MAY 2009

Yawning wearily Stella Bonasera slowly closed her locker door before she finally left work for the night, she couldn't remember the last time she had felt like this downright bone tired. It had been her penultimate shift before she married Brandon in two days time, which should be the happiest day of her life but all she wanted to do was cry when she thought about it. Making her way over to the elevator she passed by Mac's office for a moment she wondered if she should go in and say goodnight like she always had done Stella longed to clear the air between them, to have Mac hold her and make everything right in the way only he could just one more time. Peeping through the glass walls she realized that his office was still empty as it had been for most of the day and for the past few weeks. Since their latest argument Mac had been going out of his way to avoid spending anytime at all with Stella, he'd changed shifts, taken cases at opposite ends of town from her and on her birthday he'd even volunteered to deputize for Sinclair at the weekly meeting with the Deputy Mayor at city hall a job he'd once told her he'd prefer to have both eyes poked out before he'd do rather than attend the party Lindsay had organized for her. No Mac could no longer bear to be in the same building with her he hated her that much and slowly a little more each day Stella was dying inside knowing that was how he felt. Stella felt empty without Mac it seemed to her that the joy had been sucked out of everything; she had wanted a home, a family and Brandon was a good man who genuinely cared about her who could give her those things she knew that but Stella still felt desperately unhappy. Her eyes wandered to the bracelet carved with Greek dancing girls around her wrist Mac's birthday gift to her the first year the had worked together strange how even now she still wore it every day ….all that was left of their bond she sighed miserably. Thinking back as she walked to the car park Stella knew what Claire had told her all those years ago was still true even though his wife was long dead it was still Claire Mac wanted and if he could have done so it would be Claire he'd have gone home to tonight. So finally after all this time Stella had come to a decision she was going to take the advice Claire had given her and 'move on for her own sake' she couldn't stay here in New York and just be friends with Mac not anymore it hurt to much she would marry Brandon, make beautiful babies and try her best to forge a happy life for her family to be after all she had no other choice did she? Thinking about Claire brought Stella full circle back to the Wild Rose she simply couldn't help it the two would be forever index linked in her mind; frustrating the Megan Roberts case still remained unsolved and had taken up a place of somewhat macabre honour on Mac's desk no new evidence had emerged nor had any further victims been discovered Stella couldn't quite make up her mind whether that was a good or bad thing. Recalling the feeling of Buchannon's breath on her skin, his touch caressing her face still made her feel physically sick; although she'd never told anyone even now several years later she still had nightmares about him.

Nearing her SVU Stella found Flack was leaning on the bonnet arms folded across his chest waiting for her "Hey Stella" He greeted her softly.

"Hey yourself" She replied opening the door on the driver's side "Do you want a ride home Flack or have you taken up stalking as a new hobby?"

"I….uhm Stel I need to ask you this one last time before you get married before everything gets crazy….." He began then taking a deep breath he continued "Stella I need to know are you sure marrying Brandon is what you want really and truly?"

"Flack we have been through this" She snapped "I'm getting married in two days time period."

"That would be a no then" Flack nodded "That's what I figured."

"Flack! For the last time as much as I love my work I want more, I need something more; I want a home of my own …. I want children, someone to come home to nights I've been alone most of my life and I don't want to be any longer why is it so damn hard for you and everybody else to understand that?" She howled.

"I understand alright ….you are not in love with him Stella, you never have been and you never will be you've just told me all the things you want but not once have you said you want Brandon" Flack argued "We both know how you feel about Mac and running away to Miami isn't going to change anything only cause you and everybody else more pain….. doesn't matter how many lies you tell yourself your making the biggest mistake of your life and you know it."

"Thank you Dear Donny….." Stella seethed climbing into her SVU "The NYPD's own personal agony uncle …… This is the right thing for me to do; there is nothing left for me here in New York not anymore."

"That's not true….talk to him Stella he's hurting just as much as you are" Flack insisted "Mac cares about you a lot more than he's supposed to always has ….."

"He can't even bear to share a Lab with me Flack…." She hissed slamming the SUV's door shut with a loud bang "Mac doesn't want me here not as his colleague, not as his friend and certainly not as anything else …..In two days time all this will be over and everyone will be happy you just need to trust in me I know what I'm doing" Then she put her foot down hard on the gas pedal and sped off.

"Just talk to him Stella" Flack yelled at the top of his lungs after her "Talk to Mac."

"Well?" Jessica Angell called out to Flack from the kitchen as he entered the small apartment they now shared "What happened with Stella the suspense is killing me."

"Something smells good" He called back.

"Ravioli and stop changing the subject" She chuckled exiting the kitchen to plant an extremely passionate welcome home kiss on his lips.

"Mmmmm…..that's nice" He murmured happily "You definitely have a career in the hospitality industry should you choose Detective Angell."

"Figured you could use a little TLC in fact…." She pushed him down onto their sofa and proceeded to undo both his collar and tie "Better?" She enquired.

Grinning Flack pulled her down onto his lap then he returned her earlier favour by pressing his lips down onto hers in the warmest, sweetest of kisses "….Am now" He muttered his lips moving along her cheek down Angell's collarbone "….And now."

"That bad?" Jessica asked between kisses.

"Worse" He admitted bring his assault in her neck to an abrupt halt "She refused point blank to listen to me; Jess she's going to marry Brandon and make the worse mistake of her life and the only person who can stop her is Mac but he's even more stubborn than she is…..flatly refuses to admit Stella leaving him is killing him inside. He couldn't even face going to her birthday party in case Brandon was there couldn't bear to see them together he told me so himself. Jess I admit it I'm beat I really don't know how to make them both see sense."

"Maybe this time you can't….." She advised "Perhaps it's better to let them make their own mistakes they are both adults after all."

"Who are behaving like a pair of star-crossed twelve year olds at present" Flack grumbled "Besides it's not their mistake to make…not really it's mine."

"Why do I get the feeling you haven't told me everything" Jess scolded gently.

"Because you're a brilliant Detective?" He suggested hopefully.

"….And you're a useless liar" She chuckled ruffling his hair.

"That as well" he nodded ruefully.

"Ok then I think you had better tell me everything don't you" Jess pointed out "Then maybe between the two of us can we sort this whole mess out."

"Fair enough….but you know don't you that all I want is to be with you always …..Stella and me well I was just a kid back then, I still care about her but not like that not anymore" He insisted "The day I met you I was done."

"Now I am worried" Jess teased.

"Jess!" He rolled his eyes impatiently.

"I know" She assured him kissing his forehead "I've always known."

"Right….." He sighed in relief "Well better make yourself comfortable since this is a long story…..you know about the original Wild Rose case don't you and what happened to Stella the night of the NYPD ball?"

"Yes" Jessica replied sliding off his lap onto the couch next to him.

"Well that night I took Stella home and she told me something I've never told anyone else….." He confessed "….That was my first mistake I should have….I should have shouted it from the damn rooftops."

"So let me get this straight" Jessica Angell stared open mouthed at her boyfriend once he'd finished his tale of woe starting in summer 2001 and finishing off with what happened the night of Stella's engagement party "You have lied to both Mac and Stella your best friends not once but repeatedly for the last eight years……" She was flabbergasted.

"I wouldn't call it lying not exactly……" He offered in his own defence "More disguising the truth to protect Stella."

"Aw Don" She shook her head in dismay "You've known all this time how Stella felt about Mac but you never told anyone not even me or more importantly Mac himself even though he asked you straight out more than once…..dress it up anyway you like but you lied to him and not for an altruistic reasons but because you were jealous."

"He was married to Claire at the time remember? He didn't know what he wanted he couldn't decide which one he wanted to be with …… I thought I was protecting Stella honestly I did" He told her "She made me swear not to tell him ….it was what she wanted."

"You were jealous Don" Jess repeated "If you'd told him the truth then maybe he could have made that decision for himself and none of us would be in this situation now just admit it."

"Alright I was jealous I was a stupid kid with a crush I thought if Mac went to Chicago with Claire then I could be Stella's shoulder to cry on….her knight in shinning squad car if you like and we could all live happily ever after the end" He scowled "Happy now?"

"Not especially" Jess shook her head "But you're right Don this is your mess you took the choice away from Mac first time around and now it's up to you to make it right."

"I only wish I knew how" He rubbed his eyes tiredly "Mac is the only one who can change Stella's mind but I can't seem to get through to him at all."

"If he won't listen to you what about somebody else there's got to be someone he listens to …. His dad maybe he's always been so proud of him" Jess suggested.

"No his dad died a few years back…..normally I'd say Stella he'd do just about anything for her usually….." A light bulb flickered on somewhere in the depths of Flack's mind and he jumped up from the sofa as if he'd received an electric shock "Oh god I'm an idiot" He clapped his hand across his forehead in self disgust "I'm a freakin' idiot…."

"No arguments here" Jess grinned up at him "Care to tell me what's going on."

"Yes….on the way get your coat we have to go" He said bolting for the door.

"Go? Go where?" Jess was baffled "And what about the ravioli?"

"Jess honey I mean this in the nicest possible way but screw the ravioli this is more important" He said dashing for the door "….And would you please hurry up we can get Chinese on the way he likes Chinese."

"Who does?" Jess took a quick diversion into the kitchen to turn the stove off before grabbing her coat and following Flack out into the hall way.

"Sheldon it's his favourite" Flack revealed halfway down the stairs to the car park already.

"If he won't listen to you no way on earth will he listen to Hawkes" Jess puffed frantically trying to keep up.

"No…..but Hawkes knows a woman who can if we hurry we can do this tonight it's gotta be about breakfast time over there right?" He asked.

"Where?" Asked Jess even more confused than earlier.

"England" Flack said simply "God bless the English!"

If there was one thing in this world as reliable as death and taxes it was Mac Taylor's behavioural patterns Flack chortled to himself happily; when Mac was in trouble if he wasn't working himself into a frenzy at the Lab or with Stella there was only one other place he would be….ever! The Half Moon night club was Mac's bolt hole (he deluded himself nobody knew of its existence but of course the entire NYPD did it was just nobody had the heart to tell him the truth) occasionally the usually inscrutable Lab boss could be found jamming with the House band on acoustic guitar he'd even known to sing on rare occasions Stella though was the only person privileged enough to have heard him She claimed he was good but then Flack decided she would wouldn't she? Tonight however Flack found his friend sitting alone in a darkened booth slowly stirring a half consumed glass of bourbon looking downright heartbroken.

"So this takes me back" Flack announced his arrival "Nothing changes much in here does it?"

"What do you want Flack?" Mac grumbled picking up his glass and examining the contents.

"I need you to do something for me Mac" Flack replied.

"I already talked to her….She's made her decision, She's happy, I'm happy everybody's happy live with it" Mac glugged down the rest of his drink.

"Yeah really looks like it ……We can do this the easy way or the hard way but you are coming with me Mac" Flack was adamant.

"No I am not I'm gonna get myself another drink and you…. you can go f….." But before Mac could move Flack slapped a handcuff to his wrist and another to his own

"What the hell……" Mac bellowed like a bull elephant.

"Hard way it is then" Flack guffawed dragging a startled Mac to his feet.

"Let me go Don" Mac tried to wriggle free.

"Certainly just as soon as we get to our destination" Flack cheerfully agreed then frog marched Mac towards the club's exit.

"Flack so help me….." Mac roared, turning red when he realized everybody in the club was now watching them.

Taking his badge out Flack waived it at the crowd of on lookers "Nothing to see here folks Detective Taylor's just going for a little walk downtown aren't you" Flack winked then dragged Mac out into the dark New York night.

"My Lab?" Mac asked in astonishment as they pulled up outside the Lab's back door still firmly joined together "You did all this to get me to go to my own Lab?"

"Oh I aint even remotely finished yet Mac" Flack retorted cheerfully and pushed the ex-marine through the doors into the building then he manoeuvred Mac along several corridors into the elevator and out again till they reached the Lab's communications suite.

"Good news now we're here" Flack grinned.

"You abduct me in the middle of the night to take me to my own Lab's conference suite?" Mac fumed.

"Trust me Mac you'll thank me for this one day" Flack said almost shoving his friend into the room

"You found him then" Sheldon Hawkes beamed he and Jess were waiting for the two men inside.

"Yup piece of cake he's so predictable" Flack replied "We all set in here?"

"Yes she says it's her pleasure you should have asked sooner" Jess said.

"Hey great genius takes time" Flack shrugged.

"Will somebody please undo these cuffs and tell me what the hell I'm doing here at midnight?" Mac seethed.

"Sorry Mac no can do but this is for your own and Stella's good" Hawkes told him "When your ready Flack just press that button there" He indicated to a panel on Flack's right then he left the room.

"You sure you'll be ok alone with him?" Jess asked Flack eyeing Mac who was furiously trying to pry the cuff of his wrist.

"Oh him….nah he's a pussy cat really….don't worry everything will be Ok" Flack smiled and planted a kiss on her cheek "See you later sweetheart."

"Alright I just hope this works" Jess told him and headed off after Hawkes.

"What works and for pities sake Don will you please take these damn cuff's off us" Mac demanded.

"Do you promise to play nice" Flack asked pressing the button Sheldon had shown him.

"How can I play nice? I don't even know what game I'm damn well playing" Mac raged moving so he had his back to the rooms giant comm. screen.

"How's about twenty questions Mac" A soft English accented woman's voice filled the small room "You where always good at that as I recall."

"Hey honey we are home" Flack called up to the screen "Do you stuff."

"Peyton!" Mac turned and stared up at the conference screen in surprise.

"Flack thought you might just listen to me" She nodded to the Detective whilst he finally unlocked the cuffs.

"You've been busy I see" Mac smiled noticing her swollen stomach.

"I got married last year his names James and he's an architect" She told him.

"There seems to be a lot of it around" Mac sighed his heart ached so much thinking of Stella walking down that isle in a few short hours that he couldn't breath.

"Yes Flack told me Stella is getting married the day after tomorrow what I'd like to know what we would all like to know is Why on earth is it not too you?" She asked crossing her arms firmly over her chest.

"Why should she be marrying me?" Mac sounded like a petulant child.

"Because you're head over heels in love with her Mac you always have been even when we were together" Peyton rolled her eyes "You just refuse to admit it and she feels the same way about you always has."

"Just how do you work that one out?" Mac harrumphed.

"Let's use your own advice and follow the evidence shall we?" Peyton and Flack shared a nod, she could win this battle of wills Flack was sure of it "Firstly there is Reed didn't you ever think it was strange that he mistook Stella for Claire and not me since we were supposed to be dating?"

"He's just a kid ….got confused that's all" Mac argued.

"A kid that saw the way you looked at Stella and saw what he thought was a man in love with his wife" Peyton rebuffed.

"If you say so" Mac grumbled.

"I do then there was the whole siege thing when you, Stella and Sheldon went die-harding about the lab remember?" She asked.

"I'm not likely to forget am I?" He shrugged.

"No neither am I; your gorgeous girlfriend (even if I do say so myself) is waiting for you outside and who did you hug first?" Peyton smirked.

"Stella" He admitted begrudgingly "She's my best friend isn't she?"

"Come to think of it you seem to spend an awful lot of time hugging your best friend" Flack chuckled to Peyton "Funny aint it he never hugs me, Danny or Hawkes though."

"He does doesn't he?" Peyton chuckled back "Seriously though" Her tone changed "Mac you and I both know that I never had your heart not really...I thought it was Claire that was coming between us till the night before you flew back to New York."

"I called Stella" Mac remembered.

"That's right our last night together and you called Stella….. That's when I knew you see you were miserable the whole time you were in London with me but when you heard her voice you lit up I've never seen you so alive and I knew you loved her" Peyton admitted "That's why I stayed here in London I knew hearing my voice could never make you light up like that."

"I missed her so much hearing her voice made me feel close to her ……" He admitted "That's all I've ever really wanted to be with Stella."

"She shoots she scores!" Flack muttered to himself "A break through at last."

"I'm so sorry Peyton I never meant to hurt you" Mac apologized "I always said you were smarter than me. You knew before I did Mac Taylor loves Stella Bonasera."

"What are you still doing here then? Tell her that you fool" Peyton scolded.

"I can't it's much, much to late" Mac shook his head sadly "I've left it too late."

"No it's not" Flack insisted "She loves you Mac I know she does…..she always did she told me so."

"When?" Mac reeled at Flack's admission,.

"The night Buchanon attacked her I took her home remember?" Flack asked.

"I do" Mac nodded.

"You had gone after Claire and Aiden had take Stella's clothes to the lab for forensic testing she was hurting wanted a shoulder to cry on I suppose….. I needed to know if the rumours about you and Stella being well intimate was true." Flack stopped to catch his breath.

"I never cheated on Claire not with Stella not with anyone ….I loved my wife Flack" Mac was adamant.

"That's what Stella said but I saw you with her that night we all did and it was obvious you felt something for her I think you always did" Flack told him "That you never could be just friends."

"Claire …..She said I was smitten" Mac confessed.

"So I asked her asked Stella to tell me the truth …. I said it didn't matter to me if she was sleeping with you because I loved her anyway at the time I thought I did ……" Flack continued; "That's when she told me she said that she loved you but you had always been faithful to your wife; Stella said that she would rather be your friend and be part of your life then tell you and make you chose between her and Claire because Claire would always win so she made me promise I would never tell you."

"I came over to Stella's place that night Flack I asked you if Stella was ok told you how I felt about both of them Stella and Claire ….All this time all these years and you never said a word why?" Mac's temper erupted and he shoved Flack to the wall by the throat.

"I was selfish jealous kid ok? I couldn't be sure you'd choose Claire; I told you I thought I was in love with Stella still did till I met Jess and I thought if you knew Stella loved you then you would take her from me….. Part of me thought that in time I could make her want me not you" Flack hollered back "Admit it Mac you couldn't choose between them you told me so yourself."

Slowly Mac released his grip on his friend calmer now he asked "That was eight years ago I've talked about Stella hundreds of time since then told you how I felt about her asked you what she's said about me why didn't you didn't say anything sooner?"

"You went on a massive guilt trip after Claire died….it was like you blamed your self ….. That you were responsible for Claire's death somehow because you cared for Stella." Flack explained "How could I possibly tell you?"

"Mac….." Peyton interjected from above "I never met Claire and I honestly don't know what might have been if she had lived or if Flack had told you what Stella had said sooner nobody can ever know that but I can tell you that you have a second chance to be with Stella someone you love with all your heart and who loves you with all hers…..This may be a cliché but most of us are lucky if that happens once in a lifetime let alone twice fight for her Mac."

"The lady is right Mac if I could go back in time and change this whole sorry mess believe me I would" Flack swore "Stop Stella making the biggest mistake of all our lives tell her how you feel about her."

"I….I need to think" Mac stammered heading towards the door.

"Where are you going" Flack wanted to know.

"Anywhere…..nowhere" Mac called over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Do you think that worked?" Peyton asked anxiously.

"I hope so……I really do hope so" Flack sighed gloomily.

August 2001

Joe Cassidy stared at the DNA test results he held in his hands and shook his head at the other two people currently in his office in sheer disbelief "We are absolutely sure here people aren't we about this? I don't want any mistakes Ray Buchannon is a serving Officer in the NYPD I'll be damned if I'm going to put my Lab's reputation not to mention the Department's as a whole on the line because someone mixed up a Q-tip."

"Sir I triple checked those test results" Aiden assured him.

"Then I quadruple checked them" Mac advised Cassidy "Taking into account Buchannon's attack on Stella last night Sir I don't think we couldn't be more sure that he's at least implicated in the Wild Rose murders short of a signed confession."

"It's still not enough" Cassidy insisted "Any good Lawyer will argue that whatever Buchannon did last night was an act of drunken stupidity or that Detective Bonasera led him on in someway since she was alone with him for quite sometime…."

"The tried to her Sir" Mac jumped to Stella's defence angrily "You're making it sound like she asked for it."

"Because the jury will be told she did…….Not to mention the whole jealous boyfriend seeking revenge has set me up defence he's bound to pull" Cassidy continued without missing a beat "He wouldn't have to work to hard to find evidence on how close you and Detective Bonasera have become recently would he? No I want this son of a bitch's ass nailed to my wall permenantly so we are going to play this by the book I want the case against him to be like a fish's rear end….."

"Water tight" Mac completed Cassidy's thought.

"I've already arranged for a warrant to search Buchannon's apartment in relation to last nights events I want you to do that Mac, Aiden you take his desk and locker" Cassidy issued assignments "Outside of this room this is need to know until we have iron clad proof of guilt I don't want to start a city wide panic because psycho cop is on the loose also bear in mind he still is very popular with the rest of the NYPD they see him as an hero figure if we don't do this just right we will have every Cop in New York against us it will become the Buchannon vs. Taylor grudge match and nobody wants that as soon as that happens it gives Buchannon reasonable doubt and the walks. Unfortunately we still haven't been able to pick him up the Black and White outside his place say he's not been back home I don't want to start a riot out there that understood?"

"Yes sir" Mac and Aiden agreed as the stood to leave.

"Mac can I have a word in private with you" Cassidy asked.

"Yes Sir" Mac nodded having the sinking feeling he knew what about.

"I'll catch you later" Aiden smiled and left closing the office door behind her.

"About last night Mac….." Cassidy said quietly "Do you remember when I asked you about the nature your relationship with Detective Bonasera."

"Yes Sir I do" Mac confirmed.

"In that case would you like to revise your answer son" Cassidy asked cautiously.

"No Sir I was telling the truth then and I am now I have never had any sort of improper relationship with Stel…..Detective Bonasera" He replied trying to convince himself as much as Cassidy that his statement was completely true.

"Son we all saw you together last night…..heard your wife" Cassidy pointed out.

"My wife was not herself last night her latest IVF treatment had failed and she was struggling with it" Mac told him "She is also talking about taking a job back in Chicago ….. She feels a fresh start is best for her."

"Ah I see then you want a transfer to the Chicago office I understand" Cassidy nodded sounding relieved "I'll set the ball rolling I'll be sorry to loose you Mac but I think it's the best thing for everyone" He smiled.

"No….I mean yes …..Honestly Sir I don't know if I want a move back to Chicago or not" Mac confessed "I haven't decided yet"

"It will take sometime for the paper work to go through anyway, at least a month. I would expect that should give you enough time to make a decision don't you think?" Cassidy asked pointedly "If we process the paperwork now all you'll need to do is sign the form if you do decide you want the transfer but if you don't then we will need to revisit the topic of Detective Bonasera again since it might not be appropriate for you to continue working together you do understand that don't you?"

"Yes Sir" Mac nodded "I do ……May I ask a favour Sir?"

"Depends now doesn't it" Cassidy replied warily "On what it costs me."

"Detective Bonasera Sir she doesn't know about my wife's plans to move back to Chicago I'd like to tell her myself ….after I've made my decision I don't wont her to be put under anymore stress then she already is….. Stella she's already been through enough trauma recently I don't want to cause her any unnecessary pain" Mac explained.

"Given Detective Bonasera's current situation I think I can agree to do that Mac but don't put off telling her for to long she's not stupid and she will find out sooner rather than later" Cassidy warned.

"Yes Sir" Mac agreed, Flack had told him much the same thing when Mac had asked him not to tell Stella about Claire's demand …. Mac was on a clock and he knew it.

After leaving Cassidy's office Mac collected his kit and headed straight for Buchannon's apartment to his astonishment he found Stella complete with her own kit and Flack already there waiting for him outside Buchannon's front door.

"What are you doing here Stel?" Mac frowned, approaching them both.

"Waiting for you so we can begin processing the scene of course" She answered curtly dangling a set of keys in front of him.

"Stella go home" Mac insisted taking the keys from her "Go to the movies….go shopping , go anywhere but here; you don't need to do this I already know how tough you are and you have barely even started to recover from last night ……"

"I already tried that Mac she refuses to listen" Flack announced "Practically threatened to castrate Buchannon's Super if he didn't hand those keys over."

"You obviously didn't try hard enough then did you?" Mac sniped "Why did you even tell her you knew she would react this way….." He fumed "Your supposed to be protecting her not taking her on guided tours of suspected serial killer's apartments that's why Cassidy sweet talked your Lieutenant into loaning you to the Lab temporarily in the first place."

"Oh that's rich coming from you I'm not the one who allowed his so called best friend to be left all alone with a freakin' psycho in the first place am I?" Flack shouted back "I mean did it never occur to you to warn her or anyone else for that matter Mac well did it? Or was that the plan all along SuperMac to the rescue……"

"Enough both of you…." It was Stella's turn to shout "She is standing right here in case you two haven't noticed, if you must know Mac Joe Cassidy called me he thought I should be told for my own protection and as for you Flack Mac did try to warn me and if he hadn't been there for me last night I could be floating downstream with a rose between my teeth right now so I'd say I'm extremely lucky to have such a good friend actually two good friends even if you both drive me crazy. You two can stay here and argue all day but I am going to process Buchannon's apartment I started this case with you Mac and whether you like it or not I'm damn well going to finish it that way."

"Fine have it your own way" Mac grumbled opening Buchannon's front door.

.

Once inside they each took a room to search Flack the kitchen, Stella the sitting room and Mac the bedroom. Moving about the sitting room Stella realised one of the floorboards underneath the heath rug felt loose rolling it back she used a small crow bar from her kit to prize up; shinning her flashlight down into the darkness she spotted something glistening in its beam. Sliding a gloved hand down into the gap her fingers touched plastic gently she tugged at it pulling the object free, She found herself holding a clear plastic evidence bag sealed inside was a woman's left shoe a perfect match to the one Tracey Davies had lost.

"Mac I've found something" She called out.

"Me too" He called back "I think you should see this."

Taking the shoe with her Stella entered Buchannon's bedroom at first glance it seemed perfectly normal to her but staring back from the rear wall were hundreds of images of herself covering every spare inch of space; Photographs, newspaper cuttings even a high school year book picture of her in a cheerleader's uniform. Underneath the pictures stood a small table covered in a white lace table cloth; on top stood two silver candle holders containing magnolia coloured candles in between them was a bowl of fresh red rose petals.

"Oh god Mac it's a shrine……….." Stella gaped, her voice trembling "……….He said he knew all about me."

"Looks like he's been following you…..those were taken outside your place" He indicated to a batch of photos on his right.

"This just keeps getting better and better doesn't it" Flack groaned coming to join them "Look what I found" he held out another photograph so Mac and Stella could see.

Curiously Mac took the photograph from him; it was of two young men and a curly haired, green eyed young woman, the darker haired of the two men looked roughly about twenty years old and was defiantly Seth Stockton the other man looked roundabout the same age and had his arms around the woman's waist "Ray Buchannon" Mac murmured.

"It was on his refrigerator" Flack told them "Looks like a happy family photo if you ask me."

"Notice anything about the woman Stel think about Costello and Davies too…." Mac sighed showing her the picture.

"All three are curly haired, fairly tall and have either blue or aqua eyes ……." She said fearfully "Just like me."

"It's Ok Stel…." Mac slipped his hand over hers and squeezed it tight "He's never getting near you again I promise you I won't let him."

"Too right" Flack agreed wholeheartedly "Over our dead bodies."

"I'm calling Butch get him to send Aiden and a full team over here" Mac decided flipping open his phone "We need to tear this place apart ……god only knows what Buchannon has been doing in here." Before he could act though his phone beeped into life "Not now Claire" He muttered noticing her number appear on his screen.

"Honey this is not a good time….." He began to say answering her call.

"Aw honey don't you love me no more" Buchannon's mocking voice interrupted him.

"What the hell Buchannon?" Mac yelled out in surprise.

"Buchannon?" Stella and Flack chorused.

"Where is my wife" Mac roared down the phone his stomach turning somersaults with fear.

"Look out of the bedroom window" Buchannon said simply.

Mac pointed at the window, nodding Stella and Flack followed him over to the other side of the room. Peering out they saw Claire sitting in the driving seat of a car parked at the end of the alleyway Buchannon was next to her in the passenger's seat a gun firmly pressed to her head.

"Say hello to hubby dearest Mrs T" they heard Buchannon tell Claire and saw him clamp his cell phone to her face.

"Mac I'm so sorry……" She began.

"There is nothing to be sorry for….. I'm coming for you don't worry" Mac reassured her.

"Aw sweet very Romeo and Juliet I'm sure" Buchannon sneered "But then again Mrs T isn't your only Juliet now is she."

"What do you want Buchannon" Mac rasped, indicating to Flack to slip away whilst he kept Buchannon busy.

"What's rightfully mine….." Buchannon replied "I told you last night …..You can't have them both if you want the lovely Mrs T then give me Stella she belongs to me and I want her back" with that he slammed his phone shut forcing Claire to drive off in a cloud of dust and exhaust fumes.

Twenty seconds later Flack appeared outside "I'm so sorry Mac…." He mouthed to him "I'm so sorry."

A/N: Alas it does look like one more chapter at least is needed to complete this story after all I had hoped to fit everything into this one but the best laid plans etc… Well done to everyone who didn't watch CSI NY on March 1Oth making it the lowest rated episode this season and possibly ever it's nice to know I'm not alone in my disgust at TPTB with this particular storyline. When I wrote this chapter I had no idea that Peyton would be anything more than a bad smell; a figment of all our worst nightmares I would like to state for the record I never could stand the character and would rather have teeth pulled than watch this Peyton/Aubrey crap. So I would am urging everyone reading this story to redouble their efforts as from April 7th and do as much damage as possible to the ratings in protest at this ludicrous storyline. Keep the pressure on TPTB folks the lower the ratings drop the faster we get rid of this down right insulting story line add to that the Hawkes love interest story line we have been promised all season is being dropped in its favour I should say its high time TPTB were taught a lesson they wont forget in respect for their fans and I know I'm not the only one who feels that way. A CSI: NY without Smacked isn't worth watching at all demand the justice for Smacked we've earned the past six years and boycott the rest of the season for every point the ratings for SVU rise we drive another nail into this storyline & its writer's coffin If Pam Veasey A'K'A the Queen of the morons wants feedback then I say that we will give her all the bloody feedback she can take by make sure those ratings plummet show her that she can stick her precious storyline right where the monkeys stick their nuts. Its time us Smacked Fans stood up to be counted every chance we get I'm asking you to bombard every forum, Face book page and twitter etc you can with anti-Peyton/Aubrey feedback we need to fight for what we want.

SAVE OUR SMACKED SOS!