A/N Something quick I came up with. Set after Exit Strategy.

Thanks to my beta rockcliffchic81 for looking this over.

Just a Phone Call Away

He hurt. He physically hurt. His body hurt, his head hurt and most of all his heart hurt.

"I'm leaving Mac. I can't pass this up…" The last meaningful conversation he had with her in over a year.

"Good luck Stella." His only response.

What was he supposed to say? Was he supposed to beg her to stay? And why? Because he wanted her to?

She's an independent woman. Mac Taylor knew that from the first moment he met her 15 years ago.

Even while married to Claire, Mac wanted Stella Bonasera around. Something about her energy, her vitality and her passion for life (also being Greek didn't hurt either) drew him to her. And more importantly, he didn't want to be away from that energy.

But he is. She's gone. In New Orleans starting her life again. Heck, he should be happy with that. What was really holding her in New York anyway? Certainly not him.

The city whirled by him as he makes his way home. His heart still hurting. His head still hurting.

The cases are all solved, the lab, where it should be. With Jo now in charge.

What was left? Fill his aching heart with…. Whom? She was gone.

Sometimes, when he closed his eyes he could smell her shampoo and imagine her wild curls on his chest.

He could also hear her voice.

"It's perfect," her voice cracked after he brought her a cup of coffee as she stood in the rubble of her burned down apartment.

"Thank you Mac." Her voice cracked again after she told him of her HIV scare. And the way she put her arm around him. He can still feel her.

5 years before that, "It's time Mac." Alerting him it's time to take off his ring and start his life again.

And the line that makes him smile the most, the one that makes his heart ache so much it hurts. The one that makes him miss her all the more, "S for the woman in your life."

He stepped away from the lab for a reason. To move on with his life, so why was she still on his mind so much?

It's 2 am and his phone is clutched to his chest.

"It's 1 am in New Orleans," he mumbled.

"Stella." He heard himself say to her voicemail.

"It's …it's Mac," he paused. "I'm not really sure why I called…." His voice trailed off.

"Just wanted to hear your voice." With that he hung up.

Sleep didn't come. He thought more about Stella.

What would he actually say to her? Would he tell her how lost he is without her? Would he tell her he left the lab? Then what?

Does he except her to drop her life just so he can live his?

Why does it have to be so hard?

7:45 am

Mac woke up with a start. His neck hurt from craning his head so it would fall on the couch pillow.

He sat up rubbing his sore neck. His phone slipped out of his hand as he noticed the blinking light. A message.

His heart raced some. Would it be from Stella? Or the lab? Jo calling to check up on him and to ask one thousand questions as she is now the new lab supervisor.

Mac took in a deep breath and let it out before reaching for the phone.

"Mac, Mac is that you?" He heard Stella's voice come across the line.

"I must have missed you. Oh well. I'm glad to hear your voice too. Call me when you can, I've got a lot to tell you."

Her voice stopped.

Just when he was ready to hang up he heard her say, "I wanted to hear your voice for a long time."

Mac Taylor smiled and redialed her number. Maybe giving up all that he had was what he needed to realize all that he wanted was just a phone call away.