Heroes Are Hard To Find

MS Set after S2 'Charge Of This Post'. They take care of each other, they help each other, they need each other.

Disclaimer: My Muse, my imagination and my dreams are all mine (but can be rented for a high fee). I'm sure if I owned the cast and characters we would have an enormous amount of fun (but I don't. I'm just borrowing them).

A/N:- Finally some sweet MS with which to work with. I started this in May and never finished it so here it is finally ready to post.

'Heroes Are Hard To Find' – Fleetwood Mac

Stella hadn't realised she had been staring at the scar on Mac's chest until he had called her on it. The truth was, she had always seen Mac Taylor as this kind of indestructible being and the wound was the first proof that he was only human.

She had known Mac for over ten years but he had never spoken of his days in the Marines but as she sat now in a hospital in downtown New York, listening to him speak of the Marine he couldn't save, she began to understand Mac a bit more and get an idea of what he was all about. Truth was, no matter how sure of himself he had been, he had really scared her when he had put down his gun to face Lessing unarmed. From that moment until Lessing had been taken into custody, it was like she was watching everything in slow motion, praying that Mac's heroism wouldn't be his downfall.

Mac had surprised even himself telling Stella about Corporal Whitney. Talking about his time in the Marines was something he never did, not even to Claire when she had been alive, and yet sitting here relating it to Stella hadn't hurt as much as he thought recalling the past would. After Claire's death, Stella had always tried to encourage him to talk through his grief with her but he had always refused, instead choosing to plough himself into his work with a vengeance. She was a good listener though and talking about the past sometimes made it easier to deal with the future.

Sheldon, Lindsay and Danny had come in then and after they had dispersed, Stella still hadn't come back with his coffee. He thought about Flack and what would have happened if he hadn't been able to save him. Would he feel like he had failed again and leave NYPD like he had left the Marines? He shook his head slightly as he thought of what Stella would say if she knew he was thinking those thoughts. As if on cue, she returned and handed him a Styrofoam cup. Ever since he had lost Claire, he had clammed up even more than usual and hardly said anything that could be seen as having any sort of emotion behind it but he was working on it.

"I'm glad you stayed."

That totally threw her off. She wasn't used to hearing Mac say anything like that. He hardly ever voiced his appreciation but she knew that wasn't because her concern went unnoticed. It was just that that was who Mac was: a man of few words. Was he finally ready to open up to her?

She knew she had not hid her surprise very well so she didn't make any attempt to cover it up. Instead she decided to voice the very thing that had always been at the very heart of their relationship.

"Mac, that's what we do – we take care of each other."

Seeing him look at her with a small smile on his face, she knew that he knew that and it made her heart warm in a way that only Mac was capable of.

Mac held her gaze. She was right, like she always was. She had always taken care of him ever since Claire had died and he wished that he had shown her the same care she had him. There was still plenty of time to change that though. He knew that Claire wouldn't have wanted him to spend more than five years pining away for her, especially when he had someone like Stella right in front of him……

"I'm going to the vending machines, can I get you anything?" Stella asked, standing up again. Mac shook his head and watched her go. There was still one thing preying at the back of mind that he had to deal with though and he walked into Don's hospital room and squeezed his hand.

Stella came back down the corridor, slightly surprised to see Mac not there. Walking to the window she saw him in there with Flack and he motioned her to come in and join him.

"He squeezed my hand." Mac said quietly, allowing a look of joy to cross his face.

"That's good, that's really good." Stella said, breaking into a smile and crossing to the other side of the bed to hold Don's other hand. She felt his fingers wrap around her hand lightly and she smiled across at Mac.

"Detectives, as he is being responsive I suggest that you guys go home and let him rest until the morning." Flack's doctor said, coming into the room with a chart.. Mac looked unsure. "Trust me Sir, it's best for him if he gets a good sleep tonight and then hopefully tomorrow he'll regain consciousness fully."

"Okay, but if anything changes-"

"You'll be the first to know." The doctor finished with a smile.

Mac nodded and Stella gave Flack's hand a final squeeze before following Mac out of the room. She stretched as she pulled on her coat. "Long day eh?" She said tiredly.

"Yeah, I'm glad Flack's going to be okay." Mac said, as they walked out of the hospital.

"Thanks to you." Stella said, shooting him a look.

Mac shrugged. "I did what I could."

They walked a little bit down the street, watching as ambulances piled into A&E. "You going to catch a cab." Stella asked pointing to a taxi stand.

Mac shook his head. "I'll walk you home first."

"You sure? You must be exhausted and I can walk myself home you know …." Stella started.

"I know but I've been dying to see the authentic Victorian dining table you have been gushing about to Lindsay for the past week."

"Now Detective Taylor," Stella said, pointing her finger at her friend. "If you want to see my new apartment, they'll be no mocking of the furniture." She instructed.

"I wouldn't dare." He said shoving his hands into his pockets. He felt guilty about not offering to help Stella decorate and move in when she had decided to change apartments after her Frankie ordeal but he had been so caught up trying to put the DJ Pratt case to bed that he had been a lousy friend.

"Well, it's been quite a year." Stella remarked.

"We've all been through a lot – you more than most."

Stella shrugged. "And then Aiden's death which affected us all. I still can't believe that she's gone …"

"She's going to get justice though. That son of a bitch is going away for life." Mac sighed. He watched a group of Japanese tourists push their way desperately through a group of young New Yorkers heading into the nearby night club. "And Danny and Lindsay have each other to pull themselves through the tough times."

Stella chuckled. "When you reined her in from Montana did you have any idea what a hit she would be?"

Mac shrugged. "I just seem to have the knack of convincing good people to join the team and getting them to sign the contract before they realise what they've gotten themselves in to."

"I had had a very bad day when I said that." Stella laughed.

"And I haven't let you forget it since." Mac smiled. With a hand resting gently on her back, he guided over to a hot dog stand and ordered their usual. What with everything that had been going on, it had been awhile since they'd walked through the streets of New York together.

The walk to her apartment passed really quickly and a comfortable silence fell on both of them as they concentrated on eating their food. It was only now that Stella realised how much she missed times like this where she could just relax and be herself around someone who knew her and the only person in her life who really knew her was Mac Taylor.

"Here we are." She announced as she led him up the stairs to her front door.

Mac walked into her place and felt like he was making a conscious step back into her life. Stella's apartment was nice and spacious with wooden décor making it feel cosy and homelike, very different from his own. He followed her as she led him from room to room chattering away with renewed energy about her new furnishings. She had bought new sofas, new chairs, new tables, not keeping anything that would remind her of Frankie. She seemed happy in this new environment and he couldn't help but marvel and how quickly she had picked herself up and moved on from her ordeal.

"And this is the authentic Victorian dining table!" Stella said as they headed into the dining area.

"Wow. Must have cost a bit." Mac said giving it an admiring look.

"Someone I knew was moving and had to get rid of it." Stella told him. "So what do you think?" She asked.

"It's nice. The place is very nice." Mac told her, slipping his jacket off.

Stella flashed him a smile over her shoulder as she headed into the kitchen. "Can I get you something to drink? Scotch on the rocks?" She suggested, reappearing with a bottle in one hand and setting it down on the coffee table.

"Wow there's not many women I know who keep that stuff in the house." Mac said, examining the bottle as Stella took a seat next to him on the settee.

"I keep it in store." Stella shrugged, pouring some of the liquid into the glasses.

"In store for what?"

"Just in case the Mac Taylor decides to come round." Stella laughed.

Mac smiled and they raised their glasses and drank a toast to Flack.

As Stella refilled their drinks Mac decided that it was time to break the silence that had descended on the room and in a motion which surprised himself but Stella more, he took her hand in his.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you more recently." He said quietly.

Stella felt a jolt run through her body as he gave her hand a squeeze. This had been totally unexpected and she had been unprepared for something like this coming from Mac. "I-" She started but Mac interrupted.

"You've always looked out for me whether it was helping out with my place after Claire had gone, nagging at me to get some sleep, standing by me during an OPR investigation or literally having my back like today with Lessing." Mac said holding her gaze. "And I know I haven't always stepped out of the boss role and been there as your friend like you've always been for me." He said, dropping his gaze slightly in annoyance at himself.

Stella was touched and a little shocked by Mac's words. It had never once crossed her mind that Mac had not been there for her when she needed him. She had never said as much but he was her rock who got her through the tough times and succeeding in making him smile and come out of his own dark world was the highlight of her day. "Mac you've been a hero for your country." She said touching his chest where his wound was softly. "Now you're a hero for your city but you've always been my hero and I know that people like you are hard to find so if I have to share you once in awhile then so be it." She said before giving his hand a squeeze in return and then reaching forward and embracing him tightly.

Mac rubbed her back, embarrassed by her words but at the same time felt things click into place in his brain. He was finally ready to do what he had wanted to do for awhile. "Can I buy you dinner some time?" he asked, anxiety brewing in the pit of his stomach, it had been so long since he had had to ask that question he felt like he was back in high school.

"Hmm, I'm sure I can fit you in somewhere." Stella said jokingly flicking through her diary, glad that things were going to go back to normal with them.

Mac saw that she hadn't gotten the hidden meaning behind his words and he leaned closer and touched her hand again. "No, can I buy you dinner some time?" he said, adding emphasis to his words.

Stella frowned until it suddenly dawned on her ….. No … Mac couldn't be ….. she'd caught herself wishing that he would several times …. But they were friends …. He didn't see her like that …. They had been through a lot together since Claire had died and he had never given her any indication …. She thought she had been speechless before but that was nothing compared to now. "Oh, I-" and then she trailed off. She couldn't speak. He was so close and her brain was too busy trying to process everything.

"We've been friends for a long time Stella and I don't want anything to come between us especially since I need you to do my job but I just thought I'd ask you once. If it's too weird for you then we can just put it behind us and pretend that I'd never said anything." Mac said, trying to read her face carefully but she was giving nothing away except shock.

Stella swallowed, knowing she had to say something soon especially since regret was already starting to show on Mac's face. "I'd like that." She said weakly, hardly daring to believe that she wasn't imagining this. "I'd like dinner."

"Really?" Mac said, a hint of a smile present. "You, me, think the world's ready for this?"

Stella smiled and moved closer to him. "I know I am." She said softly.

Heroes were hard to find but she had hers right in front of her.