Thanks for the reviews! I'll keep uploading, just let me know what you think :)
The day slipped quickly past the team. Danny and Lindsay, with Hawkes' help, were able to make significant progress on their own case, involving what appeared to be a 'simple' hit-and-run, had it not transpired that the victim was dead at least fifteen minutes before the truck was on the road. Armed with two leads to hand over to night shift, they planned to slip off home before anyone noticed. Their plan was foiled by Flack, inviting them out to Casey's for a "quick drink".
Lindsay smiled fondly at Danny, who was, as usual, pretending desperately not to be interested in going. "We're in, Flack." She grinned at the detective, who looked shocked for a second, but quickly grinned back.
"Great, gang's meeting at eight. Now I've only gotta get Mac there, and we have a full house."
"As much as I'd like to see that happen, Flack, it's my personal opinion that pigs will fly before Mac comes to any social event without being bullied into it by Stella, who does not seem up to bullying anyone at the moment." Danny finished, Flack raised an eyebrow, and Lindsay coughed. "She's behind me, right?" Danny raised his eyebrows at his own bad luck, and wheeled around to face Stella who was leaning against the doorway, less for effect than for support.
"Danny, I'll be dead before I stop bullying Mac into doing the right thing. You guys could try asking him once in a while though, he's human, really!" She forced herself to smile again, and all three of the younger detectives noticed the case file that she clutched tightly in her hand.
"Stella, are you okay? You're case, I mean, not-" Lindsay broke off, unsure whether she had said the wrong thing.
Stella sighed. "Nothing we haven't seen before. Let's just say it's not your case for a good reason, Lindsay. The stuff people do…I know we're supposed to be used to it by now, but how are we ever going to get used to the torture of two-year-olds?" It was only that day that Sid had been able to give a full autopsy report, and it transpired that he had been tortured to death. He had gone into cardiac arrest as a result of his abuse. Stella had stared numbly at his tiny body while Sid rattled off the details, seemingly unaware of her own inner turmoil. He hadn't failed to notice, but he sensed, correctly, that she was not in the mood for interruptions. Her unconscious thanked him, and she had left the morgue to find Danny rattling off a speech about Mac's social life, or lack thereof. It was a welcome distraction. "But, on the plus side, we found epithelial trace on the boy's neck and chest, and a hair on his leg, which Adam's dealing with now. If we can find anything that doesn't belong to his parents or sister, we might be in luck." She laughed, dryly, and the others understood. It was lucky to catch a killer, but luckier still would have been for the victims – this baby – not to have suffered at all.
"Wanna come for a drink, Stella, might take your mind off things…" Flack trailed off, unsure what her reaction would be. It was unwritten policy that Mac and Stella wouldn't join the younger detectives – they respected their employees, and themselves, too much to get drunk with them.
"Thanks but no thanks, Don. I have to get back to Adam, and then go and talk to the parents again. I got saddled with 'keeping them updated'. Why don't we draw lots for that job again?" She mused aloud.
"Never had you down as a gambling lady, Stel." Danny joked, trying to lighten the light tension that Stella eminated.
"It's always the quiet ones," Her eyes started to sparkle again. It was fantastic to see. "You should know that, Danny!" Her words echoed Hawkes' own, and the sparkle was gone as quickly as it had arrived. "I'll see you tomorrow, I need to get on. Have fun…" She left the lab, already wrapped up in thought.
The three younger detectives stared at each other. "Whatever's going on here, I don't like it. Stella has never, ever let a case get to her like this before. And there have been some that even distracted Mac, but Stella's always got through her own feelings. I don't know…" Flack shook his head, and watched Danny and Lindsay put their coats on. "See you both later," He moved to exit the lab. "Eight o'clock, Casey's. Don't drive!"
"Why do you think I got Lindsay pregnant?" Danny joked, forgetting momentarily that she was standing next to him. Her sharp shove into his abdomen reminded him, and he grinned. "Now, how is it fair that I'm subject to abuse, and I run out to the 7/11 at all hours for the weirdest food, and I did the washing up this morning, and…" His voice was lost as they headed down the hall together. Mac looked up as they passed, and Lindsay smiled at him.
"Find Stella." She mouthed at him, and then turned back to Danny, who was still listing chores that he did.
"Shut up, Dan," She told him. "I'm carrying your child. Isn't that enough?"