Christine's apartment

It is about 5 am and Mac is lying awake in his bed with a guilty feeling in his stomach. While he is staring into the darkness while feeling Christine's warm slow breath against his chest he starts to think about everything that has happened over the past year since he got shot. She took care of him for 6 months. She stayed by his side for 6 months and took care of him and helped him through recovery every step of the way without ever asking for anything in return. After he came home from the hospital she stayed with him at his place for 3 months and made breakfast for him every morning so he didn't have to use the minimal strength he had in his body on making breakfast. He starts to feel guilty thinking about how he treated her and kept her in the dark when he realized he suffered from memory loss. How he just shot her out and it almost cost him the best thing that has happened to him since Claire died just because he was being so damn stubborn. He always hated that nagging feeling after an argument but his pride and his damn stubbornness had gotten in his way for days. He looks down at Christine who seems to peacefully asleep on his chest. She truly is the best thing that has happened to him in many years. She has opened up his heart again. He never thought he would fill this way again. When he was with Claire he would sometimes get up early and go to the bakery and pick up fresh bread for their breakfast and set a perfect romantic breakfast for her on a normal weekend just because he felt like it. He never felt like doing anything like that for when he was with Peyton. Everything about his relationship with Peyton had felt so different and somehow wrong and right at the same time but looking back everything about that relationship was always so unpredictable. But with Christine… it has taken some time for him to open up to her but he is starting to feel so comfortable being in a relationship again and everything so naturally right in the world about this. Christine turns to her other side and away from mac. Mac slowly and silently gets out of bed with a good feeling about this day.

8 am Christine's apartment

Christine wakes up when she can't feel Mac on the other side of the bed. She sees the bathroom door is open and the light is turned off. She gets up and puts on her bathrobe. She walks to the kitchen. The breakfast table is set with plates and utensils. She hears the front door opens. Mac comes into the kitchen. He looks surprised at her.

"what are you doing here?" he asks.

"I live here." She says wondering about the nature of his intentions. "what are you doing?" she asks noticing a brown paper bag in his hand.

"nothing." He says and hides the brown bag behind his back. she smiles at him.

"Mac Taylor you are a strange man." Christine laughs and walk over to him and gives him a kiss. Mac fills she reaches out for the brown paper bag. He reacts fast enough to move it out of her reach and moves her in the opposed direction by wrapping his arm around her bag. Christine almost loses her balance, but Mac catches her and they both starts laughing.

"oh my god, Mac."
"never try to trick me," Mac says in a warning tone before he kisses her.

"then show me what is in the bag."

"you would like to know," Mac says in a teasing tone. Christine looks at him with a smile.

"Kiss me." Christine orders.

"don't try to trick me," Mac says,

"I'll just go take a shower then," Christine says and walks towards the bedroom. She looks back at Mac and pretends to be offended by him. Mac just smiles at her.

About 30 minutes later Christine is standing in front of the mirror in the bedroom where she is drying her hair with a hair blower. She hears Mac roaming around in the kitchen. She also smells freshly brewed coffee and the smell of lighted candles. The curiosity takes over Christine and she turns of her hair blower to go see what he is doing. Right before she gets to the door Mac is standing in the door.

"no peaking," Mac says.

Christine starts laughing about his secrecy. "what are you up to?"

"come on." Mac reaches out and takes her hand. She just smiles at him and let him lead the way to the kitchen. The kitchen table is set with a nice freshly made breakfast. In the middle of the table is a small vase with a red rose in and there are 2 lit candles on the table. Mac lowers the brightness of the ceiling light so it creates a nice gentle romantic light setting over the kitchen. Mac is overwhelmed by the romantic gesture. She turns to face Mac and kisses him with all the love she feels for him.

"you are welcome." Is all Mac says once they break apart.

"but why?" Christine asks after a moment fo looking at the nice setting.

"because I feel like it and because you deserve it."
"it is really romantic Mac but I don't want you to treat me any differently because of what happened."

"I won't. Cant I just do something nice for the woman I love?" Mac asks.

"sure. And I love it, I just want things to go back to normal, you know."

"hey." Mac says and take her hands and look into her eyes. "remember when I came home from the hospital?" Christine nods. She remembers that time all too well. "you took care of me for 6 months. I haven't exactly been the greatest boyfriend over the past year and I know you being in trouble should not be the necessary wake-up call for me to realize that but unfortunately, it was. I want to take care of you… Not because you were kidnapped and went through hell but… because I love you."
Christine places her hand behind Mac's neck and pulls him in for a long passionate kiss.

"you are amazing, but…" she says with a determined look. "enough with the mushy stuff. I'm hungry."

That just makes Mac smile at her. She walks over and takes a seat at the table and Mac serves the coffee for her like a gentleman. Christine likes this side of Mac where he is being a gentleman to her. She usually likes to be very independent but sometimes it is nice for her to be treated this way. Mac likes to treat Christine this way. Doing something nice for her and treat her this way is something that he really likes and it makes a little bit of the guilty feeling from the events of the past year go away.