CSI: New York – The College Years

Chapter 14 – Confessions

A/N: This is dedicated to my dear AiP; thanks for all the support in moving this story along. I really appreciate it! This next part is for you ;)

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"Can I come inside?" he asked hesitantly, and his words finally snapped her out of her initial state of shock.

"Oh my God Mac, you're soaked! What did you do, run here in the rain?" she asked, half jokingly but Mac quickly nodded in response.

"Yes... I had to see you"

"Oh... Um, here, come in. I'll get you a towel" she lightly stammered as she pulled him inside by his arm. He slid his jacket off and threw it over the coat rack as she disappeared down the hallway; returning a brief moment later with a fresh towel in hand.

"Gosh Mac, it's practically a hurricane out there and you were out in this? Are you crazy?" she muttered as she walked towards him, reaching out to pass him the towel.

"Yes, crazy for you. I already told you that" he confessed in a low tone, pushing the towel away.

"Mac, I..."

"Just, please, let me finish Stella. I have to say this, okay?" he asked and she nodded for him to continue.

"I know what I said the other night was phenomenally stupid; and that I should've told you about Claire sooner, but you have to know that I never meant to hurt you. I guess it wasn't as easy to adapt to the change of moving here as I thought it would be, and Claire is... I don't know, I guess it's just kind of like habit you know? Something from the past that I thought I needed to hold onto. Everything around me changed so fast and my old life was disappearing faster than I think I was ready for. But when you and I started spending more time together I actually felt myself ready and wanting to leave everything else behind. Then that night at the club, Stella, that was one of the most amazing nights of my life and... Well, to be honest I think I was scared"

"Scared of what?" she asked softly and he hung his head for a moment before bringing his gaze back up to meet hers.

"Of falling in love" he confessed and Stella's gaze dropped from him to the floor as she fidgeted nervously with her fingers.

"Stella, I'm sorry. I know you're still angry with me and you have every right to be. I don't expect you to just..." he starts only to have Stella quickly throw her arms around him and silence him with a deep kiss.

Shocked at first, Mac hesitates for a brief moment but then responds in kind to the passion she's offered him by cupping her face with his hands and crushing her lips with his. Her hands grip the back of his head, grasping at any hair she can hold on to in an effort to keep him as close as possible as the heated kiss continues.

When the need for oxygen overwhelms them, their lips regrettably part and Mac pulls her against his chest in a warm embrace; his strong hands gripping around her waist and her head resting on his shoulder.

"Stella, I am so sorry" he mentions once more in a low whisper and she nods her head against his shoulder.

"Mac, I should be the one apologizing" she murmurs and he leans back slightly and tilts her chin up to look at him.

"What on earth do you have to be sorry for?"

"Because I was just as scared as you, and I pushed you away because I was so afraid of opening myself up and being hurt again that I didn't even give you a fair chance. Mac, I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you and I guess I didn't think I was ready for that either..."

"Yeah, but Stella I..."

"You made a mistake" she interrupts him before he's able to torment himself any further. "And so did I, and now..."

"Now what?" he wonders and she smiles.

"Now we work it out together. Right?"

"Really? You want that?" he has to wonder and she smirks.

"Why, do you want to try to convince me otherwise?"

"No" he scoffs, then smiles as he reaches down and holds her hands in his. "I want this; you; us"

"Me too Mac" she smiles and his heart warms.

"I uh... I guess I should take that towel now huh?" he mentions sheepishly as he glances down at the small puddles of water now pooling on the floor, then at Stella who's shirt is also wet from being pressed against him earlier.

She flashes him a curious grin then stands on the tips of her toes and leans in so her lips brush his ear. "I have a better idea" she whispers, causing a warm tingle to pass down his spine.

Before he has a chance to respond he feels her fingertips dancing around the hem of the back of his t-shirt and she begins pulling it upwards and finally tugs it over his head, freeing his upper body of the soaking wet fabric. She drops the shirt to the floor and stares into his fiery blue eyes for a brief moment then takes a step back and removes her own shirt, dropping it to the floor next to his. Mac can only simply stare in awe at the beautiful woman before him, as his brain fails to send any words to his mouth. She flashes him a timid smile before taking a step closer, placing a hand on his face and guiding his lips to hers as she begins crushing them with all she has to offer. As the kiss deepens Mac feels his entire body instantly stiffen as his desire and need for her grows more intense with every passing second.

"Mmmm, Mac..." she lightly moans, and not sure how much more of this he can take; he regrettably pushes her back gently and she looks up at him in wonder.

"Mac?"

"Stella, if you... I mean, if we keep... I don't know how much longer I will be able to control myself" he admits and the corner of her mouth curls upwards into a shy grin.

"Do you honestly think I have any self control left with you standing in front of me dripping wet? Was kind of counting on you losing control Mac..."

"Oh thank God" he blurts out before crushing her lips once more; and this time when he hears her call his name again he gently scoops her up into his arms and carries her down the hallway towards her bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him once they get inside.

"Hey, you guys seen Mac anywhere?" Adam asks the small group of friends still left at the party as he enters the main living room with a smiling Kendall latched on his arm.

"I haven't seen him in... Since we first got here actually, come to think of it" Don shrugs.

"Probably snuck out to go home and sulk the moment our backs were turned" Adam lightly huffs, shaking his head. "I wish there was something we could do..."

"Do you happen to have a large or heavy object?" Don mentions and Adam looks at him in confusion.

"What?"

"To beat them both over the head with" Don quips and Adam can't help but laugh, then shrug his shoulders in agreement.

"Maybe large and heavy, just to be sure" Adam finishes with a smirk.

"Well, I don't know about you guys but I'm ready to get out of here" Danny mentioned as he stood up from the couch and turned back towards Lindsay, holding his hands out to help her up.

"Yeah, actually Adam and I were just leaving, right Hun?" Kendall asked, nudging Adam in his side and shooting him a quick wink.

"Uh... yeah. Um, goodnight guys" Adam mentioned with a sheepish grin, then took Kendall by the hand and lead her outside.

"You ready to go babe?" Don asked Jess, poking her in her side and causing her to squirm in his lap.

"Are you kidding me?" she asked aloud, then leaned into him to whisper the rest in his ear "I've been waiting to get you home since the second half of the game started"

"O-kayyy, parties over. Goodnight everyone" Don stated in haste as he jumped up from his seat and practically dragged Jessica towards the door; Jess giggling uncontrollably along the way.

"They are so cute" Lindsay beamed as she watched Jess and Don's playful interaction.

"I don't know, I'd say we could give them a run for their money" Danny murmured before leaning his head down teasing her lips with a quick but tender kiss.

As they pulled apart Lindsay smiled brightly as she brought her arms around his neck and clasped her hands together. "Yeah, I mean after all, we're 'Puppy and Montana'. Who's cuter than us?" she giggled.

"I told you to stop calling me that already" Danny playfully warned before tickling her sides and causing her to erupt with laughter.

"Danny....stop... please... stop" she pleaded as her eyes began watering from laughing so hard.

"I'll stop when you do" Danny countered, not yet releasing her from his tickling assault.

"Okay, okay" Lindsay gasped. "No more 'Puppy' I promise"

"See, was that so hard?" Danny questioned, immediately stopping his actions.

"You're gonna get it tonight mister" Lindsay playfully warned him and Danny shrugged.

"Was counting on that" he smirked and she lightly swatted his arm.

"Down boy" she teased and he hung his head. "Now come on and take me home, and if you're good maybe I'll let you come up" she smirked and Danny's head popped back up in an instant, a wide grin displayed across his face.

"I'll be good, I promise" he mentioned as they headed for the front door.

Stella awoke later than usual the next morning and as she carefully stretched under the warm blanket she reached across to the other side and immediately forced her eyelids open when she felt nothing there but cold sheets.

"Mac?" she mumbled, still half asleep as she started glancing around the room.

"Was I... Did I dream all that?" She forced herself to wonder. "Probably" she huffed to herself. "Something that amazing only happens in a dream"

And with that final huff into the empty room she grabbed the pillow beside her and covered her face with it as she began muttering Greek curse words into the pillowcase.

"I'll just go ahead and assume that's Greek for 'good morning'" a voice began flooding into the room and Stella immediately shot up in the bed and looked to the doorway to see Mac standing there, leaning against the door frame with two steaming coffee mugs held in his hands.

"Mac... um, yeah, something like that" she grinned sheepishly as she scooted over in the bed and gestured for him to sit down.

"Coffee?" he asked, handing her one of the mugs and she smiled.

"Thank you"

Mac set both mugs down on the small night stand then eased himself down onto the bed, lying on his side and keeping himself propped up on his elbow. He ran his hand through Stella's hair, tucking a few stray strands behind her ear then kissed the tip of her nose.

"Last night was..."

"Amazing" Stella finished his thought and he nodded.

"Well, that might even be an understatement, but we'll go with amazing for now" Mac murmured as he leaned into her once more kissed her softly. Stella's warm lips slowly parted, allowing Mac's tongue entry and she let out a soft moan. Mac responded by gently easing her body down and resting his hand on her stomach; his mouth hungrily devouring hers, and his body pressing hers further into the soft mattress.

"Okay sleepy-head, time to get... Oh my!" Jessica gasped as she swung the door to Stella's room open; prompting Mac to pull up from Stella and whip his head around towards the door.

"Jess!" Stella stammered as she quickly sat up in the bed. "I um... We... Uh, good morning..."

"Good morning Stella... Mac..." She greeted them with a teasing tone.

"Morning Jessica" Mac muttered sheepishly.

"I guess I'll let you to get back to... Um... Right, I'll just see you guys after" Jess giggled before quietly closing the door then scampering back to her own bedroom.

"Guess what!" Jess exclaimed in an attempt to whisper as she bounced onto the bed, shaking Don's shoulder in anticipation like a kid on Christmas morning.

"What?" Don immediately shot up, throwing the covers off. "What's wrong, did something happen?" he asked, his feet already planted firmly on the floor.

"Oh something happened alright" Jess grinned and Don turned back to her with a wondering glance.

"Well? What is it?"

"Well, I'll spare you the details, but let's just say I found out where Mac got to last night"

"Wh... Ohhhhh...." Don slowly nodded in understanding. "Um yeah, no details for me thanks" he grimaced and Jess threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Aren't you happy?" She wondered as she pulled back slightly.

"If Stella's happy, then yes. But there are certain things that a brother... Well, let's just say denial is bliss, okay?"

"Fine, party pooper" Jess teased, lightly swatting his arm. "Come on, let's get dressed and we can all go out for breakfast"

"Slight problem here..." Mac frowned, standing in Stella's bedroom.

"Looks perfect to me" Stella mentioned softly as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist and planted a kiss on his smooth back.

"No, not me..." he scoffed bashfully. "My jeans are dry cause I draped them over the chair last night before we went to bed, but I found my shirt curled up into a soaking wet ball by the front door earlier when I made the coffee"

"Hmmm..." Stella frowned. "Oh, I'll just ask Don, he always keeps some spare clothes in Jess' room" she stated triumphantly as she headed towards her bedroom door, only to have Mac gently grab her arm and force her back around.

"Uh wait... Are you sure, I mean..."

"Please" Stella laughed as she rolled her eyes. "If you think Jess wasn't already in their shouting from the rooftops about what she walked in on a couple minutes ago you're sadly mistaken"

"Oh great" Mac sighed.

"Relax" she soothed as she ran her fingers through his short dark hair. "Trust me, it's not like Don's going to want to talk about it, or even bring it up for that matter" she lightly laughed.

"Yeah I guess you're right" he shrugged. "Do you want to ask him for a shirt then?"

"I don't know..." Stella smirked; pausing for a moment to run a finger down his muscular arm. "Kinda like you like this..."

"Very funny"

"Oh fine" she sighed with defeat. "Be right back..." she assured him as she kissed him once more then disappeared into the hallway in search of Don.

Mac smiled as he watched her take her leave from the bedroom, then reached into the pocket of his jeans, pulling his cell phone out to send a quick text.

'Adam, thanks for putting up with me the last couple days, I know I've been a complete ass. You up for some breakfast? Thought you and Kendall might wanna join us... – Mac'

'Us???' Adam's reply came almost immediately and Mac grinned.

'Yes,Us' he confirmed as he hit the send button.

'Mac, congrats! And breakfast sounds great. Kendall just shrieked like she just met a Jonas Brother or something, so I think it's safe to say we're happy for you two. See you soon'

Mac chuckled and shook his head as he read Adam's last message then sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Stella to return with a shirt.

"Pink's your favourite colour right?" Stella asked with a grin as she poked back inside the bedroom with her hands behind her back.

"Very funny" Mac grimaced.

"Oh you're no fun" Stella laughed as she threw the black t-shirt at him. "Put it on, we're going out for breakfast with Don and Jess"

"Oh..."

"What? Mac, I told you, you don't have to worry"

"No, it's not that, I just invited Adam and Kendall to breakfast that's all..."

"Oh, okay, well no big deal, but now we'll have to get Danny and Lindsay in on this too since we invited everyone else"

"Whole gang back together again huh?" Mac asked with a smile as pulled Stella down into his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Yes we are" she confirmed with a sigh of content. "I'm so happy Mac" she gushed, looking at him with a bright smile.

"Me too" he confessed, kissing her one last time before they had to finish getting ready to finally start their day.

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Okay SMacked fans, hope the make-up made up for all the angst between Mac & Stella in these last couple chapters! If so, then I've done my job ;)

Anyway, to be perfectly honest, I really hadn't planned out much of anything for this story beyond this point, but given all the reviews and alerts I've been getting for it I feel somewhat obliged to keep working on this, so here's my thought; maybe just put this story on a short 'hiatus' while I come up with some new material? I'm thinking a vacation for the group during their Winter break from school? How does that sound? Let me know in a review if you want more, or if there's any storyline in particular you'd like to see play out, I might just try and accomplish that for you.

Anyway, thanks again to all who read, reviewed, subscribed, etc. It really does mean a lot. It may be a little while before this is updated again, but if you want more, you got it ;)

PS – If you haven't already, fellow SMacked fans should look up my other multi-chapter fic called "Family Ties" its Reed and Mac with lots of established SMacked! Hope you check it out :)