Chapter 2 is up!!! Enjoy!!! (This is what happened before Don called Mac…)

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Earlier…

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Stella led the way to the tree she and Sheldon had been at earlier, and sure enough, there was the glow of candles. Stella knew that David was there, mourning the loss of his girlfriend, one who had been killed by a Mac Taylor, not her Mac Taylor, but another one, who hadn't even bothered to stop and help. He had taken off, and left David trying vainly to save the life of his girlfriend.

He hadn't succeeded, and therefore was on a manhunt, or rather, car hunt, looking for the right Mac Taylor, whichever one drove the car he had seen run over his girlfriend. Finally, he had seen the car, but hadn't found the right Mac Taylor. So, he was kneeling under the tree, knowing things were coming to an end, and he planned to end them before anyone else could.

"David," Stella said quietly, stepping closer to him. She saw that he had doused himself in gasoline, and hissed over her shoulder,

"Call a bus, he's covered himself in gasoline,"

She then took another step towards him, unmindful of Flack's warning from behind her. She swallowed hard and then said,

"David, please, I need you to take your gun out and lay it carefully on the ground, okay?"

He waited a few moments and then, with his shaking hands, he reached for his gun and pulled it out, looking down on the barrel gleaming in the candlelight. He let his hands float over it, wishing that he had the courage to shoot himself. And Stella knew that.

"David, put the gun down, gently, okay? I don't want to hurt you, but you have to put the gun down."

"He, he ran her over, he ran her over and he didn't even care!" David said, his voice shaking with unshed tears.

"I know, David, we've got him, he's not gonna get away."

"You, you got him?" David said, hope in his voice, looking up to meet Stella's eyes and seeing the truth in them.

"Yes, we've got him, and he's not getting away."

"But that won't bring her back!" David said, getting up and weaving, like a drunk. He still had the gun in his hand, so they didn't jump him, not then.

"No, David, it won't," Stella admitted quietly.

"Have you ever lost someone, and then know that you never had the chance to tell them that you loved them? And then you still do, love them, and can never get them back? Have you?"

"Yes, David, I have, I know a semblance of what you're feeling right now,"

"You do?"

"Yes, I do. I've almost lost many people that I care about; I know what it feels like, the hopelessness, and the pain, the hurt. I know, David, I know."

"Then, then how do you live? How can anyone live with this hurt?" David whispered, tears coming to his eyes and Stella said,

"I just do, David, you just do. It gets easier, as time goes on,"

"But it hasn't!" David shouted, swinging the gun up. Stella shouts,

"David, put the gun down!"

"I can't!" He shouted, and then pulls the trigger twice.

The bullets fly towards Stella, one hitting her in the gut, and the other striking her shoulder. She falls gracefully to the ground, landing on her face, and then David sees what he did. With an agonized shout he falls to his knees and then lowers himself onto the flames, lighting himself up. He gets to his feet, stumbles around and then falls onto Stella, lighting her up too. A moment passes, and then the place turns to chaos. Flack yelled over his shoulder,

"Get me a danged bus NOW!" He rushes to David, shoves him off of Stella and a few officers jump on him, trying to get the flames out. Jessica runs up to him and helps him pat out the flames on Stella's body. Then, Jess begins CPR, while Flack tries to stop her bullet wounds from bleeding.

"Hang in there Stella," Jess mutters, and Flack adds,

"Yeah, otherwise Mac'll kill us." Jess tries to laugh, but it comes out a worried gasp. A bus races up and loads Stella up, while Flack and Jess hop in beside her, Jess gives an involuntary shiver. Flack wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her close to him, saying soothingly,

"She'll be okay, Jess, she has to be."

"Are, are you trying to convince me, or yourself?" Jess mutters, and Flack musters a smile while the ambulance races to the hospital.

When it finally pulls up at the hospital, Flack and Jess get out of the doctors ways and go sit in the waiting room. They sit side by side until Jess says,

"You should call them."

"I will, but I'm gonna wait 'til I get an update on her condition, so I have something to give to Mac before he bites my head off."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." She said, laying her head on his shoulder. He jolted with shock for a moment, and she said,

"Uncomfortable, Don?"

"Naw, I'm good, you just, startled me, that's all." He said, and laid his head on top of hers. She smiled and said,

"Well, look who's walking towards us."

"The doctor. Dang." Flack said under his breath and reluctantly disentangled himself from Jess. He stood up to meet the doctor who told him that Detective Bonasera was in critical condition, one bullet had almost hit her heart, and the other one had nicked one of her lungs, which was why she was coughing up blood earlier. They weren't sure whether she was going to make it or not.

"Gimme your honest opinion, doc," Flack said, and Jess slipped her hand in his.

"She's hanging on by a thread, Detective, and it's a very thin thread." The doctor said gravely, and walked away. Jess sat him down and pulled out his cell.

"Call Mac. Now." She said simply, shoving it into his hand. He sighed and dialed Mac Taylor's cell, waiting to get hell from him for not stopping Stella from getting that close to David. He put the phone to his hear and waited for Mac to pick up.

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All right, then it goes back to the conversation between Flack and Mac, (HA that rhymes, no pun intended!) and then the team goes to the hospital, and then Mac finds out that Stella's in a coma. And yes, for those who said authors are mean to the characters, I am mean to my characters, but it all works out in the end, unless I'm feeling very angsty, if that's even a word. Well, please review, and I hope I portrayed Jess and Don right, I'm new to that ship, so I'm not exactly sure how to make them act. Let me know if I did good, okay or bad, I'd really appreciate it!! Thanks!!!