Ok, here tis! The last chapter. Thanks to everyone who faithfully reviewed and stuck with me through this. I hope the ending was worth it!

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Pausing outside his office she reflected again on its irony: such a private man in such a public location. Yet not completely ironic: everyone in the lab knew that their boss was a very approachable man. So why was she standing outside his door afraid to do that very thing?

She knew that her state of mind would be instantly detected by the dark-haired man at the window. He would certainly ask questions but where to start? What to say? Somehow she could not boil down seven-plus years of feelings into three words. Those three words, true though they were would sell those feelings short. This was not a passing thing. So she stood there, hand on the door, wondering what she would say once she walked into his office. For once she was facing him there would be no turning back.

Though he was watching the skyline, back to the door, he was aware of her presence. His senses were especially attuned to her. When she was in sensory range everything was focused on her. During cases together it took all of his concentration to do the job at hand. The times she was not near his senses told him that something was wrong and again his concentration would be needed to perform the slightest tasks. Maybe it was a cliché but it was true: she completed him. For the past fifteen years she had been the one constant in his life, longer than anything or anyone else ever had been. Eight years ago she had been the one to hold him together as his world had literally crumbled around him. Before that she had been a valued friend and colleague, now she was something much more. Something hard to put into words. If he lost her he would feel her loss more than that of Claire. When his wife had died, while it had been a devastating shock which reverberated for years it had not been a complete surprise. Claire had often spoken of the possibility of one of them dying, something he had hated. It was as if she had known about and was preparing him for her death. In one of their conversations she had mentioned Stella. At the time he had laughed it off saying that the two of them would grow old together and that she did not need to worry about things like that. But now…at least he knew he had Claire's blessing. So what was his reasoning for not taking the action that every sense told him to take? What was holding him back?

She was still at the door. If she did not go in soon he'd definitely know something was wrong. Never had she stood outside his office for so long. Usually she walked in with purpose, asking her question, delivering her message with a confidence that dissipated the most uncomfortable situation. So why, he wondered, was she hesitating? Could she possibly…

The door opened, he turned to face her as she walked to his desk. Immediately his suspicions were confirmed: something was not right. Her posture was unnaturally rigid, her hands clenched at her sides. But more than that, her eyes were dull with an emotion that he could not quite place. They stood there for some moments, not saying anything. As the time stretched around them he recognized the emotion. Fear. She was afraid. Of him. The realization nearly caused him to weep.

"Stella? What's wrong?"

The kindness and concern in his voice and eyes were her undoing. Despite telling herself before she walked in that she would not cry the tears still came.

"M-Mac…I…I…" She could not do it. Couldn't risk their friendship. Couldn't risk her heart. She turned and got as far as the door when she found herself in the last place, in the only place, she wanted to be; in the arms of Mac Taylor. His words in her ear caused more tears.

"Shh. It's ok. I'm here Stella. It's ok."

Leading her to the couch he sat them both down, never letting her go, tucking her to his side, stroking her hair as the tears continued. These tears were heartbreaking: there were no sobs. The only evidence that she was crying was the hot moisture soaking through his shirt. Finally she regained control and pulled away from him.

"Stella, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

"It's nothing Mac. Never mind. I'll be ok, I shouldn't've…"

He placed a hand under her chin, causing her to look at him. "You stood outside my office for more than five minutes, when you finally came in and started talking you got out barely three words before the tears came. Stella, I will not 'never mind', clearly something is going on. Please. Let me help."

Again, she pulled from his embrace, this time standing up from the couch and walking to the very place he had been only moments before. Leaning her head against the glass she took several breaths. She had been right, once she had walked through that door there was no going back. He knew her too well to let her get off with an "It's nothing." this time. If he did not feel the same she'd just quit and get a job elsewhere while she waited for her heart to heal. If it would heal.

Deep breath. "Mac. I can't do this anymore. It hurts too much. Saying 'I love you' doesn't even begin to cover what's going on in my heart and head, but it's the best I can come up with." She stopped and waited. There was no response, no movement. Nothing. Again the silence stretched around them. Her heart shattered as she turned towards him, tears again on her face. "I'm sorry Mac. I should have known you didn't…."

For the second time she found herself in his arms, with no recollection of changing position. "Stella." He breathed her name as a prayer. Then his lips were leaving light touches along her jaw line, on her eyes.. Just before he claimed her lips she heard him say "But I do."

Fin.

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I've got another multichapter in my head that I'm going to try to get out on paper/into Word this week. It's my spring break so it just might happen!!

Thanks again to all who read and reviewed! I'd have given up on this a while ago had it not been for you all.