A/N - I'm finally back. A big sorry goes out to all my lovely and loyal readers who have been waiting so patiently for an update (again). Unfortunately my computer crashed (again) and it's only getting back up now (again!) :s. To say sorry and thank you I have the two brand new chapters I promised and a few more new ones to come! They are un-beta'd so all the mistakes are mine.

As usual I own nothing, only Maggie Flack and other non-CSI: NY characters. I also don't own the music lyrics at the beginning of each chapter. For this chapter the credits go to Keith Urban for "Tonight I Wanna Cry". I know the lyrics are pretty long this time, but it really fits this chapter! Enjoy: D

Chapter 7 - Tonight I Wanna Cry

Alone in this house again tonight

I got the TV on, the sound turned down and a bottle of wine

There's pictures of you and I on the walls around me

The way that it was and could have been surrounds me

I'll never get over you walkin' away.

I've never been the kind to ever let my feelings show

And I thought that bein' strong meant never losin' your self-control

But I'm just drunk enough to let go of my pain

To hell with my pride, let it fall like rain

From my eyes

Tonight I wanna cry

Don quietly opened the front door to his family's home and went inside. The smell of his mothers cooking wafted down the hall from the kitchen and he could hear the chatter and clinking of dishes from the dining room.

He should have gone in and eaten with his family. They needed him just as much as he needed them then. But instead of joining his siblings around the table, he slowly and quietly walked upstairs to her room hoping they hadn't heard him come in.

And only his mother and his older sister, Kim, heard the door close. They exchanged looks from across the table and Mrs. Flack shook her head as if to say "Let the boy be, dear. He has to do this on his own." As much as Colleen loved all her children she knew that she was right. She desperately wanted her baby girl to come home, but she knew that Don was the only one that could make that happen.

Don opened the door to Maggie's room and was greeted by her smell. The unique smell that was Maggie: honey, sandalwood, and lilies. She was the only person that could make that smell work, on anyone else it would be horrible.

He smiled a little to himself as he surveyed the room. It was the same as it had always been. Pink walls covered with posters of all her favorite bands and movies. A bulletin board covered with her favorite pictures of the city, and of places she'd like to go. There were all kinds of pictures from school and weekend trips she'd taken with Don to random places in the tri-state area. In most of them she was smiling or laughing. "She does have an infectious laugh." he thought.

Over against the far wall opposite her bed sat a desk. Cluttered with papers from school assignments and stories she'd been reading. In the middle of all the clutter sat her computer. Don looked around the room uneasily. She had given him her password un case of emergencies. Reluctantly he sat down on the swivel chair and muttered "Sorry, Maggie." as typed in the eight letter code.

The computer dinged and Maggie's desktop appeared on the screen. He quickly scanned through her Instant Messenger list and saw nothing that jumped out at him. Her conversations to search through her filed. He tried to remain objective but found photos of Maggie and her friends.

For a moment he wondered if she still kept a journal, but he knew that he would never forgive himself if he invaded that privacy.

As Maggie's email page loaded on the computer Don got up and walked around the room. On her dresser there were pictuers and awards for swimming, skating, baseball and basketball. There was one picture dated a few weeks ago where she was standing on the ice of a local rink with a huge smile on her face, and she was holding up a trophy for 1st place in a figure skating competition. She may have been smiling but Don looked at her eyes and they looked...haunted. He shivered a little and walked back over to the computer.

In her inbox there were several dozen unanswered emails with topics such as "Where r u?"., "U missed the party!" and "Boring class w/out u." . The list went on until a few emails that were four days old, they arrived the day Maggie went missing. "U R DEAD!", "Pay up, chica!", TIME'S UP!". Don froze. There was am entire folder of un-opened messages with similar sentiments. But at the top there was one message entitiled "tdl. Be there."

From:

Topic - tdl. Be there.

Message:

$50 Grand.

Stairs of the Met

8.00 Saturday

don't be alte.

Marco'll be there, so u better show or u know who will suffer.

We'll be packin so come alone. No cops.

–KP

Cautiously Don opened the only other new message from "KP". It read:

From:

Topic - U R DEAD!

Message:

U R SO DEAD.

I WANT MY MONEY NOW!!!

U BETTER SHOW OR A BULLET WILL GO IN HIS SKULL! I WANT MY STUFF.

MEET ME NOW! OR HE DIES.

–KP

Don gulped and closed his eyes. Thousands of questions flew around in his head. A "Ding" broke his thought and he glanced at the screen. A new email had just arrived entitled - "Come Get Her."

From:

Topic - Come Get Her

Message:

We know u know.

We've got her, but can u find us?

Try your best, Donnie-boy. See if it's good enough.

–KP

Below the short message was a photo. Maggie was sitting in the middle of the image, jeans torn and her top was covered in mud. There was a dirty cloth that was being used as a gag in her mouth and her hands were tied behind her back. A copy of the New York Times was propped up on her lap. The date said November 13, 2007. That's today's date" he murmured. He managed to bring himself to look at her face. Her long dark hair was matted and dirty and there was dried blood on her forehead. He saw the same look in her eyes: haunted, horrified, and pleading. Tears ran down his face and he quickly wiped them away. Clenching his fists Flack closed the computer and headed for the door. He inhaled deeply once more before closing the door behind him, with the laptop under his arm.

He debated going into the dining room, but decided against it. He was almost st the front door when his mother's voice stopped him. "Donnie" she said quietly. Her voice was firm but kind as she beckoned him into the kitchen "Ma..." he whispered as he approached her. Tears began to run down his cheeks again as the shorter woman drew her son into a hug.

She knew that there was nothing she could say that was going to make this better.

She released him and wiped the tears from his eyes. All she did was nod and kiss his cheek. That was all he needed. Tears welled up in Colleen's eyed too, but she just sighed and turned back to the stove. That was how she dealt with sorrow, and that Don knew, was to cook.

He smirked and kissed her on the cheek "See ya, Ma." He whispered as he went back out into the cold November morning.

A/N - Just so everyone knows, Colleen Flack is not being a negligent mother, she cares very much for her children and wants to get Maggie back. The way I have tried to write her is to make her caring, loving, stern, and compassionate. She trusts Don to find Maggie and is willing to help the police if need be. But Don's dad (Don Flack, Sr.)was a police officer so Mrs.Flack has learned not to interfere.