Aoife - He had, she hadn't. I wouldn't have - she's not a cop, not matter what she thinks, sometimes! There is a plan for a marriage, but, honestly, in the grand scheme of things, even though it's written, it's chapters off! But there will be a happy ending - I just seem to have a slow moving timeline.

Madison Bellows - I just love Flack in general! lol. It makes me blush to hear that - although I can asure you, it's often painful to integrate the two!

RK9 - I am really sorry to hear that! You take as much time as you need - this is only a story! It's not much, but I am thinking of you!

meadow567 - I was about time, eh? But I still like to hear it - and when you don't! And I am also very happy to hear you still like!

Aphina - Ah, but is she being watched, or is it when the ghosts turm up (:P) I am going to play catch up again - I'm jealous of the time you have to write/post!

miss wizard of oz - I am writing the chapters now (156 ) and having too much fun! Do I need to tell you, or Danny, to behave?

TVjunkie323 - Aw, thank you! The story has just grown from a crazy idea, to a never-ending crazy idea! But I'm glad you like, and I hope I continue to satisfy!

sparkyCSI - I think there may be fighting for him! lol. Let's see, you know about the interview - and I really need to learn not to sit on the kitchen floor with the rabbits!

demolished-soul - Well, I hope you enjoyed your dinner! I think this story has become a little too real for me, which worries me, because I'm starting to get confused when I watch TV!

Let's see... spoilers... actually, there aren't any! Just a new OC, and a pig! Confused?

But there are still thanks to my wonderful beta!

What The Eyes Can't See

Chapter 153: It's the fear of knowing what this world is about

Taylor yawned. She had just said goodbye to the latest ghost she had helped – any part of a pig was now wiped off her menu. The previous day had been spent helping Hawkes move into his new apartment with Danny, and then a lot of time had been spent in the lab. All night, then all morning, and half the afternoon too.

Needless to say, she was exhausted. So when she heard her name paged over the PA system and asked to go to reception, she thought she was hallucinating.

'Since when do you get pages here?' Stella asked as she left the trace lab.

Taylor frowned. 'You mean you heard that?'

'Yeah,' Stella laughed at her.

'That's the first time,' Taylor said, still frowning. She made her way to the reception, accompanied by Stella, and addressed the receptionist, 'you paged?'

'There's something here which belongs to you,' Trudy told her, pointing over to the waiting area.

Taylor turned and only spotting a small child and a pig, started to turn back to Trudy. Only she did a double take when she realized that the girl was a spitting image of herself when she had been seven, only the child had blue eyes.

The sleep deprivation set in, and for a moment she had to convince herself that she hadn't actually given birth to neither a seven year old, nor seven years ago.

Instead she looked at Stella who was staring in surprise at the child, clearly thinking what Taylor had been. 'You see her, don't you?'

Stella turned her attention to the bewildered journalist. 'Yeah.'

Taylor turned back to Trudy. 'Where did she come from?'

Trudy just shrugged.

Taylor inhaled deeply and walked over to the child, sitting down next to her. 'Hello'

The child, whose feet only just touched the floor from the chair she was sitting on, hugged her piglet tighter.

Taylor frowned. 'So, I'm Taylor.'

The child continued to stare at the floor miserably in front of her. Taylor looked up, sending a look of hopelessness to Stella.

Stella headed over instantly, crouching down in front of the child, a bright smile on her face. The child looked up and stared at her. 'She's lovely,' she told the girl. 'Can I stroke her?'

'He's a boy,' the girl said quietly. 'He's called Wilbur.'

'Wilbur?' Stella repeated softly as her hand slowly went to pet the piglet's head. 'You know, my favorite story when I was a little girl was about a pig called Wilbur. It was about a pig and his friend who was a spider.'

The girl nodded solemnly at Stella. 'Charlotte's Web is my favorite book. I've read it lots of times.'

As the pig gave a contented grunt at Stella's petting, Stella continued to smile at the child. 'My name is Stella. What's your name?'

'Cordelia.'

'And where's your mommy?' Stella asked as Taylor inhaled sharply.

Cordelia shrugged.

'She's gone to Columbia with her drug dealing boyfriend,' a nasally voice carried loudly across the room. 'She decided a child was conducive to her new lifestyle.'

Taylor, horrified, jumped to her feet, ignoring the fact she had startled the pig which began wriggling, and dragged the woman to one side.

'Take your hands off me!' the elderly woman cried.

'Are you telling me that Megan has just abandoned her daughter?' Taylor hissed incredulously, sneaking a glance at the child in question. Thankfully, she was being occupied by Stella who kept sending furtive looks her way.

'Yes. And I am not looking after that child any longer. I've retired and she's interfering with my bridge tournaments.'

Taylor gaped at her. 'You can't just dump her on me!'

Gladys sniffed. 'I've spoken to my lawyer and it turns out your brother listed you as her next of kin.'

Taylor raked a hand through her hair. 'You can't just dump her on me!' she repeated. 'What the hell do I know about looking after a child?'

'Learn,' Gladys snapped. 'Or dump her in a home. Either way she's not coming back with me. She's your problem.'

'You can't-'

'She's allergic to cats. Her school, medical and insurance information is in here, along with her birth certificate, passport, and savings account. Everything else, you'll have to damn well figure it out yourself.' She sniffed again, handed her a folder and looked at her watch. 'If you'll excuse me, I have a plane to catch.' Gladys turned sharply on her heel, leaving Taylor staring after her.

Taylor shut her eyes and rubbed her temples, before running her hands through her hair. She walked over to Stella who stood as she approached.

'What on earth is going on?' Stella asked her in hushed tones

Taylor slumped down into one of the chairs opposite Cordelia feeling very lightheaded. 'I have no idea,' she responded in a dazed manner.

'Who is she?' Stella asked, looking over at the child who was resuming her stance of staring forlornly at the floor.

'She's my niece,' Taylor frowned. 'Her father, my brother, is doing time. I visited him back in March and he told me he was letting me have the car so he could pay child support. It was the first I'd heard he had one.'

'And her mother?'

'Well, if Cordelia's grandmother can be believed, she's in Columbia.' Taylor ran her hands down her face. 'I can't look after a child, Stell. Look at me; I can't even look after myself.'

Stella placed a hand gently on her leg. 'I don't think you give yourself enough credit.'

Taylor shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. 'I need to talk to my brother. Would you?'

Stella nodded, kindly. 'We'll be in my office, away from everything.'

Taylor nodded, still feeling stunned. Then she took a deep breath and walked to the lift, and headed up to the roof, feeling the need to be away from the prying eyes of the lab's inhabitants.

On the roof, she pulled out her phone and dialed 411 asking to be put through to the warden and then demanding and pleading to speak to her brother.

She was on hold for a while before he appeared.

'Taylor? What's wrong?' he demanded.

'Cordelia's here.'

'What happened?' he asked as the panic in his voice increased.

'She's here. In New York,' Taylor hurriedly told him.

'Why?'

'Because your screwed-up ex, Megan, has a new boyfriend who she's moved to Columbia to be with, but she left Cordelia with her mother. And Gladys took a plane to tell me I'm officially her next of kin, and bye.' She took a breath. 'Chris, I can't look after her. I don't know the first thing about changing diapers!'

'She's seven,' Chris snapped. 'She's past diapers.'

'Point proven!' Taylor retorted, her voice growing increasingly high pitched.

'Taylor, I am not going to allow my daughter to go in a children's home! Not when she has a perfectly good aunt. Just let me talk to my lawyers. Please?' he was all but begging at this point.

Taylor rubbed her hand over her mouth and sighed. 'Fine,' she accepted. She rung off and slunk to floor, leaning back against the wall.

'Tay?' Flack's voice carried softly over the roof.

'Hi'ya.'

Flack came and sat down on the roof next to her. 'Stella called me.'

Taylor nodded. 'I figured.' She sighed. 'Cordelia, my niece, is going to be staying with us for a while.'

'How come?' Flack asked her gently.

'Sounds like her mother chose her boyfriend over her, and her grandmother chose retirement and bridge. And obviously, Chris is still in prison. Which leaves me.'

'And me,' Flack added softly.

Taylor looked up at him. 'You mean that?'

Flack nodded.

Taylor smiled, finding a small niche of relief and rested her head on his shoulder. 'God, I love you.'

'Pardon?' Flack asked, slightly surprised.

'I said I-' she sat up suddenly. 'Oh hell, I'm going to have to child proof the apartment.'

'How old is she?' Flack asked, now amused.

'Seven!' Taylor exclaimed. 'I'll need to buy cupboard locks, and socket covers, and-'

'I take it she's seven years, not seven months?'

Taylor nodded. 'I don't even know if my cleaning products are safe.'

Flack laughed. 'I think we can trust her not to go on a bleach drinking bender. Seven, Taylor. Didn't you ever babysit?'

'No,' Taylor declared. 'I'm useless with children.'

Flack laughed again. 'You were fine with Ellie and Jesse,' he pointed out.

'That's because I knew I could give them back.'

'Look,' said Flack, checking the time. 'I have an hour left. Let me see the loo and talk him into letting me finish early. We'll head back to yours, I'll rustle up something for us to eat, and then I bet that more than anything, Cordelia is just going to want to get some sleep.'

Taylor nodded. 'I guess I really should introduce myself,' she muttered ass Flack helped her to her feet.

-----------------------------------------

Taylor chewed on her lip, staring at Cordelia, Wilbur and Stella. Wilbur was on Cordelia's knee, and Cordelia was on Stella's as the stared at something on the computer screen.

'Hey,' said Taylor softly, as Stella looked up.

'We were looking at pigs,' Stella explained. 'They're Cordelia's favorite animal.'

'Hi Cordelia,' Taylor smiled. 'I'm your Auntie Taylor.'

'Hello,' said Cordelia, politely.

'If it's alright, I think you're going to spend a few days with me?'

Cordelia nodded and jumped down off Stella, where she settled Wilbur on the floor, clutching tightly to his bright blue leash. She hoisted her backpack onto her back and walked over to Taylor.

'Thank you,' Taylor said to Stella.

'Everything sorted?'

Taylor shook her head. 'Not yet.

'Give me a call if you need anything,' Stella told her. 'Bye, Cordelia,' she added.

'Bye, Stella.'

------------------------------------------------

'So you're Cordelia?' Flack beamed as he crouched down in front of the child. 'My name is Don.'

'Hello,' Cordelia responded.

'I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Are you hungry?'

Cordelia nodded.

'Is there anything in particular you want to eat?'

'Chicken nuggets,' she suggested hopefully.

Flack smiled. 'I think we can manage that. What about Wilbur?'

'He likes chicken.'

Taylor frowned. She knew next to nothing about pigs, but she was certain they were supposed to have some special food. 'Don, will you watch Cordelia whilst I find her somewhere to sleep?'

'Of course. Cordy, do you want to help?' Cordelia nodded, smiling.

Taylor sighed and headed into Marty's room. Five minutes later, she had hung up her phone after receiving permission for Cordelia to use his bed, and was pulling his sheets off and putting fresh ones on.