Due to overwhelming reader response, I'm going to continue with this story. See, reviews r good! When 4 out of the first 7 reviews say, "Gonna keep going?" I just have to respond!

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters of CSI:NY; they belong to Zuiker and CBS.

May I present "Whatever Comes Your Way"-Chapter Two!

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As the days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to a month, and the time got closer and closer for Stella to find out her test results, Flack noted a distinct change in her demeanor. She still hadn't told anyone, except for Mac and Sid, that she could possibly have HIV. She was short and snappy with people, even Lindsay, who was usually the last to get on her nerves. Flack could recall at least one day in particular when tough-shelled Lindsay was nearly brought to tears.

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It was three days ago. She and Lindsay were both working on the same case- a man killed and left in a horse-drawn buggy. All the evidence pointed to the owner of the buggy, but while Stella was adamant that he did it, Lindsay thought perhaps it was just coincidence, seeing as how he owned the buggy and was usually all over it anyway.

"It could just be pointing to him," Lindsay had pointed out, not accusatory, not doubting Stella's method. "All we've got are some hairs. We can't find a murder weapon, and the skin under the vic's nails doesn't match him. Besides," she added, tapping a crime scene photo. "Why kill him and leave him in your buggy?"

"To throw us off," Stella had barked, and Flack had seen Lindsay cringe. He was headed to go talk to Mac, but had stopped when he heard arguing from the lab. "Lindsay, sometimes it is just that easy!" Stella continued.

Lindsay shook her head. "I don't think we have enough," she argued. "Besides, there's no motive."

Flack agreed with her; he couldn't figure out why Stella was reacting the way she was.

"Well, Lindsay, you haven't been in New York very long, so let me tell ya how it is: There are some messed up people in this city, and for reasons not even God can explain, they're out there killing people. Some of them aren't smart enough to spell their names, let alone clean up a crime scene. You're no New Yorker, so there's no way you can have any idea how people in this city will react to the slightest little thing! Spend a few more years in the city, Lindsay, and shake the country-girl mindset!"

Flack was floored. I can't believe what I just heard! He stood in shock in the hall, his jaw slightly dropped.

Lindsay opened her mouth, then closed it. She took a deep breath. Flack could tell she was trying really hard to hold it together. "I have to go talk to Sid," she finally managed, and brushed by Stella and practically flew down to Autopsy.

It was then that Stella became very aware that people were staring at her. Nobody could believe the outburst they'd just heard. Stella turned and left the lab, nearly running Flack over on her way out. "Stel-" he began, but Stella held up a hand.

"No. Don't you say anything." With that, Stella turned on her heel and disappeared into her office.

Mac Taylor came out of the stairwell. "I just ran into Lindsay," he began, but stopped when he saw Stella in her office. She was crying. "What happened?" Mac asked Flack.

He shook his head and sighed. "I don't know. She gets her test results back in a few weeks, I guess, maybe that's got something to do with it."

"Has she told Danny, Lindsay and Hawkes yet?" Mac asked.

"I don't think so."

"You should go talk to her," Mac suggested. "Tell her I'm giving her the rest of the day off."

"She'll fight you on that," Flack warned him. "If she isn't with me, she wants to be here. Hell, I think sometimes when she is with me, her mind is here. She loves this job, Mac. She told me..." He paused, wondering if Mac should know this, and then continued. Mac was her best friend. "She told me that she's terrified of what might happen if the test comes back positive for HIV."

"She can work with HIV," Mac said. "Stella knows that. She just has to be cautious."

"You know Stella, Mac," Flack replied. "The woman is the most meticulous, procedure-driven woman I know. But what she's scared of is that day she might forget to do something. Put on gloves. Something, I don't know what you all do." Flack looked in on Stella, who was staring blankly out her window. "I'm scared Mac. I'm scared for her. I'm scared because she's scared."

Mac followed Flack's gaze. "You need to go talk to her," he said. "And tell her she's not coming back in this building today, I will post a uniform outside the entrances if I have to."

Flack nodded. "You got it." Mac nodded a goodbye to him and went to his office. Flack took a deep breath before rapping lightly on Stella's door. She looked up, saw him, and looked away.

Flack took that as a cue to enter and sat down. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Fine. Just...fine."

"Uh huh. Right. So that whole thing with Lindsay, that happens every day?"

"Is there a reason you're in my office?" Stella asked him. The response stung, and Flack was temporarily at a loss for words. When he did respond, his voice was firm and tinged with a hint of frustration.

"Mac wanted me to tell you that you're supposed to take the rest of the day off. He said if he's gotta post uniforms outside your door to keep you at home, then he'll do it."

"I'm not going home; I have evidence to analyze."

"Get someone else to do it," Flack shot back. "Let's go."

"Flack, I'm not leaving!"

He put a hand firmly on her shoulder. "Yeah, you are," he ordered. "Don't make me get my gun."

Stella brushed his hand away and stood. She wouldn't look at him, which annoyed him. He saw a bit of wetness in her eye, and moved to brush it away.

She slapped his hand away. "Don't!" she ordered. "Don't...touch me."

The pain in her voice nearly killed him. He took her hand and cupped her chin so she was looking at him. "That's not going to happen," he told her in a firm but soft voice. "Come on, it's almost lunch time. We're going to Ray's, and I am buying. And you aren't going to argue with me," he said before she could protest.

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Outside, the city was crammed with rush hour traffic, so Flack opted to walk to Ray's, which was about five blocks away. A fair bit of walking. "Stella. You're going to have to tell Lindsay and them eventually," he said. "You can't keep this bottled inside, it's killing you!"

She whirled on him, opened her mouth to say something, but just shook her head and faced forward again with a derisive snort. It was then he realized what he'd just said.

He winced. "Bad choice of words. I'm sorry. What I meant was, it's changing you. You're so worried and so tense and so damned scared that it's affecting the way you do your job, which as I recall was the last thing you wanted to change. Lindsay's your best friend and you about bit her head off today. She think it's for no reason at all, or worse, that it's something she did! You can't do this to them anymore, you can't leave them hanging."

He waited. "Say something!" he said finally.

"You don't know what I'm going through. Yeah, I'm a little tense, a little snippy. Wouldn't you be?" Stella hissed.

"Hell yes, I would be! The suspense would bug me like hell. It might drive me to Sullivan's for a drink more than twice a week!" Flack replied, relieved to finally be having a "conversation" of sorts. "But I'll tell you what...I wouldn't hide it. I would tell my friends. This is one of those things you can't keep to yourself. It's better people know, to be prepared, than to spring it on them in a month and a half if something doesn't turn out. I wouldn't leave my friends wondering what in the hell was wrong with me, I would want them to know. I would want that support group," he told her.

"I don't want people to treat me different," Stella said. "I don't want to be babied. I don't want pity."

"And you know, you know that Lindsay, Danny and Hawkes wouldn't do that to you!" Flack replied. "They'll be there right with you, one hundred percent. Mac and Sid too. Even the lab geek, what's his name- Alex?"

"Adam," Stella corrected.

"Yeah, him. I bet even Adam would be there for you if you asked," Flack said. "Although, you might have to tear him away from a comic book or something."

Stella broke into a thin smile. "That's not nice," she chided him gently.

"Got you to smile," Flack responded. "Finally."

Stella responded by letting hers fade. "Oh, don't do that," Flack protested. "Come on, Stel, your face'll get stuck like that."

He got her lip to twitch a little. "Would you still love me?" Stella replied.

He grinned. "Absolutely."

Stella let her smile drop again, and she looked down at the sidewalk. "If that test comes back positive...will you still love me then?"

Flack was a little taken aback that she'd asked. He reached for her hands and enveloped them in his. "Absolutely. I promised I'd drop everything and be there for you, remember?"

She nodded, tears brimming. "That's what I needed to hear," she said. She threw her arms around him. "That's what I had to know."

"You never should have thought otherwise," Flack scolded gently as he held her close.

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