This is a spin-off of my episode-based story "Picking up the Pieces" – my version of "Officer Blue". I had this started years ago, long before even thinking about writing something to each episode and it was planned to be a multi-chapter story from the beginning. It's one of those that my heart is really much attached to, therefore the name of the story – "Baby" Blue.

The song in this story is "Through the Eyes of a Child" by Raemonn. Regular readers might remember this name, that's the same German band that also did "Tonight". The song that inspired me for my very first finished (not first posted) story with the same name. I had another song planned for this story here, but when I heard the Raemonn song on the radio for the first time, it just hit me – just like with "Tonight" back then – and I just knew: THIS is IT! It was just a perfect match, you'll see why. The song will only appear at the end of the third and mainly in the fourth chapter, I strongly recommend looking for it, it's great! And important for the atmosphere of the story. You can find it in my profile :-) If this is working, I will do this with each important song from now on.

Author's Note: The story contains an original scene quoted from the actual episode (just because this one is one of my very favorite Stella scenes) for which of course I don't take any credit. I just love it! One of the better ideas that the writers had ;-)

Thanks to Mitch for previewing as usual - he said it might be one of the (if not THE) best I've done so far - I hope you agree *g*

Disclaimer: All the original characters belong to their owners - except for Mac. Mac belongs to Stella.

Chapter One

Stella was foaming with anger.

Anger about Mac, who didn't seem to care about the ongoing investigation and instead seemed to be more interested in saving a horse. Not that she had anything against horses in general or this one in particular. Absolutely not. But for her, the job had first priority and she was honestly wondering about Mac in this matter.

Usually he was the one who asked for two hundred percent focus on the job, no room for personal feelings in the line of duty. That was the Mac Taylor she knew. Even more since he had lost his beloved wife several years ago. Ever since then, he had become reserved, almost embittered. He didn't seem to allow himself any kind of diversion, no display of personal feelings, let alone pleasure.

And now?

One short visit of District Attorney Tom Midford with a request – no, not a request. It hadn't been more than a possible favor Midford had asked for. He had asked for a postponement of the horse's operation – and with that a delay of the extraction of the bullet that was evidence in the shooting of an NYPD officer who got killed while sitting on this very horse.

All this to allow the widow of an officer who had died in the line of duty, Officer Don Como, and his daughter, to see the horse they had donated after their husband's and father's death - in case the horse wouldn't make it through the surgery.

Mac had agreed.

Stella wasn't coldhearted or callous. Not at all. She loved animals, horses in particular and she sympathized with this poor creature who had suffered from massive abrasions, contusions and lacerations when it had collided with the cab on its flight after the shooting.

But this wasn't about the horse. Or about the people who had donated the horse. This was about an officer who had been killed and possibly about a sniper who was out there somewhere, maybe waiting for his next random victim. They had a job to do, it was their obligation towards the people of this city to find whoever did this before he struck again. If he intended to do so.

Was it a cop killer or someone who would aim at anyone - disregarding profession, age, gender and race? Or was it a professional hit with Officer Velasquez as the only target?

She didn't care, all she knew was that this psycho had to be caught. Fast. Otherwise they would soon encounter an enormous amount of pressure from all sides. Public, press, police commissioner, mayor's office…

And in that case, it wasn't just Mac's reputation and job on the line – it was the entire team's.

XXXXX

After she had searched the suspect's apartment and as expected had found the weapon she had been looking for, Stella had returned to the lab and assembled it successfully. Her fury had turned into a feeling of self-satisfaction about being in the right.

She resolutely walked over to Mac's office, opened the door, walked over to his desk, the rifle in her hands and stopped right in front of his desk. He looked up in surprise.

Without giving him a chance to say anything, she fired off her speech.

"Service-issued semi-automatic gas-operated shoulder-fired rifle, capable magazine capacity 5 to 40 rounds."

Stella smashed the magazine on the desk in front of Mac.

"Brown left the rifle unmodified -" she pulled the security lock "– it's ready for fire. All we need now … is a bullet to compare it to. In 'Stella-talk': It's time to get the bullet out of the horse, Mac!"

She slammed the rifle onto his desk, next to the magazine, and glared at him.

"End of conversation!" she announced firmly, quoting him from their previous encounter when he had cut her off with exactly the same words.

She hadn't forgotten how he had he had almost lashed her, giving her the feeling she needed to be told how to do her job right, like a rookie who didn't know better.

Without waiting for his reaction, she turned around and left the office.

XXXXX

One hour later, Stella opened the door to her apartment, threw her bag next to the wardrobe and her coat over the chair next to the door. She hadn't seen Mac after her outburst in his office, but she had heard that he had talked to the vet who had told him that they would operate the horse the next day. She knew they would go to the animal clinic together and that things would be okay between them again by then.

It had always been like this. They would disagree, argue, sometimes fight about things and moments later everything was good again. Like sunshine and rainbows after a hard, cleansing rain. There was no need for big apologies, their arguments and fights always and solely remained on a professional level. Never did things get personal and violate the other one's feelings. Tomorrow, it would all be good again. For today, she couldn't care less. Little did she know how drastically she would have to change her mind within seconds.

With a sigh she dropped herself on the couch - only to jump up again the same moment.

Damn it!

She reluctantly went over to the wardrobe and reached for her bag to get her ringing cell phone. After a look at the display, she rolled her eyes.

Gimme a break…

"This'd better be an emergency, Messer!" she said with a warning tone in her voice.

All she wanted now was a nice relaxing bubble bath with some trashy book and forget about the rest of the world. And about Mac.

"Danny, I had a rough day. I just got home and there is nothing you can tell me that will make me leave my apartment again before tomorrow in the morning…" she started without a stop to breath, leaving him no chance to say a word at first. "And don't start telling me Mac asked you to call me back in because I'm not coming."

"I… I don't know how to tell you this… It's Mac, Stella. He's been shot…" Danny stammered. Shock, fear and disbelief evident from the tone in his voice. "I'm at the hospital, they are treating him in the ER right now. You better get over here right away, I don't know…"

Stella felt her knees getting weak. The sound of Danny's voice echoed in her head. Only fragments of what he had said seemed to have reached her cerebral center.

And those fragments scared her to death.

Mac… Shot… Hospital…

TBC

This is mostly the introduction to get things going, from here most things will go my way. I'm VERY excited about this one, hope you stay with me here. Story IS finished, update will follow as soon as I feel encouraged enough to post ;-) Let me know what you think, please! In the meantime maybe check out the recently posted and not pre-announced "In a New York Minute". Thanks a lot for all the nice comments, alerts and PMs in the past - love you all :-)

xxxlittlesheepxxx