If I Lost It

A/N: This is my first fanfic. I hope you like it. Read and review please.


Chapter 1: Differences

"Stella," a familiar voice calls from behind. Detective Stella Bonasera turns around to find her boss, Detective Mac Taylor, beckoning for her. She walks back to him, "Hey, Mac."

"I'll pick you up at seven for dinner, okay? Where do you want to go?" he asks his long-time friend and partner.

"It doesn't matter to me," she replies, giving him a sly smile. After quickly looking around the lab to make sure no one was watching them, Stella gives Mac a kiss on the cheek. "See you later," she calls over her shoulder as she continues on the way to get the DNA test results that could wrap up her case from the technician.

"Mac, you have something on your cheek," Danny Messer, another investigator who just happened to see Stella kiss Mac, said, smirking. Mac jumped, surprised to see Danny standing next to him, and his face started to turn pink.

"How long have you been standing there?" Mac questions.

"Long enough to know you and Bonasera have date tonight, and pretty soon the rest of the lab will know too," Danny replies, quickly walking away to tell Lindsay Monroe, Sheldon Hawkes, and Detective Don Flack the exciting news.

"Danny…Danny," Mac calls, but Danny has already made up his mind and isn't going to let Mac forget it.

"Hey, Stella, did you get the results?" Sheldon asks.

"Yes, the DNA matched. Case closed," she replies. "I'm going home to get some sleep now that we've got the guy."

Hawkes, trying not to laugh at Stella, calls, "Have fun on your date tonight with Mac."

Stella turns on her heel, "How do you know about that?"

"Danny has told the whole lab you kissed Mac and said to keep it from you, but I couldn't resist," Sheldon answers her question.

"Do me a favor, please. If you see him, punch for me," she smiles.

"Bye, and I do hope you have a good time, even if Danny has ruined the surprise," Hawkes calls to her as she leaves her office.

"Stella, you look beautiful," Mac exclaims, awestruck when he sees her answer the door that evening when he comes to pick her up. Although she wore something she would probably wear to work, there was just something special about the way she looked tonight.

"You look great too," Stella complements, "but you look different. What did you do?"

"Nothing. Are you ready to go?" asks Mac, holding out his hand to her.

Stella takes it, "I think so." He leads her to his car and opens the door for her to get in. "Thanks. By the way, where are we going to eat tonight?"

"That's a surprise," Mac answers, closing the door and walking around to get in next to her.

All the way to the restaurant Stella tries to figure out why Mac looks different tonight than he did any other time. She looks over at him and he glances at her with that shy, handsome smile of his that she loves. Then she spots it: his eyes are twinkling, not like they used to before Claire's death four and a little more than half years ago, but it was a start. Maybe if she was lucky she could give them a new shine. She was so busy thinking about this that she didn't notice when they arrived at the restaurant, which happened to be quite fancy.

"Stella, we're here," Mac says watching her stare out the window without moving.

"Huh?" she asks. "What are we doing here?"

"We are eating, silly, what do you think we are going to do at a restaurant?" Mac replies trying to hide his huge grin.

"You know what I mean. Why are we at this fancy restaurant? I would have dressed up a little more if I had known we were coming here."

"You are special to me, Stella. And you look fine," Mac said getting out of the car with her following suit.

TBC… I'll try to update as soon as I can. I have the first few chapters written out and still have to type them.