A/N: You know the drill. I don't own them, I only borrow them and promise to return them. Spoilers up until the end of Season 5.

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Mac blinked his eyes repeatedly trying to clear the haze that seemed to have settled in over the past few hours. He slowly lifted his head, his hand coming up to knead the stiff muscles in his neck. He glanced at the clock on his desk. It was just a little before two in the morning. Mac's eyes moved over to look at the person seated, no, now laying on the leather couch in his office. His eyes softened as he took in the appearance of his partner, fast asleep, a file still clutched in her hand. A small smile pulled at his mouth as his eyes traveled over her relaxed form.

He had been working late in his office, the mound of paperwork growing on his desk demanding his time and attention. Around midnight she had sauntered in, a stack of files in her arms. He watched in amusement as she sat on the couch and began to go through the first file. His gaze stayed on her until she finally raised her eyes to lock with his. His eyebrow raised in question and she just shrugged in response. She had told him once she hated the idea of him all alone in the office late at night, working on paperwork. It was after that she began showing up more frequently, either staying with him to work on cases or forcing him to leave the office and go home or grab food. He appreciated her concern, and had begun to look forward to spending time with her, though dinners with her were far more preferable to going through case files… Something had definitely been growing between them, his trip to Greece had just cemented the fact. Now he was just unsure of where to go next.

Mac shook his head as he realized he had been zoning out. Standing up his knee popped in protest. He made his way over to the couch and sat on the edge of the seat, bringing his head down close to her's. He carefully took the folder still clutched in her grasp and set it next to the others. She stirred for a moment but remained asleep. Gently, he placed his hand on her cheek, his thumb brushing lightly against her cheek.

"Stella," he said softly, trying to wake her gently. She didn't wake but seemed to turn into his touch. He felt his smile grow as he repeated her name, only slightly louder, his thumb still stroking her cheek. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, he leaned in and brushed his lips against her forehead. He watched as her eyelids slowly fluttered open, her gaze locking with his.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey, sorry to fall asleep, guess I was more tired than I thought." She smiled at him, her eyes still slightly glazed from sleep.

"It's ok," he replied. He found once he had started touching her, he really didn't want to stop. She brought her hand up to cover his, their fingers threading together. They continued to hold the other's gaze, neither wanting to break the strong connection. Stella could see something behind Mac's eyes. She could tell he was contemplating something, weighing his options. Slowly he leaned in, bringing his lips to hers. His touch was hesitant at first, allowing her to pull away if she had wanted. After getting over the initial shock that Mac was kissing her, Stella quickly recovered and brought up the free hand not entangled in his and wrapped it around the back of his head. She ran her fingers through his short-cropped hair. They took their time as they slowly adjusted to the change in their relationship, both enjoying the closeness of the other. After a few more moments they pulled back so their foreheads were resting against the other. When Mac pulled back Stella could finally see his face. She felt her heart warm at the sight in front of her. His face looked relaxed, more so than she could remember in years. There was a sparkle in his eyes that had been missing for too long. Grinning, she leaned up and placed a lingering kiss on his forehead. When she pulled back his smile seemed to grow.

Slowly Mac stood up, holding his hand out to her. "C'mon, time to go home."

Reaching out, she let him help her up as they made their way out of his office, her hand held securely in his. With her he had found another shot at happiness, and he'd be damned if he let it go.