Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: New York. I do own Ted and Melissa Parker, and Verity.
Series: 'Kindred Spirits' – see my profile for a full list of stories and the suggested reading order.
Spoilers: 'Greater Good'.
Note: For this story, you have to imagine that Flack wasn't with the crime lab team when they went to visit Lindsay and Danny in the hospital.
AN: Sorry, it somehow deleted itself :P
Greater Good
There was nothing worse than cases that involved children and this one was no exception.
Jess hadn't needed Sid's autopsy to tell her that Melissa Parker was an abused wife.
The 911 call had come in the day before – a young woman who said she was Melissa's niece.
Upon arrival, Jess was expecting a teenager – sixteen at the very least. She was stunned to discover a blood-covered nine-year-old, her face blank with shock as she knelt beside her aunt, who lay in a pool of crimson liquid, her mouth open in a silent scream.
Verity had told her that her aunt had been watching her while her parents visited a sick relative in hospital.
"She hadn't finished dinner when Uncle Ted got home." Verity explained flatly. "She told me to go to my room and stay there, no matter what I might here."
It took every ounce of Jess's professionalism not to give the young girl a hug, but she resisted, handing her over to Stella, who had processed her and taken her to her parents, informing her father of his sister's death at the same time.
Today, Jess had been in and out of the lab to talk to CSIs – oddly enough, no one in the main team. She'd tried to call everyone at least once, but their phones all seemed to be off.
She'd mentioned this to Sid, but he'd simply smiled knowingly, apparently taking some amusement out of the fact that she seemed to be out of the loop. She didn't take it personally – the coroner was amused by very strange things sometimes.
She didn't even bother mentioning it to Don – if he knew, he would have told her by now.
Besides, she'd barely seen him for two minutes since the case started.
So she focused instead on tracking down Ted Parker, finding him at a nearby bar. Rather predictably – given that he'd just murdered his wife because she hadn't had dinner on the table and ready for him – he wasn't best pleased with a female detective.
"Mr Parker, I'm Detective Angell. I need to talk to you about the murder of your wife Melissa."
Ted sneered at her. "What, they couldn't spare a real cop?"
Jess ignored his comment as well as the way his gaze travelled over her. As much as she hated it, she seen it from a hundred or more different scumbags over the years and it didn't change the fact that she'd be sleeping in Don's arms tonight. "Look, we have your fingerprints on the knife and a witness that puts you at the house at time of death. I also have an arrest warrant."
The swing caught her by surprise and she staggered, before regaining her balance and catching his arm as he struck out again. Bringing her right knee up, she drove it into his groin and twisted his arm behind his back, slamming him on to the table.
"Better add 'assaulting an officer' to that list of charges." Jess growled, blinking red out of her vision.
"Bitch!" He snarled, struggling as she handcuffed him.
Unwilling to free a hand to reach her radio, Jess whistled loudly and the two uniforms she'd left outside came running.
Between the three of them, they forced Ted Parker out of the bar and into the waiting squad car.
"That was just like a gunslinger movie." One of the officers grinned.
"Well, I'm glad you're entertained." Jess muttered, turning away from the car. I can't believe he caught me off-guard like that.
She found herself wishing that it wasn't Wilson's day off as the two officers turned to her.
"Okay, Detective?" One of them asked.
"Fine." Jess answered curtly. "Get him back to the precinct. I need to go and inform her brother that we've got him."
"He's still at the hospital, right?" The other uni asked.
Jess's brow furrowed. "Yeah …"
"I'd get yourself checked out as well." He advised. "Looks like you took quite a hit."
Jess rolled her eyes. "Just do me a favour and don't mention that when you drag him through the bullpen." She got in her car and glanced in the rear-view mirror, grimacing at the realisation that the wound was already swelling. Great. All I need is a black eye when I go back to Jersey. As if my Dad needs any more fuel on the fire.
With a heavy heart, she started the engine and drove to Angel of Mercy hospital. She hated hospitals – she always had, even as a child, when hospitals meant broken limbs and tears and 'see, Jessie, you're just too little to keep up'.
Or, worse, meant that Dad had been hurt again and lots of waiting and Mum crying and couldn't it just stop for once?
She still couldn't understand what had possessed her to willingly enter Trinity General so often to visit Don back when she first arrived in New York.
How fast had she fallen?
The nurse on-duty at reception initially tried to send Jess to Minor Incidents, but Jess flashed her badge and made her way to ICU, where Melissa's brother was waiting with his wife – thankfully, waiting for news about his mother-in-law and not his own parent.
Once Jess had explained what had happened and assured them that Verity probably wouldn't have to testify – Jess never liked promising a witness that they wouldn't have to, given that district attorneys had a habit of pulling witnesses in when they weren't needed – she made her way back out to the parking lot, ignoring the officer's advice.
She had just reached her car when she heard her name being called. Her hand automatically moved to her piece, until she realised it was Don striding towards her. She relaxed, but his smile faded as he neared her and he sped up, jogging to reach her side. "What happened?"
Jess flinched slightly as he touched her face gently. "Perp wasn't too happy about being arrested by a female detective. I'll be fine."
Don didn't look convinced.
"I've had worse." Jess insisted. "What are you doing here anyway?"
Don raised an eyebrow. "Visiting Lindsay, what else?"
"Lindsay?" Jess frowned for a second, counting up in her head. Lindsay had been due back this morning, but … "Did something happen?"
"No one told you?" Don asked, looking surprised. "Linds had the baby today."
Jess stared at him for a second. "You're kidding!"
"No." Don looked sheepish. "I'm sorry, babe, I thought someone would've called you."
"That's why everyone's phone was switched off!" Jess realised. "They were here!"
"I'm sorry." Don repeated.
Jess smiled, locking her car again. "Don't be; it's not your fault. Haven't seen them yet?"
Don shook his head. "The rest of the team was here earlier but I got caught up with paperwork. Come on; visiting hours stop at six."
Jess glanced at her watch, seeing that they had an hour and a half. "We should be alright."
Together, they journeyed to the maternity wing, finding Lindsay's room quickly. Don glanced in and turned to Jess immediately. "Maybe we should come back later."
"Why, are Danny's parents here?" Jess peeked in as well and stifled a smile. "Oh, honestly, Don, it's perfectly natural."
Hearing her voice, Lindsay glanced up from feeding her daughter and her face broke into a smile as well. "Hey!"
"Hey Linds, welcome back to New York." Jess dragged Don in after her, sniggering as he determinedly looked anywhere but at Lindsay. "Ignore him, he's not house-trained yet."
"I don't know what your problem is." Danny told Don, accepting Jess's hug – seeing as Lindsay was a little busy at the moment. "Like Angell said, it's a natural process."
The baby finished feeding and Lindsay sorted her hospital gown out. "Jess?"
Jess hurried to her side and took the baby into her arms. "Hey sweetheart! Hi! Danny …"
"I know." Lindsay chuckled. "I had nothing to do with her."
"Nah, she's got your eyes." Almost automatically, Jess settled into the chair beside Lindsay's bed and leaned the baby against her hand so she could rub her back.
"I thought I'd have to prompt you." Lindsay commented.
"Two nephews, two nieces." Jess reminded her as the girl let out a loud belch. "Definitely Danny's daughter. Aren't you?" She cooed, easing the baby back into her arms. "You have a name yet?"
"Lucy."
"Lydia."
"Take that as a no." Don smirked. "You could use one of them as a middle name, you know."
"No." Danny stated, Lindsay shaking her head in agreement. "Her middle name's Aiden."
Don put a hand on Danny's shoulder. "She'd be honoured."
Jess and Lindsay exchanged a smile. They both knew how much their boyfriends (husband, Jess corrected, in Lindsay's case) missed Aiden, but every now and then, they forgot that she was still alive somewhere.
"Well, with any luck she'll be back soon and she can see Baby Girl for herself." Jess commented.
"Did you just capitalise 'baby girl'?" Don asked, sounding amused.
Jess rolled her eyes. "Well, I can't keep calling her 'her', can I? So until these two decide on a name, she'll just have to be 'Baby Girl'."
"Fair enough." Don conceded, gazing at her.
Jess glanced up, feeling his eyes on her. "What is it?"
"Nothing." Don answered absently, but his gaze didn't waver.
Danny clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go grab a coffee. I wanna word."
As they left, Jess turned to Lindsay. "What was all that about?"
"Probably wants to tell Don that Mac's her godfather." Lindsay answered with a sigh. "One of the most difficult decisions we've ever made."
Jess smiled, looking down at the baby. "I can understand that." She heard Lindsay shift and glanced up again. "You okay?"
"Bit uncomfortable." Lindsay admitted. "I am never doing that again."
Jess chuckled. "That's what Ellie said after she had Jason. He's the eldest of four."
Lindsay shuddered. "Not gonna happen." She sighed. "Listen, Jess, I want to talk to you about her godmother."
"Stella?" Jess guessed. "What about her?"
"Actually, we decided not to give her a godmother." Lindsay admitted.
"What?" Jess asked. "You had the perfect opportunity there, and you didn't take it?"
Lindsay's confusion shone in her eyes. "Perfect opportunity?"
"'But guys, she wants to spend time with both her godparents!'" Jess mimicked Lindsay's accent and batted her eyes innocently.
Lindsay burst out laughing. "First of all, that was the worst Montana accent I've ever heard. Second of all, why didn't I think of that? Third, what happened to your face?"
"First, I wasn't going for accuracy. Secondly, I have no idea." Jess smirked, knowing that she and Lindsay were both convinced there was something between Mac and Stella, even though their men told them time and again that they were imagining it. "Thirdly, you know how some guys hate female cops …?"
Lindsay grimaced. "Wonderful. You get him?"
"Oh yeah." Jess allowed herself a satisfied smirk. "He'll have trouble sitting down once the adrenaline wears off. So how come you're not giving her a godmother?"
"It would have been Kelly." Lindsay answered quietly. "Or Jenna. Or Amy."
Jess instantly recognised the three names and shifted the baby to one arm so she could grasp Lindsay's hand.
"Ironically, if they hadn't been killed, I'd probably never have become a CSI, so I'd never have met Danny." Lindsay commented flatly, gazing at her daughter.
"Maybe everything really does happen for a reason." Jess said quietly. "Baby Girl's gonna have three guardian angels instead of one godmother."
This elicited a brighter smile and Lindsay wiped her eyes with her free hand. "Yeah. But that's not what I want to talk to you about. It won't go down on paper, but I'd like you to be her unofficial godmother."
Jess was silent for a minute, taken aback. She had guessed that Lindsay would do something like that, but she'd also assumed that the honour would go to Stella.
"Jess?" Lindsay prompted nervously.
"Yes, of course." Jess said hastily. "Sorry, I was just a bit … shocked. Not Stella?"
Lindsay smiled. "I love, Stella, Jess, she's one of my best friends. But … you've become like the sister I never had."
Jess nodded, feeling a lump form in her throat. "You're like a sister to me too, Linds."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Lindsay wiped her eyes. "Urgh, we're doing it again. Getting overly emotional."
"It's the hormones." Jess chuckled, drying her own eyes.
"That's my excuse." Lindsay raised an eyebrow. "What's yours?"
Jess thought for a moment. "Sympathy hormones."
Lindsay shrugged. "That'll do." She said cheerfully. "So you'll do it?"
"Do what?" Don asked as he and Danny returned.
"Be Baby Girl's unofficial godmother." Jess answered. "Of course I will, Lindsay, you don't have to ask."
Don turned to Danny. "You know what this means, Mess. It means your wife likes my girlfriend more than you like me."
Jess rolled her eyes and stood. "Don, shut up and hold the baby."
As she predicted, the colour drained from Don's face and he promptly started making excuses.
Lindsay chuckled. "Honestly, Don, she doesn't bite."
Don sank into one of the chairs. "But I've never …"
Jess ignored him, placing the baby into his arms. "Just support her head."
"She's heavy." Don commented. "I thought babies were lighter than this."
Lindsay chuckled. "I swear, you're both the same. That's exactly what Danny said." She shifted to get out of bed.
"Whoa, Montana, what are you doing?" Danny asked.
Lindsay rolled her eyes. "I'm going to the bathroom, Danny."
"Did the nurse say it was safe?" Danny worried, hovering at her side as she got up.
"Yes, dear." Lindsay chuckled. "But if you're that worried, you can come with me."
Jess sniggered and turned back to Don, about to comment on Danny's overprotectiveness, but the words died in her throat.
He was paying the couple no attention as he gazed down at the baby in his arms and she was hit by a rush of emotion so strong she felt tears come to her eyes.
She remembered several years ago, talking to Don from California, and being asked the same question that she had heard from relatives for years. "Have you ever thought about having kids?"
Her answer had been vague: "Maybe one day. At the right time … with the right guy …"
In actuality, she hadn't. She adored her nephews and her nieces, she loved children, but she had never been the type to watch mothers with envy, longing for her own parenthood.
But now she found herself almost wishing that it was their child he was cradling.
What the hell's wrong with you? A voice screamed in her head. You haven't even told the man you love him yet and you're planning a family?
I'm not planning a family. Her logical side pointed out dryly. Just daydreaming. Last time I checked, that's allowed.
"Jess," Don asked quietly, not looking up, "I know it's not the right time, but … do you think you've found the right guy?"
It wasn't the first time Jess had had the feeling that Don had read her mind, but she didn't comment on it. He glanced up, meeting her eyes, and she smiled, knowing instinctively that he wasn't trying to start a deep conversation.
"Yeah," she answered quietly, feeling the baby gasp her finger as she slept peacefully in Don's arms. "I think I have."
AN: I don't think Lindsay ever mentioned the names of her friends in Montana. She says that 'Kelly had never been to camp before' and 'Sarah was the girl who worked there', but I don't think she said the other two, so I've called them Jenna and Amy. If you happen to know them, please let me know.
I found this one quite difficult, because I don't think Jess and Don are in a position where they're ready to have a long conversation about whether they want children – like Jess said – thought – they have said 'I love you' let, so it's hardly a time for the baby conversation. However, given the circumstances, I can't believe it wouldn't cross the minds, so toeing the line between the two was difficult. Hopefully I managed it XD!
So what happens now?
Well, you go and read 'Grounds for Deception' which is the next story in the series, then I go back to 'Pay Up' and make sure I'm happy with it. Then I take another look at 'Kindred Spirits' - the story, not the series - and tidy it up a bit. Then I start writing Season Six.
But first, you click on the blue button below that says 'Review this story' and tell me what you thought of this one XD