Title: Cowards
Rating: Strong T, for some strong language.
Pairing: Flack/Angell, Danny/Lindsay
Summary: "Any cop family knew the unofficial rules and beauracracies of the precinct, and he knew that Jess was breaking the vast majority when it came to those aimed at female cops" Jess runs into her brother, Stella proves why a she's a detective, and Jess realises things with Flack could get very complicated...
Disclaimer: Nada. Don't own a sausage. Literally.

A/N: I know! It's ben forever, and I'm terrible. But my CSI:NY muse has gone walkabouts, and instead I've been plagued by Nikita, Rookie Blue, Grey's Anatomy... Plus in RL, I'm obscenely busy. Wanna be a doctor an' all that jazz...

PLEASE review :)

Jess was treading lightly around her new relationship with Don. After all the heartbreak and pain they'd both been through, it felt strange to be together. Of course, she was all too clear on the fact that everything had to stay out of the precinct, and if there was so much as a sly comment that seemed a little too well-based, she would end things. He hadn't reacted much to her rules, simply nodding his head. He wanted to be with her, and knew that keeping it a secret was the price he would have to pay - a relatively small one, in comparison to what he was gaining. It was no great hardship keeping things from Danny; the pair had steadily grown apart thanks to his friend working more closely with Hawkes (who understoood and outdid Danny in the science) and his relationship - no, marriage - to Lindsay. Though Don used to rely heavily on Danny as a friend and confidant, he realised over the past year or so - mostly since Ruben sandoval's death and Danny going all to hell - he'd mainly counted on Jess as his support, his rock through everything, including all the crap with his sister.

Jess herself was slightly thrown by how normal the relationship felt. It didn't feel wierd moving from friends and co-workers to lovers, it felt strange that it didn't. It was nice to have the freedom to call at last minute thanks to getting a break in a case and cancel plans without getting an earful of abuse to add to her guilt. No, Flack merely asked about the breakthrough, then offered either a bottle of wine whenever she finished, or not to bother her and let her get some sleep.

The sweetest thing he'd done was switch their shifts after she'd suffered through a particularly demanding double, ending six hours previously. He'd called the Luietenant, who'd agreed to adjust the duty roster after Don invented a story about a sick elderly neighbor of Jess', who relied heavily on the Detective. It was nothing particularly thoughtful, just a casual guesture when he noticed she was tired. But it still counted.

There was one thing that was holding her back. She'd promised Stella that she would not breathe a word of it to anyone, Mac nor anyone at the precinct. But keeping it from Don... when she'd agreed, the pair had barely been on speaking terms, but now she was sleeping in his bed almost every night, allowing him closer than she'd every let anyone, emotionally at least. It was chewing her up inside, and she needed to do something about it.

"Jess."

She glanced up at the sound of the raspy voice to see her youngest older brother grinning at her, aviater shades hiding his probably hungover eyes. Mikey was thirty one going on seventeen; out drinking most nights, trying to make it as a 'musician' and sponging off their parents to pay his rent between bartending jobs. He was probably the most attractive of her brothers, with the slightly overgrown dark hair, constant stubble thanks to his hatred of shaving and a cheeky smile. He was tall, at 6'0'' with squared off shoulders and powerful arms, which usually ended in some airhead hanging from his arm. She glanced around, but saw that he was alone, and smiled warmly at him. "Hey, Mike. No blonde bombshell?"

"She's at my place." he smirked.

"Ain't no rest for the wicked, huh?" she replied.

"Damned straight. C'mere, J." Mikey pulled her up into a tight hug. "How you been?"

"Ah, y'know. Bustin' bad guys, fightin' crime..." she replied as though her job was very blase.

He chuckled, releasing her from the embrace. "Uh-huh. Vey cool, sis. Now, I'll do the mom routin soyou can practice for when she calls you next, okay?"

Jess laughed, knowing her mothers penchent for asking questions revoling around her personal life, or lack thereof. "'kay. Go."

"Have they given you a promotion yet?" he asked in falsetto voice that sounded nothing like Cherie Angell.

"I wish."

"Have you been hurt yet?"

Jess tilted her head to oe side. "For you, I got knocked against wall on a subway train which hurt, and all banged up on a takedown, but for mom, no."

"Ha." Mike snorted, before regaining composure. "Ok... Are you keeping up to your hair? It's so lovely when you-"

"I'm thinking of getting bangs. But it's still the same colour, for now. But I might go lighter."

"Cue a dozen questions regarding shade... Then, You're not still wearing those god awful jeans with the holes in, are you?"

Jess glanced down at her favourite pair of jeans with two holes in the knee where they'd worn through. In all fairness, she'd had them since she was twenty-one, and they'd served her well. "Hey! Lay off the jeans!"

"Ai'ight." Mike waved, wincing at her raised tone. Definately hungover. "Um... Have you called your Auntie Marie yet? You know she loves to hear from you"

"Yes, mom. I did it last night."

"You did?"

"No."

"Oooh. Okay, now for the inevitable... have you found a nice boy?"

Jess paused for a beat, bfore answering slowly. "Kind of... I think."

Michael's eyebrows shot up, and Jess grimaced, waiting for the inevitable explosion. Mike was by far the most unreasonable of her brothers when it came to her flings (she didn't use the word boyfriend, as she rarely used them for more than the obvious. dates were pointless when you dumped them in favour of a dead body) so she knew that if she could get her Michae to approve of Don, the others would soon follow suit. Her mother would be enchanted by Don - all women were - so there would only be her father left to deal with. But Cliff was fair and a cop, so no doubt Don would be fully capable of impessing him.

"You think?" Michael repeated.

"Well... Yes. His name's Don, and... he's a Detective in my squad. Outranks me." she admitted, the words sounding worse once she'd said them out loud.

Mike winced. Any cop family knew the unofficial rules and beauracracies of the precinct, and he knew that Jess was breaking the vast majority when it came to those aimed at female cops. "Jessica... he doesn't have any swing with the promotion grid, does he? I'm not saying your... sleeping your way up the chain," he added quickly, seeing the expression on her face. "But that's how it'd look."

"He doesn't." replied Jess curtly. "Remember the reason I got promoted?"

"Detective got blown up?"

"Yeah. It was Don. Don Flack."

"Flack?" Michael spluttered.

Jess nodded, a frown settling on her face. "Yeah. What's the problem?"

"Jess... You were young, you didn't go to the precinct when Dad worked Narc so much. But he went for a job with Homicide, and one of the cops - coupl'a grades above Dad - promised he'd do everything he could to help him out, y'know? Anyway, he didn't get the job,then the guy transfers out. Dad finds out from the Cap that the guy screwed him over, got the job himself. Dad got the job eventually, but the guy already had them wrapped around his finger, feet well under that table, y'know?" Michael explained carefully.

"Flack Sr.?"

"Yeah."

"Shit. Shit."

He looped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her upper arm reassuringly. "Sorry, kid."

"I go for happy ever after, miss and land with Romeo and frickin' Juliet." she growled. "Look... Don's not like his Dad, okay? I found out that he actually suggested me for a job a month or so before he got blown up. Even though I didn't get that job, he was the one that put me on Homicide's radar. He's a good guy, Mike." she told him, her eyes pleading for him to believe her. "He's coming to mine next Friday, after his shift, okay? Come round, meet him. Judge for yourself. If you disapprove, I'll stop seeing him."

"No you won't!" Mike laughed.

"No, I won't." she agreed immeadiately. "But its the thought that counts."

He studied her for a moment, before nodding. "Alright, kid. I'll be there at eight, so you'd better still be wearing clothes."

"I make no promises." she shrugged, standing up and hugging him warmly. "Bye, Mike."

"Take care, sis." he replied, pressing a kiss to her temple and ruffling her hair as she strode away, whistling absent mindedly to himself.

Jess glanced back at Stella as the older woman pulled away from the sidewalk, manouevering the car back into traffic. "Stell, I know you don't want anyone to know, but this is my day off, and Don knows my routine. I cancelled lunch with him, and he's going to guess something. As much as I want to help, if he asks-"

"I'm not asking you to lie to him, Jess." Stella assured her with a smile. "You going to tell me what's going on between you two?"

Jess chewed her lower lip. She didn't want anyone knowing about their relationship, partly because she didn't want people to presume that she was trying to sleep her way up the ranks, and partly because she was afraid. Their relationship already had been turbulant to say the least, and the last thing she needed was to be told how to act by a bunch of busybodies. She knew that Stella wouldn't fall into this category, but she was liable to tease Flack automatically as she so oftern did, and if Danny happened to hear... they would all be screwed.

"C'mon, Jess. I'm not blind." continued Stella with a slight chuckle. "I see the way he looks at you. 'Sides, you think the watercooler ever shuts up at your precinct with Vicaro and Thacker around? Not to mention Maka. I think Kaile might actually be taking bets on how long it'll be 'till the two of you hook up."

Jess flushed red, thoroughly mortified by the conversation. "Look... As far as anyone else is concerned, there's nothing whatsoever going on."

"And me?"

"Well... we, ah... kissed-"

"Knew it!"

"And slept together last week. So, um... yeah, something. But no details, and no telling anyone. Including Mac." she added quickly. There was going to be no grey areas, therefore no possible leaks.

"Okay." Stella nodded. "Can I just say that I'm pleased for you? You two are good together, really."

Jess blushed, tugging at the hem of her jacket. "Yeah, well. I... If anyone at the precinct... I don't want people thinking I'm trying to sleep my way up the chain. Because I'm not."

"I know." Stella chuckled. "Flack doesn't have much pull anyway. If you were-"

"Don't wanna think about it." Jess cut her off, not wanting to think about her superiors in any such way.

Stella paused, before leaning over in a conspirital fashion. "This is creepy and nosy, but I have got to ask... Flack has a... reputation shall I say-"

"Yes." Jess smirked. "He's better than they say."

Stella gave a low whistle. "If I didn't know the guy, a few years back I might have - y'know, never mind." she finished quickly, frowning as she considered what she was saying, and who she was saying it to.

Jess chuckled. "Stell, we never said anything about official, or mutual. For all I know he's sleeping with Maka. Lord knows she wouldn't mind, the way she fawns over him..."

If it were anyone else, Stella would've thought that the comment was meant rudely, but Jess and Kaile were allies, and she also knew that Maka was too observant to believe she had a chance with Flack; everyone knew he only had eyes for Jess. So Stella merely smiled, turning her attention back to the road. "I'm happy for you both."

Jess bit back the irritating grin that seemed to tver as soon as she though of Flack these days. He was a git, annoying and downrigt infuriating sixty percent of the time, but she could deal with it. "Yeah, thanks."

Stella approved. Now all she had to do was get Mike to.