Finally updated

Sorta short chapter

Kinda see a new side of Mary-Elise

Enjoy

"Momma! Guess what!" Mary-Elise jumped into her mother's awaiting arms.

"What sweetie?" Lindsay asked smiling at Stella.

"I went to the park! Aunt Stellie tooked me! And I showed her that bullet whole and I was right when I guessed the size and, and, and then Kali, you know from my class, came up with her Ma and Aunt Stella didn't like her because she's kinda rude," Mary-Elise smiled happily.

"Is that so?" Lindsay smiled and Mary-Elise nodded and then Lindsay continued in mother mode, "Did you think Aunt Stella?"

"Mm-hmm, I thanked her bunches of time but I will thank her again. Thank you, Auntie Stellie!" Mary-Elise jumped down from her mother's arms and ran over to Stella throwing her arms around her legs.

"Anytime, Kiddo," Stella smiled. "How about we go see Uncle Mac? Is that okay, mommy?" Stella asked Lindsay with a smile.

"That's fine," Lindsay laughed then added, "Although, I should be calling you momma."

Mary-Elise scratched her head and looked around in confusion, "But she's my mommy."

Both women let out laugh and Stella picked up Mary-Elise, "Come on, hun."

They walked in silence for half of the walk before Stella finally decided to question the reason for the four year-old's face, "Lis, what's on your mind?"

"What's it like to be in love? Like Ma and Pa?" she turned from her trance stare to Stella's face.

"What does such a young girl need to need something like that for?" Stella looked at her amazed.

She half-shrugged, "I was just… wondering."

"Well, I guess, its like knowing that you have someone to lean on and they can lean on you and you would do anything for them 'cause they are more than the world to you. It's sorta like a best friend, I suppose," Stella smiled with a far-away look in her eyes.

"Is that how you feel around Mac?"

Stella gave a small smile, "Yeah. Yeah, it is." A grin came across her face as she shift Mary-Elise in her arms where she could tickle her stomach gently, "Why are you so nosey today?"

Mary-Elise wiggled around in her arms giggling, "I was just wonderin'. I am sorry. Please, stop ticklin' me."

Stella stopped tickling the small girl as they came up to Mac's office and she opened the door, "Hey Mac, I brought-" she stopped seeing the room was already occupied, "Oh, sorry."

Peyton let out a small laugh, "I didn't think you saw me come in seconds before you. You seemed to be in a rather deep conversation with Miss Mary-Elise that is until you started tickling her."

Stella smiled shyly, "Yeah, it was a pretty deep conversation, one of the deepest I have had in a while, even if it was with a pre-schooler."

"Well, I just needed to tell you that Johnson did die of a puncture to the heart by a broken rib. By the rest of the injuries I think it was just a fall," Peyton informed.

"Thanks Peyton," Mac said as Peyton left.

"Do you think it was just a fall, Uncle Mac?" Mary-Elise jumped out of Stella's arms and over to him.

"Yes, I do, Lis," he replied picking her up and setting her in his lap.

"So, case closed?" she asked snuggling into arms.

"Case closed. Now, what were you and Aunt Stella talking about?" he asked taking out a piece a candy from the pile he started in his desk after Mary-Elise became old enough to use the puppy dog pout to get what she wanted. And that included getting you to run to a store for a piece of chocolate.

She took the chocolate happily, "Love. She said that the person you love is kinda like your best friend."

Mac looked up to see Stella blushing and he grinned, "I guess it kinda is."

"Have you ever been in love?" she asked after she had swallowed the candy.

"Ah, uh, oh," Mac stuttered, surprised that the young girl he knew so well could become so serious, "Yeah."

"How many times, would you say?" she continued, her eyes started to close slowly.

"All heart knowing it, I would say twice," he said rubbing her back as she slowly fell to sleep.

"Who were they?" she yawned.

"One was Claire."

"Can you tell me more stories about her later?"

"Yeah," he whispered quietly.

"Who was the-," she didn't finish and her even breathing said that she was asleep.

He picked her up gently and laid her on the couch in his office the smiled at Stella, "Yeah, that's a pretty deep conversation for such an innocent child."

"You have no idea," Stella smiled and collapsed on the empty cushion on the couch.

Review please. Come again