October 2000
The kids were growing nicely. But Mac was worried about Stella. Her paternal grandparents Andrew and Mallory Dennis had had a car accident and were both in the hospital and no one knows if the are going to survive. They went to the hospital daily and Stella was starting to become a total wreck by now. She moved back into the shell she used when she wanted to block out things.
Two weeks after the accident Andrew and Mallory Dennis passed away. Stella was totally devestated and Mac had a hard time calming her down. She cried almost the whole time. She had taken sick leave from work and Mac did everything he could to be with her. He knew that she needed him.
When the day of the funeral came Stella was weaker then ever. During the drive to the cemetary she was holding his hand searching for comfort. After the funeral she almost broke down watching the coffin being lowered into the ground. Mac was able to steady her and when the arrived at home afterwards they sat down on the couch. He pulled her into a hug and let her cry against his chest. He knew that she would need time to recover from the loss she had endured. His main concern was for her to get her strength back.