Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: NY.
Series: 'Kindred Spirits'.
Spoilers: What Schemes May Come; mention of City of the Dolls.
What Schemes May Come
"… and the flagpole just fell over."
Jess fought to catch her breath, wiping away tears of laughter. Peyton wasn't much better, but she was driving, so she at least managed to stay somewhat composed. "And what did you do?"
Peyton shrugged. "I told them all to bugger off."
Jess sniggered. "I'm so glad I took your offer of a lift. Thanks for that, by the way."
"Don't worry about it." Peyton told her. "I could see you didn't have your car. I have a feeling you'll avoid the morgue though."
Jess shuddered. "It's not the room; it's the autopsies."
"Fair enough." Peyton conceded. "We're here."
It was unusual for Peyton to be present at a crime scene, but the ME that had been sent was new and it was his first. Jess wasn't complaining; it was nice to have another woman to talk to.
They pulled in at the back of the crime lab and their companion got out and went inside.
"Do you get protests like that often in London?" Jess asked curiously, continuing their earlier conversation as they climbed out.
"No." Peyton shook her head, going through her key ring for the other van key. "We're more likely to tut and complain quietly."
Jess laughed again as she unlocked the back of the van, but her amusement didn't last long. A cry from Peyton made her spin around to see her slam into the side of the van and Jess reached for her weapon, but, before she could remove it, something heavy collided with her head and she blacked out, only vaguely aware of the sound of a trolley being rolled hastily past her.
"Angell … Angell …"
Jess's eyes fluttered open again to see Peyton crouching over her. "You alright?"
"I'm fine." Peyton helped her sit up. "Then again, I only hit the side of the van; you got hit with a kit I've got in the back. Apparently you were more of a threat."
"Peyton, you're bleeding." Jess said, concerned.
"I'm fine." Peyton insisted. "It's you I'm worried about. That … They took the body. Why would they take the body? No, Detective; stay where you are."
Jess stopped trying to stand up. "Peyton, I'm fine; I'm just …"
The door to the building flew open and Mac and Don sprinted over to them. "What happened?"
Peyton shook her head. "I'm not sure." She flinched back slightly as Mac touched the cut on her head. "I'm fine. Angell …"
"I'm fine!" Jess repeated, rolling her eyes. "I just …"
"Got hit with a large metal box." Peyton finished. "You're lucky it didn't kill you!"
Despite feeling that they were making entirely too much out of this, Jess didn't deny the soft thrill that went through her when Don's face paled and he pulled her closer, running a hand through her hair to check for any injuries.
"Don …" Jess sighed, giving up on arguing.
"They took the body." Peyton stated again.
"Don, take her home." Mac said, nodding to Jess.
"That's not necessary." Jess protested as Don helped her to her feet.
"You've got a concussion." Peyton told her. "As a doctor, I'm advising you to go home."
"But what about …?"
"I got it, Jess." Don told her quietly.
Out of the corner of her eye, Jess saw Mac and Peyton look over, interested, and grimaced. "Thanks, Flack."
Don grinned sheepishly. "They won't say anything and it was a matter of time anyway. C'mon, I'll drive you home."
It was obvious to Jess that she wasn't going to win this argument. "Fine."
"Look, just humour me." Don murmured, leading her over to his car. "I'll worry about you all day otherwise."
Jess felt a smile twitch on her face. "Pulling the guilt-trip, are you? That's low, Don."
By that evening, the pain had finally set in and Jess was lying on her couch, an icepack on her forehead. As much as she hated to admit it, she was glad she'd gone home, because within ten minutes, the headache had kicked in.
Every hour, Don had called her, waking her out of the light slumber she kept falling into, making up for it by telling her about his case, which appeared to be a strange combination of King Arthur and Casanova, with two mystery women and cannabis on the side.
A knock on the door caused her to let out a groan. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Jess." Don called through the wood.
"Key's on top." Jess responded, closing her eyes. She heard the lock click and then the door opened and shut quietly.
"Jess, you gotta stay awake." Don told her.
Jess opened her eyes again with a smile. "Don't you have better things to do than baby-sit me?"
Don rolled his eyes. "You're my partner, Jess. This is where I need to be. This is where I want to be." He corrected. "Sit up."
"Don't wanna." Jess groaned, closing her eyes. "You have no idea how much this hurts. Alright," she corrected before he could say anything, "you probably do. But I don't wanna move."
"I'm not gonna make you move." Don told her softly. "Just sit up a minute."
Against her better judgement, Jess sat up. To her surprise, Don sat down behind her and guided her back down so her head was resting in his lap. Her surprise must have shown on her face, because he smiled down at her, brushing her hair from her face, his fingers gently caressing her forehead. "Mom used to do this for me when I got concussions; it's amazing how affective it was."
He was right. Whether it was the earlier painkillers kicking in, or the actual method of his touches, or just the slight giddiness of being this close to him, her headache did seem to be receding.
"So did we find the body?" She asked.
"Wasn't dead." Don grinned. "He and a couple other people had been trying to recreate hibernation … it's a long story; I'd get Mac to explain it."
Jess nodded slightly, making a mental note to do just that. "What about yours?"
"Suicides." Don answered, a sad smile on his face. "Both men were terminally ill; they'd met the two women at a support group and they'd all decided to end their lives in the way they wanted to go."
"Knight in shining armour … sex and fireworks …" Jess sighed. "The women?"
"The woman who'd helped them … we found her dead … drug overdose, Marylyn Monroe. The other woman, Isabella, planned to die as Juliet …"
"Lie down on a bed of stone and let the poison take her." Jess murmured. "She didn't?"
"Couldn't go through with it." Don shook her head. "I can't imagine ever being that desperate."
"I can." Jess admitted. "My great-grandmother died when I was thirteen … I can't even remember what she had, but Dad told me that when she was first diagnosed, she considered suicide, but he begged her not to …"
"How long had she had it?" Don asked.
"About eighteen years." Jess answered.
"And in that time, she saw you born, probably a couple of your brothers as well …" Don pointed out. "Eighteen years she wouldn't have had."
"I guess." Jess sighed. "Except, at the end of her life, she couldn't move. People had to feed her, wash her, clothe her, take her to the bathroom … I'd hate to live like that. Everyone has a right to a dignified death. Didn't you tell me about that cancer patient before I got here?"
Don frowned for a second in thought. "She was poisoned, Jess. And there was no indication she was considered suicide."
"Yeah, but she went to bed in her wig and make-up on, right?" Jess remembered.
Don nodded, realisation crossing his face. "In case she died in her sleep … She wanted to be beautiful."
"Everyone deserves that." Jess stated. The two lapsed into silence, but he didn't cease his movements, raking his fingers through her hair, gently soothing the pain away.
"You're gonna make me fall asleep at this rate." Jess murmured.
Don chuckled softly. "I'll wake you up every hour, don't worry."
It wasn't long before Jess was proved correct and she drifted off to sleep. If she hadn't, and just pretended to, she might have seen the look in Don's eyes as he gazed at her.
He still didn't stop, despite the painless expression on her face, stroking her hair rhythmically. Finally, he sighed. "You are so beautiful." He whispered. "God knows why you don't believe that."
"Hmm?" Jess moved slightly, her eyes opening. "You say something?"
Don smiled down at her. "No. Just thinking aloud."
"'Kay." Her eye closed again and her breathing evened out once more.
Maybe one day he'd tell her what he'd been thinking about. Maybe one day doing so wouldn't make for an awkward situation.
But right now, he was content just to watch her sleep.
AN: Little glimpse into Don's mind at the end there. Right. Originally, when I decided to do this series, I was hoping to finish before Season 7 starts airing. However, I don't think, realistically, I'm going to manage that and what with family commitments, holidays and university in September, I'm not even going to attempt it. I am NOT abandoning these fics, just the hope of finishing in time for the season premiere, because I've got enough deadlines without giving myself anymore. (One of the reasons I'm doing these in oneshots; I can take my time with them :D)
On a related topic, I'm considering condensing the next three episodes into one oneshot, because Jess is going to California to visit her brother and those episodes weren't my favourites. Plus, this is a Flangell series and there's only so much interaction two people can have when they're on opposite sides of the country. What do you think?
On saying that, review please!