A/N: This chapter contains Mac/Peyton "action" but don't worry I won't let us Smacked shippers down.

Mac walked in to aparment building. He knows he's got to do this. Sure he's not going to be enjoying this but this has to be done. Mac stopped behind the door, he had a key to that door but he thought it would be inappropriate to use the key so he decided to knock.

After a little wait the door opened, Mac felt kind of guilty and couldn't face the woman who was standing in front of him so he kept his eyes on the floor.

"Hey." her voice was tender.

Mac still couldn't look at her "Hey."

"I didn't actually thought you would come." there was a hint of hurt in her voice now.

Mac now raised his eyes from the floor and looked at her in the eyes "I would never do that to you."

She moved away from the door and let Mac in. After Mac walked past her she shut the door and watched Mac standing there back towards her. Neither of them didn't know what to say.

Mac saw couple of suitcases standing next to the couch and finally broke the silence "You finised packing?"

"Almost." she answered shortly.

"You need some help?"

"No. Thank you."

Mac thought this was ridiculous and that he shouldn't avoid the subject, the reason why he came here in the first place. "Look Peyton...we need to talk."

"You think?" she was clearly mad at him.

"Don't be like that. Please."

"Be like what Mac? What do you expect? I've been trying to talk to you for few days!"

"I know I haven't been around much lately but you know why."

"Yes. But you have also been avoiding me."

"I've been busy."

"Mac, you're always busy but still you have made time for us."

"I know. But this is different. I need to find Stella."

"So is this about her?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you been avoiding me because of work or because of her?"

Mac turned around to face her. Anger forming to his face. "Both! Stella is missing and I need to find her. And it's my job to find her."

"You're not alone on this one and you know it."

"I can't just sit around and do nothing. I can't just leave her like that."

"Is there any hope of finding her?"

Mac narrowed his eyes "There's always hope, Peyton." Mac had to admit to him self that at some point he has almost lost his hope. "It's been slow. But now I think we finally have something."

"I hope you find her. I really do." she was sincere "Besides you look awful."

Mac looks at him self "Thank you."

Peyton looked at Mac from head to toes. "What happend? Besides the fact that you haven't shaved and you've been sleeping your clothes on."

"I got into a little fight with the guy who kidnapped Stella."

"Oh God! What happend?"

"I found him from Stella's apartment."

"You went back there?"

"Yes. Hawkes and I were there earlier and we left in a hurry and we left a case file behind. So I went to get it."

"I hope this is over soon and we can get back to our lives."

"I know we can find her."

"So you'll be coming to London after all this is over?"

Mac dropped his eyes to a floor "Peyton..." Mac was strugling. He knows he's got to do this but it's difficult for him to find the right words.

"What?" Peyton was afraid of where this was going but she wanted to hear it from Mac.

"Peyton this is...I mean...I...I can't leave."

"Why not? When you find Stella it all be ok."

"No. It won't be ok. Everything is going to be different."

"I know this is horrible for her and if she survives it's going to take time to recover."

"I need to be there for her. I can't leave her after all this."

"She's your friend I know that. But you don't have to stay with her forever. She'll be fine after a while."

Mac ran his hand through his hair. He didn't imagined this to be this hard.

"It's not that simple Peyton."

"It seems simple to me."

Mac shot his head up and raised his voice "But it is not!" he quickly lowed his voice because he knew this wasn't Peyton's fault "She needs me and I..."

"And I need you Mac." Peyton looked sadly straight into Mac's eyes.

"Peyton please let me finish. This haven't been easy for me and what happend to Stella made me think and I have realized so many things. There's no turning back."

"You're not making any sense."

"Peyton. I can't go to London with you. Not now, not later, not ever. Peyton I..."

"Do you love her?" her voice was almost braking down.

"Peyton..."

"Just tell me!! Tell me the truth!" she shouted out.

"Yes." he said quietly "I love Stella."

"How long?" she managed to ask calmly.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know. At first I thought this was all because of the situation but I noticed that I've been lieing to my self for a long time."

When Peyton didn't say anything he continued "I can't be with you Peyton. It would all be a lie and I don't want to do that to you. You deserve better."

"I appreciate your honesty." she said with tears in her eyes.

"I want you to be happy. You can't be happy with me. I'm sorry." Mac closed the gap between them and touched Peyton's shoulder.

"Don't be. I always knew you two had something strong. I thought I could fit in but there's no way of braking you two apart. I can't believe you haven't seen that."

Mac removed his hand off from Peyton's shoulder and says "I think I have but I just somehow denied it. But I won't deny it anymore. Life is too short."

"I hope you find happiness Mac." she really mean it.

"I hope so too. And I want you to be happy too."

"Thank you Mac."

Mac reached out something from his pocket and handed her the key to her apartment.

"Goodbye Mac." she looked at his eyes for last time.

"Goodbye Peyton." and with that he walked out of Peyton's apartment and out of Peyton's life.

CSI:NY CSI:NY CSI:NY CSI:NY CSI:NY CSI:NY

Stella had been dozing off time to time but always woke up when she heard even a little sound. She didn't know how long it had been since the guy had left her alone in the basement but when she heard a door slamming shut and heavy footsteps she knew she wasn't alone anymore. Basement door was yanked open which made Stella jump.

She watched the guy limping down the stairs,carrying a gun in his hand "That son of a bitch!" he cursed.

The guy came to sit next to Stella on a bed but Stella kept her distance "You're going to help me."

Stella saw blood coming from the guys right leg and asks "What happend?"

"Your boyfriend shot me! That's what happend!"

Stella was so surprised that she didn't bother the fact that he had just called Mac her boyfriend "Mac shot you?"

"Yes!" the guy winced in pain "Could you just do something!"

Stella raised her eyebrow "I'm a detective. Not a doctor."

"Don't give me that crap. You must have some kind of training to give first aid."

When Stella didn't move the guy pointed the gun at her "Do it!"

"Where did you get that?" Stella asked while she started to examine the leg.

"It's none of your business my sweetheart."

The guy watched as Stella kept examing his leg. He was facinated by her work. "Am I going to live?"

"Unfortunately." Stella said with sarcasm but when she saw the warning look on guys face she continued "It's through and through. Bullet didn't do much damage but you need to clean this up and stop the bleeding. You should see a doctor, you need stiches and I can't do that."

"Well you know that's not going to happen."

"So what happend?" Stella asked carefully. She wanted to know if Mac got hurt too.

The guy looked at Stella for a while and then decided to tell her "I went to your apartment and detective Taylor showed up, that's what happend!"

"Mac was there?" she was surprised to hear that Mac had been in her apartment after all these days she's been away.

"I was there first but then he showed up."

"Why did you went back?"

"I had lost my Chloroform bottle somewhere to your apartment. I had to go back and get it."

"Did you found it?"

"Yes. Just in time to get in fight with detective Taylor."

"Did he get hurt?" she asked concerned.

"I hit him pretty hard and once I stabbed him."

Stella didn't say anything. She was thinking about Mac and if he was still alive or not.

"I had to get out of there so I didn't have time to check up on him. If you know what I mean."

"When did he shot you?"

"As I was getting out of your apartment. Enough with the questions, I have to get back up." carefully he got up from the bed. He grabbed his leg with his hand and turned around to face Stella.

He pointed a gun at Stella "You're coming with me."

He released the handcuffs from the bed frame "Don't do anything stupid. I won't hesiate and I will shoot you if you try something stupid."

Stella nodded as saying she understood then the guy let her go first towards to the stairs.

While they were slowly getting upstairs Stella asks "You're not going to tell me where did you get that gun?".

"I already told you. It's none of your business." he snapped.

Stella got her self thinking. That gun couldn't be Mac's. The guy had told that Mac shot him while he was getting out and there was no way he could've got Mac's gun. Stella recognized the gun as a type of gun that police officers use. "But where did he get one?" soon her thoughts were back on Mac. She didn't know if he was badly hurt or not. Hell she didn't even know if Mac was still alive. She could only hope for the best.

I'm already finishing up next chapter so hopefully I'll be able to post it soon. I hope you enjoyed this one. I sure enjoyed writing it.

Don't stop reviewing people! I love reviews!!