Oh my goodness. There were so many different versions of this chapter written, but I finally decided on this one. Something of its simplicity spoke of Mac and Stella so here it is! I may post those alternate versions in the future? I hope you enjoy and let me know who you want to see next!

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2001

Stella swiped her keycard through the panel on the metal door to the evidence locker and prayed. She had only been working in the building for a week and so far the keycard had failed to open almost every door she needed open. She was tired of running around the dark building looking for her partner, who was even less enthusiastic to help her. She didn't think she could take one more eye roll or scoff of disgust.

Her heart sank with relief as the door gave a slight beep and a green light flashed. She pushed open the door and stepped into the dark evidence room. The dim lights buzzed overhead and gave her limited visibility as she scanned the rows of tan boxes for her case number. The room in general smelled of mold and wasn't a place she wanted to stick around in. Thankfully, she found the box she needed on the first row and pulled it out. She balanced it on her hip as she retrieved her keycard to swipe out of the cage. She pulled the stubborn piece of plastic through the card reader once again but instead of green she was greeted by a red flash.

"No, no, no," she muttered to herself as she swiped the card again. The same rejecting red light flashed and was now accompanied by a low metallic locking sound. Her hand shook slightly as she tried one last time. The card reader gave her no reaction as she swiped her card. Stella peered at the small screen on the reader and saw that it was now blank and the lock was still firmly set in place. She gave a frustrated groan and set the evidence box on the floor, reaching for her phone. It looked like she would have to bother her partner again anyway. As she went to dial the number, she heard a shuffle from somewhere behind her. She froze her movements to listen more carefully and registered the sound of cardboard against metal as a evidence box was pushed onto a shelf. She squinted into the shadowed hallway behind her and caught a tall shadow. A moment later, a man turned the corner and she could have ran and hugged him out of pure relief. Thoughts of him being a possible crazed murderer didn't even register. Hell, this room wouldn't even let a trained officer of the law in let alone anyone else.

She caught sight of a gold badge clipped to his belt and smiled in relief. His features were obscured by the shadows cast from the dim lighting. She could tell he wore a black suit that fit his athletic figure well. He was taller than her, but around the same age, if not a little older. He glanced up at her as he came closer and she was greeted by kind blue eyes that flicked lightly from her to the door.

"How many times have you tried?" he spoke as he reached into his jacket pocket.

"Three times, but I think the dumb thing locked me out," she gestured at the piece of metal in frustration. He pulled out his own keycard as he stopped next to her. She glanced sideways at him as he studied the lock briefly. He swiped his card through but nothing happened. He nodded as if he had expected the reaction and let out a long breath.

"The lock has a built in safety protocol to prevent tampering. After more than two failed swipes it locks down until it is reactivated by a master key," he said as he turned to her. She felt all hope fading quickly.

"I'm guessing you don't have the master key?" She asked. He let out a short chuckle.

"Unfortunately, no," he said. "The only people with the master key are the company who installed the lock and Detective Walters," he added. Stella pulled out her phone again and scrolled through her contacts. "You're not going to get any service down here," he said as he leaned against the wall behind him. Stella glanced down and sure enough, she had zero bars.

"You seem awfully calm for someone who is trapped in a metal dungeon," Stella said, barely keeping the impatient snap out of her tone. The corners of his mouth twitched into a ghost of a smile.

"I've been in worse situations," he said, his voice as calm as his relaxed posture. She rubbed a sweaty hand across her forehead and glanced down at the evidence box next to her feet. Her only hope was that Detective Harper, her partner, would grow tired of waiting for the evidence and would come looking for her. He sure as hell wasn't going to notice her absence otherwise. If not, she could pray that the man next to her had a more caring partner who would come searching for him. It was late and most of the hallways of the lab had been empty before she had come down to the evidence locker, so odds were that no one else would be around to find them. She glanced up at the man, whose eyes had been fixed on the box next to her.

"New case?" he asked, nodding his head towards the flimsy cardboard container.

"Old case, new evidence," she said. He nodded silently. She looked around him and deduced that the lack of evidence in hand meant a completed case. Poor guy was probably headed home after a long shift before she doomed them both to a long night. She glanced up at him and caught a better look at his face as he stood just below one of the few overhead lights.

He was handsome enough for a second glance while walking down the sidewalk and it was a pleasantly natural attractiveness. His thin nose and striking eyes gave way to a sharp jawline that was softened slightly by dark stubble. He had dark hair that was cut short and had a military feel. He looked tired enough to have worked several long shifts yet his suit remained neat and unwrinkled, which added to her military assumption. His blue eyes were his most alluring feature and even though she could see the gentle laugh lines crinkled around the corners, something darker lurked behind them. Her eyes trailed down to his left hand, where she found a thick gold band. Maybe there was hope that his wife would come looking for him sooner rather than later.

"You're working the Golding case," his voice broke Stella from her thoughts. Stella frowned in confusion but he nodded towards the name on the box. "I remember Detective Harper working the case a few months back," he said. He studied her for a moment. "You must be his new partner." It was Stella's turn to give a silent nod.

"Mac Taylor," he introduced himself and stuck out his hand towards her.

"Stella Bonasera,"she gave a small smile as she shook his hand.

They stood in silence for a few heartbeats.

"Looks like we are going to be stuck here for a while...do you want to toss some theories off me?" He asked, his eyes once again indicating the evidence box.

"I could use another brain on this one," she said, grinning brightly at the idea of having someone to work through the evidence with. She had assumed she would be doing it alone long into the night.

Three hours later...

Detective Taylor was a lot more than just an idle body to toss ideas off of. He had carefully studied the old blood samples and crime scene photos, developing several of his own theories. He had given Stella several leads to run with.

"I would go back and get a DNA sample from the teacher, I think he could be your guy," Detective Taylor said as he tossed one of the folders into the box. Stella opened her mouth to reply when he jerked his head to the side suddenly and held up a finger. His eyes darted towards her as he stood slowly. "You hear that?" He asked. Stella listened carefully and heard the familiar sound of loose change jingling in a pocket. A second later, Detective Harper rounded the corner, a wicked grin on his face.

"I thought you got lost," he said, his hands in his pockets as he sneered through the gaps in the metal door.

"Only took you three hours," Detective Taylor glared at Harper. "Do you have the master key?"

"Do I look like an idiot, Taylor? I didn't walk all the way down here for the cell connection," Harper snapped. Detective Taylor's jaw tensed but he remained silent as Harper pulled out the key and released the lock. Detective Taylor bent and stacked all of the files into the box before handing it to Stella. He gave her a slight smile that was almost becoming familiar to her.

"Good luck with that keycard, Detective Bonasera," he held her gaze for a brief moment before he turned away. With a slight glare at Harper, he stepped out of the room and disappeared around the corner.

Even after spending only three hours with the man, Stella felt like she knew Mac Taylor, but at the same time, didn't actually know anything about him. Something about him spoke of mystery... the good news was that Stella had always enjoyed a good riddle.