Disclaimer: I don't own CSI:NY.
Series: None.
Spoilers: Vacation Getaway.
This was originally going to be part of my 'Kindred Spirits' series, but I think I'm going to continue it into Season 7 now – assuming I can ever get through Seasons 5 and 6 – because I quite like Jo. So I altered this one and made it into this as well.
At the end of 'A Very Flangell Christmas', I implied I wouldn't post again until the New Year, but I wasn't expecting to finish this one so quickly, so you get a little extra as well. But, since it's Flangell, I doubt you'll mind.
Homecoming
In Jessica Angell's defence, it was the lesser of two evils.
She had the choice between coming home early, but having to endure a car journey with an agent who seemed to take the word 'no' as a challenge, or stay where she was, and have to endure days of debriefing that had nothing to do with her.
She'd chosen the first option, and was currently tuning out her driver's chatter, as her hand ghosted over her abdomen, where she knew the scars lay.
It had been a year.
A year since her world had blown apart around her.
Thinking back, she felt sick at what could have been.
Sometimes, she didn't really believe she'd survived it, and she suspected she wouldn't until Don's arms were around her again and she was home.
But that reunion had been postponed before she'd even woken up.
With Chief Sinclair's blessing, the FBI had 'borrowed' her, kindly nursing her back to health, before throwing her so deep undercover that she was surprised she hadn't needed an oxygen tank.
The child trafficking ring had, thanks to her, been brought to a grinding halt and she was free to go, at least if she could make it back to her apartment without killing her temporary partner.
Finally, as the streets of New York grew more familiar, Jess recognised Danny and Lindsay's apartment building.
"You know what," she said, "just let me out here."
He looked taken aback. "You sure?"
"Yeah, I haven't seen my goddaughter in way too long." Jess was already getting out of the car. "Nice meeting you; take care."
She breathed a sigh of relief as the car started up again, disappearing down the street.
Technically, she wasn't Lucy's godmother – Lindsay and Danny had decided to forgo one, in memory of Lindsay's best friends, one of whom would have taken the position had they not been murdered – but she was close enough.
Stopping outside the building, Jess gave herself a minute to remember the entry code – Lindsay had given it to her, along with a key, when Lucy was born so she didn't have to keep getting up to let her in – before typing it in.
Thankfully, it worked, so Jess didn't need to call them; it was quite late and she didn't want to wake them.
It wasn't until she reached the apartment that it occurred to her that the Messers could have moved in the last year.
Jess sighed, pulling out her key and slotting it into the lock. If it didn't work, then she'd just have to walk home; it wasn't the end of the world.
The key jammed, causing Jess to frown. She pulled it out and pushed on the door.
It swung open quietly.
Jess's hand moved to her gun, grasping it firmly. Reluctant to turn on the lights, she pulled a pen-light from her pocket and shone it in the direction of the mantelpiece.
Photos assured her that Danny and Lindsay still lived here, but something wasn't right.
In another room, a child began crying. She hesitated, waiting, but no lights came on and no one moved.
Lindsay would never just let Lucy cry. Neither would Danny.
Drawing her weapon, Jess moved in the direction of the nursery, but the voice coming from within sent ice coursing through her veins.
"Aren't you a beautiful girl, huh?"
Oh my God … Oh my God, that's Shane Casey … what the hell is he doing out of prison?
Finding an angle of sight, Jess's heart stopped; Lucy was in the arms of an armed serial killer.
"Pity Mommy and Daddy can't save you."
They can't … I can.
Jess took aim and fired. The bullet ripped through Casey's chest and she ran forwards, snatching Lucy from his arms and pulling her away.
Lucy continued to cry, but no longer fought to escape the person holding her, clinging to Jess's shirt, sensing safety even if she didn't recognise her rescuer.
Angling the child behind her, Jess moved forwards carefully and nudged Casey with her foot. She received no response and holstered her weapon, crouching to check a pulse.
There was none.
Relief coursing through her, Jess hurried through the apartment, finding Danny and Lindsay's bedroom door firmly closed. She let herself in, seeing the two lying still.
Too still.
"No, no, no, no, no …" Jess hurried to their sides and pressed two shaking fingers against Lindsay's wrist, then Danny's.
Thankfully, she could feel a faint beat in both.
"Mommy, Mommy!" Lucy began to struggle, reaching for her mother.
"Ssh, ssh, Lucy, Mommy's asleep." Jess soothed.
"No!" Lucy wailed. "Want Mommy! Want Daddy!"
Reluctantly carting the toddler into the living room, her heart breaking at her escalating screams, Jess took her to one of the photographs, one of all of them. "Look! Look, Lucy; who's that?" She pointed to Lindsay.
Lucy sniffled. "Mommy."
"And who's that?" Jess asked, painfully aware of the approaching sirens.
"Daddy." Lucy answered, tears still streaming down her face.
"Who's that?" Jess pointed at herself.
Lucy frowned, confused, her tears stopping.
"That's me." Jess told her. "I'm your Auntie Jess, sweetheart, and Mommy and Daddy need you to be a brave girl for them. Can you do that?"
Lucy nodded, wiping her eyes with her fists, and relaxed against her again, but only for a second, because the door burst in with a crash.
Jess reacted instinctively, spinning around so she was between Lucy and the door, drawing her weapon and taking aim.
A second later, she relaxed, realising that it was Don who had broken down the door. "Don, thank God!"
Don stared at her, lowering his gun. "Jess?"
His whisper was soft and reverent and contained something Jess prayed she was imagining.
"Yeah?" Jess closed her eyes. "You're not just surprised because I'm two days early, are you?"
"Early from what?" Don asked, his voice breaking. "You're dead."
Jess's eyes snapped open, flashing with anger. "Why those …" She caught herself just in time. "Don, I swear I thought you knew …"
"Knew what?" Don asked, but his tone carried more bewilderment now.
Jess shook her head. "Later, Don; Shane Casey's dead and Danny and Lindsay are unconscious."
Don nodded, holstering his weapon. "Just one thing first …" He walked over to her, cupped her face and kissed her softly. "I missed you."
"I missed you too." Jess whispered as he walked away.
Two hours later, they were in the quiet of Don's apartment. Danny and Lindsay were recovering in the hospital, with no lasting damage, and Lucy was with Mac. When processing the apartment, Hawkes and Stella had found two cloths in the master bedroom drenched in a chemical that was a type of anaesthetic that had obviously been used to knock Danny and Lindsay out.
Obviously, at the top of NYPD's priority list was figuring out how Shane Casey got hold of said chemical, but, for the time being, the two detectives' only interest was each other.
Jess sat on Don's couch and gave him a weak smile as he handed her a mug of coffee. "Thanks."
Don sat down next to her. "Can I get that explanation now?"
Jess took a deep breath. "I woke up in FBI protective custody. I'd had a meeting with one of their agents after the Dunbrook trial; for some reason they picked me out of every other cop in America to go undercover to break up a child trafficking ring."
The last three words were said with no shortage of disgust and he took her hand, squeezing it gently.
Jess altered her grip, lacing their fingers, silently begging him not to let go. "I was in a coma for a month. When I woke up, they told me about the op and …"
"You couldn't turn it down." Don finished, but there was no judgement in his voice. "Not with kids involved."
"I made them promise me." Jess looked up, finally meeting his eyes. "I made them promise me that they'd tell you. They insisted it would be easier if everyone thought I was dead, but I made them promise me they'd tell you. Sinclair knew. I just thought …" She tried to imagine what she'd have gone through if Don had been killed and had to fight tears at the thought. "I have a pretty good idea of what it was like and …" She put her mug down and wiped her eyes with her free hand. "I'm so sorry I put you through that … It was the last thing … Please don't hate me for this."
"Jessica …" Don cupped her face. "I could never, ever hate you. Even if you had known I had no idea, I could never hate you." He pulled her close, resting his head atop hers. "Part of our job means following orders we don't always like. You couldn't turn that op down any more than I could. It's one of the things I love about you."
Love? How had they gone from two cops giving into the unbearable sexual tension between them, intending on maybe one or two months of meaningless sex, to a point where they were actually using that word?
Of course, Jess had already accepted the fact that he had managed to burrow his way in through the walls she had erected around her already-bruised heart and claimed it for his own.
And, yes, it was obvious at the three-month mark that they both planned on sticking around longer.
But she'd be lying if she said that she expected Don – Mr. Commitment-Phobic himself – to use that word.
Her shock must have conveyed itself in her body language, because he began talking again.
"I don't expect you to feel the same way." He pulled away to look her in the eye. "But I need you to know, Jess, because losing you was the worst thing that happened to me and I never forgave myself for not telling you sooner. I love you." He kissed her, winding his fingers into her hair, murmuring the words over and over again between more kisses.
Taking his face in her hands, Jess broke their embrace gently, touching her forehead to his. "I never forgave myself either."
"What are you talking about?" Don murmured.
Jess smiled softly. "I never told you. I've known for months. I never meant to, but somehow I fell completely in love with you."
Don's face broke into a grin and he pulled her onto his lap, kissing her deeply.
Jess giggled lightly as they parted, and shifted so she was straddling him. "I hope you realise that this means you're not getting rid of me anytime soon."
"Never." Don told her in a low voice. His hand ghosted across her stomach, brushing against the scar on her abdomen. "You're staying right here, Jess. I thought my life was over."
His last words were whispered into the crook of her neck, but she wasn't about to dispute them.
The last year had been the longest of her life and she had felt strangely detached from everything going on around her. She had no doubt that, had the roles been reversed, she too would have felt as though his death had led to hers as well.
"I'm here." Jess murmured, nipping his neck lightly. "So it's not over, is it?"
Don lifted his head and smiled at her. "No, baby." He kissed her softly, framing her face in his hands. "It's only just beginning."
AN: And, as cheesy as that last line is, it really is. This is my 100th story, something I still can't quite believe, and I'd just like to thank everyone who's ever read or reviewed my stories (especially if you've done both XD), because you're the people who give me the faith in myself to keep writing.
Okay, before I get all teary and start doing my Kate Winslet Oscar Acceptance impression, this will be my last post probably until next year, so everyone, be safe, be happy, don't eat too much chocolate (that's the responsible teacher in me, I'm afraid lol) and have a very, very happy Christmas.