Note: This chapter takes place fifteen years in the future. Beware their is two character deaths, so many many tears in this chapter. Grab some tissues if you must

Disclaimer: I do not own any CSI:NY or NCIS characters. they are the producers and CBS. However I do own Melanie Flack, Meghan Flack, Sara, Gabriel and Madison Flack.

Remember, I will still be here
As long as you hold me, in your memory

Remember, when your dreams have ended
Time can be transcended
Just remember me

I am the one star that keeps burning, so brightly,
It is the last light, to fade into the rising sun

I'm with you
Whenever you tell, my story
For I am all I've done

Remember, I will still be here
As long as you hold me, in your memory
Remember me

I am the one voice in the cold wind, that whispers
And if you listen, you'll hear me call across the sky

As long as I still can reach out, and touch you
Then I will never die

Remember, I'll never leave you
If you will only
Remember me

Remember ~ Josh Groban

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Sara Flack-Reed stood at her parent's bedroom door, watching her distraught mother stand there on the edge of the bed, her palms open to the badge lying in her hands. Sara knew from the time she was very little that her mother was a strong person and always had been until now.

Until she got the news that fateful day, three days ago, that her husband of fifteen years was executed in cold blood while jogging around their street that morning. Donald Flack, Jr. was dead and there was nothing anyone, even her oldest daughter, could do to console Melanie Flack. Her daughter knew that once everything sunk in and Melanie drew out of her grief and denial that the executioner, as Sara liked to think of it, would be dead within a number of days. As long as the New York crime lab, NCIS, and the FBI BAU unit could figure out who did it.

Sara knocked softly at the door, causing her mother to look up from the badge she was holding, her teary, bloodshot eyes meeting her oldest daughter's. "Ma, snap out of it." Sara said, softly, coming to her mother's side, carefully removing her father's badge from her hands. Even though she did it, she couldn't once look at it for it was too painful to remember that her father was gone.

"I don't know, Sara-bear." Melanie said, using Sara's nickname solely used by her father. "You think after living without him for four years that I could do it now. But for some reason, I can't. I can't imagine my life without him."

Sara lovingly rubbed her mother's back, as she tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. Seeing her mother like this it broke Sara's heart in half. For all the times, her mother stood in her room at night, being the strong solid figure for her to lean on during her teen years, now she felt it was her turn to be strong for her mother, her friend.

She held her mother, her shining light that held her through the many heartbreaks of high school and through the tough semesters at college away from home, as she sobbed her heart out. Soon enough, Sara was sobbing with her mother, angry at her father for leaving her and his kids, even his one month grandchild, but most of all for promising to always be there.

If there was one person she always expected to leave it was her mother, the person who always liked to run away from problems and never face them. So far, Melanie Flack had faced her problems, trying to keep a brave face for the rest of her four children, Gabriel who thirteen, Savannah who was eleven, and then the twins, Madison and Brendan, who were seven. Gabe, Savie and Sara knew exactly was what going on and was trying to keep the twins and the Messers from seeing reality. The time would come soon enough where Melanie had to explain to her youngest two that Daddy was never coming home.

"Ma, its ok to cry. It's alright to grieve for Dad, it's ok." Sara said, in between sobs, letting her grief, anger and sadness come out at all once. Saying that made her mother cry harder, her face streamlined with tears when she looked up into her daughter's eyes. "Ma, is there something else?"

Mel soon enough stopped crying only to shake it off, pushing herself upwards so she could walk somewhere in her bedroom. She opened a box, which Sara knew after giving birth, her mother kept all her pregnancy tests, minus the strips, and grabbed something. She sat down holding out the positive test to her oldest daughter. Sara looked down at it in disbelief.

"You're pregnant?" Sara asked, looking straight at her mother. Mel sighed and nodded. "How far?"

"Three months. I just told your father day before he died, after feeling so ill for so long." Melanie replied, as Sara's heart broke even more. Sara knew this came as a surprise for both of them, thinking that since both of her parents were near fifty that becoming pregnant was a difficult thing to do.

"He won't even get know his baby." Sara said softly, as they heard a knock on the door. The duo looked up only to see Stella Bonasera-Taylor standing there, her eyes full of anguish. If there was anyone that fully understood what the Flack family was going through, it was Stella and her two kids, Kylie and Olivia.

"I came to see how you two were holding up." Stella said, coming to sit on the floor in front of the two. "I couldn't help but overhear the news, Mel."

Melanie sniffed a little, as Stella reached over to the Kleenex box a few inches to grab some tissue for the grieving widow. "It' unbelievable Stell. That he could be gone just like that. To know full well he isn't going to walk through that door again, to not hear his voice telling everyone he was home. For him not to know his new child." The red head shook her head, blowing her nose. "I wondered how you made it after what happened to Mac. I always admired how strong you were, but now I know that behind closed doors away from those girls that you cried your heart out every night."

Stella's eyes began to fill with tears as Sara tried to hold back a fresh set of them after reliving the memories of hearing that Papa Mac was never coming back. In Sara's mind, Mac was always immortal that nothing could hurt him, then that horrific day when a bust went back and Mac got shot in the neck. Don Flack tried to save him as best as he could, as the young, new CSI tried to help. Sara still has nightmares about that day, as Mac died in her and her father's arms.

"It may be difficult, but over time the ache begins to fade. Not all the way but some." Stella said, as they heard footsteps in the hall. The three women turned to see a tearful Madison Flack, whose blue eyes searched for her mommy, as Gabriel slid to a stop in front of the door. As soon as Maddie saw her mother, she ran toward her, her tiny arms flinging around the slender neck of the person of comfort.

"Sorry, Mom. I tried to stop her, but all she wanted was her mommy." Gabe said, as Melanie wrapped her youngest daughter in her arms rocking her softly.

"It's ok." Melanie replied, as she waved in her oldest son, who was a spitting image of his father, built big and strong like him even at thirteen. As Sara stroked the seven year olds curly red hair, Gabe sat down sat to Stella looking at his mother carefully. Her stern stare met his equally guilty one. "Spill, Gabriel Holden Flack."

"She heard Uncle Danny and Aunt Lindsay talking." Gabe replied as Melanie gave him "I know there's more" stare. "More like yelling. She apparently heard about Dad."

Melanie looked down at the now sniffling seven year old. She sighed, placing a kiss in her hair. "She was going to have to find out sooner or later, sweetie." She gently pulled Madison from around her neck to place her on her own lap, facing her tear streaked face. "Baby girl, listen to me…"

"Someone hurt Daddy. I heard Uncle Danny yelling it." Madison yelled, causing Mel and Sara to flinch. "Mommy, do something, help Daddy. You always helped Daddy when he was hurt."

As soon as Sara heard that, her heart went out to her seven year old sister, who didn't know better that there was nothing they could do for their father. Melanie gently caressed her daughter's cheek, brushing away the tears that were again running down her cheeks. "Maddie, baby. Someone did hurt Daddy. Someone hurt him real bad and I couldn't even help him."

Madison looked at her mother quizzically. "But daddy is coming back right?"

Mel held back the tears that threatened to fall again. "No sweetie. Daddy's not coming back. He's up in heaven with Papa Mac." Madison's blue eyes widened at her mother's answer, her bottom lip starting to quiver.

"But Daddy's promised he would come back, no matter what. Why would Daddy break a promise to me?" Madison asked, as Melanie's tears started flowing again. Sara reached out carefully, grabbing her baby sister from her grieving mother.

"Daddy didn't mean to break his promise sweetheart. God just decided he needed another angel up in heaven, beside Papa Mac." Melanie said, as Sara held the tiny child against her chest, rocking her gently. "He broke a lot of promises baby, but he didn't want to go. Always know that your daddy loves you, that he loves all of you."

That was the unspoken version of leave me alone for a bit, I need to yell at God from Melanie Flack. So Gabe, Stella, Sara with Madison in her arms stood up carefully, exiting the room to leave Melanie alone with her unbearable grief.

As Sara gave Madison to Stella to hold, she heard something she thought she would never hear again.

"Goddammit, Donald Flack. You promised like I promise that we wouldn't leave each other. Why the hell did you have to do it now? Why did you leave me?!"

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Thanks to the help of Stella, Lindsay Messer, Sheldon and Jessica Hawkes, and Don's family, Melanie was allowed to wallow in her grief for three days. She constantly heard footsteps around her bed, placing water, food and various other items on her nightstand as she cried there, holding her husband's pillow tightly.

It was the third day of grief that she realized she wasn't any help to her family or her grieving friend, staying locked up in her room, talking to no one. So Melanie Flack decided that she was going to figure who the hell torn her finally happy family apart and there was going to be hell to pay when she found them. She turned on the shower in the bathroom attached to her and Don's bedroom, waiting for it to get steaming hot. She got in, washing away all the grief and sadness away with the steaming hot water, trying not to remember the many mornings she and Don spend a good half hour in there, reveling in each other's bodies. Mel could swear that the passionate lovemaking that ensues shortly there after was how most of her children were conceived, especially the newest addition.

Once she was showered and dressed, so far the only memories revisited were the ones that happened in the shower and the bed, she quietly opened her door to reveal the early morning sunlight streaming under the doors of her children's room, signaling most of them were asleep for at least another thirty minutes. She padded downstairs only to be greeted by the smell of chocolate chip pancakes, French toast, bacon and eggs, as she considered briefly that Mac had returned from the dead, only to make her comfort food.

As it turned out, it was Mac's other half, Stella in her kitchen cooking up a storm, as Lindsay washed and dried dishes. Her oldest daughter was bouncing her one month old baby on her hip, cooing to her as she set the kitchen table for four. She stopped when she noticed Melanie standing there watching everyone, with a slight smile on her face.

"So in order for me not to do any work around this house, someone has to die. I see how it is." Melanie said, as the other three women gawked at her humor. "I'm trying to be funny, cut me some slack."

Stella shook her head as Lindsay dried off her hands to engulfed her best friend in a warm hug. As they pulled away, Lindsay looked her straight in the eye. "It's good to see you up and about. I was a bit worried about you."

Mel smiled, as Stella started setting food on the table. "I was getting worried about myself too. Then I realized that wallowing in my grief isn't how Don would want me to handle this situation." Melanie replied, her mouth watering at the sights and smells of the Greek's cooking. "Now someone tell me why my children are still in bed?"

Lindsay and Sara looked sheepish. "We had a sleepover with all the kids. They all wanted to see each other, help each other through this tough time." Stella replied, as Sara placed little Anastasia in her carried, placed on the chair next to her.

"What about school?" Melanie asked, as the two other women sat down around her.

"Principal stated they could have one more week, then they would need to be back. Losing a father, and uncle are difficult things for children to deal with." Stella said, as again as Melanie helped her to the wondrous breakfast in front of her. Melanie nodded in response as she wolfed down her breakfast.

She looked around as her fellow friend and colleagues, trying to gauge the reaction she was about to get. "I want to go into the office today." She put it simply as the other three women looked at each waringly. "Or is there something you want to tell me first?"

They heard a heavy in the background as a ragged Danny Messer appeared in the kitchen apparently awakened by the smell of food. Just like Don would do if Melanie cooked breakfast on morning he was off. "Jesus Christ, how many people slept in my house last night?" Melanie asked, as her best friend of over twenty years leaned heavily against the door way.

"Enough." Lindsay replied, her stare narrowing at the sight of her hung over husband. "Excuse me." The petite brunette got up and walked briskly toward her husband, placing a small hand on his back, leading him back to the basement where Melanie guessed he came from, softly calming him down.

"He's in worse shape than I am." Melanie stated, as they heard a knock at the back door. Stella was about to get up when Melanie waved her down. "Eat. Let me get it."

As soon as she stepped around the corner into the mud room, she saw her father, her sister and Don's older brothers Chris and Kevin, along with his parents, who looked worse for the wear. Melanie knew everyone was grieving and it was time for her to grieve with everyone else.

She gave a slight smile as she unlocked the screen door to let them in. As each of them took off their shoes, they engulfed her in huge hugs as they filed into the kitchen. The last one was her sister, who took a moment to hold her grieving sister tightly.

"God, I have no idea what you are going through." Meg said, whispering in her ear as Melanie squeezed her tightly. "We'll talk later ok. We have a break in the case."

Mel pulled away to look at her sister in the eyes. Soon after Meg had her first born, she left the FBI and got her master's in forensic science and joined Mac's team at the crime lab. She was left in charge of the night shift, while Stella headed up the lab once Mac had got promoted to Commissioner right before he died. "I think that was what Stella and Lindz were trying to tell me before Danny busted up the party."

Meg shook her brown curls in disbelief. "Danny's taking it real hard isn't he?" she asked, as Mel and her twin came into the kitchen, where everyone was helping themselves to portions of breakfast.

"I guess. We haven't talked yet. It's been too difficult to do so." Melanie replied, as everyone brought their plates to their formal dining room, where Don's laptop and Rangers jacket stood at the end, not yet disturbed since his death. Everyone stopped, as everyone seemed to stop to breathing, reliving memories in that very dining room. Soon enough everyone decided to opt out of eating in the living room and decided on the family room right next door. As everyone settled down, Melanie decided that this was possibly the best time to break the heartbreaking but heartwarming news.

As soon as she was about to speak, they heard another knock, this time at the front door. Lindsay waved for everyone to sit down as she went to go answer it, and seconds later returned with Sheldon and Jessica Angell-Hawkes. They both expressed their sympathy, along with their grief upon laying on the now widow situated on the floor, playing with her grand daughter. She looked around at part of her family wishing that certain other people were here to hear the news. As soon as she thought that she heard another knock at the door, as Lindsay looked quizzically around at the people who were already gathered, obviously wondering who was at the door.

Once she opened the door, Melanie heard familiar voices. "We got here as soon as we could. Had to talk Vance into taking all five of our kids so we could come up here." Anthony Dinozzo said breathlessly.

"We really wish we could be here sooner." Timothy McGee said as footsteps trailed into the crowded family, when Melanie lit up at the sight of Gibbs team entering her house. All six of them, Tony, Ziva David, Abby Scuito, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, McGee, and Dr Donald Mallard, sat across from Melanie on the floor as they all offered strong smiles as their support, even though she knew that Don's death hit them just as hard as everyone here in New York. Especially since they were expecting her to move to DC to become the Director of NCIS in two months, but now Melanie didn't even know if she wanted the job.

"Now that everyone is here, I have some news." Melanie said, as she saw the now awake but alert Danny entered the room standing behind everyone else quietly. She smiled at Danny, assuring that soon everything would be ok.

"As do we." Gibbs said, solemnly staring dutifully at the CSI's in the room along with the Captain of the Homicide, Jess. "But you go ahead."

Melanie took a breath, looking down at the infant in her arms. "I'm pregnant." She said, as collective gasps were heard around the room. "No worries, Don knew before he died. I'm around three months along."

Everyone was murmuring at this time, looking around at everyone trying to decided what to think about the new situation. Melanie carefully handed Ana to her mother as she waved to get everyone's attention. "Listen, please. This baby was both a surprise for me and Don but a very welcome baby who comes at a time where there was death." Mel said, as everyone quieted down. "There may have been a life taken away but another life has been granted a chance to live. I know being as old as I am holds many more health risks but I hope everyone here will be extremely supportive of me."

Everyone nodded as they looked around at each other, trying to figure out who was going to tell her about the break in the case. Melanie had been itching to get out in the field again, to figure out who the hell killed her husband as few houses down from their home. She was hoping her friends and family would let her in on this case, even though it was close to home, even if it meant giving up the director job to do so.

Gibbs was about to speak when there was another knock at her door. Melanie slowly got up, a wave of dizziness hitting her as she walked toward her door, wondering who else wanted to come by to give condolences to her and her grieving family. To her surprise it was Chief of Detectives Brigham Sinclair and Commissioner Gillian Whitmore standing there their faces grim. Melanie looked at them quizzically her hand frozen on the door.

"Last time you were here Brig, it was to tell me my husband is dead." Mel said, as she stood there her arms crossed. "Now everyone I know and love are here with me, what do you have to tell me?"

"We have new information in your husband's case that needs your immediate attention and wisdom." Gillian Whitmore said, her brown eyes meeting Melanie's eyes. "Usually I don't allow the spouses of fallen officers in on a case but this deserves your input. I doubt even Detective Messer would know this answer."

Melanie looked at Sinclair, whose mouth was set in a firm line. "Well, let me figure out who will stay with the kids and both teams will be at the crime lab shortly." Melanie replied, as the two upper division politicians nodded, walking away. Melanie shut the door quietly only to lean against it heavily. Her mind was racing, trying to figure out why in the hell no one could figure out her husband's case but her. It must be something from both of their pasts that only she and Don would know about. She stood up, walking toward the family room where the people she loved waited to tell her the major break in the case.

And this time, no one was going to interrupt her. And Melanie Flack was going to find out her killed her husband, and once she did, she felt sorry for the sick bastard because she would hesitate to shoot him.

And if it meant to get every piece of information out of her family and friends, then so be it. Because goddammit who did this was going to pay. And they were going to pay big time.

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Melanie Flack and the team arrived at the crime lab in thirty minutes, sirens wailing on the way there. Once they got up there, everyone went their separate ways. All of Stella's team, including Sara, McGee and Abby went to the crime lab to look over the evidence left at Don Flack's murder. Jess, Gibbs, Tony and Ziva went down to the homicide bullpen as they briefed everyone on the profile built by the Aaron Hotchner's BAU unit on what to look for in the suspect. That left Melanie to head up to Sinclair's office where he and Whitmore waited for her, to give her exact instruction on her role in this investigation.

They had managed to convince Ducky, her father, Chris, Kevin and Don's parents to stay at the house to take care of the myriad of kids of the crime lab. Thank goodness they all wanted to stay behind because Melanie wanted to be a part of this investigation and thank goodness, Sinclair and Whitmore were willing to bend the rules a little bit.

Melanie knocked on the office door of Sinclair as she heard two come in's resounding from the office. She stepped in , dressed warmly in jeans, a black turtleneck, and black mid shaft boots, gazing at the her two equals in the NYPD sitting there their faces in anguish.

"Sit down please Agent Flack." Sinclair said, motioning to the chair in front of his desk. "I know you are still grieving and you have every right to be but we need your assistance."

"By all means, Commissioner, Chief, fire away. I want to get my husband's killer as much as everyone else does." Melanie replied, as Sinclair leaned heavily on his desk, sighing.

"We have reasons to believe that Elliott Hanley and the leader of the Wilder gang now have hooked up." Whitmore said, handing Melanie a thick folder, as Melanie's head shot up recognizing the Marine that tried to blow her up not once but twice.

"You mean Elliott Hanley has been released?" Melanie said, opening the case from fifteen years prior. Both of them nodded. "Are you kidding me?"

"Unfortunately Mrs. Flack were are not. We think that either Hanley or Aherne were the ones who shot your husband." Sinclair said, as Melanie glowered.

"How the hell did Hanley get released?" Melanie asked, her eyes riveted on the case file in front of her.

"He served his sentence, a few years less for good behavior. Apparently neither you nor your husband were available for the hearing at the time according to his defense attorney." Commissioner Whitmore replied, as Melanie looked up at her.

"I never heard about him possibly getting parole. How the hell does that information not get to me?" Melanie asked, furious. She put the asshole away for a reason, he posed a threat to the public and the country.

"It never got to us either, until now." Sinclair replied, as Melanie saw a fury in his eyes she hadn't seen since Mac Taylor died two years before. "Don Flack was a damn good cop, and I don't know if he told you but I put him up for my job. I know that would have interfered with your new promotion, but he would have run this department effortlessly, taking no bullshit. Now because of that bastard, I have to find another replacement, someone who clearly would never fill your husband's footsteps."

Melanie's eyes widened at Sinclair heartfelt words. "No sir I never knew. Once I told him I was pregnant, he was too ecstatic to think about anything else." Sinclair nodded, as Melanie continued. "No offense sir, but he would have wanted me to be promoted before him."

"And I know that. But no one should have executed Don Flack in such a way, where he was an innocent not a cop. A father, not a smart ass who mouthed off to his superiors." Sinclair said, as Melanie snickered. "He didn't deserve to die that way. He deserved to die a hero, saving someone's life not protecting his own. Which is why I asked you here to today."

"Why sir?"

"I want to find this bastard again. And I want you to find him" Sinclair said, fury apparent in his voice. Melanie looked at him again then to Whitmore whose eyes portrayed the same feeling.

"Why me? Why not Jess, or Stella? Hell even Danny?" Melanie asked as she got up slowly, tucking the file under her arms, staring Sinclair in the eyes. "Why Brig? Why?"

"Because I want the bastard dead."

"So do I but that doesn't explain why you want me to bring him down." Melanie stated, as the two in front of her seethed in anger.

"I'm giving you the go ahead to find the bastard." Sinclair said, pushing her husbands file toward her.

"Which means what? You giving me the permission to take over the case and look the other way if the bastard winds up dead?"

Sinclair nodded. "That right. I'm giving you to clearance…" he cleared his throat. "Clearance to shoot to kill."

Melanie nodded as she turned around to walk out of his office. "Oh and Melanie?" She turned around to look at Sinclair.

"What?"

"Don't miss."

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I know you probably hate me, but it brings to light how people are going to deal with Don Flack's death. Soon we'll go back to the present, after a little conversation between Melanie and Danny. Review!