A/N: Hey everybody! So I just wanted to say thank you for the AMAZING response to this story! I really wasn't expecting it, and I'm totally honored and flattered. Since you liked it so much and were so incredibly supportive, I decided to make this a multi-chapter fic. Shouldn't be too long, but I figured the least I could do was let you guys see our lovely OTP get together.

Regarding this chapter: Stella's in it. As with Christine, I just get really sad that the women in Mac's life seem to be pitted against each other. I really wanted to write Stella and Jo meeting and actually being friends and, as you'll see in both this chapter and the next, giving Jo her blessing for the blossoming relationship she has with Mac. That being said, I haven't watched Stella episodes in years, so please forgive me if she sounds ooc. I did my best!

Thanks again for your support, I adore you all!

The crisp air of New York City felt different than the sticky sweetness of New Orleans. That was the first thing Stella noticed when she stepped out of the airport. Thankfully, years of New York living weren't easily undone by a few years of sun, so she wasn't underdressed, but there was still a chill in the air she had to re-acclimatize too.

She felt bad that she hadn't come sooner. She heard Mac had left the crime lab and the come back, that he'd been shot and nearly died. She felt like a crappy best friend, but things had been so hectic at her new job, and even after a year she hadn't felt settled in enough to just drop everything and head back north.

She was here now though, and that's what mattered. When the elevator opened to the 35th floor, a smile was already on her face. She was looking forward to seeing everyone again, and she hoped the mysterious Jo Danville, who had taken her position, would be there as well. She'd only heard bits and pieces about Jo from her former co-workers, but Stella gathered she'd like her. The smile on Lindsay's face when she talked about Jo's relationship with Mac was enough to win Stella over.

The first sight to greet her was hardly a strange one. She let out a soft sigh and knocked on the familiar office door, where one Mac Taylor was staring very intensely at a file folder, or at least pretending to. Stella knew him well enough to know when he was actually paying attention to something and when he was distracted. Right now, he was most definitely distracted. At her knock, his head snapped up and he made a very silly effort to look like he was working until he saw it was her. When he realized who exactly was in his doorway, Stella was gifted with a rare smile. He instantly rose from his seat and moved to pull her into a tight hug.

"Mac Taylor," Stella laughed, "aren't you a sight for sore eyes!"

"Yeah," Mac chuckled in reply, "I could say the same for you. What are you doing here?"

"Well I came to New York for a conference, and I figured I couldn't be all the way up here without visiting my favorite geeks!"

"Well the team'll be happy to see you."

"And I'll be happy to see them. And I want to meet Jo." She was surprised to see his face drop when she mentioned his new partner. From what Lindsay had told her, Mac and Jo got along swimmingly. At first, the idea of someone getting along with Mac as well as she did hurt, but then, after the pain of leaving faded, she became increasingly grateful that the woman who filled her job was able to do it's unofficial duties as well. "What," she asked, "afraid we're gonna gang up on you and make you actually eat for once?"

"I…no," he murmured, and Stella knew something was wrong. Most of the rest of the team couldn't tell one surly expression from another, but part of the job requirement was being able to read Mac's expressions.

"Okay then, what's up? Trouble in paradise?" His wince was a lot more revealing than he probably thought it was. "Oh," Stella murmured, a grin appearing on her face despite herself, "I didn't realize you and Ms. Danville were…"

"What? Stella, we're not…Jo and I aren't…why are you looking at me like that?" The smirk stayed plastered to Stella's face as she crossed her arms and just leveled him with a stare, and just like Stella knew Mac, Mac knew Stella. He knew her 'I told you so' look when he saw it. "Stella, we're not."

"Uh-huh. Your face tells a different story, my friend. You like her, don't you?" He hesitated a moment before Stella laughed and shook her head.

"Mac, you can accept it. I'm not going to be offended because you have the hots for your new partner."

"Do you have to say it like that?"

"Why? Does my implying you have a sex life really bother you, or is it more so the fact you're now picturing having a sex life with Jo."

"Stel…"

"Mac, I got the results on that…oh, I'm sorry." Jo stopped awkwardly in the doorway when she saw Mac wasn't alone. She tilted her head when her appearance seemed to provoke a practical allergic reaction in Mac, his face going bright red. The woman with him looked like she was about to burst with laughter. She felt sneakingly like Lindsay must have when she walked in on her and Russ's conversation back during her first year at the Crime Lab.

"Don't be sorry," the woman said, which was probably good, considering Mac seemed to be struggling for words even more than usual. "I was actually just interrogating Mac about you. I'm Stella Bonasera. It's really really nice to finally meet you."

Jo's jaw dropped slightly. The Stella Bonasera? A thousand thoughts flew through her head and she got so caught up in wondering what Stella's presence met, she almost forgot to shake the hand Stella had offered to her. "Right…sorry. I've just heard so much, it's a bit strange to see you here in person."

"Oh believe me, I know the feeling. Every time I ask about you, I just hear rave reviews."

"Really? I can't imagine why."

"Well because you're good at your job, girl! You don't have to be modest. Everyone here has already tooted your horn plenty." For the second time in a strangely short period, Jo found herself laughing with the woman who used to chiefly occupy Mac Taylor's heart. She'd imagined meeting Stella a thousand times, and none of them had been as amicable and…dare she say pleasant as this. She was snapped out of her reverie when she felt an arm slip around her shoulders. She was surprised to see it was Stella's.

"Mac, I'm taking your beautiful second in command out for lunch and we're going to talk about lots of things that have nothing to do with you." Jo's smile just grew and, now that the icy confusion of her initial surprise was wearing off, she could garner her reactions better. Her arm slipped around Stella's waist in response and she flashed Mac her best Southern Belle grin. For his part, Mac was pretty much gobsmacked.

"I," he started, before the women turned on her heels and sauntered towards the elevator. Mac sunk into his chair and ran his hands over his face as he watched them go. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

A/N: Again, thank you all so much for reading! The next chapter will contain Stella and Jo's lunch! I'll do my best to get it up promptly!