AN: This story was originally written for the csi_bigbang Challenge at livejournal. I enjoyed writing the fic very much so I really hope that you like reading it :) I know it's a long story and I thought about posting it in chapters but decided against it because I never intended for the story to have chapters so I'm not gonna divide it now. Anyway. I hope you like the story :)

It was a quiet afternoon in the New York crime lab. Mac sat in his office, working on the paperwork of the most recent case, desperate to get it done. His team was either processing evidence or out in the field. The cases they had weren't big ones, and so he and Stella were the only ones left in the lab, both working to get the files off their desks.

It was 3:17 p.m. when the phone on Mac's desk rang, and he set down his pen to answer it. For a while he just sat there and listened to what the person on the other end told him. He nodded a few times, although he knew the person speaking to him didn't see it. After half an hour, the phone call was over.

Mac sat in his chair and stared through the glass walls out into the crime lab, watching a few lab techs working. Leaning forward on his desk, Mac grabbed the phone and dialed a number. After a few angry words, the person on the other end cut him off, gave a few decisive words in response, and ended the call. With a sour expression, Mac hung up and stared out into the hall again. It took him a few minutes to calm down again.

When his coworker and friend walked by his office, Mac called, "Hey, Stella, could you come to my office for a moment?"

Stella turned around, took a few steps backwards, then entered his office. "Sure," she replied as she stepped in. "What's up?"

"Close the door, please," Mac ordered without moving an inch.

"What's wrong, Mac?" Stella asked, eyeing her friend in concern. After she had closed the door, Stella sat down on the chair in front of Mac's desk.

"Chicago PD's deputy inspector just called," he replied.

Stella pulled her eyebrows together as she got more concerned.

"Mac, you're worrying me here," she finally said when Mac didn't make an attempt to add further explanations.

Mac smiled at his partner. "There is nothing to worry about, Stella. Nothing's wrong with me or my family or something like that. And before you ask, no, I'm not in trouble, and neither is anyone from my family."

"What's going on, then?" Stella asked again.

"Chicago PD asked for help on a case," Mac explained. "They have an unsolved serial they've been working on for a few months now. They aren't making any progress in the case, so they want me – or rather, us – to give them a hand."

"Okay," Stella replied slowly and looked at Mac, waiting for him to give her more information. When that didn't happen, she raised her eyebrows and asked, "Where's the catch?"

"They want us to go undercover," Mac returned.

"Why?" Stella asked, confused.

Mac raised his eyebrows. "Why do people go undercover?" he asked pointedly. "They need to get someone close to their suspect. Someone who knows what they're doing."

Stella rolled her eyes. "I know why people go undercover and what they're doing, Mac," she replied. "What I meant is why us?"

"Well, they need someone who knows their way through the city but isn't known very well there," Mac said. "The deputy did his research and came up with me. He knows I'm from Chicago, and he knows that I have a good team."

Stella nodded. "Okay, so who exactly do you mean when you say 'us'?" she asked. "And what is it that Chicago PD expects from us?"

Mac sighed and leaned back in his chair again. "By 'us' I mean you and me, Stella. They told me to bring someone with me – someone I trust, someone I know well, and someone who's willing to do that with me," he replied, looking at the woman on the other side of his desk. "And you are that person, Stella."

Now it was Stella who sighed. "I don't have much of a choice here, do I?"

Mac chuckled. "As much as I have," he replied. "Apparently, Deputy Inspector Shepart made sure to clear this mission with our bosses first. They told me I could do this job or I could pack my bags and look for a new one."

Stella snorted. She was about to reply when Danny knocked on Mac's office door and stuck his head into the room.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt—I have some interesting news on the case," he said.

"Not now, Danny," Mac said.

"Is everything okay?" the younger CSI asked.

"Everything is fine, Danny," Stella replied. "There are just a few important things we need to talk about."

"Okay then," Danny said and left the office again.

Stella turned back to face Mac. "How much are we allowed to tell the team?" she asked.

"As far as I know we can tell them what we know so far. We'll probably need them, anyway," Mac replied.

"How so?" Stella asked.

"The deputy inspector suspects someone on his team is giving information to their serial killer. He's not sure about it, though. That's why we'll probably have to work alone or send all the evidence we collect back to New York," Mac explained.

"Great," Stella replied sarcastically and leaned back in her chair. "You already got the file?"

"No," Mac returned. "I'll get it later today."

"Okay, so no further information on the case until tonight," Stella stated.

"Yeah," Mac said. "How about having dinner together tonight so we can talk about the details?"

"Sounds good," Stella replied. "When do we have to leave anyway?" she added, suddenly remembering he hadn't mentioned it.

"Tomorrow," Mac answered.

"Tomorrow?" Stella asked, stunned.

"I know it's short notice," Mac replied. "Look, I'm not happy about this, either, and I can understand if you're telling me no, but I'm not gonna lie to you, Stella: you're the only one I can do this with. You're the only one I want to do this with, but I'm not gonna force you into going with me."

"Don't be ridiculous, Mac. I'm not gonna let you down on this. I won't make you go with someone else. I'm in with you on this," Stella reassured him.

"Maybe you should know something else before agreeing," Mac said with a sheepish grin. "We sorta have to act like a couple." When Stella raised her eyebrows, Mac continued. "Well, their suspect lives a little outside of Chicago, and they want us to move to the neighborhood as newlyweds."

"Mac, couple or not, I'm in with you on this," she replied, stressing her last words.

"Don't you wanna talk with Brendon before you agree?" he asked confused.

Stella sighed. "I broke up with him last week," she admitted. "He's nice and all, but… well, he's just not the one for me."

Mac nodded. "I'm sorry it didn't work out with you."

"Don't be," Stella said and sighed again. "At least he wasn't some creep who tried to kill me or any of my friends."

Mac chuckled. "I'm glad you can joke about that now," he returned and gave Stella a smile.

She returned his smile. "Okay, back to this undercover thing," Stella said. "How is this going to be? I mean, is the flight booked? Do we have rings? Do we have a car in Chicago? Is there anything important we need to know?"

"Yes, there is a flight we need to catch tomorrow. No, I'll get them tomorrow. As far as I know, we'll rent a car in Chicago, and everything else we need to know is in the file I'll get soon. Hopefully," Mac replied.

"Okay. Now, how about the team?" Stella asked.

"We'll set up a team meeting in half an hour and tell them all they need to know. I'll make Danny head of the lab as long as we're gone since he's got the most seniority."

"Did you just come up with all this, or did you know about this longer without telling me?" Stella asked teasingly.

Mac chuckled. "Maybe I'm just smart like that," he replied.

Stella raised her eyebrows. "I'm not gonna boost your ego by agreeing to that," she said. "Anything else you need me to know?"

"No, that's all for now. That's all I know. No, wait—actually, I know one more thing. We'll get new cell phones in Chicago so the deputy inspector can get in contact with us. The numbers and stuff are in the file," Mac said.

"Good," Stella replied. "I'll go back to work, then, I guess." Stella was about to get up when Mac held her back.

"There's not much work left for us today," he said. "We'll just have the meeting, arrange duties and responsibilities, and then we'll have the rest of the day off to prepare for our trip. We still need to pack our stuff and maybe get some things."

Stella nodded. "That's true," she said. "Well, I'll go tell the team to meet us in the conference room in half an hour."

"Okay," Mac replied.

***

The team was gathered together in the conference room, Mac and Stella standing at the head of the table, the rest sitting around it, waiting for their bosses to tell them what was going on. When Mac cleared his throat, the conversations between the colleagues stopped, and everybody looked at him expectantly.

"You probably wonder why we wanted to have a meeting so suddenly," he started, and the team murmured their agreement. "There are recent developments concerning a case in Chicago that need our attention," he went on. "Chicago PD called me about an hour ago to tell me that they need us to help them with an unsolved serial killer. They want me and one of the team to go there undercover."

"I guess we already know who you'll take," Hawkes said.

"Yes," Stella confirmed. "Mac and I will go to Chicago tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Lindsay asked. "That's a little sudden, don't you think?"

"It wasn't our decision to leave tomorrow," Mac said.

"It wasn't even our decision to go," Stella said.

Mac shot her a look saying it had been her decision, but Stella just rolled her eyes. Turning back to the team, she said, "We'll leave tomorrow in the afternoon. We have no idea how long we'll be gone. Since Chicago PD has been working on that case for a few months, it's possible that we'll be there a few weeks."

"Normally Stella would be in charge of the lab, but since she's coming with me, that's impossible. Danny, you're the one with the most seniority. That puts you in charge of the lab while we're gone," Mac said, turning to Danny. "I expect to find the lab in the same condition when we come back. Am I clear?"

"Crystal clear, boss," Danny replied.

"Good," Mac returned. "I can't give you further information just yet because we don't have any. The only thing I know is that we'll be living in a house a little outside the city. Chicago PD expects the murderer to live there. We'll have new cell phones with new numbers, which you'll get later. Do you have any questions?"

The team just looked at them. "I'll take that as a no," Mac said. "Danny will be in charge of the lab as of now. Stella and I have the rest of the day off. As soon as we know more, I'll let you know, Danny."

"Okay," the younger CSI replied.

"I'll give you some general information about the lab and things you should keep in mind while we're gone," Mac said, facing Danny. "The rest of you can go back to work."

Before leaving the conference room, the rest of the team said goodbye to Stella and Mac. The both of them stayed in the room a little longer to give Danny some advice and then left the lab.

***

Stella was sitting on her sofa, a cup of tea in hand and her gaze fixed out the living room window when she heard the soft knock on her door. She got up and walked to the door to let Mac in. She was greeted by a bag of takeout from her favorite Italian restaurant. Mac smiled at her as he stepped into the apartment.

"You are my hero right now," Stella said as she took the takeout from him and walked into the kitchen.

"I knew you'd like it," Mac returned and followed his friend into the kitchen. He set the file he was still holding down on the counter and helped Stella get dinner ready. They kept their conversation casual and away from work during dinner.

"Back to business," Stella said after they had cleared the table and washed the dishes. She grabbed the file from the counter and walked back to the table, setting it down again.

"Did you tell Danny the news?" she asked as she sat down opposite from Mac.

He nodded. "Yeah, I called him earlier to give him our new numbers and our address."

"Good," she returned. "Have you read the file already?"

"No," Mac replied. "I just checked for the phone numbers and the address."

"Is there only one copy of the file for us?" Stella asked while she looked through it.

"Yes," Mac confirmed, "and Chicago PD asked us to keep it that way."

"Of course," Stella replied. When she turned the page, she looked at a few photos from the victims. "My god," she said. "That's horrible. How can somebody do something like that?"

Mac took the file from her hands and looked at the pictures. He let out a breath. "I did not expect that," he said. "I was told that the killer has been targeting families, but I definitely didn't expect something like that."

The two pictures which were flipped open showed a family – mom, dad, and three children. All five lay on the ground, covered in blood. The blood around them made a significant pattern and had been put there before the victims. The blood had the shape of a human body, each in the size of the family member who was placed on there.

Each one of the family members had plastic bags wrapped around their heads, fixed with tape at the throat. They all lay in a distinctive position, arms and legs outstretched from the body. But the most shocking thing was that the right hand of every person was missing.

Stella gulped. "This is just sick," she said. "We need to catch that guy. Soon."

"We will," Mac promised. "We will catch him."

"When's our flight leaving tomorrow?" Stella asked after a few moments of silence.

Mac flipped a few pages back. "Our flight leaves at five p.m. from JFK."

Stella nodded. "Okay. Anything specific we need to get done before then?"

"Well, I need to buy our rings," Mac said. "And maybe we should have a few facts about us memorized. Like jobs, why we moved to Chicago, our family history."

Stella chuckled. "Yeah, that would be good. Just in case we meet any of our neighbors tomorrow. How long does the flight to Chicago take, anyway?"

"A little over three hours," Mac replied.

"Do your parents know you're moving to Chicago?" Stella asked with raised eyebrows.

"No," Mac replied. "And I'm not sure I'll tell them."

"They won't be happy when they find out you lived in your hometown for a few weeks without them knowing," Stella pointed out.

"I know that," Mac returned. "I'll take a few days off from work when we're done and make it up to them."

"Take time off from work? You?" Stella asked teasingly.

"I have the feeling that we'll need it after we've solved this case," Mac replied serious.

Leaning back in her chair, Stella took a deep breath and then slowly released it again. They sat in silence for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Thanks for doing this with me, Stella," Mac said after a while.

"Mac, stop thanking me or telling me that I don't have to do this with you," Stella returned. "I want to do this with you."

Stella reached over the table and took the file from Mac again. Flipping through a few pages, she stopped when she had found what she was looking for. Her eyes flew over the page, and she didn't show any reaction for some time. After a few moments she snorted.

Mac raised his eyebrows. "What?" he asked.

"We've known each other for seven years now. We married this January in a big ceremony with all our family and friends. When you got a job offer in Chicago, we decided to move there. I've been working as a teacher in New York, and I'm now looking to find a new job somewhere in Chicago," Stella summarized their faked story.

"What exactly is that job I'm doing?" Mac asked.

"You do pharmaceutical research in cancer medication," Stella replied.

Now it was Mac who snorted. "Well, at least it has something to do with science."

Stella chuckled. "So does mine. I was a science teacher. I guess mine is closer to what we actually do than yours," she teased.

"Hopefully none of our neighbors works in the same hospital I'm supposed to be at," Mac returned.

"We'll find out tomorrow—the day after tomorrow at the latest," Stella replied.

"Yeah," Mac agreed. They sat in silence again for a few moments before Mac said, "I think I'll leave now. It's late, and I still have to get some things ready for tomorrow."

"Okay," Stella said. "You gonna pick me up tomorrow?"

"Of course," Mac replied. "I'll pick you up around three?"

Stella nodded. "Sure."

They both got up and Stella walked Mac to the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then," Mac said as he opened the door.

"Good night, honey," Stella replied, causing Mac to chuckle.

"Sleep well, sweetie," he returned and made his way to the elevator.

***

The day had gone by fast. Stella had gotten up at eight – which was actually like sleeping in for her – and done some shopping to get the last important things she needed and packed her bags at home.

Mac had knocked on her door exactly at three p.m. to pick her up and drive to the airport together. Before they'd gone to the car, Mac had pulled out one of those little blue boxes Stella loved so much and asked, "Will you be my wife?"

Stella had chuckled at that and placed a kiss on Mac's cheek.

"Yes," she had replied and let Mac slide the ring onto her finger.

The flight to Chicago had gone without any turbulence. They had used the time to memorize a few facts about themselves and get used to the new situation. During the flight, Mac had taken Stella's hand a few times and squeezed it softly. Each time she had smiled at him reassuringly.

Now they were waiting in front of the airport. A guy from a car rental agency had waited for them to arrive and given them the keys to their car for the next few weeks. When the car drove up to them, Stella let out a relieved sigh. Mac turned around and shot her a look.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm just looking forward to sit down on the couch, relax, and get some proper food," she replied.

Mac chuckled. "We still have to unpack, adjust in the house, and go through the file," he pointed out.

"Thanks for tearing my last piece of hope apart," Stella commented drily.

Mac grinned and pulled her into his arms, placing a soft kiss to her forehead. "We don't have to do all of it today, sweetie," he said. "I'll cook you a nice dinner when we get home, and you just relax."

"I knew I married the perfect man," Stella replied and ran her hand down his face.

"Come on," Mac said and pulled Stella gently towards the car. He opened the door for her and helped her get in. "I'll just get our bags in the car, and then we're ready to go."

The drive towards their house was quiet. Stella rested her head against the seat, staring out of the window, lost in thought. Mac turned his head from time to time to look at Stella to check if she was still awake, and when they pulled up in front of the house, he leaned over and ran his hand gently over Stella's cheek.

"Hey, sleepy," Mac said. "We're home."

Stella smiled at Mac and unbuckled her seatbelt. "Finally," she replied as she got out of the car.

Mac walked around the car and was going to open the trunk when Stella stopped him, stepping in behind him and resting a hand on his back.

"How about we take a look at the house first before we get our stuff in to unpack?" she suggested.

"Sure," Mac replied.

Mac wrapped his arms around Stella's waist as they made their way towards the house.

"This is going to be fun," Stella said and leaned into her 'husband' slightly.

Mac chuckled and opened the door. "The house looks nice," he said as they stepped through the door, closing it behind themselves.

"That's an understatement," Stella argued. "It looks amazing," she added, and Mac chuckled. "Come on; let's take a tour through our new home." Stella tugged slightly at the sleeve of his jacket.

"Whatever you want, sweetie," Mac replied teasingly, earning him a smack from his pretended wife.

They looked through the house, familiarizing themselves with their new surroundings. When they had finished their tour, Mac went back to the car and brought their bags into the bedroom. The two of them started to unpack in a comfortable silence, and after approximately thirty minutes, Stella plopped down on their bed, sprawling out. Mac turned around and looked at her, chuckling when he saw her lying on the bed.

"Everything alright?" he asked with a smile.

"Just tired is all," Stella replied and sat up again.

Mac nodded. "It was a long day," he agreed.

"Would you mind if I took a bath?" Stella asked.

"Of course not," Mac replied. "Go ahead. I'll see what I'll manage for dinner while you're taking your bath."

"Thanks, Mac," Stella returned. "I'll finish unpacking my stuff later. Right now I just need a break."

"Okay, I'll finish putting away my stuff and make dinner afterward. You take your time," Mac said.

"You know, right now I do love you," Stella said in a teasing tone.

Mac, who was about to put his socks in the drawer of the dresser, turned around with a mock expression of shock on his face.

"You love me only right now?" he asked in disbelief. "Why did you marry me then?"

Stella chuckled, reached into her suitcase to grab some socks of her own, and threw them at him. With a quick movement of his hand, Mac caught them, only to throw them back at Stella a moment later. Catching her off-guard, he hit her on the head.

"You wanna start a fight, Taylor?" Stella asked, challenging.

"Hey, you started throwing socks at me," he returned and threw his pair of socks at her as well.

"You are in trouble," Stella said and took a few steps backward. She grabbed one of the pillows and was about to throw it at Mac when he held up his hands in self-defense.

"Okay, okay, I surrender," he said. "I apologize for throwing socks at you."

"Good boy," Stella replied with a triumphant grin. She went to her bag once again and took her toiletries out.

"What, you wanna throw that at me now?" Mac asked teasingly.

Stella chuckled. "Cute, Mac," she returned. "I'll be in the bathroom if you need me."

"I'm sure I'll manage without you for a while," Mac replied and smiled at Stella. "Enjoy your bath."

"Thanks," she replied, turned around and made her way into the bathroom.

***

It was a little over an hour later when Mac knocked on the bathroom door. No response. He knocked again. Once again, nothing.

"Stella?" Mac called. When he didn't an answer, he said, "Stella, I'm coming in."

The bathroom door cracked open, and Mac stepped into the warm room. The view in front of him caused him to smile. Stella lay peacefully in the bathtub full of water and bubbles. Her eyes were closed, and her chest rose with the even rhythm of her breath. She was sound asleep. Mac took a step closer to the bathtub, but then hesitated.

"Stella," he called softly. "Hey, wake up."

She stirred and slowly opened her eyes. "Hey," she greeted him with a sleepy voice.

"Hey," Mac replied. "You fell asleep in the tub," he explained. "When you didn't come out of the bathroom for over an hour, I thought I should check if you had drowned yourself. I knocked, but you didn't answer, so I thought I should come in to see if everything was alright."

Stella smiled softly. "That's cute, Mac."

"Okay, now that I know that you're still alive I can go back to the kitchen," he told her, and she chuckled.

"I'll be out in a minute," she said.

"Take your time," Mac said before disappearing.

***

It was a good twenty minutes later when Stella stepped out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. She was dressed in her favorite sweat pants and an old t-shirt.

"Smells good," she commented, and Mac turned around with a smile.

"Thanks," he replied. "Dinner will be ready in a few. Took me some time to come up with something."

"So I guess we need to go grocery shopping tomorrow," Stella stated and made her way over to the cupboard to look for plates. On her way, she stole a few glances into the pans and the oven. When she couldn't figure out what it was that Mac was cooking, she asked, "What's for dinner?"

"There was a note on the fridge saying that everything in there was bought this morning, just so we know that it's still fresh and edible," Mac explained. "I did expect to find more than chicken and some tomatoes, though." Mac released a chuckle. "Going through the cupboards, I did find some noodles, so we're having grilled chicken on noodles with tomato sauce," he announced. "Trust me, it tastes better than it sounds."

It was Stella's turn to chuckle. "Mac, I know you can cook, and I trust you not to kill me on our first day here."

"How sweet," Mac replied sarcastically.

Stella set the table and then opened the fridge to see if there was anything to drink in there.

"Oh boy, even your fridge hosts more food than this one does," she stated.

"Told you," Mac replied as he served their food.

"Don't we have a pantry or something in this house?" she asked. "Or is this poor bottle of water really the only thing we have at the moment?"

"Even if there was one somewhere, I wouldn't expect it to be filled," Mac replied. "Now come on, dinner's ready."

Stella grabbed the bottle of water and poured both of them a glass. Sitting down, she said, "It does look good."

Mac smiled at her over the table. "Enjoy. I hope you like it."

"It's really good, Mac," Stella said after she had taken the first bite.

"I'm glad you like it."

They ate in silence for a few moments until Stella spoke up again. "We don't even have anything for breakfast."

"That's why I'll take you out for breakfast. On our way back, we can stop by the grocery store to get some decent food," Mac replied.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Stella said with a smile. "You know, we should talk about some things after dinner. Maybe go through the file again."

"I think so, too," Mac agreed.

They fell silent again, both lost in their own thoughts while finishing off their dinner. Afterward, they cleaned the dishes together and then moved into the living room. Mac went into the bedroom to get the case file out of his nightstand. When he walked back into the living room, he found Stella curled up in the armchair.

"You've already taken over the armchair, I see," he commented when he plopped down on the sofa and placed the file on the table.

Stella smiled sheepishly. "When I was a kid, I always wanted to sit in the armchair at the orphanage, but the nuns wouldn't let me," she explained.

"Well, I'll let you," Mac replied with a sympathetic smile. He looked at her in silence for a few moments, smiling slightly.

"What?" Stella asked.

"Nothing." Mac smiled slightly at her.

"We should talk about some things," Stella said and Mac nodded in agreement. "How are we gonna do this?" she asked. "I mean, we're supposed to be married."

Mac gave her a soft smile. "Stella," he said. "You're my best friend. I think we'll manage just fine. We've both been in relationships, so we both know how to act," he pointed out with raised eyebrows. "So we'll just do that."

Stella chuckled. "You're right." They fell silent for a few moments before Stella spoke up again. "We should do something to introduce ourselves to the neighbors."

Mac nodded again. "How about a barbeque the day after tomorrow?" he suggested.

"Sounds good," Stella agreed. "We could invite a few of the neighbors in person tomorrow. That way we'd have a first impression of the people living in the neighborhood."

"I like the idea," Mac said. "So that's what we do tomorrow, then."

Stella nodded and leaned her head against the backrest of the armchair. She closed her eyes and let out a soft yawn.

"We can talk about the rest tomorrow, Stella," Mac said. Stella opened her eyes again and looked at him. "You look like you're gonna fall asleep there any minute. Let's just go to bed and deal with the rest tomorrow."

"I'd actually really like that," Stella replied, taking a deep breath.

"Come on then," Mac said as he got up from the sofa. When Stella still made no attempt to get up, Mac grabbed her hand and pulled her up with him. "The bed isn't going to come down to you," he teased, "and you don't wanna spent the first night here on the couch, do you?"

"You could carry me up, honey," Stella suggested with a cheeky grin.

Mac wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her towards him, and whispered, "You wish. And besides, I'm still your boss."

Stella chuckled. "We'll see about that," she returned challengingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mac asked with a slight smile. Stella just ignored the comment and made her way upstairs.

"I still need to finish unpacking," she stated as they stepped into the bedroom.

Mac chuckled. "Do it tomorrow. You're tired."

She nodded. "I'll be in the bathroom for a moment," Stella said, grabbed her pajamas from her suitcase and disappearing. Mac looked after her with a smile and shook his head.

When Stella came out of the bathroom again she found Mac sitting on their bed, dressed in a shirt and old sweatpants and staring at the bedroom door. He looked up when he heard the door opening and smiled at her as he got up.

"Finally," he said teasingly.

Stella chuckled. "The room's all yours." She walked over to her suitcase and pushed it out of the way towards the window so that the bed could be reached from all three sides. While Mac was in the bathroom, Stella sat on the side of the bed she had decided to be hers and placed a book and an alarm clock on the night table.

Sitting on the bed, Stella looked out of the window, lost in thought. She didn't even notice that Mac had come out of the bathroom again until he sat down on the bed beside her and gently nudged her with his shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied.

"Stella," Mac said softly.

She sighed. "Okay, I'm not fine," Stella returned. "I'm not okay. I'm sitting in Chicago with my boss trying to catch a serial who kills his victims in a sick way, and we're on our own. There's nobody to help us because one of Chicago PD's cops is corrupt, and their deputy inspector doesn't trust them anymore. So no, I'm not okay."

"Stella," Mac said and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "we will manage this together. We're a good team. We've been working together for over ten years now, and there is no person in this world who knows me better than you do. I promise you that I won't let anything happen to you. And we will catch this guy. Together. Because together we always catch the bad guys."

"Thanks, Mac," Stella returned and rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes again.

"Hey, before you fall asleep like this, let's lie down," Mac suggested.

Stella laughed lightly. "Just so we're clear, I get the right side of the bed," she stated.

"Why are you sitting on the left side then?" Mac asked pointedly.

With a roll of her eyes, Stella replied, "The right side when you lie in the bed."

"Whatever you want," Mac said and stood.

Stella pulled the covers back and snuggled into the bed.

"Good night," Mac said as he crawled into bed beside Stella after turning off the lights.

"Night," Stella mumbled, already half asleep.

***

When Stella woke up on the next morning, she found herself alone in the bed. A bit confused, she looked around the room and cast a glace towards the alarm clock on her nightstand. 10:34. Wow, Stella thought, I haven't slept that long in ages. She got out of the bed and walked towards the closet, getting fresh clothes out and then walking into the bathroom.

After a refreshing shower, Stella walked back into the bedroom to find the bed was made, but Mac was still nowhere to be seen. She decided to go down and look in the living room and kitchen for him.

"Morning," he greeted her when she walked into the kitchen.

"Morning," she replied with a smile. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"You were so tired last night that I thought I should let you sleep," Mac replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

Stella nodded. "That's a good enough apology," she returned with a grin. "Now, how about that breakfast you promised me?"

"I'm ready to go," Mac said and got up from his spot on the table.

"Good, let's go, then. I'm starving."

Mac chuckled and guided her out of the door and towards the car. A good fifteen minutes later, they found a little diner and decided to see if they could get breakfast there. The place was small and cozy and it reminded Stella of one of the diners in New York where she used to get breakfast sometimes. They sat down at a table by the window and looked through the menu. It didn't take long for the waitress to take their orders and ask them a few random questions.

Stella and Mac stayed seated a little longer after they had finished their breakfast and talked over another cup of coffee. Before they left the coffee shop, Stella asked the waitress if she could tell them where they could buy some basic things they needed. She gave them directions to the nearest supermarket, and the pretended couple left to get their shopping done.

***

"I'm dead," Stella said as she plopped down on the sofa. "I'm not moving another inch today."

Mac chuckled and turned around with raised eyebrows. He had been hanging pictures of the both of them, which they'd brought from New York, on the wall and placing them on the sideboards.

"You're gonna have to move. Dinner won't walk in here, and I won't carry you into the bedroom tonight."

"But my feet are killing me," Stella returned in a mock whining tone. "And I'm tired."

"Stella Bonasera," Mac said and walked over to her, giving her the "I am the boss" look.

"Stop that," Stella ordered. "We're newlyweds and you should fulfill every wish I have and carry me wherever I want to be carried."

"And if you try to get me to carry you anywhere every night as long as we're here, I'm not gonna do it." Mac sat down next to Stella and leaned in close. "I'll do that when we're actually married."

Stella chuckled and rested her head back against the armrest.

"Oh, don't forget that we wanted to introduce ourselves to the neighbors and invite them over for tomorrow night," Mac added as he got up again to continue his work.

Stella groaned in frustration. "Right. I forgot about that."

"And we should talk about what we're gonna do at the barbeque tomorrow night."

Stella raised her eyebrows although she knew Mac couldn't see it, since he had his back to her. "What does one do at a barbeque?" she asked pointedly.

"Funny, Bonasera," Mac returned. "You know exactly what I meant."

Stella shot him a grin. "We'll talk about it tonight over dinner."

"Sounds good," Mac replied. He stepped aside from the sideboard he was working on. "What do you think?"

Stella glanced at the pictures he had set up. "Looks good," she commented as she got up and walked over to him. "Nice pics. I didn't even know some of those existed." She chuckled.

"I thought you wouldn't move another inch today," Mac teased.

"Well, now that I'm up, we can go and introduce ourselves to the neighbors and invite them over," Stella suggested.

"Let's go," Mac agreed and started towards the front door.

"Whoa, hold on," Stella said. "Let me at least go to the bathroom first. I don't want to know how I look."

Mac chuckled. "You look good, Stel."

"Didn't expect you to say anything else," she called as she made her way up the stairs. "I'll be back in a minute."

Stella freshened up a little and then went back down to the door where Mac was already waiting for her. He was about to open the door when Stella held him back. He turned around and looked at her with a questioning gaze.

"We're married," she said. "Don't forget that."

Mac smiled and placed his arm lightly around her waist. "How could I forget my beautiful wife?"

A blush rose onto Stella's face and she mumbled something that sounded like Thank you.

"Now come on," Mac said and pulled Stella with him out of the door.

After locking the front door, the couple made their way over to the house opposite theirs. They rang the doorbell and waited. Both of them wore a polite smile on their face, keeping in mind that they were looking for a serial killer who killed his victims in a cruel way.

When the door was opened, they were greeted by of a nice-looking young lady who smiled at them.

"Hello," Stella greeted her. "We're Stella and Mac Taylor, and we've just moved into the house across the street."

"Oh, hi," the woman replied. "It's so nice to meet you. I'm Judy Michaels." They shook hands, and Mac let go of Stella's waist for a few moments. "My husband Ralph isn't home at the moment," Judy explained. "Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?"

"That's very nice of you, but actually we'd like to introduce ourselves to a few more people in the neighborhood. And we'd like to invite you over for tomorrow night. We're having a barbeque," Mac said with a polite smile.

"Oh, that's so nice," Judy replied. "My husband and I will definitely come over. When should we be there?"

Stella and Mac looked at each other for a brief moment. "Let's say around eight?" Stella suggested.

"Sounds great," Judy said with a smile.

"We'll see you tomorrow night, then," Stella said warmly.

"I'm looking forward to it."

They said their goodbyes, and Stella and Mac made their way towards the next house. This time a man in his thirties opened the door.

"Hello, we're Stella and Mac Taylor. We just moved into the house down the street," Mac introduced them.

"Aw, you are the newlyweds," came a voice from inside the house. The man in the doorway turned around and smiled at the approaching woman.

"Hi, I'm Kristen Jones," the young woman said and shook hands with both of them. "And this is Michael, my husband."

"Hey, it's nice to meet you," Michael said and reached out to shake their hands, as well.

"We're having a barbeque tomorrow night, and we'd like to invite you to come over," Stella said.

"Sure, that'd be great," Kristen replied, and Michael nodded.

"Great. We'll see you tomorrow night, then?" Stella asked.

"Yeah," Michael replied. "What time do you have in mind?"

"Around eight?" Mac asked.

"That's perfect," Kristen said. "We'll see you tomorrow, then."

Stella and Mac moved on to the next house and were once again greeted by a woman who couldn't be older than thirty-five. She introduced herself as Jennifer Clark and told them that her husband Greg was picking up their eight-year-old daughter Michelle from school. She agreed happily to join them the next day for their barbeque, and Mac and Stella assured her their daughter was welcome as well. After a little more casual small talk, they made their way over to the next house.

The door was opened by a teenager girl whose long blond hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail. She smiled at the couple.

"What can I do for you?" she asked. "Aren't you the new neighbors?"

Stella let out a soft chuckle. "Yes, we are. I'm Stella, and this is my husband, Mac."

"Hey, it's nice to meet you. You're probably looking for my parents, right?"

"Yes we are," Mac replied.

"They aren't home yet. Mom is at our restaurant, and Dad's probably meeting friends," the girl said. "God, I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Samantha, but everybody calls me Sam."

"It's nice to meet you, Sam," Stella said with a smile. "We're having a barbeque tomorrow night, and we'd like to invite you and your parents."

"Cool," Sam replied. "I'll let them know. As I know Mom, she'll probably stop by your place tonight when I tell her you were here when she wasn't home." The girl chuckled. "And she'll most likely bring a cake tomorrow. She's like the housewife in this neighborhood. Her cakes are amazing."

"That's good to know," Stella said. "You know, I can't bake at all."

"Well, if you need cake, just ring the bell and Mom will make you one."

"Are you the only teenager around here?" Mac asked.

"Yeah," Sam nodded with a sad smile. "The house you moved into? The family who lived in there before moved away a few weeks back. They had a daughter my age. We were always hanging out and doing stuff together, but after that horrible crime happened here a few months ago, her parents decided that they didn't want to live here any longer."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Stella said. "That must be hard."

Sam shrugged. "It sucks, but what am I supposed to do?" she said. "I'll still be able to see her. She lives only an hour away from here."

"That's good," Mac replied with a smile.

"We'll go and introduce ourselves to a few more people, then," Stella said.

Sam smiled. "It was nice meeting you. See you."

Stella and Mac made their way over to the last house they planned to stop at.

"She's a nice girl," Stella said as they crossed the street. Mac nodded his agreement.

The door was opened by a woman again. She smiled politely at Stella and Mac and asked what she could do for them. After they had introduced themselves and invited the woman, Jessica Blooming, and her husband to their little party the next evening, Jessica told them that she had an appointment and needed to leave if she wanted to be there on time.

On their way back to their house, Mac wrapped his arm around Stella's waist and pulled her against his side again. When he placed a light kiss on her temple, she looked at him.

"What was that for?" she asked.

Mac chuckled. "We're married…"

As soon as the door was closed behind them, Stella and Mac started talking about their first impression of their neighbors.

"They all seem really nice," Stella said. "Although Jessica was a little weird, don't you think?"

Mac turned towards her. "You think?" he asked. "She was probably just in a hurry to get to her appointment, and we showed up a bad time. I wouldn't read too much into it."

"You're probably right," Stella agreed. "The girl – Sam – was very nice. Poor thing, losing one of her friends in that murder, and then her best friend moving away."

Mac nodded in agreement. "Another reason why we have to catch him."

"I can't believe one of these people is responsible for those brutal murders," Stella said as she and Mac moved into the living room and sat down on the sofa. "They all seem so nice."

"I know," Mac answered. "But there are still some people we don't know yet."

Stella snorted. "I doubt that they'll be less friendly."

Mac nodded and remained silent for a few moments. "Stella," he added, "don't let this get too personal. Remember we're here to catch a killer."

"Yeah, I know."

"Good," Mac replied. "We should start noting down our first impressions and names."

"We should," Stella agreed. "Will you get something to drink? I have to use the bathroom before we'll start working."

Mac chuckled. "Sure," he replied and walked into the kitchen while Stella made her way up the stairs.

A few minutes later, she joined Mac in their office. Two desks faced each other so they could still see each other while they were working. On both desks lay a laptop and other things they would need. Mac was already scribbling something on a piece of paper when Stella sat down in her chair.

"So," she said, making Mac look up.

"Just wrote down the names," he replied.

"Okay, well, let's get to work, then."

They spent the next two hours in their office writing down and discussing everything they had noticed during their first meetings with their neighbors.

They had just finished as the doorbell rang. Samantha's mother Emily stood on the doorstep, holding a tray in her hands. She wanted to introduce herself, accept the invitation for the next evening, and bring them a piece of her homemade cake. The rest of the evening went over quietly. They cooked dinner together and, after eating, settled on the couch to watching TV.

***

The day of the barbeque went by quickly. Stella and Mac spent most of the day preparing things for the evening. About an hour before their guests were expected, Stella started to get ready. She went to the bathroom to apply her makeup and fix her hair. When she stepped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, Mac looked at her with a smile.

"You look good," he complimented.

"Thanks," Stella replied, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Ready to play husband and wife?"

Mac laughed. "I think I am. But I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"No, you haven't," Stella said as she walked over to the bed and sat down next to Mac.

"We'll manage," he returned and winked at Stella.

"Of course we will. Don't forget to kiss me every once in a while."

Mac chuckled. "I think I'll be able to remember that."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Stella got up again and stood in front of Mac.

"Do we need anything else, or is everything ready?" she asked.

"We have everything except the camera – where did you place it?"

Stella chuckled. "It's in the living room. You should've seen it lying on the table when you came in from the garden."

"Well, I didn't," Mac replied with a sheepish grin.

"Come on, let's go out—the first guests will come over in a few."

Mac got up and followed Stella down the stairs and into the garden, starting the grill while Stella got bread and salad out of the kitchen and placed them on the table they had prepared as a counter with food and a drink cooler. On the patio stood another two tables for their neighbors to sit and eat and a porch swing close by.

Stella joined Mac by the grill, and they chatted until the doorbell rang. On her way to let their guests in, she called over her shoulder, "I like seeing you like that. The whole being relaxed thing suits you. Makes you look very good."

Mac turned around and looked after Stella, a light frown on his face. Was Stella flirting with him?

When Stella opened the door, Jennifer and Greg Clark stood there with their little daughter Michelle. They greeted Stella with a polite smile and waved.

"Hey," Jennifer said.

"Come in; it's nice to see you."

Jennifer and Greg stepped in, Michelle holding her mother's hand, and Stella guided them out into the garden.

"Honey?" she called, getting Mac's attention. He turned around and walked over to them.

"Hi, it's nice to see you," Mac greeted them. "I'm Mac," he added, introducing himself to Greg.

"Greg," the younger man replied. "You want any help on that grill?"

"Sure," Mac replied.

Placing a soft kiss on Stella's cheek, he went back to the barbeque, and the two men got back to work while their wives sat down at the table and made small talk. Michelle was sitting on the porch swing, playing with a few dolls she had brought along.

It didn't take long until the doorbell rang again. Stella excused herself and went to open it. This time it was Kristen and Michael Jones. They greeted Stella happily and followed her into the garden. After saying hello to Jennifer and her daughter, Michael went to the grill to join the other two men.

The women sat back down at the table and talked cheerfully until the doorbell rang once again. Stella got up to let Emily and Tim Morton and their daughter Sam in. The girl gave Stella a cheery hug, eliciting a happy laugh from her mom.

"She must like you," Emily commented. "She never acts that way with people she doesn't know."

Stella chuckled. "I guess I should feel special then."

Emily joined her laughter. "Yeah, you really can."

"Come on, I'll introduce you to my husband," Stella said and walked over to the grill. She placed her hands gently on Mac's back, and he turned around.

"Ah, Emily, hi," he welcomed their guests. "And you must be Tim. It's nice to meet you."

"Hi, nice to meet you, too," Tim replied.

While their husbands talked, Stella and Emily walked back to the porch where the other two women sat. Stella and Emily had gotten along since the minute they had met the evening before. They chatted about casual things, Stella telling Emily about the life she'd had back in New York—the devised story, of course.

Judy and Ralph Michaels and Jessica and Gerry Blooming arrived together, having met on their way over. Stella greeted both couples joyfully and led them through the living room and into the garden. The four neighbors went over to Mac first to say hello and introduce themselves again, then went to talk to some of the others.

After all of them had been sitting together for a while, Mac walked over to Stella, laid his arm gently around her shoulders, and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. Stella turned her head and smiled at Mac. Raising her hand to his chin, she caressed his skin there softly and leaned in to press a gentle kiss to his lips.

Mac took a few steps forward, pulling Stella with him, and spoke up, getting the attention of the whole group. "My wife and I would like to thank all of you for coming over tonight. It's really nice getting to know all of, and I hope we'll have a nice evening together," he said.

"Well, it's nice to have you here," Emily spoke for the group. "We really hope that you'll settle in soon and adjust to the new surroundings."

"Thanks," Stella said. "Enjoy the evening. I hope you don't mind if I take a few photos?"

"My wife loves to photograph. Photography is her great passion," Mac added and pecked Stella on the cheek.

Their neighbors shook their heads, and some of them chuckled at Mac's comment. They all went back to do casual small talk, and Stella and Mac joined them and collected further information about all of their neighbors. Stella took a few pictures of them and the playing children. Sam and Michelle were sitting on a blanket Stella had brought them, playing with the younger girls' dolls. Emily had told Stella that Sam uses to babysit Michelle when her parents weren't home.

Jennifer and Greg were the first ones to leave because their daughter had to go to bed. Both of them said their goodbyes to Stella and Mac and asked if they wanted to get together for dinner sometime soon. The pretended couple agreed with a smile, and Stella walked the family to the door.

While Stella was in the house, she went upstairs and got a sweater because it was getting cold outside. When she stepped out into the garden again, Mac was standing by the grill and cleaning off some things. Stella walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Hey, everything okay?" Mac asked and turned around, wrapping his arms around her as well.

"Yeah," Stella replied. "Just a little cold."

Mac rubbed his hands gently up and down her back. "Better?"

"A little," Stella returned. They stayed like that a few moments, and Stella started to warm up slowly.

"Is it just me, or do you think this Gerry is weird?" she asked after a while.

"No, I agree," Mac replied. "He was watching the Clark's little girl play the whole time."

"Maybe he just likes kids?" Stella suggested.

"Let's talk about it later," Mac said when Judy made her way over to them.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked.

The couple separated from their hug, but Mac kept his arm around Stella's shoulders, holding her close.

"No, you're not," Mac replied with a smile.

"Good," she said. "You look very happy together. But I'm not here to tell you that," she chuckled.

Stella flushed lightly but shot the woman a warm smile.

"It was a nice evening," Judy said, "but I think my husband and I will leave now, as well. I have to get back to work early in the morning – being off was so nice."

The three of them chuckled. "Yeah, I agree, although I really hope that I'll find a job here soon," Stella said. "Thank God Mac doesn't have to work for the next few weeks."

Ralph joined the conversation a few moments later, and they kept talking for a while until the two of them made their goodbyes and were guided out by Stella and Mac.

"Come on, let's join the others outside for a little longer," Mac suggested and squeezed Stella's shoulders.

"Yeah," Stella agreed as they walked slowly through the living room. "I'll have a good night's sleep tonight," she added with a chuckle.

Mac looked at her and studied her face. "You look tired. Want me to kick our neighbors out?"

Stella chuckled again. "That's sweet, but no. I can wait another hour or two to go to bed."

They stepped out onto the porch and sat down with the others. They were included in conversations immediately, and Stella was let in on the latest gossip. They sat another two hours together and talked cheerfully until the other three couples decided to leave.

Stella sighed after she had closed the door behind them and leaned against the door. Mac walked over to her and drew her into a tight hug.

"Come on, let's get you to bed," he whispered and lifted her easily onto his arms, carrying her up the stairs into their bedroom.

"I thought I'd have to beg for that every single day as long as we're here," she teased.

Mac chuckled. "This is a one-time thing. I won't carry you to bed every night."

"Thanks," Stella said and snuggled against Mac.

"Hey, I'm not your bed," he returned with an amused smile.

"'is comfortable," Stella mumbled into Mac's shoulder.

"Not as much as your bed." Mac sat her down on the bed. "You should take off your clothes," he suggested. "I'll be in the bathroom meanwhile."

Stella nodded stripped down to her underwear while Mac was in the bathroom. She slipped into her sleeping clothes and then snuggled into the covers. Her eyes were already closed when Mac stepped out of the bathroom and joined her. He turned out the lights and turned towards Stella, who slipped closer to him and snuggled up to his body. A slight smile spread over Mac's face as he wrapped her arms around her.

***

Stella woke up, finding herself cuddled against Mac, her head resting on his chest. She looked up at his face and saw him smiling down at her.

"Sorry 'bout that," she said with a sheepish grin.

Mac shook his head with a smile. "Never mind. Slept well?"

"I did, actually," Stella replied.

"I must be comfortable, then," Mac returned teasingly.

"Comfortable or not, I'm getting up—I'm hungry." Stella wiggled out of Mac's arms and started to get up.

Mac sat up as well. "Want me to make breakfast?"

Stella turned around to look at him with raised eyebrows. "Why are you so nice to me today, Taylor?"

"I'm always nice to you," Mac protested.

"Yeah, whatever," Stella said with a grin and got up. "I'll take a shower, you make breakfast?"

" 'Yeah, whatever'?" Mac repeated. "You expect me to make you breakfast after that comment? After doubting that I'm always nice to you?"

When Stella turned to Mac, he had the cutest pout on his face. "Aww," she said and walked over to the bed again, sitting down on his side. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, big guy." She placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Better?"

Mac chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "Go take your shower. I'll make breakfast."

Stella got up, grabbed her clothes, and walked into the bathroom with a grin. While she took a shower and brushed her teeth, she thought about what had happened the night before and just a few moments ago. Did she imagine all this, or was Mac actually flirting with her? Or, rather, getting in on her flirting with him?

Something had changed between them—she wasn't really sure what was happening, but she liked the change in their relationship. She liked the way Mac was caring for her and how his attention was on her alone.

When Stella stepped out of the bathroom, the whole house smelled like fresh coffee and bacon and eggs. With a happy smile, she walked down to the kitchen. She found Mac standing at the stove preparing their breakfast, a cup of coffee next to him. Her smile widened as she walked into the room.

"Hey," she said.

Mac turned, smiling softly at her. "Hey."

"Anything for me to do?"

"No," Mac replied. "Just sit down; breakfast will be ready any minute."

"Okay." Stella did as she was told and sat down at the already set table. The cup was already filled with steaming coffee.

"There you go," Mac said when he placed a plate in front of Stella, just a couple moments later.

"Thanks," Stella replied. "Looks really good."

While eating breakfast, Stella and Mac discussed the things they needed to get done today. They agreed that they would use the morning to talk about their observations from the previous night—maybe take some notes and work on the files in the afternoon. After settling that plan, they talked about casual things, keeping their light teasing up.

They cleared the table and washed the dishes together, their hands brushing every once in a while. Each time that happened, Stella and Mac smiled at each other. When they were almost done, Mac scooped a few bubbles up with two fingers and wiped them on Stella's nose.

"Hey," she exclaimed in protest and wiped her wet hand on Mac's cheek, smirking at him.

"You wanna start a fight?" Mac asked, grabbing her wrist.

"No," Stella answered, laughing. "I don't wanna have to clean the whole kitchen."

"We wouldn't want that," Mac said teasingly and ran his thumb gently over her wrist. They stayed like that for a few moments, gazing into the others' eyes.

"We should get back to work," Mac said after several minutes.

Stella nodded. "Yeah, we still need to talk about yesterday," she agreed, and Mac nodded. "Um, Mac? I need my hand to finish off here," she said when he didn't let go of her wrist.

"Oh, sorry," Mac said, a faint blush rising into his cheeks, and let go of Stella's wrist.

Stella grinned but didn't say anything. The blushing was almost as cute as the pout he had given her not long ago. They finished off in the kitchen and then moved into the living room, getting paper and pencil to take notes about things they had noticed the previous evening.

Mac made them sandwiches for lunch, which they ate sitting on the porch, where they stayed a while longer after finishing their food.

"As much as I'd love to stay out here, we have to finish off our work," Stella said.

"Yeah."

They got up and went back inside the house, Mac's hand resting gently on the small of her back. This time they went into their office to print the pictures Stella had taken the night before and add them, as well as some general information, to the files of their neighbors.

***

"We're done," Stella announced, receiving a chuckle from Mac in return. "What? You don't think we've done enough work for today?"

"No, no, enough work for today," Mac agreed.

They had been working all afternoon to add information and photos to the files—it was almost seven. Stella got up from her chair and stretched out. She could feel Mac's eyes on her body. Stella smiled but didn't say anything. She liked the attention she got from Mac.

"How about dinner?" Stella asked.

"Sounds great," Mac replied and got up from his chair, following Stella down the stairs.

They cooked dinner together, keeping their teasing and flirting up through it. They settled into the living room for dinner, watching TV. Afterward they cleaned the dishes together and almost started a bubble fight again. Laughing, they both returned to the living room and plopped down on the couch. It wasn't long after they had settled there together when Mac's phone rang.

With a sigh, he got up again and went to answer his phone, which he had left in the hallway. From the living room, Stella could hear his side of the conversation.

"Taylor," Mac answered.

After a few moments of silence, Mac asked, "Where did you get this number?"

Another long moment of silence. "I don't want you to call again." Mac was clearly getting angry.

"No, I don't have time for that right now," Stella could hear Mac say. She sat up straight on the sofa and looked into the direction of the corridor.

"No. Don't call again."

A few seconds later, Mac reappeared in the living room and paced up and down behind the couch a few times.

"What was that?" Stella asked with a concerned look on her face.

"That was Ella," Mac replied.

"Who's Ella?" Stella asked. It took a few seconds before she knew who he was talking about. "Wait a minute, your stalker girl, Ella?" she asked.

"She's not a stalker," Mac replied harshly.

Stella raised her eyebrows at him. "Ok, first, no need to get angry with me; and second, she clearly is. Why else do you think she called? How did she get the number, anyway? Only Danny and the team are supposed to have our cell numbers."

"I have no idea where she got the number; she didn't want to tell me," Mac replied.

"I'm sure Danny didn't give it to her," Stella returned.

"What, you think I gave it to her?"

"I didn't say that," Stella said. "Mac, I didn't want to accuse you of anything here, I'm just concerned. What this girl does is not normal. She followed you into a supermarket – and don't say she didn't because you don't know that – she cut her wrists to get attention, and now she gets our number from somewhere and starts calling you."

"She lost both her parents; no wonder she wants attention," Mac replied.

"Yes, but you're not the one to give it to her. She needs professional help."

"She needs someone who cares for her," Mac returned.

Stella studied Mac for a few moments. "You went to see her," she stated.

"Yes."

"You're the one telling me not to get too emotionally involved. Good way of doing that, Mac." Stella shook her head in disbelief.

"Why are you mad at me, Stella? I didn't do anything wrong, did I?" Mac returned.

"You asked my opinion if you should go see her. I told you not to because she's already getting her hopes up. Don't you think it would've been better to stay away? Listen to me just once?"

"Are you making such a big deal out of it because I didn't tell you or because I didn't follow the advice you gave me?" Mac asked.

"No," Stella said in a harsh voice, getting up as well. "This is not going to end well, Mac. The girl needs professional help, and you're not the one who can give her that."

"I can at least try to help her in some way," Mac returned stubbornly.

"Yeah, you'll end up hurting, and I'll be the one picking up the pieces like I always am," Stella said and Mac just stared at her. "It's not that I mind because you are my friend and that's what friends do, but don't you think it's hard for me to see how you end up hurting? Especially when you come to me to ask for advice and then completely ignore what I said and not even tell me about it."

"Whoa, wait a minute, Stella. You have no right accusing me of that. It's not like I've been hiding it from you. I simply didn't tell you. What's the big deal?"

"There used to be times when you told me stuff like that," Stella returned, hurt evident in her voice as she turned to leave the room.

Mac snorted, getting angry now. "Yeah, right back at you."

Stella stopped dead in her tracks. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked and turned around to face Mac again.

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about as well as I do, Stella. You didn't only betray my trust—no, you also disobeyed a direct order from your boss. I made it very clear to keep your hands off the Diakos case, and then you drew Angell into it."

"You know?" Stella asked, a pang of guilt in her stomach.

"Of course I know; I'm not stupid. When I told you that Diakos was found dead, you acted strangely. You weren't surprised or happy at all. Before that I didn't have any clue or suspicion that you ignored my orders, but that really got me suspicious. So I asked for the records of the 911 call. It wasn't exactly clever to make the call yourself. Then I went to process the scene, and guess what I found: a hair. And the person it belonged to was very familiar: Jessica Angell."

"It's not like I forced her into this," she defended herself. "I asked if she would help me, and she agreed."

"Yeah, but you didn't tell her the whole story, either. She told me that you didn't tell her from the beginning that I ordered you away from the case."

"I wouldn't have had to bring Jess into this if you hadn't ordered me away in the first place," Stella returned stubbornly.

"What, now it's my fault that you didn't give a damn about what I said?" Mac asked.

"Seems like you don't care much about what I say either." Stella knew the accusation wasn't fair and that it hit below the belt because she knew it wasn't true, but she was angry.

"Stella…" The anger in Mac's voice had vanished, replaced by hurt.

"You knew how much this meant to me and still you withdrew me from the case," Stella said, "and you expected me not to take that personally? I'm sorry, but I can't do that." Stella turned around and left the room, slamming the door shut.

She went into the bedroom first to get her sleeping clothes and then walked into the bathroom, taking a bath. She turned the water on and let it fill the tub with slightly too-hot water.

She was hurt because obviously Mac didn't trust her enough to tell her that he had visited Ella. She was hurt because he had ordered her away from the case. She was hurt because she didn't want to fight with him, but she was too stubborn to apologize. But she was also disappointed. By herself. She knew that the things she'd accused Mac of were actually things she had to blame herself for.

Stella sighed. She was not going to apologize to Mac—not tonight, anyway. He wouldn't dare confront her.

She stripped off her clothes and was about to step into the tub when she hesitated a moment. She made her way over to the door and locked it. Then she returned to the tub and settled into the steaming water. When the warmth floated through her body, Stella sighed again.

After an hour and a half in the tub, Stella had calmed down. She was completely relaxed, but there was still no way she would apologize to Mac, even though she knew she made a mistake.

Stella stepped into her sleeping clothes and, after cleaning the bathroom up, she went into the bedroom. During her time in the tub, she had decided to go straight to bed afterward.

Stella snuggled into the covers and turned off the light on her nightstand. She didn't want to read – knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate, because no matter how relaxing the bath might have been, the fight with Mac still occupied her thoughts. She also knew it would take her a long time to fall asleep.

The curtains were still ajar, and Stella lay on her side, staring out the window into the night sky. It was a beautiful night—the moon gleamed brightly in the sky, and a light breeze blew lightly at the curtains.

Stella still lay wide-awake when Mac crawled into bed beside her. She turned onto her side, her back to him.

***

When Stella woke up on the next morning, she found herself alone in bed. She took a brief look around and came to the conclusion that Mac must have been up for a while already. Stella turned back around and glanced at the clock on her bedside table: 10:42 am. With a sigh, she sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

After taking a quick shower and making the bed, she went down into the kitchen. She found Mac sitting on the table, reading the paper and sipping his coffee. Stella frowned as she took a few steps into the kitchen: Mac had made breakfast. He had even gone out and gotten bagels and her favorite muffin for her.

"Morning," Stella greeted him a bit grumpily as she sat down.

He looked up from his paper, laid it aside, and gave Stella a small smile. "Good morning. Want coffee?"

"I'll get it myself, thanks," Stella said, her tone still icy.

When she returned to her seat with a cup of coffee, she found a piece of paper on her plate reading, "I don't want us to argue. Forgive me?" and her favorite muffin right next to it. She sighed, all the anger gone.

"You're not the one who made a mistake, Mac."

"Yes, I did," Mac disagreed. "I should have listened to what you said. I shouldn't have visited Ella. It made things only worse. But you know… I just couldn't not visit her. I know how she felt."

Stella nodded in understanding. "I had no right to accuse you of what I did last night. You were right. It's none of my business what you do in your free time."

Mac shook his head. "You're my friend, Stella. You have every right to ask what's going on in my life. I should've told you. Don't ever think that my private life is none of your business."

Stella was silent for a few moments and took a sip from her coffee. After setting the cup down, she said, "Look, Mac, I'm sorry I disregarded your orders on the Diakos case. I shouldn't have done it. It's just… I couldn't let that one go. It was way too personal. I had to make sure he and his people would get arrested."

"Maybe I shouldn't have ordered you away from the case…"

"No, Mac. You did what you had to do. I know it was right from you to withdraw me from the case. I know I made a mistake when I worked the case behind your back. I know I pulled Jess in this, and I shouldn't have. I know all this. But I don't regret anything I've done, and I wouldn't do anything different if I had the chance."

Mac smiled slightly. "I didn't think so."

Stella returned his smile and took another sip from her coffee. "Are we gonna be okay?"

"Yes," Mac replied with a reassuring smile.

They ate breakfast in a slightly tense silence and Mac returned to reading the paper. The doorbell made them look at each other again.

"I'll get it," Stella said and got up.

A smiling Emily stood on the doorstep. "Good morning," she said. "I hope I'm not interrupting?"

"Good morning," Stella said and returned her smile. "No, you're not interrupting."

"Good," Emily returned. "I was wondering if you and your husband would like to join me and Tim for dinner tonight."

"That's nice. I'll ask Mac if he has anything in mind for tonight. You wanna come in for a moment? Grab a cup of coffee?"

"Thanks for the offer, Stella, but I have to get to the restaurant."

"Okay, I'll be back in a minute," Stella said and vanished into the house.

"Mac, Emily wants to know if we'd like to have dinner with her and Tim tonight. Do you have anything planned?"

"No," Mac answered. "Would be nice to join them for dinner."

"Okay, I'll tell her we're having dinner together tonight."

Stella turned around and walked back to the door. "We'd love to have dinner with you tonight," she said.

"Great. Come over around seven?"

"We'll be there," Stella said with a smile. "I'm really looking forward to it."

Emily returned the smile. "Me, too. Well, I have to get to the restaurant. I'll see you tonight then."

"See you tonight," Stella said, closing the door behind Emily and walking back into the kitchen. She found Mac in the same position as she had left him, reading the paper.

"Emily told me to come over around seven," she informed him.

"Okay. It'll be nice getting to know these people. They seem nice."

Stella nodded. "They do." She sat down on the table again and finished off her coffee. She stayed seated a few more minutes before she got up and walked over to the sink, starting to wash the dishes.

"Want help?" Mac asked.

"No, I'm good. Thanks."

Mac sighed, laid the paper aside, then got up and walked over to Stella.

"Stella," he said.

When she didn't react, Mac took hold of the plate she was holding, stopping her. He gently took the plate and set it down on the counter, then took her hand in his.

"Stella," Mac said again, "don't make this so hard on yourself. Yes, I was mad when I found out you were involved in the case, but I'm not anymore. I do understand why you did it. I probably would've done the same if I had been in your position. I'm not gonna bite off your head or fire you – although I know I probably should. But I can't. You're too important for the lab and for me."

Mac looked into her green eyes and smiled slightly. "We can't let this ruin our friendship. We've been through so much together; this is not gonna get to us." He pulled her into a hug. "I'm not mad at you. I'm just glad nothing happened to you."

"We're okay," Stella whispered. I wasn't a question, but it wasn't a statement she was totally sure of, either.

"We're okay," Mac reassured her.

***

The day went by quickly, and their dinner with the Morton's arrived. Stella and Mac had spent most of the day going through their files once again and relaxing in the garden because there wasn't really much they could do at this point. The mood had still been a little tense at times, but they'd gotten back into their light teasing and flirting as the day went on.

Stella was applying her makeup for the evening when Mac stepped into the bathroom.

"Hey," he said and smiled at her.

Stella tore her gaze away from her own reflection and looked at Mac. "Hey yourself." She returned his smile before she turned back to the mirror and applied a little more makeup.

Mac walked up to her and stood close behind her. "Dressing up for our dearest neighbors?" he asked teasingly.

Stella chuckled. "Of course. Who else could I dress up for?"

Mac shook his head in amusement. "Oh, I don't know, your husband, maybe?"

"Oh, right, I have a husband," Stella replied with a mocking smile. "I knew I forgot about something."

Mac shoved her gently aside, and she protested. "You don't need to dress up. You look good the way you are," he said.

"Well, thanks," Stella replied.

"You're welcome," Mac said with a grin. "You done here now?"

"No," she answered and shoved Mac away from the mirror again. "Stop teasing me and I'll be done in no time."

Mac stepped back a few steps and gave her room to finish. A few minutes later, she laid her hairbrush aside and turned around to face Mac. "How do I look?" she asked.

The man in front of her smiled. "Beautiful."

A deep shade of red rose into Stella's cheeks, and she looked down. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"Come on, let's get going. We don't wanna be late, do we?"

Stella chuckled. "No, we don't."

While they made their way over to the Morton's house, Mac wrapped his arm around Stella's waist and pulled her closer to him. She smiled and let out a soft laugh, leaning into him.

"Hi there," Emily greeted them as she opened the door with a bright smile. Stella took a step forward and let Emily hug her. "Come in, you two, dinner is almost ready."

Stella and Mac stepped into the house and followed Emily into the kitchen. Tim was just setting the table when they walked into the room.

"Hey," he greeted the couple and walked over to shake hands. "It's nice to see you. Take a seat, dinner will be ready in no time."

"Anything we can do to help?" Stella asked.

"No way," Emily replied. "You're the guests; you won't be doing anything that comes close to work tonight."

Stella and Mac chuckled and sat down on the table.

"And neither will you, honey," Tim said. "You've been working enough at the restaurant today. You deserve an evening off, so go and join our guests," he ordered.

"Okay, okay," Emily returned with a laugh and walked over to the table to join Stella and Mac.

"So, how do you like it here? Are you adjusting to the new house?" Emily asked after she had sat down.

"Oh, yeah, it's really nice," Stella replied. "Very different from where we lived before, but nice. The neighbors are all very friendly."

"Yeah, it's nice to live a little outside the city for a change," Mac agreed.

"Why did you move here, anyway?" Emily asked. "I mean, you lived in Manhattan—why didn't you move anywhere downtown?"

Stella looked at Mac with a smile before she answered. "I really liked living in the city, but I've been living downtown my whole life, and I wanted to change that. Plus, we want kids, and I always wanted to raise my children in a comfy neighborhood outside the city."

"Yeah, so she talked me into moving out here," Mac said teasingly, earning himself a light smack from Stella.

"Hey, we made that decision together," she retorted.

Mac just smiled and leaned over to place a kiss on Stella's lips.

"What brought you to move out here?" he then asked.

Emily laughed. "My parents lived in a neighborhood like this one, and I always loved that. When we got married and I was pregnant, we agreed to move out here because it was so nice to grow up like that."

Right at that moment, Tim approached the table and set two plates in front of Stella and Mac. "Here you go," he said. "I hope you like it."

The two couples ate in a comfortable atmosphere and made casual small talk meanwhile, talking about children, the neighbors, and how the couples got to know each other. Since it was a warm evening, they moved into the garden after dinner and sat down on the porch with a glass of wine each. Stella and Mac were seated on a bench, and Mac had his arm draped lovingly around her shoulders while Stella leaned into him.

"When we were here the other day to invite you to our barbeque, Sam told us about a crime that happened here a few months back. What exactly was it that happened?" Stella asked after a moment of silence.

"It was horrible," Tim answered. "A family that lived a few streets away was brutally murdered. Mother, father, and their three children were found murdered in the living room. I'm not going into detail here, but as the news stated, it was a terrible mess."

Emily nodded in agreement. "Yeah, apparently it's the work of a serial killer who is targeting families with children. I guess that's the reason why our daughter's best friend moved away."

"Yeah, Sam told us about that," Stella said. "It must be horrible living here and knowing a serial killer like that lives somewhere nearby when you have a kid of your own."

"It is, but so far the killer has only murdered families with more than one child, and they were all younger than Sam," Tim said. "But it's still scary. Neither of us feel comfortable letting Sam out of the house alone, but we can't keep her locked up forever."

Stella and Mac nodded, making mental notes of the things the other couple had told them.

"Since the crime a few months ago, nothing more has happened here though," Emily said. "This first started across town. There were three other families murdered before the Johnsons here. Their deaths were all very close together, though. Then there were a few months without anything happening, and then…" she trailed off. There was no need to go on, because everyone there knew what she was about to say.

"We can just hope that he has stopped," Tim said.

Stella and Mac nodded, both at a loss for words. The four sat in silence for a few moments.

"Let's talk about some happier things," Emily suggested, changing the topic. "You're working as a teacher, Stella. What are you teaching?"

Stella smiled. "I'm a science teacher. Not everyone's favorite subject."

The other three chuckled. "That's true," Emily agreed. "I hated science back in school."

"Be careful, honey, they're both scientists," Tim said, causing the others to laugh.

"Right, I almost forgot about that," Emily said. "You two are the perfect couple. You work in the same branch and you get along amazingly. I have the feeling you make a really good team."

"That we do," Mac replied and placed a kiss on Stella's temple.

"Do you have job prospects already, Stella?" Tim asked.

Stella shook her head. "Not yet. I hope that I can find one soon, though. I mean, it's still a few weeks until Mac has to start working, but I'd like to have something to do soon. I don't like sitting alone at home the whole day."

"I know what you mean," Emily agreed. "Before we opened the restaurant, it was horrible for me to be at home the whole day with nobody there to entertain me."

"Yeah, right?" Stella said with a laugh.

"Wow, we're being turned into entertainers now," Mac commented drily.

"Yeah, that's how much our wives love us," Tim agreed.

"Oh, we do love you," Stella assured him with an amused expression.

"Very much," agreed Emily and laughed.

"How long have you had the restaurant?" Stella asked, completely ignoring their pouting husbands.

"A little over five years," Emily replied.

"So it's going well?"

"It's going amazingly well," Tim replied. "I could stop working and we'd survive without problems."

Emily laughed. "Yeah, that's right. I have so much work, it's unbelievable. I wouldn't have expected it to go that well when I first opened it."

"That's great," Stella said.

"Yeah," Mac agreed. "We need to stop by and have dinner sometime."

"That's a great idea, honey," Stella said. "We'll totally do that."

"Good, but you have to tell me when so I can step by and say hi," Emily said.

"I bet that's code for clean the restaurant," Stella teased.

Emily and her husband laughed. "Seems like I can't hide anything from you," she replied.

"You really have to be careful, my wife finds out everything," Mac said in an amused tone.

"I wouldn't be able to hide anything from my wife, either, so I don't even try it," Tim remarked. "I think that's some unwritten law in a marriage: your wife will find out."

"Do you have something to hide?" Emily asked.

"Didn't I just say that you'd probably find out anyway and so I don't even try it?"

"You better not," Emily replied and placed a kiss on her husband's lips.

"Same goes for you, my friend," Stella joked and ran her hand down Mac's cheek.

"I wouldn't dare to try." Mac tilted Stella's head up with two fingers and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

They stayed out in the garden a while longer, talking about anything and everything. Stella and Mac asked a few more questions about the neighbors—when they moved there, how they got along, and what they did together on the weekends. Emily invited Stella to the women's weekly get together to drink coffee, eat cake, and share the latest gossip. Of course Stella accepted the invitation, hoping to get the chance to get to know people better and find out something that was relevant for their case.

"I think we should go," Mac said in a low voice after a while and traced his finger gently over Stella's cheek.

She snuggled into his arms a little more. "Yeah, I think so, too."

"Oh no, don't go yet," Emily said.

"It was a nice evening, really, but I think it's really time for us to go. I'm tired, and I don't wanna fall asleep in your garden," Stella returned with a chuckle. "And Mac promised not to carry me home or to bed," she added with a teasing look at Mac.

He chuckled a little, embarrassed. "Well, I already made an exception of that."

Stella laughed. "Right, but I don't want you to carry me all the way across the street as long as I can walk just fine."

Mac shook his head. "Come on, let's go then."

Stella nodded in agreement.

"We have to do that again very soon," Emily said as the four of them got up.

Stella, Mac, and Tim nodded in agreement. "Definitely," Tim said.

After saying goodbye to their neighbors, Stella and Mac made their way back over to their house.

"You like them, don't you?" Mac asked after a few moments.

"Yeah, I really do," Stella replied. "They're both very nice."

Mac watched Stella closely, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"What?" Stella asked, a smile of her own on her lips.

"Don't get me wrong, now—I don't want to criticize you with this; it's just my opinion," Mac cautioned, and Stella raised her eyebrows. "You get personally attached to people quickly. Not that you let them in that fast, but you bond with them easily. It's not a bad thing; it's something I like very much about you, but I'm not sure it's so good this time."

Stella sighed. "I know," she replied. "But I can't live here for several weeks without making friends with anyone."

Mac reached over and squeezed her hand lightly. "Like I said, one of the many things I like very much about you."

When Mac didn't pull his hand back, Stella smiled gently and laced her fingers through his. They walked in comfortable silence across the street and a few houses down. Only when they reached the front door and Mac had to get the key out of his pocket did he let go of her hand, but not without giving it a soft squeeze first.

When he had the door unlocked, he placed his hand on the small of Stella's back and guided her into the house.

"Straight to bed?" Mac asked with a chuckle as Stella yawned.

Stella laughed. "Yeah, I'm tired."

"Really? I wouldn't have figured," Mac teased. "Let's go to bed, then."

***

"Why is it that you're always up before me?" Stella asked as she stepped into the kitchen.

Mac turned and smiled at Stella. "Good morning to you, too, Stella," he teased before answering her question. "For one, I think you need more sleep than I do. And secondly, you like to sleep."

Stella chuckled. "That's probably true," she admitted and walked over to Mac. "Anything I can help you with?"

"No," Mac replied. "Just sit down and tell me what you want for breakfast."

"Yes, sir." Stella walked over to the table and sat down. "I'll go with cereal this morning."

"As you wish," Mac said and placed a cup of coffee in front of her. Before he walked back over to the cupboard, he placed a kiss on her hair.

Stella smiled at the gesture and took a sip of her coffee. "Anything planed for today?"

"Yeah," Mac replied while rummaging through one of the cupboards. "I got a call from Chicago PD this morning, asking if I could meet with the Deputy Inspector."

"So I'm having a day all to myself?" Stella asked.

Mac chuckled. "I knew you'd be happy to get rid of me sooner or later," he joked. "I just didn't know it would be that soon."

Stella laughed. "Yes, because it's so horrible to have you around all the time…" She trailed off, her words dripping with irony.

"Well, you'll have a few hours without me today," Mac said. "You could come with me and go shopping or something if you wanted to, though."

"Tempting," Stella said with a laugh, "but I think I'll stay here and do some things around the house, maybe go out in the garden and read a little."

Mac placed Stella's breakfast in front of her and sat down opposite from her. "Okay."

"When are you meeting with Shepart?"

"He asked me to meet him for lunch."

Stella nodded and took a bite from her breakfast. "So you'll be back for dinner?"

Mac shrugged. "I hope so."

Stella smiled. "Well, I'll be here when you come home."

Mac chuckled. "Where else would you be?"

Stella stuck out her tongue jokingly. "I'm sure I'd find someone to keep me company."

"But there's nobody as good as me around," Mac shot back with a grin.

Stella rolled her eyes mockingly. They continued their banter while finishing off their food. Mac helped Stella with the dishes before they settled into the living room until Mac had to leave.

Stella walked Mac to the door to tell him goodbye. She rested her hand lightly on his cheek and placed a kiss on his lips. "I'll see you tonight, honey," she said with a sweet smile.

"See you tonight," Mac responded and leaned in for another kiss before getting in the car and driving away.

Stella turned around and stepped back into the house. With a sigh, she went into the bedroom and got her book to sit down in the garden and enjoy the nice weather for a little while. She grabbed a bottle of water and a blanket and lay down on the grass.

When Stella went back into the house later, she decided to clean the kitchen a little and start to think about what she would make for dinner. She settled for something Greek because she hadn't made anything Greek in a long time, and she loved cooking meals from her home country.

Dinner was almost ready when Stella heard the key in the lock, followed by the sound of the front door opening and closing. She smiled at the thought of Mac and waited for him to join her in the kitchen.

"Hey," Mac greeted her as he stuck his head into the kitchen.

Stella turned around and smiled brightly at him. "Hey, you're home."

"I am," he replied and gave Stella a small smile.

Stella set down the fork she was holding and eyed Mac closely. "You okay?" she asked after a few moments.

Mac nodded and finally stepped into the kitchen. "Yeah, I'm okay." He walked over to Stella and placed a hand on her arm. "Really."

Stella nodded. She knew him better than that—knew that he wasn't okay. But she also knew that pushing him wouldn't get her anywhere. Not right now, at least. Mac would talk to her when he was ready, and if not, she knew where to push to get him talking. So for now, she just nodded.

"Okay. Help me set the table? Dinner will be ready in a minute."

"What are we having?" Mac asked as he got plates out of the cupboard. He sat them down on the counter to steal a glance in the pots but Stella slapped his hand gently away.

"Get your hands off," she ordered. "We're having something Greek."

"You were bored today, weren't you?" Mac asked with a grin.

"No," Stella answered pointedly. "I haven't had something Greek in ages, and since I had some time on my hands today…"

Mac chuckled. "You know I love your food."

"You had no other choice than to grow to like my food," Stella teased. "Someone needed to feed you."

Mac snorted jokingly but didn't reply. He just went over and set the table. A few minutes later, they sat at the table, enjoying dinner together.

"What did the Deputy want from you?" Stella asked after a while.

"Just the usual," Mac replied. "Interested in how the case is going, if there's been any news, if we have a lead yet…"

"What does he expect? We've been here for… six days…" Stella trailed off, noticing her reasoning had just gone out the window. They had been in Chicago for almost a week now, and they still hadn't got any new information.

"True," Mac said, "but I think we should remember Chicago PD has been working the case for months and hasn't found out anything new. I think we're pretty lucky with what we've found out so far."

"Yeah," Stella agreed.

They finished dinner in silence, and after a few stubborn arguments from both parties; Mac did the dishes while Stella curled up on the sofa, watching TV. When Mac stepped into the room twenty minutes later, Stella eyed him curiously but didn't say anything.

"You could at least make some room for me there," he commented. When Stella started to move, though, Mac said, "No, it's okay, stay."

He sat down in the armchair and turned his attention to the screen, and they watched TV in silence.

"You okay there?" Stella asked after a while. "You've been really quiet all night."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Mac replied. "Just tired."

"Okay." She didn't really believe it but let it go for the second time that evening.

They sat in silence for another half-hour before Stella spoke up again. Mac had just sighed for the hundredth time, and Stella just couldn't take it anymore.

"Okay, Mac, what's wrong?" she asked, turning the TV off.

"I already told you-"

"Cut the crap, Mac," Stella said. "I know you. There's something wrong, or at least something bothering you, and I wanna know what it is because you're supposed to trust me."

Mac slowly released a breath. "Today reminded me of my time with Claire. Coming home to somebody, having dinner, watching TV together…" Mac trailed off. He was clearly struggling. Stella remained silent, waiting for Mac to go on. It was a few minutes before Mac continued.

"It doesn't hurt anymore," he whispered, "thinking of Claire. It seems more like a distant memory to me now. I never realized that until tonight. I guess that's bothering me a little. The fact that it doesn't hurt anymore feels like I'm betraying her in some way."

Stella nodded slowly. "You're not betraying Claire, Mac. You'll never forget her. She'll always have her place in your heart, and a part of you will always love her. But it's your good right to move on, to let go. I'm sure that's what Claire would've wanted for you."

Mac turned in his seat to look at Stella. "Still, it feels strange. I always thought it'd be Claire I'd share a life like this with someday. Being here, having this – even if it's just for a few weeks for a case – with another woman and feeling comfortable with it…"

Stella took a breath and nodded. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how Mac felt, and she wasn't going to say that she understood, because she knew she didn't. She hadn't lost someone that close to her, and she honestly hoped she never would, so she remained silent. It wasn't often that Mac revealed that much.

"Thank you, Stella," Mac said after a few minutes of silence.

Stella looked questioningly at him. "For what?"

"For being here. It means a lot to me."

She smiled softly at him. "Always, Mac. Whenever you need me, I'm here."

***

The days passed quickly without anything spectacular happening. It was already the fourth week Stella and Mac were spending in Chicago. They had found a good routine for of their days and had actually gotten comfortable with the situation. The light flirting between them hadn't lessened; on the contrary, it helped to make the whole situation a little more comfortable. Stella had made friends with Emily, and Mac got along with her husband very well.

In the last few days, something had changed between Stella and Mac though. At first, Stella had thought she was imagining things, but when the longing glances, the little touches, and the extra kiss Mac gave her every now and then didn't vanish a day later, she thought it was more than her brain playing tricks on her after being together with Mac for too long.

The evidence they had collected hadn't helped them so far, though. Both Stella and Mac suspected Gerry Blooming to be their guy, but aside from his occasional strange behavior, there was nothing that supported their theory. They met with Chicago PD's deputy inspector once a week to update him on their findings, and now Stella accompanied Mac when he met up with Shepart.

Stella took a deep breath and then sighed. She was sitting on the porch with a glass of wine in hand and waiting for Mac to join her again. It was still warm outside, although midnight was approaching fast. Neither of them were tired yet, so they sat outside to enjoy the beautiful night. Stella was so lost in thought that she didn't notice that Mac had gone inside to get them a snack almost ten minutes ago, nor did she notice that he was watching her for at least the last five minutes with a sincere smile.

When Mac finally stepped out again and sat down next to Stella, she was shaken out of her thoughts and smiled slightly at him.

"You okay?" Mac asked and tugged a loosened curl behind her ear.

Stella smiled at him again. "Yeah, I was just thinking about some things."

"Wanna talk about it?"

Stella shrugged and chewed absently on a pretzel stick.

"Come on, what's wrong?" he urged softly when Stella remained silent.

"What's going on, Mac?" Stella asked.

Mac frowned in confusion. "What do you mean, what's going on?"

"Well, what's happening to us?" she clarified. "The kisses, the touches, the way you look at me…" she trailed off when Mac ran a finger down her cheek. When he reached her chin, he tilted her head upwards and kissed her gently.

"That's what I was talking about," Stella breathed when Mac released her lips again. "I mean, it's not that I mind, I'm just curious."

Mac smiled, amused, and leaned in to kiss her again.

"Effective way to shut me up," Stella said as they pulled apart again.

"And yet you're still talking," Mac said, an amused smile still playing across his face.

"I guess I'll shut up then," Stella returned. She placed a light kiss on his lips and then settled against his body, her head resting on his shoulder and her eyes closed.

They didn't speak much after that and just sat on the porch swing, enjoying the night. Mac's arm was draped over the back of the swing, his fingers lightly tracing over her upper arm while Stella looked into the garden, leaning into Mac's body. It was long after midnight when Stella's eyes drifted slowly shut and Mac suggested that they would go to bed before Stella fell asleep on the porch.

***

Stella opened her eyes and blinked sleepily at Mac. He was awake, too, and looked over at her with a gentle smile on his lips.

"Morning," she mumbled into the blanket.

"Good morning," Mac returned, his smile not fading a bit.

They stayed a few moments like that, just looking at one another. Stella's lips curled up into a smile as she raised her hand to his cheek and caressed it softly. Mac leaned into the embrace and closed his eyes for a brief moment. When he opened them again, he tilted Stella's head slightly upwards and pressed a few soft kisses to her lips.

"What are we doing, Mac?" she asked when they pulled apart again.

"I don't know," he replied honestly and ran a finger over Stella's cheek. "But it feels good."

"It does," Stella agreed and snuggled deeper into the covers.

"Tired?"

Stella nodded and suppressed a yawn.

"Then go back to sleep," Mac said. "It's still early."

Stella let her eyes drift shut again and tried to go back to sleep. After a few moments, she said, "I can't sleep if you watch me."

"Sorry," Mac replied with a sheepish smile, blushing slightly. Then he pulled Stella against his body, pillowing her head onto his upper arm and wrapping his arms around her. "How about this?" he asked. "Better?"

Stella nodded against his arm. "That's good," she murmured. "Very good."

When Stella woke up again, she still lay cuddled into Mac's arms, and his hands drew soothing circles on her back. Stella breathed deeply and buried her head deeper into Mac's embrace, causing him to look down at her.

"Hey, sleepy," Mac said with a soft smile.

"Hey yourself," Stella returned. "What time is it?"

Mac turned a little to be able to get a better look at the clock on Stella's bedside table. "It's 10.45," he replied.

Stella rolled onto her back and stretched out. "We should get up," she said after a few moments. "Although it's very comfortable here."

Mac chuckled. "I won't disagree with that."

Stella turned onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows. Mac reached out for her and caught a few of her curls, playing with them, receiving a sweet smile from Stella in return. There were a few minutes of silence when they just looked at each other.

"How about breakfast?" Mac asked after some time.

"Sounds like good idea," Stella returned. "I could use some food."

She stole a quick kiss before she got up and walked over to the closet. She was well aware that Mac's eyes followed her while she crossed the room and then opened the doors, going through her clothes. After a few minutes, Mac approached her, resting his hand gently on the small of her back and smiling at her.

"I'll take a quick shower," Stella said as she pulled a t-shirt out.

"Like every morning," Mac returned. "I'll be in the kitchen and prepare breakfast while you're in the bathroom."

"Like every morning," Stella said with a wink and left the room.

Thirty minutes later, Stella stepped out of the bathroom again, dressed in jeans and a comfortable shirt. She found the bed made and Mac nowhere to be seen – like every morning. She placed her sleeping clothes under the blanket and made her way downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Smells like fresh coffee," she stated and sat down on the table.

Mac turned around and flashed her a smile. "That's because I just made fresh coffee," he said as he walked over to the table, a cup in hand. "Here you go," he said, placing the coffee in front of her. "What do you want for breakfast?" he asked after placing a soft kiss on her hair.

"Mac, you don't need to serve me," Stella said. "I can take care of my own breakfast."

"How often do I have to tell you that I don't mind?" Mac asked with raised eyebrows.

Stella chuckled softly. "Probably every day until we're back in New York."

"So, what do you want to eat?" Mac asked again.

Stella sighed in resignation. "Cereal, please."

"Your wish is my command," Mac returned with a satisfied smile.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that too frivolously if I were you," Stella returned.

Mac chuckled and didn't reply. A few minutes later, they both sat at the table, breakfast in front of them, eating in a comfortable silence, stealing glances at each other every once in a while. Both of them were lost in thought.

Stella sighed, shaking Mac out of his thoughts as well. "What's our plan for today?" she asked.

"We should go grocery shopping," Mac replied. "We're running out of food slowly… And we're having dinner at Jennifer and Greg's place tonight."

Stella groaned. "Right, that was today."

"I take it you don't want to go," Mac said with an amused smile.

"I can think of better ways to spend the evening," Stella said.

"So can I," Mac replied. "But maybe they can tell us something about Gerry that's helpful. You remember the way Jennifer talked about him the other day?"

"Right, so we can back to New York soon."

Mac raised his eyebrows. "You don't sound very pleased about that."

Stella shrugged. "Well, there are some things about Chicago that I like," she replied and took a sip from her coffee, not taking her eyes off Mac.

He smiled softly. "They don't have to change when we're back home," he replied, obviously understanding what she had implied.

Stella sat her cup down and leaned on the table. "I think there are some things we should talk about," she said.

Mac nodded. "I agree."

"Let's go grocery shopping first, though, Stella suggested. "I have the feeling this could take a while."

Mac chuckled. "We could make it quick and easy."

Stella looked at him with an amused grin. "We're still talking about talking here, right?" she joked.

Mac laughed. "Yes, we are. Come on, let's get going, or there will be no lunch or dinner."

"Oh, I'm sure you'd find a way not to let me starve," Stella said and got up.

She quickly washed the dishes, leaving them to dry until they came back from the supermarket. It took them a little over an hour and a half to get all the things they needed and come back to the house. After they had put away the groceries, Stella and Mac settled at the table on the veranda, opposite from each other. They both had a glass of water and smiled at each other, Stella nervously toying with hers.

"What is this between us?" she asked.

"To be honest, I don't know," Mac answered.

"What do you want it to be?"

Mac gave her a slight smile and reached for one of her hands. "I like where this is going with us," he admitted. "I like spending time with you. I like kissing you."

A slight smile spread across Stella's face.

"You know, you've always been special to me," he continued. "I don't let people in easily, you know that, but somehow you managed bring me to open up to you. You're always there when I need you; you always have been, you always will be. You made your way into my heart, and you're about to steal it."

Stella smiled. She got up, walked around the table, and sat down next to Mac. She took his face in her hands and kissed him softly.

"I kinda feel the same way," she whispered as she rested her forehead against his. "Only a little longer than you do." She smiled at him and placed a light kiss on his lips again.

"Why didn't you say something?" Mac asked softly.

"Because I thought you didn't feel the same," she replied simply.

Mac shook his head and ran his fingers gently over her cheek. "I'm sorry," he said.

Stella placed a finger on his lips. "You couldn't have known. There's nothing to be sorry about."

"So, you and me…" He trailed off and smiled, placing a kiss on her lips.

"You and me," she returned, matching his smile. She caressed his cheek softly and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Together," Mac said.

"Together," Stella confirmed with a smile. "If that's what you want, of course."

Mac raised his eyebrows and ran his thumb gently over her cheek. "There's nothing I want more than that."

"Good," Stella whispered and kissed him once again.

"I take it you want that, too," Mac said with a smile.

Stella managed a nod before Mac's lips were on hers again, kissing her gently, exploring her mouth.

Stella smiled breathlessly when they pulled apart. "Now I really don't wanna go to that dinner tonight," she said with a chuckle.

Mac laughed as well. "We just won't stay too long," he said and pulled her closer. When Stella shivered lightly, Mac said, "It's getting chilly. Let's go inside before you catch a cold."

"Yeah," Stella said and shivered again. "I actually wouldn't mind something to eat."

"Let's go, then, before my new girlfriend starves." He placed a light kiss on her cheek.

The rest of the afternoon was spent comfortably in the living room. Stella and Mac sat together on the sofa, she on the opposite side from him, lounging against the cushions with her feet in his lap. Stella read a book, while Mac's attention was torn between the newspaper and Stella. He glanced back and forth between the woman on the other side of the couch and his paper, not really able to concentrate on it.

By the time they needed to leave for their dinner date with Jennifer and Greg, Stella was dressed in a black skirt and a white shirt with her favorite heels. When Mac had first seen her, he'd asked her if she was sure they were only to go to a dinner with their friends. Stella had just laughed and kissed him.

"I thought you might like it," she said as they made their way over to their neighbors, holding hands.

Mac turned to her, looking confused. "Like what?"

"The outfit," Stella said.

"Oh, I do like it," Mac returned with a grin. "Didn't I say that already?"

"Hmm, yeah, I think you might have mentioned it… a few times," she teased with a chuckle.

"Wanna hear it again?" Mac asked and pulled Stella closer, bringing his lips to her ear. "You look amazing. I like the outfit very much."

Stella giggled as Mac placed a light kiss under her ear and leaned into him. They walked up the stairs in front of the Clark's house and looked at each other as Mac rang the doorbell. He reached out and tugged a strand of her curls behind her ear, running his fingers over her cheek as he dropped his hand again. Stella giggled again as the door swung open and Jennifer greeted them happily.

"Stella, Mac," she greeted them cheerfully. "Come in, come in. I'm sorry it's a little chaotic—Michelle brought some friends over after school."

Stella laughed. "That's okay."

The couple greeted Jennifer and followed her into the kitchen. They had barely set foot into it when Michelle ran toward them and wrapped her arms around Stella's legs.

"Hey, little girl," Stella said and scooped the girl up into her arms while Mac ruffled her hair, causing Michelle to giggle furiously.

"How you doing, Michelle?" Mac asked.

"I'm terrific," the eight-year-old answered, proud about her choice of words, and then started babbling about her day while Stella and Mac made their way over to Greg to say hi.

Michelle had grown very fond of Stella since she had looked after the girl for the first time when Michelle's parents had gone to the opera and her usual babysitter, Samantha, had been on a class trip. Now whenever Jennifer went over to Stella and Mac's house to have coffee, Michelle went along and sat in Stella's lap the whole time.

Mac and Greg talked for a moment while Jennifer set the table and Stella joked with Michelle. Mac watched Stella interact with the girl and smiled.

"Michelle, stop bothering Stella," Jennifer called into the living room.

"She's not bothering me, Jen," Stella returned. "I don't mind, really."

"Well, okay then," Jen said, "but Michelle, remember it's bedtime for you soon."

The girl pulled a face. "But I'm not tired yet," she said with a pout.

"Michelle," her father warned.

"Okay," she relented. "But can I stay here a little longer and play with Stella? Pretty please?"

Jen laughed and looked at Stella. "If that's okay with her…"

"Of course it is," Stella said and turned to Michelle. The girl smiled happily and started babbling again, and a smile spread across Stella's face.

While Stella sat on the floor, playing with Michelle and her dolls, Mac approached them and sat down on the sofa behind Stella. He ran one hand over her hair and rested the other on her shoulder. Stella turned around and smiled up at him. They stayed there until Jen stepped into the room and told her daughter that it was time to go to bed.

"Can Stella put me to bed?" Michelle asked with a pleading glance at her mother.

Jennifer chuckled. "If she doesn't mind," she said and looked questioningly at Stella.

"Of course not," Stella returned and got up from the floor. "Come on, missy, let's kiss mommy and daddy good night and get you to bed."

Stella placed a light kiss on Mac's lips and smiled at him before she scooped Michelle onto her arms, causing the girl to giggle.

"Sorry about that," Jen apologized when Stella came down the stairs again ten minutes later and joined the others for dinner.

"There's nothing to apologize for," she said. "I really don't mind. Your daughter is such a cute girl."

"She really adores you," Greg said. "When she's been with you, she can't stop talking about you and how great you are."

Stella blushed lightly while Mac chuckled. "Stella likes your little one very much, too," he said and touched her cheek softly.

During dinner, the four friends made casual small talk about anything and everything. Afterward, Jen got out some baby pictures of Michelle to show to Stella while Mac and Greg talked about sports. Their talk randomly ended up on cars and how their neighbor Gerry used to build cars.

"Really?" Mac asked. "I used to do that back in high school."

"Seriously?" Greg asked. "You should totally check out Gerry's garage. He has three veteran cars that are really worth seeing if you like cars. And I think he started building again—I'm not so sure, though. Jessie mentioned something about him spending a lot time in the garage lately."

Stella turned around to look at the two men. "Thank god you told him about that," she told Greg. "He's been dying to find someone who shares his love for cars, because I sure don't."

Greg laughed. "Yeah. Most women don't share the hobbies of their husbands. And we don't share yours. Jen always has to leash me like a dog if she wants to go shopping with me."

The two women laughed and turned back to look at the pictures. Stella and Mac stayed another hour before they left. They said their goodbyes and thanked Greg and Jen for the lovely evening and agreed to repeat it soon.

When they were back at their house, Stella and Mac changed into more comfortable clothes and curled up on the couch, arms wrapped around each other, both obviously enjoying the newfound level in their relationship.

"Mac?"

"Hmm?"

Stella shifted her position a little so that she would be able to get a better look at Mac. "Don't get me wrong," she started and ran her hand lightly over his chest, "I really like this. It feels good to be with you like this, but I'm not ready for more."

Mac smiled down at Stella and freed his right hand from hers to run his index finger softly down her cheek. "That's okay," he said and brushed his lips lightly against hers.

"You know, it's just-"

"Shhh, you don't have to explain," Mac said, cutting her off with another kiss.

"But I want to," she answered. When Mac nodded and smiled at her, she continued, "I wanna see where this is going between us. I wanna see how it's working out when we're back home and back in our working routine. Because if this doesn't work and we've already slept together… I don't wanna ruin things for us. You mean too much to me."

Mac nodded again. "Okay."

"You sure you're okay with that?" she asked.

"Very sure," he replied. "I don't wanna put any pressure on you. All I want is to make you happy, so let's just see where this goes."

"Thanks, Mac."

He smiled at her. "Anytime," he told her, placing a kiss on her lips. "But just to be clear, kissing is allowed – obviously, making out is okay, too – but no sex."

A chuckle escaped her. "Yes."

"I'm okay with that, Stella. Really."

"Good."

Stella rested her head on Mac's upper arm and snuggled into his embrace. His hand searched for hers again, and he laced his fingers gently through hers again while his other hand slipped under her shirt and drew lazy pattern on the small of her back.

"Mac?" Stella asked again after a while.

"Hmm?"

"Let's go to bed? I'm tired."

"Okay," Mac whispered and placed a soft kiss behind her ear, causing Stella to sigh.

"Or maybe you could just keep doing that a while longer," she said and closed her eyes with a content smile.

Mac placed another few kisses on her neck before sitting up, taking Stella with him. She gave him a slightly disappointed look and huffed.

"I'll continue upstairs," he returned and scooped Stella onto his arms to carry her into the bedroom. She squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'll take you up on that," she said as she placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

Mac chuckled. "I bet you will."

"By the way, since when do I get carried into the bedroom?" Stella asked with a grin.

Mac stopped dead in his tracks. "I can set you down right now if you don't want me to carry you," he teased.

"Oh no, mister. You'll carry me up there now."

Mac chuckled and continued his way up the stairs. "I thought so."

When they were in the bedroom and Mac stood in front of the bed, he just let go, dropping her on the bed.

"Hey," she protested. "A little gentler, please."

She grabbed the collar of Mac's shirt and pulled him down as well, and he landed on top of her. They both laughed, and Mac propped himself up on his elbows. He ran a hand gently down her cheek, placing a light kiss on her nose.

"Am I too heavy for you?" he asked.

Stella smiled and shook her head. "No, it's just fine."

"Good. Tell me–"

"I will," Stella cut him off. "Now, where did we leave off downstairs?"

Mac smiled and brushed his lips against Stella's twice before deepening the kiss. They lay on the bed like that, kissing and enjoying the closeness of their bodies for several long minutes. When they pulled back, Stella smiled sweetly at Mac.

"I didn't know my boss was that good of a kisser," she said and stroked his cheek gently.

Mac pulled a pensive face. "I wonder if all my female coworkers think so…"

"Don't you dare try to find out," she warned him mockingly.

"You have nothing to worry about," Mac said before bringing his lips to hers again to kiss her gently. After a few minutes, he moved to her ear, placing a light kiss below it and whispering, "Or maybe I should try to find out."

Stella smacked him lightly on the arm. "Shut up," she said with a laugh.

Mac grinned. "Didn't you say something about being tired when we were downstairs?"

"Hmm right, I said that…" Stella trailed off and captured his lips with hers. "But something's distracting me here."

"I see," Mac returned and spoiled her neck with kisses. "I wonder what that could be."

Stella rolled them over so that she was on top, straddling him. She grinned down at him and grabbed his hands, lacing her fingers through his. Mac positioned his legs so she could lean against them.

"I'll go change," she said. "I'll be back in a minute."

Mac smiled. "Take your time."

Stella went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and change into her clothes for the night. She came back out ten minutes later to see Mac lying on the bed the same way he'd been when she'd left. She flopped down next to him and curled up at his side. Mac pulled her into his arms and held her captive against his body. They lay like that for long moments.

"Do you want kids?" Mac suddenly asked.

Stella put some space between them and looked at him. "Don't you think that's a conversation we should have a little later in our relationship?"

Mac smiled and ran his finger down her cheek. "Don't worry. You won't scare me away, no matter what your answer is. I won't run if you say yes, and I won't leave if you say no."

A slight blush rose in her cheeks as she nodded. "Yeah, I want kids."

"I thought so," Mac returned with a smile. "You'll be an amazing mom."

Stella smiled back. "You'll be an amazing dad," she said and settled back into his arms.

The soft circles Mac drew on her back lulled her to sleep. Before she drifted off to dreamland, though, she managed to mumble a low, "Good night"against his shoulder and placed a soft kiss there.

***

It was exactly five weeks ago that Stella and Mac had arrived in Chicago. They had enjoyed their last few days as a couple but not forgotten the reason why they were here. Stella had met with the women of the neighborhood to exchange the latest gossip and had found out that Jessica and Gerry had problems in their marriage: They hadn't really talked in weeks, and Gerry had been very distant lately—whenever he had the chance, he was in the garage or his office. That had caught Stella's attention. She had always had a bad feeling when it came to Gerry, and hearing that didn't exactly make him anymore appealing. Now there was just the evidence missing to prove something.

Stella and Mac had gone out to dinner with Emily and Tim and met up with Judy and Ralph to get coffee. All of them shared the same opinion: Gerry had something to hide. Both couples had explained how much Gerry had changed during the last months, and Judy had mentioned that Jessica had lost a baby two years ago and that she thought that Gerry simply couldn't bear the loss.

Stella and Mac lay curled up on the couch, kissing softly, when Stella suddenly pulled away. Mac looked questioningly at her just as a loud noise was heard from outside the house.

"What's going on out there?" Stella asked.

Mac sighed and got up, reaching out to help Stella up as well. They walked together into the kitchen and over to the window to see what was going on. When they glanced outside, they saw Greg standing in the middle of the street, looking from one side to the other, and a desperate-looking Jennifer standing in the doorway.

Stella and Mac looked at each other. "We should go see what's going on there," she said.

Mac nodded and guided her out of the house.

"What's wrong?" Mac called over to Greg. "We heard the noise. Is everything all right?"

"No," Greg answered. "We think that serial killer was just in our house."

Stella and Mac looked at each other, then hurried over to their friends. "What happened? Is anybody hurt?" Stella asked, worried.

"Michelle is all right," Greg told her, "but Sam got a cut on her wrist. We don't think it's too bad, though. Maybe we prevented the worst when we came home. Thank God we got here just now."

"Did you call the police?" Mac asked.

Greg nodded. "Yeah, after we found Sam in the living room. We must have interrupted the guy. We could hear the door to the backyard close. Sam told us that that must've been how he got into the house—she'd had the door opened slightly."

"Thank God nothing worse happened," Stella said. "I'll go over and see if Jen and Emily are all right," she added when Tim joined them.

Stella had barely made her way over to her two friends when the police and an ambulance arrived. She only got the chance to exchange a few words with Emily and Jen before they all were questioned. Afterward, Stella spent half an hour with Emily and Jen until Mac came in. He was finished with his report to the police and wanted to see if the others were all right. They stayed a little longer until they all went back to their houses.

"We have to get this guy," Stella said as Mac closed the door behind them.

He nodded. "What did they tell you?"

Stella sat down and rested her head in her hands, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Sam didn't hear the guy come in. She was on the sofa watching TV when suddenly someone put his hand over her mouth, keeping her from screaming. He held a knife to her throat and threatened to harm Michelle if Sam screamed." Stella shook her head. "Then he gagged her to keep her quiet and cut her wrist. She thought he was about to kill her when Jen and Greg came home. When they heard the door crack open, the guy let go of her and left through the back door."

Mac sat down next to Stella and pulled her into his arms. "Greg told me that they couldn't see him. He was already out of the house by the time they came in."

"We have to get this guy, Mac," Stella repeated. "We have to get him fast."

Mac nodded. "We will. I promise." He placed a kiss on her temple. "I'll check in with the deputy first thing in the morning to see what their CSIs found. Maybe they have something to help us prove it was Gerry."

Stella sighed. "I doubt it."

"Come on, let's go to bed. There's nothing we can do now, anyway."

***

When Stella stepped into the house, she gasped. Mac had decorated the hallway with candles and red roses and stood there before her, wearing a tux and smiling.

"I thought I'd surprise you with a nice evening for the two of us," he explained. "We've been in a relationship for nearly two weeks and haven't gone out on one single date. This has to change."

"This is beautiful, Mac," Stella said, making her way over to him to give him a hug. "Thank you."

He placed a light kiss on her hair. "You're welcome."

"Let me go change," she whispered. "I feel a little underdressed here."

Mac chuckled. "I'll be right here waiting for you." Stella went into the bedroom and changed into the black cocktail dress she had brought with her to Chicago.

They spent a romantic evening together with a candlelight dinner and slow music. Mac asked Stella to dance a few times, and then they curled up on the sofa, talking quietly.

Mac had excused himself to the bathroom a few minutes ago, and when he had gotten up, Stella had risen, as well and walked over to the window, looking out onto the dark street. She could hear Mac rummaging in the bedroom as she let her gaze wander. The living room was quiet—most of the candles had burned down completely while Mac was upstairs—so the room was only dimly lit.

As Stella looked towards the house across the street, motion caught her attention. Someone was walking up and down in front of the Michaels' house, and then they snuck into the front yard.

"Mac?" Stella called over her shoulder.

"I'll be down in a minute," came his reply.

"Could you come here for moment?" she asked. "And hurry!"

It didn't even take Mac half a minute to be at her side. "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," she answered, "but you should take a look at that." She nodded in the direction of the guy on the other side of the street.

"Who is that?" Mac asked. "And what is he doing there?"

"I have no idea," Stella replied. "Looks like he's burying something. But that's not Ralph, is it?"

Mac shook his head. "No, it's not. Maybe we should go and take a look at what he buried there later," he suggested.

Stella nodded. "We have to be careful, though. We can't risk getting caught and discovered."

"You're right," Mac replied. "Maybe we wait a few more hours until we check it out."

"I could think of better ways to spend a sleepless night with you," Stella said and wiggled her eyebrows.

Mac chuckled. "So do I," he replied and pulled Stella against his body. "But we're here on business, and this has priority."

"I know," Stella said. "But I don't have to like getting out there in the middle of the night to catch a killer, do I?"

"No, you don't," Mac returned with a laugh.

"Hopefully whatever the person is burying there helps us get some information on our killer," Stella said. "We need something, since there was no evidence from the incident the other night."

Mac nodded. "Hopefully," he agreed.

They watched until the guy across the street was finished with whatever he was doing. When he glanced around the street, Mac pulled Stella gently away from the window and pressed her against the wall.

"We don't wanna risk being caught, do we?" Mac asked with a smile.

Stella grinned. "We don't," she agreed and pulled Mac down for a kiss.

"I knew you'd take advantage of the situation." He kissed her again, only to glance out the window a second later. "The guy is walking down the street toward the Blooming's house."

Stella pushed Mac away and went back to the window, watching. Mac stepped in behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder and following her gaze.

"He's going into the Blooming's house, so we're sure it's Gerry," Stella said.

"But we can't prove anything," Mac pointed out. "We don't have any evidence."

"Yet," Stella added. "We will have something later."

"Hopefully," Mac said. "This guy hasn't made many mistakes."

"This was his first," Stella countered. "He couldn't know we were still awake. And come on, let's face it, if you hadn't gone upstairs, I wouldn't have looked out of the window and we wouldn't know we might have something on our hands. This was pure coincidence."

"I know," Mac said softly. "But come on, let's enjoy this night a little longer before we go back to work."

Stella smiled and nodded while Mac turned her around in his arms and walked slowly backwards in the middle of the room.

"Dance with me?" he whispered as he pulled her close against his body and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She wrapped her arms around his body and rested her head on his shoulder, swinging slowly to the light music. They danced for two songs before Mac pulled back a little and smiled at Stella.

"I've got something for you."

Stella shot him a questioning look. "You've done so much for me already tonight," she said.

Mac just smiled and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Well, I thought you deserved something special."

"Mac-" Stella started, but she was cut off by Mac's index fingers on her lips.

He pulled a long, slim box out of his suit jacket and held it out for her. She raised her eyebrows and hesitated.

"I know it's not Tiffany's but, when I saw it the other day I thought of you, so I bought it," Mac said with a nervous smile.

Stella took the box from his hands and opened it. In the box was a silver necklace with a small pendant in the form of two enlaced hearts. Stella ran her index finger over the necklace and looked back up at Mac.

"Thanks," she whispered, tears shimmering in her eyes. "It's beautiful."

Mac took the necklace from her hands. "Turn around," he instructed softly and clasped it around her neck. Then he turned her back around and looked at his gift. "Beautiful."

Stella blushed lightly. "Thanks." She pulled Mac back into her arms and kissed him softly. "For everything you did tonight," Stella said. "It was a really, really beautiful night. Perfect for a first date."

Mac chuckled softly. "I'll take you out on a real date soon," he promised. "When we're back in New York, you'll get every date you ever dreamed of."

A tear rolled down Stella's cheek. "Do you want to make me cry?" she asked as she wiped the tear away.

Mac shook his head. "No."

Stella hugged him again and whispered another "Thank you" into his ear. When the song ended, Mac guided Stella towards the couch again and lay down, pulling her on top of him. A few kisses, soft touches, and sweet stokes were exchanged before Stella slowly drifted off to sleep.

"Sweetie," Mac whispered. Stella opened her eyes again and blinked sleepily at Mac. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

"But what about the evidence?" Stella asked.

"I can go alone," Mac offered.

"No," Stella protested. "I don't want you to go alone. Either we're going together or nobody is going."

Mac smiled sympathetic. "I'll wake you later, then."

"Will you join me in bed?"

"If you want me to," Mac returned.

Stella nodded with a smile. "It's so comfortable in your arms."

"Okay, come on then," Mac said and pulled her up.

"Wait a minute," Stella said. "You're not gonna sneak out on me, are you?" she asked.

"No," Mac returned. "I promise."

"Good," Stella replied.

***

"Stella," Mac whispered, placing a light kiss on her lips. "Wake up, beautiful."

Stella stirred in his arms and cracked an eye open to look at Mac. "You're cruel," she said.

"Why?" Mac asked with raised eyebrows. "What did I do?"

"I was having such a nice dream."

"Really? What about?" Mac asked and placed a soft kiss on Stella's nose.

"You," she answered and snuggled back into his arms. "I don't wanna get up."

"The faster we get to work, the sooner you'll be back in bed."

"Can I say that I hate that you're always right?" she asked grumpily as she peeled back the covers and got up. Mac just chuckled in response.

Stella went to the closet and stole one of Mac's sweaters to wear over her PJ's while Mac put on his jeans. They were dressed in no time and went downstairs.

"Looks good on you," Mac commented about Stella's outfit and smiled while they made their way towards the front door.

"You got gloves?" Stella asked suddenly. Mac raised his eyebrows and glared pointedly. "Right, sorry I asked," she said with a chuckle. "Forgot who I'm working with."

"You ready?" Mac asked, ignoring her last comment.

When Stella nodded, they silently made their way out of the door and onto the street, making sure nobody was around to see them and the lights in all houses in the neighborhood were turned off. Stella walked closely behind Mac as they entered the front yard of the Michaels' house. With a glance at each other and a short nod from both of them, they silently agreed that they had found the right spot.

Mac knelt down and felt for a churned up spot on the ground. It didn't take him long to find the right place and he began digging.

Stella placed her hand on his shoulder. "Be careful," she mouthed when he looked up at her.

He gave her a soft smile. "Don't worry," he whispered.

It didn't take much longer until he came across a little package wrapped in drapery. He pulled it out of the small hole and handed it to Stella. As she took it, a shiver ran down her spine.

"Hurry, I don't have a good feeling with this," she whispered.

Mac was almost done refilling the hole when suddenly a light in the house was turned on. Stella cursed silently and knelt down next to Mac, attempting to hide. They stared at each other, pressing their bodies close to the ground and hoping that they wouldn't be seen.

The minutes ticked by as they waited for the light to be turned off again, but nothing happened, and time seemed endlessly. It was a good fifteen minutes later when the light finally went off again. Stella and Mac both released a relieved sigh, but they stayed on the ground in case whoever had turned it on had forgotten something and got up again.

They stayed there another five minutes before they got up and hurried back to their house. As they stepped inside, they made sure not to turn on the lights. Just in case…

"That was one close call," Mac said as they went back upstairs.

Stella snorted. "That's the understatement of the year."

"We'll look at this tomorrow," Mac said and held up the package.

Stella nodded. "Yeah. I don't wanna risk turning on the lights now. There's no way I'm going back to sleep any time soon, though."

"There are other ways to kill time…"

"In your dreams, Taylor," Stella teased.

"What, I was talking about cuddling," Mac returned innocent.

Stella laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure you were," she said and pushed Mac down on the bed after he had put the evidence into the drawer of his nightstand.

***

Morning came quickly, as they were woken up in a very unpleasant way. Someone was ringing the doorbell very groaned and pulled the covers over her head.

"Who the hell is this?" she asked.

"No idea," Mac mumbled.

"Urg." Stella swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Why do I have to get up?"

"If you had stayed just a moment longer in bed, I would've."

Stella huffed and put on the sweatshirt she had worn on their nightly mission. "I'm coming," she grumbled as she made her way to the front door.

"Jen," she said when she opened the door. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. Sorry if I scared you, but it's kinda urgent." She hesitated a moment. "Did I wake you?"

Stella chuckled softly. "Yeah, Mac and I had a late night."

Jen smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's okay. You said it was urgent. What do you need?"

"Would you mind picking up Michelle from school?" Jen asked. "There was an emergency at work and I have to go in, but Greg won't be home soon enough to pick her up from school, and I don't want her to walk home from school alone with what's happening here lately."

"Of course I'll pick her up from school," Stella answered. "You know I don't mind looking after her. How is she doing after what happened earlier this week?"

"She didn't really notice anything was happening that night, so she is fine," Jen told her.

Stella nodded. "That's good. How're you holding up?"

The woman sighed. "I'm worried. I don't like the thought that some creep is wandering around in the neighborhood looking for someone to kill."

Stella reached over to Jen. "I'm sure the police will find this guy soon," she tried to reassure her.

"I hope so," Jen replied. "But anyway, I have to get to work. My boss called at six in the morning, asking if I could come in. He'll freak out if I don't get there soon. Thanks for looking after Michelle, Stella."

"It's no problem, Jen," Stella returned. "Just pick her up whenever you're back home. No need to hurry. I'll have no problem keeping your little one entertained."

"Thank you," Jen said again. "I'll see you later, then."

Jen was already on her way to her car when Stella called, "Hey, when do I need to pick her up?"

Jen chuckled. "Right, I completely forgot about that. School's out at one today."

Stella nodded. "Got it. I'll be there early enough."

After they had said their goodbyes, Stella made her way back into the bedroom. She found Mac sprawled across the bed, causing her to chuckle. She pulled off the sweater and walked towards the bed again.

"Move over, big guy," she instructed. When Mac didn't move an inch she said, "Move over or I'm gonna lie on top of you."

Mac snorted jokingly. "As if I would mind that," he commented but made room for Stella nonetheless.

Stella crawled into bed again and snuggled up to Mac. "I'm gonna pick Michelle up from school later and look after her until Jen or Greg are back home. There was an emergency at Jen's work, and her boss needed her to come in."

Mac nodded. "It's better with the current situation."

"Yeah," Stella agreed and then sighed. "We should call Shepart and New York and forward them the evidence."

Mac stretched out. "Let's get up, then," he said.

"I hope we'll have a longer night tonight," Stella commented and sat up. "I'll get a shower, you make breakfast?"

After they had breakfast and both of them had taken a shower, Stella and Mac settled in the living room together, the package on the table and the phone in hand. They checked with Chicago PD's deputy inspector Shepart first, who told them to meet up with him later that day. Afterward, they called their team in New York. Danny and the others were happy to hear from them and relieved that the case seemed to coming to an end. After the compulsory question if the lab still stood, Mac told him that they would send over some evidence soon and needed the results as soon as possible.

Stella stayed at home while Mac went downtown to talk to Shepart. She prepared lunch and then went to pick up Michelle. They ate together, then played in the living room. Mac didn't come home until four in the afternoon. When he did, Michelle ran up to him and hugged him.

"Where have you been?" the girl asked as Mac scooped her up with one arm, the other hidden behind his back.

"I had an important meeting in the city, and then I went to the store and got you something."

"For me?" she asked with big eyes.

"Yes, for you." He pulled out his hand from behind his back and held up a cute teddy bear. "Your mommy told me that you collect teddy bears."

Michelle smiled happily at Mac and took the bear from him. "He is so cutiful," she said, causing Stella and Mac to laugh.

When Mac sat down Michelle, she ran over to Stella. "Look, Stella. Isn't he cutiful?"

Stella laughed again. "Honey, cutiful isn't a word."

The little girl nodded furiously. "Yes, it is," she said. "Cute plus beautiful equals cutiful."

"Well, that makes sense," she returned.

"Do you want to know what I'll call him?" Michelle asked happily.

Stella shook her head. "No, what will you call him?"

"Mac," the girl answered proudly and went back into the living room to play with her new teddy.

Stella made her way over to Mac and kissed him softly. "Your kids will be spoiled," she whispered with a smile.

"So will yours," he returned with a grin as they joined Michelle. "I'll tell you about the meeting later."

Michelle included Stella quickly back into her game. She played with the girl for another hour with Mac watching them until Greg came to pick her up. He thanked them for looking after his daughter when Michelle showed him her new stuffed animal and babbled about what she and Stella had done.

When Stella and Mac were alone again, Mac told her about his meeting with the Deputy Inspector. Mac had given a detailed report about the previous night's events and told him about the evidence they had found. They had assigned a courier service to deliver the package to New York as soon as possible and had been assured that it would arrive that day.

"So hopefully we'll get something soon," Mac finished.

Stella nodded. "I hope so. I want this guy behind bars, Mac."

"I know," he replied. "So do I."

***

It took the New York Crime lab a few days to get some results. Three days went by without anything happening, but then Mac got a call from Danny. They had found DNA and a partial print on the knife that was wrapped inside the fabric.

Danny told Mac that the reports and the knife were already on their way back to Chicago and would arrive at the Deputy Inspector's office the next day. Mac instructed him to call Shepart as well to tell him what he'd found.

While Mac was on the phone, Stella sat opposite him, watching closely as he talked to Danny and making sure she didn't miss a word he said.

"What did they find?" she asked impatiently as Mac ended the call. He leaned back in his chair and just looked at Stella. "Oh, come on, Mac, stop that!"

He chuckled. "Patience clearly is not one of your strengths," he noticed. "They found DNA and a partial print on the knife."

"Do I have to worm all the information out of you?" she asked in desperation.

"They couldn't match the print," Mac responded, "but they could match the DNA found on the knife to two of the samples we sent them a few weeks back."

"From our barbeque, right?" Stella asked, remembering what he was talking about.

Mac nodded. "Most of the DNA came back to Sam, so we can be sure that that's the knife she was got attacked with. There was also DNA from our friend Gerry."

Stella looked questioningly at him. "That's not enough to get him, Mac," she said, "but you're smiling. What else is there?"

"There was also DNA from two of the former victims," Mac went on. "Gerry's DNA was on the handle of the knife, on top of the other samples. And I'm sure if we take his prints, we'll also be able to match them with the partial."

"So we got him," Stella said.

"We got him," Mac confirmed with a nod.

"But why weren't there any prints on the glasses and things we sent back to the lab the first week?" Stella asked.

"Not sure," Mac replied.

"Not sure?" Stella asked. "So you've got an idea."

He nodded once. "We weren't watching him the whole evening, so there is a fairly good chance that he wiped them down or something. We can't know for sure. Or maybe he had gloves or something."

"Yeah, because that wouldn't be suspicious," Stella said ironically.

"He couldn't know that we were collecting evidence or that we were watching him, so there was no way he could know if anything he did would look suspicious to us," Mac pointed out. "And besides, I was just talking hypothetically."

"Right, sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you or anything. I just want this to be over already," Stella returned.

Mac got up from his seat and made his way over to her. "Come here," he said as he stopped in front of her and held his arms out for a hug. Stella quickly stood and let him embrace her. "We'll have him by this time tomorrow, Stella. The evidence we have on our hands is enough to arrest him," Mac reassured.

They stood like that until Mac's cell phone went off. "Sorry," he apologized and went to answer the call.

Stella went from the kitchen into the living room and settled on the couch. Mac joined her a few moments later, the phone still attached to his ear as he mouthed, "Shepart." He sat down next to her and pulled her against his body with one arm. She stretched her legs out on the couch and rested her head on Mac's chest, drawing lazy circles on his shirt.

By the time Mac ended the call and laid the phone aside, Stella was dozing softly, only barely noticing that Mac stroked her back and placed soft kisses on her hair.

"What did he want?" she asked sleepily after a while.

"Hey, I thought you were asleep," he said softly.

"Almost," she answered. "Too comfortable in your arms."

"Shepart wants to meet us tomorrow morning to talk about what to do next," Mac told her.

Stella barely nodded against Mac before she drifted off to sleep completely.

***

Stella woke up again in their bed, her head pillowed on Mac's chest and the man in question still sleeping deeply. The first beams of light were making their way through the closed curtains into the room, and Stella stole a quick glance at the alarm clock before snuggling back against him. It was still too early to even think about getting up, so she closed her eyes again for another two hours of sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself greeted by Mac's beautiful blue eyes. She smiled up at him and placed a light kiss on his lips.

"Morning," she mumbled against his lips.

"Morning," Mac responded. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very," she answered. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," he replied. "I could get used to waking up like this, you know. I like having you here with me very much. We'll have to get up soon, though."

"Why?" Stella half-whined.

A chuckle escaped Mac. "We're having breakfast with Shepart to talk about the latest news."

Stella nodded. "There isn't any chance he's stopping by here, is there?"

Mac smiled amused. "No we're meeting him downtown."

Stella sighed. "Fine."

It was an hour-and-a-half later when Stella and Mac stepped into the small coffee shop to meet Shepart. Mac had his arm draped loosely around Stella's waist, and she leaned into him as they approached the table where the Deputy Inspector sat with four officers he trusted.

When they were seated and everyone had breakfast in front of them, they started talking about the important things. The reports from New York had arrived early in the morning, so they had all the evidence they needed to arrest Gerry. The four officers were told about the last week's events and given all the information and evidence they needed. When they finished their conference, they'd all drive back to the neighborhood to arrest Gerry.

Stella and Mac stood back by the police car, ready to help if needed. One of the officers rang the doorbell and waited for someone to open up. When nobody did, the officer banged his fist against the door.

"Gerry Blooming? Open up," he instructed.

A few moments later, Jessica opened the door. "What can I do for you?" she asked.

"Chicago PD," the officer said.

"What's going on?" Jessica asked.

Stella and Mac looked at each other, and Mac nodded encouragingly. She took a few steps over to her friend. "Jessie, Mac and I are not who you think we are. We're from the New York Police Department and have been working undercover here to catch the serial killer that has been targeting families," she explained.

"I… I don't understand," Jessica told her with a confused look in Mac's direction.

"Jess, we have evidence that Gerry was the murderer of those children," Stella said. Jessica just stared at her. "Jess, is Gerry home?" Stella asked after a few moments.

She shook her head slowly. "No," she answered. "I came home half an hour ago and he wasn't here. I tried his cell but couldn't get a hold of him."

Stella turned around to look at Mac.

"Ma'am, can we talk to you for a little while?" one of the officers asked.

"Yes, sure," Jessica replied, a look of shock on her face. "Come in, please," she said and stepped aside.

Shepart instructed two officers to follow her into the house and asked the other two to stay out with them. Jess hesitated a few moments before she showed the officers the way and turned to Stella.

"Stella?" she asked. "Would you come in, too?"

She turned to Mac again, not sure what to do. Just as she was about to reply, a scream could be heard a few houses down, and Stella froze. That was the Morton's house.

Another scream pierced through the air. This time, Stella reacted. She ran, followed by Mac and all four officers, towards the house. She waited for Mac before she entered, and they looked at each other and nodded.

"New York Police!" Mac called before going in.

When they entered the living room, they saw the three Mortons tied up and gagged on the floor, Gerry leaning over them with a knife.

"Let go of the knife, Gerry," Mac warned, aiming his gun.

But Gerry didn't let go of the knife, holding it to Sam's throat and threatening to sever her carotid.

"Put the damn knife down," Mac repeated, this time with more force. "I'm not gonna tell you again."

"If I were you, I would do what he says, Gerry," Stella spoke up. "He won't warn you again. He'll shoot without hesitation."

Gerry stared at Mac, and she made a few steps forward until she was within arm's length reach of Gerry. When he noticed her standing so close, he turned and pointed the knife at her.

"One step closer to her and you'll have a bullet between your eyes," Mac threatened, getting his attention back.

Before Gerry noticed what was going on, Stella had kicked the knife out of his hand. It flew across the room and landed on the floor while Mac overpowered Gerry and pushed him to the ground.

"Gerry Blooming, you're under arrest for the murders of Michael, Christina, Manuel, Katie, and Miley Grey as well as the murders of Johnny, Gaby, and Rachel May, Christian, Mary, and Ashleigh Johnson and Helen and Sandy Swan," he spat as he handcuffed Gerry.

When he turned to Stella, his expression softened. "You okay?"

She nodded and hurried over to help the officers untie the Mortons. One after the other, she hugged them and told them that she was glad they were okay. After a paramedic had examined them to see if they injured, everyone but Stella and Mac had to give their statements.

"Thank God this mess is over," Emily said as the police led Gerry away. "Thank you, really," she added to Stella.

She smiled. "I'm glad we could help to put this guy away so you can sleep safely again."

Emily glanced at her daughter, who was hugging and thanking Mac. "So you and Mac aren't married?" she asked.

Stella chuckled. "No, we're not," she answered, "and I'm sorry we had to lie to you."

"No," Emily reassured her sympathetically. "Don't be sorry. I'm glad you were here. I don't think Gerry would have been arrested now if you hadn't been there. Thank you." Emily hugged Stella. "And if you two aren't married, you put on quite an act. Are you sure you're not together?"

Stella laughed. "That's a long story," she remarked, "but we are now."

"You are now?" Emily asked. "You weren't when this started? This undercover thing brought you together?"

"Yeah," Stella replied with a happy smile, just as Mac and Sam approached them.

The young girl flung her arms around Stella. "Thank you for finding the guy who did that to Ashleigh."

She wrapped her arms around the girl, as well. "It was my pleasure," Stella told her. "I'm glad we could help to put that guy away."

Sam pulled away and let go of Stella again, looking at Mac. "Thank you. Really. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"We were just doing our job," Mac said and took a few steps toward Stella to wrap his arm around her waist. "But we are happy we could help."

"You are very good at your job," Sam complimented them. "Oh, wait a minute, does that mean you're moving out again and back to New York?" she suddenly asked. "You are from New York, right?"

Stella and Mac looked at each other and chuckled. "Yes, we're from New York," Stella replied. "And we're gonna go back."

"That's so sad," Sam said. "I really like you."

Emily nodded. "It's a shame. I'm gonna miss you."

Stella smiled. "I'm gonna miss you, too."

Just then a police officer approached them and asked Emily and Sam to come with them for a short statement.

Emily turned back to Stella. "We'll stay in touch, right?"

"Definitely," Stella assured her.

They hugged each other again before Emily and Sam followed the officer to the police car. Stella turned to Mac and let him pull her close again. They watched as the car with Gerry drove away, and then they turned to walk back to the house.

"Let's go home," Mac said and planted a soft kiss on Stella's lips.

"Yeah," she replied and leaned into him.

They looked at each other and smiled while they went to the house to pack their stuff and go back home to New York.