Stella sighed as she sat at her desk that evening, unable to get the images of the day out of her head. In particular, seeing Drew being loaded into an ambulance under a heavy police escort, still spitting fury, his eyes flaming with hatred.
She was glad she had eventually trusted her instincts when it came to him. Deep down she had always felt something was wrong- but there was no way she could have known he was using her to get to Mac.
A knock on her door frame pierced her thoughts and she looked up from the paperwork spread out before her.
"Hey Stell," Flack said, looking her over with that piercing blue gaze of his. "You alright?"
She plastered on a quick smile. "I'm fine."
He raised his eyebrows and sat down in a chair opposite her, balancing his files on one edge of the desk. He stretched out his long legs and folded his hands together. "You sure about that?" he asked.
Then he waited, an expectant look on his face. Stella considered the fact that he was very good at his job. Don Flack could get a confession out of just about anyone.
"Don't you have a meeting with the brass?" she asked.
"I have time," he said, shrugging it off like it was nothing. Truth be told, she needed someone to talk to, and Mac, her usual confidante, was still busy wrapping up the case.
"I just," she sighed again, a little frustrated. She leant her elbows on the desk in front of her. "I didn't see that one coming."
"Who did?" he asked. It was a good question, but it only served to piss her off.
"Goddammit!" she said, a little more vehemently than she had intended. "I knew something was wrong. I just-" she paused, frowning. "I was so flattered, with the gifts, with the attention. I made myself believe I was wrong about him."
He didn't react to her display of temper. "Understandable."
"I mean how is it even possible to date two homicidal psychopaths in a row?" she asked, gesturing emphatically with her hands.
"Well you do live in New York," he said with a straight face.
She rolled her eyes and sent him a look. "Now you're just trying to cheer me up."
He shrugged as if to admit it.
"I don't know, sometimes I think I should just give up," she said, finally voice out loud the thought that had been plaguing her for a while now. "Stay single. It's not like I need to be with someone to be happy."
Flack glanced down at his watch. "I know a lot of men in this city are idiots, Stell," he said, getting to his feet and picking the files up. "But I don't think we're stupid enough to let that happen." He smirked and waggled his eyebrows at her.
She felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Thanks Don," she said.
He shrugged her off. "No problem. I'll see you later."
"Bye," she said as he left, the small smile still playing on her lips.
Stella leaned back in her chair, watching him through the glass windows of the lab until he disappeared into the elevators. When she turned back to her paperwork a moment later it was with a somewhat lighter heart.
--
Poor Stella, she's had a bit of a rough trot when it comes to men. I thought she needed something to smile about. As always, please let me know what you thought.