As Mac and Jo walked out of the elevator at the lab, Mac's phone rang. He gave the evidence to Jo so she could sign it in. "Taylor," he answered.

"Mac, I hope you're ready for your mission," Stella said.

"I am as ready as I'm gonna get."

"I'll text you when it's time. You better decide how you're going to get out of that lab without making your friends suspicious."

"Stella, please, give this up."

"I can't. Good bye, and don't be late."

Mac sighed as the call ended. He dreaded this but he had to go through with it until they could get Christine out. He got a notepad and wrote a note for Jo and went into the lab. Jo read the note: She is going to text me later. Have you found Christine?

We think we have, Jo wrote. Jamie saw Stella come from a garage.

Mac nodded. That must be it, he wrote. I was in a garage with the car before she blind-folded me.

I will text you when we have Christine, if you get to keep your phone.

Mac nodded and shrugged. I only have a phone because she wants to keep in contact with me. Just then, his phone rang with a text. He looked at the text and then looked at Jo. "I'm going to meet Christine for dinner," he said. "Let me know when that evidence is ready."

"Will do," Lindsay replied.

They watched Mac go to the elevator. "Oh, I can't stand this," Jo said. "I hate it because we can't comfort him or anything."

"Me too," Lindsay agreed.

Mac went down and started to get a cab, assuming that he was going to Christine's restaurant to meet them, but then Ella drove up to pick him up. Mac frowned and looked around him. He thought she was awful bold to pick him up right in front of the precinct. He got in the car and she headed for their destination.

"So, Stella sent you to do her dirty work," Mac said.

"She wants me to take you where the diamond exchange is taking place."

"Oh yeah, so if we get caught, it won't have any bearing on her."

"We're not going to get caught."

Mac wished he could overtake her but he could not now. He knew Stella still had that switch and she was most likely listening to them. He had seen cameras in the place she had been keeping them even. He could also tell that it was time for his medicine again. "Don't tell me you're going to help me," he said.

"Okay, I won't tell you," Ella replied. "Just don't forget that Stella has the switch and the chair is activated."

Mac frowned. "If you don't give me my medicine I'm going to have a headache," he said.

Ella looked at him. "You're just lucky that I brought it with me," she said. "Otherwise we would never have time for that. It's in that bag there."

Mac looked at the bag and the opened it to get the medication out. There was even a bottle of water there. He got the medicine and the water and took the medicine. "How did you get into this?" he asked.

"Stop asking me this," Ella said. She drove to the diamond exchange and parked across the street.

Mac frowned as he recognized the jewelry store he used. "Do you really believe that we can just walk in there and take those diamonds and get away with it?" Mac asked.

"I'm sure we can," Ella replied. "They will know you, and I'm not going in."

"What does them knowing me have to do with it?"

"You happened by and saw them and wondered what was going on. After all, you're one of the most trusted and well-known cops in the city."

"That will never work."

"But your badge will get you in and when they get suspicious, you take the diamonds."

"That's insane. Don't you know they are going to have security?"

Just then, Ella's phone rang. "Let me talk to Mac," Stella said. Mac took the phone. "Stop asking questions. I studied this very carefully and it is a 'very' secret exchange."

"If it's so secret, how do you know about it?"

"Well, you know Mister Gerald. He has a big mouth. See, he knows me too."

"You're just taking advantage of the situation."

"Exactly. See, I've been here in New York since before your wedding. I thought about kidnapping your bridge but I thought I would wait."

"Peyton was in on this?"

"How'd you guess? I guess you can't predict nature, can you?"

"So those two who were with her lied."

"They didn't know everything."

"And Quinn?"

"I never liked her."

"Why did you steal my memory box?" Mac asked.

"Because I could."

"Stella, give this up. What happened to you?"

"Just do your job."

Mac heard the call end and gave the phone back to Ella. He wished he could talk to Jo but his phone had been taken…

"Mac is out of touch," Jo said to the others in the lab. "Jamie has seen Christine now and she and Danny are about to try and get her out."

"I finished the background check on Stella," Adam said. "I think she really is messed up. According to this, she had a severe head injury about a year ago. She was in a coma for three days."

"Why didn't we know about this?" Lindsay asked.

"I don't know. I guess she couldn't tell us or didn't want us to know."

"I think it was about a year ago that I noticed that she didn't write as often but I thought she was just busy and finally we lost touch. I had told her when I first found out I was pregnant and after that, it just kinda stopped."

"Did you notice anything strange about her letters?" Jo asked.

Lindsay thought a moment. "I did notice they were getting shorter and almost sounded…philosophical. Like she was viewing the world differently. She seemed happy about my pregnancy but we didn't talk on the phone anymore."

"So maybe she's having some sort of mental breakdown." Jo got her phone. "I have to call the precinct she worked for and see what they know about this."

Mac and Ella finally saw a car arrive at the jewelry store. Mac saw Mr. Gerald get out and was watching around him as he was unlocking the door. He sighed as he thought of how Mr. Gerald would think of him as protecting him. He hoped there was some way out of this, but he knew Stella was listening to everything.

"Go on now," Ella said. "You can figure out what to say."

Mac sighed and Ella gave him a gun, his own gun, he realized. He glared at her wishing he could do something but he had to think of Christine. He knew these two were not going to get away with this. He got out of the car and headed across the street. He could see the light on in the store and decided that would give him the best reason for showing up. He walked up to the door and tried it but it was locked. He knocked on the door.

Mr. Gerald heard the knock and peeped out to see who was there. He was relieved to see Detective Mac Taylor at the door although he wondered why he was there. He went to the door and unlocked it. "Detective Taylor, what are you doing here?" Mr. Gerald asked.

Mac went blank for a moment but he cleared his throat. "Well, I was passing by and saw the light on," he said. "I was wondering why you're here so late."

"Come in."

Mac went in feeling like a complete traitor. "I'm expecting a diamond shipment," Mr. Gerald said. "Uncut diamonds so that I can make unique jewelry."

"Oh," Mac said trying to sound like he was surprised. He knew now why Stella wanted those diamonds. They were uncut and could not be traced, and could be made into anything and sold at her leisure.

"I have been so nervous about this with all the robberies going on lately, but now that you're here, I feel safe."

Mac frowned. "I'm glad," he said.

Soon, another vehicle arrived at the jewelry store and two men got out, one carrying a large briefcase. Mac watched as Mr. Gerald let them in. "Good evening, gentlemen," he said.

The two men greeted him and then stopped as they saw Mac. "This is Detective Mac Taylor," Mr. Gerald said. "He's one of the most trusted detectives in the city."

"What's he doing here?" one of the men asked.

"He was passing by and wondered why my light was on. Don't worry, we're safe with him."

Mac hated this situation more by the minute. They all went into the back room and the man with the briefcase set it up on the counter. Mac was surprised at the look of the diamonds when they opened the case. It was not every day that one saw uncut diamonds like that.

"Oh, aren't they gorgeous?" Mr. Gerald asked. "Even uncut, they're beautiful."

"Sure are," Mac replied. He swallowed hard as he took out his gun. "Give them to me."

Mr. Gerald was thoroughly shocked. "Detective Taylor, what are you doing?" he asked.

"What does it look like?" Mac asked, feeling like he would choke on the words. "Don't ask questions, just give them to me."

One of the men started to reach into his coat. "Don't do that," Mac said. He pulled the hammer back on the gun. "Take that weapon out and give it to me…and you too."

Both of the men took the weapons out. "Put them in the briefcase and close it," Mac said. "Hurry up."

They did what he said and then gave him the briefcase. "Get in that closet there," Mac said. They got in and Mac locked the door which had a padlock on the outside. He leaned on the door facing a moment and then went out the back door. As he was going down the alley, the car drove up at the end, but instead of Ella driving, it was Stella.

Jamie and Danny had gotten into the place where Christine was being held now that they realized that no one else was there. "She's on this hall somewhere," Jamie said.

"Christine!" Danny called.

Christine was shocked to hear someone calling to her. "In here!" she called. "Hurry! The chair is activated!"

Danny walked up to the door. "That door looks sturdy," he said. "Maybe if we kick it together."

"I'm with you," Jamie replied.

"On three…one, two, three…"

Mac got into the car with Stella. "Good job," she said and they zoomed away.

"Where is Ella?" Mac asked.

"Well, you know there are always casualties."

Mac looked at her. "You killed her?"

"You don't think I would leave her to ran on me, do you? She was too weak."

"Stella, you have to give this up."

"Why? I've got the diamonds and they're going to be looking for you."

"They're already looking for you. Give this up!"

Stella looked at him and pulled the car over into an alley. "So, you cleverly found a way to let them know," she said in a menacing way.

"Stella, what happened to you?"

"So much, Mac." Stella took out the switch. "Everything that happened, I just thought of you and that I wouldn't be there if I could have been with you. I just got angrier and angrier and then I couldn't contact you. I was too embarrassed so I just started hating you."

"Stella, please don't kill Christine."

"Oh I know she's one of the innocent."

Mac grabbed at the switch as Stella tried to flip the final switch. "NO!" he yelled.

Danny and Jamie kicked the door three times before they got it open. "Let's get her out!" Jamie exclaimed as she could feel the electricity in the air.

They began unbuckling the straps. "Please hurry!" Christine cried. When they got her hands loose, she started helping get the straps undone.

As they got the last strap undone, they heard a beep. Jamie and Danny grabbed Christine's arms and jerked her out of the chair. They all hit the floor at the door as the electricity sparked in the chair. Christine screamed with fear but Danny and Jamie were shielding her.

Mac was horrified beyond belief as he turned off the switches. He knew if Christine was in that chair she was dead. His fear quickly turned to rage as he saw Stella running down that alley with the briefcase. He got out of the car and yelled, "Stella!"

Stella whirled around and fired at him. Mac jumped behind a dumpster. "Don't bother trying to use that weapon, Mac," she said. "It's filled with blanks! You really think I would give you real bullets?"

Mac looked at the bullets in the gun. She was telling the truth. He stood up and threw the gun at her, hitting her in the back of the head. Stella screamed and fell to the ground. Mac ran to her and took the gun out of her hand while she was addled. "No!" Stella screamed. She kicked Mac in the back of his knee so hard that he fell to his knees. He drew back his fist to hit her but he could not. He just aimed the gun at her. "Don't make me shoot you," he said. "I don't want to shoot you."

"Well, if you want to stop me, you'll have to because that's the only way you can stop me," Stella said. She picked up the briefcase and stood up.

"Stella, don't."

"Go ahead and shoot me, Mac, if you have the guts."

Mac was fighting to keep his hand from shaking. "Stella, you're not going to get away with those diamonds."

"Yes I am."

Stella turned her back to him and started walking. Mac knew he could not shoot her. He had the fleeting thought that no matter how much training a person had, when it came down to something like this, their heart got in the way. He put the gun away and just went after her. Just then, he heard sirens and lights were flashing. "Stella, stop!" Mac yelled.

"N.Y.P.D.! Put your hands up!"

Mac tackled Stella but she was not out of fight yet. He tried to get her arms but she punched him in the nose. He caught her next punch but she brought her knee up into his stomach. Mac finally got her arms behind her but then a bright light shined on him.

"Get off that woman!" the officer yelled.

"I am Detective Mac Taylor!"

"He's trying to rape me!" Stella yelled. "He stole a case of diamonds!"

"She's lying!"

The officers could see the briefcase on the ground. "Where's your ID?" one of them asked.

"I have my badge!" Mac said.

"Get up! Both of you!"

Mac let go of Stella and put his hands up as he stood up. "Stand up, Ma'am," the officer said.

Mac was angry but he had to be proud of how the officer was doing his job since he did not know him. "Show me your ID," the officer said.

Mac reached for his badge and he was glad Stella had not taken it. As he was pulling his badge out, they saw a flash of movement as Stella jerked something out of her pocket. She threw it on the ground between them and grabbed the briefcase and started running. The small canister popped into a cloud of tear gas.

Mac tried to get out of it but his eyes were burning. He realized that the officers were turning toward Stella. "NO!" Mac yelled. "Stella, stop!"

Stella did not stop and one of the officers fired. Mac saw Stella's body jerk as the bullet hit her in the back. He felt like he was watching it in slow motion as Stella fell to the ground. "Stella!" Mac yelled. He showed the officers his badge and ran to Stella.

Mac turned her over and her eyes opened. "Stella, they're calling an ambulance," he said.

"Mac?" Stella said. "What are you doing here?"

Mac was confused. "Don't you remember where you are?"

"New Orleans. Are you here on the case?"

"All that doesn't matter. We're gonna get you out of here."

"Oh, Mac, I heard you were dating. You better hang on to this one." Stella closed her eyes. "I don't feel any pain now. If I had to die…I'm glad you're…here."

"Stella! Stella, don't give up!"

"I love you, Mac. You're such a precious friend…be happy."

Mac watched as Stella took her last breath. He could not help but cry. He did not understand what just happened: it was as though she did not remember anything that happened. He sat there with her until the ambulance arrived.

They took Stella's body on a stretcher and then Jo arrived. "Mac! Mac!" she called. "Mac!"

Mac looked and saw Jo coming toward him almost running. She thought he looked like he was in shock. Jo grabbed Mac in a hug. "We've explained everything about the diamonds," she said. She looked at Mac and put her hands on his face. "Christine is okay, Mac."

Mac looked at her. "What?" he asked.

Jo turned and pointed and Mac saw Christine getting out of the car. Mac stood there a moment, stunned and unbelieving. "Mac!" Christine exclaimed.

"Christine?" Mac started toward her and could hardly believe he was really seeing her.

Christine ran and threw her arms around his neck. Mac squeezed her to him and she could feel him trembling. "We're okay," she cried.

Mac had thought she was dead but here she was in his arms. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too, Mac. Take me home."

Mac looked at her. "Are you sure you don't need to go to the emergency room?" he asked. "Just to be safe."

"I will if you want me to."

Mac smiled for…he felt like…the first time in ages. "I do," he said. He hugged her to him feeling like he could not stand on his feet much longer. "After everything gets settled down again, we're going to…'our' cabin and we're going to take an extended vacation."

"I'm with you."

Mac looked back at the ambulance that was taking Stella's body away and then he and Christine walked away arm in arm. "I have to talk to Mister Gerald," Mac said.

"Is he here?" Christine asked.

"I don't think so but someone is going to take me to see him, and I'll be detained for questioning."

Christine held his arm. "I don't want to be away from you right now," she said.

"You won't."

Mac went to the jewelry store with Jamie, and Christine went with him as well. Mr. Gerald looked as Mac walked in. "I'm sorry for what happened," Mac said.

"Your officers explained what happened," Mr. Gerald replied. "I'm sorry you were going through all that, but you sure did scare me. I thought if you turned bad, we were doomed." He looked past Mac. "Is that Christine?"

Mac nodded. "Yes, this is my wife, Christine."

Mr. Gerald shook Christine's hand. "I can see why he went to so much trouble," he said.

"Mac would never hurt anyone," Christine said.

"Unless they were hurting you." Mr. Gerald looked at Mac. "I have the diamonds back so there is no need to ever talk about this again." He shook Mac's hand.

"Thank you," Mac said.

Mac and Christine went back out to Jamie's car. She drove to the precinct. Mac sat there a moment thinking of everything that had happened. He was afraid he would forget something while he was being questioned. "It will be okay," Christine said and stroked his hair.

Mac hoped she was right. They went into the precinct and Mac was taken to an interrogation room. He frowned as he sat there waiting, trying to remember everything that had happened over the last few days. He rubbed his face. He was so tired and wanted nothing more than to go home and go to bed.

Mac was surprised when Don Flack acme in the door in a wheelchair. "Hey, Mac," he said and laid a notepad and pen on the table and a file folder.

"Don what are you doing here?" Mac asked.

"I want to be." He picked up the inkpen. "Can you just tell me what happened? Start at the beginning."

"I'm not sure I can remember everything," Mac said.

"Just take your time. I know you have been through a lot."

"I'm so tired, Don."

"Let's just get this over with."

Mac rubbed his face and leaned on the table. "She was at the restaurant when I went to pick up Christine," he said. "Ella was there and she herded us into the back. Stella was back there. They knocked me out and when I woke up, we were in that place, and I was chained to the wall." Mac felt like he was going to fall asleep. "I took my medicine. I don't know why I feel this way."

"Do you need some water? Food? Anything."

Mac shook his head. "No, I'm just tired. I'll be okay." He continued and told Don everything that happened, missing a few words but just substituted.

"That should be enough," Don said. "With Christine's statement, we should have plenty. Are you sure you're okay?"

Mac rubbed his eyes. "Yes," he said.

"I'll get you out of here soon, and Christine too."

Mac yawned as Don left the room. He thought the weight of it all was coming down on him, but he still wondered about that case they had been working on. He wanted to know how that evidence they had found turned out and whether it would lead to another suspect. He wanted to know who would kill a college student with a thousand year old sword. He shook his head. He knew Dustin Covin had to be in on something that they had not discovered yet. He thought he would have to go home to sleep first before he got back into that case…and he would get back into it.