Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of "CSI:NY"-they belong to Anthony E. Zuiker and CBS.

Chapter 11

It takes us a while to get back uptown, because they've started roping off the parade route. Fortunately, Danny knows some shortcuts. He throws the car in park as I run up to Titus and pin him against the door. "Is Mrs. Bedford home?" I demand.

"Young man-"

"Don't 'young man' me, old man," I growl. "I need to know where she is. Now." My tone leaves no room for argument.

"S-She and Master Bedford left about a half hour ago. They're riding in the parade this morning."

"Danny!"

"Yeah I heard," he yells back. "Get in!"

Danny peels out in a haze of smoke and rubber as we hightail it back to the warehouse. Danny can't get any closer than a block and a half away. "Go get him!" Danny tells me. "I'll meet you there!" I fly out of the car and sprint back toward the warehouse. I really need to quit smoking.

I run past an alleyway, but something catches my eye and I have to go back. I jog backwards a couple of steps and see a gray sedan parked in the alley. Looks suspiciously like the one that tried to take out Jessica and I. He's here. I make it to the warehouse. The line is moving, and things are filing out of the warehouse. I catch Dr. Hawkes, giving last minute instructions to the guy holding the reins on a very large horse. "Doc! You seen Mrs. Bedford or her son?" I ask him.

He pauses to think. I don't have this sort of time. "I don't know where the son is," he says finally, "and Mrs. Bedford is in one of the cars near the front of the parade. She asked Jessica if she'd like to ride up front with her."

"How far at the front?"

He looks at his watch. "They've been gone probably ten minutes."

Enough time for them to have gotten far enough away. Suddenly I remember the day in the warehouse. Drew and Casey were standing next to one of the cars. I wonder… "Doc, I need you to find Mac Taylor for me. He's somewhere on the route. We need to find Drew Bedford and we need to find him now."

"What?"

"Just go!" I run outside and almost run smack into Danny. "Danny, I think Drew Bedford's gonna blow up the car his mother is riding in-" Oh no. "And Jessica."

"That won't look too accidental," Danny says.

"Cars have fuel line leaks and brake problems all the time, Messer. We need to get up the parade route, and we need to get up there in a hurry."

He looks around, then throws his hands in the air. "Flack, everythin' around here is movin' at a snails' pace."

I glance back to Dr. Hawkes. The two massive Belgians are right behind us. I groan. "Oh God, I have an idea."

"This is not a good idea!" Danny yells as we weave in and out of traffic on the backs of the two massive Belgians. Fortunately, the crowd's eatin' it up, they think we're part of the attraction. Two of the clowns.

Up ahead, I can see the car. "Okay Danny, you stop that car. I gotta find Bedford!"

"Yeah, no problem," Danny mutters, and digs his shoe into the side of the big horse. They rush past me, and I slow my big guy down as I scan the crowd for Bedford. A couple of little kids with balloons are whispering excitedly and pointing up at me as we clop by them.

I hear the report off to my left, and something sparks on the tuba of the man next to me in the marching band. The crowd screams as they recognize gunshots, and I turn in the direction of the shot. Bedford is running, heading for the front of the parade, for the car…and for Jessica. I jump off the horse, landing hard, and take off after him.

Up ahead, I can see Danny riding next to the car, trying to get them to turn at the next corner. Anything to keep them out of the range of the trigger that Bedford has in his hand. "Get 'em outta there, Messer!" I yell. I'm surprised he can hear me as the people all scatter, screaming and crying and panicking around me, but he does, because I can see him yelling at the driver.

I can see Bedford ahead of me. He reaches back and fires at me. The shot slams into a doorway near the Dakota building. I roll, and come up running.

I run forward and dive, arms outstretched. I catch Bedford's jacket and yank him down to the sidewalk. He throws an elbow back and nails me in the chin. I let go, dazed. I see stars…and then I see somethin' else.

Adam Ross is standing in front of me in his beat cop uniform. "Come on, Flack," he tells me. "You got this guy. He's got nothin' on ya. Get him for me."

Okay kid...I get a renewed surge of energy, and pick myself off the sidewalk and take off running again. Bedford tries to sneak around a corner, but I grab his leg and pull. He belly-flops to the sidewalk, and whatever he was holding for a trigger skitters into the crowd of screaming paradegoers. He tries kicking me but I roll right, keeping out of the way. I let go long enough to throw myself on top of him, but he's a slippery little bastard and throws me off, scrambling for the trigger. I don't know where his gun went and I don't care, it's one less thing I have to worry about hitting me right now. I jump up and throw myself at him again, this time shoving one knee into his back and shoving his face into the sidewalk with my palm. "Don't you move, you spoiled, slippery little asshole." He struggles, and I have no qualms about slamming his nose into the pavement again. I warned him.

I see Mac Taylor, closely followed by Danny, Jessica, and Dr. Hawkes, come running up the sidewalk. "Flack!" Jessica cries, throwing a hand to her mouth. "Are you all right?"

I glance to my right. Adam Ross is there. I watch him tug his cover over his hair, and nod to me. Take care of yourself Flack, these are some mean streets these days. He fades from view.

I look up at Taylor. "Peachy," I reply, and smile.

Back at the office, it's Jess, Stella, Lindsay and I, Danny, Mac and the doc. Under Colleen's watchful eye, the parade has been postponed a day or two. She and Jo Danville are going to regroup and then have it again, and Dr. Hawkes is busy rounding up the two horses that Danny and I...borrowed. We're all sitting in my office, I'm nursing a split lip. Well, actually, Jessica is nursing it for me, and I'm milking it for all it's worth.

Danny is ecstatic because Sid Hammerback told Sterling Monroe about his part in today's little escapade, and Lindsay's grandfather is a lot more willing to have Danny as a part of the family now. He and Lindsay are standing in the corner, he's got his arms wrapped around her middle.

Mac and Stella are tryin' to keep it professional, but it's just not workin'. "For cripes sake you two," I groan. "Hold hands or somethin' already. You're seein' each other, it's time to act like it."

"It's too early in the day for you to be givin' orders, Flack," Mac tells me, but I see his fingers slide into Stella's.

"How are you feeling?" Jessica asks me.

"Oh, all right, I guess," I reply. "Still stings a little."

I see Stella roll her eyes, and I see Danny smirk.

Jessica is looking at me, her big brown eyes teasing me as she leans down to kiss me. When we finally come up for air, she asks me, "Feeling better?"

I smile. Maybe there is something to celebrate after all.

Fin.

Author's Note: Looking back at this I wish I'd have had a better ending scene. But I hope everybody likes it anyway. Constructive criticism is usually warranted and always appreciated. Thanks to all who have read, alerted, reviewed...I appreciate it all!