A/N This chapter is quite short, it is Stella's P.O.V before the incident. Chapter 3 will be Lindsay's P.O.V again. Hope you like it

Saturday, 19 April 2008

8.30am

NYPD Crime Lab

Lindsay had been sitting in the break room staring down into her coffee. She had bags under her eyes and there was no evidence on her that she had even been home. She had little make up on, perhaps just the stuff she keeps in her bag. And, from when I passed her office, I could see the couch had pillows and a duvet on it, messed up.

I sighed. Either Danny Messer needed shooting or I need to give my best friend a hand.

I stood in the doorway of the break room and cleared my throat. Surprisingly, this didn't catch her attention.

"Kiddo." I said and she looked up. She looked a state. Her hair was tied up, probably because it was a mess. Yesterday she was strong and joking around but now…now, she wasn't Lindsay Monroe. She was a messed up girl who thought that she had something good. It was my duty to sort this problem out. I knew Flack was sorting Danny out, so it seems like together we have made a silent agreement to help our best friends.

"When did you go home last night?" I knew the answer. I just needed her to confirm it. Lindsay stared back down at her coffee.

"I didn't. don't." she frowned.

"Don't what linds?"

"Don't come in here and tell me to get over him, I already know Stell. I know." She whispered the last part and looked at me again.

I put my arm around her. "I'm not going to say get over him. What he did was stupid. But what he did, was out of character. We've all done stupid stuff without thinking, and grief is to blame."

Lindsay nodded. "Yeh. But this isn't just a stupid thing. He was doing stuff to Rikki that he should be doing to me!" she raised her voice. I felt that I needed to turn into "boss" mode in order to make her see.

"I've known Danny for years Linds. Seen him do stupid things, and also seen him in relationships. But you, when I see him with you, he's different. You're not just an ordinary girl to him. Everyone messes up Linds. It's up to you to either make his life hell, just like he made yours, or look at this as something to make you stronger, both of you."

Lindsay bit her lip and I could see that she was thinking about it. She swallowed hard and nodded. A smile formed on her face convincing me that she will sort this out.

"Yay!" I laughed causing her to laugh, which was good.

Just then, Flack walked in and laughed.

"What you to giggling about?" He said.

"Nothing." Lindsay replied like a girl hiding a secret.

"You got a purpose for being here Flack?" I asked.

"Yep, for being drop dead sexy, and for keeping two lonely female CSIs company." He teased, only to be kicked in the knee by me as he sat down opposite us. He feigned hurt. "Alright, alright!" He surrendered. "Body found by shop keeper outside abandoned building down Stuyvesant Street. No wonder it's abandoned, it is one of the oldest blocks in Manhattan. Mac sent Adam there because he's busy." Flack informed. Lindsay nodded and made her way.

I slowly followed her with Flack by my side.

"So…did you convince Danny?" I asked as quietly as I could.

Flack sighed. "He had a go at me, told me not to get involved. Then I tried to talk to him, and he ended up doing most of the talking. In the end, he ended up convincing himself. So yeh, I did convince him."

"Good. Lindsay slept here last night." I said with sympathy in my voice.

"Damn." Flack mirrored his voice with mine.

"Hmmm. They'll sort it out. Are you coming with us?" I changed the subject.

"Thought I might keep you company." He grinned.

"Dream on Flack." I passed over my shoulder as I walked down the corridor.

--CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS--

New York had been kind to us CSIs today. For two weeks, it had rained causing crime scenes to flood and destroying evidence along the way. However, the rain had ceased today, taken a break.

The body, a child, was wrapped up in a waterproof coat, covering her from head to toe. Her hair was dry, meaning that she was dumped on that day. As Lindsay and I studied her tiny body, taking photographs before unzipping the coat. The girl's dress was covered in blood. Lindsay's face looked as if she was about to cry.

"Where's Adam?" I asked.

"Right here." He said as he came round the corner, carrying a medium sized penknife, covered in blood. The murder weapon.

I sighed, and we both watched him bag it. Something behind him, however, caught my eye.

"Drag marks." I exclaimed, grabbing my case, camera and rushing over there. Lindsay followed, leaving Adam to process the body.

The bloody drag marks started from where Adam must have found the knife, and went all the way up some stairs, entering a tall, grey, empty building. Lindsay followed closely behind me as we carefully entered it.

5 minutes had past and it felt like we had been walking around in a circle. Our torches were the only light source, and all that could be seen was the dust circling around us.

"Nothings here Stell." Lindsay moaned for the umpteenth time. I growled quietly. "There has to be, drag marks led to here, so we are going to find something, ok?"

It was more of an order than a question. I heard her sigh. I carried on walking down the long corridor. I don't know what it was, but something didn't feel right. I couldn't hear Lindsay footsteps behind me. so I turned around, and shone the torch infront of me. nothing. She was gone.

"Lindsay!" I shouted, but all I got in reply was the echo. So I tried again. Nothing. I tried not to panic, but who wouldn't if suddenly their co-worker vanished in a possible crime scene. So I carried on walking, hoping, and praying that she would be round the corner.

I was oblivious to know that Lindsay hadn't vanished, but right at that moment she had a mans hand placed firmly round her face, covering her mouth to stop her from screaming, and his other hand clamped around her wrists, restraining her.