AN: I don't own any of the CSI:NY Characters or any of the show's storylines that I may refer to from time to time, but the rest of the plot is mine.

4. Burdens to bear

It was just over a week after her reassignment to homicide when Laura walked into the lab, looking to cross check information on a case she was taking to court. Everyone was a little jumpy; they were under scrutiny by a member of the Jersey lab during their reaccreditation inspection. She discovered that Mac clearly knew the woman conducting the assessment and Stella had openly included her in what she was doing, while Danny and Lindsay appeared not to notice her, especially when Lindsay walked out of the lab leaving evidence on the table. Laura wandered around the lab in search of Sheldon Hawkes, but discovered he was in autopsy with Mac, doing something questionable with a shark's insides. She couldn't face the thought of her lunch being returned so she decided to catch up with him later, opting instead for the records archive to check the paperwork was in order to send to the courthouse.

Handing over the required authority, she was admitted to the depths of the precinct to search among the boxes stacked high on shelves. She shivered, it was cold down there, hardly surprising really when it was still quite cold outside, even though it was supposed to be spring. That was one thing they could never do was heat the place properly, it froze in winter and sweltered in summer, there was no happy medium. Laura finally located what she needed and called for the clerk to help retrieve the box from above her head.

"Hey Detective Flack, I heard you were back. Which one you need?" He asked.

"Top left, thanks Joe. It can go straight down town when I'm done, they'll need it for Monday." She answered.

"You got anymore while I'm here?" He asked and she gave him a list of about 6 more boxes to check. "Want me to get these sent upstairs?"

"Thanks Joe, it's freezing down here. I'll finish this box first though." She answered as he retrieved the box and placed it on a nearby table for her to access. She handed him a slip of paper with the authority to transport the files to the DA.

--

Don entered the squad room and noticed Laura wasn't at her desk. He looked around for her as he walked to his, then pulled out his phone and called the crime lab but they hadn't seen her either. He asked a couple of the detectives, but no one had seen her, at least for a while. He sighed and tossed his phone on the desk, removing his suit jacket and sitting down. He turned to his computer and tried to concentrate on the case. Sometime passed and she still hadn't returned and he was a little concerned. He picked up his phone and dialled her number, hearing her phone ringing from her desk drawer, he fought to contain the gnawing feeling in his stomach. It was unlike her not to take her phone, she'd been gone for the hour he'd been back and longer since no one had seen her for a while before that. Now he was getting really concerned. A multitude of dark thoughts flitted through his mind, none of which he wanted to contemplate, but the fact was she was missing and he didn't know where she was or if she was alright, if they were alright. Maybe something had happened with the baby? He called over to one of the female staff about to ask them to check the bathrooms while cursing himself for not thinking of it earlier, when the doors opened and a clerk bustled in with several boxes which he proceeded to unload from the trolley onto Laura's desk.

"What's with those?" He asked tersely, standing up and watching the clerk intently.

"I need them." Came a voice from behind him and he felt the air rip from his chest at the sound of her voice. He turned round and almost pulled her into his arms, but this was not the place to do that. Instead he looked her over, she looked alright. In fact she looked fantastic. He pushed a stray hair off her face as he let his eyes drift over the printed tunic top she was wearing, which had a simple scooped neck above a gently elasticated empire line bodice and three quarter length sleeves. The blue background of just the right shade to reflect in her eyes.

"You didn't take your phone." He said as calmly as his shattered nerves would allow.

She laughed off the comment. "I know, I'm pregnant what can I say?" He saw her eyes sparkle, but he wasn't able to let go yet of the discomfort and nagging at the back of his mind.

"Not funny Kat!" He answered his eyes seeming to go darker. Something which, with her didn't go unnoticed.

"Are you worried about me? ... You are! ... Don I'm fine, .. we're fine." She told him with a smile while patting her bump. "I was doing my job." She reminded him.

"No one's seen you for hours, you haven't told anyone where you were." He half snapped at her.

"Murphy knew." She answered brightly.

"Murphy's not here." He shot back.

"I went to the Crime Lab then to records to pull the files in the Strickland case ready for the DA next week. Honestly what do you think could have happened to me in a police station?" She replied slightly exasperated.

He looked at her. She was right, but not knowing where she was had started driving him crazy. He needed to put things in perspective. There was no way she would knowingly put herself or their baby in danger, he had to trust her. It's just that with her bearing responsibility for the fragile life inside her, he couldn't help wanting to protect her that little bit, OK a whole lot, more. ".. nothing I guess. ... I just can't help worrying about you, both of you. I know you can look after yourself, but sometimes I just get a little freaked OK?"

"Of course it's OK, I'd be worried if you didn't. ... Can I go back to work now Detective?" She asked as if he had been interrogating her. However, without waiting for a reply she crossed to her desk and dropped the file she had been carrying onto the desk then pulled the lid off the first box.

The room was bustling with various activities and a few of the detectives had ignored the little exchange. They had gotten used to the Flacks little personal moments over the last year. Not that they happened often, just that occasionally one or other let off steam about a case and the other would usually be on hand to calm them down. The newer members of the team were finding it a little strange, so tended to watch them, if they were around. Don knew they'd been watched. He smirked a little as he sat down at his desk again. They could watch all they wanted, but they didn't get to take her home at night and that was a great feeling, that they envied him for having such a hot wife who still looked great even though she was 7 months pregnant. His thoughts were interrupted by the buzz of his cell phone. He picked it up.

"Flack! ... Hey Stell, ... yeah got it. ... OK I'll ask her .. L2729, that it? ... Meet you in the garage?" He looked over at Laura as he hung up.

"You got a lead?" Asked Laura.

"Yeah Charlie Kohl, warrant from Germany and the last person to see Chrissie Watson alive. I'm going with Stella to pick him up. She's asked if you could help with tracking down what this might relate to." Don handed over a post-it with the reference on it as he moved next to her.

"Do I get any help?" She questioned looking up at him.

"Search outside the department if you have to. It's been carved on the necks of the victims." He replied.

"I'll see what I can do, I'll be done with these in a little while." She answered indicating the boxes piled across her desk.

"Don't go lifting them, get someone to do it for you." He replied as he slid his hand across her bump. "Be good to your ma Sprout!" He added. His fingers tapping on her abdomen in response to the flutter beneath his hand. "I still can't believe this is real." He mumbled in her ear before leaving. She watched him go, his hand now replaced with her own as the baby moved beneath her touch.

--

Later that night some of the team were gathered in the Crime Lab conference room.

"Forget 101 ways and counting. Laura's closer to 1001 and still counting. She's sorting the list according to most likely combination, grave markers, number plates, cab licenses and the like. She'll let you know if anything pops up." Stella began, directing her comment at Mac.

"Are they coming to join us?" He asked.

"I don't think so, Flack's taken her home, he's on call, if we need anything, said to call him on his cell." Danny informed them.

"OK so what do we know?"

The team spent the next hour comparing notes and theories and reviewing the case photos, before Mac made them all go home.

Before he left he cast his eye over the conference room which had become their control room for the case, now known as the Cabbie Killer. Computers, files, photos and numerous other paper paraphernalia covered the normally clear conference table. A sign of the amassing information on the case. He sighed. It didn't matter what they had, the fact was there was nothing they could use, nothing to identify the murderer and bring him to justice. Meanwhile the media and the mayor's office were hounding him for results. He had, so far, fought the demands for him to give a press conference, but the brass were pushing and he wouldn't able to hold off much longer. Of course it would be nice if he could announce the killer's capture, but his gut was telling him different, he would have to play this political game again. Something he always hated. Why couldn't they leave him alone to run the lab and put the killers behind bars. That was the job, not making nice with the press.

Stella was just leaving when she saw him still standing in the room. She stopped in. Mac looked up from the table and met her eyes for a second before he turned and flicked the switch controlling the various plasma screens on the wall, sending them all dark.

"We'll get him Mac, we have to." She told him simply. He looked at her again. It had been a long few days, but he wasn't ready to sleep just yet, his mind was too active with the case details.

"You ever think what we do can get too much?" He asked sombrely.

"There are always going to be cases that are harder than others, we've seen them before and this won't be the last. We can't give up, that would be admitting that he's better than us and he isn't, we just haven't figured out his weakness Mac."

"The mayor's office want a press conference, I have nothing I can tell them, nothing that the science will prove."

"Politics. ... We all have our burden's to bear and as head of the lab one of yours is to deal with the politics. ... There's nothing we can do tonight, tomorrow is a new day and we'll be back with fresh eyes. We will catch him, I'm not prepared to fail."

Mac grinned at her impassioned statement. "Do you have plans?"

"Other than going home, finding some supper in my empty cupboards and falling into bed, no." She answered.

"We might still be able to grab something to eat and a coffee at the corner diner, what do you say?"

"Why not?" She grinned back, thinking it would at least get him out of the lab for the night. As they left the room he turned out the lights and locked the door, dropping the key into his jacket pocket.

--

Next morning the team found themselves back on the beach with the latest victim. Mac had allowed Reed to accompany them this time. Mac knelt by the body while Reed and Don stood by and watched as Hawkes rolled the body to expose the marks on the neck, the same ones identified on the other victims. Mac stood up and turned to Don.

"I want every cab checked, background checks on the drivers, and I want their trip logs." He ordered.

"Mac there are 11,000 cabs in this city." Protested Don.

"Our killer's a cab driver, any New Yorker could be his next victim." He stated matter of factly.

"I'll call Laura get her working on it, but it's gonna take time Mac." Don answered.

"Time could be one thing we don't have." He responded.

AN: Sorry for a bit of a delay. My plot bunnies have got their teeth into my other story at the moment. Hope you like this... I will try and get another chapter up during the week, but I have a major assignment due in 10 days for my degree, so I will be a bit preoccupied.

AN2: Don't forget the FF Awards on the CSI:NY Forums - this is part of the Crossed Paths series which has been nominated.

Thanks to B1U3B311 & Sarah for reviewing. I'm still open to persuasion about the name and sex of the baby! - I have opened a poll on my profile page so please vote. (Boy, girl or twins options) It will close as I write the baby's birth.