Thank you to all of you that read, reviewed, and/or added this story to your favorites/alerts. I had this chapter half finished when I posted the first chapter this morning, but don't expect the third installment until the weekend because I'll be working a lot this week. However, I will do my very best to update as soon as possible. I hope you like this chapter and as always, let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with CSI: NY.

Chapter 2

Don was sitting on the sofa in Jolene's living room mindlessly watching the TV as he waited for her to shower and get ready to head out. He was still trying to figure Jolene out, but he already considered her a good friend. The case today had been tough on her for some reason, but he had a feeling it was because she was really close with her father and couldn't imagine ever wanting to hurt him. Don was certain of one thing and that was that he was attracted to Jolene on a level that wasn't at all professional. However, he knew that he probably shouldn't act on his feelings, because if it didn't work out, he'd lose a friend and probably make things awkward at work. Sighing, he stood and walked over to the loaded down bookcase that also housed several picture frames at eyelevel.

He smiled at Jolene's bright smile as her arms were thrown around a woman who looked a great deal like her only slightly older. He assumed that was her sister, Jessa, who she talked about all the time. The photo next to it was of her and a man dressed in a marine's uniform. He was holding her bridal style with her left arm around his shoulders and her right extended in the air along with her right leg. An open mouth smile was on her face while the man's face was red from laughter as he smiled for the camera. It was obviously a spur of the moment photo but he didn't remember Jolene ever mentioning knowing someone who was in the military. It was then that he noticed a silver and gold cross on a small chain resting over the corner of the picture frame with the initials 'J.R.J' inscribed on it.

Slowly, he looked away from the photo of her and the man and the third photo that he assumed were her parents. The woman looked a lot like Jolene, so, it was obvious that she was her mother and the older man had Jolene's dark blue eyes. By default he assumed he was her father. They looked like a good couple and obviously hard working if their weathered faces were an indication of their days spent outside. The fourth and final photo was of Jessa and a man and little boy he figured was Jessa's husband and son that Jolene had mentioned off handedly one day when she was telling him about her family. They looked like good people, and to have a raised a girl like Jolene they obviously had to be. Taking a deep breath, he looked away from the photos and stretched his neck before he glanced at his watch.

She had told him that she wouldn't be more than hour, however, it was drawing closer to the hour and a half mark and he was starting to wonder if he should call in for reinforcements. "Sorry, it took me a little longer than I thought," came Jolene's voice and he glanced up briefly before looking back down only to stop his head from looking down and his light eyes focused on her. "What?" she asked with a nervous smile, but he just shook his head.

"Nothing," he said and she laughed as she adjusted her belt and turned around to go to the coat closet. Don had seen many women in various stages of dress in his lifetime, but he really couldn't explain what it was that made his mouth go dry at seeing Jolene in a pair of dark boot cut jeans, a rather fitted v-neck black t-shirt, and her long dark hair pulled back by a clip and hanging messily but nicely on the back of her head. The worn out cowboy boots were a nice touch and he wasn't expecting the leather jacket she pulled on. However, he should have known to expect the unexpected when it came to Jolene.

"You ready?" she asked and he nodded his head before he turned off the TV and joined her at the door of her apartment.

"You wear that everywhere?" he asked as they left her apartment and she locked the door. Frowning she looked up at him and he pointed to her waist. She looked down and smiled at her badge that was visible thanks to the movement of her shirt and jacket. She shrugged as she turned away from the door and looked at him.

"You're wearing yours," she said and he laughed.

"I just came from work, you've been off for hours and didn't have that on a minute ago," he said as they started downstairs.

"Fine, I wear it just about everywhere," she said with a laugh and Don smiled. Jolene knew she should be thankful for Don coming to check on her. She would have been in a dark mood all night and probably crabby in the morning, but thanks to him her dark mood was gone from her mind.

During their walk to the bar, their bantering continued and by the time they reached the bar Jolene had struck a nerve and Don's face was red. "How could you possibly think that the Islanders are a better team than the Rangers?" he demanded as they stopped outside the dimly lit bar and a few passer bys glanced their way as they walked. She was having a hard time holding back her smile, but managed while Don ranted about how she was 'crazy' for even thinking that. He started going through the players, and Jolene couldn't take it anymore. She raised her right hand to his mouth and covered it mid rant as her laughter erupted. She could feel his scowl under her hand and looked up at his face to see his eyes narrowed at her.

"Don," she breathed after calming her laughter. "I don't think the Islanders are a better team," she said before she lowered her hand from his face. "I just said that to ruffle your feathers. I don't even care for hockey." He rolled his eyes and started to say something else but Jolene just walked into the bar, leaving him mildly confused before he soon followed her.

"That wasn't very nice," he said as he caught up with her at the wide bar and as she shrugged her jacket off.

"Okay, I'm sorry," she said as she put her jacket on the back of the bar chair and literally hopped up into the seat before she tugged her shirt down so that it covered up her badge. "How about I buy you that beer and you buy me my burger and fries? That way we both make up for our wrong doings?" she asked and he smiled as he sank down into the seat next to her.

"All right, sounds fair," he said as the bartender walked over. They placed their orders the older man smiled and nodded as he looked between the pair and then turned away. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did, but you can ask me something else," she said as the bartender put the two glasses of the dark Guinness Jolene ordered and Don grinned as she took a sip of her drink.

"Who do you know that's in the military?" he asked and she frowned. "I saw the photo on your bookshelf."

"My younger brother Jonathan," she said. "He's serving in Afghanistan right now."

"You don't talk about him that much," he said and she sighed as she looked away from him and ran her finger along the rim of her glass.

"Whenever I talk about him, I worry," she admitted. "It's not exactly the safest place for him to be, in the middle of a war, and when I talk about him my worry only grows." Don nodded in understanding while she lowered her hand to the bar. "We e-mail each other and he managed to call me on my birthday just before I moved here. He's twenty-four but you'd think he was fifty the way he talks sometimes."

"He's doing okay?" he asked and she shrugged.

"Now he is," she said. "This is his third tour in the last four years. He was getting out last year to go to college, but he was stop-lossed and ended up going back." Don shook his head, but she smiled at him. "Could we talk about something else? How about the fact that I do indeed have a very large bruise on my ass that is killing me right now?" Don laughed and Jolene joined him as the bartender put the two baskets of their burgers and fries in front of them along with a bottle of ketchup. "Could I get some mustard?" Jolene asked quickly before the man walked away and he put a yellow bottle on the bar. "Thanks," she said before she shook the bottle and popped the lid before squirting the golden liquid onto her fries.

"Seriously?" Don asked her and Jolene laughed at his perplexed look and shrugged.

"I like mustard on my fries," she said. "Is that a sin here in New York?" Don chuckled and shook his head.

"No, but you're the first person I ever met that does that," he said and she smiled before she picked up a fry that was slathered with mustard and held it out to him.

"Try it," she said and he looked at the fry before looking back at her. "Come on, don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid," he said with serious eyes and she challenged him with a look of her own. He rolled his eyes before he leaned in and took a bite of the fry held out to him. She smiled at him and waited for his reaction and he grinned. "Okay, it's not bad," he admitted and she smiled before she popped the half of the fry he hadn't eaten into her mouth and chewed happily before turning her attention to her hamburger putting both ketchup and mustard on the lettuce, tomato, and onion covered burger. Yet again that night Don found himself even more attracted to her and he wasn't exactly sure why.

"What time are you on tomorrow?" Don asked as they sat at the bar two hours later nursing their second round of beers with their stomachs full on the burgers and fries they ordered.

"Not until one," Jolene said. "You?"

"It's one of those rare off days for me tomorrow," he said and Jolene smirked.

"Lucky bastard," she said and Don chuckled. "I'm not off for six more days and I'm running out of clean clothes."

"I'm doing a few loads tomorrow," Don said. "I could do a few for you," he suggested and Jolene raised a dark eyebrow.

"You think I'm going to let you sort through my unmentionables, Flack?" she asked and he shrugged with his dimpled grin in place once more.

"Worth a try, isn't he?" he asked and she laughed before she looked at her watch.

"I should probably head home," she said. "Sleep is sadly needed tonight." Don smiled and nodded before he finished off his beer.

"I'll walk you home," he said as they both stood and Jolene pulled her jacket on. Their tab was already paid and the duo made their way onto the street. They walked in silence until they turned the corner and headed towards Jolene's building.

"Thanks for tonight, Don," she said and he looked down at her. "I probably would have been a bear tomorrow if you wouldn't have showed up."

"You don't need to thank me. Sometimes I let how I feel about something get to me too, Jo," he said. "We're human. It happens. I'm just glad I was able to get you to smile." They stopped at the stoop of her building.

"So my thanks are warranted," she said. As she looked up at him, biting her lower lip, the street light behind him lit her face perfectly. It was very tempting to kiss her right then, and he gave in only a little by leaning in and placing a kiss on her cheek. Her soft perfume washed over him and he felt his heart rate increase as he pulled away. Her startled expression made him smile, but a soft smile slowly spread across her lips. "Good night, Don," she whispered.

"Good night, Jo," he whispered back and she turned away from him and quickly rushed up the stairs and pulled out her keys. He waited until she was safely in the building before he started back down the street to get to a main road to hail a cab. He could drive after only a couple of beers, but he didn't quite trust himself. He felt drunk for completely different reasons than the alcohol in his system.