"But I mean, what's even IN New Orleans?" Lindsay asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's like beads and bourbon and paddywagons and hurricanes and mosquitos."
"So you think I'm only going to live there at Mardi Gras?" Stella chuckled, opening her desk drawer.
"Well then what else does New Orleans have?"
"A lab that needs me. Room to breathe. A change of pace."
"Yeah, yeah I know all that. But why there? Why not Philly or somewhere closer?"
"I just need it, Linds. I can't really explain it. Just to go somewhere that hasn't made up my whole life. Somewhere new. Find out who I am. Stand on my own feet and not lean on the city for a while. Jump out of the comfort zone."
"I guess I get that. I just wish you weren't going."
"Well you tell Adam to get to work on that human transportation beam and then it will be like I never left."
"But I am going to be the only girl in the whole lab."
"Jess and Austin will be around."
"Yeah, but it's not the same."
"I know. It's how I felt when Aiden left. But we got you in exchange, so you never know what you're going to get in my place."
"I hope it's not another boy."
"I'll let Mac know."
"Are you going to start rooting for the Saints?"
"After you guys have indoctrinated me with the Colts? Never."
"And you don't even like football. We done good."
"Apparently not on grammar."
Lindsay shrugged and ran her hand over the picture on Stella's desk, smiling at the memory. It had been a late night a few years ago, when the whole team had managed to sneak away for a dinner together. They were young and happy and unified. They always would be, but seeing it like that really made the distance seem much, much further.
"I'm happy for you Stell. I can see that you're excited and everything. But I just…"
"I know."
"I guess this just means we're going to have to do a girls weekend in the Big Easy, like we're freshman in college."
"We put enough make up on and we could pass."
"I wonder how many numbers we can get."
"Enough to drive the boys crazy."
"Aiming high there, Bonasera?"
"Have you ever known me not to?"
"Very true. Can I ask… how do you fit that much crap in your desk?"
"Careful organization. I do seem to have a lot of buttons."
"Why?"
"I have no idea."
"You could start a collection. It's a freaking cornucopia!"
"I should do something with them."
"Like?"
"I dunno, you're the crafty one."
"Search me," she said with a shrug, looking around the office and seeing again how bare it was without Stella's things all over it. "So um. You're leaving tomorrow to find a place and then you'll be back for a little while to pack up?"
"I'm already packed. I'll be back to finish the last of the paperwork on my place and get one last slice of Rays, then it's off into the sunset to get a mint julep."
"So tonight's basically it then?"
"Basically."
"This sucks."
"I know kiddo. Hey, I'm going over to Austin and Danny's for dinner, but I can drop by your place when I'm done. I'll bring ice-cream."
"Okay. Is this the last of everything?"
"Yep."
"This is sad. It's happy too but… you were the first person that made me feel like I belonged here."
"I was?"
"Yeah. Everyone else cut me slack. Slack I didn't need, but slack all the same. But you made me work for it. You treated me like I was just like everyone else. You made me prove what I said. Sometimes I hated it, but it was really what I needed."
"You're thanking me for being mean?"
"You weren't mean."
"Lindsay."
"Okay, maybe once or twice you might have come across as a little grumpy."
"That's better."
"I am going to miss you though. It's like this is our family and you're leaving us."
"Lindsay don't you dare make me cry."
"Sorry. Hey, is Mac going to be okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you're his best friend. You're the one that always burns the midnight oil with him and makes sure he eats and all that. Is he going to be okay without you?"
"He'll be fine."
"Okay."
"I should go," Stella said, taking one last look around the office and adjusting the box on her hip. "Hey, you and Danny could move into this office you know. More room for shooting spitballs at each other."
"You know about that?"
"He was practicing once and hit me."
"He's not supposed to practice! Dude is in big trouble."
"You two..."
"We know."
"Alright, I'll see you later tonight."
"It's a plan."
Stella gave one last look around the lab, then headed for the elevator while Lindsay pulled her cell phone out and called Austin.
"I need the hatrack back," she whispered conspiratorially.
"The fish flies at night."
"She's on her way."
"We're debating on whether or not we should jump out and scare her."
"Yeah, make everyone hide in the bathroom or something, wait until she's been there five minutes."
"That would be great. When are you getting here?"
"I'm giving her a ten minute head start. Need me to pick anything up on the way?"
"Some more ice because apparently when I write ice five times on the list Danny thinks I was just trying to be funny."
"Okay, I'll get ice. Anything else?"
"Nah, I think we're good."
"See you in a little while."
She hung up the phone and grabbed her jean jacket, looking forward to a night with everyone together, but dreading the finality of it at the same time.
"Stella please tell me you're not just feeding him the marshmallows," Lindsay said, watching as Colton happily ate off of Stella's plate.
"He likes them," she said. "They have Jell-o on them so it's not all bad. Though how Jell-o salad ended up at a fancy dinner…"
"It's all I know how to make!" Mac defended. "Besides, who had two servings already?"
"He was eating the marshmallows."
Mac smirked and shook his head, then reached over to steal some garlic bread off of Stella's plate.
"Thief," she said, elbowing him. He grinned back at her then offered her a piece of asparagus.
"Mac Taylor, you're a doof."
"If Mac is a doof then there's no hope for the rest of us," Hawkes noted.
"Hear, hear," Austin chuckled, raising her glass. They all toasted the observation with laughter.
The teasing and jokes continued as they ate, passing food and plates, laughing loudly and feeling like a lighthearted episode of The Waltons.
"Stella I don't know what we're going to without you," Austin said finally. "No one else will do the Macarena for a chocolate chip cookie."
"Hey!" Stella shouted as everyone else erupted into laughter. "You swore you wouldn't ever tell anyone about that."
"Nah, Linds swore. If you remember I stealthily stayed out of that end of the conversation."
"And she promised not to tell anyone about the slutty Sandy impressions while I made sure I was in the other room at the time."
"You just got owned, Stell," Flack said with a chuckle.
"Maybe a little, but I've got stories on all of you so watch it."
"Crap, she's right!"
"Now Stella, that was really immature of us. I mean, we never should have told stories on you. Ever. It was not an adult thing to do. You wouldn't really want to stoop down to our level would you?" Lindsay asked hopefully. Stella quirked one eyebrow in reply.
"We're screwed," Austin said with a nod. "The end."
Stella giggled and shook her head.
"I think I'm going to have to make a lot of trips back here because I'm going to miss the insanity."
"You might be able to hear it all the way down there," Danny said over Isa's scream as she reached for Lindsay's glass of soda that was just out of her reach.
"Well all have to converge on you one day," Flack said with a nod. "Loudly."
"Looking forward to that."
"Well bring noise makers," Mac added.
"You mean you'll bring the kids."
"Exactly."
"You're going to be so bored down there," Austin said, a slight whine in her voice. "You'll be back within the year."
"You want to put some money on that Messer?"
"Twenty bucks."
They reached across the table and shook on it while Danny rolled his eyes.
"She'll be out the twenty bucks and I'm going to have to hear about it."
"You could earn it back right now with a game of pool," Stella remarked.
"You're on," he said seriously.
"This is gonna be a good show," Hawkes said as everyone stood up and followed them into the other room. Austin and Lindsay were left sitting at the table, surveying the dirty plates and empty serving dishes.
"Well…"
"Hmm…"
They looked at each other and grinned, then stood up and took everything over to the sink.
"So I've been meaning to ask," Austin started, spraying down a dish and putting it in the washer. "Are you and Adam okay now?"
"We're good. Just a minor freak out."
"I wouldn't call that minor Linds."
"Maybe not minor but I did a lot of getting mad and yelling when I didn't really need to. I did what I said I would never do and I thought about how I felt before I even gave a second to what he was dealing with."
"Maybe in marriage sometimes you have to make mistakes like that."
"Probably. But it's better now. We're going to try and get out of town for our anniversary. Just us."
"That will be good for you. What are you going to do with Colton?"
"I don't know. We just decided this morning, so we haven't hashed out details yet."
"You can always leave him with us."
"I can't do that to you. Two toddlers and a newborn?"
"Sarah is about the easiest baby ever and Colton and Isa entertain themselves. Really, it's not a big deal."
"We'll see. We're not even sure where we're going or when."
"Keep me posted."
"I will."
"I think we should leave these dishes for Danny and go join the fun because they're having it without us."
"Great plan."
They went into the other room and found Danny miserably losing the game of pool, grimacing as Stella set up her last shot.
"Eight ball, corner pocket."
"Her name is Penelope," he said, narrowing his eyes at her.
"Excuse me? You name your pockets?"
"It's less confusing that way."
"Yeah, that one over there is Lola," Flack said, gesturing. "That one's Brandi. Vivica. Bathsheba. Candy."
"You guys look through a hooker directory for those names?" Jess asked, swiping Flack's drink from him.
"Just Flack's little black book," Danny muttered. "You gonna take the shot or not Stell?"
"My head is kind of spinning," she said with a chuckle. "Alright, eight ball, Penelope."
She set up the shot and was just about to take it when Danny let out a high pitched shriek, causing her to miss entirely.
"Danny!"
"What? Twenty bucks is a whole thing of diapers. And we go through a lot in this place."
"Do over."
"No way."
"I call a do over! And I got witnesses."
"Fine."
"Someone shut him up before I ram this ball in his mouth."
Austin and Lindsay snorted with laughter, ashamed that they both had such a juvenile thought, but proud that both their minds went there at the same time.
"Alright," Danny said as Stella sunk the ball. "I'll give you ten now and ten when you come home for Christmas."
"Deal."
"Alright, I called next game," Flack said, racking up the balls again. "Let's go Stell."
"Bring it."
"You think you can handle this?"
"You think I can't?"
"She talks big, but I'm going to make her cry like a little girl."
"Well who better than the guy who has a ton of experience cryin' like a little girl?"
"Austin, shut up."
"Mac, while I'm gone, you make sure none of this changes, okay?"
"Done."
No one missed the smile they shared, the smile that said she'd be back someday. Maybe not forever, but she'd be back. This wasn't the last time they would all be together.