Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the characters that I create.


Morgue

"I heard that you guys were looking for her." Sid says as Vanessa stares at the face of the girl on the metal slab.

"Well we found her…so what did you find?"

"A deep laceration to the throat. Severed an artery. She bled out pretty fast."

"What about the bullet wound to the head? Was that before the cut to the neck or after?" Vanessa asks.

"After."

"Meaning that the killer watched her bleed to death then shot her in the head."

"Someone wanted her dead." Sid comments.

"Did you run a sexual assault kit?" Vanessa asks.

"Came back negative."

"Anything else, Sid?"

"That's all for now."

"Thanks." Vanessa says leaving the room. She comes across Danny in the hallway.

"Hey heard about your vic. Bummer." Danny says.

"Yeah some price to pay for freedom." Vanessa says walking away with the evidence room as her destination.

It was hours after shift was over that Vanessa heard a knock on the doorframe of her small office. Flack stood at the doorway.

"What are you doing here so late?" Vanessa asks not looking up from the file.

"Could ask you the same."

"The case ain't gonna solve itself, Casanova."

"There's always tomorrow."

"I have nothing better to do. Lexie's at a friend's house. It's not like anyone's asked me out lately." Vanessa says.

"You hinting at something?"

"Take it as you well."

"Then how bout we go to the courts. I'll let you win."

"I always win." Vanessa says closing the file.

"So is that a yes? If it is we have to go back to my place to get the ball."

"Thought you left it in your locker."

"Wasn't planning on playing today." Flack says.

"Alright lets go, but no tricks."

"Completely trick-free." Flack says as they walk out.

The drive to Flack's apartment was easy enough, hardly any traffic.

"Is your apartment is on the 100th floor or what?" Vanessa says as they take the stairs up to his apartment.

"Its only on the third floor. You were the one that was against taking the elevator." Flack points out.

"I don't like riding in elevators." Vanessa says. They reach the third floor and walk over to Flack's apartment. Flack opens the door and walks in.

"I'll be back. There are sodas in the fridge if you want one. " Flack says heading in the direction of his bedroom. He comes back five minutes later with a ball in hand and notices that Vanessa hasn't moved from the doorway.

"Are ya guarding the door?" Flack asks.

"No just waiting for you." Vanessa answers.

"You can come in you know."

"I know… I just prefer to wait here… So are we going or not?"

"Yeah let's go."

Crime Lab – Next Day

"Hey Stella. Results came back on the fabric you found on the victim's shirt." Danny says walking into the layout room. "Its imitation leather."

"Imitation leather? The killer is walking around in a leather costume?"

"Imitation leather to be exact." Danny says.

"Shows how crazy she is walking around killing people dressed in a costume." Stella says. Vanessa who was passing by stopped at the doorway when she heard Stella.

"Did you say costume?" Vanessa asks.

"Yeah the fabric Stella found is imitation leather. Why not use the real thing?" Danny asks.

"She could be an animal lover. Refusing to wear authentic leather." Vanessa says before she can catch herself.

"You could be right." Stella says. "Checking on animal friendly shops might lead us somewhere."

"That's if the costume was bought in the city." Danny points out. Flack walks into the room. Vanessa shifts uncomfortably.

"You ready? We got a weird one." Flack says to Stella while sending a confusing glance in Vanessa's direction.

"Ya just about."

"You got another case?" Vanessa asks.

"Yeah. Crime never takes a break." Stella says as she and Flack leave the room. Its just Vanessa and Danny in the layout room.

"Alone again, huh?"

"I'm so fortunate." Vanessa says sarcastically.

"So I heard that your daughter really gave it to a guy the other day."

"Flack told you."

"No actually it was Lindsay who told me about it."

"Lindsay? I wasn't aware that you actually knew her given name." Vanessa says sarcastically.

"I know a lot more than that."

"I bet you do, Messer." Vanessa says. "Hey I'm heading to the Deli around the corner. You wanna come?"

"You buying?"

"I guess so, Mr. Cheapskate." Vanessa says heading out the door. Danny smirks then walks out after her.

Mac's Office

"I was told that there's been new evidence in the serials." Peterson says.

"Stella found a piece of fabric in Steve Camson's shirt. It was identified as imitation leather."

"Sounds like the girl I've been tracking. Her misdemeanor crime spree included breaking into a couple of butcher shops and fur stores. Quite the activist I must say."

"None of the victims were involved in anything that would anger an animal rights activist."

"But they do have a common person, don't they?" Peterson asks. "One of your CSIs was attacked some time back, am I right? Then the next day they were dead. I like to meet the CSI that was attacked and the case file that documented the attack."

"You have already met her. Vanessa Villanueva was attacked several days after she arrived here in New York."

"The small town girl? Rough her first time in the city and she gets some welcome. I still like to speak with her."

Deli Shop

"You expect me to believe that?" Danny asks.

"It's the honest truth. Four three-pointers in a row. Believe it or not."

"I've seen you play you ain't that good."

"Shall we review the last game we played? You know the one where I wiped the floor with you." Vanessa says.

"It was just luck."

"Call it whatever you want, Messer. I still creamed you."

"You have any evidence that says you shot these three pointers?" Danny asks.

"What am I a suspect? If you want proof come by the apartment and I'll show you the tape of the game."

"You mean a forged tape."

"Like I know how to do that. Veronica is the whiz in that department, which got her into trouble in the first place."

"Have you guys talked lately?"

"Not recently. Always busy. Only gets a chance to call in the morning before she takes off to work."

"My guess is that you aren't fully awake at the time."

"You try being perky at four in the morning. No sane person would wake up that early."

"She seemed sane the night she introduced herself to the rest of us." Danny says.

"She does have her moments of sanity once in a while I guess." Vanessa admits.

"What's wrong you two don't get along?"

"Yeah we get along. She's just …weird."

"You sure your qualified to call her weird? I've seen the things you eat." Danny says.

"So I'm a little weird, so what." Vanessa says. "We should head back to our cases. And don't think I don't see what you're trying to do."

"What?"

"You want to see if asking about Veronica will get me to talking about some embarrassing things about Lindsay when she was younger."

"It was worth a shot." Danny says pushing his seat in and walking with Vanessa to the counter where they paid for their lunch.

Crime Lab

"Where were you two? Mac's been asking for you." Hawkes says.

"On a break. Did he say what for?"

"No. Just that it was important."

"Alright, thanks." Vanessa says walking in the direction of Mac's office.

"Searching for gossip on Lindsay?" Hawkes asks.

"You know me."

Mac's Office

Vanessa is about to knock on the door when it opens.

"Nice timing. We were looking for you." Peterson says.

"For what?" Vanessa asks looking in Mac's direction.

"I was told that you were the victim of an attempted sexual assault." Peterson says.

"Yes, but I've already spoken to Mac and Stella concerning that."

"Even so I still need to ask you a few questions about that night."

Vanessa looks at Mac for confirmation. He nods his head.

"Fine where do you want to go?"

"Interrogation room number 2 is free. Would you please follow me, Ms. Villanueva?"

"Sure." Vanessa says.

Layout Room

"Hey you." Lindsay says walking into the room.

"Hey." Danny responds. "How's the case going?"

"It's going. How about yours?"

"Weird, but fine. You up for a movie tonight?"

"Sure. My turn to pick."

"Funny …it was your turn the last time too."

Interrogation Room

"What do you remember from that night?" Peterson asks.

"Three men following me down an alley then trying to force themselves on me."

"Anything you remember about the men?"

"Other than their horrible breaths, no nothing."

"The file here says you got to take a picture of them. I must admit it's ingenious of you." Peterson says sitting down across from Vanessa. The table separates them.

"I'm not really good at describing someone's features."

"The file also says that the men who attacked you were found dead the next morning. Where were you?" Peterson asks.

"Wait a minute. Where are you going with this?" Mac asks before Vanessa could answer.

"I just want to hear it from her …you know how these things are." Peterson says.

"I was in the hospital. I checked myself out later that day."

"Thank you, Ms. Villanueva." Vanessa takes his statement as the end of the interrogation so she gets up.

"This isn't over yet. I still have a few more questions." Peterson says. Vanessa sits back down.

His pause allows Vanessa's mind to wonder back to that night.


Flashback

Vanessa's eyes open slowly. She surveys her surroundings and realizes she is in a hospital.

'I hate hospitals.' She thought.

She turns to her right and sees Lexie, Veronica and Lindsay sound asleep on the couch by her hospital bed. Vanessa pulls the covers back and swings her legs over to the side. Her legs shook as she tried to get to her feet. Nausea rose up in her throat and she made a beeline for the toilet.

She walked back into the room and was surprised that she didn't wake them up with her vomiting.

'They were always sound sleepers'

Images of the attack popped into her mind. She saw their smirks and heard their laughter as they tore at her clothing.

It was the second time she felt the familiar anger and the need for retribution. On that note she slowly slipped out of the room and hopefully be back before morning.

End of flashback


"Ms. Villanueva? Did you hear the question?" Peterson asks. Vanessa snaps out of it.

"No, I'm sorry what was it?"

"Do you know who might have killed them?"

"For sure…no." Vanessa says.

"What do you mean by that?"

"At first I believed that Eric might have done it."

"He's your ex-husband?" Peterson asks looking at the file in his hands.

"Yes."

"And you don't think he did anymore?"

"No. Told me in so many words."

"I don't mean to insult you, but the words of a known mob leader aren't all that reliable."

"His words weren't the ones that convinced me…it was the evidence that did."

"You may go now, Ms. Villanueva." Peterson says. Vanessa gets up and leaves.

"Why were you interrogating one of my CSIs like that?" Mac asks sternly.

"I'm just trying to get the facts straight. I'm not trying to accuse her of anything she didn't do. Have a good day, Mr. Taylor." Peterson says before walking out the door.


That's all for now. So what did you think? The FBI guy sure seems to be making trouble for Vanessa. Speaking of Vanessa where did you think she went that night? Why is she acting so weird around Flack? I'll update when I can. Please review.

Until Next Time,

Ancient 85