Title: All I Need is You
Chapter 10 - Trouble Takes Root
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"Stella you can't come. You went to the doctor this morning and that was only after two minutes of talking to her. Now you want to come with me to see her?"
"It was because she lied to me!" Stella snapped and Mac bit back his anger. "Besides with me there, she has nothing she can twist around. That'll give me more peace of mind than me sitting her wondering what lies she'll come up with next that we have to end our night like this! Trust me Mac, I don't need any more showdowns with her taunting her underwear clad body in my face."
"Okay but on one condition," he mentioned with a slight sigh.
"What?"
"After we get home you'll just rest and promise me you'll take it easy tomorrow."
Stella looked at his face and knew his concern was justified and so nodded her head and his body seemed to untense a little.
Mac looked at his wife and knew what she was saying was true; if she was there, it would lead to less lies on Ella's part and hopefully tonight would be the end of this stupid game. "You're right. Let's go." Both of them quickly changed and then headed into the truck to go and find Ella McBride. The ride to the location she was at was one of reflective silence.
"Stella I'm..."
"Mac, I just want to rest. I mean I just made love to my husband and now we are going to see a young woman who is obviously obsessed with you."
"Obsessed?" Mac queried in frustration. "She's misguided."
"Mis-guided gets the point; she's obsessed. Obsessed is dangerous."
Mac just offered a heavy sigh but knew there was nothing he could really do to calm the growing nervous tension right now. They had to see Ella and get this settled once and for all. They finally reach the alleyway where Ella is being treated and both slowly get out and walk toward the medic who is trying to keep her warm until they arrive.
"Mac, maybe you better let me do the talking," Stella suggested. "Is that okay?"
"If she'll listen," Mac huffed as the phone rang. "Don, what's up?" He asked looking at Stella.
"Just got some information on Ella McBride. Got a few minutes?"
"Your timing couldn't be better. What did you find?"
Ella heard Mac announce himself and felt her own heart rate start to quicken pace. But as she looked up; expecting to see just him coming to take her home and take care of her, her eyes narrowed in anger at the woman on his right. His wife! Her mind screamed. He brought his wife to help me! Damn that woman! But her anger started to rise further when Mac hung back and it was Stella who approached. Is she serious? She wants to talk to me? I hate her!
"Ella?" Stella asked in a soft tone as Ella watched the beautiful woman kneel down beside her. Ella looked away, biting back her anger and hatred. But she looked back, past Stella and locked eyes with Mac.
"I want Mac to help me; only Mac," she mumbled.
"She's been saying that over and over again for the past hour or so," the medic frowned. "We just want to move her. Detective Taylor, please talk to her?"
Ella shot a smug smile to Stella who simply frowned and stood back up but hovered nearby, not allowing Ella the privacy she wanted. Obviously going home with Mac was now out of the question. Damn this woman! Her mind yelled again.
"Ella, my wife wants to help you."
"Only you Mac," she whispered.
Mac bent down and looked at Ella in concern. "What is going on?"
"I had a bad day," she whispered with a soft smile. "I just need some help."
"Ella, it's late and we've," he emphasized his family, making her outwardly wince at his words, "had a long day. Now I want you to go with these men and they'll take you to the hospital and get you some help."
"Can I come home with you?" Ella asked softly, making both Stella and Mac look at her in shock.
"What? No," Mac replied firmly and Ella displayed a childish pout.
"I want you to take care of me," she stated brazenly and Stella felt her fists tighten automatically. She held back her anger, praying to keep herself in check.
"Ella, I am a married man with my own family to take care of. I know you have a friend that can help you. Do you want me to call him?"
"Carl doesn't know me like you do."
"Ella, I don't know you," Mac insisted and she looked at him in misery, her eyes threatening tears. "Now I'm sorry you had such a bad day but this has to stop."
"You can get to know me. Do you want that?"
"I want you to get off this cold ground and get into that ambulance and get some help."
"Would that make you happy?"
"Ella, I am happy when anyone seeks the help they obviously need," Mac replied, hoping to make it sound general and not that he was personally interested; not wanting to feed her already obviously mis-guided intentions. With Stella hovering behind him, Mac felt his anxiety continue to grow but knew it was better to have her there than have to worry about Ella making things up later.
"Ella, it's late and it could rain. You need to get someplace warmer."
"Will you carry me to the ambulance?" She asked softly with a tortured expression. "I'll leave if you do that."
Sadly all Mac could do to get her off the street was to comply with her sordid request. Ella shot Stella another devious smile behind Mac's back as Mac gently lifted her into his arms and stood back up.
"You smell good Mac," Ella whispered as she snuggled closer into his strong grasp.
Stella narrowed her eyes at the young woman; the one who so obviously was enjoying being held by her husband. But not wanting to cause a scene and not wanting to play Ella's little game, she bit back her growing anxiety and slowly followed after them; offering Ella a tight smile in return.
Mac gently deposited her onto a stretcher and then turned to leave.
"Aren't you coming with me?"
"No, he's coming home with me," Stella stated flatly.
"I asked Mac," Ella retorted childishly and Stella just shook her head. "Mac?"
"Ella, I am going home with my wife."
"But..."
Mac looked at her with a serious frown. "Ella, this has to stop now. I understand that you don't trust a lot of people, but you can't use that as an excuse to call me from my family in the middle of the night."
"But..."
"Let me finish," Mac warned and she quickly clammed up once again. "Now the next time this happens, I will not come. Is that understood? If they have to leave you here that will be your choice; but this ends tonight! If you need another recommendation into another facility then so be it; I'll get a court appointed lawyer to help. But this stops right now. These men, the paramedics, are good and honorable men and they won't hurt you in any way; no matter what you might tell yourself."
"No Mac..." Ella shook her head, refusing to listen to him.
"This ends tonight Ella. It never should have started."
Stella listened to Mac trying to reason with the woman before him, but knew inside his words were lost. She watched Ella look at her with a angry glare and for a split second worried about the welfare of their unborn child. Would she try to do something drastic now that Mac is telling her to leave us alone for good?
"Is that clear?" Mac finished and Ella simply looked back at him and offered a slight nod. "Good. You can take her to the hospital now."
"Will you come with me to the hospital?"
"Ella, I can't do that. Now these men..."
"Are going to hurt me."
"They will not hurt you Ella, I give you my word. But it's late and I am going home with my wife."
"You are the only one who really knows me Mac," Ella stated in a low tone.
"I can't help you Ella, you need to help yourself and right now allow these men to help you. Now we are going around in circles. You are going to get some help and then go home and rest and I'm going home. You will not call me anymore. That is final."
"This isn't over Mac," Ella whispered as he went to stand up.
"Yes it is," Mac answered firmly as he allowed himself a heavy exhale as he slowly moved out of the ambulance and then walked over to Stella who watched him with a look of concern. They stood side by side in silence as they watched Ella finally being tended to by the medics. Ella offered Mac one last smile before the doors were finally closed and she was taken from their view. Both watched in contemplative silence as the ambulance finally drove away before they turned and headed for the Avalanche.
"Mis-guided," Mac mumbled as they got into the quiet cab of the truck.
"What?" Stella questioned with a slight frown.
"You heard everything I said tonight right?"
"Nothing she can twist that I will believe," Stella assured him. "But I think you made it pretty clear that it's over. And maybe seeing me there will just help to fix in her mind that she needs to leave us alone."
"I hope so," Mac huffed as they finally reached home. Both entered in silence and then went about their task of getting ready for bed with only a few words spoken. Mac headed into the bedroom after he was finished and looked at her with a slight frown.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm okay Mac," Stella replied with a slight frown. "Just trying to get my nerves to settle a little."
Mac looked at her in concern as he eased himself into bed beside her once again. He looked up at Stella with a strained smile before he curled onto his side, his mind in turmoil. He finally felt Stella's warm hand on his back and rolled over to face her with a sad expression.
"Stella I didn't..." Mac started only to have Stella lean and silence him with a warm kiss.
"I'm not mad at you," she whispered with a soft smile, her frown starting to fade. "I actually feel sorry for Ella. The fact that she has to chase after a married man; one that doesn't even want her. I guess this Carl guy that Flack was told about has little hold on her. She's obviously using him."
"But to what end?" Mac asked with a heavy sigh.
"A place to stay; whatever comfort he can muster and whatever else she needs at the moment," Stella gently shrugged. "I don't know. Hers is a mind I wouldn't want to peer inside."
"I meant what I said to her Stella. I will not go the next time. She has to learn that she can't keep pulling these stunts. Our lives will not be dictated by this woman, especially with a family on the way. I love you Stella and only you. My attention and affection will never be up for discussion or for sale."
Stella smiled at Mac and knew he was right; however, inside she couldn't get past a growing fear in her mind that his words and actions tonight didn't give the message he wanted. I wonder what you're up to Ella McBride?
"Yeah I'm fine!" Ella hissed as she hopped off the examining table, pushed past the nursed and hurried back into the main ER waiting area and then outside; leaving a trail of angry curses and whispered threats as she hurried to the nearest cab and got inside.
She looks down at her bandaged wrists and knows she's going to have to come up with a good reason to tell Carl what happened. She looks down and glares at his name beside the notification for missed messages and curses.
"Mac is supposed to be mine. Maybe I just need to show him that I can take care of him as well as his wife," she pondered quietly as she leaned back into the seat of the cab. "But how...I need to do something...something to show him I'm serious about having him in my life...something drastic."
"Where on earth have you been?" Carl snapped as Ella pushed her way inside. But as soon as she held up her bandaged wrists he immediately felt guilt and remorse. "What the..."
"I told you I had a rough day," she sighed as she wandered into her bedroom and slumped down on the bed, Carl quickly at her side, his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.
"I was worried," he confessed in truth as he leaned his head on hers. "Are you okay?"
"Sorry," she expressed in anger, her mind still flashing images of Mac's handsome face as he helped her in the alley. "Yeah I'm fine."
"I wish you would have called me," Carl told her. "I would have been there."
Ella looked up at him with a frown; her brain unable to compute that the man beside her was the one she should be concentrating on instead of the one that now wanted nothing to do with her; a man with a wife and child on the way.
"Just today hasn't gone as expected," Ella stated in truth.
"You will find another job interview," Carl assured her and smiled when Ella slowly nodded her head up and down. "Did you still want to eat?"
"Yeah I guess I should. I know it's probably cold and..."
"Well that is what a microwave is for right?"
"Be right there," Ella told Carl as they both slowly stood up. "I just want to change."
Carl simply nodded as he left the room to allow her some privacy. Ella slowly went about changing into something more comfortable.
"It should just be me and Mac, in our own place. If I prove to him that I can take care of him then he'll love me right?" She whispered to herself as she continued to change. "If I had...but I need to get him away from his wife. She's the one poisoning his mind! She doesn't deserve him!" She snapped and then quickly calmed down, taking a deep breath to try to calm her growing anger.
"I can use my old apartment," she pondered as she remembered how the building that she used to live in was closed. "With no one living there, me and Mac can just stay there and no one will bother us."
"Ella?" Carl called out.
"Coming!" She called back as she pulled the door open. "Now I just need an excuse to get Mac there; alone."
Mac quickly pulled himself from sleep at Stella's sudden outburst, turned on the light and looked at her in wonder. "Stella?"
"Just a bad dream," she lightly panted, small beads of sweat on her forehead.
"Ella?" He dared to ask.
"Mac, I watched her kill you."
"Come here," Mac soothed as he wrapped his arms around her chest and pulled her against him. Her clammy body was trembling and her heart was racing and his mind now raced in anxiety. He held onto her, pulling the covers around them tightly until her body stopped trembling. There were no further words needed as Mac turned off the light and tried to get some sleep with Stella still held firmly in his arms. His anger toward Ella McBride started to boil, his mind now determined to keep his distance from the obviously troubled young woman.
For her to spend time in a rehabilitation unit but not have it affect her in any way; then to witness the stunt tonight, where she slit her wrists just to get his attention told him that other help, more than just addressing her self esteem issues were necessary.
Mac heard Stella offer another heavy exhale and frowned in the darkness. Finally after he had exhausted all possible means of refuting whatever Ella came up with next, he finally allowed himself to fall into darkness and join his wife in sleep.
The next morning Mac was more than relieved when he joined his wife in the kitchen and smiled at her hearty appetite and rested appearance. He wrapped his arms around her, his warm hands resting on her belly and kissed her cheek. He smiled when he felt their child once again move to the warm his hands offered.
"We have our first ultrasound appointment tomorrow Mac," Stella reminded him.
"Stella I will be there. Hell will freeze over before I miss something that important," he stated fatefully. They talked more about the day ahead instead of dwelling on the tense night before when Ella McBride ruined their peaceful sleeping period. After breakfast they finally headed into work to get the rest of the day started.
"I'm going to track down Sheldon and see what he found after yesterday's shooting," Mac told Stella as they neared his office. "You going to be okay?"
"I am going to be fine," she smiled as she kissed his cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too. Talk to you later."
Stella watched him leave and then headed into her office, Jessica now in tow.
"Morning," Jessica greeted her with a slight frown. "How are you feeling this morning? Don told me what happened with Ella last night? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine now," Stella sighed as she slowly eased herself into her office chair. "She is one disturbed young woman. I think she slit her wrists just to get Mac's attention."
"Is she under watch?"
"Mac called Dr. Adams this morning and he said she got some treatment for her cuts and then left," Stella informed her friend with a frown. "I mean this woman got help. She was away from us for over six months. Mac never called her; never wrote; never gave her an inclination that he was even remotely interested. I don't know where these deluded ideas about Mac being in her life have come from?"
"She is obsessed with something. It's not real love by any means as if she truly loved him she'd be happy for what he has now. She is obsessed with the idea of her being with him. She was one of those girls that probably read those romantic novels with the happy endings and no problems and then figured that what she should have."
"Mac could be her father," Stella insisted.
"He's probably the only one who has ever shown her any amount of concern. Her parents certainly didn't. In her mind that is love."
"And she probably can't understand why he'd offer it and then pull back..." Stella's voice trailed off with a heavy sigh. "I was there when he told her; made it very clear and yet the look she offered me and then the words to him...Jess she doesn't believe it's over."
"Think she's capable of hurting him?"
"Mac? Maybe."
"You?" Jessica dared to ask.
"If she perceives me as a big enough threat."
"You're married to him and having his baby," Jessica pondered. "If she gets angry enough. Want me to put a tail on her?"
"I hate to condemn this young woman before anything has actually happened," Stella looked at her with a serious expression. "But if we don't act before hand..."
"I could put a plainclothes female officer on her," Jessica suggested softly. "What else did Don tell you?"
"She has a boyfriend named Carl. A poor young man she is obviously using for sex and whatever else she needs," Stella started to explain. "She had one friend named Molly, who is still in there but other than that, she attended her sessions, seemed to be making progress and basically told them what they wanted to hear so she was released a month early."
"I doubt it would have made any difference on her release date," Jessica frowned as her phone rang. "I have to take this but you take care of yourself and I'll talk to you later."
Stella watched her friend leave and then leaned back in her chair with a heavy heart and worried mind. Ella, you better stay away from Mac.
Ella slowly paced around the quiet apartment, Carl was at work and she was waiting for either a call from the interview or an idea to get Mac alone to finally cement in her brain.
"I need to get him alone," she kept mumbling to herself over and over again. "He wouldn't have done all that to help me if he didn't love me," she falsely reasoned. Finally an idea sprung to mind and she hurried to get her jacket and then rushed out the door and then headed for the subway, selecting an area in a part of town that descent people dont normally venture.
"He will love me," she kept mumbling over and over as the subway carried her further and further away from the city. "I will make him love me."
Mac finished with Sheldon and then went in search of his wife. Just as he reached her office, his phone rang and he looked at her with a heavy frown.
"Taylor," he answer with a sigh as Stella looked up at him with a weak smile. "Where is Lindsay? Right...yes I'll be there shortly. Right bye."
"What?"
"Danny is at the scene and they found something that might connect our two victims. Lindsay is working with Angell, talking to two female witnesses and Flack is in lockup with another suspect."
"Mac..."
"Trust me Stella this won't take very long."
"It's almost six."
"Did you have something to eat?"
"You haven't," she countered in concern.
"I'll be right back. Danny needs help to wrap this up and then we should have everything we need."
"I'll finish this case file, but when you are back..."
"I give you my word, we'll leave."
Mac quickly takes his leave and then heads into traffic, toward their crime scene. The day had been filled with so many new case details that he hardly had time to ask how Stella was faring today. He remembered when he did ask her that she said she was fine but he could tell once again she was saying that to make him feel better. Surely having Ella McBride disrupt them after they had another amazing love making session was enough to send her into another panic attack.
He brought the Avalanche to a stop and then hurried toward Danny. "Where is it?"
"This entire room need to be processed," Danny frowned.
"Great," Mac huffed under his breath as he pulled out a pair of gloves and started to get to work.
"Sorry guys," Flack stated as he walked into the room to join them. "All three key male witnesses were a bust and the two females that Jess and Lindsay talked to had solid alibis also. It's as if this guy fell from heaven."
"More like thrown out of hell," Danny offered to his best friend. Mac watch them and offered a slight smirk as he got back to his task; wanting to finish as fast as possible to get back to Stella and call it a day. However, about ten minutes later he looked up to see a male hovering in the doorway watching Danny with interest; Flack outside with the other officers.
"Can I help you?" Mac asked in a loud tone, forcing Danny to turn around and look at their solitary audience.
"Might know something," the man replied as his eyes shifted from Mac to Danny and back again. Mac took off his gloves and headed for the man, motioning to Danny to keep working.
"What did you see?"
"I saw..." man started just as Danny stood back up. He looked at the silver object Danny went to pull from his pocket and thought it was a gun. Mac watched the man pull out a knife and Danny looked up just as the man lunged at Mac.
"Mac!" Danny shouted as Mac slightly faltered backward and the knife came away with his blood on it. "Flack!" Danny shouted as he went to help Mac. Mac pulled himself back and was about to land a frustrated punch on his attacker when Flack rushed into the room and pulled the man back, the knife clattering to the floor.
"What the hell was that all about?" Mac growled, biting back the pain in his side from the stab wound.
"Thought he had a gun," the man snapped in return.
"Get him out of here," Mac directed as he pulled his suit jacket away and looked at his side. "Damn it!"
"Mac, we got a medic outside."
"It's just a scratch."
"Mac, you get back looking like that and Stella will have my ass for sure for not insisting you get fixed up."
"I'm not..."
"At least get a tetanus shot. Who the hell knows where that knife has been."
Mac looked at his junior CSI and knew his concern for his well being was justified and so finally gave in to reason.
"Yeah. Finish up in here."
With another soft curse and a heavy frown, Mac headed outside and then hurried toward the waiting medic to get himself stitched up.
"We'll give you a tetanus shot and a few stitches Detective Taylor," the medic informs him as Mac eases his suit jacket off and unbuttons his dress shirt before he sits down to be tended to. While be attended to, Mac watches Flack arguing with his attacker before he's stuffed into the back of Flack's police cruiser and then taken from his sight.
"Well that is now finished, you heading home?" Danny queried as he walks up to Mac still on the ambulance step being fixed up.
"Guess I should," Mac answered with another heavy sigh. "Call me if it's urgent." Danny nodded in agreement as Mac finally took his leave and then headed for the truck and the drive back to the office. He tried to tell himself that Stella would be fine and that these recent panic attacks thanks to the stress from Ella wouldn't have any affect on the baby but just to sooth my overly paranoid mind, I called Dr. Marsh on the way.
"I know you are concerned but unless she has severe cramps or bleeding, she doesn't need to come and see me. She just needs to practice some of those relaxation techniques and she'll be fine. I know you are concerned but I think she'll be fine. A pregnant woman is stronger than you might think."
"She um...I guess," Mac replied with a nervous feeling inside. Mac hung up with Dr. Marsh just as he pulled into the underground parking lot and then slowly pushed himself out of the truck, biting back his wince and then heading inside to find his wife.
He rounded the corner and peered into her office to see her leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed and offered himself a mental curse.
"Stella I'm sorry," he lightly commented as she looked at him with a slight frown.
"Sheila Johnson just died," Stella told him and Mac looked at her in sorrow. "She would have put Ben away for life."
"We'll get him Stella," Mac promised.
"How did it go with the second scene?" Stella asked as Mac's jacket shifted to the left and she finally noticed the blood stains form the knife wound. "Mac? What happened?"
"Some idiot at the scene was going to attack Danny, it was just a scratch," he tried to tell her as her fingers started to inspect the wound.
"Let's go home."
Mac looked at her in frustration, knowing inside that she never would have just backed down so easily. "Right," he replied but said nothing further. "You know I was thinking on the way here that maybe we should practice some of those relaxation techniques that Dr. Marsh to..."
"We?" Stella arched her brows.
"I could some of them also," Mac admitted in truth.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt," Stella answered, her eyes still fixed outside the window. "Just hate the fact that it feels like we are giving in."
"To reason?"
"To a person not in touch with reality," Stella quickly countered. She looked at Mac in remorse before she took his free hand and offered it a gentle squeeze. "I'm not mad and I'm okay. I was just a bit stressed andand you know on second thought I think I would like to try some of those techniques with you."
Mac looked over at her and smiled. They reached home and went about making dinner, nothing hurried or rushed as both just wanted to take it easy; not wanting to put anymore pressure on the other after the day's long and trying events.
"I give you my word right now that I will not answer the phone tonight," Mac promised Stella as they cleaned up the supper dishes.
"Mac, it's not fair that we live in fear because of what she might or might not do."
"And if she calls again?" Mac asked with a heavy sigh. "Just talking to her makes you upset."
Stella walked up to Mac and wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him close and kissed his cheek. "I love your concern but I don't want us to change our lives for a stranger. If the phone rings and you chose to answer it, then..."
"Then I'll choose not to answer it," Mac whispered as he lowered his lips to hers and warmly tasted them.
"Can I see your side?"
Mac gently lifted his t-shirt and showed the tender wound to Stella who looked up at him in misery.
"The stitches are still bloody Mac," she mentioned as she took him by the hand and led him to the bathroom and retrieved the first aid kit as Mac slowly eased himself onto the toilet seat and then allowed Stella to clean up the wound a little better.
"How does it feel?"
"Throbs a bit but that's it. Trust me Stella, I'm fine."
"Fine enough to try to relax?"
"What will relax you?"
"Will you play for us?"
"Love to."
They headed into the living room and both eased themselves onto the couch and Mac pulled out his guitar.
"This always seems to relax us," Stella smiled.
Mac leaned in and kissed Stella's belly. "Baby and mommy have to be okay," Mac whispered with a slight frown as Stella's fingers gently snaked through his short hair and then played with his neck and shoulders. He sat back up and then started to play for them. Half way through the first set, he looked at Stella and felt his tension finally starting to ease.
"How are you feeling?"
"Much better. I love you," she answered in truth and immediately his mind was at ease as he started into the second set. Stella's hand rested on her belly and she smiled when she felt their baby offer some movement as it listened to its father playing. She leaned back and offered a deep breath, thankful her anxiety had finally started to subside.
An hour later Mac put his guitar down and looked at his wife with a contented smile.
"I think we all need sleep," Mac mentioned in loving concern.
"How is your side?"
"It's fine. A bit tender but will be good as new tomorrow night."
"Sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry for," Mac assured her as he leaned in and kissed her on the lips. "Let's get to bed."
Stella took Mac's hand and leaned her head on his shoulder as they slowly walked into bed; each thankful that the evening has passed by without incident.
"I love you," Mac whispered as he kissed Stella firmly and warmly on the lips. His grasp around her tightened and his ears delighted in the soft moans her lips offered as their kissing deepened. But when Stella accidentally pressed down on Mac's fresh wound, his lips released a small gasp of pain and she quickly pulled back.
"Mac I'm sorry," she offered in haste.
"Trust me Stella, I'm fine," Mac assured her. "Let's just get come sleep. We always have tomorrow. I love you Stella, with all my heart."
"My heart belongs to you Mac."
"I guess we have that in common. Mine always belonged to you."
"Thanks Rico, I owe you," Ella smiled as she took the bag of needles and pills.
"Just be careful with that stuff, I'll keep a horse down."
"Yeah I got it, thanks," Ella snapped as she shoved the money into the dealers hands and then slammed the door to the sparsely furnished apartment closed. She offered a small curse when she heard the phone ring but took a deep breath as she answered.
"I just got your note," Carl huffed into the phone that Ella held close to her ear as she stood inside the empty apartment inside the abandoned building that used to be her home.
"I just need some space Carl."
"At least tell me where you are," Carl insisted with a hint of growing frustration in his voice.
"A friends. I have to go."
"Ella, I care about you; please let me help you."
"I don't need help!" She snapped in anger. "I just need some space right now. I'll be home tomorrow."
"Promise?"
"Yes, I promise," she lied in haste.
"Will you be okay?"
"Yes. I'll talk to you later," Ella stated as she quickly hung up. Her eyes nervously darted around the empty apartment but while other's might have been a bit unnerved by the silence that was starting to consume the room, she was totally at ease.
"I think I can make this a nice home for me and Mac," she falsely reasoned as she wandered into the small room that housed a single bed. She looked at the bed and smiled. "Tomorrow Mac. Tomorrow, we'll finally be together."
A/N: okay so you all knew that Ella would get a bit more psycho and she will put both Mac and Stella in perilous situations, but of course you can be assured that she'll never do any permanent harm and our SMACKED will be just fine, especially the baby. Please review and let me know what you thought.