Past Ghost 24

It had been a year since Mac's past ghost had come back, wanting to destroy him and Stella. Everything that had happened had left a wound in his life, but with Stella's love and help it was healing nicely. Occasionally, he still had nightmares and woke up sweating. The recurring nightmare felt so true; that he had truly killed Stella like Laura had tried to manipulate him into doing.

He was thankful to God that Laura had not succeeded and that Stella understood how much he loved her, with all his heart. Though he never told Stella, the bear that she had given to him was a support to him, reminding him of Stella and the happy times they had together. It did not replace Stella, but made it easier to cope with the nightmares somehow.

Stella, however, guessed something of this, but she was just glad and thankful that Mac was alive and that they had become a happy and strong family. The dark times were past now and time was healing all wounds.

And now, it had been exactly a year since they had travelled to Hawaii, and Mac and Stella faced a busy day. They awaited their visitors who would celebrate a big event with them; an anniversary of something that had happened in Hawaii. Exactly one year ago, they had given each other an oath that they would always be together and that no one would separate them, ever. They could hardly believe time had gone so fast since then and that so much had happened. Including one very special event which had taken place almost exactly 9 months after their visit to Hawaii.

Mac smiled at Stella and the little angel she was holding in her arms. Their little angel was the miracle that had happened in Hawaii, making them thankful parents to their healthy baby girl, Alice who looked like an angel and who, every day, gave them new hope, faith, love, fun, happiness and sometime stubbornness. She was a blessing, their baby girl who was growing so fast and was already 3 months old.

As he stood and gazed at his wife and daughter, Mac recalled the beautiful memory of how they got married.

It had been a sunny day, hot and bright, the perfect weather for a wedding. They had been at the beach and horseback riding; Stella on a white horse and he on a black horse.

They had stopped for a picnic, which was where Mac had planned to ask his question. When it came to it though, he felt nervous, kneeling before her, in his hand a blue box for Stella.

The words he had spoken to her, he still remembered. "Stella, I love you with my heart and soul. You are the right person in my life. Just by hearing your voice, I get butterflies and can't help but smile. You are the first I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about when I fall asleep and I would do anything in the world for you since you are my world and everything in it. Stella, will you marry me?"

Stella had been near crying as she answered him. "There are a million ways to say I do. Yet there is only way to say I love you. And that's with my heart. If you're asking if I need you, then the answer is yes, forever. If you're asking if I love you with all my heart and soul the answer is I do and yes, Mac, I will marry you."

He had slipped the ring onto Stella's finger and kissed that finger. On the beach at sunset was when they both made love for the first time together. Only a few days later, they married on a Hawaiian beach, knowing they would love each other forever and be the happy family they had dreamed about.

Back in the present, Mac walked over to Stella and his daughter smiled to see him. After taking her from Stella, Mac saw how sweet the smile Alice gave him was and he smiled back. Then he carried his little girl into the kitchen, where they helped Stella to finish cooking so all was ready for the team, all of whom were their very good friends, colleagues and family.

Their apartment was soon full of their guests: Don, Jessica, Danny, Lindsay, Lucy, Sid, Erin, Adam, Jill, Sheldon and Mac's mother, Millie. All of them sat at the table, dining and telling stories; all celebrating Mac and Stella's first wedding anniversary and the birth of little Alice. Time went too fast and all too soon, their friends were saying their goodbyes and leaving, with Sid wishing them a fun night together as he smiled. Stella held Alice in her arms and Mac stood with his arms round both his wife and daughter: the most valuable people in the world to him, his family who he loved forever.

Mille saw with a sigh how they stood together. A lot of love was in the air and she found she had happy tears in her eyes for her son and his lovely family. She thanked God that her son had a happy family of his own and that when her time came to depart, she could go in peace.

But telling herself that she had many years yet before that happened, Millie wiped her tears away and suggested that she put the little angel to sleep. Mac and Stella were happy to agree to that, and when Millie had taken Alice to her room, they went to their bedroom, their hands together and kissing each other, unable to wait to be with each other.

Surprised, they saw when they entered their room that their bed had lots of red rose petals strewn over it, along with a pair of pink handcuffs. It had to have been either Danny or Flack… or maybe even Sid, Mac thought with a wry smile. Stella, however, looked wickedly to Mac and then to the pink handcuffs and Mac found himself filled with a very pleasant anticipation.

They began to kiss, touching each other all over, their bodies on fire for each other. Suddenly, Stella took hold of Mac's hands and handcuffed him to bed. He was surprised, but decided to enjoy himself, especially when he saw how she looked at him.

Coming near his ear, she whispered, "Mac, you are safe, trust me, I love you." She kissed him so that his skin was on fire and he needed more of her touches. It became too much and he groaned, "I can't take any more, I need you now."

She released him from the cuffs. Both their desire and passion was so powerful; they kissed again and again, more deeply, neither of them able to keep their hands away from each other. The need they felt for each other pulled them together and finally they melted totally into the passionate fire, filling each other with love.

Later, both lay wrapped in each other's arms. Then Mac held the handcuffs in his hand and looked at her with a grin. "Now it's my turn…"

Friends are quiet angels

(Gloria Sklerov & Barbara Rothstein)

Friends are quiet angels

Who lift us to our feet

When our wings have trouble remembering how to fly

They stand by us and give us

the strength to try

Friends are quiet angels

Who somehow make you see

The light that's in the darkness

before the dawn

All at once the journey's not so long

But it's the laughter and the fun

Sometimes the feeling that we're one

All the tears we cry together you and I

That will keep us heart to heart

as time goes by

Friends are quiet angels

Who fill your life with grace

Thrilled to share your joy

when a dream comes true

And on this special day

I'm blessed 'cause I can say

I've found a quiet angel

You're a special angel

I found a quiet angel in you

END