Hey guys! :)

My deepest apologies for everyone who has been following this story and I haven't updated/uploaded in FOREVER! Please, pretty please, forgive me! DX But I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Pretty cute Mac/Stella stufff, if I do say so myself ;)

Special thanks to Miss Brii Taylor! :) you are a wonderful beta and I owe this entire [still unfinished] story to you! :D

I do not own anything, don't sue ;)

Please enjoy, and let me know what you think by clicking that review button! I'd love to hear what you think!

Stella stalked towards Mac's office, fury in her eyes. She walked in, and then slammed the door shut, Mac looked up frowning at the look he saw on Stella's face.

"Stella? What's wrong?" he asked.

"You know, you should be happy that Chief Sinclair's in the seat and not Chief Johnson!" Stella shouted to Mac, wildly gesticulating.

"Your Chief from New Orleans?" Mac asked slowly.

"Yes!" Stella snapped, "Sinclair would at least let you have your vacation! That bástardos won't even let us have one week of break after all the work we do! And after all I've done for him, getting the Crime Lab up and running smoothly, especially on a miniscule budget! One week! Just one week, damn it! That's all I asked for!" she held up her finger to demonstrate her point, and Mac noticed it was shaking slightly.

"I don't understand, Stella," Mac said cautiously, wanting to say more to calm her down but decided he didn't want his head getting ripped off his body.

"They're sending me back," she mumbled to the floor.

Mac raised his eyebrows, slowly he stood up.

"I thought you had a week in New York?" Mac asked, sitting down next to her on the couch.

"I thought so too. But apparently were getting overloaded with cases this week and the chief wants me back," Stella grumbled, shaking her head.

"Duty calls, I guess…" Mac said, trying to hide his disappointment. He knew what the job called for yet he couldn't shake the sudden sense of getting the floor pulled out from underneath him. He had wanted to take her out to dinner during her visit; a real dinner, not just hotdogs at a dog show. He wanted to take her somewhere nice, like that new French restaurant on West Broadway that she'd said she wanted to go to before she left. Guess that'll never happen, he thought glumly.

Or would he? Mac glanced over Stella's attire for a second.

"Did you bring a dress with you?" he asked suddenly.

"No. Why would I need one?" Stella asked, confused.

Mac grabbed his wallet out of his pocket, took out his credit card and handed it to Stella.

"Take that and go buy yourself a dress," Mac said, "Any dress, I don't care about the price, as long as you like it. You can take Lindsay out to help you if you want."

"Mac..." she started to refuse, and put the card on his knee.

"Just take it," Mac said insistently, not touching the object in his lap. His eyes were gazing into hers, silently begging her to take the card.

She couldn't tear her eyes away from his, they were boring into hers. She was completely hypnotized by his blue-green orbs; she couldn't blink much less turn away.

"Okay," she said breathlessly, slowly reaching for the card.

"Thank you," Mac said quietly once the card was in her wallet. Then he stood up and smiled, and gently showed her the door.

"Go. I'll be back at the apartment at 6, we need to leave by 7," Mac said, smiling.

Stella stood for a moment outside Mac's office door, trying to decide if what had happened had actually just happened or not. She blinked, and when she found herself still outside Mac's office and not in her bed, she shrugged and went off to go find Lindsay.

She found her in the A/V lab, running tests on what appeared to be a 911 call for another case.

"Lindsay," Stella said gently, tapping her on the shoulder. Lindsay turned around, her eyes wide.

"What?—oh, Stella, hey," Lindsay said, relaxing slightly. "Sorry, I got a little focused. What's up?"

"I need your help," Stella said. She couldn't keep a smile off her face.

"With what?" Lindsay asked. "Why are you grinning like that?"

"I'm going shopping," Stella said. "That always makes me happy. But I need your help."

"To go shopping?" Lindsay asked. "You forget where all the good stores are already?"

"No, but I'm looking for a dress," Stella said, her grin widening considerably.

"A dress? For what?"

Stella looked around before lowering her voice. "For Mac. I'll explain on the way."

"But I have to work," Lindsay said slowly. "You know I would, but I can't. Sorry, Stella."

"Mac said he'd clear it," Stella said with a roll of her eyes. "Come on, we're wasting time!" And with that, she took Lindsay's arm and dragged her out of the lab.

"Wait, Stella," Lindsay said, reclaiming her arm from Stella once they were free of the lab. "What happened? Why do I need to come with you?"

"You are gonna help me look for a dress," Stella said, "for –well, I don't exactly know, but Mac gave me his card and told me to get you to help."

"Mac gave you his card?" Lindsay asked incredulously. Stella nodded and patted her purse.

"He told me to get whatever dress I wanted, and to get you to help," Stella said. "We went over this already, now let's go."

Lindsay, however, was still processing everything Stella had told her. Slowly, her jaw dropped as she looked over to her boss' office. He was leaning against the glass doorframe, looking their way. He gave the ladies a quick salute when she looked over, smiling at them. Stella's gaze followed Lindsay's, and Lindsay could have sworn she saw Stella blush.

As they were riding down in the elevator, Lindsay looked at Stella with raised eyebrows, shaking her head and laughing.

"Well it's about time," Lindsay said, sighing.

XXXXXX

"Stella..?" Mac called out nervously as he stepped into his apartment. He had called in a favor and gotten reservations to the restaurant, and picked up flowers on the way home. He hoped she was ready.

"Yeah? I'll be out in… not sure… But don't come in!" Stella shouted from the guest bathroom. Girly giggles, shrieks, and laughter came from behind the doors.

Ahh, Lindsay.

Mac put down the roses on the counter and headed for his bedroom. He quickly put on his tux that had been shoved to the back of his closet, shaved, and sprayed a little cologne here and there.

Stepping back into the living room, and seeing Stella not there, he began to pace back and forth. In effort to try to calm his nerves, he turned on the TV to the game but found he couldn't concentrate.

After what seemed like an eternity, the door creaked open and Mac stood up, straightening out his tie.

"Mac!" Lindsay called out, walking out of the bathroom.

"Oh, Lindsay. Yeah?" he asked, relaxing a little upon seeing it wasn't his date.

"You have flowers?" she asked. Mac pointed to the flowers sitting on the counter.

"Good," Lindsay said, nodding approvingly. She held out something in her hand. "Here's your card back. I'm gonna leave now so you two can have your privacy. Have fun!"

She gave him a quick hug, and then put on her shoes and coat. "Bye, Stella!" she shouted in the direction of the bathroom.

Mac walked her out to the door. He turned around and his jaw dropped.

"Wow."

WHOA, CLIFFHANGER! XD hhahaha let me know what you all thought! :D Big hugs and kisses to anyone that does ;)

Thanks again!