A/N: I am now officially 20 years old! YAY! Anyone care to join my birthday party?

Disclaimer: *making a wish before blowing out candles* I wish for CSI:NY! *looks around for a second and sighs* Ain't never gonna happen…

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Chapter 4

Scowls and Late Night Meetings

A few weeks later in Central Park…

A light and sunny morning about a month after her first case found Emily processing her first crime scene alone. She was very proud that Mac would allow her out alone, even if it was prompted by an abundance of crimes and its subsequent shortage of CSI's to work all the cases. They were stretched very thin at the moment, everyone working around the clock to get the work done. Despite that, she knew Mac would never risk compromising evidence, so it meant a lot to her to be allowed at a crime scene without supervision. Of course she was also terrified of making a mistake and then having to endure the wrath of the "almighty bossman" as Adam put it.

As soon as she arrived at the scene she easily picked out the tall form of Don Flack among the uniforms posted around the area for safety and headed toward him. She loved and hated working crime scenes with the blue eyed detective. Just being around him sent a battalion of butterflies dancing in her stomach and it took all she had in her not to blush every single time she looked at him. It made concentrating on the scene in front of her very difficult. She would have to talk to Lindsay as soon as this case was over. She knew that she was going through the same thing with Danny so maybe she had some pointers to share.

She smiled as she looked more closely and saw that he was wearing his usual blue suit that matched his eyes perfectly. At the moment he was scribbling frantically in his little notepad and hadn't noticed her yet.

"Good morning, Detective! What can I do for you today?" she said teasingly. Flack looked up from his notebook and noticed her smiling. She was obviously in a good mood about something.

"Good morning to you too, Emily. Did you have some fun last night?" he asked cheekily wondering what might have her in such a good mood. Truth be told he was slightly jealous that another man had put that smile on her pretty face.

"Even better." She was in too good a mood to even be bothered by his teasing. Relief flooded through him as he cast around for another reason for the happiness on her face.

"Won the lottery?"

"Nope." She said chuckling slightly. He could be so silly sometimes. "First solo crime scene."

"Ah, that would explain it. Come on then, let me show you our vic."

"Lead the way detective" she replied in a mocking tone.

Flack chuckled as he led her to a park bench that was hidden in a cluster of trees where a young girl, not much older than 16 maybe, was laying. Emily would have thought she was asleep if it wasn't for the pool of blood that covered her body. Her mind went to CSI mode instantly asking to know the particulars that he had found out so far.

"Who found her?"

"An old lady who was walking her dog stumbled on her this morning. I just finished questioning her, but she didn't see anything else. She said she didn't touch the body though, so your crime scene should be mostly undisturbed."

"Great. COD?"

"Stab wound to the abdomen. ME said she bled out in a matter of minutes and by the look of the blood trail she was stabbed about fifty feet away from here." He pointed to a spot on the path just behind her.

"Have we found the murder weapon yet?"

"Not yet, but I have uniforms combing the area and canvassing the neighborhood to find any witnesses."

Satisfied with his answers she nodded before approaching the bench and kneeling own to open her kit. She retrieved her fingerprint powder and set to work.

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Back in the NYPD crime lab the same evening…

It had been a long time since she was standing in the middle of Central Park with Don, and truth be told she was tired. Her case had gone really well; one could have called it "textbook murder" if such a thing was possible. She had apprehended, interrogated and locked up the young girls' boyfriend who said he killed her because "the slut had banged his best friend". Now the only thing left was paperwork, so she decided to take a small break before tackling it and leaving for the night.

She walked into the break room to find Danny and Lindsay there having a quiet conversation over coffee.

"Hey guys! How was your day?" she said with a wide smile.

"Hi Emily!" Lindsay said smiling at the young girl who was quickly becoming one of her best friends. Despite her tough exterior, she had discovered that Emily was a real sweetheart and (shock!) very girlie at times. One minute they were discussing murder, killers and evidence, and the next they were on to the newest chick flick, guy talk and cosmetics. She really enjoyed spending time with her.

"Hey Emily! How ya doin?" Danny asked in his usual way. Today though, he couldn't resist teasing her a bit. "Flack put that smile on your pretty face?"

"What?" she asked quickly. Where did he get that one? Ok, I know where he got it, but am I really that obvious? She decided to feign ignorance. "What are you talking about Danny?"

"You know what I am talking about! Don't think I haven't noticed the way you two look at each other. Not to mention the fact that you blush every time he comes within a hundred feet of you…"

Deciding her previous approach was not going to work Emily just fixed him with a stare and a frown that had Danny backtracking fast. He knew that scowl, it was oddly familiar. He felt like he was being x-rayed by those big steel blue eyes and he instinctively wanted to run for cover. Why was she having such an effect on him? It was just Emily, for crying out loud! He was at least 10 years older than her; he shouldn't be scared of her! If only Flack knew, he would never hear the end of it! Danny Messer, afraid of a 22 year-old girl that couldn't have weighed more than 120 pounds. He couldn't explain it though, something in the way she looked at him, made him want to hide under a rock. He quickly rectified his mistake.

"Ok, ok! Never mind then! Jeez, I was just joking around! No need to get defensive about it!"

"Who says I am getting defensive?"

"Danny!" Lindsay reprimanded from across the room. "You are being childish! I mean, we both know how much those two like each other…" Now it was Lindsay's turn to feel the full force of Emily's glare, but she felt vindicated as she noticed the slight blush that was growing on Emily's face, so she plowed on without stopping."…but there is no need to make a spectacle, or announce it to the rest of the world and embarrass the poor girl! Shame on you Messer!" she finished with a scowl of her own.

Just before her last sentence Flack walked into the break room looking for an update, but was sidetracked by Lindsay's words.

"What did you do again Messer that justifies being ashamed? Got caught kissing Monroe over there in the locker room or something?" he said his serious face breaking into a smile. Emily's face that was tinged pink from Danny's comments, brightened immediately in response. How does he do that to me? She wondered shaking her head. I wonder if he is interested too... Look at me, feeling like a freaking teenager!

"No. We were actually talking about…" Danny started fully intending to out the two before Lindsay made her way across the room and punched his arm.

"Danny!"

"All right, all right… I won't say anything. Jeez, Montana. That punch hurt!" he said with a fake hurt look on his face.

"Yeah, well you deserved it!" she snapped back before the two slipped into their usual bickering. Emily and Don exchanged a look and smiled. Those two definitely needed to get together. Soon. She stifled a yawn and then decided it was time to go home for some much needed sleep. She had been working for nearly 24 hours continuously.

"Um, guys?" Danny and Lindsay kept staring at each other for a few seconds before turning to Emily who looked apologetic.

"Sorry! I just need to go finish some paperwork so I can leave for the night. See you tomorrow?" They nodded. "Goodnight!" she added.

"Goodnight Emily!" Danny and Lindsay added in unison before returning to their previous conversation, well, bickering. Just before the door shut behind her she could have sworn she heard a softer voice whisper.

"Sweet dreams Emily."

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Opening the door to her apartment Emily's first thought was that all she wanted to do was sleep. Sighing, she removed her jacket and shoes making her way into her bedroom to find her pajamas only to realize that in the haze of the last few days, she had no clothes left in her dresser that were suitable for sleep. With a groan she opened her closet and spied the overflowing hamper inside. Granted, the hamper wasn't very big but it still fit a decent amount of clothing and right now contained practically all of her everyday clothes and most of her work clothes. With a not-so-ladylike curse she removed the hamper from her closet, put her shoes and jacket back on and headed out the door to the 24-hour coin laundry facility that was just around the corner from her apartment building.

She reached it in a just a few minutes and walked in only to receive the shock of her life as she picked the form of a certain detective out of the crowd for the second time in one day. To say she was surprised would be an understatement. Don Flack standing by a coin operated laundry machine looking downright sexy and domestic was something she never expected to see. He was wearing a faded pair of jeans and a black t-shirt that fit him just right, defining his broad chest and shoulders as well as his taught ab muscles. Emily nearly melted just at the sight but kept herself in check externally, knowing that he would take any sign of weakness as an opportunity to tease her. She slowly made her way to him gripping her small hamper so tightly her knuckles were turning white, but otherwise very composed.

"Well, well, if it isn't Flack, the little housewife. I didn't expect to see you here detective!"

"Emily! What are you doing here?"

"This is where I hang out! Don't you know it is the most 'in' place in town?" she said sarcastically, while Don just looked at her as if she were crazy. "What does it look like I am doing Flack? I live right around the corner and I came to do some late night laundry."

"Yeah. Um… I knew that. It was a stupid question."

"It's ok. Not everyone possesses the same amount of intelligence. Don't feel bad about yourself! You're special in your own way!" she said playfully. Whenever she was around him, she just couldn't stop teasing him.

"Haha Detective Brooks, very funny."

"Is that all you have to say for yourself, Detective Flack?" Emily countered, putting extra emphasis on the word detective. On his part Flack was at loss for words. On one hand, her teasing hit a nerve deep within him and he wanted to shoot her and on the other hand she wanted to grab her and kiss her into oblivion if that was going to make her shut up. He stood there contemplating his options until he became aware of someone nudging him not-too-gently on the shoulder. He jumped and turned around to see Emily looking concerned and realized that he must have spaced out for a little.

"Hey, everything ok?"

"Yeah. Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

Before his mind could fully process it, he said the words that had been bouncing around his head for the last month.

"Do you want to go to dinner with me?"

He froze.

She froze.

She stared in his eyes and her mouth opened in a comical O before she started blushing furiously. Her brain had turned into complete mush and the words to form a response just didn't seem to come to her. A minute passed and Don was getting more and more nervous, taking her silence as denial.

I shouldn't have pushed her! Now I ruined it! Why can't I keep my mouth shut! I just HAD to ask her, didn't I? Now she is going to say no and that is the end of it.

Crap! Did he really just ask me that? Oh my god, he is staring at me with those eyes… Focus, Emily! You need to answer him! I am going on a date with Flack! "Uh, eh.." Great, now you sound like an idiot who can't even form a sentence! Just open your mouth and tell him you want to go with him!

"Emily, I…"

The look of hurt in his eyes snapped her out of her trance and the words she had been looking for clicked in her mind in an instant.

"Don, wait. You don't know what I want to say." He stopped talking instantly and looked at her mentally shielding himself for her rejection.

"I… I would love to go to dinner with you." She said in one breath and then lowered her eyes to the floor. Her shoes were suddenly very interesting.

"Really?" He said genuinely surprised. She nodded to her shoes. For some reason that didn't seem right to him. He wanted her to look at him. Carefully, he extended his arm and placed his fingers under her chin, lifting her face to his.

"Really?" he asked again, more confidently.

"Yes, really." She said, finally finding her voice.

He cast around for something to say, but couldn't come up with anything as they stood there inches from each other staring.

The moment was interrupted when a man in a superhero cape ran in the store yelling about the martians that had landed in Central Park and were taking over the world. After a minute he ran back out leaving the patrons to look quizzically at the spot he had just vacated. Emily and Flack exchanged an incredulous look and then burst out laughing effectively making all the previous tension evaporate in an instant.

"Okay… I guess that was our daily dose of New York crazy." Flack said jokingly.

"I don't think I will ever get used to that!" Emily said wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.

They fell into casual conversation after that as they waited for their respective loads to finish. Flack stole glimpses at Emily's lacy underwear as she loaded it into the dryer and all of a sudden couldn't get the image of Emily in nothing but lace out of his mind. Get outta the gutter, Don! It is way too early for that! To him Emily was different. She wasn't some mindless chick for him to pass his time. He wanted to get this right. Thankfully she finished quickly and he found a safer thing to think about as she started talking about the case they solved earlier that day.

Don was done before her, but waited dutifully for her to finish and then walked her to her apartment. She protested, but he wouldn't have it, so eventually she gave in. Arriving at the front steps, she hesitated for a second before going in.

"This is it! Thanks for walking me Don. You didn't have to, you know."

"It was no problem. I feel better knowing you are safe. Goodnight, Emily."

"Goodnight, Don." A little nervously she leaned in and brushed her lips against his.

"Goodnight." she repeated before unlocking her door and walking inside in a daze.

"Sweet dreams, Emily." Said the same voice she had heard in the lab.

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A/N: If you haven't guessed already Danny and Lindsay aren't together yet. This is set after Snow Day (I think) but they aren't married and the baby hasn't happened. Yet.

Any guesses about Emily's family twist? I would love to hear what you think!

Review!!! You get some birthday cake with icing if you do!