A/N: Thank you so much! SEVEN REVIEWS! SEVEN! EEEEEE! Thank you to Smuffly, Forest Angel, Kayla, noaccount, SomebodyWhoCares, Leslie Emm, and Chanel for your amazing feedback. Keep it up guys it encourages me through this trying exam time.

Characters: Det. Don Flack Jr/OC – Savannah 'Anna' Patia Cormier, Danny/Lindsay, Stella Bonasera, Mac Taylor, and other members of CSI NY.

Set: This is canon up until after episode 6.08 'Cuckoo's Nest.' After that, it's AU.

Rating: M

Warnings: Mild swearing.

Disclaimer: I do not in any way own CSI NY or affiliates. I'm using the characters to no profit. I do not own the song or song lyrics at the beginning of each chapter that inspire me. But I wish that there were a few clones of Don Flack…mmmm….Oh, but I do own Savannah Cormier.


On the Mend – Chapter 28 – Breathing Again


I'm asking for your help
I am going through hell
Afraid nothing can save me but the sound of your voice

Maroon 5 – How


Sheets that smelled like starch. Sterilisation in the air. The beep of a heart monitor.

Savannah groaned as she woke up. She knew immediately she was in the hospital. At least, if the soft cotton pants were anything to go by, she was in her own clothes.

At least she felt no pain. Thank God for painkillers! She struggled to open her eyes, the glaring whiteness of the hospital room lights lancing through her eyelids. She grumbled, wanting to see where she was. The last thing she remembered was Don's stressed face. Then, the light dimmed. Oh. Good.

"That better?"

Savannah's lids snapped open at the voice. It wasn't overly familiar, but she had heard it before. Through her blurry vision that began to clear, she was a little disappointed to see that it wasn't Don at her bedside, but instead another Flack had come to visit. Samantha Flack was looking at her curiously, as if trying to figure out why she was there. "Uh…hi. I know we've only met once," Sam said.

"Hey Sam. Good to see you," Savannah replied politely. She smiled (although fearing it came off as a grimace due to her bruises) at the other woman to make her feel more at ease. "What brings you here?"

Sam cleared her throat. "Don asked me to watch over you. He said that he'd have been here but that he had a quick errand to run. I think it's just a few formalities on your kidnapper or something."

"Oh," Savannah murmured. That made sense. While she was here, she might as well make some conversation with Sam. "Do you happen to know anything? About my injuries or…well, anything? How long have I been out for?"

"I think you've been out for a while. It's 11am in the morning – my brother found you last night."

Wow. That was a long time. Savannah frowned. "Would you happen to know why?"

"The doctors said you were really dehydrated and that you had a mild concussion. Apart from that, I wouldn't know. I've only been here for a few hours." Sam paused, fiddling with the AA medallion that she always kept with her now. "I also want you to know that I want to thank you Savannah. When we met…I was a little bitchy, and you didn't deserve it. I wasn't receptive to good advice. When I found out that you were kidnapped, all I kept thinking was that I never got the chance to tell you that I regretted how I acted."

"It's okay, it really is," the curly haired woman replied. "I can't judge you for that."

Sam smiled then. "You really are something, you know that? Don told you about me a little, right?"

"Only that you were having some trouble dealing with family issues. He mentioned that you and your father haven't spoken in a while."

"Yeah. I wanted to let you know that I thought about what you said to me that day. I thought about it for a long time. And when my parents came back from their cruise, I went to them. I took your advice, and for the first time in three years I spoke to my father like he was my dad again. That was all due to you, Savannah. I grew up, I actually did something about it. Because of you," Sam confessed quietly, but was wearing a smile. "And I can so understand why my brother is so head over heels for you."

Savannah smiled back. "I wouldn't say 'head over heels' but-"

"I would," interrupted the blue eyed woman.

"Really?"

"Anna…I have never seen Donnie like this. When I first met you, I was surprised that he told you so much in front of me. And he doesn't tell anyone anything. I've never seen him so relaxed when he's away from work," Sam pointed out. "At work, he's like this total attack dog, but now when I saw him away from it, he's different…like we were when we were kids." She paused, turning the medallion over in her hands. "When he looks at you, there's this look in his eyes I've never seen before. I'm telling you, he'll be fixing to introduce you to the parents any day now," Sam replied emphatically. She reached out and squeezed Savannah's hand. "And I would be all too glad to have you in my family. I want to be friends. I think you'd be cool."

Savannah felt like glowing right then and there. In spite of her ordeal, in spite of the fact she was banged up and bruised, something great had come out of it all. The uniting of a family. "I would like that," she said.

"It's nice to see you both getting along."

Savannah glanced up, a grin stretching across her face. "Don," she murmured warmly. He was in casual clothes and looked like a load had been taken off his shoulders. He didn't look frantic or worried, which in her book meant that everything was going to be just fine.

Sam suddenly felt like a third wheel. "I'll leave you both to it then," she said, getting up and moving to her brother, hugging him. "Take care of you."

"Take care of you," replied Flack, patting Sam on the back. "I'll see you soon."

Sam peeked back at the figure on the bed. "You definitely will. Get better soon."

"I will."

Nodding, Sam left, a content smile on her face.

Don watched until his sister was out of sight before going into the hospital room and closing the door behind him. "Hey you," he murmured fondly, taking the chair Sam had just vacated and grasping Savannah's hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got kidnapped and rescued. I'm pretty sure that's not a usual feeling, but that's life," Savannah joked weakly. Seeing her favourite pair of blue eyes dart a look over her in concern, she went on, "I just woke up, but I feel fine. I don't feel any pain, at least. Not in my ankle, or my head."

He seemed satisfied by this although his fingers trailed up to trace over the raw skin where the ropes had been. He seemed pensive, thoughtful. Savannah chose not to interrupt his thinking. She felt like if she did then it wouldn't go well for her. Those slightly coarse fingers were tender in their exploration of the red marks, and then they travelled up her arm and to her face, sketching the lines of her bruises. Affirmation and relief that she was alive emanated from the simple touches and Savannah sighed. However, curiosity tugged at her and she asked, "Where did you go?"

Don seemed to close off and he didn't meet her eyes although he continued to massage over her delicate skin. "To let off some steam with a punching bag and other stuff. I…I…um went back to the warehouse last night while the doctors were stabilising you. I saw the room you were in," he muttered darkly. He seemed to be struggling with seeing the conditions she had been in. "Hell, it would have been safer if he had left you in a sauna it was that hot. I saw the mirror piece on the floor and the bit of blood on it. And the ropes. Hell Savannah, how the heck did you manage to keep lucid enough to escape?" the detective wondered aloud, expressing his trouble. His eyes finally found hers again, the conflicting emotions all too clear. "It's…honestly, it's frickin' incredible."

"I had a good teacher," Savannah replied quietly. "I just remembered all you taught me. You were really the cause of my determination."

"You're so relaxed about this," observed her partner.

"Must be the pain meds – I have a feeling they'll wear off soon," the brunette said with a slight smile.

"And what about when they do wear off?" Don eventually asked after a pause.

"Then I'll have you."

That made Don smile, and he caressed her cheek. "Yeah. You will."

Savannah felt she could finally breathe properly after that. "I was so scared that he would take me away. And regardless of all the self-defence work we've done, I've never felt so…unable to assert myself," she admitted.

"That's normal," Flack replied. "I was the same. Unable to do…anything."

"But you found me," she whispered, the purest affection in her tone. "What it must have put you through, Don. I think I worried just as much for you as I did for me."

"I hated it, but I can't think of the ifs, ands, or buts now. It turned out for the best – even if it gave me a heart attack at the time," he replied softly, pressing a kiss to her hand. "I'm just over the moon that you're safe. Everyone wanted to be here, but the hospital nurses were a bit grumpy over the fact that there were about fifteen people waiting around for you."

"That many?!"

"Well, there was me, Sam, Mac, Stella, Danny, Lindsay and Lucy, Adam, Hawkes, Sid, Detective Graham, Jacks, your Aunt Emilie, and I think Chief Sinclair stopped by at one point to see how we all were. He was very upset at the fact that the maker of his favourite tarts had been abducted. And I think he was also there to tell everyone to get back to work as well – they gave me a few days off though," Don rattled off, amused at the look of incredulous expression on his girlfriend's face. "No joke. And just to prove it, here, a little something from Lucy." He then took a folded piece of paper out of his jeans pocket, holding it out.

A choked sob escaped Savannah as she opened the paper to see a little blue handprint with words in Lindsay's elegant hand. "To Anna, hoping you get better soon to make more choc chip cookies. Love Lucy and the Messers," she read aloud, her hand flying to her mouth as she gasped, emotion finally breaking the rigid boundaries of her control. A few tears rolled down her cheeks when presented with just how many people she mattered to.

"Remember what I said about not having to be strong all the time in front of me?" Don reminded cautiously.

Savannah tried to suck it in, but realised that he was right. Feeling like a defenceless child, she held out her arms, shuddering as not even pain medication could repress all the panic and terror she had felt at Wallace's hands. The fear of not knowing. The remembered fear of her abuse, of her friends murders. "I'm trying so hard, Don," she mumbled tearfully as her lover picked her up off the bed and settled her back on it, embracing her in his arms. She fed off his silent stoicism, sobbing in that soft, distraught way.

"I know, baby, I know," soothed Don. "It's okay. I'm here."

He wished that he could take away that pain. Just like he had wished someone had taken his own away. All he could do was make her comfortable and hold her hand, support her head as she curled up into him. Pressing a kiss to her temple, he said, "You, Savannah Cormier, are one of the strongest women I'll ever know."

"And you, Don Flack, are the most wonderful man I'll ever know," Savannah replied, calming. She exhaled, the tears ebbing as the feeling of security overtook her like it always did while in Don's arms.

"Speaking of all things wonderful," he mentioned, hoping to make her feel a bit better, he pulled out the other reason why he had gone on an errand. It was a jewellery box, and he opened it, showing the silver chain necklace. "I was going to get you this on the morning you were taken and give it to you last night, as an early birthday present or something. I think you'll like it."

Wiping her eyes clear of any remaining wetness, Savannah took in the gleaming silver chain and the amethyst teardrop pendant on the end. "Oh wow," she breathed, taking it out of his hands. She carefully touched the pendant, marvelling at the colour – every manner of happy feeling suddenly willing her up with warmth and chasing away the residual sadness. "You didn't have to, and I know you wanted to, so thank you sugar. You just affirmed my earlier statement," she said, taking the necklace out of the box and holding it up to the light. Silently, Don reached for it, unclipping the clasp and fastening it around her neck.

"It suits you."

"You have good taste," Savannah noted, and then pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"So I'll take that as 'I do like it,'" Flack said.

"I'm not going to take it off except for showers now."

Don liked the thought of seeing the necklace he bought her on her neck every day. "Good," he murmured, hugging her. "You know, when your doctor comes by again, he'll be able to discharge you. We can go home soon Anna. And we can relax and do whatever we need to put this experience past us."

"I agree. Besides some Advil, all the prescription I'll need is a healthy dose of Don morning, noon and night," she deadpanned.

"Cute."

"You make me feel better every time," Savannah informed him sincerely. "I snap out of whatever funk I'm in faster."

They sat there, content to bask in the other's presence, until her doctor finally made his rounds. The portly man looked disapprovingly at their position, but could tell by the stubborn looks in both sets of eyes that they would roast him over hot coals if he even mentioned it. "Ms. Cormier. Good to see you awake, I am aware you are to be discharged," he said, checking his clipboard. "When you leave the hospital, you must keep your fluid intake high for the next week to stabilise your body due to the dehydration. Also, you must be aware you must come back to get the cast off your ankle in three weeks or less. The good news is that your ankle isn't actually broken – although it must have felt like it I'm sure. No, it is just a severe sprain and far less serious. After that, we have some rehabilitation exercises for your ankle. Until then…it is crutches."

It was sweet victory to know that at least that injury hadn't been serious. But at the thought of crutches, Savannah cringed.

"Other than that, the bruises will fade eventually. Just remember to rub the bruise salve on them – you can get it at any other pharmacy," the doctor blathered on. He scribbled something down on his notepad. "I'll just fetch a wheelchair and you'll be free to go."

"Thank you," Savannah called after him gratefully.

"Crutches, huh? Maybe you and Danny can compare a cane to crutches." Don made the light quip knowing Anna would appreciate it.

"Don't tempt me. He'll probably want to race on them and challenge me to beat his time."

"On second thought-"

Savannah giggled at Don's expression in realising he had given her a bad idea. "I won't do it, but I can't promise Danny won't be a big kid and do it anyway. He and Adam will probably have crutch races."

"They better not."

"If they do, just make sure you film it in case they stack it. One can never have too much blackmail material," mused Savannah, her hand coming up to touch her new necklace, marvelling at the consideration that had gone into the gift. The impulse, strong and demanding, to murmur the three words she had been thinking for months now was there. All she had to do was open her lips and let Don know the extent of her feelings for him.

"Here we go," the doctor announced as he returned, opening up the wheelchair. "Get in Ms. Cormier, and you can make your way home."

Nodding, Savannah slid off the bed, ignoring Don's gesture to help – telling him he wasn't going to be around all the time for three weeks and she had to do some things by herself – and lowered herself down into the chair, feeling a little dizzy. Flack huffed in exasperation, but knew that she would never change. She was too independent. It was what he liked about her and frustrated him as well.

They travelled down to the main reception, signing the necessary paperwork and inheriting a pair of crutches before Flack pushed Savannah to his car and dropped her in, giving her a slight smile. He then nodded to the doctor and got in, heading to Savannah's apartment.

When they got there, the detective helped his girlfriend up the short steps and to her apartment.

"You know, for once I'm really, really glad I've got a ground floor apartment," the brunette remarked as Don took her keys from her and opened her door.

"My place has got an elevator."

"Your building also has 20 floors and no rooftop garden," she pointed out.

"It's the lack of garden that bugs you," stated Don, guiding her inside with a wry grin.

"I'm used to greenery."

"Not saying it's a bad thing," he replied. He took her bag and placed it on its hook on the coat rack, turning and feeling a little lost as to what to do. Savannah was staring at him as if he was Superman. He didn't feel like that. He felt too lucky. He had almost lost another lover. "Want to watch a movie?" he offered to break the bit of tension build up.

Savannah shook her head. "I'm tired. I'm just emotionally exhausted."

"Again, not a bad thing. C'mon, let's get you some rest," Don murmured. He followed her to the bedroom, turning down her sheets and settling her there.

"Stay?"

"Wild horses and crazies couldn't pull me away," he replied with a smile, shucking his shoes and socks and climbing in next to her. He had a need to hold her, to feel her, tangible in his arms. Savannah made a sound of happiness and cuddled up to him, being careful not to agitate her ankle in its cast. "I'm so happy you're safe," Don affirmed.

"So am I, Don, so am I," Savannah whispered. She looked up into his blue eyes, seeing the weariness caused by her abduction and the all too consuming relief and tenderness and passion that resided deep within the emotive depths. Her heart swelled, and she took the moment.

She had to let him know.

"Don?"

"Yeah Savannah?"

Savannah blinked, gulped, and then confessed softly, "I love you."

Don looked down, seeing pink bloom prettily across her features, but her eyes were open so he could see the stark naked truth in their depths. He saw everything he ever wanted. Instead of replying, he tilted his head forward until their mouths touched in a soft tender kiss that filled up his soul full of love. He clasped her tighter, accepting the sincere, deeply felt words.

"You don't have to say it back," reassured Savannah gently. "I know that you don't like labelling things. But I had to let you know. I had to let you know how much I felt for you, because yesterday I almost didn't get the chance to."

"I care about you deeper than I've ever cared about anyone before," Don replied. He was relieved that his lover understood him that much – not to pressure him, knowing that he would admit to his own feelings in his own time.

"And that's all I'll ever need," she whispered, clinging to him and closing her eyes.


A/N: Another shorter one, but I didn't think it needed to go any further. These guys have been through a lot.