Where the Wild Roses Grow

LEGAL STUFF:-NOT MINE - ALL CHARACTERS PRESS GANGED INTO THIS COMPLETELY AGAINST THEIR WISHES. INSPIRED BT THE SONG 'WHERE THE WILD ROSES GROW" BY NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS.

New York February 2009…………..

"As I kissed her goodbye, I said, 'All beauty must die" Even after all these years and all that happened since that song still haunted Mac every lyric and note indelibly etched into his memory chilling him to the very core. It was the callout Mac had been dreading for the past eight years, hell the one they'd all been dreading; he arrived at the same secluded edge of the Hudson just like he had all those years earlier at 6.30am the first rays of the winter sun peeking out above him. They were already there waiting for him of course just as he knew they would be Stella and Flack "It's definitely him?" Mac asks his friends although he already knows the answer "Yes" Stella nods in reply "He's back in New York Mac, the wild rose is back."

*********************************************************************New York February 2001 ……………

She was gonna be late her first day as a CSI and she would be late! Stella Bonasera dashed up the steps to her new HQ as if her life depended on it (and she mused her career at any rate probably did.) Alright so technically it wasn't her fault she would be late she'd left her place at 6.30am in her brand new charcoal trouser suite and pristine blue blouse to catch the subway to her new job and by her calculations arrive at 7am a good thirty minutes early. So far so good but she'd only got half way to the station when she'd heared screaming coming from an alleyway and her cop instincts had kicked in. Inside the alleyway she found a scruffy youth trying to wrench a handbag from a frail looking old lady "Stop NYPD" She'd yelled at the top of her lungs and said youth had shot off with the handbag at light speed. Stella being Stella had given chase and ten minutes later had cornered the kid behind a Chinese restaurant, "Give it up" She had told him of course he hadn't (did they ever) and opted to charge Stella instead. But she hadn't walked the beat for all those years without learning a few things and managed to wrong foot him unfortunately for them both the impact of the kid's charge however deflected led to both of them in a heap amongst the restaurants garbage bags.

So here she was nearly 7.30am already, her hair had noodles in it, her blouse had acquired a soy sauce stain and her left trouser knee had a hole in it; Stella groaned inwardly all those hours studying, working for this day and she was probably going to have the shortest career as a CSI on record. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts and getting to work at long last that she didn't notice him, the man standing by the door talking on his cell phone and so for the second time that day she found herself falling in a crumpled heap on the floor with a strange man. "Yes I know I said we'd go stay with your parents this weekend …..Claire honey …..I know I promised …..don't slam the pho…." Mac Taylor snapped his phone shut in frustration. Then there she was in his arms she just seemed to barrel straight into him; a crazy woman with brown curly hair and what had to be the most beautiful green eyes he'd ever seen. "Sorry…." She panted trying to squeeze past him "First day …. Late" She tried to explain, "Ah I see Stella Bonasera I presume" Mac asked; "Yes" She replied surprise registering in her voice that he knew her name. "Mac Taylor your new supervisor" He grinned letting her go, he had the kindest smile she decided but Stella's cheeks were burning with embarrassment "Kill me now" she muttered, "What?" He asked, "I think I got noodles on your tie Detective Taylor Sir" Stella squirmed.