A/N I have to confess that I actually wrote this one at the same time I did Chapter 6, but I felt like they needed to be divided up. I also wanted some time in between. I know it's just a story and isn't that emotionall to everyone, but I always tend to pour everything into my stories and the CH. 6 and especially this one, I even found myself crying while writing. Bizarre huh? So anyway…………….I think this is the next to last Chapter. I just have to figure out how to end the story……..HA HA HA HA I keep interchanging ideas.

There's a cool note at the end, but it would mess up the story to tell you before. Anyway……….guess I should leave the rambling to my LJ and just get on with the story……….Enjoy!

Chapter 7 A Time to Love

"Mac?" Stella says as she walks in the door slowly.

Mac looks at her and says, "Will you please come and sit down for a minute?" Stella bites her upper lip and walks over to sit down on the bed right beside him. He's gotten back in the bed and has it sitting all the way up. She sits down and faces him. She tries to read his eyes and as usual, can't tell a thing.

Mac says quietly, "I owe you an apology. I'm sorry that I've been so selfish. I never gave a thought to how hard this must have been for you."

Stella chokes up and shakes her head. "It's OK, Mac………"

He interrupts her and says firmly, "No, it's not Ok." She looks up at him and lets a tear slide down her cheek. "I needed you here Stella. You have been a lifeline for me during all of this. Your calm voice was soothing every time I thought I was going to lose it. I just hate that you've had to give up so much time and just all that stuff but I said it all wrong. I'm sorry for that. You have been so much more than a babysitter. I was just cranky and I'm just sorry."

Stella smiles through her tears. "I know this has been so hard for you Mac. On top of the injury and being closed up in here, I know this is hard. I know that hospitals remind you of searching for Claire. I'd come in and see you staring out the window. I felt sure you were thinking about her and missing her and I felt like I was intruding. I just couldn't stay away."

Mac shakes his head and looks down. He licks his bottom lip, chews on it and then looks back up at Stella. "You're wrong Stella. At least about one thing." She raises her eyebrows at him." When I was staring out the window. I wasn't thinking about Claire. I'll miss her until the day that I die, but that doesn't consume me anymore."

Stella watches his face and sees that he means that. "So, what thoughts was it I was intruding on? I know it was something."

He clears his throat and looks Stella in the face, "I was thinking about you."

Stella feels like time has stopped right in front of her. She can feel her heart beating in her throat but everything else seems to have stopped. "Me?..." she said in almost a whisper.

Mac nods. "Yeah. You. I was thinking about when you were coming back or how long you'd been gone and when it all started mattering so much. I don't know when it started mattering so much Stella, but it did. I care about you."

Stella leans her head back to try to reign in the tears. "Well, thank you God. I was beginning to think it was just me." She lets a laugh escape her. "Only, I think I know when it changed for me."

Mac raises an eyebrow. "Really? When?"

Stella looks to the side and smiles in remembrance. "Do you remember the night we were both going out on dates and I took your tie off and straightened your shirt?" Mac smiles at the memory. He nods, "Yes I remember that night well. Not because the date was that great though."

Stella reaches over and takes Mac's hand. "I was straightening your shirt and my insides were boiling. I thought you were the sexiest man right then that I had ever seen. I was so touched by you and your love for Claire and for your willingness to move on and know when it was time to do that. And I watched you walk away and felt completely empty because I wanted to be the woman with you that night……………….and I've battled with my heart about you ever since."

Mac takes his free hand and reaches up and wipes a tear from Stella's' face. "Well, I have a confession." He says with a smile. "I caught my breath when you walked in the room that night. You were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. When you were standing in front of me and I could smell your perfume, it took every ounce of my willpower to not kiss you right then. I really wanted to. Now I wish I had…………."

Stella laughs and can not believe they'd both felt it that night. "I knew, Mac. I knew you'd felt the jolt of something. Did you know? Could you tell I'd felt it too?"

Mac smiles and nods, "Yeah. I could tell. I just kept telling myself that a workplace romance would be doomed from the beginning."

Stella's look gets really serious, "And now?"

Mac thinks for a minute, "I fell off of a building and almost died. I have a new outlook on a lot of things. Policies can be re-written, relationships can start out discreet, but I won't walk away from what's in my heart right now. Not this time." He grins and says, "If that's Ok with you?"

Stella's grin spreads across her entire face, "Yeah, that's very OK with me."

Mac starts moving to get up. "I need to stand up for a minute." Stella was afraid he was hurting since he was killing the moment so she jumps up and helps him stand up and get past the dizziness.

"Now, that's better." Mac says with a smile. He reaches for Stella's hand and pulls her closer into his arms. He takes his hands and cups her cheeks and pulls her mouth up to his. He kisses her slowly at first and then deeper and longer. Stella lets her hand slide up to his chest. She can feel the tingling all the way to her toes. He kissed her long and hard and neither of them wanted to stop.

"Ahem……………………."

Stella and Mac both jump. Stella's face turns blood red as she turns to see a grinning Don Flack propped up in the doorway.

"Yeah, I was gonna let you guys finish, but I've been standing here for like 20 minutes and I got tired of watching…………." Flack says quite amused by the look on both of their faces.

"It was NOT 20 minutes………" Stella says glaring at Flack.

Flack and Mac both start laughing. Mac says, "Stella and I have had a long talk today, Don."

Flack winks at Stella and says, "No offense, Mac but that didn't look like talking to me!"

Stella looks mortified and Mac looks over at her and smiles and then says to Flack, "Yeah, well you just got to see the exclamation point at the end."

Stella laughs and looks over at Mac with a big smile realizing that he is not bothered by Flack catching them at all. Flack is laughing hard, "That was a good one, Mac! I'm gonna have to use that one!"

"In all seriousness Don, I will have to discuss this relationship with my team. The kiss you walked in on was the first we've ever shared, but it won't be the last. If you don't mind, just let me tell my team before you enjoy the razzing. I'm OK with the razzing if you can just hold off on it for a few days." Mac says.

Flack still grinning says, "Absolutely. I think that's awesome Mac. You two are perfect for each other. My lips are sealed……………for now. I gotta get back to the office. Just wanted to check in. I saw your doc in the hall and he said you were going home tomorrow. You coming by the office?"

Mac looks at Stella, "You'll have to ask my driver." Stella smiles at his willingness to let her take care of him. "Sure, we'll stop by."

Flack nods, steps out to leave and says, "OK, carry on with what you were doing, I'll see you tomorrow."

Stella looks to Mac and shakes her head laughing. She slips her arms around his neck. "Where were we Detective Taylor?" He reaches up and puts a finger on her lips, "I think right here." He leans down and kisses her again and before he can even blink, Mac Taylor forgets that he is in a hospital and that he is injured. He just loses himself in the woman in front of him.

Ta Dah! Love, Love, Love. Only one more chapter! And no worries, D/L fans………..I'm not through with them yet either! Please read and review! More soon!

Another A/ N Ok……….It is 8:20 on a Sat night and I just have to share this! Now that you have read this!( I waited to post it to put some time in between chapters for people to get caught up. So this will be a time lapse, but going back….. ) However………….I was whining because I didn't have plans tonight and I flipped the TV on about 7:45 and it was advertising CSI:NY coming on on a special night. I was all excited and it just came on and YOU WILL NEVER GUESS WHICH EPISODE IT IS! Yep! "What You See is What You See". I am laughing so hard and totally excited! As soon as I referred to part of that scene, I get to re-watch it! That's my little happy for the night and I'm done! LOL!