Chapter 6: Motives

"How long will I be waiting

To be with you again"

"Stel, can you come with me?" Flack enters her office.

"I guess," she puts her pen down, taking a break from paperwork. She stands and walks down the hall with him.

"Danny and I found this guy this morning. We think he's the one that shot you, but we can't get him to say a word. Mac is with him now. Can you look at him and tell us?"

"I can try, but I didn't really get a good look at him. Why aren't you taking prints or DNA from him? I thought you had evidence of him from the scene."

"He's refusing. But if you help us, we'd have a better shot at a warrant," he says.

They step into the observation room as Mac walks up next to the guy. "Why'd you shoot her?"

"Shoot who?" the blonde kid asks. He couldn't be older than twenty.

Stella studies him. "I don't know. He looks like the guy, but I can't be sure. I was more concerned with saving myself."

"The detective. Why'd you shoot her?" Mac demands.

"I didn't shoot anyone!"

"Then why won't you give us your fingerprints so we can clear you?"

"It's okay, Stel. I understand," Don touches her arm as she shakes her head.

The boy stares at Mac. "I had to get out of there."

"Because you had killed someone, hadn't you? And you couldn't get caught."

"The police came while I was trying to clean up, and I was trapped. She came in and started nosing around. I couldn't just stay in the closet; she would've found me."

"And you shot her, thinking you'd be free then?"

"I stuck the muzzle out of the gap between the frame and the door and lined it up with her head. It'd be quick; she'd die instantly and couldn't identify me. I'd be free to climb out the window."

"She's still alive; it wasn't quick and painless for her."

"But I shot her in the head."

"Lucky for her, she stood up just as you shot. She was unharmed for the most part. But she won't be able to have children," Mac shoves the table toward him.

Flack turns to her. "Is that true?"

"I haven't seen my doctor yet, but most likely," she continues to watch Mac.

"I suggest you get a lawyer because I'm going to make sure the DA goes as hard as he can on you," he stares at the kid.

"I'm not going to jail," the kid says calmly. Rage, however, fills his eyes.

"Don, get Mac out of there before one of them gets hurt," she says, following him to the door.

"Mac, I've got it from here," Flack enters, pushing Mac away.

With one last look at the boy, Mac exits, finding Stella right outside. "What are you doing down here?" his voice changes from harsh to calm and gentle.

"Flack wanted to see if I could ID the guy. I didn't get a good look at him when he shot me though."

"Well, he confessed now so that doesn't matter."

"You okay?" she touches his arm. "You were getting a little worked up in there."

"I'm okay now that he's put away. He was…"

"I know."

"He explained everything, and as I listened, I realized that you really shouldn't be here," he studies her. "I mean how unlikely it is for you to be alive."

"But I am here, and I don't plan on going anywhere."

A/N: They're finally getting somewhere. I think next chapter is when it actually happens... So... Last night's episode was pretty good... maybe the most entertaining all season. I mean they all have a good scene or two, but none of them was exciting. I kind of wish she'd been injured when she fell down the stairs... I mean how can you fall like that and not get hurt, other than she probably has bruises, you just can't see them? Then we might have had more Mac and Stella. I hope they continue that storyline... I have to watch the episode again; I'm still kind of confused on some things. But next week looks exciting too... Mac and Stella fight. Have they had a fight since Officer Blue? I think they had a small one in the one about the baseball game with the two dead people and Mac reopens a case they worked on... And Adam getting fired... I think we've seen more of him lately than Lindsay. Anyway... we have band states tomorrow. Then next week we find out chairs for concert season. I guess that's it for now... I'll probably update again this weekend. Please review.