Thanks SO much everyone – all you guys for reviewing and to the webmasters for fixing the alert system :-) Of course I continue this and yes, there is a next chapter coming up (see below – ggg). When I start posting a story, it's usually already completed – the only exception to this rule will start soon. So no worries about starting a story that will never be finished ;-) And: All my stories are happy – at least in the end they are – promise!

Please read and review, thanks!

Chapter 2

"Come on," she started again, quietly, pleadingly. "You know this will make things ... complicated."

He shook his head. "Don't speak for me, Stel. Yes, it might be complicated. But only if we make it so. Do you really think it would be a mistake to move on with this? With us? Do you ... regret what happened between us?" He looked around the room in search of words, suddenly he was scared that everything special between them was destroyed because of one night.

One special night...

What had happened between them had been amazing, he never experienced something as deep, intense, emotional, so full of blind and unlimited trust. Never thought something like this could ever happen to him again after what he had lost. Never expected the next morning to start like this.

When she had fallen asleep, curled up in his arms, he had felt like the happiest man on earth. He knew he was. It hadn't been necessary to sleep with each other right away even though he had the feeling both of them would have loved to do it. But he wanted their first time to be something very special, not just the final result of what he considered an extremely emotionally confusing day. He didn't wanna take advantage of her in any way and he knew he hadn't.

But yet, what if things still went too fast, what if she wasn't ready yet, what if she regretted having gone even this far and wanted to back out, what if she thought he wasn't ready and just wanted to try to make it easy for him to back out, what if...

This was driving him crazy. He needed to know...

"Stella?" he silently asked, afraid of the answer, desperately hoping that she wouldn't push him back now. He realized that this would be something he wouldn't be able to handle.

Not now anymore...

Ohhh tonight, you killed me with your smile
So beautiful and wild - so beautiful
Oh tonight, you killed me with your smile
So beautiful and wild - so beautiful and wild

He gazed into her eyes, seeing the battle raging in her mind. They were only inches apart... staring... both afraid of the other one's next move.

"Mac..." she choked out. His eyes softened when he saw tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Hey there..., why are you crying?"

She couldn't give him an answer... Too many things happened the past years, weeks, the past night. Being so close to him, feeling the touch of his hands, his lips exploring her body, his breath against her neck felt so incredible that she was still shivering, just thinking about it. She could feel him longing for her with every inch of his body and mind and yet he was so gentle and careful, willing to show her she could trust him unconditionally.

Too many things went on in her thoughts, things she couldn't tell him. When she said nothing, Mac became concerned. He moved closer to her side, if that was even possible. He figured that either he would let her come up with something or just make the decision for her.

"I won't leave you like this, I know it's not what you want," he whispered, wiping some tears from her cheeks while observing her reaction on his words. Stella sniffled and placed her hands over his as he gently cupped her face.

Her eyes looked serious, mixed with a little guilt. "Mac, I'm so sorry..." she whispered tearfully.

"Sh-sh... don't, it's okay..." he comforted her. He still didn't know what had upset her so much, but he was now pretty much convinced that she didn't regret anything.

Secretly praying that he wasn't completely wrong, he leaned in closer and closed her mouth with his lips. For a moment he could feel her tense up as if she wanted to fight him off. Then she suddenly started responding to the movement of his lips. He pulled her closer, never wanted to let her go again. The kiss turned into a mixture of longing, desire ... and electricity.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRNG!

With a heartfelt groan, Stella broke the kiss and turned around to grab her alarm clock - a ball-like item, about the size of a baseball, covered with stuffed material – and smashed it against the wall across the room. A muffled, indignant "Ouch!" was heard from the ball when it hit the wall, then it rolled over the bedroom floor and remained silent. Stella turned back to Mac, who was watching the scene with amusement, with an apologetic smile.

"Only appropriate way to react on an alarm clock early in the mornings... I know you don't want me to say 'sorry' again, but I'm afraid we have to get up. Work is calling..."

"Let's call in sick," he offered. Stella gave him a suspicious look.

"Both of us the same day? Very unsuspicious! I wonder what the boss would say to that??" she teased him.

"Oh, I thought your boss is a very nice man, I'm sure he would understand," he replied with a smile.

"Uhum..." she smiled back. "You wanna shower first, I'm gonna make us some coffee..."

She turned to get out of bed when he grabbed her right arm, holding her back.

"Everything good now?" he asked. She nodded with a light smile and leaned over to brush a soft kiss on his lips before she went into the kitchen.

Mac leaned back for a second, not convinced that everything was in order. Something was still distressing her, something she wouldn't tell him yet.

We're gonna work it out – no matter what it is, he figured before he went to the bathroom for a quick shower.

XXXXX

"Crime of passion..." Stella thought aloud when they arrived at the crime scene and took a first look at the situation.

"You think a woman could have done this?" Mac wondered, looking around in the messed up room.

"Yeah...," she took a closer look at the victim. A white male, in his forties. Around his neck they found a scarf, tightly pulled together, the whole upper torso slit open with countless deep cuts.

"Without a doubt," she added after a look at the mess in the lower region of the victim's body, covered by a sheet.

Mac gave her a suspicious look.

"Should I get worried?"

"Not funny, Mac..."

XXXXX

"Anyone here?" Danny asked, looking into the lab room.

"Just me – and my shadow..." Stella replied from behind the table, currently kneeling on the floor, looking for something in the cabinet. She glanced over to Mac who was following her every step for a while already. He wasn't sure himself why, somehow he had the feeling he needed to make sure she was doing fine.

"Hum?" Danny wondered.

"Never mind... What is it, Danny?"

"I just asked Chad about the results you wanted to have. He said you didn't tell him to run the extra test for chemicals on the stomach content of the stab victim..." She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"No, but I also didn't tell him to breathe and he does it nevertheless..."

Danny shrugged and left again while Mac wondered once again what was going on in her mind. The only thing he could tell for sure was that something was bugging her – and unfortunately he was just as sure that it had to do with him.

XXXXX

"Hello?!?" Stella rolled her eyes.

She could understand that Mac was distracted after what happened last night and most likely even more after what happened this morning, but now his behavior got more and more strange. First, he followed her every step, just like a bird mother who was afraid because her baby hopped out of the nest for the first time and was now climbing around in the tree. And now? No reaction.

"MAC! Earth to space shuttle... come in please!" she tried a bit louder, getting closer to him.

"Hum?!" he suddenly looked up, as if he only noticed her presence now. She rolled her eyes with a sigh.

"Physical and mental presence don't always go along with each other, hum? I asked you three times if we should wait for the extra test results for this evening or if we go on with that tomorrow and go back to the crime scene this afternoon. Where are you today?"

"Sorry, I was thinking..."

Then he suddenly jumped up. Stella looked at him in surprise.

"We're gonna leave now. Danny can work on the test results about the stomach content, Flack will go to the crime scene to talk to the neighbors again," he announced. Stella narrowed her eyes.

"And we are...?"

"...joyriding," he finished the sentence.

TBC