CSI: New York

Phantasmagoria

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

ELEVEN

Jason Pearce.

This is Jason Pearce.

Isabelle could only stare at Don, then at Jace followed by her mother and then the whole ordeal start all over again like a vicious circle. This is Jason Pearce. She was stunned and frustrated with the whole thing. Firstly, she could not believe that Jace was the Jason Pearce she was looking for. Secondly, he had been in the house the whole time and she had not taken the time to learn his full name. Lastly, she had wasted her time driving to his house; knocking on his door and then driving back home only to realize that the man was at her mother's house, in the kitchen, preparing lunch for the family.

She felt like screaming.

"He was here all morning," she started off slowly and steadily looking at Don. "Didn't you see him on your way in? What, you've got some eyesight problem?"

Don turned his body fully around so he was facing her, looking not pleased at all. "Don't blame me on this," he said. "You were here two days ago. Didn't you at least know his full name?"

Julia glanced at Jace with a questioning look. All she got was a shrug from him. So apparently he had no idea why he was the main subject here of their uprising tension. "They're always fighting like this,"she whispered to Jace as Don neared her daughter. "I can only pray they won't keep this up when they settle down."

"I came to know his existence only this morning," Isabelle whispered angrily looking up at him. "See, if you would've come earlier, we didn't have to waste our time, and gas, polluting the air, driving back and forth because he is right there, behind you!"

"There you go again," Don sighed deeply, lowering his head a little.

"There I go where?" she spat. She was just that close to stomping her heels down on his shoes again. "Blaming everyone else instead of you – you talk and talk and talk but never take responsibility," he taunted her. "I don't like women who can't take the blame for themselves."

She placed her hands on her hips, infuriated. "Excuse me, Donald Flack Junior. I do take responsibilities; I do take the blame for myself, only if I know I'm in the wrong, which in this case, I know that I'm not."

Jace turned to Julia. "They sure do argue a lot, huh?" She nodded. "How long will this take?" He glanced over his shoulders seeing everyone already seated at the dining table.

"So you're telling me I'm in the wrong – that I should take the blame?" Don scowled at Isabelle. She was so intolerable. He wondered how Danny handled her.

"Isabelle, Don—"

"I didn't say that, Don," Isabelle held a finger up to her mother to signal her not to speak just yet; she was not finished with him. "I know that I'm not in the wrong but that doesn't mean—"

"Well, you sure as hell make it sounds like it," he intervened, grabbing Jason's box. "This conversation is over." He turned around and walked towards the owner of the box. "From Aiden," he simply stated as Jason slowly accepted it. He turned to Julia and looked at apologetically. "I don't think I'm staying for lunch. I've got something to do."

Isabelle watched as her mother's expression showed a hint of disappointment. Right then, she felt guilty. She was the reason why her mother was upset. She was the reason why Don was leaving – not that she cared at the moment, but if it involved her mother, she would feel terribly, outrageously and annoyingly guilty. She was just that careful with her mother's feelings.

As Don walked past her, she called out to him. He did not stop nor did he turn to glance at her, like expected. Guilty, she swallowed her anger and dashed out the front door, catching up with him. She managed on wrapping her fingers around his wrist and turned him around—which she failed in doing so miserably. So she stomped in front of him and held his face in her hands.

"Stay," she said firmly looking into his eyes she was trying so hard not to get lost in, as clichéd as that sound. He had the gorgeous pair of blue eyes that she could stare at for long. "Not for me; for my mother."

For a moment there, she saw a glint of hope that he would turn around and headed back into the house but when his hands reached up to hers and pulling it away from holding his face, she knew it was not worth trying. He was stubborn as a mule. She knew that.

He brought her hands down slowly back to her sides, eyes still locked on hers. I'd stay if it was for you. The wind was blowing hard as they stood outside. He knew she was disturbed by her auburn hair being disheveled by the wind. He could see it on her face, and the longer they stood like that, the more she was frowning. Tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear, he brushed past her without saying anything.

"Don!" she called out again after him but this time, she did not go after him.

X

Danny listened intently as Don talked over the phone, every now and then stealing glances at Lindsay who was sitting across from him, shoving salad down her throat. He brought the glass of water back on the table, checking the time on his wristwatch.

"That's normal," Danny shrugged. "You guys fight, bicker, shout, argue, and hurt each other. The list just goes on. That's nothing out of the ordinary. I mean not between you two."

Dan splashed water onto his face in the hotel's bathroom. Danny was right; the argument about Jason's box was nothing out of the ordinary. It was normal between Isabelle and he; they did that frequently. It was like part of their friendship (if theirs could even be considered as a friendship).

"You're right," Don agreed wiping his face dry. "But it feels like this is our first real fight, you know? We weren't taunting each other or bickering. It was…real. No one wanted to take the blame."

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose. "What the hell is going on with you two? You tried killing each other before, then you said you both were dating, and you told me recently you guys broke up—" he sighed. "I know I took that dating issue a little too serious; I should have known it was one sick joke."

Lindsay stood up and he looked at her. She mouthed the word restroom to him before she walked away.

"What are you trying to say?" Danny continued.

"I'm falling for her?"

"That, I know."

"But I can't stand her?"

Danny chuckled. "My only love sprung from my only hate."

X

demolished-soul – Hm, nope, Aiden didn't show him anything. I did mention somewhere in chapter 9 (if I'm not mistaken) that Flack met Jason once. Flack knows him. So…yeah, that's how he knows. ( Thank you for reviewing!