Disclaimer: I obviously do not own CSI: NY

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 The song title is from Elvis Presley. Thanks to Axellia and Aphina for betaing!

Chapter 59.

Blue Christmas

Cory woke up on Christmas morning, feeling the black depths of despair washing over her. It had been almost a week since Lydia had gone to Spain and they had nothing to show for it. Lydia had called her the night before saying that they were at another dead end. To cap it all off, she'd been having dreams about Danny dying horribly at the hands of Montoya.

She had crawled into bed, numb with pain and despair. She had finally fallen asleep, long after Danny, only to sleep for a few hours. She gently crawled out of bed, so as to not wake him up and crept out of the apartment to go to her office.

When she got there, she sat at her desk, pouring over all her files on Montoya. Looking for clues, looking for something to bring light back into her life. She tried to focus, to center her thoughts but they kept swirling chaotically.

Finally, in frustration, she threw her pen down and bent over to her briefcase. She opened it up and stared at the book lying in it. Her wedding book. The one book with all her plans for her wedding in. The one book she hadn't touched in months. It wasn't that she did love Danny and want to marry him, but it didn't feel right. Without her mom there, nothing felt right. Shaking her head, she snapped the briefcase shut again and looked back down at her file on Montoya. Trying to sort out her feelings.

When Danny woke up, he noticed that Cory was not in the bed. Shaking his head, he got up, knowing that she had been having problems sleeping. That's it. I'm calling her out. I'll make her talk to me. He walked out of the bedroom, looking for her, only to find the apartment empty. Cursing under his breath, he exhaled, trying not to explode. Damn it! She's running away from everything, even me! He sat down on the couch in resignation. What am I supposed to do? He shook his head and got back up. Like it or not, he had a Christmas dinner to prepare.

Several hours later, he almost had everything ready for lunch. He was wryly thinking about all the times that Cory had cooked for them and how easy that he had it. Not that he didn't enjoy cooking, but having someone else cook a big meal for you, was nice, he decided.

He was just finishing up the mashed potatoes when the doorbell rang. Humming softly under his breath, he walked to the door to find Taylor and Marty standing there. Marty was carrying dessert, Taylor a bottle of wine.

He welcomed them in and Marty joined him in the kitchen, to try to finish up lunch. "How've ya been, Marty?" Danny asked.

Marty shrugged. "You know, overworked and underpaid. Hopefully after the holidays the body rush will calm down a little bit. How's Cory doing?"

Danny looked at him in surprise. "Why?"

Marty raised an eyebrow. "She was kidnapped and her mother is missing. It doesn't take a psychiatrist to know that she's gotta be feeling some trauma."

Danny nodded. "She's holding it together. It hasn't been easy for her, but she's strong," Danny said, the lie rolling off of his tongue. He was thankfully interrupted by Flack and Lindsay coming in. "Flack. Montana? I thought you had to work," Danny said in surprise.

Lindsay just smiled. "Crime has decided to take a small breather. Both Stella and I have our phones and if there are any calls out we have to leave, but otherwise, we're free to stay here." She smiled at them. "Why don't I go into the living room and let you men folk do the work. It's a nice change."

Danny just rolled his eyes at her as she left the room. "So Flack…" he began as he directed them to help him finish up lunch.

In the living room, Stella, Taylor and Lindsay were catching up. Taylor with a look of concern in her eyes. "Any of you talk to Cory much lately?" she asked.

Stella looked at her in surprise. "Not a lot. We've been busy with the usual pre-holiday crime wave. Why?"

Taylor nodded. "I just get this feeling that she is not coping as well as she could be."

Lindsay nodded. "You know, she has been kinda distant lately. I know that I've wanted to get together for lunch a couple of times, but she always says that she's working on a case."

Stella thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, she has. Maybe she's just trying to process everything? You know when she's stressed she likes to be alone. She usually doesn't even want Danny around. I think that is her way of coping," she tried to explain.

Taylor shook her head, not believing that was what was going on, but she didn't want to cause a fight. "Could be," she finally said, making a mental note to talk to Danny when she had a chance. Little did she know that her chance wouldn't come until they were all leaving to go home.

The rest of the group had left. Stella and Lindsay had a call out a little after six, so the party decided to break up. Danny was in the kitchen, so Taylor took her chance. "Marty? I'll meet you at the car," she said softly.

Marty nodded, knowing that she wanted to talk to Danny. They'd had an interesting conversation on the way over; one that included Maddy and Aiden. "Okay. Don't take to long," he said as he gave her a soft kiss.

Taylor smiled as she turned and walked towards the kitchen. "Danny?" she called softly.

"Yeah?"

"Is everything okay with Cory?"

Danny looked at her, not surprised. "Why do you ask?"

Taylor drew in a breath, choosing her words carefully. "Maddy. She said that Cory's refusing to talk to Armando about some dreams she's been having about her mom." She bit her lip a little, hoping that Danny would open up to her.

Danny's shoulders slumped in defeat. "She barely talks to me anymore, Tay. It's like we're two different people occupying the same space. From what she's told me, she keeps seeing her mom being killed and she's just shut down. I don't know if she's holding it all in or if she's trying to run away, but…" he trailed off, unable to verbalize his feelings.

Taylor nodded. "Look. Maddy gave me some advice to give to you. Don't let her shut you out. She needs someone to talk to about whatever is going on. She may try to drive you away, but don't let her." She smiled at him before continuing, "And Danny? If you need to talk, you know my number."

Danny smiled tiredly at Taylor. "Thanks, Taylor. I'll keep that in mind."

Taylor just waved over her shoulder as she left.

Danny hung up the towel he'd been using to dry dishes with and decided to call Cory. He knew that she should have been home a little after five, but he had a feeling she was avoiding things. He called both her office number and her cell, but only got voicemail. Frustrated, he kept himself from throwing the phone across the room. Fine. Ya wanna play it that way? If you won't come to me, I'll come to you, he thought as he grabbed his keys and left the apartment.

Cory was sitting in her darkened office, staring out the window. She had long since stopped answering her phone. She stared at the New York skyline, feeling as numb as she could be when she heard Danny walk in.

"Cory? Bella? What are you doing?" he asked softly.

Cory didn't turn to look at him. "I can't do this anymore, Danny," she said quietly.

Danny looked around at the office. Papers were strewn everywhere and her wedding book was lying in a broken heap by the door. "Can't do what, sweetheart?"

Cory turned around, shrugging, pointing around the office. "This! Everything! I just—I just can't!" She closed her eyes as she turned around, knowing that she had to tell him about the decision that she'd made. "I can't marry you," she said so softly that Danny wasn't sure that he'd heard her correctly.

"What do you mean that you can't marry me?" he asked in shock. "What's going on with you?"

"Just go Danny. Just go."

Danny felt something snap inside of him and his anger took over. "No. I will not just go! Damn it, Cory, you owe me an explanation. Why now? Why can't you marry me?" he pleaded with her, trying to break through the shell she had wrapped herself in.

Cory turned around, the numbness gone and pain shining in her eyes. "Look around, Danny. Everyone I love dies. You don't deserve that. I'm cursed. First James, then Mike, Armando, Dad. I can't lose you, too!" she cried as tears began to flow down her cheeks. "Mom's missing and I can't seem to find her. What the hell good is it for me to be an FBI agent if I can't find my own mother?" She backed away as Danny took a step towards her. "No. Everything I touch gets cursed. I can't do that to you, Danny. I love you too much to let that happen. So, I can't marry you. You deserve to be with someone that won't be the cause of your death!"

Danny shook his head and kept moving towards her until she didn't have anywhere to go. He gently cupped her face with his hands. "I ain't going nowhere, sweetheart. You are not cursed. You being with me will not cause my death. Even if it did, that's a death that I would willingly go to." He gently brushed the tears leaving tracks on her cheeks.

Cory shook her head. "You don't understand, Danny. I've been having dreams about you dying. Visions. Montoya kills you because of me. I won't let that happen. I can't knowingly cause a death." She tried to move away, but he wouldn't let her.

"Cory? Didn't you tell me that the future is not set in stone? Each and every decision that we make changes it," he said calmly, trying to reason with her. "If I knew for certain, that I would die tomorrow because of my relationship with you, I wouldn't change a damn thing. So stop trying to protect me. I'm not leaving you."

Cory felt her knees crumble as she fell to the floor where Danny gathered her into his arms. "I can't Danny," she mumbled into his chest.

Danny sighed. "Look. Why don't we put off the wedding, until we find out about your mom? I know you've been having problems trying to plan with everything that's happened. I don't care if I marry you in October or next year sometime. What matters is that I'm with you."

Cory couldn't think of a response. She couldn't come up with the words that she needed to make him understand. All she could do was sit and cry; certain that by staying with him, she was condemning him to certain death. But she was too tired to fight him. Too drained to do more than clutch at his shirt and pray to any god she could think of that he would be safe.

Danny wrapped his arms tightly around her, rocking her gently in his arms, murmuring into her hair that he would never leave her. Praying to God that he'd gotten through to her.

AN: Okay, don't kill me! I think it was high time that she had a meltdown! Okay guys...I have completed this story and if my muse will ever gets back from Bora Bora, I am trying to write the first chapter of the sequel, but I will post the next chapter when I get 295 total reviews!

katydid13 - It was. I liked adding that twist in and it will come back in the sequel. Like Mac always says, everything is connected! Thanks!

CSI junkie - Nope, the first theory is way off. She's going free for now, but you are on track with the second theory! I'm not even revealing the depth of that theory until the sequel, so good call!

Aphina - Your muse is on crack with the Miracle fic! But I'm addicted!! I like planning raids, they are so much fun to write!! E is very evil and he just gets much more so! I think my muse has made it back to the States...I feel a complete urge to write a silly story (which you will be getting as soon as I finish it) and I'm giggling at the direction my muse is taking me!

Maddy - My muse must be making the rounds because she was visiting Aphina...but if she's in NOLA then it makes complete sense with the urge to write a silly story coming over me! The plot is full of twists and turns ahead, so be prepared for the ride! (This is one of the chappies I was writing when I told you Cory might need a good thearapist after!)