Summary: sleep tight, let's call it a day; listen to the lullaby of old Broadway.
Pairing(s): for now, just Don/OFC.
Spoilers: none.

I do not own recognised CSI: NY characters, The Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland, Legally Blonde, Kate Shindle, Wicked, Subway, Pizza Express or anything related to the above which may or may not be mentioned. I do, however, own anyone and everyone else mentioned. With thanks to delgaserasca, Iona, Petra, Bekkie and Laura for their beta skills, help and information-retaining talents.

LULLABY OF BROADWAY
(sleep tight, let's call it a day; listen to the lullaby of old Broadway)
---

"So, I was thinking," Don tucked his bare feet beneath him as he settled onto his sofa. He sandwiched the phone between his ear and shoulder as he reached for the remote control and flicked the TV on. "Even though you're a big-time Broadway star now and you're very busy and important, you wanna catch a movie tomorrow?"

"I'll have my people call your people," Lissa laughed. Don grinned at the sound of his girlfriend's voice. "I think I can manage that." Lissa twirled a silk rose between her fingers.

(…)

She had finally reached the end of the unusually long line of mostly appreciative fans at the stage door and was ready to go home and fall into bed. Without looking up, she stepped over to the final person, who thrust a red silk rose at her. She looked up and a smile crossed her face.

"You came!"

"Of course I came. I told you I would," he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him.

"What did you think?"

"The headmistress—"

"Shizstress—"

"—was pretty hot—" he was cut off by Lissa's elbow in his ribs. "The girl in the wheelchair was pretty good, too."

"Wasn't she? I thought she was the best by far."

"Your modesty and humility is so admirable."

(…)

"Good, 'cause I booked the night off specially. Of course, I'm on call for the next fortnight to make up for it." He absently flicked past a football game before hurriedly returning to it. Lissa heard the TV through the phone.

"Oh, you poor thing," Lissa giggled. "You forgot the game, didn't you?"

"No, I didn't," he answered. Lissa couldn't see him, but she was sure he was pouting.

"Yeah, you did."

"I had other things on my mind," he answered defensively, dropping the remote back onto the table and wriggling back into the corner of the sofa.

"Like?" Lissa encouraged an answer.

"Like this cute blonde I saw earlier. About five-six, hazel eyes, can blow the roof off of any theatre on Broadway…"

"I'm five-seven," Lissa smirked. "But since I spent practically all twenty minutes of my stage time folded into a wheelchair, I'll let you off."

"Oh, thanks. Hey, I gotta go," he grumbled. "I'm on call tonight. They just called."

"Poor baby," Lissa crooned. "Go kick the bad guys' asses. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll pick you up around eight?" he suggested

"Now that we've met—" Lissa began to sing, but Don cut her off.

"Don't even think about it, Liss."

She chuckled. "'Night, Donny."

"Night Lissie." He hung up miserably and headed for his bedroom to pull his shoes on his feet.

(xxx)

Twenty two hours, three arrests, four interrogations, a hurried shower and a clean suit later, Don Flack was locking his weapon in his desk drawer and shoving his feet into his shoes at the same time. He glanced at the tie thrown over the back of his sofa, dismissed it and flew out of his apartment. He was ten minutes late and he would never hear the end of it if he didn't meet his girlfriend on time.

"You're late, Detective," Lissa greeted him with a smile.

"I was washing my hair," he excused himself and kissed her hungrily. She pretended to swoon, before slapping him playfully.

"Take me to the movies, Detective!" she ordered. "And nothing gory and gross!"

"Damn, I was thinking we could go see the new Taranti—"

"How does 'bite me' sound to you?"

"If you insist," Flack responded cheekily, leaning towards her. She pushed him away.

"There's this movie theatre Jools and I found a couple of weeks ago," she began, slipping her arm through his. "It shows classic moves. They're showing The Wizard of Oz."

"Liss, seriously?"

"C'mon, it's Judy!" Lissa pouted. "I love Judy."

"I know," Don answered, kissing her pouted lips. "But The Wizard of Oz?"

"I'm not sure I'm getting your point," Lissa informed him, tugging him in the direction of the cinema.

"I'm not sure you're getting mine!" Don exclaimed. "Don't you spend every night inside that story?"

"That's so not the point!" Lissa laughed. "I spend my evenings in the prequel."

"How can it be a prequel if it covers the story and its aftermath too?"

"Don?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him as they walked through Times Square. She pointed out the billboard for Legally Blonde.

"I auditioned for that show," she began. "They didn't want me."

"They don't know what they're missing," Don told her. She grinned. "I got my niece tickets for that show."

"Traitor!" Lissa declared.

"It was a while ago now. She loved the girl who played that bitch character – Valerie?"

"Vivienne. Kate Shindle."

"Yeah, her. Said she was a Miss America or something."

"Yeah, she was. This is the place," Lissa changed the subject skilfully, slowing to a halt and looking up at the marquee. Don looked at her.

"Really?" he pleaded.

"Really. C'mon, it's Judy."

"You so owe me," he told her, leading her through the door to the ticket booth. He bought two tickets and a box of popcorn and allowed his mind to wander as his girlfriend chatted excitedly to the woman who sat beside her. As the film began, the noise around him settled into a comfortable silence as the audience enjoyed the film. Lissa settled back into her seat and took his hand. He squeezed it gently and tried to focus on the story.

A little over an hour and a half later, the lights began to return to their full brightness and Lissa sighed happily as the credits rolled.

"You like that movie?" he asked incredulously. He'd spent the last one hundred and one minutes –he'd counted– trying to avoid watching the movie without offending the people around him.

"It's Judy," she insisted.

"But… it was… lame." Don shrugged apologetically, mentally kicking himself as Lissa glared at him. It was a glare similar to the one she had perfected for use on stage – disappointment, frustration, a little bit angry.

"It was beautiful," she declared. Her tone indicated that Don should not continue the argument. Instead, he decided to make it up to her.

"Wanna grab some food?"

"Anything but pizza," Lissa responded. Don's grin faded and he turned away from the Pizza Express he'd been leading his girlfriend towards. "Unless they do something that isn't pizza?"

"I think they do pasta dishes," Don suggested. Lissa grinned widely.

"You just said the magic word!"

"Think?" Don asked innocently. Lissa slapped his shoulder and dragged him towards the restaurant.

(xxx)

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" Don asked as they slowed to a halt outside Lissa's apartment building.

"It's understudy rehearsal day! I get to watch Baby Nessa strut her stuff." Lissa answered happily. Despite the late hour, her eyes sparkled with excitement. Don's heart skipped a beat.

"Not that she gets to do much strutting." Don observed.

"Not on-stage," Lissa replied mischievously. "Off stage on the other hand… that's another story altogether. We do lots of strutting."

Don smirked before kissing his girlfriend goodnight and watching her bound up the steps and through the door. He shook his head, grinning, as he walked away; her constantly high energy levels never ceased to amaze him.

(x)(x)(x)

Tuesday morning was a bright one and Don woke up late with the sun beaming onto his face through the curtains he never got round to closing the previous night. He leapt into the shower, scrubbing shampoo into his hair and washing as quickly as he could manage. He brushed his teeth and dried himself at the same time, while pulling a clean shirt out of his closet and trying to decide which tie to wear. He eventually settled on a purple one his mother had bought him and pulled his clothes on, foregoing his usual morning coffee and racing out of his apartment. He returned two minutes later to lock the door.

He slid into the precinct half an hour late and received glares from the Chief who was speaking to another detective. He flopped into his chair and checked his mail before opening a tan folder and making a head start on some paperwork. Anything to please the Chief, he decided.

Time marched on. Don was disturbed by a shadow hovering over his work. He looked up to find his girlfriend waving a booklet with discount coupons for Subway. "Can you escape?" she asked. Don dropped his pen, wriggled his fingers and rolled his shoulders before looking at his watch and nodding.

"I think I've been doing paperwork for a decade and a half."

Lissa grinned. "I just watched Baby Nessa take her first steps."

"Does she get your seal of approval?"

"Well, she wobbles really nicely when she walks."

"I'll take that as a yes, then," Don declared, leading her out of the building. They walked towards Subway sharing stories of their mornings – well, Lissa shared stories, Don had done nothing but paperwork and had been so engrossed in it that he hadn't noticed anything going on around him. They reached Subway, Lissa still chatting animatedly about the rehearsal she'd watched, and bought their subs. As they sat down, Lissa looked at Don thoughtfully.

"Don," she began, reminding herself to be tactful. "Did you dress with your eyes closed this morning?"

Don looked down at his wardrobe choice and frowned. "Huh?"

"Green shirt and purple tie? Don, that's worse than your usual hideous ensemble."

"I was late?" He offered as an excuse. "And I didn't have my morning coffee."

"Neither did I!" Lissa protested, knowing what Don's response would be before she spoke.

"You don't even drink coffee."

"That's not the point."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they ate their lunch, before Lissa spoke up again.

"Kerry asked what it was like to have a cop for a boyfriend earlier."

"Which one is Kerry?" Don asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin and tossing the wrappers from his lunch into the waste bin provided.

"She plays Elphaba. The green one," Lissa clarified. "My height-ish, red hair, green eyes – you've met her before."

"Oh, yeah. I remember. What did you say?"

(…)

"I sleep well at night," Lissa answered with a smile. She loved to talk about Don. Jools spat out the water she'd just taken a mouthful of and Lissa had to duck to avoid being showered. A few seconds later and Lissa realised the connotations her answer held. Kerry shook with silent laughter, her green eyes filling with tears and her teeth clamping down on her lip as she stifled the guffaw she would almost certainly let out.

(…)

Don smirked as she recounted the tale and blushed furiously. "You're cute when you blush," he told her. She scowled. "And when you're pissed," he added. Lissa looked at her watch.

"I gotta go; it's my turn to rehearse this afternoon."

"I'll walk you back," Don offered, but Lissa refused.

"It's out of your way," she argued as they headed back outside.

"Not much," Don retorted. His phone chirped and saved them from any further argument. "I gotta go babe."

"No rest for the—"

"Don't say it, Liss." He kissed her before sprinting in the direction of the precinct to pick up a car and drive out to the crime scene.

(xxx)

"…so Holly's on tonight. Jools is out, obviously. She's flying back out to Olympia tonight. I gotta go; Coral's waiting to transform me into a cripple."

Don ended the call with a smile on his face. Out of a twenty minute conversation, all he had managed to decipher was that Glinda had a family emergency and had to return to Washington, so her standby was performing. Anything else had been lost somewhere as Lissa spoke excitedly and faster than Don had ever heard. He made a mental note never to call her right before a show again.

(xxx)

"The end is nigh," Bradley Greene whispered into Lissa's ear as she watched the final scene of the show from the safety of the wings. She elbowed him in the ribs and he dropped his Dillamond mask.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" she hissed.

"Don't sneak up on her like that," Jason Procter added, wrapping Lissa in a bear hug. She tapped him on the head twice, the coarse fabric of his silver Boq hat tickling her fingers. The three settled into silence as Holly Cassidy, the Glinda standby, began to speak. After she had spoken, she exhaled heavily and tightened her grip on the book in her arms. She looked down at Kerry Mackenzie and Andy Bauer, Elphaba and Fiyero, and listened as they comforted each other. Taking a breath, she began to sing.

"Who can say if I've been changed for the better, but because I knew you, I have been cha—"

A shot rang out in the theatre.

... to be continued.