Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY.
Series: None.
Spoilers: The Fall; Summer in the City.

A Last Request

It was a quiet journey.

Neither man wanted to break the silence, no matter how awkward it was.

Detective Don Flack knew that he would come across dirty cops when he started at the Academy, but never in a million years did he think that he would be driving friend and mentor Gavin Moran to Central Booking.

"You mad at me, Donnie?" His companion asked quietly. "I can understand that.

"I know why you did it." Don stated tersely. "But don't ask me to understand or forgive you for it. Yet."

"You ever have kids, you'll understand." Moran told him as they pulled up outside their destination. "Just one more thing, Donnie."

Don sighed. "What?"

"You were the most promising officer who ever rode with me." Moran admitted. "No one else has ever come close … until now. I don't mind who takes on the others, but I want you to keep an eye on Officer Angell. Even if you never trust me again, trust me when I say it'll be worth it."

Don racked his mind, but couldn't put a face to the name, let alone a record. But he nodded anyway, before getting out the car and accompanying him inside.

Then he headed back to the precinct, thoroughly pissed off at everyone – Mac and Stella for making him stay with it, Moran for putting him through it, Aiden for not being there when he needed her, Danny for … just generally being too Danny for the moment.

"This officer better not be another son of his." He muttered, slamming the car door shut.

Perhaps wisely, his colleagues gave him a wide berth, recognising the dark look on his face, as he stalked into the locker room, pulling his shirt over his head as he reached his locker.

Tossing it over his head on to the bench, he let out a heavy sigh, leaning his head against the wall.

"I can tell you've had a bad day, Detective, but I'm not a laundry basket."

Don groaned quietly. He didn't recognise the voice, but it was definitely female and, with some trepidation, he turned around, praying that he hadn't just embarrassed himself in front of …

Dammit. She's gorgeous. I'm screwed.

He never thought he'd consider the NYPD uniform as flattering, but then again, he'd never seen this particular officer in the NYPD uniform.

A soft smirk played on her face as she waited for his response, an eyebrow raised in questioning, one hand on her hip, the other holding up his shirt.

Finally, he realised he'd been spending a little too much time ogling at her. "Sorry about that. I thought I was the only one in here."

"That much is obvious." She rolled her eyes, throwing his shirt back to him.

Don caught it sheepishly and turned back to his locker, Moran's words coming back to him. If this officer was another of his 'kids', he should probably explain what happened; better it coming from him than a memo. "Hey, you know where I can find Officer Angell?"

"That would be me." She responded with a smirk that was audible in her voice. "Why?"

"Ah." Don turned around again, mentally berating himself. "Well, this is awkward … erm, Sergeant Moran has taken early retirement."

"Oh." Angell sounded surprised. "Why?"

"Well …" Don cleared his throat. "He … er … He tampered with evidence and interfered with a homicide investigation."

Angell stared at him for a few seconds. "No. No, he didn't. He wouldn't."

"Trust me, I know how you feel." Don sighed, taking a seat on the bench. "This guy was more like a father to me than my own dad."

"Yeah." She agreed quietly, sitting next to him. "I can't … Why?"

"One of the suspects was his son." Don explained heavily. "I guess father trumped cop."

Angell snorted. "Must be nice. My dad preferred to work than see me."

Don laughed humourlessly. "Yeah, been there."

She looked at him curiously. "So how come you were looking for me? I'm not the only rookie he's mentoring."

"Told me to watch out for you." Don shrugged. "Told me it'd be worth it. Just …" He hesitated. "Just because of what's happened, don't forget what he's taught you. It got me to detective and I have a feeling it's gonna get you there too."

"And what makes you say that?" Angell asked. "You haven't seen me in the field."

"No, but he has." Don stood up. "My faith in his judgement has wavered slightly, I'll admit, but he's never been wrong about that."

Several months later, Angell walked into the recovery unit at Trinity General to find Flack waiting for her. "You called?"

She hadn't forgotten what Moran had taught her, but most of her knowledge and experience now came from the man in front of her. She wasn't sure if it was due to the ex-cop's request or Flack's own interest in her, but she had found herself at every crime scene he had been charged with and he had taken it upon himself to throw advice or questions in her direction when she was least expecting it.

Don glanced up from his notepad. "Hey." He nodded towards the room, where a young woman was sat, her knees drawn up to her chest, tears streaming down her face. "Serenity Maxwell, 21-years-old. Rape victim."

"Unusual for you to be on a rape, isn't it?" Angell asked quietly,

"Yeah, it's like the city's gone crazy." He agreed. "Now she let a doctor process her, but someone's gotta interview her and it's better if it's a woman and you're it."

"It?" Angell repeated. "Charming." Without waiting for a response, she pushed the door open slowly, offering the terrified girl a comforting smile. "Hi, Miss Maxwell … can I call you Serenity?"

She nodded shakily.

"Okay, Serenity," Angell sat down. "My name's Jessica; I need to talk to you about what happened, okay?"

"I …" Serenity faltered. "He came up behind me … He had a knife … I couldn't … couldn't …" A fresh wave of tears appeared and she broke down.

"Just take your time." Jess told her quietly.

Serenity took the offered tissue and took a few deep breaths. "I can do this. He'd done it before … I could tell. He knew exactly what he was doing." With another deep breath, and in a dull monotone, she proceeded to tell Jess how she'd left her apartment building to meet some friends and a man had come up behind her and forced her into an alleyway.

"He didn't say anything." She whispered. "Just held a knife to my throat."

Jess sighed inwardly. That was a voice recognition test out of the window. "Do you remember anything else about him?"

"I bit him." Serenity told her, her eyes wide. "He had his arm across my mouth and I bit him. I drew blood. He pulled back and I ran."

A smile crossed Jess's face. "Brilliant."

"Did I … Did I do the right thing?" Serenity asked unsurely. "Because they always tell you not to fight back because it's not worth it."

"No, you did the right thing." Jess noted it down. "The crime lab will be able to match your bite impression to the wound on his arm. I'll get a nurse to come and take an impression, okay?"

There was a knock on the window and Jess glanced up to see Flack signalling that he had another case and to finish up here. She nodded and turned back to Serenity. "Do you remember anything else?"

"Yes." Serenity whispered. "He smelled. Of paint thinner."

Jess looked up sharply. "Paint thinner?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Nodding thoughtfully, Jess turned back to her notepad, her mind racing. Flack had also introduced her to the CSIs and somehow managed to take her with him every time he visited the crime lab. It had been a few days ago that she'd found one of them almost in tears in one of the evidence rooms.

"Something wrong, Detective Burn?"

"You could say that, Officer Angell."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"There's really nothing you can do … a friend of mine has been raped for the second time by the same man; he's a serial offender, but we can't get him, because he leaves no DNA and the women never see his face; and I have to catch this guy based on a hunch and a smell of paint-thinner."

"Can I ask if you've had your apartment redecorated recently?" Jess asked.

Serenity frowned. "No. The couple downstairs did though. Why?"

"No reason." Jess flipped her notepad closed. "I'll get the nurse for that impression."

And so it was with a broad smile that Officer Jessica Angell headed into the depths of the crime lab, a bite-mark impression safely contained in an evidence bag.

As she suspected, Aiden Burn was in the same lab she'd been holed up in for the last two weeks with Mac and Stella, looking incredibly upset.

"… believe you'd think that!"

"It hasn't even crossed your mind?" Mac checked.

"No!" Aiden insisted. "Mac, I wanna get this guy, but not by planting evidence. That's as good as letting him win."

Jess cleared her throat. "I hate to interrupt, Detectives, but I have good news and bad news."

Aiden sighed. "Let's have the bad news first, Angell, then maybe you can cheer us up."

"I think DJ Pratt might have raped someone else." Jess told her. "Flack asked me to do the interview; apparently, I was the only female available. Her downstairs neighbours were having their apartment redecorated; rape-kit came back positive, but they don't think there's any DNA; she remembers a smell of paint-thinner but didn't see his face …"

"Alright, stop!" Aiden groaned. "What's the good news?"

Jess held up the evidence bag. "She bit him. Hard enough to draw blood."

Aiden gaped at her. "Tell me you're not kidding."

"I'm not kidding." Jess complied.

"Angell, I could kiss you right now." Aiden took the bag from her, examining it closely.

"I'll do it." Flack offered from behind her, kissing her cheek. "What did she do?"

"She just broke a serial rapist case." Mac told him, smiling. "You taught her well."

Flack grinned. "I didn't do anything, Mac. She's just a good detective."

"Officer." Jess corrected.

Flack shook his head, still grinning. "No, I mean detective. I just heard from the captain; you've been promoted to third grade. Just don't make me say 'I told you so'."

AN: This was a plot-bunny that popped into my head. I MIGHT continue it - since obviously Aiden won't be fired/die, but I'd still like Lindsay to come in - but it depends on a) how much time I have, b) how much inspiration I have and c) how many reviews I get.