Title: Unfriendly Skies?

Summary: Well I guess the skies were unfriendly. Did you mean the case or your flight? Mac any sky away from you is unfriendly. SMACKED One-Shot. Based on & some spoilers from eppy 7.05 Out of the Sky

Disclaimer: If you don't know by now you need to read my other stories! Lol

A/N: Again I want these to read as stand alone one shots that shouldn't be too confusing if you haven't seen the eppy. But if you have it should hopefully add that missing smacked element that this season is lacking. Again am always nervous with these b/c they are only half smacked (haha) but hope you like them anyways.

Note: Words in italics surrounded by double quotes taken from the eppy

"You're awfully quiet," Mac remarks as they sit in a booth at Sullivan's a few hours after Mac's latest case had finished. "Wanna talk about it?"

Stella looks at him with a wry smile but then offers a small frown.

"What?"

"Just that each time I come here I uh…I don't want to leave. I mean it's only been a few months but…but New York is still and I think always will be home."

"Would it make it easier on you if I came to you more often?" Mac wonders.

"It's not just the location Mac," she reminds him in truth. "Seeing the team again tonight was also tough. I love my new team and I know it'll take time but…but each time I come here I can't help but second guess my decision to go back."

"You also have lived here since birth Stella," Mac reminds her. "You can't just let go of that in a few months. You don't have to let go ever."

"I love New York in winter."

"You will have them again," Mac assures her. "Do you even get winter down there?"

"Well apparently they put up lights," Stella quips.

"Do they get snow?"

"Snow…snow, what is that?" Stella ponders with a half smirk.

"Well you know you can always come back sooner than expected," Mac reminds her as his fingers cover hers, prompting her eyes to lock with his. "We both know it's possible."

"I know," Stella sighs as she leans back in their partially-secluded back corner booth. "So Don said you had quite the case this time."

"Ah had wondered what you were talking about when I entered the room and you stopped."

"He's just concerned about you," Stella confesses in truth.

"I'm fine now."

"And the rest of the time?" Stella gently challenges.

"The rest of the time…" Mac pauses as he leans back in the booth and lets his eyes drop to his fingers that are now fiddling with the end of the small coffee spoon.

"Mac?"

"Just hard without you at my side each day. Don can sense that. Jo is a seasoned CSI and good partner but…"

"But not me."

"No," he utters in a soft whisper, his eyes still not looking up. "But at least this time I didn't go into any dark basements by myself right?"

"At least," Stella echoes in a sad tone, finally drawing Mac's gaze back up to hers. "It's not the same for me either Mac."

"Right so…the case."

"The OK Corral," Mac muses.

"What?"

"Just something that I mentioned when Don and I first entered the once swanky apartment. He didn't tell you?"

"Very funny, he didn't tell me everything," she smirks. "So Roland Carson huh," Stella prods. "Scumbag attorney to the rich and infamous?"

"Yeah he's a real piece of work," Mac looks at her as he gets a small faraway look in his sapphire gaze.

"That's you're most important assignment Detective…"

"You mean besides finding who killed Melvin…"

"None relevant…don't give me that look…"

"Thrilled to be workin' the case…"

"The man who killed Melvin come back…could be workin' my case…"

"And we'll give it just as much work as this one."

"Yeah can't really see you two playing nice," Stella teases.

"Meaning?"

"Mac, I know your opinion of lawyers, it's just as high as that of politicians," Stella smirks.

"Can you blame me?"

"Not at all. Tell me more."

"Right from the start Roland was cooperative in his own special way; trying to dictate the course of the investigation from the moment we arrived."

"And I know how much you love people stepping on your toes during an investigation," she smirks. "Or telling you what to do."

"Didn't mind you telling me what to do."

"At a crime scene?" She arches her brows.

"Point taken. But thankfully I knew who it was going in. Just wasn't prepared for the attitude," Mac offers with a sigh. "To be honest I wasn't prepared with all the twists in this case."

"You mentioned something about that John Doe that first showed up?"

"Who the hell is he?"

"Our lead just fell from the sky into the path of our dead guy, Heath Kirkfield, who turned out to be…in the wrong place at the wrong time. Like I said twists and turns."

"Yeah but we like cases with lots of twists and turns," Stella offers kindly.

"Doesn't fit…kid down in autopsy…he's not one of these guys…wrong place at wrong time. Doesn't add up Mac."

"Keeps us sharp right?"

"Always."

"The kid just made a wish and…and lost his life," Mac mentions softly, forcing Stella to give him a small frown. "Not the twist he expected."

"Made a wish…duffel bag fell out of the sky….robbers dropped it…followed the signal, killed him and took the gems back. He thought he was lucky…anything but."

"Couldn't imagine being that young woman. She probably got a call from him; maybe they debated, hopefully not argued and then he told her he was going to turn it in, but is intercepted and he turns up dead," Stella ends softly.

"Kept calling Health all morning…telling myself not to worry…but I knew…I just knew."

"Yeah the words Don told me were uh…tormented. The words that they last spoke together."

"And you said it was her idea to turn them in?" Stella presses.

"Yeah he wanted to keep it at first and make themselves a bitter life. She said they should turn it in, he hesitated...but at least they agreed. She gets a strange phone call, he doesn't come home, and she felt guilty and blamed herself," Mac answers. "I figure that's what prompted her to come to us so quickly."

"Just going a couple of blocks…to the police precinct for god's sake…"

"Can't imagine what was going through her mind when Don told her that Heath was dead; especially after hearing what turned out to be his final moments on her phone. Mac she listened to him die."

"I can't imagine either. I guess you then appreciate what you say to those you uh…lo…care about," Mac mentions softly.

"I agree Mac," Stella agrees as she leans in closer. "I feel the same way," she whispers. "You don't have to be afraid to admit it," she concludes. But not wanting to pry a love confession out of him, she decides to move on, espeically when he offers her a few more minutes of contemplative silence. "Glad that we always end our conversations on a happy note."

"If they end," Mac smirks, drawing a warm smile from Stella's lips.

"Like when they don't end," she teases. "So Roland wasn't the bad guy in all this. Well not the killer at least," Stella mentions, forcing Mac to think back to his first official interrogation with Roland.

"They were former clients of yours. Care to explain?"

"Ask them…"

"Dead right now, hand gun, registered to you."

"Why would I hire my own ex-clients to break into my apartment, shoot my bodyguard and steal from me? I…"

"Spare me your defense…"

"You think I arranged this? Fanciful? This the highlight of your career Detective?"

"Not even on the highlight reel."

"If you come after me, I'll hit you and your department with a malicious…"

"Still not hearing a denial."

"You know him, I wasn't surprised," Mac offers. "It was…James Belson, Danny's old partner behind it all that did kinda surprise us. So much for really knowing someone."

"Mac, the man that Danny knew when he was on the beat was different than the one that would take a job protecting the life of a scumbag like Roland Carson," Stella says firmly. "No one could have seen that one."

"I know that," Mac resigns.

"Don't know what to tell you boss; shoulda posted a guard outside his door…I didn't think…"

"You didn't know. Never know what a man is capable of…even old friends. He made a choice to go down this road…not your fault."

"So how was your final meeting with Roland? You never told me those details. I saw him leave and we left. What did he say to you?"

"Can I take this with me now Detective?"

"Evidence now sorry – you're a persuasive guy, persuade him not to kill you."

"You're enjoying this detective?"

"What you see is what we found."

"Not good enough detective."

"Sue me."

"Sue me? Mac he might be a scumbag but can do just that," Stella groans.

"He's full of hot air," Mac smirks. "I'm not afraid of him."

"You're not afraid of anyone Mac."

"Well that isn't true."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then tell me, who is Mac Taylor afraid of?" Stella playfully challenges.

"Anyone what would take you away from me," he admits in a soft tone. Stella looks at him in surprise before leaning in and kissing him lightly on the lips.

"On that we are both in agreement, but it's never going to happen."

"You uh…wanna get some fresh air?"

"Not really, but I know you do," she answers with a knowing glance. "Come on, it's a beautiful clear night; let's walk."

Mac grabs his suit jacket and helps Stella with her coat before they head for the front door.

"So I guess the skies really were unfriendly."

"The skies? Are you now talking about the case or your flight?" Mac smirks.

"I was talking mostly about the case but you know that the flight back home and any sky without you underneath is always unfriendly Mac," Stella laments softly as they head outside, quickly looping arms, Stella's head resting on Mac's shoulder. "Anything that takes me further away from you."

"But…" he starts only to have her softly silence him with a kiss.

"I know you have the same feeling when I fly home."

"I do."

"Then don't worry."

"I always worry. And in light of today's case, you know the couple parting on good terms but then her hearing his death…just makes you think. What if…" Mac's voice trails off.

"Please Mac, we both know the risks we take and those wouldn't change even if I was here."

"Doesn't make it any easier," Mac mentions as he leans in closer and kisses her cheek. "I just worry about you because I care about you…more than a friend."

"Well now you know how I feel when I hear you taking the risks you do."

"Sorry."

"I think we both are. Okay enough tense talk for now," Stella says with a firm smile.

"Agreed. So it's a nice night and the skies look pretty friendly right now. Want to chance them and go for a walk down a familiar path?"

Stella looks toward one of the entrances to Central Park and then at Mac and agrees with a nod and a smile.

"On one condition," Stella says and Mac arches his brows in wonder. "We head toward our favorite spot and take advantage of being alone under these friendly skies."

"Like the idea of that," Mac pulls her closer and kisses her on the cheek. "So speaking of unfriendly skies, you are still in hurricane season; how is that?"

"I have an umbrella at arm's reach no matter where I go," Stella answers with a slight chuckle. "The car, the office, the front door, the bedroom."

"The bedroom? Is that new? I didn't see it last weekend."

"Yeah it's new but it was there last weekend," she replies with a wide grin. "But in your defense you were a bit distracted last weekend."

"Ah yes that would be it," Mac smirks as they start down the all too familiar path.

"But otherwise it's a race against time with an outside crime scene."

"And keeping yourself and your team dry."

"Trust me we all look like a bunch of drowned rats by the time we return to the lab," Stella admits with a small sigh. "Next time I'll take a few pictures and send them to you."

"Promise?"

"I do," Stella answers as she stops, prompting Mac to look at her in question.

He looks around and then back to Stella before asking her what is going on. "Why did we stop here? Our spot is up ahead."

"Our spot has trees."

"So?"

"Clueless man," Stella smiles as she leans in closer, her hand resting on his cheek. "I like that about you."

"Okay, but why are we here?"

"Look up Mac," Stella instructs.

Mac looks up, his eyes lingering toward the starry heavens before the looks back down at Stella with a tender gaze. "Beautiful…" Mac whispers as his lips near hers. "But not as beautiful as you."

THE END!

A/N: Okay so I know that these are going to be mostly one sided b/c they are only Mac's cases but am really hoping you aren't all bored with these and I all still like them and you want them to continue. Please let me know in a review before you go and thanks again!

Have a good weekend SMACKIES! :D