Hi there folks! My name's Cheryl - I don't know if you remember me, but once upon a time I started writing this story. Then a lot of craziness happened, and despite the fact I was determined not to let it stop me, the craziness may have scared of the muses. But I still love this story and I still have a lot left to say, so unfortunately for some, I'm back... with two whole chapters for ya!!

TVjunkie323 - Is that a cry for the Winchester brothers to come back? (:D) No, i don't like Nancy, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do with her - I keep changing my mind!

CrazySkittles - A week? I keep forgetting how long this actually is - so thank you for seeing it through!! I hope you continue to like it!

BlueEyedGunSlinger - I'm really impressed, so thanks again! Sorry to keep you waiting!

Bmangaka - Yeah you did! Congratulations!! I hope your new courses aren't keeping you from having a life!

Trizzy - OMG, did you see last week's SPN?? I personally think it's the funniest episode I've seen to date!!! You're right - it was a fantabulous episode!

sparkyCSI - Stranger!! I feel like I haven't spoken in ages! I must write you an email to say hey! Have you seen much of Lexi?

Wolfsong98 - Don't worry - real life keeps hitting me too! I'm just glad you're still reading!!

DreamerChild88 - LOL, I definately liked Danny's answer!

meadow567 - Were you thinking about how slack I've been at updating?!

Spoilers... well, it's still Admissions! And of course, big thanks to my wonderful beta, sparky!

What The Eyes Can't See

Chapter 226: And I don't know where to look, My words just break and melt, Please just save me from this darkness

Taylor sat up with a start as her phone started blasting Rick Springfield's Jessie's Girl. She sat up with a start, scrambling for the phone. It wasn't until she had it in her hands that she discovered that it wasn't ringing, but instead the music player had kicked in.

From the other side of the room, cloaked in darkness, the only light coming from his monitor, Reed was looking at her with a weird expression. 'Into the eighties?' he asked her.

'What time is it?' she asked instead of answering the question.

'A little after ten,' he told her. 'You've been out for a couple of hours. Can't say it looks comfortable,' he added.

Taylor stared at him, open mouthed. 'After ten?' She looked over at the drawn blinds. 'What are you? A mogwia?'

'A what?' Reed asked, staring blankly at her.

Taylor gave him an incredulous look before rising from her head. 'Do me a favour and wake me next time,' she told him, before she left the office, heading for the bathroom.

One safely inside, she quickly gave herself a once over, reapplying her mascara, and left. On the sidewalk she paused, and instantly two cabs pulled up in front of her. Taylor shut her eyes and took a breath. The chances of the cab killer being the driver of her cab was ridiculously slim... but then again, if she got out of one in front of the precinct, there were probably going to be several other people in line to kill her.

She gave a polite smile and shook her head, before heading to the crowded subway. It was a relief to come topside, and she took her time walking to the crime lab, enjoying the warm morning.

She was heading to Mac's office to let him know the information had not only made the first edition, but was also front page and safely on the internet when she was distracted by something on a screen in a lab. She stuck her head around a door. 'Is that what I think it is?' she asked Hawkes

Hawkes looked at the screen. 'Well, if you think it's peyote, then yes.'

'Where the hell did you find that?' she asked, wandering into the lab.

Hawkes shrugged. 'Someone was growing their own magic garden.'

'Right under the faculty's nose,' Danny added.

Taylor's mouth dropped open. 'You found drugs in the school.'

'We actually found a garden of weed and 'shrooms,' Danny told her. 'It was being grown in the science lab.'

'Sometimes too much education can be a dangerous thing. Lindsay found a flask in the vic's pocket, so we got drugs and alcohol,' Hawkes informed her.

'Well, Riley's not going there,' Taylor muttered.

'You know you're probably going to find drugs and alcohol in most schools, hiding in someone's locker. Hell, I went to a private school and I knew where to score,' Hawkes told her.

'Oh, don't say that,' Taylor exclaimed.

Danny pulled a face. 'You're telling me you didn't know where you could get a joint?'

Taylor returned the look. 'I'm the reason our school dealer didn't get his GED.'

'You ratted him out?' Hawkes asked, laughing. 'You should have been a cop.'

Danny was staring at her with a cocked head. 'I bet you were a right goody-goody at school.'

'I was not a goody-goody!' Taylor objected. 'I just had a strong moral sense of right and wrong.'

Danny looked at Hawkes before grinning at Taylor. 'You were a goody two shoes.'

'Yes,' Taylor agreed dryly. 'Didn't drink, didn't smoke.'

'Write it on a pound note, pound note,' Hawkes sang. 'What?' he asked the two of them when they each gave him an incredulous look. 'You knew it was coming!'

'And from that little gem, onto another one,' Danny said, clearing his throat. He held up a pair of tweezers. Between the points at the end was a little green gem.

'Which places our royal couple at the crime scene,' Hawkes smiled. 'Looks like we've got our king pin.'

'And whilst you go track him down, I'm going to find Mac,' Taylor informed them.

She found him in his office. Or rather, she heard the one sided argument halfway down the corridor. She reached his door as he slammed his phone on the desk. 'Mac?,' she called softly, pushing the door open. 'You alright?'

Mac scowled. 'Same old, same old with the bosses. "Why haven't I dragged someone in on the taxi serial"?'

Taylor walked into his office. 'Meanwhile the mayor wants you focused on the prep school homicide.'

Mac nodded. 'The faster we can solve that case, the faster we can put more resources into the cab killer.'

'Well I have some good news on that front,' she said. 'The taxi cab killer, I mean. The extra info made the first edition. Reed's forums have apparently lit up.'

'Thank you, Taylor,' Mac sighed, sitting back in his chair and shutting his eyes.

Taylor watched him for a moment, biting her lip. 'Mac, are you sure it's just the serial killer thing that's bugging you?'

Mac opened his eyes and gave her a smile. 'I'm fine Taylor. Don't worry about me.'

Taylor returned the smile. 'Catch you later,' she said cheerily, backing out of the room, despite the fact she didn't quite believe them

---

Taylor pulled up outside Riley's school, early for once, and settled back into her seat to wait. She had just selected a tune to listen to on her iPhone when the sound suddenly went staticy, cutting off Supernova. Taylor frowned and leant forward to check the connection between the phone and the radio jack. She was twiddling the dial when a voice made her jump.

'Stop them.'

She let out a yelp, slipped, and sounded the horn, earning her some strange look from the surrounding foot traffic - both dead and alive. Swearing loudly, she turned in her seat to glare at the two ghosts in the back seat. 'I am selling this damn car and buying a two-seater, Maddy!'

'Yeah, yeah,' Maddy said, rolling her eyes.

'And she's watching him with those eyes
And she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it
And he's holding her in his arms, late, late at night
You know that I wish I had Jessie's girl-'

Taylor launched herself at the radio to turn down the music which had suddenly come blasting out. 'I swear to God this phone is on the skitz,' she muttered to herself. She turned back to Maddy. 'What did you do with the other guys?'

'You mean them?' Maddy asked, nodding out of the window at the four ghosts who were all staring solemnly at Taylor.

Taylor sighed. 'Yeah, them. Never mind. I've got to remember to get on the internet later. Actually...' she trailed off as she pulled the iPhone towards her and opened up the web browser. She was about to type the google address when the radio started blasting out Jessie's Girl again. 'What the?!' she exclaimed staring in amazement at the contraption in her hand.

She turned the radio off and looked up, ready to throw the phone on the dashboard. And then everything was forgotten as she spotted a familiar blonde teenager walking towards the school in front of her. Taylor glanced at the clock as the ghosts disappeared (Maddy muttering, I'll leave you to do some parenting). Riley had clearly been cutting class, quite likely with the very tall, much-older-looking-than-fifteen year old guy whose arm she was hanging off. Even from this angle, Taylor could see that his hand was in Riley's back pocket. And to top it off, in Riley's free hand was a cigarette.

It wasn't until Taylor had stormed over to them, her door slamming shut behind her, and was merely a few paces from them that Riley even realised she was there. 'Shit!' she exclaimed, leaping away from the guy as if he was on fire, and flicking the cigarette away.

'I'll give you shit Riley James,' Taylor snapped at her. 'Because you are knee deep in it. Get in that car right now.'

'Taylor, it's not what it looks like,' Riley told her.

'Get in the car,' Taylor growled through her teeth. She turned on the guy. 'And who are you?' she demanded.

'Leave him alone,' Riley cried.

Taylor rounded on the teen. 'You're cutting school to be with a guy who looks like he's old enough to be paying taxes!' She turned back to him. 'Well?'

'It's none of your business,' he told her.

'Oh, it is now,' Taylor informed him. 'And if you know what's best, you will stay clear of this teenager.'

'Taylor!' Riley cried in embarrassment. 'Just leave it.'

'Does he know how old you are?' Taylor asked them both. 'Because you are-'

'Oh, go tell someone who cares,' the guy told her, turning and walking away.

'And you keep walking,' Taylor yelled at his back.

The guy flipped her the bird before disappearing around the corner.

Taylor turned to Riley, her face like thunder. 'You had better have some good ass reason as to why you're skipping school.'

'Bite me!' Riley exclaimed, storming over to the car.

'I beg your pardon?' Taylor cried, hurrying after her.

Riley ignored her and got in the car, slamming the door behind her.

For the entire journey home, Taylor ignored the teenager, who was doing just as good a job of ignoring her in the car's silence. They pulled up outside the house and, as soon as the car was parked, Riley stormed out of the car and into the house.

'Riley James you can stop right there,' Taylor bellowed at the teen who was halfway up the stairs.

Riley continued marching up them. 'Leave me alone, Taylor.'

'Not until you tell me who that boy was.'

'He's none of your business,' Riley yelled back at her.

'I think you'll find he is my business when he's twice as old as you are!' Taylor informed her, still shouting.

'You're not my mother!' Riley shouted.

'No, but I am in charge,' Taylor bellowed. 'Who is he?'

'None of your God damn business,' Riley roared, entering her room and slamming her door behind her.

Taylor glared up the stairs, flustered. 'Get in your room!' she yelled.

The door opened. 'I'm already in my room,' Riley shouted back.

'Well you can stay there, because you are grounded.'

'I'm already grounded!' the response came, through the door.

'Well don't expect to come out any time this millennium.' Taylor sank to the step and put her head in her hands. From upstairs she could hear Mikey squawking Lucy, you've got some splainin' to do.

'What's up with you?'

Taylor looked up at Marty who was standing in the door way, staring down at her like she had gone mad. 'Teenagers,' she responded shortly.

'Ah,' he said, simply.

Taylor gave him a small smile, which quickly turned into a frown. 'Marty, are you alright? You look... tired.'

Marty shrugged. 'Just working a lot. Need the money,' he explained shortly.

Taylor nodded. 'Fair enough. Just don't work yourself to the bone.'

Marty gave her a smile which for a moment actually looked sad. But as quickly had Taylor had registered that, it was gone. 'I'm going to bed,' he told her. 'I'm back in at midnight.' He squeezed past her and carried on upstairs.

With a sigh, Taylor rose to her feet and followed him upstairs, stopping at Riley's door. She knocked and walked in. Riley was lying in the middle of her bed, glaring up at the ceiling with her arms folded, her iPod plugged into her ears. Taylor could hear the music from the doorway. She rolled her eyes and pulled the iPod out. 'Don't get comfortable,' Taylor told her, her anger still lingering. 'You're due at the Crime Lab. Get changed.'

---

Stella walked down the corridor, truly feeling like she was waddling, her hand pressed to her back. She'd escaped the morning sickness and the swollen ankles, and sure she'd had some weird cravings, but the back pain was a killer. It was almost enough to call in on the early maternity leave and stay at home with her feet up. Almost. But Stella hadn't let many a thing beat her in the past, and she sure as hell wasn't about to let her son get the upper hand before he was even born. No, she had just over a week of work left before she had to take the maternity leave, and she was going to enjoy every miserable second she was confined to the lab.

She walked into the break room, smelling the coffee and again cursing the fact she couldn't drink the real stuff, headed for the fridge. As she pulled the lid off and took a mouthful of bottled water, she realised she wasn't alone. Riley was sat at the table, legs swinging slightly as she listened to her iPod, her head bent over some papers. 'What are you reading?' Stella asked, coming to sit next to her.

Riley jumped up with a start, yanking the ear buds out. 'I'm sorry! I was just having a break!'

Stella held her hands up. 'It's fine. You can have a break. We don't expect you to clean for two hours solid,' she gave the teen a smile. 'You'd lose your mind.'

Hesitantly, Riley eased back into the seat. 'Oh.'

'What are you doing?' Stella asked, trying to peer at the papers. She had just worked out she was staring at a sketch of Adam running a trace analysis, when the papers were whipped off the table and into Riley's bag.

'It's nothing,' Riley told her.

Stella stared at the teen, who simply looked guilty. Well, she'd been filled in on the details by Taylor who had only just gone home after a twenty minute rant. 'Is that the same nothing that's associated with your boyfriend.'

Riley let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes.

Stella shrugged at her. 'You don't have to tell me anything, but if you want a friend you can trust, then you can talk to me. I know what it's like when you're in care and you don't feel like you can talk to anyone.'

Riley shot her a curious stare. 'You were in care?'

Stella nodded. 'I didn't leave until I went to college either. Look, I'm not going to push you into doing something you don't want to, but if ever need anything, you give me a call.' She pulled a card out of her pocket and scribbled something on the back. 'I'm going on maternity leave soon, but that's my address. You can try me there.'

Riley took the card off her, staring at the information on it.

Stella placed her hand on Riley's shoulder. 'You're not alone, kid. Remember that.' And then she left, leaving the teenager frowning at the piece of card.

Cookies to all of you who can spot all the eighties references (and probably made you feel old!)