Stella tried to remind herself to breathe as she walked down the street. She had just spent over an hour trying to decide what to wear, and what to do with her hair. She wasn't usually someone who stood in front of the mirror, agonizing over how she looked. But today was different; today was...important.

Her hands were shaking, and she clutched her purse tighter, willing them to stop. She reminded herself that this was Mac...her best friend in the entire world. No matter what his reaction was, nothing could change that. Nodding to herself, she quickened her pace, her stomach tight with anxiety as she ran over what she was going to say in her mind for the five hundredth time.

Despite her nervousness, Stella couldn't help but smile when she saw Mac standing in front of the diner where they were supposed to meet. The smile faltered, however, when she saw that he was talking with Michelle Dessler. She liked the new detective, but she really hoped that she didn't join them for lunch. The conversation Stella had in mind was not something she wanted to share with anyone else.

She stopped completely when she saw Mac lean down and kiss Michelle on the lips. There wasn't the hesitancy of a first kiss, and Stella realized with a sinking certainty that this had been going on for awhile, all without her knowing. Her throat closed tightly as Mac tilted his head and deepened the kiss, pulling the other detective closer, his arms wrapped around her. When he pulled back, he was smiling, and Stella realized that he was happy.

She wanted to turn around. She wanted to walk away like she had never been there at all, like she had never seen him kissing another woman with such joy and peace in his face. But it was too late now, as Mac turned and caught sight of her, raising his hand in greeting. She waved back, somehow forcing a smile back onto her face, her legs shaking as she forced them to move forward once again.

Michelle had left by the time she reached him, and Stella was grateful for that. She wasn't sure that she could have held up her act in front of both of them. She kept smiling at Mac as she stopped in front of him, her cheeks starting to hurt. Smiling back, oblivious to her pain, he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Hey, Stell."

"Hey," she murmured. She nodded in the direction Michelle had gone. "I didn't know you were seeing anyone."

He nodded, blushing slightly, and Stella realized that she had never seen him blush before. "It's been a few weeks now - just over a month. I wanted to make sure it was something real before I told you."

"You look happy," she said, every word making her die inside.

"I am." He rested his hand on her lower back, leading her into the diner. "You wanted to talk to me about something? You sounded nervous on the phone."

She shook her head as they took their seats. "I just wanted to see you. We haven't had much time to talk about something other than work lately."

Mac nodded, seeming to understand. Squeezing her hand, he gave her another smile, and this time she saw how different it was from the one he had given Michelle. "Let's eat, then."

Lifting her menu, Stella tried to read the words, but they were blurred by the tears that filled her eyes.

88888888888888888888

She didn't know what to say. The words had tumbled out of Danny's mouth, and she wasn't even sure that he had meant to say them. But that didn't matter - he had said them, and now they lay between them like a bed of nails, neither willing to cross the distance. Swallowing hard, Lindsay finished buttoning up her shirt, still too shocked even for tears.

"I have to go," she muttered, shaking her head and turning to walk away.

That was when Danny reached for her. He knew he shouldn't have, that he deserved her walking out on him, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't just let the most important woman in his life walk out the door without at least trying to explain. So he reached out, his fingers wrapping around her arm.

"Lindsay -"

She turned on him, pushing him back hard with both hands. He stumbled back, not expecting the physical outburst.

"Don't you dare touch me," she hissed. "You lost ANY right you EVER had to touch me!"

He reached out again, although he wasn't close enough to actually touch her. "Montana -"

"No!" she yelled, pointing her finger at him, her eyes blazing and brimming with tears. "You don't get to that, Danny! You don't get to call me cute names, and make everything better!" She spun on her heel, striding toward the door, but at the last minute she turned back to him, her face mottled with rage. "And you know what the funny thing is? It's not even that you fucked another woman. You were hurting, and even though it was wrong, I could maybe at least start to understand that. But you took me back into your bed," she pointed at it behind him, "knowing full well what you had done." She stopped, staring at the sheets, and the rage began to give way to tears. "Did you sleep with her there?" she asked, her voice shaking with disbelief. "Did you even change the sheets?"

Danny had never hated himself more than in that one moment. He took a step towards her, his own tears filling his eyes. "Lindsay -"

She stepped away, holding up a hand. "Don't," she whispered. "I...I have to go. I have to wash you off of me."

Without even looking at him again, she walked out of the room, grabbing her purse on the way out and slamming the door.