Disclaimer: Considering I seem to have lost whatever remainder of sanity I once had, can't I pleeeeease say they are mine?? Alas, once again CSI:NY belongs to Bruckheimer, CBS, yadda, yadda, yadda (er, and that belongs to Seinfeld).

Rating: K+

Spoilers: Er, to say would give away some stuff later on so just go with yes, there are for all 3 seasons, though there may not be. For this story, Peyton never existed…er, well, I'm sure she existed, just not in NY.

Category: Humor with a bit of Drama and Angst. Mac and Stella.

Pairings: Mac and Stella

Author: Traci

Summary: Mac and Stella get forced into something neither had ever wanted to do with humorous consequences.

Author's Note: This idea was born out of a few emails between Tamara and myself then evolved even further on the phone as I ran it by Jacqueline – so thanks to both of you – without either of you this may never have been written. And to those who catch what show and episode I based this on – GET A LIFE!! Hehehe. Kidding, of course. Actually I should be frightened if others catch the jokes but that would then mean I'd have to be frightened of myself for even knowing enough about the stuff to write it into the story so um… what did I just ramble on about??

PS – I swear this story was only supposed to be ten pages at most!!!!!

Lazarus Rising

Detective Mac Taylor sat in the chair behind his desk and sighed for the, well, actually he had lost time of how many times he had sighed in the last twenty minutes. Reading over the paper in his hand once more, he sighed yet again. How was he going to tell his partner, Stella Bonasera? How was she going to react? Would it be better to tell her outside of work? What if she…?

"Mac, you wanted to see me?"

He figured out of work was now out of the question. "Yes. Stella, can you close the door, please?"

She did as she was asked then sat across from him, pushing a lock of brunette curls out of her face. "What is it?"

Unsure of how to respond just yet, he stared at her.

"Mac? You're scaring me. What happened?" She took the paper from his hands and read it over. "Are you kidding?" she asked with a slightly raised voice. "They can't do this!" Stella got up from her seat and began pacing. "How many years have we been here? This isn't fair. I'll fight them." She stopped and turned back to Mac. "We'll fight them."

Mac shook his head. "I already tried. We don't have a choice on this. I'm sorry, Stella."

She sighed and sat back down. "I can't believe this."

Handing her an envelope, he said, "We leave tomorrow at six a.m."

"You mean to tell me they couldn't find two other CSI's in the entire country who could be the technical advisors for some stupid Hollywood interpretation of what we really do?"

Mac shrugged. "Apparently they are basing the movie on a case we handled a while back. The victim we thought was dead but really wasn't – at least not until the second time he came to the morgue."

Stella groaned. "I can only imagine how Hollywood will massacre that one."

He smiled. "We could just think of this as a paid vacation. I'll pick you up at I guess three-thirty."

"Please bring a caffeine IV," she requested. "I'll go finish up some old paperwork."

When she left, Mac just sat and stared at the letter again, shaking his head in disbelief.

After picking up their luggage at LAX hours later, Mac and Stella turned to find a tall man with dark sunglasses grinning widely at them.

"Detectives Taylor and Bonasera?" Upon their confused looks, he stretched out his hand to Mac. "Randall Ermenheimer, producer of 'Lazarus Rising'."

Mac and Stella glanced at each other as Mac shook the man's hand. They were definitely not in New York anymore.

Randall picked up Stella's bags, which caused her to smirk at Mac, who was left carrying his own, and led them to an awaiting stretched limo.

"You'll be dropped off at your hotel. Someone will pick you up in about five hours and bring you to set." Ermenheimer had yet to take his eyes off Stella. "Are you an actress, too, by any chance?"

She laughed and shook her head. "Not by a long shot."

"Pity," he mumbled.

Shifting in his seat next to Stella, Mac asked, "What exactly do you need from us?"

"Technical advice. The proper way to cover a crime scene, a little input about what happened on your case, what you thought when this guy came back from the dead…"

"He wasn't actually dead the first time," Mac reminded him.

"Whatever. The magic of Hollywood, it doesn't matter." Ermenheimer looked at Stella again. "I'd be happy to show you around town if you'd like."

Feeling Mac tense next to her, she smiled and said, "Thank you but I think we'll be okay."

Randall leaned in closer to Stella, whispering, "You can call me Randy. And you can call me anytime you want to – day or night."

The limo stopped. Randy climbed out first then took hold of Stella's hand to help her out followed by Mac, once again being left on his own.

All signed in and with keycards in hand, Mac and Stella stepped into the elevator of the hotel where Mac took the opportunity to repeat, "You can call me anytime – day or night."

Stella gently swatted his arm. "He's just trying to make us more comfortable."

"Oh, he's trying to make one of us more comfortable and it's not me."

Her bright green eyes found his blue ones. "Mac Taylor, are you jealous?"

"No," he defended, though a slight blush gave him away.

The doors opened and they found their rooms were right next door to each other.

Yawning, Stella pushed open her door. "I'm going to take a nap and get a shower in that order. See you in five hours."

Stella had just stepped out of the shower when she heard a knock on the door. Slipping on the hotel terry-cloth robe, she looked through the tiny window and smiled. She opened the door.

Mac handed her a large Starbucks coffee. "Thought you might like this."

She took it from him, stepping aside to let him in. "You are my new best friend."

Laughing, he sat on the edge of one of the beds. "I thought I already was your best friend."

"See how easily I can be bought?" she replied, disappearing back into the bathroom to change.

"I'll be sure to let Randy know," he teased.

"Not funny, Taylor," she shouted back through the door.

They arrived on set and were immediately whisked away by a young production assistant.

"I think I'll take a crime scene to the chaos of this everyday," Stella muttered to Mac.

"Stella! Mac!" Randy ran over to them and went to hug Stella, who slyly evaded his grasp. "Did you get rested? Are the rooms good?"

"Everything's fine, Mr…" Stella began.

"Randy. I told you it's Randy." Placing his hand on Stella's lower back, he led them towards an area set up with lights and cameras.

"So, Randy," Mac started. "Why us? Why bring in a team from New York when there are CSI's right here in LA?" Inwardly he was both chuckling and cringing watching Stella struggle to step away from Randy.

"Good question, Mac. We didn't want the movie based in LA so we sought elsewhere. We tried a team in Vegas but they were too busy, the boss there has a weird fascination with bugs too." He shivered. "Creepy. Then we thought Miami! Sun, bright colors, bikini-clad women…" Randy's eyes wandered over to Stella who chose that moment to stop for 'something in her shoe'. "But, most of their cases involve drug smuggling. Boring. And that is how we ended up with New York."

When Stella caught up with them again, she made sure Mac was walking between her and Randy.

Mac turned to her and said, "Hey, Stella, isn't it nice to know we were their third choice?"

Stella tried to bite back a smirk, rather unsuccessfully however.

"Had I known what a pleasure New York's finest would be, I would have suggested New York first," Randy said, peering over with a wide grin at Stella.

A young, rather timid looking, girl walked over to them. "Mr. Ermenheimer, there's a slight disagreement over the script and they need to see you."

"This will only take a moment," he told the detectives. "Feel free to wander around, get some coffee, check out the set. Whatever you want."

When he was out of earshot, Stella quietly said to Mac, "I feel like I need another shower."

"Which I'm sure Randy would be more than happy to help you with," Mac grinned.

"Mac Taylor!"

"Oh, come on, Stel. It's warm and sunny California. What happens here stays here."

She glared at him. "That would be Vegas, Mac."

He shrugged and stopped at the coffee table where he fixed both their coffees while Stella glanced around. Her eyes fell upon a couple of twenty-something girls who seemed to be part of the crew but who were also intently watching Mac with huge smiles on their faces.

"I think you have some fans, Mac," she teased, taking the coffee from him.

Looking across the way, he saw the two women who giggled and waved at him then turned away.

Before Stella could tease him further and pretty, brunette woman about the same height as Stella walked over to them. "Excuse me, are you the CSI's we're working with?" she asked.

Mac nodded but before he could speak the woman turned to Stella and continued. "Great. My name is Annabeth. Annabeth Gish. I'm going to be playing you in this film and was wondering if I could talk to you about some of the more technical aspects of your job. Is there a correct and incorrect way to dust for fingerprints and…" She continued talking as she led Stella away.

Stella looked back over her shoulder and shrugged at Mac, leaving Mac standing all by himself.

Tbc……..