A/N: Final chapter, closing and epilogue. Finally. Had to do several re-writes for the ending; hopefully it does fulfill its purpose and wraps everything up. My thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed; hope you've all enjoyed it.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Stella."

She fumbled sleepily with her duvet and pulled it closer, trying to escape the hand on her shoulder.

"Stella." The voice was still soft, but more insistent this time.

"Mac?" She finally opened one eye. "What time is it?"

When he made no reply, she struggled to sit up and flicked the switch of her bedside lamp.

"Four in the morning?"

He looked suitably sheepish even as he loomed over her bedside, hair and white crewneck rumpled from the night on her couch.

"Sorry," he muttered, "I thought I left a spare set in the other bathroom, but it's been cleared out, and I figured you might have kept them somewhere else-"

"Wait. Hold on, what?" Head still fuzzy from sleep, Stella couldn't quite keep up.

"Toothbrush," he smiled, "soap, razor. I'll be out of your hair as soon as I can."

"It's four o'clock, Mac. Go back to sleep."

"I…can't. Gave up trying. Thought I'd head down to the office, catch up on some paper work."

"At this time?" She stood up. "Did you sleep at all?"

"Somewhat."

"Means no."

He fiddled with her radio clock. "An hour. Two, tops."

She padded over to her wardrobe and fished out the amenities pack with remarkable speed. She tossed it across the room and he caught it with one hand.

"Your insomnia will be the death of me."

"And you wonder why I never get invited for sleepovers."

She caught the barest hint of an impish smile, a glimpse of a younger Mac.

"I'm sorry I woke you."

"Forget it." She rubbed a hand over her face. "Since I'm up, I might as well grab breakfast with you before our court hearings today."

"Mr Wong's?"

She returned his almost-grin. "Isn't it always?"

- - - - - - - - - -

Danny watched the judge initiate the session; the jury settled into their seats, Saul and the two attorneys at their tables. The crowd's murmur died. He felt Lindsay sit straighter next to him and lean forward, turned and caught Mac's eye, saw Flack at the end of the bench clasp his hands in his lap – and he wondered if they were as nervous as he was.

"The jury has reached a verdict?"

"We have, Your Honor."

"Will the defendant please rise?"

The chairs legs screeched against marble as Saul and his lawyer stood to their feet. The judge swiveled his chair to face the box.

"On the seven counts of kidnapping, what is your verdict?"

"Guilty."

"On the seven counts of assault and child abuse, what is your verdict?"

"Guilty."

"On the seven counts of statutory rape, what is your verdict?"

"Guilty."

"On the seven counts of murder in the first degree, what is your verdict?"

The foreman shot a glance around the courtroom. The atmosphere thickened in an instant, and no one quite remembered how to breathe.

"We find the defendant not responsible by reason of mental defect."

- - - - - - - - -

"You know, I used to think that those courtroom dramas on television were just exaggerated for public entertainment."

Flack propped his elbows up with a sigh. Lindsay shot him a sympathetic smile.

"That was one hell of a court scene."

"Damn straight." Danny edged in next to them and likewise leaned against the rails. "Don't blame them either."

"Someone could've gotten killed. Judge Thornley ought to've called the riot police."

"Your boys handled it fine."

"Wrong precinct - not my boys. Still," he stretched a stiff arm, "they got everyone out quick enough."

"At least no one brought in a gun and tried to hold us hostage for a change of Saul's sentence," Lindsay chipped in. Danny and Flack didn't feel any more comforted at the thought.

"I think I saw that in the movie once." Flack mentioned after a pause.

"Mistrial. HBO cable tele-movie? Cop holds judge, jury and defendant hostage to change the verdict? Believe me, that did cross my mind."

"You, Messer? Going vigilante?"

"There wasn't no mistrial here. Should've been one, but Jury managed to unanimously decide that our serial in there was insane enough to get off by virtue of a mental defect."

"The doc tested him by ALI standards," Lindsay remembered. "At the witness stand, he testified that Saul did, by the MPC, fit the definition of insane."

"And his mother did have a history of depression," Flack added helpfully.

"How do you go from depressed to a killer with a god complex who fancies little girls?"

Lindsay saw a lone figure heading towards them.

"Hey, heads' up. Mac's here."

The three of them got off the railing as Mac walked up, flexing his right hand slightly and grimacing.

"That went almost as badly as Hinckley's 1981 acquittal."

"Only because Saul ain't in love with Jodie Foster."

Mac smiled grimly, noting that at least Danny hadn't totally lost his sense of humor in the course of the case.

"You alright, boss?"

"Yeah," he curled his fingers, "just got my hand slammed against the door. Mr. Goldberg's apologized. Said it was in the heat of the moment."

The cold wind blasted through the pillars and straight at them as they stepped out into the open.

"But the charges of rape, kidnapping and assault will keep Saul behind bars for long enough, right?"

"It's as good as life, Lindsay, but it's the sense of closure the parents wanted. It's what they didn't get. Almost feels like our justice system let him get away with killing their kids." Mac sighed. "Feels like they still lost."

"If they had hurried up and passed the GBMI Bill, we wouldn't be stuck in this mess." Flack pointed out as he struggled to get his gloves on.

"I dunno. That's a lazy sort of verdict in my book," Danny pulled his coat tighter around him, "like they can't make up their mind about the guy they're prosecuting. Guilty is as guilty does, 's all I'm saying."

Mac shook his head. "Whatever it is, that's over now. Case is closed. We move on."

As the younger detectives walked ahead, a beep sounded from his pocket. Mac reached in to answer his cell.

"Detective Taylor."

He looked out onto Foley Square as he listened closely.

"We're on our way." He pocketed the phone and looked up to see the three waiting on the steps for him.

"Stabbing at Rockefeller."

Danny shared a look with Lindsay. "Alright, Montana, you heard the man – we got work to do. 'Nother day, another case."

"That's the spirit, Danny." Mac allowed himself a smile. "That's the spirit."

Fin

Disclaimers and Acknowledgements:

- Frontline at pbs, for information of insanity defenses and state laws

- TwizTv for a Law and Order script – the template for the verdict pronouncement

- I do not know/am not affliated to/do not own HBO telemovies, Jodie Foster and John Hinckley Jr. in any way. Because that would just be way too odd.