Paper Balls
By Dimgwrthien
Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY or affiliates.
Colors exploded in waves, gently turning from a light blue to a silver in seconds, much like the flapping wings of a bird. The colors seemed to change over and over again, each one in a world of its own, very much independent of the others.
Stella watched the diatoms again, trying to remember everything she had learned about them. She'd need to check them with the water sources around the state. It would take some time, but she had all the time in the world until DNA came back. She was getting thirsty, though, and a bit hungry.
"Hey, you wanna -" She glanced up, about to ask Mac if he wanted to grab a sandwich with her, but she saw that his back was to her. He stared down at the table, examining fabric from a vintage shirt they had found near the victim. He held one corner of the sleeve in one hand and picked at the other with tweezers.
"Mac?" she asked. He didn't turn around, but continued to try and get something - she guessed it was a hair or fiber - from it.
"You wanna get something to eat?" She noticed that he still didn't move as if he couldn't hear her. Twisting in her seat, Stella tried to look him over. No headphones. Nothing too important to be dropped.
Getting annoyed, Stella looked around. A notebook sat at her shoulder to take notes on the diatoms in. She turned to the first blank page. Riiiiip. Still no reaction from the other detective. Crinkle, crinkle, crinkle. Stella balled it up and weighed it in one hand. Mac still didn't seem to pay any attention to her. She finally threw the paper ball, which bounced off of Mac's back.
He turned, his eyes focused on Stella. He narrowed his eyes, though not angrily, and raised an eyebrow. Stella grinned, trying to calm down what she thought would be a dangerous explosion from him. Mac gave a small smile in return, though.
"You wanna grab something to eat?" Stella asked.
Mac shrugged. "Sure. Let me finish getting this." He turned back to the table, looking back into the magnifying glass and continued to pick at the sleeve.
"Where?" Mac didn't seem to notice Stella's voice again. She sighed and looked back into her microscope. It would take a while to get anything out of him again. Stella turned back to the microscope, watching carefully as the diatoms continued to reflect their beautiful colors. Even if they would cause her world of trouble, she still had to admit that they seemed magical.
Minutes passed. Stella looked up again to see that Mac had moved to another part of the shirt, examining the torn hem. Riiiip. Crinkle, crinkle, crinkle. This time, the paper ball hit the back of Mac's head. He froze, rubbing his neck, then looked back at her. Stella grinned.
"Where'd you wanna go?"
Instead of answering, Mac picked up the paper, tightening the ball, and threw it back at Stella. She ducked, almost falling off her chair, then tore out another piece of paper. She saw that Mac was armed with one he was crinkling up from his own notebook.
Paper flew between them. Stella giggled as she tore another sheet, hurriedly racing Mac to roll it up and throw it. His hit her cheek before she launched hers at his chest. Mac picked up his notebook, flipping the cover on the spine, and laughed.
"I surrender!" Stella paused, the paper ball still in her hand. Mac grinned at her and wave the book. "I'm out of paper. Want me to pay then?"
Stella smiled and tossed the last ball, hitting Mac's arm. "Sure."
They left the lab.
(Paper Balls)
Danny put down the evidence box, annoyed at how heavy it was. It would take at least two days to get through all of the samples for the case. He came close to wishing the criminal hadn't left any traces, but he knew better than to hope.
As he took out a bag with shoes covered in blood, he started to notice something. Balls of paper littered the floor. Danny looked around, trying to find some source of it, then paused. Stella's notebook sat, abandoned and almost empty, on a table near a microscope. Danny raised an eyebrow.
What the hell had just gone on?