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 Thanks to Aphina and Axellia for the beta!

Chapter 55.

Blue

Danny arrived back at their apartment, frustrated with not being able to find any of the friends and family members of Anthony Carelli's at home. When he walked in, he was shocked to see Cory sitting on the floor in front of their coffee table. "Cory? Bella? What's wrong?"

Cory looked at him in shock; she hadn't heard him walk in. "I had another nightmare about Mom. I really think she's in trouble, Danny. And I can't help her," she said quietly.

Danny sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her and felt her shaking. "Cory, are the dreams giving you anything to go on?" he asked her.

Cory leaned against him, relishing in the strength he was projecting. "Not really. She's in a warehouse, tied to a chair and some man is asking her to give him info on me. She refuses and he kills her." She shuddered at the memory. "I can't even tell where the warehouse is. Absolutely no idea. Then I get home and I haven't even decorated for Christmas! It's my favorite season!"

Danny smiled softly. "How 'bout I decorate for you? I think I can do that and if it makes you feel better, then it's worth it."

Cory smiled as she shook her head. "No. It doesn't feel right to decorate when Mom is missing." She thought for a moment. "What are y'all doing for Christmas? I have to work."

"I'm going to cook," Danny replied. "The guys will be over here, since all you women are working. Mac's going to help me and we'll save you leftovers."

"Good. I'm sure that I'll be hungry by the time I leave. Oh, Lydia may not be here. Alistair thinks that he found a lead on Mom in Spain and he has requested that she go over there to be a liaison with the Spanish police."

Danny looked at her in awe. "Wow. That's good, isn't it?"

Cory frowned slightly. "My heart says yes, but my logical brain says no. I have raids planned that I really need her help on. The rest of the team isn't up to leading a raid yet, but this is very time sensitive. If she goes, then it's just going to make things a little more difficult for me, but it'll be worth it if we rescue her." Cory looked down and then leaned forward to bring her computer closer to her. "On that note, I need to see if I can reshuffle some things to make way. Lydia said she would give me her answer tomorrow."

She booted up her computer and then really looked at Danny, who looked a little worn down. "You okay? You seem a little down," she asked him lightly.

"I'm good. Just frustrated at my case. We know the guy's identity, but now trying to find the murderer is frustrating."

Cory patted his hand lightly. "You'll find 'em, sweetie. I know that. It just takes some time."

"I know, it's still frustrating," Danny replied. He got up and stretched. "You hungry?" At Cory's affirmative nod he continued, "How about Chinese tonight?"

"Sounds fabulous," she said pulling up her email.

The following day, Danny was back in the lab, trying to pin down who could have killed Carelli. They had pulled a background check on him and found some interesting things from when he was in New York.

"Hey, Flack?" Danny asked as he reviewed the file. "What about this gang he was involved with as a teenager? Do we have any names for them?"

Flack shook his head. "I'm working on it. I had to request the file from Vice, but since it's so long ago, they are trying to find it."

Danny nodded. "For some reason, I think that the Naughty list and this gang are involved."

Lindsay nodded her agreement. "I think you're right, Danny. I mean, this man has avoided New York for the last thirty years. Why come back now?" She pushed her hair behind her ears. "If we can find the reason that he left, maybe we can find a killer."

Flack nodded. "I have a couple of interviews set up with his remaining friends and family members today. Maybe I can get something out of them," he stated.

Lydia walked into the FBI building still not knowing what she was going to do. Her and Sheldon had talked about her options extensively, but she was still undecided. She smiled at her memory of what Sheldon had said. "Whatever you decide, I'm okay with. If you feel that you need to go to Spain to help Cory, then do it. If you feel that you are needed more here, then stay here. Cory will understand."

She had nodded and she knew deep in her heart that Cory would back whatever decision she made. She was still debating with herself when she walked into Cory's office. She studied Cory, as she was talking on the phone and noticed the dark circles under her eyes, the lack of her normal sparkle.

Cory watched as Lydia walked in; it was obvious that she was torn over what to do. She made a motion with her hand as she was finishing up her phone call to Agent Michaels. "Yes, sir. I do believe that speed is of the essence with this. I want to carry out both of these raids within the next couple of days. Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," she said before she hung up the phone. She turned to Lydia with a question in her eyes. "So…"

Lydia bit her lip, lightly. "I'll do it. I'll go to Spain and see if we can find your mom."

Cory smiled softly. "I don't know how to thank you, but I can tell you that you will be missed. I actually had two scenarios in mind and that's what I was talking to Agent Michaels about. I talked to Alistair this morning and he would want you to be in Spain by Friday, so I'm moving the raids up to Wednesday."

Lydia furrowed her brow. "When did you talk to him?" She glanced down at her watch. "It's half past eight!"

Cory smiled. "I've been up since five. I got here at seven and he was my first call. They are five hours ahead of us. I caught him just as he was leaving for lunch."

Lydia smiled. "Ah. I get it."

Cory looked at her. "What made you decide?"

"I don't know. I truly didn't know my answer until I walked in here today, but it just seems like the right thing to do."

"I really appreciate this, Lydia," Cory said softly.

"Cory. You've done so much for me. It's the least I can do."

"Thanks. Listen; tell everyone that I want to pull up for a meeting at ten. I'll go over the new plans with them and see if we can catch these smugglers."

Lydia smiled and walked out of the office.

Danny and Lindsay were standing outside of an interrogation room, watching Flack talk to the victim's best friend from school.

"Listen, Michael. I know that you and Anthony were best friends during school. So tell me. Why'd he leave New York?" Flack asked.

Michael shifted uncomfortable in his chair. "What's this all about?"

Flack refrained from rolling his eyes. "He's dead. He was found dead a couple of days ago."

Michael's eyes opened wide. "What! How?"

"He was murdered and I am trying to find out who did it. So, why'd he leave New York?"

Michael sat back. "He had a run in with the gang. He wanted out. Wanted to change his life, the leader didn't want him to go."

"What was his name?"

"Rico. Rico Marchelli."

"Do you know where I can find Rico?"

"In the cemetery. He was killed two years after Tony left."

Flack sighed in frustration. "Okay. So did the gang hold grudges? Anyone blame him for Rico's death? Anyone still alive?"

Michael shrugged. "I don't know. I cut my ties with them a long time ago. I can give you a list of gang members, but I don't know if they are still alive."

Flack's only response was to push him a pad of paper and a pen.

Alexis looked around the villa that they were staying at. She realized that they were in Spain, but didn't know where. She was concerned. For days, she had been having disturbing dreams about being killed by someone, but she couldn't see their face. She walked from her bedroom, to a library where she found Montoya typing on a computer. "Alejandro?" she asked cautiously.

Montoya looked up at her with a smile on his face. "What is it?" he asked.

"Why don't you just let me go? We are different people now. There is no way that I can love you," she responded softly.

Montoya got a hard look on his face. "You are mine, mi querida. I will not let you go."

Alexis just shook her head in defeat. "I will not submit to you, Alejandro. You killed my husband and tried to kill my daughter. I will never forget that," she spat back to him as she left the room.

Agitated, she walked around the villa, trying to find something to occupy her time. She finally found herself in the kitchen, so she decided to make some tea. She was watching the tea kettle, waiting for it to whistle when she noticed Etienne leaving the house. Intrigued, she moved so that she could get a better view of him. She saw that he was on a cell phone, but couldn't hear what he was saying. It was obvious that he was arguing with someone from his body language.

He looked up at the windows and noticed her looking at him. He shot her a glare then turned his back, obviously not wanting her to know what he was saying. That was odd, she thought. There is no way that I can hear him from inside the house, so why did he turn? Did he think that I was going to read his lips? I can only do that if he's talking English, even then I'm not good at that. Very, very weird.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the tea kettle and she turned back to the stove, her mind trying to process everything.

AN: So, thoughts? Questions? Concerns? I will let you know, that I am writing a sequel to this called "The War at Home". It will pick up right after this ends, so there won't be any lag time. As far as I can tell right now, this one will be 64 chapters (pending my muse of course), so we're getting close!

Soccer-Bitch - Thanks! The chapters are slowly getting darker, so fluff will be in short supply for a while! I've been better, but the winds shifted during the last week and it's blowing up whatever I'm allergic to. I spend half the day either sneezing or blowing my nose! I'm off to take Benadryl and sleep the sleep of the dead!

Maddy - I feel really bad for Cory. I promise, when I'm done with her, she's going to need some major therapy! Hopefully, Danny's up to the task! You know, I don't think I wrote down what Flack is getting Linds. I know it's not in the Christmas chapter (for obvious reasons, when you get there), so if I remember what he got her, I'll let you know!

CSI junkie - Etienne scares the crap out of me! But I like it. The reason won't probably surprise you, unless my muse changes it, which she is apt to do. That will definitely be in the sequel, though.

Aphina - True, but with as wordy as we both are getting, that time will be a long way coming! Yup, I'm very much alluding to the choppy waters ahead for them, so hopefully, everyone is picking up on how things aren't exactly fine! Thanks for getting PP3 back!

Okay...Reviews make the world go 'round and they really brighten up my day! I will warn you, I'm working about 55 hours a week, so if I get the free time and actually listen to my muse, I can probably write a couple more chapters!