Last fair warning. Spoilers for anyone who has not see Season 2 of CSI: New York.
I wrote this a few years ago (after the involved episode) for a group I was a part of. Not sure why I never posted this on here. I'm fairly happy with it, even though it's just a one-shot story. But, enough yapping. Enjoy.
Aiden sat in the booth alone, head down on her arms. She wanted to cry, scream…anything.
How could she have let this happen?
She ordered herself another beer, her head still not lifting.
What was she thinking to have even thought about that?
She mumbled a thanks when her drink arrived, looking up just to take a drink. Her attention was drawn to the door as two men walked in.
"Ah shit. Should've seen it coming," Aiden mumbled to herself, averting her eyes downward as the two men walked over.
The men sat down across from her, both of them ordering drinks.
"Aiden, what the hell?"
Aiden looked up at the man talking to her.
He was attractive, probably around 28 years old with a slender but muscular build. Dirty blonde hair, gray-pale blue eyes behind thin wire frames, and a faint moustache and goatee gave him a secretive, almost poetic appearance.
"Danny, look, it's not like what you think," Aiden replied, looking at Danny and the other man, trying to keep her voice steady.
"We're worried about you. Mac wouldn't tell us where you were. I got worried when I saw your badge on his desk," the other man said, taking his drink and Danny's as the waitress brought them over.
Danny's friend was equally attractive. Short black hair, bright sapphire blue eyes, a possessing smile, his build tall and slender, but muscular just like his friend. He too was young, but unlike his friend he was quiet and seemed almost shy, his appearance misleading for his job as a detective.
"You're the detective Flack. I think you could figure out that I'm physically ok," Aiden replied, still fighting to keep her voice steady.
"We just want to know what's goin on. We're your friends and care about what happens to you," Danny said, taking a sip of his drink.
"Both of you will hate me."
"The only thing we hate is looking for you but only finding your badge," Flack replied.
"Guys, I…I was fired."
Both men nearly choked on their drinks, Aiden lowering her head again.
"Please don't tell me you really mean what ya just said," Danny said, eyes wide in disbelief.
Aiden nodded sadly, her tears fighting to get free.
"I've really fucked up my life now," she said, the tears starting to fall.
Danny and Flack got out of their seats and sat on either side of her, both men pulling her close in an attempt to comfort her.
Aiden finally broke down, her tough cop attitude gone, the vulnerable girl underneath showing herself. She pulled herself against Danny, tears falling onto his chest. Flack draped his jacket around Aiden's shoulders, Danny gently running fingers through her hair.
The two men glanced at each other as they tried to comfort their friend. They knew how much she loved her job. The lab meant everything to her. Being a cop was her life. Now it was all over.
"Aiden, what happened?" Flack asked quietly.
Aiden turned to look at him, then back at Danny before lowering her head again.
"It's the case I was workin on, ya know? Regina's rape case. The same sick bastard got her twice but I couldn't find enough evidence to back up her statements. You guys've seen the pictures. There's no denying that fucker did it! Mac let me have the case alone, reopened after 18 months when Regina called me. I was goin through the evidence and found the hair we took from J.D. Platt. I…I broke the seal and removed the hair."
"God please don't tell me you planted evidence," Danny said, still holding on to his friend.
"No! God no! You know how fucking much I wanted to? But I knew that if I did that then there might've been the chance we'd never get the guy. I couldn't do that. And I told Mac that, but he still thought I did it for my own good, not the lab or Regina. I swear I didn't do anything!"
With that said, Aiden broke down again, Flack being her crying shoulder this time. He and Danny couldn't believe what had happened. Mac actually fired her.
Danny just didn't understand. How could Mac fire Aiden and not him? He'd been in far deeper shit than Aiden. His past with Tanglewood coming back, the officer involved shooting, and going against Mac's orders for the AIB investigation. Why the difference?
The two men let Aiden cry, knowing that they couldn't stop the tears. Everything she had been holding back was now coming out; her release.
"Never thought we'd see you cry," Danny said, earning him a punch in the arm from Aiden.
"Messer, you tell anyone and I'll make sure you're in pain. Same goes for you Flack."
"Hey, I know better than to piss you off," Flack replied, still keeping a protective arm around his friend.
"Damn right," Aiden replied.
"Look, maybe if we talked to Mac – "
"Won't change anything. Guys, look. I was fired. I can't come back. Want to, but it won't happen. I'm sorry."
"Hey, you got nothin' to be sorry about. You didn't do anything wrong. All ya did was care," Danny said, smiling at Aiden.
"Thanks guys. I knew both of you at least would be on my side," Aiden said, finally letting a small smile appear.
"We've always been on your side, just like you've always been on ours," Flack said, also smiling at her.
"Guys, you both mean a lot to me. I feel like I've let ya down."
"You haven't let us down Aiden. All you did was prove how devoted ya are to catching all the evil bastards out there," Danny replied.
"Yeah, guess I did."
"We'll make damn sure the bastard rots in hell. You have our word," Flack added.
"I know I can count on you guys," Aiden smiled, now getting to her feet.
"You leaving?" Danny asked, he and Flack looking at their friend.
"Yeah. I just need some time to think," she replied.
"We're always here for ya Aiden. All you gotta do is call," Flack said, embracing his friend.
"I know. And that means a lot to me," Aiden said as Danny took his turn hugging her.
"Miss ya already," he said.
"Yeah, me too," Aiden said before walking out.
Flack and Danny knew she wouldn't be gone for long. Hell, she'd find some way to come back.
That, they knew, was a fact.
~~~~End~~~~