Chapter 8: If You're Not the One

If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today

If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way

If you are not mine then why does your heart return my call

If you are not mine would I have the strength to stand at all"

"What're you doing, Flack?" He kisses her forehead again. "Don, stop. Mac might be in a coma, but I'm still engaged. You can't do that."

"Stella, he might not wake up. Ever. You could be waiting on nothing," he tries to reason.

"But there's still that chance. The guy on Desperate Housewives woke up after six months."

"It's fiction, Stel. Do you seriously watch that?"

"Sometimes," she shrugs.

"I swear everything will end the second he wakes up. He'll never know."

"The guy's girlfriend started dating another man while waiting for him to wake up. And when it got serious, he woke up. She left him when she found another woman in his hospital bed with him. I'm sorry, but I love Mac more than I could love anyone else, even you."

"What, you think Peyton's going to jump on him and tell him he is engaged to her?"

"Well, no."

"Lindsay won't; she and Danny are dating. Besides, as soon as he sees you, he'll know you are the one he is going to marry."

Stella smiles, "You swear not a word to anyone, especially Mac?"

"Yes; it'll be our secret."

"I feel really bad saying this but… okay."

Don kisses her deeply, pushing her back to the couch. "I love you," he nips her neck.

"You're planning on going to the bedroom, right?" she whispers.

"Yeah, can't say the couch is good for this," he picks her up, carrying her to his bed.

"I'll never know what the future brings

But I know you're here with me now

We'll make it through

And I hope you are the one I share my life with

I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand

If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am

Is there anyway that I can stay in your arms"

Her phone rings in the middle of the night. Flack answers as she opens her eyes, "Flack."

"I thought I called Stella. Sorry, Don," Hawkes replies.

"Oh, you probably did. I must've answered her phone. I'll give it to her now," he passes her the phone.

"Bonasera," she answers, eyes closed.

"We've got a scene; good news: it doesn't fit the MO of the serial so no bomb."

"I'll be there in forty-five."

"Oh, bring your new lover boy with you." He hangs up.

"Get up, Flack. We've got a scene. You have fifteen minutes in the bathroom."

"What, you get half an hour in there? Why not just shower together?"

"Is this what you do with all your girlfriends, Don? Take 'em to bed the first day you see them and shower with her the next morning?" Stella jokes, walking out of the room.

He follows her, "Normally that doesn't happen 'til the second date. I only shower with the ones good in bed."

"Must not have very high standards then if you take them to bed after two dates," she smiles mischievously at him.

"Oh, don't worry, Bonasera. You're high up there on my list."

"And where did all these girls go?"

"Got tired of me after a week."

"Ah," she lets him lead her towards the bathroom.

"What about all those boyfriends of yours?"

"One's in a coma, one I killed, the others just had something wrong with them. You better watch it, Flack, or we'll see what happens to your butt," Stella pushes him under the water.

"If I don't need you then why am I crying on my bed

If I don't need you then why does your name resound in my head

If you're not for me then why does this distance maim my life

If you're not for me then why do I dream of you as my wife"

"Morning, Stella," Hawkes smiles as she walks under the tape.

"Hello, Hawkes," she puts on a pair of gloves.

"So, why'd Flack answer your phone earlier?" Stella doesn't answer. "Are you cheating on Mac?"

"No," she blurts out quickly.

"What would you call it then?"

"Sheldon, you know more than anyone that he might never wake up. I'm just…" she pauses, thinking.

"Cheating on your fiancé until he wakes up? Loving someone else behind his back?" he offers.

"He's just keeping me company," she looks away, knowing he's right.

"And with Flack of all people? You know he can't keep a girlfriend more than a week."

"He's no worse than Danny. Besides, it'll be over before Mac wakes up. What do you want me to do, jump in bed with you?" He doesn't reply. "You're jealous, Sheldon."

"Maybe I am."

"What do you want me to do? Sleep with you too?" Again he doesn't answer. "Do you want me to lie to Flack?"

"No. Tell him. I know about you and him; it'll only be fair."

"What, are we all going to get in bed together?"

"It won't be long anyway; Mac will wake up soon. And we won't hurt you."

"You find a way to make this work and get him to agree."

"I don't know why you're so far away

But I know this much is true

We'll make it through

And I hope you are the one I share my life with

And I wish that you could be the one I die with

And I pray that you're the one I build my home with

I hope I love you all my life

I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand

If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am

Is there any way that I can stay in your arms"

"Well, who wants to pay?" Flack asks as the waiter brings the check.

"I've got the tip," Stella says, pulling out money.

"We'll split it, Flack, fifteen each," Hawkes reasons, laying money on the table.

"Gee, I can't afford that. Stupid detective job doesn't pay enough."

"Find yourself a rich lady to marry," she stands, putting on her coat.

They leave after Don scrounges in his wallet to pay. Stella climbs in the back of the Escalade while the men climb up front. "Whose place?"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to sleep in my own bed tonight," Stella says, looking out the window.

Five minutes later Stella opens her apartment door. Flack closed the door while Hawkes kisses her. Don takes her coat off and her jacket before knocking Hawkes out of the way. Sheldon brushes her hair of the back of her neck before kissing her there, moving to the side. Stella pushes both men away.

"First, nothing of this at work. Second, I'll kill you if you tell Mac when he wakes up. Third, this will never happen again the second he wakes up. Fourth, if I tell you to stop, you will. Lastly, no evidence on my body of this… thing. Got it?" she sets the rules.

Both nod before taking her to the bedroom.

"'Cause I miss you, body and soul so strong that it takes my breath away

And I breathe you into my heart and pray for the strength to stand today

'Cause I love you, whether it's wrong or right

And though I can't be with you tonight

You know my heart is by your side"

Two weeks later Mac is approved to return to Earth.

"I don't want to go, Claire," he whispers, hugging her.

"It'll be okay. She'll come back to you when she knows you're awake."

"Should I ask her about it or let her tell?"

"Lead her to the conversation, but don't tell her you know until she tells you. Wait until you get home from the hospital, Mac."

"I'm going to miss you, Claire. I love you."

"I'll miss you too, and hopefully I won't see you again for a while. Live longer then I did and be happy again, Mac," she kisses him.

"What time is it there?" he asks an official waiting for him to leave.

"Almost noon."

"She'd be at work. Thanks," he replies. He turns back to Claire, waving as he walks through the gate to Earth. Everything goes dark.

CSI: NY

Mac opens his eyes. He looks around the hospital room; a nurse is in the small room arranging flowers next to his bed.

"Excuse me?"

The woman jumps. "You're awake."

"Could you please call my friend, Stella?"

"I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand

If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am

Is there anyway that I could stay in your arms"

A/N: Daniel Bedingfield. I still couldn't decide so I used both Hawkes and Flack. And I definitely was not going to describe all three of them together. I found out I got another B on a stupid language paper. This one was about poetry though, and I can't stand analyzing or writing poetry. Just reading it is okay. Not that I cared for Romeo and Juliet. So... I'm still trying to think of games for the Silly Games sequel thing. I've got two chapters done and need two more game ideas. Then I got another idea for a sequel after that, which I can't use in the first sequel because it'd be more chapters than I want. Therefore I'm stuck. And I'm also waiting for the CSI: Valentine assignment so I can start on that. Then I've got two more story ideas, not including the second Silly Games sequel. But by that time I'll have to convince someone to buy me a notebook. Anyway... back to school tomorrow to find out how badly I did on midterms.