Disclaimer: I own nothing… not that it's a surprise or anything because if I did, I'd be writing for the show and not here!

FYI: Thisis set after the incident on the docks...

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Wildfire and Revelations
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The New York City Crime Lab was like a small town. Nothing could be kept quiet for long. News traveled fast. Faster than the speed of light almost. So, it really should have been expected that it would spread around like wildfire.

"Did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"Mac almost bit it today…"

"What!"

"Yeah. And word is that Stella jumped in and saved him in the nick of time." Sigh.

"Really?"

"Yep. And word also has it that they were having quite the discussion in the lab after they got back." Another sigh.

"Do you know about what?"

"Do you think I'm an eavesdropper or something? Of course I don't… but it did look personal… and serious…"

"Hey! Did you hear?"

"About what?"

"Well…"

Stella Bonasera walked down the hallway towards her destination laughing at the news that a trusted co-worker had just imparted to her. Her eyes spotted the person she wanted to see walking just ahead of her.

"Hey Mac!" she called. "Did you hear the news?" Mac stopped in his tracks and turned to look expectantly at her.

"You're my bitch…" she said with a smile. Mac's eyebrows went up at the expression.

"Excuse me?" he asked. Stella's smile widened to a grin knowing that he'd probably never, ever been said to be in such a position before. Not Mac Taylor… oh no. She met up with him and looped her arm through his.

"Well." She started as they commenced walking. "According to Connie in trace, who told Stephanie in ballistics, who told Travis in AV, who told Rachel in the lab, who told Danny, who told Aiden, who told Flack…" she took a breath. "… who told me that because of my superior greatness, among other things, you were saved from some ghastly, horrific, gruesome death – I think at last count it was some sort of nuclear weapon – and we have since stumbled upon the secret to living happily ever after." Mac stared at her for a second before he let out a breath.

"Should have let that cargo container put me out of my misery," he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Stella frowned.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," she said. Mac looked at her.

"You did… that's why I'm still here," he said.

"I know you thanked me for pushing you out of the way… but I have yet to hear a peep out of you about the nuclear weapon. That really would have been a horrible way to die," she teased.

"Yes, well, gossip has a way of putting a person in that situation," he said.

"Is this your first run through the gossip mill?" she asked, knowing full well Mac Taylor was very rarely gossiped about. The only other time had been after he lost Claire in the September 11th tragedy. And that hadn't really been gossip, per say. It had been more office-wide concern. Instead of answer, Mac gave her another look before he turned and went into his office. With a hand over her heart, Stella draped herself in his doorway.

"I know I probably told you this in that revealing conversation we seemed to have had according to everyone, but have I told you just how much I love you?" she asked with just a hint of melodrama. Mac smirked with a shake of his head and resumed writing in a file he'd been looking at.

"Go home, Stell," he said. She smirked right back at him as she sat in the chair in front of his desk.

"It'd start the rumor mills again if I said in a loud, carrying voice 'only if you come with me'," she said. She had the satisfaction of seeing his hand still. He didn't say anything as he continued with his writing but knowing him as she did, Stella knew she shocked him with her open-ended statement. Not much of a shock, because he was Mac, but a shock none-the-less. She thought he'd be used to her brazen, smart ass ways by now. Yet, it felt good to know she could still get to him.

"'Night Mac," she said after his silence. With a chuckle, she walked out of the office and towards the locker room.

Mac Taylor wasn't as much of an enigma as everyone thought. But then, they never dug any deeper than what he presented. He took his job seriously and rarely loosened up unless he was outside of work. It would have been interesting to see what his reaction would have been if he'd been the one to stumble upon the conversations the rest of the office seemed to have taken a supreme interest in. He'd have either raised his eyebrow at it or just given them that barely-there smirk. Stella chuckled again at his predictability. God, she loved that man…

Suddenly, she stopped walking. With a frown, she wondered if that was a little, tiny bit more true that she'd intended. She continued walking, frown still in place, past smiling co-workers who seemed to be more interested in her current demeanor than she would ever realize.

The End

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A/N: Has anyone else noted that Mac/Stella and Danny/Aiden have had quite a few cases together this season unlike the characters on the other shows (or is it just my obsessive brain)? And there also seems to be an exorbitant amount of flirting going on in the two sets of partners the past few episodes... I'm certainly not complaining, though… Me likey :) Anyway, please let me know if this sucked or not!