This is my first CSI:NY fic. Actually, it is my first fic, period. Reviews are greatly appreciated.

Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to CSI:NY.

Spoilers: Manhattan Manhunt

Mac Taylor was confused. It was a feeling he loathed more than any other. More than fear. More than pain. Even more than grief.

He sat at his desk, surrounded by the piles of paperwork that never seemed to get any smaller despite his best efforts. He had been reading the same sentence of the same paragraph for at least ten minutes. Maybe longer, he didn't know. But he couldn't focus on the words, he couldn't focus on his work. He couldn't shut down the feelings that were swirling around inside of him. Why not? He had always been able to before. He would identify and neatly box up anything he felt and then carefully tuck it away in his mind to deal with later. Later never came, of course. His subconscious didn't object. Much.

But today...today was different somehow. Maybe it was because they had finally brought in Henry Darius, a man who had eluded capture, who had eluded Mac specifically, for so long. Maybe it was because Horatio Caine was involved. Maybe it was because Caine had sent a "special regard" along to Stella...

"Wait, where did that come from?" he thought, startled. "Horatio Caine is a fellow cop and a good CSI. Without him, we never could have captured Darius. And so what, he got along with Stella? So what that she had seemed to develop some kind of rapport with him so quickly? So what that she didn't trust me that much for...how long?"

Was he jealous? He almost laughed at the thought. Almost. When Horatio had come into the New York lab, smooth and confident, Mac thought little of it, his mind being on capturing Darius. But then Horatio ended up working mostly with Stella. Going to look for suspects together. Processing evidence in the confines of the lab. Then she was calling him and knowing that something personal was going on with him and he was sending her his regards...Mac's defenses went up without his consent. They always seemed to when it came to her. What did that mean? Nothing. Certainly not that he felt anything for Stella other than a deep friendship. And admiration. And respect. And lo...loyalty.

Stella. She'd been on his mind all day. Hell, if he was honest about it, she was on his mind most days. She was a beautiful, confident, intelligent, intriguing woman. She never ceased to amaze him...

Like when they found out Sara was at Tiffany's. Stella had expressed her love for 'that little blue box'. He and Danny had just looked at each other and shrugged it off as a girl thing. But when she and Mac got to the store, she was more like a child in a toy shop. Her hands tightly clasped behind her back and her slight bouncing on the balls of her feet did little to contain her excitement. Amused, he watched her. He was almost sure if he suggested they go look for Sara, Stella would take off in a heartbeat, never to be seen again.

He had cleared his throat and waited for her to meet his gaze.

"What?" she asked. Then consciously stopped bouncing. He gave her a half smile.

"Nothing. You just look...excited or something."

"I shouldn't be, I know. But it's Tiffany's, Mac. Come on. Tiffany's." He just looked at her and raised an eyebrow. She mumbled something about him not appreciating the finer things in life, and then, he was pretty sure, a disparaging comment about his gender as a whole.

"Okay, okay," he said in mock surrender. "I don't get it, sorry." A beat or two passed. "Explain it to me," he finally said. Her eyes had told him she was about to burst from the wanting to tell. Stella always wanted to let you know what was on her mind. Over the years, she'd gotten better at not expressing exactly what she thought at the exact moment she thought it. It was better for her career.

"Getting something from Tiffany's is like getting tangible proof of...of...," she faltered.

"Love?"

She shook her head slightly. "Not quite,"she said. "It would be more than love. It would be a connection. A bond. An indescribable force...what?" she asked, noticing his increasingly puzzled look.

"What? No, nothing, sorry. Just...I've never seen you get so...is mushy the right word here?"

"Oh there's a lot of things you haven't seen Taylor," she teased. She resumed her bouncing. A moment later, Sara came into view.