Disclaimer: I don't own the plot or the characters of CSI: NY.

Special thanks to: Phantom Flamer (my beta).

It's been so long (Edited)

Chapter 1 – After some years

Detective Flack was at court waiting to testify. Annoyed, he took a glance at his watch. He should have been called to testify half an hour earlier. He walked down the aisle to the desk where the Judge's secretary worked. There was a woman talking to her. This is great, I have to wait for the secretary to tell me why I've been waiting for half an hour. Flack was getting in a bad mood.

'Please Cindy, I really need Judge Johnson to see that before noon!' pleaded the woman.

'Tell me again: why should I do it?' asked an irked secretary.

'Because my client's reputation is on the line and because if Judge Johnson reads it before noon you'll get a box of Swiss chocolates.'

'I'll see what I can do,' said a reluctant Cindy, 'but you'll have to wait at least forty minutes.'

'Thanks Cindy! You're the best.'

The woman who was talking moved to the side when she saw a man was waiting behind her.

'Excuse me,' he called the secretary's attention, 'I was supposed to testify over half an hour ago, know what happened?' he asked gruffly.

'What's your name, sir?'

'Detective Flack.'

'I'll go check,' said the secretary as she walked down the aisle to talk to the guard in front of the courtroom.

The woman at his side turned her head to look at him. She was rather tall and slender. Her black hair contrasted with her white skin and her hazel eyes shone brightly. Flack gave her an appraising look followed by one of his charming grins.

'Don Flack?' she asked.

'Yeah,' he said while his ego raised a bit.

'Guess you don't remember me, do you?' she asked nonchalantly, 'I'm Lillian Stewart, we went to school together.'

Flack was speechless for a second or two.

'Wow! You … you look great,' he said a bit surprised.

'Thanks, I've dropped a few pounds since we left school. You too look great,' she said while trying to hide her blush.

'What are you doing here?' he asked.

'Well, I'm a lawyer now,' she answered, thinking it was rather obvious, 'I came to save a client from prison. What brings you to court?'

'The exact opposite: trying to make someone go to jail.'

'You've come to testify, then?'

'Yeah.'

'That's the worst part of any trial, you know?'

'Which one?'

'When smart and proud detectives get to the stand and start accusing your clients,' she said with a grin, 'It's hell for us lawyers, they always seem to think they are right.'

'It's hell for you because you know we're right,' he said with a smirk.

'See? I pity the attorney who will have to deal with you.'

They both laughed.

'How many years since we left school?' he asked.

'Ten.'

'Wow!'

'Yes, it's been too long …'

'You'll be called in ten minutes, Detective,' announced Cindy.

Flack nodded to her.

'Lily, why don't we go for a coffee after I finish with this?' asked Flack.

'Sure.'

'Well, wish your fellow attorney luck, I'm coming in,' he said with a wink.

'I will,' she grinned.

Flack left the courtroom and saw Lily sitting in the hall.

'So, how did it go? Were you a royal pain?' she asked.

'Guess he'll go to jail,' he answered proudly.

'Good job, detective! Now, can we get coffee? I'm a bit cold,' she said while wrapping her coat closer.

'Yeah, c'mon.'

Once in the coffee shop they summarized the last ten years of their lives.

'One thing I always wanted to ask: why didn't you go to college?' asked Lily.

'I always wanted to be a detective. You don't need a degree for that, besides, I could never put up with so much studying.'

'But you always were so smart!'

'You were the smart kid in our class,' he remembered.

'That's putting it nicely; I was the bookworm.'

'Yeah, we frequently tried to bribe you to give us the answers but you would only do it if you liked us. Taught us a lesson,' he laughed.

'Glad someone remembers it fondly!' she said bitterly, 'What was the lesson?'

'Always be nice, you don't know whose help you're gonna need,' they both laughed.

'Now I've got a question for you,' started Flack.

'Shoot,' she smiled, amused at her choice of words.

'Why become a lawyer?'

'I don't know, really. It's just what I wanted to do since I was a kid,' she shrugged, 'Why do you hate us so much?' she said as an afterthought.

'I hate lying to save a criminal from punishment.'

'You're looking at it from the wrong angle. We seek justice. Everyone should be able to defend their self whether he's guilty or not,' she explained passionately.

'I still don't agree with you.'

'You never will and you don't have to, you just got to accept that we do our job.'

Flack's cell phone rang. He muttered an apology before taking the call.

'Flack … yeah, I was in court. Washington Square Park?' he groaned, 'Gonna be a long shift.' He hung up.

'I'm sorry, I got called in.'

'It's alright I should get back to work as well.'

'So, maybe we could meet again some other time?' he asked.

'Sure.'

He was about to leave when he turned around. 'Aren't you gonna give me a card?'

'Well, you're a detective, you could find out my number,' she teased.

'You'd make things easier …'

She gave him her business card. It had been this way forever. He would ask for anything and she wouldn't say no. She didn't know if it were his eyes, his smile or the way he asked that made it impossible to say no to him. It would remain a mystery.

Some days later Lily was in her office working on a case when her cell phone rang. She picked it up.

'Lillian Stewart speaking … Yes … Don't worry, I'll be there as soon as I can … Don't say anything …'

After hanging up she grabbed her coat and her briefcase and stormed out of her office. While waiting for the elevator she shouted to Linda, the secretary, 'I'll be in the Precinct.'

She got to the police department and headed straight to the interrogation rooms. Her client was in room number four. She opened the door, entered the room and sat next to her client.

'I'd like to have a private conversation with my client,' she told the detective who had his back turned on them.

When he turned round both the detective and the lawyer froze.

'You only have ten minutes, Ms. Stewart,' he warned her.

'That will be enough, Detective.'

'What happened?' she asked Mr. Owen when Flack left the room.

'The director, my boss, Mr. Tyler, was murdered. They think it was me.'

'Did you do it?'

'No!'

'Good. Alibi?'

'Was at home. Alone.'

She bit her lip. 'Motive?'

'He was going to fire me.'

'That's just great!' she sighed, 'Don't worry.'

'We're done,' now she was talking to the other side of the glass, where she knew Detective Flack was waiting.

'What evidence have you got against my client?'

'The murder weapon was on his office.'

'On the grounds of what did you search his office?' her tone was less friendly and less warm than on the coffee shop. She was being great at her job; she didn't care if he was her school friend. He couldn't do that, though. For him, Lily Stewart would always be the girl he met sixteen years ago and seeing her being so cold towards him gave Flack a pang in his gut.

'We searched the whole building for evidence. Mr. Owen let us search his office without a warrant.'

'That action definitely proves he didn't do it,' she paused, 'Why would he let you search his office if he had hidden the murder weapon there? Makes no sense.'

'He could have forgotten,' stated the detective.

'Give my client some credit, Detective Flack. He's the best accountant that firm has, he's not stupid.'

'Could have been a moment of weakness, of forgetfulness.'

'Or could have been because he didn't do it,' she said firmly.

Detective Flack started talking to Mr. Owen. 'Why kill him? Yeah, he was going to fire you. But you can get another job.'

'I didn't do it!'

'He was doing what he thought was best …'

'I had nothing to do with it!'

'You were seen arguing with him twelve hours before his death.'

'I didn't kill him!'

'You have to remember, Detective Flack, that Mr. Tyler wasn't a very nice boss. Half the company disliked him,' the lawyer intervened.

That way the interrogation continued until a frustrated detective ended it.

'Seems you can leave for now.'

The three people in the room exited.

'Mr. Owen, go ahead. Return home,' she told him.

'Thanks,' he said and left the station.

'Don, I want to talk to you.'

'What do you want?' he said rather angry.

'Just wondered if you wanted to have dinner with me.'

'I don't think it would be appropriate. You're a lawyer defending our suspect.'

'You have to understand that I was doing my job. When I'm not defending a client you're my friend. You can't mix business with pleasure, Donny.'

He smiled at the way she used his old nickname.

'My shift ends in twenty minutes.'

'I'll wait.'

When his shift ended Flack went to the locker room and changed quickly into some extra clothes he always had in his locker.

'Hey man, slow down a minute, wanna go to the bar with us?' asked Danny.

'Sorry, can't. I'm gonna have dinner with someone else.'

'Who? Is it a lady?' their conversation continued down the hallways.

'Yeah. Old friend from school.'

'What's her name?'

'Lily. She's a lawyer.'

'That's gonna be weird!'

'What are you talking about?' asked Flack.

'Dating a lawyer. They are lying bastards, all of them. You have to be cold-blooded and nasty to get into law school,' he established.

'Lily Stewart, this is Danny Messer. He's a friend, works in the crime lab.' (Did Lily overhear Danny?)

'Though there are beautiful exceptions,' said Danny, finishing the conversation the two men were having.

'Shall we go, then?' asked Flack, 'I'm hungry.'

'Where to?'

'I have someplace in mind.'

Lily and Flack sat at a table in a restaurant and ordered. They had a long chat until she had to leave.

'I'm sorry Don, but I have to wake up early tomorrow,' she apologised.

'It's alright.' He was taking his wallet out.

'I'll pay for it, Donny.'

'No, you're the lady. Let me.'

'I gave you a hard time at the interrogation room. Let it be my treat.'

'You're right about that. Every time you play the nasty lawyer you'll have to invite me to dinner as punishment.'

'Then we'll be having dinner way too often.'

Thanks for reading this fic! I rewrote the first chapter after the suggestions made by Phantom Flamer but the plot isn't going to change much. Comments, suggestions, ideas and opinions are welcomed so: review!

Get ready for the next chapter:

Chapter 2 - Secrets are revealed

Where Lily is desperate. Where Flack becomes an ally. Where both their lives change dramatically.

LaUrIsHa-just me