Reed opened the door of his apartment to find Mac, with Kenzie in his arms, waiting outside.

"Reed I need a favour," he said.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Can you watch Kenzie? I wouldn't ask unless it was an emergency."

"Of course. Hey Kenzie," Reed said, taking his 'special sister' from Mac. Instantly she wrapped her arms around his neck, burrowing her face into his neck.

"Hi Reed," she whispered.

"What's wrong?" he asked Mac.

"You know the subway collapse? Stella's down there. I'm going to find her."

"Daddy," Kenzie called, reaching out towards him. "Where's mom? I want mom."

"I know sweetheart. I'm going to get her. You stay with Reed and I promise, I'll bring your mom back with me, okay?" Mac said. Pressing a kiss into her hair, he left.

XOXOXOX

"Hey," Jo called as Mac jogged up to her. "Looks like there was another collapse last night. We don't know how many people are down there or what kind of state they're in. From the surveillance cameras at the previous stops, we've estimated there's at least a hundred and fifty people onboard."

"Any sign of Danny or Stella?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I'd ask you if you're sure you want to do this, but I have a feeling I'd be wasting my breath," Jo said as Mac pulled on an overall. He gave her a look. "Thought so. They managed to clear a gap in the rubble about fifteen minutes ago," she said. She handed him a hard hat. "Be careful."

"You coming too?" he asked as Lindsay picked up a hard hat of her own.

"Danny's down there," she replied, as though it was obvious. Which to Mac, it was. They were in the same boat; both with the person they loved missing, both with children waiting at home. Of course they were both going down.

"Let's go."

They followed a group of firefighters and paramedics down the maintenance stairs to the subway tunnel. The only light came from their headlamps. Mac guessed the power lines must have been damaged by the tunnel collapse.

"Have they found out what cause the collapse?" he asked one of the fire fighters.

"Yeah, there was a construction site. Turns out, the workers are a real bunch of cowboys. They dug too deep. With the vibrations from the trains and the builders pneumatics drills, it triggered the collapse."

"Flack and Lovato went to arrest the workers," Lindsay added.

"Here we go," the firefighter said as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Ground zero, so to speak."

Mac tried to block the images that his words triggered. He did not want to think about that day, not here, not now. Because he couldn't loose Stella the way he'd lost Claire. As though she knew what he was thinking, Lindsay reached out to take his hand. They remained hand in hand until they reached the tunnel blockage.

XOXOXOX

Stella pulled her phone out, yet again, to check for signal just in case. Even though she knew the chances of getting phone signal down there was near impossible, she couldn't help feeling disappointed when she saw the words No service. Next to her, Danny had been scrolling through all the photos of Lucy and Noah for the past hour. When she glanced over, Stella noticed he'd stopped on a picture of Lindsay and both children grinning at the camera. Reaching over she took his free hand and squeezed it before leaning her head on his shoulder and tried to block out the memories of the screams of the passengers on the train during the rock fall the night before. For a good few minutes they had clearly thought they were going to die. Stella had thought so too.

"I can see the train," one of the fire fighters called. Mac's heart leapt, only to sink again as soon as he saw the first carriage. It had been destroyed by falling rubble.

"Stella?" he yelled.

Stella lifted her head from Danny's shoulder. She frowned. She could've sworn that...

"Stella?"

"Mac?" she yelled. This time she was certain she'd heard him.

Mac raced ahead of the group, certain that Lindsay would be right on his heels, until he reached the door of the middle carriage.

"Stella?"

Grabbing Danny's torch from him, she clambered over people and debris until she reached the door. Until the torch beam fell on his face, she couldn't bring herself to believe it was really him. Her throat constricted. She realised that despite everything she was getting out of there alive. She was going to see her daughter again. Mac pulled a crowbar from his belt and yanked the doors apart. Then to his relief Stella fell into his arms. They remained oblivious to the rest of the rescue team as they helped the other passengers out, and to Danny and Lindsay whose positions mimicked their own.

"Are you okay?" Mac asked checking her for injuries.

"I'm fine... I thought I'd never see you again," she admitted tearfully. Taking her head in his hands, he leaned forward and kissed her before drawing her into a hug.

XOXOXOX

"I don't want to go to hospital, I want to see my daughter!"

Mac smiled. Even just being back on the surface and holding her hand in his, he felt much calmer. Stella was alive. She was okay. Dehydrated, tired and hungry but otherwise fine. Well enough to be arguing with the paramedics anyway. Since he'd half carried her out of the tunnel, they'd stuck a drip into her. It was clearly having a good effect on her.

"I'm fine. I just want to go home with my daughter and my boyfriend."

He wasn't sure how he felt about being described as her 'boyfriend'. Not because he didn't want to be however. 'Boyfriend' seemed more like a label for someone a lot younger than he was. Although considering the other option was partner and as police officers they used it at work, he could see where she was coming from. He could think of one label he wouldn't mind using though.

While Stella argued with the paramedics, he turned to check on Danny. Like Stella, he'd been hooked up to a drip for dehydration. Lindsay was by his side, where she'd been ever since they were reunited. Mac gave a small smile. He had no doubt that unlike Stella, Danny would be going to the hospital, mainly because his wife would insist on it. Deciding to take pity on the poor paramedic locked in combat with Stella, he stepped in. After assuring him that under no circumstances would he leave her alone, Mac was allowed to take Stella home. With one very important stop on the way home.

"Mommy!" Kenzie cried, racing towards her.

"Hi baby," Stella replied, swooping her daughter up into her arms. "Oh I missed you so much," she whispered into Kenzie's unruly curls.

"Thank you," Mac said to Reed as mother and daughter re-united.

"It's fine," he shrugged. "She's not exactly difficult to look after."

"She adores you."

"I'm glad Stella's okay."

Reaching out, Mac squeezed Reed's shoulder. Then he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the rest of his family.