~~Stella~~

"I told him that you wouldn't like it, but no… don't listen to the woman who has taste and knows what his wife likes" Stella said as she sat on her cell phone in her office. She only had paperwork to finish and was happy to see her best friend calling.

"I don't understand. It's not like we haven't been together for years! What on Earth possessed Mac to buy me a fluffy pen for my office?" Claire laughed. Stella smiled. She and Mac were partners and good friends, but it was truly his wife that brought the two closer together. Mac was always stubborn and cold hearted at work, but he was a completely different person at home.

"I think it was actually part of a bet. Aiden bet Danny twenty bucks that Mac would not buy you a fluffy pen. He didn't want to let Danny win this one since he won the last one so… you got stuck with a fluffy pen!" Stella laughed along with Claire.

"God! I've been waiting for this stupid elevator for hours! Well… ok only like ten minutes, but come on, I want to actually get paid today!" Claire complained. Stella smiled widely. She still didn't understand how someone so together, like Mac, married someone so free spirited and fun, like Claire.

"Is Mac rubbing off on you? Do you actually want to go to work?" Stella teased. Claire worked in the World Trade Center and she would call Mac every night on her way home to make sure Mac was leaving and she didn't have to stop and kick his butt.

"Nah, but I want to go shopping this weekend?" Claire said, phrasing it as a question directed towards Stella. They were shopping buddies.

"I'll pick you up at 8" Stella replied. She heard Claire squeal and she laughed.

"Awesome! The elevator just arrived and I have a shopping partner for this weekend" Claire said. Stella heard Claire groan. "The elevator just stopped."

"Don't you just have all the luck today? Something good happens then something bad" Stella laughed silently.

"The ticket wasn't my fault! And at least the officer only gave me a warning!" Stella let out a loud laugh.

"Only because a higher ranking cop is your husband!" Claire huffed at the accusation.

"Maybe it's because I'm…." Stella looked down at her cell phone.

"Claire? Claire?" Stella started to worry until she remembered that her friend was on the elevator and might not get good reception there. "I'll just actually do work for a few minutes." Ten minutes of paperwork later, Stella dialed Claire's cell again only to find out it had been turned off.

"She never turns her phone off. Not even in meetings" Stella muttered as she started to make her way to Mac's office. As she walked by the break room, the news was on and Stella became frozen to the spot.

"…the twin towers, turning it into rubble. Some say their family called to tell them that the planes had been hijacked, but they couldn't do anything to stop them. Many lives have been lost, but the FDNY and NYPD are still searching for survivors in what they hope to not be a fruitless attempt…" Stella tuned the rest of the program out as she moved to a window that normally had a great view of the towers, but now only had a large pile of trash.

"Please be ok Claire. We're going shopping this weekend remember?" Stella whispered shakily to the window. She slid down to the floor sobbing. She was sobbing for her friend, for all the people who had died, for all of the stress that would come as a result of it, and for Mac's well being.

"Stella?" a husky voice asked. Suddenly strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her to his large comforting chest. The pair stayed holding each other and sobbing for over a full hour. Nothing would ever hurt more than the fact that they will most likely never see Claire's smiling face again.

WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT

Two days later:

"Police and rescue teams are going to be calling official deaths tomorrow afternoon. They believe that no one would be able to survive…" Stella turned off the TV. She couldn't take it. It was 8 on Saturday. She should have been sitting inside Mac and Claire's little apartment watching as Mac laughed and drank his coffee while Claire ran around getting ready because she had forgotten they were going shopping. Then she would have had to wait while they said goodbye for ten minutes. They would finally leave for stores at 9.

"I can't sit here any longer. I'm going to continue my plans for today and just pretend that Claire is sick, or something…" Stella said trying to convince herself. She nodded and got ready to go.

"Knock knock!" Stella said entering the building. Mac looked up from the newspaper he was pretending to read and stood when he saw Stella ready to go somewhere.

"What are you doing here?" he asked gruffly. He didn't want to be mean, but he missed Claire so much and remembering their normal Saturday routine was just too much for him to handle.

"Oh, I… I guess I'm just used to our normal Saturday. I didn't even mean it. Sorry" Stella said as she looked around the apartment. "Why don't you come with me? I was just going to go for a walk" Stella explained. That wasn't her original intention, but if it would help Mac, then she would happily change her plans. She was surprised when he nodded and threw on his shoes and grabbed a coat.

"Let's go through Central Park" he said as they left the apartment. Stella nodded and walked quietly to the park and part of the way through it. "Let's rest for a moment." Stella nodded and sat down on a nice patch of grass. Mac sat quietly next to her.

"We should make this our new routine. I can't just pretend that nothing's changed. I mean you saw what happened this morning…" Stella laughed softly at the last part. "You know she'd have our butts if she knew we were having such a hard time dealing with her… death." Mac chuckled.

"It just wouldn't be Claire if she wasn't kicking our butts about something." Stella and Mac both laughed knowing that it was true.

"I don't want to believe that she's really dead" Stella whispered softly. Mac nodded.

"Me neither. I'm waiting for her to walk in the door and tell me it was all a joke" he admitted. Stella nodded knowing that she was waiting for the same thing. "I miss her. I don't want to believe she's gone, but I know science and there's no way she can still be alive, but I don't want to let her go" he admitted softly. Stella nodded.

"I know, but just because we acknowledge she's dead, doesn't mean we'll forget her. She'll always in our hearts. She will always be with us." Mac nodded and gave his best friend a hug which she returned gladly. "We can do this together."

WWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWTWWT

One month later:

"I understand…. Thank you for calling…. If you need anything… no ok. Thank you again…. Goodbye" Mac whispered as he set his work phone back in its cradle. Stella was extremely nervous. He had motioned her in and told her that it was the rescue workers.

"Mac, what did they say?" Stella asked letting some tears fall. She knew that after this time there was most likely no hope in finding her body. She had been declared dead a while ago which broke Stella.

"They can't find her body, but they are going to send some ashes for us to scatter, like remains" he said. Stella let the tears she had been trying to hold back fall freely.

"She's really gone!" Stella wailed. Mac was no help for anyone seeing that he had not slept since the worst day in American history.