Okay guys... I gotta post that one just to... calm down a bit... the sad news about Melina leaving CSI NY killed the muse again... Well, it'll be hard on me to finish my two active stories, so please be patient with me. I even get tears in my eyes whenever I am only THINKING about her leaving the show... I just can't believe it's true...

I hope you guys will still stick with this story till I finished it. The planned sequel I guess I can forget, now... Sorry... this is hard for me, because this means my favorite and most important hobby is going to end, till I find another show that I can write fanfics for.

I hope you like this one and thanks for all your support. You guy really ROCK!

Chapter Thirteen: Dinner-Confessions

On the way home I suggested that I could make dinner for us and Mac agreed so we had decided to do some shopping before we would go home. I had something Greek for dinner in my mind and so it was mostly me who picked out what we would need and then we went back to Mac's apartment.

After we arrived there I changed into some more comfortable clothes and went into the kitchen. Mac was already waiting for my return.

"So… what are we going to do?" he asked me with expectation.

"We?" I replied in suspicion.

"Yes, we, because I am going to help you and no you can't argue me out of it." He said and his voice had so much of determination that I didn't want to argue with him.

"Okay… we are going to make Wakalaos." I informed him about my plan.

"Waka… - What?"

"Wakalaos. That's fish with spinach and condiments. We're going to bake it."

"Ahh. So… what can I do?"

I told him what he could do for me and than started with those things that I needed to do and that way we spent our time together and dinner was ready faster than expected. I never thought that cooking can be so much fun but with Mac, talking and making jokes it was fun. Sometimes he also asked questions about what I was going to cook and what else I could make, but I was surprised that he did his tasks so well and had fun by doing it. And because the time went by so fast we were now sitting at the small table in the kitchen enjoying our meal and chatting lightly.

"So?" I asked him meaning what he thought of his dinner.

"Best dinner since I live in New York?" he countered with a smile and I just arched my brow in a mixture of disbelief and surprise.

"I am serious about that, Stella. You're one gorgeous chef." He said quickly.

"Thank you." I replied with a small, but happy grin.

"You know that important woman in my life is you, right?" he asked me all of a sudden, referring to the conversation we had earlier.

"Mac…"

"Stella, just needed to tell you. You know that I'm not the emotional kinda person, but sometimes I just want to let other know what I am thinking. Mostly that someone is you."

"Yah, but I needed quite hard work to convince you, that you can open up to me and trust me."

"Never said I'm easy."

"No, but what we have now and what we might have in the future is worth to fight for it."

"πολύ αλήθεια." He replied and I looked at him in surprise.

"Από πότε μιλούν ελληνικά, Mac?" I asked him with a small smile playing on my lips.

"Um…" he stated a bit shy now, obviously not knowing what I said.

"I asked you since when do you speak Greek." I repeated in English so that he could understand me this time and answer.

"Thanks. You know that I only am able to say a few words and that I mostly don't understand what you say in Greek, swee…tie." he said the last word shyly and seemingly unsure which caused me to look up from my meal and nearly stare at him in surprise and a bit shocked. I knew he meant to flirt a bit like we sometimes did when it was just us but this time it seemed as if he really meant the 'sweetie' serious. I felt my lips automatically curl upward as they always do whenever we share our friendly and sometimes flirty banter.

"Something inside me tells me right now that you meant that seriously." I mentioned, actually not really thinking about it. Mac looked into my eyes, his beautiful, warm blue eyes searching mine for reassurance that he did the right thing. He seemed to be satisfied with what my eyes told him that moment, because he rewarded me with an honest but charming smile with a hint of coyness.

"You know, I'm not the emotional person Stella, but when I say something like that, accidentally, then it's really heartfelt and then I'm always serious and mean it like I say it. Well, mostly." He stated firmly.

"And this time?" I dared to ask and this time I was the one to search his eyes for something comforting and confirmative. And this time I was the one to be satisfied.

"Something inside me now feels that you wouldn't mind if I did." He teased.

"Mac that's not fair."

"So really want me to confess?"

"I just want you to answer my question, in honest, without second thoughts and without any regrets."

"You really want to know and make things clear, don't you?" he asked with a small sigh.

"I do." I told him in truth.

"Well I said it in truth and I tell you the truth now when I say that I meant it. Seriously."

"So Mac Taylor is seriously flirting with me?" I asked him now teasing him and rewarding him with a small smile to assure him that I don't mind.

"Is it working?" he teased further but in a much lighter and flirtier tone.

"Depends on what you want to achieve."

"That you feel at home? And want to make you smile."

"Then it's working… I feel at home wherever you… um… I am welcome." I finished my sentence, recognizing that once again my heart takes over and I wasn't thinking about what I said.

"Right." Mac luckily didn't ask me about that. "You know that you're always welcome, right? And more than that."

"I know that I am welcome, yes and thanks, but the 'more than that' kinda scares me." I mocked, but somehow knew what he meant.

"Oh… don't mean to scare you. But I think you know what I mean."

"Always wanted at your side, Mac. That is what I think you mean."

"Now I am scared." He said teasingly and then put the final bite of his meal into his mouth and I did the same.

"Scary how well I know you?" I asked him as we start to clean up.

"Well, sometimes, because now I don't know if it's good for me that you seem to be able to read my mind."

"Me and reading your mind? Trust me Mac, that doesn't always work." I tried to convince him. LIE! My brain instantly scolded me.

"That's not true, Stella, you know it. It seems as if you and I are too much alike to hide thoughts and feelings that are obvious and likely for us."

"Obvious? Oh, I don't know if our feelings are that obvious."

"Our feelings for each other seem to be." He said and I stopped what I was doing that moment and looked at him in shock. He turned around and faced me.

"What?" he asked worried.

"Who told you that our feelings for each other are obvious? And what kinda feelings?" I finally managed to ask.

"Um… I'm thinking about a few persons who say that and they mean our love for each other."

"And you think they're right?" I countered and again I wasn't thinking about it.

"You tell me. Are they lying with their gossip?" he asked back and obviously wasn't thinking about it either. I wasn't able to answer that question. I was just too afraid that moment. Afraid? Of what? My brain shouted at me. Tell him! Damn it, Stella, tell him already! You know you love him and you know you want it!

"Um… sorry. Didn't mean to startle or upset you." He said just as I was about to answer his question.

"Mac…" I started but he interrupted me.

"You don't have to answer that question." He stated in haste. It seemed as if he was afraid of the answer, too. But now that my brain and my heart finally convinced me to at least give him a hint of what I feel inside, I just couldn't go back and say nothing.

"I want to answer that question, Mac."

"Y-you want? Really?"

"Yes." I managed. He looked at me in expectation and in surprise but somehow I saw something like anguish glimmering in his eyes also.

"So? Are they right?"

"You know Danny and Lindsay are gossiping about us quite a long time and I know that they're not the only one. Since the day you freed me in my own apartment and offered me to stay here…" my voice trailed off. I remembered those many feelings I have had that moment and that I had now.

"Since then I find myself feeling things differently that where just normal and friendly banter between two best friends. The day I went to the archive with Danny I nearly got myself into trouble, because of his curious questions and my… well… new angle of seeing things between us. Call me crazy or forward or call it seeing things that aren't actually there or feeling things I shouldn't. I don't care. I just needed to tell someone." I ended my spontaneous confession.

"Luckily that someone was me." Mac mentioned and his voice was soft and loving. It was the first time we talked about all those things and it was the first time I ever heard his voice so calm, comforting and loving. I offered a sigh of relief. I don't know how long I had just stand fixed in time and space and looked into those beautiful, warm, comforting and loving sapphire eyes of his, but it felt like forever. Somehow I felt eased and this feeling told me I did the right thing. After a while I dared to ask him why it was luckily him. He rewarded me with a small smile and put his right hand on my left upper arm and locked his eyes with mine again.

"Because now I know where I stand." He said.

So what are you thinking? Still want to read it to the end? You can let me know everything you're thinking about this story. Thanks for reading.

blackrose538