She had escaped, escaped the place she had longed to get away from, escaped reality for a while, escaped what had happened the night before.

Or had she?

Reaching the door, Stella opened it with a friendly smile, "Hey Adam and Hawkes! Glad you made it!" She opened the door further and just as Lindsay had done, motioned them in. Closing the door behind them she asked, "What shall you have to drink?"

Adam and Hawkes replied in unison, "A beer."

They, along with Stella, shared a laugh.

After retrieving their drinks, Stella filled a wine glass for herself. It had been her second glass already. She had drank a glass earlier, before she headed to the shower to get cleaned up.

Stella left the kitchen, gathered herself, Lindsay, Adam, Megan, Flack, and Hawkes into the living room and asked, "Charades, anyone?"

They all nodded yes, and she began. Lifting one leg and putting her arms out, one in a diagonal, and the other bent funny, she posed.

"A statue?" Adam guessed.

She shook her head no.

"Posing for a sculpture?" Flack threw out his answer.

Once again, no.

Lindsay stood, "Let me show you boys how it's done. A tree?"

Stella smiled widely, and nodded her head yes. "It's a good thing she got it. I would've been standing there all night!"

The boys all smirked at her, and Megan laughed loudly.

Stella took Lindsay's spot next to Flack and awaited what Lindsay would do.

Lindsay thought a moment, and put out one finger.

"One word," Hawkes answered and Lindsay nodded yes.

And she was on to her next move, shooting her hands in a spastic motion all around her.

"Oh, I got this," Megan began, "Fire!"

Lindsay shook her head no, and Megan spoke up again, "Shoot." She turned her head away, embarrassed. She then buried her head into Flack's shoulder, and he only laughed in response.

"Hm, what does that remind me of....?" Hawkes was up again, "It looks like your a.....firecracker?"

Lindsay cheered, "Yay Hawkes! Your turn!"

And the night continued on like that for a bit. Games were played, memories were made, and the New Year chimed closer and closer with each passing minute.

As she took each step at time down the ladder, fear struck inside her more and more, almost giving that 'take over' feeling. She stopped on the last set of stairs, and looked back to the window she had left.

"I'm sorry....." she muttered.

The clock rang loudly, as the party goers sat down to watch some TV.

"Would ya look at that? It's already 9p.m. Lindsay, where is Danny? And Mac?" Stella spoke over the group of boys cheering about some beer commercial.

"Ya know, I don't know. Let me call hi...." she was cut off by a doorbell.

Lindsay and Stella, along with Megan who felt stranded around all the men, went to the door and opened it.

"Well finally!" Lindsay called out in cheer, pulling her husband to her side, leaving Mac without words behind.

"What took you so long to get here?" Stella questioned.

"Well," Danny started, "Mac, here, didn't want to leave his office, and after about a straight hour of me convincing him it would be good for him to get away, we finally made it!"

Mac smiled at Stella, "What can I say? I'm a workaholic."

Stella laughed, "That's not a good thing, Mac!"

She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him inside, almost leaving no space between them. No one else, but the pair, noticed this because Megan followed Lindsay and Danny back in to the party.

Stella, smiling, spoke, "I'm glad you came."

Mac nodded his head, "Glad I came too."

Taking the last few steps slowly, she made it down to the ground safely, but not without another issue accompanying her.

One of the guests stumbled out of her apartment buildings doors, noticing her as they did.

"Crap!" she froze.

well? am I still making you crazy? lol You're only a few chapters away from midnight and finding out what exactly happened after Mac showed up! :)