Title: Things Left Unsaid
Chapter 2-Long Way From Home Tonight
Disclaimer: Still not mine
Author's Note: Post-ep to Unfriendly Chat
Not pausing in his paperwork, Mac reached out his hand to pick up the ringing phone. "Detective Mac Taylor."
"Why the hell didn't you tell me about Adam?"
Grimacing, Mac put down his pen. "Stella-"
"You should have told me about Adam. I had to hear about it from Sheldon."
"Sheldon?" The person in question paused at hearing his name as he passed Mac's office. One look at his boss' face, however, and he hurried on by.
"Yeah, he called me, said you'd suspended Adam for three days and thought he would appreciate a call from me."
Mac wiped his hand over his face as he leaned back in his chair. "Look, Stella, I had to suspend him-"
She cut him off. "Dammit Mac, I know you had to suspend him; I want to know why you didn't call me."
Because you're not here anymore. "I figured you were busy-"
She cut him off again and he wondered if he was ever going to get out a full sentence during this conversation. "I still care about what happens to the team, Mac."
Then why aren't you here? He sighed. "I know you do. I'm sorry. I should have called."
Stella's sigh matched his. "I'm sorry too. I don't know how to do this."
Mac spun his chair around so that he could look out his windows to the city below. "We'll figure it out eventually, we always do."
He could hear the smile in her voice, even though it sounded forced. "Yeah, we do, don't we?"
Stella sighed as she dropped her phone into her purse. Was this how it would be from now on? She'd hear about things days or weeks after they happened? She couldn't deny the grip of fear that had clutched her when Hawkes had told her what had happened. She should have been there. Even now, she should be there. First Lindsey, now Adam; she calls them, she talks to them, tries to reassure them, but she's not there. And she has this awful feeling that what she can do for her team now will one day not be enough. Not when pitted up against all of the things she can't do for them anymore. She lightly hit the wall she was walking by with the flat of her hand and sighed. Then, shaking her head, she opened the door.
Consciously straightening her body as she entered the conference room, she started handing out folders. "Alright, assignments for tonight…"
TBC