Just a standalone ficlet born of the plot bunnies attempting to take over my brain! As always, thanks Moska for all your help. A better partner in fic crime will never exist ;)

Don't own any of them, no matter how much I wish I did!

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"I don't know about a full strength hurricane, that looks more like a tropical storm to me," Mac said to Danny as he watched Stella ferret through a pile of paperwork, tossing the ones she didn't need at the moment on the floor.

Danny laughed, "If you'd seen the look I got...," he said, shaking his head. "It's a hurricane, trust me."

Mac just laughed and knocked lightly on her door as he walked in, shutting the door behind him. Stella turned at the sound and glared at the interruption "Ouch what'd I do?" Mac asked.

Her glare softened, but he could tell she was still pissed. "Nothin' thought you were Danny."

"OK, what did he do?"

"Nothing. I don't know. What do you need, Mac?" Stella asked as she continued to rifle through the paperwork. A frustrated sigh later, she realized he hadn't answered and looked up to find him staring at her. "What?" she snapped.

"Heard we were under a hurricane warning, trying to decide whether I need to take cover."

Stella shook her head and went back to the paperwork. There wasn't an answer and she was too tired to carry on a pointless conversation.

"Give me half and tell me what I'm looking for," Mac offered, stepping closer.

"I'd made another copy of Hammerback's report on Serena Portinova and on it I had some notes about the Ecstasy found in her lungs," Stella said, handing him about half the stack.

"OK," Mac said as he started to shuffle through the papers. "We get another one that looks similar?"

"I'm thinking Sanderson could be. I don't know yet and I'm hoping something in my notes will trigger it."

Mac just nodded. Listening to another sigh as Stella tossed another set of paperwork to the floor, he asked, "What time did you get the call last night?"

"One? Two? Don't even know," Stella said, not looking up.

Mac nodded as he glanced over at the clock on her shelf. The clock he'd given her as a joke office warming present that she'd seemed to take a liking to. It was 2:15. "This it?" he asked a couple minutes later, passing her what he'd found.

"Yeah, thanks," Stella said, scanning the report and her notes. As she stood, she was surprised that Mac reached for it. "What?" she snapped.

"I got it."

"Mac, this isn't your case. I've got it," she said.

"And you're exhausted."

"I'm fine."

"Stel, I talked to you at 11:00 last night and you weren't asleep so even if you did go right to sleep, which I doubt, you still only got two hours before the call."

"I've gotten by on less."

"We all have, but it doesn't mean you have to. Go home, Stel. I'll finish this."

"I can do it."

"I know you can, but I'm telling you not to. I'll give it to Danny as payback for whatever he did in the first place," Mac added with a smile. Sensing her resistance dropping he said. "I'll be over in about two hours and I expect to find you in one of only two places; bed or the bath."

"OK," Stella said, giving in. Looking up at the closed door she offered a soft, "Thanks."

"No problem, go unwind. Any requests for dinner?"

"Don't care," she said as she followed him into the hall. "I'll probably fall asleep in my plate."

"Now that would be a site to see," Mac laughed. "Good night," he offered, for the benefit of anyone listening.