AN Okay I'd like to say up front that I didn't expect this story to take this kind of turn...but it did and I just decided not to stop it...I kinda like it when my brain just goes for it...so I hope you follow...as per usual the story WILL end on a positive note...so be patient...I hope you like it. :) Oh and huge thanks to everyone who is reviewing I'm glad you are enjoying it...makes me wanna write more. ;)

Disclaimer If I owned him I wouldn't spend my time writing about him believe me! As for the rest of the CSI:NY cast they of course belong to whomever they belong to, and it sure as heck ain't me. I'm just borrowing them...however all the originals are mine.

Evidence

Phoenix was late.

She hated being late, mostly because she always got teased mercilessly when she was. Breakfast would be her treat for a week now cause she was late. She sped out of her apartment and hailed a cab. She was halfway to work when she realized she had forgotten her gun.

She sighed; it didn't matter, forgetting it for one day wouldn't kill her.

Danny and Hawkes stood outside a building looking down at a guy who appeared to have jumped.

"Julius Tate," Flack read from his notebook, "Lived on the 18th floor and apparently didn't like it so much." He looked down at the body.

"Are you jumping to conclusions Flack?" Hawkes grinned.

"Oh that was a bad pun," Flack laughed and shook his head, "Nah, what I'm doing is jumping over to ask if anyone saw anything." He waved and headed over to the ever present bystanders.

"You want body or crime scene?" Danny asked looking up trying to judge where the 18th floor was.

Hawkes was already crouched over the body examining his wounds, "This is very extraordinary."

"Does that mean body?" Danny rolled his eyes.

"It is my turn," He examined the man's throat and smiled up at Danny, "Have fun."

What the hell does that mean? Danny thought to himself as he and another officer took the elevator up to Julius Tate's residence. An officer had already sealed off the door with crime scene tape. Danny ducked under and groaned; there was blood everywhere. "Damn him." He muttered as he set his kit down, pulled on his gloves and got to work.

Phoenix whistled while she painted the newest addition to one of the sets. She glanced down at her phone when it vibrated on her hip, she had a text message:

MessinWitU: 2 much work

She chuckled and messaged back:

NixMix79: 4 U or me?

A minute later she had another one:

MessinWitU: Me :(

Smiling she sent one back:

NixMix79: Poor baby :p

She was halfway through painting when she got his response:

MessinWitU: Save me

She shook her head and blew some hair out of her face. Putting the paint brush down she leaned against the wall and dialled.

"Hi." He sounded exhausted.

"I thought you hated it when I called you at work." She quipped, "You even have that damn ring tone."

He snickered, "Yeah well today is an exception."

"Why is that?"

"Hawkes stuck me with a shit load of blood evidence, I think I'm gonna be here for a damn week." He grumbled.

She scrunched up her nose in disgust, "Well that's gross; I guess I can't complain about being covered in paint can I?"

"Nope, you sure as hell can't, although if you get any on you I can help you scrub it off." He flirted.

She laughed, "I'll have to keep that in mind, it is a messy job."

"And somebody has to do it," He sighed, "Okay I should go back to work."

"Yeah, I mean really, what are you talking to me for?" She pushed herself away from the wall and reached for the paint brush again.

"Don't know," He laughed, "I'll see you later?"

"Count on it."

"Are you sure you don't mind locking up?" Niles asked her a few hours later.

"Not at all, go home to your wife and son." Phoenix said with a smile, "I'll be right behind you anyway."

"Got a date tonight?" Niles wiggled his eyebrows with a smile.

She blushed, "Sort of now go," She swatted his arm.

"Fine I'm gone." He grabbed his bag and kissed her forehead, "See you tomorrow."

"Bye," She smiled. Twenty minutes later she made sure all the doors were locked and lights where off, with a final sweep of the place she shut the back door and locked it behind her. She shivered, it was a bit chilly so she zipped her coat up and sped walked down the alley.

She didn't know anyone was there until arms grabbed at her from behind one holding her back the other clamping a hand over her mouth. She screamed into the hand, in spite of herself.

"Well, well look what we have here. I'd say it's nice to see you again, but since Danny was so rude and didn't introduce us I figured it was only fair to do the honors." He backhanded her then grabbed her by the hair, "Hi, I'm your worst nightmare."

She glared at him then spit in his face before the guy holding her clamped his hand over her mouth again.

Sonny wiped the spit off his face calmly with the back of his sleeve and just looked at her with cold eyes, "You're gonna regret doing that." His elbow came up and clipped the other side of her head, "I would advise not screaming or I'll have to make this a longer night than it has to be. Are you gonna scream?" He asked her.

She regarded him for a second then shook her head. He motioned then the guy holding her uncovered her mouth, "What do you want?"

"Your boyfriend seems to have forgotten where he came from; I think he needs a message."

"What kind of message?" She asked.

He punched her in the stomach and sneered when she winced, she would have doubled over if the guy holding her didn't have such a firm grip, "A clear one." He slapped her again, "One that'll make sure I don't go back to jail."

"Let me get this straight," She spit again, but this time it was to get rid of the blood that was pooling in her mouth from her cut lip, "Beating me up gets you out of jail," She scoffed, "Did you lose the only brain cell you had the last time you were in there?"

He grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her and pushed her against the brick wall, "I'd advise against angering me bitch," He was so close to her ear he actually spit by her face. He twisted just a bit more till there was snap. She cried out in pain and gripped his arm as she crumpled to the ground.

He jumped back, and put a hand over his arm, "You'll pay for that." He motioned for the brute with him, "Hold her down, I'll show her who's…" He started to undo his belt when he was cut off.

"The stupidest fucker." Another voice entered the alley.

Phoenix didn't recognize it and with one of her eyes swelling shut she and blood pouring into her other eye she could hardly see either, "Help." She whispered.

The voice was rough but he helped her up and shoved her down the alley, "Get outta here." He ordered. She pulled herself along the wall with her good arm, slowly.

"Go the fuck home." He said, she presumed to the guy that had held her, then she heard someone be grabbed, "What did I tell you when you got outta the joint?" The man asked.

Phoenix kept moving but slowed her pace, partly because her head was pounding and she could hardly see, also because she wanted to hear what was said.

"Keep a low profile." That was Sonny's voice, it sounded strained and almost afraid.

"So you think working over Messer's woman is the way to do that? You're a fucking idiot!"

"I wanted him to get my case thrown out." Sonny explained.

"When was the last time he helped us with anything?" The guy asked then sounded exasperated, "I'll answer for you, not since he left, so what the fuck makes you think he'd do it now?"

"I wasn't thinking, I was just…"

"No you weren't fuckin' thinking; this is the last time Sonny. Next time you get thrown in the joint, I don't even know you."

Phoenix rounded the corner and managed to hail a cab just in front of the theatre. With much persuasion she finally convinced the cabbie to take her to the forensic lab instead of the hospital. She tried to brush the blood out of her eye so she could see better and concentrated on the buildings outside to stop from passing out.

Mac and Stella were walking through the lab talking about one of their cases when the front receptionist called, "Someone call 911!"

Instinctively they both ran to the scene, "No! Please don't touch me." A weak voice exclaimed.

Phoenix pushed the woman away from her, "Please I just," She sawsomeone she recognizedfrom dinner the other night, "I'm evidence." She finally said then collapsed.

Stella squatted down next to her, "Phoenix?" She looked up, "Mac, this is Danny's girlfriend."

Mac expression was stone serious, "Step away from her Stella."

They could already hear the sirens wailing. Stella looked up at him, "What?"

"You get a hold of Danny and bring him to the hospital. You can't be near this case, you've already met her." He explained.

"Mac I hardly know the woman! I just met her, she left after Sassone…" She stopped and nodded, "The DA could use that against us, if this was Sonny…"

Mac cut her off, "She said she was evidence Stella,let's be cautious and assume this isSonny. Now, go get Danny and tell Lindsay to meet me at the hospital." He was right with the paramedics as they put Phoenix onto a stretcher and into the ambulance.

Danny lolled his head from side to side and let out a breath. Nix was going to have to give him an extra massage tonight; after all this processing he was pretty sure his body hated him. He smiled to himself looking forward to being home and slightly frightened by the thought. He packed up his kit and said goodbye to the officer at the door then headed over to his car.

He didn't realize he wasn't alone until he heard the gun cock. "Just pull into traffic like normal." The voice in the backseat said resting the barrel of the gun near Danny's neck.

It took him a second to register what was going on then he did as he was told and rolled his eyes, "Are the dramatics really necessary Lou?"

"I'm surprised you remember me." The bitterness wasn't at all removed from his tone. Lou Sassone valued loyalty and he figured Danny had done the worst kind of disloyalty by becoming a cop.

"I'm sorry Lou but I figured it was time for us to see other people, I really thought you'd be over it by now." Danny could care less that this guy had a gun to his head; he knew Lou wouldn't shoot him.

"Fuck the sarcasm Messer; I've had a long night."

"And I'm supposed to care because?"

"Trust me, you'll care soon enough. Now I have a proposition for you."

Danny pulled to a stop at a light and turned around, "Do you really think I give a shit about anything you could propose?"

Lou just glared at him, piles of contempt in his eyes, "Listen I have no respect for your lack of loyalty, but right now we have the same problem so here's the deal. By the end of the night you're gonna want my brother dead and I can make it happen, but I won't unless you give me the go ahead." He flipped a card onto the front passenger seat and opened his door, "Think about it and give me a call." He exited the vehicle before Danny could say another word.

Danny was pondering what Lou had said when he finally pulled in front of his building. Why would he want Sonny dead? Sure seeing him at dinner had been annoying and the can of worms he had opened wasn't welcome, but wanting him dead? What a waste of a perfectly good crime scene!

He stopped off at Nix's apartment and was slightly puzzled when she didn't answer the door. He turned his phone back on and was about to start listening to his messages when the elevator door opened again. He shut his phone at the person coming down from the floor above, "Stella?"

She was on her phone and spoke quickly when she saw him, "I just found him, we'll be right there." She pocket her phone and held the doors for him, "You need to come with me."

He stepped into the elevator, "What's going on? Where are we going?"

"Hospital," She said giving him a look that was slowly starting to freak him out.

"What? Why?"

"It's Nix," Stella said with a sigh.

His heart plummeted to his feet, "W-what?" He followed Stella through the lobby of his building.

She put her hand on his arm, "I'm sorry Danny."

"About what?" He shrugged her hand off, "You haven't told me why she's at the hospital." They got into her car.

"She showed up at the lab," Stella explained as she eased her way into traffic, "She looked like she was beaten up pretty bad."

"Why?" He put his head in his hands, "Why would she come to the lab? She knew I wasn't there."

"She said she was evidence." Stella said simply.

Danny was stunned. What the hell was going on? He didn't say another thing and Stella wisely didn't try to make him talk just watched him hoping this wouldn't push him over the edge.

Inside his coat pocket Danny fingered the card Lou had given him, the man's words resonating in his ears. By the end of the night you're gonna want my brother dead. His mouth twitched; if Sonny did anything to Nix then Lou wasn't wrong.

AN Still following...you don't hate me for mentioning the ring tone? LoL Right I'll go work on the next chapter. :)