Chapter 20 – Changes
OK, so this is the last chapter, but there IS an epilogue too, which I hope you'll love and think is the perfect end to the story!
I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing and reading and generally hanging in there for the ride. This was my first story in a long time and will always be my baby
Disclaimer: Now do I really have to go into the fact I own The Rhodes Family and no-one else, let alone the songs again? Thought not, LOL.
Congrats again to everyone who did well and won in the awards. It's fantastic when you win and when your friends win too let me tell ya! Now we're officially on hiatus, we need some ideas for the CSI: NY Drinking Game. Or just join in Flack Watch. The criteria for Flack Watch are up there – post your rating for an episode on the forum as and when! Let the games begin (and thanks Shabbs!)
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The year was rolling on and as Rebecca sat in the living room of the apartment she shared with Flack, she had to admit she never would have guessed how things would turn out when she moved to the Big Apple.
She certainly wouldn't have expected to be the focus of a serial killer. She certainly wouldn't have expected to be kidnapped by said kidnapper and then rescued quite so spectacularly. And, she the thought with a smile on her face, she definitely hadn't expected to find – and move in with – the sexiest, blue-eyed detective to come out of Queens, NYC. Some people (including her brother) thought she was moving a little too fast. Others (including her mother) thought she was settling for someone beneath herself. But Rebecca didn't give a rat's ass what anyone thought anymore frankly. She had a great job, a great man. A great life, in fact.
She had formally introduced Don to her family when they had traveled to Washington for Harrison's engagement party. True to form, her mother had been inexcusably rude, but her father had been, well, much warmer and more open than she'd ever seen him. As Don had commented when they had been getting ready for bed later that night at their hotel, sometimes it took nearly losing a kid to appreciate them. Since then, Stanley Rhodes had called his baby girl every day, sometimes twice or more, just to see how she was. Rebecca was touched. And in no small way relieved. She was a Daddy's girl through and through at heart. Vanessa however, still wasn't sold on Rebecca's turn to the dark side of blue collar life and certainly wasn't impressed with Flack, although she usually managed to hold her tongue in his presence and on the phone. One time of being read the riot act for her behavior by said detective had seen to that. Rebecca, however, knew her mother better than that. She had a tiny concern that the worst was yet to come.
So now they were back home, starting to prepare for Christmas, which was a few weeks away. They regularly went over to the Messers' for dinner or had them back to theirs. Rebecca had become fond of eating in and cooking, attempting to break Flack's take-out habit of a lifetime. She was also firm friends with Jess, something which still had Flack break out in a cold sweat every time he saw them talking (and laughing hysterically together) in his vicinity. The laughter usually followed a glance in his direction. For his part, Flack's career was on the up and up and he had exams for the next grade in the New Year to think about. The Crime Lab's case solve rate was higher than it had ever been and, shock of shocks, Mac and Stella, at a team night out just the week before, had sheepishly announced they were together. To which Danny had replied in a very loud voice, "It's about time!" before everyone else at the table had thrown the bucks at Rebecca, who had won that pool, much to Flack's amusement.
Things were just right, Rebecca thought, just perfect. And soon to be even more so in her opinion.
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Flack was perusing the realtor's list of properties Rebecca had given him. She had pointed out that his apartment, with all the hockey gear he had lying around, was really getting too small (and hazardous in the dark) for the two of them and that they really needed to find somewhere else. He had to admit her reasoning was sound – they both made pretty good money and she still had the legacy from her grandmother to put sizeable deposit down on their own place. He sighed as he looked through the ones she had circled. All of them three bed or more.
What do we want with a three bed plus in one of the other boroughs? He shook his head. Mind you, one of the nicer four beds was pretty close to his parents' place and Rebecca had really hit it off with them. They spent most Sundays that they didn't have to work over there and Senior was really taken with the pretty CSI. In fact, he had taken Flack aside just last week and pressed a small jewelry box into his hand – his grandmother's engagement ring – and told his son to hurry up and get the ring on her finger before she figured out what a huge mistake she was making.
Yeah, his folks loved Rebecca, that was for sure, only Flack wondered if a relationship of just a few months was enough to propose on. Sure she hadn't moved back to her own place after the whole incident with the two wackadoos, but that in itself was maybe a little quick. Well everyone bar the Messers seemed to think it was too quick.
The new supervisor seemed like a stand-up guy, although he was downright terrified of Flack. Something that Flack thought was hilarious and gave him a good excuse to glare at the poor guy whenever he saw him. Rebecca scolded him whenever she caught him doing it, but Flack just couldn't resist.
Aside from the upcoming exams, work was great. He and Angell still made the best partnership at the precinct and even the Inspector was pleased with his success rate. He'd heard on the grapevine that she's actually written a recommendation for his promotion, from a reliable source too.
All good things, he thought, all good things.
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Another day, another dollar so the saying goes and Rebecca was to be found on the 35th floor engaging in analysis alongside Adam. She liked working with Adam. He was straight up, funny, intelligent and always delivered the goods, going above and beyond the call of duty processing evidence and then some.
All her preparations for the evening ahead were done and she'd texted Flack to tell him she had a surprise for him at home. A smile tugged at her lips. A very big surprise.
She turned her attention back to the microscope in front of her, examining some minute particles of trace that Danny and she had brought back from their crime scene that morning. A very nasty and disgusting crime scene that had had her lose her breakfast and the mid morning bagel and tea she'd had with Jess before they'd all ventured out to Crown Heights. Danny had just laughed and said he'd been waiting for the day. Danny had unfortunately landed up in a ditch some sanitation guys were digging nearby. The photo Jess had taken had been quickly sent to everyone at the Crime Lab and no few members of the NYPD as well.
Mac and Stella were in his office having some sort of meeting. At least that's what they said they were doing. He'd uncharacteristically pulled all the blinds on the glass walls closed. Adam had been sensible enough not to comment. Danny, on the other hand, had made one of his infamous smart-ass comments, which had resulted in his being slapped upside his head by both Rebecca and, get this, Kendall. Apparently the vacuous blonde, who had her occasional moments of sheer genius, had a real soft spot for her boss and the curly-haired CSI. Who'd have guessed?
Hawkes was down with Sid in Autopsy. Mac had been making jokes about sending him back to the ME's office if he was going to continue to spend so much time down there with the bodies. Rebecca knew it was just because Hawkes and Sid worked so damn well together when it came to the bodies. Well, she reasoned, you had to have a hobby…
Plans for dinner on Friday night with the whole team were underway. Rebecca had confirmed the booking at a restaurant close to Sullivan's. Quite what people were going to think, she didn't know, but she guessed they'd find out then.
And Flack had managed to score some sweet tickets at the next Rangers game, something Rebecca had thanked him for several times over the last few days. He had managed to hide the NHL store bag from her, although she had a pretty good idea what was in it. Her Christmas present. With a big "30" on the back. Her favorite player. She sighed. He knew her so well. In return she had the complete box set of some procedural crime show he liked so much already wrapped in her locker, although what he saw in it she would never know. She regularly teased him about never being able to be off the clock.
"But babe," he would say, all too reasonably, "It helps keep my mind fresh on the game and plus, now I got a better idea of what you do!"
"So long as you know we don't solve cases or process evidence in an hour," Rebecca had replied.
Things were good, thought Rebecca, and looking in the direction of the elevators, the doors of one which had just opened, the person getting off had made things just all that better.
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To call Don Flack Junior surprised at his unexpected visitor to the precinct was stating the fucking obvious.
He had been knee deep in paperwork, filling out reports on crime scenes, updates on cases and, worst of all, a statement about some junkie moron who had only had to go and expire on them during interrogation. So looking up to see the blonde woman, dressed to kill, in front of him had not done anything to improve his day any. He had pretended to ignore her. So she had cleared her throat so that he was forced to look up and acknowledge her. He leaned back on his chair and indicated to the one in front of the desk. He plastered a big, wide fake smile on his face.
"Mrs Rhodes," said Flack, "How nice to see you."
Vanessa Rhodes primly perched on the edge of the wooden chair he indicated, giving it a look as though she were terrified she was going to catch something.
"So," he continued, not getting even the most uncivil of replies, "Do what do I owe the pleasure? You in town to see Bec?"
Vanessa Rhodes winced at his use of the nickname she hated.
"Actually Detective," she said, "I'm here to see you."
Flack had leaned forward, puzzled, as Vanessa had opened her purse and taken out an envelope and handed it to him. He ripped it open without ceremony.
His confusion mixed with curiosity had vanished as soon as he'd taken one look inside the envelope.
A personal check. To the tune of fifty thousand dollars. Made out in his name.
He looked at Vanessa Rhodes, who met his glare with no fear and a cool measured look in her own blue ones.
"Is this what I think it is?" he said roughly.
Scagnetti and Angell looked over, hearing the tone in his voice.
"You a'right Flack?" asked Scagnetti.
"I'm just peachy," said Flack sarcastically. Angell got to her feet, leaned against her desk and crossed her arms. Flack turned back to Vanessa.
"You're gonna have to explain this to me," he said, "'Cause I need to hear it from you exactly what this is."
Vanessa flushed a little.
"It's for you," she said, "To leave my daughter and convince her that she should come back to Washington DC. Where she belongs and leave this silly little life behind. She has had her fun. Now she needs to grow up and take her proper place in society."
Angell started to move towards them, an angry look on her face. Flack held up his hand and waved her away. He stood slowly and looked at the woman in front of him.
"You know something," he said, "I think we should go and ask Bec about that idea."
He abruptly grabbed the older woman' arm, pulled her upright and steered her towards the elevator.
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Rebecca was not impressed to see the figure beside Flack, who was pulling her arm out of his and patting her hairdo with the other. She groaned audibly. Danny looked over.
"What's eating you Bec?" he asked. Rebecca gestured in the direction of the elevators where the two figures were walking towards her. Danny peered at them.
"Hey!" he said, "It's your personal bodyguard come to check up on you with, with…?" he faltered, not recognizing Rebecca's mother.
"And my mother," finished Rebecca.
"I don't think they've been having cozy time," said Danny, looking at the look of thunder on both faces.
"No shit," said Rebecca, getting up from her stool. She walked into the corridor to meet them. Standing in front of her mother, she crossed her arms.
"Mother," said Rebecca, "This is an unexpected pleasure. I didn't know you were in town. Why are you here."
Vanessa opened and swiftly closed her mouth again.
"Mommy dearest," said Flack, "Didn't come for the sales, the spa or the wedding list."
Rebecca raised her eyebrows at her mother.
"No babe," Flack continued, "She came to see me, to give me a present."
He handed the check over to Rebecca, who perused the writing, spotted it was from her mother's personal account and a look of fury came into her eyes. Flack took it back from her and in full view of the curious lab employees who were now standing in doorways or had their faces pressed to the glass walls by their various stations, began to rip it into very small pieces indeed.
"Your mom," he said, "Seems to think she could pay me to leave you and convince you to go home with her."
Rebecca glared at her mother.
"I told her to ask you," he continued, "Not that I don't know what your reply is going to be."
"I am home," said Rebecca, "And I am disgustingly happy with my life. And I am not ever coming back to live in that frozen mausoleum you call home sweet home."
She turned to Flack, holding out her hand.
"Baby," she said, "Can I borrow your handcuffs?"
Flack smirked and unclipped them from his belt then handed them to her.
"Always baby," he said.
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And that's the end! Finito! Now to the essay… Enjoy the epilogue as well. Hope it clears up any, err, loose ends for y'all!