I started a story a while ago called "Elastoplast for a Bullet Hole" about Mike avenging his wife's death. I never took that story anywhere, so I've decided to start a new one following a similar theme. I hope you enjoy it – please read and review.

All characters, except Penny and all original ones flowing from her, belong to Dick Wolf.

Chapter One

Tuesday 14th August 2005

It was almost midnight before Van Buren arrived at the crime scene. The night was warm and sticky with a light breeze and she could smell the odour of stale hotdogs and garbage. In front of her, lights had been set up over the crime scene and investigators were swarming around collecting evidence and talking to the homeless drunks who populated the area. There was a frisson of tension in the air and, as she approached, Anita felt a churning in the pit of her stomach.

"Briscoe!" She shouted over to where Lenny was peering into the hole dug in the earth. He turned and made his way towards her. Even as he approached, she could see the tightness of his features. He stopped in front of her. "Is it her?"

Lenny sighed heavily, "Looks like it."

Anita let out a long, shaky breath. "So what do we have so far?"

They started to walk back over to where Ed was standing waiting. "They're digging foundations for a new apartment block," Lenny replied, "Guy freaked out when he found it. A skeleton - not much else." They stopped at the edge of the hole and Anita looked down. In the hole, she could make out the perfect shape of a skeleton.

The ME, Melinda Warner, looked up from where she was bending over the remains. "Evening Lieutenant."

"Where's Rogers?"

"Vacation," Warner replied, "which means I get the honour." She held up her tweezers in which were caught a few strands of hair. "Look red to me. I can have them tested, see if there's a match." She didn't say to whom.

"So, it's definitely female then?"

Warner nodded, "Pelvis is small and narrow. And then there's this." She held up something which glinted in the light.

Anita snapped on a pair of gloves and took it from her. She stared at it for a long moment and then turned to Lenny, "This look familiar to you?" He nodded dumbly. "I think we should talk to Mike."

SSSS

The banging woke Mike from a deep sleep. At first, he thought it was part of the dream, but as his befuddled brain slowly swam back into consciousness, he realised that there really was someone at his door.

Dragging himself out of bed, he padded through to the door, cursing as he stubbed his toe on the edge of the coffee table. Pulling open the door, he was surprised to see Lenny.

"Hey," he greeted him, "You know what time it is?"

"Sorry to wake you."

"It's one in the morning."

"I know," Lenny replied. "Can I come in?"

"Can't it wait until later?" Lenny shook his head. "Ok," Mike stepped back and allowed him to enter. Closing the door, he turned to face his friend. "I'd offer you coffee, but you know…"

"It's not a social call."

"At this time of night? It never crossed my mind it would be." Mike yawned. "What is it? Some horrific crime that you regular cops need to toss to us in Major Case? If so, you should have called Goren, that man never sleeps."

Lenny paused and then reached into his pocket. Slowly, he pulled out an evidence bag and held it out to Mike, "Do you recognise this?"

Mike rubbed his eyes and took it from him. "What's this?" He focused on it and immediately froze, feeling icy fear grip his heart. "Where…where did you find this?" Lenny didn't reply. "Where did you get it!"

"We found…we found a body. It was dumped in a vacant lot which they're using to build new apartments…" he bit his lip, "CSU found that at the scene." Despite already knowing the answer, he asked the question again, "Do you recognise it?"

"You know I do," Mike replied, his voice wavering, "I showed it to you…before I gave it to her. You saw it on her finger for over a year…" he broke off and took a shuddering breath. "Is it her?"

"They need to run tests but…it looks like it, Mike, I'm sorry." He stepped forward to put his hand on the younger man's shoulder but Mike stepped back out of his reach.

"I want to go to the ME's office."

"Mike…there's nothing…" He wanted to spare his friend from the horrific sight.

Mike glared at Lenny determinedly, "I want to talk to the ME."

SSSS

There were dozens of cops at the ME's office. Word had clearly travelled fast. As Mike opened the door and walked down the familiar corridor, he saw them and felt himself torn. Part of him was touched by the fact that they were there, that they cared, another part of him hated the fact they were there. Hated the fact that they had come, like it was some kind of sideshow.

When he reached the autopsy room he paused, knowing that she could be lying through the doors in front of him. Or rather, what was left of her. Ten years was a long time. He sat down in one of the plastic seats and then immediately stood up again, pacing back and forth between the door and the seats, making Lenny nervous.

"Mike, why don't you sit down?" Mike didn't reply. He continued pacing, twisting his wedding ring around and around his finger. A comfortable act.

It seemed as though hours had gone past before the swing doors opened and Warner appeared. Mike immediately rushed forward to her. "Mike," she greeted him sombrely. He looked at her questioningly. "Mike…I'm sorry, but it's Penny."

Mike let out a long breath. Years of wonder, years of hope, years of despair, had now ended with those few words. "How did she…?"

"Single gunshot wound to the back of the head," Warner replied, "It would have been instantaneous."

He swallowed hard. "So she was murdered."

Warner nodded, "Yes, Mike. She was murdered."

SSSS

Everything had changed. In the last few hours, everything had changed. As he unlocked the door of his apartment and stepped inside, Mike felt that the apartment itself even felt different. He flicked on the hallway light and saw that everything was still the same.

Lenny hovered in the doorway, "Do you want me to come in?"

Mike shook his head, "No."

"Listen, Mike…" Lenny fought for the right words, "I'm sorry. I…" He trailed off.

"Thanks."

"This is going to be a big case. Everyone's going to be on it. We'll pull all the old files, go over everything again…"

"I want to be involved." Lenny didn't reply. "I mean it, Lenny. I…I need to be involved. I need to find the son-of-a-bitch who did this. I need to make it up to her."

"Don't go down that road again, Mike," Lenny said, "Don't heap the guilt on yourself again. You know it's not true." He sighed, "I'll talk to Van Buren, see what she says about having you on this. But…personally? I think you're too close to this. I think you need to take a step back and let us do our job."

Mike looked at him, "Yeah, maybe you're right."

"Ok," Lenny stepped back, "I'll…I'll call you tomorrow, ok?"

"Sure." Mike closed the door without further conversation. He walked down the hallway and into the living room. Pausing at the door, his eyes swept the room, his gaze resting on the photograph that stood in the corner. Even from the distance, he could still feel her eyes bore into him. Walking over, he picked it up and looked into the face of his wife. His dead wife. Gently, he ran his fingers over the glass, over her face, trying to remember what it was like to touch her skin.

"I'm going to find who did this to you," he told her, "If it takes every last breath I have, I'm going to find who did this to you."