Disclaimer: Not mine. If they were, do you REALLY think that I'd be here writing fic?

AN#1: BDSM ALERT! ANYONE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH IT SHOULD CLEAR THE HELL OUT!!!

AN#2: Ok, any homophobes, turn back now. This IS slash, and it WILL contain adult situations. Don't like, don't read. Con crit is welcome, and flames should be at least 3ft high. It gets cold in Berwick during the winter. And the heating bill is atrocious.

AN#3: This is just small 'dip in the pond', if you would, and it's not gonna get updated unless someone actually READS it.

Adam sank down onto a chair, pressing the palms of his hands hard against his closed eyes. He had the mother of all migraines, and everything in the lab, from the glass walls to the surface of the tables, seemed to capture light and reflect right into his face.

The past five hours of searching evidence for trace hadn't helped, either. This case was one of the hottest since he had started working for the lab, and Mac was riding everyone hard.

There had been four victims so far, all men. All were found bruised, battered, and bloody, naked except for a black leather collar around their necks. Autopsy revealed that all four were sexually active homosexuals who bottomed. Subs.

Adam shuddered. He had had enough dealings with Doms, and no matter how much he wanted to fall headlong into subspace, he wouldn't risk it. Being a sub in a safe, sane, and consensual scene was one thing. Being with a Dom who refused to acknowledge limits and refused to stop when safeworded, on the other hand...

Adam jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Adam, are you OK?"

It was Stella.

"I'm fine. Headache," Adam responded, managing a weak grin.

Stella nodded, still concerned, but nevertheless getting back to the task at hand.

"So, I got your page."

"Yeah," Adam got up, moving to the table, "I found blood on our vic's collar. It isn't his."

"How do you know?"

"Our vic's blood type is AB. The blood I found is type O."

"So our vic fought back...but Sid didn't find anything under his fingernails," Stella sighed, trying to figure out how the perp's blood had gotten on the collar.

Adam, however, already had the answer.

"I'm thinking the vic bit him."

"Bit him."

"Yeah. You said you found ligature marks on the vic's wrists and ankles. Killer tied him down, got over confident, and our vic took his chance and took a chunk outta him."

"Huh. I think you're right," Stella sighed again. "You know, I'll never understand the sexual appeal of pain."

Adam looked up from the evidence, eyes serious.

"I don't know about Doms, but for subs BDSM isn't about pain, or cruelty, or even sex. It's about trusting someone completely. Trusting that no matter how out of control you get, no matter how high you go, no matter how far you fall, you parter will catch you safely."

Seeing the look on Stella's face, he winced.

"Forget I said all that."

Stella, however, didn't.

"You live the lifestyle."

"I used to," Adam replied shortly.

"What changed?"

Adam gave a snort of disgust.

"Trusted the wrong person."

So, R and R, peeps, and tell me what you think about my first CSINY fic.