This update took longer than I expected... sorry for that. But reviews are still down for that one and that isn't really inspiring as of the late. But for all my faithful readers who are still reading and reviewing and to those who read and review when they found some time to do so: I'll keep this up till the end for you!

Thanks so much to everyone who reads/reviews! It means the world to me and you guys really rock! I hope you'll like this chapter!

Chapter 10: Back to Work – Part 1

~ S ~ B ~

The next time I opened my eyes I found Mac's bedside empty, again. The sun was guiding her rays through the window and though it had rained the night before, we now had lovely weather again. I rolled onto my side and glanced at the alarm clock. 10 am. A small sigh escaped my lips as I pushed myself out of bed, feeling a small headache behind my temples. Oh what a great start… I thought as I went into the bathroom and got ready for the day before I walked downstairs and into the kitchen, where I found Mac busily preparing breakfast. The smell pancakes, bacon, eggs and coffee tempted my nose.

"Mmm." I commented as I walked up to Mac. He turned around and greeted me with a warm smile.

"Morning." He said, rather happy.
"Morning. Anything I can help with?"

"Actually, it's all done."

"You could have woken me up."

"Well, thought you could use some sleep and I wanted to surprise you today."

"I see." I replied with a smile.

"So… you okay?"

"Well rested and fine, thanks."

"I'm glad to hear that." He said and gave me one of his shy smiles.

"Thank you." I said, feeling like I just had to say it. He had been there for me, when I needed him, comforting me and helping me to calm down again and I didn't even thank him.

"For what?"

"For being there for me last night. Comforting me and calming me down and I didn't even said thank you."

"What did you once told me? That's what we do?" he started and then looked at me with a warm expression, one that could make my heart melt in a matter of seconds.

"We take care of each other." I finished my statement from many years before.
"Right." He said and then paused for a few seconds just looking at me. "Hungry?"

"Always." I said in a light tone, drawing a smile from him.

So we sat down at the small dinette in our living room and shared a modest, but well made breakfast. And once again I found myself being amazed by the very man who had been my partner and best friend for so long, but he was still able to surprise me. While we were eating we talked about the plans for today and what we thought was ahead of us and how we then had to really play newlyweds with all the tiny little things that belonged to it. I knew Mac was nervous about it, but so was I. When we were around the Chicago CSI team we didn't need to play husband and wife, because they knew it was just a pretended marriage, but our neighbors and whoever we'll meet at the BBQ tonight didn't know that. But on the other hand I though it could be fun, because we put our friendship to a good use and maybe there was a tiny little chance for us, to draw closer together and start something totally new. Oh and what's that supposed to be? My brain instantly argues. I… dunno?

The rest of the day was spent with me first preparing the salad I wanted to bring and Mac said he'd do the laundry. As much I would have liked to watch him, I knew I had other things to do first, but when I was done and went in search of him, I found him in the small office, looking at the files again. I leaned against the door frame and watch him for a while, catching myself smiling at his thoughtful and concentrated expression. Finally, after what seemed like five minutes, but were only seconds, he sensed my presence and looked up with a tender smile.

"Found something interesting, Detective?" I asked him in a light tone.

"Nothing but what we already know. I don't know, somehow this doesn't end up. If those victims came from this neighbourhood, how did the killer choose them. I mean Chicago isn't just a small village where everyone knows everyone else." He said and somehow seemed to be lost.

"Maybe that BBQ will help us to figure that out. Somewhere we'll find a connection and we'll find the one responsible for all those 6 taken lives."

"I just hope those 6 won't become two more. Three couples are three too much."

"Yeah. I just wonder how it all adds up in the end and who did all these crimes."

"What do you make of that picture named Aphrodite?" Mac asked and looked up at me with expectation.

"Well…" I start as I walked into the small office and sat down on the chair right in front of Mac, the desk between us. "Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty and sexuality. I would expect that Aphrodite brings people together instead of killing them."

"And if it's meant metaphorically?"

"Then what would that mean? That the victims all look like Aphrodite in the killer's POV?"

"I'm thinking of something different. What if the actual target's name is Aphrodite and the killer's targeting women that look like the actual target because she doesn't want to kill that woman."

"So you mean the women are the actual targets and their husbands were just a great addition to terminate witnesses?"

"Maybe. I mean anger and jealousy are the two most mentioned motives for murder."

"I don't know, that sounds way too simple to me. There's always the possibility that the killer named himself Aphrodite." I said thoughtfully.

"But then we might be looking for a woman."

"You know what some women are capable of, Mac. I mean, just remember Grace Chandler and Debbie Fallon."

"But they worked together and just killed one person, not two at the same time."

"Either way, it could have done a woman."

"Why do you insist on that so badly?" Mac asked in wonder.

I looked at him in surprise and suddenly noticed that I indeed insisted on the theory that our killer could be female and I somehow got pretty serious about the fact that Mac tried to argue about that and didn't agree. But to be honest I had no idea, why I believed that our killer could be a woman, so I shrugged lightly.

"I don't know… just a feeling. Sorry if I sounded offensive."

"I'll survive." He said quietly.

"Mac… you know I hate the fact that I sometime overreact without any reason."

"You didn't overreact Stella. You just stood your ground and defended your point and that's absolutely fine with me and you weren't offensive either."

"You just saying that to put me on ease, aren't you?" I teased him and he smirked.

"Yes, but it's the truth."

And the next hour was spent talking about the case and discussing other aspects and details of whatever evidence the Chicago CSI team found.

~ M ~ T ~

It was about an hour later when Stella and I closed the file and looked at each other in silence. She seemed somewhat lost in thoughts as she sat there in front of me and I knew she wasn't over the fact that she insisted on her theory earlier, even though I told her it was absolutely fine with me, because she was right to defend that theory and she wasn't that wrong with it. There was always the possibility that she would be right and we were looking for a woman.

As we sat there and I watched her I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to live with her on a daily basis, being legally married to her. My mind once again replays the scenes on Lucy's birthday and the interaction between her and her auntie Stella and I imagined what a great mother she'd be if she ever were to have children of her own. It was just the way she treated the small girl and she played with her or explained when Lucy did something wrong.

"Mac? You still with me?" her concerned voice snapped me back to reality.

"Yeah, still here, was just a little… lost in thoughts." I reply.

"Good. I'm gonna go and change and then check on my salad again."

"Okay."

I watched her leave and stayed in the small office, staring out of the window wondering if I should call my mom and plan a visit for the weekend. Actually it would have been nice to visit her and take Stella with me, but I figured I should talk to Stella before I plan anything. I knew my mother was eager to meet Stella, as I sometimes told her about Stella and she always said she wanted to meet her when she would be coming to New York. So maybe her wish would come true very soon. And after I cemented that plan my mind drifts back into the past when I was a small boy and grew up in this city. I had a few friends here, not many, but a few good ones and we had a lot of fun together, but of course little Mac Taylor wasn't always a good boy. Sometimes my dad would get pretty mad at me if I had done something stupid like breaking into an old, abandoned warehouse and got caught in the act. Of course I never did it alone, but like boys at the age of maybe 10 till 14 we were always looking for new adventures and new hiding spots. And while I remembered some of those adventures and their consequences I didn't realize how fast the time passed, so I nearly jumped when I heard Stella calling my name.

"Mac? You okay?" she asked with a worried glance as I finally looked up at her.

"Yeah… sorry, I was just lost in memories." I said and pushed myself off the chair and walked up to her.

"I hope good ones?"

"Childhood memories when I was a small and naughty boy." I smirked.

"I can't believe that Mac Taylor ever was a naughty boy." She teased.

"Ask my mom when you meet her… that is, if you want to come and meet her."

"I think you should use the opportunity of actually being here to go and see her, Mac and if you want me to come with you, then I will."

"Actually it was my mom's wish to meet you one day when she would visit me in New York. But so far we never got the chance for that."

"I won't let go of the chance to let her wish come true. I'd love to meet her and I bet we'd have a lot of fun."

"Oh yeah, my mom telling you what a naughty boy I was and showing you some photos…" I said with a smirk as I rolled my eyes.

"Think she'd do that?"

"Well, maybe she'd tell you what a lovely and good boy I was." I said, causing her to chuckle lightly. "I know how much she already likes you without even knowing you in person."

"You must be quite the storyteller… so, you ready?"

"Give me 5 Minutes?"

"You're fast." She smiled.

"Only when it comes to things like changing clothes and such." I said and then headed upstairs to get ready.

xXxXxXxXx

A few hours and a beer later after everybody ate we were all sitting at the large table in the garden of Michelle and Jamie Laslow. Well, not all of us were sitting at the table, only the women were sitting at the table and the men, including me, were standing near the grill and talked about our women or whatever stuff the men around me were interested in. Since I've known Stella for so long I could actually tell a little bit about her, but of course I'd never share details that aren't mine to share. Actually I didn't talk about us very much but I was listening to the men around me talking about their women and stuff they experienced and were thinking about. Every once in a while my eyes would wander from the group of us men to the small group of the women that were Jeanette Gonzalez, Michelle Laslow, Alissa Raynold, Stella and another woman, a close friend of Michelle names Allyson Farrel and her daughter Amy, at least that was how the girl said we should call her.

"You can call me Amy. All of them do." Amy had said as she first met us in the garden and so we didn't ask.

And every time I looked at the small group Stella would catch my eye and she'd look up at me with a soft smile, which I couldn't help but reply. Julio Gonzalez and his father Miguel were standing with us other men including Jamie Laslow and Paul Raynold and me. At the moment the men were talking about their honeymoon adventures and I was listening to them as I looked over at Stella for a short moment.

"What about you Mac? What did you two do when you had your honeymoon?" Jamie asked in a friendly and light tone and all men and Julio were looking at me in expectation. Stella and I didn't talk about what we'd say if they asked us about our honeymoon as it was the last thing we expected we'd have to talk about, so I had to disappoint them.

"We didn't have a honeymoon." I said and they made sad faces. "Yet."

"Any plans?" Paul asked curiously and I shook my head.

"Not yet. We just moved here and want to settle before we go and have our little alone time." I said and glanced at Stella who just looked at me, too. She gave me a somewhat sad look.

"Excuse me." I said and slowly made my way over to Stella and stopped behind her, placing my hands on her shoulders as she looked up and we instantly earned a lot of smiles from the women around us as well as from the men watching us. I gave her shoulders a small squeeze.

"How're you doing?" I asked her and she mentioned for me to sit down beside her on the bench.

"I think I'm fine here. How about you?" she asked.

"I think I am just as fine."

"Good." She smiled and I put my arm around her shoulders only to be rewarded with a thankful smile.

"You okay?" I asked as I noticed her tired look.

"Just a little tired and I missed my husband." Stella said and gently rested her head on my shoulder.

"Stella told us you play bass guitar and will be teaching at Lepkaya's?" Jeanette piped up.

"That's true."

"Julio wants to learn the same kinda instrument and he went to the same music school, but his old teacher retired last week so I think he might be your student then."

"I don't know yet, as I'll start there tomorrow, but it'll be nice." I said.

And the next half hour or so we spent talking about likings and hobbies and things like that. During that time Stella and I listened carefully what the women said and also watched them and the men. I cemented a thought in my mind about something I noticed earlier: Allyson Farrel was a quiet person, not talking much, but watching me and Stella carefully. There was something about this woman that made my stomach want to tighten and it also made me watch out a little more. I didn't know why, but I assumed it was the fact that she was watching us intently at times. Her daughter Amy on the other hand was a happy kind of person and she liked to talk about her hobbies and the things she experienced. But her father wasn't a topic to talk about. She just mentioned him once or twice.

I know, there aren't many details about every person and the BBQ itself, but I promise there will be more details coming next chapter!

Please, don't forget to drop a line for me and tell me how you liked this. I hope you're still interested in this...

A Merry Christmas to all Smackies out there and a Happy New Year in case I can't post the next chappy before the new year comes.

blackrose538