AN: Since we never saw how Stella left New York, there's a bunch of ways it could have gone down. Here's a take on it

Semi-inspired by Manhattan by Sara Bareilles.

As she packed the last of her clothes into a suitcase, Stella looked around at the empty apartment. She had moved a number of times in her life, but this was the first time that it was her choice and not a decision made for her. Not to mention this time, she was moving a lot further than the five boroughs.

An opportunity had come up in New Orleans; a chance to lead the crime lab there and make a real change for a city in need. Before she'd really thought about it, Stella had applied and they'd contacted her almost right away saying they'd be more than thrilled to have her.

It had been hard to say goodbye to her team. Lindsay had started bawling. Danny tried to comfort her, but he was on the verge of tears himself. Don had wished her well and seemed genuinely happy for her. Both Sid and Sheldon had made promises to visit as soon as their schedules could allow.

However, the hardest goodbye was the one that Stella couldn't bring herself up to do. For over a decade, she had worked alongside Mac, and for a good amount of that time, Stella had found herself hopelessly in love with him. She tried to deny it and for a long time, she was able to.

That fateful trip to Greece had changed everything. Mac had come for her after she'd gone behind his back. It was the first real sign she had that maybe, just maybe, he did reciprocate her feelings after all. After they'd returned, and after Jessica's untimely death, Stella had decided to finally tell him how she felt. Her friend's death had spurred her to take a chance because, especially in their line of work, life was too short to not go for it.

Fate had intervened in the form of a drive by shooting, and the resulting fallout led to Mac closing himself off again, and Stella making a huge mistake. After that, she'd never found another chance. The last year had been tough on everyone.

Stella picked up the suitcase and wheeled it across the floor. The sound of the wheels and her shoes clicking echoed through the apartment. She pulled the suitcase through the doorway, and locked her door for the last time. On her way out, she dropped the key off at the office.

She was lucky enough to find a cab parked nearby. Stella loaded the suitcase into the trunk and hopped in the back.

"Where ya going doll?" the driver asked in a full New York accent.

"La Guardia," she replied.

"You got it."

The driver pulled away. Stella looked out the window, her memories playing out as they passed through the city. They passed St. Basil's where she had spent most of her early life. While her life as an orphan there hadn't been great, she'd been blessed enough to find a sort of family with her colleagues at the lab.

They passed one of her old apartment buildings, and she shuddered as she remembered the ordeal that had forced her to move. When she'd awoken and saw Mac there, she had both been relieved and frightened, as she wasn't sure if Frankie had still been around.

Finally, they passed by the crime lab building. Most of the lights were off, given the time, but Stella could see that Mac's office window was lit up.

"Wait!" she shouted, "Let me out here."

The driver stopped and she got out, pulling her suitcase with her. Stella entered the building, shoes clacking and wheels rolling, determined to finally say her last goodbye.

The elevator dinged as she exited onto the lab floor. As expected, the place was empty, except for Mac, who was sitting at his desk. Stella could tell he was stressed and she was certain she was the cause. She walked over and opened the door. Mac looked up in surprise.

"Stella," he said, "I thought you had left already."

"I couldn't go," she replied, "Not yet."

She dropped the handle of her suitcase and it clattered to the floor. Then, she walked right over to where Mac was still sitting and kissed him full on the lips. He was shocked at first but he eased into the kiss. She slowly pulled away, tears shining in her eyes.

"Stella?"

"I love you," was her reply before she turned around, picked up her suitcase, and rolled out of sight.