Catching and Chasing

"Do you love me?" Mac asked.

Stella raised an eyebrow. She instinctively reached out to support him when he wavered and nearly lost balance. She planted her hands on his shoulders and held him steady. "Mac! Just how much of the punch did you have?"

He shrugged and a tiny smile flashed across his face. "Might've had a few," he said.

"Eight, actually," Danny called across the room. "And not those puny little kiddy cups, neither. He got a hold of one of those bigger cups from the kitchen."

Sighing, Stella shook her head and let her hand stroke up and down Mac's chest. "What am I gonna do with you?"

"You didn't say," he interrupted.

Though quite unamused, she humoured him. "Didn't say what?"

"If you love me." He struggled against her grip on him and managed to slip one hand out. With it, he jabbed her playfully on the shoulder. "Do you?"

"Sure, Mac. I love you. You're my friend," she replied. "Are we good?" She tried to trap his free hand again but he resisted. "Mac!"

Grinning sheepishly, Mac offered her his hand. "We're good," he said. "We're very good." With that, he pulled her away from an amused Flack and towards the area of floor where other couples were dancing.

"Are you sure you want to be trying that?" she teased. "You look like you're about to fall over."

"M'fine," he protested and he pulled her close to him. "You good?"

"I'm good," she confirmed, letting him wrap an arm around her waist. He started swaying to the music and she played along as much as one could with someone drunk. Not halfway through the song, Mac's possessive hold on her loosened. "Mac?"

She watched in concern as he stumbled across the room and out into the hall. Glancing over at Lindsay and Danny, she sighed. "Why am I still single?" she muttered under her breath. "Taken means less having to chase after the drunk. I really must find myself a guy one of these days."

Neither of them seemed to hear her or if they did, they didn't comment, for which she was grateful. She wasn't even sure she minded the idea of looking after Mac in his current state, if she was completely honest with herself.

Lindsay did offer her a sympathetic smile however. "Better chase after him," she suggested. "Make sure he's all right."

"Yeah," Stella agreed. She smiled softly and began towards the door. "Chasing is what I do best."

The next day, Stella found Mac slumped over his desk with a frown in place. "Hey, Mac. You all right?"

He grunted.

"I thought so," she smirked. "You had a big night last night."

Mac lifted his head to look at her. "I didn't do anything stupid, did I? Or say anything?"

She placed a file on his desk and walked to the door. There, she hesitated. Telling Mac the truth would surely be awkward. It could have been worse, most definitely, but his questioning her love for him was really quite up there, in whatever sense of the word he had actually meant. On the other hand, emphasising what happened and not filling him in on the details could be all kinds of fun.

"Oh, you have no idea," she said. "A lot happened last night. A lot, a lot."

He raised an eyebrow and immediately cringed. "Hmm?"

"I'm sure someone else will fill you in." Stella smirked. "I will say this though. You may want to avoid stall three in the bathroom. Or just avoid the bathroom entirely. Nasty stuff."

She left him scratching his head and frowning in confusion.

fin.

A/N: Enjoy it? Let me know. I tend to write material I know people want to read more of.. ;)