Thank you very much to Marnic who help me with this English version. I couldn't do it without her.

Dress rehearsal

Chapter 2

Change of plans

Stella went to Mac's office carrying in her hand the copy he had sent her with the detailed plan of "Operation Godparents". Since 5 o'clock in the afternoon that same day, Mac had established a schedule, based on what Lindsay had informed him about Lucy's routine. Her bath time, dinner, bedtime, getting up on weekends... Meals, naps, snacks... He had added, seeing the expected good weather for the long weekend, a visit to the Zoo, a walk through Central Park... If they decided to spend the whole day outside, the anticipation of bringing food and snacks for the baby, diapers, wipes... in short, all the paraphernalia that a baby needs, which is no small. Stella went in without knocking, with a smile. How not to be crazy about this man?

Mac looked up, smiling as he always did when she came into his field of vision. How not to be crazy about this woman? There wasn't more perfect curls or greenest eyes in all of New York, not to mention her smile and her overwhelming personality, her graceful gait, her beautiful voice, her passion, her... everything.

"Mac, we have a problem." Stella put on the table a copy of the plan. Mac ducked his head and raised his eyebrows, looking

"Is there something not right?"

"Everything is perfect, except... You know that I had changed the guard duty on Saturday and Sunday with Stephenson?" Mac nodded. "Well, he just called. Rather, his wife called me because he had lost his voice. He has the flu, with fever and sore throat and he can't speak. He really can't be on duty". Mac had been watching her, assimilating the information. "There are three people off night shift with the flu, and in our own Danny and Lindsay are not here and Adam is on vacation ... Nobody can do my shift. Could you manage tomorrow just you and Lucy, during the time that I need to spend here? After that, I only have to be reachable. "

Mac was thinking at full speed. If tomorrow, Saturday, Stella has to come to the lab from 8 to 2, he should be at her house before seven to give her time to prepare and get to work. On Saturday night, he should stay with Lucy, because Stella was on call and if she was paged to process a scene she would have to go, which means she can not be alone with Lucy... Maybe it would be easier, then, if he could sleep at Stella's, so she could go to work quietly on Saturday morning, and also to make sure that he is there to take care of the child if she had to leave in the middle of the night for an emergency call. But that would be against Stella's policy "not men at home", after the unfortunate resent issue with Frankie...

Or it might be possible...

"You want me to make the shift? So you could be more peaceful. "

"You can't, Mac, you have made two consecutive duty shifts, a third would be against the rules. It's okay, we're two, we can arrange it, isn't it? "

Mac looked at the printout. He took it in his hand and broke decisively.

"Change of plans. At least on Saturday night I'll have to stay at your house in case there are any work calls... Can you pass that? I know you don't want to have men in your apartment anymore, but..."

"Mac, don't say that, you're not a man..." Mac's face made her laugh

"A man... anyone, I mean. Mac, you're my best friend, you don't go into that category prohibited "

Mac didn't know whether to rejoice or not. That of "category" was not very clear. The category of men with whom she could have an affair? Well, he had never taken a clear step in that direction, but she didn't even suspect that Mac Taylor, her best friend, was willing to belong to that category?

"I'll stay then, which means that we'll have to go through my house to collect some clothes, shaving things... I have to write the new plan "

"Very good, Sir Planner. I have work, how about going lunch on midday... or we will get tired of seeing each other?"

"Not that I'll be fed by" Mac looked so serious that Stella felt a chill down her back. She realized the intensity that he had put in such simple statement, and it's meaning. She walked thoughtfully to her own office.

Barely an hour later, her printer, working in line with Mac's computer, spat a form with the new plan in front of her.

At five o'clock, as was specified in the paper, they would leave the lab to pick up Lucy. She expressed her joy when she saw them. She had never seen them as strangers, and she was always happy with them. The staff knew that today Lucy was going to be picked by her godparents, and they didn't put objection to take her away. The girl was turning ten months and was a beauty. Had the best of her father and the best of her mother. A round face and soft features like Lindsay, and her bright blue eyes like Danny, his blond hair as well. The mischievous and playful expression was also from her father, but when she wanted, she could be sweet and cuddly too, and that emphasized her resemblance to her mother. She was a sweetie.

The previous day, Lindsay had given them hundreds of practical instructions, but Danny had told them only one thing

"Suppose that you two, the adults, are smart and responsible. Keep that in mind and keep control. She is a ten months baby. Do not let her take control. Remember what I say: do not let her or you will be lost"

But while Lucy had her arms around her godfather's neck, kissing him and drooling, Mac no longer had the impression of being in charge of anything, but he was happy to be there for this little human being. And what about Stella…seeing them she was almost tearful... How were they going to deny anything to this gorgeous little person!

To be continued...