"I can't believe you convinced me to sit on the floor." He yawned and flopped onto the carpeted floor.

"Come on Mac!" She whined. "Be six again!"

"Fine." He rolled his eyes.

"Merry Christmas." Mac said and handed her a long rectangular package. She unwrapped it carefully and a wry smile crossed her face.

"Swabs. I knew there was a reason I kept you around." She laughed.

"Well maybe I'm saving the best for last." He suggested slyly. "Besides, you said you were out and you can't keep stealing them from my kit."

"You really know how to make a girl feel special. I was going to give you the good one but now you have to wait." She said in a tone that would usually be followed by a 'tisk, tisk'

"Here." She said and passed him a small box before getting up. "I'm going to make coffee. Hey it's snowing!" She smiled.

"I know, I'm sitting here in pygama pants."

"Shut up, Taylor." She said affectionately and kissed the side of his head as she walked past.

"Thanks for the swabs." She said as she walked to the kitchen.

"You didn't have to buy me a new watch." He called out.

"I didn't. I just got the old one fixed. I figured it was only fair since I broke it."

She smiled to herself as she remembered the day she broke it…

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Mac was in the shower and she was screaming at him. Her whole body was tense with fury.

"Damn it Mac I can do this case!" She yelled.

"Stella." He said in his high and mighty, authoritative, 'I'm the boss' way that she detested (Most of the time).

"Don't 'Stella' me Mac Taylor! I can't believe you took me off the case!" She hissed.

"You're too emotionally involved, Stella. Listen to yourself."

"I can't believe you pulled rank on me! We're supposed to be partners!"

"Stella, I'm your boss." He said matter-of-factly.

"I guess I just assumed that sleeping with you -"

"Might mean that you get special privileges?" He asked cruelly. He normally wouldn't even think about talking to her like that but he was pissed and she was questioning his (authority) objectiveness.

"Might mean that you care a little, is what I was going to say. It might mean that you would listen to me, that's all I thought." She said poisonously as she heard the water turn off.

"The decision's final Stella. End of conversation." He said in a very final way as he got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He dried his head with a hair towel and looked at her to see if she would keep fighting – correction:

How she would keep fighting.

"I hate you!" She screamed and threw the first thing she could get her hand on, which happened to be his watch. It clipped his ear (at the time he though it hurt almost as much as a bullet graze) and then it smashed on the wall behind him. Mac was halfway between laughter and utter shock. She threw a watch at his head for God's sake!

Unsatisfied with her lack of sufficient contact she picked it up again and threw it at the back of his head as he walked out.

"Ouch!" He said and put his hand to his head.

"I can do this fucking case, Mac." She said bitterly and stormed out of his apartment.

He jumped when he heard the door slam and picked up his shattered watch.

She was back on the case by the end of the day.

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Two pots of coffee later they were down to one present each.

"You go first." She said.

"No you go first." He retorted.

"Paper scissors rock?" She suggested. He laughed and rolled his eyes

"Paper covers rock!" Stella said triumphantly. "I always thought you were a rock kind of guy."

He smiled knowingly as he passed her a small wrapped cube.

"Oh my God." She breathed as she lifted out a delicate silver necklace out from a Tiffany's box.

"A diamond shaped diamond." She smiled.

"I thought it was perverse enough to be interesting." He shrugged.

"Did you get this specially cut?" He nodded almost sheepishly.

"Wow. I'd better be nice to you." She said and kissed him.

"I just thought, it's our first Christmas and -"

"Stop explaining! I love it." She cut him off and kissed him again.

"I'm glad you love it. I love you." He took the necklace out of her hand.

"I love you too." She smiled and held up her hair for him to put it on.

"Perfect." He beamed.

After examining her necklace for another minute and kissing him again she turned around and picked up a medium sized present.

"Okay, open this one." She said with an excited look on her face.

"Is this The One?" He joked.

"Yes. For your information, this is The One."

"Are you saying this is better than the watch?"

"I like it better. It was a hell of a lot harder to find, too." She said and shook her head and watched as he unwrapped his present. His face lit up like a small child.

"I found how to make you six again didn't I?" She grinned.

"I think you did." He grinned as he examined his knockoff Mack truck that was missing its 'k'.

"What gave you this idea?"

"Do you remember years ago just after we met you said that when you were little you wanted your parents to change your name so it had a 'k' like the truck? I thought if I couldn't bring the 'k' to you then I should take it away from the truck."

"You're brilliant." He grinned.

"I thought you'd like it." She smiled happily. She had never been so pleased with herself.

"What happened to that mistletoe?" Mac asked, looking around.

"I put it somewhere it could be better utilized." She said with a sly grin on her face.

"Hmm" He said thoughtfully and kissed her.

"You know I told Danny we couldn't go to his party." Mac said.

"That's very good." She whispered. She stood up and led him to the bedroom.

"Merry Christmas Stella." He whispered and kissed her.

"Merry Christmas Mac." She said against his lips. He pulled back and considered her for a moment. He glanced at the mistletoe and grinned.

"Just for the record, I think this is a much better spot for mistletoe."