Disclaimer: I obviously do not own CSI: NY. I just own my car, my laptop and my crazy muse who seems to want to write 4 different stories at a time. I also do own any characters that you do not recognize. You can borrow them if you ask permission first!

A/N: Here's the next chappie!! Thanks to all who reviewed. As always, please R&R. My muse loves the attention. :D

Many thanks go out to Axellia for betaing this for me! Any mistakes left are completly my own!

Chapter 19.

Life Goes On

After the funeral, Nicole drove the family and Danny home. Alexis' church had cooked enough food, so they did not have to cook. When they sat down at the table, Danny looked around.

"You have a really nice house, Mrs. Reid."

Alexis tearfully smiled. "Call me Alexis."

Danny smiled. "Only if you'll call me Danny."

Alexis smiled her first real smile of the day. "So, Danny. How did you and Cory meet?"

Danny smiled, thinking back to that fateful day. "We were working a case about a shooting. Cory was an eyewitness. She gave us valuable information. We ended up tracing the bullet back to Mala Suerte, so Flack and I went to see if we could get some information on them from the lead agent. It turns out that it was Cory." He turned to Cory. "I really thought Flack was into you. He was so impressed that you knew the type of bullet that was fired by the sound."

Cory laughed. "You can thank my dad for that. He always took me to the range."

Alexis smiled, remembering Cory and Harold's special time together. "Harold loved guns. He has—I mean had—a rather large collection of guns. Some of them from the Civil War Era."

Danny raised his eyebrows. "Here I thought you were just exaggerating, Cory."

"You should know by now that I would never exaggerate about something like that. Dad instilled my love of gun collecting in me."

Danny smiled. The group kept talking, into the wee hours of the morning.

Finally, looking at the clock, Cory yawned. "I have got to go to bed. I'm exhausted." She turned to Danny. "Why don't you stay here tonight? That way, you don't have to drive around in a strange city."

Danny nodded, but was unsure about what Alexis would think. He looked at her with trepidation.

Alexis saw his look and smiled. "It's okay with me. You can sleep in Cory's room with her."

Danny nodded. "Thank you." He stood up and put his arm around Cory as she led him to her room.

The next couple of days passed in a haze for Cory. Danny was great, he kept her occupied during the day, and her mother loved him, but she was still a little uneasy. Thursday night, she lay in the bed, Danny fast asleep beside her, unable to sleep. Finally, sighing in frustration, she quietly got out of bed and went down to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, she began to make a hot toddy. Once the milk was hot, she walked into the bar area and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels. Gingerly, she poured a shot of the whiskey into the milk.

She was sitting at the table, when the temperature dropped dramatically. She looked up, expecting to see Armando, and almost dropped her mug.

"Mom?"

The ghost smiled. "No, dear. I'm your Aunt CC."

Cory sat there in shock. "But, you've died when you were ten. Why do you look like a grown up?"

CC smiled. "I can choose my appearance. I thought it would be better to appear to you as I would have, if I had survived."

Cory nodded, not quite following the logic. "So, why are you here?"

"For a couple of reasons. One, you need to tell Alexis that it wasn't her fault that I died."

"I knew that she was blaming herself. But she wouldn't listen to me."

CC nodded. "Exactly. She needs to know the reason that I died, since our parents didn't share that fact with her."

Cory looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

CC sighed. "I'm assuming that Alexis told you about our powers?" At Cory nod affirmative, she continued, "Mother and Father decided to have me committed for demonic possession. I was in the institution for almost a year. I endured a multitude of different treatments."

Cory felt a surge of sadness that almost overwhelmed her. "I'm so sorry. Was it the treatments that killed you?"

CC smiled, sadly. "No. I died because of an embolism. I had a blood clot in my brain for several years before I went in. It was undiagnosed."

Cory shook her head. "Grandma and Grandpa never said anything to her, did they?"

"No. So I need you to tell her what actually happened."

Cory nodded. "I can do that. You said there was more?"

CC smiled. "Yes. Go talk to the FBI. You've been moping around for a couple of days, letting things flounder in the wind. Give them the info about Frasier. Let them decide on how to use it. Then get yourself and Alexis back to New York. Life goes on, Cory. You must show your mother that."

Cory nodded. "I've known that I've had to do that, but I didn't want to push Mother out of her comfort zone." She stood up. "Thanks for the talk, Aunt CC."

CC smiled a genuine smile as she began to fade out. "Not a problem, my dear."

Cory put the mug in the sink and went back to bed.

The next day, when Cory woke up, the first thing she did was tell her mother about CC's visit.

Alexis sat in her chair, dumbfounded at the information. "That is such a relief. I was so terrified that I caused her death by presuming to become 'normal' while she chose to stay true to herself. I was sure that the treatments had killed her." Alexis wiped her eyes. "Thank you for telling me this."

"You're welcome." Cory stood up. "Look, I'm going to go visit Agent Henderson and give him all the info I have on Frasier. The more people we have looking for this murderer the better."

Alexis nodded. "I agree. When do you need to go back to New York?"

Cory sighed. "Tomorrow or Sunday. I really can't afford to take any more time off. Danny needs to get back, too."

"I understand. I'll start packing then. It's going to be hard to leave this house."

Cory felt a little sorrow rise in her chest. "I'm sorry, but I just can't take a chance on losing you, too."

Alexis smiled softly. "I understand why you made the request, Cory. That's why I accepted."

Cory nodded and left to go get ready to visit her old boss. When she walked into her room, Danny was just waking up. "Good morning, chere. I'm going to visit the FBI office today. I need to give them the info on Frasier."

Danny opened his eyes and looked at the clock. "It's only eight a.m. and you're already dressed? What's wrong with this picture?"

Cory laughed. "What can I say? When I'm here, I tend to get up early. Mom's an early bird. I got up early to tell her a conversation I had with my aunt last night. She wanted Mom to know that it wasn't her fault that she died."

Danny looked at Cory. "Are you okay?"

Cory smiled. "I'm fine. It was a little weird to be speaking to a ghost that looks exactly like my mother, but I'm dealing. Listen, Mom is making pancakes. Why don't you go eat breakfast? We need to go back home, soon."

Danny nodded and reluctantly got out of bed as she left for the office.

When Cory walked into the Dallas office, she felt a pang of homesickness for the people she had worked with for seven years. As she walked by the various desks, she said hello to her friends and noticed the new faces.

Soon she was at Agent Henderson's office. She knocked on the door and entered when he called out.

Agent Henderson looked up in surprise. "Cory? Why are you here?"

Cory smiled. "I know you can't give any details about the case, but I wanted to give you all the info that I have on Antoine Frasier."

Agent Henderson sighed. "I already got the information from Agent Michaels; however, we are not handling the case. There is no evidence that will connect Frasier to your father's death. We had to hand the case back to local police."

Cory sat down in her shock. "There is no evidence to connect him? What about what Ortiz told me? It's well known that Frasier goes for family and friends first, before actually assassinating the person he was contracted for!"

Agent Henderson winced at the sharp tone Cory had used. "I'm sorry, Cory. The word of a death row inmate doesn't inspire confidence. My hands are tied."

Cory stood up in her fury. "Fine. Whatever. I—I just can't deal with this. Bye." She turned on her heel and stormed out of the office trying to calm herself down. Muttering under her breath, she got into her car and started to drive back to her mother's house.

AN: So...More drama with some loose ends being tied up. I do promise that some fluff is coming!!! (cough, Chapter 21, cough). Anywho...Thanks to all those who reviewed!! I pretty much know where I'm going with the story up until chapter 27 (I was bored on Sunday and planned out the chaps) so hopefully the updates will keep being regular! I also have a couple of side projects that I'm working on, one of the being an original story, so if I update for something other than this...bear with me!

brainDamage-I couldn't keep her on the outs with her mom, could I??? Okay. Put down HP and take a deep breath!!! You are too obsessed! (lol) On another note...I'm also writing a HP fic...so look for that in the future. :D

mj-Sorry to make you sniff!!! I was going for a little more anger here, so hopefully no tissues needed.

CSI junkie - I'm glad that I surprised you. I try and do that every so often...I want to make sure that my readers are on their toes! As it goes, I don't see an end to this fic anytime soon, so your safe for a while!

Please...Please...Please read and review!!! My muse has been a little tempermental lately (having 2 months of rain and now with temps at almost 100F is making her cranky) and the review might put her in a better mood!