A few things: I don't own CSI:NY if I did I wouldn't have to write fan-fictions, I am an Aussie and parts of Amber are based on myself, sailing for one, but also I have never been to America (I haven't even left Australia) and I am taking all my information from the internet so I am sorry if I get something wrong, Also I read A LOT when I say a lot I mean it of fan-fictions so you may occasionally see something that looks familiar and for that I apologize I do try not to plagiarise but it seems the more I read the more good ideas are taken and are crossed off the list...
Amber laughed in spite of herself it had been a long time since she had smiled and the action had an almost foreign feeling to it. She adjust the rudder of her pride and joy, a small white sailing boat with a red stripe around the gunwales and on the front deck, a pirate flag fluttered in the wind just like it had done on the boat of her name sake the Amazon from the Classic Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Randsome . Amber had chosen this name due to her many years of her childhood romanticising about what it might've been like to sail off to a secret deserted island and go off in adventures across the sea never had she thought that she might ever get this close to doing what she had dreamed of, nor that it would be far more difficult than she had ever imagined.
She slid the rudder across and the boat did a neat turn sliding gracefully across the water with only the creak of the boom and the flap of the canvas as Amazon changed her tack to continue along the East river, looking for somewhere to more her for the night, Amber glanced at the map of The American coast wrapped in a plastic bag, on the floor of the boat beside her it couldn't be much further she thought to herself as she passed under the Williamsburg bridge drawing towards a promenade that ran along the edge of the water.
Amber had just tacked away from the walkway when she heard a shout from a child's voice shrill with excitement up on the board walk "Mummy, Mummy lookee there's a boat, come see!"
"Lucy wait for mummy, she just has to get your ice-cream from the nice man"
an exasperated voice called back, but it was too late a blond haired little girl, maybe four or five wearing a bright red jacket to fend off the autumn chill, had appeared at the edge of the promenade and was leaning through the barricade. It all happened so quickly on second the little girl, Lucy had been leaning through the barricade and Amber had been once again about to tack away from the promenade, then there was a scream and a splash as Lucy fell into the water.
Amber glanced at the oncoming ferry then making up her mind swerved Amazon so she was heading towards the centre of the ripples from the splash, as she drew nearer Amber slackened her mainsheet and slowed her pace so as to come to a complete stop in front of where Lucy had fallen, Amber let go of the tiller and the mainsheet, ignoring the oncoming ferry's angry horn, she reached into the water groping around her hand closing on Lucy's coat and wrenched her unceremoniously into the bottom of the boat causing Amazon to rock precariously.
As soon as Lucy was on-board Amber replaced tension on the Mainsheet and with a jolt Amazon caught the wind and sailed smoothly once again, slipping out of the ferry's path and out to clear water. Breathing a sigh of relief Amber returned her attention to Lucy who was coughing up water and shivering violently; Amber unzipped her spray jacket and handed it to her. "Put this on, it will make you feel warmer"
She said with what she hopped was a friendly smile. Amber glanced back to the shore where she saw the distressed she assumed mother of Lucy on the promenade watching them intently. Amber watched as Lucy wrapped the jacket around herself and pulled it so far that it covered her feet as she sat curled up in a ball on the deck of Amazon. After a moments silence Lucy looked up at Amber, her eyes were big blue and wet with what looked like suppressed tears, "what's your name?" She asked timidly.
"Amber, and if I'm right yours is Lucy?"
She nodded, "How did you know dat?"
Amber smiled as she tacked back across the river heading towards part of the board walk designed to tie off boats on that she really needed to find somewhere to tie up for the night she'd lose the light soon and night sailing wouldn't be much fun with all this other traffic. "I just know"
She responded tapping the side of her nose knowingly.
"Let's get you back to mummy, how does that sound?"
Lucy nodded, she had stopped coughing and her shivering had died down but she wanted to go home. A few metres from the pontoon Amber jumped nimbly forward letting the sail fall into a neat heap in the bottom of the boat, before using the residual momentum to steer them into the pontoon where Lucy's mother was already waiting. Amber leapt out like a cat, a much practiced cat at that, onto the pontoon and fastened the painter to one of the cleats located on the side of the structure. Amber could hear Lucy's mum as she chanted to herself repeatedly "Thank god she's okay"
"Lucy" Amber said gently attracting the little girls attention. "I am going to lift you out to mummy okay?"
Lucy nodded her head slowly.
Amber stepped carefully into the boat so as not to make it rock, and lifted Lucy up to where her mother took her into a tight hug and murmured repeatedly while kissing Lucy on the head "thank you, thank you, thank you"
Amber nodded and said softly "anyone would have done the same"
Lucy's Mum seemed to notice her for the first time. Her face was blotchy from tears and pale from horror, she began to take the spray jacket off Lucy. "No keep it, she'll freeze on the way home otherwise"
Lucy's mother nodded mutely at the teenage girl in front of her. She fished around in her pocket for a moment before handing Amber a business card. "My names Lindsay and if you need anything at all please call me"
"I'm Amber and thanks, I'll do that"
"Can I have your address so I can drop this off?"
"No"
Lindsay Looked momentarily confused, then picking taking a pen and a scrap of paper she wrote out her address and handed it to Amber. "Look, come over and have dinner with us tonight, say around 6:30?"
Amber was surprised "I really don't want to impose"
Lindsay shook her head "It won't be an Imposition really think of it as a thank you, now I really must be getting Lucy home"
Amber nodded watching as they walked away, it would be nice to eat a proper meal she hadn't eaten anything much for a while and she was running out of money fast, so a free meal wasn't to be turned down lightly.
Amber sailed a little further before she found a small rivulet where she dropped her mast and stowed her sail finally coiling her main sheet and storing it behind the two water proof boxes that stored all her worldly possessions, before setting out towards Lindsay apartment.
Please comment and vote: Also I have tried to edit but I am dyslexic so my grammar isn't great (ironic I know write stories as a hobby but can't spell to save myself) anyway I am sorry if you find any mistakes and please tell me about them so I can fix them.