So here's that story about the aftermath of "Pay Up". I'm sure all of you Don and Jess fans, including myself, are extremely disappointed with season's 5 finale. So this story is about what I think should happen. And don't worry; I'll be updating my other story soon!

Disclaimer: Yup, I'm starting to put these thingys in. I don't and never will own CSI:NY or any related characters. Unless I become super rich, but that's probably not gonna happen. Ever.

Today, May 20th, marks the one year anniversary of the death of Detective Jessica Angell. Her death was and is exceptionally hard for the NYPD to take in, especially hard for Don Flack. He never got the chance to tell her what he really felt, how much he really loved her.

"Why Jess? Why did you have to go?" Don walked down the crowded streets of New York, wanting to avoid all the commotion and problems that was the precinct. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the person walking straight towards him. Their shoulders hit each other's and the mystery person landed on the ground with a thud.

"I'm so sorry!" Don apologized, instantly giving the person his hand. "I wasn't watching where I was going. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, thanks." The person said, accepting Don's hand. "I wasn't really watching myself."

Don's eyes traveled down the person's arm and landed on a tattoo on their left wrist.

"Jess…" Don immediately thought, not realizing that he had said it out loud.

"I'm sorry, who?" The woman asked, tucking a long blonde hair behind her ear.

Don shook his head. "Nothing. You kinda familiar. Have we met before?"

"No, no I don't think so." The woman said, slightly nervous. She stuck her hand out. "I'm Nat."

Don shook her hand. "Don Flack. You got a last name?"

"Lafontaine." After seeing the look on Don's face, Nat added "It's French."

Jess was French. Don shook the thought out of his head. "Are all those real?" He motioned to the tattoo's covering the woman's right arm.

Nat smiled and twisted her arm around to show all the artwork. "Yeah, got most of them few years back. I don't supposed a clean-cut cop like yourself has any?"

"How'd you know I'm a cop?" Don crossed his arms.

Nat shrugged. "Just a hunch." She smirked. "And I can see your badge. Never can be too careful I guess."

"Hey, this is NYC. Anything can happen here." Don pulled something out of his pocket. "Listen, I gotta spilt. But here's my card if you want to talk."

Nat nodded. "Will do, detective. You should come by my shop 13th. I might be able to get 'cha a special discount."

Don watched as Nat mixed into the crowd, people filling in the spaces. He continued walking down the street until he felt a slight tap on his shoulder.

"Who was that Donnie?" Sam Flack asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "She's quite the looker!"

"Just someone I bumped into, literally." Don frowned as Sam waggled her eyebrows at him. "I'm serious Sam! I just met her!"

"Uh huh." Sam nudged Don in the ribs with her elbow. He shook her off without saying a word and trudged down the street.

"You kidding me? It's been a year Donnie! You have to let her go sometime!" Sam yelled at his back.

Don spun around on his heels and shot her a death glare. "I will never, ever let Jess go! She meant the world to me!" His sudden anger turned to sadness. "I don't think I could."

Sam hugged him and took a step back. "And that is what I'm for! To fill in the gaps and to borrow money!" She laughed when she saw the look on Don's face. "Relax, I'm just kidding!"

"You better be. I don't think I could afford you and all your clothes."

Don groaned as he put his hands on his knees and breathed deeply.

"How the hell did you get me to agree to this?"

Jess smiled and blew away some loose hair that had fallen from her ponytail. "Oh gosh, I don't know. How does me taking over your shift and having to chase some drunk guy 3 miles through traffic sound? Besides, this is good exercise."

Don straightened his back. "Yeah, but did it have to be kickboxing?"

Jess stuck out her lover lip. "But it's no fun by myself! I need a challenge cause the dummy doesn't move!"

"I do to move!" Don joked, raising his fists infront of his face.

"You know what dummy I'm talkin' about, dummy!" Jess took her fighting stance. She could easily tell that Don was growing tired. But man was she just getting started.

A few kicks, blocks, and punches later, Don found himself laying on his back in the middle of the mat.

"I thought you were going to go easy on me!" Don complained, laying his arms flat.

"Oh believe me, I am. You flipped when you should've flopped." Jess smiled, taking her gloves off. She stretched her hand out to help Don up when he suddenly swung his legs and swept Jess' legs out from under her, catching her just before she hit the mat.

"Looks like you flopped when you should've flipped." Don mocked as her pinned her against the mat.

"That's what you think smart ass." Jess grunted and placed her feet on Don's stomach, flipping him over her head. For what seemed the twelfth time that day, he landed on his back.

"You're a mean lady." Don said from the ground, looking up at Jess.

"And don't you ever forget that sweet cheeks!"

Of course Don was joking when he said that. Jess had never taken offense to being called names, having 4 older brothers. That was one of the reasons Don was attracted to Jess: she would never become intimidated by others. Being a cop, she'd been called every name in the book. Jess would just shrug it off and say that it's just part of the job.

"Hey Flack, you in there?" Lindsay asked, waving a hand infront of his face. "You okay? You seem a little off."

"Naw, I'm fine. I was just thinking-"

Lindsay cut him off. "About Angell? Believe me, we've all been thinking about her." She sighed and folded her arms over her chest. "Look, me and Jess have been best friends ever since I started here. She's told me about you two."

"When did she-"

Cutting don off again, Lindsay shook her head. "It doesn't matter when, it's what she said. Jess loved you, she really did. She would've done anything for you in a heartbeat. All that she truly wanted to do was be with you."

"She really said that?" Don eyes his eyes beginning to fill with tears.

Lindsay nodded. "And Jess wouldn't want you to fell this way. She'd want you to be happy."

"But how can I be happy if Jess isn't here?" Don looked over at Lindsay. "I'm nothing without her."

And that's the end of the first chapter. I just wanted to point out that if you find any mistakes in here, they're mine. I do write all my stories without any help and can't help it if there are a couple errors. Please tell me what you think and review. Flames burn you, so let's not put any of those in. I still don't get why the spacing keeps screwing up!! I apologize about that!!!

Yeslek