Stella ran through the warehouse.

"Mac! Mac!"

"Stella?" she ran towards his voice. He'd been tied to one of the poles that held up the warehouse roof. He'd been badly beaten, he had a black eye, cuts on his face, a swollen lip and blood all over his open shirt where his chest had been slashed. Stella watched it rise and fall painfully as she dropped down in front of him.

"it's ok, you're going to be ok," she whispered to him. He couldn't breathe well but that didn't stop her kissing his lips gently. She leant around him and started to untie his hands. She stopped when someone held a gun at Mac's head.

"you're going to be ok, you're going to be ok!" the cruel imitation of her words rang in her head, as did the sneering voice which she knew so well. She looked up, dreading what she knew she would see. Frankie grinned down at her. He cocked the gun. Mac closed his eyes in despair.

"get ready to see your lover's head blown in." said Frankie calmly, but with a manic grin.

"Leave him alone!" Stella hissed. Frankie just laughed at her.

"Ready," he said pushing the end of the gun against Mac's head. Mac was helpless to do anything. "Aim," Stella wanted to say something, or do something but she couldn't, she felt frozen watching the horrific massacre. "Fire."

Mac's head lolled sideways, the blood falling down his face like red tears from the bullet wound. Stella felt faint, she was falling away from him…

… into her bed. She stared at the ceiling.

"How come I'm still having that dream?" she asked the ceiling. She could have sworn the ceiling shrugged at her. A funny beeping noise made her look round at her alarm clock which was desperately showing the numbers 9:57.

"Crap!" she yelled and scooted out of bed. Behind her the ceiling muttered, "language dear."

Later when she was walking the quick way to work she spotted Mac alive and well in a coffee shop. She quickly entered and leaned over his shoulder.

"Hey," she said. Mac looked round in surprise but smiled when he saw who it was. Stella's heart started going, 'when Mac looks at you and smiles,

It's so worthwhile,

Your heart starts leaping at seconds per mile!

Oh it's a jolly holiday with Mac!

A jolly jolly holiday with Mac!'

"Hey." he replied. He indicated the blackboard. "Want anything?" she shook her head, completely unaware of the fact that she was looking at him with googly eyes. When he gave her a strange look as he invited her to sit down with him, Stella realised what she was doing and stopped immediately. Mac was kind of disappointed, he had started to hope that maybe Stella liked him more than a friend, but Stella was way out of his league, she'd never want him. He mentally shook himself. At least he hoped he did it mentally.

They sat on opposite sides of the table by the window. Stella looked around.

"This is nice." She remarked. Mac nodded, drinking his coffee, with a smile playing round his eyes. Seriously, some little kid drew it on him when he wasn't looking. Anyway, Stella's heart went boom-ba-da-boom-boom-boom.

"Shut up." She thought to it. Mac gave her a quizzical look which he does so well when he's confused!

"I didn't say anything." Stella stared at him. Inside her head a voice started going; ' Ah great, well done Stella. He's gonna think you're a schizophrenic now. Good job, making the man you have a crush on think you're a schizophrenic. You know that's always a good first move to asking someone out, making someone think you're a schizophrenic. That's what they'll be calling you down at the crime lab, Stella the Schizophrenic, ahhhhhhhh! Mac'll never have me! Ok, ok, calm down, calm down and say something smart.'

"I was just talking to myself." She said and smiled at Mac. 'Oh so smart Stella. You know that just oozed coolness.' Said the voice sarcastically. She kicked herself under the table. There was a bit of an awkward silence.

"Sooooo," Stella looked at Mac who was reading the newspaper while drinking his coffee god bless his little stiffened bullet proof vest! "how often do you come here?"

"Every morning." Stella nodded. Mac carried on drinking coffee.

"Care to elaborate?" Mac looked up at her. "I'm trying to start a conversation here Mac, a normal one that's not about the amount of semen found when a car's lit up with a UV torch." Why did she have to say semen? She could have said blood.

"Sorry." He smiled. "There didn't seem to be anything else to say." Stella shook her head.

"Never mind." She glanced at her watch and leaped to her feet. "We are so late!" Mac checked his own watch.

"No we're not." He said, frowning adorably. He took her wrist and looked at her watch. "Your watch is an hour fast." Stella stared at it.

"Oh that's right, I set them forwards so I would get up quicker."

"Worked then."

"Yeah."

"Why were you walking this way?" Stella put her watch back.

"It's quicker than the normal way I go." Mac nodded. Stella sat down again.

"You look tired," Mac gave her a searching look. "Are you ok?" she nodded.

"I just keep having this dream, about this guy who gets shot by Frankie, and I can't do anything to save him."

"Just a guy?" asked Mac. Stella nodded.

"Well, a guy I fancy." Mac's heart sank right into his polished shoes. She already fancied someone else. This caused him to be a bit abrupt. Yes! That is why Mac is sometimes abrupt with Stella, because he thinks of how he'll never get her! Poor Mac.

"It's just a dream Stella, besides Frankie's dead." Stella didn't shudder.

"Yeah," she replied, "I know." Mac put the money on the table.

Mwahahahahaah! Not so good as the first one. Love you people who reviewed either chapter, and the ones who will hopefully review this one!