AN: Hey people. I thought I'd try something a little different this time around, so I reinvented a new OC in a new setting with the help of BEG. The whole Creatures of the Night case, is co written by BEG and me. (Say hi to her wonderful OC Sam Ross) We hope you enjoy this series.

Also special thanks to Axellia for her help and the movie voice. (it's a special ability)

And Sparkycsi, what would I do without you? Thank you very much.

Any mistakes are mine.

Chapter One: Creatures Of The Night

You know I've seen her in her uptown world

She's getting tired of her high class toys

And all her presents from her uptown boys

She's got a choice

Westlife - Uptown Girl

The event was a black tie, guest list only affair outside of the Plaza. The Hamilton's were hosting it in honour of their recent Culinary Award and only the highest members of New York's finest were holding an engraved, cream coloured invitation. The orchestra was playing the classics, serenading the wealthy, well dressed guests as they mingled. There was laughter in the air as pristine waiters served New York's finest with only the best champagne. The press were behind the velvet rope, snapping pictures, left right and centre.

Mia Auster had just entered the party; her small black Gucci purse clasped against the Vera Wang little black dress. Her deep red hair was pinned up revealing her long slender neck; the halter neck dress clung to her willowy frame falling just below her knees as she strode up the steps. A young photographer was leaning forward over the rope, his handsome features shrouded by the camera.

"Hey, let me get a picture for the paper." He called out.

"Just for you handsome." She returned, turning her body towards the twenty something photographer and giving him her trademark smile.

"Beautiful." The photographer murmured as he took a few shots.

He pulled away grinning as Mia returned on her path towards the party.

Photographs had never made her feel uncomfortable; her mother had thrust her under the limelight ever since she was old enough to toddle along next to her. She gave off a confidence that people seemed to find appetizing, her mother had taught her how to look good for the camera.

"Hey, let me take you out some time?"

Mia turned to face the photographer, an eyebrow rising as she cocked her hip.

"You think you can handle me kid?" she tilted her head at him, her eyes catching on something moving behind him.

"I think I could show you things those rich kids your used to playing with haven't even dreamed of."

"And that's just in your porn collection right?" She murmured, as she began to tread back down the stairs.

A figure stepped into the street light hobbling as she stumbled up the hotel steps. Her face was bloody and bruised, she looked disorientated, her tights torn, her dress askew. Mia's purse slipped from her hand as the woman stumbled. Mia rushed forward to catch her. She sank under the full weight of the other woman, as the victim collapsed against her, bringing Mia to her knees. The woman's hands grasped Mia tightly as those confused eyes rose to meet hers, glistening.

"Tell my dad I'm sorry…I'm sorry I'm late." The girl whispered.

Mia clutched the girl tightly as she screamed for someone to dial 911.

"Hey, can I borrow your camera?" Mia asked sidling up to the young photographer from before.

"Depends am I gonna get it back?" he questioned, his hands tightening on the hi-tech piece of equipment.

She could tell the kid didn't come from money, from the way he was clutching at that camera. Probably saved up after working off college.

"Tell you what, you got a business card?" Mia inquired.

The kid nodded before he pulled it out and handed it to her.

"I'll call you when I'm finished with it and you can pick it up from the Crime Lab."

"Crime lab?" the kid echoed as he took off the camera and handed it to her. "You're a cop?"

"Not for another eight hours, but I like to get an early start." Mia informed him with a small shrug before turning back towards the scene.

"Hey, what about dinner?" the photographer called after her.

"Sorry kid, gonna have to take a rain check." Mia didn't even look back as she spoke.

EMS was transferring the girl onto a stretcher, her parents were already on route to the hospital, the bastards didn't even want to take a ride in the ambulance with their daughter. Sirens were already in the background as she halted the stretcher, and began snapping off shots, Crime Scene weren't here yet the least she could do was make their job a little easier. EMS's main concern was the welfare of the victim.

"Who the hell let her over the line? You vultures don't get enough from behind the tape; you had to get a close up of the vic too? You people make me sick." A broad New York accent assaulted her ears, making Mia raised her gaze.

A tall, dark haired man was striding towards her, his face contorted in irritation. Mia raised her eyebrows as he stopped dead in front of her.

"I want you back on the other side of the tape now!" he growled, snatching the camera from her grasp and comparing to open the back to destroy the film.

"Give me that." Mia grabbed at the camera, pulling it from his large hands. "This is evidence and you were about to destroy it." She exclaimed waving it in his face.

"Where the hell do you get off trying to tell me how to do my job? Get your pretty pampered ass back into that building so you can sip champagne while me and my guys bust our asses trying to do the real work out here." The detective was jabbing his finger at Mia

"Oh I get it, you see the dress and automatically assume that I must be some spoiled little rich bitch living off her father…"

Flack cut the woman off.

"All I know is that you're standing in my crime scene when you shouldn't't be…"

Mia opened her mouth to retort before her gaze lingered on something over the taller man's shoulder.

He turned to see what the hell the red haired bitch was staring at. As it turned out the cavalry had just arrived.

Of the three members of the Crime Lab that were quickly approaching, Mia recognized two. Detective Mac Taylor, the head of the number two lab in the country, a former Marine with fierce morals and diehard allegiances to his country, the city and people of New York, and his employees. He'd hired Mia after two interviews and calls to her training officer and checks on her background and her references. She'd quickly gotten the impression that while he was a fair, equal opportunity boss, he was also strictly no nonsense and expected, and got, the best out of his workers.

To his left was a blond haired young man of medium height and build, with tousled light brown hair and blue eyes behind stylish wire framed glasses, carrying a crime scene kit and wearing a slightly wrinkled grey suit and white dress shirt and no tie. Mia had gone to college with Danny Messer. He had actually been one of the references on her resume.

To Mac's left, a petite, willowy brunette with rod straight hair that reached the small of her back even pulled into a tight ponytail, the bangs across her forehead drawing attention to her porcelain skin and her big brown eyes. She carried a kit as well, and wore a navy blue windbreaker with the words CSI:NY across the back in huge white letters and a simple pair of black slacks. To Mia, this young woman didn't look old enough to have graduated high school let alone have the credentials to be working for the Crime Lab. She'd later find out that looks were definitely deceiving.

"Sorry we're late." Danny said. "Traffic was murder."

"We could hear you screaming half way down the block, Flack." the pretty dark haired CSI informed him. "You're going to give yourself a heart attack or stroke one of these days."

"Only thing that's gonna give me anything is you, Ross." the detective declared.

"Well it won't be anything good so you can dream on about that." She shot back.

Mia smirked. Tiny and feisty with a Queens accent, it was quite obvious this girl took no shit and knew how to hand out some of her own.

"And quit being such a damn bully." The CSI added. "No reason to give the new girl such a hard time."

"So you weren't bullshitting me." Flack said to Mia.

"This is Mia Auster." Mac introduced. "Mia, this is Detective Don Flack, you all ready know Danny and this is Detective Samantha Ross."

"Nice to meet you." Mia said and offered a hand to the other woman. "How'd you know...."

"I saw you coming out of Mac's office after your last interview. And ignore Flack, he gets a little bitchy if he hasn't had his coffee before start of shift."

Samantha's cell phone rang noisily and she pulled it from the pocket of her jacket and checked the call display. She groaned inwardly at the familiar number, thinking 'Now what?' She looked at Mac. "Can I have five minutes?"

"Emergency?" Mac asked with concern.

"I hope not." Sam replied with a sigh and pressed talk. "Hello? Teagan, what are you still doing up? It's way past your bed time."

Flack had been studying the notes he'd scrawled earlier in his log book. And when Samantha Ross had said the name Teagan, Mia noticed that his head shot up and his blue eyes focused intently on the CSI. She also saw the concern in those eyes and she suspected there may have been more to these two detectives than just co-workers.

Why did she feel as if she was eavesdropping on an emotional and private connection between these two people? Neither Danny or Mac seemed to notice anything unusual between the two, nor did they seem to care. But Mia suddenly felt like an uncomfortable outsider.

"Okay....." Sam continued into the phone. "I understand you couldn't sleep. But now you know that I'm okay and you can quit giving Gramma a hard time and go to bed. I'll see you in the morning, okay? No, you don't go and see daddy until next weekend, remember? I'll tell him. I love you, too. Bye."

She hung up with a heavy sigh and slipped the phone back into her pocket.

"Everything okay?" Flack asked.

Definitely more than just a concerned co-worker, Mia thought.

"Yeah." Sam replied. "Just usual six year old girl drama."

Mia arched an eyebrow.

"My daughter." Sam explained. "Her grandmother on her dad's side watches her all the time. She wouldn't go to bed without making sure I was okay and saying goodnight."

"She's six?" Mia couldn't wrap her head around that age. Either Samantha Ross was a lot older than she looked or she'd had the child very young.

Sam nodded. "So Mac..." she said, anxious to change the subject. "Where do we start?"

"Vic came stumbling out of Central Park." Flack said.

"That's an eight hundred and forty three acre crime scene." Danny shook his head and whistled as his eyes took in the dark expanse of the park across the street.

"What?" Sam chided him. "Not up to a challenge, Messer?"

"Workin' with you is challenge enough." Danny declared playfully.

"Danny will process the scene outside of the Plaza." Mac told the group. "I've called Stella and her and I will take the park. Samantha, I want you and Mia on the vic."

"With all due respect, Mac," Mia said. "I can handle the vic on my own."

Sam's eyebrows went up. She wasn't sure if she should be as offended by that as she was. She sure as hell wasn't going to take crap from some spoiled rotten brat in a designer dress and thousand dollar purse and shoes. And just what the hell was someone who looked and dressed like that and who exuded wealth and bitchiness doing working for the NYPD?

"Technically, you're not even on the clock yet." Mac reminded Mia. "No gun, no shield. And you're more green than anyone here. Samantha, go with Mia to the hospital and take care of the vic."

"I'll go and get the truck." Sam said and headed off down the sidewalk.

"You got a real knack, you know that?" Flack said to Mia, although his eyes were on the departing back of Samantha Ross. Genuine concern and worry and some irritation etched on his handsome face.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Mia asked.

"You piss people off with your holier than thou, kiss my ass attitude. Just 'cause you got money and walk around with your nose in the air in your outrageously expensive clothes, does not make you a better person. You're no better than rest of us. We at least treat each other like human beings."

"What?" Mia asked snottily. "Did I hurt your girlfriend's feelings?"

Flack just snorted and shook his head. "Great pick with that one." He said to Mac as he headed off to get to work.

Mia watched the detective go. She seethed with anger. Who the hell did he think he was talking to her like that? Walking around like he owned the damn place. All swagger and confidence and pig headedness. She hated him already.

So why did she even care what he thought about her?

Let me know what you think?