Chapter Two: Stella and Flack "White Christmas"

Stella Bonasera locked her gun in her desk drawer and glanced around her office one last time to make sure she'd cleaned everything. Mac had given her a couple days off over Christmas, and she planned to make full use of them. She grabbed her coat and her gloves, turned to leave her office, and was met by the piercing blue eyes of Don Flack. "Oh! Flack, you scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry." He helped her into her coat. "Didn't mean to scare ya. You're done for the night now?"

She nodded. "I'm officially on vacation."

"Have you eaten yet?"

"Not since lunch. I figured I'd make a sandwich at home and curl up with a book," she said. Then she smiled. "Unless you have a better idea."

"As it happens," Flack smiled, "I do."

Two hours later, Flack was walking Stella back to her apartment. She lived pretty close by, and the weather hadn't been horrible that morning, so she'd walked to work. "Flack, you live on the other side of town. Isn't walking me home a little out of your way?" Stella asked him.

"Car's at the precinct, I can always walk back," he replied. He grinned at her, and Stella felt herself smiling shyly back. They were passing Central Park now. "Come on," Flack said, tugging at her arm and pulling her toward the park.

Snow had just started to fall. The snow was keeping everybody indoors. Very few people were in Central Park now. There was a fine dusting of snow, and because of the grass and trees, it actually was sticking around. The park was completely quiet, save for the occasional yelp from some creature in the zoo and some faraway traffic sounds. "This is beautiful," Stella said, looking around. She and Flack were the only people for miles. It was just them and their footprints. Snow glinted off the lamp lights.

Stella bent down to tie her shoe. Flack, who wasn't holding her hand, wasn't paying attention. It took him a moment to realize that she'd stopped. "Stel?" he asked, turning.

A snowball hit him smack on in the chest. He looked at the splotch of white on his black jacket, and then he looked back at Stella. She was smiling. Her cheeks were a little flushed. Snowflakes stuck to her hair and her black duster. He grinned back, and in one swift movement, Flack had bent down and straightened with a snowball of his own in hand.

Stella's eyes widened. "You wouldn't."

He raised his eyebrows and cocked his arm. "You don't think so?" He tossed it lightly at her, pegging her in the shoulder. She gasped in surprise, then bent down to make another snowball. She tossed it at him, nailing him in the center of the chest again.

"Damn, you have good aim," Flack replied. "But I'm not gonna keep playing this game with you."

"Oh really? You're giving up?" Stella crossed her arms, smiling breathlessly.

Flack shook his head. "Naw. Not giving up." He then sprinted for her and grabbed her around the waist. In one move, he had her in his arms. "Flack!" Stella screeched. "Put me down...nono! No, on second thought, don't you dare!"

Flack's response was to walk a little further into the snow-covered grass. Stella tried to push herself out of his grasp, but he wasn't letting go. "Don Flack, don't even think about it!"

He lifted her into the air...and then brought her back down into his arms before setting her on her feet in front of him. She was cute when she was angry, Flack admitted. He grinned at her. "Even?"

She smiled. He loved it when she did that. "For now. I'm thinking hot chocolate would be nice right now."

"I agree," he replied.

"My place is just around the corner," Stella added.

"That it is," Flack agreed.

For a moment, the two of them were silent as they looked into each other's eyes, the snow falling silently around them.

"You want to come in and warm up?"

He took her hand. "I thought you were never gonna ask."

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Chapter Three: Mac and Peyton (I'm still in denial, sorry) coming soon!