A/N: I actually had problems with this chapter. When I started to write this fic I always imagined my self writing scenes between Mac & Stella and now when I can finally do that...I find it hard! I don't want them to be out of the character so I have lots of pressure and for some other odd reason it's hard to write Mac & Stella! Even though I love their scenes together. I'm glad this is only a fanfic and not the real show. Otherwise I might get my ass kicked. :D

And I just noticed that this site is being nasty!! I read couple of my first chapters and there is words missing from the sentences!! It really pisses me off because I have worked so hard for this! And this makes my fic look ridiculous and bad sometimes! I know I have my typos but I never leave words out from the sentences!

After Mac had closed the bathroom door Stella had finished creaming her self somehow she was able to put on the shirt Mac borrowed to her. Getting the shirt on had been painful but there was no way she could've asked Mac to help her. After taking couple of painkillers she wandered around Mac's apartment with glass of water in her hands. She stopped in front of the bookshelf and looked at couple of pictures on the shelf. Food delivery still haven't arrived and Mac had been in the bathroom for a while now.

With that thought the bathroom door opened "I think I left my clothes somewhere around here." she heard him saying and when she turned around she saw Mac nothing but a towel around his waist walking towards to her. His skin was still wet and drops of water ran down his upper body. Stella couldn't take her eyes off of him. Manly scent filled her nose and her eyes rested on Mac's scar which she had seen before and which Mac had caught her staring at. Stella snapped out of her thoughts when Mac stopped almost in front of her and picked up his clothes from the coffee table between them.

When he looked back at Stella he noticed that she was still staring at him and she haven't said a word.

"You ok?" he asked concerned.

Stella blushed slightly "I-I'm ok. In fact I just took couple of painkillers."

"Did you have pains?" Mac got worried.

"Just a little headache." Stella said like it wasn't such a big deal.

"You have to tell me if you feel nausea or dizzy." Mac knew Stella probably won't tell him if she was feeling either one of those but he still reminded her about it.

"I will. It's been a long day and I had some hard times as I tried to put on this shirt. " Stella tried to reason.

"I could've helped you." Mac said without thinking.

"Oh, no that's ok. You already went to the bathroom and I still had to cream up my muscles." Stella didn't want to mention that she wasn't wearing anything else under the shirt.

"I really needed that shower, I must admit."

Stella smiled "I agree. You look much better and you smell better." Stella said amused.

"Thanks." Mac said and smiled shyly.

Stella noticed the cut on Mac's forearm and lightly grabbed Mac's arm without thinking. "Where did you get this?"

Mac looked down on his arm "Hannigan cut me."

"When?" Stella asked and took a closer look at the cut.

"When I struggled with him in your apartment."

"Did anyone take a look at this?"

"Paramedics."

"They didn't think you needed stitches?"

"They did. But I didn't have time."

"Because?" Stella looked serious.

"I thought I didn't needed the stitches and I had more important things to do at that moment."

"Well, you definately needed couple of stitches."

"What I needed was..." Mac looked down on Stella while her hand still rested on his upper arm "was to find you."

The silence fell between them. Stella tried to concentrate on Mac's eyes and not to his bare chest. Feel of a Stella's warm hand filled Mac's whole stood close but still too far to be body against body. Suddenly the moment got interrupted by a knock on the door.

"That must be our dinner." Stella said and broke the eye contact and took her hand away from Mac's arm.

Mac was about to head to the door but remembered his lack of clothes "Could you get that. I'll put some clothes on." he said and picked up his clothes.

"Sure." Stella started heading to the door.

Mac went to his bedroom and closed the door behind him. For a second he stood still and smile spread to his face. Then he walked up to the bed and started to put his clothes on.

Stella was setting down the food as Mac walked out from his bedroom. They both sat down for the dinner.

"I can't remember the last time I ate." Stella said after the first bite.

"He didn't give you any food?" Mac carefully asked. He wasn't sure if Stella would want to talk about Hannigan.

"He offered but I refused to eat. I wasn't sure if it was safe to eat it and I didn't want to please him."

"Understandable."

For a while they ate in silence and then Stella spoke up again "What happend inside that house?"

Question caught Mac out guard. He knew she might ask him that question at some point but he wasn't expecting it to be this soon.

"Mac?"

Mac wasn't sure what to say. He knew he should tell the truth but he wasn't sure if Stella was ready for it. "Are you..."

Stella didn't let Mac to finish "I'm sure."

Mac was staring at his own food "I don't think this is the right time to talk about it."

"I need to know Mac." Stella kept pushing.

"I know that but I don't think..."

Once again Stella interrupted him "Mac, tell me."

Mac lifted his eyes and made an eye contact with Stella.

When Mac went back to his food Stella got irritated "I need to know damn it! Talk to me!" she shouted and hit the table with her palm which startled Mac.

"I shot him, alright!" Mac shouted and shot his eyes at Stella's "Single gun shot to the head! Right between the eyes!" Mac pointed his own forehead with his finger, same spot where Hannigan got shot.

Mac stood up and walked next to the sink but kept his back towards to the table.

Stella watched as Mac hang his head down. "I'm sorry." she heard him say quietly "I didn't mean to yell at you."

For a moment Stella remained quiet before asking "What made you pull the trigger?"

Mac let out a deep sigh "I think I had enough reasons."

"But you didn't shot him right away when you had the happend after I walked out of that house?"

Mac was struggling with him self. He knew exactly why he pulled the trigger and what happend after Stella walked out. But for some reason Mac was having difficulties telling it to Stella.

"Mac? Please don't shut me out." Stella pleaded knowing exactly what Mac might do.

Mac knew she was right. He was trying to shut her out but only because he wanted to protect her.

"Did he say something?" Stella tried to help Mac with giving options. "I'm sure he upset you with his words. He was very good at that."

"He sure was." Mac said between his teeth.

"What did he say?"

Mac walked back to the table but still didn't face Stella.

Stella reached out for Mac's hand and gave it a squeeze. Mac looked at Stella "It's ok Mac. You can tell me."

"When you walked out of the house..." Mac started and looked down on his food again "Hannigan said that I won't be able to protect you. He said I did a bad job earlier and I won't be there for you for now on either."

Stella took her hand away from Mac's hand which caused Mac to look at her but she was now looking down on her food.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you Stella." Mac said sincerely.

"Mac, it's ok." Stella said quietly.

"No. It's not ok!" Mac raised his voice but lowered it immediately "Whole this time I've been blaming my self because I wasn't there when you needed me."

Stella shot her eyes up and looked at Mac "Don't blame your self. That's what he wants you to do."

"I know but..."

Stella cut him short "I don't blame you Mac. So you shouldn't blame your self either."

"Maybe things had been different if..."

Stella cut him off again "Don't. You have to stop blaming your self."

"And it took so long for us to find you. We were short handed. Adam is still on sick leave and we were missing one of ours and..." Mac was talking very fast and he tried to reason why they couldn't find her sooner.

"Mac. It's ok. I understand."

The look on Stella's eyes told him that she really understood and that she knew they did their best.

"I'm never going to let that happen you again. Never." Mac said determined.

Stella nodded her head and tried to smile.

"You don't have to worry about him anymore. He got what he deserved."

"I know you Mac. I'm sure that wasn't the only reason why you pulled the trigger."

"No." he said quietly and then continued "He said I wasn't good enough for you and.."

Stella saw corner of Mac's mouth twist. He was getting angry again put he tried not to show it "And he said you will be screaming out his name when.." Mac paused and then quietly says "when I'm having sex with you."

"That son of a bitch." Stella could feel her anger rising up too.

"He said you will never have the same with me that you had with him. He said you would want him more than you want me. He said I've lost you. He owns you now, it's him you love."

"That's not true." Stella hissed and she felt a lump forming to her throath.

"That's when I shot him. I just pulled the trigger and he dropped down to the floor. I turned around, walked away and never looked back."

They both sat in a silence for a while. Mac slowly finished up his dinner and it seemed like Stella wasn't able to take another bite of her dinner.

"Thank you for telling me." she met his eyes once again.

"You ok?" Mac saw something was wrong with her.

"I will be." Stella stood up but at that moment she started to feel dizzy. With one hand she grabbed corner of the table as she tried to keep her self from loosing her balance and with the other hand she held her head.

Mac jumped out of his chair and hurried to stand next to Stella.

He took a firm grib on her arm "Sit down." Mac guided Stella back to her chair.

"I'm ok." Stella said when she sat down but the room still kept spinning in her eyes.

"Look at me." Mac said when he bent over and took Stella's face between his palms.

Stella tried to focus on Mac and after couple of blinks she started to see him much clearly.

"Maybe we should get back to the hospital." Mac sounded worried.

"No. I'll be fine. I think I stood up too quickly." Stella tried to assure him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm ok now."

Stella sat still when Mac was still holding her face in his hands. Mac gently ran his thumb over Stella's bruised lip. Stella grabbed Mac's wrists and yanked his hands away from her "Mac, we can't do this." she said when she stood up and rushed to the living room.

Mac watched her go and cursed him self. Why did he do that for?

Mac headed after her "Stella, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I know I was out of line."

Stella tried to clear out her thoughts and then finally quielty says "When you'll be leaving?"

"What?" Mac asked confused.

"Shouldn't you be in London by now?"

Mac stopped on his tracks. How did this conversation turned to that all of a sudden?

"You think I would've gone to London when you were missing? I would've never done that."

"What about Peyton? What did you tell her?"

"I told her I can't leave. My main priority was to find you."

"What about now? You found me."

"Yes, I found you."

"But you're going right?"

"No."

"You're not?" Stella asked carefully.

"No. We.." Stella turned around to face Mac who was trying to find right words "..Peyton and I broke up."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Stella said quietly.

"You are?" Mac said surprised.

"Mac." Stella looked at him affectionate "I want you to be happy."

Mac smiled shyly "I wasn't happy with Peyton. I thought I was but I realized that I've been living in a lie."

Stella didn't know what to say so she waited what Mac might say next.

"Peyton loved me but I wasn't in love with her. I thought I was but these past few days made me realize what I've been trying to deny and what...or who really makes me happy."

Stella was amazed to see Mac opening up like this. She liked this new side of him.

But before Mac was able to continue Stella spoke up "Before I let you continue. There's something I need to tell you."

A/N: I hope you liked it. It took me a while to write that. I'll try to finish this fanfic before I go on a holiday but I have tons of things to do before I leave so I might not be able to finish this. But I'll promise to keep on writing when I get back. If I don't post another chapter before Christmas or before New Years... I want to wish you all Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! :)

Oh and I hope you're not too busy to review.