Thank you Blue-Shadow-Dancer, Shawdoo, Ivegotgamefan, Lily Moonlight and crysalis escapist for your lovely reviews, they are what keep me going.

I'd like to dedicate this to Lily Moonlight for talking this through with me, I've tried a lot of ideas out as a lot of the reviews mentioned about Diaz and I had gotten rid of him. But I have now changed that so he will indeed be back although I am not going to say when and where, where would the fun be if he didn;t come back?

I hope you enjoy, I don't own CSI etc. and please review.

Xxx

They made their way back to the staff room on the floor they worked, they passed the reception where a tired looking young woman sat, 2 labs that were deserted, 2 offices where a man sat in one of them and then they passed Mac's own office.

"Why are your lights on?" Stella asked as they passed, "Weren't you leaving when you came to the car park?"

"Erm, no," Mac said sheepishly, "You erm, forgot your necklace."

He reached in his pocket and pulled out a dainty silver necklace that belonged to Stella. After taking it from him, Stella looked at it closely, she had taken it off when they had the unpleasant task of rooting around in a large rubbish bin earlier that day. Mac didn't mind her leaving her personal belongings in the secured drawer of his desk along with his own valuables when they worked a crime scene.

"You didn't have to go and look for me."

"I know that necklace is important to you, I didn't want you to worry."

Stella felt her stomach flutter. A few years a go Mac had commented on the necklace and she had told him how she was given it by the first lady who had fostered her. She had told Mac about the woman who gave it her,she was going to adopt her but was killed before she could and Stella kept the necklace as a tribute to that wonderful woman. Stella was touched that of all the things she had told him and all the necklaces she wore, he remembered and cared enough to go to the trouble to return it. Stella looked at him and squeezed his arm before reaching their destination of the staff room. The lights were off and it was as empty as the rest of the floor. Stella turned the lights on and started to get the fist aid kit out. Noticing Mac was attempting to make them hot drinks she said, "Hey, sit down, you're already getting blood everywhere."

"I'm just trying to help."

"Well don't." She smiled at him and he held his hands up in mock surrender and flopped down into a chair. "I need to look after you, in case you hadn't noticed, you are bleeding."

"You see that's why your a CSI" Mac said with a smirk, "you're observant."
"Funny Taylor." She rooted through the first aid kit, "Damm, we're out of antiseptic, I'm going to get some from reception's first aid box, I'll be back in a moment, just sit still yeah? It would be most inconvenient if you pass out due to blood loss."

She winked at him as she left the room, leaving Mac to sit back in the chair and for once accept that there was nothing he had to do right now.

Walking along the deserted corridor Stella's thoughts took over as she made her way over to the reception desk. "Only Mac would do that for me," She thought, "he's the only guy who would go out looking for you in the middle of the night to give me a piece of jewellery back, in fact he's the only guy who would remember that it was important to me. He's also the only guy who would kick the ass of a the guy who is threatening me, then get himself punched in the face and still try to make me a cup of tea! He always looks out for me, I don't know what I would do without him."

Sitting quite comfortably in the huge chair in the staffroom, Mac briefly closed his eyes and allowed himself to get lost in his thoughts, "Only Stella would do this for me. She's going out of her way to make sure I'm ok and I know she'll stay with me until she's sure I'm fine. After ruining her scarf, giving up her Thursday night 'Friends' marathon because I didn't keep your eye on that stupid jerk, she still won't let me make her a cup of tea!"

"He better be sitting still when I get back! I'm going to take care of him tonight, its the least I can do. I don't mind though, I want to. He's my best friend, we're there for each other no matter what, and I can honestly say I would do anything for Mac Taylor."

"I hate just sitting here waiting, as much as I love that she wants to look after me, I feel it should be the other way around. She's always been there for me, and I've always been there for her. Stella Bonaserra is my best friend and there is nothing in the world I wouldn't do for her"

"Mac has been through so much but I've always seen him through it. I've held him through the times when he was a broken man who seemed to have lost his soul. I've sat with him until he finally falls asleep after 48 hours of being awake and is too tired to even think. I always will see him through, that's what friends are for, but maybe we are more than just friends?"

"Stella has not had it easy and she knows she can always come to me. After Frankie attacked her she stayed with me and when she woke up screaming in the middle of the night I'd go to her and calm her down, look after her as she cried. I've sat there with her, just silently hugging her closely, I was there for her whilst she recovered and I always will be there for her. We know each other, in fact we know each other so well I sometimes think that friends is not the only thing we are meant to be."

"He's so kind and such a gentleman. Just little gestures like bringing me coffee in the morning and commenting on my new outfit always make me smile and I love how we have that special bond. The way we smirk at out private little jokes that no one else gets, or how we can stay up all night talking without even feeling tired. If there's a case involving a child he'll give me a reassuring smile and makes sure he oversees me without invading my space. I know he checks on me, despite his attempts to be subtle about him, and Ill never tell him I know because it means so much to me that he cares. He'll do anything for the job, and anything for the people he cares about, especially me, he's shown me that a million times. The way he gets worked up when a sleazy guy is hitting on me at the bar we go to after work, and then purposely grabs me and we dance right in front of the jerk! He's hot when he dances, for someone so demure he sure can move, he gets a glow in his eyes and he has the most gorgeous eyes..."

"She is so beautiful and thoughtful. She'll come into my office and we'll talk for what seems like forever without getting bored and my day instantly perks up even on the worst of mornings. We have our little knowing glances and we can lightly tease each other as we know each others faults and idiosyncrasy's inside out! Despite the cool exterior I try to put on, bombing cases still get to me, after seeing the destruction they do during my years in the service and after Flack and I got caught up in the blast, I still find them unnerving. If we have to work one, Stella will give me a gentle squeeze on the arm and make sure she works the scene whilst I talk to the witnesses, or the cops, or anything to get me off site. I don't think she realizes I know she does this so I don't have to work the scene, but I'm not going to say anything, it's these things that make us such good friends. She's so strong and so good at her job and I know she'll always stand up for what she believes in and who she cares about. Like when we get stuck going to the department gala's that seem to crop up all the time, she'll come up to me and slip her arm around me when a woman I don't know and don't particularly want to know starts talking to me. Then we'll try to contain our laughter as the other woman leaves! I love her laugh, her eyes crinkle and her her mouth curls into a smile, she has the most wonderful smile..."

"No don't think about him like that, its not worth risking your friendship for."

"Get these thoughts out of your head, your friendship is too strong to risk breaking."

"But I don't want to not tell him and regret it."

"What if its a mistake not telling her."

"I think I'm falling in love with him."

"I think I'm falling in love with her."

"STOP THINKING THAT!"