Hello everybody! My vacation was awesome, but it's good to be back :) Wrote quite a few chapters over the time, so how about we get back into it:D Thanks for coming back, y'all! xx

Stella's eyes were not cooperating with the stack of paperwork she had at her side. Her head was propped on her left hand, while her right was attacking the seemingly never-ending pile. She'd dosed off on more than one occasion, jerking herself awake just before her head hit the table. Mac was watching from behind his own pile, which definitely didn't look as large as hers, with a smirk or two when she was 'resting her eyes'.

"Will you just go to bed?" he said, leaning back in his kitchen chair.

"Later. Got to finish this lot first," she replied, straightening her back and releasing the cricks in her neck.

"Finish it tomorrow. There's no way any of it's making sense anyway, you're falling asleep between each sentence."

"It'll be fine."

"You want another coffee, then?"

"I'll take a vacation if you've got one back there," she muttered flippantly with a smile, leaning her head back onto her hand.

Mac thought about that for a second. "Why don't we?"

"'Why don't we' what?" she crossed a 'T' and dotted an 'I', only half listening.

"Go on vacation." That piqued her attention. "I haven't had one in six years, you in even longer, so we have the days. And I think we've pretty much earned one, after these past six months."

Stella thought over the last half year of her life: Mac's returning to war, and finally back home; The Palmer fiasco; Their relationship; Natalie's miscarriage…"Highbourne'd never go for it," she dismissed with a yawn.

"If I sorted it, would you go?" he got up and crossed to Stella, kneading at her aching and over-tired shoulders.

"Of course I would, but there's no chance you'll be able to sweet talk the Chief into letting both of us off for a vacation. He still frowns upon us being at work together, but being off together…?" she rolled her neck for easier access for Mac's fingers.

"Leave it with me," Mac said, his mind already working through solutions. "In the mean time," he took the pen out of her hand and shuffled papers together on the table, "Bed."

"Is that an order?"

He had to smirk at the naughty twinkle in her hooded eyes as she stalked to the bedroom, "Yes."

"Ooo!" She wearily sassed, a deep yawn counteracting her behaviour.

Xx

A week had passed since Mac had mentioned a vacation, but it never ventured far from his mind. Stella had all but forgotten, not believing for one second that Mac could pull it off.

He was passing through the halls, having just had the talk with Frank Highbourne. It had taken a while, a few favours had been called and some 'gentle' reminders of recent events had been mentioned. He flipped open his phone and scrolled to a number.

"Dawn Hopkirk, Sun, Sea and Sand Travel Agency. How can I help you?" A voice answered, her accent unmistakably New York.

"Dawn, it's Mac Taylor."

"Well, I never! It's been a while."

"It has. How's life been treating you?"

"Just grand, just grand. With you?"

"All the better for talking to you."

"Oh you big flirt. Now is this a personal or professional call?"

"Professional. I need a vacation, one week, leaving Saturday, to anywhere."

"Anywhere?"

"Anywhere with your three specialities."

"Sun, Sea and Sand? I think I can muster something up. How many tickets? Tell me you're not going on your lonesome, 'cos I'll just book myself a ticket right here and now…"

"Need two, but already have a person in mind, sorry."

"Crushed! I'll give you a ring in a couple of hours with the details."

"Thank you, Dawn."

"Anything for you, sweet cheeks!"

He rolled his eyes with a smirk as he flipped the phone shut, feeling quite proud of himself. Day and Swing shifts had already agreed to taking a couple of their hours, and Natalie, Connor and Danny were more than accommodating of getting rid of the boss for a week.

The next stage was convincing Stella to leave. Natalie had just returned to work, having only taken a week off claiming that sitting at home was driving her crazy. Stella had taken her even more under her wing, while Nat seemed to be handling everything better than could be expected and even promised to visit the on-staff therapist as a condition for her early return. But telling Stella that Nat was fine was a different story.

She had appointed herself to shadow the younger woman at her scenes, on hand for any help needed, professionally and/or personally speaking. When Mac had mentioned that he was hoping to take Stella away for a few days, she was practically pushing them out of the door there and then. He told her that he might just need that help when it came to telling Stella, Nat jumped at the chance.

When Mac reached his office, the message light on his desk phone was blinking. He grimaced as he listened to the voicemail.

"Mac, my darling son, guess who? You might not remember me, but this is your mother. Remember her? The woman who was in labour with you for 14 hours? The woman who received a phone call from Martha Myerson to say how happy she was that you're moving on, and with a 'delight' such as Stella? Yes, that's the one. You don't mention this to me? Anyway, I've checked the Internet-thing, and there's a flight up here on Friday night; two tickets will be waiting for you at JFK and I'll be waiting for the reimbursement when you get here. Looking forward to seeing you. Kisses, Mom."

He wasn't looking forward to that visit, nor putting Stella through it. He flipped open his cell phone again.

"Dawn Hopkirk, Sun, Sea and Sand Travel Agency. How can I help you?"

"Dawn, it's Mac again."

"Twice in one day? I'm honoured!"

"Change of plans for the vacation. We'll be flying from Chicago, not New York."

"Chicago? Okay, I can work with that."

"Looking forward to your call."

"That's what they all say." With that, Dawn clicked off.

Mac sat back in the chair, imagining the phone call to his mother and mentioning that little change of plans to Stella. As if on cue, the woman in question strolled past the office. He called to her, stopping her dead in her tracks, her head swivelling in all directions for the source. She finally saw Mac watching her and opened the glass doors.

"You called?"

"You might need to sit down…"

That wasn't a good way to start a conversation. She slowly descended onto the seat, asking, "What's wrong?"

"I'm in a little bit of trouble…" Stella sat forward, resting her elbows on her knees, preparing herself for what was to come. "It seems Martha had phoned my mother and mentioned how happy she was that I've moved on, and that I've moved on with you."

"Let me guess, you hadn't told your mom?" She wasn't fighting a smirk as much as Mac would have liked.

"Apart from a phone call when I got back from my tour, I haven't really spoken to her."

"And that's just added to the mess?"

"Pretty much. So how do you fancy a mini-vacation to Chicago this weekend?"

"You want me to come?" She was just the slightest bit scared by that prospect.

"So does my Mom."

That was even scarier, but the look in Mac's eyes brought her back to a smirk. "Is that the vacation you talked about last week?"

"No, that's starts on Saturday."

"Excuse me?"

He nodded with a self-satisfied smile as he crossed to Stella's side of the desk, propping himself against the corner. "Yep. You, me, one week in the sun."

"You actually pulled it off?"

"You doubted?"

"For the last time," she chuckled. "So where are we going?"

"That's a surprise." He neglected to mention that it was a surprise to him too.