CSI:NY The Saints Aren't Coming

So Much Better

Chapter 80: So Much Better

Gus lay in the fading dark as the sky began to lighten outside. She had once again answered when Flack called, kicking herself as she did so, berating herself as she got in a cab to meet him.

She slunk into a bar that neither of them would normally ever frequent just in time to prevent Flack from getting in a fight with someone's boyfriend armed with a pool cue.

It was getting worse and she knew it, Don was on a collision course for sure and she wasn't sure if she could save him. Not to mention he had been out of it at work, constantly lost in thought, not hearing people until they said something three or four times.

She had a whole conversation with Mac just the other day at a crime scene before Flack even realized Mac had shown up.

Flack had also been increasingly on edge, his trademark sarcasm turning more and more into spite. She had made the mistake of mentioning him finally wearing a suit to work again the other day and he about took her head off telling her he could dress himself.

She had never been so happy to have to deal with Department of Child Services at a crime scene as she had been that day.

Gus felt conflicted the entire Benton case, wanting to keep an eye on Flack but not wanting to get too near him since he was turning mean as a snake.

At least Adam took most of the lead in the case, getting to put his nerd skills to good use and save the day. She was proud of him and told him as much when she cooked him dinner afterward. He was slightly bashful, but not nearly as flustered as he would have been even a couple of months before. Stella had interjected him with greatly needed confidence.

"I like this new Adam Ross," she said, clearing their plates.

Adam followed her into the kitchen, "not new, I'm still the same old me."

Gus shot him a look while loading the dishwasher. "Whatever you say, sugar, but if you ask me you seem to have a lot more swagger."

Adam rolled his eyes, but grinned from ear to ear.

A while later, after they had caught up on Haylen's attempts to steal his job, Danny's regained feeling in his feet, Lindsay's troubles with her nanny, Mac's connection to the Beton case because of his father's death, even broaching the subject of Stella and a couple of rounds of Mario Kart later, Adam finally decided to tackle something he had pondered over the past week or so.

"So that other night, was Flack okay?" Adam asked, setting down his Wii controller.

Gus almost choked on her wine, not expecting him to bring it up. "I think that is a matter of perspective, darlin'," she answered without answering.

Adam wrinkled his brow, trying again. "Does Flack do that a lot, call you in the middle of the night to meet him?"

"Only since Jess' died," Gus volleyed back, chewing on the inside of her cheek and wondering how much he was going to press the issue.

"And you always go to him?" Adam looked at her with such genuineness, Gus couldn't do anything but nod.

"It's just, I see him at work with you, Gus and it is so so different from how it was. He's getting kind of mean and I just want to make sure he isn't using you, isn't hurting you."

Gus knew Adam was thinking more about his bully of a father, of her messed up relationship with Gage before she moved to New York. She knew he was coming from a place of concern, but she didn't feel he had all the facts and she wasn't about to give them to him.

"Don is not a bully, Adam. He needs time and..." she trailed off, "he needs what he needs and if I can help him I will. I can handle it."

Adam looked at her disbelieving, "what if he needs more than you?"