laplandgurl - The rabbits are keepin gme very busy at the moment! They will, because I dont like them apart - it's more of the point that she doesn't open up!

RK9 - lol - love the mantra, and I'm not going to be that mean, I promise - I'm only a few chapters ahead and they're together!!

demolished-soul - she has a lot of explaining, but she doesn't - she sucks! But you do make a valid point! lol

Alana Xavier - I was very harsh, I know! But she really needs to learn how to talk!

sparkyCSI - Oh, now you're asking. I think I had Because Of You in my mind when I wrote it! I know the feeling - somehow it just feels so wrong!

meadow567 - I promise that there will be no "they were on a break" story! And there will be no cheating - that I can also promise!

Aphina - No; no yay to that! Lol, sometimes I think I'm constantly setting things up - my mind is always about ten chapters ahead!

Thoren - Yay on the ungroundedness! But they will be back together - I promise!

Madison Bellows - The party is a small ways off - there will be fluff - but I have to deal with this car first... and it's not good. Lyrics wise, anything involving life, death, demons, angels - something along those lines!

brttmclv - they are trouble, but they're pretty so I'll forgive them!

So, many thanks to my awesome beta, sparkyCSI

What The Eyes Can't See

Chapter 180: I've nothing left to lose after losing you

Isabella Mendes was not the sort of woman who scared easily. She wasn't afraid of the dark, enclosed spaces, heights – nothing… well, maybe spiders freaked her out, because, seriously, why would anything need that many eyes?

Not being scared of much meant that diving really suited her. She'd been born in the water – her mother had wanted to try a birthing tub for her fifth child – and had been swimming in the family pool back home in Florida from a very young age.

But as her eyes searched through the murky waters of the East River and fell upon the dim outline of the upside down classic muscle car, she knew something wasn't right – and her gut was usually right.

She swam closer to the car. The water was so dark down there that the light had to be inches away from the paneling before she could work out the color of the car.

Isabella shone the light through the windows – there was no one there. Something which she was thankful for in some respects, but that left the trunk. Or worse – the glove compartment. She'd had that one before and it really hadn't been pretty.

She changed direction, heading for the tow hook and attached the steel cable she had brought down with her. With a final tug to check it was secure, she followed the cable back up to the surface and the awaiting extraction vehicle.

By the time she surfaced, she had acquired quite a crowd of onlookers. Normally she wouldn't have been surprised, but the area had been secured. Or, at least, was supposed to have been.

Angrily, she pulled off her flippers and ascended the rope ladder she had flung down before she jumped in. The oxygen tank had barely hit the floor before she was marching over. 'Excuse me, but this is a crime scene – my crime scene!' she told the three people as she all but ripped her hood off.

'Maddy?'

--

Taylor stood in the drizzle watching the rear end of her beloved car be pulled out from the swirling water of the Hudson. 'Oh, Danny,' she sighed as the water gushed out of the windows.

'That doesn't look promising,' Angell muttered. 'Sorry, Tay.'

'I hope my insurance covers that,' she mumbled miserably. 'My premiums are already through the roof with house insurance.'

'Hey, you never know – a bit of TLC might fix it,' Danny shrugged. 'If Louie ever appears, and doesn't get thrown in the slammer for not meeting with his parole officer-'

'Still no sign of him?' Taylor asked him.

Danny shook his head. 'Nadda.'

'What about his tracker?'

'Unreliable pieces of junk,' Angell told them, forcibly.

Taylor looked over at her. 'Wow, you sound bitter.'

'Bain of my life – and I'm not even a parole officer.'

'Excuse me, but this is a crime scene – my crime scene.'

Taylor turned to see a something resembling a black jelly baby striding towards her. The jelly baby pulled off its hood and long bleached blond hair fell down, framing her face. 'Maddy?' she cried, unable to stop herself. The resemblance was uncanny, especially in the grey light: Short, lithe, peroxide blonde hair which hid the black color it once was, and a skin tone which belied the fact there was some form of Spanish heritage in her.

'Excuse me?' Isabella asked, her anger not dissipating.

Taylor blinked. 'I'm sorry; you look like someone I used to know.'

'I don't care if I look like the Queen of England, this is a crime scene.'

'Detective Angell,' Angell told her, pulling out her badge. 'That's Detective Messer,' she added as he followed suit.

'And what about her?' Isabella asked, nodding her head in Taylor's direction.

'That's my car,' Taylor told her, pointing to the vehicle which was still draining water.

Isabella pursed her lips but nodded. 'You're going to have to stay back. I need to pop the trunk.' Instead of waiting for a response, she walked straight over to the trunk, and nodded to one of her team to pop it. When it didn't work, she accepted the crow bar another was offering and yelled, 'stand clear.'

The second it popped open, all those standing downwind gagged.

'Oh God,' Taylor muttered, covering her mouth as she moved closer to her car. 'Is that-?'

Isabella sighed and turned to the officer who had given her the crow bar. 'Lisa, you're going to have to call the coroner. And the CSIs.'

'Lucky for you, there's one right here,' Danny told her.

Isabella eyed him up and down skeptically. 'Unluckily for you, I think you may be a little too involved in this,' she told him with a nod at Taylor.

--

'Good morning, Sid,' Stella greeted the coroner cheerfully.

'Good morning yourself,' he returned. 'You're awfully cheerful for someone who's awaiting the details of human stew. In fact, you're glowing.' He unclipped his glasses and cocked his head thoughtfully. 'If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were…'

Stella nodded, beaming. 'Six weeks. But I haven't told anyone yet.'

Sid smiled happily. 'Congratulations, Stella. And don't worry; Mum's the word.'

Stella smiled gratefully. 'Thanks, Sid.' She nodded her head at the bloated body. 'So, is he still a John Doe?'

'For now,' Sid nodded, leading her over to the microwave. 'However,' he said, pulling out a shallow bowl with a chunk of flesh in the middle of it, 'You'd have to confirm it, but it looks like your John Doe was Tanglewood Boy.'

Stella sighed. 'Great,' she muttered, dryly.

'Sadly, it doesn't get any better,' Sid informed her, leading her back to the body. 'Cause of death was drowning.'

Stella looked down at the bloated body – the water had distorted the face badly, but there was also a large chunk of his head missing. 'You mean he survived that?'

'Surprisingly, the gunshot wound to the temple didn't kill him outright,' Sid told her, almost apologetically. 'Effectively, it paralyzed him. He didn't die quickly, nor painlessly.'

'Thanks Sid.'

The coroner nodded. 'I'll page you if the dentals pull an ID.'

--

'Penny for them?'

Lindsay, who had been absent mindedly been watching the DNA machine work, looked up and jolted back into reality. 'Huh?'

'Penny for them?' Danny repeated, placing a brand new, shiny penny on the work top in front of her. 'They're not worth that,' Lindsay shrugged with a smile.

'How about if I said I was taking you out for dinner?' he asked, whispering into her ear, his actions masked to look like he was staring intently at a sheet of paper which was lying on the table in front of Lindsay.

Lindsay looked up and over at Adam who was absorbed in his results, frowning. He looked up and caught Lindsay looking before giving her a nervous look in return (something akin to a rabbit caught in headlights), before scarpering. 'What's up with him?'

Danny scoffed in her ear. 'I'm telling you I'm taking you to dinner and you want to talk about Adam? There somethin' you wanna tell me, Montana?'

--

Adam stared at the printout in his hands, his hairline prickling. He could feel his stomach drop. This wasn't good! He licked his lips nervously, looking up. How long had Danny been there?

Grabbing every print out, he thrust them into a folder and dashed out of the lab. Knowing Stella was in the garage examining Taylor's car with Hawkes, he made his way there.

'Hey Adam,' Hawkes greeted him, appearing from having his head in the trunk. 'Unless you don't have a date this evening, I suggest you stay away.'

'Where's Stella?' Adam asked, barely even hearing Hawkes.

'Examining the floor mats,' Hawkes informed him, pointing over to the corner. 'Is everything alright?'

Adam hurried over to Stella, ignoring Hawkes. 'Stella?'

Stella looked up from the black floor mat she was hunched over. 'Hi'ya Adam.' She frowned, noting his worried expression. 'What's the matter?'

'You need to read this,' he told her, thrusting the folder into her arms.

Stella frowned, her lips moving slightly as she read the document. She looked sharply at Adam. 'Is this right?'

'Double and triple checked it,' Adam nodded miserably.

'Does he know?'

Adam quickly shook his head. 'No. I came straight here.'

Stella nodded. 'Good. Right; we need to see Mac.'

--

Mac's eyes quickly scanned the paper for a second time.

'It's right, Mac,' Stella informed him soberly, as though reading his mind as to his next question.

Mac looked up, his eyes meeting hers. He sighed, setting the paper down. 'I'd best talk to him then.' He gave the sheet one last check and sighed again. 'Will you call Taylor, too? This involves her.'

--

'You wanted to see me?' Danny asked, poking his head into Mac's office.

'Come in and close the door.'

'Whazzamatta?' Danny asked as he walked in and sat down.

'We've identified the body from the trunk of Taylor's car.'

Danny looked expectantly at him.

'Danny, it's Louie.'

'Lou-?' he stopped, his voice breaking.

'I'm sorry, Danny,' Mac sighed.

Danny leapt to his feet, his eyes flashing. 'Who did it, Mac?' he demanded. 'When I get hold of them-'

'Danny, the only thing you are doing is going home.'

'But Mac-' Danny protested, his voice straining.

'Danny, you're going home,' Mac repeated, firmly. He looked up, spotted Flack, and waved him in.

'Come on, Dan,' Flack muttered, softly.

Danny rose to his feet, his shoulders sagging, and walked out of the office.

'Watch him, Don.' Mac told the detective.

Flack nodded. 'I won't leave his side,' he promised.

Okay, so I have been requested to spread the word about the CSI:NY Fanfiction Awards. The Corrupter has decided that it's time authors were recognised and rewarded for their efforts so she wants you to check out the forum "CSI:NY Fanfiction Awards" and have a gander - nominate the fics you like and then we can vote. It sounds like fun, if nothing else, and the rules are written in there. I suspect she's eventually going to PM a whole bunch of you anyway!

And, shameless plug - you can vote for me (:D) Serious note though - there are a wide range of categories on there ranging from Best Oneshot to Best Slash! Give it a go and lets have some fun!