Apologies for not uploading this yesterday! I was out for the day celebrating one of my best friend's birthdays, and then it wouldn't upload it for me all night, or all today! Grr.

So sorry that this is late, thank you so much for r'n'ring 17, hope you like 18 :D

It was eight-pm on the Friday when Stella had finally had enough. She jumped on the subway, getting off at Mac's stop, and practically quick-marched over to his house. Scenario's and experimental conversations battling in her mind.

She calmed herself down before knocking on his door. If she went in all-guns-blazing nothing would get sorted.

"Hi." She said when Mac appeared.

"Hi." He smiled gently and moved back to the kitchen, Stella following.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just reading the paper." He sat down at the table, the morning's newspaper open before him.

Stella crossed the table and sat down opposite him. She folded her arms and sighed softly. "What's going on?"

He misread the question and spoke about the headline. "Teachers are going on strike again. Not enough-"

"No, Mac, with you. What's going on with you?"

"I'm fine."

"You're fine," her tone dripped with disbelief. "So it's just a coincidence that we've barely talked, outside of work, for nearly a week, then. It's just a mishap that you've been too busy to go to dinner and it's just unfortunate that you haven't kissed me since Sunday." She sighed, annoyed at herself for losing her temper. In her rant, she had paced the kitchen, finally stopping near the large refrigerator. "I hate sounding like the jealous girlfriend, Mac, it's just…"

"'It's just' what?" He had swerved in his chair to watch her.

"At first, I though it was because you were starting back to work. You haven't been there for a long time, so it was bound to be an adjustment. But it's not that. It's like…it's like you've lost your passion."

"I've lost my passion," he reiterated, definitely needing her to clarify.

"No, no, not lost it; just shifted it," Stella said, her mind changing as she spoke. The hour-or-so of scenarios from the ride over hadn't helped, apparently. "It's as if you can only focus on one thing at a time. Before you came back to work, you focused on us," Mac rose from his seat as she spoke, standing in front of her. "We'd go out; we'd stay in; we'd actually talk. Now that you're working again, that's where your focus is, your passion."

"I've lost my passion?" He asked again. His voice only slightly registering it as a question.

"Not lost, just…shifted." She watched his eyes, half expecting to see hurt looking back at her. But as she watched, she saw them grow darker. Emerald green staring back at her, pre-empting a move she never expected.

Mac lunged forwards, attacking her mouth with his own. He held her wrists against the cool of the fridge, the temperature the polar opposite to her body's.

He continued to savage her lips, unrelenting and unrepentant.

Stella found herself whimper slightly, against her volition, when Mac pulled away. He released his hold and took a step back.

"I'm sorry," he muttered through swollen lips.

"I'm not," she practically snarled, pulling at his tee-shirt until she was backed against the fridge again, his lips on hers.

Xx

"I'm sorry," Mac sighed, his fingers stroking Stella's shoulder. His head was propped up against the pillows on the headboard, Stella draped across his body.

She propped her hand against his bare chest, resting her chin on it to look him in the eyes. "For last night? Don't be," she smirked.

Mac chuckled, "I meant for this past week. You were right, I had been pulling away. It's been a long time since I've had two worlds: A work one and a home one. I guess I forgot how to juggle them."

"It's okay. I forgive you," she pursed her lips into a flirtatious giggle. "But I'll have to teach you to juggle tonight," the bedside clock caught her eye, "because I have to get home and get showered and changed before work."

She moved to get up, wrapping the sheet around her, in search of her clothes. She wandered back ten minutes later, fully clothed and carrying with her the scent of percolating coffee.

Mac was sat on the bed, a pair of jogging pants and a tee-shirt on. "Here," he said, passing her a flattened out duffel bag.

"What's this?" she asked, sitting down beside him.

"Fill it and bring it back with you tonight. That way you don't have to run off in a morning," he was almost blushing.

Stella softened, "Are you sure?" She didn't want him to do anything he wasn't ready for.

"I wouldn't ask if I wasn't."

"Thank you," she grinned, leaning in for a kiss. "I've got to go. I'll see you at the office."