Disclaimer: I own Anna, but not Don Flack – that character, and all other characters mentioned, belong to the creators of CSI:NY and those affiliated with the show. I know, I'm upset about it too. Pity, but what can I do about it?

Also, italics flashback. Thanks!

She had done this countless of times before. Sat alone in the dark, still in her work clothes, lights off just listening to the sound of the city roll by. The fear that gripped her usually wasn't this bad, and for some reason that comforted her. Then the fear that was this bad took over, and she sat there immobilized again.

Normally still wearing her suit at 10pm would have finally made Anna get up, and go change into her pajamas, but tonight it just sorta annoyed her. The shoes had finally become too much, and they had been tossed into the kitchen narrowly missing the cat. She had long since pulled her knees up, wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. 'Southern belle upbringing about knees and skirts be damned,' she thought as she looked down at her hands.

For spending 18+ years in the South, not that her home state of Texas thought of it as the South but the New Yorkers did, not one thing she had gleaned there would help her now.

Sighing, she released her legs and curled up on the couch. The tears she thought had stopped were starting to come back, and she didn't want to increase the mascara on her blouse. As it was, she would hate to see her dry-cleaning bill.

It all came back to Don, but it wasn't necessarily his fault. Nor did he probably know anything about it, and she wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not. Probably not, because she was sure she'd hate to be there when Don found out.

She had met two of Don's CSI friends a few weeks ago, Lindsey and Stella, and they had invited her out to drinks with them tonight. The nervousness she felt being around them quickly evaporated, and she even thought they could be friends until the guy showed up.

She knew he had a thing for Lindsey, calling her Montana and all was a dead giveaway, but then he turned on her. And turned was the correct phrase. He gave some line about meeting Don's "girl" and wondered whether she was the reason he was so happy lately, 'cause if she was there were other guys in the precinct that could be "made happy" too.

Anna wasn't sure how she made it home, as the tears had made it a bit difficult to see. She could still hear Lindsey calling her back, and yelling at the guy, but she didn't want to go back. All she wanted to do was get home and stay home.

Her phone beeped, letting her know there was a new call. A glance at the called ID said unknown caller. She let it go to voicemail, and then picked it up. It was Lindsey apologizing for Danny's rudeness (so that's his name, thought Anna as she listened) and promised that if she wanted to join she and Stella again that next time Danny would not be invited.

Anna clicked the phone shut, and thought about Lindsey's offer. If she had other friends here, she might be more wary of the offer but as friends were few and far between, she would most likely mull the offer over and eventually accept.

The sound of the buzzer made her move. 'There's no way Lindsey would find out where I live, right? Wait, she's a cop so she could have,' the internal conversation in her head was halted by both the buzzer and phone. She smiled a little as Don's number flashed, and picked up.

"Hello?"

"Anna, thank god."

"Don, what's wrong? You sound like you were running, and I thought you hated runners."

"Not funny, please I'm at your building, would you buzz me in?"

She got up, listening to him breathe through the line as she released the latch on the door downstairs. He didn't say a word, just kept her on the line until he knocked at the door. She opened it, and hung up as she stared at him wordlessly. His phone also closed.

His tie was undone, his right hand was swollen and he looked like he had been fighting an internal battle of anger, worry and tears. She tried to open her mouth to ask him what was wrong when he walked in, closed the door and pulled her tightly into a hug. She put her head on his chest, breathed in his scent and wrapped her arms around him. He eventually shifted a little, and she wasn't sure how he did it, but managed to scoop her into his arms and carry her to the couch without having her move her head from his chest. He sat down, and held her.

"I was worried Anna," he whispered and he found her hand, and laced their fingers. "Danny had gotten a call from Lindsey that you were meeting them for drinks and after the general ribbing from him over my not mentioning you before, he asked whether we should join you ladies for drinks. I thought we should, but got held up at the precinct. Once I got to the bar, you were gone and Lindsey and Stella were ripping Danny apart. I finally got the story out of the three of them, and it took all my strength to not completely pummel him."

"Don"

"Sshh, I know I have to work with him, but his comments really crossed a line. Unfortunately he'll still have a black eye. None of them knew where you were, or where you had gone. I wasn't sure whether you'd answer Lindsey's call, so it was only after I left for a while, looking for you, that I called her and asked her to call you. I was already halfway here when she called me back, and said the call went to voicemail. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been home."

He pulled back a little, and looked her in the eye. "I was so worried about you and what you thought of me when his comment came out. Anna, I swear, I told no one what you told me and I never would. And I hadn't told Danny about you, because he can be a jerk about relationships others are having, and I didn't want to subject what we have to his comments and attitude. Please, talk to me or I may have to continue to babble here."

"Don," she smiled as a lone tear lost the battle and made its way down his cheek, "I have no doubts about you or us. I will say that Danny's remark hit a nerve, and maybe I overreacted a bit, but I wasn't sure what else to do. If I stayed, I was worried that I might have to share that part of myself to people I don't know that well, and it took all my strength to tell you. I am not happy that I ran, but I was so unsure of what else to do."

"Trust me, I don't think Lindsey or Stella think any less of you." She leaned into the hand that he placed on her cheek. "As for Danny, I don't think he'll say anything stupid again, but I can't make promises."

"Now, you can't be comfortable sitting there in a suit and overcoat with a swollen hand. I know I can't convince you of anything, being the hard-headed detective that you are," she laughed as he tweaked her nose, "but can I look at you hand to see how bad it is?"

"Fine." He released his arms around her, and was waiting on her to get up when instead she leaned in and kissed him. His arms immediately found their way back to her, one at her waist and one in her hair. A little maneuvering from her, and his lips opened for her tongue to slip inside. She smiled at the groan he let out when she finally moved away.

"What was that for?"

"That, detective, is what I would have liked to have done in front of your friends. Plus, I think it's sexy you 'fought for my honor,' even if it meant you hit a friend – not that I'm an advocate of hitting people. And they say chivalry is dead." She stood and held her hand out to him, which he took. "Now, follow me and let's look at your hand."

"Wait," she stopped and let him shuck his overcoat and suit jacket, before he grasped her hand again.

"Come on stubborn." Anna led him into the kitchen, turned on the light and motioned for him to sit on the barstool. "Would you also like an aspirin and water while I find the first aid kit?" Getting no answer, she turned and saw him nod a little sheepishly. "That's what I thought."

He watched her place the water and aspirin on the counter before turning back to the cupboards looking for the first aid kit. He sighed after swallowing the aspirin, remembering a few weeks ago when he had had a bad day, and again he turned to her.

"Damnit all to hell," he yelled as he slammed the door. "Why couldn't he have done something instead of botching the damn evidence."

He turned around and was preparing to stomp into his bedroom and crash when he saw her in the doorway to the kitchen, an amused smile on her face.

"Hell, Anna," he started toward her when she held her hand up.

"It's okay. I understand. Bad day." She moved to take his overcoat and suit coat from him, draping them over the chair as she guided him to the kitchen. She motioned to the stools, and he sat down. "Now, there's no whiskey left, which leaves wine or beer. Your pick."

"No, you pick. I'm too tired." He put his head in his hands. "Stupid damn lab loaned lab rat royally messed it all up and my whole case is screwed."

Anna just shook her head and moved behind him, encircling him with her arms, her cheek resting at the hollow between his shoulder blades. She stayed there for a while until his hands found hers, she then turned her head and placed a light kiss on his back before moving back into the kitchen.

He didn't say anything as she continued to move about, finally breaking down and cooking him her favorite dish after he begged and begged. The slight twist of her wrist, the way she seemed to stop, turn and move effortlessly as if there was a silent song playing made him wonder all the more about how he ended up being so lucky. He didn't even notice she had opened a bottle of wine until she placed the glass of red before him. The fruity scent beckoned him, and he took a taste as she set the timer.

"Don." He looked up, momentarily startled at the sound of her voice. "Come here."

He left the drink and followed her into the living room, where she proceeded to sit down cross-legged at one end of the couch, and place a pillow on her lap.

"Come lay down, and put your head in my hands." He gave her a funny look. "I promise, nothing funny."

He nodded and laid down, his head in her hands. She lightly removed her hands so his head was on the pillow, and began moving her fingertips across his scalp, lightly going one way, then another, then in circles.

Don wasn't sure where she learned this technique, but he was damn happy it was him receiving the scalp massage and not some other man. The fact that his headache seemed to be leaving him and he started to relax helped ease his mind.

"You're there to save me a lot," he said as she cleaned his hand, the first aid kit finally found. "Anna, I came here tonight for you and here you are patching me up. It somehow doesn't seem right."

She glanced at him, as she finished cleaning his hand. Putting the bottle of peroxide back in the kit, she closed it and carefully put it away. She washed and dried her hands before coming back to stand in front of him, his legs slightly apart, and put her hands on his shoulders.

"Don, without knowing it you save me all the time. Your compassion, your strength, your laughter – all of it. Without even knowing it, you do. Your hugs, your kisses, your touch – all of that too." She put her hand up when he made a motion to talk. "There are times when we all need to be saved Don, I've had my moments and you have yours. They go through a cycle, and right now you happen to be in one. Your being here tonight means more to me than you know, 'cause this kind of event would normally have started a group of these events for me to get through on my own."

"You shouldn't, don't have to go through them on your own."

"Maybe yes and maybe no," she smiled at his brief look of confusion. "There are events we all have to face on our own. Luckily the last few haven't been those type of events, and you and I have recognized them as such. But, I hope that if they had been those events that though neither you nor I could have helped each other through them, that we'd be there for each other."

Her smile grew when he placed his hands at her waist, and brought her closer to him so his legs were on either side of her. When he stopped pulling her toward him, he wrapped one arm around her tiny waist, and pulled her head down to his with the other, groaning only when she used her hands and arms to bring them flush together.

She was sure he could hear her heart speed up as he slowly traced circles on the small of her back, and she was damn thankful she had him to hang onto 'cause if the lightheadness she was feeling was any indication she'd be flat out on the floor if he hadn't been there to anchor her. The only indication that either had obligations outside of each other was his phone, which started beeping.

"Shit," he pulled away from her mouth, and leaned his forehead against her mouth. "I forgot I'm on call tonight."

"Hey, it's okay." She pulled him back for a quick kiss.

"But I don't want it to be okay Anna." She looked into his eyes, and almost lost herself in the blueness. "I don't want to be on call. I want to be here with you, hold you and kiss you all night."

"Is that all you would want to do?" She grinned at his shocked face. "Gotcha!"

"Hell Anna, not funny." She laughed as he got up to get the phone, and listened to dispatch on the other end of the line. "Great, Danny's gonna be working it with me."

"Don, please don't be mad forever at him."

"Oh, I won't be, but for a little while it'll do him some good." He moved in to kiss her. "Get some sleep, okay" She nodded, and followed him back into the living room. "Don't miss me too much."

"Who are you again?" His smirk made her laugh. "I promise I won't miss you too much, but just enough, okay? Be safe out there Don."

"Promise. And I have Saturday night off. Would you like to go to dinner?" He looked down at her as she helped him get back into his suit jacket, then his overcoat.

"Of course. Just let me know dress code and time."

"Good. 7:30pm, and dressy."

She walked him to the door where he proceeded to leave her with another kiss that made her need oxygen, and left. After turning the lock, she leaned against the door and let the grin that she had been fighting since she kissed him, take over her face.

--

"Whatta we got man?" asked Danny as he crossed the line and met up with Don.

"White male about 25-35. Local found 'im, tried to revive him when they noticed the blood. Your scene now."

"Hey man," Don turned and looked at his friend. "I am sorry for the comment I made. Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's okay. Just be careful man. She's important to me."

"I got it."

Danny stood and watched Don pull out his memo book as he walked over to the patrol officer. He smiled as he noticed his friend's hand had been bandaged, and thought that he'd have to really apologize to Anna next time he met her.