A/N: I wasn't planning on this being more than a one shot, but I just love "My Mac" and "My Stella" and can't stop writing them. I have ideas for a few more chapters now too.

The phone rang at four-thirty a.m., and Stella groaned as she turned over, fumbling with the mess on her nightstand to find it. She was used to calls in the wee hours of the morning, but that didn't mean she liked them.

"Ah, I had twenty minutes left to sleep," Mac groaned, clapping his hand over his eyes.

"This had better be good," she agreed, finally finding the phone and flipping it open. "What?"

"Stell, it's Danny."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry it's so early but-"

She heard a loud grumble in the background.

"Danny, would you just ask her already?"

"Stell, Lindsay's in labor and her mom doesn't fly in for three days so we need you to take Lucy."

"Yeah. Want me to come get her?"

"No, we'll drop her off on the way. We're headed out now."

"Alright. We'll be here."

She turned the phone off and sighed, resting her head on Mac's shoulder.

"What's going on?"

"Lindsay's in labor."

"She always goes at the most inopportune times."

"You should have quit teasing her about castor oil and prunes like she asked you to."

"Well, I'm a sucker for babies."

"Mac Taylor, you old softie."

"Hey, hey, hey. I'm not old."

She smiled as he spun a lock of her hair around his finger.

"I love Lucy, but I did not get enough sleep for her."

"Maybe she'll be asleep when they get here."

"Maybe if I'm lucky. Want me to make you breakfast before you go?"

"You don't have to."

"Would you like it if I did?"

"Waffles do kind of sound good."

"Waffles it is. When are you going in?"

"Six. I have a lot of paperwork to do."

"Slackin' again, Taylor?"

"Asks the woman who doesn't do her paperwork until it is four days overdue."

"So sue me."

"The state might."

"You're a riot, honey."

"That's why they pay me the big bucks."

"Speaking of big bucks, the sink is leaking again."

"Flack owes me a favor. I'll make him fix it."

"Last time he fixed something he used duct tape and superglue. You know how that turned out."

"Okay, so he's not exactly Bob the Builder."

She erupted into giggles at the thought of Flack in a construction hat and flannel.

"I don't even know what to say."

"My first victory."

"Man, you're mean when you first wake up."

"I'll be nicer when I have waffles."

She smiled and leaned up to kiss him.

"Four in the morning is a very unforgiving time of day."

"Yeah, but you can take a nap later."

"We'll see."

She stood from the bed and pulled her bathrobe on.

"You want eggs and bacon too?"

"Yes please."

"Give me fifteen minutes."

"Ready, go."

She smiled and made her way into the kitchen, turning on the lights as she went. The floor creaked under her feet as she walked to the window, staring out on the blueness of dawn. It reminded her of her childhood, waking up as early as she could just so she could be alone in the stillness.

She pulled the freezer open and took out the box of waffles. Cooking had never really been her thing, at least when it came to breakfast, but she liked cooking for Mac, so she made do. He didn't have to know that the waffles she made were frozen and cooked in the microwave.

Mac joined her a few minutes later, just as the bacon and eggs were ready to come off the stove. He slid his arms around her from behind, nuzzling her neck.

"Know what?"

"You like seeing me chained to the stove?"

"No. I like your messy bedhead."

"How can you even tell the difference between bedhead and regular?"

"Regular has that stuff in it that smells good. Bedhead just smells like you."

"Mac…" she said, a grin spreading across her face.

"Hey, we said we were always going to be honest with each other."

"Well yes, but-"

She was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"I'll get it. You eat."

He sat down at the table and she crossed the room to the door, opening it to find Danny with a sleepy Lucy on his shoulder.

"Sorry it's so early," he said, stepping inside. Lindsay stepped in behind him, one hand resting on her back, the other on her stomach.

"You okay, Linds?" Stella asked, noticing the pallor of her friends face.

"I want you to think about that question for just a second, Stell."

"Sorry."

Danny and Stella exchanged a look, and he handed Lucy to her.

"We'll call and keep you updated. We really appreciate this."

"It's not a problem. Me and Lucy will have fun. Right, baby girl?"

"I wanna go with mommy," Lucy said, rubbing her eyes. "I wanna see the baby."

"It's going to be a while before the baby is born. We can do something fun while we wait."

"No, I wanna go with mommy!" she whined, reaching for Lindsay.

"Honey you'll be bored at the hospital. You stay with Stella and you can come and see me later, okay?"

Lucy jutted out her lower lip and gave them the puppy dog eyes, but soon figured it was fruitless.

"We'd better go," Danny said, wrapping his arm around Lindsay's shoulders. "She needs drugs."

"Shut up, Danny."

She smiled and they kissed Lucy goodbye before making their way back to the car.

"I want my momma," Lucy said, sniffling and burying her face in Stella's shoulder.

"You want to eat breakfast with Mac? There's waffles."

"Okay. Is there syrup?"

"Yes, there is."

She set Lucy down on the floor and went to the stove to make a plate for her.

"Mornin' sweet face," Mac said, lifting Lucy into his lap. "You want some bacon?"

"Can I have the big piece?"

"Sure."

She picked the bacon up off the plate and studied it for a moment, then broke it into small pieces and ate them, wiping her fingers on her pajama top.

"You're such a lady, Lucy-Moo."

She smiled as Stella settled a plate down in front of her.

"I like this bacon," she said. "Is there more?"

"Yes, there's more. Finish what's on your plate and you can have some."

Lucy ate enthusiastically with her fingers, getting syrup on her face and in the ends of her hair. Mac and Stella just watched her, figuring she could always have a bath later.

"I've gotta head out," Mac said after a while, standing up from the table.

"Can I go to work with you?" Lucy asked. She had spent more time around the lab as she got older, coloring in Mac's office or sitting and listening to music with Adam while he waited for test results.

"Not today. Maybe you and Stella can come and have lunch with me later."

"Can we, My Stella?"

"If we can take a nap later, then yes."

"I don't take naps anymore. I'm four, remember?"

"Yeah, well sometimes you make special exceptions."

"But I'm four," she protested, stressing the word.

"Yeah, well Stella's fort-"

"Hush up, Taylor."

He smiled and kissed them both before grabbing his coat and heading for the door.

"Keep me updated."

"We will. Be safe."

He nodded and left the apartment and Stella crouched down in front of Lucy, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"You want to go back to sleep or watch cartoons?"

"Cartoons, cartoons!" she said, bouncing in her seat.

"Okay. Let's get you a bath and some clean clothes and then we'll turn on some cartoons."

"I don't take baths in the morning."

"You do today, syrup hair," Stella answered, showing Lucy the sticky substance.

"I could get it out myself," Lucy shrugged, sticking the strand of hair in her mouth.

"Oh Luce, that's gross."

"It tastes good."

"Baby, you never fail to make me laugh."

"That's what mommy says."

Stella slung her purse over her shoulder and held Lucy's coat out for her.

"But what are we gonna get?" Lucy asked, sliding her arms into the coat, then fixing the tutu she had insisted on wearing over her jeans.

"We're getting a present for the baby."

"But we don't even know what it likes."

"Most babies like the same things. Wouldn't you like to pick out something that is just from you for the baby?"

"Sure. Did you buy a present for me when I was born?"

"Yeah. I got you a pink dress and some booties, and later I got you Baby Baby."

"You gived me Baby Baby?" Lucy asked as they left the apartment. "She's my favorite!"

"I know. Maybe we can find something for your brother or sister that they'll love that much too."

Lucy seemed excited about that as they got into the car. She hummed along with the radio as they drove, kicking her shoes against the seat.

"My Stella?"

"Yeah?"

"How is mommy gonna get the baby out of her tummy?"

"Um… well… a doctor is going to do it."

"How?"

"I… don't know."

"But you know everything!"

"Maybe you should just ask mommy when we see her."

"Okay. Will the baby be able to talk?"

"No, not for a while."

"Well how's it even supposed to tell me thank you for the present?"

"I don't know honey."

"Can I even play with this darn baby?"

"Eventually yes, but you're going to have to be patient."

"I'm always patient, My Stella."

"I know, and you're very good at it. And if you're really, really good at it, we can have hot dogs for lunch."

"Okay."

Stella glanced into the rearview mirror just in time to see Lucy stick her thumb in her mouth and lean against the window.

"Are you tired baby?"

"Yes, but I am too big for a nap."

"Alright. We'll see how you feel after lunch. Okay?"

"Mm-hmm."

"But I want them please!"

"I have candy at home Luce."

"But I want these ones!" Lucy shouted as tears rolled down her face. "I need them!"

"You don't need them Lucy. Now let's go."

"I don't wanna go! I want my daddy!"

"We'll see your daddy soon honey. But we need to leave and have lunch-"

"I DON'T WANT LUNCH!" she screamed, her fists clenched at her sides. "I want my daddy!"

"Lucy, you're going to go into timeout when we get home."

"You're mean! You hate me! I want my DADDY!"

Lucy threw herself on the floor and began to scream, kicking her legs and pounding her fists in a way that Stella had only seen in movies. She had never seen Lucy like this or anywhere resembling even a case of the I Wants. For a moment she just stood there, unsure of what to do, but she finally crouched down and stilled Lucy's hands.

"I want my daddy."

"I know, baby. I know you're hungry and tired and we need to go home, okay? Take a deep breath and settle down."

Lucy hiccupped and sat up, wiping her eyes.

"Oh sweetheart," Stella sighed using her sleeve to wipe Lucy's nose. "We should have had a nap first, huh?"

Lucy just nodded and held her hands out. Stella picked her up and got to her feet, trying to figure out how to hold Lucy and steer the cart.

"We're going to check out and then we'll go home for lunch, alright?"

Lucy nodded and they made their way to the register. Stella knew what had caused the explosion and she really didn't want to punish Lucy for it. She'd only had to punish her a few times, but usually made up for it with lots of hugs and kisses later.

Finally all of their purchases were paid for and bagged and they were headed back out to the car.

"I was bad, My Stella," Lucy said once she was buckled into her seat.

"I don't think you meant to be, sweetie. Let's forget it ever happened, okay?"

"You still love me?"

"Of course! You could never ever in a million years do anything that would make me stop loving you."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay. I promise too."

When Mac came home a few hours later, he found Lucy and Stella curled up on the couch, both in a deep sleep. He always loved seeing them together, seeing Stella in a mothering role. It made his heart clench to watch them, and he knelt down by the couch, brushing a curl off of Stella's forehead.

"Mac?"

"Hi honey. Danny just called me."

"Is the baby here?"

"Yeah. It's a boy. Nine pounds, fifteen ounces."

"How'd Lindsay manage that?"

"I would imagine with lots of drugs."

"Do they have a name?"

"Not yet. He said that we can bring Luce down whenever she's ready."

"She's been sleeping for about two hours. We can probably wake her up."

"I heared you talking," Lucy muttered, lifting her head from Stella's chest. "I waked up."

"Sweetheart, do you want to go and see your baby brother?"

"And mommy and daddy?"

"Yeah, they'll be there."

"Can I wear my tutu and my tiara?"

"Luce, are you going to be a princess or a ballerina?"

"I want to be both, My Mac. Can I?"

"Well, you'd be a very busy girl."

"I like to be busy."

Mac smiled and tweaked her nose.

"Just like your mama. Do you want to go now?"

"Yes please."

They gathered her things and piled into the car. Lucy twisted her hair around her finger and hummed to herself as she looked out the window.

"What are baby brothers like? Do they cry a lot?"

"Some babies do and some don't."

"Did I cry a lot?"

"No, you didn't. You were a pretty good baby. You liked to blow spit bubbles."

"I still like that sometimes."

Mac laughed.

"You also liked to put things in your mouth."

"What kinds of things?"

"Anything you could grab. Your toys, your socks, leaves, Uncle Flack's credit card."

"Did I eat them?"

"No, you just slobbered a lot."

"Will I get to hold my brother at the hospital?"

"Probably."

"Will he like me right away?"

"If he's awake he will, but new babies sleep a lot. We'll have to wait and see."

"So I gotta be quiet, huh?"

"Yeah, quiet and tippytoes."

"I will practice right now," she whispered, holding her hand over her mouth.

They made it all the way to the hospital and up to the maternity ward before Lucy said anything.

"Did we bring the present for my brother?"

"No, we left it at home. We'll give it to him later."

"So he doesn't have to carry it home, right?"

"Right."

They knocked on the door and Stella peeked her head in.

"You guys ready for some company?"

They nodded and Stella ushered Lucy into the room.

"Mommy!" she whispered loudly, rushing over to the side of the bed. "Where's my brother?"

"He's right here, sweetie. Maybe daddy can lift you up so you can see him."

"Yes please."

Danny lifted her onto the bed and she peered down into the blankets, her mouth forming a little 'o'.

"Mommy, he's pink!"

"Babies are supposed to be a little pink. It means he's healthy."

"He has lots of yellow hair like me! Is his eyes my color of eyes?"

"He has blue eyes right now. Some babies eyes change color after they get older."

"Can I hold him, mommy?"

"Of course. Remember how we learned with your dolls?"

"Yep. I gotta keep his head up because it's big and his neck is little. Also I can't wiggle very much."

"That's right. And we have to be careful when we move him so he doesn't wake up."

Lucy nodded and they placed the baby into her arms.

"He's heavy, mommy. He needs a diet."

Mac and Stella chuckled quietly.

"Did you guys land on a name?" Stella asked as Mac sat down in the chair by the window. She perched on the arm of the chair and his hand came up to rest on the small of her back.

"Well I wanted to call 'im Jude," Danny started with a grin. "I thought it would be cool if both our kids were named after Beatles songs."

"And Lindsay shot that down?"

"With an AK-47. And as she so lovingly reminded me, she is the one doin' all the work here, so I had to give in."

"So what is my baby's name?" Lucy asked with a sigh.

"His name is Jack. Jack McCanna Messer."

"He has a name like My Mac!"

"Yes, he does."

She smiled and leaned down to kiss the baby's cheek.

"I like him, mommy. Can we take him home now?"

"In the morning, sweetie."

"We have to leave him here?" she asked, her chin starting to quiver.

"Mama's going to stay here with him so he won't be alone," Danny explained, reaching over to tuck her hair behind her ear.

"But who's going to stay with mommy?"

"I'll be okay here, honey. You can go home with daddy."

"Won't baby Jack miss me?"

"He'll be sleeping."

"Can I come get him in the morning?"

"Yes, you can."

"Okay. My Stella you wanna hold baby Jack?"

"Sure sweetie."

They transferred the baby once again and Lucy curled up next to Lindsay, sighing and reaching up to play with her mother's hair.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah baby?"

"I love you."

"I love you too honey."

Mac and Stella stayed for a few more minutes, then started to say their goodbyes.

"I know your mom's going to be here soon, but until then if you guys need anything, don't hesitate to call."

"Thanks Stell. We'll try not to make it so early in the morning next time."

"Don't worry about it, Linds. Whatever time you need us, we're there."

"My Mac?" Lucy whispered as he picked her up to say goodbye.

"Yeah?"

"You love baby Jack, right?"

"Of course I do."

"But you still love me too, right?"

"Always, little girl. You're the only Lucy I've got after all."

She smiled as he kissed her cheek.

"I'll see you later, okay? You be good."

She nodded and he passed her to Danny before taking Stella's hand and leading her from the room.

"I'm so tired," she said, yawning as they waited for the elevator.

"Let's go home and have some dinner and go to bed."

"I think I want a bubble bath somewhere in there."

"As long as you promise not to fall asleep in there like last time."

She smiled as he pulled her into his arms.

"Kids are exhausting, huh?"

"Worth it, but yes."

"I love you, Stell."

"I love you too, Mac."