting Stella's privacy and going through it with the excuse of searching for the file – that clearly wasn't in there. The former won out and about to close the drawer, he gave the top papers just a quick shove – revealing something that nearly had him choke on his breath.
"How many secrets has she hidden?" he exclaimed, staring at his newest discovery as Jess came up behind him. "Not that I can make out anything…"
"That," Jess gasped, "she's not going to hide for long!" Her eyes wide, she grabbed the sonogram from him in sheer surprise.
"Guess you didn't know about that either." He couldn't and didn't bother to hide his contentment.
"No…" Jess said tonelessly, her eyes glued to the blurry image she held before she lifted them to meet his. "Is that really hers?" Her gaze and voice were filled with incredulity.
"Says so here," he pointed to where the name 'Stella Bonasera' was printed. "And the date's from yesterday. So unless she knows someone else by her name and keeps that person's sonogram in her drawer, for a reason that would beat me, I'd say, it's hers and she's pregnant."
"She is," Stella's voice seemed to echo through the small space and he and Jess spun around. The sheepishness he felt flashed across Jess's features and for an instant the sound of Stella's heels clicking on the floor was all that was heard. "Two months, a week and something like three days." Her eyes gleamed with the same pride that swung in her voice, then narrowed. "Any particular reason why you're going through my personal drawer?" Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she looked at him, demanding an answer.
"I'm still looking for the file," he rushed out, lifting his hands to signal his innocence as Stella quirked an eyebrow.
"It's not in my personal drawer," she told him matter-of-factly and at the last second he bit back the comment that it wasn't anywhere else either.
"Didn't know it was your personal drawer," he murmured instead. It was at least partially true; he hadn't known until Jess had told him and he shot her a warning look to not dare say a word. She smirked yet kept quiet as did Stella who had apparently decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and simply walked over to a different cabinet.
"Now you know," she said, pulling out a file after having scanned through no more than three. "And in case you find yourself compelled to have to get one again," she paused for effect and he grimaced; he certainly wouldn't get another file from her office unless he was held at gunpoint. "I don't keep files in my personal drawer," she finished, her voice low and laced with teasing sarcasm. She handed him the file he had been searching for unceremoniously and next to him, Jess's smirk grew into a grin.
"Told you there was a method," she quipped. He mocked her words which seemed to amuse her even further, her grin, if possible widening as she toyed with the sonogram she still held.
"Method?" Stella asked and now he felt his lips curl into a grin, too.
"To your creativity," he explained.
She didn't seem to understand or didn't want to understand, her forehead creasing into a frown. Yet she didn't question them any further and Jess was quick to hand the sonogram back to Stella before she could change her mind.
"You sure there's a baby on there?" Flack queried and both women grinned at him.
"There," Stella pointed to somewhere in the picture. "According to my doctor, that's the baby."
He couldn't make out any more than he had been able to make out without her indication, giving her a blank look. "As long as you're sure," he mumbled.
"My doctor is," she stated dryly. "I trust him."
He laughed and so did Jess and they extended their congratulations before he hand Jess turned to leave.
"Oh and Stel!" He stopped, causing Jess to almost bump into him. "You might want to find a more suitable storage place for these." He leaned over and threw the folder with the photos closer to where she stood.
Giving him a puzzled look, Stella took it without letting go of the sonogram yet before she had glanced inside, something seemed to dawn on her, a flicker of embarrassment flashing over her face.
"I don't suppose you put them aside when you saw what they were?" she questioned, clearly aware of the answer and a hint of scolding in her voice that made him suddenly feel guilty for having invaded her privacy in the way he had.
"They're great photos, Stel," he offered, stuffing his hand into his pockets in slight discomfort.
"Yeah…" she dragged out, her gaze shifting from him to Jess who, he noticed, had partially slipped behind him. She was trying to avoid Stella's eyes as much as possible without arousing any suspicion and failing to do so. "I suppose they are," Stella agreed and now did glance into the folder. An unusually shy smile spread across her face, her eyes filling with warmth and he sought out Jess's, the same warmth he'd seen in Stella's eyes rushing through him when their gazes met.
"I'd taken some paperwork home," Stella's voice drifted into the building moment, forcing him and Jess to draw apart. "Must have grabbed them when I took the files back," she explained even though no one had asked. The hint of shyness remained and her eyes darted between them, silence settling.
"How'd you get Mac to agree?" Jess asked before it could become awkward.
"Why?" Stella asked back, obviously not quite sure what to make of the question then her eyes lit up.
"I don't think you'll need any advice to convince Don." She smirked and next to him, Jess responded akin.
"I probably don't." She glanced at him flirtatiously. "But Mac's not Don," she returned to her initial question. "And you gotta admit that's not something you'd expect him to do."
"Point taken," Stella concurred. "But I don't really know." She glanced at the photos again, two of her fingers toying absent-mindedly with the sonogram. "We wanted to do something special for our six months anniversary and I was tossing erotic photos into the discussion just for fun," she lifted her eyes back up and shrugged lightly. "I didn't expect him to write it down with our other options and he didn't. But he mentioned it about a week later, we talked about it and here's the result." She gestured with the folder and Don couldn't prevent the grin from spreading over his face.
"Some result," he muttered and managed to avoid Jess's swatting hand only narrowly. "Any other results?" he asked and this time Jess's hand collided with his stomach.
"You already found out about the other result," Stella reminded him, indicating the sonogram and he grinned again.
"I meant besides that," he continued to pry but she just furrowed her brows, not getting what he meant. "You didn't happen to accidentally get engaged? Or married?"
Now she grinned. "None of it happened accidentally."
He felt the color drain from his face, his eyes automatically drawn to her hand.
"I meant the photos and the baby, Don," she laughed and he exhaled audibly – just like Jess. "But…" Hesitation crossed her face and she began to tap her index finger against the folder, toying with the paper as she regarded them in consideration. "But," she repeated, obviously having decided to share whatever was on her mind and going on, her eyes lit up, "Mac actually proposed a couple of days ago." She smiled, equally dreamy and bright, leaving no question as to if and what she had answered and despite the fact that she had kept it from him – had kept all of it from him – Don pulled her into a spontaneous hug. After all, he understood her motives, would have done the same and above all, it was her private life… and he would get back at her over time by making sure she wouldn't forget her secretiveness any time soon.
"So, there is a ring in there somewhere?" he asked, once she had accepted the congratulations and he had released her, motioning for the drawer.
To his and Jess's surprise, Stella shook her head. "I don't have a ring," she revealed. "Mac hadn't planned on proposing, we hadn't actually discussed marriage at all," she continued. "But that night, we had been to dinner and were walking home, it started to snow…" she let her voice trail, remembering. "At one point, he took my hand and just asked; just those four words: Will you marry me." Her eyes lit up even more and Flack couldn't recall having ever seen her as happy, his heart swelling as he watched her accept Jess's congratulations.
"Are you going to choose the ring together?" she asked and once again, Stella surprised them with a shake of her head.
"I don't want a ring," she explained. "He proposed without one and it's perfect the way it is."
Even if Flack wasn't sure if he would have agreed, it made sense and that was exactly what Jess said, however, he determined that the romance she saw in it could only have been seen by a woman. He certainly didn't and before the discussion between Jess and Stella could get into any more wedding details, he nudged his girlfriend, gesticulating to the door. She nodded and she and Stella decided loosely to meet for lunch the following day if work permitted then Jess glanced at him, ready to leave.
"Just," Stella's voice held them back, a hand raised to get their attention. "Mac doesn't know about the baby yet, so if you so much as hint at it – I'm afraid I'll have to kill you." Despite the playful undertone, she didn't blink.
"But he does know about the other stuff, right?" Don questioned, gesturing with his hand and almost feeling like he had to dodge out of the way of the glare she threw him.
"You're funny," she said without humor. "We were at that black-tie event last night," she added sharply. "Hardly the environment to share something like that."
"Especially when the relationship is a secret in the first place," he remarked with the comfort of a brother teasing his sister – and just as immune to the next glare she shot him.
"He got a call," she went on firmly, "before we went home and he was still at work when I got in this morning," she concluded, daring him to say something else. He didn't and he and Jess assured her that they wouldn't say a word, turning in another attempt to leave. They narrowly avoided running into Mac and more importantly, the two paper cups of coffee he was carrying – one already drunk from – acknowledging their friend and colleague with a few words before stepping around him.
"Is that decaf?" Flack asked, having stopped and turned back around.
"No," Mac answered automatically yet it was obvious that he didn't quite see the point of the question.
"Then she can't drink that," he stated, snatching the still full cup from Mac's hand at the same time he realized his implications. Nevertheless he offered it to Jess and she took it tentatively, glancing at Stella who shot Flack a dangerous glare.
"Would you care to explain your actions?" Mac demanded, an edge of impatience in his voice and out of the corner of her eyes, he saw Stella look at him in challenge.
"Stel'll do that," he hurried to say, sending a quick prayer of thanks to whoever would listen for the idea that had popped into his head. "You need to tell the boss, don't you?" He threw her a conciliatory smile and she relaxed visibly, even responding with a grateful smile of her own.
"That was close," Jess murmured, her eyes twinkling with that smug grin he was glad she couldn't give him. He ignored both, the comment and her eyes, and directing a smug grin of his own at Mac, he let his arm wander around Jess's back to steer her out of the office.
"Tell me what?" Mac's voice drifted into the hallway and Don looked at Jess. They understood each other, shared a smirk and he strolled over to the open door in no hurry as Stella hesitated inside the office, picking absent-mindedly at the corner of the folder.
"I know we agreed not to talk about personal things at work," Stella began while Don reached for the door – slowly, still. "But I couldn't tell you last night and you're still my boss." Her eyes flickered up to Mac's.
Giving the door a gentle nudge yet holding on to it so he could control the speed with which it would drift close, Don could see the skepticism crossing Mac's face.
"Since when do you address me as your boss?" he asked, very obviously suspicious of what was to come and a brief grin flashed across Stella's face.
"When it's convenient," she admitted unashamed, smiling sweetly at him and Mac shook his head, amused. "And right now, it is." Seriousness returned to her face. "Because," she paused, "because I've been dying to tell you ever since last night and I can only tell you as my boss right now." She paused again as Mac gazed at her even more confused while next to him, Flack heard Jess suppress a chuckle.
"So," Stella took a deep breath, presenting the sonogram to him, "as my boss you'll need to know that I'll be requesting maternity leave in about seven months."
As Stella beamed at Mac, Don let the door swing shut, glancing at Jess whose hand had flown to her mouth to keep herself from laughing out loud.
"That was gentle, Stella," she almost choked out, trying to get her breathing back under control.
Exchanging an amused look, Jess's and his fingers intertwined as Mac's confusion turned to comprehension and suddenly nothing seemed to matter anymore; nothing seemed to exist anymore other than Stella and him. A smile lit up his face that was in its ways as bright and happy as Stella's had been and that Don had never seen on him before, his eyes filling with emotions; spilling over with joy, excitement, pride, affection and he cupped Stella's cheeks, holding them between his hands with the tenderest touch. A touch that was filled with a love so deep there was no doubt that it would last, the words he offered making her smile. Bringing that same affection, that same pride, that same love to her eyes, her features. Her hands curled around Mac's wrists in response and when their lips melted into a feathery kiss, Don and Jess turned, walking down the corridor with steps full and light of love.