Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: NY.
Series: 'Kindred Spirits' – full list on my profile.
Spoilers: Obsession; mentions of Silent Night. Dialogue in bold was taken from the episode itself.

Obsession

At least four inches of snow, a shopping cart and a male DOA in his underwear added up to one of the stranger crime scenes of Jess's career.

And, by the expressions on Danny and Hawkes' faces, they were in the same situation, just as perplexed as she was.

But, of course, they had a job to do, so Jess cleared her throat and told them what they needed to know. "Couple of power-walkers spotted the vic. Thought he was passed out drunk until they tried to help him up."

"Any ID?" Hawkes asked, photographing the body.

Jess shook her head. "No."

"This guy's got some major fashion issues." Danny commented. "Somebody should've mentioned that it was winter."

Hawkes gestured to the white blanket surrounding them. "No footprints in the snow; he came by cart."

As if to prove his point, shouts floated towards them and two more shopping carts came racing along the path at the top of the small hill they were standing on, pulled along by college kids, also dressed in strange costumes.

Jess raised an eyebrow. "Shopping carts pulled by cheerleaders? And bunnies?"

"Guess our vic's out of the race." Hawkes stated.

Danny nodded. "And he finished dead-last."

"Lame, Messer." Jess told him, checking her watch. "Don't you guys have processing to do? I thought the snow caused problems in these situations."

"Sometimes." Hawkes nodded. "Other times, it's actually a help. But you're right. Adam's on his way to help us."

Jess frowned in thought. "Isn't he from Arizona?"

"Yeah, so?" Danny shrugged.

Jess shook her head with a laugh. "That's the definition of torture, right there." She jogged over to the edge of the crime scene tape, where the squad-cars were parked.

Danny followed her and retrieved his laptop from the back of his car to plug in his camera.

"Getting a headshot?" Jess guessed, pulling out a hot-water flask from her own car.

"Yeah." Danny glanced up as Adam approached, wrapped in a thick jacket, his teeth chattering nonetheless. "Stop shivering like a girl, Adam! It's not even that cold out!"

"I'm from Phoenix; 85 degrees is considered freezing!" Adam snapped shakily.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Cupcake."

Jess gave him a dirty look and handed the flask to Adam, along with one of the plastic mugs she'd grabbed on her way out of her apartment. "Here."

"What's in it?" Adam asked curiously.

"Hot cocoa." Jess told him with a smile. "On days like this, it's all that works. Help yourself."

"Any chance I could have some of that?" Danny asked.

"Grow up, Messer." Jess teased. "It's not even that cold out."

"Oh, I see how it is." Danny chuckled. "You're getting me back for the 'girl' comment, aren't you?"

"Hell yeah." Jess turned back to Adam. "Just ignore him; the rest of us do."

"Thanks, Angell." Adam grinned, seeming to relax all at once.

Another two groups came running past with shopping carts, but these ones slowed down at the crime scene tape curiously. Jess redirected her grin at Danny. "Wanna go shopping?"

Danny nodded with a smirk. "I'll race you to the finish line."

They were crazy, the lot of them.

Jess had long since decided she wasn't even going to try to figure out the 'Idiot Run', preferring to keep what was left of her sanity.

She was just returning to the precinct after grabbing some lunch, when Don caught her arm, steering her back towards the park. "I need to talk to you."

Jess's stomach dropped, assuming he'd found out that she shouldn't have been on the Mitchum hostage scene, and she braced herself for a lecture. "What's up?"

"I need another pair of eyes on my case." Don explained, sending a shot of relief through her.

"Sure." Jess agreed, somehow keeping her composure. "What's up?"

"Okay." Don took a deep breath. "We have a dead man in an abandoned apartment. All the furniture was covered with dust-sheets except a chair and the couch. He ate within an hour before his death – strawberries and champagne."

"Strange place for a date." Jess commented.

"That's not the only thing that's strange." Don told her. "We found evidence of a kidnapping; he was obviously very wealthy, nice suit and everything, but the duct-tape had lipstick on it …"

"Implying that the victim was a woman." Jess frowned. "You're right; that is strange. Unless …"

"Unless?" Don prompted.

"What if she wasn't kidnapped?" Jess suggested.

"She was tied up." Don pointed out. "And there were signs of sexual activity."

Jess shrugged. "Some women get off on that."

Don stopped dead in the middle of the pathway. "How?"

"I said 'some women'." Jess reminded him. "Not me. I'm surprised you didn't know that, working in NYPD for as long as you have; you must have come across crazies before, right?"

Don chuckled, finally getting his feet to work again. "Believe me, Jess, I've come across every fetish and every kinky idea imaginable. But duct tape?"

"Rape fantasy." Jess nodded in agreement at the look on his face. "Hey, I don't get it either. I had this case back in Jersey where we got a call from the woman whose neighbour had been grabbed by a man outside her apartment and bundled into a car. Three hours and a lot of resources later, we burst into this motel room, only to find them …" She trailed off. "Well, you get the idea."

"How did you know he wasn't …?" Now it was Don's turn to trail off. "You know."

"Because she was on top." Jess couldn't help smirking. "I've never seen so many cops so pissed off."

"But why?" Don asked in disbelief. "Why would any woman degrade themselves like that?"

"I don't think it's the idea of being raped." Jess frowned. "I think it's the whole … bondage-slash-submission thing …" She shrugged again. "Like I said, I don't get it either."

"What kind of guy would go along with it?" Don wondered aloud. "It's just …"

"Sick?" Jess finished.

"No." Don shook his head. "Well, yeah, but … I could never treat my girlfriend like that even if she wanted me to."

"That doesn't surprise me." Jess assured him with a smile. She turned back to the original problem. "So, if I'm right, something could have gone wrong; he doesn't stop when she asks and she … how did he die?"

"Stabbed." Don answered.

"Could be that then." Jess nodded. "Or someone could have seen him take her, assumed she was in trouble and played the hero … No, I think the first one's more likely; if they thought she was in trouble, they'd have called 911."

"Or she would have done." Don agreed. "And he was stabbed in the chest."

"But why wouldn't she call 911 if she killed him?" Jess frowned. "If I'm right, it was in self-defence."

"Maybe she thought people would blame her." Don suggested. "That's why so many rapes go unreported."

"Yeah, but this isn't just kicking some guy in the crotch and running for it." Jess pointed out.

Don couldn't help wincing at the image she presented. "Ouch."

Jess raised an eyebrow. "You feeling sorry for any would-be rapists?"

"No." Don rolled his eyes. "It's a male reflex; doesn't matter who we're talking about."

Jess sniggered. "Whatever. The point is, she stabbed him. Even if she didn't realise she killed him, she must've known it was serious."

"Maybe she didn't care." Don shrugged. "Just wanted to get home."

During the course of their conversation, they had walked into the park, reached the fountain, rounded it and were now approaching the precinct again.

"How's your case coming?" Don asked.

Jess groaned. "You don't wanna know. I often wondered if I missed out, missing college for the Academy, but now I know I made the right choice. Anything that puts me in my underwear in weather like this is worth a miss."

"There's an image." Don commented with a smirk. "You didn't really find your vic in their underwear, did you?"

Jess nodded. "With a jester's hat and a shopping cart."

Don stopped outside the precinct. "You're right. I don't wanna know." He pushed the door open. "After you."

AN: Let me give you some statistics quickly. 'Silent Night', as I'm writing this, has 146 hits and 7 reviews. I write these fics because I enjoy it and I'm the first to admit reading a story and then exiting it. But it'll only take you a second or two to review, especially if you're adding me to your favourites :) I do take anonymous reviews if that's what's bothering you. Please review!