Thank you for being here, reading and reviewing, it always help me to write with more passion :D
This chapter includes parts from the real series (6X08) but I've changed it, to how I would like it to be. I hope you will like this version too…
Thanks to my friend Lily Moonlight, who helped bring this idea to my mind!
Chapter 7: Always on my mind
Mac stood in his office, and although his eyes were on the file he was holding, his mind was far away. He wanted to focus on the case, but he just couldn't. He was mad. Especially at himself, how he fell into this situation again, like he hadn't learned from the past, hadn't learned not to get emotionally involved again.
Now, instead of figuring out how to solve the case, he needed to figure how to forget Stella. How he could reverse time and bring back the previous friendship, with his partner. Obviously, she was trying to stop what they were doing. Anyway, he knew it couldn't last forever, it had been a foolish mistake to start it from the beginning.
However… yesterday night was just amazing, the way they devoted themselves to each other was unmistakable. Mac wished he could take the time back and be there again, and stop time …
Footsteps from behind him evaporated his memories instantly, Mac felt his body stiffening again. Even though he was waiting for someone else, he recognized the rhythm like it was his own. Focus on work, focus on work.
Mac didn't look back, he only turned his chin a little to give the person behind him the understanding that he heard the steps.
"Mac? ..."
"Do we have news about Hollis Eckhart?" Mac asked without looking back.
"Not yet, but I need to ask you something,"
"I'm waiting for Flack, after our encounter at Terrence's place, he texted me he wanted to talk to me."
Stella touched his shoulder to make him turn to her. "It's really important that we talk. Will you come to my house, tonight?" She wasn't going to give up.
Mac turned to her and felt like he was melting in her eyes, but he held himself well.
"I don't think I'll have time, I want to find this murderer, and fast. I'm going to stay here until I find him."
"We will find him, Mac, until we find him I want to stay here too, but…"
"You don't have to stay here after your shift is over," Mac cut her again and went to put the file on his desk, "If you want to make plans, you can, we will update you…"
Stella knew what he meant by 'plans' but she wasn't going to miss her chance "Mac, please, whatever you understood from Sid isn't…"
"Your private life, is none of my business, Stella." Ouch, that hurt.
"Hi," a voice came from nowhere, interrupting Stella.
Stella and Mac turned to see Flack's smile at the office's door.
"Am I interrupting you?"
Yes.
"No, not at all, we're done, right, Stella?"
She couldn't even look at Mac. You are such a stubborn man, Mac Taylor, but I'll be back.
She came closer to Flack, and kissed his cheek. "I'm so glad to see you back. Don't you dare scare us like that again."
Mac watched them and wished he could feel her closeness like Don had. Work, Mac, focus on work!
Flack looked down and then back to her eyes nodding. "Glad to see you too, Stell."
Stella glanced only for a second at Mac and left the two men alone.
xxxCSI:NYxxx
Later on in the conference room all the team sat together to find their murderer. Stella, who stood near the screens, explained to the team what she and Danny found at the Crestridge psychiatric hospital.
"We found in his room, along with some clothing he saved there, drawing of three faces, which look exactly like the three victims we already discovered. Besides that, we found a few drawing of a place we haven't yet identified, and two drawings of more two faces, which can't identify yet. They could be our next victims."
"From the information on Hollis and his picture on the hospital folder, we know for sure, he is the compass killer." Danny added.
"I'll take the two undentified faces," Lindsay suggested "I can try and clear his sketches."
Mac stood in front of his team and the attention returned to him. "Adam and I will take his clothing, maybe we can find in it some clues to the places he has been."
"I'll join you," Stella immediately added. Adam smiled in satisfaction. Mac continued, "Danny, you and Flack will go to the address on the hospital folder, maybe he went back to his place and we can locate him there."
Danny stood up and gathered his things from the table.
"I want us to find him, as soon as possible. Every one of you, if you find or discover something new, you need to update us immediately. Anything can throw light on the case."
One by one, the team left the room to start to work on their part, Adam was the last to collect his things from the table and Mac and Stella stood looking at each other.
Stella knew she needed to finish it once and for all, but she didn't want to rush things either. Maybe she could give Mac the space he needed and then when all this was over, she would talk to him, even if she would need to tie him up so he would listen.
"You two," Mac spoke to Adam and Stella, "start work on his belonging, I will join you later."
Stella wanted to ask why but regretted, she just nodded and turned her face to Adam. "Coming, Adam?"
"After you." The young man signalled with his hand in a gentlemanly tribute.
Stella smiled and they both exited the room, leaving Mac alone. Alone with his conscience.
That's it? Aren't you going to ask why I'm not joining you?
Mac! You should be proud of yourself, you focused on the work!
But Stella…?
Leave Stella! She lived her moments and now she moved on, she succeeded in breaking the circle. Let's find this creep and make the city safe again!
Mac wanted to feel complete with himself, but he was in love with the impossible.
xxxCSI:NYxxx
Evening came along and Danny came to Mac's office to update him on the two new leads: that they had found trace which appeared to come from a public water treatment facility in Queens.
"Danny, go to Adam and find out about his traces. I got the feeling we are closing to find where he is. I can't let it escape from our hands again," Danny turned to go. "Wait! Take his drawing too." Danny took the pages from Mac's hand and ran to the computer room. On his way he almost bumped into Stella, on her way to Mac's office.
"Hi, what was that about?" She asked curious while entering his office.
"Adam, Hawkes and Danny founds some new leads, I gave them the places he had drawn, and maybe they can connect it all together." Mac answered in coolness.
"Good, I was just passing by Lindsay, she progressed well on the identified face drawing, only on one of them, but you can see it's a woman."
"His wife?"
"I don't think so, the woman figure doesn't have such long hair like his wife had, it's a little longer then her shoulders."
Mac frowned. "It could be anyone, we know his victims had nothing in common with him or his wife's death, they are only in his imagination and look like a real people."
"True, but maybe those people can bring us closer to him," Stella said while passing his desk. She didn't know if that was a good idea, but that was what her guts told her to do. By the time Mac opened his eyes, Stella stood in front him.
"Don't worry, we're going to find him," she said to his worried face.
Those words meant so much to Mac, he was so glad he could feel his best friend so close to him again. But, in spite of it, he was careful. He stared into her eyes and saw something deep, new, he assumed it had nothing to do with him.
Stella held herself too, she was sure she could correct his misunderstanding in two sentences, but she was afraid Mac would escape from her again, so she just looked at his ocean-grey eyes, trying to forget the case, and help him like she always had, only by looking into his eyes, calming him with her soft gaze.
It felt like time had no meaning, like they were in a dream far away from the lab. All the sounds slowly disappeared, and the only people were them, up on the clouds.
They stayed in this position, holding each other's gaze for a few moments until Mac broke the silence. "Did you want to tell me something during the day?" His mouth spoke without planning, even Mac was surprised by his words.
Stella couldn't believe her ears. She was sure she had imagined his words, but then Mac's voice spoke again.
"Stella? Did you…?"
"Yes, I did," some mysterious power gave her the courage to speak. "I wanted to…"
"BOOM, boss!" Danny appeared from nowhere, surprising both Mac and Stella with his shout. They both looked at him, disappointed about the moment vanished. Especially Stella who was glad Mac gave her the opportunity to explain. On the other hand, Mac wasn't sure he wanted to hear her confessing she was in love with someone else.
"We think we know where to find him!" Danny said enthusiastically.
Mac looked at Stella, his eyes said it all.
"Go…" she answered him.
"But…?"
"Go, we'll talk later, go get him."
Mac nodded then passed her, took his coat and ran with Danny to the catch their suspect.
xxxCSI:NYxxx
In Flushing Meadows Park, Flack, Mac and other undercover cops were trying to find their suspect by the dots they connected together. Flack was using the picture to interrogated people if maybe they saw Hollis Eckhart around the park. Mac was looking around punctiliously, hoping he could identified him if he sees him. The park was full of people but Mac wasn't going to give up.
All of a sudden, Mac noticed one man who came closer to a filling spout at one of the buses, the man was wearing a black hood and he held a red tank, Mac couldn't see his face. It immediately drew Mac's attention and he looked at Flack to sign him, to observe that man too.
That man put down his back pack and glanced back to see if someone was watching him. The moment Mac saw his face, he recognized him, their looks met and Eckhart knew he was being watched.
"That's him!" Mac called to alert every cop.
Eckhart begin to run away and Mac started to run after him. Flack updated dispatch while running after him too.
It was dark and surrounded by many trees, Mac tried to run after Eckhart and Flack followed him, even helicopter was flying to help them find him. They came to the fountain following him, but after they didn't see him there, Mac signed Flack to circle the fountain.
"Have you seen him?" Flack asked Mac after he had finished circling it.
"No, you?"
"No."
"Air team, any sign of him?" Mac spoke to the communicator.
"Negative, sir."
Mac's face was grim "I want every inch of this place searched, we will find this guy!"
But it seemed like Eckhart had disappeared into thin air.
xxxCSI:NYxxx
Day-light came and cops were everywhere. Stella got a phone call early in the morning from Flack, who explained to her what happened and she rushed to the scene. When she finally arrived, Flack met her and with his eyes he motioned for her to take a look at Mac, who now gave orders to the cops before the new search.
Stella patted Flack's shoulder and walked over to where Mac was standing. She stopped in a place where she could sense Mac without taking too much attention.
Although Mac was trying to give the cops motivation, from her position Stella saw that he was tired and almost hopeless.
But, their suspect was under their noses, they couldn't see him, but he saw all the occurrence from his hidden place, and he had his plan.
Mac had decided to help search the place with Flack, Stella, and together with the other cops. Each one going in a different direction, they searched with every item of equipment available to them.
In the middle of his search, Mac had a heavy feeling, he didn't understand really why. All he knew was that he wasn't going to stop the search without finding him, no matter how tired and frustrated he was.
"Did you notice something?" Mac asked Flack when he met him after an hour.
"No, not a sign."
"And Stella?"
"Didn't see her from the moment we split".
"I'll call her, see if she found something." Mac picked up his cell and pressed his first speed dial.
After a few seconds he ended the call. "That's strange…no signal. Maybe she didn't bring it with her."
Flack shook his head. "It can't be, I talked to her when she was on her way here."
"Try to call her from your cell, please," Mac said and bend a little under the trees to see if he sees her by sight. When he didn't, he stood again and looked at Flack.
The young detective said no with his head after he dialed the number, not a ringing sound was heard.
When Mac understood she couldn't be reached, he felt the heaviness from before getting worse. Mac tried to erase his fear from his mind. But the look on his face said to Flack something else.
"Mac? You don't think…"
Mac tried to avoid their conclusion, when all of a sudden, his cell phone rang. Mac answered it immediately, not sure who was it on the other line.
"Taylor."
"Mac, its Lindsay. Is Stella with you? I can't reach her on her cell, is she near you?" she asked in concern.
"No, why, has something happened?"
Lindsay tried to avoid his question. "When did you last hear from her?"
"We started to search about an hour ago. And now she hadn't answered me or Flack…"
"Do you want me to try to locate her cell phone?" Lindsay asked, and again Mac sensed there was something wrong.
"Lindsay, what is it? Do you know something we don't? I can sense it in your voice." Mac felt his pulse in his throat, his suspicion became worse.
Flack came closer to Mac to hear what Lindsay had to say too.
After a few moment of silence, Lindsay answered. "I…I just finished clearing one of the unidentified faces…"
Mac felt his heart fall like a stone, he closed his eyes. But he wished until the last second, he wouldn't hear his worst fear confirmed, from the other end of the line.
"Mac… that face he drew... it looks exactly like Stella."
TBC
