Disclaimer: I don't own CSI:NY.
Series: 'Kindred Spirits'.
Spoilers: The Cost of Living; very, very slight spoilers for All Access.

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The Cost of Living

Once you'd been a detective for two years, there were certain things that became routine.

This was not routine.

For one, Jess had a live victim to talk to, which made a nice change and was a relief given the circumstances.

For another, the victim was Stella, who Jess had always seen as unshakeable.

Well, she was shaken today, and who could blame her?

The EMT had just finished treating the cut above her eye and Jess was waiting to take a statement, almost afraid to do so, concerned with what they might be dealing with.

The technician gave her a nod and she stepped forwards, giving Stella a comforting hug. "Are you okay?"

"Been better." Stella admitted lowly, resting her head on Jess's shoulder, which was probably more than Flack or Danny would've gotten.

"What happened?" Jess asked.

Stella shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure. I was walking and then someone shoved me down those steps." She nodded towards the subway entrance. "He had a gun … wanted something. I fought him off and he started speaking in Greek … shoved me against the wall."

"You get a description." Jess asked, pulling out her notepad.

"About six feet tall, heavy build." Stella frowned. "He was wearing a hat and it was dark so …"

"Take your time." Jess told her gently.

"He had a scar, on his left cheek." Stella remembered. "Spoke fluent Greek and had a heavy accent; I think it was from Northern Greece."

Jess noted it all down and put her pad away. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah." Stella sighed. "I'm just … I'm pissed off, Jess. I can't believe I let him get the better of me."

"You didn't." Jess told her. "You're here, aren't you?"

"Still." Stella grimaced. "He caught me off-guard. No one's done that; not since …" She cut herself off abruptly.

Despite her curiosity, Jess didn't ask her to elaborate, recognising the darkness in Stella's eyes and realising that the older woman was kicking herself for almost bringing it up. "You said he wanted something? What was it?"

Stella frowned. "He didn't say."

Jess nodded, pulling a face as her phone beeped. "I gotta go, Stel; that's my case."

"Don't worry." Stella smiled at her. "Thanks."

"For what?" Jess asked.

"Being here." Stella responded quietly. "And … you know."

Jess nodded, filling in the blanks. Not asking. "Anytime, Stel. Call if you need anything. You alright?"

Stella's eyes fixed on something over her shoulder and Jess glanced round to see Mac making his way towards them.

"I'll take that as a yes." Jess added, with just a hint of a smirk. "She's fine," she added as he reached them. "See you both later.

"How's Stella?" Don asked.

"Keep up, Flack; it's been hours." Jess answered, somehow juggling the phone and a basket of laundry. "She's fine; just a bit shaken."

"And there's no lead on the attacker?"

"None." Jess sighed. "I've got an APB out, but I'm going by height, build, a scar and an accent."

"Dammit." Don muttered. "You got plans tonight?"

"Just me and a pile of laundry." Jess eyed it with distaste. "You?"

"I'm still finishing paperwork on the dead archaeologist." Don told her. "How does your life get so bad that you sell it to someone else?"

"Pass." Jess grimaced. "Is that what he did?"

"Not exactly. Our victim was the guy who bought the life. The real deal took it back."

"You can't just run away from your problems." Jess glanced up at a knock on the door. "Gotta go. Good luck."

"Thanks."

Jess hung up the phone and answered the door. Stella was stood outside, looking harried. "Hey, Jess; sorry for just showing up, but …"

"Don't worry about it." Jess assured her, opening the door wider. "Come in? You want some coffee? I've just made some."

"You got anything stronger?" Stella asked, sinking on to the couch.

"I can do Irish coffee." Jess offered, pouring two mugs and adding a shot of whiskey to one of them. "Here."

"Thanks." Stella took a sip, her hands shaking slightly.

"What happened?" Jess asked, sitting down next to her.

"I know who attacked me." Stella told her.

"You do?" Jess put her mug down, all business. "Who and how? And why?"

"Let me take the last one first." Stella tucked a curl back out of her face. "Before I was attacked, Danny and I questioned a man named Wolford Besse, he's a homeless guy, rat fisherman."

Jess pulled a face. "Don't want to know."

"He heard the shots." Stella explained. "And took something off the body; a watch and a strange kind of plaster pendant."

"This is Don's dead archaeologist?" Jess checked.

Stella nodded. "I gave Wolford my card, in case he remembered anything. We found him dead shortly after I was attacked."

"So someone saw Wolford leave the body, killed him, realised he didn't have the items, found your card and came after you?" Jess summarised. "What was so special about that watch?"

"It wasn't the watch." Stella told her. "We checked it for everything, and then processed the necklace. When we broke apart the plaster," she opened the briefcase she had with her and handed Jess a photograph, "we found this."

Jess examined it. "A coin?"

"Not just any coin. It's Greek; dates back to Philip II. It's a priceless antique." Stella explained.

"So that's what he was after." Jess frowned. "Which means, if your attacker knew the archaeologist had it, he probably wouldn't have lived long anyway."

"Either way, we'd probably have been investigating a murder." Stella agreed.

"Let's take the who and how part now." Jess suggested.

"I took this photograph and several others to the Greek embassy." Stella told her. "See if I could find out more. They put me in touch with a man called George Kolovos, who introduced me to Sebastian Diakos, an antiques expert. He had a scar on his cheek, had a heavy accent and spoke fluent Greek."

"Did you tell them?" Jess asked.

"No, I apologised, said I brought the wrong briefcase and got the hell out of there." Stella ran a hand through her hair. "There's nothing I can do, Jess; Diakos works for the embassy, that gives him …"

"Political immunity." Jess finished with a nod. "Right. Well, from where I'm sitting, you can do one of two things. Either you set up a sting operation and catch this guy in the act, thereby getting him extradited. Or you do nothing."

Stella sighed. "First one's not an option right now, Jess. I've got a hunch, nothing else." She stood up and began pacing. "Dammit, this guy's smart! He knows we can't do anything!"

"The question is, Stella," Jess said carefully, "how desperate are you?"

Stella stopped, observing her. "Not desperate enough for a sting yet. Besides, even if I do catch him in the act, there's no way I can get him extradited, especially if Kolovos backs him up. Poutanas gie!"

"You speak Greek?" Jess asked.

"Yeah." Stella tilted her head. "Do you?"

"No, I took a guess." Jess grinned. "When did you learn?"

"One of my teachers growing up was from Greece." Stella told her. "That's how I know I'm part-Greek. It's in the eyes, he told me. He taught me. You speak another language, right?"

"French." Jess nodded. "My grandmother doesn't speak a word of English."

"You ever used it at work to annoy people?" Stella asked, a mischievous grin on her face.

"I only use my powers for good, Stella." Jess told her jokingly. "Although we did once arrest someone who insisted he only spoke French, so I interrogated him and pretended I didn't understand him. He ended up confessing."

Stella laughed. "I love it when things like that happen. I just use it to curse without anyone realising."

"Well, admittedly, I have done that as well." Jess grinned.

"Don know?" Stella asked.

Jess frowned thoughtfully. "I don't think so. Why?"

"If there's one thing I've picked up about Flack over the years," Stella told her with a smirk, "he's got a thing for women who can speak French."

"So?" Jess asked as blankly as she could.

Stella lowered her voice, although there was no one around to overhear. "I've seen the way you look at him."

Jess managed to keep her face emotionless as she forced her racing heart to slow down. She took a deep breath and …

Knock, knock.

Standing up, Jess glanced at her companion, who was still smirking knowingly. "I'll just …"

Unsurprisingly, it was Don standing outside. "Laundry got the better of you yet?" He asked with a grin.

"Haven't even started." Jess stepped back to let him in. "Welcome to the party."

"What …" Don trailed off. "Hey Stel. You okay?"

"Fine." Stella accepted his hug as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Just shook me up a bit, that's all."

"I'm not surprised." Don scowled, straightening up. "Did we get him?"

Jess coughed, using the time to glance at Stella, who shook her head almost unnoticeably. "No."

Don narrowed his eyes at his partner who stared right back, silently asking him not to push it. He held her gaze for a second longer, then gave a small nod, leaving Stella oblivious to the silent exchange.

"You two didn't have plans, did you?" Stella asked.

Don shook his head. "We very rarely make plans, Stel. I just turn up at her apartment and Jess is good enough to feed me."

"He's like a lost puppy." Jess shrugged with a smirk. "I just can't say no." She patted his cheek and stepped over the phone. "I'm ordering pizza; you in, guys?"

"Sure." Don dropped onto the couch with a groan, rubbing his hand over his face. "That wasn't a request, Stella."

Stella chuckled. "Alright then."

"Any requests?" Jess asked.

"Whatever you're having is fine." Stella assured her.

"Double pepperoni, extra cheese, coming right up." Jess concluded, dialling the number.

Don grabbed the remote and turned the TV on, channel hopping. "What do we feel like?"

"I'm not bothered." Jess told him.

"Me neither." Stella added. "If I'm …"

"Don't." Don cut her off wearily. "I should have been with you this morning, but I wasn't and I'm feeling guilty over that, so humour me and stick around."

Jess hid a snicker as Stella nodded; the chances of Don being that open about any self-doubt or guilt were slimmer than an anorexic model on a diet. The only reason he had been 'open' was because neither of them wanted Stella to be alone this evening and she had a feeling that Stella didn't want to be either.

None of them would address that, although she was sure that Stella had caught on to the real reason why they were insisting she stay.

Jess still wasn't sure what had happened in Stella's past, but Don's reactions to this and other cases had left her with a fairly good idea, and she didn't push for anything more. She didn't want to.

AN: I don't speak Greek, but according to the internet, Poutanas gie means 'Son of a bitch'. Sorry for the lack of Flangell-ness but it's getting difficult to keep them apart; only one more to go before I can let them just get on with it XD! Review please!