A/N: As requested Chatper two. As I said in the first chapter I've never done this before but this is a work in progress so you'll get chapter three when its written. All the same disclaimers apply. I didn't have time to add this post 'em note to chapter one but in case you can't tell this story is a bit AU. Mac is rich (think Bruce Wayne without the mask or cloak) and Stella is his benificiary in a very daddy long-legsesque story only without the socialism that is supposedly in the book. I haven't read the book but I loved the Fred Astair movie version of this story. Maybe I should have mentioned this before but (Duh!) it's a Mac/Stella romance. I don't know if I'll get to see any smex scenes in this story though I might if I hide in the closet in Mac's brownstone master suite. I'm sure I'll be able to catch some clandestine kissing and maybe even some heavy petting before they throw me out of the room, slam the door closed, and slap me with a restraining order for peeking. This story is pretty much writting itself since I had no intention of starting a new fan fiction let alone one in a catagory I've never written in before. It slapped me in the face and screamed 'Write Me!' So after rubbing the sting out of my literary cheek I complied. Hope you like it, will post as soon as possible and pray I don't stay up til three a.m. another night in a row. Oh, I forgot to add that I've changed the age of Mac and Stella somewhat they are now the same age as the actors who playing... tabun (which in Japanese means probably;-)
CSINY *** CSINY *** CSINY *** CSINY
Daddy Long-legs CSI:NY Style
Chapter Two: Stella's First Day
Present Day
The life of Stella Bonasera had been one long mystery after another. From the car accident that had left her an orphan to her mysterious benefactor whose identity she had never known. Maybe that was what induced her to become a crime scene investigator, if she couldn't solve her own mystery then she could at least find answers to someone else's.
As to her own mystery she had searched through as many databases as she could but the only name she had to go on was Boyd Jenkins. Whoever he was he had left her a very generous trust fund and his only request had been that she sent him a letter every year as well as an extra one for her birthday and Christmas in case she wanted something special. In this day and age her first thought was pedophile but everything had been provided for her the night a mysterious stranger saved her life. The 1970's weren't free from pedophiles but they were much less common than now-a-days.
What made her think of a lonely old man who wanted to do something nice for a helpless stranger was the fact that he had never tried to contact her in person. When she did request something special for her birthday or at Christmas it was always delivered to the orphanage the very next day. She had never once received an answer to her letters except on those rare occasions and then in the form of gifts.
It was time for her to leave the orphanage the matron gave her a letter from the law firm holding her trust fund giving her instructions for the next phase of her life. It referenced a bank account that had been set up in her name but that was the only connection she had to her mystery man. Every month a stipend was deposited into her account and had she need of other expenses she was to go directly to the office and make the request in person.
When she had finally chosen which college to go to she found that her tuition had been already paid in full as well as other living expenses. When she graduated she was bequeathed an apartment in her name which, while modest, was on a safer side of town and that meant pricey. Despite the fact that she could have been either spoiled by such extravagance or angry at her benefactor for seeing her as a charity case, she was neither.
In fact she had learned very early on that what you are given could also be taken away so she was very careful to follow the lawyer's instructions to the letter. She didn't want to loose the financial security her benefactor provided but she also made the determination to earn her own way. She also wanted to pay her benefactor back but was unable to discover how so she did the next best thing.
Stella had considered going into medicine like those doctors who'd helped her all those years ago. During her course of study however, she learned that Criminal Investigations could provide her more opportunities to unravel her own mystery. It also gave her the opportunity to help people just as she had been helped that fateful night. She had to become a cop before she could be a criminal investigator and was concerned that her benefactor wouldn't approve but when she told the lawyer, who was the executor of her trust fund, he had given her the go ahead.
Everything went as though according to some master plan though she couldn't say her life was perfect she had at least been successful. Sometimes she wondered if she had gotten there by herself or if her benefactor had helped her along. She wasn't sure if that was the reason for her determination to succeed on her own merits or not. She had never gone to the lawyer's office to complain about 'this professor' or 'that training instructor'; she had wanted to at least feel as though she was doing everything she could without help.
When Stella finally made it where she wanted to be she felt a huge sense of relief though not without concern. Someone had to have put in a good word for her in order to catch the attention of the top Crime Scene Lab in New York City. That was where most of the data gathered by other units went to be processed. It couldn't be a coincidence… could it?
Stella steeled her nerves as the elevator heralded her arrival on the correct floor. As the doors swung open she took in a deep breath not even realizing she had been holding it. The first thing she saw when the doors slid open was a kind face and it gave her some sense of calm so she gave him her best smile in return.
"You Stella Bonasera?" The man questioned casually after looking her up and down giving her an appreciative smile as they passed either, her stepping off the elevator and him stepping on.
"Yes I am. Pleased to meet you…" She replied pausing in hopes of an answer.
"Danny Messer, and you're late." He told her and punched the button down. "Mac's not going to like the fact that you're late on your first day, Rookie." He gave her a cocky grin as the door closed behind him leaving her to stare dumbly after him.
"That's just Danny don't let him bother you." Another voice, female this time said from behind her. Stella looked to see a shorter woman in a white lab coat looking at her, the girl was probably barely out of the academy herself but had the sweetest smile. "He's right though you are late. We expected you at nine." The girl added.
"I know I'm sorry but you know how the traffic is." She gave a feeble excuse. The truth was the power had gone off in the middle of the night kicking off her alarm. She didn't know the batteries were dead until she woke up to the sun shining brightly in her window while the clock only said three am.
"West side?" The girl inquired.
"Pardon?" Stella looked at the unknown female in confusion.
"Your hair is still slightly damp which means you took a shower shortly before you left the house but didn't have time to dry it. I'm guessing you live on the west side because there was a power outage at 11:07 pm last night. It's more likely that your power went out and the alarm didn't go off. Better to tell Mac the truth than repeat that fib about the traffic. He's known around here as the human lie detector. When he's done with you, and you haven't run from the building crying like the last one did, I'll show you the locker room. I'm Lindsey by the way." The girl finally got around to introducing herself holding her hand out.
"Stella…" She replied but stopped there taking the girl's hand.
"Nice to meet you however you better get going. I'll tell you more later when I show you around. I have to get these to trace." The girl, Lindsey, told her referring to the files she hugged to herself then continued on her way.
"Where do I find him?" Stella asked after her retreating back.
"Bonasera, my office now!" A stern male voice barked and she turned to find the apparent owner of said voice standing in a doorway glaring at her. Great, she thought to herself there's no sneaking into work with his office so close to the elevator, he has a clear view of whose coming and going at all times.
She snapped to attention and marched towards the room feeling like a raw recruit rather than a veteran of both the force and the crime lab. She hadn't gotten her degree yesterday, she thought rebelliously to herself. Her only reprieve was the fact that he had returned to his desk and the paper work he had obviously set aside to yell at her. Not the best way to start the day, she inwardly sighed.
"I'm really sorry I'm late. My apartment's on the west side of town and I didn't realize it was time to change the batteries in my alarm clock until I woke up this morning. I'm sorry I slept in, it won't happen again." She apologized standing in front of his desk. He spared a look in her direction once more before nodding his head towards the chair.
"Have a seat, if I was going to fire you I would have already." The man said in the most irritating tone. She felt the heat rise up in her neck as her temper flared. At least he could have accepted her apology nicely, she silently huffed. She took a seat as gracefully as she could and squared her shoulders refusing to let him have the satisfaction of seeing her squirm. By the time she looked up at him again he'd already returned his attention to the papers in his hand effectively ignoring her. "Says here you're a mix of Greek and Italian but only you're mother's name is listed. Why?" He inquired. His question threw her for a spin and she sat a little straighter trying to contain her anger. Was he really trying to pick a fight?
"Because I don't know who my father is but as I recall knowing your parentage isn't a requirement of the job." She shot back as composed as possible though she was still seething inside. For the barest second she though she saw a smirk flutter across his face but it happened so fast she couldn't be sure.
She looked him in the eyes and except for the almost stone like features of his face she could have sworn his eyes sparkled. Was he laughing at her? She bit her bottom lip refusing to give in to the bait he was obviously dangling in front of her. Gods, he was a good poker player she surmised though didn't know whether he played the game or not. She wouldn't want to go up against him if he did and she was no slouch when it came to playing poker.
"Your supervisor put you in for a transfer to my division, Detective. Can you explain that?" He switched the subject on her without giving her a chance to add another biting remark which probably saved her job.
"How can I know what my boss is thinking? I'm not psychic. I'm good at my job and she knew that maybe that's why she suggested me." Stella guessed.
"Are you saying that you're better at your job than your fellow officers?" He was quick to ask.
"Do you purposefully misunderstand people you interrogate?" She retorted letting some of her temper slip past her control. This time he really did smirk if only briefly and his eyes were laughing at her. She bit down harder on the inside of her lip until it bled.
"Relax, Bonasera. Everyone gets the same treatment on their first day. You wouldn't be here if I didn't want you on my team. Lindsey will show you around then I may have an assignment for you later." The man said flipping the pages he was examining forward and signed the front sheet before handing the entire folder to the girl she had met earlier. "There's the sign off for next month's holiday requests. Can you take that up to human resources when you're done showing Ms. Bonasera around?" Mac Taylor asked Lindsey who nodded her head and took the file Stella had assumed was her personnel folder.
"If the hazing is over I need to use the ladies room." Stella spoke up at last trying not to grate her teeth as her anger overflowed.
"Dismissed." Mac said before turning his attention elsewhere. Without waiting for Lindsey to show her the way Stella marched towards the elevator clenching and unclenching her fists the whole time. Signs pointed her in the right direction and once she found the safety of the bath room she let herself into a stall.
"I can't believe this! That man needs a good swift kick in the rear end." Stella let out a frustrated cry and stomped her foot finding the painful reverberation coursing up her leg mildly refreshing. She also let off a round of appropriate expletives in her mother tongue.
"Don't let it bother you." Came the same sage advice Lindsey had given her earlier. Stella opened the stall and went to the sink to splash cold water on her face to help her cool down. "My first day on the job Mac and Danny had a bet to see if I would eat bugs after this one case. Danny bet Mac ten dollars that I wouldn't. Mac won the bet." Lindsey offered her a smile she couldn't help return. Stella felt her anger deflate a little.
"The guys were rough on me at my last precinct but not like this I thought for sure I was going to do something that would get me fired." Stella admitted breathing a little easier.
"The last two candidates pretty much bolted at the whole 'My office now' routine. The last person before me is now teaching crafts at an old folks home in Jersey. Danny gets a card from him every now and then but they aren't always intelligible. This job comes with its own set of hazards I guess picking on the rookie is kind of a stress reliever. I've been here a year already and I still get the occasional practical joke." Lindsay gave her some assurance but it just fueled her temper more.
"That's just it, I'm not a rookie I've been at this job for over ten years and I'm good at it." Stella insisted.
"I was at my job in Montana for three years before I came here but that didn't save me from the same dose of medicine. We're all the best at what we do, Stella. Mac wouldn't have approved the transfer if he didn't think you weren't qualified for the job. Are you ready for me to show you around now?" Lindsey asked. Stella fixed her makeup which had been mussed from splashing water on her face and nodded her head.
Lindsey led the way around the lab telling her which room was used for which test and introducing her to more people than Stella could memorize in one afternoon. Apparently the other woman thought it best to save the worst for last; the final destination on the grand tour, the morgue. Stella hated the often necessary trips down to the morgue but she had resigned herself to it even before becoming a CSI. What she found when she got there though was an unexpected but not unpleasant surprise.
"Sheldon Hawkes!" Stella exclaimed confirming that the voice she had heard wasn't a mistake. The face of an old friend stared back at her.
"Stella Bonasera!" Hawks replied with his own happy exclamation as they hugged
"What are you doing here? What am I saying? You're the best ME in the tri-state area of course you'd be here." Stella answered her own question.
"Actually I'm a field agent now." He informed her as they drew apart. She just stared at him in amazement.
"When did that happen?" She inquired earning a smile from Hawkes who shook his head.
"Mac give you the rookie treatment already? Sorry I already did my time in that respect. I've been out in the field for about a year and a half now." Hawkes answered. Stella punched him in the arm when she saw the joy on his face at the thought of being able give as good as he got.
"Don't even think about it." She warned. "So if you're not the ME anymore than who is?" Stella inquired.
"Let me introduce you to the second best ME in the tri-state area, Sid Hammerback." Hawkes motioned to an older gentleman who stared at her for a minute before he remembered his manners and bowed his head in her direction.
"Pleased to meet you, Detective. I'd shake your hand but as you can see I'm in the middle of an autopsy." Sid replied holding up his gloved hands to show her they were covered in blood.
"Sorry to interrupt. I'll let you two get back to work." Stella apologized and followed Lindsey from the room to finish the tour in the basement where they kept the vault. They headed back upstairs and Lindsey showed her the locker room and finally the office they would be sharing. Danny and Hawkes shared the office next door but other than that they were the only ones to have an office.
Everyone else on that floor worked in whatever section of the lab they specialized in. When the two women got back to their office Stella sank in her chair and sighed slipping off her stiletto heals. She really needed to break down and buy herself a nice pair of pumps she could wear to work whether they looked like shoes a grandmother would wear or not. She couldn't hide the sigh that escaped her lips which caused her roommate to laugh.
"Don't worry you won't have so much walking to do from here on out unless we're called to a scene." Lindsey assured her before getting back to work filing reports.
"You're a field agent as well aren't you, how come you're not out on a case?" Stella asked curiously.
"I've just come back from maternity leave so Mac has me on light duty which basically means I'm handcuffed to my desk for a few more weeks." Lindsey explained signing off on a piece of paper, placed it in a file on her desk, and set the file on top of and ever growing pile to her left before looking up at Stella again. "I don't mind," Lindsey quickly adding seeing the look of dislike on Stella's face, she personally hated desk duty. "It gives me a chance to work back into things slowly and every once in a while I get to process samples as long as it won't effect breastfeeding the baby. The best part about it is I get to go home early." Lindsey replied to the silent question Stella was asking.
"What's the baby's name?" Stella asked sensitive to the fact that new mothers don't like their children referred to an 'it'.
"Her name is Lucy; she's not quite four months yet." Lindsey replied.
"Isn't she a bit young still for you to return to work?" Stella asked wishing she hadn't thinking it was the wrong thing to ask.
"Probably but I found a great daycare just up the street so I can go spend my lunch break with her. They're really supportive of working mom's and are willing to accommodate breast feeders. We can leave a few bottles of breast milk in the fridge as long as the bottles are safely labeled with ours and the baby's names. There's even a private room where you can make a few refills if you run out." Lindsey explained.
"You're lucky to have found a place that suits your needs." Stella gave the appropriate response.
"Stella I just got a call, you're with me. Be ready in ten." Mac Taylor commanded sticking his head in the door causing her to jump slightly though she was able to react in time to stifle most of it. By the time she looked up to answer the man he was already gone.
"Does he always do that?" Stella inquired.
"Better get used to it; he was in the Marine Corps. He can walk as quietly as a cat and his claws are almost as deadly. By the way when he says ten he really means five," Lindsey warned.
"Five minutes." Stella wondered.
"Five seconds." Lindsey corrected. Stella sighed and hurried to the locker room after slipping her shoes back on. She grabbed a few things she'd stowed away and headed for the elevators just in time to see her new boss hit the down button. He raised an eyebrow at her but nodded in approval. Stella sighed inwardly again. This was going to be a long day.
