Stella grinned from where she was crouched next to their latest murder victim as she observed her partner's approach...her partner's very hungover approach. She had never seen Mac Taylor hungover, but then again, she had never seen him as drunk as he had been the night prior.
Mac walked slowly with his silver brief case in one hand. He was dressed slightly more casual than usual with a simple black sweater underneath his CSI windbreaker. The only thing that gave away his hungover condition were the black sunglasses shielding his eyes, his slightly unkempt hair and the dark stubble along his jaw.
"Hey there, partner!" Stella said cheerily as Mac walked up to her. Mac flicked his head so that his sunglasses dropped low enough for her to see the tops of his eyes. His glare was comical. "What? Did I say that too loudly?" She teased. Mac pushed the sunglasses higher on his face and a smirk pulled at his lips.
"Good morning, partner," he returned with a soft smile that had Stella feeling a little dizzy herself.
"Fun night?" She grinned.
"Laugh it up, Bonasera," he chuckled.
"No regrets?" she asked after a moments pause, nervously hoping he understood the double meaning of her question. Mac tipped his sunglasses off his eyes once again and caught her eyes.
"Absolutely none," he said firmly, his eyes twinkling in a way that warmed her heart. Stella was barely managing to hold back the blush creeping to her cheeks when a gunshot echoed behind them.
Mac's head jerked to follow the origin of the sound. His alarmed gaze met hers and he dropped his case as he took off in a sprint.
Stella chased right after him as a few uniformed officers covered the area as well.
Mac was twenty feet in front of her as he rounded the corner of an alley. Stella had caught a glimpse of a dark jacket darting in the general direction and was almost certain Mac had seen it too.
Just as she cleared the corner of the alley, she watched Mac double back towards her. He knocked her to the ground, his hand cushioning her head from the ground as his body covered hers. Stella could barely focus on the echo of a gunshot. She heard the uniformed officers yelling from the opposite end of the alley and then more gunshots. Mac rolled away from her and helped her to her feet. Stella noted the shadowy figure on the ground as she glanced around the corner of the alley. She observed her partner's elevated heart rate and praised his quick reflexes.
A half a second later, Mac stumbled slightly as he took a half step forward. She called out his name as she darted forward to catch his arm. Stella's hand brushed his right shoulder and came back covered in blood. She repeated his name in alarm as he teetered on his feet. She helped him lower himself to the ground and leaned him up against the brick wall of the alley.
"I guess my reflexes weren't as quick today," he joked as he took in a stuttering breath. Stella's heart pounded in her chest as she moved his jacket to observe the wound. The bullet had gone through Mac's shoulder and the wound bled steadily. She pulled off her scarf and pressed it against the wound. She attempted to keep her voice calm as she yelled into her radio for an ambulance.
Stella jerked her attention back to Mac as he touched her elbow.
"I'm fine, don't look so worried," Mac stated, his face a little more pale than normal.
"Mac, you're going to give me gray hair," She grumbled as she attempted to keep her tears at bay. She knew he would be okay and yet she couldn't explain the tears.
"You'd still look beautiful," he quipped as his eyes became to drift close. Stella removed one hand from her blood soaked scarf and tapped his cheek gently with it.
"Hey, don't close those gorgeous blues," she whispered, her eyes watering again.
"Hey, Stel?" Mac murmured, his eyes still barely open as he struggled to stay conscious.
"Yeah, Mac?" Stella kept her hand pressed against his cheek, her thumb caressing it gently.
"I was serious about what I said last night," he said, his voice a slight slur.
"I know," she whispered in a thick voice.
"How about I buy you dinner at the hospital?" he smirked. Stella let out a teary bark of laughter.
"That's the most romantic offer I've ever received," she grinned.
"I've been known to impress," he said as his hand drifted to her knee. A moment later his eyes drifted close and his chin met his chest as he lost consciousness.
XXXXXXXX
Stella sat in the chair close to the hospital bed as she clasped Mac's hand in hers and held it close to her lips.
The doctors had patched him up and had reiterated multiple times that Mac would be fine, but she didn't trust them until Mac awoke.
She studied him for a long moment; he looked so peaceful. She had always loved the laugh lines etched at the corners of his eyes. She smiled as she traced a finger along his jawline.
As if sensing her touch, his eyes slowly flickered open.
"Hey there, Sleeping Beauty," she grinned as his head turned and his eyes met hers. He let out a low chuckle.
"Don't make me blush," Mac said softly, his eyes heavy with drugs.
"Well, I've got good news and bad news," Stella started. "Good news is the doctors put you back together again, but the bad news is that the hospital cafeteria is closed," Stella grinned.
"Well, sounds like you will have to take me out for a proper dinner then," Mac grinned right back.
"Well, it sounds like good news when you put it that way," she said softly, her eyes shining. Mac squeezed her hand in silent agreement.