sparkyCSI - You have Lexi back? Does this mean I will get some more chapters soon - or did you come to a decision on that?

meadow567 - And another two chapters for you (:D)

Trizzy - I can still watch them and laugh! In fact, I may do later! I hope work isn't too boring for you

TVjunkie323 - There's a bit of a wait, I know, but in my defence my muses have been setting me to work on DK (I'll have to send you the latest update on that for you, actually!) I've really grown to love Stella recently so I've enjoyed writing her. I don't like seeing grown men crying either! And with all the darkness that's going on, I needed to have something a little fluffy

natabrains - nope, I'm in denial about Marty! And I realised that the chapter was getting a little heavy so I was trying to lighten it a little. A bit of DL is just what it needed (:D)

Bmangaka - lol, is six weeks not too long then?

DreamerChild88 - I think my sympathy for Mac finally set in around these episodes (me and Mac have 'relationship' issues - he's not my favourite character) but I think I appreciate him a lot more. And she's the first and only person he's told.

Aphina - I was DJing a scholl Christmas party the other day and a child, who honestly couldn't see over the door came and asked me to play the Timewarp. What got me was that straight after he asked for Come on Eileen. I felt old!! i was certainly struggling for the words myself.

Spoliers for Personal Foul and Taxi, and of course, my eternal thanks to my beta!

What The Eyes Can't See

Chapter 228: Only you are the life among the dead

Taylor took a deep breath and pulled the keyboard over to her. Reed was preoccupied with his blog and was, as usual, completely oblivious to the ghosts that had seemed to take up residence in their office. The previous evening, whilst Flack had been enjoying a basketball game (albeit cut short when a cheerleader decided to kill one of the guys who had bullied her when she was younger), Taylor had a sulking teenager and a new ghost to add to the collection that were now just lingering around her.

With her lip caught firmly between her teeth, she typed the phrase into Google which had been imprinted onto her brain for the best part of a month. "None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death." It brought up 414000 results.

She clicked on several of them, but short of a handful referring to something quoted on a popular television show, the majority were referring to a passage from Leviticus in The Bible. She sighed, trying to work out how The Bible was related to the murders, wondering if the murderer was a religious nut.

Her tired brain was about to formulate a theory when Reed's voice disrupted her.

'Hey Mac, it's Reed. I'm about to put up a new blog post about the Cabbie Killer and I was hoping that you could help me with something... yes, I know. But I'm just trying to put together a real profile on this guy. You know? Don't you think that people have the right to know who they're afraid of...? Yes, but isn't that what lines are for? I mean you let Taylor get away with it all the time. Come on, throw me a bone, Mac.'

Reed's phone hadn't even been put on the desk before a screwed up ball of paper smacked the side of his face. 'What was that for?' he cried.

'I get away with crossing the line all the time?' Taylor asked him incredulously.

'Well you do,' Reed told her. 'You're always in the crime lab and you're sleeping with one of the best homicide detectives in the city.'

This time he dodged the next balled up piece of paper. 'I am not sleeping with Don to get an exclusive, Reed. We have better things to talk about in bed.'

'Alright, I'm sorry I said anything,' Reed grumbled. He pulled his laptop to him and began typing.

Taylor returned her attention to the screen in front of her. She was again disturbed in her thoughts by Nancy entering the room. 'Get your gear,' Nancy announced. 'The city and the NYPD are holding a press conference and I want you to there. Ask the questions that the other reporters are too afraid to ask, and get me an exclusive.'

As she marched back out the door, Taylor sighed and pulled open her bottom drawer. In it lived a little used satchel containing the essentials for reportive journalism – several notebooks, countless pens and pencils, a Dictaphone. 'I'll drive,' she told her younger colleague who only seemed to be taking his Blackberry.

---

'Thank you for coming,' Jordan Gates said clearly into the microphones on the stand. 'We can confirm that there has been another victim to the Cabbie Killer, however the city wants to assure you that the NYPD is taking every precaution to ensure that no one else will be killed. Our detectives have been working around the clock and despite the panic that is brewing, I want you to know that you need not be in fear. I'll pass you over to Detective Mac Taylor, lead in the case.'

Mac moved forward, but instead of making a statement went straight into the questions.

'There's been a lot of speculation recently about just who this serial killer is. Can you speak to that at all?'

'Can I speak to a speculation?' Mac asked. 'No. Just because you read it online or in the papers doesn't make it so. The fact is there are a lot of dedicated investigators working extremely hard to stop this individual, whoever he is, from killing again.'

Taylor was scribbling down Mac's answers in her own version of shorthand when Reed pushed past her, making his way to the front. 'Reed!' she hissed.

Reed ignored her, instead calling out to Mac. 'Well, as one of those forced to speculate in the absence of any real information being released by the NYPD, I wondered if you could just tell me this, Detective Taylor: Would you take a New York City cab right now?'

Taylor's mouth dropped open, wishing she had the balls to ask the question, despite the consequences.

Mac stared at Reed before taking a deep breath and sighing. 'No I wouldn't,' he admitted. 'Not until this killer is found and brought to justice. No further questions.'

'I can't believe you asked him that,' Taylor told the kid in awe.

'Nancy wanted an exclusive,' Reed returned. 'She's got it.'

---

Taylor settled into the booth opposite Lindsay and grinned. 'How're things?'

Lindsay shook her head. 'I feel like I'm back in high school. Danny's still talking about those cheerleaders.'

'I know what you mean,' Taylor agreed. 'I got in and Flack had pulled out an old cheerleading uniform I had and asked if I'd put it on.'

'Did you?' Lindsay asked, curiously.

'Hell yeah,' Taylor grinned. 'Had much fun in it as well. I figured Flack needed some distractions,' she added.

'He's getting a lot of stick from the brass too?'

Taylor frowned. She'd actually slipped up, having been referring to Flack's confession. Quickly she nodded. 'Yeah. Not as much as Mac, it would seem.'

Lindsay also nodded. 'It's really getting to him, and it's rubbing off on Stella. It can't be good for the baby.'

'You know,' Taylor mused as she reached for the menu. 'I always thought those two would get together.'

'Mac and Stella,' Lindsay asked, her eyes popping out of her head. 'Don't be daft.'

Taylor nodded. 'Yup. It's true. They just work so well together.'

'So do Danny and Flack,' Lindsay pointed out. 'But I certainly don't picture them together.'

'Well, on that mental image, how about we discuss the baby shower.'

Lindsay smiled, pulling out a notebook. 'Well, the restaurant is booked for this Friday and we have confirmations from everyone, although,' Lindsay frowned. 'Mac has said if this serial killer isn't caught he won't be attending.'

'He can't do that!' Taylor objected. 'He's the one getting Stella there!'

'I know. So we're going to have to come up with some form of contingency plan,' Lindsay sighed.

'Well you work on that, and I'm going to work on Mac,' Taylor informed her as their food arrived.

---

By the time they had finished their meals, it was raining heavily. Taylor looked at Lindsay. 'You bring an umbrella?'

Lindsay shook her head. 'Nah. I don't mind though. I haven't had a rain walk in a while.'

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

Lindsay smiled. 'A rain walk. A walk in the rain. It's something I did all the time in Montana. I haven't gone for a walk in the rain for a long time.'

'No, that's probably because you'll catch your death in it. It is April,' she laughed. 'April showers – I hadn't thought of that.' She pulled the collar to her jacket up around her neck. 'I left my phone in the office. I'm gonna nip there before I head home.'

'That's fine,' Lindsay told her. 'I'll go for a walk and see if I can come up with a plan. See you Friday night otherwise?'

'See ya then,' Taylor agreed before setting out in the opposite direction to Lindsay. Unlike Lindsay who had set off at a leisurely stroll, Taylor ducked her head and hurried through the pelting rain. She was a block from her office when she stopped suddenly. Over the weeks she had grown accustomed to the many ghosts that filtered through the streets of the city. Most of them were carrying about their daily business as if they were still alive – there was a hotdog vendor who was desperately trying to sell hotdogs across the road from the crime lab, completely oblivious to the fact he was dead. There was also a traffic officer from about thirty years ago who was trying to direct traffic around Madison Square. There was even a parking attendant who took much pleasure in issuing as many parking tickets as she could when the timers ran out off 5th Avenue.

But a group of ghosts, surrounding Maddy and Aiden in the middle of the sidewalk, along with a newcomer, was enough to make the journalist stop in her tracks and try not to worry. 'Aiden,' she greeted the ghost warily. 'Is this your not-so-subtle way of telling me I'm next?'

Aiden frowned. 'My job is to try to keep you safe, not influence you in your decisions.'

'And you could save yourself a lot of trouble if gave me a hint. Then you could spend more time with your date. Anyone I know?'

'James Dean,' Aiden returned dryly. 'And you have to make your own choices, Tay.'

'Note to self, don't get a taxi tonight,' Taylor muttered. She shivered in the cold night air, wrapping her arms around herself.

'You say that, but going to the crime lab could be the decision you shouldn't take,' Maddy pointed out.

'So you're telling me I should take a cab?'

Maddy opened her mouth to respond, then froze. With a shake of her head, she pointed at Taylor. 'I'm not falling for that one,' she chided her.

Taylor took a breath and eyed the array of ghosts in front of her. Her eyes fell on the new guy. Like Maddy and Aiden, despite the rain, he looked completely dry. Taylor gave an inward sigh. Unlike his jeans, hers were soaked through and clinging to her legs uncomfortably and a part of her wished she had the ability to be in the rain and not look like she had jumped fully clothed into a swimming pool.

She frowned, bringing her attention back to the new ghost and cocked her head to analyse his manifestation. She could just about make out some scratches on the back of his neck when she peered around him. But his general appearance didn't seem to fit with the other ghosts. In fact, he looked like he had been beaten.

'Let's hear it, then?' she said to him.

He stared back at her.

Taylor shot a glance at Maddy and Aiden. 'Are you telling me I've got a ghost and a cat's got its tongue?'

Maddy shrugged. 'Don't ask me.'

'None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death,' the other ghosts said in unison.

Taylor shivered, unsure as to whether the cause was the eeriness of the ghosts, or the fact that a drop of water had dribbled down her neck. She shot another look at the new ghost and was surprised to see a small monkey on his shoulder. 'Oh, I can't wait to see how this one plays out,' she muttered.

---

'I'm sorry, Taylor, but I've got to get to work. I don't care if you have a new ghost – I can't afford to not go in. You're gonna have to get back here and watch Riley yourself.'

Taylor sighed. 'Thanks anyway, Marty,' she said as she hung up. She'd gone straight into her office to collect her phone and as she spotted the time, had cancelled away the new message without reading it, and had called Marty.

As he was working the night shift, Taylor frowned, wondering who she could get to watch Riley. There was no way she was leaving her alone in the apartment, but, at the bottom of her stomach, Taylor knew tonight was going to be the night to make or break the cabbie killer case.

Figuring there was only one other person to call, she flipped through her phone book, found Stella's number and called her.

'Hey Taylor. What's the matter?'

'Hi Stell,' Taylor greeted her. 'I was wondering if you could do me a favour?'

'Go on,' Stella prompted her.

'Don's working, Marty's working and a new ghost has turned up.'

'And you need someone to stay with Riley, correct?'

Taylor nodded. Then, remembering Stella couldn't actually see her, 'Yeah.'

'Not a problem,' Stella informed her. 'But you should know I'm very expensive.'

Taylor laughed. 'Thank you,' she told her before saying goodbye and hanging up. She thrust her phone into her pocket and hurried back out into the night. It was still raining. But she was also still drenched. She bowed her head and hurried for the nearest subway stop.

I have completely resolved my housemate issues... I'm moving into my own place in four days! Eeek! And as I have spent the past three days cleaning and packing (actually, that's a lie - I went to London to see Wicked yesterday!) I have decided to take a break and treat you to two whole chapters!

I hope you all had a great Christmas - and for those that don't celebrate it, I hope you've been having a great time too!