Chapter 20: Monday, 7 AM

About an hour before, Gerard had started releasing chloroform into the AV lab to knock them out until he has decided what to do with them. Still locked in their prison cell, Mac and Stella now lay unconscious on the floor.

Freezing Together

"Hey, Gerard, happen to see Mac or Stella around here yet?" Danny asks, passing him by the door of the AV lab.

"No, they won't be in today. Mac's not feeling well, and Stella had a family issue."

"Okay," Danny watches him walk off down the hallway, knowing something isn't right since Stella doesn't have family. Plus, Mac hadn't taken a day off in who knows how long. "Do you smell anything?"

"No."

"Smells like it's coming from the AV lab," he reaches out to scan his print and open the door.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Gerard tries to shrug it off.

"Chloroform; that can't be an accident," Danny covers his nose and enters. "Help me; Mac and Stella are in here." He runs to their bodies, trying to wake them but they had been exposed to the fumes for too long. Grabbing Mac's body and beginning to drag him out, he sees Gerard doing the same with Stella, and he holds back a comment about him being weak for not carrying her out.

"We, uh, need to keep everyone out of the AV lab."

"Everyone will get the day off while the room is aired out; we can't take that risk," Danny checks for a pulse in their necks. "The fire department needs to get here right away."

"All of us need to get out of here; we'll call on the way down."

After getting Mac and Stella into the elevator, the four go down to the lobby. Danny makes the call to 911.

Hawkes happens to be waiting to go up, "What happened to them?"

"Drugged with chloroform. Don't know how long they've been exposed to it." The three of them get the other two out.

"Gerard, stay here and keep everyone out of the lab. Danny, get the paramedics. I'll see what I can do for them now."

"Already done."

Sheldon looks over their bodies, "Both of them are very cold and show signs of frost bite."

"Could it be possible that they were trapped in the lab when the power went out?"

Now, being exposed to clean air, Mac starts to wake. "Where am I?"

"The lobby. You and Stella were drugged with chloroform. Mac, what did you do this weekend?"

"I was stuck in the AV lab with… where's Stella?" he sits up.

"Right here. She's still unconscious."

Mac takes her hand, and as if by magic, she awakens. "How much longer until someone finds us?" She puts her free hand on her head. "Oh, I guess we're out."

"After the paramedics look at you, you can leave. I'll come by later with medicine for the frost bite. For now, I want both of you to go home, eat a big meal, drink some water, shower, and get some rest. And stay warm. Got it?"

"Yes, Doctor."

"We'll be at my place after getting her some clothes and picking up food. If you can, you might want to get the keys off my desk since we could be asleep."

"Oh, and arrest Gerard for us, will you?"

Nobody questions what was said as they leave.

Freezing Together

That evening, Mac wakes up to find Stella sprawled out on top of him. Until she wakes up, he is trapped. Turning his head to check the clock, he realizes they've been sleeping for over ten hours. He slides out from under her, deciding it doesn't matter if she wakes up.

Stella rolls over to the other side of the bed, muttering, "Too early to get up."

"It's ten o'clock, Stel. In the evening."

"I'm not getting up without coffee."

"Lazy," he pokes her side.

"Whatcha making me for breakfast?"

"Don't you mean midnight snack?"

"As long as I get food, it doesn't matter what it's called." The lights flicker before going out. "Not again," Stella complains.

"At least we're not stuck in the lab this time."

"But there's still no heat."

"I'll keep you warm," Mac lays back down beside her and wraps his arms around her. "Back to sleep it is."

A/N: The suspense is finally over. I hope you guys enjoyed the story. Well, I can tell you guys did from all the reviews. Keep it coming with final thoughts. The next story is only like one chapter; it's called Face Down, after the song used. Then the other one is called When Nobody Died and uses the Nickleback song "If Everyone Cared"; I love that song. That stories kind of sad too; it involves a school shooting and has a character death, but not Mac or Stella or any of the team; it's a made up character. And the last one I have typed is called My Best Friend, again after the song. Hope you will read those as well. So... I've been at band all day for the past two days. Yesterday we learned pregame. I'm actually a very important person because I'm right next to the fifty yard line as we walk on, so people have to guide off me and this weird trombone guy. And today we learned the football show. Again I'm important because when we 'collapse' the boxes we make, I'm one of the end people when we have to make our horizontal line vertical. This show, that marching part, is shorter than last year's. And I can march and play some. Last year I think the most marching and playing I could do was the fight song, which is in place. Anyway... I still have summer reading to do. A hundred and fifty pages of My Antonia left, which is really boring, and To Kill a Mockingbird. And only two weeks until school starts. I don't want to go to school. Well I guess this is it for now. Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed the story.