Disclaimer: As usual, I'm just borrowing.

XxX

"Stella!"

Stella jumped as Mac's voice pierced the silence and she realised that she'd did it again. "Sorry," she apologised, hopeful that the late hour would encourage him to let it go until she'd had a decent amount of sleep and a shot or three of caffeine to help her come up with a defence that he'd buy.

"I'm beginning to think that you're doing this on purpose," he accused, tired and grumpy and annoyed that yet again she'd dropped the ball.

Although technically at fault, she wasn't one to take anything lying down. Besides, she was just as tired as he was, and she could do grumpy at least as well as he did. "Yeah, because I like being addressed in that tone. It's what I strive for."

"Three times this week, Stel," he reprimanded, ignoring her comment. "What else am I supposed to think?"

"I said I was sorry, Mac. What else do you want me to do?"

"How about not doing it? That would work for me."

"I'm trying," she protested. And she was, kind of. She just didn't see what the big deal was so she allowed herself to be distracted by other things and then by the time she realised what she'd done – or by the time Mac realised what she'd done, it was already too late. "I just . . . forget, is all."

"You forget and I'm the one who has to deal with it. Does that sound fair to you?"

Okay, so maybe he had a point. Maybe he was being perfectly reasonable in his request and she should just bite her tongue and cop it on the chin. Maybe.

"Look," he said, softening his tone. "All I'm saying is that if you made a bit more of an effort we wouldn't have this problem."

"I know what you're saying, and I said I was sorry. It won't happen again."

"I'd believe you but I think your record speaks for itself."

"Okay, it might happen again," she conceded. "But – "

"No, no more 'buts'. You know what you have to do."

She pictured his solution and cringed. "But they're ugly," she protested. "And I don't like the feel of them."

"And I'm tired of being shocked awake by the two iceblocks that you slide between my feet whenever you come back from the bathroom."

She decided to try a bit of flattery in the hope that he'd let it go. "You're always so warm and cuddly, Mac, that I can't help myself."

"Stella," he warned, not buying it.

"Well, you should have carpeted instead of tiled then," she retorted. "You've only got yourself to blame."

He gave up. He was never going to win an argument with her at three in the morning. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

She smiled and snuggled further into his side. "It's not my fault that my feet get cold."

Mac sighed and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Just do it, will you, Stel?"

There was a miffed silence from Stella's side of the bed before she finally conceded defeat.

"Fine, from now on I'll wear the damn socks."

End.