New York Nights: It's Way Beyond Time (T)
OK, so hands up how many of you wanted to know how Mac and Stella got together in my AU……?
Disclaimer: I own nada, zip, zilch
Dedication: To Andorian Ice Princess, Mr AprilFoolsWatanuki, my Smack'ed muses LOL!
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They were best friends. They were each other's next of kin, they had keys to each other's apartments. If one was sick, the other would bring them chicken soup, Tylenol along with whatever other comfort food or item they could think of. She would watch him play at Cozy's most weeks, if she or he wasn't on shift. Their colleagues joked they could read each other's minds sometimes. They were so close it was like they were siblings.
And that was the problem. Because she wanted so much more.
He'd been there for her after Frankie. He'd been remorseful after encouraging her to date Drew. Look how both of those relationships turned out. The more she thought about it, the more she realized the reason none of her relationships ever worked out was because she was already committed to someone. She was already in love.
When they'd been in Greece, after their whole major showdown, she had thought they were at long last connecting finally. When he'd held her after Professor P – the man that DNA had subsequently proved was her biological father – she had broken down in his arms, letting him in in a way she never had before. And that night, although nothing had happened between them, no kisses, no fooling around, he'd still stayed with her the whole night, holding her, soothing her as she'd cried. He'd held her hand during the whole flight back to New York. They'd shared a coffee in his office and she had thought, at long last, after the years, it was finally their time.
She admitted she was starting to feel frustrated. First Danny and Lindsay, finally sorting out their problems, getting pregnant, getting married, now with the baby. Then Rebecca and Flack.
She wanted to be loved, she wanted to be a mother. Correction, she wanted him to love her. To love her back. She wanted to carry, to love and to nurture their babies.
But then things had gone back to the way they were. He was her friend, but he had gone back to being distant.
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She had stopped dating other people. She no longer saw the point. She constantly made time for him, for dinner, for coffee. Much more than before. She would drag him out of work, spend time with him. In short, she did most everything except throw herself right at him. Somehow, she always made it to Cozy's every week. She would kiss him goodnight; instead of on the cheek, she would kiss the corner of his mouth, get up close and personal, splay her hand open on his chest, feeling the muscles under his shirt.
The first time she had done that, changed their goodnight routine, he had blushed. Now he held her closer when she did. But he was still distant.
Which was why she had finally snapped. Why she was taking matters into her own hands. Because it was way beyond time.
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One night, she went over to his place, nice dress on, bag of groceries in hand, to make him dinner. She had dressed with care, in a black, long-sleeved backless dress that she knew he liked. She had waited for him. And waited.
Finally, a little angry, she had left, locking up as she went. His next door neighbor had poked her head out of the door at the noise.
"Ah Detective!" she said, "You looking for Mac Taylor?"
She had nodded. The woman had smiled a nervous smile, no doubt due to the look of thunder on her neighbor's friend.
"He went out, all dressed up," the woman continued, "I think he said he had to meet his young lady."
And the neighbor watched the detective's face fall, right before she stormed off towards the stairs.
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She was walking down the sidewalk, brushing furious tears from her eyes when her cell started ringing. The ID on the screen familiar. It's Mac. Angry, she still took the call.
"Bonasera!" she snapped.
The voice on the other end of the line chuckled.
"Turn around," he said.
And she did, seeing him walking towards her, flowers in hand, a bottle of wine poking out the pocket of his raincoat. So she stopped, hung up the call, waited for him to catch up to her. She knew her feelings must be showing on her face.
"I'm tired," she said, "Can we not discuss this tomorrow?" all the while hoping he wouldn't so she wouldn't have to explain why she was over on his side of town, right outside his apartment building.
"I don't think so," he said, still smiling.
She gestured to the flowers.
"Your neighbor told me you were out seeing a young lady," she said, "She not in?"
"Not when you're standing right here, no," he said.
She had to admit later, it took a while before the realization of what he was saying dawned on her. Her first thought was that he was pitying her.
"Do I seem that lonely?" she asked him angrily.
He simply smiled.
"No," he stated, "I just thought it was about time."
"Time for what?" she asked, confused.
In reply, he reached out with the arm that wasn't holding flowers and pulled her close to him, pushing her curls behind her ear, dropping his gaze to her lips, which had parted slightly, her eyes widening as she realized what he meant, as though she was a little startled. He dropped the flowers and pulled her into his embrace. He ran his thumb across her mouth.
"About time for this," he said, dipping his head. And then he kissed her gently.
She smiled and wound her arms around his neck.
"It's way beyond time," she replied, before kissing him right back.
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Simple and sweet huh? Well in this AU, it is simple and sweet, so there. Now in another, dirtier AU, how they got together, well…. Head over to the M section for another one of my stories and you'll see what I mean!
Hope all you Smack'ed shippers out there liked it. Not as good at suallenparker, AIP or MrAprilFoolsWatanuki but….