Gil and Sara?s flight from Vegas arrived at the same time as Horatio and Natalia, they had not planed it that way, it just happened.
A very enteric young couple walked up to them, ?Hi, I am Danny. This is my wife Lindsay. Mac asked us to meet you and take you to the hotel. He is tied up in a meeting and should be there shortly."
Gil made the introductions and thanked him. They collected their bags and headed outside.
?Burr,? Sara said pulling her collar up around her neck, ?it is a little colder then I thought it would be.?
Danny laughed, ?Welcome to New York.?
Danny seen to it that they were settled in their suites. Mac had arraigned for them to have rooms at the Four Seasons Hotel.
He handed them a couple of brochures of things they could do.
Sara was thrilled that The Nutcracker was being performed. ?I have always wanted to see it,? she said mainly to Gil.
He just smiled, she knew those brown eyes and that smile always melted his heart. How could he turn her down.
They all agreed that they would like to see the Radio City Rockettes.
Danny told them that, besides the 24 foot Christmas tree in the lobby of the hotel they might want to go to Rockefeller Center and see that one also.
?And no one can come to New York and not go skating at the rink at Rockefeller Center,? Lindsay added. ?Or there is one Central Park. I like that one better,? she said, ?less crowded and softer music.?
It was near dinner time when Mac and Stella showed up.
?Sorry about the delay,? he said shaking the men?s hands.
Stella hugged each of the ladies.
She backed away from Natalia. ?Congratulations, when are you due??
?Mid June,? she said. Mac slapped Horatio on the back, ?Congratulations.?
?How about you two?? he asked Gil.
?We have been talking about it,? he said. Stella smiled, ?TALKING will not get you that way.?
?Let?s go eat,? Stella said, ?They have an elegant restaurant here in the hotel.? They talked about the wedding, Stella said that there was a wedding consultant right there at the hotel.
?Everything will be right here,? she said.
Mac smiled, ?It just so happens that one of the consultants is her sister.?
Over the course of the next two weeks the couples took in the sights and the shows that they wanted to see. They even went skating in Central Park.
The day before the wedding the couples had planned to go to Greenwich Village. Sara had heard so much about it and ?just had? to see it.
Their day trip to the village was toped off with dinner at Babbo, an Italian restaurant owned and operated by Mario Batali.
That evening they were going to meet for drinks before retiring for the evening. Horatio, Natalia, Gil and Sara were already in The Bar, a lounge in the hotel when Stella came in.
?Has anyone seen Mac?? she asked. They all shook their heads.
?He said he would pick me up and that was half hour ago,? she said rather worried.
A bellhop came up to the table where they were sitting. ?Stella Bonasera,? he said. ?Yes,? Stella said.
He handed her a note. It simply read: HAVE SOMETHING I MUST DO, WILL BE THERE SOON, MAC.
?What could he have to do that is so important?? she wondered.
?He must be alright,? Natalia said trying to reassure her. Stella was still worried. ?We can call the police,? Sara said smiling.
?Maybe he got cold feet,? Gil said trying to be funny. Sara hit him.
Stella smiled. ?I doubt that,? she said, ?we have spent to much money on the wedding.?
Mac got out of his car and walked to one of the few places in the city where it was quiet and very few other people.
Mac stood not saying anything, a tear formed in his eye.
He squatted down and brushed the snow away from a stone. It read: CLAIRE MARIE TAYLOR.
?My love,? he said. ?When you were taken from me I never thought I would find happiness and love again. I wanted to just join you, I thought life was worthless without you.
I have found someone. Her name is Stella. She brought feelings back again, feelings I thought I had lost.
She knows she will never replace the love I have for you, I think that is one of the things I admire about her. She understands how I feel about you.
Claire, I miss you so. Not a breath goes out of my body that I don?t miss you and what we had.
I will never stop loving you. I hope you understand."
A rabbit came into his view, it came over and stopped for just a minute on the stone, looked at Mac then left.
Back in the lounge, Mac finally joined them. He kissed Stella. ?Everything alright?? she asked.
?Yes,? he said.
The next morning in front of family and friends they exchanged vows.
As the reception began to wind down the three couples made plans to take a trip together a year from now.
?Lindsay has even volunteered to baby sit,? Danny said.
?Who knows there may be more then just one,? Sara said. Gil raised an eyebrow as he said, ?Are you?? Sara just smiled.
