Updating real quick-like from work, excuse any grammatical/spelling errors as this had been read over by me but I could've missed something. Chapter 11 will hopefully be up tonight!

Wednesday came with no type of contact from Marissa. But Emma really wasn't worried as that wasn't totally out of character for her hyperactive friend. And it wasn't like the two of them had to talk every single day, right? But something wasn't settling well with Emma, something didn't feel right about the whole situation. Always the worrywart, she mentioned it to Don the next time they talked.

She was making her way through Central Park on a rare day off on a weekday. The weather had cleared up and while the air was cool, the sunlight helped a bit. Her cell phone was against her ear as she walked, looking for just the right spot to take some pictures. The ever present camera was in her bag that was thrown over her shoulder. "So..I'm not sure what to think. She did say she'd call," Emma was saying.

Don was across town somewhere, grabbing a bite to eat while he had the time. Crimes had exploded all over the city so he was lucky he even got five minutes to eat lunch. "It's just been a day, Em. Maybe she's holed up with him somewhere. I don't want to think about what they might be doing but I'm sure she's fine."

She sighed, finding a bench to sit down on. "I know I worry constantly. I'm a mother hen, even my own mother tells me to quit worrying so much! But something just doesn't feel right. You know?"

"I know. But Marissa is a big girl, she can take care of herself. Look, give it another day. If you haven't heard from her by tomorrow afternoon, give me a call. I'll go over there myself and see if she's home."

"I guess that'll have to do."

Don laughed, "Want me to play Superman and go over there right now?"

"No!" Emma scowled into the phone, obviously she was the only one taking this seriously. "You need to eat. I'm going to be a photography nerd and take pictures."

"Where are you?"

"Central Park."

"Emma...it's fucking cold.."

She laughed at that, he'd stated it as if she was completely oblivious to the weather. "Well there's thing called winter. Apparently, it gets cold in winter, who knew!"

"Smartass."

"You love me!" She grinned, watching a couple of kids as they raced by her all dressed up in their winter clothes.

"I plead the fifth. We still doing that art show?"

"Of course. You have to dress up."

He whined then, "Do I have to?"

"yes! You act like you don't ever dress up for work. You're like a damn walking Dolce and Gabbana ad." She sat back on the bench, looking up at the sky. The sun was high in the sky but wasn't giving off as much heat as she'd like.

"I don't even know who the hell Dulce and Libre...or whoever are.."

"Uh huh. Your girlfriend does. Last time I saw her, she had on a pair of eight hundred dollar Gucci shoes."

"She has an expendable account it seems. I don't buy her shit like that."

She laughed, "I know, I know. Look you need to finish eating and I'm gonna go enjoy my day off."

"Must be nice," He grumbled on the other end. "All right, talk to you later."

"Bye Don."

Slipping her phone into her purse, Emma stood and continued on her walk through the park. The art show was in just two short days and all the invitations had gone out. The caterers were scheduled and they'd begun working on hanging all the paintings and pictures in the gallery. Emma was stuck on what to wear though, knowing she'd have to go through her closet later to find something she found appropriate. Luisa had teased her the day before about bringing a mystery date, even though Emma tried to convince her that he was just a friend. Luisa just smiled, as if she knew all the secrets in the world.

Stopping beside a nearly dead tree, Emma stepped back. The sun was shining right through the bare branches. Pulling her camera out of her purse, she snapped a quick picture. She then continued, trying to figure out in her head what she'd wear on Friday night while snapping pictures here and there. The worry about Marissa and where she might be had dissipated somewhat thanks to talking to Don.

Emma arrived home late in the afternoon, having spent most of the day out and about in the city. She did a little clothes shopping and had spent more than she'd meant to, but that seemed to be the way it always worked. She'd go out for one thing and come back with five things. A check of her answering machine let her know there were no new messages. Still no word from Marissa and at the thought, the worry came back full force. Emma knew she was being unreasonable about it all because she did seem to worry all the time about everything. Her friend was probably wrapped in the sheets with her guitar playing God-like man and hadn't thought to call Emma, that was all. But just for the heck of it, Emma tried Marissa's cell phone again. It rang a couple of times before going to her voicemail but she didn't leave a message this time.

The apartment phone rang around 8 p.m. and she scurried out of the kitchen to grab it. Emma had gotten it in her head to actually fix dinner that night instead of going out or ordering something in. She answered it on the third ring, "Hello?"

"Emma honey, it's your mother."

Emma inwardly groaned. Not that she wasn't happy to hear from her mother, but she'd been sure it was going to be Marissa who would gush all about the guitar guy. "Hey mom.."

"Well don't sound so excited to hear from me!"

Emma laughed as she carried the phone back into the kitchen where the store-bought pasta was getting ready to boil on the stove. "Sorry, it's just that I thought you were going to be Marissa. I haven't heard from her since early yesterday.."

"That's not unusual though?"

"No not really. She had a date and was all excited, said she'd call me to tell me all about it. But Don told me the same thing and then told me to quit worrying so much."

Linda laughed, "That boy knows you better than anyone."

"Yeah, yeah. He'd also turn red if he knew you referred to him as boy." Emma leaned her hip against the counter, "So what's going on?"

"Well you remember how your cousin Jenny is having a baby, right? Well she went to the doctor's today and found out what it's going to be."

Emma smiled, "Umm...a girl?"

"How'd you guess?"

"Obviously I'm psychic."

"She's just so excited, we don't have many girls in the family as it is. She's going to let me know when the shower is and wanted to know if you'd make plans to come down for it."

Emma paused at that, half-listening as her mom went on and on about the latest family gossip. Emma hadn't been back to Georgia in years, just because she hadn't really thought about going back. Linda had never gotten used to the New York life, mostly moving there to be closer to her parents while Emma was growing up. The divorce from Emma's father hadn't been the smoothest thing in the world but Linda had moved back to Georiga as soon as Emma was out on her own, living her own life. For Emma, the thought of going back to Georgia was a weird one. She could barely remember anything about the state, besides the accent she'd never quite gotten rid of over the years. She sighed, knowing her mother's side of the family would be up in arms if she didn't make an appearance at Jenny's baby shower.

"Yeah mom. Just let me know when it is and I'll fly down for a couple of days."

"Oh good! You'll have to see my little house and everything." Linda was smiling and her daughter could tell, just by the tone of her voice. "Jenny will be so excited to see you. It's been years!"

"I know, I haven't been back in forever. But, like I said, just let me know as soon as you can and I'll start looking at flights and put in for the days off." Emma turned back to her pasta, stirring it, "I should go. I'm going to eat and then probably go on to bed."

"Okay. I'll call you in a few days with the details. And quit worrying."

Emma laughed, shaking her head, "Bye mom." Sometimes the people in her immediate life knew her all too well.

Don walked ahead of Mac and Stella, trying to ignore the cold night air. It was well after midnight and he'd gotten a call about a body being found in an alley. Of course the CSI team had been notified and he'd had to wait around for them to show up. Mac held his flashlight on the dumpster at the back of the alley, looking around for any evidence. The body was lying next to the dumpster, seemingly thrown there to be forgotten about.

Don shook his head, it'd seemed like the crime rate had risen 100 just in that day. Robberies, assaults, murders..it never ended, did it? "So what do we got, Flack?"

He looked up when he realized Mac was talking to him. "Got a call in to dispatch from a guy, Robbie Martinez, works around the corner at the pizza place. Said he took the trash out, found the body out here."

Mac nodded, crouching down next to the body. Don looked out towards where the alley led to the street, halfway listening as Mac and Stella talked. He didn't know how someone could dump a body without anyone seeing it, even if it was the dead of winter and not many people were out.

He turned around when he heard Stella stand up, Don's eyes darting down to the victim they'd found. Stella and Mac's flashlight were shining on the body and Don had to blink a couple of times. His eyes widened when he recognized the face, muttering a quiet, "Oh fuck.."