Aphina - lol, I work the most mind numbing job in the world - it gives my mind the chance to wonder. I have no idea how realistic things are, but I'm certainly trying! Here's more!

miss wizzard of oz - Well, I couldn't let Marty take the fall! And I'm not sure I want to know how you're earning those points back!

RK9 - I've gone back and edited the chapter so hopefully it's a little clearer, but basically, Devon's a socialite and all her activities would be in the gossip section of the papers/magazines. Sorry about that!

demolished-soul - Tut tut - I hope you got your homework done! Cordelia has actually been hard work - I don't know many kids (although I know plenty with the same mental ages) so I have no idea if I'm getting her right.

CharmedMummy - You make an excellent point - I had forgotten about that!! I went back and changed it, so thank you for pointing it out!

meadow567 - My mind is twisted, and I wish I knew how it works, because it's rarely logical. However, I'm glad it worked!

Madison Bellows - I was trying so hard to be nice to Devon. It's not her fault! It didn't work, lol! Um, I've only just started being mean... (:D)

sparkyCSI - It's a little different to how they solve things, but I can see it too. Lol, I know you know how hard I've found Cordelia, so I figured some explanation would be good.

Spoliers. Okay, so we're on to 3x11; Raising Shane (which I have taken some liberties with for my own, and hopefully your, amusement!)

What The Eyes Can't See

Chapter 159: I try to take a breath but I'm already choking

A week later, and everything seemed to be back to normal and falling into a regular routine. Marty was back in Missouri, Cordelia was settled into school – even Wilbur knew when it was feeding time.

Taylor, who had spent the day at the paper, and the afternoon in the park (still amazed at the heat which showed no sign of letting up, despite it being the last week of September) running around with Wilbur and Cordelia, was now curled up on the couch watching the end of Grey's Anatomy with Flack.

At the sound of a knock at the door, Taylor looked up at Flack, who was staring down at her. 'I'll get it,' she conceded. Taylor padded over to the door, stifling a yawn. She opened it to reveal Hawkes dressed in his running gear. 'Oh, Sheldon, I forgot to call you. I'm sorry.'

'I take it you're not joining me this evening?' he asked her.

Taylor shook her head. 'I can't. Don's on call, so I need to stay in with Cordelia.'

Hawkes nodded. 'That's fine. Don't worry. You probably wouldn't keep up anyway,' he added with a grin.

'Dude, no amount of goading is getting me out tonight.'

Sheldon laughed. 'I wasn't. But consider it a challenge for next time.'

'You're on, baby,' Taylor told him, returning the laugh, before he disappeared. She headed back into the living room, joining Flack on the couch where he had turned the programme over to America's Dumbest Criminals. She settled herself back alongside him, and looked up at him from under his arm. 'Seriously?'

Flack grinned. 'Are you kidding? This is genius. I feel I should take a video recorder out with me sometimes and sent half my arrests in.'

Taylor snorted and settled back. 'Whatever floats your boat?'

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

Taylor awoke to an empty bed and a shrieking alarm. She'd been woken up only a few hours earlier to Flack's pager as he had an early morning call out, but had managed to fall back to sleep. Now, she had to get up and make sure Cordelia was ready for school. Gone were the days when she could turn the alarm off and snuggle back down under the covers.

She yawned and got out of bed, pulling the blinds open. It was already showing to be yet another scorcher. She wrapped her dressing gown around her waist and went to wake the child up.

Half an hour later, Cordelia was sat at the table, eating her breakfast, whilst Taylor dashed around the apartment trying to locate her gym kit. With a sinking feeling that it was still in the back of Flack's car, she pulled out her phone and dialled.

There was a very loud sigh from Flack before he spoke. 'Taylor, how did you find out already? In fact, don't answer that. Just tell me there's not a ghost because I really don't think you should be down here.'

'Why? What's happened?' she demanded.

Flack sighed again. 'Why are you calling?'

'Cordelia's gym kit. Any clues?'

Flack swore. 'Back seat of my car. Here with me.'

'What's going on, Don? Because she needs her kit, and that means I'm going to have to go down there and get it.' There was a long pause. 'Don?'

'There's been a robbery at a bar.'

Taylor looked over at Cordelia who was pouring herself some more cereal. 'And that's why you don't want me down there?'

'A witness ID'd Hawkes.'

Taylor blinked. 'Sorry, I spaced out. I thought you said Sheldon had been ID'd.'

Flack sighed. 'I did.'

Taylor took one last look at Cordelia, who was sending her a puzzled look, and walked out of the room. 'Is there anything I can do?'

'Don't get involved like you did with Marty.'

'Don, Sheldon is my friend too.'

'Look, Gerrard has already been down here and Danny's been winding him up. Gerrard threatened to punch him.'

Taylor shut her eyes. 'You're kidding me?'

'Stella stuck up for him, but Gerrard's going to be all over this.'

'What aren't you telling me, Don?'

'IAB is involved.'

'Your father,' she muttered, more as a statement than a question.

'Yeah,' Flack responded softly.

'Don, I've got to come down there.'

'Taylor, you really shouldn't.'

'I need to get Cordelia's gym kit.'

Flack swore again. 'Promise me you won't stay?'

'I have to get Cordy to school.'

He told her where the crime scene was and they said their goodbyes.

Ten minutes later, Cordelia was being bundled into a car and Taylor was trying to circumnavigate the morning traffic. She pulled up behind a police car, cutting off a taxi that beeped his horn at her. Ignoring him, she turned to Cordelia, telling to stay where she was whilst she grabbed the gym kit.

She spotted Flack by the door to the bar, talking to an officer, and waved at him to get his attention. He hurried over thrusting his keys at her.

'Is there-'

'No,' he cut her off.

'Bonesera!' a familiar voice bellowed from inside the building. 'You have been told to get you and your team out of here!'

Taylor looked up in time to see Danny storming out of the bar, followed closely by Stella, whose head was held high. Behind the both of them was Sgt. Flack. Their eyes met, and he walked over, just behind the two CSIs who had ducked beneath the tape.

'If I see you this side of the tape, I will have you arrested.'

Taylor blinked, unsure as to whom he was addressing. And then she turned to Flack, smiling. 'I'll bring this right back,' she told him brightly, quickly heading over to his car. The gym bag was indeed, on the back seat. She grabbed it quickly and headed back to the tape.

Sgt. Flack had disappeared back inside the building, but Mac and Lindsay had turned up.

Stella let out a frustrated groan as Taylor handed the keys back to Flack. 'I hate the view from this side of the tape.'

Taylor nodded – she could certainly sympathise with that.

'So now what do we do?' Lindsay asked.

Danny snorted. 'Scratch our asses whilst these guys decided Hawkes' fate.'

'Taylor,' said Flack softly.

Taylor looked over at him.

'Are you forgetting something?'

Taylor shook her head. 'I don't think so?'

Flack rolled his eyes. 'Four foot, dark hair, blue eyes? Has a pet pig?'

Taylor's mouth dropped open. 'Gotta go,' she yelled, taking off at a run.

Somehow, although she wasn't entirely sure how she achieved it, she made it to the school just before the bell rang. Taylor leant back against the railings trying to catch her breath – she'd had to park a way off and ran the rest of the way, hence the breathlessness.

'He's not going to stop.'

'Who's not going to…?' Taylor trailed off as she looked up a the black man standing in front of her, holding up a ring, dressed only in a pair of… boxers. 'Oh hell no,' she cried, looking at Maddy, who, of course, was accompanying him.

'What?' Maddy asked innocently.

'I saw that film. I know how it ends.'

Maddy frowned. 'What, dare I ask, are you talking about?'

'The Ring. Watch a video, a week later you're dead?' she told her. 'We went to see that at the movies together.'

Maddy laughed. 'Oh yeah! You jumped every time the phone rang after that for a month!'

'It was a week. Tops!'

'He's not going to stop,' Casper the-practically-naked ghost repeated.

Taylor sighed. 'Look, I realise you're in something of a predicament, what with being dead, and all, but my friend has been arrested for murder. Again.'

'Again?' Maddy repeated.

Taylor frowned. 'Again, being another friend, not Marty again. Although,' she looked at Maddy, 'I'm surprised you're not all over this?'

Maddy scowled. 'Are you kidding me? I'd love to be in that cell, but I can't. I'm stuck with this guy too.'

'Fine,' Taylor sighed, before the male ghost could repeat his sentence. 'But I should warn you, if there's anyway I can help Sheldon, I will be doing that.' And with that, she marched off to her car.

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

Flack looked up from his phone call spotting Taylor heading towards him. He sighed as she sat down opposite. 'I thought you weren't going to get involved in this.' He told her as he cradled the phone under his chin, clearly on hold.

Taylor gave a slight frown, but shook her head. 'I'm here because of a ghost.'

Flack's face fell. 'Please tell me she isn't a blonde gunshot victim?'

Taylor again shook her head. 'Black guy. Though I can't tell how he died. He is only in his skivvys though,' she added.

'Sounds like Angell's case,' Flack told her, before grabbing the phone and sitting upright. 'Yes, I'm still here.'

Taylor rose to her feet. Angell wasn't in the room so she figured that she might be with whichever CSI was working the case. She gave Flack a smile, to which he returned with a nod, deep in conversation with whoever was on the other end.

She headed for the door and was practically pushed out of the way by Mac. Taylor opened her mouth, ready to comment, but someone beat her to it, holding his hand out to the ex-marine.

'Detective Taylor? I'm Bobby Rushmore, Sheldon's representation from the Union. Don't worry about a thing. We'll take good care of him.'

Taylor sighed as she realised that Hawkes was probably in a lot more trouble than she thought – no one had really explained to her what exactly he had been arrested for.

She blinked as she realised Mac was storming past the attorney, straight for the door he had just come from. Judging from Gerrard's shouts, Hawkes was probably on the other side of the door.

'Taylor? Where you going?' Gerrard shouted, on his feet, chasing after Mac. 'Taylor!! Don't even think about it!' But it was too late; Mac was in the room, and Gerrard was shouting for someone to break it down if necessary.

Taylor took one last look at Gerrard's face, contorted in rage, and turned, all but running back to Flack. 'Don!' she called as she neared his desk.

Flack, who had heard some commotion, had already finished his call. He rose to his feet as Taylor approached. 'What?'

'Mac's barricaded himself in a room with Sheldon, and I think your captain is now out for his blood,' she quickly explained.

Flack swore and, putting his hands on her shoulders so as not to send her flying, dashed past her. Taylor watched him momentarily and then ran after him.

By the time she got there, Mac was being pulled from the room, and Gerrard was getting in his face.

'Your ass is mine, Taylor!' Gerrard barked.

'You threatening me?' Mac retorted angrily.

Which was when Flack was jumped in between them, pushing them apart. 'Who, whoa, whoa, whoa!'

Taylor frowned, grabbing Mac's arm.

'Let go of me, Taylor,' he hissed.

'Let me think about that…No,' Taylor responded in one breath as she continued to pull him backwards whilst Flack focused on his boss.

'Captain, let me handle this,' he told him.

'Stay out of this, Donald.'

Taylor's head spun around so fast she accidentally whipped Mac with her hair.

'Dad?' Flack groaned.

'Donald, you have been officially taken off this case, now get out of here.' The senior Flack turned to where Mac and Taylor were. 'Taylor, why am I not surprised?'

Mac shrugged himself free from Taylor's grasp and stormed off. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Flack talking to his captain – something Sgt. Flack also seemed aware of. 'You know, you could try and find the guilty party,' Taylor blurted out.

Sgt. Flack turned back to Taylor. 'Miss Turner, you are not helping anyone.'

Behind him, Flack was getting an agreement, albeit an exasperated one, from his captain. 'Yeah, I am,' she muttered as Flack made his escape, throwing a grateful nod at Taylor. As soon as he was gone, she gave the elder Flack a grin, turned, and vacated the room before he could say anything else.