AN: I don't own any of the CSI:NY Characters or any of the show's storylines that I may refer to from time to time, but the rest of the plot is mine.

This is the second of 2 chapters posted on 25th September.

11. The Aftermath

Early spring sunlight streamed through the window into Laura's eyes. She moaned. Her head was pounding, her throat was dry and she felt sick, her lower back felt like it was on fire. She rolled onto her stomach and felt like the pounding in her head was being outnumbered by the constant pain radiating across her back, she figured she must have slept awkwardly. She dared to try and open her eyes and groaned again as she didn't recognise where she was.

"Laura?" a voice seemed to scream at her. "Are you alright?"

Laura started to lift her head again and dared to open her eyes shielding them with her hand. "Where are we?" she asked as Stella's concerned face came into view.

"Lindsay's, here drink this" she said pushing a glass at her. Laura looked at it and covered her mouth.

"Ugh!" she exclaimed before pushing herself up and rushing to the bathroom and throwing up. A few minutes later she returned and got a glass of water from the kitchen and stood drinking it as she absently rubbed her back and stared at the destruction and bodies around the room, all still wearing their outfits from the previous night. Heather and Lindsay were crashed on the couch, Annie and a couple of other girls were crashed in sleeping bags around the room.

"How are you?" Stella asked.

"How much did you get me to drink last night? ... I thought I was on soft drinks most of the night." Laura moaned.

"With lots of vodka" grinned Stella.

"No wonder I feel so bad. It has never agreed with me. 'scuse me." She choked as she headed for the bathroom again.

When she returned Stella was brewing coffee and starting breakfast.

"How come you're so bright?" Laura moaned as she slid onto a stool at the kitchen counter. Stella pushed the glass over to her that she had offered earlier.

"I drank lots of water before I went to sleep and had one of those this morning." She answered.

"What is it?" Laura asked eyeing the liquid suspiciously, rubbing her back again.

"Hangover cure. Sid's creation. Tastes disgusting but it works. ... stop rubbing your back you'll make it worse." Stella chided.

"What?" Laura asked as she felt the dressing on the back of her hip. "What happened?"

"How much do you remember from last night?" Stella asked.

"Dinner at Sullivan's. ... Oh god!" Laura groaned and dropped her head on her hands on the counter as she had a fleeting memory of what happened before they left the bar. After a moment she lifted her head slowly rubbing her temples. "Got any aspirin?"

"Yeah, when you've drunk that." Said Stella pointing to the glass still in front of her. In the lounge the others were starting to wake up as indicated by the groans coming from the other room. Stella opened the fridge and began pouring more of the horrid concoction ready for the others. Laura feeling another wave of nausea reached for the glass.

x X x

Mac was in Danny's kitchen cooking breakfast as Danny shuffled in, rubbing his face still looking green.

"Thought you'd feel that way, here, one of Sid's specialties. Breakfast will be about 20 minutes." Mac said handing Danny a mug. "How's the groom?" he asked.

"Out cold." Answered Danny as he drank the contents of the mug in one go. "This stuff never gets any better." He commented as he reached for the paracetamol and water to wash it down.

"I don't think it's supposed to" Mac replied grinning.

"Mac you do realise Flack is gonna kill us when he wakes up .. I thought I was mean, but that was really low."

Hawkes ambled into the kitchen as a pager went off in the lounge. A few mumbled curses were heard and the guys from the kitchen looked out to see what was going on as Don's brother Brian reached out for the offending object and switched it off. He dragged himself from his place on the floor and reached for his phone. A few minutes later he joined the others who had returned to the kitchen.

"Any coffee?" he mumbled. "I can't believe they've just put me on call."

"Here" Danny pushed a mug of the vile gloop that was Sid's remedy towards him. "Works fast, just don't go near any open flames for a while though." He teased. Brian looked at him and laughed.

"That could be asking a lot in my job. But I guess as second in command I get to stay outside and give some orders." He smirked. Danny and Mac both noted, not for the first time that it was the same look that Don would have given them. "So my brother's still out? How long d'you give him?"

"Who knows?" Said Mac, "I just hope Adam is up to record the results."

"Well I'm on borrowed time, I hope I don't get called, they're looking for a back up crew for a dockside fire in Brooklyn, so I may have to go." Said Brian.

"Well I'm gonna have to run guys, some of us are working today." Said a remarkably bright Hawkes.

Mac looked at him. "Sheldon we're all working, just not this shift." He replied with a grin.

"Yeah, who drew that rota up?" he grumbled good naturedly. "At least I'll have Stella to keep me company. I'll see you guys later." He smiled and left.

"I wonder how the girls are this morning." Danny pondered aloud while specifically thinking about Lindsay.

"Stella is in charge this morning" said Mac as if that explained everything.

"They're all working too?" asked Brian.

"Yeah, Mac wouldn't let us take the weekend off." Grumbled Danny.

"You know how it works Danny, we can only get one weekend in 6 where we're not even on call. Would you rather you were working instead of the wedding?"

"Ok Mac, I get the point!" he said. A thud came from the lounge followed by a yelp and a groan. Brian and Danny moved to check it out while Mac continued cooking.

Adam was pulling himself off the floor. "I'm ok guys, thanks for asking" he drooled as Danny and Brian chuckled realising he had rolled off the couch. Finally on his feet he ran his hand through his hair a few times and staggered towards the bathroom. There were 3 other bodies still sleeping around the room. Don, his other brother Chris and Sid. None looked at that moment like they were going to stir for a while.

x X x

Stella and Laura had continued talking in the kitchen. Laura turning the conversation to the construction case in order to try and clear her mind and not have to remember what happened the night before. She still absently rubbed her back. Stella caught her doing it again for about a hundredth time.

"I said don't do that, it'll make it sore." Chided Stella.

"It's already sore, what happened?" she asked.

"It was Lindsay's idea" said Stella hoping she wouldn't be blamed. "She said it was what you wanted."

"What was?" asked Laura, different images flashing through her mind of what had happened, but remembering very little after dinner.

"The tattoo" answered Stella.

"Tattoo?!" Laura almost choked on the juice she was drinking as she started to put everything together. "Oh God! I want to see it!" she gasped. Stella left the room Laura dropped her head onto her arms for a moment. When Stella returned she looked up. Lindsay was there too with a video camera. "Linds, shut it off."

"Can't, has to be a complete record, hurry up Stella I need the bathroom." Lindsay whined and kept the recorder on Laura's face as Stella pushed a photo across to her.

The words "Flack's property" looked up at her. Laura's head hit the counter as she groaned and put her hand on her back. "I hate needles, how did you manage it?"

"Lots of alcohol and a dare" answered Lindsay. Laura looked up.

"Flack's property?!" she exclaimed. "you had that permanently inked on my back? I'm never letting you guys organise anything ever again" she mumbled as she sat up again. "He is gonna so love turning the screws on this one!" she whined. Stella and Lindsay laughed. "Yeah go ahead, laugh, I'm the one in agony here!"

She got up and went into the lounge. "Think we've over done it?" asked Lindsay, who seemed surprisingly bright.

"Nah, wait till she finds out what we really had them do" answered Stella grinning at the camera.

x X x

Back at Danny's Mac was serving breakfast to those who were awake. Don was still out where he had slept the night before.

He saw Laura walk to the bar, her outfit leaving little to the imagination. It had been a while since he had seen her wear the skirt and boots. The t-shirt fitted in all the right places and stopped about an inch above the skirt. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders. He joined her, their kiss tender and sweet. He could feel her shiver as he put an arm around her and he whispered in her ear.

He eyed Stella with suspicion as she pulled the two of them together after dinner. "Now is the time for you to pay your penalty." She said. He groaned and looked apprehensively at Laura. She was looking extremely uncomfortable. Stella produced a scarf and proceeded to blindfold Laura who protested. He tried to intervene, but was held back by Mac and Sheldon. An alarm was going off in the kitchen and didn't stop.

A groan emanated from the tall detective as Danny's smoke alarm continued to blare. Adam was waiting video camera in hand for the show which was about to commence. Don groaned again and mumbled. He tried to turn over and couldn't move. He moved his head and found his face connected with what felt like a rubber pillow. He tried again to turn and realised something was stopping him. The pounding in his head did not aid clear thinking, his mouth felt like sawdust, but at least that alarm had stopped finally. He opened his eyes, blackness surrounded him. Now he was beginning to worry. He blinked a few times. As he tried again to adjust his position a low moan emanated from somewhere close by and he felt like part of the floor moved beneath him. He tried to think of the last thing he remembered, not fully comprehending what might be happening. He slowly tested all his limbs. His arms appeared secured, his legs were free. As he moved again so did the floor. He remembered his dream, Laura had been blindfolded, was she here? Then the fog cleared a little more, they had been at Sullivan's with the team, Laura, her outfit, Oh god! Bachelor party!

He pulled a little harder at his arms, still they wouldn't budge. The moan from nearby happened again, as it did everytime he moved. He lay still hoping that no one was awake to see his predicament. Adam meanwhile was capturing everything on video and trying not to laugh in the process. Don's senses then started working a little he could smell bacon and coffee. Someone was cooking breakfast. Trying to feel where he was he detected a firm surface under one hand and the moving floor under the other. He flexed his hands and felt the metal bite into his wrists a little and knew he was handcuffed to something, which also meant that he wasn't being released until someone chose to let him go. He hoped Laura had gotten off lightly with the girls plans, but somehow he suspected they had done something equally devious.

x X x

The girls were mostly awake and recovering from their hangovers, Annie and the girls from Vice had left to go back to work, leaving Laura, Lindsay, Stella and Heather. Stella too made her exit promising to catch up with them later.

Laura went into the lounge and began collecting her stuff together and came across her phone. There had been a missed call from about half an hour before. She flipped the case open and read the text message. Then rushed into the kitchen.

"Linds, lend me your car keys, I've been called out to Brooklyn." Laura stated.

Lindsay looked at her a little suspiciously, then reached over to the hook on the wall and tossed them to her. "Do I need to go?"

"Nah, It's covered. I'll see you later."

Laura made a quick exit, grabbing her coat on the way out.

x X x

"It's time to go guys, crime waits for no man." Said Mac, pulling on his raincoat. The rest of the guys followed leaving Danny behind.

"I'll see you there" he told them and closed the door. After checking everything was alright he took his coat and headed out. The apartment echoed with a low moan as the door closed.

A few minutes later the door opened again qiuetly.

Hope you like this, more details of the night before will gradually be revealed. Any one want to guess what the real tattoo is?

Chapter 12 is about half done, assignment is complete so hope to finish soon.

Please review and give me your thoughts.