CSI: New York

Phantasmagoria

Phantasmagoria by definition is a scene that is something like you see in a dream.

Two

Her eyes fixed on the telephone on her desk. She was tempted to call Danny, seeing that contacting Don was something she thought she would not do. She lifted the receiver up to her ear, already punching the first five numbers before she backed out. I can't do this. She glanced down at the box. Was that really a dream? She wants me to return them for her?

She had come to the office earlier only to find that another box was waiting for her at the front desk at her workplace. It was bad enough that Flack's one had greeted her in the morning which was currently inside her apartment. And now she had to deal with Danny's, too.

"Isabelle," the boss called out quietly upon entering her cubicle. He waited as the auburn haired slowly turned in her swivel chair, looking up at him, a look of distress on her face. She's right; she needs a vacation. "Is something wrong?"

She smiled right after that, chuckling. "Everything's fine, Mr. Thornton," she replied. "Anything I can do for you?"

"Um, no," he returned. "Listen, why don't you go for a vacation? You look like you need one and I'd like to apologize for not letting you go sooner." He glanced down at the box by his feet. I don't want you resigning. "So what do you say?"

She was taken aback by the offer. "For three weeks?"

He shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

She was skeptical now. "If my mother—"

"Your mother has got nothing to do with this," he intervened, lowering his voice. "I'm just begging you to go for a vacation, okay? For three weeks. You've been working yourself way too hard and your files keep going missing. Do something about it. You need a break before it breaks you."

And it took only that for her to give in, grabbed Danny's box (which was equally heavy to Don's) and hailed a cab.

She was going back to the precinct.

The cab stopped in front of the precinct. Isabelle took a moment to look at it, sighing. She really loved her job here but could not find a reason why she quit it in the first place. She told the cab driver to hold on while she rushed inside for a moment. Stepping out of the cab, she ascended the steps and entered, heading for the front desk.

"Can I help you, ma'am?"

She offered the officer a small smile. "I'm looking for Detective Fla—"She stopped. Not Flack! No, no, no, don't say Flack. She was not even looking for Flack considering it was Danny's box that was with her, in the cab waiting outside.

"Are you looking for Detective Flack?" he asked, looking at her.

She sighed. "No, actually, I'm looking for Detective Messer. If he's around, that is."

"You can find him next—"

"I know where to find him," she cut him off, "but is he in?"

He looked at her for a moment. "I don't think so, ma'am. It's like there's a massacre in the city lately." Sure enough, when she looked around, the room was almost empty. "Would you like to leave a message for both detectives?"

"No," she shook her head. "No, thank you." Just as she turned around, she stopped. So much of trying to avoid him, she thought angrily. Walking towards him—who was currently blocking the entrance—they stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Green boring back into blue before her legs moved on its own without her realizing it and stomped her heels right on his shoe – hard.

"What was that for?" he hissed, wincing.

"You think it's funny, Don?" she raised her voice and as soon as she said that, she brushed past him and ran down the steps not wanting to deal with him.

"What is?" he called out, rushing after her. He grabbed her hand before she could grasp the door handle to the cab and twirled her around. "Stop running away from me every time you're pissed off."

Lindsay who was a few feet down the street saw this and found it rather interesting. "Who's that?" she asked Danny. He looked up.

"Pissed off?" Isabelle repeated incredulously. "Oh I'm beyond pissed off right now. You've done way too many things intentionally to hurt me, to embarrass me and to humiliate me." She tried wriggling her hands free out of his grasp and huffed. "And now you intentionally want to make my life miserable? Let me go, Flack!" She lifted her leg to stomp on him again but he pushed her leg down, placing his hand on her thigh. She swatted it away. "Don't touch me!"

He was agitated now. "Well, if I don't touch you, I would have to limp my way around the city by now."

"Serve you right for placing your damn box in front of my door!" she said indignantly.

Yeah, she thought Don himself had put the box intentionally in front of her door despite the fact that the thought never cross her mind. In fact, she found it strange, especially after that dream. But as soon as she laid eyes on him, all she wanted was to lash out at him and blame him for everything.

"What box, Isabelle? What's your problem?" he let her go. "I don't even know where you're staying at. Hell, I didn't even know you're back from Miami until now."

She stared at him. He knows? "Are you spying on me?"

He shook his head in disbelief and turned around to walk away. She fought the urge of wanting to run up behind him and choke him with his tie…until Danny suddenly appeared in front her, holding her back, just in case if she broke out into a run after Don. Not attempting of holding her back was not really a wise move because knowing her, she would.

"Let me go, Danny," she murmured. She looked into his eyes. "I mean it."

"What are you doing here?" he asked, sounding as if he was not happy to see her; he was. He just made it sound different. He tried again. "I mean, I thought you were in Miami?"

"You," she said accusingly. "You told him, didn't you?" But I didn't tell Danny.

"Tell who about what?"

"You were in on the prank, too?"

"What prank?" he asked, absolutely confused now. She did not say anything for a moment. She was just breathing hard. She's fuming, bad, he thought. "Breathe, Belle, you got to breathe."

"I am breathing."

"Okay," he sighed letting her go, assuring himself that she would not be running after Don now. He introduced Lindsay to her. "This is Monta—" he paused and the cleared his throat, "I mean this is Lindsay Monroe." Isabelle glanced at her smiling a little. "And this is Isabelle DeFranco that I've been telling you about."

"Nice to meet you," Lindsay smiled, shaking her hand.

"Likewise," she returned before mumbling, "unlike some people."

Danny chuckled. "Don's been restless lately, so don't mind him."

Isabelle rolled her eyes in annoyance. "He's always restless, Danny. Always finding fault with me."

Danny shrugged. "He can be this big jerk, really. But for how long have you two been doing this? Even after Aiden—" He stopped right there realizing what he was about to say. Lindsay became uncomfortable and Isabelle did not know how to react to that.

"Oh," Isabelle finally said opening the door to the cab of the backseat. "Please retrieve your box." She shrugged at him when he gave her a rather questioning look. "It's heavy, I know," she mumbled helping him steady as he stood back up straight. "I don't know what's inside because someone sent it to my workplace. I'm just making sure you have it. And now, I have to go." She hugged Lindsay and then Danny before getting in the cab.

"Uh, Montana," Danny called, "a little help here?" He was struggling with the box and she smiled evilly.

"You've got the wrong name there." She turned around and walked away, leaving Danny trailing behind her, struggling.

sarramaks - Thank you! I'm glad you found it an intriguing start. Well, that was chapter two.