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 I still don't own Taylor! This chapter title belongs to the completely awesome Queen! Much thanks goes to Aphina and Axellia for betaing this for me!

Chapter 37.

Another One Bites the Dust

Danny was drifting off to sleep, watching Saturday Night Live, when Cory began to whimper. He felt her snuggle against him, her subconscious seeking comfort, so he wrapped his arms around her. "Shush…It's okay," he murmured.

Cory didn't hear him; she was locked in a nightmare.

Cory looked up and squinted into the sunlight. She smiled, looking at her mother, carrying her new sister towards the swings. She watched from where she was sitting in the sandbox and then looked back down at her toys. Giggling, she was piling sand into a pail when a shadow fell over her. She looked up in curiosity.

"Do you want some candy?" a man asked, holding out a lollipop to her. Cory nodded as she reached for the candy. The man pulled the candy just out of her reach and beckoned her to follow him.

The next thing that Cory knew, the man had picked her up and as she started to scream for her mother, his hand covered her face, muffling her screams.

Cory shot awake, screaming for her mother. Danny tightened his arms around her, trying to comfort her out of the nightmare.

"It's just a nightmare, bella. It's okay. Everything's okay," he murmured, stoking her hair.

Cory wrapped her arms around him, shaking like a leaf. "Danny?" she asked with tears rolling down her face. "Oh, God. Danny!"

Danny continued to stroke her hair. "Cory? What was the nightmare about?"

Cory looked up at him, still shaking. "I'm not sure. I think I was being kidnapped. But I don't understand; I was never kidnapped."

Danny looked at her. "It was just a dream, bella."

Cory looked at him, shaking her head. "No, it wasn't. I know what a dream feels like. This was more familiar, more intimate. I was never kidnapped, so why would I dream this?"

Danny just drew her into his chest. "I don't know bella. I don't know. Why don't we go to bed?"

Cory nodded as she stood up off the couch. Together they walked to the bedroom.

When Cory awoke the next day, she was still subdued. She looked at Danny, who was still fast asleep. She puzzled over her nightmare in her mind, knowing in her gut that it wasn't a nightmare. It was a memory. Why? Why wouldn't Mom tell me I'd been kidnapped? It doesn't make sense. Wait. Calmly think this over.

"Cory? Talk it out to me," Danny murmured sleepily.

"Huh?" she replied, a little startled.

Danny sat up in the bed, wiping the sleep from his eyes. "You're obviously thinking about your dream. I know it helps you to talk things out, so talk it out."

Cory smiled softly, realizing with a start how well Danny could read her. "Okay. Obviously, I was kidnapped as a child." She closed her eyes, trying to bring the details of the dream back to her, concentrating on the weather. "It was fall."

"How do you know that?" he questioned, trying to jog her memory.

"It was cool, but not cold. The grass was brown. That only happens in the fall. The summer heat turns everything brown by mid-July," she replied. "I was in the park, with my mom and Beth, but Beth was a baby. So this must have been in '78."

"How do you know what year it was?"

Cory looked at him. "Beth was just an infant. She was born in July of 1978, so since she was an infant, then it had to be that year."

Danny looked at her, impressed, but skeptical. "Okay. So where were you in the park?"

Cory furrowed her brow as she tried to recall the details which felt like trying to catch a fish in a barrel of water. She sighed heavily. "The sandbox. I was playing in the sand. Mom and Beth were at the swings. Mom was sitting in a swing with Beth in her arms, rocking back and forth. Then a man came. He asked me if I wanted candy and led me away from view." Cory opened her eyes. "That's all I remember."

"What did the man look like?"

"I have no idea. I didn't get a clear look at him."

Danny looked at her. "Why don't you ask your mom about it?

Cory shook her head. "No way. She didn't tell me that she had an affair and it's a possibility that my dad isn't my dad."

Danny shook his head. "Bella? She might not have admitted that she had an affair, but I can't see why she wouldn't tell you that you were kidnapped."

Cory sighed as she settled back on the bed. "I don't know. I feel like I don't know her anymore." She shook her head in confusion.

Danny looked at her with concern shining in his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her. "Sweetheart, I know that you feel confused, but she did tell you about the affair."

Cory pursed her lips. "Only after Aunt CC told me to ask her about Alejandro. That's the whole reason she told me. I confronted her with the name."

Danny stroked her hair. "It's a tough decision. Listen. If you were kidnapped, wouldn't there be some sort of record about it? Newspaper articles, police reports? You do work for the FBI. Why don't you see what you can find?"

Cory shook her head sheepishly. "Why the hell didn't I think about that?" She turned in his arms and kissed him in her gratitude. She had just started to deepen the kiss when both of their phones rang. Reluctantly they pulled apart. "Damn," Cory muttered. "Can't we get a day off?"

Danny laughed. "You know that crime doesn't sleep," he quipped as he picked up his phone.

"Messer?"

"Reid?"

"Be right there," they both responded.

Cory had a hunch and decided to go with her gut. "Where's your DB at?"

"Docks."

"Pier 12, right?"

Danny looked at her in surprise. "Yeah. How'd ya know?"

"That's where I'm headed. DB is Javier Martinez." Cory closed her eyes briefly. "Damn. I was hoping to capture him and get some information out of him on Montoya." She sighed again as she got out of the bed and began to get ready.

An hour later, after battling the hellish traffic, Cory and Danny arrived at the scene. Both were dressed in jeans and button down shirts. Cory had her sheepskin jacket that Lindsay had gotten her on, still not used to the cold weather. Flashing their badges, both stepped under the crime scene tape.

"Whadda ya got, Flack," Danny queried.

"DB, floater. Shot execution style and dumped in the river."

Cory knelt down and looked at the body. "Yup. That's Javier Martinez." She shook her head in resignation. "Damn."

Flack looked at Cory, empathizing with her. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Flack. I don't know if he would have given me any info anyway. I still have Gabriel locked up, so maybe he can shed some light on this." Cory withdrew her phone from her pocket. "Hey, Lydia. It's Cory. I'm sorry to drag you out of bed, but Javier Martinez was just found dead. Can you go to Riker's and break the news to Gabriel? Thanks."

Danny was studying the body as she hung up the phone. "Looks just like the body of Hector."

"I expect that he was killed by Montoya." She stood up. "Look. I'm going to the office. I'm going to see if I can possibly get a recent address for him for you. I'll call you if I find anything," she said as she turned to walk away.

"Just let me know," Danny called after her as he prepared to examine the body further.

Several hours later, Cory was frustrated at her lack of finding anything for the team. Sighing, she shut down her computer and prepared to leave, coming to the decision that she was getting nowhere. She had just walked out of her office when her phone rang.

"Reid."

"Cory? Where the hell are you?" Taylor's concerned voice asked her.

"Aw, shit, Tay. I'm sorry! I totally forgot about our lunch plans! I got called in to work, but I'm leaving now. I can be there in fifteen."

Taylor chuckled. "I understand. I'll order you something to eat, so it'll be here ready when you get here."

"Thanks, Tay."

Cory was still shaking her head at herself when she walked into the café. "Tay," she said as she sat down at the table. "I am so sorry. It's been a weird day."

Taylor raised her eyebrow. "Weird day as in my definition of weird or something else?"

Cory thought for a moment. "A little of both," she said as she filled Taylor in on her dream.

Taylor thought for a moment. "I think Danny's right. You should do some digging and you should talk to your mom."

"I'm not ready to talk to my mom. I did do a little digging in the FBI files, but I didn't find anything." She paused for a moment. "That doesn't really mean anything, though. The FBI only gets involved if children are taken across state lines."

Taylor nodded thoughtfully. "Why don't I dig around? I have some useful contacts around the country; maybe they'll be able to find something."

"You would do that for me?" Cory asked in surprise.

"Of course! That's what friends do. Beside, things are still quiet on the ghost front, so I have extra time." She looked at Cory, a question forming. "Why haven't you asked Armando or your Aunt CC about it?"

Cory shook her head. "I don't think that they can release the information to me." She paused again, trying to put her thoughts into a coherent sentence. "After I had the first dream, Aunt CC told me to ask Mom about Alejandro. They just showed up. I didn't call 'em. If they were allowed to give me information, I think they would have shown up by now."

Taylor nodded in understanding. "I really hate TPTB sometimes. They are so damn cryptic. I mean, Maddy can speak every single language there is, but she's not allowed to translate for me?" In exasperation, Taylor rolled her eyes.

Cory laughed softly. "I think it's more about the journey, grasshopper. If they just told us everything then that takes free will out of the equation."

Taylor laughed at her sally. "I know, it's just good to whine about to someone who understands!"

Cory couldn't help it, she burst out laughing. "I'm sorry," she said in between giggles. "I just can't stop!"

Taylor nodded and joined her in her laughter, thinking that it was good to see Cory in a good mood after everything that had happened.

AN: Hmmm...What could this dream mean? I promise you...It's worth the wait! So, anyway, only 2 reviews for the last chapter:( Go read Gotham's Heroes!!!!!

Soccer-Bitch - I'm glad you liked it!!! That's true...They are building a new stadium for the Cowboys, so starting in the 2009 season, I won't have to worry about battling traffic on weeknight games!

CSI Junkie - Is this soon enough for you???? I'm glad you liked the turn in the case! It was fun to write. I hope you like what is coming up. :) Feel free to PM me if you think you figure it out!!!!

Aphina-I know you tried to review...Try it again...I'd love to hear what you had to say about the chapter (since it's been like a month since I wrote it!)

Okay guys...You lurkers are fabulous!!! I don't think I've ever had as many hits on a chapter as I did for the last one! Please review and let me know what you think! If something doesn't make sense or if you want clarification on something, I'm always willing to give you what info I can without ruining the plot!