CSI:New York : Who Are You? (Don Flack/OFC fanfic)

The House No Longer A Home

Four days after the night in his apartment he'd come to a decision. He'd been heading down the corridors of the Crime Lab towards Stella's office when Olivia rounded the corner; head bowed, nose in a file and slammed right into him. After getting over the initial shock of the pressure of her body against his, they both apologized and he helped her pick up the papers. After thanking him and leaving, the smell of her perfume lingering in the air; he'd kicked himself for not handling the situation better. She'd been rounding the next corner when he called out her name. When he walked towards her, he was certain she drew herself up. As if she were steeling herself for a disagreement.

We're professionals, right? he'd said. She'd given him a slightly confused look, wondering where he was going with it and then nodded her head. Then we can do this, he'd added.

It had taken her a moment, until she realized what he meant. Relief flashed over her face. As if she had been expecting something else. A confrontation.

We can, she'd answered.

No matter what, Olivia, I'd like for us to be friends.

Those last few words had stuck in his throat. Being her friend was the last thing he wanted. Waking up next to her, making love to her when she was wearing his tie...spending the rest of his life with her...those were the things he wanted. But the moment he told her he loved her he'd signed his own walking papers.

This was new to her. Clearly he was the first guy she had dumped who still wanted to be friends. But then she'd turned the tables on him, told him she wanted that, too. He didn't know why but he'd been expecting - hoped even - for a fight. Something to tell him that she cared. That she wanted to fight for what they'd had. It was crazy, because until she was able to open her heart and let him in, they could never have a future. Still, he hadn't been able to stem the flicker of hope that sparked within him when she said she wanted to be friends. At least that was something.

That had been almost two weeks ago. For now they had reached a new level of understanding. For now it was all she could offer. He wished he could pretend like it was enough. Fact if it was, it would never be enough. With Olivia he'd been given a taste of something he'd never had before, that wasn't something he was likely to forget so easy. Or find so easy again.

The sound of a commotion from behind snapped him back into reality and when he turned it was to see a Channel 8 news van pull up along the curb. The first of a parade of media to arrive on the scene, and they were blocking the driveway, so that the EMTs couldn't get out and no one could get in. Flack gritted his teeth. If there was anything he had less time for than the bad guys - reporters were it. He marched down the driveway and began yelling at the group that had just jumped out of the back of the van to shift it and then barked orders to the uniformed police officers telling them to keep the vultures away from the property.

* 

The darkness inside the house was thick, the air was still, and the quiet was to the point of deafening and very much unnerving. The copper smell wasn't helping either. It was strong and permeated the air and even though it was a smell that Olivia was very much used to after years in the field, right now it was turning her stomach. Or maybe that was because she knew what was waiting for her. Sometimes it was better not to know.

As she carefully climbed the stairs avoiding the blood drops, she took in the framed pictures adorning the ivory painted walls, her flashlight guiding the way. Family photos. Single shots, group shots. Happy, energetic, close. Almost at the top, her eyes fell on a professional portrait and as she reached the last step she turned her flashlight on it and a family of four smiled back at her. Blonde-haired mother sitting on a high-backed chair, dark-haired father standing behind, one hand on the shoulder of a brown-eyed son of about fourteen, and sitting on the mother's lap a little girl of about five, maybe six years old, blonde curls and huge brown eyes.