A/N Hey friends!! I need to start off with an apology to lilly moonlight she is the one who has fixed all of my mistakes and I have not given her credit. I am so sorry my friend.
Thank you all who have read and reviewed this story. I never thought it would get such a good response.
Direct quotes are used in this chapter also.
Heroes
Chapter 3
Stella was the first CSI on the scene. She began to take photos of the burnt car and body. The smell made her nauseous but after her bout of morning sickness she had nothing left to throw up. Soon Hawkes and Lindsay showed up.
She noticed how Lindsay covered her nose as she looked in the car.
"There is no water damage or fire extinguisher residue why didn't the fire department put this out?" Lindsay asked, glancing up.
"No need the widows weren't open enough to sustain the flames once the oxygen burned out the fire extinguished its self. Burn patterns are contained in the front seat the rest of the vehicle just has surface charring," Stella said, looking around the car.
"This wasn't about torching a car" she added, standing up from the car.
"It was about hiding a body" Lindsay finished, grimly.
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Stella didn't like the look on Mac's face when he walked into her office his eyes filled with hurt and anger.
"Mac what's wrong?" she asked, concerned.
"Meet me in the AV lab in five minutes," he said, sternly then walked out.
"This can't be good at all" she thought.
She unknowingly placed her arm around her stomach as she headed toward the AV lab. She knew something was really wrong when she went into the lab and Hawkes just looked at her grimly. She walked up to where she could see the screen. Danny and Mac came in shortly after her. Danny stood behind her while Mac walked on the other side of Hawkes.
"This is a sketch of female victim of the burnt Cadillac and this is a fast scan image of the face," Hawkes said, pulling up both familiar looking images.
"That looks like…" Danny gasped.
"Aiden," she whispered, as her eyes filled with tears.
They watched the rest in silence as Hawkes put the fast scan picture on the skull; it matched and then put a picture of Aiden on top to complete the process. It was definitely Aiden Burn a CSI, a Detective, and their friend. Stella heard Danny swallow hard then leave the room quickly.
"We're going to get the son of a bitch that did this," she swore, trying to hold back the tears.
She held the tears in until she reached the bathroom. She cried hard and long for her friend.
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She wanted to scream when she saw the ear print did not match, Charles Wright, but she just settled on a frustrated sigh as Mac walked up still looking grim.
"Made the notifications to Aiden's father he is going to let us know dates and times" he said.
He then looked at the ear print and asked, "We get a match?"
She sighed.
"Not even close. The ear print left on the car window definitely did not belong to Charles Wright" she said, holding up the photo of the ear and the print.
"Doesn't clear him he still could have killed Aiden" he said.
She took off her gloves then looked a Mac.
"When was the last time you saw her?" she asked, softly.
"We spoke on the phone about a month ago. You?" he asked
"Just last week by chance," she said.
Stella wonder how Aiden would have reacted if she told her what had happened with Frankie. How would she have reacted if she had told her she was pregnant? Of course she probably wouldn't have told Aiden just because she hadn't told anyone yet about her being pregnant. If she had told anyone it would have been Aiden because she was sure Aiden would have kept her secret.
Stella was a little afraid the others were starting to notice the little changes she was making. She knew Hawkes had found it odd that she refused coffee that morning but she was trying to lay off the caffeine, it was hard but she was trying. She thought she had even seen him dump out the old pot and start a new one. Another change was, even though she was only six weeks, she was having cravings for candy, smarties and skittles to be exact. She was never a real big candy fan and now she wanted it all the time. She knew the whole team had seen her popping the candy into her mouth one time or another.
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She walked into Aiden's apartment and smiled at the photos sitting on a shelf by the door as Mac took the keys out of the door. They began to look through the apartment. She opened what she thought was a closet.
"Hey Mac. Come take a look at this," she called to him.
The room was full of science equipment and photos Mac walked up to one of the pictures.
"Its DJ Pratt," Mac said taking down one of the photos.
"She was working her own investigation," Stella said, shaking her head.
"This photo was taken two days ago. Pratt's attorney claimed NYPD was following his client," Mac said, looking at her.
"We were never following him" She said, confused.
"No but Aiden was," Mac said, seriously.
"Mac what if DJ Pratt found out about Aiden suddenly the hunted became the hunter," Stella said, as the realization hit her.
"DJ Pratt killed Aiden," Mac said, voicing her fears.
The realization hit both of them hard this made them more determined to catch him for Aiden's sake.
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Stella could feel her blood boiling as she and Mac approached DJ Pratt. She really wanted to just shoot Pratt and get it over with. But she knew she couldn't one because Mac would have to put in jail and two she really didn't want to have her baby in jail either. She also knew no justice would be done for Aiden if she was put in jail for murdering a murder. There he was just acting like a normal guy at work, while he was really a rapist and murder. She hoped she looked calmer than she felt. She also hoped she could keep her cool, Mac wouldn't be very happy if she didn't.
She wanted to slap that look off his face as he scoffed at Aiden's picture she held up.
"We're going to get you I promise," she said, losing her cool as she took a step forward.
"Sounds like a threat to me I'm calling my lawyer," DJ Pratt said, taking out his phone.
"Good tell him to prepare your defense for trial," Mac said, angrily.
Mac then took Stella by the elbow and led her towards the car.
"I'm sorry Mac I know that I shouldn't have said that but he just made me so mad the way he looked at Aiden's picture like she was nothing," she said, as she got into the car.
"I thought you did pretty good," he said, with a small smile.
"What if he files a complaint?" she asked, softly.
"I'll handle it," he said, as he looked her in the eyes.
His eyes told her that he would stand up for her no matter what. She would do the same for him that's why they made such good partners.
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Stella was getting ready to head down stairs to meet Lindsay when she had to make a bee line for the bathroom. She found herself heaving into the porcelain bowl for the second time that day. She hoped that this wasn't going to become an everyday thing. She hoped that it was just the extra stress making her sick and not that something was wrong with the baby. If it kept happening she was going to go to the doctor. She quickly did routine of rinsing out her mouth. Then she put a mint in her mouth and rushed out of the bathroom heading toward the elevator, hoping Lindsay wouldn't ask where she had been.
"Hey Stella you got a minute," a concerned voice said from behind her.
"Hey Don, I've got to meet Lindsey down stairs so we can go over the Wright car again" she said, as she turned to face him.
"You ok Stell?" he asked, softly.
"I'm fine," she said confused.
"I saw you run into the bathroom. You looked really pale," he said, concerned.
Damn, Damn did he suspect something? or was he just being a concerned friend? She couldn't tell because while she was trying to read him he was trying to read weather she was tell the truth or not. She really wasn't ready to tell anyone about the baby.
"I'm fine Don, I must have eaten something that didn't agree me," she said, agitated.
"Maybe you should go home or tell Mac that…,"
"NO!" she snapped, interrupting him. "I don't need to tell anyone anything. What I need to do is go meet Lindsay so we can catch Pratt's lying ass," she said, angrily and then turned around to head back toward the elevators.
This was why she didn't want to tell anyone she was pregnant. She didn't want anyone telling her to lay down or take it easy. Yes she was pregnant but she knew when she needed to eat, drink, and sleep. She could take care of her own body.
He stepped in front of her.
"Stella I didn't mean to upset. I just didn't want you to make yourself worse if you are sick. I know you want to catch this guy, we all do but you can't do it if you let your body run down Stell," he said, concerned.
She pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I'm not sick Don like I said it must have been something I ate. I have to go take this car apart and then I will take a break ok? Don you can't say anything to Mac he will send me home in a heartbeat," Stella pleaded.
"Ok Stell I want tell Mac but you better go rest after you do the car because if you get hurt or pass out Mac will chew me a new one if he finds out I knew you were sick," he said, sternly.
"Ok I will," she said, smiling as she got on the elevator.
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Stella felt Lindsay staring at her as they worked taking Charles Wright's car apart.
"Danny talks about her a lot… Aiden, they were close. I wish I could have met her," Lindsay said, with a small smile.
"You would have liked her," Stella said, with a nod.
It was the truth Lindsay would have like Aiden even though they were completely different they were both hard workers and believed in getting the job done right. Stella also believed they both made Danny Messer a better man.
Stella could have kissed Lindsay when she found the paint chip in the ignition. They had him they finally caught DJ Pratt in a lie.
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Again Stella could feel her blood boiling as she stood in the same room with the pompous DJ Pratt. She felt joy as she watched his face go from smug to frighten as they showed him the evidence from the car and the bite mark Aiden left on his arm.
"Just so you know your lawyer can't protect you anymore," she said, smugly glad to have finallyl caught this guy.
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She could see the hurt in his eyes as he explained how he knew about the bite mark. She also saw the hurt when he said that Aiden must have know that she was going to die and left a clue for him. She knew that in some way he blamed himself for her death for not catching Pratt sooner.
"I can stick around if you want," she said, softly.
He nodded in thanks and then said.
"That's ok I actually have something I need to take care of," he said.
She patted him on the arm and then left.
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Danny and Stella were the first ones at the bar. They found a table for everyone to fit around and sat down. She played with the glass, half full, of beer she poured herself. She wanted the beer to look like she had drank some of it. She was tracing her fingers along the table when he felt somebody sit down next to her. She knew who it was when they bumped their shoulder against hers. She smiled and looked at Don. Not many people would have guessed that Don Flack was a contact person, she just learned this herself after what happened with Frankie. Don liked to give little pats on the back or touches on the arm or just some sort of small gesture of contact he used to comfort people. Believe or not it worked for her not that she needed comforting all the time but a little pat on the arm or even a playful bump on the shoulder made her feel better.
"Good job catching Pratt," he said.
"Thanks," she said, softly.
"Is Mac coming?" he asked.
"I invited him, he said that he had something to do and would try to make it," she answered.
"Flack," Danny greeted, sitting more beer on the table.
"Hey, Danno," he said, picking up one of the beers.
Soon Hawkes and Lindsay showed up and everyone began telling their favorite times with Aiden. They were laughing at the story Danny was telling when Mac walked over.
"Hey, Mac glad you could make it," she said.
"Wouldn't miss it," he said, as he pulled out a chair and sat down.
Hawkes handed Mac a beer as Danny raised his beer.
"To Aiden," Danny said.
"To Aiden," the others echoed, as they clinked their glasses together.
She made sure to pretend to take a sip. They stayed there laughing and talking until the bar closed.