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.

13. Loose cannon

Word quickly got around about the showdown in Gerrard's office and that Don had stormed out. Danny and Stella were trying to piece together what had happened with Diaz since his release, when Adam came in.

"Guys, one of you needs to talk to Flack somehow. He's like a loose canon at the moment. Apparently he nearly hit Gerrard. No one knows where he is right now." Adam told them, on hearing the news coming from the precinct as Mac walked in.

"I can imagine it wasn't pretty. ... I know what I'd do, if it was me and it was my girl they're holding ..." Danny mused.

"You'd try and march straight in and see her. ... That's you Danny, what would Flack do?" Asked Stella.

"Hit the gym maybe." Danny suggested. "well hit something anyway."

"Chances are he's not thinking straight, I think Danny's answer is closer to the point." Mac answered.

"If he is gonna try and see Laura what can we do?" asked Stella, still seething that the team was being kept apart.

"I don't know Stella. I'll tell Hawkes to keep an eye out, he's gone over there with Lindsay to speak to Francesca Collins again." Said Mac.

"But what if they run into each other and Gerrard finds out, he'll fire us." Stella mentioned nervously.

"I think the higher ups may have something to say about a whole department being fired at once don't you?" replied Mac and the others grinned a little. "I'll tell Hawkes to be careful and only to intervene if absolutely necessary." Mac assured them.

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Laura was alone in the interrogation room waiting for her lawyer to return and for the brass from IAB to decide they'd kept her waiting long enough before they interrogated her. She was also waiting for the department rep to come see her, a formality in her case as she had her own legal representation. She was sat at the table in the room, twisting her engagement ring around her finger trying to work out what exactly had happened. Each time she looked at the stones all she could see were Don's eyes staring back at her, a kind of reflection from the two Ceylon sapphires separated by the diamond. Most of the time she found it comforting, Now she found it unnerving and she couldn't explain why. A commotion outside the door caught her attention. The door flew open and Don pushed his way in, past the uniformed officer, who was trying to restrain him. Laura jumped up. She knew he shouldn't be there.

"Don!" she cried surprised. "You can't be here, get out!"

"I needed to see you Kat." He breathed as he momentarily shrugged off the officer. "Are you alright?"

"I was doing fine until you barged in!" she yelled at him as she stepped back away from him. "Don't you do anything you're bloody told?! Get out of here, I'm not going to be responsible for getting your ass fired, which is what will happen when Gerrard finds out!"

Don and the officer looked at her stunned for a moment. "Laura?" Don questioned. She glared at him.

"I mean it Don, get out, think about this, don't give them cause to drag you into this." She told him firmly.

"I've already been dragged into this!" he snapped at her confused. He thought she would be pleased to see him.

"This isn't you're problem!" she snapped back. "Do yourself a favour and do this by the book. I won't have you put yourself on the line for whatever they are going to throw at me!"

"In case you haven't noticed it's my problem too, they searched the apartment and found the murder weapon with your prints!" he yelled at her. Laura looked stunned. He stepped towards her and put his hand out to her as the officer caught up and again tried to intervene. "Laura?" his voice softened seeing the look on her face, he never intended for her to find out like that.

"Get out!" she hissed as Angell walked in and stepped between them.

"Flack, you're already suspended, don't make it worse! Get out now!" Angell yelled at him. Laura glared at Angell then at Don.

"Just get out ... and you can take this with you!" she snapped as she pulled off her engagement ring and thrust it in his hand. "That should be enough to get you out of the mess you're in!" Laura spat at him. Don's eyes now full of anger and confusion stared back at her as the officer and Angell pushed him out towards the door. He seemed to get the message and shrugged them off and paused a moment.

"That what you want Kat?" He asked her his voice cold and firm.

"Yes, now go crawl to Gerrard and ask for your badge back!" she yelled and turned away.

He watched her for a second then as Angell tried again to push him out he shrugged her off turned and stormed out and down the corridor. As he got to the end he almost ran into Lindsay and Hawkes, who bundled him into a nearby interrogation room, he sank into the chair and sat starring at the ring in his hand, his mind in overdrive as he relived the days events and tried to make sense of them, her reaction had been the complete opposite of what he expected under the circumstances. Hawkes and Lindsay just looked at him then at each other.

"Stay with him Linds, I'll call Mac" Hawkes murmured and went into the corridor.

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Angel turned on Laura after Flack left. "Nice touch, but you know it won't save him. Gerrard warned him, he just lost his badge for good."

Laura didn't move or respond to Angell, she couldn't, she felt dreadful for what she had just done, but hoped this time he got the message. The headache which had been had been threatening all afternoon now hit her full force and she leaned against the wall and sank to the floor her head in her hands as the tears threatened to engulf her, just as her lawyer walked in.

"Detective what is happening here?" Henry asked as he looked between Laura and Angell. "I want a medic in here now and no interrogation takes place until she's given the all clear."

Angell looked at him "Flack just burst in here and they had a row, she'll be fine" she explained.

"I don't care she is in no state for questioning and I demand a doctor sees her." Henry stood firm.

"Ok, Perkins, find a medic" she told the officer at the door, knowing that if she didn't Laura would be able to go free on a technicality.

Thanks to BrainDamage for the original idea of Flack storming in to see Laura!

Hope you have all survived the high drama the last few chapters and enjoyed reading. Things get a bit calmer in the next few.