At your door

Chapter 10

"Danny?" Stella hovered in the doorway to the trace lab, he eyed her over his glasses.

"'Sup Stell?" he asked.

"I, er wanted to talk to you?" she reminded him.

He removed his glasses, rubbing his eyes "Shit, Stella I'm sorry, I forgot"

"It's OK" she smiled at his apology "I know how it gets here remember? And although I'm just hanging around here really, I can see how hard you are all working at this"

"Hey you're workin' as hard as anyone" Danny protested "You wanna talk here or...?"

"Can you take a break?" she asked, slightly nervous "Grab a coffee somewhere?"

"Actually" Danny removed his safety glasses and lab coat "I'm dreamin' about damn bricks, a break would be great. I tell you Stella, I hate bricks, detest them, me and the girls? We're movin' into a tent"

Stella laughed "Oh I can't wait to see Lindsay's face when you drop that bomb shell"

Danny put his arm around her shoulder "I'll do it via email – much safer!"

He waited until the elevator doors had closed before he spoke again.

"How you findin' it?" he asked "Bein' back? Any temptation to stay?"

Stella laughed "It's good you know? Like I imagine going home for Christmas would be, comforting"

"But after a week or so the old things start to resurface?" he provided "You remember why you don't live at home any more?"

"Pretty much" she shrugged "And so much time has passed, things are...so different"

"Not that different" he replied thoughtfully.

"Yeah, they are" she sighed "The same but different, everyone moved on"

"We're all still here though" he replied as the doors swished open and they made their way from the building "Jus' older and more jaded I guess"

"No" Stella denied "Everyone grew up, when I left, well, you and Linds were new parents, Mac was still mourning Claire, Hawkes was charming a different girl every week and Flack was still trapped inside his own head about what happened with Angell. And Adam, well..."

"Had a huge crush on you" Danny chuckled "Oh we noticed"

Stella looked abashed as Danny held the door to the coffee shop for her "Yeah, see? Even Adam grew up! And the rest of you, Mac in love again, Imean in love, Hawkes is all settled down with a family and Don, well he finally got through it all and look at him now, you and Linds are so solid. And Sid?! All that money!"

"You thinkin' about a sugar daddy?" Danny teased her.

"I have Michael" she told him sternly "Though I always was kinda fond of Sid"

"Everyone's fond a Sid" Danny said with a smile, ordering coffee from a hovering waitress "But I'm thinkin' that you didn't take me away from my beloved brick dust to talk about how things have changed around here?"

"No" she sighed "No I didn't"

"Then spill Stella" he told her with a lopsided smile "Because I ain't good at mind reading"

"Someone's ….. stalking me I think" she rushed out "I've had a few dropped calls, feeling someone is following me, last night I got a call from reception saying someone was waiting for me, when I got there, whoever it was had disappeared"

"Seriously?" Danny looked taken aback, and then as a thought occurred to him, worried "You think it's Lewes? Stella, why the hell didn't you say something before now?!"

"I wasn't sure" she sighed "I'm still not. This city... It gets to me, I jump at shadows, I overreact all the time"

"But it's credible!" Danny protested hotly "This guy is a socio-path, and he's got back at everyone involved in that case. He played them, Mac, Don, Sheldon, the only one he didn't get to was you. Dammnit Stell, you shoulda said something!"

"But I'm not sure Danny" she replied "I didn't want everyone running around in circles protecting me when they should be trying to catch him"

"Mac needs to know" he told her "And Flack, they can protect you"

"Mac does not" she stressed "It will split his focus, and as for Don, he's already too close to this with the Devon thing, anyone can see how it's affected him, her throwing herself at him like that. Adding this to the mix will just make his life harder"

"Stella, I can't and I won't let you walk off back to your hotel tonight knowing this" Danny said "I couldn't, it's not safe. I'm sorry, but I'm telling Mac, I'll leave Don out of it, though I don't think he'll stay out for long, you know what he's like. And you, you're staying with me and Linds"

"No!" she held a hand up "What if it is Lewes? That puts you all in danger"

"Stella, I'm sorry" Danny said with a sigh "But I'm not doing nothing, end of story"

"I'm not even sure" she defended.

"Then we'll find out" he stood "With the rest of the team behind us"

"Tomorrow?" Stella asked quietly "It's nearly clock off, you drop this and everyone will be up all night again"

"I'd rather be up another night and know you are safe" Danny replied "Than get a call in the morning that you're not"

"I appreciate that" she smiled "But..."

"Look, I'll do you a deal OK?" he offered "I'll wait until tomorrow to tell Mac if you stay with us tonight"

"Danny..." Stella sighed.

"No arguments" he said sharply "And Linds and I are both on shift tomorrow, so Lucy will be with my mom tonight, so you can quit your worrying. You refuse and I will call Flack right now, see what he has to say"

"OK!OK!" she sighed "I give in!"

"Good" Danny looked smug "We'll just tell Linds I invited you for dinner, and then you can stay"

"I appreciate this Danny, Thank You"

"You may have deserted us for the delights of New Orleans" he smirked "But deep down, you're still on this team. Hotel California, you can check out, but never leave"

…...

"He give you anything?" Mac asked Don as he took the empty seat at his desk in the bullpen.

"Except a load a lip?" Don grumbled "No"

"Forrester Gump" Mac mused "He musta got some grief at school"

"Humph" Don muttered "I'd like to give him some more"

"Patience" Mac urged "Is his lawyer here?"

"Oh yeah" Don gave Mac an annoyed look "And what a delight he is"

"Are they up for a deal?"

"I spoke to the DA" Don sighed "They are willing to drop all charges if the information he has leads us to Lewes. They are considering it as we speak"

"Well let us leave them to it" Mac stood, stifling a yawn "We'll come back to it in the morning, we all need a rest, we need to look at this with fresh eyes"

"Yeah" Don ran a weary hand over his face "Let's just hope that Lewes is tired too"

"I have the night shift running some stuff" Mac said "There's every cop on the street looking for him, until Gump spills his guts there's little we could do, even if we stay"

"Is this Mac Taylor here, advocating sleep?!" Don teased.

"Hey, even I have a life outside of here" Mac chuckled "Sometimes not as much as I would like"

"Know that feeling" Don said, picking up his jacket "Say Hi to Christine"

"I will" Mac gave him a direct look "Give your parents my regards"

Don smiled "I will, next time I see them" he said "I'm headed home"

"I'm pleased to hear that" Mac clapped him on the shoulder.