Disclaimer: Not mine though seeing as the writers seem to have taken leave of their senses in the premier of season 6, I might like to try to claim them.

Rating: K+

Spoilers: Epilogue, Pay Up, Grounds for Deception

Category: Mac Stella

Author: Traci

Summary: Picks up where Epilogue ended. Stella and Mac talk after starting to reconnect.

Regrets and Repentance

"I'm sorry."

Packing away the last of the files, Stella Bonasera glanced at her partner. "Sorry? For what, Mac?"

He took the box from her and placed it with the others before facing her once more. "For pushing you away again." Mac sighed. "I seem to have a knack for doing that."

Stella gently placed her palm on his cheek and smiled. "You had to do what you had to do to deal with what happened. We all had our own ways of dealing with it."

Taking her hand in his, he gave it a small squeeze. "But I shouldn't have shut you out. You had just lost a lot more than the rest of us and then Jess then Danny… How are you doing?"

Taking a deep breath, Stella turned away from him and sat on his office couch, avoiding eye contact.

Confused, Mac sat beside her and waited.

"In… in one regard I'm better but…" She hadn't noticed her tears until Mac turned her head to face him and used his thumb to gently wipe them away. "Did you ever do something that you knew was stupid and knew you'd probably regret but at the time you just didn't care?"

Mac nodded. "Once or twice."

She turned away from him once again unsure how she could ever face him again. They had been growing closer over the past months and, despite lying to him, he still flew halfway around the world to make sure she was safe and offer his support. When they had returned from Greece it was obvious something had started to change between them but then Jess died and they were nearly killed at the bar and Danny was paralyzed as a result and Mac did what he did best and retreated within himself and she had… she had done something she never in her life dreamed of doing and was only beginning to realize what she may have destroyed in just a few moments of desperation.

Feeling Mac's hand cover her own on her lap, she bit back new tears.

"Stella?"

When she made no movement, he pleaded, "Stella, please look at me."

Slowly she turned her head until green found blue.

"There is no reason to regret your actions under the circumstances and… I'm sure Adam understands."

Her eyes went wide as her jaw dropped. "How?"

"I'm a detective and, more importantly, your friend, albeit a very bad one these past few weeks."

The tears that had been threatening now streamed down her face as she wrapped her arms around Mac's neck and held him tightly. "I'm so sorry. I never planned..."

Pulling her closer to him, he whispered, "I'm sorry I made you feel left out and wasn't there for you."

They continued to hold tightly to each other until Mac pulled back slightly to look at her. "So, are you and Adam…?"

She shook her head. "It was a stupid one-time fling that we both agree can and will never happen again."

Mac smiled at her. "Good."

Stella's head tilted in question.

"I was going to ask you if you'd like to have dinner with me that night at the bar. Dinner as in a date and it would be pretty awkward to ask you now if you had a boyfriend. So, Stella Bonasera, would you like to have dinner with me?"

"Really? I mean after what I did and…"

He touched her lips with his index finger. "None of us were acting like, well, us, this past month. But you still haven't answered my question," he grinned.

With tears in her eyes, she nodded. "I would love to have dinner with you."

Adam stopped short when he turned the corner of the lab and saw Mac and Stella holding each other. There was a small pang of jealousy but when he saw her smile at Mac he found himself smiling. She never smiled at him during that one night and it had not been his name she had cried out in their throws of passion. Before he was caught, Adam turned and walked away happy that Stella seemed to finally have a chance at the happiness she, and Mac, deserved.

Author's Note: Bugged me to no end that Stella slept with Adam. I understand the one night stand thing after all she'd been through but Adam? That's like the high school teacher with the student *shiver*. Anywho, but I still like Adam, he's a great kid so I had to give him his due too :).