Observe this – you are now dead, and are watching those you love mourn over you. What would you say to comfort them? Could you really say anything at all? How would you handle death? Well, Aiden Burn is about to sort out all aspects of her death. So, prepare yourself for the next chapter of 'Observe This'! Please, please, read and review – I want to know what you all think.

Disclaimer: Well, I don't own any angels that you may encounter in this…LOL. I also don't own the entire cast of CSI:NY (darn). In reading this, I assume that you have seen the episode "Heroes" and everything up until that point. I will also include my own little versions of maybe what happened in between episodes (coughDLcough). Haha. Enjoy!

Thanks to SallyJ for being so nice as to help me out with the Aiden personality. I hope I nailed her. And, I hope you thoroughly enjoy Danny's guardian angel. Teehee.

The trouble with quotes about death is that 99.999 percent of them are made by people who are still alive. -- Joshua Bruns

I still get a kick out of that quote, every time I read it. Which, when you stop and think about it, is quite ironic, considering the fact that I am indeed, dead.

Oh, I can see you look at me with a question in your eyes. And here is my answer to you: yes, I have accepted the fact that I am dead. And I am actually doing alright. Being dead isn't too bad. Sure, I don't have some of the things that I had before, and yeah, I do miss people from time to time – but, listen, here's the secret: I can still visit them anytime that I want to.

There is nothing in he – alright, the Big Guy doesn't like me using that phrase, so, there is nothing in heck that could ever stop me from being with the people that I love.

Sound gushy enough for ya?

Good, because up here it is the Land of Mushy and Gushy. And yours truly is now the Princess of Mushy and Gushy.

…I think I just choked on all of that gushy-ness.

The name is Aiden, and if you think that for a second I am a hero, I will smack you upside the head. Nothing that I did in life was ever heroic, so get that through your head. I don't call myself a hero, but I know that you all down there do. Yeah, Messer, I'm talkin' to you too. You all down there think that I am hero, and ya toast to my life, and essentially, to my death. But, first of all, it was my fault that Pratt walked the first time. It was my fault that I got fired from the lab. And it was my own stupidity that landed me in a fiery car. Yeah, it was to help out a girl who I thought that Pratt was gonna prey on, but it was my fault that he was still out there in the first place.

"Aiden, how many times must I tell you this? Darling, it was not your fault. You are much too hard on yourself. It's that thick New York head of yours."

I turn around now and see Gabriella, the one woman who, for some reason, understood me better than I understood myself. She had been dead for a while, you see, having passed away in the late 1800's. Her blonde hair was swooped up in a dainty little bun and she, like me, wore a flowing white dress. I rolled my eyes at the woman.

"You don't know the half of it, Gabby," I replied. I tended to like assigning nicknames to people. Don't ask why, because, honestly – I have no idea. This whole being dead thing really changes your personality in a way. Gabriella merely smiled her perfect smile and shook her head before stretching her hand out to me.

"Come, dear Aiden. There is someone whom you must meet."

I raised my eyebrow quizzically, and before I could make any form of sarcastic remark, I was led away by the blonde-haired angel. While we were walking – uh, floating, I guess ya could say – Gabriella talked happily, nearly chirping. She reminded me of a bird sometimes – ya know, the kind that, even though it may be really pretty, you just want to shoot it anyway. Or, maybe that's just the cynical side of me again. There aren't many cynical people up here, and sometimes my personality is my only company. Ironic, I guess. You die alone, and you live alone for all of eternity. Maybe Gabriella died with final words. I died with a bite mark on an arm rest. That was my mark for all of eternity, the thing that set me apart from all of those other perky little angels up here – I died doing the one thing that I loved more than anything – solving puzzles. And I provided the team with the final piece.

"Aiden, dear, I would like to introduce you to someone very dear to me. She is one of my greatest acquaintances up here, and she has been eager to meet you for…eternities," Gabriella said, adding a little giggle as she discovered the humor in her own pun. The blonde woman motioned towards a gold mansion with an elegant wrap-around porch, complete with swing. I gaped. My mansion paled in comparison to whomever's this was.

And when the woman who resided in the mansion stepped out onto her front porch and waved a welcoming hand, I nearly died – again.

"Oh my Go – "

Gabrielle gave me a stern elbow in the ribs. I frowned at her and corrected myself. "Oh my gosh," I replied. The woman standing in front of me was beautiful, no doubt. She had dark hair and was about my height. But it was her eyes that captured me, and her eyes that reminded me of who she was.

"You're Claire Taylor," I whispered. The woman nodded and smiled.

"Yes, yes I am," she said in a sweet whisper, before ushering both Gabrielle and me into the mansion. "And you," she said with the same melodic air to her voice, "are Detective Aiden Burn – a young woman whom I have been quite dying to meet," Claire replied. Unlike Gabriella's pun, Claire's seemed, well, funny somehow. Or maybe it was just the way that her face lit up as she smiled, or how her eyes danced as she talked.

I smiled politely back at her, and rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah, I'm her. Nothin' really special though, so…"

Claire clucked her tongue and shook her head. "Oh no, my dear," she replied sweetly, "you are far too special to even describe. I know what you have done for those you love, even if no one else does. You see, I've watched you from up here. And The Father has watched you as well. That is why He was so pleased with you."

I raised my eyebrows. "The Big Guy is pleased with…me? But why? I didn't do too much good in life. I mean, I was an okay person, I guess. But I messed up. I wasn't like Gabby over here or anythin'…"

Gabriella shook her head and shared a knowing glance with Claire. "Aiden, you are quite new here," Gabriella began, ushering me to have a seat next to her and Claire on a couch, "and you don't understand how Our Father sees."

I frowned. "Naw, I guess I don't understand."

Claire took my hand and explained. "What you did in your last minutes on earth truly count in eternity. Gabriella here, died because she caught pneumonia. But she caught pneumonia from children she was attempting to save."

I stared at Gabriella, who had a small smile on her face. "I was the only nurse within three miles of my town. I was the children's only hope."

I raised my eyebrows, impressed, and then turned to Claire, who continued. "I died on September 11th, 2001 amidst a terrible tragedy. The reason I died was because I was caught on a stairwell." I stared at Claire, who had a far-off look in her eyes. "I tried to save a woman – a grandmother – and a man – a husband and expectant father." She smiled sadly and shook her head. "They never made it out, and nor did I."

I wiped a pearly tear away from my eye. I hated crying. I always did. To me, it was a sign of vulnerability, of weakness. I was always the tough New Yorker – around my friends, my family, and my colleagues. It was a façade though. I was a soft person at heart. But the reason for that façade was simple – I was terrified to let everyone see the real Aiden Burn. After all, if you were a cop, you had to be tough all the time, right?

"You don't have to be so tough all the time though, Aiden," Claire said gently. I snapped my head up and wiped a few escaped tears out of my eyes.

"I, uh, had somethin' in my…"

Claire shook her head and put a hand on the side of my face. "You can not pretend up here, Aiden. You can't fool The Father. He knows that you hurt sometimes. He knows that you try to act tough and hard. But that is only to conceal your true personality." Claire moved her hand to my heart. "You have a wonderful heart, Aiden. And you died in attempt to save someone. You are a hero, no matter what you may think."

Gabriella smiled. "We all made mistakes in life, Aiden, and we were certainly not perfect on earth." I turned to face the blonde. "But up here, that matters not. What matters is the courage that you showed in the face of death. You may have made mistakes, and you may have been cold on earth sometimes, but Our Father…He knows that you have a heart of gold."

I sniffed and turned to face Claire again. The beautiful woman's smile lit up her face. "And you will never be separated from those you love," she promised. Tugging at my hand, she pulled me into the center of her house where a shimmering pool of water lay. It was a beautiful little pond, shrouded by vibrant flowers and colorful plants. She knelt down next to the pool, as Gabriella and I followed. Claire stared into the pool reverently for a moment, and I frowned. What was she doing? Did she expect something to happen? Because –

I gasped.

I saw, quite clearly in the pool, the New York City Crime Lab, bustling about. And in one room, I saw Sheldon Hawkes performing a FastScan on what – I knew in my heart to be – my face. Claire looked up momentarily to gauge my reaction.

"What is this?" I whispered hoarsely. Hawkes' face was determined, and Claire's was one of sympathy.

"This is the present," she replied softly. I watched Hawkes' face grow from one of determination into startled devastation. Mac arrives in the lab and Hawkes reports the grave news to him – the charred remains were that of Aiden Burn. Stella stares with sheer terror and sorrow on her face, while Mac attempts to maintain his composure. Danny stares at the FastScan sketch and blinks back tears, before bowing his head and walking out of the room.

"My poor boy," echoes a voice. The three women turn around to find another woman perched on the edge of Claire's couch. Claire rises with a smile, as does Gabriella, and they hurry over to embrace the woman.

"Sally, my dear, how have you been?" Gabriella asks with a flitter of happiness. The woman named Sally smiles and twirls a strand of brunette hair around her finger.

"I've been quite alright. It's good to be back up here, though, I must admit. That dreadful New York smog had begun to get to me, I fear," Sally replied with a pleasant, yet serious air to her voice.

"You've been to New York?" I asked, puzzled. "I thought that we all had to stay up here."

Gabriella, Claire, and Sally shared a look. "Well, darling," Sally began diplomatically, "haven't these lovely young women explained the procedures to you?"

I shook my head and Sally gave Claire and Gabriella a light smack on the shoulders. "Ladies!" she exclaimed with a laugh in her voice. "I can not believe you haven't told her…her of all people…"

I frowned and raised my hand. "Hello," I replied with a twinge of sarcasm. "I'm a little bit confused over here!"

Sally led me over towards the couch and we all sat down. "Well, Aiden, I think that you and I are going to be spending a lot of time together as of late." She smiled, blue eyes twinkling with joy. "You see, I am not just an ordinary angel. Once you have proven yourself to The Lord, He may grant you the option of becoming a guardian angel."

My eyes widened. "Really?"

Claire and Gabriella nodded. "Yes," spoke Claire lightly. "I was assigned to…Mac," she replied with a whisper and a solemn look from behind her beautiful eyes.

Gabriella nodded. "I was assigned to Elizabeth, a little orphan in southern California. She seems like such a sweet little girl."

"So, as you can see," Sally continued with a conversational wave of her hand, "many of the angels up here, when The Lord chooses to promote them, become guardians over people on earth."

"Oh," I replied simply. To tell you the truth, I was still quite puzzled over what I had seen in Claire's pool.

"And you, dear Aiden, have just received an official word from The Lord," Sally said with a beaming smile. I stared at the woman, who had risen quite abruptly from the couch in order to pick up a creamy white envelope on the floor. She handed me the envelope and I stared at it for a moment, before the three pairs of eyes urged me to open it.

"Dear Aiden," I read aloud, "you have been hereby chosen to become the sole guardian and protector of a human on earth. It will be your duty to watch over them, to see that no harm comes to them, and to also comfort them in their hour of greatest need. The woman you are to become guardian over, if you prove worthy to uphold this task, is a woman by the name of Lindsay Monroe, who resides in New York City."

Sally clapped her hands together and rose from the couch. "Oh, I just knew that I would be working with you!" she exclaimed, bouncing lightly on her toes. The other women on the couch beamed.

"It looks like I might be seeing some more of you, Aiden," Claire replied with a genuine smile. I shook my head, trying to make sense of the letter.

"Wait…I need a minute…Lindsay Monroe?" I asked, staring at the name in hopes of some light bulb to click. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

Sally, though she was petite, grabbed my hand and dragged me over towards the shimmering pool. We stared into its depths for a moment before a scene played before my eyes. They – my team – were at a bar, Sullivan's, more than likely – and they were toasting. There was one woman whom I didn't recognize and my head snapped up immediately.

"Lindsay Monroe," I began, staring at Sally for some confirmation, "does she have a nickname?"

Sally nodded her head enthusiastically and pointed at the pool to the figure of Danny Messer. "Yes, my boy nicknamed her 'Montana'."

I blinked repeatedly, and watched Danny clink his glass with Lindsay's. "That's his Montana…" I replied with a sudden wave of realization. So that was the Lindsay that Danny was going to tell me all about over dinner. He had mentioned her before – he said that she was quite reserved and easy to tease, at first.

Sally sighed. "Oh, but how she grew on him," she said with a wistful tone. I stared at the woman.

"Yeah, Danny was gonna tell me all about her over dinner, but I…"

"…died?" Gabriella offered. I shot her a look and she shrugged her shoulders innocently.

"He does seem so fond of her," Claire replied with a grin. "I've watched them from time to time, you know, down at the lab. He does seem to really have a…thing for her."

I smiled. "Yeah, Messer told me what happened when he first met her at that tiger cage. Tellin' her to call Mac 'sir'…"

"Mac always hated that," Claire added with a laugh. I stared at my hands for a moment, before continuing.

"He told me later on that the reason he picked on her was because he was upset that she was my replacement. Told me that no one in the world could ever replace me in the lab."

Sally put a hand on my shoulder. "Danny, my poor thing, has been through a lot. He's had to deal with this whole Louie situation and now he has to deal with your death too," she replied seriously. I watched the woman's blue eyes fix once more on the pool. "But, Aiden, I think that Lindsay is going to help him through this. He cares about her like he's cared about no one else before, and it shows through his eyes…" The woman paused. "…and in his heart."

I watched Danny tell the team stories of me, about how I would pick on him, and claim that I was 'Outta his league."

"I still am outta your league, Messer," I replied with a smile. Claire and Sally laughed. Gabriella knelt beside us by the pool and stared at the team for a moment, before fixing her shimmering eyes on us.

"You know, Aiden, I think that you will be a wonderful guardian angel," she replied. I smiled at the woman and Sally placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Danny and Lindsay both don't need us to help them along through life," she said with a reverent glance at the pair. "We will do our best to help protect them and keep them safe."

She paused for a beat before continuing. "What they need most right now," she said softly, "is each other."

I laughed slightly to myself and the other women looked at me curiously. "Messer," I explained, "never thought that he would ever fall in love. He's not that type of guy, ya know?" I shook my head and continued smiling. "But this girl, this Montana of his, might change all of that."

Sally rose and took my hand to help me up. "I think she already has."

I smiled at the women in the room before Sally led me out of the house. We stepped out into the brilliantly lit streets and she and I walked down a pathway. With confusion, I suddenly realized that we were no longer in Heaven, but instead were in the dark streets of New York City.

"A few days has passed, Aiden, just to let you know," the petite woman mentioned. I stared at a cemetery and noticed a woman, dressed in a long coat, standing over a grave, with beautiful flowers clutched in her hand.

"I think I'll let you have a moment," Sally replied, stopping where she was. With a gentle push, she urged me forward towards the woman. I walked slowly, deliberately, and stood a foot or so away from the woman.

"I'm sorry that I never got a chance to know you, Aiden," the woman replied. I turned my head to such an angle that I could see her face. There were tears running down her cheeks and she wiped them away hurriedly. "But, I know you were an amazing woman, and an amazing CSI too." She sniffed and I felt hot tears slide down my cheeks as well. "I didn't want to be your replacement, simply because no one could ever fill your shoes at the lab. They all love you so much," she said with a sad whisper. "And they miss you terribly. And I regret never meeting you. I regret that completely."

I took a step forward and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. She didn't notice me, of course, but I am sure that she felt my presence, for she looked up slightly, and then, shaking her head, returned her focus on the tombstone. She placed the flowers on the grave and, with one last bow of her head, walked away.

I watched the woman go, realizing that I had my regrets in life too.

I regret that I never met her, face-to-face.

"We cannot change what was," Sally said, leading me away from the cemetery, "but we can change what is."

I nodded at the angel. No truer words had ever been spoken.

So, what did you think? Did you like? I sure hope so. Please, please review! Thanks!