The Corrupter - Yeah - I didn't know you had read my truely awful Miami series, lol! A FF award? How's that gonna work? And thank you!
RK9 - It is lucky (because I really like that name!) I think the trust problem really comes from the other side!
bloodredcherry - welcome and thank you for the review! I have a lot planned - I'm just trying to make it to the end, but yeah, there will be problems in her job (although I don't want to give too much away!) but I'm glad you're enjoying!
Madison Bellows - I have no idea how I will cope with the rabbits - I don't have the time for more!! More bad stuff is coming (I'm a sucker for angst) but it's only gonna have to get better!
meadow567 - it is incest (:s) It turns out that breeding mom with son is alright, but brother and sister - not so much. Oh dear (:c)
princessg - I really do wish life was simple!! But then again, life would be boring. Another quick update for ya - just with more angst...!
sparkyCSI - I know how you feel, but I have changed it slightly. And he will, which makes me think I may have added to this chapter!
Hmmm, so I'm begining to think that I may have altered this chapter after I sent it to my beta, sparkyCSI... so all mistakes are mine!
Forest Angel - I couldn't realy let anything bad happen to Dean (I'm too soft) but this chapter is explanation time.
brttmclv - I have no idea how I'm going to cope, but I think the writers have actually killed every Winchester, right? Lol, I can just imagine him kicking ass as a ghost although i really don't want that to happen. I feel the dun dun dun's are needed...!
I was gonna wait until this evening, but the fact of the matter is I'm in an exceptionally good mood. I did the craziest thing and. well, bought a plane ticket and in five weeks today I am going back to Baton Rouge! So now I am going to let you read whilst I go and convey my happiness into chapters!
What The Eyes Can't See
Chapter 179: Sometimes goodbye's the only way
Taylor crept into the house feeling like a teenager trying to get in unnoticed after coming back way after curfew. She took her time closing the door so that it made only the softest click as it shut. She let out a breath she had been holding, and turned, freezing as her eyes fell on Flack, who was staring back at her.
'Hey,' she said softly.
Flack remained staring at her. 'Where have you been?'
'You're up late,' she told him, lightly, avoiding answer the question.
'Where have you been?' he repeated.
'You wouldn't believe me if I told you,' Taylor told him softly, walking over and kissing his cheek.
Flack stood, stoic. 'Try me.'
Taylor took a step back and looked up at him. 'Are you alright? Did something happen tonight?'
'Taylor, I've tried had, I really have,' Flack told her sadly, 'but I can't take this much longer. I know where you were this evening.'
'It was a last minute thing,' Taylor told him. 'I wouldn't have gone for dinner with him if I knew what was going to happen.'
'You went for dinner with him?' Flack asked, outraged.
'Yes,' Taylor nodded carefully. 'But I told him I was getting married and we were over and done with. We were over and done with a long time ago.'
'How long have you been seeing him behind my back?' Flack asked, his voice breaking.
Taylor frowned. 'We split up years before us.'
'I didn't know you knew Dean.'
'Dean?' Taylor stared at him. 'I was talking about Craig.'
'Taylor, I saw you kissing Dean,' Flack told her. 'And I don't know where that leaves us now.'
Taylor stared at him, her heart suddenly plummeting into the depths of her stomach. 'Don?'
'I looked at his records. Did you know he's wanted in connection to a murder?'
Taylor shook her head.
'No, I figured you didn't. What is it with you and criminals?'
'Now that's not fair!' Taylor objected.
'Well, I guess it shouldn't be a problem for you to worry about anymore,' he told her.
'What do you mean?' Taylor asked him, not liking his tone.
'Put it this way: the FBI knows he's in this city.'
'Don! That's not fair!'
'Fair?' Don snapped. 'Where did fair come into it when he was kissing you in that alley?'
'Don,' Taylor started. 'That kiss… it wasn't… it wasn't like that-'
Flack shook his head as he place a hand at the top of each of her arms. 'It doesn't matter, Taylor. The point is that for some reason you felt you couldn't tell me about it. And this isn't the first thing – it's just another on a list of many.'
'Just because I have issues opening up doesn't mean I don't love you, Don.'
'No,' Flack sighed. 'I just don't think you love me enough. I was hoping getting married would change that – would show you that I'm not going anywhere-'
'Is this what this is about?' Taylor asked pulling the ruby engagement ring of and holding it up. 'This?'
'No,' Flack told her, simply.
'Look, if this was moving too fast for you, then you can have it back,' Taylor told him, a hint of desperation in her voice.
Flack looked at the small ring lying on the palm of his hand. 'It's not me this was moving too fast for,' he sighed. His eyes rose to meet hers. 'I'm going to move in with Danny for a while.'
'Don?' Taylor questioned in a tangled voice.
'I love you, Tay, I really do. But the fact of the matter is we need a break. This isn't good for either of us.' With a sad smile, he leant over and kissed her forehead. 'Love you.' He made his way to the door, pausing to look back. 'I'm sorry, Taylor.'
Taylor watched him close the door, before looking down at her hand. Staring up at her was the ring – Flack had pressed it into her hand before he had left. Bringing her fist tight around it, Taylor sunk to the bare wooden floors as she stared at the door, the only sound coming from the cast on the other hand as it hit the floor next to her.
--
The sun was beginning to rise when she was disturbed by a gentle knocking at the door. She was on her feet, flinging it open in seconds. 'Don?' she asked hopefully.
Dean shook his head as the smile fell from Taylor's face. 'What's up Nancy Drew?'
'You shouldn't be here,' she told him, her voice hollow as she retreated back into the darkness of her house.
'Why?' Dean asked, rubbing the back of his head. 'Look, Sam filled me in – I'm sorry, Taylor.'
'It's a little late for that,' she told him bitterly.
'What's happened?' he asked her.
Taylor looked up at him. 'The FBI knows you're in the city,' she responded, avoiding the question.
'Slightly more concerned about you than the feds,' Dean retorted. His expression softened. 'Is this about your ex?'
Taylor looked up at him, tears finding their way to lining her eyes. He didn't know… he couldn't… but…
'Taylor,' Dean stepped forward, ready to pull her into a hug.
Taylor jerked herself backwards, out of his reach. 'You should go,' she told him. 'Please,' she added.
Dean nodded and then backed out of the door leaving Taylor all alone in the house.
--
The only thing that kept Taylor from wallowing in her bed over the next few days was Cordelia.
She didn't have to pick the child up until after school, that day. Not long after the Winchester brothers had left, Taylor had curled up on the couch and hit play on her computer (until the study was finished, the laptop had been set up in the living room). After working her way through just about every genre on there – and there were a lot – she was feeling thoroughly miserable.
Maddy turning up didn't help.
'Are you going to lie there all day?' Maddy asked her, hands on her hips.
Taylor, who was lying upside down on the couch just about managed to shake her head. 'Gotta pick Cordy up from school in a few hours.'
'And until then, you're staying there?'
'Yup,' Taylor told her, turning up the music.
'Drowning me out with Kelly Clarkson isn't going to get rid of me!' Maddy declared.
'No,' Taylor agreed. 'But it will drown you out.'
Clearly not the right thing to say because Aiden and Eirik turned up. And Aiden shut the lid on her laptop.
Taylor glared at them. 'Unless you have some stupid-ass dead guy needing my help, just leave me alone.'
'Why is talking such a difficult thing with you?' Maddy asked her.
'You know we can't tell anyone, right?' Eirik added, softly.
'Don walked out. What else is there to say?' Taylor asked them bitterly.
As the two female ghosts shared a look, Taylor wandered into the kitchen and pulled the old freezer open. Grabbing the Ben & Jerry's, she wandered back to the couch and plonked back down on it. 'Oh, you're still here,' she muttered as she dug the spoon in.
'Don't you think you should talk to him?' Aiden suggested, perching on one of the many boxes.
Taylor looked gloomily over at her. 'No.'
Maddy growled. 'So you're gonna let a good thing walk away?'
Taylor dropped the ice cream tub on the floor, sent a glowering look at the three ghosts and strode upstairs to the bathroom where she turned the water on as hot as she could possibly bear and got in. Within minutes, she was sat down with her arms wrapped around her legs, crying.
--
The following morning, after dropping Cordelia off (and avoiding answering the question of where Flack was), she had gone to the pet store and bought an aquarium. She was making the seventh or eighth trip from the kitchen with a bucket of water when there was a knock at the door. 'It's open!' she yelled as she poured the water in the tank.
'Dear God, girl, please tell me you don't leave your door unlocked – I don't care which part of the city you live in,' Sasha's voice echoed around the room. 'Wow,' she muttered as she spotted the dark haired journalist. 'You look like crap.'
Taylor shrugged as she walked past, back into the kitchen. Frankly, she didn't care.
'I hope that's not to drown yourself in,' Sasha only half joked as Taylor walked in with another bucketful.
'Can't do that to Cordy,' Taylor muttered as she poured the water in.
'Look, I'm here about the birthday shindig for that cop friend of yours.'
'Lindsay,' Taylor corrected her. 'She's a CSI,' but she set the bucket on the floor.
'Well, either way, I have tried and tried, but there is no chance there's gonna be a meet and greet. They're going to do eight songs and that's going to be it.'
'I didn't expect anything else,' Taylor told her. A small smile played across her lips. 'You got the club to agree to the dress code though, right?'
Sasha grinned. 'You bet you I did.'
The smile grew a little more. 'I can't wait to tell Messer.'
'And have you got any cute single friends who you can set me up with?' Sasha asked her.
'Good question. I should be able to say Messer himself, but he did jet off to Montana for the woman herself,' she shook her head at the puzzled look Sasha was giving her. 'Let's assume he's not single. Okay, if Marty makes it back, he's single, last time I checked, Hawkes was single, I have no idea what's going on with Adam… And I guess Don is back on the market.'
'Don?' Sasha frowned. 'Don Don? As in your Don?'
'Not mine anymore,' Taylor told her. 'Well, I don't think so. He's staying at Danny's.'
Sasha sunk onto the couch. 'Wow. We are so getting you drunk at that party.'
Taylor shook her head. 'Nah. Besides, I haven't gotten a sitter for Cordelia.'
Sasha shook her head firmly. 'Oh no. We still have a week. You are going to that party – I'll find that sitter myself. You need to get back out there. That party's going to be open to the public.'
'Sasha,' Taylor began, but stopped at the sound of someone knocking at the door. 'Sash, I broke up with him two days ago. I'm not in the mood for meeting someone else. IT'S OPEN!' she yelled.
'Drew, don't tell me you left that door unlocked?' Danny asked as he walked into the front room. 'Oh,' he said, seeing Sasha. 'You're Sasha, right?'
Sasha nodded. 'Hi Danny,' she smiled. She turned to Taylor. 'Alright, so I won't expect you to leap back in that saddle, but you are still coming out next week.' She waved goodbye and disappeared.
'Hi Danny,' Taylor muttered, more so to fill the quiet.
'Wow, you look like crap,' Danny told her.
'So I've been told,' Taylor returned dryly.
Danny rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly. 'If it makes you feel any better, Flack looks like crap too.'
Taylor looked at him and sighed softly. 'Not really, but thanks.'
'Well, I do actually have a reason for being here,' Danny told her. 'We think we've found your car.'
Taylor's eyes widened as she leapt to her feet. 'Where?'
Danny shrugged. 'Down by the docks.'
'Well what are we waiting for?' she demanded.
So now is probably not the time to ask considering you all have fallen out with me (have faith!), but as you've probably gathered from the chapter titles, the majority come from song lyrics - if you know of any that might fit, please feel free to send them me!